The Late 5: Define restructuring and we’ll look into it – Buhari; APC says PDP, Atiku are cash strapped ahead of campaigns | Other top stories

Buhari

These are the stories that drove the conversation today:

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says available information from the recent strategy meeting of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), reveals that the party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, are currently cash strapped and in a dilemma on how to source funds to run the Atiku Presidential Campaign

Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Yekini Nabena who raised the allegation on Tuesday in Abuja, attributed the development to the stringent measures put in place by the present administration, stressing that “it is now clear to the members of the PDP who were deceived into believing that Atiku is a man of stupendous wealth, that it is all a mirage, a 419 packaging and that they entered a ‘one chance’ bus.

Some financiers of the party expect that the candidate, having bought the ticket with millions of dollars should have the financial capacity to run his campaign. With the candidate’s expectation that it is the party that will fund his campaign, it is now clear that they are at a crossroads and the chickens have come home to roost,” he said.


President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said ‘there are too many people talking lazily about restructuring’ without a clue or proper definition to their agitation.

The president who disclosed this in Paris, France, while addressing the Nigerian community and groups in that country, urged them to demand from the promoters of such plan the meaning and form of restructuring they are talking about, as he assured them that participation of Nigerians in diaspora in forthcoming elections, could be a reality in the future.

“Do they want us to have something like the three regions we used to have? And now we have 36 states and the FCT. What form do they want? They are just talking loosely about restructuring. Let them define it and then we see how we can peacefully do it in the interest of Nigerians.” he said.


The House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness on Tuesday insisted that the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has questions to answer on the approval of N5.8 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Chairman of the committee, Ali Isa, who stated this while briefing reporters after Tuesday’s plenary at the National Assembly in Abuja, pointed out that the Vice President has a case to answer because he is Chairman of the governing council of NEMA and was the Acting President at the time when the fund was approved.

According to the committee report, the authorisation for the release of fund for emergency food intervention in the North East contravened Section 80(4) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, and as such indicted all the government officials involved in the release of N5.8 billion naira for the emergency intervention of food security in the North East.


In a related development, the Senate on Tuesday adjourned plenary for two weeks over its inability to form a quorum, as various committees were reportedly carrying out oversight duties around the country,  in line with its constitutional responsibiity to ensure that the budget is performing.

In adjourning the session, the Senate President Bukola Saraki said the development was “in line with order 10.3; which provides room for adjournment in the absence of a quorum, while urging “all senators currently on oversight function to complete all duties before the end of the week.”


Former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, on Tuesday wrote the Federal High Court  in Abuja to inform it of his resolve to avoid court hearing until the prosecution obeys the court’s ruling on his bail.

Dasuki’s decison contained in a letter dated November 12, which he personally signed, prayed the court to: “absolve him of any obligation of appearing at his trial, since the office of the State Security Service, an agent of government detaining him has also refused to respect the various court order for his bail.”

The former NSA is facing trial at an Abuja Division of the Federal High Court for alleged illegal possession of firearms among other charges, including alleged abuse of office while he was NSA, and has repeatedly been granted bail by various courts having met the set condition, but are usually not obeyed by the Nigerian government.


And  stories from around the world:

UK and EU officials have agreed the draft text of a Brexit agreement after months of negotiations in Brussels.

A cabinet source told the BBC that the document has been agreed at a technical level by officials from both sides after intensive discussions this week.


President Tayyip Erdogan said recordings related to the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, which Turkey has shared with Western allies, are “appalling” and shocked a Saudi intelligence officer who listened to them, Turkish media reported on Tuesday. (Reuters)


Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza have locked themselves into an escalating firefight, launching scores of bombings and reprisal attacks in violence sparked by a botched Israeli special forces raid miles inside Gaza on Sunday evening. (The Guardian)


U.S. President Donald Trump attacked his French counterpart on Tuesday in a series of tweets that underscored how much the once-friendly ties between the two leaders have soured, just two days after returning from Paris. (Reuters)


CNN sued Donald Trump’s administration Tuesday, alleging the White House violated journalist Jim Acosta’s constitutional rights by revoking his press credentials following a heated exchange with the US president. (AFP)

 

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