APC raises alarm over Jonathan, Jega conspiracy meeting

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has said the decision by President Goodluck Jonathan to summon INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega to a meeting that was not attended by other political parties in Abuja on Tuesday is part of ongoing moves to compromise the integrity of the electoral commission, which is expected to be fair and neutral.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party said it is wrong for the President, who himself is a candidate in the forthcoming elections, to be summoning the electoral umpire at will, especially when such meetings are populated by his appointees.
”Without the representatives of other political parties attending such meetings, irrespective of whether or not it is aimed at briefing security chiefs on the preparations for the polls, the ruling PDP and its presidential candidate are seeking to gain undue advantage over others ahead of the elections.
”It is like the referee in a football match meeting with key officials of one of the teams ahead of the match. This is against the spirit of transparency and fairness and must stop forthwith.
”Had the representatives of other political parties apart from the PDP (the President is the leader of the PDP) attended the meeting, the widespread speculation that Jega’s life and job were threatened if he fails to drop the use of the card reader, as well as circulating reports that he will be removed before Saturday, would not have happened,” it said.
APC said whatever briefings must be given by the INEC chairman on the elections must have in attendance the representatives of all the political parties that will participate in the elections.
It also decried clandestine meetings between some key presidency and INEC officials with a view to rigging the elections, warning the presidency to steer clear of the electoral officials if indeed they are desirous of a free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.
Meanwhile, the party has said the Presidency and the PDP cannot and must not be allowed to profit from their sponsorship of ethnic militias, including MASSOB and OPC, to create chaos and violence before, during and after the elections.
It said the plot by the duo is to make the country so unsafe before the polls that members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who are supposed to serve as electoral officials, will simply say they can no longer participate in the elections because they fear for their lives.
”This will simply truncate the elections and trigger a constitutional crisis, the exact scenario being plotted by the Jonathan Administration and the PDP to allow them to either perpetuate themselves in office or install an interim government,” APC said.
It said another booby trap on the path of holding the elections as rescheduled are the pending court cases against the use of the card reader by INEC.
”Nigerians should note that nothing is yet guaranteed as far as the holding of the rescheduled elections is concerned. The Jonathan Administration and the PDP are still shopping for a court judgement to declare the use of the card reader unconstitutional, just because they are now painfully aware that Nigerians have rejected them and their party
”We are therefore calling on all our compatriots to be more vigilant in the next few days to the elections. We are also alerting local and foreign observers, and the international community, to the ongoing shenanigans by the Jonathan Administration and the PDP to scuttle the polls,” APC said.

Jonathan campaign money turns Ogun support group apart

Funds earmarked for President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign coordinators across Ogun State, on Wednesday, led to fracas after party officials failed to deliver the funds to the beneficiaries.
The money was to be shared at a meeting of 708 coordinators drawn from 236 wards of the state, which took place at a hotel located along Quarry Road of Abeokuta.
But the meeting, which lasted for five hours, ended in controversy after it became clear the funds were not available.
Trouble began after two leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Fatai Adeyanju (National Auditor) and Pegba Otemolu (South West Secretary) told the participants that the money was yet to be deposited into a designated bank account.
‪The news angered the coordinators, particularly, amid claims that N1million hotel bill had been allegedly issued for food and drinks which were not served.
‪The aggrieved coordinators consequently held the two party leaders hostage and insisted that they will not allow them go until the funds were released.
‪At this stage, some political thugs escorted Mr. Otemolu out of the hall, who then quickly entered his waiting Honda pilot jeep for a quick escape.
However, in his bid to leave the area, Mr. Otemolu’s driver lost control and rammed into another vehicle and a passer-by.
The development sparked off multiple reactions as the angry group bundled Mr. Otemolu out of his car while his colleague, Mr. Adeyanju, took to his heels.
‪The commotion also led to attacks on two journalists, Daud Olatunji of Vanguard, and Razaq Ayinla of Business Day, whose work tools were seized by the political hoodlums.
It was not clear immediately how the fracas was resolved.

Source: Premium Times

Jonathan will not apologise over Nigeria, Morocco phone row – Minister

President Goodluck Jonathan will not apologise to Nigerians after his administration made a false claim that he spoke via telephone with the King of Morocco, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister has said.
The minister, Aminu Wali, said if ongoing investigations show that there is need for an apology, he, not Mr. Jonathan, will be the one to apologise.
President Jonathan admitted Friday that he did not speak on telephone with the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, as claimed last week by the foreign affairs ministry, a false claim that sparked a diplomatic spat with Morocco recalling its ambassador.
Mr. Jonathan has ordered an investigation into the scandal, and has vowed to punish the officials responsible for it.
But the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, has urged the president to go a step further and apologise to Nigerians for the embarrassment.
The Foreign Minister, Mr. Wali, urged Nigerians not to politicize the face-off, saying Mr. Jonathan has no hand in it.
Speaking at the Presidential Villa Abuja after meeting with President Jonathan, Mr. Wali said he has since commenced investigation, as directed by the president, to fish out the culprits behind the misinformation that has led to diplomatic row.
“I have already taken action on the President’s directive and of course some people are trying to make this whole thing political,” he said.
“And of course, at this level of our diplomacy, a lot of things can happen. So we are trying to find out, and I will like to say that the President has nothing to do with it. This is something that has happened and there is a bit of mix-up somewhere along the line. We are going to unravel it.
“So the President has nothing to do with it. Therefore, people should not, like I hear some senators from the opposition asking the President to apologise to the country. Now this is, if at all there is anybody who is going to apologise, and I being the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will be the one to apologise and not Mr. President”.
Asked if the statement claiming that the president spoke to Mohammed VI of Morocco, when indeed he did not, went out without his knowledge, Mr. Wali said: “It is something that I am digging into. The President asked me to look into it and I am looking into it”.

Alison-Madueke sues PREMIUM TIMES, APC, 9 others over Missing $20bn

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has sued PREMIUM TIMES and 10 other individuals and organizations to restrain them from further reporting on the controversial missing $20billion oil money involving the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
In an application before Justice AFA Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s lawyer, Godwin Obla, from Obla & Co., sought and obtained an interim injunction restraining PREMIUM TIMES and 10 others from “publishing or causing to be published any further defamatory statements” stating or suggesting that the minister “stole, misappropriate or colluded in the stealing of $20billion crude oil revenue”.
In the application dated March 13, 2015, Mr. Obla warned the persons and organisations to desist from “further publishing any disparaging defamatory or otherwise salacious materia (sic) as it relates to or affects our client.”
Those listed as defendants in the case are the All Progressives Congress, APC, Vanguard Media Limited and its editor, Mideno Bayagbon; Leadership Newspapers Group Limited and its editor Ekele Peter Agbo; Premium Times Services Limited and its editor in chief, Dapo Olorunyomi, and Vintage Press Limited and its editor, Lekan Otufodunrin.
Also joined in the application were the National Broadcasting Corporation and the Nigerian Press Council.
The Court directed the two government regulators to ensure Mrs. Alison-Madueke is not linked in any report regarding the alleged missing $20 billion either on broadcast media, internet, print or radio.
The court specifically ordered the media houses to “desist from publishing any materials or running any programmme alluding to the complicity or collusion” the minister in respect of “$20billion, $49billion or any other figure, howsoever computed or arrived at, which are purportedly/allegedly missing or ‘unaccounted’ for”.
“You are hereby advised to immediately ensure total compliance with the Order of the Hon. Justice Ademola and to further cease and desist forthwith from publishing any material, howsoever titled or presented and irrespective of its form and content, which alludes to any amorous, immoral, salacious and defamatory matters connected to or related with our client, including anything to do with any allegation(s) or insinuation that our client colluded, was involved with or is complicit in the matter of a purportedly/allegedly missing $20billion, $49billion or any other amount whatsoever, until the determination of the substantive suit,” it stated.
Warning that compliance to the court order was not discretionary, but mandatory, Mr. Obla said that any attempt to do otherwise would be tantamount to flouting a subsisting order of a competent court.
“Failure to heed or give effect to the subsisting orders of the court will lead to the full force of the law being brought to bear upon your organization,” he said.
The missing $20 billion oil money was first raised by former Central Bank governor, Lamido Sanusi, who accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, of not accounting for the amount.
As petroleum minister, Mrs. Alison-Madueke is the chairperson of the board of the NNPC.
While the government denied that funds were missing, it ordered a forensic audit of the NNPC, carried out by PriceWaterHouseCoopers Limited.
Several months after the completion of the audit, President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the report be withheld.
Last month, Mrs. Alison-Madueke told the Financial Times of London that the government was sitting on the report to ensure a “rabid” opposition does not exploit every of its detail to ridicule the government ahead of crucial polls March 28.
Under immense pressure from Nigerians, the government released a “highlight” of the report, which indeed proved the NNPC was indebted to the government, but at a much lower rate of $1.49billion.
The petroleum minister has since directed the NNPC to pay the money to the federation account.
Notwithstanding, many Nigerians have continued to demand the release of the full report.
The minister and her finance counterpart, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, have repeatedly flouted the directives of the House of Representatives that the report be made public.

What Jonathan told me by Atiku Abubakar

Former Vice President AtikuAbubakar yesterday recounted his weekend’s meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan.
He spoke to Sahara Reporters.
Atikuwas quoted as saying that he had retired to bed when he was woken up and told that President Jonathan had come to see him, adding that the president was already waiting in his living room.
Denying that he was asked to head an interim government, the former vice president admitted that Dr. Jonathan tried to prevail on him to rejoin the PDP which he rejected.
He said the president also discussed the ongoing war against Boko Haram, seeking his support for Nigerian troops. He said they also discussed the possibility of displaced Nigerians returning to the areas that have been recaptured from Boko Haram.
Asked by Sahara Reporters whether he thought President Jonathan was interested in allowing elections to hold on March 28, the former vice president hesitated before stating that he would not wish to speculate, but he said the president’s body language did not reveal that he was interested in the polls which are less than two weeks to hold.
Atiku said he had always been opposed to an interim government adding that he did so when former military President Ibrahim Babangida set up an interim national government in 1993. He said he was offered a position in the government through the late Gen. Shehu Yar’Adua, which he rejected. The position, he said was given to Lagos politician Dapo Sarumi.
Atiku said he advised President Jonathan to ensure that the elections were free and fair and devoid of the bloodshed that trailed the 2011 general elections

Actress Eniola Badmus Speaks on her new ride, It’s not a gift, I work for it

Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus, made headlines a few weeks back when she showed her off a new wonder-on-wheels, a white Honda Pilot SUV on her instagram page.
She has opened on how she got the toy and also cleared the air on allegations surrounding it in a chat witth Encomium magazine.
Gushing about her SUV Eniola said:
“Yes, it’s true. I just acquired a new Honda Pilot SUV, 2014 model. I thank God for that.”
Asked why she is so much in love with the brand and colour since her first SUV acquired in 2012, was also a white Honda Pilot, she said,
“I just love Honda Pilot and I prefer white. It’s my favourite colour. I always feel comfortable when cruising around with Honda Pilot. It has everything that makes me comfortable.”
On the tale that the car might be a gift from a lover, Badmus reacted,
“Gift? That’s rubbish. No man bought my jeep for me. You’re aware I have another Honda Pilot, 2012 model. I just decided to acquire a new one. That’s why I bought it. No man can ask me for the key.”
“It’s acquired out of my hard work. I do both English and Yoruba movies. Today Asaba, tomorrow Enugu. I think people should know that my hard work must be blessed. I am above the level of living on the mercies of men. I can beat my chest that all I had achieved so far, including my latest ride, are fruits of my labour. I bless God for being on my side all day and night.”
Asked if she has moved out of her Ikoyi, Lagos residence, she stated, “Yes, I am now in Oniru Estate, Lekki, and I feel much more comfortable here.”
On the identity of the man rocking her world at the moment, Gbogbo Bigz Girlz chose to maintain sealed lips, saying, “No comment on that, please. It’s my private business.”

Actress Rukky Sanda Speak Harsh on Instagram…

Rukky Sanda let out a frustrated rant on her Instagram page as she sent out a message to ‘people that are entirely jobless and live off the internet writing dumb’ things.

She wrote:

If Only I Cared Enuf To Engage In A Baseless Conversation With People That Are Entirely Jobless And Live Off The Internet Writing Dumb S**t On Ppls Pages… But Really Tho’, I cud f* less cos my ppl block dumb a**es and delete dat sh**ttt even before I get to c it. Nuisances will not be tolerated here, cos all I do is wish u all well. However if I choose to be a healthy woman, #skinnyb**** All well & good for me. If u choose to be fat+ugly+unhealthy&miserable Well don’t blame me ho!!! #prettygirlGANG #prettyonFLEEK… #embraceurCURVES… #embraceurLIFE… #beurSELF24/7… #me2dyAlldayNeverGivingaBLEEP… #muchLove2myThickSexyLadiesWithTheBigOlBootieOnFLEEK…