I’ll not lobby INEC over PDP’s guber candidate - Sheriff

Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, has vowed not to lobby the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC), over the party’s candidate for Ondo governorship election.

Sheriff stated this in a statement signed his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Inuwa Bwala in Abuja on Tuesday

He said the clarification was important against the widespread speculations linking Sheriff with controversies surrounding the emergence of two PDP candidates for the election.

While Sen. Ahmed Makarfi led-National Caretaker Committee submitted the name of Mr Eyitayo Jegede to INEC, the Sheriff-led faction also submitted to the commission the name of Mr Jimoh Ibrahim as PDP candidate for the election.

He said that as a law abiding leader, Sheriff was bound by whoever INEC publishes as both candidates in contention were respectable members of the PDP.

Sheriff pledged that he would treat their issues based on merits and in accordance with the law.

He further dismissed insinuations that he was behind several petitions against INEC.

He said that he had done his duty by submitting a name to INEC, and expected that the commission would act in accordance with its own mandate.

“Sheriff is not unmindful of events leading to the emergence of the two candidates, but wishes to assure Nigerians that steps are being taken to resolve all such issues even beyond what INEC may do.

“This is to avoid past experiences occasioned by internal bickering in the PDP.’’

He assured the people of Ondo State that PDP leaders have been working to ensure that the party wins in the forthcoming elections, “immaterial of who fly’s its flag.’’

Sheriff said he was not aware of any alleged move to blackmail INEC because he had high regards for the commission.

He, however, urged INEC to ensure that the PDP was not short changed in any future election, but should allow the people’s votes to count.

Sheriff denied authoring or  authorising any petition to be written on his behalf as was being mischievously alleged in some sections of the media.

He warned that people should stop using his name to settle scores.

Ex-minister didn’t faint in our office,’ EFCC says

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied reports that former aviation minister, Femi Fani- Kayode slumped in its office.

Fani-Kayode's media aide, Jude Ndukwe had claimed that his boss slumped while in detention on Saturday, October 22.

EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren has however denied the claim and dismissed it as “dubious and attention-seeking.”

“There is no truth whatsoever in the dubious and attention-seeking alarm that Fani-Kayode slumped and was revived by EFCC medical personnel,” Uwujaren told Vanguard.

“There was nothing like that as the said Fani-Kayode and Obanikoro sat together and enjoyed their jokes at the first round of checks of inmates in EFCC custody on Monday night,” he added.

Ndukwe had earlier claimed that the EFCC was planning to kill Fani-Kayode.

The former minister was re-arrested by EFCC agents on Friday, October 21, outside the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Fani-Kayode was initially arrested in May after being accused of money laundering by the EFCC.

He was released in July after spending more than two months in detention.

VP leads 30,000–man convention to pray for Nigeria

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is to lead a 30,000-man prayer convention to pray for Nigeria’s economic recovery, slated to hold in Abuja from Nov.16 to Nov. 19.

Mr Cosmos Uzodinma, member, 2016 Africa Convention Abuja (ACA), said the convention is being organised by the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International-Nigeria (FGBMFI).

Uzodinma, via a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, said that the convention would hold at the National Stadium, Abuja.

According to him, the convention is designed to contribute to the ongoing spiritual, social and economic reengineering of the country.

“It will attract participants from over 30 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe, with an expected attendance of over 30,000 participants.

“Speakers at the event include Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church International and Arc. Ifeanyi Odebo, National President FGBMFI-Nigeria as well as other resource persons from Ghana, Burkina-Faso, Tanzania and Kenya.

“The convention will also serve as a platform to promote Nigeria’s economic potential coming from outside the country and across the states of the federation,’’ he added.

We share the pains of Nigerians,’ Okorocha says

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken responsibility for the economic crisis in the country.

The APC also said that it would no longer blame the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the recession.

The comments were made by Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, after a meeting between APC governors and President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, October 24 in Abuja.

“We must take responsibility and we must never shift the responsibility to anybody. We are responsible for everything happening in Nigeria. The good, the bad, the ugly but we are promising Nigerians that we shall fix it,” Okorocha said according to Premium Times.

“We share the pains of Nigerians, every human being must feel it. We also feel what they are going through but we are asking for a little patience let us do things the right way and do it once and for all,” he added.

The APC has frequently blamed the PDP for Nigeria’s problem due to the latter’s 16-year rule

Jimoh Ibrahim's name missing on INEC's 'final' list

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of the candidates participating in the Ondo governorship election, and billionaire Jimoh Ibrahim's name is conspicuously missing.

On the list, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) is seen as the flag-bearer for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Rotimi Akeredolu as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The PDP had produced two candidates, who emerged from separate primary elections, due to the leadership crisis that has torn the party apart.

Ibrahim's name had been submitted to INEC by the factional chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff as the party's legitimate candidate for the election while the caretaker committee led by Ahmed Makarfi also submitted Jegede's name.

Last week, a Federal High Court ordered INEC to recognise Ibrahim as the PDP candidate in the election.

But according to a list of 28 candidates dated September 22 and recently updated on INEC website, Ibrahim's name is nowhere on the document.

However, it was gathered that the Commission is  still consulting with its lawyers on the development.

Ibrahim had on Monday accused an INEC official of demanding $1 million bribe from him, the claim which has since been denied by the Commission.

Similarly, Chief Olusola Oke, who defected to the Alliance for Democracy (AD) after the controversial APC primaries also suffers similar fate as Ibrahim.

On the list, the AD candidate, Mr Akin Enoch Zerubabel Olowookere and his 72-year old running mate, Yahaya Ipinloju are jointly number 4.

President holds secret meeting with APC governors

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently holding a secret meeting with governor-members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The meeting is said to be going on behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Governors in attendance include Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and his counterparts from Adamawa, Plateau, Kogi, Kaduna, Edo, Ogun, Kano, Kebbi and Benue States.

The reason for the meeting is yet to be disclosed.

EFCC re-arrests Fani-Kayode

Ramon Oladimeji

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday afternoon re-arrested a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode.

Fani-Kayode was picked up outside the premises of the Federal High Court on Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos, where he is facing money laundering charges before Justice Muslim Hassan.

He was picked up soon as the court adjourned his trial till November 14 and 15, 2016.

He had earlier, through his lawyer, Mr. Wale Balogun, sought the protection of Justice Hassan from the EFCC.

Balogun had pleaded with the court to direct the EFCC prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, to prevail on the operatives of the anti-graft agency not to arrest his client.

But Oyedepo told the court that he was not privy to any plan to arrest Fani-Kayode.

He said all he could undertake was that Fani-Kayode would not be re-arrested in respect of the case before Justice Hassan, where he had already been granted bail.