We deliver your news brief for Tuesday, October 13, 2014.
Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State said on Monday that two governors in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would soon defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Kwankwaso said this when he paid a courtesy visit on his Kwara counterpart, Abdulfatah Ahmed.
Kwankwaso was in Ilorin as part of his consultations for the presidential ticket of the APC for the 2015 election.
The Chairman of the Organisation and Mobilisation Committee for the South West Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Buruji Kashamu, has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of launching a campaign of calumny and blackmail against him.
Mr. Kashamu made the accusation on Monday in Abeokuta, in reaction to a statement by Mr. Obasanjo, who urged the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to do away with figures such as Mr. Kashamu, who is wanted in the United States on drugs-related charges.
In his response, Mr. Kashamu said he will “defeat” the former president at all cost, and dismissed Mr. Obasanjo’s statement as “yet another cocktail of lies served with his legendary deceit”.
A former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has debunked reports that he has endorsed an aspirant jostling for the office of the president in February 2015 election.
Mr. Obasanjo, who spoke through one of his allies, Oyewole Fasawe, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Monday, said he had neither endorsed nor condemned any of the aspirants running on the platform of any of the political parties.
The Senate President, David Mark, and a national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, had separately visited the former president last week triggering speculations that he discussed political matters with them.
Specifically, it was alleged that Mr. Obasanjo warned the APC leaders not field Mr. Abubakar, who was his (Obasanjo) deputy.
Former head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), on Monday said bad leadership is responsible for the numerous problems plaguing the country.
He said his penchant to govern Nigeria is borne out of his desire for a secured and efficiently managed country.
The former Nigerian leader spoke in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, during his meeting with Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
Buhari said, “I had contested the presidential election three times and I lost three times and I ended up in Supreme Court three times. We thank God because the Constitution does not limit how many times you can contest. Once you are 18 and above, you are fit to apply for the country presidency. They did not put age limit to it.
The Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Monday picks presidential nomination at the All Progressives Congress national headquarters in Abuja.
With this development, he became the party’s first presidential aspirant to do so.
Speaking before collecting his form, the ex-vice president urged the APC leadership to give those interested in contesting next-year’s election the opportunity of doing so.
On consensus candidate for the party, Atiku warned against foisting any candidate on the party.
Let any one contest for Nigerian’s president whoever win excluding GEJ.