Osinbajo cannot replace Buhari in 2019 if president dies – Northern Elders

Chairman of Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi, has maintained that should President Muhammadu Buhari’s failing health prevents him from seeking re-election in 2019, the North must retain the presidency.

Abdullahi stressed that the region must be allowed to field a presidential candidate through the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2019 should Buhari fail to seek re-election.

The don said in the situation of any eventuality, the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo should be allowed to complete the current tenure but will not be allowed to contest in 2019.

Speaking with New Telegraph, Abdullahi said, “The constitutional provision says that in the event that the president dies in office or becomes incapacitated for one reason or the other and cannot perform the duties of his office, he will be succeeded by the Vice president.

“But no one is in a position to know at what point he is going to recover fully and come back to office, or whether the unexpected could happen.The northern elders insist that Osinbajo cannot replace Buhari in 2019

“If the worst case scenario happens, and Buhari is not back on seat, the constitution is very clear that the vice president takes over.

“And what we then expect is that he will take that tenure to its logical end and from there, the politics of power sharing will take precedence over anything else.

“When the unexpected happens, in 2019 we will be back to our position that the north should be treated equitably and fairly.

“And we expect that another northern candidate will emerge as presidential candidate on the platform of APC.”

Jonathan’s six years as Nigeria’s president a wasted opportunity for Ijaws – Governor Dickson

Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson has said the six years Goodluck Jonathan spent as Nigeria’s president, was a wasted opportunity for the Ijaws.

Dickson alleged that this was because some Ministers and other presidential aides from Bayelsa were after selfish interests.

The Governor said this while speaking at the Ijaw House, Yenagoa, where Ijaw leaders and youths gathered for the annual celebration of their hero, Major Adaka Boroh, on Tuesday.

Dickson claimed those who served in the Presidency for six years, failed to work with him in the quest to bring development to the state, because “they suffered from the Bayelsa-Ijaw disease of pulling-him-down syndrome.

“It is true that we are celebrating Boroh, but ask yourself whether you are doing your bit. Boroh came, saw and did his bit and has gone. I and my team have come and we have taken up the battle from where Boroh stopped and we are doing our duties.

“Each of us must examine ourselves and to be frank we have not done very serious examination in this state and in the Ijaw nation. We cannot blame God. God has been very merciful and kind to us particularly of late,” he added.

Critical stakeholders in Makarfi-led PDP will defect if Sheriff wins Supreme Court appeal – Fayose

kiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said "critical stakeholders" loyal to Senator Ahmed Makarfi’s faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will defect to another party, if Senator Ali-Modu Sheriff wins the appeal at the Supreme Court.

The governor stated this in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday while responding to questions from journalists.

Fayose said he has no intention to leave the PDP, adding that should he wants to, no law prohibited him from defecting if the party can’t be a veritable platform for him to advance his political frontiers in 2018.

He said: “I am still a member of the PDP and still the Chairman of the PDP governor’s forum, there are no two sides to it. But the strategy for 2018 poll is strictly my own business. No law says I should not run on the platform of another party if the PDP is no longer a right direction depending on circumstances.

“If they are bent on destroying the PDP, let them go ahead but I will never have anything to do with Senator Sheriff. The party is like a vehicle and the vehicle can’t be more important than the driver.”

He added: “They robbed our party in Edo State and same in Ondo State. Nobody can steal our votes here in Ekiti, because I am on ground and I will tell them I am the master of the game”.




Daily Trust

Wike Receives 8,000 APC Decampees In PH, Thursday

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike will on Thursday officially receive over 8,000 deampees from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The chairman of the PDP in the State, Bro Felix Obuah announced this last Thursday when he received the APC decampees from Akuku-Toru and Degema Local Government Areas of the State.

Welcoming the decampees into the PDP, Obuah assured them of good treatment and enjoyment of all rights and privileges in the party, without discrimination.

He said that already, some former Commissioners in the Rotimi Amaechi administration, Amaechi’s  personal aides and some APC leaders have indicated interest to decamp to the PDP and participate in the reception party on Thursday in Port Harcourt.

Obuah advised others in what he called the APC sinking boat to take advantage of the “specious and well-ventilated umbrella,” of the PDP to return to the party.

According to him, the PDP is ready to receive all who “genuinely repent of their sins against Rivers people and are ready to key into the development vision of good governance championed by Governor Nyesom Wike in the State”.

Meanwhile,  the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, says its umbrella is large enough to accommodate everyone, including leaders of the APC, who decide to come back home to join the development-sensitive government under Gov. Nyesom Wike.

The PDP position follows an endless list of decampees from the APC to the PDP in Rivers State, the latest of which include the former Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s Chief Political Strategist, Chief Emeh Glory Emeh, who led other chieftains of the APC back to the PDP.

Chief Emeh’s move further opened the door for over 8000 decampees from the APC across the 23 Local Government Areas of the State, the latest coming from Asari-Toru and Degema Local Government Areas of the State, respectively.

Chief Emeh coordinated the daily defections of members and leaders of the APC to the PDP, some of which include the over 200 former Councilors of the APC, who were sacked by the Court, former SA to Amaechi on Internal Revenue, Nwankwo Nwankwo, former Commissioner for Culture under Rotimi Amaechi, Sunny Nwokekoro, APC Leader in ONELGA, Merino Okiraija, former Chairman of Emohua LGA, Bob Okala, and numerous non-indigenes residing in the various LGAs who left the APC, amongst others. These are clear indications that the APC structure in the State has collapsed.

The leader of the decampees from Akulga who was a former leader of the LGA Legislative Assembly, Hon. Orolosama Amachree, at the event, accused former Governor Rotimi Amaechi of coercing all ‘elected’ Chairmen and Councilors of the APC into instituting legal action against the government of Chief (Barr) Nyesom Ezenwo Wike as a gimmick to make the State ungovernable.

According to Amachree whose scores of supporters turned the occasion into gyration amid singing and dancing, the violent activities of former Council Chairman, Ojukaye Flag Amachree had plunged the area into crisis which rendered his followers homeless, prompting them to flee to Abuja where they hoped to get succor from Amaechi who is Rivers APC Leader and Minister for Transportation.

“But when we met Amaechi, our leader in Abuja and told him of our predicament and requested his assistance to get accommodation, he bluntly told us “If you don’t have accommodation why did you have to come to me. Am I the landlord of Abuja”, said Amachree who is reputed for his grassroots followership.

Another ‘big fish’ caught by the PDP dragnet was the Vice Chairman in Degema LGA, Hon. Samuel Ikiroma who stormed the PDP Secretariat with hundreds of supporters.





The Tide

Anambra speaker absconds with mace to avert impeachment

There was confusion at the Anambra State House of Assembly on Thursday following a move to impeach the speaker , Mrs . Rita Maduagwu, by members.

Noticing the move, the speaker absconded with the mace, the symbol of authority of the legislative house .

Before that , no fewer than 28 members of the house had assembled at the chamber for the business of the day.

Amidst the confusion, Governor Willie Obiano drove to the House of Assembly complex, apparently to intercede .

Our source said the governor addressed the 28 members of the house , who are members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, pleading with them to persuade others not to carry out the impeachment .

The speaker, noticing that her members were adamant in carrying out their mission , absconded with the mace, unnoticed .
When the bell heralding her coming into the chambers rang repeatedly, the speaker was nowhere to be found .

This caused the Majority Leader , Victor Okoye , to call for the adjournment of the house till Tuesday , April 11.

Speaking with journalists, the member representing Ekwusigo state constituency, Mr . Onyebuchi Offor , expressed dissatisfaction with the speaker’s attitude.

He said “ We came this morning to hold our normal session only to be disappointed that the speaker had absconded with the mace.”








Punch

Senate/Presidency face-off: N’Assembly did no wrong, say Saraki, Dogara

The President of the Senate , Bukola Saraki ; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, have said no amount of intimidation would make the National Assembly to abandon its core mandate .

Saraki and Dogara spoke while addressing some pro - National Assembly protesters, under the aegis of the Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution , in Abuja on Thursday.

The National Assembly leaders , through their representatives at the rally, Senators Olamilekan Adeola , Samuel Anyanwu and Abdufatai Buhari , addressed the protesters.

Adeola , who spoke on behalf of the delegation , said the legislature would continue to play its constitutional roles and not allow itself to be distracted .

He urged Nigerians to believe in the National Assembly, which , he said , had resolved to ensure that Nigerians got their share of democratic dividends.

Adeola said, “ Let me stand on behalf of the leadership of the National Assembly under Senator Bukola Saraki ; and the Speaker , House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara , to thank the people of this country for coming out in their numbers like this to say ‘ no to killing of the legislature .’

“ Like you have rightly said, the legislature remains the symbol of democracy . If by tomorrow there is an institution of democracy that needs to be shut down; to say there’ s no more democracy in Nigeria , it is the legislature because we remain the voice of the people; we remain the representatives of the people and we are the spokespersons for the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria .”

According to him , the governance of the country rested only on the 469 legislators in the National Assembly, the President and the Vice - President .

He stressed that every other person in government was either an appointee or an agent of an arm of the government .

In his speech, the CO - convener, CDNDC , Mr . Ariyo -Dare Atoye , said the group was concerned about the recent strain in the relationship between the executive and the legislature .

He said the protest was meant to draw the attention to the alleged continued efforts by the executive to undermine the legislature .

Atoye said, “ We are here to inform the world that democracy is under threat in Nigeria ; that democracy is being undermined in the Federal Republic of Nigeria .

“ You will recall that the only institution that is always outside any time we have military aberration and interregnum is the institution of the National Assembly .

But we have seen some kind of very wicked satanic and devilish attempts to destroy the National Assembly by some people who come out with some kind of obnoxious propositions about the need to scrap the Senate or the National Assembly. ”









Punch