Kano Flyover Name After Late Emir By Jonathan

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan today in Kano, the capital of Kano State, commissioned a recently constructed flyover paid for by the Federal Government. The flyover is located near Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital on Zaria Road in the Kano metropolis.

There was a political undertone to the event as Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, who belongs to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), recently brought his party’s presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a recent critic of Mr. Jonathan’s, to commission flyovers built by the state government.

Speaking at the commissioning, Mr. Jonathan, who is the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), described Kano as a strategic commercial center. He said the flyover would help the state in the trans-Saharan trade. “Kano is important to us and we will not forget the state in our developmental projects,” Mr. Jonathan promised.

“Shady Deals” Rock Nigeria Election Debate Group

The Nigeria Election Debate Group, NEDG, has organised presidential and vice presidential debates since 1999, but fresh claims have emerged questioning the independence and partisan nature of the group.

The debates, the final lap of the series of debates organised by the NEDG, is holding on March 22, according to the organisers.

But there have been allegations that the group is actually a one-man show run by Raymond Dokpesi, the Chairman of DAAR Communications Limited (owners of Africa Independent Television, AIT), who uses it as a bargaining tool for private gains and political advantage.

POLL PROJECTS PRESIDENT JONATHAN’S VICTORY IN MARCH 28 ELECTION

With days to the 2015 presidential poll, Kevin, Charlyn and Kimberly Associates, a United Kingdom (UK)-based research and political risk consultancy firm has projected that incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will win the March 28 poll with a margin of 13 percent probability ratings.
A statement issued by its Vice President (VP) for Africa and Middle East, Mr. OC. Vince which was made available to journalists in Abuja on Friday, said it used both the ‘monkey survey’ and ‘political risk index’ to forecast the Nigerian election which culminated in projecting a Jonathan’s win. He however explained that the firm had no partisan interest in the outcome of the nationwide survey, adding that the election would be left for Nigerians to decide.

LAST MINUTE MOVES: JONATHAN WOOS CIROMA, NORTHERN ELDERS; VISITS KANO TODAY

Apparently bu oyed up by his political manoeuvrings which had led to a major division between some Yoruba leaders and other stakeholders, President Goodluck Jonathan who is also the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has now moved to the north with the aim of whittling down opposition from some core northerners to his re-election on March 28.
The South West geopolitical zone which had earlier appeared impregnable was split weekend over whether to vote for Jonathan or the presidential candidate of the main opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd, in the March 28 presidential polls after the seeming siege the President laid in the South West. .
Divided into two groups, the leaders held parallel summits in Ibadan and Lagos Thursday and took divergent positions on what the Yoruba should do in forthcoming elections.
While those at the Ibadan gathering were mostly for Buhari, the Lagos group rooted for Jonathan.
In the same vein, Jonathan has begun to woo some of his die-hard critics and other stakeholders from the north in the last couple of days.

OLUBADAN DENIES ENDORSING BUHARI

The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana, has denied media reports that he endorsed the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Major General Muhammadu Buhari.
A prominent member of the Olubadan-in-Council, Chief Eddy Oyewole, had told the Yoruba Assembly summit held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday, that he had the authority of the Olubadan to direct “the sons and daughters of Ibadan to vote for Buhari.”
But in a rebuttal contained in a press release signed by his personal assistant, Chief Isiaka Akinpelu and made available to newsmen on Friday, Oba Odulana described the reported endorsement as “false and misleading” outright.

APC DOES NOT BELIEVE IN CHANGE —IKIMI

Chief Tom Ikimi, former National Chairman of the defunct National Republican Convention and at one time one of the leading figures in the formation of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), now a chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), bares his mind on different national issues, especially why he thinks the APC does not believe in the change it has consistently mouthed and why President Goodluck Jonathan deserves a second term. Excerpts:
NIGERIA has never been this on the edge, the way it was in 1993. Never has the country been so politically divided along ethnic and religious lines. How did we get to this frightening state?
Following the overthrow of the Shehu Shagari government in 1983 by General Muhamadu Buhari, we had ten long years of military rule before the annulled June 12 election. The build-up to that election, contested by two popular national political parties, the NRC and SDP, saw three Northern candidates- General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, and Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi, among others, summarily disqualified and taken into detention.

APC THREATENS TO SUE FANI-KAYODE OVER AL QAEDA, ISIS CLAIM

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation has threatened to sue President Goodluck Jonathan campaign spokesperson, Femi Fani-Kayode, for claiming that the APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, is getting funding for his election campaign from terrorist groups, such as the outlawed Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda and ISIS. 
In a statement released in Abuja on Saturday, the organisation accused Mr. Fani-Kayode of perpetuating religious politics, and gave him one week to retract his defamatory comments or face the law.
“Never before in Nigeria’s history has the issue of religion been applied to such sinister purposes as we have seen during the years of President Jonathan’s government,” said Garba Shehu, Director of Media and Publicity of the APC presidential campaign organisation. “When all fails, they whip out the religious card.”

FANI- KAYODE ASKS BUHARI TO EXPLAIN LEVEL OF FUNDING FROM HAMAS, ISIS, ISIL, AL QAEDA

ABUJA- AHEAD of the Presidential and general elections slated for March 28 and April 11 respectively, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, PDPPCO yesterday alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC set up its own radio station called Radio APC or Radio Chanji to use it as a vehicle to announce false results after the Presidential polls.
The PDP also challenged the APC Presidential Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, retd to apologise to the people of the South West rather than go to them for votes because of how he humiliated the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo by raiding and ransacking his home.
Addressing Journalists in Abuja yesterday, Director, Media and Publicity of PDPPCO, Chief Femi Fani- Kayode reiterated the call for the arrest of the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, retd and the National leader of the opposition party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu over the existence of what he described as an illegal radio station called “APC Radio or ” Radio Chanji”.

SHOCKER AS ATTAH, ETIEBET FINALLY MOVE AGAINST JONATHAN

In what appears to be a tactical move to ditch President Goodluck Jonathan, two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Victor Attah and Don Etiebet have declared for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State.
The duo made the switch during a rally held by the Campaign Organisation of the APC governorship candidate, Umana Okon Umana held at the Ibibio Park Grounds in Uyo, on Saturday.
At the APC rally, Attah and Etiebet respectively, raised the hands of Umana, stating that they were no longer interested in the PDP as they had found an alternative in the opposition party.

MY GOVT ’LL BE CORRUPTION-FREE —BUHARI

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), on Saturday, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to tackle corruption headlong, if elected in next Saturday’s election, saying nobody would be allowed to steal or be frivolous with money, no matter how highly placed in the society.
He made this known in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, during the grand finale of the rally organised by the North-Central zone of the party.
General Buhari, who lampooned the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), particularly on its oil and aviation sectors, said that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was using the two sectors, like others, to siphon public funds.