PDP accuses Jega of meeting APC leaders in Dubai

The Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday raised fresh allegations aiming at discrediting the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, over the conduct of the elections.

At a crowded press conference in Abuja, the Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, alleged that Jega had meetings with some unnamed leaders of the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

But the commission said it was not in its character to join issues with political parties.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the commission, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said this when contacted to react to the allegation.

Smalling inspires Man U win against Burnley

Chris Smalling came off the bench to score twice as Manchester United beat Burnley 3-1 at Old Trafford and moved back into the Champions League places.

Chelsea maintain seven-point lead after 1-0 win over Everton

Chelsea maintained their seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a last-gasp 1-0 win over Everton at Stamford Bridge.

Willian broke the deadlock in the 89th minute when his smart volley from outside the penalty area deflected off Steven Naismith and sneaked past Tim Howard.

Gareth Barry had been sent off moments earlier for Everton, picking up a second yellow card which briefly caused tempers to spill over on both sides.

Paul Lambert sacked by Aston Villa following poor run of form and goal-scoring problems

Aston Villa have sacked manager Paul Lambert after a miserable run of results.

Villa’s 2-0 defeat to Hull City on Tuesday night was the last straw for the club’s board. The defeat saw them slip into the relegation zone for the first time this season – they were third from bottom ahead of Wednesday night’s Premier League fixtures.

Sergio Aguero double helps Manchester City power past Stoke City

Manchester City returned to winning ways in impressive style as they produced a brilliant second-half display to beat Stoke City 4-1 at the Britannia.

Sergio Aguero gave the Premier League champions the lead in the 33rd minute with a brilliant solo effort but Stoke quickly replied through Peter Crouch’s stooping header.

GOC insists Tinubu not on Military watch list

Major General Tamubomiebi Dibi, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Lagos, has said that it was an incisive allegation that armed soldiers were amassing at the Bourdillon home of Senator Bola Tinubu.

Dibi told NAN on telephone on Tuesday that it was a figment of imagination of anyone to contemplate that armed soldiers had been deployed to Tinubu’s house.

“It is all a ruse as no politician in Lagos, including the chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu is under military watch list,” he said.

Buhari meets Catholic Bishops, allays fears on religious freedom

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muhammadu Buhari, has assured of his commitment towards ensuring that Nigeria remains a multi-religious state where every individual is free to practice his or her religion of choice.

INEC didn’t consult me before shifting elections — Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, did not consult with him before it decided to reschedule the general elections in Nigeria.

The INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega, last Sunday announced that elections billed for February 14 and 28 would now hold on March 28 and April 11. He said the service chiefs had warned that the military will not be available to provide security during the election.

Many Nigerians, opposition politicians and most recently former President Olusegun Obasanjo have accused Mr. Jonathan and his party, the PDP of being behind the shift.

Speaking on Wednesday on a live media chat, Mr. Jonathan said he was not consulted by INEC.

“I was not consulted and I don’t want to be consulted,” he said in response to a question by one of the journalists.

Jonathan Changes Tactics, Plans To Mop Up Permanent Voters Cards

 

Having pressured INEC to postpone Nigeria’s general elections by six weeks, President Goodluck Jonathan and his inner circle of political operatives are focusing on new strategies to counter the groundswell of opposition to the incumbent president and to snatch the elections, a few high-profile sources have disclosed. One such strategy is to use huge funds put aside by Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison Madueke as well as donations from refined fuel importers and private operators of power distribution companies to buy up permanent voter cards in the states where Mr. Jonathan and the ruling PDP are most unpopular.

One of the sources stated that increasing public backlash and fear of the unknown had pushed Mr. Jonathan to accept that Nigerians are determined to have elections. Consequently, said the source, the incumbent president has abandoned original plans to scuttle elections altogether in order to form a so-called government of national unity presided over by him. “He [Jonathan] knows that there is no option now than to allow elections to hold,” said the source. He added that the president would assure Nigerians of his preparedness for election at a choreographed media parley scheduled for later today in Abuja.

Nigerian military pledges not to undermine democracy

The Nigerian military has said it will not undermine Nigeria’s democracy or encourage any act that would threaten democratic process in Nigeria.

Referring to the controversy over the military’s role in the recent postponement of the 2015 general election, Defence Spokesperson, Chris Olukolade, said neither the military nor any of its service chiefs will engage in any act that could pose a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

Mr. Olukolade, in a statement, said Nigerians and its friends should be “reassured that the Nigerian Armed Forces believes strongly in the prospects of the country under a democratic rule and will continue to discharge its responsibility to support our democracy as constitutionally guaranteed.”

Kim Kardashian regrets sex tape with Ray J

The 34-year old beauty doesn’t think the explicit video she made with ex-boyfriend, Ray J in 2003 made her famous and wishes she could show her critics her enormous bank balance. 

The ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ star said: ‘If I do have one regret in life that’s it. Maybe that’s how some people heard about me but I didn’t launch my career off of that. That was 12 years ago, no 13 years ago now, so I just try to move on and put it in the past because I think that everyone in life does things they’re not proud of but you can’t sit and dwell on them forever.’ 

Vagina yogurt: Woman makes yogurt from own vagina... then EATS it

A scientist made yogurt from her own vagina and then ate it as a part of a bizarre experiement.

University of Wisconsin PhD student Cecilia Westbrook made two batches of her very own natural yogurt after seeing a cookbook documenting recipes using sperm, but being unable to find a female equivilent.

Ms Westbrook said: "In a way, it’s so obvious. Like, of course you can make yogurt out of your natural flora. But who would think to do it?"

Pinnick urges Keshi to give younger players a chance

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has called on Stephen Keshi to field younger players in the future.

Pinnick was a member of CAF’s Organising Committee, at the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations and was impressed by the youthful footballers on display.

Keshi in the past, has refused to call up youngsters like Kelechi Iheanacho, claiming that he needs experienced heads in his squad.

NFF Tech Committee recommends Keshi

The Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation has recommended Stephen Keshi to the board of the federation for contract renewal as the Super Eagles coach. The committee met in Abuja on Tuesday to deliberate on the matter of substantive coach for the Eagles amongst other issues.

The Chairman of the committee, Felix Anyasi-Agwu, who spoke with reporters shortly after the meeting, said that a national coach will be appointed before the FIFA international window of March 24.

My government is the first to create 5,400 jobs – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday boasted that his was the first administration in the history of the country to create 5,400 direct jobs for the nation’s unemployed youths.

The President said the feat was achieved through the Federal Government’s Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria, otherwise called YouWin.

Jonathan spoke during the inauguration of the Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

US closes Yemen embassy, orders ambassador to leave

The United States has ordered the closure of its embassy in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, and said its ambassador will leave the country by Wednesday.

US officials said on Tuesday they were suspending operations at the embassy citing security concerns.

“The ambassador and the rest of the staff will leave by Wednesday evening,” an employee, who asked not to be named, told Reuters news agency.

Nigeria 2015 Polls: I won’t go on terminal leave – Jega

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said he does not have any plan to embark on terminal leave.

This was contrary to unsubstantiated report that Jega would proceed on a forced terminal leave on March 1. (Read it here)

But Jega’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kayode Idowu, denied this saying his boss was busy preparing for the conduct of the elections.

Balotelli earns Liverpool win against Tottenham

 

Mario Balotelli had the final say at Anfield with a late winner as Liverpool won 3-2 and moved to within a point of Tottenham.

Lazar Markovic had put Liverpool ahead with a shot Hugo Lloris ought to have saved and while Harry Kane equalised, Steven Gerrard restored the lead from the spot after the break following Danny Rose’s foul on the returning Daniel Sturridge.

Sam Allardyce claims he is as good as any other manager in the Premier League

Allardyce takes his team to Southampton on Wednesday night where he comes up against Saints boss Ronald Koeman who has been widely praised for how well he has taken to managing in England.

Koeman's fellow Dutchman Louis van Gaal was accused by Allardyce of reverting to direct tactics as his Manchester United side took a last-gasp point from Upton Park on Sunday, as he labelled the Red Devils as "long-ball United", a tag the Hammers boss has had to live with himself for some time.

"I don't think there is any coach more sophisticated than me any more," said Allardyce. "That's not trying to criticise any other coaches but there is only Arsene who has done it longer than me."

Presidency, PDP work on rejecting card readers for election

There were indications that the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party were already commencing tactics aimed at frustrating the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to make use of card readers for the 2015 elections.

There are indications that the ruling party and the Presidency were already looking at the possibility of mobilising Nigerians to demand that the use of card readers for the election be stopped.

This is coming as a former National Chairman of the ruling party, who is now a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said there were signs that the PDP was not interested in holding the elections.

Obasanjo endorses Buhari, warns against coup

After months of berating the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared his support for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

Obasanjo, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, made his opinion known during an interview with the Financial Times at the launch of his controversial autobiography titled, ‘My Watch’, in Nairobi, Kenya.

Obasanjo said Buhari, who ruled Nigeria between December 1983 and August 1985, was aware of the challenges of Nigeria today and was qualified to rule the country.

Arsenal sweat over injured duo Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey

Alexis Sanchez(Left) and Aaron Ramsey(Right)

The Gunners boosted their hopes of a top-four finish with a scrappy 2-1 victory overs strugglers Leicester, but manager Arsene Wenger's immediate concern will be the medical status to two of his key players.

Sanchez, who has only just returned from a two-week lay-off with a hamstring strain, suffered a problem with his knee in the first half at the Emirates Stadium and had to be replaced in the 68th minute.

Buhari woos workers, that despite $32.88bn defence budget, Jonathan can’t tame Boko Haram

PRESIDENTIAL candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, said  on Monday, that despite the Federal Government’s defence budget of over $32.88 billion in the past five years, the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan has not been able to address the issue of Boko Haram.

Buhari spoke on Monday as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC took advantage of the Nigeria Labour Congress 11th Delegates Conference to campaign and canvass for workers’ votes.

He berated the PDP government’s inability to checkmate the activities of the Boko Haram, a little-known extremist group about five years ago, despite the huge budgetary allocation to defence.

​N​igeria Immigration deports 150 illegal aliens in Zamfara

The Nigeria Immigration Service in Zamfara ​State ​has repatriated​ ​150 immigrants who illegally entered Nigeria from neighboring countries this year.

The State Comptroller of the Service, Shehuri Sadiq, stated this at a news briefing in Gusau on Tuesday.

Mr. Sadiq said the aliens were arrested during operation​s to remove illegal immigrants in the state.

Battle-ready soldiers monitoring my home - Tinubu

For three consecutive days, helmet-wearing and battle-ready soldiers have kept surveillance at the Ikoyi home of Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos state governor and a current leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, a statement from the politician’s media office claimed Tuesday.

According to the statement issued by Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser on Media to Mr. Tinubu, soldiers numbering up to 30, riding in three patrol vans and army trucks, and stationed close to the entrance of Mr. Tinubu’s home, had become a permanent feature.

The statement said Mr. Tinubu was the target of the patrolling soldiers.