All political news and viewpoints
The senior special adviser to the governor of Taraba State on media and publicity, Mr. Silvanus Giwa has expressed dismay over the way and manner Governor Danbaba Suntai’s state of health is being politicised. Giwa who stated this yesterday in Ja...
Mr Ogechi Ofurum of the St. Luke Anglican Church, Akwakuma, Owerri, has called on Christian couples to only give birth to a reasonable number of children. Ofurum told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Owerri on Wednesday that having too many children...
The people of Anambra should allow God's own candidate to emerge as successor to Gov. Peter Obi, regardless of the senatorial district he or she comes from.
The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, made the call on Wednesday at the Regional Priests Recollection held at Assumpta Parish, Nimo, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.
The cleric’s call is coming against the backdrop of Gov. Obi’s preference that his successor should come from Anambra North Senatorial district.
Obi is of the view that the district had been marginalised in the politics of the state.
Ezeokafor said: ``Let us pray for the right candidate who would not only consolidate on the good work of Gov. Peter Obi, but would also strive to do better than him.
``Obi has changed the face of the state, restored the people's confidence in governance and has done a great job in all sectors of the state's economy.
``But let us forget about where his successor would come from. The bottom line is that we need a leader and not a ruler, we need somebody who would be ready to improve on Obi's qualities.”
On the mystery bodies discovered on Ezu River on Jan. 19, the Cleric urged the state and Federal Governments to unravel the mystery and fish out the perpetrators of this `heinous act'.
Ezeokafor, who contended that political killings were on the increase in Nigeria, warned that if allowed to continue, the country would end up achieving nothing.
``Nigerians should seek the face of God; I see no reason why some people would decide to be taking people's lives without recourse to God and humanity.
``Why should we allow these ungodly and unscrupulous person's waste people's lives,” he asked.
Ezeokafor said that the Regional Priests Recollection would provide opportunity for clergymen to have spiritual cleansing and have a sense of redirection which they are expected to impact on their parishioners. (NAN)
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday in Ibadan said there could be no practice of genuine democracy in the country unless there was internal democracy within political parties. Atiku stated this at a lecture he delivered at the...
Hajia Amina Zakari, the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Political Party Monitoring Committee, says the commission has concluded plans to sanction political parties for financial recklessness.
She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that the recent audit reports indicated that most of the political parties had poor record keeping procedures.
According to her, a summary of the external auditor’s reports on the accounts of political parties for 2010, indicate that most of the parties did not follow financial guidelines.
Zakari said there were strict financial guidelines as stipulated by law and henceforth any party that failed to update their account books would be penalised.
She said the action became necessary before the commencement of general elections.
``Don’t forget that we have to handle the elections within a short time, we are improving the party processes, so we are not pampering the political parties.
``We are still in the process of refining the political parties and we are constantly reminding them about the implication of excessive spending.
Zakari said the commission could not wait any longer to apply the big stick on political parties for financial misconduct.
``We are not shying away from the fact that our internal capacity are not up to the required standard.
``We are in the process of building an internal capacity to be able to manage the process adequately.
``We have de-registered a lot of parties that do not meet the requirements as stipulated by the law, so also there are sanctions for political parties with poor record keeping procedures.
Zakari, however, warned political parties against reckless spending during the forthcoming AMAC elections.
``There must be money in politics but it must not be reckless, and not at the expense of the community,’’ she said.
According to her, the parties should not use government money for campaign, they should be able to source for their money in a transparent manner.
``That is why the commission is always requiring to check their account books to ensure transparency and financial discipline,'' she said.
The House of Representatives committee on Public Accounts has queried the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over a discrepancy of N7.935 billion in internally generated revenu...
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has said that President Goodluck Jonathan’s tactless show during his belated visit to Borno and Yobe States last week has worsened the Boko Haram insurgency that has killed and maimed hundreds of innocent peop...
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said on Monday that it would hold an interactive session with civil populace on how to restore live and peace in Plateau. The Special Task Force on Security (STF) said this in a statement issued in Jos. The statement sign...
The National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on Monday dismissed speculations of a rift in the Nigerian Governors Forum and the party. There are rumours of a crack within the ruling national party following the emergence of Gov. Godswil Akpa...
The Minister of Police Affairs, retired Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade, has charged the police and other security agencies to strengthen their intelligence network. Olubolade made the call in Enugu on Monday at the inauguration of the Intelligence Sch...
The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), yesterday, has said that the arrest of Deputy Senate Minority Leader, Senator Sani Yerima, at the weekend for comments relating to the All Progressive Congress (APC) is an indication of the scheme to ensure the par...
The visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to Borno and Yobe States has sparked a war of words between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). While the PDP endorsed the visit and described it as a show of the Pr...
State chairmen of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) yesterday confirmed that four governors of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the north have concluded arrangements to join All Progressive Congress (APC). The chairmen who briefed jou...
The National President of Youths Enhancement Organisation, Mr Obinna Egbuka, has advised Nigerian leaders to show more commitment to service and leadership. Addressing the youths of Imo at the opening of a two-day seminar organised by the organis...
The National Vice-Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) North-Central Zone, Alhaji Yusuf Ahitogo, says the party is not afraid of any merger by opposition parties ahead of the 2015 general elections.
Ahitogo stated this in Lafia on Saturday at the Grand Reception/merit/ Awards for Speakers of State Houses of Assembly, state Party Chairmen and other major stakeholders.
He said: “the merger talk by other political parties will not in any way affect the ruling party; it is not giving any of our members any sleepless night.'”
``The parties have done it before; they failed, so what magic would they use now to fight PDP.?
“Our party remains the largest party in Africa, and we are determined to follow the provisions of the party’s constitution which is aimed at transforming the country and also provide basic needs of our people.”
Ahitogo said the outcome of the merger arrangement by other political parties was like a merger of strange bed fellows, adding that all the members affected by the merger talk have their own personal interest.
He, however, appealed to members of the PDP in the zone to assist in ensuring that the party recaptures Nasarawa, come 2015 elections.
“The past two years have been difficult for us at the zonal level with the loss of Nasarawa to the opposition in 2011, this has adversely affected our political activities in the entire North-Central.”
Ahitogo, who also doubles as North Central chairman, appealed to leaders of the party to come together and close rank with each other in the interest of the party, ``as we move closer to 2015 general election for maximum result''.
In his remarks, the party’s North Central Youth Leader, Mr Kwaghgba Amande , explained that the youths remained the life wire and effective instrument of the party.
He said the youths would launch “operation re-capture Nasarawa.
“Very soon all the state youth leaders and other concerned political activists in the North Central will map out strategies aimed at recapturing Nasarawa, as we prepare towards 2015 general elections.”
Amande said the loss of the state to opposition party had reduced the zone to a large extend, ``our collective bargaining in the political configuration of Nigeria.''