My Heart Goes For Jonathan, For Accepting Defeat To Keep Nigeria One--Oladele GEJ Trekker

The trekker Oladele -John Nihi who identify with the outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan has described Omotola Jolashade Ekehide's statement as insensitive of what would have become of Nigeria if the March 28th Presidential election had gone the way other elections in Africa have somehow being..
He lamented that a celebrity of international repute like OMOTOLA would align herself to such uncanny statement rather than show her utmost support to a man that sacrificed personal aggrandizement to safe the country from being plunged into chaos and political disharmony.
Speaking with SaharaTv in a telephone discussion, Oladele John Nihi extolled President Godluck Jonathan for the sacrifice and urged other African  leaders to emulate the leadership prowess expounded by the president.

See Farewell Gift From DAVID MARK To President Goodluck Jonathan Worth $200,000

Senate President, David Mark reportedly gave outgoing Pres. Jonathan this $200,000 24k solid gold customized watch as a gift. According to Vanguard who reported that they received the image, the gold watch has '750 N (North) 34379″ on it, and also a 'Special Edition 2010' on the top and also bears: “Presented by Senator David Mark GCON,” and to “H.E. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan” etched into the gold as well as the Nigerian emblem over its visible working parts.

SENATE PRESIDENCY: 59 APC SENATORS TO SELECT SOLE CANDIDATE

Ahead of a one-day retreat organized by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for its senators-elect in Abuja tomorrow, checks indicate that the party is going ahead with an open primary to select a sole candidate to succeed David Mark as Senate President next month.
A ranking senator from the South west told Daily Sun yesterday that the APC is set to organise primary election for all contenders for the Senate Presidency, “much in line with how the primary was conducted to select our presidential candidate in 2014.”
All 59 senators and senators-elect of the party would be delegates at the primary. The ranks of the APC senators depleted by one with the death, on Saturday, May 16, of Borno senator, Ahmed Khlaifa Zannah.
It is yet unclear whether the primary would hold in Abuja or Lagos but it was further gathered that, all the 59 senators and senators-elect are “expected to sign an undertaking to abide by the party position on whoever emerges as the party’s candidate after the primary.
“Thereafter, the runner-up is expected to emerge as the deputy Senate President. In the event where the runner-up is from the same zone as the winner of the primary, another primary election would be conducted and whoever emerges would be the deputy.”

Read British Prime Minister DAVID CAMERON Charge To Buhari To Preposition Nigeria

The Prime Minister welcomed President-elect Buhari of Nigeria to Downing Street this morning. Both leaders congratulated each other on their recent election victories and discussed the challenges facing Nigeria. The Prime Minister stressed the UK’s wish to work for a stable, prosperous and secure Nigeria. The leaders discussed security in the region and the fight against terrorism, particularly the threat posed by Boko Haram. They discussed the need for a regional approach and agreed to continue working together to build the capacity of the Nigerian army, with the UK continuing to provide military training and intelligence support.
On tackling corruption, they agreed this was a priority to ensure Nigeria’s prosperity and success. The Prime Minister agreed to look at what technical assistance and support the UK could provide to the Nigerian government as it looks to undertake its reforms.
They also discussed the need to tackle organised crime and the links between the UK and Nigeria.
Finally, they talked about the challenges posed by migration from Africa to Europe and the President-elect said he would do all he could to secure Nigeria’s borders.

Senate Presidency: Saraki, Lawan’s ambition divides APC

The politics of who emerges the next Senate president among leading All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmakers, is tearing the party’s caucus apart, with some members boycotting a retreat organized by the party for its senators-elect.
Senators-elect loyal to a former Lagos State governor, and a leader of the party, Ahmed Tinubu, stayed away from the retreat at Ibeto hotel, Abuja on Saturday. They group later joined the retreat after holding separate meeting at a different location.
The retreat began Friday evening with a cocktail party for the lawmakers.
The APC, Nigeria’s ruling party-in-waiting, has been enmeshed in high-wire politicking as the party struggles to agree on a formula for the election of new National Assembly leaders.
Leaders of the party have met severally to discuss and come up with a zoning arrangement for national assembly principal officers without success.

BODE GEORGE, WIFE BEHIND NDLEA’S RAID ON MY HOME – KASHAMU

Buruji Kashamu, senator-elect has accused a leader of his political party, Bode George, of instigating a raid on his residence in Lagos in an attempt to extradite him to the U.S.
Nearly two dozen operative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, stormed Mr. Kashamu’s home Saturday. It was unclear if they sought to arrest Mr. Kashamu.
In a statement Saturday, the PDP leader said he had confirmed that the Nigerian government, through the Attorney General of the Federation, did not authorise the raid on his home.
He said his political rival, Mr. George, instigated his wife, who heads the anti-narcotic agency, to invade his home as part of a plot to extradite him.
The statement, signed by Mr. Kashamu’s media, Austin Oniyokor, said “this latest onslaught is a confirmation of the alleged plot to illegally abduct him in spite of the pending suit against this illegality”.
“The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) this morning (Saturday,23rd May, 2015) at about 4:30am surrounded the Lekki Phase 1, Lagos residence of Prince Buruji Kashamu to allegedly effect his arrest following a purported extradition request from the US.

JEGA: OUR ACHIEVEMENTS PROVED DOOMSDAY PREDICTIONS WRONG

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said some predictions, especially by some international media organisations, suggesting that the outcome of the recently concluded 2015 general election may lead to the end of the country, have been proven to be false due to the free, fair, credible and peaceful conduct of the elections.
Before the elections, there were tensions everywhere with the fear of possible outbreak of violence, but the tension, anxiety and fear fizzled out after the elections.
The INEC chairman who spoke yesterday at the commission’s headquarters when he received a delegation led by the Ambassador of Mexico to Nigeria, Marco Antonio Garcia Blanco, said: “We are indeed very happy that our elections turned out successful and to have been recognised both nationally and internationally as free, fair, credible and also peaceful.
“Leading to the election, some impressions had been created, particularly in the international media as if this may be the end of our country. Thank God it was doomsday prediction which turned out to be false,” he said.

IN A SURPRISE U-TURN, S’COURT RE-LISTS CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT CASE FOR MONDAY

In a surprise U-turn, the Supreme Court on Friday rescheduled for Monday the hearing of the case arising from the face-off between the National Assembly and President Goodluck Jonathan on the legality of the Fourth Alteration Bill for the amendment of the constitution which the President refused to sign into law.

The Supreme Court had earlier adjourned the matter to June 19th when the current National Assembly would have ceased to exit.

But NASS, through its lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN applied to the Supreme Court to have the case re-listed for hearing before the expiration of the tenure of the current National Assembly.

A copy of the new hearing notice which was obtained by THISDAY reads: “Take notice that the above motion will be listed for hearing before the Supreme Court of Nigeria sitting at Abuja on Monday 25th day of May 2015.

“And further take notice that in accordance with Order 2 Rule 1(2) of the Supreme Court Rules 1985, as amended, this notice is deemed sufficiently served on you if it is left at your address for service or sent by registered post and since the date of service by post is material, section 26 of the Interpretation Act, 1c64 shall apply."

14 YEAR OLD GIRL SENTENCED TO 40 YEARS FOR DROWNING BABY

A 14-year-old Dallas girl who drowned a 2 month old baby out of jealousy was sentenced by a juvenile court judge on Friday to 40 years in custody, the maximum punishment available, after admitting to drowning the infant in January, court officials said.

The teenager will begin serving her sentence in state custody of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. A judge will determine whether she is eligible for parole before her 19th birthday or should be transferred to an adult prison.

In a juvenile lockup, the girl will have more options than if she had been tried as adult. She will go to school and get counseling.
The baby belonged to a family friend who was in jail. Child Protective Services had placed the infant in the home of the teenage girl's mother at the request of the baby's mother, according to police.

Investigators said the girl confessed to submerging 2-month-old Justice Hull in a bowl of water because she did not want her mother to adopt the baby. The teenager's mother was at work at the time of the incident.

NIGERIA’S POWER GENERATION AT “ALL-TIME LOW”; CRASHES TO 1,327MW

Nigeria’s overall electricity generation has dropped to an unprecedented low of 1,327 megawatts, the Ministry of Power said Friday, a week before the transfer of power from President Goodluck Jonathan to President-elect Muhammadu Buhari.
As at 12 noon Friday, most key power plants in the country, including those located at Utorogu, Chevron Oredo, Oben gas-fired power plants, were all shut down, while Ughelli and Chevron Escravos power plant were all isolated already, the ministry said.
Power output had dropped from a recent peak of 4,500MW on April 3, to 2,800 as of March 30.
The ministry said on the eastern axis, Shell Gas, Alakiri plants were shut down.
Other affected power plants include National Integrated Power Plants (NIPPs) – Egbin, Olorunshogo 1 & 11, Omotosho 1& 11, Geregu I & 11, Ihonvor and Sapele on the western axis and Alaoji on the eastern end.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali, raised the alarm over the worsening power generation across the country during a meeting with Vice-President Namadi Sambo in Abuja.

BUHARI: HOW I WILL CHOOSE MY MINISTERS

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has dismissed the ministerial lists in circulation on the social media as fake because his ministers will not emerge the way the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) picked members of its Federal Executive Council (FEC) in the last 16 years.
Buhari made this known in an exclusive interview he granted senior editors of Daily Trust at his country home in Daura, Katsina State on Tuesday.
As the May 29 handover date draws closer, there have been speculations about those who would make the next government’s ministerial list. Most of the persons who featured on the speculative list were picked from across the 36 states and the six geopolitical zones, to rhyme with the PDP’s tradition of appointing a minimum of one minister from each state of the federation and six others from the geopolitical zones.
In the interview, Buhari dismissed the speculations, by stating that “I am not speaking about it; I have not put anything on paper, so nobody has seen it and I haven’t discussed it with anybody; I am just keeping it close to my chest.”

THERE IS NO MAGIC WAND TO MAKE OUR ECONOMY BETTER OVERNIGHT – OYEGUN

Being the text of an address of welcome by the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie Oyegun, at a two-day retreat for all APC Senators-elect at the Ibeto Hotel in Abuja on Saturday, May 23rd 2015
Protocols
Let me formally welcome our party’s torchbearers in the upper chamber of the incoming 8th National Assembly to this retreat.
This is the first formal interaction between our Senators-elect and the leadership of our party, since the conclusion of the 2015 General Elections.
While I congratulate all of you on your elections, I must quickly add that I don’t envy you. This is because you are being called to service at one of the most challenging periods in the history of our nation.
Unparalleled commitment, uncommon patriotism, unprecedented hard work and indeed a reservoir of your innermost strength will be required, as our party takes the centre stage in the next few days and begins to implement its programmes for the benefit of the long suffering people.
Make no mistake about it, the days ahead will be tough, and this is not crying wolf.
From the first day of this government, a total of 4.1 trillion Naira will be required for sundry expenses, including oil subsidy payment, arrears of salaries at federal and state levels and debt servicing, just to mention a few.

Obiano Storms Isuochi, Pays Glowing Tribute to Chukwumerije

The governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano today at ‎Ngodo, Isuochi, Umunneochi Local Government Area, Abia State bid farewell to the Late Senator Chukwumerije describing him as an uncommon Nigerian who distinguished himself in the service of Ndigbo and his fatherland.

Governor Obiano who spoke to newsmen after interment service held at the Methodist Cathedral Isuochi, said that he is very happy to be part of those who came to honour the the late Senator and statesman. Said Obiano," I am happy because, although we mourn the late Senator,‎ he lived a fulfilled life. He was erudite, dedicated and God fearing and I believe he died a happy man."

Earlier in a Funeral Oration titled The Life and Times of Uche Chukwumerije, Dikeogu, the late Senator's son said of his father, "In private my father was the same mix of fire and steel. But the depths of love and compassion he carried, often not visible to those who knew him only from a distance, were everywhere on display the nearer one drew. There could not have been anywhere a better father."

U.S VISA APPLICATION: WHY NIGERIANS ARE DENIED VISA

Consul General of the US embassy, William Laidlaw, has expressed that contrary to popular opinion, US visa application processes are not as stringent as people think.
Speaking with newsmen, he stated that efforts are being made to improve visa processes better for Nigerians by decentralizing the process.
He also revealed that one of the most common reasons why Nigerians are refused visa, is because of failure to show evidence of social and economic ties.
Laidlaw stated:
To really qualify for a visit to the US, you have to show you have social and economic ties sufficient to meet the immigration terms we have in our laws.

MOSCOW ISSUES TRAVEL WARNING OVER U.S. ‘HUNT’ FOR RUSSIANS

Russia’s foreign ministry has warned its citizens travelling abroad of the risks posed by U.S. law enforcement bodies and special services, which it said were hunting for Russians around the world.
In a statement on Friday it also accused Washington of kidnapping Russians, citing cases such as that of Vladimir Drinkman, who was extradited to the United States from the Netherlands earlier this year.
“By believing that it is allowed to do all it wants, Washington goes as far as kidnapping our citizens,” the foreign ministry said.
Drinkman has pleaded not guilty to accusations that he conspired with at least four other men to install “sniffers” to comb through computer networks of financial companies, payment processors and retailers around the world.
“The threat of detention or arrest on the warrant of law enforcement bodies and special services of the USA in third countries still persists. It is quite real,” the ministry said in the statement, which was peppered with angry passages.

COUPLE LEAVES OVER $847K INHERITANCE TO THE US GOVT

A married couple, immigrants Peter and Joan Petrasek, from Seattle, who had no known relatives left all of their money and assets to "the government of the United States.

Peter Petrasek was born in the 1920s in what was then Czechoslovakia, and would have been 12 when the Nazis invaded.
Details about his early life are scarce, but at some point during World War II he was placed into a youth camp run by the German air force, according to The Seattle Times but applied for immigration status in the US and was granted. His sister and parents all died during the Nazi invasion.

Little has been reported about Joan's origins, other than that she was from Ireland. She married Peter in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1951.

GOVERNORS PLAN BOYCOTT OF HANDOVER PARADE

It is almost certain that some outgoing gover¬nors will not attend the May 29 official handover parade in their respective states. The governors, it was learnt, will be boycot¬ting the significant event for different reasons.
Some of the states where the incoming governors may not have the honour of re¬ceiving the baton from their predecessors include Benue, Plateau, Kaduna and Rivers.
Saturday Sun gathered that it is certain that Governor Gabriel Suswam of the PDP will not be physically present to formally hand over to his successor, Samuel Ortom of the APC. “The governor has hinted that it will be unsafe for him to be at the ceremony because of security report which shows that civil ser¬vants who are being owed for several months and angry youths will storm the parade ground to protest and boo him”, a source close to the incoming governor stated.
It was also gathered that the event, which will be at¬tended by the state deputy governor, Chief Steven La¬wani, will be low key and more or less informal. “This is so because the outgoing government did not give any money for any ceremony and the incoming doesn’t have that kind of resources for any major event. As a result, no formal IV is being sent out to our people”, the source added.
In Rivers, Governor Roti¬mi Amaechi of the APC will find it difficult to physically hand over to his political arch-enemy, Nyesom Wike of the PDP. APC is already at the governorship election petition tribunal to seek nul¬lification of the election that produced Wike on the ground that no election actually held in the state.

FG TO SPEND N2B ON BUHARI’S INAUGURATION, OVER 50 PRESIDENTS EXPECTED – DUKE

About N2 billion will be spent on the inauguration of the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on May 29 which over 50 presidents and international figures are expected to attend.
The Chairman, Media and Publicity Sub- Committee of the Presidential Inauguration Planning Committee, Edem Duke, made this disclosure on Friday in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the Eagle Square, venue for the inauguration is already wearing new looks with military personnel expected to have a match parade having their training ahead of the May 29 event.
Duke, who is also the Minister of Culture and Tourism, said: “As we speak the 54 countries of the continent of Africa have been invited. Very many of the head of states will be coming.”
“There has been a huge interest, especially, from head of countries in Europe to attend this inauguration and at the last count, I think we must have in excess of about 50 heads of state and delegation expected at this inauguration.”
He said that the week long programme started on Friday with Jumaat prayer at the National Central Mosque, Abuja.

KANO: MUSLIMS SET COURT ABLAZE OVER 'INSULT' TO MUHAMMAD

Hundreds of rioting Muslims set a Shariah court ablaze Friday in Nigeria's northern Kano city, protesting its decision to free a cleric accused of insulting the prophet Mohammed.
An AP reporter watched protesters throw blazing, fuel-filled tires into the building then start marching through streets to demand punishment for Malam Abdul Nyass.
Police monitored the crowd, which turned peaceful after the fire.
Nyass is accused of saying that the long-dead leader of the Tijanniyah sect is more powerful than the revered prophet Muhammad. Kano's mainly Muslim population adheres in almost equal numbers to the Sunni and Tijanniyah sects of Islam.

NDLEA OFFICIALS STORM BURUJI KASHAMU’S RESIDENCE

There are reports that officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have surrounded the residence of Ogun State Senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu.
The drug law enforcement agency is said to be set to extradite the Ogun State born politician to the United States of America to answer drug related accusations proffered against him, according to Channels TV.

'OBASANJO, BUHARI’S EMERGENCE, POINTER TO MILITARY DOMINANCE OF NATIONAL POLITICS'

The Catholic Arch Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Rev Father Hassan Kukah, has voiced his concern for a long term military dominance of Nigeria's politics, which had been accentuated by the emergence of two retired Generals, Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari as the President of the country.
Kukah made this observation yesterday at the formal presentation and official launch of the biography on Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, titled: "Destiny Calling My Name".
As a result, he advised retired military personnel, especially the imposing generals to lessen their interference in the political space of the country.

According to the clergy, the military had taken away several years of the nation’s democracy, having already two retired generals as Presidents in "the persons of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (was once a President) and now Muhammadu Buhari, who is the President-elect", and urged them allow civilians to grow the country’s democracy.
He said: "We really and truly thank God that we are making progress in our democratic dispensation. Great things has happened and continue to happen to Nigeria.
"You know that the military has already taken away most of our years in this democracy, and as you have seen, they are still not yet through with us.

WHY WE SOLD OUR SON, NOLLYWOOD ACTOR, WIFE CONFESS

A Nollywood actor and his wife have sensationally told the po¬lice why they decided to sell their two-year-old son, Samuel Chukwuneye for N350, 000 to a Port Harcourt based woman simply identified as Ogechi. The couple, though not legal¬ly married, had been living together. They were identified as Kanayo Awurum, 29, and Ugochi Kelechi, 28, both of who are from Ikeduru Local Government Area in Imo State.
Trouble started when Ugochi, who is pregnant with their second child, suspected that her live-in lover, who she claimed gave out their son temporarily to Ogechi, was planning to abandon her in Lagos. She alert¬ed and confessed to the police about what they did before relocating to Lagos. Kanayo was arrested and handed over to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos police command, Ikeja for further investigation.
According to a police source, Kanayo, who is an upcoming Nollywood actor im¬pregnated Ugochi more than two years ago and ran away. He returned sometime in October 2014 and apologized to her with a promise to marry her. Ugochi accepted him back and got pregnant again. When his re¬sources dwindled, he convinced Ugochi to relocate with him to Lagos State as soon as they were able to raise money.

THE BUHARI YOU DIDN'T KNOW • “Nobody in Daura got an oil bloc”

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, victorious at the polls, opened up to Weekly Trust in an all-access interview, wherein he relaxed, revealing previously unknown sides to his personality against the backdrop of his Daura home. Excerpts:
Weekly Trust: It’s about a week to the inauguration and we believe you are terribly busy, but you still had to come back home. What does Daura mean to you? 
Muhammadu Buhari: This is where I was born and raised. I have nieces, nephews, cousins, first and second generation and I have schoolmates here. I believe after the inauguration there will be a lot of work and maybe for several or many weeks, I may not be able to come here even if I wanted to. I have my farm, orchard and animals that are very dear to me, that I would like to say goodbye to.
WT: You are talking of weeks, which suggests that every few weeks you will want to come home and reconnect with your roots?
Buhari: Especially when Ramadan is a few weeks away, yes. Normally, while I was busy in Kaduna, I always visited Daura on the first week of Ramadan. I don’t spend Eid-el Fitr here but always come at the beginning and the end of Ramadan. I don’t think being the president would stop me from doing that.

DAVID MARK IN SECRET BID FOR SENATE PRESIDENCY

The rumoured plot by the out¬going Senate President, David Mark to stage a comeback as leader of the 8th Senate may not be false after all, as fresh indications show that the retired military General turned politician may spring a surprise on June 4 when the next Senate session is expected to begin.
A reliable Peoples Democratic Party, PDP chieftain, who knows about the plot, told Saturday Sun that Mark may join the race for the Senate President should the All Progressives Congress (APC) fail to get a consensus candidate among its three contenders for the seat. They are Senators Bukola Saraki, Ahmed Lawan and George Akume.
Though Mark, who has spent eight years on the same seat, is a member of the mi¬nority party, PDP, with about 45 members in the upper chamber, it was learnt that he is going to capitalize on the division within APC to emerge.

GRANT AMNESTY TO BOKO HARAM, NORTHERN ELDERS TELL BUHARI

SOME prominent northerners including the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Mohammed Uwais and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe and former Nigerian Ambassador to the United Nations, Ibrahim Gambari have asked the President -elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd, declare amnesty for Boko Haram
insurgents when he takes over power on May 29.
However, Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, dismissed the call saying it would amount to rewarding criminals instead of punishing them for crimes against humanity.
They also asked Buhari to give priority attention to the special economic programmes for the North East geopolitical zone which had been ravaged by the Boko Haram terrorists, just as they warned against the scrapping of the on-going amnesty programme for ex-militants in the Niger Delta region.
These were contained in a communiqué issued after a two-day conference with the theme: “Security and Governance Challenges in Africa’s largest Democracy,” by the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, SCDDD, as part of its “Nigeria Beyond 12015 Project,” in Abuja yesterday.