INEC rejects Ezekwesili’s withdrawal from presidential race

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is too late for any candidate to withdraw from contesting any position in the upcoming elections.

INEC said this while reacting to the withdrawal of Oby Ezekwesili as presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN)

Ezekwesili announced her withdrawal on Thursday, saying she wanted to give room for a coalition against candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC).

But reacting via a statement, Rotimi Oyekanmi, chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, said November 17 was the last date for withdrawal.

The statement read: “It is impossible for any presidential candidate to withdraw from the race now. According to the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2019 General Elections, the last day for withdrawal by candidates or replacement of withdrawn candidates by political parties was 17th November, 2018 for Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

“The deadline for Ezekwesili or any candidate in that category to withdraw or be replaced has passed.”

Section 35 of the electoral act, which gives deadline from withdrawal from any election, states: “A candidate may withdraw his candidature by notice in writing signed by him and delivered by himself to the political party that nominated him for the election and the political party shall convey such withdrawal to the Commission not later than 45 clays to the election.”

- THECABLE

John Mikel Obi completes Middlesbrough move

English Championship side, Middlesbrough, have confirmed the signing of Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi.

Mikel Obi, 31, tore up his contract at Chinese Super League (CSL) side, Tianjin TEDA, after escaping relegation.

The Nigerian captain has battled injuries since the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and has put in effort to get back in top shape.

Mikel Obi was also linked with a move to Turkey Super Lig side, Fernebahce.

However, Middlesbrough have snapped him up on a six-month deal.

Boro are currently in the battle to gain promotion to the Premier League from the Championship.

Head coach Tony Pulis has said that he hopes Mikel Obi can still add a lot to his team, despite playing in China for the last two seasons.

“I’m pleased to get him in. He is a man with a lot of experience and quality.

“He has a winning mentality and he wants to be here be a part of what we are looking to achieve,” Pulis said.

Mikel will be expected to make his debut for Middlesbrough when they take on Newport County in an FA Cup clash scheduled for Saturday, January 26.

- DAILY POST

ELECTION WAR ! Gunmen abduct APC’s House of Assembly candidate, kill lawmaker’s orderly

Unknown gunmen on Thursday abducted the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Edo House of Assembly, Mr Michael Ohio-Ezomon, in his house at Eme-Ora, Owan West Local Government Area of the state.

The Chairman of the local government, Mr Frank Illaboya who confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Eme-Ora on Thursday, said Ohio-Ezomon was abducted by three gunmen around 1 a.m. on Thursday.

According to Illaboya, the candidate’s orderly was killed by the abductors who whisked him away through the window.

“Our candidate in the forthcoming election has been abducted by three gunmen at his house at about 1 a.m. this morning.

“The orderly attached to him was killed and our candidate was taken away by gunmen through the window.

“As I speak to you now, there has been no contact from the abductors,” Illaboya said.

Also speaking, the Edo Commissioner of Police, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, told NAN at the scene of the incident that investigation would commence immediately.

He also said that no contact had been established with the gunmen.

Meanwhile, the body of the orderly has been deposited in a mortuary in the area.

The abducted APC House of Assembly candidate had earlier represented Owan West Constituency in the State Assembly between 2011 and 2015.

= DAILY POST

Man divorces wife for insisting she will vote for Buhari

Abdullahi Yada’u, a resident of Kanam local government area of Plateau, has divorced his wife Hafsat Suleiman after failing to convince her not to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari in next month’s election.

Yada’u told BBC Hausa Service on Thursday that he decided to divorce Hafsat because she insisted on voting for Buhari.

He said both of them supported Buhari in the 2015 elections but this time, he felt disappointed with the administration and decided not to vote for him again.

“I told her that she must not vote for him but she insisted which led to a quarrel which attracted the attention of our neighbours, I slapped her and told her to choose between voting for Buhari and staying with me. She ran away,” Yada’u said.

“Later her parents called me and I narrated to them what transpired between us. But still my wife insisted on voting for Mr Buhari, that’s how I divorced her in the presence of her parents.”

Ibrahim Suleiman, the wife’s elder brother, said: “We decided to deal with him (Yada’u) but our father stopped us from joining issues with him.

“He really disgraced us. They have been having issues even in the previous election.

“She is the one that convinced him to vote for Buhari, now he insisted on voting for Mr Atiku Abubakar. We decided that we will not allow her to go back to him again.”

-The Cable

UAC building on fire

The United African Company, UAC building on Lagos Island is on fire.

Fire service officials are on ground to battle the fire on the high-rising building.

Glasses have been shattered in the fire and properties destroyed.

Staff have been evacuated and can be seen standing downstairs watching the building burn.

- PM NEWS

I will slash your jumbo pay If I become president, Sowore tells lawmakers

Presidential Candidate, African Action Congress (AAC), Mr Omoyele Sowore, on Wednesday, said if elected into office, he would cut the jumbo pay of the National Assembly members.

Sowore made the pledge at a town hall meeting tagged: ‘’The Candidates” organised by the MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with NTA and DARIA media in Abuja.

“The issue of some people earning minimum wage and others earning maximum wage where a senator earns N14 million monthly is unacceptable.

‘’Do you know that it will take a Nigerian worker earning N30, 000 monthly about 38 years to earn what a senator is earning per month?” he queried.

Sowore, who described the trend as disheartening, said ‘’our problem in Nigeria is not wealth generation but wealth distribution.’’

‘’We will not allow illegality in National Assembly,” he stressed.

He said his government would not only invest in the education of the young people but provide 5 million jobs for the youth.

The AAC presidential candidate said the party would employ between 300, 000 and 400, 000 personnel in the security sector so that the country’s security could be strengthened.

‘’By this, the police and the army will be able to keep us secured. Also, we will give study allowances to students.

‘I believe with our resources, we can support our young people, the elderly, etc,” he said.

He assured that productivity in the country would be ensured ‘’when we invest in our people.”

‘’I am after the knowledge of Nigerians that we can sell to the world, not after cocoa or so. We will build innovative leaders when a university can produce a student that is technologically-inclined.”

On the insecurity in the country, his running mate, Mr Rabiu Rufai, said the AAC would tackle the problem when people are held accountable for their actions.

‘’Nigeria will do better if we don’t condone anybody irrespective of his tribe, religion or region.” he said.

- PM NEWS

Ezekwesili’s ACPN endorses Buhari, asks her to return all donations

The Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) says it will support President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid.

The development is coming hours after Oby Ezekwesili, presidential candidate of the party, withdrew from the race.

Ezekwesili announced her decision to step down on Thursday, saying she would support a coalition that would wrest power from APC or PDP.

Speaking with journalists, Gani Galadima, national chairman of the party, said Ezekwesili only wanted to use the ACPN platform to negotiate to be finance minister.

The Cable reports that Galadima said the former minister did not show seriousness in her campaign.

“The reason for calling this press conference is to let the world know about the presidential aspiration of Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, which in actual fact, is not the truth. I have been put into confidence by one of her aide named Iyinoluwa Aboyeji that she only wanted to use the platform of the ACPN to negotiate to be Nigeria’s finance minister,” he said.

“This she does not deem fit to inform the party whose mandate she is holding. If you observe, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili is the only presidential candidate who was so militant in her campaign without any tangible thing on ground to indicate any seriousness in the prosecution of her campaign.

“No campaign secretariat, billboard or great commitment on ground to indicate any seriousness. It is on this ground that the ACPN is withdrawing support for her presidential aspiration and endorsing the second term bid of President Muhammadu Buhari to take Nigeria to the next level.”

Galadima said she did not inform the party of her decision to withdraw from the race.

He asked her to return to the party all the donations “from all over the world” because the party would have to account to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“We may take her to court. She was just using us to play,” he said.

According to the chairman, the party’s fee for expression of interest and nomination form is N10.5 million but she only offered N100,000.

 - PM NEWS