State High Court sitting in Port
Harcourt, the Rivers State capital,
has granted an order of Interlocutory
Injunction filed by some aggrieved
members of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, in the state restraining
the party from holding its local
government congress scheduled for
today, Saturday May 12.
This is as some thugs took over
the premises of the state high court
yesterday, following a protest by
another faction of the APC against the
court sitting, leading to the brutalisation
of some journalists.
The development caused panic and
heavy traffic jam, even as some security
operatives shot to scare away the thugs,
who took over the protest.
The court had sat to hear the motion
on notice, which was instituted by the
APC members sympathetic to Senator
representing Rivers South/East, Senator
Magnus Abe, prior to the controversial
Ward Congress that held last Saturday.
There was a temporary shut down of
the court for several hours following the
fracas. However, the trial judge, Justice
Chiwendu Nwogu, who delivered
ruling on the order after tension
had doused down barred the APC
from going on with the congress and
adjourned till 26th of June for hearing
on the substantive suit.
Reacting to the ruling, Counsel to
the claimant’s, Henry Bellow, described
the ruling as restoration of democratic
tenets.
He said, his clients (aggrieved
members of the APC) were
unconstitutionally excluded from
participating in the purportedly
congress even after they had satisfied
the conditions precedence to their
participation in the congress according
to APC guidelines.
“They paid money for nomination
forms but when they got to APC
secretariat, it was locked only for them
to hear that winners have emerged
in the congress and it is against the
constitution of the party.”
But the counsel to APC, Cuturu
Eddeh, who informed the court that he
was mandated by the APC National to
take over the matter, accused the state
legal adviser of the party, Mr. Chiwikpe
Chieme of professional misconduct,
adding that he (Chieme) does not have
the mandate to represent APC on the
matter.
“This matter was brought to Port
Harcourt from Bori on Monday. Him
(Chieme) coming to say he represented
the APC is wrong. He went there
and made damaging comments and
representation of APC. The Chairman of
the Party did not instruct him to stand
in for the matter. I have a letter from the
national party to represent the party. He
knows the implication of that.
“He does not have the right to
represent the APC and make any
submission on its behalf as he has been
suspended by the party since last year.”
Eddeh said
Reacting to the incident, Attorney
General of the state and Commissioner
for Justice, Emmanuel Aguma, SAN,
said: “The APC supporters came here
and closed the court, but youths of
Rivers State came and opened it. The
police behaved well except for the men
of Special Anti-Robbery Squad, who
were shooting at Rivers youths.
“I am surprised that there was no
casualties. My gratitude is to the youths
of the state who came out en masse to
chase the APC away.
“We are prepared to lay down our
lives. Never again will courts in this
state be closed again. They did it in 2014,
they will not do it again.”
However, a Chieftain of the APC in
the state, Prince Tonye Princewill, has
accused the People’s Democratic Party,
PDP, of sponsoring the faction of the
APC to disrupt the party LG primaries.
He accused the governor, Barr
Nyesom Wike of personally driving
the judge to go and deliver the ruling,
adding that the congress will hold, as it
is a nation-wide exercise of the party.

As the battle of supremacy
between the rival camps of
the ruling All Progressives
Congress, APC, in Imo State
continue to rage, stakeholders of
the party opposed to Governor
Rochas Okorocha’s plot to foist
his son in-law as his successor
come 2019 have appealed to
President Mohammadu Buhari
not to interfere in the concluded
ward congress of the APC in the
state.
The stakeholders, under
aegis of the APC Restoration
Coalition, decried the way and
manner Governor Okorocha
hurriedly ran to the President in
his hometown, Daura of Katsina
State to only to falsify facts about
events that happened on the day
of congress in Imo State; with the
sole aim of causing the President
to direct the cancellation of a
successful congress in the state
just because e he lost out.
Dr. Toe Ekechi, convener of the
Coalition, who made the plea
yesterday in a chat with newsmen
in Owerri, remarked that a
situation whereby the Governor
runs to the president to scuttle
successful party activities he
considers unfavourable to him
would not augur well with the
growth of the party in the state.
Ekechi who noted that
“Okorocha is not APC, nor is
APC Okorocha” stated that
it is regrettable that because
Okorocha could not have his
way in last Saturday ward
congress, he ran to the president
in Daura to force the president’s
hands into an affair that is
entirely not his. The former
commissioner for Information
and Strategy under Owelle
Okorocha further accused the
governor of manipulating party
machinery in the state in his
skewed bid to impose his son-inlaw,
Ugwumba Uche Nwosu as
the APC governorship candidate
in Imo come 2019.
“Each time Okorocha keeps
running toå the president to
seek cover for his atrocities. If
the president allow himself or
the machinery of the party to
be manipulated to the extent
that Uche Nwåosu becomes the
party’s flag bearer in 2019, APC
should very well say bye-bye to
Imo state,” he asserted.
Ekechi who also accused
Okorocha of having a hidden
agenda in his avowed third term
bid using his son-in-law as a
proxy, however warned, “If that
happens our party should very
well bid farewell to winning not
only the governorship election,
but also elections at every level
in Imo State.”
He added, “Uche Nwosu
could not have been the best
of candidate to beat any strong
opponent in opposition parties
in the governorship election in
the state.
“Let me reiterate, it will suffice
for us to say this: unfortunately
for the party, I want to say this
if Rochas wins the nomination;
if his son-in-law wins the
nomination; when I say sonin-
law I actually mean Rochas
(because the son-in-law is just
a proxy to him, APC can never
win in Imo state.
“Go outside and feel the pulse
of the people, APC can never
win in Imo state if Uche Nwosu
is the candidate. Up to 80 per
cent of the members of the party
will never support the APC
candidate. So the best strategy to
ensure that APC wins is to stop
Uche Nwosu from becoming
the candidate of APC. The best
strategy to ensure that Rochas
goes or APC does not have
anything to do with Imo state
again is to allow Uche Nwosu
to become the candidate of
APC. “If Uche Nwosu becomes
the candidate, it will be the end
of APC and jubilation on the
other side. If Uche Nwosu does
not become the governorship
candidate, it means that APC
have a chance to produce a
governorship candidate that can
win because we can now begin to
rebuild the party before the 2019
election,” Ekechi concluded.
Meanwhile, suspected thugs
yesterday burnt the Secretariat
of Imo State chapter of the All
Progressives Congress, APC.
The fire affected only the
internal parts of the secretariat
building, located near the Imo
State University junction in
Owerri.
Equipment, including files
and documents were destroyed,
according to reports confirmed
by the State Party Chairman, Mr
Hilary Eke
He said the barbaric act was to
disturb the Local Government
Areas congress of the party held
last week.
Eke disclosed that those who
attacked the party last week
were possibly responsible for
yesterday’s fire.
He said the LGA congress must
go on Saturday notwithstanding
the frustration, adding that
congresses will take place in the
local government areas and not
the affected secretariat.

Enugu zonal office of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, yesterday arraigned the trio of
Clementina Ndukwe, Anthony Njoku
and Alexander Umunna before Justice
Lewis Alagoa of the Federal High
Court, Owerri, Imo State on six count
charge bordering on Conspiracy and
Currency Counterfeiting to the tune
of N1, 147, 000 (One million, One
Hundred and Forty Seven Thousand
Naira) contrary to section 6(2) of
the Counterfeit Currency (Special
Provisions) Act, Cap C35, L.F.N. 2004
and punishable under section 5(1) (c) of
the same Act.
A case of conspiracy and currency
counterfeiting was reported to the
Commission on 12th April, 2018 by the
Department of State Services, DSS Imo
State command, where it was alleged
that some group of persons were
trading in counterfeit banknotes.
The Commission swung into action
and commenced investigation where it
was discovered that the prime suspect,
Mrs. Clementina Ndukwe who sells
bread at a popular bus stop in Owerri
metropolis, had a link to other suspects
in Lagos where she normally buys her
counterfeit notes which were regularly
sent to her by a driver of one of the new
generation transport companies.
Further investigations also revealed
that she sell her counterfeit banknotes
to the 2nd and 3rd defendants at the rate
of N2,500 for every N25,000 counterfeit
notes, the 2nd and 3rdaccuse will
afterward mix the counterfeit notes
with genuine banknotes and thereafter
transact normal businesses with them.
The sum of 1,147,000 worth of
counterfeit notes was recovered in
her shop alongside some papers
cut to U.S dollars size which is used
for production of fake dollar notes
otherwise known as “Wash-Wash” in
the local parlance.
They pleaded not guilty to all the
count charges preferred against them.
In view of the accused person’s
plea, the prosecuting counsel Barr.
Marshal Onome Umukoro applied for
a trial date while the defense counsels,
Barr. N. B Nwaigwe and Barr. I.G.
Nwachukwu applied for the bail of
their respective clients.

Catholic Archbishop of
Abuja, Hisc
Cardinal Onaiyekan has urged
the federal government to stop
political propaganda, adding
that it would reduce the level of
fake news in the country.
Onaiyekan said this at the
World Communications Day
2018 Public Lecture with theme:
Journalism for Peace, the
Nigerian example organised by
Catholic archdiocese of Abuja
yesterday.
The Cardinal warned against
disseminating of negative
information that could harm or
distort the progress of the nation.
“There is no need sharing/
posting fake news and even if
such news was true but could
cause damage to the nation or on
persons there wouldn’t be point
sending it. In fact any news that
does not have positive value on
people or society is not supposed
to be disseminated even if is a
confirmed story,” he said.
Onaiyekan therefore urged
Journalists to disseminate
only information that would
propagate peace and unity in the
society.
Speaking also, the keynote
Speaker, Reverend Father George
Ehusani who stressed more
on Pope Francis 2018 World
Communication Day Message
said that journalists should
ultimately lead people to God
through their reporting, adding
that media should report what
is proper and decent, giving
accurate figure and information.
Quoting Pope’s message, Fr.
Ehusani said that the capacity
to twist the truth is symptomatic
of people’s condition, both as
individuals and communities.
“ In today’s fast-changing
world of communications and
digital systems, we are witnessing
the spread of what has come to be
known as ‘fake news’. This calls
for reflection which is why I have
decided to return in this World
Communications Day Message
to the issue of truth, which was
raised time and time again by
my predecessors, beginning
with Pope Pual VI, whose 1972
message took as its theme:
“Social Communications at the
Service of Truth.” In this way, i
would like to contribute to our
shared commitment to stemming
the spread of fake news and
to rediscovering the dignity of
journalism and the personal
responsibility of journalists to
communicate the truth,” he
quoted Pope’s message.
Ehusani urged Journalists to
overcome the nation’s ethnic
and religious bigotry in their
reportage.
He also admonished them
to overcome the culture of
mediocrity and indolence.
Meanwhile the Special
Adviser to the president on
Media and Publicity, also Special
Guest Speaker, Femi Adesina
commended the Catholic Church
for hosting Media practitioners
in commemorating World
Communications Day, adding
that the theme “Journalism for
Peace’ is apt considering the state
of the nation that is neck deep in
terrorism activities.
Adesina advised journalists to
eschew falsehood information,
urging them to expose in form of
corruption if they have evidence
in the cause of their job.

The ripple effect of the ward congress
held by the All progressive Congress
APC is yet to settle even as the party goes
into local Government Congress across
the country.
In Imo state the war between the state
Governor and his Deputy played out
so much that the Governor Rocha’s
Okorocha ran to President Muhammad u
Buhari who was in his own village Daura
to complain how he has been cheated by
other party members.
Okorocha who is banking on the
intervention of the president believes
that the National working committee
NWC led by the National Chairman
David Oyegun conspired to rub him of
the party structures.
To this effect he said his party has
derailed and now practices “Peoples
Democratic Party PDP kind of politics.”
Okorocha, stated this on in Abuja at the
declaration of Adams Oshiomole, former
governor of Edo State, to run for office of
national chairman of the party.
Mr Okoracha, who was at the event to
show his support for the governor and
endorse his bid, said he believes in Mr
Oshiomhole’s capacity to address some
issues in the party.
“Another thing I think Oshiomole will
address is that our party has begun to
play the same kind of politics like PDP.
All of a sudden we have started derailing
and playing the PDP kind of politics.
This started by some of those people
who found themselves in political office
especially appointment, who did not win
their booths and wards.
He said Mr Oshiomhole should also
address the weakness of the party in the
South-South and South-East. He said
he believed Mr Oshiomhole can help
strengthen it in those parts of the country.
He called on the aspirant to ensure he
roots out “urban masquerades” from
the APC and also bring to an end the
principle of “monkey dey work, baboon
dey chop
“Today, our party is going through
some challenges and I must commend
those who helped fight for this party
even before this time, they have done
well but the fight ahead, the challenges
ahead are greater and we need great
men like Adams Oshiomohle to do this
job. For me particularly, Adams will
strengthen APC in South-south and
South-east. Emphasising why the party
needed to be strengthened in those
regions, Mr Okorocha noted he is the
only governor in the South-east and the
Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, the
only governor in the South-South under
the APC.
“Suffice to say that as I speak to you
today, I am the only governor from the
entire South-east who is APC just like my
brother, Obaseki is the only governor from
the South-South from the APC. What this
goes to say is that APC has challenges
in the South-South and South-East for
reasons not too far-fetched. For some
myopic considerations and assessment,
this party is not strong in those parts of
Nigeria. For those our governors in the
north, they won the election so easy, for
as long as the name Buhari stands in the
north. But it is not the same thing talking
about President Muhammadu Buhari’s
name in the South-South or South-West.
So if you see any governor emerge in the
South-South or South-East, it is not with
an ordinary strength, and I believe that
Oshiomole coming in will strengthen this
party in that part.
“Adams, your first assignment when
you become the national chairman of
the party is to ensure and channel that
principle of ‘monkey de work, bamboon
de chop. Because some of these people
who are seated here before you, won
their booths, delivered their wards but
those who didn’t win their booths or
deliver their wards are holding big jobs
in the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“In this new dispensation, no more
monkey dey work, bamboo dey chop.
If you work, you chop, you don’t work,
you don’t chop.
“We have a lot of urban masqueraders
in APC now and you, must force them
out. And I know Adams Oshiomole
is a no nonsense man, he will stand
forthright, he will face them both in
debate, action, physical, mental, moral,
spiritual; he can face the opposition. But
I don’t know about the spiritual aspect.”
Okorochas problem started when he
declared his interest to contest the Orlu
senatorial seat in 2019 because, according
to him, it would be a disservice to the
nation if he failed to contest considering
his “wealth of experience” as a governor
for eight years.
“I have decided to run for the Imo
West Senatorial zone because if I don’t,
bad people will take the position,”
Mr. Okorocha said. There are many
people who will argue that if Okorocha
approximates the idea of a good man,
who must go to the Senate in order to
stop bad people from taking the position,
then the concepts of goodness and
badness need to be redefined.
Okorocha also decided that one of his
minions, who served as the commissioner
for information, Nnamdi Obiaraeri, will
represent Okigwe senatorial zone after
he publicly said that the incumbent, Ben
Uwajimogu, former Imo State House of
Assembly Speaker, will not be given the
party’s ticket to re-contest.
He also parceled out the Owerri
senatorial ticket to his deputy, Eze
Madumere, while reserving the plum
job for his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu. “If
Uche Nwosu will be home for governor,
I will tell the deputy governor to go to
the Senate,” he said. In taking these
consequential decisions, not even the
Imo State All Progressives Congress
(APC) executive was consulted.
To Okorocha, they are unimportant. His
contempt for due process is legendary.
But why would Uche Nwosu succeed
his father-in-law as the governor of Imo
State? Okorocha says he is the person he
can trust.
Addressing APC members from
Owerri who visited him on February 13,
Okorocha described Nwosu as an honest
man who, “Whatever he tells you in the
morning is what he will tell you in the
evening.”
“Uche Nwosu is hardworking and
never gets tired. He is a very humble
young man. Not proud or arrogant. So,
power won’t enter his head. Despite the
position he occupies you can’t see him
quarreling with anybody or maltreating
anybody. “I have checked him in and
out, I have not found him wanting … The
young man is a team player, who does
not use his office to molest anybody.
He has the qualities of a good leader,”
Okorocha testified. Sterling qualities,
that is, assuming, without admitting,
that Nwosu possesses them. But it does
not behove the governor to foreclose the
aspirations of any other APC member
because in his son-in-law, he has seen
a saint among villainous men. In a
democracy, that ultimate decision is the
prerogative of the people.
To be clear, Nwosu is qualified to
run for the governorship of Imo State if
he so desires. At 42 years (he was born
on August 8, 1975) and a graduate (he
studied Urban and Regional Planning
at the Imo State University), he is
constitutionally qualified to vie for
any office in the country. But it will be
preposterous for Okorocha to claim
that the only Imolite in whom he sees
commendable leadership qualities and
who can, therefore, succeed him is the
husband of his first daughter, Uloma.
Since that declaration Okorocha and
the APC leaders had been at loggerheads
and climaxed in the May 2 ward
congresses held in the state, with the
governor claiming that the congresses
did not hold.
Okorocha after meeting with President
Muhammadu Buhari in Daura also met
with the Vice President pushing for the
cancellation of the congresses.
After the meeting, the APC delegation
had initially declined to speak with State
House Correspondents, but changed
their mind when they saw Okorocha
telling the correspondents that a new date
for the congresses would be announced
by the party.
“There will be new Congress; there
was no Congress at all in Imo State, and
it is very clear that even the supporting
documents and videos show that there
was no Congress.
“INEC has confirmed no Congress,
security agencies have confirmed no
Congress, the party leadership has
confirmed no Congress, and the party
chairman has spoken no Congress.
“Nobody came to the field, the result
sheets was missing and it was traceable
to the national organizing secretary’s
house (Sen. Izunaso) and all of a sudden
the chairman of the panel disappeared
from his house at 6pm in the evening.
“How could there have been Congress?
The matter is being investigated by the
security agencies”
Continuing, the governor asked: “If all
these have been established why did you
(the APC chieftains) have to come with
your delegates to see the VP?’’
The governor stated that he was not
part of the delegation but came for a
different thing all together.
“I didn’t come for this meeting,’’ he
said.
However, Mr Theodore Ekechi,
the spokesman for the Imo APC
delegation and a former Commissioner
for Information and Strategy said the
meeting with Osinbajo was very eventful.
“We are grateful for the opportunity
and privilege to tell the other side of the
story.
“I think by our presentations we have
successfully deflated all the lies that have
been peddled all over the country and
within the state.
“I think by our presentation today,
we have been able to state clearly that
Congresses clearly and really held.
“What did not take place in Imo state
last Saturday was simply that we resisted
the temptation, the intimidation, the
blackmail to write the results of the
congresses in the Government House,
Owerri.
“What did not take place last week is
that we said the old has passed away and
things are going to be done anew in Imo
State?
“In other words, not one man
determines the results of the congresses
in the 305 wards of the state. It is very
clear that APC has returned to the
owners of the party, that is the people,’’
he stated.
Ekechi continued: “You saw all those
who came with the Governor, his son-in
law and newly recruited commissioners.
“But here you are, this is Imo State,
here we have the deputy governor of
the state, the only elected senator of the
south east under APC, former speaker
house of assembly, Imo state, another
former speaker house of assembly.’’
He also mentioned Ifeanyi Ararume,
the immediate past Secretary to the State
Government and immediate past chief of
staff, and two former commissioners for
information and strategy.
Others were the State Party chairman
and his deputy, the 25 local government
chairmen of the party in the state.
With the forgoing, there are no doubts
that Gov Okorocha is in for a tough time.

Senator representing
Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu
Sani has dragged Kaduna
State Governor, Mallam Nasir
el-Rufai to Federal Neuropsychiatric
Hospital, Kaduna,
requesting for a “Mental State
Examination and Analysis
over the his recent outburst on
the senators.
Nigerian Pilot gathered
that, Senator Sani who is the
Chairman, Senate Committee
on Foreign & Local Debts
and Vice Chairman, Senate
Committee on Foreign
Affairs, has obtained an
acknowledgement letter from
the psychiatric hospital for his
application letter.
Senator Sani, in the copy
officially stamped and signed
by the psychiatric hospital,
dated 7 May 2018 and made
available to Nigerian Pilot
Weekend yesterday, requested
a clinical and professional
verification of the mental state
of the governor.
In a letter addressed to the
Chief Medical Director of the
hospital and copied President,
Nigeria Medical Association,
NMA, President, Association
of Psychiatrists in Nigeria,
APN, with the title: “’Request
for a Mental State Examination
and Analysis of the speech of
Governor Nasir El Rufai.’ You
are probably aware already
of the recent utterances by
Malam Nasir El-Rufai, the
Governor of our dear Kaduna
state. And I believe that like
myself and millions of other
Nigerians from all works of
life, especially the residents of
Kaduna state, you must have
been shocked by the content of
that speech. I hereby attach an
audio copy of the said speech
for your kind review.
“As a citizen and a serving
Senator of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria, I am shocked
and deeply concerned that
such inciting expletives and
profanity could be uttered by a
public servant who is also the
Chief Security Officer of the
state.
“The delicate security
balance in our country in
general and Kaduna state
in particular which has
suffered from debilitating
election related violence
is very well known to any
sane and responsible person.
This open call to violence,
disorder and the inflammatory
predisposition of the speech of
a man who occupies such an
exulted office is, in my humble
opinion, symptomatic of a
paranoid personality disorder.
It is in the ‘safe interest’ of the
state and the nation, that the
mental state of the governor
be clinically and professionally
verified.
“The Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Section 182 (1) (c) stipulates,
inter alia,” that no person shall
be Governor who under the
law in any part of Nigeria,
is adjudged to be a lunatic or
otherwise declared to be of
unsound mind.”
“The Tribunal of the
International Criminal Court,
ICC, at the Hague guided by
Article 25(3) (xe) of the Law of
the Rome Statute of the ICC has
since criminalized this form of
behavior as tending towards
genocide and other crimes
against humanity. The cases
of Rwanda, Cote d’ Ivoire, and
Kenya among many others
readily come to mind here. It
is against this backdrop that I
hereby request that you please,
as a matter of urgency conduct
a clinical, mental examination
and analysis of the extract from
this recent speech of Governor
El Rufai here attached.
“I plead for your kind and
expedited action on this matter
for as we approach the 2019
General Elections, there is the
urgent need to criminalize any
and all forms of behaviors by
anyone, no matter how highly
placed, which precipitates
collective violence as a means
to personal or political gains.
“And as I await your
communication on the outcome
of your expert investigation,
May I respectfully inform that I
shall immediately be initiating
on the floor of the Nigerian
Senate the inclusion in our
Electoral Act of provisions
which would compel
prospective elective office
holders to undergo mandatory
psychosomatic evaluations.
“They and their appointees
must also submit themselves
to test of psychotropic drug
use and/or abuse prior to
assumption of office.
I earnestly look forward
to hearing from you. In the
meantime please”, he stated.

Makurdi-based legal
practitioner, Matthew Nyiutsa,
yesterday commenced legal moves
seeking to compel President
Muhammadu Buhari and Attorney
General of the Federation to move
a court of competent jurisdiction
to proscribe Fulani herdsmen
operating in Benue State and Miyetti
Allah Kautal Hore as terrorist and
terrorist organisations respectively.
In addition, the plaintiff in the
suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/499/18
is seeking the prohibition of all
activities of Fulani herdsmen in
Benue State that has resulted in the
deliberate and intentional killings,
mascare, wanton destruction
of both private and public
properties including residential
and commercial houses, schools,
hospitals/ clinic, markets, water
boreholes/reservoirs, invasion of
ancestral lands of the inhabitants as
acts of terrorism under the Terrorism
(Prevention) Act, 2011 as amended.
The exparte motion dated and
filed at the registry of the court on
May 11, 2018 was brought pursuant
to order 34 Rule (2) and (3) of the
Federal High Court (civil procedure)
rules, 2009 and under the inherent
jurisdiction of the court.
The lawyer, who resides in Guma
Local government Area of the state,
said he is one of the numerous
victims of continuing Fulani
herdsmen attacks on communities
in Benue State.
He has prayed the court to
declare that the series of armed
attacks particularly from January
1, 2018 to May, 2018 on inhabitants
of communities in Guma, Logo,
Makurdi, Gwer-East, Buruku,
Tarka, Katsina-Ala and Ukum Local
government Areas of Benue state by
Fulani herdsmen using sophisticated
weapons like AK- 47 automatic
riffles which has resulted in deaths
of over 200 persons, destruction of
both private and public properties
like residential houses, hospitals/
clinics, churches.
Schools, bridges, markets worth
billions of naira, grievious bodily
injuries to several hundreds of
thousands of persons from their
ancestral homes, and take-over
and occupation of ancestral houses
of displaced persons by Fulani
herdsmen in Mbadwen, Uvir,
Mbabai, Nyier, Mbayer/Yandev
and Saghev Council wards of Guma
Local government and some parts
of Gwer- West Local government
Areas amount to acts of terrorism
as defined under section 1(3) of the
Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 as
amended.
The plaintiff who is demanding
the aim of N50 million as exemplary
damages against the respondents
further prayed the court to declare
that the Attorney General of the
Federation and President Buhari
(1st and 2nd respondents) have
mandatory statutory duties and
obligations under section 2 of the
Terrorism (Prevention) Act, to act in
the circumstances of the prevailing
acts of terrorism perpetuated by
the Fulani herdsmen by causing
an application to lie before a court
of competent jurisdiction for, inter
alia, an order proscribing the Fulani
herdsmen and Miyetti Allah Kautal
Hore having been reasonably
suspected of carrying out the said
criminal activities and acts of
terrorism as terrorists and terrorists
group respectively.

You attended your party’s first ever
stakeholders meeting, what was the
outcome.
Well I don’t think that was a
stakeholders’ meeting. We came in good
faith thinking that we were going to have
what is a political stakeholders’ meeting;
quite a lot of eminent Adamawa citizens
were in attendance, they took their time,
spent their money and other resources to
be able to attend this meeting. Obviously in
that meeting there were former governors,
people who have been governors long
before some of the crop of these governors.
General Kama was there, if I remember very
well he was a governor; General Maina sent
an apology, he wasn’t even invited as was
announced there; former senators, former
ministers and all patriotic and good citizens
of Adamawa state that are in APC. We all
mobilized and came for what we expected
was stakeholders’ meeting. A political
stakeholders’ meeting is a project of the
party; it ought to be a project of the party,
not the government. Because as far as the
APC constitution is concerned, and in any
democratic process the government of the
day refers to the political party on which
platform it came into power, and so the
party is supreme.
We came for this meeting expecting an
interactive session, because if you say
stakeholders’ meeting it means you have
the opportunity to participate. Of course
it’s true that senior stakeholders and the
conveners of the meeting will have the first
say, but that is just to set the ball rolling. But
what we saw was not a party stakeholders’
meeting, it was more like a government
briefing. It was one way; there was no
interaction at all!
If you could see the only reason I was
allowed to talk was because I didn’t feel
it was good to waste my time, energy
and resources given the position I have
reached in the politics of Nigeria to come
and listen to a choreographed meeting. The
meeting was choreographed. So I insisted
I must have a say. You could see there was
movement up and down when I realized
that nobody was going to ask those of us on
the lower side to talk. I insisted if I was not
given the opportunity to talk to the party
stakeholders, I would be left with no option
but to talk to the generality of the party
members through the media. Apparently
they were scared and somehow managed
to squeeze some time for me to talk. And
for those of you that were there, you could
see that when what I was saying was not
palatable to them, they first of all sponsored
noisy discussions in the congregation and
later switched off the loudspeaker and
indeed started the national anthem while I
was still having the floor.
These are all primitive ways of gagging
somebody who has a contrary view to your
own. To my mind, that is not democracy.
To my mind it’s not good for our party, the
APC. The APC as a democratic institution
in Adamawa state must have the courage
to listen to diverse opinions including
those that it finds not to be palatable. It is
the only way we can gauge the feelings of
the electorate, so that where the party has
mis-stepped it can redressed its step. That is
my feeling and that is the feelings of some
of my colleagues who share my own ideals
of party politics.
What was the issue at stake?
Obviously the governor made the whole
issue of free and fair congresses, fine and
good. As if it was coming from somebody
that has been able to carry everybody along.
But we doubt his intentions on the basis of
the feedbacks we are getting from members
of the rank and file of the party. It was
just like public relations gimmicks. And I noticed that deliberately they avoided key
issues that are very important to the success
of the Congresses and indeed the success of
the party in the general elections. I’ve always
had the view that it is not enough to win the
nomination of your party to contest election;
the ability to win the general election is very
important. And in this process, the free and
fair electoral process in which the candidate
emerged is key to the success of the party in
the general election. When one or two other
aspirants feel disenfranchised, feel they have
been deliberately marginalized, they will
work against the interest of the party. Quite a
lot of the people that aspired to some of these
political or leadership position in our party
will harm us on Election Day if they simply sit
down at home and watch television with their
families; because they are important in the
party, with the ability to mobilize electorate
in our party that look up for direction. It’s
important for our party to understand these
things. But I could see that the powers that
be at that meeting didn’t want to hear some
of these things. Zoning is at the heart of the
Constitution of Nigeria, no part of the country
should feel marginalized in any agency of the
government and indeed in any agency of the
society. It is in the APC constitution that the
federal character principle must be practiced
in the election or selection of all organs of the
party. What does this mean? It means that
every position in the 26 executive of the ward
must reflect the diversity of the ward and
that can only be done through zoning by the
stakeholders. In my speech which they tried to
drown, I did allude to the fact that if we were
to just go into an open election, it means all
aspirants are allowed to contest and it is not
unlikely that all the ward executive could
come from one village.
In my own ward there are 21 polling units; it
will be good for the party for the 26 members
of Executive, for one to come from at least a
polling unit. As such even during election the
party will have one person at a polling unit;
but they didn’t want to hear that. Adamawa
state is a multi religious, multi ethnic state.
Initially at the formation, the APC had a
chairman that is a Christian, Senator Binta
Masi Garba, from Michika, Adamawa north
Senatorial district.
Admiral Murtala Nyako, the then governor
is from the southern Senatorial district.
Secretary of the party, Mallam Abdullahi
Bakari was from the Central Senatorial
district.
Binta Masi a Christian, Nyako a Muslim,
Bakari a Muslim, I believe if we had another
religion in the state that is prominent, one of
the positions would have gone to it. By God’s
grace Binta won the election to become a
senator, Abdullahi Bakari was appointed the
Principal Personal Assistant to the governor;
Nyako of course, finished his tenure. We were
thinking that we must reflect the same spirit in
the coming executive because the then acting
chairman, (Ibrahim Bilal) was a chairman of
Michika local government. When Binta left to
become a senator, the deputy (Late Shuaibu
Ya-Musa, a Muslim took over as the acting
chairman, that’s the position of the party. The
expectation was that there must be a mini
congress to correct this anomaly which never
happened. Unfortunately the then acting
chairman died, so we were left with no option
than to look for somebody to replace him.
And stakeholders brainstormed and felt
that Ibrahim Bilal should go since his bloc,
the 21 local government chairmen of the
party formed the largest group. And the
national headquarters bought into the idea
but that it should only be for two months. He
was given a letter for two months, subject to
performance and other opportunities within
the party. But typical of Nigerians, Bilal
remain infinity. I must admit that Bilal was
not a bad chairman initially. The problem
started when he started putting his posters,
billboards and on vehicles along with that
of contestants. And we felt that doesn’t
portray a neutral position. A chairman of a
party should not be seen on a poster with an
aspirant, until after the nomination process
has been concluded and the aspirant emerges
as the candidate of the party. So a lot of other
aspirants that intend to contest felt they will
not have a level playing ground. Indeed he
did not intend to play on a level playing
ground. He simply migrated his interest and
merged it with that of one of the candidates,
Senator Umaru Bindow, the current governor.
So that’s where the problem started and
then the Christian community started feeling
shortchanged that they have no stake in the
party. Because a lot of the other activities that
gave birth to the odd are that the governor
and the chairman will take all the other
14 members of the Working Committee to
Saudi Arabia for either Umrah or Hajj and
if there were any Christian remnants in the
executive they were just allowed to stay back
and cool their heels. We kept on pointing it
out to the then chairman, and eventually they
did some small cosmetic things and allowed
the few Christians within the executive to
go to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage devoid of
allowances. That is where we are and now
we have the opportunity of a Congress in
which we will elect new executive from the
Ward to the state and the Christians who are
a very large segment of the party are insisting
that if they don’t get carried along they have
alternative parties which is very inimical to
this party. So anybody who has the ambition
to win election in APC in Adamawa state
ought to feel worried about this potential
revolt. But somehow the government in the
state doesn’t seem to bother because retaining
Bilal appears to be in their own interest. And
when I tried as you are aware to point this
out to senior party members they didn’t
want it because that was the best position to
point out to them. Because they didn’t have
the opportunity to gauge the temperature in
that room, and I’m left with no option, we
felt that we should put our case straight to
the electorates, to Nigerians to judge for us
whether we are wrong in taking that position.
Don’t you think these kinds of skirmishes
are pointers to the fact that your party, the
APC is already in the graveyard as some will
have us believe, especially considering time
constraints with regards to congresses and
subsequent nomination of candidates?
Well you make me very sad if you say APC
is in the graveyard, because I’ve invested
all my life in the party. Historically I was a
member of the merger committee of APC,
being a member of the merger committee
of CPC, because I’ve been involved in this
merger process since 2011 when ACN and
CPC wanted to merge. At that time we called
it alliances because time was too short for a
full blown merger process. We realized quite
early that time, if we are going to wrest power
we needed to make a large party. So even the
initiation, the planning of the merger process
up to the execution of it
I was a member. I was a member of the first
National Working Committee of APC; I was
the National Vice Chairman Northeast before
I became SGF. So in a way, I look at all those
people claiming authority on that high table
somehow, especially as they forgot that I was
there before them. And as for me I sleep and
wake up APC. Therefore, to say that APC is
dead in my state is a sad thing to hear, but is
not dead. Let me give you a story, there was
a time when we were dispersed for general
elections in the state; our last meeting of the
presidential campaign committee and the
stakeholders.
There were presentations, state by state

The fast growing slums
in Abuja, the nation’s capital
appears not to be worrisome
to the authorities. There are
fears that rather than the
federal capital city develops
and expands to cater for
Nigerians; the shanties are
growing rapidly and could
in the nearest future overrun
the seat of government.
Our correspondent, Friday
Obande, takes a critical
look at the worrying trend,
especially Gishiri, a squalor
that is fast encroaching on
the city center
The rapid growth and
expansion of slums around
the city centers in Abuja FCT,
is becoming quite alarming.
A tour towards Katampe,
Asokoro and Garki, which
areas are within 250 square
kilometers of the city centers
unravel unimaginable
slums around elegant
houses and infrastructure.
Evidently, some of the
developing areas in Abuja
like Kubwa, Lugbe, Nyanya,
Karu and other mapped
out areas around the city
centre are fast reclining to
underdevelopment with
the encroachment of these
exploding slums. Apart
from the Central Business
District and Wuse which are
yet the only unaffected areas
in the FCT, Nigerian Pilot
Weekend findings reveal
that every other district in
the capital city has sordid
slums that present an ugly
picture of Abuja, a city once
thought to be the fastest
growing capital territory in
Africa.
Moving from Mabushi
through the Nnamdi
Azikiwe Express Way to
Mpape, into Nicon Junction,
there is a small but densely
populated village, Gishiri, a
sloppy slum that is hidden
behind bogus duplexes.
Gishiri is sheltered
between Katampe, Jahi,
Mabushi and Mpape and
constitutes part of the
cartography of the Abuja
Municipal Area Council, AMAC.
Like every other narratives
associated with the
encroachment of slums in
Abuja city centers, Gishri
village is a neighboring
environ directly opposite
Maitama district, the location
of Transcorp Hilton and it
is one of the fastest growing
cosmopolitan shanties in the
FCT with a population of over
80,000 people. The village is
originally a Gbagyi settlement
and basically, the economic
mainstay of people revolves
around farming, trading and
artisanship which a large
percentage of the populace in
the area depend on as sources
of livelihood.
One bizarre but unique
quality of Gishiri is the sloppy
but beautiful landscape
that curdles the market-like
shanties of the area in warm
embrace. This vision of rocks
and highlands gives the
settlement a unique outlook
mostly at night time when the
surrounding rocks exhume the
chillness of the atmosphere,
giving the horizon the sight of
a beautiful dungeon covered
with filths from huge piles
of refuse dumps that ooze
out harmful stench into the
atmosphere.
Gishiri is a fertile area in
terms of agriculture and there
is a considerable expanse of
land max housing cashew,
orange and mango orchard of
large economic value, located
behind the residential parts
of the village. These trees also
serve as seasonal mainstay
for the locals, as well as
arable lands for farming and
grazing for cattle.
The village is populated
with more of congested mud
or corrugated iron sheeted
structures for houses and
most of the rooms are less
than 12 feet wide, with
earthen floor finishing for
most of the buildings. Also,
a considerable number of
these houses are normally
poorly ventilated in most
cases, creating difficulty
for residents to open their
windows for the terrible
stench from dirty stagnant
water that gush out of broken
out of either suck-away or
the enormous heaps of refuse

Nigeria Tennis Federation, NTF will
formally hand over a letter of protest to the
Association of Tennis Profession, ATP in
Monaco, France next week.
Reason, the body is furious that it is being
denied the opportunity to host the Challengers
series on the ground that Nigeria is not safe.
President of NTF, Engineer Ifedayo
Akindoju who was angry at the refusal of
the international tennis body to sanction the
hosting of the Challengers series in Nigeria
since the federation applied some years ago.
Ifedayo disclosed that the refusal was as a
result of some wrong signals sent to Monaco
by some people painting Nigeria as unsafe
country.
“The issue is that some enemies of progress
within and outside Nigeria do not want the
ATP to grant us that hosting right of the
Challengers.
We have applied for it about two years ago
but were surprised at the response we got that
Nigeria is an unsafe country.
The players that have been coming for the
Futures including that of the Lagos Governor’
Cup for years and Tombim, Dayak and GSL
Futures none have not complained of any
harassment,” he said
Ifedayo disclosed that the players for the
first time protested on why the ATP is not
allowing Nigeria to have challengers here.
“So we are taking those protests to Monaco
to let them know that Abuja is very safe, Nigeria
is safe, the players were happy and everything
negative about Nigeria that they used to know
is wrong after playing for three weeks.
They had seen that they are all wrong, so
they are leaving Nigeria with positive images
of this country and that is a thing of joy to us,”
he explained.
He said the Challengers if granted by ATP
will definitely become another milestone
in the history of the game in the country as
more highly ranked players will come in to
participate.
“We want to turn Nigeria to a tennis home
at least in the whole of Central Africa and
West Africa. We doing this so that in future
we can achieve the aim of having a Grand
Slam tournament where the top players in
the world will fly in and participate and this
will undoubtedly boost our economy and put
Nigeria on the world map,” he added.
The NTF President expressed optimism
about getting the Challengers next year,
would not relent on the campaign at the every
International Tennis Federation meeting he
attends.
“We have everything to host, the electronic
score board, floodlights, enough courts, tight
security a beautiful lounge and large crowd in
attendance,” he said
On what efforts they are making to
reposition the sport in the country so as to
make Nigerian players compete favourably
with their counterparts from all over the
world, he said: “We are basically going back to
the grassroots and catch them young, monitor
their progress and send them to Academies in
the United States and other parts of Europe. Marylove Edwards 13 years old is one of our
youngsters in America and competing with the
best in her category and so many others.
We are monitoring them and we hope to
get back to the top of the game in no distance
future,” he pointed out.
He added that the tennis is a competitive
sport and the players require huge financial
support to be able to go around and compete
with the best in the world.
The ATP Challenger Tour, known until the
end of 2008 as the ATP Challenger Series, is a
series of international men’s professional tennis
tournaments. The top tier of men’s tennis is the
ATP World Tour, Challenger Tour events are
the second highest level of competition, and the
Futures tournaments on the ITF Men’s Circuit
are the third and final tier of international
professional competition.
The ATP Challenger Tour is administered
by the Association of Tennis Professionals.
Players who succeed on the ATP Challenger
Tour earn sufficient ranking points to become
eligible for main draw or qualifying draw entry
at ATP World Tour tournaments. Players on the
Challenger Tour are either young players, those
who fail to qualify for ATP events, or former
ATP winners looking to get back into the big
tour.
Challenger tournaments offer total prize
money ranging from $40,000 up to $220,000+,
which, along with whether the tournament
provides hospitality (food and lodging) to
the players, determines the number of points
a player gets for winning each match in the
tournament.

A teenager simply identified as Kofo was killed by a stray bullet when some hoodlums clashed with personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Idi Oro area of Ibadan during Saturday’s local government election in Oyo State.

The girl was said to have gone to a pharmaceutical shop to buy some drugs when she met her untimely death.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered from residents that some hoodlums were fomenting trouble in the area when personnel of the NSCDC in the state were called in to quell the violence.

The residents alleged that the girl was killed by a stray bullet belonging to the NSCDC in the ensuing clash.

The hoodlums thereafter attacked the NSCDC Divisional Office in Ibadan North West Local Government Council at Ekotedo, vandalising the premises.

It was gathered that officers of the NSCDC later mobilised and repelled the attack.

The spokesman of the NSCDC in the state, Mr Olusegun Oluwole, who confirmed the incident, however, said that men of the command were not responsible for the killing of the teenager.

Oluwole said the hoodlums were already shooting before the arrival of the NSCDC team.

He told NAN that the case was now under investigation by the police.

“Our men are not responsible for what happened, but I can tell you now that the case is with the police,’’ he said.

Efforts to get the reactions of the police spokesperson in the state, Adekunle Ajisebutu, proved abortive as calls put through to his line were not answered.

He did not also respond to a text message sent to his line. (NAN)

Dr Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Mines and Steel Development and aspirant in Saturday’s All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Ekiti, has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exercise.

Fayemi, a former governor of the state, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ado-Ekti, shortly after polling that the process was commendable.

“I can see that delegates from all the local government areas cast their votes and there was no fraudulent act or riot; everything was going on smoothly.

“But, I will give a comprehensive reaction at the end of the election and whoever emerges as the flag-bearer will be given maximum support from other aspirants.

“As at this moment, I can say that voting has been credible,” he said.

Thirty-three aspirants were cleared by the party for the primary election, but one of them, Mr Babafemi Ojudu, withdrew on Wednesday, leaving 32 aspirants in the race.

Voting by delegates from the 16 local government areas in the state ended at about 4.15 p.m., and the Chairman of the Primary Election Commission, Gov. Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa, commended the voters for impressive turnout and conduct.

He told newsmen that he was delighted with the peace that pervaded voting and expressed optimism that entire exercise would be successful.

Speaking in an interview shortly after the voting exercise, the Chairman of the electoral committee, and Governor of Nasarawa, Alhaji Umar Al-Makura, described the exercise as peaceful and successful.

“We did everything in compliance and conformity with the party’s guidelines; now that the voting is completed, we are going into sorting and this will be very transparent.

“Having experienced the first task last week, I met with all the aspirants on Friday and they all assured that the exercise will be peaceful, that they are not ready to take anything for granted.

“You could see the commitment and passion in the aspirants; they all lived to their promise and that is the result of the peace we recorded today,” he said. (NAN)

North Korea has scheduled the dismantlement of its nuclear test site for sometime between May 23 and May 25 depending on weather conditions in order to uphold its previous pledge to discontinue nuclear tests, state media reported on Saturday.

The country’s central news agency said the dismantlement of the nuclear test ground would involve collapsing all of its tunnels with explosions, blocking its entrances and removing all observation facilities, research buildings and security posts.

“The Nuclear Weapon Institute and other concerned institutions are taking technical measures for dismantling the northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK in order to ensure transparency of discontinuance of the nuclear test,” the media reported said.

The announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12.

It will be the first meeting ever between a sitting U.S. president and the leader of North Korea.

It followed a flurry of international engagement with North Korea as the two Koreas held their own summit in late April and officials plan to hold high-level meetings in coming weeks.

Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday North Korea can look forward to “a future brimming with peace and prosperity” if it agrees to quickly give up its nuclear weapons.

Officials in Seoul had said in April that North Korea planned to invite experts and journalists from the U.S. and South Korea for the shutdown of its test site.

North Korea said newsmen from other countries, including the U.S. and South Korea, will be invited to cover the event, to “show in a transparent manner the dismantlement of the northern nuclear test ground to be carried out”.

In order to accommodate the travelling newsmen, North Korea said various measures would be taken including “opening territorial air space”.

“All international journalists will be provided with a charter flight into Wonsan, a port city in eastern North Korea, from Beijing,’’ KCNA said.

There, newsmen will board a charter train to the nuclear test ground in an “uninhabited deep mountain area”.

North Korea’s six known nuclear tests have taken place in Punggye-ri, a location in the northeastern part of North Korea where a system of tunnels has been dug under Mount Mantap.

Experts have said the pledge to dismantle the test site is a big step forward but verifying it will be difficult. (Reuters/NAN)

The Imo chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) says it has shifted Saturday’s local government congress in the state to Monday, citing advice by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) as reason.

Chairman of the party in the state, Mr Hilary Eke, said in a statement on Saturday in Owerri, that the advice to postpone to congress followed an attack by hoodlums on the party’s state secretariat on Friday.

Eke also confirmed the indefinite suspension of two members of the party – Mr Charles Amadi and Okenze Obinna.

He said that the suspended members were allegedly involved in anti-party activities.

“Following our observations of their involvement in illegal activities, we have henceforth suspended the affected persons and the general public should take note,” he said. (NAN)

An Indian man was handed the death sentence on Saturday for the rape and murder of a four-month-old girl, in one of the quickest trials of its kind in the country amid outrage over sexual violence against children.

The court in Madhya Pradesh state’s Indore city convicted the 21-year-old man of kidnapping, rape and murder and under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), police officer Harinarayanachari Mishra said.

Prosecutor Akram Sheikh said that the brutality of the crime made it the “rarest of rare” cases and urged the judge to give capital punishment to the man, broadcaster NDTV reported.

The trial was concluded in just three weeks, state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, adding that the punishment would prove to deter such heinous crimes and provide a safer environment for girls and women in the state.

On April 20, the man, said to be the infant’s uncle, raped and killed her when she was sleeping outside on a pavement with her parents, who sell balloons.

The Indian government recently approved stringent punishments for sexual violence against children, including the death penalty for those convicted of raping girls younger than 12 years.

The decision came against the backdrop of spiralling outrage over the rape and killing of an 8-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir and several other cases of sexual assault involving minors in recent months.(dpa/NAN)

The AP in Kogi on Saturday again held parallel congress during the local government congress in Lokoja Local Government.

NAN reports that on May 6, the ward congress by the APC was plunged into confusion, as both Audu/Faleke and Gov. Yahaya Bello factions held separate exercise.

A Correspondent of the New Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who monitored the exercise in Lokoja Local Government reports that the development led to emergence of two parallel executives of the party in the local government.

In Lokoja Local Government , the parallel congresses were held at the St Luke Primary School, Adankolo and Lokoja Local Government hall.

While the faction led by the state Chairman of the party, Alhaji Haddy Ametuo held its congress at St Luke Primary School, the Alhaji Ibrahim Ahovi led faction held its own inside the hall.

Mr Usman Mamanlafia emerged Chairman at the Congress that took place at St LukePry School while Mr Maikudi Bature, was elected the new Chairman at the Congress which held at the local government hall.

The elections went peacefully at the two venues with the presence of 248 delegates from the 10 wards in Lokoja Local Government

The Congress held at St Luke Primary School was supervised by INEC officials while policemen were on ground to provide security.

Speaking shortly after, Mailafia pledged to run an inclusive administration , urging aggrieved party members to close ranks.

Bature who emerged winner at the factional Congress held inside the local government hall promised to meet the expectations of party members in the council area.

Earlier , the Chairman of the Congress Committee, Mr Haruna Isah had while announcing the result said that Bature and other executive members emerged by affirmation.

He said that all the 248 delegates from the 10 wards in the local government participated in the Congress.

Isah described the Congress as peaceful, saying that the party’s laid down rules and INEC guidelines were duly followed. (NAN)

An Elder statesman and chieftain of Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi, Alhaji Bello Kirfi, has advised members of the party to map out strategies of changing the perception of the public about the party.

Kirfi, one time stalwart of the party, gave the advice in Bauchi on Saturday during a reception organized in honour of the Deputy National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Babayo Gamawa.

According to him, mistakes have been committed during the previous administration, as such all hands must be on deck to clear all doubts in the minds of the electorates for them to renew their trust in the party.

He also advised the electorate to votes for credible candidates during the forthcoming general elections.

Also speaking, the National Chairman of PDP, Mr Uche Secondus, represented by his deputy, Mr Yemi Akinwumi, assured that the party would not impose any aspirant on the electorate.

He promised that the popular candidate would be the presidential flag-bearer of the party in 2019 elections.

Secondus also called on politicians to shun violence and conduct their affairs peacefully for democracy to thrive.

In their various goodwill massages, former senators from Bauchi, Ibrahim Gumba, Bala Mohammed and Abdul Ningi, described the celebrants as a vibrant and active member of the party.

In his response, Gamawa thanked party members for their support and the opportunity given to him to serve the party.

He advised aspirants to shun malice and support each other for successful election. (NAN)

Reports reaching Nigerian Pilot indicates that 5 returning officers are missing,

This was disclosed on KSMC radio FM 90.9 election monitoring

Following the recent concluded 2018 Kaduna State Local Government, Chairmanship and Councillors election in kaduna state, result has started coming in.

Final result for Soba LG chairmanship Election

APC-40903
PDP-13835

Jema’a LG
Maigizo Ward
APC -7030,
PDP 2915,

Kaningkon Ward
APC- 12,754,
PDP – 884,

Kagoma Ward
APC-13,373,
PDP 1094

Returning officer of Chukun Local Government is declared missing.

There are serious indication that PDP has won the Local government, which prompted the Returning officer to disappear with the final result.

Speaking with an election monitoring team in the area, the returning officer is no where to be found, as all effort to trace his where about failed

It will be recalled that Kaduna state yesterday conducted its local government election for chairman and Councillors