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Court Strikes Out PDP's Case Against Defecting Governors

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUyv_d8EUERMId04gptlN4cLKiyrHtu96Ls_NHXsHgcR4DLIlYDM3e186fUyMarCAIw9pSLM_mKJPG6SjNOmBfYQeYwdp_vCQzuICuzr54Cp7aMhvJS00i9qpiwu8X1Krrq7grFT9QFY/s1600/Defecting+Govs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUyv_d8EUERMId04gptlN4cLKiyrHtu96Ls_NHXsHgcR4DLIlYDM3e186fUyMarCAIw9pSLM_mKJPG6SjNOmBfYQeYwdp_vCQzuICuzr54Cp7aMhvJS00i9qpiwu8X1Krrq7grFT9QFY/s1600/Defecting+Govs.JPG" /></a></div>
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<b>An Abuja Federal High Court on Friday struck out a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, urging the court to sack its five governors who defected to APC.</b></div>
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Delivering his ruling, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, held that the suit’s originating processes were invalid because they were wrongly issued and served on the defendants.</div>
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“This suit is struck out as the originating summons has been declared invalid.</div>
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“It is preposterous, audacious and breath-taking for the plaintiff to argue that the defendants sued individually in personal capacity, could be served through the office of the party to which they defected.</div>
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“Having been described as governors of their respective states, who carry out most of their functions in their states’ capitals, it was wrong to assume that they reside or operate from APC headquarters in Abuja.</div>
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“Since APC is not a party in the suit meant to sack the governors, it is wrong to provide the APC’s address as the place where the governors could be served,’’ Mr. Kolawole ruled.</div>
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PDP had in Dec. 2013 sued governors: Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara).</div>
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The PDP also joined the impeached Adamawa Governor, Murtala Nyako, whose name was removed from the suit shortly after his impeachment and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.</div>
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The party had through its counsel, Alex Izinyon, prayed the court to declare the defecting governors’ seats vacant, and order INEC to conduct elections to replace them.</div>
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Mr. Kolawole further upheld the argument of the governors’ counsel that the originating processes, issued by the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, meant for service outside jurisdiction ought to be endorsed.</div>
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He held that the PDP acted in violation of the provisions of Section 96 of the Sheriff and Civil Processes Act (SCPA) with respect to the serving of court processes.</div>
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The party ought to have applied for and obtained the court’s leave before engaging in substituted service, the judge said.</div>
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The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the party had served the originating processes on wrong address, which it claimed was the headquarters of the APC, which the court later set aside.</div>
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PDP again obtained an ex-parte order for substituted service of the originating processes through newspaper publication, which it published on July 3, 2014 in ThisDay newspapers.</div>
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The governors faulted the procedure adopted by the PDP in serving them, arguing that the plaintiff failed to obtain the leave of the court to serve them through substituted means.</div>
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<b>Credit: NAN</b>

Court Strikes Out PDP's Case Against Defecting Governors

An Abuja Federal High Court on Friday struck out a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, urging the court to sack its five governors who defected to APC. Delivering his ruling, Justice Gab…

12 Dec 2014

Tinubu to Pick APC Vice Presidential Candidate

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<b>Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has conceded the picking of his running mate to Bola Tinubu, national leader of the party, <i>TheCable</i> can report. </b></div>
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This has in effect diminished the chances of Chibuike Amaechi, Governor of Rivers State, who was all along tipped to be the vice-presidential candidate. </div>
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Further discussions are going to be held this weekend, but a quick decision may not be reached. </div>
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The party still has up till December 18 to submit the name of the nominee to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). </div>
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Buhari’s decision to give Tinubu the slot is apparently based on the voting population of the south-west which he is banking on to upstage the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 presidential election.</div>
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 “Politics is not winner-takes-all. Tinubu worked round the clock to deliver a huge chunk of votes to Buhari in the primary, and it is only fair that he is honoured in return,” an aide to Buhari told <i>TheCable</i>. </div>
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Tinubu,<i> TheCable</i> can further report, has not foreclosed the choice of anyone as the VP candidate, but he is opposed to Amaechi – although the Rivers governor has made the biggest financial contribution to Buhari’s campaign. </div>
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An APC chieftain from the south-west told <i>TheCable</i>: “Rumours that Amaechi has been chosen as the running mate are not true in any form. The running mate will be announced soon.” </div>
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The chieftain further told <i>TheCable</i>: “If the party exco settles for a Muslim/Muslim ticket, Tinubu himself will be the number one choice. If not, then Adams Oshiomhole stands the best chance among the rest.” </div>
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He ruled out Babatunde Fashola, governor of Lagos, who is also a Muslim. </div>
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The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole is now the favourite for the running mate slot, after <a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/meet-apcs-vice-presidential-contenders.html">his chances</a> increased from 80% to 89%, while <a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/meet-apcs-vice-presidential-contenders.html">Amaechi’s chances</a> dropped from 90% to 50%.</div>
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<b>Credit: <a href="http://www.thecable.ng/just-buhari-concedes-vp-slot-tinubu">TheCable</a></b>

Tinubu to Pick APC Vice Presidential Candidate

Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has conceded the picking of his running mate to Bola Tinubu, national leader of the party, TheCable can report. This …

12 Dec 2014

[JUST IN]: Suicide Bomber Caught in Jos

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Reports just reaching us indicate that a suicide bomber has been caught in Jos.</div>
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Sources say the suicide bomber was caught with his explosives along Shagari Corner, Katako Road. This fresh story came in while residents are yet to recover from the twin explosions that rocked the city’s commercial center yesterday.</div>
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Details coming up shortly.</div>

[JUST IN]: Suicide Bomber Caught in Jos

Reports just reaching us indicate that a suicide bomber has been caught in Jos. Sources say the suicide bomber was caught with his explosives along Shagari Corner, Katako Road. This fresh story came …

12 Dec 2014

[MUST READ]: How and Why Buhari Won APC Ticket

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By <b>Sodiq Yusuff</b>, <i>TheCable</i></div>
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It is all over. Muhammadu Buhari has beaten Atiku Abubakar to the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC). It was a fairly predictable outcome, but in politics 24 hours could make all the difference. </div>
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Fears in Buhari’s camp that Atiku could get the ticket had heightened as the convention approached, but any doubt about where the pendulum would swing disappeared on Wednesday when 12 governors met and endorsed Buhari for the ticket. </div>
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Atiku had his own strategy, hoping that his extensive nationwide tour and rounded experience in party primaries would swing the game in his favour - moreso as there are only 14 APC governors, meaning other states were there for the taking. But his strategy did not work out. Buhari carried the day. </div>
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Atiku did not even come second - that slot went to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Governor of Kano State, who surprised everybody by his big showing. </div>
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How did Buhari do it? Or, rather, how did Buhari’s supporters do it? <i>TheCable</i> gives you a lowdown.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kK8jRUHTJ5TH5nt-1caLWfgBgaSq38FMx4_ZFl3amm4BCW4w1BCYoVGQGvryZZ5Y1FhOUVH0a9v2dYKj4xEWYxE9QW9KvfHkMfo6AH9SboRz8BXEAmiwuG-KftHWQMt2LJknIflIRVg/s1600/Tinubu-Buhari2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kK8jRUHTJ5TH5nt-1caLWfgBgaSq38FMx4_ZFl3amm4BCW4w1BCYoVGQGvryZZ5Y1FhOUVH0a9v2dYKj4xEWYxE9QW9KvfHkMfo6AH9SboRz8BXEAmiwuG-KftHWQMt2LJknIflIRVg/s1600/Tinubu-Buhari2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>TINUBU’S 10 MEETINGS IN 4 HOURS</b> </div>
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Bola Tinubu, APC national leader, played a major role in galvanizing support for Buhari among thousands of delegates. <i>TheCable</i> had reported as far back as October that Tinubu had thrown his weight behind the retired general, and despite all the intrigues that eventually ensued - with the possible candidature of Aminu Tambuwal, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, showing up along the way - the former Governor of Lagos State still stuck to his Plan A. </div>
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Tinubu and Atiku are battle-tested. They know each other very well, from the days of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) led by the later Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. PDM were reputed as masters of delegate votes. Tinubu and Atiku needed to cancel each other out to determine whose camp would pick the ticket. The stage was set on Tuesday as delegates started arriving Lagos from different parts of the country. </div>
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To checkmate Atiku, Tinubu got all the governors in his camp to team up with the governors in Buhari’s camp. They met with him at his office on Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, till the early hours of Wednesday, where all the details were worked out. In the next four hours, Tinubu criss-crossed Lagos, holding meetings with key delegates, some via teleconference. In total, he held 10 meetings within four hours to finalise the voting in favour of Buhari. </div>
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Most of the meetings, which took place over the phone, were held at Eko Hotel; Lagos Governor’s residence at Isaac John Street, Ikeja; Tinubu’s residence at Bourdillon Street, Ikoyi; and Lagos House, Marina, where key officials and delegates were gathered together for negotiation. Significantly, Atiku’s supporters were left out of the meetings.</div>
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<b>THE OBASANJO VS ATIKU FACTOR</b> </div>
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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is not a supporter of Buhari - they have been political opponents since 1999 - but he would prefer Buhari to Atiku, whom he took to the cleaners in his latest memoirs, <i>My Watch</i>. Obasanjo had nothing terribly bad to say about Buhari in the book, but he savaged Atiku ruthlessly. </div>
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Obasanjo’s first choice for APC ticket, <i>TheCable</i> understands, was Tambuwal. But when northern leaders persuaded Tambuwal to go for Sokoto governorship and not undermine Buhari in the race, Obasanjo wanted support for his ally, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the governor of Kano state. Again, he met a brick wall. It became clear to him that he had to live with either Buhari or Atiku - and the choice was not difficult to make, although he is not expected to openly campaign for Buhari because of his grudges against the Katsina-born retired general. </div>
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“We studied Obasanjo’s body language and came to the conclusion that Buhari was the only realistic choice for us,” a Commissioner from the south-west told <i>TheCable</i>. “Obasanjo will never support Atiku, and Kwankwaso was not going to win. We concluded that he will not be able to launch an all-out attack against Buhari like he would do to Atiku or Jonathan.” </div>
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APC has been courting Obasanjo for a while, and several of its leaders pay regular visits to him in Abeokuta in trying to build the opposition party. Although he keeps saying he remains in the PDP and would never defect, Obasanjo is also at war with the ruling party’s hierarchy and has been openly criticising President Goodluck Jonathan.</div>
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<b>DOLLAR VERSUS DOLLAR</b> </div>
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Atiku is easily one of the richest Nigerians, and as a politician, he has never been afraid to spend money. Since time, delegate elections in Nigeria have always witnessed the sharing of money. The struggle to be a delegate is as fierce as contesting for an elective office because of the fringe benefits. The biggest fear in Buhari’s camp was that Atiku could get the ticket by his generosity to delegates. </div>
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However, Buhari’s supporters did not go to sleep. On Wednesday morning, a southern governor (Rotimi Amaechi) flew in raw cash, in Naira and Dollar, to dilute Atiku’s financial influence. Although some delegates were shielded from Atiku, the former vice-president had devised his own way of reaching them. But despite gaining access to most of them, he was outspent in the welfare department. </div>
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A delegate told <i>TheCable</i> that he got $2,000 from one camp and $3,000 from another, and even though he did not reveal who gave the money, he gave a hint: “Pro-Buhari governors were encouraged to take care of their delegates better than Atiku. Our governor took good care of us. To be fair to Buhari, he knew nothing about the welfare distribution.”</div>
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<b>ATIKU’S PAST ‘SINS’</b> </div>
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Tinubu is yet to forgive Atiku for abandoning the opposition ranks in 2010 and returning to the PDP in order to contest the 2011 presidential election after the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. </div>
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When Atiku fell out with Obasanjo toward the end of their tenure in 2007, Tinubu provided him a platform to contest in the presidential race, having been completely blocked from the PDP. </div>
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Atiku joined the Action Congress, ran for the election, lost to Yar’Adua but stayed back in the party to build a credible opposition to the PDP ahead of the 2011 elections. However, when Yar’Adau died, Atiku went back to the PDP, perhaps calculating that his interests were better served by the party in power. But he lost to Jonathan in the primary. </div>
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He still remained in the PDP, maybe believing that Jonathan would do only one term, but when it became clear that Jonathan was going to run again, he defected to APC, but Tinubu was not impressed. In fact, the impression of Atiku worsened in the polity. </div>
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“He wants to reap where he did not sow. If he had remained with us in 2011, the party would have been built around him, no doubt about that. He would have had a fair chance. But we are also thinking he is a desperate politician by going up and down, back and forth. More so, Nigerians perceive him differently when it comes to corruption. It was always going to be a problem for us,” an APC chieftain from Lagos told <i>TheCable</i>, maintaining that Tinubu had nothing personal against Atiku.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bwjPucSGmsWEQC4rYSMhgTAz9S7HvD0ezefLHdJXNbJuWv98d-JH8AP17Gtb2LHS93mMgkuYepPIe-HItVHOXVMUTB1deIDPWCn5lI12uqBEzE_IDOjtTuAJwSSVUQB1YDdV2p_CJpQ/s1600/Buhari-Campaign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bwjPucSGmsWEQC4rYSMhgTAz9S7HvD0ezefLHdJXNbJuWv98d-JH8AP17Gtb2LHS93mMgkuYepPIe-HItVHOXVMUTB1deIDPWCn5lI12uqBEzE_IDOjtTuAJwSSVUQB1YDdV2p_CJpQ/s1600/Buhari-Campaign.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>SAI BUHARI! SAY BUHARI! </b></div>
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Very key to the decision of the APC hierarchy to back Buhari is that he is a very popular politician in northern Nigeria: his name alone has consistently fetched 12 million votes in the north without any discernible political structure. It is thought that if he can get the necessary backing in the south, it would be a matter of cat walk to Aso Rock for him. With the south-west fully behind him, and with bits and pieces of votes from the south-east and south-south, Buhari will be primed to win the presidential election in 2015. </div>
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“We were convinced that Buhari could win the presidential election, but never convinced that Atiku could defeat Jonathan. It was a no-brainer at the end of the day. Buhari is the man for the job!” the chieftain concluded. </div>
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It was also noted among the party hierarchy that Buhari has been rebranded: less number of Nigerians now view him as a religious fanatic, while more and more southerners are now seeing him as a better alternative to Jonathan. The actual numbers will be determined on February 14, 2015, though.</div>
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<b>Credit: <a href="http://www.thecable.ng/10-meetings-4-hours-obasanjos-book-reasons-buhari-won-apcs-ticket">TheCable</a></b></div>
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[MUST READ]: How and Why Buhari Won APC Ticket

By Sodiq Yusuff, TheCable It is all over. Muhammadu Buhari has beaten Atiku Abubakar to the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC). It was a fairly predictable outcome, but in pol…

12 Dec 2014

Palestinians Mourn Slain Minister

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFAdjHcagNMPvQF6ZiG_-o76MluE5-9rmhdex_f4MmXQYVZnaPHvn2DpRvFjOCdNdWngZkutc5ilvPTY0HuvbtvR6Vb_HDbQfMWKVmsR9MLA1RyVUFE40iELMqNZLCZ5_rHEtWE5MBE0/s1600/Ziad+Abu1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFAdjHcagNMPvQF6ZiG_-o76MluE5-9rmhdex_f4MmXQYVZnaPHvn2DpRvFjOCdNdWngZkutc5ilvPTY0HuvbtvR6Vb_HDbQfMWKVmsR9MLA1RyVUFE40iELMqNZLCZ5_rHEtWE5MBE0/s1600/Ziad+Abu1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Thousands of Palestinians have gathered to mourn a senior official who died in a confrontation with Israeli troops, as the army sent reinforcements to the occupied West Bank and braced for unrest.</span><br />
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Palestinian officials accused Israel of being responsible for the death of minister Ziad Abu Ein, who died shortly after an Israeli border policeman shoved and grabbed him by the throat during a protest north of Ramallah in the West Bank.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The late Ziad Abu Ein (L) being held by the throat by an Israeli border policeman (Photo: SkyNews Arabia)</td></tr>
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On Thursday, thousands of Palestinians gathered to mourn Abu Ein, whose body was laid to rest at El Bireh’s cemetery in the West Bank. A funeral procession, carrying the father of four, first made a stop at the Muqata – the presidential compound – for prayers.</div>
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Palestinian flags were flown at half-mast, and Quranic verses boomed from speakers. Hundreds of people converged on the Muqata, carrying yellow Fatah banners and pictures of Abu Ein.</div>
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also took part in the procession.</div>
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Ehab Bseiso, a government spokesman, also said that the results of an autopsy carried out by a team of Palestinian, Jordanian and Israeli doctors showed Abu Ein did not die of natural causes.</div>
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“We hold Israel fully responsible for the murder of Abu Ein,” Bseiso said.</div>
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The Palestinian minister of health Jawad Awad said the autopsy, showed evidence of bruising in the neck, strikes to the face, and blockage in the coronary artery.</div>
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The Israeli authorities however, disputed those claims, saying the autopsy showed Abu Ein, also a senior Fatah official, had a pre-existing heart condition.</div>
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“The death of Ziad Abu Ein was caused by a blockage of the coronary artery [one of the arteries that supplies blood to the heart] due to haemorrhaging underneath a layer of atherosclerotic plaque. The bleeding could have been caused by stress,” a preliminary Israeli autopsy report said.</div>
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On Wednesday night, Abbas held a meeting with members of the PLO’s executive committee and Fatah officials, in which he said that “all options are open to discussion and implementation” to respond to Abu Ein’s death.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palestinian security members carry the coffin of senior Palestinian official Ziad Abu Ein during his funeral in Ramallah</td></tr>
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A follow-up meeting was to be held on Friday to discuss these options, which include heading to the International Criminal Court and joining more international bodies, chief Palestinian negotiator Sa’eb Erekat said.</div>
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“Netanyahu cannot continue to have a cost-free occupation,” Erekat said. “There are major steps to be taken, including to have the Israeli government resume its responsibilities as the full occupying power, which will include suspension of the security cooperation.”</div>
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On Wednesday, Abu Ein and a group of Palestinian and foreign activists were in Turmus Aya, a village northeast of Ramallah, planting olive tree saplings. The group was met with teargas and stun grenades, and Abu Ein was grabbed in the neck by a soldier. Shortly thereafter, he collapsed, clutching his chest. He died in a Ramallah hospital.</div>
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“There was no Palestinian violence whatsoever, not even stone-throwing,” said Amin Shoman, head of the higher committee for prisoners affairs, who was in Turmus ‘Aya with Abu Ein. “Soldiers struck and tear-gassed him, and didn’t allow us to evacuate him to the hospital fast enough,” Shoman claimed.</div>
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<b>Credit: Al Jazeera</b>

Palestinians Mourn Slain Minister

Thousands of Palestinians have gathered to mourn a senior official who died in a confrontation with Israeli troops, as the army sent reinforcements to the occupied West Bank and braced for unrest. Pa…

12 Dec 2014

Protest in Cotonou Over Local Election Delays

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbKxkJZKMFWglTwxD3ErbUlCFLOPULllffhCiwHlsxgNvJeVafFNZ2QBFWY2xU67BJgBtcg6qzNbf0W36SkQwvV019v7Urp7rV0NeyYLMEbIevCs2MT4DE4laaX0BlyqWYGKJu7AYo3A/s1600/Cotonou+Protest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbKxkJZKMFWglTwxD3ErbUlCFLOPULllffhCiwHlsxgNvJeVafFNZ2QBFWY2xU67BJgBtcg6qzNbf0W36SkQwvV019v7Urp7rV0NeyYLMEbIevCs2MT4DE4laaX0BlyqWYGKJu7AYo3A/s1600/Cotonou+Protest.jpg" /></a></div>
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Cotonou (AFP) - Several hundred people took to the streets of Benin's economic capital on Wednesday to demand the holding of long-delayed local elections postponed over problems with voter registration.</div>
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"Enough is enough. (Benin President Thomas) Boni Yayi and his henchmen have to organise elections. Go now and leave us our democracy," shouted one protester in Cotonou.</div>
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Local elections -- last held in 2008 and at which Boni Yayi suffered heavy losses -- were due to have been held across the tiny West African state in March 2013 but have been pushed back.</div>
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Many of the protesters were dressed in red in a symbol of what they said was their anger at the continued delays but with wider scepticism about the government's motives for the postponement.</div>
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Benin's digitised electoral roll system descended into chaos during the last presidential elections in 2011 when more than 1.5 million people could not find their names on the list.</div>
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The government in the nation of roughly 10 million people has since been trying to fix the problem but the country's main opposition has suggested it is a delaying tactic to allow Boni Yayi to cling to power.</div>
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Parliamentary elections are due to be held next year and for a new president in 2016, with Boni Yayi at the centre of claims that he is looking to change the constitution to secure a third term.</div>
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The protesters whistled and blew trumpets, holding banners proclaiming "Viable elections or get out!" and "Too much fraud, too many lies. Stop! We want elections."</div>
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"The situation is alarming and we have to demand that the regime respects the constitution and the people who want elections," Lazarre Sehoueto, from Benin's main opposition grouping, told AFP.</div>
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Pascal Todjinou, secretary-general of the General Confederation of the Workers of Benin union, said the matter should be dealt with by the country's constitutional court.</div>
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People were at the mercy of a system "favourable to the regime of Boni Yayi, who wants to take advantage of the uncertainty to stay in power after 2016," he added.</div>
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<b>Credit: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/protests-benin-over-local-election-delays-002309174.html">Yahoo! News</a></b>

Protest in Cotonou Over Local Election Delays

Cotonou (AFP) - Several hundred people took to the streets of Benin's economic capital on Wednesday to demand the holding of long-delayed local elections postponed over problems with voter registrati…

12 Dec 2014

Meet APC's Vice Presidential Contenders

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After the emergence of former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, as its Presidential candidate, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is back to the drawing board brainstorming on who to pair with Buhari to dislodge President Goodluck Jonathan/VP Namadi Sambo from Aso Rock in the February 2015 presidential election.</div>
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Below are the top contenders for the Vice Presidential ticket of the APC and the likelihood of their emergence as opined by <i>TheCable</i>:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAeF0DG-87sKtFoJzitVtkQ9tvdVnLEmdsE_v8EKiviROLCQ4sqe-HC7EtkcBt9a6yceUk2qorM6jYJDf6FGtodVeR1cQL_QOKyYx_rgxEpYr6KXUbQ91fLhOqnZaLIGeouVgxO_EzYs/s1600/Amaechi-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAeF0DG-87sKtFoJzitVtkQ9tvdVnLEmdsE_v8EKiviROLCQ4sqe-HC7EtkcBt9a6yceUk2qorM6jYJDf6FGtodVeR1cQL_QOKyYx_rgxEpYr6KXUbQ91fLhOqnZaLIGeouVgxO_EzYs/s1600/Amaechi-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>CHIBUIKE AMAECHI</b> </div>
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<b>Age:</b> 49 </div>
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<b>State:</b> Rivers </div>
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<b>Geo-Political Zone: </b>South-South</div>
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<b>Education:</b> BA English Studies and Literature (University of Port Harcourt) </div>
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<b>Political experience:</b> Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly (1999-2007); Governor of Rivers Stae (2007 till date) </div>
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<b>Plus:</b> Could be spoiler to Jonathan in Rivers State, which has four million votes and has traditionally been an electoral pot of gold for PDP; Has invested heavily in Buhari’s campaign and is on good terms with the APC presidential candidate; Loved in many parts of the north for his open opposition to Jonathan; Has a good record of achievements in Rivers. </div>
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<b>Minus:</b> Not likely to woo south-south and south-east where Jonathan is expected to hold sway as “home favourite”; South-west voters may not be too enthusiastic at the polls with no Yoruba on the ticket; Considered to be too combustible to be a loyal and calm deputy to a strong-willed person like Buhari. </div>
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<b>Chances:</b> Amaechi has 90% chances to be picked as running mate</div>
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<b>ADAMS OSHIOMHOLE</b> </div>
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<b>Age:</b> 62 </div>
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<b>State:</b> Edo</div>
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<b>Geo-Political Zone:</b> South-Souh</div>
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<b>Education:</b> Economics and Industrial Relations (Ruskin College, Oxford) </div>
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<b>Political experience:</b> Governor of Edo State (2008 till date) </div>
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<b>Plus</b>: Popular former labour leader seen as a champion of the masses under President Olusegun Obasanjo; Nationwide name recognition; Articulate and cerebral; Considered to be a performing governor; south-south minority who has cross-zonal appeal; Could be compromise candidate between Tinubu and Amaechi camps. </div>
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<b>Minus:</b> Not strong enough to garner south-south majority votes. </div>
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<b>Chances: </b>Oshiomhole has 80% chances to be picked as running mate</div>
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<b>YEMI OSIBAJO </b></div>
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<b>Age:</b> 55 </div>
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<b>State:</b> Lagos </div>
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<b>Geo-Political Zone: </b>South-West</div>
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<b>Education:</b> Bachelor of Law (University of Lagos); Master’s degree (London School of Economics) </div>
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<b>Political experience:</b> Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice (1999-2007) </div>
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<b>Plus</b>: Intellectual, Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN); highly respected as man of integrity; Pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God and could assuage “fundamentalist” suspicion of Buhari; a legal brain behind the Tinubu government in 1999-2007. </div>
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<b>Minus</b>: Lack of electoral experience; name recognition highly constrained; Naming a pastor not an automatic guarantee of Christian votes. </div>
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<b>Chances:</b> Osibajo has 60% chances to be picked as running mate</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXzNUJGKztF4v_zQaXy_DTbdWLCt-_k_47u5FGuHaydGr34yW3UCYm4t_UyAXxZyqx0Fi5sCp_PX7L9sl3Wei88T_wbAP-TvOxCWJTPqaC7u31Wr9KVT_Ac8xe0LS6VUU7CWEY98pe90/s1600/Fayemi-1024x595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXzNUJGKztF4v_zQaXy_DTbdWLCt-_k_47u5FGuHaydGr34yW3UCYm4t_UyAXxZyqx0Fi5sCp_PX7L9sl3Wei88T_wbAP-TvOxCWJTPqaC7u31Wr9KVT_Ac8xe0LS6VUU7CWEY98pe90/s1600/Fayemi-1024x595.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>KAYODE FAYEMI</b> </div>
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<b>Age:</b> 49 </div>
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<b>State:</b> Ekiti </div>
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<b>Geo-Political Zone:</b> South-West</div>
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<b>Education:</b> Degrees in History, Politics and International Relations from the Universities of Lagos and Ife in Nigeria; PhD in War Studies (King’s College, University of London). </div>
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<b>Political experience:</b> Governor of Ekiti State (2010-2014) </div>
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<b>Plus:</b> Former governor who has national name-recognition; a Christian from the south-west to counter fundamentalism feelings about Buhari; good performer as governor; intellectual; calm and mature politician. </div>
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<b>Minus:</b> Having lost Ekiti election, electoral value in question; not in the good books of Tinubu, who calls the shots in the south-west. </div>
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<b>Chances:</b> Fayemi has 50% chances to be picked as running mate</div>
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<b>Credit: TheCable </b></div>

Meet APC's Vice Presidential Contenders

After the emergence of former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, as its Presidential candidate, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is back to the drawing board brainstorming on who to pair wit…

12 Dec 2014

Kenyan Muslims Lament Anti-Islam Media

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4kgwC3nAAfZdYKSA8vg6v55TDQWk-hs_xupbDl1AdurkIT_l4u44Vg1E3gzOeKiGGHdko_L2S-C5pqWU3cZYg9ZHxBiiTG3tB4V6nW7GjLB4kw6TDF8iuK_Zwz4CO2xD5ayYNI8HiPc/s1600/kenyan-muslims.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4kgwC3nAAfZdYKSA8vg6v55TDQWk-hs_xupbDl1AdurkIT_l4u44Vg1E3gzOeKiGGHdko_L2S-C5pqWU3cZYg9ZHxBiiTG3tB4V6nW7GjLB4kw6TDF8iuK_Zwz4CO2xD5ayYNI8HiPc/s1600/kenyan-muslims.jpg" /></a></div>
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Muslims in Kenya are demanding comprehensive changes in the way mainstream media in the country covers terror news, warning that current unprofessional practices are fueling prejudice and Islamophobia in the east African nation.</div>
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“Why is that when people of other religions commit criminal acts, we do not see their religion being prefixed to their actions,” Sheikh Abdallah Kheir, a Muslim scholar who also lecturers in a public university in Kenya, told <i>OnIslam.net</i>.</div>
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“Recently a church preacher was caught with bomb making material in Kenya, but the media never called him a Christian terrorist suspect? This is double-standard that needs to end,” he added.</div>
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Sheikh Kheir’s concerns were in response to a recent report by Media Council of Kenya, the official agency that regulates the practice of journalism, which delivered a damning indictment against the Kenyan media with regard to the coverage of terrorism issues, terming them unfair to Muslims.</div>
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Entitled, <i>“Deconstructing Terror: Assessing Media’s Role in Religious Intolerance and Radicalisation”</i> the report concluded that narratives in the media often cast Muslims as terrorists or potential terrorists.</div>
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The Sheikh questioned the common practice in the Kenyan media of using words and phrases that suggest an association between terrorist actions with Islam and Muslims.</div>
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He added that words such as “Islamic terrorism,” “radical Islam,” “Islamists” and “Muslim extremist” often serve to promote Islamophobia by linking crime with Islam and Muslims.</div>
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The report also found that the war between the Kenya government and Al Shabaab is incorrectly being portrayed by some media houses as a religious one between Christians and Muslims, thereby exacerbating interreligious and communal tensions and conflict.</div>
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“The media has been propagating the dominant narrative that borders on stereotypical labelling of Muslims. Some of the narratives monitored include: all Muslims are potential terrorists and the war on terrorism is a war between Muslims and Christians.”</div>
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The council made the conclusion after analysing the coverage of terrorism issues by Kenya’s mainstream print and electronic media.</div>
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Muslim leaders have accused media of amplifying hard-line and reckless voices within the Muslim community while ignoring moderate and responsible voices.</div>
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“The media may find the hard-line voices more dramatic and appealing to them but they paint the wrong impression that such voices represent Muslims when in fact the majority of Muslims in Kenya do not subscribe to extreme and irresponsible views,” Sheikh Abdul Rahman Wandati, the Executive Director of the Muslim Consultative Council, told <i>OnIslam.net</i>.</div>
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“Such an approach only fuels interreligious tensions in the country,” he said.</div>
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Sheikh Abdullatif Ali, a Muslim interfaith preacher who travels around Kenya to preach Islam, called on the media to end the habit of collective blaming of Muslims in Kenya whenever there are attacks like those which happened in Kenya recently in which 68 people were killed by Al Shabaab militant group</div>
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“The narrative of collective blame against Muslims is very common in the media. What we need to see more of is the narrative of individual responsibility which has not enjoyed much publicity. This collective blaming is unfair to Muslims,” he said.</div>
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The 52-page report documented many subtle and indirect prejudices in the media coverage of terrorism which may reinforce ethnic and religious intolerance against Muslims.</div>
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The report said that the Kenyan media often carries stories and commentary which may incite Kenyans against the Muslim community. The report established that media has exacerbated interreligious tension and intolerance and increasing the wedge between Muslims and Christians.</div>
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The Media Council’s Research and Monitoring Officer Amos Kibet told <i>OnIslam.net</i> that there is critical need for education of media practitioners in Kenya with regard to coverage of terrorism issues.</div>
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He indicated that his organisation has lined up a series of trainings for journalists and editors across the country on how best to cover terrorism issues without enhancing prejudice and intolerance against the Muslim community in Kenya.</div>
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“Issues of terrorism are relatively new in Kenya and the media has a lot to learn to improve their professionalism. I believe that most of the mistakes being made by the media will be overcome in the near future,” he said</div>
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He added: “We are in the process of preparing a training manual and we are ready to include the many valuable suggestions that we have received so far from Muslim leaders as well as other stakeholders,” he said.</div>
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The report called on mainstream media in Kenya to moderate comments and feedback to their stories especially in the social media and online platforms to sift out hateful and incendiary views that promote religious tension and intolerance.</div>
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“The media should instead promote healthy dialogue on the issue of terrorism and provide a platform for different religious and ethnic groups, government agencies, civil society and members of the public can debate,” asserted the report.</div>
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Since the Kenya government sent its soldiers to neighbouring Somalia to pursue Al Shabaab rebel group, bomb and gun attacks have heightened inside Kenya from supporters of that group.</div>
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The attacks have fuelled increasing Islamophobia which the Muslim community is seeking to manage.</div>
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<b>Credit: Nigerian Tribune</b></div>

Kenyan Muslims Lament Anti-Islam Media

Muslims in Kenya are demanding comprehensive changes in the way mainstream media in the country covers terror news, warning that current unprofessional practices are fueling prejudice and Islamophobi…

12 Dec 2014

Mario Balotteli is a Good Boy - Obafemi Martins

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9qdFpdEcC72zmQ5dlltS_EoaFrqnkLU0YIzThI-0PNV2ChvD1OhciNvCHB27u28zWx7E8uobe86ChFsPp2ENbhra5yYJAmjmCAV3YWDoKJGWuofkQGnJSvqnc0cG6T4kvgQRnzu6JZ0/s1600/Obafemi+Martins.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9qdFpdEcC72zmQ5dlltS_EoaFrqnkLU0YIzThI-0PNV2ChvD1OhciNvCHB27u28zWx7E8uobe86ChFsPp2ENbhra5yYJAmjmCAV3YWDoKJGWuofkQGnJSvqnc0cG6T4kvgQRnzu6JZ0/s1600/Obafemi+Martins.jpeg" /></a></div>
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Seattle Sounders striker, Obafemi Martins, has defended Mario Balotelli over his behaviour on and off the pitch.</div>
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And he has explained that incidents involving the Liverpool star are often blown out of proportion.</div>
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The former Nigeria international is involved in a romantic relationship with Mario Balotelli’s biological sister, Abigail Barwuah, who gave birth to the couple’s first child together just over a year ago.</div>
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‘’Why he gets into trouble? Because even if he did nothing wrong, when you are famous like him, end up always being criticised,’’ Obafemi Martins told <i>La Gazzetta dello Sport</i>.</div>
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‘’He is great and should be left alone. When he does something, just everything is magnified . He is a good boy, certainly not a bad person.’’</div>
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Martins has revealed that he was delighted to commit his long – term future to Seattle Sounders in October by penning a fresh three-year deal.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnqbsWJCxudcgXYoThS0PIKq2SMX7RQRZB7x9_0aBf3jaKIfrcnc4kokACBsmmYA0LncDLyXAN5ebVxvNkKP5QXzCOg8GkO2W2daHB7kJJI_FC_STQ5SFZdQw_yWDGslepBT6RJgkDr0/s1600/Mario+Balotteli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnqbsWJCxudcgXYoThS0PIKq2SMX7RQRZB7x9_0aBf3jaKIfrcnc4kokACBsmmYA0LncDLyXAN5ebVxvNkKP5QXzCOg8GkO2W2daHB7kJJI_FC_STQ5SFZdQw_yWDGslepBT6RJgkDr0/s1600/Mario+Balotteli.jpg" /></a></div>
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"I just signed a renewal and I am happy here. Seattle is a great city. At every home game, over 40,000 people come to watch us.</div>
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"Here soccer is wildly popular, I am stopped on the street and in the clubs, and asked for photos and autographs, just as in other parts of the world where I played," he concluded.</div>
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<b>Credit: The Punch</b></div>

Mario Balotteli is a Good Boy - Obafemi Martins

Seattle Sounders striker, Obafemi Martins, has defended Mario Balotelli over his behaviour on and off the pitch. And he has explained that incidents involving the Liverpool star are often blown out o…

12 Dec 2014

My Watch: Obasanjo Appeals Against Book Seizure Order

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JGdrzhq4glWSh6A1FaAlin_E9-5ozRGf57wDzS20C1PCrHNROgsLsWjAdPIGMOUaj5eeqiaHcLE3-TGdYtJpE7pQxAuRQ7T5h3MxsTOYuiCDk86H63LOgmZjDu5Gg8N-fYWjoNFYrqI/s1600/my-watch-obasanjo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JGdrzhq4glWSh6A1FaAlin_E9-5ozRGf57wDzS20C1PCrHNROgsLsWjAdPIGMOUaj5eeqiaHcLE3-TGdYtJpE7pQxAuRQ7T5h3MxsTOYuiCDk86H63LOgmZjDu5Gg8N-fYWjoNFYrqI/s1600/my-watch-obasanjo.jpg" /></a></div>
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By <b>Sunday Ejike</b>, <i>Nigerian Tribune</i></div>
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A former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Thursday, appealed against the order of an Abuja High Court, directing the confiscation of his book by the Inspector General of Police and the Director of the State Security Service (SSS).</div>
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According to the particulars of appeal, Obasanjo held that there was uncontradicted affidavit evidence that the book, <i>“My Watch”</i> had been published and released to the public before the court made the interlocutory Order.</div>
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He said the plaintiff never alluded to this fact in his affidavit before the court, adding that “it is settled law that an injunction does not lie to restrain a completed act.”</div>
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Obasanjo, in the appeal, held that the trial judge erred in law when he granted the interim orders of injunction which inter alia restrained him from the publication of his book <i>“My Watch”</i> or the content of the letter to the president, which is the subject of the suit before the trial judge in the said book.</div>
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Injunction, he said, is an equitable and discretionary remedy granted by a court of law upon the presentation of unassailable facts and materials before the court to justify its grant.</div>
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He added that the plaintiff failed and/or neglected to produce the defendant’s book, <i>“My Watch”</i> or quote any offending part thereof to warrant or justify the grant of the orders of injunction against the defendant.</div>
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“The court was presented with facts in the counter-affidavit that the contents of the books <i>‘My Watch’</i> were not in any form libelous of the plaintiff.</div>
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“The court ignored the settled facts presented before it and granted the orders of injunction even when the plaintiff could not justify such an order in his evidence before the court.</div>
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“The learned trial judge erred in law when he failed to exercise his discretion judicially and judiciously as required by law and he proceeded to grant equitable order of injunction to restrain the defendants from the publication of his book <i>‘My Watch’</i> based only on the speculation presented before the court by the plaintiff that he suspected or was informed that some of the content of the books were libelous of him.</div>
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“Justice Valentine Ashi erred in law and exercised its discretion wrongfully in granting the orders of interlocutory injunction, subject of this appeal, against the defendant, restraining him from publishing his book <i>‘My Watch’</i> or publishing his letter subject of the suit in the said book,” Obasanjo said.</div>
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<b>Credit: Nigerian Tribune</b></div>

My Watch: Obasanjo Appeals Against Book Seizure Order

By Sunday Ejike, Nigerian Tribune A former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Thursday, appealed against the order of an Abuja High Court, directing the confiscation of his book by the Inspector …

12 Dec 2014

Oshiomhole Joins Race For Buhari's Running Mate

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvNzVxpRxSiGwD7ck7b-Ehba0U0fnTh-VdhjL753I_y_ZiUz6b5N1IvmQ5SebrdZvlf1uHlsRaXNtV84jn9PlNX0Bz5GttgkeCAX6vczNquik0j5jPckChiJGzZkj5KoPk83uXw80YV8/s1600/Buhari_Oshiomhole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvNzVxpRxSiGwD7ck7b-Ehba0U0fnTh-VdhjL753I_y_ZiUz6b5N1IvmQ5SebrdZvlf1uHlsRaXNtV84jn9PlNX0Bz5GttgkeCAX6vczNquik0j5jPckChiJGzZkj5KoPk83uXw80YV8/s1600/Buhari_Oshiomhole.jpg" /></a></div>
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There are very strong indications that Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state, is now in strong contention for the vice-presidential slot of the All Progressives Congress (APC), reports <i>TheCable</i>. These indications emerged when it became clear that Buhari was going to win the APC ticket.</div>
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<i>TheCable</i> had earlier reported that he was not interested in the race, but after a series of consultations and discussions, he is now being drafted into the fray by some south-west leaders of the party. </div>
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Muhammadu Buhari, former head of state, was elected at the party’s convention in Lagos on Wednesday and Thursday, but his running mate was not named. </div>
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When it became clear that Buhari was going to win the ticket while the votes were still being counted, leaders of the party met and tried to sort out the issue, but no agreement was reached. </div>
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They returned to the convention ground in time for the announcement of the winner. </div>
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A final decision is expected to be reached at the weekend by the leaders. </div>
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While Rotimi Amaechi, governor of Rivers state, is considered as the top contender for the VP slot, Bola Tinubu, APC national leader, maintains that the south-west has to produce the candidate. </div>
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On the one hand, Amaechi has played a key role in the candidature of Buhari and is positioned as a counter force to President Goodluck Jonathan in the south-south, with the south-west expected to settle for senate presidency if APC wins. </div>
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On the other hand, the south-west boasts of the second highest voting population after the north-west and a candidate from the zone is naturally expected to complement Buhari’s votes in the north, with the south-south settling for senate presidency. </div>
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<i>TheCable</i> was informed that Tinubu is not well disposed to Amaechi being on the ticket, but may throw his weight behind Oshiomhole, also from the south-south, if the south-west does not get the slot.</div>
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<b>Credit: <a href="http://www.thecable.ng/just-deadlock-buharis-running-mate">TheCable</a></b></div>

Oshiomhole Joins Race For Buhari's Running Mate

There are very strong indications that Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state, is now in strong contention for the vice-presidential slot of the All Progressives Congress (APC), reports TheCable. The…

12 Dec 2014

2015: I Will Govern Nigeria By The Constitution - Buhari

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzVodRg5GaZCM5WC9H49inubrf1TiysUkke8AGfD-pwIxmJnPovibpzgNRJiCYaXyKL4mknuBv2i4awW-7oVktOJ2FkDLbdC5qTYlZ_xhiqDERottR4EPk2OJ4sek4Vk8FeFXk5mgVKg/s1600/BuhariAPC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzVodRg5GaZCM5WC9H49inubrf1TiysUkke8AGfD-pwIxmJnPovibpzgNRJiCYaXyKL4mknuBv2i4awW-7oVktOJ2FkDLbdC5qTYlZ_xhiqDERottR4EPk2OJ4sek4Vk8FeFXk5mgVKg/s1600/BuhariAPC.jpg" /></a></div>
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A former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate in the Feb. 14, 2015 presidential election, on Thursday promised to govern the country in accordance with the Nigerian constitution if elected.</div>
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Mr. Buhari made the promise at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, in his acceptance speech after being declared winner of the party’s presidential primary.</div>
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The Chairman of the APC National Convention Committee, Kayode Fayemi, who declared the results of the primary, said Mr. Buhari polled a total of 3,430 votes to defeat former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who got 954votes.</div>
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Mr. Fayemi said Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State scored 974 votes, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo 624 votes while Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, the Publisher of Leadership Newspapers, polled 10 votes.</div>
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Mr. Buhari, after being declared winner, said: “I understand there are challenges ahead. I promise that my administration will govern Nigeria in accordance with the constitution.’’</div>
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He promised to put in place a government that would realise a new Nigeria and put the country on a level where it would be respected more in the international community.</div>
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The APC presidential candidate promised to give priority to agriculture, healthcare and creation of wealth as well as enhance the power of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to tackle corruption.</div>
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Mr. Buhari, who described his victory as a great triumph of democracy, called for the support of all Nigerians.</div>
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“I need your support, I need your help to become the President of Nigeria in next year’s presidential election.</div>
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“I see this as an opportunity to rescue the nation from joblessness, poverty and to tackle all its challenges,” he said.</div>
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He commended the convention committee and leadership of the party for conducting a hitch-free programme, saying that the outcome of the primary was a testimony that “democracy is at work”.</div>
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Mr. Buhari also thanked other aspirants for accepting the outcome of the election and promised to work with them during electioneering.</div>
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Read full speech below.</div>
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<b>Time To Rebuild Nigeria</b></div>
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<i>Acceptance speech by General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress</i></div>
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The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress</div>
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National leaders of the APC</div>
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Members of the National Executive Council of the APC</div>
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Your Excellencies, State Governors</div>
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Distinguished Senators</div>
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Honourable Members of the House of Representatives and Assemblies</div>
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The Chairman and Members of the Convention Committee</div>
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State and Local Government Chairmen of the APC</div>
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Distinguished Delegates</div>
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Members of the Press</div>
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Invited Guests</div>
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Ladies and Gentlemen</div>
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Acceptance:</div>
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First of all, I wish to express my gratitude to the Chairman and members of the Convention Committee for planning and conducting a hitch-free convention. The same appreciation goes to the chairmen of National and State Executive Councils of our party. Thank you very much for doing an excellent job.</div>
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I would like to pay tribute to Chief Bisi Akande the first chairman of APC and his National Executive for managing the party in its early stages.</div>
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I also wish to commend Lagos State Government and state party for hosting this convention. Time was when people feared to come to Lagos. Today, Lagos is the cleanest and dare I say safest city in Nigeria. This achievement is due to the leadership and strength of purpose of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Chief Babatunde Fashola the two Governors since 1999 and their team of professionals for this wonderful transformation Nigeria greets you!</div>
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The outcome of the presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress is a demonstration of democracy at work. It is testimony to the fact that democracy as a concept is greater than the interests of individuals in a free and functional political system. What has just happened is not about winning or losing but about the triumph of liberty, freedom of choice and association, which are hallmarks of democracy.</div>
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To my fellow contestants; Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and Mr. Sam Nda Isaiah, I wish to thank you for putting up a good fight. The keenly contested primaries we just had will help to strengthen our party and democracy, and ultimately send our message to Nigerian voters in the impending elections.</div>
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To you all, I pay my absolute compliments and congratulate you on the success of your respective campaigns. I extend my gratitude to you all for accepting the outcome of this convention and agreeing to support my candidature as we move forward. I shall meet with you all in the coming days to fashion out how we shall confront the challenge ahead.</div>
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My dear fellow countrymen and women, it is with a deep sense of humility that I stand before you today to accept the nomination of my party, the All Progressives Congress to be its candidate and flag-bearer in 2015 presidential elections.</div>
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My nomination is not because I am better than any of the other contestants. I see it as a tribute and mark of confidence to carry the torch as we all join hands to rescue our dear country Nigeria, from those who have led us into the current state of insecurity, poverty, sectarian divide and hopelessness among our people.</div>
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I stand before you today to ask that you join me in a common cause. My call to you is not to realise the personal fulfilment of one man. This Common Cause is nothing less than the love for our nation and concern for its present condition. And a resolve to make things better for Nigeria.</div>
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What I say today is for all Nigerians: Christian and Muslim, Southern and Northern, rich and poor, young and old, man and woman. We are all citizens of Nigeria. There is no dividing line among us that I care to honour. Either we advance as one or fail altogether.</div>
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My choice and my colleagues choice and wish is that we progress together. Preserving the nation’s future is a scared obligation to all of us in this party. Leaders should be wholly committed to fulfilling this obligation otherwise they have no business being leaders.</div>
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Sadly, the current administration does not believe in this obligation. By their actions they are leading us to calamity.</div>
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At International Conferences, the Nigerian delegation is usually among the largest but at the same time the least effective. Our president should have the status and the voice of Africa’s largest nation. But in political influence we are among the weakest.</div>
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Shall we at home continue to live in a condition where the Power Holding Company and its successors seem only to have the power to hold us in darkness?</div>
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Shall we continue in a situation where 250 of our daughters have been abducted and the government has been unable to rescue them or provide credible information about what steps they are taking?</div>
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Shall we live in a nation where several people were trampled to death in search of jobs in a stadium and yet no one has taken responsibility for the tragedy?</div>
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Shall we live in a nation where the ranks of the poor swell and their poverty increase while the consorts of the powerful enjoy unprecedented wealth? The lives of the poor are bled dry while those of the powerful soak in excessive abundance.</div>
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My answers to these questions are “No, No, No, No!”</div>
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It is time to close this demeaning chapter in our nation’s history.</div>
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I ask that you join this effort, not for me, but to establish a better land for all of us.</div>
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I understand and accept the hard challenge ahead. When all is said and done, let it be written that Muhammadu Buhari gave his all for this nation.</div>
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As such, I make these five pledges regarding the government if we are elected next February;</div>
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We will govern Nigeria honestly, in accordance with the constitution.</div>
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We will strive to secure the country and efficiently manage the economy.</div>
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We will strive to attack poverty through broadly-shared economic growth and attacking corruption through impartial application of the law.</div>
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We will tolerate no religious, regional, ethnic or gender bias in our government.</div>
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We will return Nigeria to a position of international respect through patriotic foreign policy.</div>
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We will choose the best Nigerians for the right jobs.</div>
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Our government will be committed to the cause of the common man. Whether you are a Christian from Bayelsa State or a Muslim from Katsina State, you are first and foremost a Nigerian in my eyes. I shall treat you equally as my people, my national family, my brothers and sisters. There can be no genuine love of our country without loving all its people in our diversity.</div>
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Just as APC stands as a new party for a new Nigeria, our government will institute new policies to realise the new Nigeria.</div>
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We shall institute just policies that afford people the dignity of work and pay them a living wage for their sweat and toil. We intend to do this by instituting a national industrial policy, coupled with a national employment directive, that together shall revive and expand our manufacturing sector, creating jobs for our urban population and decreasing our reliance on expensive foreign imports.</div>
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We shall implement a national infrastructure master plan that will provide construction and related jobs across the land. Furthermore, by improving our transportation infrastructure through road, rail and port construction we expand the outer bounds of economic growth as no economy can grow beyond the capacity of its infrastructure.</div>
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Agriculture remains the backbone of the economy. Our government, when elected, will establish an agricultural policy that provides farmers a dignified living through improved inputs, improved extension services, access to credit and price support mechanisms.</div>
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On corruption, the government will enhance EFCC’s powers to investigate independently. Moreover, we intend to plug the holes in NNPC accounting. There will no longer be two sets of books, one for public consumption and another for insiders who profit from this slick fraud. In an APC government, the public will know how much NNPC makes and where all the money goes.</div>
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No longer shall illegal flows of massive sums leave these shores to finance other economies. While our people languish in poverty, we effectively give financial aid to nations that is not justified. I am sick of this. It must stop. The money saved will finance jobs, health care and the provision of social safety net for the needy, weak and vulnerable of our land.</div>
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We will be a compassionate government, for out of compassion arises the truest forms of wealth and progress a society can attain.</div>
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We shall open the door to tertiary education to excellent students who otherwise could not afford it. Pregnant and poor women and children shall be entitled to basic health care.</div>
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This is a Nigeria that I envisage but it is a far cry from the Nigeria that is now. Change is imperative if we are to avoid the impending national failure. Poor leadership placed us in the ditch. Continuation of poor leadership will only dig a deeper trench for all of us to fall in.</div>
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Let us join hands in progressive union to pull each other and the nation from the abyss.</div>
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I pledge to do my utmost to make this happen but cannot do it alone. I need your support. I need your help to become President of Nigeria so that government may come to serve you, so that it may bring relief to the broken and weary among us and so that it may usher in a new Nigeria meant for us all, a Nigeria that is the birthright of everyone but the exclusive possession of no one.</div>
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God bless you.</div>
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God bless our fatherland – Nigeria</div>
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Thank you.</div>
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General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR</div>
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December 11, 2014</div>

2015: I Will Govern Nigeria By The Constitution - Buhari

A former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate in the Feb. 14, 2015 presidential election, on Thursday promised to govern the country in accordan…

12 Dec 2014

2015: I Will Not Fail Nigerians - Jonathan

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXL3cu02eDzCoYl8P3hy5q2gDsSRmE8X417WD8QvDaF0PiDzEvXSEwjr-m7MSKRjiZd2TgO4VtBP3eHuc2ZSBIKQLjMbpfnd8H0WbmDd1Rboht0Vx38NekCZX5uPEr2R91X6mcSz_JsJI/s1600/JonathanPDP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXL3cu02eDzCoYl8P3hy5q2gDsSRmE8X417WD8QvDaF0PiDzEvXSEwjr-m7MSKRjiZd2TgO4VtBP3eHuc2ZSBIKQLjMbpfnd8H0WbmDd1Rboht0Vx38NekCZX5uPEr2R91X6mcSz_JsJI/s1600/JonathanPDP.jpg" /></a></div>
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President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday accepted his nomination as the PDP Presidential Candidate in the 2015 election with a pledge that he would not fail Nigerians.</div>
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The President also announced Vice President Namadi Sambo as his running mate again for the presidential election. Speaking after delegates to the PDP National Convention had nominated him, the president promised to give his all to ensure that the living standard of Nigerians improved.</div>
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Jonathan said that his nomination as the PDP Presidential candidate exemplified the party’s determination to ensure that democracy in Nigeria yielded the desired benefits to Nigerians. He urged political parties in the country to rise above all impediments to project the country to a higher level. He assured all PDP members that all complaints and grievances within the party would be amicably resolved. </div>
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According to him, the country’s fight against corruption is on course and will be won. He said the government would ensure that no child lacked basic needs and that no woman died from child birth. </div>
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The president said the observance of human rights was the cornerstone of his administration, adding that no Nigerian would be persecuted for holding a contrary view. </div>
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He restated that Nigeria was undergoing some transformation being progressively enjoyed by the people, adding that many of the projects being showcased by those who defected from PDP were actually initiated by the party. He enjoined the opposition to be honest in its campaigns and should be devoid of propaganda and half truth. </div>
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Jonathan had earlier captured 2,812 votes cast at the convention to emerge as the party’s candidate for the 2015 presidential election. The party had also amended its constitution to address the issue of tenure in the party’s administration.</div>
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<b>Credit: <a href="http://www.africanoutlookonline.com/index.php/politics/8953-2015-i-will-not-fail-nigerians-says-jonathan">African Outlook</a></b></div>

2015: I Will Not Fail Nigerians - Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday accepted his nomination as the PDP Presidential Candidate in the 2015 election with a pledge that he would not fail Nigerians. The President also announced Vic…

12 Dec 2014

Tragedy Averted As Police Defuse IEDs At Owerri Eatery

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNX5nb59RgbBgKEAR0EwilhAz4n0IyyhPSBJLF7Uahr0AET-fsj6Qv6wJWHMo5LkS_Z1zdIXycXb0QO8mIMZ4ritAJn6MohuJSu4ubFkcSKt_UMbiT0ZK3bv_0eD4rDgiFvYLsNfTPevM/s1600/IED.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNX5nb59RgbBgKEAR0EwilhAz4n0IyyhPSBJLF7Uahr0AET-fsj6Qv6wJWHMo5LkS_Z1zdIXycXb0QO8mIMZ4ritAJn6MohuJSu4ubFkcSKt_UMbiT0ZK3bv_0eD4rDgiFvYLsNfTPevM/s1600/IED.png" /></a></div>
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Tragedy was averted in Owerri, the Imo State capital, when items suspected to be Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was defused by men of the Imo State Police command.</div>
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The substance was reported to have been carefully concealed in two strategic places within the lobby of a popular eatery around Ikenegbu, a commercial area within the city.</div>
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The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, disclosed that a distress call was placed across to the command around 9:30pm on Wednesday night by the Manager of the eatery, informing the Police about a substance suspected to be an explosive device within the lobby of the eatery.</div>
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He drafted the bomb squad of the Imo State Police Command to the scene and after several hours of battling with the substance, it was confirmed to be an Improvised Explosive Device capable of causing serious danger to lives and property and was defused immediately.</div>
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He said that one of the IED was carefully concealed beside the air conditioner in the lobby of the eatery and the other placed somewhere on the air conditioner outside the eatery.</div>
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While calling on Imo citizens to continue to cooperate with the Nigerian Police by furnishing them with adequate information, he assured the people of the state that the Police would continue to ensure proper protection of lives and property, especially during the festive period, as all measures have been put in place to combat any form of crime in the state.</div>
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He confirmed that no arrest had been made but investigations were ongoing.</div>
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It was the second time that the Imo State Police Command would defuse IEDs within the Owerri metropolis in 2014.</div>
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<b>Credit: Channels TV</b></div>

Tragedy Averted As Police Defuse IEDs At Owerri Eatery

Tragedy was averted in Owerri, the Imo State capital, when items suspected to be Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was defused by men of the Imo State Police command. The substance was reported to ha…

12 Dec 2014

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