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The military high
command in Abuja has told residents that the movement of a large number
of military equipment and personnel noticed in the city this week was
in preparation for the nation’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Chris Olukolade,
the Director of Army Public Relations, said that a lot of military
hardware will become more visible as the date for the anniversary draws
near. “The men and equipment which are due for rehearsals on the parade
and displays assigned to the military during the celebrations will be
more visible as the main events of the National Day celebration
approach,” he said.

Amaka Nnopu, an
optometrist from Nyanya, said she has been noticing the increased
military activity for the past two days, particularly near her job.
“The low flying military aircraft in different shapes and sizes
hovering over Mogadishu Cantonment Abuja calls for concern,” she said.

A large number of armoured vehicles, artillery and troops were
already stationed in Eagle Square ahead of the Independence Day
celebrations next week. However, Mr Olukolade said there was no cause
for alarm. “The displays of aircraft, the noticeable movement of heavy
equipment and their men constitute no threat whatsoever to national
security,” he said. “The general public should go about their normal
lawful activities without panic or concern.”

There are
indications yesterday that Mohammed Abacha, the eldest son of the late
former Head State, Sani Abacha may leave the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) to pursue his ambition of becoming the next governor of Kano
State.

Participants at an
emergency meeting, held at his Audu Bako Way campaign office in Kano
for his supporters, unanimously decided that Mr. Abacha should leave
the PDP with immediate effect.

Mr. Abacha, who
joined active politics barely two years ago, was pursuing his goal of
clinching the PDP ticket for next year’s campaign until the latest
development.

Up till yesterday,
former governor of the state, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso was the only
aspirant that had picked the N5.5m governorship intent form of the
party.

There are
insinuations that some members of the PDP Elder’s Forum in the state
have already allocated the governorship seat to Mr Kwankwaso, who was
also a former minister of defence and is seen as being in control of
the state’s party apparatus.

Mr. Abacha may not
be able to actualize his governorship bid due to the decision of the
Kwankwaso camp, popularly referred to as Kwankwasiyya group which is in
firm control party machinery in Kano, to back the former governor.

Saidu Bello, a
staunch supporter of Mr. Abacha, has accused the Kwankwasiyya group of
highhandedness, pointing to an alleged sharing of party positions to
only the Kwankwaso group as a pointer that there will be no justice for
other aspirants of the party.

The faction of the
former minister was said to have met in Kaduna last week and divided up
all elective positions in the party to only members of the Kwankwasiyya.

Leaving for CPC

Mr. Bello further
accused Mr. Kwankwaso of hijacking all the delegate forms that were
given to the state chapter by the national secretariat. Out of the 3000
forms, Kwankwaso allegedly collected 1500 for his loyalists and the
rest were shared among senatorial districts.

He said Mr. Abacha
and his supporters have concluded plans to dump the PDP, adding that
the next line of action for members of the group, who formed the bulk
of the Garkuwa faction of the PDP in Kano,

will be determined in the next 48 hours.

Mr. Abacha
reportedly met with Muhammadu Buhari three months ago in Kaduna, where
he made his intention to join CPC known to the presidential candidate.

Mr Buhari was said to have given him the nod to join the party, but
advised him to join with the aim of building the newly registered party.

A faction of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Rivers State, has alleged that the
government is interfering with its upcoming senatorial primaries.

A statement issued
by Baridoma Nkpe, the Public Relations Officer of the Rivers South/East
Democratic Forum, said the state Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, was
coercing local politicians into supporting three delegates hand-picked
for the positions. “This illegal and corrupt action, if allowed, is
contrary to the 2010 Electoral Act and the PDP Primary elections
guidelines,” the statement read. “This exposes the party to serious
legal actions that could rule the PDP out of the ballot as the
delegates who elected the party candidates would not have been properly
elected according to the letters of the law.”

The group appealed
to the party’s National Chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo, and its National
Working Committee to call the governor and the state’s PDP chairman to
order. “We urge the national chairman to match his words with action by
insisting that the right thing must be done in Rivers state as the
party elects candidates for the 2011 general election.”

Despite rumours of
his gubernatorial ambition, Teslim Folarin, the Senate Leader,
yesterday picked a form of intent to return to the senate for a third
term.

Mr Folarin, who
represents the Oyo Central Senatorial District at the National
Assembly, obtained his nomination form at the Wadata Plaza national
headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party, in Abuja. Confirming that
the state secretariat of party is aware of Mr Folarin’s nomination, the
PDP state secretary, Bashiru Akanbi, said his office has no objection
to it. He also said Mr Folarin’s decision to obtain the form from the
national office does not in any way give credence to speculations in
the media that a parallel structure is on ground in the state, saddled
with the power to distribute nomination forms.

There were
indications that Mr Folarin might have secured the nod of party
chieftains as a purported agreement was said to have been reached
between the senators and the presidency on return tickets for them all.
But unlike in his last bid, when he literarily secured the ticket
unchallenged, the senate leader will have some equally competent
candidates to contend with within the party in the state this time.

They include the former military administrator of Lagos and Ogun
States, Raji Rasaki; Jumoke Akinjide, the daughter of the former
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation; Richard
Akinjide, prominent lawyer; Gbenga Olaofe and Depo Oyedokun, who wants
to cross from the House of Representatives where he currently
represents Oluyole Federal Constituency.

The National
Association of Nigerian Students yesterday announced its drive to raise
N11 million to bankroll the presidential nomination form purchased for
President Goodluck Jonathan by governors of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) last Saturday.

The body’s
President, Jude Imagwe, told newsmen that the initiative, which is
tagged, it collecting N50 from every tertiary institution student
across the country as part of the association’s efforts towards
ensuring that Mr. Jonathan emerges the PDP’s presidential candidate and
wins the 2011 election.

Mr. Imagwe also
appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to
make voters registration centres available on campuses, so as to enable
students to effectively participate in the electoral process.

“As our comrade,
member and patron, the NANS Congress unanimously agreed to officially
raise funds to repay whosoever has purchased the nomination form for
President Jonathan to vie for the post of President in 2011 general
election,” Mr Imagwe said.

“The over 40
million Nigerian students will give our total support for President
Jonathan to emerge as President that will lead Nigeria through the part
of perestroika and glasnost. It is the new thinking for our students.”

Open to students

On why the body
chose to support Mr. Jonathan over other aspirants, Mr. Imagwe said the
President was the only aspirant to reach out to the students by
inviting them to his declaration and the first to give students access
to him to discuss their problems.

“We are equally unanimous in our scrutiny that President Jonathan,
having served as a lecturer, local government chairman, deputy
governor, Vice President, and current President of Nigeria, is the most
experienced, qualified, efficient, reliable, equitable and fair
Nigerian to lead the country to the promised land in 2011 as Nigeria’s
President,” he said.

Nigeria is in
distress and could fail if not rescued immediately, the Abubakar Bukola
Saraki Campaign Organisation (ABS) said yesterday.

Udenta Udenta, the
director general of the campaign, said at the organisation’s maiden
conference in Abuja that there is an urgent need to put in place
concrete policy and package to transform the country.

He said the
governor of Kwara State and presidential aspirant, Bukola Saraki, is
adequately prepared to undertake the task, as his aspiration represents
both generational and ideological change. He added that his principal
has already put together a package for the ultimate transformation of
the country.

According to him,
the change being worked out by the governor “would mobilise Nigerians
as nationalists, to support real change. Change that does not replace
old prejudices with new discrimination. Change that does not incite
Christians against Muslims, or vice versa. Change that does not divide
the minority from the majority groups. Change that does not
sectionalise power,” Mr. Udenta said.

Generation change

Mr. Udenta
described Mr. Saraki as an expert in providing power, infrastructure,
and social services, aside from the agricultural revolution, which, he
said, has been done in Kwara State.

“Our movement is a
social democratic project to empower women and youth and free the
masses from underdevelopment,” he stressed.

“Our think-tank
consists of some of the best brains in Nigeria, who have already
developed a concrete policy paradigm and package to transform Nigeria.
We condemn elite manipulation of ethnicity, religion, and region in
order to divide and oppress the people,” he said.

The campaign
manager said Mr. Saraki hails from the centre of Nigeria, and
therefore, represents all Nigerians, irrespective of their
socio-cultural background.

“Born of a Muslim
father and a Christian mother, a hybrid of different Nigerian cultures,
he is a true and detribalised Nigerian,” he said.

Mr. Udenta said that the governor’s campaign would engage
competitors on issues as well as the country’s priorities and ideology,
just as he noted that the contributions of past leaders would be
respected.

The Federal
Executive Council, which was presided over by vice president, Namadi
Sambo, yesterday awarded contracts worth about N10 billion
(N9,674,65,018.62) covering the transportation, agriculture sectors,
the Federal Capital Territory, and ministry of foreign affairs.

Other contracts
approved by FEC includes the importation of 60,000 units of 240 litres
of waste disposal units, in the sum of N927,600,000.00 for the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT). The contractors, Messrs Pentagon Group of
Companies Limited, have 12 weeks to deliver.

Briefing State
House correspondents after the FEC meeting, the Minister of Information
and Communications, Dora Akunyili, alongside her counterpart, Labaran
Maku, said the council also approved the supply of heavy equipment –
one wheel loader, landfill compactor, and a Skid Street Leader CAT –
for waste management in FCT in the sum of N186, 514,650.00 and one D7R
Series 11 track type bulldozer and two Pay-loader in the sums of
N118,950,000.00 and N149,480,000.00 respectively, with delivery period
of 14 weeks.

Also speaking, the
Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Ahmed Abdallah, said
council also approved contract for the supply of one 36.30M Demersal
and Pelagic Deep Sea Oceanographic and Fisheries Research and Fishing
Combination Vessal for the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and
Marine Research (NIMOR) in the sum of 8,070,000.00 Euros, with the
completion period of 15 months.

Mrs. Akunyili also
said council approved N1,956,593,550.89 for the completion of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ new headquarters complex in Central
Business District, Abuja, in favour of Messrs Bulet International
(Nigeria) Limited.

Got approval

Also briefing
journalists, the Minister of Transport, Yusuf Sulaiman, said his
ministry sought and got approval for the revalidation of six projects
of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

“Council, after
deliberation, approved the supply of six Fire Engines (Mercedes Benz)
with Foam Tenders in the revised contract sum of 2,721,032.15; plus
N70,586,775.00, with the completion period of 48 weeks; and six Land
Rover Fire Tenders in the revised contract sum of 844,368.75 Euro plus
N21,903,918.75, with the completion period of 20 weeks,” he said.

In addition, council approved the supply of two Marine Tug Boats
(types 1 and 2), in the revised contract sum of Euros14,770,039.88 plus
USD 710, 742.13, plus N398,784,566.08, with the completion period of 12
months and supply of two Mercedes Benz fire fighting trucks with aerial
platform in the revised contract sum of Euros 1,147,500.00; plus
N29,767,500.00, with the completion period of 20 weeks.

Twenty youth were
hospitalised on Wednesday, following a clash between two factions of
the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Yagba west local
government area of Kogi State.

About 10 vehicles
were destroyed during the violence, which involved the use of dangerous
weapons such as guns, machetes, and broken bottles.

The incident was
the climax of the protracted crises between Samuel Aro, a member of the
House of Representatives who is eyeing a second term, and lawmakers
opposed to his ambition including Ropo Asala, the chairman of the
council, and Rinde Asagun, a special adviser to the state governor.

On Wednesday, the
faction opposed to Mr. Aro’s second term bid, decided to hold a
procession rally in response to a similar rally he held two days
earlier. According to one witness, the procession began peacefully. The
supporters sang, danced, and displayed posters of Smart Adeyemi and
Folorunsho Daniyan, Mr. Aro’s main opponents in the race for the House
of Representatives.

Eyewitnesses said
trouble started when a motorcade conveying supporters was ambushed in
Odo-Eri, Mr. Aro’s hometown, along the Kabba-Ilorin Road. The 35 cars
were returning from Egbe, another town in the council area.

The attackers began
by smashing car windscreens and windows after which they descended on
the occupants using machetes, cutlasses, and other dangerous weapons,
said one witness.

“We were completely
taken unawares and we were unprepared because our leaders had told us
to go about the rally peacefully,” one of the victims said. “It would
have been bloody if we prepared for them,” he said.

Confirming the
incident, state police commissioner, Abdullahi Magaji, said the command
would arrest, detain, and prosecute the perpetrators of the violence,
no matter how highly-placed in the society.

“The thugs who were recruited to carry out this violence will be treated as armed robbers,” he said.

The Chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Attahiru Jega, says he
will guarantee free and fair elections in 2011, if he gets more time to
prepare for the polls.

Mr. Jega gave this
assurance during an exclusive interview with NEXT at INEC headquarters
in Abuja yesterday. He said, ‘‘I can guarantee an excellent job, if I
get time until April to be able to conduct elections. I will have no
apprehension about doing a very good, excellent voter registration
exercise’’ adding, ‘‘I will have gained sufficient time to be able to
prepare adequately for the conduct of the elections’’.

The chairman of the
electoral commission was speaking about the recent call by his
commission for an extension of the election time table. Following a
retreat in Calabar, the commission also announced that it would be
looking at legal ways to get an extension of the election time table. A
day after that announcement, the body held a meeting with
representatives of all political parties most of whom rose from the
meeting endorsing the call for more time. The National Assembly has
since announced that it would be sitting on Monday to look at the issue.

Knotty issues

However, the INEC
Chairman admitted that potentially there are knotty issues with holding
elections in April, a month that increasingly appears to be the
preferred choice for holding the polls. He admitted that this date may
not allow time for resolution of cases that may arise out of the
election ahead of the May 29th handover, but says if INEC does an
‘‘excellent job, there will be minimal litigation’’.

Sounding upbeat
and optimistic, Mr. Jega also said he believed the Nigerian judiciary
is sensitive to the importance of dealing expeditiously with election
cases and he expects that they would do their best to speed up the
determination of cases arising from elections.

Read the full interview with Attahiru Jega in this week’s NEXT on Sunday

An aspirant to Enugu north
senatorial seat, Mike Ajiogwu, said on Wednesday that he would step
down if a more qualified person than him emerges.

Mr. Ajiogwu, a
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who is contesting on the platform of the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP), told the News Agency of Nigeria that
he was contesting because of poor representation of the zone in the
last 10 years. According to him, the poor representation is responsible
for the under development of the zone.

“I am not into the
race to make money; after all, I have trained all my children and they
are comfortable in their various fields. God will not forgive me on the
last day if I did not use the knowledge and wisdom He bestowed on me to
liberate and develop my people,” Mr. Ajiogwu said. He said that if
elected, he would work for the actualisation of the proposed Adada
State, which according to him, is the heart desire of the people. The
senior advocate said that he was encouraged to join the race by the
determination of the PDP’s national chairman to restore internal
democracy in the party.