Peter Obi, Jimi Agbaje assure Lagos traders of good deal (Guardian)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vice presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi and Lagos State governorship flag-bearer, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, have expressed misgivings over President Muhammadu Buhari’s failure to sign into law the new Electoral Bill passed by the National Assembly. The duo, while speaking during a door-to-door campaign and town hall meetings with business operators at the Computer Village in Ikeja, Games Village in Surulere, Ladipo Auto Spare Parts Market in Ladipo and FESTAC Town yesterday, promised the traders a robust economy should their party come into power both at the centre and in the state come February 16 and March 2, 2019 respectively. Read more
APC enraged over PDP’s N388m U.S. lobbying deal (Nation)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is spending about $1,080,000 (about N388million) on its ongoing lobbying in the United States, The Nation has learnt. The party is also polishing its image in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, but the budget remains unknown. The U.S. lobbying is believed to have paved the way for the recent visit of the party’s presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar, to Washington DC for talks with some congressmen and groups. Former Aviation Minister Osita Chidoka, however, said the contract was designed to “promote free and fair elections”. Read more
Hashim divides Buhari’s camp in the north (Guardian)
Contrary to the bold face being put up by supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term campaign, there is a widening division among the president’s inner men in the northern part of the country. Investigation by The Guardian discovered that similar to what transpired at the build up to All Progressives Congress’s (APC) national convention, when the Buhari camp was divided between those against and those in support of tenure elongation for Chief John Odigie-Oyegun’s National Working Committee (NWC), some prominent members of the party, especially from the Northwest geopolitical zone, are becoming averse to the president’s second term. Read more
Dad consumed by violence he abhorred, says Badeh’s son (Nation)
Senior serving and retired military officers yesterday converged on the Nigerian Air Force Base’s Protestant Church and the National Military Cemetary in Abuja. The gathering was to pay their last respects to the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, who was killed in December last year by suspected assassins while returning from his farm on Abuja-Keffi Road. At the event were: CDS Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar; Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe; Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha; Governors Mohammedc Bindow (Adamawa) and Simon Lalong (Plateau). Read more
Ohanaeze denies fixing meeting to frustrate Buhari’s Southeast campaign (Nation)
Apex Igbo socio-cultural group Ohanaeze Ndigbo has dispelled insinuations that it intentionally fixed its Ime Obi meeting for January 24 to clash with President Muhammad Buhari’s visit to the Southeast. The organisation said its attention was drawn to “a mendacious news item that Ohanaeze Ndigbo deliberately fixed their January 24 Ime Obi meeting to sabotage the campaign tour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate for the forthcoming election, President Buhari, to the Southeast.” A release by the Special Adviser on Media & Publicity to the Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General, Chief Emeka Attamah, frowned at such an “insidious allegation” which, he said, was outside the disposition and character of such a hallowed group. Read more
Amosun absent as APC kicks off presidential campaign in Ogun (Guardian)
The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday kicked off its presidential campaign in Ogun State ahead of the February 16, 2019 presidential election.The campaign, which took off in Sagamu at the palace of Akarigbo of Remoland, was spearheaded by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo with the governorship candidate of the party, Dapo Abiodun; former deputy governors, Adegbenga Kaka and Prince Segun Adesegun; Senator Gbenga Obadara and other chieftains of the party in the state in attendance. The state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, was however, conspicuously absent at kick-off. Osinbajo, who said he was kicking off the campaign in Remoland, being his source, solicited prayers of monarchs in the area for the party to win the presidential election convincingly. Read more
Supreme Court refuses to hear 14 pre-election cases (Nation)
The Supreme Court yesterday declined to hear about 14 pre-election appeals on the grounds that they were caught by the amendment to Section 285 of the Constitution (aka 4th Alteration Act Number 21 of 2017), which came into effect on June 7, 2018. The amendment to Section 285 of the Constitution required the trial court to determine pre-election cases with 180 days and gives the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court 60 days each to determine such cases. It also provides that such appeals are filed with 14 days of the delivery of the judgment to be appealed. In the about 14 different rulings yesterday, two panels of the Supreme Court, headed by Justices Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed and Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, asked the appellant lawyers, including Alex Iziyon (SAN), to withdraw their appeals. Read more
INEC kicks as radio presenter brandishes card reader (Guardian)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Wednesday said it will investigate how a radio presenter Ordinary Ahmad Isa, got a card reader he displayed on his show. Earlier on Wednesday, Isa on his weekly reality radio talk show, Brekete Family on Human Rights FM, Abuja, brought out a purported INEC card reader. “So if I be bad person or politician now, na to program how many votes PDP go get, how many vote APC go get, how many votes APGA go get,” Isa said brandishing the card reader in the presence of an INEC official. Read more
2019 elections will define Nigeria’s future, says US Ambassador (Nation)
The forthcoming elections will define the future of the country, United States (U.S.) Ambassador to Nigeria Stuart Symington has said. Symington urged stakeholders to promote credible and peaceful elections and that all institutions of government must do what is right. He addressed reporters yesterday after meeting with Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike at the Government House in Port Harcourt. The envoy said: “All of the institutions of government must do what is right. Election is not a matter of life and death. It is a matter of defining the future of Nigeria. There must be free, fair and credible elections.” According to him, the idea of a free people with the ability to make free decisions remains the most important idea in the world. Read more
US says it now backs Venezuela opposition (BBC)
US President Donald Trump has said he recognises Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president. The announcement came minutes after the 35-year-old declared himself acting leader in Caracas on Wednesday. A number of South American countries, including Brazil, Colombia and Peru, have also recognised Mr Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate president. It comes amid mass protests against President Nicolás Maduro who has overseen years of economic freefall. Hyperinflation, power cuts and shortages of basic items have driven millions of people out of Venezuela. Read more
Future Eagles billed for eight-nation tournament in Japan (Guardian)
The U-15 national boys team, known as the Future Eagles, has been invited to take part in an eight–nation tournament in Japan in June this year.Known as the U-16 International Dream Cup, the tournament started in 2015 and has welcomed teams from a number of the world’s leading football nations, including France, Spain and The Netherlands. Senegal, Mali and Guinea are among the African nations to have participated in previous editions. According to thenff.com, administrator of the U-15 national boys team, Adewale Adeyinka yesterday disclosed that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had already responded positively to the invitation.Players for the U15 team are selected during the annual NFF/Zenith Bank Future Eagles Championship. Read more
NBBF invites 15 players for 2019 World Cup qualifiers (Guardian)
The Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) yesterday picked Chile-based Bryant Mbamalu, Skipper Ike Diogu, Alade Aminu and 12 other players for the last window of the 2019 FIBA Men’s World Cup qualifying series scheduled for Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire from February 18. The Nigeria team, which has already qualified for the World Cup billed for China later this year, is dominated by players that missed the last phase of the qualifiers hosted in Lagos in 2018.Among the debutants in the team is Jekiri Tonye, who plays in Turkey, while Christopher Obekpa, Obinna Emegano and Efevhera Michael will also be making a return. Read more
Man City reach final with 10-0 aggregate win (BBC)
Manchester City reached the Carabao Cup final after completing a 10-0 aggregate win over League One Burton in their semi-final. The tie was already over after City’s remarkable 9-0 first-leg win but Pep Guardiola still named several first-team stars in a weakened line-up. Sergio Aguero scored the only goal of the night from Riyad Mahrez’s pass after good play from Kevin de Bruyne. Burton did have chances with Will Miller’s shot cleared off the line. EFL Cup holders City will face either Chelsea or Tottenham in the Wembley final on Sunday, 24 February. Read more
Neymar ‘worried’ about injury in PSG win (BBC)
Paris St-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel says Neymar is “worried” after he injured his ankle during the Coupe de France win over Strasbourg, just three weeks before PSG face Manchester United in the Champions League. Neymar left the field in tears after rolling his ankle in the 60th minute. PSG travel to Old Trafford for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on 12 February. “Ney is worried, because it is the same foot, the same place,” said Tuchel. The former Barcelona forward, who has scored 20 goals in all competitions so far this season for the Ligue 1 leaders, injured the same ankle last February and missed the rest of the season, only returning to fitness in time to play for Brazil at the World Cup. Read more
Power-drunk DPO breaks Lagos carpenter’s hand, leg (Punch)
The Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Ijora-Badia Police Division, Lagos State, CSP Rotimi Odutona, has been accused of fracturing the left hand and leg of a carpenter, Saheed Akinboye, while assaulting him at the station. PUNCH Metro gathered that Akinboye, in company with Mr Rasaq Balogun and Mrs Modupe Ojediran, had gone to the station on Monday to recover six dozens of chairs that were seized during a raid by police operatives on Sunday following a clash by suspected cultists in the Ijora-Badia area of the state. It was learnt that the clash resulted in the death of a suspected cult member, simply identified as Tansho, while Akinboye, who runs a rental business as a side trade, was said to be packing the chairs he had rented out to Balogun, when the policemen confiscated the chairs. Read more
Dismissed soldier to die by hanging for killing girlfriend (Punch)
A Plateau State High Court sitting in Barkin Ladi, on Wednesday, sentenced a 34-year-old dismissed solider, Sunday Umaru, to death by hanging for hacking his lover to death over a message he found on her mobile telephone. Justice S. P. Gang passed the sentence after finding Umaru guilty of killing his girlfriend, Charity Thomas, on January 23, 2016. Gang stated that Umaru “mercilessly took the life of Charity Thomas in cold blood” and had to face the full weight of the law. The judge ruled, “This sentence is mandatory; the law states that any person convicted of murder shall be punished with death by hanging. Read more
Police smash five-man robbery gang operating in army uniforms (Punch)
A five-man robbery gang operating along Osogbo/Ilesha Road was on Wednesday paraded before newsmen by the Osun State Police Command. The suspected robbers, John Daniel, Emmanuel Irem, Stephen James, Monday John, Abayomi Samson and Samuel Egbe, who dressed in army uniforms, confessed to committing the crime. Parading the men, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fimihan Adeoye, said the suspects were residing in Lagos but usually sneaked into the state to rob and return to Lagos after every successful operation. He said the suspects were arrested during the operation, through a joint effort of men of the command from Ile Ife, and members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria. Read more