PDP Governors React To Nullification Of Gov. Udom's Election

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum has reacted to the nullification of the election of Udom Emmanuel, the governor of Akwa Ibom state, by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday, December 18.

Governor Emmanuel Udom

According to the forum, the judgements were part of a cruel plan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to take control of “oil-producing states” by all means.
The PDP governors alleged that Aminu Tambuwal, the Sokoto state governor, had canvassed that it was a national security risk for the oil-rich states to be controlled by the opposition.
Premium Times reports that Osaro Onaiwu, the coordinator of the forum, made a statement calling on the judiciary to rise above partisan influence and protect the country’s democracy.
“The nullification of the election of His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel by the Court of Appeal on Friday in Abuja should worry all those who truly desire good for this country.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that the APC is bent on foisting a one-party state in Nigeria and to do so, it is ready to compromise the judiciary, destroy every fibre of integrity and sanctity of the judicial process through state compromise of the judiciary.
“For 16 years that the PDP governed, it respected the right to opposition and did not balkanise the judiciary as we have witnessed in the past seven months of the APC regime,” the statement read in part.
According to the governors, the nation’s judiciary is “tele-guided by a puppet master in Lagos”. However, they expressed assurance that the state apparatus would soon collapse “because a people’s will to choose their leaders can never be negotiated or mortgaged out of desperation”.
Meanwhile, happy residents of Akwa Ibom state shut down traffic in Uyo, the state capital, to celebrate the court ruling of the Appeal Court.

Buhari, Saudi King Discuss Anti-Terror Campaign, Relations

President Mohammadu Buhari has had a telephone conversation with the King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
During their conversation, both leaders discussed crucial issues of bilateral relations and ongoing events in both their countries.
King Salman expressed the outright support of Saudi Arabia for Nigeria in its ongoing fight against terrorism and emphasized that Saudi Arabia stands in solidarity with the African country following a series of recent terrorist attacks.

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King Salman of Saudi Arabia

King Salman also emphasized that criminal acts such as terrorism are denounced by Islam and asserted his kingdom will refuse to become involved in any kind of foreign intervention aimed at destabilizing the security and stability of Nigeria.
King Salman went on to say that he was extremely pleased that Nigeria had joined the Islamic alliance to fight terrorism.
The alliance is comprised of 34 mostly Muslim countries in West and North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia including Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo and Nigeria.
In turn, President Buhari expressed his thanks to King Salman for the affirmation of his country’s support for Nigeria and said he hopes to visit the kingdom soon.
The telephone conversation comes as relations between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia improve after a slight dip earlier in the year.
In February, Saudi Arabia refused to grant over-flight permits to plans carrying tanks and other military equipment procured by the Nigerian government from Pakistan to be used in the fight against Boko Haram.
Also, last September, more than 700 hundred attendants of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca died in a stampede.  The dead included many prominent and well known Nigerians.
The authorities subsequently tried to blame the African victims for causing the disaster, saying that pilgrims had refused to follow the proper timetable, leading to overcrowding.

Enugu Based Nollywood Actor Escapes Assassination

Nollywood actor Harry B. Anyanwu is another actor thanking God for life.

Harry Anyanwu

The actor who is usually cast to play the role of a king or native doctor is in a hospital recuperating after an assassination attempt on his life in Enugu.
Harry said he was attacked on his way back from a movie location on Friday, December 11, 2015 in Enugu. He explained that he met a blockade mounted by suspected cultists in Enugu on his way back from a movie location. He was later rushed to orthopedic hospital, Enugu.
The actor thanked his fans via on Instagram for their well wishes and informed that he is responding well to treatment.

He captioned a photo of him on a hospital bed with:“To all my noble fans, this is d reason 4 my sudden absence 4rm IG. I was brutally attacked last week friday (11 Dec. 2015) by some unscrupulous young men right here in Enugu (my own 042 ). To God b d glory I was lucky to survive d heinous onslaught, cos they chapped my right leg with an axe. Thanks to ur endless prayers & unprecedented support I am still alive today.
Kidnapped famous Nollywood actor Prince Eke has been full of praises to God for giving him a second chance to live after his ordeal with kidnappers. Eke was released in the wee hours of Thursday, December 17 around 2 am bruised and tortured.

Arms Deal: CBN Governor, Godwin Emiefiele Faces Sack, Oby Ezekwesili Tipped To Replace Him

The ongoing probe of arms deal under the Goodluck Jonathan administration by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) might cost the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emiefiele, his job.
CBN Governor, Godwin Emiefiele, Vice president, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo and President Muhammadu Buhari
A source in the presidency told The Guardian that the recent revelations about movement of the funds, the controversy surrounding his appointment and the CBN governor’s involvement in the unexplained presence of former Bank Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) when President Buhari hosted members of the international business community in London, are being used against him.
The source said:“Already,a small team of legal and financial experts has been directed to weigh the various implications the removal of the CBN chief could trigger, especially to prevent a similar backlash, as when the past government engineered the untimely retirement of former CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.”
The source continued: “One thing you should known about Buhari is that before he takes a crucial decision that involves prominent appointees, he sets up a small committee to investigate the issues and report back to him”
The source also made reference to the former CEOs who showed up at the London meeting, which was said to have made President Buhari upset.
The President was said to have approached the duo, asking them how they were invited, and informing them that he personally handled the selection of who attended.
“Checks revealed the possibility that since the well known bankers added their voices in recommending Emefiele for the CBN job, he (Emefiele) might have hinted the two, convinced their clout would open doors for them.
“There is also information that the current CBN governor is remotely related to the immediate past Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy (CME) in President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,” the source added.
Another source disclosed that the replacement for Emiefiele might be sought from the South East or South South geopolitical zones to avoid outrage and cries of marginalisation by the Buhari government.
The source said: “We cannot speculate on the possible candidates but former President Olusegun Obasanjo is believed to have dropped some hints to President Buhari about the right calibre of persons, including Professor Chukwuma Soludo and Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili.”
Recall that Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), had revealed how $47million was withdrawn from the CBN in 11 suit cases and delivered to Sambo Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser.
Meanwhile, EFCC operatives are set to summon the former minister of finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and some top officials of the CBN to shed more light on what they know about the arms budget said to have been diverted by bigwigs of one of the political parties.
In a related development, members of Lagos State House of Assembly have urged the federal government to recover all stolen funds from corrupt past government officials and their cronies.
The post Arms Deal: CBN Governor, Godwin Emiefiele Faces Sack, Oby Ezekwesili Tipped To Replace Him

EFCC Allegedly Seals Off Dasuki's Mansion

The Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has allegedly sealed off the uncompleted mansion of former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki in Kaduna.
See photos below:

Recall that fresh facts emerged contrary to reports that former NSA allegedly swindled $2.1billion meant for arms procurement. Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana said that Dasuki allegedly stole $6billion as against the amount being peddled in the media. He also vowed to drag him to the International Criminal Court (ICC) next week.

Subsidy: NLC Warns FG Over Fuel Proposed Price Increase

The proposed new pump  price of petrol by the federal government has been rejected by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The NLC’s position was made known by its president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba at a symposium to mark the 10th anniversary of the late Comrade Chuma Ubani yesterday, December 17.

NLC president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba

Wabba also revealed that the NLC has started mobilising its relevant organs, civil society groups, organisations and professional bodies against plans by the Federal Government to revert the pump price of petrol to N97 from next year.
The labour leader also accused the minister of state of petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu of being an agent of those who were working to undermine President Muhammadu Buhari administration because of his constant insistence on the removal of subsidy on petroleum products.
Wabba informed his audience that the minister was constantly showing his preference for subsidy removal right from when he was appointed the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) Group Managing Director.
He said: “At the Senate, the Minister of State on Petroleum Resources talked about ‘gradual removal strategy’, which, he said, would begin with the return to the pump price of N97 per litre from the current N87. Mr. Kachikwu threatened of the possibility of the Buhari government considering total withdrawal of fuel subsidy.
“According to him, ‘the government doesn’t need to fund subsidy. There is energy around the removal of subsidy. Most Nigerians talked to today would say that’s where to go’.
“With the figures being disclosed as the amount our political elite have stolen in the name of security, but which are used to ‘consult’ spiritualists etc, listening to Mr. Kachikwu talk about the so-called most Nigerians that they talked to wanting fuel subsidy to be removed, one can only wonder out loud who these Nigerians that the Kachikwus of this world are talking to.
“These Nigerians certainly won’t be the millions of downtrodden mass of Nigerians who weathered every odd, including threat of violence to vote out the PDP- led government and embraced on March 28, 2015, the change agenda they believed Muhammadu Buhari symbolised.
“The NLC wishes to state without equivocation that Kachikwu represents the same forces that have misled past government on the issue of removal of subsidy and deregulation of the downstream operations of the petroleum industry.
“While the position of congress on these issues clearly remains unchanged, we make bold to however caution President Buhari to be wary of the likes of Kachikwu, whose sweet tongues on the issue of subsidy removal had derailed former Presidents from achieving their lofty goals.
“Now that the Buhari government may have, through Kachikwu, sent the message to Nigerians on the path it wishes to take on the issue of petroleum subsidy, congress will meet its relevant organs, hold consultations with civil society and other organisations and professional bodies and carry out the instruction as we will be mandated.”
Wabba added: “Against the background of the serious national crisis we are currently going through, caused by the mismanagement and recklessness of our political elite since the return of civilian rule in 1999, there is always the temptation to ask whether the struggle for democracy was indeed worth it after all.
“However, I think that no matter the level of our frustration, we should not allow the question to be posed in this way. In modern times, there is hardly any alternative to democracy. What I think we ought to be questioning is the quality of our democracy and what we, labour and civil society actors should be doing to improve the quality of this democracy.
“We should rightly be addressing the question of how the working class and its allies can participate in the struggle for capturing political power so that we are able to project the programmes and the visions of the working class in rebuilding our nation.
“We must renew our determination to enthrone accountability by the political class in our country. We need to ensure that we apply maximum pressure on government so that all the ongoing disclosures of massive pillages and crimes against Nigerian people do not go unpunished.”

Recall that the federal government on Monday, December 14, said it would begin a gradual withdrawal of fuel subsidy next year.
Already, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has declared that it will resist the government plans, vowing to stand in

2016 Budget: Buhari Postpones FEC Meeting

The emergency meeting of the Federal Executive Council which was summoned by President Muhammadu Buhari to consider the 2016 Budget has been postponed.



Buhari postponed the meeting at the last minute on Friday, December 18, The Punch reports.
The meeting had been scheduled for 10am at the Presidential Villa, Abuja and the ministers had arrived at the venue.
On their way to Council Chambers for the meeting, they were told by members of staff of the protocol unit that the meeting had been called off. Some did not believe the information and gathered inside the chambers’ Tea Room to discuss and find out the reason for the development.
Speaking to state house correspondents, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture said the meeting was postponed to allow them reflect some of the corrections made on the 2016 Budget proposal during a meeting of the National Economic Council which held on Thursday.
Mohammed said: “The meeting was not cancelled. It was postponed till Monday afternoon.”
President Buhari is expected to present the 2016 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, December 21.
When asked on Thursday whether the President will submit the budget personally to the National Assembly or send it through a minister as was done in the recent past, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, said the details would be made public later.
The FEC at its last meeting on Monday, December 7, approved the sum of N6 trillion for the expenditure for 2016 budget under the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). The meeting which began at about 3pm was presided over by President Buhari.

New Chelsea Manager: Diego Simeone Instead Of Mourinho

According to the Daily Mail, the Blues has already contacted Atletico Madrid coach, Diego Simeone.

The source reports that Chelsea have been tipped to appoint Guus Hiddink on an interim basis until the end of the season while they search for a long-term successor to Jose Mourinho.
Daily Mail also states that Simeone is said to be top of their list but it would take £15 million in compensation to break his contract at Atletico and the Argentine is said to be unsure about the stability of the Chelsea job.
“Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola, who is expected to leave Germany at the end of the season, has reportedly expressed similar concerns and told Chelsea they need 10 new players.The Catalan’s representatives are also said to have had contact with the Blues but he is also being pursued by their Premier League rivals Manchester City,” it stated.

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