Muawuya Zakariah Adam Gombe

From left: Speaker, House of Representatives, Oladimeji Bankole, General Secretary, National Union of Textiles Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN),Alhaji Issa Aremu and INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, at the 22nd Annual National Education Conference of National Union of Textiles, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria in Kaduna yesterday. The 2011 general elections will hold within three weeks in April, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed in a new time table to be presented to the National Assembly. A senior official of INEC told Daily Trust yesterday that the new timeline for the 2011 electoral process as requested by the National Assembly is ready and will be forwarded today for consideration. The official said after due consideration of the process, “INEC has come up with a timetable as requested by the National Assembly indicating all datelines of activities to be carried out. As

President Goodluck Jonathan President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the acting Inspector-General of Police Hafiz A. Ringim and heads of other security agencies in the country to take all necessary steps to rescue the children abducted in Abia State on Monday and return them safely to their parents. The order came a day after the kidnapping of 15 nursery and primary pupils near Aba, Abia State. The kidnapers are said to be demanding a N20 million ransom. The President urged the parents and relatives of the children to remain calm and assured them that the Federal Government would do everything possible to apprehend the kidnappers and bring these incidents to an end as soon as possible. The kidnappers had hijacked a school bus in Abia state and kidnapped 15 youngsters, police said. The incident occurred early on Monday while the nursery and primary students were being driven to the Abayi International School in Aba, Abia state police spokesman Geoffrey

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar FORMER Military President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, have enjoined Nigerians to work towards ensuring that their votes count during the forthcoming general elections so as to allow for the emergence of a credible leader for the country in 2011. The former leaders who are aspiring to lead the country on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spoke in Abuja yesterday at the public presentation of a book: “The Nigerian Hundred” organized by Daily Independent Newspaper as part of Nigeria’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Babangida, who chaired the occasion, said for credible leaders to emerge in the 2011 elections, the Nigerian electorate must be provided with the opportunity to make informed choices, stressing that it is only by so doing that they would elect leaders who are their true representatives. He observed that in spite of the pluralist status of Nigeria

Former heads of state Gen. Ibrahim Babangida Former heads of state Muhammadu Buhari, Ibahim Babangida and Sani Abacha have been excluded from the special Golden Jubilee independence anniversary awards on 50 distinguished Nigerians by President Goodluck Jonathan. Jonathan also excluded the late Head of State Murtala Ramat Muhammad in the independence anniversary awards on Nigerians and friends of the country. A statement yesterday by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, said the 50 personalities would be honoured for their contributions to the development of the country. Those to be awarded are: Herbert Macaulay (Lagos), Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe (Anambra), Alhaji Ahmadu Bello (Sokoto), Chief Obafemi Awolowo (Ogun) , Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (Bauchi), Chief Samuel Akintola (Oyo), Mallam Aminu Kano and Chief Anthony Enahoro (Edo). Ernest Okoli (Bayelsa), Jaja Wachukwu (Abia), Dennis Osadebay (Delta), Maj-Gen J.T.U Agu

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday challenged President Goodluck Jonathan to respond to allegations that his campaign funds are taken from the nation’s treasury. Atiku gave the challenge in a statement by his Campaign Organisation (ACO) in Abuja. The statement said, “President Jonathan has failed to respond to a critical and serious allegation made by a major and reputable socio-cultural group in the country, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), that the President is using public resources to fund his lavish campaign engagements.” But in a swift reaction, President Jonathan, through his campaign organisation, dismissed the allegation as cheap blackmail, challenging anyone who has evidence of use of public funds for running his campaign to produce it. Atiku said it would amount to double standards for the President to commit himself to zero tolerance on corrupt

General Ibrahim Babangida Former Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Muhammed Gusau and Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki, all Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) presidential aspirants met yesterday in Abuja over the group’s attempt to choose a consensus candidate. The meeting, Sunday Trust gathered, was held at the Abuja residence of the former vice president. But the four northern presidential aspirants refused to disclose the outcome of their meeting to journalists. An associate of one of the presidential candidate who attended the meeting told this reporter last night that “there was an agreement among the northern politicians not to disclose what they discussed during the meeting to the press.” The source said, “the meeting was convened in furtherance of the northern political leaders’ drive towards fielding a consensus candidate in the forthcoming presidential election.

Presiddent Goodluck Jonathan at Eagle Square, Abuja yesterday - Says Nigeria on the Threshold of New Era -Lamido, Suswam Disagree on How to Package Jonathan -Governors Buy Nomination Form for President President Goodluck Jonathan yester day formally declared his ambition to run for president on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s elections, promising to transform the country if elected and called on the electorate to only vote “uncontaminated leaders” into offices in 2011 elections. Jonathan, who disclosed how he defied pressure from unnamed people to declare soon after he became president, following the demise of President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, said he refused to declare earlier because he needed time to consult properly. “After the consultations, thorough self-examination and prayers with my family, I decided to offer myself as a candidate in the presidential primaries of the PDP.” He stated this at a grand ceremony at the Eagle Squ