Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:
1. Sixty-one political parties have rejected what they described as obnoxious clauses inserted into the election guidelines by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Imo Ugochinyere, National Chairman of the Action Peoples Party (APP) made the announcement on Friday. He said the parties demand the retention of 2011 and 2015 separate accreditation time and separate voting time to forestall rigging.
2. The Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi has allegedly attested to insecurity under the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Amaechi, in an audiotape shared by the former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, said his monthly salary was not enough for him to pay for accommodation in secured areas in Abuja. Amaechi, who alleged in the audio that his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, was taking N100,000 from his N960, 000 salary, said he cannot live in Gwarimpa or Utoko, where, according to him, armed robbers could easily attack him.
3. Suspected masked policemen have stormed the hospital where the Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye was receiving treatment. The officers forced the lawmaker, who was on the hospital bed, into an unmarked vehicle and drove him to a DSS facility in Lugbe, Airport Road. Police has since confirmed the development, saying a warrant of arrest had been obtained by the police to detain the senator for 14 days.
4. Senate President, Bukola Saraki has raised the alarm that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris was after his life. Saraki, who is the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO), raised the allegation at a press conference in Abuja. He called on the international authorities to hold Idris responsible if anything bad happened to him or members of his family.
5. Chelsea midfielder, Cesc Fabregas, has completed his move to AS Monaco in a deal worth £10 million ($12.8m). The 31-year-old signed a three-and-a-half-year-deal with the French club.
6. A seasoned broadcaster, working with the Cross River State Broadcasting Corporation (CRBC) Radio/TV services, Mr Peter Etim, aka ‘godfather’ has been kidnapped. Mr Etim was kidnapped in the early hours of Friday while going to work. A witness, who pleaded for anonymity alleged that the victim was abducted in front of his house by unknown gunmen before 6am.
7. The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has advised the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, to give up in order to avoid a humiliating defeat at the polls on Feb. 16. BMO made the call in a statement signed by its Chairman, Mr Niyi Akinsiju, and the Secretary, Mr Cassidy Madueke, on Friday in Abuja. The statement said the group gave this advice in reaction to the defection of four top notches of the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
8. National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu on Friday stated that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar abandoned Lagos State when he was in office. The former Lagos governor said Atiku, then vice president failed to act when the Obasanjo government seized the state’s local government allocation. Tinubu spoke in Abuja when he received the representatives of traditional rulers from South West States led by Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.
9. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it would devolve Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collection to Registration Areas and Wards across the country, from Jan. 16. The commission said in a statement by Mr Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, on Friday, in Abuja, that deadline for collection of PVCs was Feb. 8.
10. The European Union (EU) has deployed a high-level election observation mission to monitor the General Elections in Nigeria. Mr Federica Mogherini, High Representative of EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; and Vice-President of the EU Commission, made the announcement in a statement on Friday in Abuja. Mogherini said that EU had appointed Maria Arena as the Chief Observer of the EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) for the elections scheduled for Feb. 16 and March 2.
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