Robbers Kill US Based Couple Along Benin-Onitsha Highway Asaba

It was meant to be a grieving and pleasure trip; one to honour family members with their presence. It was also an opportunity to share love with kinsmen at Christmas time. Tragically, the lives of Houston Texas based couple; Mr. and Mrs. Don and Nkem Okoro alongside their 2 year old niece; Zizi where cut short by an encounter with armed robbers along the Benin – Onitsha highway while on their way to participate and officiate  at the burial of  Don’s only younger brother, Emmanuel who died very recently.

FAYOSE DISTRIBUTES CHRISTMAS LARGESSE TO EKITI PEOPLE

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has distributed not less than 80,000 chickens and 100,000 bags of rice to the Ekiti people between Thursday and Friday.
His Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, who disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday in Ado-Ekiti said the Christmas largesse including cash gift were distributed under the stomach infrastructure programme.
According to him, people of the State who continued to besiege the Governor’s office in their large numbers as well as those who had theirs delivered to them at their domain were amazed at the milk of kindness of the Governor, saying it has been long such has occurred in the State.
“Some of the elderly who could not hide their joy at the rear opportunity of having to celebrate the season with the package poured torrents of prayers on the man they referred to as supporter of a common man.

Obanikoro has no electoral value — Ex-minister, Ogunlewe

A former Minister of Works and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe, in this interview with Ashiwaju.org  speaks on the crisis rocking the PDP in Lagos over the governorship primary that produced Jimi Agbaje as the candidate for the 2015 governorship election in the state

Is it true that the Peoples Democratic Party is making efforts to reconcile with a former Minister of State for Defence, Amb. Musiliu Obanikoro, and others who are aggrieved with the party’s hierarchy in Lagos over the outcome of the recently held governorship primary in the state?

As Peter Obi Receives Papal's Knighthood Award Today, Obienyem writes from Abuja

The concept of granting dignities and honouring people who have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields has always been part of man in all epochs and cultures. Its inception might remain unknown to anyone. It probably belongs to the mysteries of origin about which all might guess and propound theories, but none might ever know conclusively.
In the years gone by, there were a lot of values that were applauded in Igbo land and beyond. Then, excellence was the norm; Igbos cherished and applauded it. Titles and dignities were conferred on, and granted to people based on merit and nothing else. As far back as a pry into Igbo history can reveal, it was not in vain that Igbos conferred names and titles such as Diji, Diochi, Dike, Dimgba, di this or di that on people. The bearers of such titles were experts in cultivation of yam, palm wine-tapping, wrestling, or would have performed some heroic acts in other endeavours. These people achieved excellence in their fields and were consequently honoured.

Jonathan vs Buhari: The running mate politics

The choice of the running mate for the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, and the All Progressives Congress’s candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), may influence voting in the 2015 presidential election,
The two biggest political parties in Nigeria — the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition, All Progressives Congress — have presented their candidates for the 2015 presidential election. They are President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP and a former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) of the APC. The battle for the number one office in the country is between these two.

While a presidential aspirant emerges the candidate of a political party by winning a primary election, the vice-presidential candidate is selected or appointed as a running mate by either the candidate, the party or by a consensus reached by both.

According to political analysts, the choice of a running mate in an election should be strategic. The personality, background, affiliations and political clout of the aspirants are considered before the candidate is chosen. The analysts believe that in a political clime like Nigeria, parties will consider the tribe or ethnic nationality, education and career, religion and political antecedents of the running mate. These, they say, are factors that will get more votes for the presidential or governorship candidate.

Osinbajo: South-South snub by APC irrelevant, says Briggs

A Niger Delta activist and spokesperson for the Ijaw Republican Assembly, Ms. Annkio Briggs, has downplayed the decision of the All Progressives Congress not to pick a South-South running mate for its presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammed Buhari (retd.).
The APC, on Wednesday, named a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as its vice-presidential candidate.
Top contenders for the slot from the South-South were Governors Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo.
Briggs, in an interview with curreld from Channels TV interview, described the absence of a South-South vice-presidential candidate in the APC as irrelevant, as President Goodluck Jonathan is from the region.

Gunmen kidnap ASUU chair’s wife, demand N50m ransom

Gunmen on Friday kidnapped wife of the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Osun State University chapter, Mrs. Funmilayo Abiona.
Abiona was abducted in Osogbo around 7:30pm.
Ashiwaju.org gathered on Saturday that Mrs. Abiona closed from her shop around Oke Bale area of Osogbo and was heading home to meet her husband, Dr. Oluseye Abiona, when the hoodlums, who had been on her trail, caught up with her and forcefully took her away after a hot argument.
The hoodlums, according to some residents of the area, were dressed in red shirts.

Pray for 2015, Adeboye urges Nigerians

General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has called on Nigerians to be persistent in their prayers for Nigeria.
Adeboye made the call at the annual Christmas Carol and thanksgiving service organised by the Oyo State Government in Ibadan on Saturday.
Also present at the event were Governor Abiola Ajimobi; his wife, Florence; his deputy, Moses Alake; Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Oyo State, Johnson Olabisi; Chairman, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Oyo State, Taiwo Adelakun; leader, Living Spring International, Femi Emmanuel; traditional rulers and several others.
Adeboye stressed the need for the country not to doubt the work of God as miracles could happen any time.

Osinbajo: APC, PDP change zoning formula

The country’s two major political parties the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Party have kick-started a realignment of forces in order to upstage each other in the forthcoming 2015 presidential election.
The realignment is said to be one of the fallouts of the emergence of Professor Yemi Osinbajo as the vice- presidential candidate of the APC on Wednesday.
Both parties, Ashiwaju.org  learnt, might have changed their zoning formula to ensure that the selection of Osinbajo would not hurt their chances at the polls.
Osinbajo, a former Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, is a native of Ikenne, Ogun State in the South-West. His wife, Dolapo, is a granddaughter of the first Premier of the Western Region and foremost Yoruba politician, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Truck Loaded With INEC Ballot Boxes Arrested In Bauchi

The Bauchi State Police Command, following intelligence report, arrested and detained a vehicle loaded with ballot boxes belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Saturday, 20 December, 2014.

The vehicle was searched by a team of security agents and over three hundred ballot boxes were found. The driver of the vehicle presented a way bill indicating that he was authorised by INEC to convey the ballot boxes to INEC’s North East Zonal office in Gombe.