WOODPECKER BLOG

Wednesday, January 30, 2019 Abuja Elections: Buhari gets key endorsements in South-east January 30, 2019 Agency Report President Muhammadu Buhari goes on his presidential campaign in Imo and Abia states, [PHOTO CREDIT: Official twitter handle of Buhari] President Muhammadu Buhari who kicked off a two-State campaign tour of Abia and Imo on Tuesday got two critical endorsements for his second term bid. The president’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday. The traditional ruler called on all indigenes of Abia to vote for the All Progressives Party (APC) Presidential Candidate. Mr Ikonne said Igbo people would remain loyal and committed to President Buhari for the payment of pensions to ex-Biafran security personnel. He lauded the administration’s policy on ease of doing business which, the traditional ruler said, had benefited the Igbo m

Elections: 40 EU Observers arrive Nigeria January 30, 2019 Agency Report Ballot boxes used to illustrate the story. Less than 19 days to the commencement of the general elections, 40 European Unio n (EU) Observers have arrived the country for the elections. David Dahmen, the leader of the EU Observers in charge of Oyo and Osun states, disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Ibadan, when he visited the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo State, Mutiu Agboke. Mr Dahmen, who was on a familiarisation tour, stated that the observers had been grouped into 20 teams to observe the forthcoming elections in all the states of the federation. He said that he and Mukalay Banze, along with their Assistant, Sony Odiongenyi, would be in charge of Oyo and Osun states. He said the observers would interact with some key stakeholders, INEC inclusive, in the course of their stay in the country. ”We have just been briefed by the Oyo REC on the preparations mad

Onnoghen: NBA sets up three-member panel to liaise with lawyers in Buhari’s govt January 29, 2019 Evelyn Okakwu Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) [Photo Credit: The Guardian] JAN.29, 2019 The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has set up a three-member committee to review the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen. The NBA made this known in a communique released to highlight its resolutions after a meeting of its National Executive Council members on Monday. The NBA also reiterated its decision to boycott the courts for two days. The meeting was called in reaction to Friday’s suspension of Mr Onnoghen by President Muhammadu Buhari. The president cited an ex-parte order from the Code of Conduct Tribunal asking him to suspend the CJN. His actions have since drawn condemnations According to the NBA, a number of resolutions were made, with the setting up of the three-member co

Give us votes, we’ll give you oil refinery, Atiku tells Akwa Ibom people January 28, 2019 Cletus Ukpong PDP presidential candidate, Mr Atiku Abubakar, inspecting tomatoes harvested in Akwa Ibom while in Uyo to campaign The campaign trail of Atiku Abubakar was in Akwa Ibom on Monday to campaign for votes. Mr Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while addressing the crowd at the 30,000-capacity Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, promised that the federal government would set up an oil refinery in the state if he is voted into power. Akwa Ibom, though a major oil-producing state in Nigeria, has not been fortunate to have a refinery sited in the state. The federal government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has four refineries – two in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, one in Warri, Delta State, and one in Kaduna State. Interestingly, none of the four refineries worked up to 50 per cent of their

Anambra govt, Ohaneze bicker over Atiku’s endorsement January 28, 2019 Agency Report The leader of Ohaneze Ndigbo, John Nwodo The Anambra State Government says its rejection of the Ohaneze Ndigbo’s endorsement of Abubakar Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has nothing to do with politics or Peter Obi. The Anambra Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C-Don Adinuba made the clarification at a press briefing in Awka, the state capital on Monday. Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), is the vice presidential candidate of the PDP. He handed over to the incumbent governor, Willie Obiano, but has since fallen out with him Obiano). Mr Adinuba said the clarification was necessitated by the story making round the media and instigated by the group that the state rejected the endorsement of Mr Abubakar because of his running mate, Mr Obi. He said the

Judiciary’s independence is non-negotiable – Acting CJN January 28, 2019 Acting CJN, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad The acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, (CJN), Ibrahim Tanko, on Monday said the independence of the judiciary should be guarded jealously even as the general polls approach. Mr Tanko, whose controversial appointment is still raising dust in the polity, said the judiciary must also be allowed to function unhindered. Mr Tanko was appointed in an acting capacity by President Muhammadu Buhari in the midst of allegations of failure to declare assets levelled against the now suspended substantive CJN, Walter Onnoghen. Mr Buhari said he relied on a ruling by the Code of Conduct Tribunal asking that the embattled official should be suspended despite a stay of action ruling granted by an appeal court. The action has drawn the ire of Nigerians and some western nations who are appalled that Mr Buhari ignored a constitutional provision which stipulated th

Supreme Court turns down 14 pre-election cases January 24, 2019 Halimah Yahaya Supreme Court of Nigeria The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to hear about 14 pre-election appeals on the grounds that they were caught by the amendment to Section 285 of the constitution, which took effect from June 7 last year. The amendment to Section 285 of the constitution requires the trial court to determine pre-election cases within 180 days and gives the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court 60 days each to determine such cases. The section of the constitution also provides that such appeals are filed within 14 days of the delivery of the judgment to be appealed. On Wednesday, in about 14 different rulings, two panels of the Supreme Court, headed by Ibrahim Mohammed and Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, asked the appellant lawyers, including a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Alex Iziyon, to withdraw their appeals. The court proceeded to strike out each of the appeals and refrained from making a

Oby Ezekwesili withdraws from presidential race ⌂ Back To Homepage  Subscribe To RSS Feed January 24 06:30 2019 e to Copy Link Copy Link Share to WhatsApp WhatsApp Share to More More 44 Advertisement Oby Ezekwesili has withdrawn from the presidential race, her media office announced on Thursday morning. The presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) will now devote her time “to help build a coalition to defeat the All Progressives Congress and the People’s Democratic Party in the February 16, 2019 election”, Ozioma Ubabukoh, the spokesperson of the Obiageli Ezekwesili Presidential Campaign Organisation, said in a press statement shared with TheCable. It is still unclear who the former minister of education will support, but she previously tried to get the trio of Kingsley Moghalu, Omoyele Sowore and Fela Durotoye to agree on a consensus candidate among themselves. After Durotoye emerged in a ballot, the other candidate

Danjuma alleges plot to rig elections with Police, Army   23RD JAN.2019 Today at 10:48 AM Tell your friends He called on Nigerians to not sell their votes to politicians as it would amount to selling their birthright. Former def

Workers’ Salaries: 15 governors Buhari urged Nigerians not to support January 19, 2019 Kemi Busari President Muhammadu Buhari Related News 2019: Don't re-elect governors who failed to pay salaries, Buhari tells Nigerians January 8, 2019 How Nigeria can fund higher minimum wage for workers - SERAP September 30, 2018 Minimum Wage: What technical committee will do -- Buhari January 9, 2019 Minimum Wage: NLC calls Nigerian governors bluff, dismisses threat to sack workers November 15, 2018 NLC fumes at massive corruption in Nigeria, draws battle-line with Buhari over minimum wage, fuel subsidy January 1, 2016 Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, was not particular about parties when he asked Nigerians to vote out governors who failed to perform in their first terms, especially in payment of salaries. Mr Buhari, who spoke with the Hausa service of the Voice of America, said he saw no justification in governors collecting bailout funds from the feder