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The Conference of
Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has condemned what it described as
serial arrests of perceived political opponents of President Goodluck
Jonathan, who is also the presidential candidate of the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP).

The spokesperson
for the CNPP, Osita Okechukwu said in Abuja on Sunday that it is
lamentable that agents of the federal government have been arresting
opponents of the PDP while they are unable to fish out those who
attempted to kill other members of the opposition.

It said that the
arrests and detention of the opposition figures have put to question
the cherished freedom of Nigerians and the often- pronounced commitment
of the president to free, fair and transparent polls next month.

The group listed
members of the opposition who have been arrested to include Umaru
Al-Mukura and Hassan Lawal of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) as
well as officials of the Northern Political Leaders Forum, Bello
Abdulkadir and Farouk Bibi Farouk.

The CNPP said it
believes that instead of detention, the accused should be charged to
court and their charges made known to the public, adding that Mr Farouk
has spent over 48 hours in detention without being charged to court.

“CNPP is yet to
locate from the security agencies the final report of the murder of
Bola Ige, Harry Marshal, Uche Ogbonna and other high profile murder or
the arrest of prominent politicians in the recent murder of Modu Gubio,
the gubernatorial candidate of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in
Borno State,” he said.

“Yet, so far, no
member or supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been
arrested, even those who spent $16 billion on power and N300 billion on
road construction without commensurate result and who are today leading
President Jonathan’s campaign.”

Free to criticise

The group, which
restated that democracy without freedom is a sham, also reminded Mr
Jonathan that the relative freedom achieved in the past years should
not be sacrificed on the alter of overzealous security operatives.

“President Jonathan should resist picking needless fights, therefore
all high profile murder should be fully investigated and the report
made public and all suspects should be charged to court without further
delay; as anything to the contrary gives wrong impression that the
security agencies are witch-hunting only the political enemies of Mr
President,” Mr Okechukwu said.

Embattled Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel,
yesterday said that the booing he got from the crowd during the
presidential campaign rally of the People’s Democratic Party in
Abeokuta over the weekend, was a premeditated plan sponsored by his
political enemies within the party. Although Mr. Daniel has reached a
compromise with his major foe and former president, Olusegun Obasanjo,
it seems as though the Ogun state governor still remains a despised
figure within the party. Even though he was the host governor, Mr.
Daniel was not even allowed to make a speech or given any official role
to play by the state chapter of the party at the rally which took place
at the 35,000-capacity Moshood Abiola Stadium. After weeks of fighting,
Mr. Daniel, last Friday, recognised Tunji Olurin as the candidate of
the party in the state. Some of Mr. Daniel’s supporters, including his
favoured governorship candidate, Gboyega Isiaka, defected from the PDP
to join the People’s Party of Nigeria, but their plans also foundered
as the INEC refused to substitute their names with those earlier
forwarded by the party. Mr. Daniel has also had to shelve his
senatorial ambition, as his name was not on the list of candidates
approved by INEC.

Enemy turned friend

Mr. Obasanjo had to step in to plead for the state
governor, advising party members to show respect for the Ogun governor
despite whatever misgivings they might have about him. But Mr. Daniel,
in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Gbenro Adebanjo, yesterday
said investigations had shown that those who carried out the act were
hired.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we want to put it on
record that there was nothing spontaneous about the disrespectful act
to the person and office of the governor of Ogun State,” the statement
read. “It was a premeditated act by sponsors of the ignoble act who,
having failed to get Mr. Daniel not to attend the event, decided to
embarrass him at the venue. They had hired some undesirable elements
mainly from outside the state and briefed them to heckle the governor
during the event.”

Opposition party reacts

The PPN also described the incident as a show of
shame by leaders of the PDP. Raheem Ajayi, the party’s publicity
secretary, said the insults meted out to the incumbent governor
justified “our recent action of leaving the PDP for a more decent and
democratic platform…”

Mr. Ajayi said that it was time all parties played
the politics of principles and decency to advance the present
democratic order.

“It is for this reason that we call on the PDP in Ogun State to
apologise to the governor, the government, as well as the good people
of Ogun State for the unruly behaviour of the rented crowd brought from
the neighbouring state,” he said.

The family of the
late leader of Afenifere, Abraham Adesanya, at the weekend said that
President Goodluck Jonathan’s display of humility in his leadership of
the country had endeared him to all and that Nigeria needed such a
leader.

Mr. Jonathan was in
the Adesanyas’ Apapa family house at the weekend to commiserate with
the family over the death of its matriarch, Rosanna Arinola Adesanya,
who was the late Adesanya’s wife.

“We appreciate your
visit,” said Modupe Adelaja, the spokesperson for the family. “It is
rare to have a serving president visiting like you have done, they
usually send representatives. It is a sign of humility. It takes
somebody like you to lead the country. You are indeed a leader.”

Mrs. Adelaja, who
recalled that the president had also come in person to comfort the
family after the death of Abraham Adesanya, also described Mr. Jonthan
as a man of few words and prayed that as he marched forward in the
leadership of the country, he would succeed because of his focus.

“God installs leaders and he will install you,” she said.

Businessman and member of the family, Oba Otudeko, declared the total support of the Adesanyas for the president.

He said that even
though members of the family belonged to different parties, “we who are
present here, and those outside, are all resolved that we will do all
that is possible to ensure your election in April”.

Loss to Yoruba

The chief of staff
to the president, Mike Ogiaghome, said that the presidential visit was
to convey the condolences of the federal government, as well as that of
the people, to the Yoruba over the loss of the wife of a late leader of
the Yoruba and a great fighter for democracy. Mr. Jonathan said his
visit was to encourage the family and wish them well on the loss of
their mother.

“We feel your pain and you will remain in our prayers,” Mr. Jonathan
said. “Mama lived a good Christian life and worked with her husband to
bring about change in our society. Death is an inevitable end we all
will get to someday.”

Japan fought on
Sunday to avert a disastrous meltdown at two earthquake-crippled
nuclear reactors as estimates of the death toll from the tsunami that
charged across its northeast rose to more than 10,000.

Officials worked
desperately to stop fuel rods in the damaged reactors from overheating
after some controlled radiation leaks into the air to relieve pressure.

The government said
a building housing a second reactor was at risk of exploding after a
blast blew the roof off the first the day before at the complex, 240 km
(150 miles) north of Tokyo.

The fear is that if
the fuel rods do not cool, they could melt the container that houses
the core, or even explode, releasing radioactive material into the
wind. Broadcaster NHK, quoting a police official, said more than 10,000
people may have been killed as the wall of water triggered by Friday’s
8.9-magnitude quake surged across the coastline, reducing whole towns
to rubble.

Almost two million households were without power in the freezing north,

Japanese media said. There were about 1.4 million without running water.

Kyodo news agency
said about 300,000 people were evacuated nationwide, many seeking
refuge in shelters, wrapped in blankets, some clutching each other
sobbing. Authorities have set up a 20-km (12-mile) exclusion zone
around the Fukushima Daiichi plant and a 10 km (6 miles) zone around
another nuclear facility close by. Around 140,000 people have been
moved from the area, while authorities prepared to distribute iodine to
protect people from radioactive exposure.

The nuclear
accident, the worst since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, sparked
stinging criticism that authorities were ill-prepared for such a
massive quake and the threat that could pose to the country’s nuclear
power industry.

Chief Cabinet
Secretary Yukio Edano said there might have been a partial meltdown of
the fuel rods at the No. 1 reactor at Fukushima. Engineers were pumping
in seawater, trying to prevent the same happening at the No. 3 reactor,
he said in apparent acknowledgement they had moved too slowly on
Saturday.

“Unlike the No.1
reactor, we ventilated and injected water at an early stage,” Edano
told a news briefing. The No. 3 reactor uses a mixed-oxide fuel which
contains plutonium, but plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO)
said it did not present unusual problems. Asked if fuel rods were
partially melting in the No. 1 reactor, Edano said:

“There is that
possibility. We cannot confirm this because it is in the reactor. But
we are dealing with it under that assumption.” He said fuel rods may
have partially deformed at the No. 3 reactor but a meltdown was
unlikely to have occurred.

“The use of
seawater means they have run out of options,” said David Lochbaum,
director of the Union of Concerned Scientists Nuclear Safety Project.

TEPCO said
radiation levels around the Fukushima Daiichi plant had risen above the
safety limit but that it did not mean an “immediate threat” to human
health. Edano said there was a risk of an explosion at the building
housing the No. 3 reactor, but that it was unlikely to affect the
reactor core container.

The wind over the
plant would continue blowing from the south, which could affect
residents north of the facility, an official at Japan’s Meteorological
Agency said. The disaster prompted an angry response from an
anti-nuclear energy NGO in Japan which said it should have been
foreseen. “A nuclear disaster which the promoters of nuclear power in
Japan said wouldn’t happen is in progress,” the Citizens’ Nuclear
Information Centre said. “It is occurring as a result of an earthquake
that they said would not happen.”

Search for the missing

Thousands spent
another freezing night huddled in blankets over heaters in emergency
shelters along the northeastern coast, a scene of devastation after the
quake sent a 10-metre (33-foot) wave surging through towns and cities
in the Miyagi region, including its main coastal city of Sendai.

In one of the
heavily hit areas, Rikuzentakata, a city close to the coast, more than
1,000 people took refuge in a school high on a hill. Some were talking
with friends and family around a stove. The radio was giving updates.
On the walls were posters where names of survivors at the shelter were
listed. Some were standing in front of the lists, weeping.

Kyodo news agency reported there had been no contact with around 10,000 people in one town, more than half its population.

A Japanese official
said there were 190 people within a 10-km radius of the nuclear plant
when radiation levels rose and 22 people have been confirmed to have
suffered contamination. Workers in protective clothing were scanning
people arriving at evacuation centres for radioactive exposure.

Government criticised

The government, in
power less than two years and which had already been struggling to push
policy through a deeply divided parliament, came under criticism for
its handling of the disaster.

“Crisis management
is incoherent,” blared a headline in the Asahi newspaper, charging that
information disclosure and instructions to expand the evacuation area
around the troubled plant were too slow.

There has been a
proposal of an extra budget to help pay for the huge cost of recovery.
Edano said the cabinet would meet later on Sunday to discuss economic
steps. The Bank of Japan is expected to pledge on Monday to supply as
much money as needed to prevent the disaster from destabilising markets
and its banking system.

reuters

The vice presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), Namadi Sambo will today engage three other candidates in a public
debate.

The other vice presidential candidates are John Odigie-Oyegun of
the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Fola Adeola of the Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN) and Tunde Bakare of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

Anthony Dara, chief executive of NN24, sponsors of the debate,
announced this at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday. He also said the
presidential candidates of four parties will take their turn on March 18. The
candidates are President Goodluck Jonathan, Muhammadu Buhari of CPC, Ibrahim
Shekarau of ANPP and Nuhu Ribadu of ACN.

Mr Dara said that the four parties have agreed in principle to
participate in both the presidential and vice presidential debates, which will
hold at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hotel, Abuja.

Mr Dara said all arrangements for the two debates have been
concluded, adding that Jonathan Mann of the CNN and Kadaria Ahmed of NEXT
Newspapers will be moderators.

“All arrangements for the live broadcast and simulcast of the
event have been put in place and any station in Nigeria is permitted by the
NN24 and its associates to relay the signals to its audience without any
permission or recourse to the organisers,” Mr Dara said.

“The NN24 Presidential Debate is one of its kind in Nigeria as
the station is going to beam its signal to Nigerians, Africans and other parts
of the globe using its satellite transmission platform and other latest
technologies like Internet protocol TV (IPTV) and Globecast, among others.”

Limited to four

The NN24 official said only the presidential and vice
presidential candidate of four out of 19 parties presenting candidates for the
election were chosen to participate in the debates because of the spread of the
parties as well as the limited time available for the programme. He, however,
added that the programme may continue after the elections to enable other
parties participate.

He explained that the debate is part of the satellite television
station’s contribution to nation building which, according to him, should
involve everybody. He also said the company desired to contribute to the
electoral process.

Asked what NN24 would benefit from organising the debates, Mr
Dara said it is for the benefits of the voters whom he said will use their
votes to bring the candidates to power.

“The voters can hold the candidates to account for what they will promise if
they are eventually elected,” he said.

Effort by some
supporters of the governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel to contest the
April elections on the platform of the People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN)
suffered another blow yesterday, with the team accusing the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) of being shoddy in its operations.

This followed
speculations that their governorship candidate, Gboyega Isiaka has not
been recognised by INEC as the governorship candidate of the PPN. Mr
Isiaka and his group had left the PDP after failing to get tickets to
contest for the April polls under the ruling party. But their attempt
to represent the PPN suffered a setback when INEC said it was sticking
to the original list sent to it by the PPN as the list containing the
names of Mr Isiaka and his group came after the deadline for submission
of party candidate. At a loss

The Publicity
Secretary of the party, Raheem Ajayi, however said yesterday that the
PPN could not understand why Mr Isiaka’s name was not accepted.

“We are at a loss
why INEC that is supposed to be an organisation manned by people of
integrity, knowledge and credibility should be so shoddy in going about
its duties and responsibilities,” Mr Ajayi said. “It was the same INEC
that issued acknowledgement letters to Isiaka and other candidates of
the party when PPN substituted their names with those of the existing
ones earlier submitted before the January 31st deadline.” He said the
new list of candidates was submitted in time to beat the February 14
deadline for the National Assembly candidates and the February 28
deadline for both gubernatorial and State Assembly candidates.

“The general public and INEC are hereby put on notice of the antics
and evil machinations of the fat cats and godfathers within PDP who
hounded our current candidates out of PDP,” he said. “These are the
same elements who are raising unnecessary alarm and are guiding INEC to
embark on the dangerous path of illegality and injustice.”

The Labour Party in Plateau State on Wednesday took its campaign
to Quan’Pan Local Government Area, some 250 kilometres South of Jos. Labour
Party members told newsmen later that they were overwhelmed by the turnout in
the area, being the home of the running mate of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) gubernatorial candidate in the April election.

“We never expected this,” Jimmy Chetto, director general of the
Labour Party gubernatorial campaign in the state said, “yes, we knew we were
going to have a good impact and have a good crowd here today. But we certainly
did not expect this overwhelming support and turn out. It is great.”

Addressing the crowd of supporters after party flags were
presented to the candidates for State House of Representatives, and the three
senatorial seats in the state, Labour Party’s gubernatorial flag bearer,
Pauline Tallen, recalled that she was on the same ground four years ago to
plead with the people to vote the present government of Jonah Jang to power.

“I was here with you in this same venue this time in 2007. I
pleaded with you then to vote for PDP, and vote for Jang, hoping that he would
take the state to a new level.”

Explaining the change of fortune, Mrs Tallen regretted that the
present government in the state has disappointed the people, fracturing a lot
of social values, and “is leaving the state worse than any other administration
before it.”

Agenda in the state

Emphasising that her administration, if voted into power, will
put emphasis on women, youth development, and agriculture, Mrs Tallen said
“this time around, I am canvassing for your support and votes for myself
because I am convinced that I can do it.”

She urged the people to vote for change in the next election by
voting for the Labour Party in all the elections, reminding the audience at the
rally that “this is the opportunity you have to salvage yourselves and the
future of our children.”

Mrs Tallen preached the values and virtues of justice, equal
opportunities, job creation, reconciliation, and unity as the rally moved from
Ba’ap to Kwal, to Kurgwi, to Kwande, and Namua, all in Quan’Pan Local
Government Area, before proceeding to Tunkus and Uarkawa in Mikang Local
Government Area.

Continuing the campaign tour of Plateau South which took her and
the entire campaign trail to her home town in Shendam Local Government Area on
Thursday, Mrs Tallen and her entourage paid a courtesy call on the Long Goemai
in his palace where the team solicited the blessings of the Royal father in the
April elections.

“We have arrived Shendam today, on our campaign tour. As my
father and the father of all of us, we have come to pay you our respect and get
your blessings in this struggle to bring about positive change, peace and unity
to Plateau,” Mrs Tallen told the traditional ruler.

The Chief Whip of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rasak
Balogun, has urged Nigerians to vote out the ruling party if President Goodluck
Jonathan fails to attend the lined up debates for presidential candidates ahead
of the April polls.

Mr Balogun stated this while receiving, on behalf of the
Speaker of the House Adeyemi Ikuforiji, a group of professionals, Governance
500, who were on a peaceful walk protest to the Assembly premises. He demanded
all political parties to ensure that their candidates are subjected to open
debates to reel out their plans in details ahead of the forthcoming general
elections.

Reacting to recent media reports that Mr Jonathan had initially
refused to attend a televised debate, he said: “A sitting president that came
into office by destiny should be the one championing the debate but
unfortunately I hear the gentleman is running from the debate.”

According to him, such an attitude from the president portrays
that: “the message is to easy out the government and this I believe indicates
for us in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) that we have a role to play in
the central government.”

‘Walk the talk’

The walk, which commenced from First Bank, Kudirat Abiola Way,
terminated at the House of Assembly, Ikeja. Members of the group carried
banners and chanted that all candidates should “walk the talk” and that
“Nigerians demand a presidential debate.” “We have had enough of campaigns,”
said Femi George, a member of the group. “They told us housing and education
for all by 2010 before and now they talking about 2020. We want them to tell us
how and when they will achieve the plans. We are tired of the same old stories,
give us the blueprints.”

The leader of the group, Obiageli Obi, while addressing
lawmakers at the House, said that “we are tired of voting for people who do not
have impacts on our lives.” “There are issues that are recurrent and nothing
has been done about it,” she said. “We want a debate, we want to know what the
candidates have for us, we want to see the party’s manifestoes and know how it
will affect our lives.” She also urged the public to get involved in the
debate. “We need everyone to tune in, this is a selection time,” she said, and
advised people to send in questions for the candidates so that they know what
to expect from them.

Sustaining the tempo

Mrs Obi said the group is a training programme for professionals
to participate in politics and re brand Nigeria. “This advocacy will continue
even after the elections,” she said. “When they get into office, we will be on
their neck to monitor they deliver their promises as at the time pledged. We
are an advocacy group and we will keep advocating.”

Mr Balogun commended the group on its initiative, noting that what they
embarked on is “very good for our democracy.” He said that the debate must not
only end with the presidential candidates. “Their vice presidents too should
have a debate because they are presidents in waiting and we need to know what
they [are] worth,” he said. He pledged the support of the House to the call and
urged them to make sure they take it out of Lagos. “Lagos alone does not make Nigeria,”
he said.

The House of
Representatives yesterday directed the Aviation Minister, Fidelia
Njeze, to hasten the perimeter fencing of the Bauchi airstrip after
Tuesday’s crash-landing of the plane conveying leaders of the Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

The lawmakers accused the ministry of delaying the project despite years of funding approvals.

Short of
describing the incident which involved the presidential team of the
Action Congress of Nigeria as politically-motivated, some lawmakers led
by Sani Abdul, a Representative from Bauchi State, asked the National
Security Adviser, Patrick Azazi, to “ascertain the security lapses and
political implications surrounding the incident.”

The suggestion
came a day after the federal government denied allegations of sabotage
in the incident. It was, however, rejected as part of the final prayers
by the House.

On Wednesday, the
Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Njeze, disputed claims by the ACN that the
plane which carried its presidential running mate, Fola Adeola, had
crash-landed colliding with animals, saying the aircraft had “already
landed and was taxing before the incident happened.”

“There was no crash-landing, no sabotage”, she said. She, however, said the fencing will now be completed in two weeks.

Mr. Abdul, a
member of the Congress for Progressive Change in the House of
Representatives, who sponsored the motion said the incident occurred as
a result of the failure of the aviation ministry to complete the
fencing of the airstrip even when funds had been made available in 2009
and 2010 budgets.

“Most embarrassing
is the remarks from the Bauchi State governor’s aide to the effect that
the state was not aware of the coming of the ACN candidate.

“And the Federal
Executive Council (FEC) has said there is no act of sabotage in the
incident. There is a counter claim by the ACN of sabotage. This needs
to be investigated. The Police must be asked some questions. The
National Security Adviser (NSA) must also answer some questions.”

House Minority
Leader, Femi Gabjabiamila, a member of the ACN, also called for an
independent investigation of the incident, dismissing the federal
government’s claims.

“FEC has reacted even though it is not known to law. We cannot ask
the Ministry of Aviation to probe. This is because it is an interested
party. Let us go for an independent body to probe this,” he said,
adding “Yearly, we budget monies for perimeter fencing and nothing is
done. This is not an act of God as claimed by FEC, it is an act of
negligence.”

The Presidential
Campaign Council of the People’s Democratic Party has expressed
sympathy with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) over the mishap
involving some top-level members of their presidential campaign team.

The Director of
Media and Publicity, Abba Dabo, in a press statement said the campaign
group, “joins the ACN in thanking God that no life was lost in the
incident and prays that no Nigerian experiences such a sense of panic
and anxiety in our airspace again.”

Mr. Dabo, however,
criticised the statement credited to the spokesperson of the ACN’s
presidential campaign team, Ibrahim Modibbo, alleging sabotage.
Describing the statement as “absurd and indeed worrisome,” Mr. Dabo
claimed ACN members are in the habit of blaming the PDP for all their
misfortunes.

“These unfounded
allegations range from such issues as denial of campaign permits, plane
mishaps and even alleged assassination attempts. It is our sincere
belief that even in the midst of a fierce political scramble for power,
there should be a limit to political interpretation of sensitive
matters.

“This strategy of
blaming PDP for all their woes is a further confirmation that their
campaigns lack issues or direction. And that they have seen the
handwriting on the walls, about their impending electoral defeat,” Mr.
Dabo said.

The vice
presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Fola
Adeola and other leaders of the party escaped harm when the 5N-BMR
aircraft they boarded ran into goats that strayed onto the runway of
the airstrip of Bauchi airport on Tuesday.

Mr. Adeola was in
Bauchi State for the party’s presidential campaign and the flag-off
campaign of the governorship candidate for the state, Baba Tela, which
took place at the Ibrahim Babangida Square.

Speaking to
journalists, Mr Modibbo, had said the incident was a bad development
and described it as the “handiwork of saboteurs who were out to
eliminate the life of the presidential candidate (Nuhu Ribadu).”

According to Mr.
Modibbo, the second aircraft which Mr. Ribadu and other party members
boarded could not land immediately and had to hover in the air for over
40 minutes before it finally landed. Mr. Modibbo said the management of
the airstrip was aware of Mr. Ribadu’s flight plans. However, he said
the Nuhu Ribadu Campaign Organisation was not asking the government to
do it a special favour by guaranteeing safety and security at the
nation’s airports.

“What we are saying is that no life is more important than the other,” he said.

“Before the present
PDP government is booted out by the people, they should at least ensure
that our airports, our roads and our towns and villages are safe enough
for everyone, including our candidates, and particularly during this
electioneering period.”

The PDP, however, described the position as a politics of bitterness, saying it is unjustified and in extreme bad taste.

“We call on Nigerians to disregard these malicious and libelous
insinuations. President Goodluck Jonathan has given his pledge to run a
decent, lawful and decorous campaign, where issues are discussed and
debated for the transformation of Nigeria. We urge the nation’s
aviation officials to do everything necessary to prevent any such
incident in future.” Mr. Dabo said.