I won’t go on terminal leave – Jega

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said he does not have any plan to embark on terminal leave.

This was contrary to unsubstantiated report that Jega would proceed on a forced terminal leave on March 1.

But Jega’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kayode Idowu, denied this saying his boss was busy preparing for the conduct of the elections.

He said, “Jega is busy preparing for the elections and you are asking about terminal leave. Does anyone planning to conduct elections go on terminal leave? There is nothing like that.”

Idowu had in an interview on a TV programme monitored in Lagos, on Tuesday, said Jega’s appointment was not guided by civil service rules and would serve until the end of his tenure on June 30.

He said the postponement of the elections would make INEC better prepared for the elections scheduled for March 28 and April 11.

Obasanjo endorses Buhari, warns against coup

After months of berating the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared his support for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

Obasanjo, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, made his opinion known during an interview with the Financial Times at the launch of his controversial autobiography titled, ‘My Watch’, in Nairobi, Kenya.

Obasanjo said Buhari, who ruled Nigeria between December 1983 and August 1985, was aware of the challenges of Nigeria today and was qualified to rule the country.

He said, “The circumstances he (Buhari) will be working under if he wins the elections are different from the one he worked under before, where he was both the executive and the legislature – he knows that. He is smart enough. He is educated enough. He’s experienced enough. Why shouldn’t I support him?”

Doyin Okupe Disgraced In Aso Rock

Senior Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, did not bargain for what he got on Sunday when he was disgraced at an event which held within his own territory at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
He attempted to disparage the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, when he was booed by the guests at the event.
Okupe, known for his scurrilous attacks on APC stalwarts, resorted to saying that Buhari did not go school and as such Nigerians should not vote for him.
But his attempts fell flat as the guests at the event on national television disagreed and booed him in defence of Buhari.

INEC And The PDP: Playing With Fire By Michael Egbejumi-David

Minister of Police Affairs Jelili Adesiyan has tacitly admitted that there was an encounter between several top officials of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a senior military officer who was badgered to intimidate members of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to ensure victory for the PDP in the Ekiti State governorship election.
SaharaReporters had exclusively released the audiotape of a heated session where PDP members, including (now) Governor Ayo Fayose, Mr. Adesiyan, former Minister of State for Defense, Musiliu Obanikoro, and Senator Iyiola Omisore ordered Brigadier General A.A. Momoh to order troops under his control to arrest and detain APC members in a plot to guarantee victory for Mr. Fayose.
After our disclosure, both Governor Fayose and Mr. Obanikoro denied the authenticity of the tape, with Mr. Obanikoro threatening to sue SaharaReporters.

PROF JEGA OUT! PROF MIMIKO IN!

President Jonathan and his team have lost fate in the current INEC chairman Prof Attahiru Jega. They now see him as a close ally of the APC presidential candidate Gen Buhari. Mr president 'll ask Prof Jega whose tenure in office 'll end in june to embark on a three months terminal leave with effect from March 1, 2015 in compliance with the civil service procedure.

Governor Obiano Visits Accident Victims in Onitsha General Hospital

The Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano has continued to show the human side of governance as he set aside the serious issues of the state to pay a surprise visit to victims of a fatal accident that claimed one life and left four others wounded in Onitsha.

The governor who arrived Ward 3 of Onitsha General Hospital on Monday afternoon to offer words of encouragement to the recuperating casualties of the accident showed dissatisfaction with vehicle owners whose lack of attention to the need to maintain their vehicles have often led to avoidable accidents on the highways. 

KAYMU AND WAJE SAFE HOUSE CELEBRATE VALS WITH ORPHANAGE

 As the world gears up for St. Valentine’s Day, leading online marketplace, Kaymu.com.ng in partnership with Waje Safe House, a foundation established by the award winning musical sensation Waje, is organising a valentine’s day party with kids of the Living Fountain Orphanage.

February 14^th is a day known all over the world for the celebration of love. Kaymu and Waje Safe House seek to redefine the essence of that day by putting smiles on the faces of kids who have no family to spend that special day with.

Presidency shops for Jega’s replacement

With the successful postponement of the elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Presidency has launched a two-pronged war to ensure that President Goodluck Jonathan wins the election convincingly.
Anambra Supplementary Election: INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega addressing pressmen , announcing November 30 for Supplementary election at Anambra State while National Commissioner Lawrence Nwuruku looks on in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.
The two strategies are to stop Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress candidate from contesting the election with Jonathan and the replacement of the INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, with a less independent-minded person. Jega, it was gathered, had been described by hawks around the president of being too independent-minded and ‘uncooperative’ despite being given the job on a platter of gold by the president’s men.

Read FULL PRESS STATEMENT BY THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2015

• Thank you for being with us this afternoon. This is yet another critical moment in our history. We have gone through difficult moments like this in the past. Nigeria survived and came out stronger. We are confident that we shall survive this too; because no one, no matter how powerful, can subvert the collective will of the people.
• In our preliminary reaction to the postponement of the 2015 General Elections, we noted that the decision taken by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has thrown up so many questions, and that these questions will be reviewed by our party organs for a comprehensive response from the APC. Whilst consultation with the party organs is on-going, this briefing is to provide us opportunity to raise some pertinent questions and put some issues in their proper perspective.
• You will recall that on the 22nd of January 2015, Col. Sambo Dasuki(rtd) , the National Security Adviser (NSA) at Chatham House declared that INEC was not ready for the elections and he has therefore advised the electoral body to postpone the election. The reason he gave for his unsolicited advice was that substantial number of registered voters had not collected their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC). He did not say anything about security concern even though Boko Haram was an issue then as it is an issue now. So, at what point did concern over elections shift from PVC to security concern?

AGULU COMMUNITY PLEDGE TOTAL SUPPORT TO OBIANO, APGA, ENDORSE UMEH

The people of Agulu, an important town in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State have pledged total support to the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano and unanimously endorsed the APGA Senatorial candidate for Anambra Central, Chief Victor Umeh and other candidates of the party in the coming elections.

Declaring their support today during an interactive session at Agulu Town Hall in Anaocha, the people who trooped out in their thousands to receive the governor’s entourage applauded the APGA led government for initiating numerous developmental initiatives across the state and giving their community a fair attention.