Bayelsa guber: Ex-Militants warns Presidency against rigging

Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has warned the Presidency against any attempt to rig the December 5, 2015, governorship election in Bayelsa State. The group said any attempt to rig the election would re-awake “a sleeping dog.” It called on the United Nations and international community to be a witness, stressing that such act would be resisted. MEND stated that it would dispatch 500 members to monitor the exercise, particularly in the creeks, declaring its support for Governor Seriake Dickson, who is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), assuring him of Ijaw backing. In a statement issued yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State by its Acting Chairman, Prince Amaibi Horby (aka General Busta Rhymes) and 12 others, the group said Dickson had performed well in executing people-oriented projects. The statement reads: “We have endorsed Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson for a second term as Bayelsans gear up for December 5, 2015 election. Dickson, over the years, has performed creditably in office as he has driven development to the hinterland. “The Ijaw people are solidly behind him in this forthcoming election, and we will ask our members to monitor the election in the state, especially in the vast creeks of Bayelsa, where we are deep-rooted to avoid intimidation and possible rigging by the enemies of Ijawland and their Abuja collaborators. “We wish to admonish President Muhammadu Buhari not to engage election riggers in the governorship election as such vicious and surreptitious antics shall not only be vehemently resisted, but may also lead to waking the sleeping dog from sleep. “We call on the United Nations and, indeed, the international community to bear us witness as we are not unaware of the planned use of ‘federal might’ to intimidate the people of Bayelsa State in favour of their chosen candidate,” the group said. MEND noted that the governor is a product of the Ijaw struggle for resource control and self-determination in the Niger Delta, before venturing into active politics, stating that he had contributed immensely to the socio-political and economic development of the Ijaw nation. “We are mustering total support for him because he is a product of the Ijaw struggle for resource control and self-determination in the Niger Delta. So far, he has contributed immensely to the vast socio-political and economic development of the Ijaw nation,” the group said.

Kogi guber: APC candidate’s death does not invalidate election – Lawyers

Lawyers yesterday told the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) that the death of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not invalide the on-going election in the state. They urged INEC to allow the deputy governorship candidate of the APC, Abiodun Faleke, to conclude the on-going election. The former Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch, Monday Ubani; a member of the Ogun State Judiciary Service Commission, Abayomi Omoyinmi and a lecturerý of Law at University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Wahab Shittu said the process should be concluded. Ubani said: “Since the Electoral Act didn’t specifically provide for things like this happening in the course of an election, we would have to make recourse to the judicial pronouncement in the case of Rotimi Amaechi where the Supreme Court said in an election, it is the political party that is the beneficiary of election and not the candidate. That is why Amaechi that didn’t contest elections was sworn in. “In this situation, the deputy governorship candidate would have to step in to conclude the process. If he wins the election, the APC would then decide on another deputy for him”. According to Ubani, the time to choose a candidate through primary election had lapsed for all the political parties and it is not possible for any of the parties to go for primaries anymore. Omoyinmi said: “In the eyes of the law, the deputy should ordinarily conclude the re-run election for the office of the governor and it is now left for him to pick a new running mate”. Omoyinmi said the kind of situation in Kogi was not envisaged. Shittu said the matter could be viewed from different perspectives. Shittu said since the election was declared inconclusive, the running mate should be allowed to step in and conclude the process of the supplementary election. This, he said, has become necessary because the electoral law did not envisage such an incident–Audu’s death. On the other perspective, he said since it is the ýparty that fields the candidate, and that since the election has turned this way, the party would have to replace the governorship candidate. “Which means that election might be conducted afresh. The death of a candidate during the process of an election automatically voids the election. It is not a question of an election being inconclusive. The entire electoral process is now altered with the death of the governorship candidate,” he said. Constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Malam Yusuf Ali said the situation in Kogi is “very complex, because the election has been declared inconclusive”. He said: “If he had won the election outright, it would have been a different matter, but with the way things are, it is very delicate.” Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN) said: “There can be fresh election. INEC can only conduct supplementary election in the 91 polling units. The death of Audu cannot nullify the election. It was APC that contested the governorship election not Audu as an individual.” Akintola explained that it is left to the APC to pick another candidate from among those that contested the governorship primary with Audu or ask the deputy governorship candidate, James Faleke to take over. “The decision lies with the APC,” he added. The presidential candidate of the United Progressive Party (UPP) in the last general elections, Chief Chekwas Okorie, said it was a very shocking development that threw everybody off-balance. He said: “ From every indication, it is a political party that wins an election; the result so far released suggests that the people of Kogi State are favourably disposed to an APC government to be in-charge of affairs in the next four years. What it therefore means is that the APC still has a chance, even his death, to govern the state, based on the result already declared. “So, they should follow up the supplementary election with the same atmosphere of peace that we witnessed in last Saturday’s election. If their choice is the APC, then let the APC rule them in the next four years.”

Diezani Seeks Spiritual Healing, Returns To Nigeria On Friday

Diezani Alison Madueke, former minister of petroleum, has reportedly ordered her relatives to jet her back into Nigeria this Friday as her condition grew worse last weekend.

Diezani Alison-Madueke has reportedly ordered to be returned to Nigeria, following further decline in her health.
The ex-oil minister has not been responding to treatment since Thursday, November 19.
This development has given her family sleepless night, hence the decision to have her return to the country to find spiritual help.
Daily Post reports that Diezani’s family have contacted Lagos-based prophet, T.B Joshua of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), for prayers.
An insider is quoted to have said:“She has not tasted any solid food since last Monday. She did not speak throughout Thursday. When she eventually spoke Friday morning, she ordered them to return her to the country to visit Prophet T. B Joshua for prayers.”
Madueke has been bedridden in a London hospital following her removal as overseer of the oil ministry, she is said to be battling cancer.
Meanwhile, the ailing former minister who has been battling some charges of fraud leveled against her, said in a recent interview that she did not steal a dime while in office.
According to her, she left $5.6billion in the NLNG account, contrary to the report that she milked the nation treasury dry before leaving office.
The embattled minister noted that she served the  country  professionally.

Kogi guber: APC, PDP accept INEC’s decision on polls

Senator Dino Melaye said on Sunday in Lokoja that the All Progressives Congress has accepted the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission declaring the Kogi State governorship election inconclusive.
Melaye said this while addressing journalists shortly after the declaration of the results of the election by INEC.
He said in spite of the inconclusiveness of the election, the APC would eventually win the supplementary election.
He urged party members and supporters to remain calm “and be confident that victory will surely come”.
In a separate interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, Joe Agada, an agent of the Peoples Democratic Party, expressed satisfaction with the decision, adding that it was based on the observation he made.
Agada said the the PDP would participate in the supplementary election, adding that the party could still win the election.

Bayelsa guber: PDP insists Sylva ineligible to run

The Peoples Democratic Party in Bayelsa State at the weekend revisited the eligibility status of All Progressives Congress candidate for the December 5 governorship election in the state, Timipre Sylva, in reaction to an advertorial published by a concerned body, the Truth Movement of Nigeria. In a statement by the Bayelsa State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Godspower Keku, the party contended that the inherent issues contained in the advertorial were subsisting and had cogent foundation to render Sylva’s candidature null and void. The Truth Movement of Nigeria had in the said advertorial signed by its Publicity Secretary, Fred Amakom, posited that though Sylva has been nominated as the candidate of the APC in the election, but he was ineligible on account of having been elected twice as governor in 2007 and 2008. Citing constitutional and legal precedent to back its argument, the body noted that Sylva having been elected twice was no longer eligible to contest as doing so would be at variance with provisions of Section 182 (1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution as amended. The section states: “No person shall be qualified for election to the office of governor if he has been elected to such office at any two previous elections.” To do otherwise, the PDP said, would amount to a breach of the constitution as Sylva would be serving more than the stipulated maximum of eight years in office. It clarified any supposed ambiguity in the interpretation of this section of the constitution in relation to the state governors’ suit in the matter in 2007 in which Sylva was one of the respondents and that based on the Supreme Court judgement on the case, it was well established that all the governors including Sylva were deemed to have contested the re-run election and as such he had been elected twice and no longer eligible to re-contest the third time. The PDP added in the statement: “Chief Timipre Sylva has previously been elected twice as governor of Bayelsa State namely in 2007 and 2008. The 2007 election was nullified by the Court of Appeal and Chief Timipre Sylva contested and won the re-run election where upon he was elected the second time and served for about a cumulative period of four years and seven months as the governor of Bayelsa State. He now seeks to be elected a third time as the governor of Bayelsa State in the said forthcoming elections. “But the Supreme Court clearly recognized the earlier nullified election of Governor Timipre Sylva as having led to his first election. Thus his success in this re-run election was obviously his second election and has thus barred him from contesting again having been previously elected twice.” On this legal ground, therefore, the PDP scribe said in the statement that allowing Sylva to contest in the next election would be an assault on the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a clear impunity, which he noted could create constitutional crisis. Keku called on President Muhammadu Buhari; the Senate President, Bukola Saraki; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; and Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to wade in urgently in order to ensure the sanctity of the constitution is protected and justice was done in the interest of the nation. Keku added in the statement: “Democracy is founded on the rule of law and anything outside it is tantamount to impunity. This is why we believe resolutely that based on the Supreme Court judgement, Timipre Sylva is not eligible to run in this election and our convictions are already being shared by the public as this body’s penetrating insight into the matter vindicates our earlier position.”

Speaker hails judgment restoring constituency in Benue

The Speaker of the Benue House of Assembly, Terkimbi Ikyange, has hailed the judgment of a Makurdi High Court compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct election into the suppressed Mbagwa State Constituency. Ikyange, who is representing Ushongo State Constituency on the platform of All Progressives Congress, gave the commendation during chat with newsmen in Makurdi on Sunday. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ushongo Local Government Area of the state used to have Ushongo and Mbagwa constituencies, but the latter was suppressed by INEC. Concerned constituents took the matter to court in 2015 and judgment was given in their favour. The court urged INEC to restore the constituency and conduct election into it within 90 days. But the commission did not obey the order. Consequently, Ikyange; Mike Andoakaa, a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; and Hyacinth Nyakuma, among others, also filed the same case in 2014 at the same court. The speaker, who told newsmen that having two constituencies from his area was a thing of great joy to him, added that with the judgment in their favour, his joy knew no bounds. Ikyange said: “I am aware that if we have two constituencies from my local government, that will trigger more development to our area. “It was because of this fact that I supported the move.” Ikyange accused some journalists of not verifying their stories before going to press, stressing that they rather ended up misinforming the people. He said some journalists wrongly reported that Justice Binta Nyako ordered the commission to retrieve his Certificate of Return and conduct elections into the two constituencies. He said: “This was not the judgment. “Rather, the judge urged the commission to restore the suppressed constituency and conduct election into it within 90 days as earlier ruled in 2014 and not otherwise as reported by a section of the media. “The commission will conduct election only in Mbagwa constituency because I am already in the Assembly and I am from the existing constituency, which is Ushongo.”

Bayelsa guber: Dickson lacks capacity to govern – Sylva

Barely two weeks to the 2015 governorship election in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva of All Progressive Congress (APC), has accused the incumbent Governor, Seriake Dickson, of having no capacity to govern the people of the state. Sylva also said governor Dickson is full of deceits as he claimed to have completed projects initiated and awarded by his administration. The APC governorship candidate stated this at the weekend in Oporoama, Southern Ijaw local government Area during his campaign to the people. Sylva said, he is coming to change Bayelsa state from poverty to wealth and bring rural urban transformation to the hinterlands and end sufferings inflicted by governor Dickson to the people Sylva who arrived the venue of the campaign with a chartered helicopter at 4.30 pm accompanied by his running mate, Elder Wilberforce Igiri, Director General of the Sylva/Igiri campaign Organization and Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and State Party Chairman, Chief Tiwei Oruminghe appealed to the people to vote APC in order to witness and see the miracle of change that would happen in the state. He vowed to bring governance to the people by completing the road project from Yenagoa to Ayama and to Oporoama, the headquarter of Southern Ijaw local government Area, if voted as governor come Dec, 2015. Recall that Southern Ijaw locality is the traditional homes of Sylva running mate, Elder Wilberforce Igiri and the state Chairman, APC, Chief Tiwei Oruminghe. The governorship hopeful said governor Dickson had not done any tangible project in the state as his government is full of deceits and blackmails. Sylva also accused Dickson of issuing fake appointment letters to politicians to woo them to support him without paying them salaries, saying that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is death in the central and state levels, appealed to the electorate to vote APC in the Dec 5th governorship elections. Also Speaking , the Minister of Agriculture and the Director General of Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri said President Buhari loves Bayelsa state and have interest in the Development of the state, describing PDP as a death party that have no control any longer in the center. Lokpobiri insisted that whether the Dickson and PDP like it or not, APC must win Bayelsa state governorship Election come Dec 5th,2015. The Minister who spoke in Ijaw dialect urged the people to vote Sylva, APC to end poverty, insecurity and unemployment in order to enhance socio economic transformation in the state He appealed to the people to secure their Permanent Voter Cards PVC and vote APC as to flush out Dickson and PDP from the creek haven come Dec 5th polls.

Sani Bello to opposition: Your threats are insignificant

Niger state governor, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, at the weekend warned those threatening to cause trouble and make the state ungovernable because of the inauguration of local government councils’ caretaker committees, to desist or face the wrath of law. He said his administration has the capacity and will to crush any rebellious threats to peace and stability of the state. Bello spoke when he inaugurated caretaker implementation committees for the 25 local government councils of the state describing the threats he had received from opponents over the issue as mare ranting. “I have received threats. I do not mind those threats; I take them in good faith. Some have said that there would not be peace in the state. I have directed the state Commissioner of Police to arrest anybody found making trouble and make the person to face the wrath of the law. We have been tolerating all sorts of rubbish from them but these have to end now”, he warned. The governor said that the administration would no longer folds its hands and watch mischievous elements or group to continue to undermine the integrity of his government adding that “the administration has the political will to deal with them decisively”. He urged the new chairmen of the councils to ensure prudency and probity in the administration of their respective local government finances, adding that they must be agents of the restoration agenda of his administration at the grassroots level. He stressed the determination of the administration to wipe out corruption in the system and enthrone accountability for effective delivery of rural roads and provision of basic amenities and infrastructural development. He said: “However, as you take the mantle of leadership in you respective local government areas, we shall not tolerate any form of arrogance from you, since you are there to serve the people, you must be seen to be fair to all no matter their political interests. Whenever you face challenges that you cannot help, refer to us so that we can collectively look at the issues.”

Kogi guber: PDP will react with verifiable evidence – Metuh

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday said it would react to Saturday’s Kogi gubernatorial election, declared inconclusive by INEC, after getting facts about the election. The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, stated this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, shortly after the election was declared inconclusive. Metuh said that “the party always wants to make informed reaction based on verifiable evidence on what went on during the election. “We don’t rush to make reactions, we make only informed reactions. Our reaction will be based on what is on ground and verifiable evidence that we have. “We are still compiling evidence, we are still making enquiries; we are still keeping in touch with our people on the ground in Kogi. “It is only when we finish all these that we can take informed decision and we announce it to the public. “We don’t just get up and react; No, it is too early to react.’’ The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lokoja had earlier declared Kogi election inconclusive. The Returning Officer, Prof. Emmanuel Kucha, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, said the decision was based on INEC approved guidelines for 2015 general elections. Kucha said that in applying the provisions of the guidelines, the election should be declared inconclusive and result withheld when the margin of votes between the two leading candidate was less than the number of registered voters in poling units where elections were not conducted. According to him, there are 49,953 registered voters in 91 polling units involving 18 local government areas where elections did not hold or cancelled. He said whereas Prince Abubakar Audu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 240,867 votes, followed by Gov. Idris Wada of PDP with 199,514 votes, the margin between the two candidates was 41, 353. The officer said since 49,953, the number of registered voters in areas where elections were not held was more than 41,353 representing the different between votes polled by APC and PDP candidates, the election was declared inconclusive.

$20bn Missing Money: I Am Not An Angel, But I Am Not A Devil- Diezani Cries Out

Nigeria’s former minister of petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke has told Nigerians that she is not the devil as they believe she is, although she is not an angel.
Nigerian Bulletin reports that the embattled former minister, made this statement in the concluding part of her interview with Dele Momodu, where she maintained that she is innocent of the allegations leveled against her.
According to her:“Believe it or not, and God is my witness, I didn’t have to steal. I’m not an Angel but I’m not a devil. I don’t have billions anywhere. How is it possible for one woman to steal billions of dollars in a country like Nigeria?

Diezani Alison-Madueke undergoing cancer treatment, as photographed for Dele Momodu’s The Boss project
“Did I blow up the vaults of the Central Bank or transfer the money to heaven? Where can you keep such money in this age of money laundering fiasco?
“I did my job professionally without even thinking of anyone as opposition. Otherwise we would not have approved the Oando-Conoco Phillips deal. Tinubu came to see me three times and we approved on merit.”
Mrs Alison-Madueke also said that while it is true that a minister is influential, the real power is in the NNPC, which she referred to as the cash cow.
She added that while a minister sits in the ministry treating files, holding meetings at home and abroad, looking glamorous and taking all the flak, the soul and heart of the nation is NNPC.
The embattled former minister had in a recent interview, informed that she did not loot the country’s treasury as many had said she did.
But Nigerians have  told her to recover  quickly from her  cancer and return to face the charges  leveled against her,  especially that of the missing $20 billion  oil money