The African Union has endorsed a West African plan to set up a regional task force of 7,500 to fight Islamist Boko Haram militants, a senior official said on Thursday.
Neighbours Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, Chad and Benin agreed earlier in January to call on the African Union (AU) to seek U.N. Security Council support for their plan to take on insurgents who are fighting to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria.
After resigning his post as Minister of State for Defence to contest the candidacy of his party for the gubernatorial election of Lagos state, Musiliu Obanikoro, we hear, may be heading back to the presidency.
According to African Independent Television, President Goodluck Jonathan has forwarded the names of seven new ministers to the Senate for ratification.
Musiliu Obanikoro’s name was among the names reported to have been put forward to the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has cautioned the Niger-Delta ex-militants who have threatened war and/or secession, if President Goodluck Jonathan loses the February 14 presidential election.
The party stated that the President belongs to the entire country, saying he is not the ‘President of Ijaw’ people, despite being from the region.
Reacting to the threatening comments, the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling party, Olisa Metuh, in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Friday, January 30, said: “We are not in agreement with their statements and we are cautioning them to mind what they say.”
Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State have sued the party, accusing the governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose of imposition of a candidate on them.
The members – Cyril Fasuyi, Dotun Onipede, Victor Bamidele and Banji Oyinloye – instituted their suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja.
They stated that Fayose was working with the party to “impose Chief Thadeus Aina on us” as the House of Representatives candidate of the PDP for Ekiti North Federal Constituency.
More than 10 senior Nigerian Army officers, including a Brigadier-General have been arrested and are telling the military hierarchy what they know about the Baga attack by the insurgent group, Boko Haram.
According to the Director of Defence Information, Major-General Chris Olukolade, the senior army officers are being investigated for allegedly shirking their responsibilities during the attack by the militants.
Those arrested are Brigadier-General Enitan Ransome-Kuti, his Chief of Staff Lt. Colonel G.A Suru.
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