Minister tasks women with disabilities on political participation

Hajiya Zainab Maina

Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya  Zainab Maina, has advised women with  disabilities in the country to seek election into various political offices  and vote during the 2015 general elections.

She gave the advice yesterday at a workshop organised by the Advocacy for Women Disability Initiative (AWWDI) with the theme: “Women with disabilities making a difference” in Abuja.
The minister said women with disabilities should no longer confine themselves in their homes but take active part in the political process.

Kebbi PDP to trim guber aspirants

Governor Saidu Dakingari

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kebbi State has resolved to trim down the number of its gubernatorial aspirants towards a hitch free primary election.

Special adviser to Governor Saidu Dakingari on media and publicity,  Alh Ibrahim Musa Argungu who spoke to newsmen yesterday in Birnin Kebbi, said the action is part of the resolutions adopted at a meeting of stakeholders of the party held at the Council Chamber, Government House, Birnin Kebbi, presided over by former Minister of Sports, Engineer Bala Bawa Kaoje.

Patience excuses self as Jonathan’s meets with Dickson

Mrs. Patience Jonathan

Indications have emerged that the rift between the wife of the president, Patience Jonathan and the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, is far from over as the first lady yesterday excused herself to be absent at a meeting Jonathan was to have with elders from Bayelsa led by Dickson.

Dickson and the elders were at the president’s residence in the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, to congratulate him on his 57th birthday and were billed to be received by the president and his wife, when the latter who had been by the president since morning and had attended a prayer session, suddenly excused herself and left.

PDP knows exactly what to do to win Sokoto - Suleiman

Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman

Former minister of transport, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman, is aspiring for the PDP governorship ticket in Sokoto State. He explains in this interview issues surrounding his aspiration. Excerpts:

What has been the outcome of the visit of Chief Tony Aneni to PDP in Sokoto State?
Let me clear the misconception that has gone viral in Sokoto since the visit of the PDP family in state. Chief Anenih is one of the most respected politicians in Nigeria today. We all respect him, even across party lines. I am sure he enjoys equal respect among the opposition as he does in PDP because he is a true nationalist. He came to Sokoto to visit the PDP family, fraternise with them, and talk to us on how to ensure victory of the PDP in the 2015 elections. That was what he came to do. He did not come to foist a consensus candidate on the gubernatorial aspirants. His visit was basically to consolidate on the existing relationship and unity within the party, and assure us of national support. He wants us to go out and look for the people that will ensure our party becomes elected so that we’ll recover the mandate given to PDP in 2012 that has now been surreptitiously taken to APC. Because it was the PDP the populace voted for in 2012, we want to make sure the mandate goes back to the PDP. And we can only achieve that with purpose by going out to show ourselves as a strong united family.

Crisis in Ondo PDP over screening

 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State yesterday went through another round of crisis as the venue of the screening exercise for political nominees was turned into a battlefield when the old PDP members alleged they were being  marginalised  and prevented from participating in the exercise.

They alleged that officials sent to the state for the exercise which was held in a hotel in Akure, were not fair to them.
The protesting members told newsmen that they later discovered that the officials from Abuja led by  Mr Kenneth  Lucky  Imasuen  had gone to the Government House and later sneaked away from there after allegedly screening intending candidates from  the Governor Olusegun Mimiko-led faction of the PDP in the state.

Katsina PDP stakeholders in fresh moves to stop Shema’s candidate

Our correspondent learnt that the stakeholders, including six of the aspirants contesting the ticket of the party with Engr. Musa Nashuni who is seen as the Shema’s choice of a successor, held a meeting in Abuja and decided to take action to forestall the move by the governor.

APC presidential aspirants present blueprints in P/Harcourt Sunday

The five presidential aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will meet in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, November 23 to brainstorm on their individual blueprints to back their aspirations.

Court restrains PDP from recognising Taraba ward congresses

A Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from recognising the ward congresses of the Taraba State chapter  of the party until the determination of the suit before it.

APC primaries: ‘Kano backs Buhari’

The people of Kano State and Nigerians are backing General Muhammadu Buhari to emerge as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate to the forthcoming presidential primary election of the party coming up in December.
A stakeholder of the party in the state, Alhaji Mustapha Mohammed Dankadai, stated this in an interview with Daily Trust yesterday in Kano.
He said the legacy parties’ merger to wrestle power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), having in mind that Buhari is a candidate that can easily achieve that feat considering his huge supporters in the country.
“We members of the legacy parties, the defunct ACN, CPC and ANPP, surrendered our certificates to collapse into the APC, having in mind that Buhari will be our candidate going by his antecedent of pulling over 12 million votes in the defunct CPC, the party he formed less than a year to the election,” he said.
Dankadai condemned those calling on Buhari to shelve his presidential ambition citing age factor, saying: “It is not age that matters here, it is performance and acceptability of a candidate. You can put a younger politician but as long as that person has no support of the ordinary voters that age difference is zero and will have no effect.
“But General Buhari’s mass support from ordinary Nigerians is a known fact, so to bring issue of age differences is a political gimmick.
“Therefore my appeal to the delegates is to choose wisely during the convention because putting Buhari out of the race will definitely affect the party negatively and jeopardise APC chances at the polls as majority of ordinary voters may not even come out during the elections.”
Dankadai who is also the state Coordinator of Buhari Campaign Organisation, said General Buhari is also the only person with clean record and wide acceptability to the ordinary voters among the aspirants.
“If you look into General Buhari’s record, you can’t find a fault of corruption or legal issues that can be relied on to disqualify him in the race, because we don’t want a situation whereby APC shall field a candidate that can be disqualified by court or cannot even win his state because the possibility is there. But if we field Buhari there will be no such fear,” he said.

Abia PDP issued me fake clearance certificate - Assembly aspirant

An aspirant for the Abia State House of Assembly, Maduakolam Adighibe, has alleged that some agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) issued him fake provisional clearance certificate.
Adighibe, who is aspiring for Umuahia Central constituency, has, therefore, threatened through his lawyer to challenge the action.

APC reschedules date for guber primaries

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has made a slight adjustment to the timetable for its primary elections,  rescheduling the date for the governorship primary poll to  December 4.