WE AWAIT INEC TO SWEAR-IN OTTI – OYE

WE AWAIT INEC TO SWEAR-IN OTTI – OYE

APGA Awaits INEC’s Swearing-in Of Otti – Oye

The National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Ike Oye, said yesterday that the party is awaiting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to swear in its candidate, Dr. Alex Otti as the new Abia State governor.

INEC was last Thursday ordered by the Appeal Court which sat in Owerri, Imo State to swear in Dr. Otti.
He spoke to Daily Sun in Umuahia where he gave the reason Otti was yet to be sworn in after the verdict of the Appeal Court which gave the order that he should be sworn in within a specific time frame.

Oye said as a law-abiding party that believes in the Rule of Law, that the Appeal Court made it clear that Otti won the election and so, INEC should make arrangement to swear him as the governor.

“That was the ruling of the Court of Appeal that sat in Owerri. When he will be sworn in is dependent on INEC,”  Oye said. According to him, “the court said INEC should make arrangement, it did not say that APGA should make arrangement, the directive is very clear. If they had said that APGA should do that, we would have sworn him in the same night,” he explained.

He said that his party is  following directive, “waiting for INEC to give us the green light for him to be sworn in. The responsibility falls on INEC for him to be sworn in. That was the ruling of the Appeal Court, he explained further.

He stated that since the judgment was given, Abia people have been up-beat, adding that  they do not expect anything less and as far as the 2015 governorship election was concerned.

Meanwhile, the state police command has warned those  demonstrating  against the Appeal Court judgment which sacked Ikpeazu to desist from disturbing the peace, or face the wrath of the law.

But reacting, Ikpeazu said he has the right to remain in office pending the outcome of the suit he filed at the apex court to challenge the annulment of his victory.

Ikpeazu, in a letter his lawyer wrote to INEC, wondered why the court overruled the tribunal, which upheld his election. His lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), had in the letter said: “Our client was elected by the electorate as the governor of Abia State in the governorship election held on April 11 and 25, 2015.

“Upon his return as the governor by INEC, Mr. Alex Otti and his political party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) challenged his return at the governorship election tribunal sitting at Umuahia, and which tribunal dismissed their petition on November 3, 2015. Being dissatisfied with the judgment of the tribunal, the petitioners appealed to the Court of Appeal, and by the judgement of the Court of Appeal delivered on December 31, 2015, the court allowed the appeal and declared Alex Otti as governor of Abia State,” he said.

Forex Restrictions: Nigerians Throng Ghana, Togo, Benin To Source Dollars

Following the various restrictions in the Nigerian foreign exchange market as well as the ban on the usage of naira denominated cards outside the country, some Nigerians have resorted to buying dollars from neighboring countries to be able to pay school fees of their wards schooling outside the country.

LEADERSHIP investigations revealed that to circumvent the ban on the usage of naira cards outside the country, some people go to Togo, Benin Republic and Ghana, among others to source dollars to send via courier or other means abroad.

Also, investigations show that speculators taking advantage of the high demand for dollars in Nigeria buy the greenback from outside the country to sell it in Nigeria. The value of the naira had dropped to an all time low of N283 to the dollar last year but has remained stable since last week at N265.

The Central Bank of Nigeria had placed various restrictions on the foreign exchange market, having removed 41 items from the eligible for forex list and reduced the annual and daily spending limits.

It had also backed the move by banks to stop accepting foreign currency deposits as well as the recent ban on the usage of naira denominated cards abroad, a move that has been condemned by many Nigerians especially students living abroad.

Confirming this, the acting president of the Association of Bureau de Change Operators of Nigerian (ABCON), Aminu Gwadabe said “there are people that now buy euro in Nigeria and convert it to dollar and bring it back to sell. The people doing this are traders that make it their business and not BDCs”
He noted that the speculators who follow international exchange rates take advantage of the high demand of dollar in Nigeria. This he said may spike activities at the parallel market affecting the value of the dollar.

Meanwhile he noted that there may not be dollar sales to BDCs today as they are yet tot receive any notification from the CBN. According to him, “Normally by Monday, the CBN would have told us what they will be giving us and the bank would have deducted it from our accounts by Monday evening. We are confused now and some. Banks as deducting $10,000 others are deducting $30,000, but we are yet to get any notification from the CBN.”

BREAKING News!!! Gunmen Kill NFF’s Head of Protocol, Abubakar in his Home this Morning (Photos)

The chief protocol officer of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Abubakar, has been shot dead by armed robbers in his Abuja home.

According to the federation’s official Twitter handle, the incident took place in the early hours of Wednesday.
The update read: “NFF’s Head of Protocol Ibrahim Abubakar was shot dead by armed robbers in his house in Abuja in the early hours of today.

“Abubakar’s remains is being taken to Kaduna for burial.”
Reacting to the tragedy, media officer of the Super Eagles, Toyin Ibitoye, expressed his sadness over Abubakar’s death.

He tweeted: “Shocking, devastating & tragic news about the killing of @thenff’s head of protocol Ibrahim Abubakar by armed robbers this morning in Abuja.

“May God comfort Ibrahim Abubakar’s family, friends and colleagues on this tragic, untimely loss.”

Cossy Ojiakor Says She Is Getting Married

Finally, busty Nollywood actress Cossy Ojiakor is getting married.
Cossy announced her marriage plans on her Instagram page last night in a post she captioned “Hello 2016…I started this year with work… Helping out… Almost like charity…. That’s when I know It’s gonna be a good year…. This year I will finally become Mrs Cossy Ojiakor……… Fill in the blank space hahhahhaha”

Recall that few weeks ago, Cossy blasted haters on her instagram page saying: “Real men love cossy. the girls hating on me gat my pix in their men’s phone. And all the men hating are all gay. The gay dudes should just chill its not a competition. its money to get tits as big as mine.”
Now we look forward to meeting Mr. Right who is her real man.

Cossy recently visited Germany and was criticised on social media for flaunting her boobs despite the temperate weather over there.

See How Olisa Metuh Allegedly Planned To Escape From Nigeria

According to a travel itinerary obtained by Sahara Reporters, Metuh was scheduled to leave Abuja today, January 6, on an Emirates Airline flight to Dubai.

Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy Senate president, was booked on the same flight and was supposed to travel with the PDP spokesman.

A law enforcement source revealed that officials had received a tipoff that Metuh intended to fly from Dubai to the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis.

The source revealed that the PDP spokesman had obtained citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis through substantial financial investment.

“Our information is that Chief Metuh was planning to move there [St. Kitts and Nevis] to avoid possible arrest and trial [for corrupt enrichment],” the source added.

On Tuesday, January 5, officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission stormed the Abuja home of the PDP spokesman and whisked him away.

The party’s officials initially claimed that Metuh was “merely” invited for a chat by the EFCC. However, later they changed tunes and raised the alarm over alleged plans by the anti-graft agency to poison the spokesman.

Iran says Saudi Arabia cannot cover up 'crime' by cutting ties

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday Saudi Arabia could not hide its "crime" of executing a Shi'ite cleric by cutting ties with Tehran, but Iranian authorities disowned an attack on the Saudi embassy in Iran.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Sudan broke all ties with Iran and the United Arab Emirates downgraded its relations on Monday after the Saudi embassy in Tehran was stormed by protesters. Kuwait recalled its ambassador to Iran on Tuesday.

An angry mob broke into the embassy on Saturday night and started fires following protests against the kingdom's execution of cleric Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent critic of Saudi policy, and three other Shi'ite Muslims as well as 43 Sunni al Qaeda jihadists.

"Saudi Arabia cannot hide its crime of beheading a religious leader by severing political relations with Iran," Rouhani was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA in a meeting with Danish Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen in Tehran.

"We believe diplomacy and negotiations are the best way to solve problems between countries," he added. "Regional countries can save the region from terrorism dangers through unity."

The Iranian government has distanced itself from the attack on the Saudi embassy and even suggested foreign elements organized it.


Brigadier General Mohsen Kazemeini, the top Revolutionary Guards commander in Tehran, joined the condemnation on Tuesday.

"This was a very wrong and incorrect action and there is no way this ugly action can be justified," he said, according to the Mizan Online news agency.

The comments appeared to be the first such criticism of the embassy attack by a member of the hardline Guards, who issued a harsh statement against Saudi Arabia about the execution of al-Nimr on Saturday.
Kazemeini said the attack could not have been carried out by "devout forces" and that it was "completely organized".

An Iranian government spokesman earlier called the attack "suspicious" and "in favor of Saudi Arabia's policies".

"A few people - with whom it's not clear which country's interests they are serving - took advantage of people's feelings," ILNA news agency quoted Mohammad Bagher Nobakht as saying. 


Iran's Justice Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi was quoted by Iranian media as saying "the latest action against the Saudi embassy could be planned and supported by infiltrated agents."

President Hassan Rouhani has referred to the embassy attackers as extremists and said Iran should put an end to attacking embassies once and forever.

Iran celebrates the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran every year and refers to it as the Second Revolution. Since then, Iranians have attacked several embassies in Tehran including those of Kuwait in 1987, Saudi Arabia in 1988, Denmark in 2006 and Britain in 2011. 


Reuters

Obama, wiping tears, makes new push to tighten gun rules

Wiping back tears as he remembered children killed in a mass shooting, President Barack Obama on Tuesday ordered stricter gun rules that he can impose without Congress and urged American voters to reject pro-gun candidates.

Obama made it clear he does not expect gun laws to change during his remaining year in office, but pledged to do what he can to make gun control a theme in the months leading up to the November election to replace him.

In a powerful address in the White House, surrounded by family members of people killed in shootings, Obama's voice rose to a yell as he said the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms needed to be balanced by the right to worship, gather peacefully and live their lives.

Obama has often said his toughest time in office was grappling with the December 2012 massacre of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

"Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad," Obama said, tears rolling down his cheek.
"That changed me, that day," he said, after being introduced by Mark Barden, whose 7-year-old son was killed in the shooting. "My hope earnestly has been that it would change the country."

After that tragedy, the Democratic president failed to persuade Congress to toughen U.S. gun laws. He has blamed lawmakers for being in the thrall of the powerful National Rifle Association gun lobby group.
Obama, comparing the issue to the great civil rights causes of his time, is set to discuss gun violence again during a live televised town hall on CNN on Thursday, and during his State of the Union address next Tuesday.

Vice President Joe Biden is slated to do a series of television interviews on the topic on Wednesday.


LEGAL CHALLENGES EXPECTED
The U.S. Constitution's 2nd Amendment gives Americans the right to have arms, a right that is fiercely defended.

Obama laid out executive action he is taking to require more gun sellers to get licenses and more gun buyers to undergo background checks.

Under the changes, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is issuing guidelines intended to narrow exceptions to a system that requires sellers to check with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine whether buyers have criminal records, are charged with crimes or have mental health conditions that would bar them from owning a gun.