Ex-Kano Governor, Shekarau, dumps APC for PDP

The former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, has left the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Shekarau, backed by his supporters from the 44 local government areas of Kano, made the declaration at his Bompai GRA residence in Kano today.

He said the decision is to satisfy the aspirations of the people of the state who felt left out from the APC.

According to a report by Premium Times:

“We intended with the merger to form a solid foundation for entrenchment of democracy,” Mr, Shekarau, the presidential candidate of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, in 2011, said.

“The Legacy Group sacrificed all interests for the merger, but for the past six months all agreements reached by the merged parties had not being met.

“No clear leaders, no registration of APC members at any levels. This shows a clear lack of commitment, transparency and accountability to all concerned,” he said.

The supporters participated in the declaration and affirmed the decision to defect to PDP.

Shekarau had last week met with a former Sokoto Governor and founding members of the APC, Attahiru Bafarawa, last week.

Bafarawa has since decamped to the PDP. Both men accuse the APC of giving the party’s structures in their states to their current state governors who last year decamped to the APC from the PDP.

Benue Assembly sets up committee on Fulani attacks

The Benue State House of Assembly has set up a 7-man committee to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the incessant Fulani attacks.

The committee, headed by the majority leader, Paul Biam, is also charged with the responsibility to seek available and proactive measures that would result in a permanent end to the frequent attacks.

Benjamin Adanyi, representing Makurdi South state constituency moved the motion of public importance on the ceaseless attacks by Fulani herdsmen on Tiv farmers in Adeke and Adaka communities of Makurdi local government area.

Leadership report:

Adanyi alleged that the administration of Governor Gabriel Suswam was insensitive to the heinous attacks and that the government had not committed financial resources to secure the affected communities and lives from the disturbing conflict.

The lawmaker, who said the creation of grazing reserves as solution to the crisis would only worsen the already fragile situation and posited that the only alternative is to compel the herdsmen to establish cattle ranches and discard the primitive method of moving cattle from one place to another.

The speaker, Terhile Ayua lamented the reoccurrence of the conflict between the herdsmen and farmers and urged the committee to submit its findings with immediate effect.

Despite APC threat, no automatic tickets for PDP lawmakers, Chairman Mu’azu says

Despite the claim by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) federal lawmakers that the party had promised them automatic tickets for the 2015 election, the ruling party has said that nothing of such would be done.

The House of Representatives Majority Leader , Mulikat Akande, had stirred the honets nest on Tuesday night when she reminded leaders of her party and those of other sympathetic parties of the promise by the PDP leadership.

She asked the party leadership to honour its promise and ensure all willing lawmakers of the PDP are given automatic tickets and have no need to partake in party primaries for the 2015 elections.

Premium Times report:

Akande was speaking at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Tuesday evening during the welcome address at a meeting between the PDP Caucus in the House as well as their counterparts in Labour Party and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.

The lawmakers met with the PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, and governors from the three political parties.

At the end of the meeting, however, Mr. Mu’azu told journalists that the PDP will not give automatic tickets to its members to contest the 2015 general elections.

He said that automatic tickets were only given by parties that were undemocratic.

“We have a democratic process and we will go through that, those that deserve it will surely get it,” he said.

He said that he was not aware of any promise made by the immediate past national chairman of the party, Bamanga Tukur, of giving automatic ticket to any member.

On the meeting, the chairman said it was normal for the party leadership to consult with the lawmakers.

The meeting was part of efforts to stem the tide of the defections of PDP lawmakers to the All Progressives Congress, APC, which has seen the latter become the majority in the House.

Mr. Mu’azu said the party would not disclose the strategy it would use to woo back members that defected to the All Progressive Congress, APC.

At least 37 PDP members in the House defected to the APC late last year, thus making the APC the majority in the 360 member congress. Five PDP governors (of Kwara, Sokoto, Kano, Adamawa, and Rivers) also decamped to the APC.

In attendance at Tuesday’s meeting were Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta, Liyel Imoke of Cross River, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina, Ramalan Yero of Kaduna, Babangida Aliyu of Niger, and Theodore Orji of Abia states, all PDP governors.

The Deputy Governors of Kogi and Jigawa states also attended the meeting.

The Governor of Anambra, Peter Obi (APGA) and Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo (Labour Party) came in briefly in company of Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom (PDP).

Yobe governor signs 2014 budget into law

Yobe State governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, today signed the state’s appropriation bill of N102.89 billion into law.

It was gathered that although the state House of Assembly approved the N102.89 billion budget, it readjusted the capital and recurrent expenditures.

The assembly raised the capital expenditure from N67.4 billion to N67.8 billion, while the recurrent expenditure was re-adjusted from N35.4 billion to N35 billion.

According to Leadership report:

Gaidam commended the legislature for making the amendments without raising the total budget size.

He said that government would strengthen its monitoring mechanisms to ensure that all projects were executed.

“In the implementation of the budget, a request without due process certificate will not be honoured.

“All contracts must have been provided for in the budget, while professionals, including accountants, auditors and engineers must certify all projects.

“In case of advance payment, performance bond from a reputable bank must be provided,” he said.

Gaidam urged the people of the state to participate in governance and provide security agents with useful information to contain the security challenges in the state.

Man in court for raping 11-year-old girl

A Magistrates’ Court in Osogbo, Osun State, on Wednesday remanded a 23-year-old man, Kwame Dogo, in the Ilesa prison for an alleged rape.

The magistrate, Olusola Aluko who gave the order, said the accused should be remanded in prison because of the magnitude of the offence.

Prosecutor, Elijah Olusegun, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on January 17, at about 4.00 p.m, along Iwo Road, in Bode-Osi Local Government Area of the state.

According to Vanguard report:

Olusegun said that the accused forcefully and unlawfully had carnal knowledge of one Mojesi, 11, who was his neighbour’s daughter.

He said that the accused committed a two count-charges that contravened Section 31(1) and punishable under Section 2 of the Child Right Laws and Section 360 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. 11, Laws of Osun, 2003 and 2007.

Counsel to the accused, Mrs Nnena Ugwu, prayed the court to grant bail to her client in most liberal terms.

The magistrate, however, overruled the bail application and ordered that the accused be remanded in prison.

The case was adjourned to April 7 for mention.