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  • Polls: Buhari, APC ‘ll defeat Atiku, PDP at world court, supreme court – Oshiomhole

    The National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, on Thursday declared that President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) will defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, if they decide to go to the world court or Supreme Court to challenge the ruling of the tribunal on the last Presidential election.

    The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal had on Wednesday delivered judgment in favour of President Buhari as winner of February 2019 election.

    Oshiomhole spoke with State House correspondents when he accompanied APC women leaders from the national, zonal and 36 states of the federation to meet with President Buhari.

    The women leaders were led to the State House by women leader, Hajia Salamatu Umar-Eluma, to congratulate the President on his victory at Wednesday’s election tribunal.

    They were also in the villa to thank President Buhari for appointing seven women among the 43 ministers recently sworn in.

    Oshiomhole was optimistic that no surprise will come out from the Supreme Court as they are most likely to relying on the Appeal court’s ruling.

    He said “We as a party we are confident that if it is within the Nigerian law for PDP to go even to the world court, we will meet them there. The Supreme Court of Nigeria is not that of PDP or the APC, the Supreme Court is governed by law and is to interpret the evidence before the court of Appeal.

    ‘They are not at liberty to introduce new issues neither can they bring in new witnesses.

    “So, if it is what I heard yesterday which I believe you also heard, thanks to the media, most Nigerians were detained for eight hours listening to arguments of the judges one after the other. Even though we thought it was getting longer and longer but we realised that they tried to deal with the issues raised, even the ones you and I as a layman will consider it consequential, they dealt with each of them, trashed them and arrived at a conclusion.

    Read Also: Wike breaks ranks with PDP, congratulates Buhari

    “So, I don’t want to sound arrogant. Yesterday (Wednesday), I said that I hope this whole contestation is about Nigeria who actually won the election and both parties are committed to building Nigeria and is not about who should be given the key.

    “Now, this has been resolved and it is time to queue behind the winner and move on. Our winner is the best example that losing election is not tantamount to the end of your political life. He lost three and today he is the president.

    “But, when I see the arrogance with which they pronounce and they bring what I call television lawyers, who pronounced with some managerial finality as if they are judges even without any evidence before them, let me now say authoritatively, we are now ready to meet them.

    “President Buhari is now ready to meet defeated Atiku Abubakar at the Supreme Court and the APC is ready to meet the PDP at the Supreme Court and Adams Oshiomhole is ready to meet my brother Secondus at the Supreme Court and he will take second and I will take first, Isha Allah.”

    He insisted that they were not in doubts that victory will be theirs.

    According to him, the PDP just seems to blackmail every institution so that their candidate can become the president even if it is not the will of the Nigerian people.

    He said both the PDP and its presidential candidate reduced the election to social media speculations and bringing sources that are laughable even at beer parlour conversations.

  • ‘8,000 of 14,000 women die of breast, cervical cancer in Nigeria annually’

    An Australian-based organisation, the Onyebuchi Chris Ifediora Foundation said 8,000 of the 14,000 Nigerian women diagnosed with cervical cancer were at the risk of death annually.

    President of the Foundation, Prof. Chris Onyebuchi disclosed this during the flagging off ceremony of a two day workshop by the organization themed, “Arm Our Youths Heath campaign” towards eradicating cervical cancer among women.

    He said the campaign in collaboration with the Anambra State Government, would target students across senior secondary schools in the country.

    He said, “The beauty of the ArOY Campaign is that should this ever be the case, the campaign’s beneficiaries would we already well prepared and ready to, not only embrace these changes when they come, but to actively seek for the interventions.

    “Of the roughly 14,000 Nigerian women diagnosed with cervical cancer every year, just over 8,000 will die.

    “This leaves family, husbands, children and a whole lot of others, devastated.

    “We can either continue to accept this unfortunate trend, or perhaps, just pray over it, or worse still, ignore it, and hope that it goes away. Alternatively, we can stand, and fight,” he said.

    He said a curriculum on anti-breast and anti-cervical cancer would be introduced as part of the crusade.

    According to the president, implementation of the initiative had begun in Anambra with the inauguration and would be expanded to other states of the country by 2025.

    He expressed the Foundation’s willingness to work with anyone, and with any group, and with all interested governmental or non-governmental bodies, to actualise a nationwide implementation of the project.

    “It is a unique campaign because the program has an evaluation (research) component, which is being overseen by the Griffith University School of Medicine, Australia.

    “It is unique because the ideas behind it were developed with significant input from the prestigious Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA), and has a formal endorsement from that great institution,” he added.

    The state Commissioner for Basic Education and chairman of the occasion, Prof Kate Omenugha described cervical and breast cancers as “the major changes of healthcare in developing countries like Nigeria.”

    She called for concerted effort to educate women of child bearing age on the symptoms of the breast and cervical cancers.

    While assuring that the state government would continue to partner the Foundation to ensure successful implementation of the campaign in the state, the Commissioner urged Nigerians to join the campaign.

    In his speech, the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Charles Esimone, commended the health initiative, its focus on youths and sustainability measures.

    “Anytime you want to carry out any diagnostic health experiment in the country, you must start with the youth otherwise, it fails,” he said.

    “Our commitment to this project is total, complete and unemcompassing to further help take the message beyond the state,” he assured.

    Esimone advised the Foundation to set up a Trust Fund to further sustain the project beyond the state.

    “We have set out modalities to involve the Students Union Government and NAU Women Association to build the campaign into the orientation programme for fresh students and those going for Youth Service,” he added.

    No fewer than 22 Nollywood artistes led by Ebele Okaro as well as schools’ principals, students and officials in the education sector attended the occasion.

  • Akpabio, APC didn’t prepare for polls, tribunal – PDP

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) lost the elections and its petitions because of lack of adequate preparation in Akwa Ibom, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared.

    In a marathon judgement handed down by Akanbi, the panel dismissed the petition filed by Senator Godswill Akpabio of the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging the declaration of Ekpenyong by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as winner of the said election.

    But Senator Akpabio through his Counsel, Mr Adekunle Oyesanya, SAN vowed to appeal the judgment, insisting that the minority ruling by Justice Hafizu represented the position of the law on the matter.

    The APC on its part has declared the minority judgement, which declared Akpabio winner, a confirmation of the sanctity of the ballot, maintaining that the tribunal must be commended for their integrity and resoluteness.

    The minority judgement had sparked wild jubilation among supporters of Senator Akpabio.

    They praised Justice Hafizu for his courage and said it was gratifying to note that there were still Judges who dispensed justice without fear or favour.

    But reacting to the judgement in a press conference with newsmen in Uyo on Thursday, the PDP which spoke through its Publicity Secretary, comrade Ini Ememobong, said the APC, at the commencement of the tribunal filed processes that were manifestly and incurably defective.

    “How else can you describe people who protested the location of the Tribunal before the tribunal was even constituted?

    “Since then, they have been shouting to high Heaven over non-existent issues. When the tribunal started, they filed processes that were manifestly and incurably defective.

    “Now that the natural consequences of their actions have manifested, instead of taking a sincere introspection, they have decided to apply their stock in trade – pass the buck”

    Taking specific instances, Ememobong said in the case against Pat Ifon, the APC and its candidate filed the petition with a wrong heading of the court and wrong name of the Federal Constituency.

    “In Victor Antai’s case, the entire Petition was fraught with unimaginable mistakes, which the petitioners and their counsel conceded, for example the petitioner intermittently used Uyo and Oron federal Constituencies in his petition; used grounds alien to the Electoral Act in seeking redress and sought contradictory reliefs.

    “Additionally, they filed an affidavit where 23 paragraphs therein, contained vague, imprecise and nebulous claims of alleged errors occurring at polling units, without stating the exact polling units where these alleged errors happened.

    “The petitioners in their characteristic untidy manner, brought witnesses who were either totally confused or were certified liars.

    “Their PW3 stated that he did not vote and did not see when results were entered but insisted that he knows there was manipulation- nothing more witless has ever been said since the creation of man.

    Read Also: Akpabio was robbed of victory – Justice Hafizu

    “This is a clear case of non-compliance with Electoral Act and inability to prove allegations of corrupt practices in line with Section 135 of the Evidence Act. How is the PDP or the Tribunal responsible for fatal mistakes made by the lawyers of the APC?”

    The party added: “In Godswill Akpabio’s case, the majority judgement of the tribunal is a soothing balm to the people of Ikot Ekpene senatorial district (North West) who massively rejected him at the polls.

    “They ensured that he lost convincingly in eight LGAs, had a slim victory in one.

    “He supervised a reign of terror and harassment against his people in Essien Udim but still could not get a result to fertilize his ill-fated return to the senate.”

    The PDP further accused the APC of bringing to court witnesses who were either totally confused or certified liars.

    It urged the general public to ignore the “illogical, baseless, senseless and slow-witted utterances made by the All Progressives Congress Akwa Ibom state and treat them as their usual straw-clutching antics and the last kicks of a dying horse.

  • FUOYE killings: God will judge Fayemi’s wife – NANS

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Thursday said it was palpably dismayed at the attempt by wife of Ekiti Governor Erelu Bisi Fayemi, to absolve herself of any blame over the death of two students of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti(FUOYE) on Tuesday during a protest.

    NANS accused Mrs. Fayemi of dishing out untruths in her bid to deflect the burden of blame over the death of two of its members during the protest over poor electricity supply in the bustling town.

    It declared the “Almighty God is the biggest judge and will dispense judgement as due to her.”

    NANS PRO, Comrade Adeyemi Azeez, who spoke in Abeokuta, urged the Federal Government to probe how their promising colleagues were cut down prematurely.

    Adeyemi described the fate that befell the ‘FUOYE two’ as something akin to “planned assassination” and urged all students in Ekiti and beyond to remain calm as the national leadership of NANS would take all necessary and lawful steps to compel the government of Ekiti State tell Nigerian Students the motive behind the killing of their colleagues.

    He said: “We read yesterday with dismay, the reaction of the suspected assailant where she made baseless claims but for us as students and young people who have what it takes to fight her, considering the quantum of our population, we know that God almighty is the biggest Judge and will dispense judgement as due to her.

    “In fact, Ekiti people have coined a new name for the woman which is ‘ a woman with 9 mouths’ considering the spate at which she was telling lies through her release yesterday.

    “Firstly: the Ekiti first lady said she was in the hall when the student started rampaging and allegedly destroying people vehicle.

    “This statement is too sweet to be true; can such riot act be going on outside a hall to the extent that peoples vehicle were being damaged and the owners of the vehicles remained calm in the hall?

    “Secondly as the first lady, she claimed to remain in the hall while the damages were being done, why not address the students instead of ignoring them, if truly she wasn’t wishing and praying evil for the students.

    “If truly she regard the students as her children why not speak to them instead ordering the police to be ruthless with them.

    “Also, if truly you have a heart of gold you should be concerned about what happened to the students and not running away.

    “You and your husband have the state powers and as result should be able to restore normalcy to any uproar, that is why you were elected.

    “Her husband, who used to be one of our well respected elders in NANS, is also gradually losing our respect as he has not said anything since this crises started instead he is busy fighting for security votes.

    Read Also: Fayemi’s wife attack: FUOYE sets up probe panel as Police arrest two students

    “If we have our way we would suggest that Ekiti state security vote be removed since the governor has not been making judicious use of the ones he has been collecting which is evident in his inability to secure our students.

    “We must however note that even if your security votes is increased to N5 billion on a monthly bases, we would not still surrender the lives of our students to you.

    “We however call on the federal government to probe this killing of our students in Ekiti as this can best be described as a ‘state planed assassination.

    “Even when the rich oppresses the poor in Nigeria, it is not done in the open but the reverse was the case of Mrs. Fayemi who threw two families into sorrow and gnashing of teeth without remorse.

    “And against the expectation of mothers, Erelu as fondly called, could still lie even when the lives of two promising young Nigerians were involved.

    “This pitiable situation which has been on between the rich and the poor might graduate into a revolt of the poor in this country.

    “Despite our respect for Governor Fayemi, his wife has successfully turned our backs against each other as we would not toy with the life of any of our students.”

  • Foreign media promoting  disintegration of Nigeria through false reports- CISS

    The Centre for International and Strategic Studies (CISS) has accused foreign media of propagating falsehood with the sole motive of tearing the country apart.

     

    The think-tank, dedicated to conflict research in developing countries, made this conclusion after examining the Boko Haram insurgency and then  exploring the possible factors behind its continuous existence.

     

    In a detailed report titled “Foreign Links and the weaponization of falsehood against Nigeria and humanity” signed by Country Representative, Ifure A. Ifure (PhD), on Thursday, CISS analysed the role of foreign media in furthering insurgency.

     

    As part of its fact-finding mission, the Centre undertook a study tour of the theatre of operations in North-East with particular reference to strategic places and institutions which dominated the narrative on the war since inception in 2009.

     

    Among others, the think-tank observed that “ the Boko Haram narrative as propagated in the media by some external links is an attempt to label the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as incompetent and lacking the political will to handle the crisis in the North East region.

     

    “ It also observed that the use of propaganda by the Boko Haram terrorist is one of their principal weapon of war against the Nigerian state and in connivance with select international news mediums such as AFP, Reuters, etcetera.”

     

    The group reckoned that in an “attempt to elicit cooperation from locals, the NGOs often promise groceries and money to anyone willing to speak against the Nigerian Army in operations, and forcing them to make false allegations of rape, deprivation, brutality, and other vices.

     

    The team was able to identify that the bulk of the news emanating from most of the foreign media on the state of affairs in North-East Nigeria are outright falsehoods with the intent to cause a distraction to the Nigerian troops and to further the activities of the Boko Haram terrorists in operations in North-East Nigeria.

     

    On completion of this exercise and in a bid to avert further foreign interference, the Centre recommended that the Nigerian authorities must:

     

    “ Begin the process of auditing the credentials of the international NGOs in operations in North-East Nigeria to identify those that are carrying out espionage activities on behalf of some foreign interest that want to see to the disintegration of Nigeria.

     

    “ Rise up to curtail the agenda of some vested international interest who by their proxies have launched a campaign of defamation against the Nigerian Military as evident in adverse reports, news stories, articles, documentaries been projected by these group with a vested interest in seeing to the advancement of the activities of Boko Haram in North-East Nigeria.

     

    “ Attempt to take charge of the narrative on the state of affairs in North-East Nigeria by embarking on a massive awareness campaign to expose the spread of falsehoods by foreign interest group who are unhappy with the successes recorded by the Nigerian Military in its operations in North-East Nigeria.

     

    “ Criminalize the spread of falsehood (fake news) on the Boko Haram conflict by any foreign media organization in operation in Nigeria, as well as their accomplices regardless of their nomenclature.

     

    “ Devise a means to keep the citizens abreast of the activities of the Nigerian Military in North-East Nigeria. This is on the heels that a failure to dominate the narrative might give the foreign interest groups the edge in furtherance of their goal, which is to advance the cause of Boko Haram.

     

    “ Closely monitor the activities of the international NGOs in operations in North-East Nigeria, as there is an abundance of pieces of evidence that most of them are working against the interest of Nigeria.”

     

  • UPDATED: Tribunal upholds Gov Ayade’s election

    The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Calabar, Cross River State has dismissed the two separate petitions filed by Senator John Owan-Enoh, the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, laying claims to have been the candidate of the same party.

    The two petitions, suit number EPT/CAL/Gov/01/2019 and suit number EPT/CAL/Gov/02/2019 were against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as first respondent and Governor Ben Ayade of the People’s Democratic Party PDP as 2nd respondent.

    Chairman of the 3-man tribunal, Justice Josiah Majebi in the unanimous judgment read by him on behalf of the panel in the suit number EPT/CAL/Gov/01/2019, filed by Senator John Owan-Enoh stated: “We hold that the petition fails and is dismissed for being incompetent, or for lack of merit”.

    He noted that the petitioner came before the tribunal on two grounds, namely, one, “that the was non-compliance with the provisions of the electoral ACT 2010 as amended” and two “ that, he was unlawfully excluded from participation.”

    “The petitioner based his petition on non-compliance with the Electoral laws; in the circumstance, we hold that the 1st and 2nd grounds of the petition are irreconcilable and diametrically opposed to each other.”

    Sitting relevant authorities of related and decided cases, the tribunal noted that a petitioner cannot complain of having been unlawfully excluded from contesting the election and at the same time complain that the election was invalid by reasons of non-compliance with the provisions of the electoral Act.

    The judgment further noted that the petitioner failed to established or state how non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act has substantially affected the result of the election.

    “Non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act without more is not sufficient to invalidate an election. We, therefore, strikeout ground one of the petition for incompetence.”

    Read Also: Ayade debunks claims of alleged land grabbing by APC

    “The instant petition is also founded on the valid nomination of the petitioner and his alleged unlawful exclusion by the Independent National Electoral Commission. We hold that the petitioner failed to discharge the burden of prove that he was unlawfully excluded from contesting the election to the office of the governor of Cross River State in the elections held on the 9th of March 2019. The petitioner contested the election and at the same time complained of exclusion,” the tribunal ruled.

    Running mate to the governorship candidate of the APC in the election Ntufam Ekpo Okon told our correspondent on phone: “We believe that Justice has not been done. We are going to sit down with our lawyers to review the judgment and determine the next line of action.”

    The State Chairman of the PDP, who was in court to witness the judgment, said: “We welcome the judgment. The governor, Prof. Ben Ayade has always called on Cross Riverians to come to join hands with him to move the state forward. This is our message to the opposition.

    Chief of Staff to the Governor, Martins Orim, said: “We expected victory because the petitioner was not challenging the validity of the victory of the governor in the election. Gov. Ayade was duly elected by the people of Cross River State.”

    The petition number EPT/CAL/Gov/02/2019, filed by Pastor Usani Uguru Usani was equally dismissed and struck out as an abuse of judicial process.

    Usani, former minister of Niger Delta had claimed that he was the rightful candidate of APC for the governorship election in Cross River State but the national chairman of the APC refused to submit his name to INEC as the candidate.

  • PHOTOS: Buhari, TUC executives meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met with the newly elected officers of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).

    Buhari meets TUC executives

    Buhari meets TUC executives

    Buhari meets TUC executives

  • Facebook suspends chatbot of Netanyahu’s Likud party’s campaign

    A week ahead of the Israeli general election, Facebook has suspended the campaign bot of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party over a violation of its hate speech policy, The social media giant said on Thursday.

    The bot warned against a “weak” left-wing government “which relies on Arabs, who want to annihilate us all – women, children and men,’’ as seen in a screenshot of a message by the bot published by Israeli daily Haaretz.

    According to Haaretz, the message appeared to anyone accessing Netanyahu’s official Facebook page, urging them to vote Likud.

    A Facebook spokesperson said: “After careful review of the Likud campaign’s bot activities, we found a violation of our hate speech policy’’.

    “We also found that the bot was misusing the platform in the time period allowed to contact people.

    “As a result, we temporarily suspended the bot for 24 hours.

    “Should there be any additional violations, we will continue to take appropriate action,’’ the statement added.

    A spokeswoman for Likud said the post “was a mistake of a headquarters employee’’.

    Read Also: Google, Facebook reject Russia’s allegations of meddling in elections

    “Prime Minister Netanyahu did not see the post nor did he approve of it.

    “He does not agree with the statement.

    “When it was brought to his attention, he asked for the post to be removed immediately,’’ she added.

    Netanyahu has in the past been accused of incitement against Israel’s Arab population, particularly in election campaigns.

    His right-ring Likud party faces a tight race against the centrist Blue and White party in the Sept. 17 election.

  • 10 African leaders due at Mugabe funeral as row over burial continues

    Ten African leaders are expected to attend the funeral of former Zimbabwe president, Robert Mugabe, a government spokesman said on Thursday, as a row continued over where the former strongman should be buried.

    Mugabe’s body was returned to Zimbabwe on Wednesday from Singapore, where he died at the age of 95.

    He had been seeking treatment there for an undisclosed illness since April.

    His funeral is due to be held on Saturday.

    South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta and Mozambique’s Filipe Nyusi are among the African presidents, who have confirmed their attendance, presidential spokesman, George Charamba, said in a statement.

    Seven former presidents are also expected to attend.

    They are South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda and Namibia’s Sam Nujoma.

    The Zimbabwe government had said that Mugabe would then be buried on Sunday at the National Heroes Acre, a hilltop shrine reserved for the country’s ruling elite.

    But family members want to honour Mugabe’s wish of being buried next to his mother in his rural home in Kutama, about 85 kilometres from the capital Harare.

    There is also disagreement over the burial date.

     

    Read Also: Mixed emotions as Mugabe dies at 95

     

    A meeting between Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Mugabe’s widow on Friday failed to break the impasse.

    “We are in consultation with the government,’’ a spokesman for the Mugabe family, Leo Mugabe, said.

    “No burial arrangements yet.’’

    Mugabe was deposed in a 2017 coup after nearly four decades in power.

    Still revered by some for his fight against white domination as a former liberation fighter, he is widely despised by others who see him as responsible for destroying Zimbabwe’s economy and violently oppressing any opposition.

     

    (NAN)

  • Northern Govs in emergency meeting over insecurity, RUGA

    Northern Governors under the auspices of Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) have started an emergency meeting in Kaduna, with a view to addressing the current security challenges bedevilling the region.

    The meeting being presided over by the Forum’s Chairman, Governor Simon Lalong, is also aimed at resolving the misinformation on the Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) project and proffer lasting solutions to the incessant Farmer-Harder clashes, cattle rustling and associated criminalities such as banditry, kidnapping among others.

    In his opening remarks, Lalong said, “the forum has consequently set up a Committee under the Chairmanship of His Excellency, Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State, to inter-alia develop a comprehensive regional plan of action that could bring lasting solutions to the lingering crises.

    “At this meeting, we shall receive briefing from this committee and also deliberate on their findings and recommendations.

    “Another major issue we shall also deliberate on is the issue of livestock management in the country and in particular our region, which has continued to generate discourse, controversy, mis-information and even politicization.

    “At this meeting, we shall deliberate on the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP), which was commissioned by the National Economic Council chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and seeks to support and strengthen the development of market-driven ranches in the livestock ecosystem for improved productivity through breed improvement, pasture production, efficient land and water utilization.

    “As a region that holds the comparative advantage in livestock management as an economic and socio-cultural vocation, we need to come up with a common front on how to synergize and draw from the funds available for the programme and ensure that we derive maximum benefits for our people.
    Hopefully, we shall develop strategies on how best to deal with the misinformation about the NLTF, which is sometimes confused with the Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) project.

    “This is important because of the urgent need to cultivate the buy-in of all stakeholders and provide a conducive environment for nomadic herders and those who rear livestock using the private/public partnership model to key into the National Livestock Transformation Plan of the Federal Government.

    Read Also: Boko Haram: 22,000 Nigerians missing in insurgency

    “In the course of our engagements here in Kaduna, we shall commission the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC) Shopping Mall which was awarded in 2014 with the aim of consolidating the investment portfolio of the Company and promoting its mission of advancing the commercial and industrial development of our region.

    “We also have to continue our discourse on how to solve the Almajiri phenomenon which continues to be a social and security challenge that we cannot, but find solutions to.

    “I therefore urge us all to engage in robust, open and frank discussions that will assist us come up with practical and effective resolutions that will move our region to the next level.” He said.

    The meeting has however gone into a closed door session, while resolutions are expected at close of the meeting.