NIGERIA: Jega Alleges Sabotage in INEC

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Read Time:2 Minute, 41 Second

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has alleged sabotage of the commission’s activities by some unnamed officials working for the commission.

Jega, who spoke at a stakeholders’ forum on transparent, credible, free and fair 2015 elections organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Reform of Government Institutions yesterday, however, absolved many of the commission’s staff of any blame.

“When we came to the commission, we made it very clear that it was not going to be business as usual. We told them that we have to comply with the constitution. From our own assessment, overwhelming majority of the staff in INEC are honest, decent and are doing their best. A few bad eggs exist who create negative impression for everybody.

“But in the process, people are there doing their best without intimidation. Frankly, evidence does not support that. I want to say we’re doing our best to keep on improving INEC by motivating the staff and ensuring that they are well taking care of,” he said.

On funding for the 2015 elections, Jega said: “With regards to funding, I think one of the challenges of funding to the electoral commission is that there should be a recognition that there is an electoral circle.

“As soon as elections end, preparations for next elections, four years down the line, have to commence. We are full of appreciation to what the National Assembly has done to give us the funding we required during the 2011 elections.

“After the 2011 elections, there was a lapse. Yes we got a lot of money to do the 2011 elections, but in 2012, it declined and in 2013 it further declined. As I speak with you, there is a huge funding gap between what we believe is required to be able to do the 2015 elections and what has been appropriated. I cannot sit down here and lie.

“But I know that both President Goodluck Jonathan and leadership of the National Assembly are doing their best to see how that funding gap can be effectively. addressed. So, it is an appropriation challenge. Ideally, when we say INEC is independent, we should do everything possible to ensure the independence of INEC,” he said.

“When we came in, almost two-third of our local government offices are either in rented accommodation or inside small offices in the local government headquarters.

“We made a case, and in the 2010, in the supplementary appropriation, we were given money to do 75 new local government offices. We had hoped that that funding regime would continue. If it had continued, we would have moved substantial of our local government offices outside the residences or outside the local government headquarters. But it declined from 75 to I think about 25 and about 10.

“We were given money in 2011 to buy vehicles, and I think we bought in more than one-third of the local governments’ offices. But as I speak with you, in subsequent years, the budget declined. We still do not have vehicles in some of our local government offices,” he added.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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NIGERIA: Fears as Fulani herdsmen invade Enugu communities

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Read Time:3 Minute, 6 Second

ENUGU—The people of over forty communities in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State are currently panicking, following the invasion of their areas by Fulani herdsmen allegedly armed with AK 47 rifles.

The herdsmen, who invaded the council area with their cattle two weeks ago, had allegedly destroyed crops in the farms and were reported to have raped some women in the village who were working in their farmland.

Economic activities

paralysed

Agricultural and economic activities in those communities have been brought to a halt on account of the violent activities of the herdsmen, while the local vigilante group in the area had become helpless due to the superior arms carried by the invading herdsmen.

Vanguard learnt that a retired police man in the area had confronted two of them who strayed into his compound and the confrontation that ensued led to the death of a herdsman.

 

Justice Ozobu speaks

Speaking on the development, former Ohanaeze President General, Justice Eze Ozobu, who is now the Traditional ruler of Imeziowa Community of Ezeagu local government area, said the situation had got out of control, adding that his people were on the fringe of death and anarchy.

He said: “I do not know what government has done or any action taken by security operatives to checkmate the insurgency by the Fulani herdsmen. These people who we thought carry only sticks and machetes now carry AK47 rifles openly and we wonder where they got those guns from.

“People no longer go to farm anymore and every one now lives in fear of these people. They come in and settle down as if it is their home, nobody is doing anything to stop them.

 

Shooting

“In my own place, my brother who retired as a police officer, came out in the night and asked them what they were doing with guns they were carrying. At some point, he had to bring out his gun and shot two of them.”

He, however, expressed fears that with the incident, the town was apprehensive of a reprisal attack by the herdsmen.

Ozobu further lamented that should the state government fail to take action over what was happening, the tension might develop into breakdown of law and order.

Also speaking shortly after a meeting of the Ezeagu general assembly in Enugu, the President General, Dr. Obiora Ozobu, said they had a resolution to make an official complaint to Enugu State Government, after speaking with the local government chairman and the state House of Assembly.

He said: “This is a very serious issue in Ezeagu and we shall make official entry with the police and also speak with the council chairman and elected political office holders and we shall also find out the position of the state House of Assembly in order to figure out how we are to go about it.

“At a neighbouring town, a farmer was shot dead by these Fulani people and we have had three reported cases of rape of village women that went to their farm.

 

AK 47 rifles

“The most frightening aspect of this problem is how and where they got those AK 47 rifles that they brandish openly. That means there is more to the cattle rearing that meets the ordinary eye.

“It is not that we cannot defend ourselves or that we do not have what it takes to defend ourselves, but we are only trying to do this within the ambit of the law so that our actions do not worsen the already bad situation.

“In Ezeagu, we do not sleep at night because they can come at anytime and begin to slaughter people.”

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Christ Embassy Pastor to Marry Dead Girlfriend who Secretly Had a Baby for Him

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Read Time:4 Minute, 9 Second

The family of a 28-year-old woman, Vivian Ndukwu, has demanded that the marriage rites of their late daughter must be performed by a pastor of the Christ Embassy, who has been accused of being responsible for the pregnancy that allegedly led to her death.

Punch reports that 29-year-old pastor, identified simply as Hillary, currently detained at the State Criminal Investigations Department, Yaba, Lagos, was accused by the family to have had a secret romantic relationship with the deceased, who was a choir member in the church. To avoid a scandal, the couple had decided to keep the relationship a secret until Vivian became pregnant.

When it became obvious that they could no longer keep the pregnancy a secret, Vivian was said to have agreed with Hillary that she should relocate to Agbara town in Ogun State to stay with a woman who had an orphanage. Vivian allegedly told her parents that she was going to Abuja. She stayed at the orphanage until she was delivered of a baby girl on May 3, 2014.

It was learnt that eight days after the delivery of the baby, Vivian was taken to a hospital after she complained of fever and headache. She eventually died, while her remains had been taken to the Badagry General Hospital morgue.

The owner of the orphanage, Mrs. Grace Kato, however, claimed that Vivian never stayed at her place. She said:

    “Vivian called me three days after the birth of her baby. She said she wanted me to help her with the hospital bills, that she was stranded in the hospital. Out of compassion, I went to the hospital to help.”

She admitted that she took Vivian home after delivery to rest at her place for two days before returning to her parents. She added that Vivian, however, ended up staying at her place for five days before she died.
She said:

     “I brought her to my house to rest for a day or two before taking her to her parents. In the process, I had to travel for my uncle’s burial. That was why she stayed that long because she was waiting for me to return. I came back on Saturday night, May 10, and the next day, she complained of a slight headache and we took her to another hospital nearby. That was where she died.”

The hospital where Vivian was said to have died, claimed that she was rushed to the hospital unstable and restless. According to a doctor in the hospital, the people on duty stabilised her condition and referred her to a general hospital. The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, said:

    “She was brought in on May 11, at about 1.20pm, unstable and restless. The story was that her complaint started that morning. Her blood pressure was also high. Being that we were not in possession of her past medical records, we acted based on clinical situation and referred her to a general hospital.

    The people that brought her left and so there was no one to take her to where she had been referred to hours after stabilising her condition. Several calls to the number they gave us were replied with one story or the other. At some point, the lady started gasping, and eventually died. It was not until the following day that they came to pick up her remains.”

The father of the deceased, Emmanuel Ndukwu, told our correspondent on the telephone that the orphanage founder had agreed with her late daughter to take custody of the child after delivery without the consent of the family. He said he and his wife knew nothing about the pregnancy, adding that his daughter left his house and told the family that she was going to Abuja.
He said:

    “After telling us that she was going to Abuja, we did not hear from her until her death. But we later learnt that Grace (orphanage owner) and her husband had organised a naming ceremony for the new baby without informing us.

Emmanuel said he was not aware of the relationship between the pastor and his daughter until the sad incident. He said:

    “My family and the pastor’s family have met and we agreed that Hillary will perform all the marriage rites for my late daughter according to the tradition of our people. We are doing this because a child is involved. The pastor did not deny his responsibility, so the normal thing must be done.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, confirmed Vivian’s death and added that the matter was still under investigation.
She said, “The matter is under investigation at the Homicide Section of the SCID. The police is not aware of any negotiation between the two families.”

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Fayemi: Attack on My Convoy Was an Attempt to Kill Me

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Read Time:4 Minute, 24 Second

Twenty-four hours after his convoy was allegedlly attacked by some policemen in Ado-Ekiti,  Ekiti State, Governor Kayode Fayemi yesterday described the attack as an assassination attempt on him

Some policemen led by Supol Serenkele had on Sunday allegedly tear-gassed Fayemi’s  convoy and disarmed his security detail during a rally organised by All Progressives Congress (APC) to conduct symbolic cleansing around Ado Ekiti following the visit of President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday to present the governorship flag to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

At the end of the incident, one Taiwo Akinola was shot and killed by the police.
Making his first reaction on the Sunday incident at a press conference in Ado Ekiti yesterday, Fayemi, who disclosed the alleged police brutality on his person and members of the APC, said the force had displayed high level of disrespect to his office as the Chief Security Officer of the state and the people’s representative.

Also commenting on the incident, members of the Ekiti caucus at the National Assembly have called on President Jonathan and the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, to immediately redeploy the Mopol Commander, Mr. Gabriel Serenkele out of the state over his insult on  Fayemi.

National Assembly members who attended the press conference included: Senator Babafemi Ojudu(Ekiti Central), Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi(North), Senator Tony Adeniyi(South), Reps Oyetunde Ojo(Ekiti Central 2), Ife Arowosoge(Ekiti South 1), Bamidele Faparusi(Ekiti South 2) and  Bimbo Daramola(Ekiti North 1).

Describing the incident as an “act of lawlessness on the part of the police,” the governor said: “My immediate interpretation of what happened yesterday (Sunday) is that there was an assault on the government and the people of the state and if one were to be extreme in one’s interpretation, we could go on and say it is assassination attempt on the governor of the state.

Bemoaning the death of the victim of the alleged police brutality, the governor stated that, “The death of Taiwo Akinola, was entirely avoidable. It was an avoidable death. It was supposed not to have happened at all, and I am sadden that this as taken place. It’s very unfortunate.

The governor urged the people of the state to be steadfast and resilient in their resolve to ensure that the will of the people prevails in the election.

Also expressing resentment on behalf of the members of the National Assembly, Senator Ojudu, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, described the attack on the governor as an insult to the people of the state, alleging that Supol Serenkele behaviour  was unprofessional and openly partisan.

Meanwhile, a group called, the Elders’ Forum of Ekiti Labour Party, has described Opeyemi Bamidele of the Labour Party (LP) as the best candidate among those contesting the governorship election, saying he will liberate the state from the stranglehold of foreign-backed leaders.

The group also said the current spate of political violence in the state would have been avoided if their efforts were not frustrated by Governor Kayode Fayemi.

Briefing the press in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, the Chairman of the group, Prof Tunde Oluwasanmi, said a group under the aegis of Ekiti State Elders Forum, that had planned to convey a meeting of all political actors and make them sign the famous Ido Declaration to compel them to conduct their activities in peaceful manner, was frustrated by the governor.
The Professor of Medicine said his group decided to support Bamidele of the LP for the governorship because he was the best for the job.

Also, the Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Alilu Pai has disclosed that the National Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) Prof. Attahiru Jega is to personally lead team of the Commission’s top hierarchy to conduct the June 21 governorship poll in Ekiti State.

According to him, Jega is to be accompanied to the State by six National Commissioners and supported by all the Resident Electoral Commissioners in the neighboring states of Ekiti.

Pai stated this while hosting a Non-Governmental Organisation, “Peace initiatives on Election”, adding that Jega’s decision to be in the state for the election was borne of his commitment to a thorough exercise.

He said apart from leading the team that would conduct the poll, Jega and his men would also supervise the exercise in a number of places to ensure fairness to all the participating parties.

According to him, all logistics arrangements had been concluded towards ensuring that case of electoral materials arriving venue of voting late does not arise.

However, the Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, Chief Godswill  Akpabio, has described the presentation of the PDP flag to Mr. Ayo Fayose as the party’s flag-bearer in the June 21, governorship in Ekiti State as a political movement showing that the party would win the election.

Akpabio also appealed to Ekiti people to vote massively for PDP in the forthcoming governorship election in the state, assuring them that their votes would count.
Akpabio spoke in Ado-Ekiti last Saturday during the presentation of flag to its candidate, Chief Ayodele Fayose.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Oshiomhole: Lawmakers Got N50m Each to Defect

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Read Time:5 Minute, 26 Second

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has alleged that some members of the state House of Assembly who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got N50 million each to sell out.

Oshiomhole, who disclosed this yesterday when he addressed different groups of youths on  apeaceful protest to the Government House, however said government was undisturbed with what he described as the shenanigans of the defected lawmakers.

He said: “I thank you for recognising that we all went round to campaign for these people who have decided to sell their mandate for naira and kobo. What is sickening is that they are young men who should be anxious to break from the past.

“However, because they believed they do not have any chance of being re-elected in February next year, because they have either done two terms or because of their poor performance, they know their constituency will not re-nominate them, they now decided to benefit from the desperation in different parts of the country to sell their mandate for N50 million each, collect advance payment of N35 million. When I read this in the newspapers, initially, I didn’t believe it. But going round, people tell me they are buying new vehicles, others are rebuilding their hotels. Suddenly money is flowing.

“Obviously, I think it is important that if democracy is going to survive, each promise must be kept because in the last election, I had to go and do a television advert when the PDP people said this election is not Oshiomhole’s election, therefore vote for individual candidates, I went on television to say that a vote for these House of Assembly members is a vote for Adams Oshiomhole.

“I had to do that because Edo people were not going to accept some of these people and I had to remind them that if they do not vote for them they would create problems for me. Now the vultures have come and they are offering money and people are collecting money and making all kind of excuses.”

The governor declared: “As far as I am concerned, there is no cause for alarm.  A lot of these people cannot win election on their own merit in their own booth. They were voted for as ACN with the broom. If you were vote for as ACN, with the broom, how can you now go and replace it with an umbrella that is torn and abandoned.

“People with little mind will think that they can sell their constituents with thirty-five million or fifty million depending on when they will get their balance and with  time more truth will be revealed and when it is revealed a lot of these people will not be able to walk through the streets of Oredo and Ikpoba Okha.

“Those who voted some of them do not have a N1,000 but those they have voted for have chosen to sell it for a huge sum. As far as I am concerned, we are stronger. Edo politics will be cleaned up and the cleaning is already here,” he said.

Oshiomhole said government was committed to doing those  things that would bring joy to the people, adding “we  are committed to building more schools and roads.”

Earlier, the spokesman of the group, Mr. Emma Yamah, said they were in Government House to assure the governor of their support and decried the four legislators who rode on the governors back to get elected but only to now defect to the opposition party.

He said the youths were going to demand their mandates from the lawmakers who defected, saying the mandate did not belong to the defected lawmakers, but to the people.

Meanwhile, the Edo State House of Assembly yesterday suspended its Deputy Speaker, Mr. Festus Ebea and four other members which included Friday Ogieriakhi representing Orhionmwon South; Jude Ise-Idehen, Ikpoba-Okha; and Patrick Osayimwen, Oredo East.
The five state legislators  were suspended for alleged misconduct.

A total of 11 members were present at the sitting where the lawmakers were suspended under section 38 rules three of the House rules.

Moving the motion for their suspension, Paul Ohonbamu from Egoh state constituency, said actions of the affected lawmakers constituted misconduct.
The motion was seconded by Majority Leader, Philip Shaibu and member representing Etsako West II.

Addressing journalists after the sitting, Chairman, Committee on Youth Sports and Information, Kabiru Adjoto, Akoko-Edo II clarified that their action was not because the lawmakers defected to the PDP, alleging that their suspension was because the affected lawmakers had approached other lawmakers offering huge sums to defect to the PDP.

He accused the deputy speaker of forming a parallel leadership in the House with the aim to impeach the Speaker and Governor Oshiomhole

According to him, “The Deputy Speaker has become so arrogant and dictatorial that he no longer sees the party and Mr. Speaker as one. He has created parallel leadership and that leadership is aimed at destabilizing the House of Assembly and removal of Mr. Speaker and the Comrade Governor.

“These suspended members have constituted themselves into marketers that have been given target to meet. They have approach us to sell our mandate to the PDP. They have mentioned heavy amount ranging from N50million to N70million.

“They have approached us on a daily basis. What they do is to dangle carrot before us and that is not what we were elected to do here. Their activities constitute misconduct. We decided to suspend them until they deemed it fit to do what is right. It is the tradition and rule that if any member takes the House to court, that member is to be suspended until the matter is resolved by the court.”

Before the suspension, thousands of youths had yesterday besieged the assembly calling for the sacking of the defected lawmakers.

The youth led by one Tony Adun, said they could not watch the lawmakers traded off the mandate and votes they protected under the sun.

He said: “The people we trusted with our votes have sold our mandate. We want to know who they are now representing. We suffered under the sun to protect their votes. It is better they resigned and vacate their offices.”

When contacted, the suspended deputy speaker, Festus Ebea, said he and other would react later.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Gbajabiamila: Attempt to Weaken Opposition in the House Won’t Fly

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Read Time:2 Minute, 45 Second

Based on the disruption of proceedings at the House of Representatives  last Tuesday when some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party (LP) and Accord Party (AP) members made moves to ease out some All Progressives Congress (APC) House leaders, the APC Caucus leader and head of minority parties in the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has again described the move as laughable and a twisted logic aimed at undermining existing House rules.

In a statement yesterday by his aide, Wasiu Olanrewaju-Smart in Abuja, Gbajabiamila rejected the request made by some PDP, APGA, LP and AP members to alter the minority leadership of the House, as “wishful thinking.”

The statement said: “There will be no such thing. They should read the House rules intelligently and besides, who is fooling who? APGA and LP make partisan democracy in Nigeria a joke,” he said.

The House Minority Leader also stressed that all efforts by the ruling PDP in connivance with APGA and LP to weaken the opposition in the lower chamber of the National Assembly would hit the rock.

“They are PDP for all intents and purposes. They hold meetings with PDP, vote with them on the floor of the House and at the governors’ forum election. They have adopted President Jonathan of the PDP as their presidential candidate. Where in the world is that done. Now that is even okay if that is what they want or how they understand political party independence and democracy, but they shouldn’t turn around and pretend to be members of the opposition or minority group when indeed they are part and parcel of the majority. We will not allow moles infiltrate our rank and file. We are far more discerning and astute than that.”

Gbajabiamila noted that efforts to change minority leadership in the House due to collapse of ACN, CPC, ANPP, and a faction of APGA into APC negates the provisions of the House rules.

“Besides the rules are very clear. The minority elect their leaders from amongst themselves as an opposition group and not on individual party basis. There were six minority parties in the House prior to now and only four minority positions. By their twisted logic, two extra positions should have then been created for DPP and PPN that had only one member each. Laughable.”

Gbajabiamila however urged the PDP, APGA and LP members to go back to what he earlier called “strange judgment” restricting the House from changing its leadership.

“Besides, the gentleman who raised the matter of privilege, the former deputy minority now deputy majority leader, Leo Ogor, did not show how his privileged was breached as required by our rules. Perhaps he should go back to the same court where he got his strange judgment stopping the change of House leadership to this time compel the change of Minority leadership”, the statement reads in part.

Gbajabiamila also advised his colleagues to focus more on its enormous legislative duties and join hands with Nigerians to ensure safe return of the kidnapped Chibok girls. “In the meantime lets try and bring back our girls and stop expending legislative energy on irrelevancies. There is much work to be done.”

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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NIGERIA: APC Members in Multiple Protests in Lagos

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Read Time:4 Minute, 14 Second

There were several hours of traffic gridlock monday at the Lagos State Government House, when two different groups of protesters within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state barricaded the entrance to the office of governor, singing war songs and chanting anti-Bola Tinubu and Governor Babatunde Fashola slogans to drive home their grievances.

The APC members, including councillors, secretary to local governments and supervisors that served in the local government areas of the state between 2008 and 2011, were bitter about the non-payment of their severance packages while the other group, the New Lagos Movement (NLM), was kicking against imposition of party officials and candidates in the APC and the alleged zoning of the governorship position to a part of the state.

One of the former local government officials who spoke on the condition anonymity said: “We have tried not to make the issue a media issue over the years but this is the 27th gathering we are having and it is aimed at ensuring that government pays our severance packages. They have been saying that there is no money and at times they say it is the local governments that will pay us but whatever it is, we want them to pay us and that it why we are here.”

In a similar but different protest, the NLM members tagged as ‘an elite body within the APC,’ who embarked on a peaceful walk from the Acme Road, Ogba, Lagos State APC secretariat, were resolute in their demand for direct primaries as against the consensus method adopted during the last congress of the party in the state.

The NLM president, Niyi Akinsiju, in a letter addressed to the APC national chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, said his group was committed to the ideals of internal democracy as contained in the provisions of the constitution of the party.

“We have tolerated sufficiently, and for too long, the unenviable and anti-democratic culture of imposition of party leaders and political leaders on our people as practiced in Lagos State in the past eleven years. We have endured the denial of the aspiration of the majority in the interest of a few who consider themselves the custodians of our electoral rights and to whom our electoral decisions do not matter.

“It is this tendency that we have been complaining against in the past few weeks that the outcomes of our congresses which held between April 5 and 26, 2014, were nothing but serial impositions by our leader,  Bola Tinubu, as he annulled genuine electoral results and planted his men in party offices.

“We also find abominable, the recent declaration in which  Tinubu unilaterally zoned the 2015 gubernatorial ticket of our great party to one religion and one part of the state thereby denying us the opportunity of electing the most qualified in the state,”  he said.

While insisting that with such arrangement, the best aspirant from the faith or part of the state to which the governorship is zoned may not be the best, if the people were given the opportunity to determine their governor.
Akinsiju said his group would continue to agitate until amendments are made to the situation.

“We want full guarantee of internal democracy in the APC in Lagos, devoid of imposition of party official and candidates. “ We want immediate reversal of the unfortunate zoning declaration and full guarantee of democratic right to contest of all persons who are qualified under the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he stated.

The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, who received the protesters on behalf of Governor Fashola expressed appreciation for the peaceful conduct of the protest and assured them that the governor would deploy his office to ensure that the party has direct primary as requested by the people.

However, the APC chairman in Lagos State, Chief Oladele Ajomale disowned the movement, whose members embarked on a protest from the party secretariat to office of Lagos State governor.

In an interaction with journalists, Ajomale noted that the group’s members “are not registered with the APC as contained in its constitution. I do not know them. They are not registered members of our party.”

The APC chairman said: “If anyone has any grievances against the party, our secretariat is open daily. They can make their complaints known. No party member will go to the public and protest against what the party is yet to decide.

“The party is yet to ask anyone to indicate their intention. At the moment, more than 10 people are going around. But none of them has come to me that they want to contest election. All of them should wait until the national leadership of the party decides.”

“There cannot be any imposition because we follow the directive of the party leadership. If anyone endorses any candidate, it does not mean that the candidate will win at the primaries,” he insisted.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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UK-based Nigerian Lesbian, Aderonke Apata Wants to Submit her Sextape to Prove That She Is A Lesbian And To Prevent Being Deported Back to Nigeria

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Read Time:3 Minute, 19 Second

A Nigerian asylum-seeker, Aderonke Apata, is about to send a very personal home video of herself having sex to prove to UK Home Office that she's gay and prevent being deported.

According to IndependentUK, Aderonke feels she has tried everything to persuade the Home Office that she's gay. She’d sent letters from former girlfriends – both in Britain and Nigeria – and supporting statements from friends. But after her claim that she could be killed because of her sexuality if sent back to Nigeria was rejected, she feels there's only one way of providing a judge with irrefutable evidence that she's gay: by sending a very personal home video.

Sitting with her girlfriend, Happiness Agboro, in a bar on Manchester’s Canal Street, Ms Apata, 47, revealed the traumatic ordeal she has experienced:

    “I was asked to bring my supporting documents for my judicial review for the court to look at. What evidence do we have to compile apart from letters from people? I knew we had a home video of ourselves, so I thought why not just put it in? I cannot afford to go back to my county where I will be tortured, so if I have to prove it with a sexual video, then I have to do it.”

IndependentUk reports that Aderonke's experience is echoed by many LGBT asylum-seekers in Britain who are having to go to extreme lengths to persuade skeptical immigration officers of their sexuality. Aderonke still feels distraught at having shared such an intimate record of her personal life.

    “I feel so bad it’s got to this stage. It’s such a desperate and precarious situation to be in, very dangerous, because anything could happen to those pictures, those videos.”

When she came to Britain from Nigeria in 2004, her asylum claim was on religious grounds. She came from a Christian family, but had married a Muslim man in what she says was a sham arrangement to cover up her long-term relationship with another woman.

According to Ms Apata, her husband’s family turned against her as they suspected she was gay. They took her to a sharia court, where she was sentenced to death for adultery. She says her brother and three-year-old son were killed in related vigilante incidents.

Ms Apata ran away and went into hiding after two appeals for asylum were rejected, living on the streets in Manchester to make sure she would not be deported. In 2012, after being caught working as a care manager with a false visa, she tried again to apply for asylum – saying she feared returning to Nigeria and being persecuted for her sexuality.

This latest asylum claim was also rejected, despite the fact that Ms Apata gave testimony that her ex-girlfriend in Nigeria was killed in a vigilante attack in 2012 and the country’s law now punishes homosexuality with up to 14 years’ imprisonment.

Ms Apata’s story has rapidly garnered mass support, with one petition demanding Theresa May halt her deportation already attracting more than 230,000 signatures. A judicial review has now been granted in her case and she is hopeful she will finally have the right to live freely in Britain with her girlfriend.
A Home Office spokeswoman said:

    “We do not remove anyone at risk of persecution because of their sexuality. We provide dedicated guidance and training to those dealing with such asylum claims, and all applications are carefully considered in line with our international obligations.”

For Ms Apata, the threat of deportation has proved too much and she has recently been hospitalised with complex post-traumatic stress disorder. “I want sanctuary,” she says. “I just want to be protected. I want to be who I am.”

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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NIGERIA: Lawyer Sues FG, N’Assembly for Barring Youths from Elective Positions

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Read Time:3 Minute, 9 Second

A lawyer, Chukwunonso Daniel Ogbe, yesterday filed a fundamental human rights enforcement suit before the Federal High Court to contest the constitutional provisions  barring Nigerian youths within the age bracket of 18 and 29 years from contesting elections in the country.

The lawyer is specifically challenging the combined provision of Sections 65(1)(a)&(b), 106(b), 131(b), 177(b) and 117(2) of the Constitution, which disqualify Nigerian youths within the said age bracket from contesting elections into State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, the Senate, governorship seat and presidential seat.

The suit was brought pursuant to the provisions of Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules, 2009; Sections 12(1) and 42(1)(a)(b) of the Constitution and Article 1(2) of the African Youth Charter, 2006.

The applicant, who claimed to have filed the suit on behalf of Nigerian youths, listed the Federal Attorney General, Bello Adoke; National Assembly comprising House of Representatives and the Senate; Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega.

According to the suit, Ogbe wants a declaration of the court that Sections 65(1)(a)&(b); 106(b); 131(b) and 177(b) of the Constitution were in conflict with Section 42(1) of the Constitution, which he argued, had higher flavour and strength than the former.
He is also seeking an order directing the National Assembly to amend the Constitution, in order to domesticate the provisions of the African Youth Charter.
He further wants the court to declare that Nigerian youths, who have attained the age of 18 years, being the age of maturity, are entitled as of right to stand for election into political offices in Nigeria.     

Besides, the applicant who said he had planned to contest election into Enugu South Rural Constituency seat of Enugu State House of Assembly, equally urged the court to restrain INEC from  disqualifying him from vying for the election on the account of age come 2015, and by extension, any other Nigerian youth within the age bracket of 18 and 29 years.

Finally, the applicant wants the court to direct the federal government and the National Assembly to offset the cost of filing the suit, which he estimated at N20 million.

According to the grounds upon which the suit was filed, the applicant recalled that the Nigerian Government, under the leadership of General Abdulsalami Abubakar, gave Nigerians a Constitution on May 29, 1999, but that the said Constitution could never be deemed to be the people’s Constitution, as it never evolved through the normal process.
As a result, he pointed out that the Constitution contained many deficiencies that have made it difficult for the Nigerian nation to be governed without much socio-political hitches.

One of such deficiencies, according to the applicant, was the provision bordering on the age one has to attain before one can vie for an election into a political office in Nigeria.
He lamented that the constitution provides that Nigerians who have attained age of 18 are adults, yet the same constitution bars adult who fall within the age bracket of 18 and 29 from vying for elective positions in Nigeria, and that the constitution also recognised that no one should be made to suffer discrimination based on political opinion.

He added that Nigeria signed and ratified the African Youth Charter, which is an international treaty meant for the empowerment of Nigerian youths, but the government has failed to embark on steps needed to bring into force the provisions of the Charter, including amendment of the constitution to allow youths to vie for political offices.

The fresh suit is yet to be assigned to a judge and no date has been fixed for hearing.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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NIGERIA: Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Coordinator, Supporters Threaten to Leave PDP

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Read Time:1 Minute, 48 Second

Ahead of the 2015 general election, the  Bauchi State President Goodluck Jonathan/Sambo campaign coordinator in the  2011 presidential election,  Alhaji Shu’aibu Ahmed Raba Gardama and his supporters have threatened to jettison the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the party’s alleged undemocratic attitude, lack of fairness and justice by executives of the party in the state.

The supporters of the PDP chieftain led by Hon Umar Faruk made the threat yesterday  while briefing journalists at  the secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists ( NUJ) in Bauchi.

Faruk said: “Since after the 2011 general election, our pillar was ignored by both the state and the national chapter of the forum  and the leadership of the party.”

They alleged that “PDP presently is diminishing in the state because the executive leaders of the party were only given recognition during ceremonies but no positive activities is going on in the party.”
Faruk added that “all efforts  by the federal government to carry their kinsman, Shu’aibu to the federal level was blocked by the leaders of the state chapter of the party and the government.”

He said the “essence of politics is give and take and now that they have suffered in the party their tenure is now ending they want to be used and dumped again but instead of that, we  will leave the party and look for another alternative party that will treat us fairly  to contest future elections.”

In a telephone interview with reporters, Alhaji Shu’aibu confirmed that he received thousands of his supporters who asked him to leave the PDP and contest election under the umbrella of any other political party but he asked  them “to be patient a little to enable us contact the national leadership of the party to intervene in order to correct the mistakes, problems and undemocratic attitudes going on in the affairs of the party in the state.”

He said unless positive steps were taken to correct the anomalies, they have no option but to leave the party.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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