Mimiano

The emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan and a former military Head of State, General Mohammadu Buhari (retd), as presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress respectively have set the stage for a political war among various ethnic and cultural groups in the country. SUNDAY PUNCH enquires showed that while some of the groups have taken decisions to queue behind either Jonathan or Buhari, others are in the process of taking decision on whom to support. This is happening even as some of the groups have, however, chosen to be neutral. Buhari is the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate for the February 2015 election. He defeated four other APC aspirants: Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Rochas Okorocha and Sam Nda-Isaiah to clinch the party’s ticket at a national convention/primary that held Thursday in Lagos. His victory sets him yet again as the number one challenger to President Goodluck Jonathan, who on We

Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, Akin Oke, has expressed his disappointment at a former governor of the state, Adebayo Alao-Akala, for his decision to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to the Labour Party, instead of the ruling APC. Alao-Akala had joined the LP on the day the PDP held its governorship primary election in Ibadan the state capital, in protest against the outcome of the exercise. Oke, while speaking on the development, wondered why Alao-Akala made the decision when his chances of success were brighter in the APC. While recognising Alao-Akala as a political heavyweight in the state, Oke said although APC might not give the ex-governor its governorship ticket, he would have gotten a senatorial ticket and with bright chances of success at the polls. Oke said, “Incidentally, Alao-Akala is my brother; we come from the same town and zone. I know his weight, he has a formidable weight. But I think he

former United States of America Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell A former United States ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, has raised the alarm that current situations in Nigeria, especially falling oil prices, are making it difficult for the country to avoid disintegration. He stated that apart from the Boko Haram insurgency plaguing the country, the falling oil prices posed a new challenge to the Federal Government. Campbell also noted that any attempt by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to pursue policies of austerity could lead to a protest similar to that of the oil subsidy removal in 2012. The Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies writing on the Council on Foreign Relations website said, “National elections are scheduled for February 14, 2015. Elections are the occasion and the venue for competition, often violent, among Nigeria’s fractured political elite. In the past, abundant oil money provided a means to resolve numer

National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Adamu Mu’Azu A Federal High Court in Abuja has served the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Adamu Muazu, an order warning him about the consequence of disobedience to its ruling over the conduct of the party’s primary election in Oyo State. The court in Abuja had earlier given a ruling, which said only delegates presented by three of the five members of the Aliyu Idi-Hong Ad- hoc Ward Congress Panel should be used by the party for its primary elections in Oyo State. But the party, as well as delegates from the congress, waved aside the ruling to conduct the Monday primary, using statutory delegates instead. The order dated December 9, 2014, warned that unless the party and others obey the directions contained in the ruling instituted by the party’s House of Assembly aspirant, Mr Adelowo Ademola, they would be guilty of contempt of court and liable to be committed to prison. Apart from the PDP chairman, others

Mr. Taofik Gani The Peoples Democratic Party has alleged that the governorship candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Lagos, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, was imposed by a national leader of the party. The Publicity Secretary for the PDP in Lagos, Mr. Gani Taofik, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, alleged that there would be defections from the APC before the February 2015 general elections. He cited the defeat of the former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in the state’s June governorship election as the reason why some APC members defected to other parties. Fayemi, who was the committee chairman of the recently held third national convention of the APC, on Wednesday, had described the special convention of the PDP holding on the same day as undemocratic. He described the PDP event as a coronation, rather than a convention, saying it was a ruse to endorse Jonathan. But Taofik described the reaction as a busybody’s stance, saying

Chairman, Northern Governors’ Forum, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu| credits: File copyNiger state Governor, Babangida Aliyu, on Saturday reiterated that Boko Haramwas not fighting a religious war and did not represent the tenets of Islam.Aliyu, who expressed sadness over the negative perception some “ignorant andmisguided” Nigerians had about Islam, stated that the religion was not only peaceful but democratic and with broadperspective in relating with people of other faiths.The governor, while speaking as the special guest at the 29th edition of the state’s Quran recitation competition in Bida, said those behind the terrorist group were infected with religious ignorance, adding that Islam is a religionof peace.Aliyu said the only way to correct the menace of religious ignorance was to encourage Quranic trainings and competitions. He said until ignorance of Islam was completely tackled, mischievous and self-serving people would continue to project the peaceful faith in a negative perspecti

Handsome upwardly mobile dude and deputy CEO of printing & signage company, Digiprints, Kingsley James, may not have a name and face that cuts across the society but he’s sure influential and connected in his own right. He is also doing very well for himself. Some got to know about him years back when his wife was shot dead in a robbery in Lagos. His little girl was lucky to have survived the bullet wounds. Frontline entertainers like D’Banj, Tee A, Gbenga Adeyinka among others had staged a walk to the state assembly and governor’s office to protest the activities of robbers in the state. Six years after he lost his wife, amiable James has a reason to smile