News Desk Sunday, May 27, 2007

48 hours to Yar'Adua's swearing in: We'll march against Ehindero's tanks -- Labour, Opposition groups

The stage appears set weekend for a showdown between the police and a coalition of Labour and Civil Society groups who have scheduled mass action and rallies for Tuesday. The action, to protest alleged fraud in the April elections, coincides with the inauguration of the president-elect, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the governors-elect in the 36 states more>>

Why military chiefs won't go with Obasanjo, Battle for IG splits police

Indications have emerged that the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Owoye Andrew Azazi, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Paul Dike and the Chief of the Army Staff, Major-General L.N. Yusuf, may not go with the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo as they are likely to be retained by the incoming administration of Alhaji Umar Yar’adua for a minimum of six months in the first instance with a view to helping the new government to stabilise. more>>

New 'Abia gov' illegal - FG Tongue lashes Kalu

THE Federal Government, yesterday, dismissed as illegal and unconstitutional the purported swearing-in of Mr. Theodore Orji as the new governor of Abia State. Specifically, the government said his swearing-in was in flagrant conflict with provisions of sections 180 (2) and 191(1) of the 1999 constitution. more>>

Heightened Security as Abuja waits for Yar'Adua

IN the next 48 hours, the Presidency will receive one big tenant, this time round, not from the Owu Kingdom, but from the ancient city of Katsina. The person is the incoming number one citizen and winner of the April 21 presidential election, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua more>>

El-Rufai's bulldozers sack Utako Traders

Utako Market traders who had earlier considered the expiring tenure of office of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mallam Ahmad Nasir el-Rufai, a harbinger of an end of the demolition exercise in the Abuja metropolis have had to bite their fingers as they were made to contend with the minister's bulldozers yeaterday. more>>

US Government Sends Delegation To Yar'Adua's Inauguration

OUTGOING President Olusegun Obasanjo's request to visit the White House on a farewell visit has met with a diplomatic stonewall from the Americans.

The US government has, however, decided to send a delegation from Washington, DC led by the US Assistant Secretary of State, Dr Jendayi Frazer, to attend Tuesday's inauguration of President-elect Umaru Yar'Adua.

Authoritative sources explained that when a request was forwarded from the Nigerian government to its US counterpart for a farewell visit, the response from the US was that President George W. Bush was busy and otherwise engaged. more>>

PDP Expels Osakwe, Udeh, 32 Others

Despite his emergence as a Senator-elect on the platform of the Accord Party (AP) to which he defected after losing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial ticket for Delta North, Senator Patrick Osakwe has been expelled from PDP.
Osakwe, defected to Accord Party from where he defeated Dr. (Mrs.) Mariam Ali, the wife of the National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali. more>>