The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Senator Francis Alimikhena

  • APC Senatorial Primary: Shehu Sani, Akpabio, Yari, Uduaghan cleared unopposed

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cleared unopposed former Akwa Ibom and Delta State Governors, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Dr, Emmanuel Uduaghan and the Senator representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani as Senatorial candidates for the forthcoming general elections.

    Also cleared unopposed are Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, Senate Minority Whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena, former Nasarawa State Governor, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, former Sokoto state Governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako, former Benue state Governor, George Akume and former National, Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Adebayo Adeyeye.

    Also, the three senators representing Lagos state, Senators Oluremi Tinubu, Solomon Adeola and Gbenga Ashafa as well as Senator Ajayi Boroface, Yele Onogunwa and Omotoyao Alasoadura from Ondo are flying the party flag unopposed as they emerged the only cleared aspirants from their states.

    Senator Ahmed Abubakar, Senator Binta Masi Garba (Adamawa) Senator Yusuf Abubakar (Taraba), Governor Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), Senator Tijanni Kaura, Ikra Bilbis (Zamfara), Senator Buhari Abdulfatai (Oyo), Senator Andy Uba (Anambra) and Suleiman Abdu Kwari (Kaduna) are also running unopposed.

    In the list of cleared aspirants released by the National Working Committee and signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, former Kano state Governor is to battle for the Kano Central Senatorial ticket with Hajia Laila Buhari, while Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun is to struggle for the Ogun Central Senatorial ticket with Senator Adeyemi Tejuosho and Ganiyat Oladunjoye.

    Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi is to contest for the Oyo Central Senatorial district ticket with Senator Taslim Folarin and five others, Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura is to slug it out for the Nasarawa south ticket with Senator Salihu Hussein Egye, while Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima is contesting the Borno Central ticket with Ali Bukar Wurge.
    Also, Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan is contesting the Yobe North Senatorial ticket with Mohammed Lawan Yahuza, while Imo state Governor; Rochas Okorocha is listed as contesting the Imo West ticket with Senator Hope Uzodinma who is also contesting the governorship of the state.

    However, two former governors who have been in the senate for a long time, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima of Zamfara State and Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe) were conspicuously missing on the list and it was not clear whether they were screened out of the contest or decided not to return to the Senate.
    The National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said at different fora that it will be ungodly for the party not to reward loyal senators who stood by the party in its trying period, resisting all attempt to lure them away from the APC.

  • Abuse of office: Senate threatens to issue arrest warrant on IGP

    Abuse of office: Senate threatens to issue arrest warrant on IGP

    The Senate on Wednesday threatened to issue an arrest warrant against the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris if he fails to appear before its ad-hoc committee investigating allegations of abuse of office against him.

    Chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Senator Francis Alimikhena, gave the threat after waiting endlessly for the IGP for a scheduled investigative hearing in the Senate.

    The Edo North Senator told reporters that the IGP was summoned on October 16th, 2017 to appear before the panel to respond to allegations made against him by Senator Isah Hamman Misau.

    The panellists expressed dissatisfaction that the IGP failed to appear before the panel.

    Alimikhena noted that instead of appearing before the panel the IGP, through his lawyer, Alex Iziyon, wrote to the committee informing it that the matter was already in court.

    He said that the letter expressly stated that IGP will not appear before the panel because the matter for which he was invited was before the court.

    Alimikhena who appeared to have been angered by the letter, thundered nobody, including court, can stop the Senate from carrying out its constitutional duties.

    The lawmaker who is also Senate Deputy Chief Whip noted that the separation of powers guaranteed by law made it explicit that the Senate cannot be prevented in carrying out its constitutional duties by any other arm of government.

    He threatened that if the IGP fails to appear on November 7th, 2017, the committee would invoke Section 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to compel him to appear.

    Alimikhena who quoted copiously Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, insisted that the IGP “will be summoned again and must appear next Tuesday, 7th of November.

    Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which the committee is relying on to issue a warrant of arrest on the IGP, reads: “For the purposes of any investigation under section 88 of this Constitutional and subject to the provisions thereof, the Senate or the House of Representatives or a committee appointed in accordance with section 62 of this Constitution shall have power to procure all such evidence, written or oral, direct or circumstantial, as it may think necessary or desirable, and examine all persons as witnesses whose evidence may be material or relevant to the subject matter

    “Require such evidence to be given on oath; summon any person in Nigeria to give evidence at any place or produce any document or other thing in his possession or under his control, and examine him as a witness and require him to produce any document or other thing in his possession or under his control, subject to all just exceptions.

    “Issue a warrant to compel the attendance of any person who, after having been summoned to attend, fails, refuses or neglects to do so and does not excuse such failure, refusal or neglect to the satisfaction of the House or the committee in question, and order him to pay all costs which may have been occasioned in compelling his attendance or by reason of his failure, refusal or neglect to obey the summons, and also to impose such fine as may be prescribed for any such failure, refused or neglect; and any fine so imposed shall be recoverable in the same manner as a fine imposed by a court of law.

    “A summons or warrant issued under this section may be served or executed by any member of the Nigeria Police Force or by any person authorised in that behalf by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the case may require.”

    Alimikhena said: “We invited the IGP to appear before our committee. This morning (yesterday), we got a letter from his lawyer, Alex Iziyon, that he will not appear before this committee. He said the IGP has already gone to court and appearing will be sub-judiced.

    “It is our duty as a parliament to investigate the allegations raised. This committee was set up before they went to court. We cannot be stopped. No court can stop us from carrying out our duties. There is a separation of powers. No court can stop us.

    “We will invite him again next Tuesday. There are issues about virement in the 2017 budget which Misau also raised. We need him to respond to these allegations. We will invite him again and he will appear before us. If he fails to appear, we will invoke Section 89 of the 1999 constitution, as amended.”

    Misau,(Bauchi central) had while testifying before the probe panel, claimed that the IGP purchased two jeeps for the wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari.

    He also alleged that the IGP misused over N120 billion generated by the Force in one year.

    Misau further alleged that the police boss impregnated a serving police officer and hurriedly arranged a marriage ceremony in Kaduna.

    The Police boss, through the Force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, dismissed the claims as unfounded and smear campaign against the IGP.

    The police spokesman asked Nigerians to disregard the allegations against the IGP

    In like manner, Mrs. Buhari also denied the purchase of cars for her by the IGP.

  • Fire in Senator’s office

    Fire in Senator’s office

    There was a fire incident on Monday at the office of the Deputy Whip of the Senate, Senator Francis Alimikhena.
    The fire which reportedly started in the early hours of the day emanated from the Close Circuit, it was gathered.
    Although the fire did not cause substantial damage to the office, it blackened the walls and paintings.
    When newsmen visited the office around 20:30 p.m, some of the office staff were seen cleaning some partly damaged items while others were observed mobbing the floor.
     Senator Alimikhena was not seen in his office but one of the staff said that the Edo North lawmaker had been informed.
    The staff confirmed that the fire started from the CCTV in the office.
    National Assembly security officials were also seen moving in and out of the office located at room 4.29 Senate new wing.
  • Fire guts Senate chief whip’s office

    Fire guts Senate chief whip’s office

    The office of Senate chief whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena was on Monday gutted by fire.

    The fire incident was said to have destroyed some electrical appliances in the lawmakers’ office.

    Alimikhena is the Senator representing Edo North senatorial district in the senate.

    Details later…