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THE STATE OF THE NATION NOW {NIGERIA}

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By DANIEL EDOR

Tinubu’s ‘rift’ with Ambode, Dogara’s ‘defection’, Adeosun’s resignation, others top politics last week

Bola Tinubu and Ambode pictured having a chat [Photo credit: an24.net]
As Nigeria edges closer to the 2019 general elections, the major actors are leaving no stone unturned in their preparation for the polls.
The outgoing week started on the bright note of party nominations as more politicians picked forms in their respective political parties.
Away from the central, Osun election slated for September 22 also stole some headlines while the contention over who will fly the flag of APC in Lagos in the 2019 election made significant waves.
Below is a round-up of major political stories in the outgoing week:
Sunday
–          In response to opposition claims, the presidency said President Muhammadu Buhari was not opposed to the use of card readers for the 2019 general elections.
–          In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike accused President Buhari and APC of sponsoring some PDP presidential aspirants. Swiftly, the APC challenged Mr Wike, to name the PDP presidential aspirants allegedly being sponsored by the ruling party.
Monday
–          A group of people, under the aegis of One-2-tell-10 association, purchased the nomination form for the re-election bid of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State.
–          After a meeting in Abuja, PDP Governors’ Forum condemned the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.
–          PDP reappointed Walid Jibrin as chairman of its Board of Trustees for another five years.
–          The presidential candidate of Africa Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, and his party members were tear-gassed during a courtesy visit to the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Enitan Ogunwusi.
Tuesday
–          In Kwara, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed indicated interest to contest for the Kwara South senatorial seat.
–          “Breaking news: Lagos 2019 promises to be interesting. PDP offers Femi Otedola governorship ticket. He’s accepted and personally confirmed to The Boss newspaper,” publisher of Ovation magazine, Dele Momodu tweeted.
–          In a statement they jointly signed, three presidential aspirants of the APC threatened to conduct a parallel National Convention to produce the candidate of the party if the APC does not scrap the “exorbitant” nomination fees fixed by the ruling party. SKC Ogbonna, Charles Udeogaranya and Mumakai Unagha made the threat.
–          The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, announced he will seek re-election into the House.
–          Following online circulation of a form purportedly obtained by convicted Nigerian senator, Joshua Dariye, the APC said it would never allowan ex-convict vie for office on its platform, saying both the Nigerian law and its own constitution prohibit election of persons found guilty of criminal offences.
–          In response to a Monday statement by former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido said he would not step down for Mr Abubakar. Both are vying for the coveted PDP ticket.
–          In similar fashion, another PDP presidential aspirant, Jonah Jang, says he would not step down for any other aspirant and his party cannot ask him to do so.
–          President Buhari received the gift of nomination form bought for him by a group the previous week.
–          The Senate President and presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bukola Saraki, appointed former presidential media aide, Doyin Okupe as chairman of the Media Council for his campaign organisation.
–          Cautioning its state chapters, APC said consensus, as a mode of producing a candidate, can only be adopted where there is no other aspirantseeking that position.
–          The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, said issues about use of card reader was completely excluded from the Electoral Amendment Bill transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent on August 3.
–          The PDP said its presidential primary and National Convention will still hold on Friday, October 5 to Saturday, October 6 as earlier scheduled.
Wednesday
–        Speaker Yakubu Dogara picked the nomination form to return to the House of Representatives on the platform of PDP.
–          President Buhari submitted his nomination form to seek re-election in the 2019 general elections.
–          The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) restated that there is no plan to postpone the 2019 general election.
–          Ogun governor Ibikunle Amosun undemocratically emerged the candidate for Ogun Central senate race, as he and ‘elders’ of the All Progressives Congress unveiled consensus candidates for the National Assembly.
–          Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, said reports of a rift between him and national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, were untrue.
–          Amidst controversies over his relationship with his estranged godfather, Bola Tinubu, Mr Ambode submitted his APC governorship nomination form on Wednesday.
Thursday
–          INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, on Thursday, said the commission is considering banning the use of mobile phones at polling units.
–          The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, expressed support for the request by young aspirants under the platform of APC to be given quotas in elective offices.
–          The APC said it was not disturbed by the effective defection of Speaker Yakubu Dogara to the Peoples Democratic Party, saying the top lawmaker has no political value to be considered a loss.
–          The African Democratic Congress (ADC) adopted direct primaries for nomination of its candidates and picked early October dates for primary.
Friday
–          “Truly, I have decided that I will not contest election again. They said they would give me a ticket in the APC but that I must go and beg for it. I said I did not need the ticket. In politics, I have never gone to anybody’s house to beg for a ticket,” Mr Dogara said on his decision to join the PDP.
The finance minister, Kemi Adeosun, resigned her position, over two months after she was exposed to have been parading a forged certificate. In her resignation letter, she explains how got the forged certificate. She left Nigeria a day later.
Saturday
–          A former senate president, David Mark, visited Minna, capital of Niger State, where he held a private meeting with the former military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida.
–          A new political party, the People’s Trust (PT) offered its 2019 governorship ticket to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos.
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