Nigeria Content Online

The
police have deployed 700 officers ahead of President Goodluck
Jonathan’s visit to Bida in Niger. Mr. Jonathan is expected to pay a
courtesy visit to traditional ruler, the Etsu Nupe, Yahaya Abubakar, on
Tuesday before flagging off his campaign in Minna. The police area
commander in Bida, Ayo Olatunji, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
on Monday that police officers had been deployed to strategic locations
to ensure an orderly visit. Mr. Abubakar also appealed to youth in the
area to be calm and not to do anything that would cause any hitches,
stressing that the police would deal with anyone seeking to cause a
breach of the peace.

Meanwhile, a former
minister of information, Jerry Gana, has appealed to Nupe people all
over the country to come home to welcome the president.

“We must all come out to give Mr. President a befitting welcome and convince him to support our demand for Edu State,” he said.

Earlier yesterday,
the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) says it was finalising arrangements
for President Goodluck Jonathan’s successful campaign across the seven
states in the North-West Zone. Baba Lawal-Aliyu, the North West Zonal
Secretary of the party, made this known in Kaduna on Monday in an
interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said that the presidential campaign train would visit all the states in the zone to canvass for support from the electorate.

“You see, this is a
critical zone to the party because we produced the vice-president and a
host of ministers, ambassadors and other political appointees. Our zone
is also the most populated region in the country with the highest
number of votes.

“That is why the PDP machinery at all levels would not want to take chances or squander opportunities,” Mr. Lawal-Aliyu said.

According to him, the zonal executive committee and zonal working
committee will consider the composition of campaign committees and
itinerary as well as other sundry issues that will make the programme a
success. He urged party members and supporters to remain steadfast,
loyal and law abiding. The zone comprises Kaduna, Kano, Katsina,
Sokoto, Kebbi, Jigawa and Zamfara States. Meanwhile, the PDP has
inaugurated an eight-member reconciliation committee for the zone with
a Veteran Journalist, Abba Dabo, as Chairman. Mr. Lawal-Aliyu said that
an educationist, Suleiman Kauru, would serve as the committee’s
secretary. He said Ladan Shuni, Babajo Funtua, Sule Buba, Samaila
Dankasa, Isa Bahutu and Mohammed Bawa would serve as members. In a
related development, Ibrahim Kazaure, has since assumed duties as the
new zonal chairman of the party with a pledge to refocus and improve
PDP’s fortunes in the North-West zone.