okay, make we dey see na, abi,

abi, maybe just because sylva did wanna dance to their music, now they want him make pay, devils,

The once chummy relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and the governors elected on the platform of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, has soured. THE PUNCH learnt on Wednesday that the PDP governors were not happy that the President rejected their pleas on behalf of the embattled governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Timipre Sylva. The governors had appealed to the President to back Sylva whom the party denied its ticket for the February 2012 governorship election.
Jonathan is believed to have backed a member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Seriake Dickson, who eventually emerged as the PDP candidate. Dickson is widely believed to enjoy the support of the President.
THE PUNCHlearnt that it was because of the refusal of the President and the leadership of the party to listen to the governors’ plea that made the governors to boycott the party’s governorship campaign in Kogi State last week.
Jonathan had led the members of the PDP’s National Working Committee, including his deputy, Namadi Sambo, to Lokoja on November 28 for the Kogi governorship poll rally. Also in Lokoja were the Senate President, Sen. David Mark, and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal.
However, unlike the tradition, the PDP governors elected to stay away from the rally, leaving the President, his deputy and the acting National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, to handle the event.
The party had sent invitation letters to the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, who is also the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and all the governors from the North-Central zone.
Although the governors failed to show up, the party’s candidate in the election, Capt. Idris Wada, emerged the winner, defeating other candidates, including his main rival, Abubakar Audu of the Action Congress of Nigeria, by a wide margin.
A member of the PDP’s National Working Committee, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, expressed disappointment at the governors’ absence. The source said, “It is unfortunate that the governors decided to stay away from the rally. It is also unfortunate that they acted as if they were not part of the party.
“Maybe they think that they do not need to fraternise with the party anymore, now that they have won their second terms. Even if they have a disagreement with the President, they should not have allowed that to affect their relationship with the party that produced them.”
Efforts made to speak with the Director –General of the Nigeria Governors, Forum, Mr. Asishana Okauru, were unsuccessful as calls made to his mobile telephone numbers indicated that they were switched off.
He also did not respond to the text message sent to him.
A presidency source however told our correspondent that there was indeed a “strained relationship” between the governors and the President. The source said, “Yes, there is a strained relationship between the President and the governors, but I think they are making up.
“Actually, they were not happy because the President refused to bow to their demand on Sylva, but they are making up.
“The refusal of the President could be the reason why they stayed away from the Lokoja rally. However, don’t forget that one of the governors, I think that of Niger, sent a representative to the rally.”
THE PUNCHlearnt that the belief in the Presidency is that Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State organised the boycott, hence, Jonathan’s refusal to swear in the Chairman of the Board of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission, Mr. Francis Elechi. Elechi, who is from Rivers State, is a known associate of Governor Amaechi.
Jonathan had said that he refused to swear in Elechi because he had received “disturbing calls” about him. The swearing in took place a day after the Lokoja rally. A source in the Presidency told our correspondent that Jonathan’s action was predicated on the advice of some people close to him, who told him not to hand over a “sensitive anti-corruption agency to an associate of an enemy like Amaechi.”
However, a source close to one of the governors told our correspondent that they would not shift ground. The source, who pleaded anonymity, said the state chief executives were planning to frustrate any candidate put forward by the President for the chairmanship of the party in February. The governors, our correspondent learnt, had resolved not to back any candidate that had the support of the President for the plum job.
Meanwhile, the President was to meet with governors from the northern states at the Villa on Thursday night.
The meeting was called to discuss the security situation in the North and the governorship primaries in Sokoto State.
A governor of a northern state disclosed this to our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday. He said governors from the region were worried by the rumoured plan to exclude Governor Magatakarda Wamakko from the party primaries scheduled for December 17. There have been reports that the President is against Wamakko’s ambition. The governor said the meeting would be used to inform the President that denying Wammako the right to participate in the primaries could trigger security problems in the North-West.
He said while the nation’s security agencies were still battling with the insecurity in the North-East, it would be wrong to create a problem in the North-West. “We are still having a security challenge in the North-East. It will therefore be foolhardy to think that our security operatives who are unhappy handling the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East will be able to handle a crisis in the North-West.”
Efforts made to speak with the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Rufai Alkali, were unsuccessful as he neither picked his call nor responded to the text message sent to him by our correspondent.

By Chuks Okocha

Following the disqualification of the Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Timipre Sylva, from contesting the state governorship election next year under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite the rounds of appeal and intervention by the PDP governors, there appears to be an imminent showdown between the governors and the party leadership.

The governors had argued that only the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party has the sole powers to disqualify any aspirant. But party leaders explained that the National Working Committee (NWC) was acting on behalf of NEC of the party.

Also, the just concluded registration of new members and review of the party’s constitution will feature prominently in the two meetings scheduled for December 21 to 22.

The NWC of the party had directed that a meeting of the National Executive Committee as well as the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party be summoned for December 21. The governors were said to have expressed displeasure that their intervention came to naught, as the party has long held its primary election where another aspirant, Hon. Seriake Dickson, emerged as the party’s flag bearer.

The meeting, which would also seek to tackle other crisis bedevilling the party, is also expected to ultimately advise on the way forward.


Also, both the BoT and NEC meeting of the party would also ratify the amendment of the committee set up to review the constitution of the party and the just concluded registration of new members of the party.

According to a statement signed by the Acting National Secretary of the party, Dr. Musa Babayo, the BoT meeting will hold on December 21, while the NEC meeting is expected to hold on December 22.

The BoT meeting will also discuss the report of the seven-man committee, which discussed the lack of discipline in the party, especially the implication of the emergence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, and his deputy, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, against the party’s decision.

Also, the BoT meeting, it was gathered will discuss the various guidelines for the next national convention of the party and the aspirants desiring to become the next national chairman of the party.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is expected to chair the BoT meeting, which is the 38th session of the advisory body, while the Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, would serve as the chairman of the NEC meeting.

By Tobi Soniyi

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja Monday reserved judgment in the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party against an ex-parte ruling of a Federal High Court, Abuja, which technically stopped the party from going ahead with the November 19 governorship primaries in Bayelsa State.

Justice Zainab Bukachuwa, who presided, said the date the judgment would be delivered would be communicated to the lawyers.

Before reserving judgment, the court admitted that its decision to hear the appeal was hasty in view of Section 241 (2) (a) of the constitution which makes only the final decision of the high court appealable to the court of appeal.

After setting aside the court’s earlier decision that the court has the power to hear the appeal, Bulkachuwa invited counsel to the parties to address the court on the implication of section 241 (2) (a) of the constitution.

She said that the court came to the earlier decision because they had not studied the files properly and that after a comprehensive look at the case, it occurred to them that they should seek the views of the lawyers as regards the section of the constitution.

The said section provides: “An appeal shall lie from decisions of the Federal High Court or high court to the Court of Appeal as of right in the following cases - final decisions in any civil or criminal proceedings before the Federal High Court or a high court sitting as a court of first instance.”

But counsel to PDP, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, said he was not prepared to address the court on whether it could hear the appeal or not because he only prepared to argue the appeal which was the business of the day. Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, counsel to the Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, urged the court to go ahead and hear the appeal since all counsel had prepared their minds for the hearing of the appeal.

After so much persuasion, the court agreed to hear the appeal. In adopting his brief of argument, Oyetibo adopted his appellant's briefs and his reply brief.

He said the case should not have been filed in Abuja because the claims were against the PDP and not the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In his view, the case ought to have been filed in Bayelsa. He therefore said that the federal high court did not have the jurisdiction to entertain the case.

He also argued that Section 87(9) of the Electoral Act 2010 relied on by the plaintiffs did not confer them with the right to file the case at the federal high court.

According to him, the section does not confer jurisdiction but confers the right of action to a litigant.
Responding, Fagbemi said that the reliefs sought by his clients were against both INEC and PDP.

He said:”It is not correct to say that there is no relief against INEC.”
He told the court that both INEC and the PDP had their headquarters in Abuja and therefore the federal high court had the jurisdiction to hear the case.

Fagbemi further argued that section 87 (10) of the Electoral Act which barred courts from stopping the holding of primaries was unconstitutional because it violated section 6(6)( C) of the constitution.

He argued that whereas the National Assembly could add more powers to the powers of the court, it could not take away the powers already conferred on the courts.

He asked the court to dismiss the appeal and remit the case back to the high court with a rider that the case be heard expeditiously.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole had in an order given PDP 72 hours to come and show cause why he should not grant Sylva’s prayers among which was to declare him the governorship candidate of the party.

The judge granted the order following an ex-parte application filed on Sylva’s behalf by Fagbemi.

The judge warned that he would not hesitate to nullify any step taken by the PDP in defiance of his order, once the defendants were served the order and the originating summons.

He gave the defendant 72 hours to show cause why all the reliefs sought by Sylva should not be granted and adjourned the matter till November 22 for hearing.

The defendants are the PDP, its acting national chairman, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court held that the era when political parties manipulated processes leading to the emergence of candidates were over, based on the 2010 Electoral Act as amended.

Justice Kolawole said: “When I looked at the totality of the facts in the substantive Originating Summons and when these are considered vis-à-vis the extant provisions of the Electoral Act as amended, my view is that the Court will not in any way be handicapped, even if the ex-parte orders, in particular, prayers 1 – 3 are not granted because the court retains the power to direct the 1st Defendant (INEC)."

Justice Kolawole said in terms of political parties’ candidates who may have been unlawfully excluded either from the parties’ primaries or from the elections to accept and act on the name(s) of such candidates as the authentic candidates sanctioned and approved by the court.

“The new Electoral Act as Amended is a clear departure from the 1983 Act by which on the authority of the Supreme Court’s decision in Onuoha V. Okafor, the political parties were “god unto themselves” in terms of the choice of candidates. This court had intervened in quite a number of political parties’ cases when candidates were being manipulated by the leadership of the political parties.

“It is in this regard that I really do not see the plaintiff being exposed in the long run to such injury, loss or damage that may, applying the Supreme Court’s decision in Kotoye V. CBN, supra be described as ‘irreparable or irretrievable’. Whatever be the case, I have no doubt that this court has the judicial powers to make appropriate orders as the justice of the case will require.

“Let me state, for the avoidance of doubt, that in relation to prayers 1 – 3 of the Motion Exparte, the Plaintiff has made out a strong case which ordinarily should enable this court to grant the said prayers. But in the light of the analysis I have done as regards the statutory powers which the court has pursuant to Electoral Act, 2010 as amended, the 2nd Defendant [PDP] does not, in the long run, have the final say because the court can always make appropriate orders as the justice of the case will require to redress any wrong that may be occasioned by my judicial hesitation in granting the said prayers 1-3 on the motion exparte.”

Sylva, who is seeking re-election, had been excluded from the primary by the party. He is bitter that the party is planning to dump him after winning the January 12 primary before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the governorship election.

The INEC action was based on an order of an Abuja High Court which declared that the tenure of five governors continue beyond May 29 because they won re-run elections. The verdict was upheld by the Court of Appeal, Abuja.

The governor is contending that his candidacy subsists as nobody petitioned against his success at the said primary election to the screening appeal panel or any other body or committee of the 2nd defendant.

In the motion on notice, Sylva is, among others praying the court for “an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, servants, privies, officers or otherwise and/or any other person howsoever described from conducting, organising, or holding any meeting or ward congress and from embarking on any activities leading to the holding of any fresh gubernatorial primary election for Bayelsa State on the 19th November, 2011 or on any other day, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Besides, he urged the court to stop the party from nominating another candidate for the election and accelerate the hearing of the substantive suit.

By Emmanuel Ogala

Over one thousand Abuja-bound protesters from the Niger Delta state of Bayelsa are presently trapped at the Lokoja end of the Abuja Lokoja highway where they have been blocked from proceeding on their journey by men of the Kogi State Command of the Nigeria Police.

The men, conveyed in about one hundred vehicles - many with Bayelsa state government's inscription - are trying to gain entry to the capital city to stage a protest over the political crisis in the state, and in solidarity with embattled Governor Timipre Sylva, who has been disqualified from running in next month's governorship election in the state.

President Goodluck Jonathan has anointed another candidate, Henry Dickson, for the election.

The blockade is causing a heavy traffic glitch on that portion of the highway, which connects the south of Nigeria with Abuja and the north. Thousands of road users are held up at both ends of the road.

The protesters who have been held up since about 3.00 am are threatening to endlessly shut the highway unless they are granted access by the unyielding security officials

The police wants the protesters to discontinue their journey to Abuja and return to their base. Of late, the police in Kogi has gained a notoriety for turning away anti-government protesters from the nation's capital.

Last week, a fewer number of supporters of Mr. Sylva, were arrested, detained and later turned back at the same spot by the police after they attempted to enter the capital city demonstrate in support the governor

.Before then, some members of the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria from Osun State were barred from entering the capital to show solidarity with party leader Bola Tinubu, who was facing trial for corruption at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Mr. Tinubu has since been acquitted of the charges.

The police spokesman, Olusola Amore, was not immediately reachable for comment.

well av tried it a couple of time , it did work 4me, i was kinda disappointed,

Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to the
Governor on New Media and Social Networking, Miss.
Oyanbo Owei has called on his supporters to register
their presence at the campaign office. In a statement,
Miss Owei said the campaign office will afford Governor
Timipre Sylva’s numerous supporters the opportunity to
keep abreast of his developmental strides in the state.
She therefore urged supporters of Governor Sylva, friends,
associates, well wishers and Facebook friends to identify
with him, adding that the Governor appreciate their solidarity.

very much,

funny

yeah, irrevocable

at least his honest,

abi, naso,

okay,,,

splendid,

haha, u need God, humanly its impossible

good suggestion

sure .want some help,

okay, we are watching

cool,

really sad,

God bless you richly,

how are even sure it not far more than dat,
they said 21 person of the nigerian population abi,

we'll keep talking,

wonderful,,,

true talk,

dat na, LAQ

umm,
good suggestion,