Suntai restored to office

…Passes resolution endorsing Umar
 From ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, Kaduna and DAVID MOLOMO, JalingoThe Taraba State House of Assembly yesterday formally passed a resolution, asking Alhaji Garba Umar, to continue as Acting governor, pending when ailing Governor Danbaba Suntai, would be physically and mentally fit to resume duty.  The resolution, which was passed at the plenary session of the House, was a follow-up to the lawmakers’ decision of last Wednesday after their visit to Suntai. They held that Suntai was unfit to resume duty and advised that he should seek further medical attention.
Reading out the latest resolution in the House yesterday, the Deputy Speaker, Tanko Maikarfi, who chaired the session, noted that the exercise was  in view of the “incapacitation” of Governor Suntai.
The session was attended by nine of the 16 lawmakers, who had signed last week’s resolution, declaring that Suntai could not have authored the letter, purportedly written to the House, upon his arrival, after 10 months of receiving medical attention in Germany and the United States. The House invoked the provisions of  Section 190(2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended and transmitted power to his deputy to act as the governor.
Meanwhile, the sacked Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Garvey Yawe, returned to work yesterday. He was appointed by the Acting Governor Umar,  after he (Umar) fired the one originally appointed by Suntai, before the governor had air mishap, on the allegation of corruption.
But upon Suntai’s return, the governor also fired Yawe last week, and replaced him with Mr. Timothy Kataps, the Attorney-General. Suntai’s spokesman, Sylvanus Giwa, had also announced the sacking of the entire cabinet last week.
However, Yawe’s return to his duty post yesterday has further confirmed that the purported sack of the entire cabinet by Suntai, remained “null and void,” as countered by the Acting governor last week.
There were also strong indications yesterday in Jalingo that Suntai may have resolved to approach the court to stop Umar from functioning but return to his position, as the deputy governor.
Meanwhile, two delegations from the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Presidency are expected in Jalingo today to wade into the political crisis, which deepened since the arrival of the ailing Suntai pen-ultimate Sunday.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Acting Governor, Mr Kefas Sule, told Daily Sun that the two teams would be preceded by members of the National Assembly from the state,who would prepare the ground for the combined meeting of all the  political actors.

Atiku is Indebted to PDP-Gulak

… I’m protecting PDP –Atiku

From JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, AbujaThe Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, has expressed surprise that former vice president, Atiku Abubakar led the break-away faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to form the ‘New PDP’. He said for one who had benefitted from the party, the only way to pay back is to protect it.
This was even as he said the moles allegedly sent by the opposition to distabilise the party had been uncovered, adding that stakeholders in the PDP had resolved to dialogue and work together to reverse the trend.

Ngige Emerges as APC Flag Bearer

GEOFFREY ANYANWU, Awka and DOM EKPUNOBI, Onitsha
Former governor of Anambra State and Senator representing Anambra State, Dr  Chris Nwabueze Ngige, yesterday emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State.
He scored 63,255 votes to beat his only contender, Chief Godwin Ezeemo who scored 9,564 votes.
The exercise started peacefully as the primaries Committee led by former Governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau distributed the materials and deployed the officials early.
Declaring the result at the central collation centre at Emmaus House, Awka, chairman of the election committee and chief returning officer, former governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau expressed happiness over the peaceful conduct of the election and commended members of the party for their maturity and cooperation.
The chairman of primaries committee, Shekarau noted that the primaries was the major outing of APC in terms of participating in election organized by INEC and that the party was mindful of that fact, hence it was ensuring that every thing was put in place to make it the best in the state.
In his short address after receiving the certificate of return, the APC candidate Senator Dr. Chris Ngige thanked the APC members for finding him worthy to carry the banner of the party the forth coming gubernatorial election.
He called on all of them especially Senator Annie Okonkwo and Chief Godwin Ezeemo, to join hands with him in the coming governorship battle in other to ensure victory for the party.

Army investigates killing of 26 vigilance group members in Borno

The Nigerian Army on Tuesday declared that it has commenced investigations into the killing of some members of a youths’ vigilance group called Civilian JTF by suspected Boko Haram militants in Monguno, Borno State.
Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, the spokesman of the Joint Task Force on Operation Restore Order, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, that the army was disturbed about the situation.

"Tukur Must Go..." PDP Governors Insist

•Give  conditions ahead of today’s meeting with Jonathan
•We’re overwhelmed by support –Baraje

From IHEANACHO NWOSU and TAIWO AMODU, AbujaAggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who organised a parallel national convention last Saturday, have given conditions on which they would back down in their resolve to have a faction in the party. This is coming as President Goodluck Jonathan and PDP elders meet the governors, in Abuja today, to iron out their differences. Seven PDP governors had, on Saturday, with former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,  addressed the press on their formation of a parallel National Working Committee of the party.
The governors are Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano).
Daily Sun gathered that one of the conditions the governors have given is the sack of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as the National Chairman of the PDP. The sack of Tukur has been a recurring decimal in the crisis rocking the PDP.

Beverly Osu "I didn't Have Sex With Angelo"

Big Brother Africa – The Chase finalist, Beverly Osu, contrary to reports that she and Angelo had robust sexual relations in the house has denied sleeping with the South African.
“I did not have sex with Angelo. I loved him and I still love him. I would get married to Angelo if I had the chance,” Beverley said in an interview on Rhythm 93.7 fm  following her return to Nigeria.
When reminded of the bathtub scene, which went viral on the Internet, she had remained defiant insisting they never had sex: “I’ll still say nothing happened between me and Angelo.”

"five candidates to succed fashola" fashola dismisses report

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola at the weekend described as ridiculous, a newspaper report that he had drawn up a list of five candidates who could succeed him.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen, the governor reacted to the report after attending the first Lagos International Table Tennis Classics at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere  in Lagos said emphatically that he had neither compiled a ‘short’ nor ‘long list’.
“The first thing to say is that I did not compile any list whether a short list or a long list.

Anambra Aspirants press for cancellation of primaries

•Aspirants press for cancellation of primaries

As the controversy over the parallel state congresses of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, which produced two governorship candidates, rages, National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, is in the eye of the storm.Daily Sun gathered that Tukur was under attack last week, at a dinner he hosted for the governorship aspirants in Anambra, aimed at amicable resolution of the crisis. Sources revealed that at the dinner, in Abuja, PDP aspirants accused Tukur of favouritism, at a time when there’s contention over the outcome of the primaries held by the Emeakayi faction of the state PDP, which produced Chief Tony Nwoye, and the Ejike Oguebego faction that produced Senator Andy Uba.

A DAY AFTER CONVENTION, OBJ AWAKES

From JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, Abuja
Barely 24 hours after the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Special Convention and the emergence of a faction of the party led by former vice president Atiku Abubakar, President Goodluck Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, worshipped together at the Aso Villa Chapel, Abuja yesterday. He had joined Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience, to worship.
Visiting President of Benin Republic, Boni Yayi, was also at the service.

Why Atiku Divided PDP

From AIDOGHIE PAULINUS, Abuja-(sun news)
Former Senate President, Ameh Ebute, has said the 2015 presidency is the real reason former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, and others formed a parallel PDP at the weekend.
Ebute who spoke with Daily Sun in Abuja, said due to the action of the group, they could not say that they were in authentic PDP.
Recall that Atiku and governors of Adamawa, Kano, Sokoto, Jigawa, Niger, Kwara and Rivers states Murtala Nyako, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Aliyu Wamakko, Sule Lamido, Babangida Aliyu, Abdulfatah Ahmed and Rotimi Amaechi respectively and other party chieftains, had staged a walkout during the PDP national convention held at the Eagle Square, in Abuja.