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.

DEFECTION: DANIEL BLOCKED FROM SEEING OBASANJO

Attempts by former Ogun State governor Gbenga Daniel to get the blessing of his estranged political godfather, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo was scuttled on Sunday, as he was prevented from gaining entry into the former president’s house.

KATSINA: AGITATIONS FOR JONATHAN TO REPLACE SAMBO WITH SHEMA

A political pressure group, Albrite Continuity for Jonathan 2015, has advocated for the replacement of Vice President Namadi Sambo with Governor Ibrahim Shema as running mate to President Goodluck Jonathan ahead 2015.

Stop using Jonathan’s name to intimidate opponents —Jimeta

A People’s Democratic Party  (PDP) governorship aspirant in Adamawa State, Mohammed Sabo Jimeta, has warned aspirants against using the name  President Goodluck Jonathan and that of  the national chairman of PDP to intimidate opponents ahead of party’s primary election.

900 pro-Jonathan and PDP groups registered in North East

Political Adviser to the President, Professor Rufa’i Ahmed Alkali said the Presidency screened interest groups supporting President Goodluck Jonathan to know their sponsors and level of commitment.

The screening exercise which started last week Monday ended on Sunday.
Professor Alkali who monitored the exercise in Kaduna on Sunday said many groups have indicated interest to support the President and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 2010, but said there was no effort to authenticate them.  

Nyako: APC North East caucus asks Jonathan to call PDP to order

Goodluck Jonathan

The North East caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the current attempt to impeach Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State as a forceful means of paving way for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to take over the state.

Addressing newsmen after a meeting of the caucus in Abuja yesterday, national vice chairman, North East of the APC, Eng.Bisichi David Lawal, called on President Goodluck Jonathan to call his party men to order in order not to throw the state into chaos.

“The Ekiti election is a reflection and determination" says Jonathan’s aide

 

Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on youth and student matters, Comrade Jude Imagwe, yesterday called on politicians to emulate Governor Kayode Fayemi of the Ekiti State.
The aide said by accepting the results of the last Saturday’s governorship election, Governor Fayemi won himself a place in the country’s history.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Convention Planning Committee of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Abuja, Imagwe said “Accepting defeat in a free and fair election is an act that must be emulated by all political players.”

"He promise to serve one year" - Sen Adamu

Senator Abdullahi Adamu was the governor of Nasarawa State from 1999-2007, and a former secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees. He says contrary to the denials, President Goodluck Jonathan did sign an agreement to run for only one term as president in 2010. He also speaks on the challenges the All Progressives Congress (APC) is facing from the PDP in Nasarawa State and his relations with Information Minister, Labaran Maku.  Excerpts:

You did say recently that you were present at the meeting where President Goodluck Jonathan agreed to serve for only one term in 2010, can you tell us more?
I was part and parcel of that meeting. I was not the secretary or chairman of the party at that time but I was present at the meeting. The issue arose when people from the northern part of the country who were members of the meeting came up with the argument that the PDP has enthroned zoning and that after former President Olusegun Obasanjo, it was late Umaru Musa Yar’adua who had opportunity to be president as a northerner but as God would have it, he didn’t live to see his tenure through.

"Lets support him and ensure that peace reign" says PDP

Former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, yesterday told a group campaigning for President Goodluck Jonathan against 2015, to marry its talks with actions.

“OUR PRESIDENT IS CONFUSED”

His Excellency president Goodluck Ebelle Jonathan (G.E.J) is trying is possible best as a confused person, who cannot speak or think on his own.

MR.President Stop using boko-haram as excuse for your incompetence - APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday said the killing of the Emir of Gwoza in Borno State, has put a lie to claims by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration that the Boko Haram is a northern political response to bring down his government.

why we are supporting Mr.President says Dr. Udenta O Udenta

Dr. Udenta O Udenta

                                                                                                                                                                      Dr. Udenta O Udenta, director of public communications and strategy for the pro-Jonathan group, Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), talks about the association and why it believes in Jonathan. Excerpts:

REP TERAB says he wish we had ‘CIVILIAN JTF’ in nigeria army

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

                      

Abdurahman Abba Terab represents Bama/ Gamboru Ngala Federal constituency of Borno State. In this interview, Terab speaks on the recent attack on Gamboru, the extension of emergency rule  and why he thinks the ‘Civilian JTF’ vigilantes should be recruited into the Nigerian Army. Excerpts:

You visited Gamboru Ngala just a day after the attack by Boko Haram, can you describe what you saw?
The situation in Gamboru Ngala is a very devastating one. I think it is the worst attack we have recorded so far in the whole of the state and particularly in my constituency, which has been the hotbed of insurgency attacks. But what is most worrisome is the fact that there are pattern that this insurgency has developed and these patterns are in situations whereby the Nigerian army while on their duty posts are asked to vacate their posts for one reason or the other. And particularly worrisome was the case of Gamboru Ngala, where not a single one of them was allowed to stay at their duty posts with the notion that they have gone in search of the Chibok abducted girls on the shores of Lake Chad. And even more pertinent was the fact that the soldiers did not go there alone, they even went with the Civilian JTF, who have taken up the responsibility to defend their communities, especially the Gamboru Ngala community. I was confronted by some Nigerian soldiers who complained about orders given to them before the attack. When I presented my motion on matters of urgent national importance, I queried why the military were asked to vacate their posts saying it must be investigated by the military authorities. Because this pattern is becoming too many.

PDP TO APC : Stop insulting jonathan

National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of mouthing sustained insults against the office and person of the President.

The PDP said this is part of a plot to truncate the nation’s democracy.
PDP in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, said by hauling insults against a democratically elected president, the APC is directly insulting Nigerians and showing disdain for the institution of democracy.

APC chieftain in Kano state support president jonathan - Akpabio

                                                                    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, Alhaji Abdulrahaman Baffa Yola, yesterday threw his weight behind the statement by Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso on President Goodluck Jonathan and Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswil Akpabio.

Mr president as no business going to chibok says Asara

Chief Asara Asara Aki IX is the paramount ruler of   Obanema of Akipelai kingdom in Bayelsa State and a member of the National Conference. He explains in this interview why President Goodluck Jonathan should not be blamed for the insecurity in the country. Excerpts:

Initial fears about the Confab are that it will lead to the country’s break up. Would you say the fear has been dispelled?
The confab is moving forward as expected, because you know in the president’s inaugural speech, he made a statement on the two things that we must not discuss; the indivisibility and the unity of this country, but to me I feel the other way, because even if it is a marriage, as husband and wife, you have to discuss, you have to meet your fiancée, speak to her, convince her, then she will assess you, look at your qualities, then she will accept you.  But in the case of Nigeria, there is nothing like that. They just got up one day, and one white man who has finished taking tea called the people and said you are  together, and the people have been managing themselves until now and therefore, there is need to discuss.

Jonathan assigned confab to fail – Junaid

 

 A Kano State delegate to the ongoing National Conference, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, speaks about the conference, among other current national issues. Excerpt:

Would you say you are satisfied with the quality of debate at the National Conference so far?

I was absolutely flabbergasted with the quality of debate at the initial plenary because the entire debate was confined to grandstanding, praising the President to high heavens and praising his speech which everybody knows is nothing but a collection of bits and pieces put together by civil servants, (and) poorly edited for that matter. Having finished that, when those who came because they were nominated by the President

Jonathan’s visit to Chibok is symptomatic - APC

Lai Mohammed

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described President Goodluck Jonathan’s aborted trip to Chibok as symptomatic of his administration’s policy somersault in the fight against the terror group Boko Haram.

Interim National Publicity Secretary of the party, Lai Mohammed, said in a statement that Jonathan’s action did not come as a surprise to close watchers of his administration.
The party said the administration has since bungled the fight against the sect and exhibited cluelessness in handling the abduction of the over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok.
“As usual, a trip - belated as it were - that could have gone a long way in redeeming the battered global image of the Jonathan administration

Jonathan, PDP are fully committed to ensuring the safe return of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees Chief Tony Anenih has said that President Goodluck Jonathan and the party “are fully committed to ensuring the safe return” of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.

Anenih in a statement issued in Abuja also called on Nigerians to unite and support the government in the fight against the Boko Haram sect, saying it was imperative for Nigerians to come together

Tenure extension for Jonathan been rejected by Confab delegates

Former Chief Justice of Nigeria and chairman of the conference, retired Justice Idris Kutigi

Delegates attending the National Conference have said they will not extend the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan and other elected government officials.

A member of the conference from South-South Chief Okon Osung, who is making the proposal, had on Friday said he had already distributed the proposal to some delegates, including all the 24-members in the Public Finance Committee, headed by a former Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Adamu Aliero.

The delegate insisted that the proposal for postponing the 2015 elections for 18 months was to take the “wind out of the sail of coup enthusiasts and proponents, and thereby deny them the excuse of plotting coups.

“The inbuilt mechanism inherent in democracy should be allowed to operate so that coup plotters