18082018 - Dkaura ready for Ruhari - President returns today

Post 2019: Plot against Tinubu
unfolds in Osun
By Emmanuel Aziken
There is apprehension
in sections of the All
Progressives Congress, APC
over alleged moves to polarise
the Southwest zone of
the party ahead of the 2019
general elections with next
month’s governorship election
in Osun State as a
springboard. At the centre
of the plot are two governors
from the region, a federal
minister and a prominent
member of the National
Assembly that is presently
embattled over his defection
from the party.
The various tendencies
Saturday Vanguard gathered
at the weekend have
coalesced to confront the
official party candidate in
the Osun State governorship
election, Alhaji Gboyega
Oyetola who is believed
to be a relation of national
party leader, Asiwaju Bola
Ahmed Tinubu.
The plotters who succeeded
in the same scheme in
forcing out Tinubu’s candidate
in the Ondo State governorship
election, Segun
Abraham during the APC
primary, Saturday Vanguard
gathered have also
gathered to ensure that Oyetola
does not win. The aim
it was gathered, is to diminish
Tinubu’s political worth
ahead of the 2023 political
election when Tinubu is
generally expected to contest
the presidential ticket of
the party.
Presently, Tinubu’s political
leverage in the Southwest
has been limited to
Lagos, Oyo and Osun States
By Omeiza Ajayi
THE predictions of a
high-stakes political
battle ahead of 2019
election, appear to have
been corroborated yesterday
by the All Progressives
Congress, APC, declaration
that the poll had been
won and lost. A statement
by the party’s National
Publicity Secretary, Mr.
Yekini Nabena accused the
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, of using propaganda
to attract votes.
In addition, APC said the
party was being obsessed
with the amendment to
Nigeria’s Electoral Act
which had not been signed.
The statement reads:
“The PDP has realised that
the 2019 election has been
won and lost. If the election
is held today, it is clear
that the APC will win by a
landslide, judging by visible
and landmark
achievements recorded by
the President Buhari administration.
This is an
apparent fact that gives the
PDP sleepless nights.
Hence its daily lies and
propaganda in its desperate
early campaign to attract
non- existent votes
“PDP’s attempt to hide
under the yet to be assented
Electoral Act Amendment
Bill is an attempt to
draw attention away from
the treasonable actions of
the Senate President, Dr.
Bukola Saraki who has
refused to convene the Na-
after seemingly independent
party men emerged as
governors in Ogun, Ondo
and now Ekiti; respectively
Senator Ibikunle Amosun,
Chief Rotimi Akeredolu and
Dr. Kayode Fayemi respectively.
The aim of the plot is
to deny Tinubu a foothold
in Osun State after the spirited
effort to stop Oyetola
from emerging as the party’s
candidate failed.
Oyetola emerged as the
candidate of the party after
a primary election involving
all party members. That
primary was, however, preceded
by crisis that forced a
number of party officers including
local government
chairmen to stand up to the
leadership of the party in the
state and Abuja.
Just before the primaries,
the erstwhile Secretary to
the State Government, Alhaji
Moshood Adeoti, a veteran
party organiser who
was an aspirant in the contest
resigned his appointment
as SSG and membership
of the party and defected
to the Action Democratic
Party, ADP where he
emerged as candidate.
APC spokesman in the
state, Barrister Kunle
Oyatomi in an interview
told Saturday Vanguard
that the party did everything
to stop Adeoti from leaving
but that his aspiration
seemed to have overwhelmed
him. Other stakeholders
privy to the developments
in the state were,
however, less cautious as
they insinuated external influence
on Adeoti, a former
party chairman in the state.
Adeoti, it was gathered is the
focus of the love of the anti-
Tinubu southwest political
chieftains who it is claimed
are propping him to stop
Oyetola. “We made several
efforts to bring him back,
the governor called him, the
elders called him to plead
with him, but when you have
made up your mind, there
is nothing anyone can do,”
Oyatomi said.
“He had made up his
mind because he was part
of the structure of the APC
in the state. He was the first
chairman and transformed
into AC, ACN, and APC.
“Irrespective of his decamping,
or leaving the
APC, the party is still the
party to beat in the state,”
Oyatomi told Saturday
Vanguard. A party stakeholder
in the state told Saturday
Vanguard:
“He did so well but unfortunately,
ambition can
blind anybody and he allowed
ambition to blind
him that he didn’t see where
he was going.”
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (right) welcoming the new
General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division of the Nigerian Army,
Enugu, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Boman Kabuk, when he paid a courtesy visit
to the governor at the Government House, Enugu, yesterday.
2019 election won and lost, APC boasts to PDP
tional Assembly to consider
at plenary the crucial
2019 Election Budget of
the Independent National
Electoral Commission
(INEC)”.
“The Electoral Amendment
Bill passed by the
National Assembly is alive
and awaiting assent. However,
assent to bills in all
democratic governments
reflects the prudence and
discretion of the president
in balancing the powers of
key constitutional bodies
and understanding the
concerns of the executive.
“While we strongly condemn
the abuse of office by
the Senate President
backed by his PDP cohorts
in sabotaging the executive,
specifically INEC, all
well-meaning Nigerians
have a duty to speak up
and ensure that the National
Assembly performs
its constitutional role and
not serve an individual’s
personal interest.
“We call on all Nigerians,
civil society and indeed
the international
community to resist the
ongoing travesty and legislative
rascality being perpetuated
by the Senate
President and the PDP. The
sanctity of our electoral
system is being threatened
by this orchestrated sabotage
and deliberate attempt
to weaken INEC as
we prepare for the general
elections in 2019. The National
Assembly must be
convened immediately.’
2019 elections: SDA Church alleges disenfranchisement
of over 250,000 members
*Wants polls, JAMB exams stopped from
holding on Saturdays
By Levinus Nwabughiogu
Seventh-Day Adventist
Church, SDA, owners
of Babcock and Clifford
Universities has alleged a
disenfranchisement of
270,000 of its members during
elections in Nigeria.
This, the church, said
comes on the account of the
continued conduct of elections
on Saturdays which is
their day of worship.
Speaking at a press conference
which came on the
heels of a maiden Convention
of Adventist Men’ Organization,
AMO in the
Northern Nigeria Union
Conference of the Church
in Abuja, the President,
Pastor Freeman Dariya
said that also stated that it
was against the letters of the
Bible and the religious liberty
as enshrined in the 1999
Constitution (As Amended)
to conduct mandatory university
entrance examinations
on Saturdays.
He said that many of their
children within the school
age had been deprived of
admission into various universities
by the Joint Admission
and Matriculation
Board, JAMB for fixing the
entrance examinations on
Saturdays.
He appealed to President
Muhammadu Buhari and
the Independent National
Electoral Commission,
INEC to adopt measures
that would enable the members
to vote during elections.
Pastor Dariye was flanked
at the briefing by some pastors
and other church workers
among whom were
Pastor Yohanna Harry (Executive
Secretary, Northern
Nigeria Union Conference
of Seventh-day Adventist
Church),
Pastor Micah Nasamu
(President, North Central
Nigeria Conference of Seventh-day
Adventist Church),
Pastor Amos Katia (Executive
Secretary, North Central
Nigeria Conference,
and Elder Emmanuel Ogbonna
(Director, Adventist
Men’s Organization,
Northern Nigeria Union
Conference of Seventh-Day
Adventist Church).
He said: “The Seventhday
Adventist Church is a
major Christian Denomination
with a significant
presence in Nigeria with
over 278,000 population.
“We worship on Saturdays
not for personal reasons
but Biblical, which are
founded in the scripture and
dates back to creation (Genesis
2:1-3; Exodus 20:8).
SATURDAY Vanguard, AUGUST 18, 2018 — 5
Nigeria must drop all charges
against journalist Samuel
Ogundipe - IPI
*Condemns pattern of forcing
journalists to reveal their sources
The International Press Institute (IPI), a global net
work of editors, media executives and leading journalists,
welcomed yesterday’s release of Nigerian journalist
Samuel Ogundipe on bail but demanded that all charges
against him be dropped. Ogundipe was arrested by Nigerian
police on August 14 after the his online platform, the
Premium Times, published a report sent by the country’s
inspector general of police (IGP) to Vice President Yemi
Osinbajo, who is currently serving as acting president. The
report detailed the actions of the former director of Nigeria’s
State Security Service (SSS) in relation to an incident
in which security operatives blocked lawmakers from entering
the National Assembly on August 7. The police are
demanding that Ogundipe reveal his sources for the IGP
report. They are also accusing him of stealing the document
containing the message to the Acting President. The
Premium Times reported that Ogundipe was released yesterday
morning after posting bail in the amount of
N500,000 (around 1,215 euros). “The prosecution of Samuel
Ogundipe is a form of harassment against a journalist
who has been carrying out his work professionally and in
full respect of the principles included in the Code of Ethics
of the Nigerian Press Council”, IPI Executive Director Barbara
Trionfi said. “
The confidentiality of sources is universally acknowledged
both as a duty and a right of journalists, as it is a necessary
precondition for journalistic work.” She added: “International
principles and treaties, including the 2002 Declaration
of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa adopted
by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
in 2002 and which represents an important milestone for
media freedom in Africa, sets clear obligations on African
Union member states to guarantee the confidentiality of
journalistic sources.” In arresting and prosecuting Ogundipe,
the Nigerian government has also violated Article 66
of the Treaty of ECOWAS signed in Lagos in 1975, which
requires member states to “ensure respect for the rights of
journalists”, Trionfi added. In June of this year, Nigerian
President Muhammadu Buhari, inaugurating the 67th IPI
World Congress in Abuja, said that “good journalism promotes
good governance”. He added: “In an environment
where fake news dwarfs investigative reporting, good journalism
matters”.
“Unfortunately, President Buhari’s words do not resonate
in the actions of the police, and investigative journalism
still faces great obstacles today in Nigeria”, Trionfi said.
“The article published by the Premium Times is an example
of good investigative reporting. Nigerian officials
should cherish this type of journalism and so send a clear
message about their serious intention to fight corruption
and wrongdoing in the country”. Arresting journalists and
asking them to disclose their sources has become a pattern
in Nigeria. In April 2013, two journalists of the Leadership
newspaper were detained for several days after they refused
to disclose their sources. In March of this year, Tony Ezimakor,
Abuja bureau chief of the Independent, was arrested
and pressed to reveal his sources after he reported about
the government’s allegedly paying ransom to Boko Haram
for the release of kidnapped girls. He was later released
without any charges. The arrest of Ogundipe comes amid
deepened scrutiny of press freedom in Nigeria.
2 feared dead, many
trapped as 4-storey building
collapses in Abuja
By Luminous Jannamike
A
four-storey
building under construction in Jabi
district of the FCT has collapsed. The incident,
which occurred on Friday, left scores particularly the
workers on site trapped under the debris.
An eyewitness, Mr. Chima Azu, told Saturday Vanguard
that the building located along Obafemi Awolowo
way in Abuja sank into the ground a few metres before
collapsing to the side. He added that five bodies were
rescued with two men feared dead.
According to him, "I left my office situated opposite
the collapsed building to visit some clients. As I stood
along Awolowo way waiting for a cab, I heard a very
loud noise. "I saw the building sink into the ground before
the third and the newly added fourth floors fell by
the side. With the air polluted by massive dust, we scampered
first for our own safety. It took about two hours for
serious rescue operations by relevant agencies to commence
on the site. "So far, five persons were rescued with
two feared dead. Of the three that survived, one man
miraculously came out of the debris on his own. Another
victim made some calls while still trapped underground,
saying that he was suffocating. We have been calling
back his number but he no longer picks our calls."
Another eyewitness, Abubakar Umar, said that the
building was abandoned in the area for close to two
decades until recently when activities resumed on site.
"I moved to this area in 2001 as a child. I literally grew
into an adult knowing that this collapsed structure was
an abandoned building," he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of FCT, Alhaji Mohammed
Bello, who expressed sadness over the incident, vowed
that the Federal Capital Territory Administration will
investigate the incident with a view to unravelling the
major causes. In his reaction, the Acting President, Prof.
Yemi Osinbajo, commended the rescue operators for their
prompt response in the rescue operations.