Stampede As Atiku Submits Forms (Thisday)
Policemen attached to the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were yesterday forced to fire multiple gun shots to scare away thugs, who had invaded the party secretariat, and clashed with supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The supporters of Atiku, one of the presidential aspirants in the PDP, were seen around the secretariat as early as 9a.m. carrying banners and posters with Atiku’s pictures and the banners of the PDP. Read more
INEC Registers 14.5m New Voters, Says Preparation for Osun Poll on Course (Thisday)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that it has registered over 14.5 million new voters ahead of the 2019 general election. The electoral body has also affirmed that preparations ahead of September 22, 2018, governorship poll in Osun State are on course. Read more
Bomb Blast From Femi Adesina (Thisday)
“Akin Oshuntokun appeared on Channels television today and made the false claim that a bomb blast had gone off earlier in the day, killing about 88 people in Maiduguri… Apparently, enemies of peace and progress had expected a return to the infamous past, thus Oshuntokun appeared on television with his bag of lies. The tripod goals of securing the country, fighting corruption and reviving the economy are central to the Buhari administration. overnment is making strides in the three areas and the conquests continue” –Femi Adesina, 24th August 2018 Read more
Herdsmen behead Adamawa PDP chairman, flee with head (Punch)
Suspected Fulani herdsmen have beheaded the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Bare ward in the Numan Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Charles Chrisanthus, The politician was reportedly killed in the presence of his wife, Dorcas, in his farm on August 29, 2018. Read more
USAID Marks Successful Implementation of Governance Programme (Thisday)
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) thursday said it had concluded a nine-year programme aimed at improving the performance of state and local governments in Nigeria as well as increasing the involvement of civil society in the democratic process for the good of their communities. USAID said since 2009, the Leadership, Empowerment, Advocacy and Development (LEAD) activity, in partnership with government ministers, departments and agencies, state legislatures, and civil society organisations (CSOs), had helped to build the capacity of state and local government institutions in Nigeria to assume greater responsibilities in delivering the basic services demanded by their constituents through training on leadership skills, and enhancing transparency and public accountability. Read more
FIRS to commence audit of taxpayers nationwide – Fowler (Sun)
Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Babatunde Fowler, Thursday, said that the Service would soon commence an audit of taxpayers across the country. Fowler stated this in Lagos while delivering a keynote address at a stakeholders’ meeting on “Tax Administration and National Revenue”. Read more
Chinese Consortium Begins 3050MW Mambilla Power Project Next Year (Thisday)
President Muhammadu Buhari thursday in Beijing, China, was given assurances from the joint venture partners handling the 3,050 megawatts Mambilla Hydro-electric power plant that all processes leading to its take-off next year would soon be completed. A statement by the presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, said at the meeting in Beijing with the President of CGCC, the construction company, Professor Lyu Ze Xiang, Buhari got a briefing on timelines for the commencement of the project following the success of an earlier meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping. Read more
Saraki: I’ll Run Inclusive Govt If Elected President (Thisday)
Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who is a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has promised to run an inclusive government if elected president in February 2019. The Senate president, who last week threw his hat in the ring for the country’s number one seat, yesterday continued his consultation with governors and leaders of the PDP in the South-east zone. Read more
I Have No Plan to Defect to APC, Says Orji (Thisday)
The Senator representing Abia Central at the National Assembly, Theodore Orji, has said he has no plan of defecting to All Progressives Congress (APC). A statement made available to THISDAY by his media adviser and legislative aide, Eddie Onuzuruike, said there was no reason for Senator Orji to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Read more
Media is free to criticise any President but not to denigrate Buhari or anybody – Lai Mohammed
The Federal Government on Thursday admonished the media to stop denigrating the person of President Muhammadu Buhari through their platforms. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed gave the admonition when he paid advocacy visit to the Abuja office of the “Peoples Daily’’ newspaper to drum support for national campaign against fake news. Read more
Boosting foreign direct investment (Sun)
The reported sharp decline in the inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country is certainly not healthy for the economy. Recent figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that FDI inflows to Nigeria dipped to an 8-year low of $981.7 million in 2017. Even though the FDI improved in the first quarter (Q1) of 2018, the volume of external investments represent per capita of $5.4million. This is far below what is expected of Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy based on Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is worrisome that Nigeria has fallen behind her African peers. Read more
N4.7bn fraud: Ladoja bought 26 cars for ‘loyal’ lawmakers from govt account — Witness (Read more)
A prosecution witness, Abubakar Madaki, yesterday, told a Federal High Court in Lagos that a former governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, purchased 26 cars for 14 former lawmakers from the state treasury. An Economic and Financial Crimes, EFCC, operative, Mr Madaki, gave evidence in the trial of Mr. Ladoja and a former Commissioner for Finance in the state, Waheed Akanbi, over alleged N4.7 billion fraud. Read more
2018 NCC tennis draws hold in Abuja (Punch)
The 2018 NCC Tennis League is set to kick off with the draws taking place at the Abuja National Stadium Tennis Centre on Friday. A statement from the International Tennis Academy, organisers of the league, said the draws would be conducted in a “FIFA style”. The 12 teams will be ranked according to the combined points of their top five players – three men and two women – from the current NCC rankings. Read more
‘Messi not under pressure to return for Argentina’ (Punch)
Argentina Football Association president Claudio Tapia is not going to put any pressure on Lionel Messi to return to the squad, believing the Barcelona forward has given much more to the national team than he has received in return, Soccernet reports. Messi, who was under intense scrutiny to perform at this summer’s World Cup, has taken an indefinite break from the Albiceleste after captaining them to the round-of-16. Read more
Arsenal sign nine-year-old Nigerian wonderkid (Punch)
The transfer window has come and gone, but Arsenal have still been busy in the transfer market – by signing a nine-year-old from South Africa, KweséESPN reports. Jayden Adetiba, who was born in Nigeria but has lived in South Africa for a couple of years, has been signed to the Gunners’ academy after impressing during a five-week trial in London. Read more