Trouble Begings For The Oppposition As APGA Petitions INEC Against APC

INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega

The faction of the national leadership of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) led by Alhaji Sadeeq Mas'sala has formally protested to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  over what it dubbed unauthorized inclusion of the party's name on the list of political parties which Wednesday merged to become All Progressives Congress (APC).

The group is insisting on its total rejection to be drawn into the opposition merger.

In a letter dated February 6 and addressed to the Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega and signed by National Secretary, Dr. Ifedi Okwenna, the party said it was bringing to the commission's  notice,  its rejection of the purported merger of APGA with the three other opposition parties, ACN, ANPP and CPC.

More to follow.

News Flash: ACN,ANPP,APGA AND CPC Forms All Progresive Congress.

Finally, Action Congress of Nigeria, All Nigeria Peoples Party, All Progressive Grand Alliance and Congress for Political Change forms a new Mega Party called All Progressive Congress. This is a news flash. More reports will come later.

Boko Haram Training Camps Found in Mali: "Over 200 Nigerians Trained for 10 Months in Timbuktu''

Hundreds of Boko Haram members stayed at training camps with Malian militants for months in Timbuktu, learning to fix Kalashnikovs and launch shoulder-fired weapons, a report has said.

The Nigerians fled the city into the desert, along with the other militants, days before a French airstrike on January 20.

A man who said he was hired to cook for the militants said the Boko Haram members trained for about 10 months at what is now a bombed-out customs-police building on Timbuktu’s desert fringe, intermingling with a local al Qaeda offshoot called Ansar Dine.

"Every day I saw people coming here, saying they want to sign up," said the man, whose description of the militants’ activities matched those offered by four neighbours.
Locals were quoted as saying that until just a few weeks ago, the bombed-out customs-police building in Timbuktu was one of bustling training centers populated not only by local al Qaeda-linked militants but also by hundreds of Boko Haram members.

Abati Bashes OBJ And His Loyalist.

The continuous rivalry between the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, his loyalists and the Jonathan's team has raised serious dust amongst political analysts who have concluded that Nigerian politics can not enjoy any other nomenclature other than the jungle of 'fame'.
As this deluge of denigration continues to heat up the polity, the gladiators have decided to use various tactics to bring down their opponents. It has therefore become obvious to many Nigerians that Abati's duties and responsibilities as Jonathan’s Adviser have become more challenging as he is meant to defend one comment or the other at each passing day.

Dangote, Others Wade Into Jonathan, OBJ Feud

Abuja - Investigation has revealed how ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo’s loyalists facilitated his visit to the Aso Rock Villa, Punch reports.

It was said that business mogul,  Aliko Dangote, oil marketer, Femi Otedola and some other loyalists of the former president arranged the meeting between the president and Obasanjo.

Dangote and others were however, said to have received the blessing of Jonathan before they approached Obasanjo for a possible settlement.

More on Punch

ACN, ANPP, APGA, CPC Governors Endorse Parties’ Merger Plan

The plot to unseat the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2015 general elections has thickened as 10 state governors from the different political parties and geo-political zones in the country on Tuesday met in Lagos and endorsed on-going merger talks by their various political parties.
The meeting which was hosted by the Governor of Lagos state, lasted for over four hours and a communiqué issued at the end revealed that the governors were concerned about the state of the nation and have all agreed to come together to rescue the nation, thereby endorsing the party merger talks.
Opposition parties; the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria People’s Party, (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) are already involved in high level talks for the parties’ merger ahead of the 2015 general election.
The communique was read to journalists by the Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima.
“As progressive and patriotic leaders of our people across party, religious and geo-political zones, we are extremely concerned about the state of the nation and we put our heads together in the interest of our people to deliberate on what can be done to rescue our country”, the communique stated.
It further adds that “as governors, we fully endorse the merger initiatives already commenced by our various political parties and we will put our full weight behind these efforts.”
Moving PDP Out
The Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulazziz Abubakar Yari while responding to a question on whether the merger talk is about unseating the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said it is about how to fix Nigeria in the right perspectives.
He added that it is a question of asking if the people have been happy since 1999 till date when the PDP has been in power. “If the contrary has been the case then the leaders are duty bound to drive the people aright.”
“We believe that the PDP has not done enough.  We have the idea, the knowledge and the progressive intention to move the country forward. So, if you say that we are going to move PDP out of power, yes we are ready to do that, God willing”, Governor Yari emphasized.
Speaking on the meeting, the host Governor; Mr Babatunde Fashola stated that the meeting was about making the country a better place because what the country is having now cannot be described as her best and that those at the meeting intend to deliver Nigeria’s best.

Barack Obama,David Cameron And The G8 Leaders To Meet And Discuss Nigeria’s Controversial Oil Wealth Wastage

Nigeria’s controversial management of its stupendous oil wealth over the years would form one of the important themes of discussion for G-8 leaders in June, when they meet in Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom, according to diplomatic sources.
Already, the presidency of the summit for this year under United Kingdom is currently reaching out to other G-8 leaders and an international consensus is said to be quietly formed to demand transparency from leaders and governments of developing countries, whose huge resources and wealth are being frittered away.
International donors, including private foundations and agencies, are also concerned about the perception of increasing wealth but decreasing living standards of the people.
For instance, US Billionaire, Bill Gates, in an interview during the week, said, “Nigeria really needs to think that, relative to its level of wealth, it is really far behind…”

Farouk Lawan & Boniface Enemalo Remanded in Prison for Allegedly Collecting $620,000 Bribe

Farouk Lawan, the lawmaker and former Chairman of the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy and Boniface Enemalo, former Secretary of the committee have been remanded in prison by an Abuja High Court.

They were arraigned on a seven count charge for allegedly soliciting for and collecting a bribe of $620, 000 from Femi Otedola, Chairman of Zenon Oil.

Farouk Lawan Charged over $3m Fuel Scam 'Bribe'

The Nigerian MP who headed an inquiry which found that a fuel subsidy scam had cost the country $6.8bn (£4.2bn) has been charged with corruption.

Farouk Lawan is alleged to have collected $500,000 of a $3m bribe solicited from an oil tycoon to drop his company from the investigation.
The legislator pleaded not guilty in court and was taken into custody until a bail hearing on 8 February.
His supporters say he is being targeted by those implicated in his probe.
Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer but has to import most of its fuel.
Last year, Mr Lawan chaired the House of Representative committee that produced the fuel scam report, accusing some of those who import fuel of massive corruption.