Philippe Coutinho scored a stunning winner as Liverpool dented Manchester City's Premier League title defence with a narrow victory at Anfield.

Philippe Coutinho scored a stunning winner as Liverpool dented Manchester City's Premier League title defence with a narrow victory at Anfield.

Jordan Henderson's curling effort put the Reds ahead before Edin Dzeko finished off a slick move to equalise.

But Brazil midfielder Coutinho capped a fine display with the decisive goal when he struck from 25 yards.

The result leaves City five points behind Chelsea having played a game extra, while Liverpool move to fifth.

Jose Mourinho claimed his first trophy since returning for his second spell as Chelsea manager with a comfortable Capital One Cup final victory over Tottenham at Wembley

Jose Mourinho claimed his first trophy since returning for his second spell as Chelsea manager with a comfortable Capital One Cup final victory over Tottenham at Wembley.

John Terry and Diego Costa did the damage - both with the aid of deflections - either side of the interval as Spurs' hopes of repeating their success over Chelsea in this competition seven years ago never got off the ground.

Photos: First Lady Patience Jonathan hosts Entertainers in Abuja

Patience Jonathan hosted some entertainers in Abuja yesterday Feb. 28th. Duncan Mighty, Kcee, Eucharia Anunobi, Omoni Oboli, Ini Edo, Onyeka Onwenu, Yinka Davies, Bovi, Seyi Law, Ejike Asiegbu, Larry Koldsweat, Bob Manuel Odokwu, Timi Dakolo and many others were at the event.

I heard about some of the things that went down...but out of respect for some of the folks that went, I will not write..lol. See more photos after the cut...

Graphic pics: Young girl commits suicide after being dumped by her boyfriend

A group posted the photos on Facebook and said the girl committed suicide after her boyfriend left her for her best friend. Do Nigerian ladies kill themselves over men? It happened somewhere in the South South. See the photos after the cut...

Photo: So, is he Prof. Osinbajo's father or brother?

So, recently APC VP candidate Prof Osinbajo took the media back to his childhood village and home in Ogun state where the photo above was captured by an APC cameraman. The man in the photo was initially said to be Osinbajo's father (see the resemblance) but APC says that is his brother not father.

So here's why this photo is controversial. Them PDP people are trying to use the pic to their benefit. They are saying whether brother or father, why is he living in such a condition? Below is what they posted on a Pro-Jonathan Facebook page, Hope for Nigeria;

"What is the difference between someone's father and his brother, that Yemi Osibanjo will neglect them, even when he has been blessed by God as a Pastor, senior partner at SimmonsCooper Partners, a Professor, 8 years as Tinubu's Attorney General, director in Bola Tinubu's Alpha Beta Limited. How can you manage a country, when you can't take care of your relatives?"

Some folks are saying the guy is not even related to Osinbajo. That it's just a propaganda pic...lol

Meet John Okafor (Mr. Ibu), His Beautiful Wife And Daughter (photos)

Popular nollywood comedian Actor, John Okafor came into limelight after playing the role of ‘Mr. Ibu‘ in
the Hit Comic Movie ‘Mr.

Ibu The Comedian is married with children and has acted in more than 70 movies. He recently acquired a Brand New BMW..
He shared pics of his wife, Stella Maris Okafor and daughter via instagram…. See below…

Presidential Committee On Defence Visits Innoson For Local Weapons Production

Members of the Presidential committee on the review of Nigerian defence policy yesterday visited Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Company, Nnewi, Anambra State to inspect facilities at the vehicle plant and see how the defence sector in the country could benefit from the company.

The visiting committee chaired by Major General A. Adewuyi had Professor Isaac Olawale Albert as the team leader. He told Daily Sun that the basic reason for the visit was for the committee to see the facilities available at the company and see the extent to which the defence policy could draw some lessons.

Prof Albert said the idea was for Nigeria to begin to look inwards for the procurement of some military hard and soft wares “ how we can procure our vehicles, how do we procure our armoured vehicles locally, how do we manufacture some of the things we need in the defence industry. That is what brought us to Nnewi.”

Professor Albert explained that what the presidential committee had seen at the factory site suggested to them that without doubt, IVM had the capacity to supply the Nigerian military with many of its requirements in terms of military vehicles.

“We saw at the factory, pick-up vans that can be used by the police, army, air force, navy, customs and immigration. We also saw buses that can be used to convey officers and men.

“So, I think it is a very useful visit and when we get back to Abuja we are going to write a report that will actually show the capacity of this company to assist the defence industry in Nigeria,” Prof Albert promised.

He said the review excercise covered all the security agencies, adding that what the committee had seen at Innoson would form a critical element of the new defence policy.

“Our observation is that Nigeria can produce her own armoured vehicles for carrying out operations. The Chief Executive Officer of Innoson Group, Chief (Dr.) Innocent Chukwuma would come to Abuja to address a larger gathering of the defence policy makers on his capability and ingenuity.

“This is what we need in this country if we must be self-sufficient in diverse areas. In addition to manufacturing for Nigeria and doing the country proud, Innoson generates employment, Prof Albert concluded.”

He described Chief Chukwuma as a national asset.

Earlier, Chief Chukwuma had told the presidential committee that he was already designing military vehicles that would be as rugged as others produced elsewhere, that the IVM had the capability to manufacture armoured vehicles if given the specification. He said the company only needed support by government and Nigerians. He declared that there was no vehicle IVM could not design and produce for African environment.http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=99446

Deployment of Military for Polls: Voters Charged Not to be Intimidated

 Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed

From Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Kwara state governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in this month’s general polls, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has charged eligible voters in the country not to be intimidated on the purported plan to deploy military personnel to the various polling units during the polls.

Rather, Ahmed said, they should come out with their permanent voters cards and cast their votes for the candidates of their choice during the polls so as to bring new lease of life to the populace.

Speaking at an interactive session with some heads of districts (Alanguas) and heads of royal families compounds (Mogajis) in Ilorin Emirate comprising Ilorin West, Ilorin South, Ilorin East, Moro and Asa local government councils of the state over the weekend, Ahmed said that the purported move to deploy military personnel for the polls should not discourage them from coming out en masse to vote for the APC during the polls.

First Lady Visits Sokoto March 3 to Flag off Distribution of Fertiliser, Rice to Women

First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan

•  PDP Chairman urges Northerners to vote for Jonathan to continue Transformation Agenda.

Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Sokoto state, Alhaji Ibrahim Milgoma, Sunday said arrangements  had been concluded to ensure the successful one-day visit of the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, to the state on March 3 for the continuation of the ongoing presidential campaigns of the PDP.

He also called on the people of the North to vote massively for President Goodluck Jonathan to continue with the transformation agenda.

Speaking with newsmen in Sokoto on Sunday, Milgoma said the First Lady was expected to flag off the distribution of free fertilizer and rice to thousands of women across the 23 local government areas of the state.

He described the visit of the First Lady as a routine one across Nigeria, saying she would be  in the state to canvass for the votes of the women,  as they formed the majority of the voting population.

Milgoma lauded the sterling contributions of the First Lady to the emancipation of the Nigerian women, children and other vulnerable groups.

He also maintained that President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP were fully committed to the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming general elections.

"The elections would hold as scheduled and they will be conducted peacefully and successfully, while the winners would be given their mandate.

"Nigerians should therefore re-elect Jonathan to enable him sustain the ongoing commendable transformation agenda,''he said.

In a remark, the Deputy Coordinator of the Jonathan/ Sambo Campaign Organization in the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Gidado, said the party was fully ready for the forthcoming polls.

"Sokoto PDP is ready for the elections and I am optimistic that all the party's candidates at all levels will emerge victorious. So, the forthcoming elections should  not be taken as a do or die affair as God had since destined the winners,"he averred.

In Change of Strategy, Jonathan, Buhari Opt for Town Hall Meetings

President Goodluck Jonathan, and General Muhammadu Buhari

    

APC debunks Osinbajo's oath-taking allegation, alleges plans to freeze opposition leaders' accounts       

Fani-Kayode: We stand by our claim

By Chuks Okocha and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja, and Jaiyeola Andrews and Victor Efeizomor in Asaba

As the two main political parties for this year’s general election await the new poll dates, which were fixed after the conclusion of their nationwide presidential campaign rallies, their candidates have turned to public meetings involving socio-political, economic, and cultural groups in a continued bid to ingratiate themselves with the electorate. President Goodluck Jonathan, who is the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, and the candidate of All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari, have been meeting stakeholders within and outside the country to campaign for votes.

This is as APC dismissed as sickening and outlandish a claim by the Jonathan campaign organisation that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the opposition party, planned to replace Professor Yemi Osinbajo as vice president through the back door. Spokesman of the PDP presidential campaign organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, had claimed at a press conference on Friday that the APC vice presidential candidate had sworn an oath to yield his position to Tinubu within six months of the inauguration of an APC federal government if the party wins the March 28 presidential election.

But in a statement on Saturday, APC’s national publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed, said the PDP oath claim was a lie merely being sown to try to dampen Buhari’s rapidly expanding popularity that was markedly enhanced by his emotional speech at London’s Chatham House think tank last week.
Mohammed stated, “Our presidential candidate’s globally-acclaimed outing has presented Nigerians, and indeed the global community, with a choice between a bumbling, ineffective, incoherent, clueless, visionless and incompetent president and an assertive, knowledgeable, dignified, purposeful and principled president-in-waiting.

“Having failed to discredit that outing with a rented crowd, some of whom confessed to have been paid to carry placards they do not even understand, the PDP and the Jonathan administration have now resorted to making nauseating claims that are totally untrue, absolutely incomprehensible, and nothing but sheer bunkum…

“They have thrown everything imaginable at Buhari, but he has continued to wax stronger and stronger.”

APC added regarding the PDP claims, “With everything working against them, they engaged in a show of shame at The Chatham House that backfired badly, on the heels of their bare-faced lies that Buhari was hospitalised in London.
“The preposterous claim of a secret oath – reminiscent of what they do in their own party – by the apparently ailing spokesman of the Jonathan campaign organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, is their latest desperate act.”

APC also alleged plans by the PDP-led federal government to cripple the opposition party’s campaign by freezing its accounts and grounding its planes. Director of the APC presidential campaign council, Garba Shehu, described the alleged plot as “bestial and undemocratic.”

Shehu said in a statement, “Information at our disposal has uncovered the ruinous plan by the Jonathan administration to use the aviation ministry and secret arm of the security service to hound and clampdown members of the APC, by prospecting obnoxious means that would ground private jets belonging to senior members of our party, in order to halt and slow down Buhari’s world-acclaimed phenomenal popularity as president-in-waiting.

“There is also a plot to block or freeze the bank accounts of APC chieftains like Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Rotimi Amaechi (Director General of APC presidential campaign organisation), and other prominent leaders believed to be funding the General’s campaign; and availing him their aircraft for electioneering purposes.”

Fani-Kayode, however, maintained at a press conference yesterday that he stood by his claim that Tinubu planned to supplant Osinbajo.  

The PDP presidential campaign spokesman said, “From the APC response, it is clear that they have something to hide.  They clearly cannot deny this dangerous plot.  Does a vampire ever admit to being a vampire? Did Dr. Jeckyll ever tell anyone that he was also Mr. Hyde? Does a demon ever admit to being a demon? Does darkness ever admit to being darkness? Do people that are obsessed with taking power at all costs and by any means ever admit that they are obsessed and desperate?”

The two main presidential candidates have intensified public meetings with voters in key towns and areas they feel would help to improve their standing ahead of the election.

A senior official of the PDP presidential campaign organisation who preferred anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, told THISDAY that the party will not adopt fresh state-by-state campaigns. Rather, it would adopt a new approach of meeting opinion leaders, artisans, and professional bodies, the official said.

He said, “As the president has commenced, the campaigns will follow the style of holding town hall meetings. Like last Friday, President Jonathan met with opinion leaders in Delta State. He met with the traditional rulers in Asaba and some former militants in the state.

“This is the pattern to be followed. The rallies are over, except for states like Yobe, the FCT, and one or two other states.”

Jonathan recently met some opinion leaders and traditional rulers in Lagos and some South-west states in continuation of the nationwide consultation. In Lagos, the president met with the Yoruba Council of Elders, Igbo traders, and market women.

Deputy national chairman (South) of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, confirmed the strategy of town meetings, saying, “In the next phase of our campaign, we are going to emphasis on town hall meetings, meeting face-to-face with the people, and getting to know what is going on.

“That has been going on in virtually all the states of the federation. Some of our governorship candidates have carried the campaigns to the markets, mechanic workshops, and so on. We are dealing with the people directly. So the campaign is on and strong.”

Former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, announced via Facebook at the weekend that Jonathan would visit Lagos State today. He said during the visit the president will meet with about 5,000 youths as part of a programme titled, “Meet the President.”

Jonathan met yesterday in Asaba with a large crowd of indigenes of northern Nigeria (Arewa) resident in the 17 southern states, who endorsed him as their preferred presidential candidate. At the meeting, he promised to implement the report of last year’s national conference if re-elected.

After more than a week of international engagements in the United Kingdom, APC leaders and their presidential candidate will return to Nigeria today to begin another stage of the campaigns, which sources within the party say would also consist mainly of direct consultations with strategic groups across the country.

THISDAY gathered from a party source in London that Buhari and Tinubu would come back to the country today while a number of the party’s leaders and officials had left for home yesterday. The source disclosed that the party’s new campaign strategy, which it intends to pursue until the elections, would involve series of town hall meetings in major cities across the country, especially, those not visited during the nationwide presidential campaign rallies.

“Buhari and other party leaders will be leaving London this weekend and they are due to commence series of town hall meetings from Tuesday,” the source said.

Some of the towns likely to host the APC town hall meetings include Onitsha, Aba, Asaba, and Gboko.

Following the postponement of the general election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, APC decided to scale down its campaign effort, preferring to hold strategic meetings and consultations with professional groups, religious bodies, and traditional institutions. The party has also used the opportunity to inspire international sympathy and support by embarking on a trip to London, where Buhari delivered an important lecture on Thursday at Chatham House whose impact has significantly pushed up the image of the opposition party.

In the speech at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, in London, Buhari had assured the international community that an APC government would ensure economic and political stability of the country and fight corruption head-on.

Over 200 skeletons discovered beneath Paris supermarket

More than 200 skeletons have been discovered in a medieval mass grave beneath a supermarket in the middle of the French capital, with archeologists unsure of how they died or why the bodies were placed there.
The grisly discovery was made beneath a Monoprix supermarket on Rue Sebastopol in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, which stands on the site of a medieval hospital torn down in the 18th century.
When the store’s management decided to carry out redevelopment work on its basement, it gave archaeologists a chance to see what was buried beneath.
What they found was dozens of skeletons of men, women and children aligned head to toe and buried up to six people deep.
“We expected it to have a few bones to the extent that it had been a cemetery but not find mass graves,” store manager Pascal Roy told AFP.
When new buildings went up on the site of the former hospital the bodies buried in its cemetery were moved to another location, say archaeologists, but for some reason many were left behind.
‘Major mortality crisis’

Elections: ‘President Jonathan acting like Adolf Hitler, Gbagbo’

An Osun based civil society group, the Osun Progressives Left has warned against further postponement of the general elections, removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attairu Jega and involvement of military in democratic process. The group also likened President Goodluck Jonathan style of administration to that of a former leader of Germany, Adolf Hitler who started the World war 2 and former President of Ivory Coast, LaurenT Gbagbo who refused to hand over power after losing election.President Jonathan addressing the congregation at The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry in Lagos, Saturday According to the group, President Jonathan, like Gbagbo of the Côte d’Ivoire, was making frantic effort to frustrate the conduct of the general electionS, and if possible, stay in office beyond his tenure or handover to an interim government. The spokesperson for the group, Comrade Wale Adebisi at a press conference in Osogbo yesterday, stated that just like Hitler who came from a minority group to rule Germany, President Jonathan wanted to continue ruling Nigeria at all cost and ensure that his ethnic group continue to loot the resources of the country.

Buhari guilty of human rights abuse in 2011 -PDP campaign

The Presidential campaign office of President Goodluck Jonathan said in Abuja on Sunday that the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), must answer to charges of alleged human rights abuse over the 2011 presidential election.

It said that there was no way Buhari, who was then the presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change, could exonerate himself from the crisis that followed the 2011 presidential election which was won by President Jonathan.

Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, stated this at a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday.

He said lawyers from Netherlands have already filled a case before the International Criminal Court, at The Hague.

He also said his party and its presidential candidate were not afraid of Buhari in the forthcoming presidential election.

Fuel scarcity worsens in Abuja as NNPC promises improved supply

ABUJA: ‎‎‎The fuel crisis in Abuja worsened weekend, as many of the petrol stations across the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, were shut down, leaving motorists stranded.
This was in spite of claims by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, on Friday, that it is injecting about 688 million of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, into the market.
Motorists had to resort to the black market‎, where roadside petrol sellers now sell the commodity for as high as N250 per litre.

Fuel Scarcity at Ogba ijaiye Lagos.PHOTO;AKEEM SALAU

However, the NNPC, Sunday, promised that it is working to ensure that the situation is addressed quickly and assured Nigerians that the fuel supply situation will improve in the coming days.
Responding to enquiries from Vanguard, spokesperson for the NNPC, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, said, “On Friday, we had stated that in 48 hours we will wet the market with 688 million litres of petrol. Distribution of products is by trucking. You will agree that it is some distance from the depots and tank farms in the south to the depots and retail outlets in the hinterland. Expectedly, the ‎queues should disappear before long.”
Furthermore, Alegbe blamed the scarcity on‎ panic buying by motorists and sharp practices by some retail outlets who are hoarding the commodity, thereby frustrating efforts to stem the scarcity.
He said the NNPC has informed the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, of the ‎these sharp practices by some petrol stations’ owners for adequate sanctions against them.
He said, “Panic buying has persisted in spite of our appeal to motorists. Secondly, some retail outlets are hoarding product by dispensing from only one pump head. We have reported some of them to the DPR and we believe appropriate sanctions will be meted out to them.
Also, a source in the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, disclosed that the scarcity currently being experienced in Abuja is as a result of panic buying and not because of non-availability of petrol.
According to the source who spoke on the condition of anonymity, DPR officers ‎in depots across the country and even in the FCT have been sending in reports of availability of the commodity at the various depots and liftings by trucks to various petrol stations.
“The DPR had also had discussions with a number of petrol stations’ owners who told us that the long queues is as a result of panic buying.
“A particular owner of one of the petrol stations told us that he received a tanker load of fuel on Friday morning and is expecting to receive another consignment of the product before the end of the day. So, it is evident that the product is not scarce, just people buying the commodity out of fear of the unknown,” the source said.
In addition, the source urged motorists to avoid panic buying as there are large quantity of the products in depots across the country.
‎Almost all the petrol stations in Wuse, Maitama, Nyanya, Abuja – Keffi expressway, Asokoro, Jabi, Gwarinpa, Kubwa Expressway, Airport Road among others were closed while the few that were selling had long queues of motorists to contend with.
Some residents told Vanguard that they had to abandon their vehicles at home throughout the weekend, hoping to conserve the little fuel they had for their journey to their various offices during the week.
Some of the respondents called on the Federal Government to intervene urgently and bring the situation under control, before it escalates.
‎The crisis had started on Thursday when long queues resurfaced in petrol filling stations in Abuja, over rumour of an impending scarcity of the product earlier in the week.
The rumour of the impending scarcity was hinged on the debt owed marketers by the Federal Government, a development which was claimed has made it impossible for the marketers to import the commodity.
However, to forestall the crisis in the sector, the Federal Government quickly stepped in and promised to pay off about N264 billion between now and end of March, as subsidy reimbursement applications submitted to marketers as at end of January 2015.
The sum comprises 2014 outstanding debts of N164 billion in addition to N100 billion derived from foreign exchange and bank interest charges.
The decision to pay the debts was arrived at a crucial meeting with the Ministries of Finance, Petroleum Resources, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and oil marketers in Abuja on Monday at the instance of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

 

Fuel queues confirm Jonathan’s deceit -APC campaign

The Presidential Campaign of the All Progressives Congress on Sunday said the return of fuel queues at filling stations in Abuja and other parts of Nigeria is a confirmation that the policies of the Jonathan administration are founded on deceit and insincerity.

According to the APC campaign, it was now evident that the recent fuel price reductions announced by the Federal Government was borne out of political expediency, rather than compassion, because the ruling party is desperate to cling to power at all costs.

The APC campaign also condemned the gross reduction in the hours of electricity supply across the country by electricity providers describing it as sad reminders of the failure of the PDP Federal Government.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Media and Publicity of the APC campaign, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja.

The APC wondered how a political party which has been in power for 16 years and which is unable to ensure regular fuel supply being an oil producing country and having privatised the power sector and given generous financial assistance to operators of the sector, can still feel confident to seek another term in office.

Shehu said that the glaring and inexcusable failure of the PDP government in these two important areas is a sign of gross ineptitude, maladministration and corruption which is responsible for the sorry economic state the average citizen of Nigeria has found themselves.

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According to him, for the people of Nigeria to be again confronted with the specter of fuel scarcity so soon after the harrowing experience of last Christmas period shows that the Jonathan government can never get anything right as Nigeria will continue to be an embarrassment among the oil producing countries of the world.

The statement partly read: “The issue is that being unable to set up even one new refinery in the past five years and unable to get existing refineries to function up to 50 per cent capacity, the people of Nigeria surely need another set of people to be in charge of affairs.

“Those who man the two critical sectors of fuel and power are cronies of President Jonathan and supporters of the PDP that they have no reason to discharge their mandate in favour of the Nigerian people.

“We all remember the hype and fanfare with which the privatisation of the power sector was carried out and yet majority of Nigerians are having less electric power or none at all but are forced to pay outrageous electricity bills to the operators of the power companies who are either card-carrying members of the PDP or are close associates of President Jonathan.”

Coutinho stunner clips Man City’s wings

Philippe Coutinho scored a sensational winning goal as Liverpool beat Manchester City 2-1 on Sunday to close on the Premier League top four and dent their opponents’ title defence.
The Brazilian produced a tremendous finish from 25 yards at Anfield to settle a game of immense quality after City striker Edin Dzeko had cancelled out an equally spectacular opener from Jordan Henderson.
It was a victory that moved Liverpool up to fifth place in the table and cast serious doubt over whether reigning champions City can now offer Chelsea a realistic challenge for top spot.

 

Mob kills woman over suicide bombing scare in Bauchi

A mob in Bauchi on Sunday beats woman to death, burnt her body over suspicion she was a suicide bomber, police and witnesses said. “At about 0700 hours (0600 GMT), information at our disposal revealed that a yet to be identified lady who allegedly refused to allow herself to be screened at the entrance of Muda Lawal Market Bauchi was attacked by irate mob,” Bauchi state police spokesman Haruna Mohammed said in a statement. He said the mob “set her ablaze,” adding that she died before police could rescue her. Mohammed said police had deployed to the scene to disperse the mob but no arrest was made.

PDP plots to postpone election again, sack Jega – APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over the relentless scheming by the Jonathan Administration and the PDP to push for another postponement of the 2015 general elections, unless they can perfect a rigging plan, and called for the imposition of global sanctions on whoever scuttles the polls. In a statement , Sunday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the multi-pronged efforts to prevent the elections from holding as rescheduled include the use of some 23 portfolio political parties to seek a further shift in the election dates and the destabilization of INEC’s election plan through the orchestrated removal of its Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

Military pounds more Boko Haram targets

Following the continued push by the military to recapture all territories occupied by Boko Haram fighters, troops on cordon and search, along Djimitillo-Damaturu Road, Yobe State engaged in fierce battle, at the weekend, with fighters suspected to be members of the Islamist group, after their hideout was discovered. At Gulak, the headquarters of Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State, an attempt by some fighters to blow up a bridge to stop the military’s advance, according to sources, was foiled as the troops, backed by air power, routed the Boko Haram insurgents.

APC also responds to FFK's Tinubu/Osinbajo allegation

Find the APC press statement below...

Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the Director of Media of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode on the All Progressives Congress and its leaders.

Fani-Kayode alleges that Asiwaju Tinubu would become president by asking the Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo to resign after six months in office in the belief that the. President Muhammadu Buhari may have terminal health challenges.

That the message came through Mr. Femi Fani- Kayode who, just a few days ago, was brought to answer corruption charges, makes the message incredulous. The whole world knows the other reasons for the incredulity of any message delivered through him.

However, to the uninformed, there is no iota of truth in such allegation. It is the product of infantile, wild imagination of a convoluted, distorted and warped mind

In the APC, we do not indulge in oath-taking, pact-signing and such other rituals that the PDP establishment is adept at. Such PDP- induced Okija scenarios have no place in the APC.

Professor Yemi Osinbajo is a thorough- bred, accomplished professor, teacher, pastor, mentor and preacher who is nationally and internationally acknowledged as a man of probity, integrity, transparency and competence who can never be part of such inanities.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his part, is the foremost national leader of the APC who has achieved an enviable, political status, fame and stature. He has gone far beyond using subterfuge to attain any political position.

It is widely known, globally, that he has been pivotal in midwifing the most potent and formidable opposition movement that has become the nightmare of the incompetent behemoth called the PDP, and to the delight of Nigerians, the desired change they are waiting for.

Having lost substantial ground politically and seeing the inevitability of an APC victory at the polls, it is the. PDP that is strenuously engaging in all kinds of subterfuge from hurling personal abuses and attacks on Buhari and Tinubu; to election postponement antics; to evading elections at all costs and even the unfashionable idea of foisting an interim government. It is the. PDP that is generating crisis in order to make the elections difficult if not impossible. Unknown to its campaign machinery, these gimmicks potray the PDP as deep in conclusive disarray.

Indeed, the fact that the PDP campaign machinery can construct a post- presidential election scenario in which APC would be in power is a significant testimony of their admission that they have lost this election. We note this mental and psychological concession of victory to our party's presidential candidate but reject the odious scenario.

Nigerians should please ignore this latest antic because it is untrue,ridiculous, ludicrous, mundane and jejune.

DELE ALAKE
DIRECTOR
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
APC PCO

Jonathan plans to freeze Tinubu, Amaechi’s account

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council on Saturday condemned an alleged plot by the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Peoples Democratic Party to cripple the campaign of the party’s presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).

This was contained in a statement signed by the Director Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential campaign, Mr. Garba Shehu, in Abuja.

He said the APC Presidential campaign condemned the plot by the Jonathan-led ruling Peoples Democratic Party to clip the electoral success wings of the opposition APC, through a proposed grounding of aircraft and freezing of bank accounts belonging to stalwarts of the party.

According to him, the plot to destabilise the APC and cripple its flag-bearer, General Muhammadu Buhari, may be linked to the global attention on its candidate’s performance at the United kingdom’s Chatham House last Thursday.

The statement partly read: “The hint we gather from sources is that the government, through its agents, is plotting to ground aircraft and freeze bank accounts of APC stakeholders. But history has shown that the forces of evil can never succeed against the zeal of men and women of virtue and good deeds.”

Sierra Leone VP in quarantine over Ebola

Sierra Leone’s Vice President Sam Sumana has placed himself in quarantine following the death of one of his bodyguards from Ebola, a government spokesman said as the country reintroduced travel restrictions to combat the spread of the virus.

Sumana “has decided to place himself in precautionary quarantine awaiting the results of tests by the health authorities”, the spokesman said on Saturday.

Sumana’s bodyguard, 42-year-old John Koroma, died from Ebola on Friday, medical sources said.

Sources at the vice president’s office said Sumana is not in danger but had decided to stay out of his office for the next 21 days and work from his home in the west of the capital.

Sierra Leone recorded 18 new cases of Ebola last week, up from 16 new cases the previous week. This breaks the trend of declining cases in Sierra Leone. There were clusters of new cases with many related to the movements of fishermen.

President Ernest Bai Koroma’s new restrictions, announced on Saturday, include a night-time ban on all boats launching from shore and from commercial vehicles off-loading goods in western market areas.

Venezuela announces diplomatic sanctions against US

Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s president, plans to limit the US diplomatic presence in Venezuela and require American tourists to obtain visas, amid growing tensions between the two countries.

Maduro said the measures, announced on Saturday, aimed to “control” US meddling in Venezuelan affairs.

Maduro has intensified his allegations of coup and assassination plans in recent months – often purportedly backed by the US – as he faces a deep economic crisis and a sharp drop in popularity.

“In order to protect our country … I have decided to implement a system of compulsory visas for all Americans entering Venezuela,” he told supporters.

Under the new measures, Venezuela will start charging tourists the same visa fees the US asks of Venezuelans, though it was unclear when the plan would be implemented.

But the restrictions could also have an impact on business travellers seeking to invest in one of the biggest oil producers.

Ekiti rigging tape: Army after Captain Koli, says lawyer

Captain Koli

A lawyer, Mr. Akinola Ajayi, has narrated how the military detained, allegedly chained and starved Adamu Koli, younger brother of Captain Koli, who recorded the controversial audio tape in which a rigging for the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State was alleged planned.

He said the military is hunting for the senior Koli, who has been on self exile since he released the tape. He added that the military had claimed that the case was about national security.

The audio tape purportedly captured the voices of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, now Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose; ex-Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro; Brig.-Gen. Aliyu Momoh, who was in charge of the election; Osun PDP governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore; and Minister for Police Affairs, Jelili Adesinyan, in a meeting where they allegedly gave directives to the military to favour the PDP.

In an interview with Sahara Reporters, which webcast was monitored by SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, Ajayi said the boy was detained and tortured to get the whereabouts of the officer.

The lawyer stated that he was filing charges against the military for the abuse of the boy’s rights.

He said, “The boy was held incommunicado and in solitary confinement. In the confinement, he went through psychological trauma and it was to know basically to know the whereabouts of his older brother, Captain Koli.

“The military officers must have detained him, thinking it would be a bait with which to catch Koli, who they are looking for. ”

He further the officers were hostile to the boy initially but when they could not obtain the needed information from him, they became friendly to him.

“The boy was only praying for his dying time till he was left the hook,” Ajayi added.

While he denied reports that the boy was fed with worms, the lawyer said he was starved. He added that the boy was chained to a bed apparently when he became aggressive over his unlawful detention.

“He told me that while he was chained to the bed, there was a military officer watching over him,” the lawyer added.

Ajayi explained that he had to file a petition to the Army authorities in November 2014, which was entitled ‘Petition against unlawful detention and abduction of 15-year-old Adamu Koli’ and made several efforts before the boy was released.

He said, “In the little interaction I had with General Momoh, he said he was not comfortable with human rights lawyers. He asked me if I would subscribe to anything that has to do with national security. I said the man directly involved in the case (Koli) can answer the question by himself.

“The young man is not a military officer and it is not an offence being a junior brother to a serving military officer.”

Ajayi said he was called in the last week of December from the Akure cantonment where the boy was detained to fetch the boy.

When contacted, the Director Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade said he did not know anything about the issue

Pandemonium as Murtala Mohammed Airport holds bomb drill

Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos

There was pandemonium at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport following a bomb drill on Saturday morning.

Sunday Punch gathered that passengers and airport users were seen running out of the terminal building over what they described as a bomb-scare.

Some security operatives had to evacuate passengers from the terminal for fear of a possible stampede as people scampered for safety.

However officials of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and other security operatives were on ground to assure the passengers that the exercise was just routine.

Despite this, it took some time for the passengers to go back into the terminal with some almost missing their flights.

A Dubai-bound passenger, Mr. Igwe Timothy, who spoke to our correspondent shortly after the event said he almost changed his mind about getting on the flight.

He said, “I am just grateful that my flight was for 2.25pm, after everything became calm, if not I would probably have missed the flight.

“I heard a loud bang, and saw people running helter-skelter with some shouting ‘bomb o’, Boko Haram’ I had to grab my luggage and ran out too.

“It was later that we were informed that it was a simulation exercise, and a test to prepare in case of such an incident in future.”

For Miss. Bisi Adeyinka, a bureau d’change operator at the airport, she still ran, even though she had a prior information about the event on Friday.

“The truth is that we had a knowledge of the activity, because some of us were informed by the authority on Friday, but since I didn’t know exactly the form it would take, I ran with others when I heard the loud noise and saw people running,” she said.

In a chat with our correspondent, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, described the exercise as a successful one, adding that there was no cause for alarm.

He said the exercise was conducted to measure the airport’s response procedures in the event of real bomb explosion at the terminal building.

He said, “Flight operations were not disrupted as a result of the exercise, and FAAN wishes to apologise to passengers and members of the public who were caught unawares, even though prior information was given earlier and was even published in some newspapers.

“FAAN remains committed to safety and security, and is carrying out this drill in fulfilment of NCAA requirements in with ICAO Standard and Recommended Practices

Okada rider rapes pregnant NYSC member

A 20-year old commercial motorcycle operator rider, Tumi Ayileka, is currently cooling his heels at the Ondo State Police Command after he was arrested for allegedly raping a pregnant woman currently observing her National Youth Service Corps scheme in the state.

The incident occurred at Imoru, in Ose Local Government Area, when the victim, (names withheld) boarded a motor bike on her way to her residence.

The suspect was said to have veered off the road, dragged the pregnant woman into the bush and raped her.

Confessing to the crime at the police command where he was paraded, Ayileka said he did not know what came over him while he carried the lady on his bike.

He said it was his first time of raping anyone, adding that he felt a sense of remorse after the act and had to take his victim home after.

He said, “She approached me around 7.p.m at Ifon that I should take her to Imoru community where she serves and I obliged after agreeing to pay N500.

“On our away going, I don’t know the spirit that fell on me and I don’t know when I rode her inside the bush and had carnal knowledge of her.

“Immediately after that incident, the spirit went off and I was ashamed of myself, I didn’t know she was pregnant before and I even took her home. Later on, she reported to the police station and I was arrested.

“I didn’t know the spirit that fell on me because I have never done that before.”

Ayileka was one of the 27 suspected criminals paraded by the State Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke during his monthly press conference held in Akure, the State Capital.

Eke who confirmed the incident, said the rapist dragged her into the bush and “forcefully and unlawfully had carnal knowledge of her

FG shortlists four INEC commissioners to succeed Jega

Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega

The Federal Government might have shortlisted four national commissioners to take over from Prof. Attahiru Jega as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

SUNDAY PUNCH reliably learnt that Jega might be asked to hand over to one of the commissioners in INEC and also proceed on a three-month terminal leave.

During a presidential media chat on February 11, President Goodluck Jonathan had reassured Nigerians that he had no plan to remove the INEC chairman from office. The President’s reassurance came at a time when speculation was rife that government had perfected plans to remove Jega. But some stakeholders who spoke after the interview had dismissed the President’s reassurances as needless, adding that the laws of the land do not confer on the president powers to remove the INEC chairman.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the Supervising Minister of Information, Mr. Edem Duke, had also said the President had no plan to sack Jega.

“On the issue of the INEC chairman, I align myself with what the President said that he has no plan to sack the INEC chairman.

“That is not to say that if it is time for the INEC chairman to naturally exit his office, then the natural course of things will not take place.

“It is like saying a civil servant has done 35 years or achieved the age of 60; we now begin to say that he must not retire or he must retire,” Duke had said.

However, the minster drew parallels between Jega’s conditions of service and those of civil servants, reigniting speculation that the Presidency might go ahead with the plan to remove Jega.

Earlier, there had been reports that Prof. Femi Mimiko, brother of the Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, had been pencilled in for the position but investigations by our correspondents showed that the former Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State was no longer in contention.

Sources said the national commissioners that might take over from Jega could come from a list made up of Dr. Mohammed Wali from Sokoto State, Mrs. Amina Zakari from Jigawa State, Colonel Mohammed Kurmi Hammanga (rtd.) from Adamawa State and Dr. Ishmael Igbani from Rivers State.

It was learnt that the person that would take over would act as chairman till June 30 when the tenure of Jega would expire.

The Federal Government, it was learnt, had decided against appointing an ‘outsider’ because preparations for the elections had reached an advanced stage.

Investigations further showed that the FG had yet to decide on whether to appoint the acting chairman from the North-West, where Jega hails from or to take the post to another zone.

It was learnt that Wali and Zakari were shortlisted because they hailed from the North-West.

Igbani and Hammanga were included on the list because of the argument among some top government officials that the INEC chairmanship should not be subjected to the principle of zoning.

A top Federal Government official, who confided in SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, said, “None of the commissioners have been informed because the government has not decided whether to retain the post in the North-West or take it to another zone.

“The terminal leave letter that the All Progressives Congress senators were talking about has not been written, but I cannot deny the fact that government wants Jega to proceed on terminal leave.

“Anytime the letter is written and Jega gets it, it will contain the name of the person he will hand over to.”

It was learnt that the government officials, who advocated that one of the INEC commissioners should be appointed, argued that with less than three weeks to the elections, getting Jega’s replacement from outside of the commission could be complicated.

A top government official, who is privy to the discussions in government circles in relating to Jega’s fate, said, “Time is of the essence. The truth is, if you bring someone from outside, he or she will need time to understand the place and know what is happening. It will be difficult for such a person to fully understand what is on the ground.

“However, if we get someone who is already within the system, it will be easier for the person to identify areas where errors were made and correct them within the time left.

“There are also those who are making a case for a neutral person. This set of people argue that after all, Jega himself was brought in from outside and he did a good job of the 2011 elections.”

Several calls and a text message to the Special Assistant (Media and Communications) to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Sam Nwaobasi, were not replied. Reports have said Jega’s terminal leave letter was written by the SGF.

Also, attempts to reach the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters Prof. Rufai Alkali and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe were unsuccessful. Calls to their mobile phone indicated that it was unreachable. A response to text messages sent to them were still being awaited as of the time of filing this report.

Similarly, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, could not be reached as his telephone lines were not connecting.

Explain why you don’t want Jega sacked, PDP tells APC

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party has challenged the APC to explain its link with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, said it was more than curious that the APC had allegedly continued to fabricate stories and show undue interest in Jega.

He said, “Undoubtedly, the frenzy, hysteria and spate with which the APC has been inventing stories regarding Prof. Jega’s stay in office even when nothing suggests that such was on the table, raise a lot of issues.

“We ask, is there any underlining issue or arrangement between the APC and Prof. Jega which the opposition is hell-bent on protecting and informing its anxiety and apprehension towards his stay in office?

“While it is noted that the APC is a party of one week, one lie, we in the PDP look beneath the surface to the deeper issues propelling the lies.

“We therefore challenge the APC to come clean and tell Nigerians the real reason behind their false alarms and uncontrolled nervousness regarding Prof. Jega ahead of the 2015 general elections.

“Finally, we wish to remind the leadership of INEC that Nigerians are monitoring its activities and series of unfolding political events ahead of the elections, and will not accept anything less than the conduct of credible, free and fair general elections come March 28 and April 11, 2015.”

Reacting to these, the APC said President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP are not interested in the 2015 elections.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said this in response to an e-mail sent to him by SUNDAY PUNCH, on Saturday.

Mohammed, who is in London on an official assignment said, “The plain truth is President Jonathan and the PDP don’t want elections at all.

“If Jega is removed, his successor will simply claim that as a new helmsman, he should be given more time to prepare for the elections. Therefore we don’t want Jega removed because we don’t want elections postponed again. There is no other ulterior motive.

“Is it not strange that President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP who appointed Prof. Jega and praised his handling of all elections since he came on board as transparent is now suddenly afraid of him and want him out by all means.”

Alleged terminal leave, illegal —Falana, Ubani

In their separate reactions, rights lawyers, including Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), insisted that President Goodluck Jonathan lacked the power to either sack Jega, or send him on a terminal leave. A former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Monday Ubani, and Mr. Malachy Ugwummadu, also spoke toSUNDAY PUNCH in separate interviews.

They cited provisions of Section 158 of the constitution as providing that the INEC Chairman could only be sacked with the approval of two-third majority of the members of the Senate.

Falana also explained that Section 155 of the constitution conferred independence on the INEC chairman with immunity from any directive or influence from any person or authority.

The senior advocate said, “At his last presidential chat, the president gave the erroneous impression that he could hire and fire the chairman of INEC. With profound respect, that is not correct.

“By virtue of Section 155 of the constitution, the INEC chairman has a renewable five-year tenure. The appointment and removal has to be by the resolution of no less than a two-third majority of the Senate.

“Before the resolution is passed, the President will need to address the Senate and justify the reasons on the need to remove the INEC chairman on account of his inability to discharge his duties.

“On the issue of sending Jega on terminal leave, the President has no power to do that because once appointed, the INEC chairman is not subject to the control or directive of any power or authority by virtue of Section 158 of the constitution.”

On his part, Ugwummadu, said beyond the constitutional provisions conferring immunity against undue influence on the INEC chairman, Nigerians were paying close attention to any plot to remove the INEC boss.

He said, “The idea of sacking Prof. Attahiru Jega has been making the rounds and should be watched carefully just as we have remained circumspect regarding the further shift of the elections.”

Ubani threatened to personally lead a “nationwide crusade” against the President should there be any attempt by his administration to remove Jega, having earlier publicly promised that he (President Jonathan) had no such intention.

In the same vein, the President, Nigeria Voters Assembly, Mashood Erubami, the Nigeria Voters Assembly condemned the alleged move to ask Jega to go on terminal leave.

The group in a release signed by its President, Mr. Mashood Erubami, strongly warned that the removal of Jega would show that the Federal Government had a hidden agenda