Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning:
1. The Northern Elders’ Forum, and the Arewa Consultative Forum, have endorsed the All Progressives Congress’ Presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for the coming presidential election. Both bodies had issued separate statements in Kaduna on Wednesday , asking all Nigerians to support Buhari as he was clearly a better candidate.
2. The United States has pledged its support for Nigeria in its effort to tackle the rising Boko Haram insurgency. While addressing some journalist, Marie Harf, the US Spokeswoman said even though the rising insurgency in the country may have resulted from the coming election, the election must not be shifted.
3. Both President Goodluck Jonathan and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as well as other presidential candidates yesterday signed a agreement in an event tagged Abuja Accord, where they all resolved that no party will go violent regardless of the outcome of the February election. Also at the event were Secretary-General of the United Nation, Kofi Annan, and a former Secretary-General of Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku.
4. The National Assembly has adjourned sitting till February 17 when the country’s election must have come and gone. Members who approved the second reading of N4.36tn budget presented to it by the federal government in their respective chambers however asked its committees on Finance and Appropriations to continue further deliberations pending when they resume.
5. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, released the names of 14 presidential candidates and their deputies whom it has cleared to contest the February 14 Presidential election in the country. It also released the names of qualified Senatorial candidates for the said election. The list was published on its website.
6. Attempts by the Boko Haram insurgents to take over Biu, in Borno state was yesterday foiled by the military. This was disclosed by the Defence Headquarters in its several tweets, where it said that the militants had been pushed back from Biu.
7. With the Wednesday defection of 8 members of PDP in the House of Representative to APC and other parties, the ranks of the Peoples Democratic Party in the House of Representatives has further depleted as it has now lost the majority’s position to the opposition APC. Report says four of the defectors joined the All Progressives Congress.
8. Report has it this morning that the number of those killed in the Tuesday robbery attack in Ikare, Ondo state has risen to 18. Eight policemen were reportedly killed in the bank robbery.
9. In his effort to win the war against terror, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday directed the Military High Command to identify those sabotaging the efforts of the Federal Government and fire them from the army, saying it amounts to serious offence for soldiers to be betraying themselves while in service.
10. The Amnesty International had on Wednesday released the satellite images of last week’s attack on the towns of Baga and Doron Baga by the Boko Haram sect, saying the attacks were the most destructive since the insurgency started in the country. The AI said that hundreds of people were killed going by the satellite images it had obtained and what it gathered from eyewitnesses.
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