WHY PRESIDENT JONATHAN SACKED MINISTER OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Inuwa Abdulkadir

President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir  as Minister of Youth Development.

In a statement signed today by Sam Nwaobasi, Media Assistant to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim,it was stated the President’s directive takes immediate effect.

Abdul-kadir was ordered to hand over to the permanent secretary of the ministry.

President Goodluck Jonathan sacked Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir as Minister of Youth Development.

In a statement signed today by Sam Nwaobasi, Media Assistant to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim,it was stated the President’s directive takes immediate effect.

Abdul-kadir was ordered to hand over to the permanent secretary of the ministry.

Although, the statement was silent on the reason for Mr. Abdul-Kadir’s sack, anonymous sources in the Presidency have said it might not be unconnected with Mr. Abdul-kadir serving as an interim official of a new political association, Voice of the People, VoP, floated by Mr. Wamakko and five other PDP governors ahead of 2015.

It has been gathered that the former minister may have been functioning as the protem secretary of the new group.

Various reports linked seven PDP governors- Chubuike Amaechi (Rivers), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Mr. Wamakko, all of who belong to the faction of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, chaired by Mr. Amaechi- with the new association.

The governors are believed to be opposed to the undeclared second term aspiration of Mr. Jonathan.

SOLUDO, OBAZE, AND FOUR OTHERS DISQUALIFIED FOR ANAMBRA GOVERNORSHIP RACE

Charles soludo

The gubernatorial screening panel of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has disqualified the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, immediate past Secretary to Anambra state Government Hon. Henry Oseloka Obaze and four other aspirants on the party’s platform for the November 16th Anambra state governorship elections.

According to a statement signed by the Chairman of the screening panel - Alhaji Tayo Sowunmi, its Secretary, Barrister Ifeanyi Mbaeri and a member, Chief Onwuka Ukwa at the end of the panel’s sitting, the six aspirants’ failed to scale through the Party’s test.

Some of the reasons given for not clearing the aspirants ranged from non-presentation of voters’ card, lack of evidence of financial strength to execute the campaign, incomplete certificate and their inability to submit tax clearance. Sources at the panel sitting said.

The six aspirants that failed the screening include: Emmanuel Nweke, Ogbuefi Tony Nnaechetta, Chinedu Francis Idigo, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, Hon. Henry Oseloka Obaze and Professor Charles Soludo.

The panel also informed reporters that seven aspirants were successful and they are Hon. Chukwuemeka Emmanuel Nwogbo, Paul Odenigbo, Hon. Uche Lillian Ekwunife, Chief Willie Obiano, John Nwosu, John Okechukwu Emeka and Nwachi Patrick Obianwu.

PDP: SOUTH EAST ENDORSES JONATHAN FOR 2015 PRESIDENCY

Ahead of the 2015 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South East zone has endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate.

The PDP zonal vice chairman, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd) disclosed this at a PDP rally in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

He stated that President Jonathan has, so far, done well and therefore deserves a second term in office.

 “The PDP in the South East zone has declared its full support for President Jonathan to contest a second term in office; he has done very well and deserves a second term and we, the PDP in the South East zone will work hard to ensure his victory”. Akobundu said.

Also, at the rally, Prince Kenneth Emekayi was presented by Akobundu as the authentic chairman of the PDP in Anambra State, as well as the governorship aspirants of the party for the November 16 election in the state.

The 11 governorship aspirants who attended the rally were: Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, Mrs Josephine Anenih, Chief Sylvester Okonkwo, Dr.Obinna Uzoh, Chief Ugochukwu Okeke, Chief Walter Ubaka Okeke, Comrade Tony Nwoye, Senator Emma Anosike, Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, Mr. Charles Odunukwe, and Chief Akachukwu Nwankpo.

Meanwhile, both Chief Chris Uba and his elder brother, Senator Andy Uba (Anambra South), were absent at the PDP rally held at Ekwueme Square, Awka.

'WE WERE BLACKMAILED TO SUPPORT CHILD MARRIAGE' - Senate President

SENATE President, David Mark, has revealed that some of his colleagues were blackmailed to vote against deleting  the controversial Section 29(4)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, as recommended by the Senate committee on the review of the constitution.

He made this disclosure when he received some women organisations and civil societies that visited the Senate leadership to press home the need for the lawmakers to revisit the voting exercise, with a view to deleting the section.

Mark pointed out that because a religious connotation was brought into the matter of child Marriage, which is a very sensitive issue, a lot of misunderstanding and blackmail have trailed the matter in recent times.

“We wanted to remove it but it failed. On that day, we were a total of 101. Eighty five voted and I think about six or so abstained. There was hardly any dissenting votes, but once it got mixed up with so many other issues, it didn’t get the required 73 votes anymore.  So, first of all, I think the castigation outside is done out of misunderstanding.

“Let me also talk to my own brothers and sisters who are senators, who were probably blackmailed. That is the fact, because it is in the open; that I cannot also hide it and nobody can hide it.

“They were simply blackmailed, and on that day, if they didn’t do what they did, nobody knows the outcome or how the consequences will be today, because the people outside can say this man, you are Muslim and didn’t vote for something that is of Islamic interest. If we don’t hit the nail on the head, we may never get it right,” he said.

Mark, however, said the controversial issue might be revisited if there was enough enlightenment, adding that what was good for the country was for everybody and not for a particular religious body or sect.

The women organisations were led by the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina; former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwezeli; a former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Josephine Anenih; the wife of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mrs Maryam Uwais and the chairperson of the Gender and Constitution Reform Network (GECORN), Mrs Saadatu Mahdi.

IF PDP WILL DIE, I'LL BURY IT - Gov. Nyako

 

Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako has, this afternoon, predicted that it would not be long before the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  is pronounced dead.

Nyako, in an interview with BBC Hause Service, during an afternoon programme (Shirin Rana), said some of the party’s stakeholders were still members of the party because of the political positions they are presently occupying.

“People are saying that the PDP is dead or about to die but a concerned person like me will remain in the party till it dies and give it a befitting burial. If PDP will die, let it die in our hands so that we will give it a befitting burial and mourn her, he said.

“The party is currently going through its worst times as a result of the highhandedness and anarchy with which the leadership of the party at the National level is addressing issues.

“The problem of the party lies with those stalwarts in Abuja that have succeeded in putting the party in a state of coma, and it is our fervent hope that they will be prevailed upon to do the right thing so that the party can be cured of its ailment." Nyako further alleged.

According to him, it was due to the decay of things in the party that some of the concerned governors started meeting with some powerful stakeholders in the party.

This, he revealed was the reason for their visit to Abeokuta on Saturday to meet with former president, Olusegun Obasanjo.