Ambode will no longer be removed – Tinubu (Punch)
A national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, on Sunday said that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos would no longer be removed from office. Tinubu, who spoke after a peace meeting was brokered by the APC leadership in the state, said the State House of Assembly had agreed to sheathe its sword. The former governor said the executive and the legislative arms of government in the state had resolved to work together in the interest of the state. “In the last one week, there was noise about the conflict between the executive and the House of Assembly. It is of great concern to all of us and particularly, what Lagos represents across the country. Read more
Lagos APC elders settle Ambode, House of Assembly rift (Nation)
Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) elders yesterday resolved the crisis between Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the Speaker Mudashiru Obasa led House of Assembly. They urged the two organs of government to promote a culture of communication, consensus building and understanding, which are ingredients of democracy. Acknowledging conflict as an essential element of politics, the elders advised both arms of government to embrace compromise and conflict resolution mechanisms offered by the party structures. Read more
AIB launches probe, deploys team to crash scene (Nation)
Accident investigators have been deployed to the scene of the weekend helicopter crash involving Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Kogi State. The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) is investigating why and how Agusto Westland AW139 helicopter crash-landed in Kabba. AIB spokesman Tunji Oketumbi told The Nation in a telephone interview yesterday that besides the assessment of the crash scene, the AIB team will ascertain the cause(s) of the accident. The team will also interview the crew – pilots and engineers and other professionals from Caverton Helicopters – that operated the ill-fated chopper. Read more
Army redeploys senior officers, commanders (Nation)
The Army has appointed new commanders and redeployed some senior officers to man various commands across the country. Among those redeployed is Maj.-Gen. M. Mohammed from 1 Division, Kaduna, to the Army headquarters in Abuja. A statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, said those affected are mostly senior officers of the ranks of Colonel to Major-Generals. Gen Usman said: “The Nigerian Army yesterday Saturday February 2, 2019, released the postings and appointments of some of its senior officers. Those affected by this include Maj.-Gen. A.A. Tarfa, who has been posted from Headquarters of Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery, to Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership Peacekeeping Centre… Read more
INEC to collate elections results manually (Nation)
Results of the general elections will be collated and transmitted manually, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said yesterday. This is the only system that the law allows, according to INEC, which plans not to give the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) the power to recruit collation officers. INEC insists that it has enough courage to conduct free and fair elections, but it urged Nigerians to prevail on political parties to comply with the guidelines for the exercise. Read more
Wike alleges plot to implicate 200 federal judges (Nation)
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike yesterday alleged of a plot by the Federal Government to intimidate 200 judges, especially those of the federal judiciary. The governor hinged his claim on what he called “strategic credible intelligence” intercepted by him. He said the report showed a minister told a gathering that “following the destabilisation of the Supreme Court, the next target will be the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court”. But the President said the governor was afraid of his shadow and crying wolf where none existed. Read more
Islamic Movement of Nigeria writes Atiku, seeks Zakzaky’s release (Guardian)
The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) otherwise known as Shiites has written the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar commending him for having a conscience and respect for the nation’s constitution. This followed Atiku’s recent petition to the European Union (EU), United States of America (U.S.A.) and the United Kingdom (UK), in which he alleged human rights violations manifest in the Muhammadu Buhari-led government. Read more
Falana writes AGF, asks FG to withdraw case against Onnoghen (Punch)
A Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), has urged the Federal Government to withdraw the criminal charges filed against the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen. Falana said he made the request having confirmed that a petition had been submitted to the National Judicial Council alleging grave misconduct against Onnoghen. In the February 3 letter addressed to the Attorney-General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Falana urged the minister to advise President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse the suspension because a public officer could not be removed from office on the basis of an ex parte order granted by any court or tribunal in Nigeria. The letter reads in part, “Since the charge of false declaration of assets was filed against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal by the Code of Conduct Bureau, I have repeatedly requested you to use your good offices to discontinue the case. Read more
Sowore: I’m not intimidated by moneybag politicians (Nation)
African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore said yesterday he was not intimidated by the moneybag politicians. He vowed not to drop his presidential ambition. Sowore made the submission at Saturday’s 2019 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, where he was a guest. The presidential hopeful said that the mandate which he was pursuing was sacrosanct to the development of his represents, therefore, adoption of a consensus candidate by political parties won’t deter him. He said; “I have a passion to fix Nigeria which has been there since I was younger. I am working on how this country can achieve the desired greatness. Read more
US ‘mobilises’ aid for Venezuela (BBC)
The US says it is sending aid to crisis-hit Venezuela following a request from Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader who has declared himself interim president. Mr Guaidó’s move last month won swift backing from the US and others but triggered a power struggle. Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro has accused him of mounting a coup and retains major international allies. He has dismissed US offers of aid as a pretext for military intervention. Read more
Ligue 1: Dembele stars as Lyon end PSG’s unbeaten run (Punch)
Moussa Dembele scored and won a penalty as Lyon stunned Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 on Sunday to end the runaway leaders’ hopes of an unbeaten Ligue 1 campaign. Angel Di Maria fired PSG into a seventh-minute lead, but Dembele equalised and Nabil Fekir scored the winner from the spot three minutes after half-time. “I don’t know if the defeat was deserved. In the first half it was deserved, but after half-time, we still dominated,” said PSG forward Kylian Mbappe. The reigning champions remain 10 points clear of second-placed Lille at the top of the table despite the defeat, with two games in hand, while Lyon strengthened their grip on third spot, three points further back. Read more
Hazard impressed by ‘unbelievable’ Higuain (Guardian)
Eden Hazard believes Gonzalo Higuain’s first two goals for Chelsea in Saturday’s 5-0 rout of Huddersfield are just the beginning for the Argentine ace, with whom he foresees a potentially lethal partnership in the Premier League run in. The Belgian also scored a double against the Terriers as Maurizio Sarri’s men bounced back from a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Bournemouth in midweek that plunged the Italian’s future into question. Sarri worked with Higuain when the Argentine scored a record 36 Serie A goals in a single season at Napoli. Read more
Rashford gives United narrow win (BBC)
Manchester United extended their unbeaten run under interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to 10 games with a narrow victory against Leicester at the King Power Stadium. Marcus Rashford continued his goalscoring form with the winner in the ninth minute – his 10th goal of the season. Ricardo Pereira’s poor clearance was straight into the path of Paul Pogba, who lofted the ball towards Rashford, the England striker allowing it to come over his shoulder before taking a neat touch and drilling a low shot past Kasper Schmeichel. Read more
Fabregas scores in Monaco’s first win in seven league games (Punch)
Cesc Fabregas netted his first goal with Monaco to give the struggling principality side their first Ligue 1 win in seven games as they beat visiting Toulouse 2-1 on Saturday. The Spanish midfielder, who joined from Chelsea last month, fired home in the second half. The goal helped Monaco move from 19th to 18th in the standings and claim their first victory at home in the league. They have 18 points from 23 games and are level on points with 17th-placed Caen who have a game in hand. In coach Leonardo Jardim’s second game since he returned to the bench after Thierry Henry was sacked last week, Monaco showed some steel. Read more
DC United’s Rooney suffers lower leg injury in win (Guardian)
English star striker Wayne Rooney played only 18 minutes Saturday after suffering a lower right leg injury in DC United’s 1-0 pre-season victory over Bethlehem Steel at Clearwater, Florida. Rooney, whose mid-season arrival last year helped lift United from the Major League Soccer basement into a playoff spot, was removed as a precaution and is listed as day-to-day, according to the club in a league website posting. Rooney said the knock he received on his lower right shin similar to a few injuries he had suffered before, the Washington Post reported. Read more
Mother sells own baby for N200,000 in Niger (Punch)
Police operatives attached to the Madalla Division in Niger State have arrested two suspects for alleged human trafficking. The two suspects, Blessing Aluna, 23, of the Rimi Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State, and one Oludare Jeprince, 36, of Giri Abuja, were apprehended in the Madalla area of Suleja for abducting a three-year-old child. It was learnt that Aluna, who resides in the Madalla area of Suleja, had at some point allegedly sold her one-week-old baby for N200, 000. Read more
Woman bathed in hot water dies in Osun (Punch)
A middle-aged woman, Mrs Rebecca Oladosu, who was allegedly bathed in hot water mixed with pepper by the duo of Basirat Lamidi and her daughter-in-law, Taye Lamidi, has died as a result of the injuries she sustained in the attack. Basirat and Taye reportedly attacked the deceased on October 30, 2018, at Okeyelu village, Ilie, in the Olorunda Local Government Area of Osun State. As a result of the attack, Oladosu was said to have been seriously injured and hospitalised. PUNCH Metro gathered that the victim died in January this year. Read more