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Tag: governor

  • 2023: Ngige hints on contesting for president

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has said he reserves the right to contest for Senate or presidency in 2023.

    Ngige made the remark while dismissing reports that he was interested in contesting for the Anambra governorship election billed for next year.

    He spoke in his hometown of Alor, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, on Sunday.

    Ngige, who was a former one term governor of the state, however, declared that he has no interest in becoming governor because he’s on a national assignment as Minister.

    Ngige said: “Yes, there have been speculations that I am eyeing the governorship of Anambra State. They have written about it in a lot of media. I am a politician. They have the right to speculate on my next move. My next move is very vast.

    “Elections will come in 2023, I have a right to vie for any position. I can vie for Senate.

    “I can vie for president if I so wish. Election will be coming in Anambra State, latest November 2021 to elect a successor to Obiano. I am not disqualified. I have a right to say I can run.

    “I don’t have interest for now in Anambra governorship because I am on a national assignment.”

  • Bauchi Governor’s kidnapped brother regains freedom

    Bauchi Governor’s kidnapped brother regains freedom

    Yaya Adamu Duguri, the kidnapped elder brother of Bauchi State governor, Sen Bala Mohammed has regained his freedom from his kidnappers.

    According to Nigerian Tribune, Yaya Adamu Duguri who was kidnapped about two weeks ago by armed men was released on Tuesday evening. Wednesday by four armed men at about 7:30 pm when he was at Anguwar Jaki within Bauchi metropolis.

    A source close to the family said that the District Head of Duguri walked into the house after he was dropped off by the kidnappers around the metropolis.

    “Thanks to the Almighty God. Alhamdulillah. My neighbour Adamu Duguri is back home hale and hearty. He is thankful to Allahu (SWT) and people who have been praying for his release.” the source said.

    When contacted for confirmation, Bauchi State Police Command through its PPRO, DSP Kamal Datti Abubakar said that, “yes, he has regained his freedom and has reunited with his family, further details will be given later.”

    It is, however, not known if any ransom was paid before his eventual release.

  • Bayelsa politics: Jonathan reacts to Lyon’s sack, Diri’s swearing-in as governor

    Bayelsa politics: Jonathan reacts to Lyon’s sack, Diri’s swearing-in as governor

    Nigeria’s former President, Goodluck Jonathan has dropped an important message for the new Governor of Baylesa State, Douye Diri.

    He wants the new governor to live up to the expectations of the people.

    In series of tweets on Friday, Jonathan called on all Bayelsans to be law-abiding, peaceful and embrace this transition in all sincerity, and work together towards a united and prosperous State.

    “I call on all Bayelsans to be law-abiding, peaceful and embrace this transition in all sincerity, and work together towards a united and prosperous State. Congratulations Your Excellency.

    “You have worked with me before as a commissioner, so I am without doubt that you will live up to the expectations of our people.

    ” I congratulate His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri who was sworn in today as the 5th Civilian Governor of Bayelsa State, in compliance with the Supreme court verdict of yesterday, 13th February 2020,” he tweeted.

  • Nigerian Governor hospitalised in London

    Nigerian Governor hospitalised in London

    Governor Bala Muhammed of Bauchi State has been hospitalised in London for an undisclosed illness.

    This was revealed in a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media Mukhtar Gidado.

    The governor’s message was aimed at reassuring the people of the state of victory in the election dispute between him and the immediate past governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Mohammed Abubakar heard at the Supreme Court on MOnday (today).

    “I am in hospital in London but we strongly believe that Allah is sufficient for us and He is Able and Capable to give us victory! Cheers, success shall be ours InshaAllah! Cheers to you all,” the governor said in a message to the people of the state.

    The Supreme Court heard the appeal filed against his election today, along with five other appeals against the election of incumbents in Imo, Kano, Sokoto, Benue and Plateau states.

    Bala Mohammed in the statement released by Gidado, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to the lofty ideals of new Bauchi Movement, pledged to lead with justice, equity and humility.

    He however promised to recognise and reward those who contributed positively to his movement and show loyalty to him and the Bauchi Project.

    According to him, the period of the supreme court judgement is a moment that God has shown him his real supporters while “it is also the time when detractors, within and outside his fold are exposed”.

  • Adeboye demands 50% cut in governors’, lawmakers’ salary

    Adeboye demands 50% cut in governors’, lawmakers’ salary

    General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Worldwide, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has urged 36 governors and the Houses of Assemblies to reduce their salary and emoluments by 50 per cent.

    He said this would ensure that there are sufficient funds to tackle the challenges facing education, health and other critical sectors in the country.

    Adeboye spoke on Sunday during the special prayer and thanksgiving service for the New Year at RCCG headquarters in Ebutte-Metta, Lagos.

    The event, tagged: Unbeatable Champions, was attended by thousands of Christians from across the country.

    The eminent cleric noted that the nation’s budget for health, education and infrastructure, compared to those of advanced countries, shows that Nigeria has a long way to in its quest for development.

    Adeboye, who spoke through the Assistant General Overseer, Administration and Personnel, Pastor Johnson Odesola, regretted that Nigeria’s budgets mostly end up in private pockets in the guise of salaries and emolument because priority is not given to critical sectors of the economy.

    The cleric said this should worry Nigerians.

    He urged the Federal Government to emulate the developed countries by increasing budget for education, health and infrastructure.

    Adeboye noted that the N30,000 minimum wage for civil servants has become a subject of hot debate as some governors are not willing to pay it.

    He expressed worry that the salary of the governors and their cronies remain intact while timely payment of the salary of civil servants suffers.

  • JUST IN: Tribunal upholds Makinde’s election as Oyo governor

    JUST IN: Tribunal upholds Makinde’s election as Oyo governor

    … dismisses Adelabu, APC’s suit

    The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ibadan on Monday, upheld the victory of Gov. Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Adebayo Adelabu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had filed petition against Makinde in the March 9 Governorship election in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adelabu and his party APC challenged the declaration of Makinde by INEC as the winner of March 9 governorship election in Oyo State.

    Makinde polled 515,621 votes to defect his closest rival, Adelabu who had 357,982 votes while PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are also respondents.

    The petitioners said that Makinde was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes, adding that election was marred by over voting and failure to comply with the provision of Electoral Act.

    Adelabu, therefore, prayed the tribunal to declare him the winner of the election, adding that he scored the highest number of lawful votes or alternatively, the tribunal should nullify the election and order a re-run.

    The Chairman of the tribunal three-man tribunal, Justice Muhammed Sirajo who delivered the unanimous judgment said the testimonies of the ward and local government agents, called by the petitioners could, not be relied.

    According to the tribunal, the agents were not speak the truth but and only relied on what they were been told by the polling units agents

    He said that 32 pieces of evidence, out of the 69 witnesses called by the petitioners were hearsay because the petitioners were ward and local government collation agents while the remaining 37 were polling unit agents.

    Sirajo said that the petitioners called 69 witnesses and tendered 4,164 exhibits while the respondents called 15 witnesses, adding that said the testimony of an eye witness must come from the polling units agents who witnessed all that happened from the beginning to the end during the election.

    The tribunal said that the petitioners also failed to tender necessary documents that would assist members of the tribunal in proving ballot paper accounting.

    He said that it was not only the responsibilities of petitioners to tender documents but also to prove that the alleged irregularities in the election substantially affected the outcome of the election.

    Sirajo said that the petitioners failed to prove that the respondents were not validly elected by majority of lawful votes.

    “The petitioner failed to prove the allegation of non-compliance, non-accreditation, over voting and corrupt practices that would warrant the tribunal to nullified the election,“ he said.

    Sirajo, who said that the petition lacked merit and stood dismissed, awarded N200, 000 cost against the petitioners..

    In an interview, the counsel to the petitioners, Mr Akin Oladeji, said they would decide on next line of action after studying the judgment

  • Two killed in ambush on ex-lawmaker, governor

    Two killed in ambush on ex-lawmaker, governor

    Unidentified gunmen on Wednesday ambushed a former lawmaker and governor in the northern Philippines, killing two of his bodyguards, the Police said.

    Amado Espino, a former governor and ex-congressman of Pangasinan province, was travelling in a car with five bodyguards when the attack occurred in San Carlos City, 162 kilometres north of Manila.

    According to Brig.-Gen. Josel Orduna, Regional Police Director, two of the bodyguards were killed in the ambush.

    Sen. Richard Gordon, President of the Philippine Red Cross, said Espino was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was now fighting for his life.

    The National Police Chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, however, condemned the attack on Espino and ordered a manhunt for the killers.

    President Rodrigo Duterte once accused Espino of having links to the illegal drugs trade in the country, but he later cleared him of the accusations and apologised for the wrong information.

    The Duterte administration had since launched an aggressive crackdown on illegal drugs, which had left nearly 6,000 suspected drug users and dealers killed in police operations since 2016.

    The anti-drug war had been highly criticised by some foreign governments and international organisations for the high death toll and allegations of abuses.

  • El-Rufai hails Tribunal judgement upholding his re-election as Kaduna governor

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai on Monday hailed the affirmation of his re-election by the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

    A statement by the Special Adviser, Media & Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye, quoted the governor as thanking the tribunal for its verdict and expressing his gratitude to the people whose electoral choice has been reaffirmed.

    The tribunal on Monday upheld the election of El-Rufai as the duly elected governor.

    The Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Ibrahim Bako, said the petitioner, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Isah Ashiru, was unable to prove his allegations of massive rigging and other electoral irregularities against Governor El-Rufai, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    In the petition filed before the tribunal, the PDP candidate had alleged that irregularities marred the conduct of the March 9, 2018 governorship election and asked the tribunal to declare him winner.

    The Vice Chancellor, Bayero University, Kano, Prof. Mohammed Bello, who was the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer, had said El-Rufai polled 1,045,427 to defeat his closest rival, Isa Ashiru, the PDP candidate, who scored 814,168.

    The PDP and its governorship candidate, Ashiru, had petitioned the tribunal asking it to nullify El-Rufai’s election.

    The petitioners, in their final written address, asked the tribunal to cancel 515, 951 votes, which they contended, were unlawfully added to the total votes cast during the poll.

    The petitioners called 135 witnesses out of the 685 they assembled to prove alleged massive rigging, ballot stuffing and other irregularities during the poll as contained in their petition.

    The petitioners accused the INEC of adding 391,741 votes to El-Rufai’s and 124, 210 unlawful votes to the PDP through wrong or double entry on the result sheets.

    They said that declaring El-Rufai as the winner by INEC was illegal, as he did not poll the majority of lawful votes.

    The PDP through its legal team led by Mr. Emmanuel C. Ukala (SAN), said deducting 391,741 votes from 1,045,427 scored by El-Rufai and 124,210 from Ashiru’s 814, 168 votes would give victory to PDP and Ashiru, its candidate.

    The PDP Chairman in Kaduna State, Hassan Hyet, has said his party will appeal the tribunal’s judgment.

  • TRENDING VIDEO: I was elected governor but can't govern in peace, Obaseki cries out

    A viral video has emerged online of the embattled Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki stating that though he was elected governor but governing the state has been difficult for him.
    In the video, Obaseki said he had endured so much as a governor, as he had not been able to nominate one person for a federal appointment which he said were made at the central everyday.
    He said they called him from the Senate all the time whether he was aware of a particular appointment or not and that he had always kept quiet in the midst of the provocation.
    According to him, “I endured so much as a governor, as governor I mean I have not been able to nominate somebody for federal appointment and meanwhile federal appointments are made everyday, they call me from the senate and said are you ware of this? I keep quiet.
    “I cannot be governor and not be governor, I should be able to make decision, I made decision that are in the best interest of Edo State. Even within our politics, isn’t it ironic that in a state where you have one party ruling and has all 24 seats in the House of Assembly, we have this kind of crisis and at the centre, we have our own person who is supposed to superintend this?”
    Watch video here:


     

  • Former Rio de Janeiro governor tells judge he paid $2 million bribe to host 2016 Olympics

    June 5, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) The former governor of Rio de Janeiro State said in court testimony on Thursday that he paid $2 million to buy votes to ensure the city would be chosen to host the 2016 Olympic Games.
    Sergio Cabral told a judge the money went to Lamine Diack, the former President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and was used to buy as many as nine votes.
    It was not immediately possible to reach Diack or his legal team on Thursday night.
    The head of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and the main organizer of the bid, Arthur Nuzman, introduced a representative of Rio 2016 to Diack.
    Diack then asked Nuzman to make the payments ahead of the 2009 vote that saw Rio win out over Madrid, Chicago and Tokyo, Cabral told a federal judge.
    “Nuzman came to me and said, Sergio, I want tell you about the president of the International Athletics Federation, IAAF, Lamine Diack, he’s someone who is open to taking bribes,” Cabral said.
    Prosecutors in Brazil charged Nuzman in October 2017 with paying the $2 million in bribes to secure Rio as the 2016 Olympics host city. That trial is ongoing. He has said he is innocent and his lawyers repeated that on Thursday.
    Diack was also charged by Brazilian prosecutors. He said at the time he was innocent.
    Last month, Diack was also indicted in a French court on charges he and his son Papa Massata were involved in a series of illicit practices over a number of years.
    Those practices were said to include bribe-taking and money-laundering, with the active involvement of international athletes and their federations.
    Cabral told Judge Marcelo Bretas that Nuzman assured him the scheme would work because Diack had a history of such practices.
    “I said, Nuzman, what are our guarantees here? And he said, ‘traditionally he sells 4, 5, 6 votes. There is a risk that we don’t get through to the second round (of voting).”
    Cabral said Diack guaranteed up to six votes for $1.5 million and then came back and offered more if he was paid an extra $500,000. Cabral said he authorised the payment.
    “We did it,” Cabral said.
    The former governor, who has been sentenced to almost 200 years in jail for his part in a series of corruption scandals, named several top athletes in his testimony.
    Cabral also said that Brazil’s imprisoned former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the former mayor of the city, Eduardo Paes, did not participate in the scheme.
    But, accroding to him, they were informed about it after the fact.
    Cabral made the revelations at a hearing requested by his new defense team.
    The strategy of revealing admissions was made as part of his plea bargain in hopes it might lead to a reduction in the sentences facing both him and his wife Adriana Ancelmo, who was also jailed for corruption.