The Late 5: APC says South East leaders endorsement of Atiku is an affront to Igbo people; Ganduje slams N3bn suit on publisher of alleged bribery videos | Other top stories

These are the stories that drove the conversation today:

Kano Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje has dragged online medium, Daily Nigerian, and its publisher, Ja’afar Ja’afar before a Federal High Court in Kano, instituting a N3billion suit against them for alleged defamation of character, slander and libel through publications and release of video clips alleging that the governor was involved in bribery.

Ganduje is also asking for an order compelling the defendants to write a public apology to the plaintiff and broadcast such apology through their online platforms and other news media with global accessibility.

According to the Writ of Summons dated November 13, 2018, the defendants are expected to appear before the High Court 13, sitting in Kano within 14 days.


National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has threatened to sue Senate President, Bukola Saraki over “unwarranted attack “and call for his resignation, describing it as pathetic and an irresponsible resort to petty politics.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Oshiomhole said the basis on which he made those comments was tenuous and unjustifiable, adding that it is on record that Saraki has been in the eye of investigations by the EFCC and the ICPC for sundry cases of corruption, as he stressed that “Saraki, a usurper and pretender to the position of senate president, has no moral ground to call for his resignation.”

“It is sad that Saraki, who just woke up from slumber occasioned by his crushing defeat at the Port Harcourt presidential primary election of his party, could degenerate to such a low level. And I challenge Saraki to mention one name of an aspirant that gave money to the National Chairman or we file a legal action against him,” the statement read.


The All Progressives Congress (APC) says the purported endorsement the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Peter Obi by some South East and PDP leaders on Wednesday, is an affront to Igbo people who were frontline victims of the 16 years of the PDP misrule.

APC Spokesman, Lanre Issa-Onilu, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said his party (the APC) considers Atiku and his PDP co-travellers as people who have lost any sense of shame,” adding that it would be interesting to know what the opposition party has to tell them during the campaign.

“The South East people have three and half years of visible progress in terms of massive infrastructure and the thousands of common people who are benefiting from the social programme investments under APC to compare to the PDP’s 16 years of retrogression,” Issa-Onilu said in the statement.


Similarly, the PDP has said it is aware of how the acceptance of its candidate has sent jitters to the ruling APC and President Buhari, adding that the spontaneous and overwhelming acceptance accorded its presidential candidate in the South East is a manifestation of the trajectory that awaits him in all the geo-political zones across the country.

Spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan who issued the party’s reaction in a statement, said the acceptance demonstrated the settled resolve of Nigerians across board to vote out the President Muhammadu Buhari administration because of “its manifest failures in governance.”

“With the assemblage of all leaders of note in every sector from all the five states of the Southeast receiving our candidate, it is settled that President Buhari and the APC do not have any support in the zone. This acceptance could not have been less significant because the Buhari-led APC administration has no achievement, of any sort, in the entire zone,”  the statement read.


The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has reacted to the threat by the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), that it can only pay the proposed national minimum wage of N30,000, if the labour leaders agree to downsizing of the workforce across the country.

NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, said the threat to sack workers is not new in the struggle for review of the national minimum wage, adding that the current one by the Zamfara governor cannot be used to intimidate labour, as the consequences of workers retrenchment are too grievous for any political office holder truly elected by the people to contemplate.

“Few political office holders are bent on enslaving Nigerian workers with peanuts mislabeled as salaries. “To the oppressors, we have only one answer for you, we will never sleep on our rights,” he added.


And stories from around the world:

Saudi Arabia Thursday called for the death penalty against five people accused of murdering journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate, but absolved the crown prince of any blame. (AFP)


European Union leaders have dismissed talk of renegotiating the draft Brexit deal and warned the UK’s political situation could make a “no-deal” more likely.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there was “no question” of reopening talks as a document was “on the table.” (BBC)


In a related development, Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to fight for her draft divorce deal with the European Union on Thursday after the resignation of her Brexit secretary and other ministers put her strategy and her job in peril. (Reuters)


Palestinian organizers of the weekly demonstrations in the Gaza Strip along the Israeli border said they will hold another protest on Friday — in a key test of this week’s cease-fire between Israel and Gaza militant groups. (Associated Press)


The Vatican has delayed a vote by Catholic Church leaders in the US on measures to tackle sexual abuse by priests, as the US Conference of Catholic Bishops were told to wait until next year, to ensure more oversight and accountability. (Al Jazeera)

 

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