It is not a constitutional provision that one must visit the United States of America before becoming the president of Nigeria, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar , an aspirant, has said.

The Vice President from 1999 to 2007 told the BBC Hausa service that he could be Nigeria’s president without visiting the USA.

According to the Punch newspaper, Atiku stated this on Saturday during an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation Hausa Service.

He was asked how he intended to be Nigeria’s president without visiting the US.

He asked whether it was a constitutional provision that one must visit the US before becoming president.

“I can be president without going to America,” he said.

Atiku also commented on a statement credited to his former boss, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, that he (Atiku) would not be President while he was alive.

He stated that Obasanjo was not God, saying that he didn’t lose sleep when he learnt that Obasanjo made such a statement.

According to him, if it is God’s will for him to be president, nobody, not even Obasanjo, can challenge God.

The ex-VP also confirmed that he was denied a US visa when he wanted to travel to that country.

He said he was told by the US that his application for visa was denied because it was passing through administrative process.

He also spoke about a house in the US said to belong to him and auctioned by the government of that country.

Atiku said the house belonged to one of his wives, adding that, “All my wives own houses and that particular house is not mine. It belonged to one of my wives. She sold the house and was never auctioned as it was reported.”

He further spoke on the rift between him and President Muhammad Buhari, saying the President could not control happenings in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)

He said that was one of the reasons he left the party and returned to his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he was a founding member.

“After 2015 general elections, I met the President. I told him that activities of the party have been crippled and there is a need to restructure.

“Also, I advised the President on issues concerning his administration. I said to him, ‘If things continue like this, I will quit’, but Mr. Buhari turned a deaf ear and remained mum.”

Source: NAN

The President of the Senate on Sunday, paid a condolence visit to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp in Kwara state over the death of a corps member, Miss Hilda Amadi.

Amadi, a graduate of Oil and Gas Engineering from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was participating in the ongoing orientation exercise for new members of the National Youth Service in Kwara State, when she reportedly slumped and died.

Another account said that she had fractured one of her legs and died from complication resulting from not getting good medical attention.

Saraki who visited the NYSC Camp commiserated with other members of the corps over the demise of their colleague.

Although the President of the Senate was on a condolence visit, the corps members were very elated to receive him as his visit turned to a fanfare of cheers from the youths.

The death of the corps member was confirmed by the Kwara State Coordinator, NYSC, Mr. Remigius Amaefule.

He, however, denied insinuations that there was no experienced resident doctor in the camp at the time of the incident.

At this stage, what we need is to condole with the parents of the girl and let them know that we are very sorry for what happened.

NYSC, being a responsible organisation, does not take the safety and wellbeing of corps members lightly. Insinuations of an experienced doctor not being at the camps clinic when she was taken there are not true.

A day before the commencement of camp, which is our normal practice, a consultant from the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital moves into camp with us. So a consultant had been there.

The same consultant saw her, handled her case on that fateful day. It was the same consultant that took her to the General Hospital in Share and later to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.

So there is no truth in any insinuation that there was no qualified doctor in the camps clinic.

Source: NAN

The Federal Government has appointed Dr Aliyu Maje Adnan as the Acting Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).

His appointment was conveyed in a letter signed by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.

A copy of the letter was made available to newsmen on Sunday by NASENIs Deputy Director, Information and Protocol, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some staff in the agency had recently protested against the continued stay in office of Mr Mohammed Haruna, the immediate-past boss of the the agency after the expiration of his 5-year term as the EVC.

Being the most senior director in NASENI, Mr Adnan was next to the former EVC whose five year tenure ended on April 2, 2018.

The minister, who stated that Adnans appointment is to steer the affairs of the agency until further notice, said the appointment takes effect from Thursday, April 26, 2018.

The letter reads in part: I refer to the nominal roll of NASENI forwarded to my office in a letter with Ref. No. NASENI/AD/GA/8/XV11a/536 dated 11/4/2018, by the Director of Administration and Human Resources with you as the most senior director in the agency.

Based on the above information, you are hereby appointed to manage the affairs of the agency as Acting EVC/Chief Executive Officer until further notice.

Your appointment in acting capacity is with effect from 26/4/2018.

Adnan holds a PhD in Production Engineering from Bayero University Kano.

Other qualifications include Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering, Postgraduate Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, all from the Bayero University Kano.

Until his appointment, Adnan was a Research Director in the agency.

He started work in NASENI in August 2003, as Director/Chief Executive Officer of Hydraulic Equipment Development Institute (HEDI) Kano, one of the development institutes under the agency.

Adnan, who is a fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), was born in Kano State on February 18, 1957.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived Washington D.C. in readiness for a meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday.

As a guest of the US Government, President Buhari is staying at Blair House, the US Presidents guest house.

The Blair House used to be a complex of four formerly separate buildingsbut a major renovation between 1950s and 1980s strung them together as a single facility.

The Presidents Guest House has been called the worlds most exclusive hotel because it is primarily used to host visiting dignitaries and other guests of the president.It is larger than the White House and closed to the public.

Source: NAN

It was a mourning Sunday as many churches in Makurdi Benue State, complied with the directive of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to protest the killings in different parts of the country by herdsmen and those under the captivity of Boko Haram.

Christian faithful wore black and white attires as a mark of mourning for the murdered catholic priests and parishioners of St Ignatius Church, Mbalom, Gwer East Local Government Area.

It would be recalled that two Catholic priests, Rev. Father Joseph Gor and Rev. Father Felix Tyolaha, as well as16 other worshippers were killed at the 5 a.m. mass of the church on April 24.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who went round some churches in Makurdi, reports that most worshippers, regardless of denomination, wore black and white dresses to church.

NAN also reports that the worshippers held peaceful protests within their churches to denounce the acts of barbarism and gruesome killings and other attacks on innocent citizens.

They held placards with inscriptions such as Enough of the killings, We want peace in our state, No more bloodshed, Lord, what have we done to deserve this. among others.

At the NKST church in Iyortyer, Makurdi, NAN sighted the worshippers carrying placards and marching peacefully within the premises of the worship house.

Speaking to newsmen, Pastor Frederick Ikyaan of NKST Church at High Level area of the metropolis, said the Christian community was mourning.

We are saddened by these killings and we want the world to know our displeasure over these acts, he said.

He said that the dress code was reminiscent of the tradition of the church in wearing sack clothes when faced with such calamities.

In the olden days, Christians wore sack clothes when confronted with calamities of monstrous nature but since we no longer have such clothes, we wear black and white to show our grief and anguish.

Our concern is to express our displeasure and feelings to the immediate society, our leaders in Nigeria and President Buhari, without mincing words that we are offended by the ongoing killings in the state and the country, he said.

He said that with the killing of the priests and worshippers, it was very clear that the invaders were not after the green vegetation but the soul of the state.

The cleric said that the killing of the priests had further deepened their faith and beliefs system, adding that no amount of intimidation would stop them from practising their faith.

He said that the priests andfaithful killed had become martyrs of the herdsmen invasion in Benue, adding that they were the seeds sown by the church.

Also speaking, the Associate Pastor of NKST Church, Iortyer, Rev. Terwugwa Akaawude, appealed to the Federal Government to protect lives and property of the citizens.

On his part Rev.Father Patrick Odeh of St. Juliana Catholic Mission, Bebe, High Level, accused Nigerian politicians of playing games with human lives.

Odeh said politicians were bereft of conscience in handling such sensitive matters as the killings, adding that the death of the two priests had united the church and made it stronger.

The cleric, who said the priests and worshippers died in active service, described them as gallant soldiers who never lost their faith.

He said they would be rewarded in eternity by God.

NAN reports that a combined team of security operatives were seen patrolling the state capital, while the church services were ongoing.

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Source: NAN

The National Assembly has been admonished to stop the impeachment move against President Muhammadu Buhari over the alleged purchase of $469 million Super Tucano jets without legislative approval.

The former Chairman of Labour Party (LP) Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Sunday.

Nwanyanwu said that though the action of the President may have breached the Constitution, he said that it was not enough to commence an impeachment process.

He insisted that commencing an impeachment process against the President would only heat up the polity. He therefore urged the lawmakers to find an alternative to impeachment.

The action is an infraction on the constitution of Nigeria and it has made the payment illegitimate.

Yes the constitution has been infringed upon; yes the National Assembly has powers to question the President on that.

The National Assembly can invoke the Constitution to remove the President and this is where I will plead with the legislature to tarry a while.

Do not invoke Section 143 of the Constitution to remove President Buhari; we have too many problems in the country today and it will not be comfortable to begin impeachment process, he said.

The lawyer, however, said if the illegality was allowed to go, a bad precedent would be set for more infringement of the Constitution in the future.

Nwanyanwu said that trillions of naira was being paid for fuel subsidies without appropriation saying, these are serious constitutional issues.

The LP chieftain blamed the aides and lieutenants of the President for not advising him against spending state money without National Assembly approval.

According to him, Nigeria is still looking for patriots as patriotism is not loyalty to the President but loyalty to the country.

He said that the National Assembly remained the true representative of the people and should not be taken for granted.

Everybody knows that monies cannot be spent without legislative approval, are they working for his success or for his down fall.

Even the Vice President is there, he is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a Professor of law, why did he not advice his boss.

We should stop all the hide and seek, the impression created now is that something is fishy about the purchase and that is why they avoided the National Assembly.

Let those around him stop pushing him deeper into the pit when they should help him come out and swim freely, he added.

Nwanyanwu said that Buhari had ample time to seek legislative approval for the purchase as it was not a matter of urgent national importance but did not.

According to him, government is not village meeting or family meeting and we cannot condone illegality for expediency.

Nwanyanwu said that he is against what the President had done, calling it an `impeachable offense but he urged the legislators not to heat up the polity.

Source: NAN

Twelve persons have been confirmed dead and five others injured in an accident involving a Volvo truck and a Ford bus at Foursquare area on Lagos /Ibadan Expressway on Saturday.

Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, the Public Relations Officer, Ogun Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), confirmed the accident.

Akinbiyi explained that the accident was caused by wrongful overtaking on the part of the Ford passenger bus with registration number AAA 886 XR, which led to a head on collision with the oncoming truck.

He stated that the truck with registration number LSD 138 XQ, was coming from the opposite direction before the accident.

“The accident happened around Foursquare camp (diversion axis) on the Lagos /Ibadan Expressway.

“17 people were involved, 12 persons comprising six male and six female died while three male and two female sustained injuries, ” he said.

The TRACE spokesman added that the injured victims were taken to Ife – Oluwa Plus A hospital, Ogunmakin while the corpses were deposited at FOS Mortuary, Ipara.

Source: NAN

Some youths manhandled Senator Mathew Uroghide and removed his cap at the Benin Airport on Friday for allegedly moving a motion for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District is the Chairman of Senate Committee on Public Accounts promptly denied moving such a motion.

Uroghide denied on Saturday evening in Benin-City that he moved a motion for the impeachment of Buhari, the reported.

He had come under attack from several groups in Edo State since he was reported to have moved the motion.

But speaking to journalists afterwards, the embattled Senator explained that he never moved a motion for the impeachment of the President on account of his anticipated approval of the sum of $496 million for the purchase of Military equipment.

He said that he only called for the invocation section 143 of the Constitution, which according to him requires investigation before impeachment.

I hope you people understand the working of the Senate and the positions you are talking about. I am the Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts.

Every government expenditure falls on my table. If I have to do what I have to do. The President had a good intention of buying those equipment but the procedure was wrong and he has accepted that it was wrong.

We have sworn to oath that we will uphold the decision of the constitution. A good intention of buying something and a procedure that is wrong. What do we do?

The only thing that concerned the President office is Section 143. If you check Section 143, it is a long process. The first thing you have to do is investigation and correspondences will be entered into.

The President has to be written and reply. We have not reached the issue of impeachment. Nobody on the floor of the Senate moved motion that the President should be impeached.

If the papers said somebody said the President should be impeached, it is out of ignorance with these ignorant youths that are misled by ignorant persons. It is unfortunate.

I am proud to be a Senator. All revenues fall on my table. They should be proud that this is what it is. The Constitution is above every other person.

We have not reached the point of impeachment that was why the Senate President said it should be referred to the judiciary so that they will advice on what to do.

If is said the President should be impeached, then I am ignorant. Section 143 is a very long process. It will take a lot of time and actions to impeach the President. Move a motion for the President to be impeached, then I must be stupid. I only said invoke Section 143 so that processes should be followed, Sun quoted the senator as saying.

Protest in Senate over Buharis $496m aircraft purchase

Senator Mathew Uroghide (PDP, Edo-South), however, raised a point of order to declare Buharis action illegal.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki interrupted Uroghide, noting that the matter would be taken at another time.

Kwara Television (@KWTV_Ilorin)

Meanwhile, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that following Fridays attack on Urhoghide, Edo state police command has beefed up security around his Benin residence.

NAN further reports that two police hill lux vans were stationed outside while heavily armed policemen were seen outside.

Party supporters were at the residence to show solidarity with him

Speaking to newsmen, Urhoghide said he does not have any regret for what he said at the floor of the Senate.

Urhoghide who said that he would seek redress in court, stressed that he would report back to the Senate that he was humiliated for what he said during plenary.

He said it was a shame on Nigeria for a boy to hit a serving senator and representative of the people.

He stated that he expected political practitioners to educate people that he was not talking about impeachment when he moved a motion that Section 143 of the Nigeria Constitution should be invoked.

Urhoghide fingered the Chief of Staff to Gov Godwin Obaseki, Mr Taiwo Akerele, as being responsible for the mobilisation of thugs that attacked him at Benin Airport on Friday.

He said President Buhari should have submitted a supplementary budget for the purchase of the aircraft.

According to him, They have promised to deal with me. If not for the state Commissioner of Police. I obeyed the Police Commissioner.

I remained where I was until the Governor came. We were walking side by side talking when a boy hit my head and the Governor walked away.

Before I left Abuja, I knew what was happening and the person responsible for it. I called him to tell him that it was unnecessary but he didnt pick his calls.

It would be cowardice for me to abort the journey. I want to see what will happened and they displayed their thuggery, I am not cowed by it.

I will represent my constituency and do whatever I want to do. Those who beat the PDP State Youth leader were not arrested but he was arrested

If this game is not played along the direction that some people want it, then they see you as a deviant.

That is what you saw yesterday, asking a riffraff, a boy of no consequence to lay his hands on me, an elected representative of the people, a serving Senator, it is a shame on this country.

They should realised I am a PDP senator. I am in the opposition, I am not a member of the APC.

I am liberty to say anything against the APC government. I am just being objective.

They had ample time to bring the requests but they didnt. We could have said more aircraft should be bought. What they have done is rumble jumble.

The President has violated the constitution, that is the truth. If anybody is pretending that nothing has been done, the person should go to a mental home. Section 80 has been violated.

Couldnt I have spoken? That is what miscreants have misunderstood. I dont have any regret for what I said. I stand on it.

Where did I embarrass the President? Because of selfish interest here and they want to show to the President that everybody could be cowed in Edo.

This is not a war I want to fight on partisan basis. I have immunity on what I said at the floor of the Senate.

I am being crucified outside for what I said during plenary. I am going to report back to the Senate.

All the security agencies must see the threat I am subjected to because I performed my duty as a Senator.

Meanwhile, Chief of Staff to Gov Obaseki, Mr Taiwo Akerele, has denied sponsoring thugs to attack Mr Matthew Urhoghide for moving a motion to impeach President Mohammadu Buhari.

Akerele told Urhoghide to face members of his constituents that protested against his motion.

The Chief of Staff said he could not have concerned himself with what a senator from Edo South said when he hails from Edo North.

He advised Urhoghide to look out for the people of Edo South that did the protest

It was obvious to the public that the people that protested are from Edo South I am not from Edo South. Am I from Edo South.

I have nothing to do with him. I have no business with me. He should go and ask him people who protested from Edo South, he said.

Source: NAN

Fourteen opposition parties in Lagos State have formed an alliance to challenge Governor Akinwunmi Ambodes All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 elections.

The Chairman of Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the state, Mr Kola Ajayi, made the disclosure on Saturday in an interview News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He said that the Star Alliance was recently formed with the objective of providing what he called a credible alternative to the APC.

Ajayi, who also chairs the alliance, listed other parties in the coalition as MEGA, Action Alliance and New Nigeria Peoples Party.

According to him, the others include Peoples Progressive Party, Peoples Redemption Party, Democratic Alternative and Accord.

Ajayi said that the Peoples Party of Nigeria, People s Alliance for National Development and Liberty, Peoples Democratic Movement and Legacy Party of Nigeria were also part of the alliance.

He claimed that APC had yet to meet the aspirations of Lagos residents, hence, the need for a credible alternative.

We formed this coalition to provide a credible platform on which to deliver good governance to the real people at the grassroots.

We think Lagos residents deserve better and we should come together and give them the kind of government they want, he said.

He urged the residents to embrace the coalition which, he said, was formed for the masses.

The coalition chairman said that the parties in the alliance had been
meeting regularly on the strategy to employ to win Lagos in 2019.

He said that the coalition would soon reach out to residents especially those at the grassroots on its development agenda.

The state Chairman of NNPP, Malam Shakirudeen Olofin, also told NAN that the alliance was formed to give residents a `better deal.

He said that the coalition was the `Lagos Third Force with the intention to bring real governance to the state.

Also confirming the alliance, the state Chairman of MEGA Party, Mr Oladele Idowu, said that the coalition was formed to deliver `real change to the state in the interest of residents.

Lagos State Chairman of Action Alliance, Mr Shola Omojola, also told NAN that the opposition parties were discussing strongly in the alliance to give the state residents a better deal.

Source: NAN

The people of Kogi West Senatorial district turned out in large number on Saturday for the verification of signatures for the recall process of embattled Senator Dino Melaye.

The verification process started with low turn out early in Saturday and later in the afternoon.

Constituents who had petitioned the INEC about the lawmakers recall trooped out in large number to verify their signatures at various polling units.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday began the verification exercise for the recall process.

The exercise is taking place across the local government areas in Kogi West Senatorial District of the state where the lawmaker represents in the National Assembly.

The verification exercise taking place today is consequent to the meeting of stakeholders convened by INEC on Wednesday in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

According to a timetable released by the electoral umpire, the outcomes of the exercise will be declared on Sunday, April 29.

Against apprehensions that Card Readers might malfunction and mar the recall process of Sen. Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi West), verification officers have confirmed their effectiveness in the exercise.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondents who monitored the verification exercise in Lokoja and Kogi Local Government Areas on Saturday also confirmed adequate security and peaceful conduct of the exercise.

The polling Officer at Ukwo-Okoriko Compound, Ward A, Unit 003, Koton-Karfe, Musa Iliasu and Sen. Dino Melaye verification agent at the unit, Imam Sani said the cards readers did not malfunction throughout the exercise.

At Banda, Oworo Ward 8, Unit 012, Johnson Salifu also confirmed the functionality of the card reader.

Patricia Aifakokhan, the NYSC Polling Officer at Lokoja Ward B sharing the views of her contemporaries in other units confirmed that the card readers functioned perfectly.

Administrator of Kogi LGA, Mohammed Tanko Musa, said he was impressed with the orderly conduct of the exercise adding that though the township witnessed low turnout, reports from the hinterlands would be different.

Meanwhile, the senator is currently receiving treatment at the National Hospital in Abuja following injuries probably sustained when he jumped out of a police vehicle to escape arrest.

Police men remain stationed at the National Hospital, where Melaye is still receiving treatment.

He was arrested to face trial in Kogi over allegations made by some hoodlums who alleged that the senator supplied them with weapons.

NAN correspondent who visited the national hospital observed that no fewer than 20 officers and men of Nigerian Police Force were seen in and around the trauma centre where the Senator was receiving the treatment.

NAN reports that in spite the ongoing strike embarked on by health workers, some doctors were attending to the injured senator.

The senator was earlier taken to Zankli Medical Centre in Utako District in Abuja and later moved to national hospital.

NAN correspondent, who was at the hospital on Friday, was denied access to see the injured Melaye but a source from the hospital that preferred anonymity said the senator was recovering.

Reacting, the Spokesperson of the hospital, Dr Adetayo Haastrup told NAN that the senator was in a stable condition in the hospital.

Source: NAN