NA LEADERSHIP: ODDS FAVOUR SARAKI, SPEAKERSHIP TOO CLOSE TO CALL

As the Eighth National Assembly is inaugurated tuesday, the odds are in favour of former Kwara State Governor Senator Bukola Saraki to clinch Senate presidency in a contest that is certain to alter the fortunes of the APC.
This is despite spirited attempts made monday by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief John Oyegun, and governors elected on the platform of APC to unite its members-elect behind Senator Ahmed Lawan for the Senate presidency and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila for the post of speaker in the House of Representatives.
However, Saraki looks set to coast to victory following the decision last night of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to back him. PDP also adopted Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Gbajabiamila’s main rival for the speakership, making the contest in the House too close to call.
An impasse over the leadership tussle in the federal legislature snowballed when APC conducted a straw poll on Saturday that threw up Lawan and Gbajabiamila as its choice for the posts of Senate president and Speaker, respectively.
But their emergence was rejected by Saraki, Dogara, and their supporters, who cried foul over APC’s attempt to foist its preferred candidates for the coveted posts in the National Assembly.
The situation has been made more precarious for APC with PDP’s emergence as the spoiler that may determine the outcome of the contest in both chambers of the National Assembly.
But in order to resolve the impasse that had ensued, the party and its governors made attempts to unite its members-elect behind its candidates for both posts.
Osinbajo, who yesterday was scheduled to hold a reconciliatory meeting with APC members-elect, at the last minute chose to stay away from the meeting to starve off the boycott of the meeting by Saraki, Dogara and their supporters.

BUHARI: MY TACTICS AGAINST BOKO HARAM

President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed that his administration is evolving fresh tactics and strategies to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency.
The tactics, he said, included taking concrete action to build a more efficient and effective coalition of Nigeria and her neighbours against the terrorist group.
Buhari spoke in Elmau, Germany, yesterday during a meeting with French President Francois Hollande after he had participated in the G7 Outreach Programme.
G7 is a forum of the world’s seven most industrialised countries of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan which meets annually to deliberate on global economy, governance, international security and energy policy.
The G7 leaders had earlier requested Buhari to prepare his “wish list” and come with it for their consideration in what is perceived as an excellent goodwill gesture towards him and Nigeria.
Security, anti-graft and economy topped the president’s wish list to the forum. 
Buhari yesterday told his French counterpart that his government was totally committed to eliminating the Boko Haram insurgency in the shortest possible time.
He said Nigeria would welcome greater support and cooperation from France and other friendly nations for her ongoing efforts towards overcoming the insurgency as well as restoring full security and normalcy to areas affected by the sect’s atrocities.

BUHARI SEEKS INTELLIGENCE ON BOKO HARAM’S LINK WITH ISIS

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday sought greater support and cooperation from France and other friendly nations for his administration’s ongoing efforts to overcome the Boko Haram sect and restore normalcy to areas affected by the group’s atrocities.
Specifically, Buhari said Nigeria would appreciate more intelligence on the sect’s link with the Islamic States of Iraq and Syria.
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the President made the request at a meeting he had with President Francois Hollande of France after his participation in Monday’s G-7 Outreach Programme in Elmau, Germany.
Shehu further quoted the President as saying that his administration would also appreciate more intelligence on the sect’s movements, training and sources of its arms and ammunition.
He said the intelligence was necessary to facilitate the perfection of fresh tactics and strategies being evolved to overcome terrorism and insurgency in the country and its sub-region.
The President reaffirmed his administration’s total commitment to ending Boko Haram’s insurgency in the shortest possible time.
He said his administration was already taking concrete action to build a more efficient and effective coalition of Nigeria and neighbouring countries against Boko Haram.
President Buhari reiterated, at the talks with his French counterpart, that there was absolutely no link between religion and the atrocities of Boko Haram.

APC rejects election of Saraki, Dogara as Senate President, House Speaker

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as totally unacceptable and the highest level of indiscipline and treachery the conduct of Tuesday’s inauguration of the National Assembly that led to the emergence of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.
”Senator Bukola and Hon. Dogara are not the candidates of the APC and a majority of its National Assembly members-elect for the positions of Senate President and House Speaker. The party duly met and conducted a straw poll and clear candidates emerged for the posts of Senate President, Deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, supported by a majority of all Senators-elect and members-elect of the House of Representatives. All National Assembly members-elect who emerged on the platform of the party are bound by that decision.
”The party is supreme and its interest is superior to that of its individual members,” the party said in a statement issued in Abuja Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed.
”Consequently, the APC leadership is meeting in a bid to re-establish discipline in the party and to mete out the necessary sanctions to all those involved in what is nothing but a monumental act of indiscipline and betrayal to subject the party to ridicule and create obstacles for the new administration,” it said.

FUNSHO WILLIAMS’ MURDER: COURT GRANTS MOTION TO RELIST SUIT AGAINST TINUBU, OTHERS

The last may not have been heard about the murder of the former governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Funsho Williams, as Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court in Lagosmonday granted a motion by one Bashir Junaid, a detainee over the murder, seeking to relist a suit against the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ten others.
Junaid had gone to the court to seek an order of mandamus to compel the Inspector-General of Police (IG) to re-open investigations into Funsho Williams’ murder.
However, the case suffered a set back when it was struck out by the judge on April 29, 2015, for want of diligent prosecution.
Dissatisfied with the ruling of the court, Junaid, through his lawyer, Tunji Adesheye, filed a motion seeking to relist the matter.
The motion was brought pursuant to Order 26, Rules 1, 2(1), (2), 3, 4, 6, 7(1), 18 and 20 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure Rules) 2009 and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court.
Arguing the motion, Adesheye informed the court that his client had effected personal service of the concurrent writ of summons on the defendants that are outside the jurisdiction.
Justice Ajumogobia, had earlier granted leave to the plaintiff to effect personal service of the concurrent writ of summons in the suit on the IG by substituted means.
Other defendants affected by the court’s order are: Former IG, Sunday Ehindero, Attorney General of the Federation and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). They are the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 6th defendants in the suit.

RIBADU POISONED OVER ANTI-GRAFT WAR – OBASANJO

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has said that the ex-chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, was once poisoned in the course of his duties as anti-corruption czar.
Obasanjo disclosed this at an international forum on Third Tana High Level Forum on Security in Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He also revealed that Ribadu created enemies for him because of the ruthlessness with which he carried out his responsibilities of tackling corruption in Nigeria.
Obasanjo, who spoke from the floor following a presentation on Illicit Financial Flow and Governance of Natural Resources made by Ribadu, affirmed that he had known from experience that the fight against corruption attracts a lot of enemies.
The former president declared that he has no fear of anyone still living in Nigeria, adding, “it is rather them that fear me.”
Saying that Ribadu took on a lot of highly connected persons in his fight against corruption, Obasanjo said that the former anti-corruption chief was once poisoned, causing a scare among concerned quarters.
“It was a matter of life and death,” the former president said, though further details of the incident were not given.

GOVERNOR OKOROCHA PUSHES IN-LAW, ANWUKA, FOR SGF

Former National Chairman of the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, may lose out in the race for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). Onu was rumoured to have been favoured by President Muhammadu Buhari to occupy the plum position.
A source, however, revealed that the delay in announcing the SGF by the president might not be unconnected with the position of Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha. Although, the Imo State governor was said to have submitted three names – Onu, Senator Chris Ngige and Professor Anthony Anwuka, to the president, since the position was zoned to South-East, he is reportedly pushing for his in-law, Anwuka. Anwuka is the immediate past Secretary to the Imo State Government.
His son, Uzo, is married to Okorocha’s daughter, Uju. The governor was said to have argued that out of the parties that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC), it was only the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) that has not been represented in the new government. According to him, the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has been given the presidency, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) got the vice presidency while the ANPP was rewarded with the position of the APC National Chairman.

FG BAN THE CONSUMPTION OF OGOGORO NATIONWIDE

The Federal Government on Monday banned the consumption of local gin, popularly called Ogogoro in all parts of the country.
The decision was as a result of deaths that trailed the consumption of the local gin in Rivers and Ondo states.
The government however confirmed that the death toll in Rivers State had risen to 38 while 18 people had died in Ode-Irele, Ondo State, following the consumption of the local gin.
The Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, Dr. Paul Orhii, in his reaction to the death of 38 persons in Rivers State, told journalists that the recent incidents in Rivers and Ondo states were associated with the consumption of locally made gin.
According to him, considering the risk in the consumption of locally made gin, it has become imperative to “warn the public to desist from the consumption of unregistered locally made spirits (Ogogoro) and other unregistered bitters.”
He also warned that the government “would confiscate all illegally brewed alcoholic beverages” across the country.

Breaking News: Senator Bukola Saraki Emerges As Senate President For 8th Senate

Bukola Saraki, a former governor of Kwara State, has been elected the president of the eighth Senate.
Mr. Saraki of the All Progressives Congress, APC, defeated his party’s preferred candidate, Ahmed Lawan, to emerge the Senate president.
He was nominated by Sani Yerima and seconded by Dino Melaye.
Mr. Saraki has been sworn into office.
The election for the office of Senate Deputy President is still ongoing. Immediate past deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, is contesting against Ali Ndume from Borno State.
He is expected to win the race following a power sharing deal that had the minority but influential PDP back the new senate president, Bukola Saraki.
Our earlier update indicating Mr. Ekweremadu had been elected unopposed was in error and is regretted.

How Amaechi failed to settle me with parting gifts after our tenure — Former Rivers Deputy Governor

The immediate past deputy governor of Rivers State, Tele Ikuru, has accused his former boss and state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, of maltreating him despite his contributions to the government.
Mr. Ikuru, who quit the ruling All Progressives Congress in Rivers State at the twilight of the administration, said Mr. Amaechi denied him parting gifts and money when the government finally came to a close in May.
He said this happened despite his contributions to the state, part of which was returning state funds and saving an estimated N100 billion for the state.
Speaking during a Thanksgiving Service at St. Simons Anglican Church, Ikuru-Town in Andoni Local Government Area, Sunday, Mr. Ikuru said the thanksgiving service was to thank God for his grace and faithfulness to him, his family, and friends during the eight years of service to the state.
“I served this government for seven years and seven months under Amaechi, because I was with Omehia for 5 months,” Mr. Ikuru said.
“At the end of the seven years and seven months Amaechi did not think that I deserved any parting gift in spite of the fact that in the course of this administration, by reason of the office I occupied, I returned several monies to him valued over two billion Naira cash at different times during one work or the other.”