Bayelsa poll: PDP mocks APC, says Sylva not electable- Vanguard

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State yesterday described the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Timipre Sylva, as unelectable.

But the APC in a swift reaction declared that the PDP led administration in the state would be sent packing from Creek Haven.
The PDP in a statement by its Secretary, Mr. Keku Godspower frowned at the choice of Sylva, saying that it meant that the APC is not prepared for any serious outing at the election.
Godspower alleged that since Sylva’s emergence, there had been tension and apprehension among Bayelsans, which he attributed to Sylva’s alleged poor human rights record.
While asking the people to vote for the PDP in the election, he also called on the Federal Government to direct its security agencies to take urgent steps to ensure the security of lives and property in the state.
“With the December 5 governorship election around the corner, we call on the people to outrightly reject Sylva’s candidacy. Everybody in Bayelsa knows that Sylva is not electable,” he stated.
Responding, the APC said: “We know the PDP game plan was to prevent the emergence of a strong and popular APC governorship candidate so that they can easily repeat their trademark shenanigan of aborting democratic competition and stealing victory without a contest.
“With that deception, they stole the mandate of the people in 2011, when both Chief Timipre Sylva and Mr. Ndutimi Alaibe were dubiously excluded. All the frenzied disparagement of Sylva now by the PDP is an understandable manifestation of fear and frustration over their impending defeat at the December 5 election. That frenzy is understandable. We will make Dickson history.”

JUST IN: Efcc Swoops Diezani's Abuja Residence As The Ex-Minister Is Arrested In London

The Operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) carried out a search on the residence of Former Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke as part of the multiple investigation being carried our by the commission. Mrs Alison-Madueke was arrested on Friday in London, alongside four other people whose names are yet to be mentioned

Diezani Alison-Madueke Arrested In London

The immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was on Friday arrested in London, PREMIUM TIMES can exclusively and authoritatively report.
The former minister, who was one of the most powerful officials of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, was arrested Friday morning alongside four other people by the UK National Crime Agency.
The identities of the four other people arrested along with her could not be immediately ascertained.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt she was arrested for offences related to bribery and corruption being investigated by the UK National Crime Agency.
Two top British officials in London have confirmed the development to this newspaper. They requested not to be named because they had no permission to speak on the issue.
When contacted, the British High Commission in Nigeria confirmed that some arrests were made Friday but declined to disclose the identities of those involved.
Joseph Abuku, Press and Public Affairs Officer, said, “This morning, five people between the ages of 21 and 60 were arrested on suspicion of bribery and corruption offences. The crimes are being investigated by the National Crime Agency.
“The National Crime Agency does not confirm identity at arrest nor provide information that could be used to corroborate the identity of an arrested individual.”
It is not clear whether the former minister was arrested based on request from the Nigerian government.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on September 27 hinted that those who misappropriated billions of naira belonging to Nigeria’s state oil company NNPC, would soon be prosecuted.
Mr. Buhari said at a meeting with President Xi Jinping of China in New York that his administration was determined to fully sanitize Nigeria’s oil industry and make it totally free of corruption and shady deals.
The President did not, however, say how soon the prosecutions would start or if indeed investigations had been concluded and whether culpable individuals had been identified.
The NNPC under the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was involved in several shady deals, many of which have been cancelled by the present government.
However, Mrs. Alison-Madueke, accused of several corrupt dealings, has stayed away from Nigeria since Mr. Buhari was sworn-in as president.

Eid attack: Ahmed denies rift with Saraki

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, denied on Saturday that there is a rift between him and the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, over Thursday’s attack on the Senate President and other dignitaries.

Some protesters reportedly threw sachet water, stones and other objects at dignitaries, including Saraki, during the Sallah on Thursday.

The other dignitaries on the occasion included a former acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, who now is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress; Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad; a member representing Ilorin West and Asa Federal Constituency, Mr Razak Atunwa; and a former Chairman of Federal Character Commission, Prof Oba Abdulraheem.

Others were a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore; the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Sulu-Gambari; and the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Bashir Muhammed.

Ahmed, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, described as false, malicious and unfounded, the story published by an online medium, which claimed that Saraki blamed the governor for the miscreants’ attack on the dignitaries.

Ahmed said at no time did Saraki accuse him of leaving the Senate President vulnerable to attack by the miscreants at the Eid Prayer Ground, Ilorin.

He also described as false the report that Saraki got N1bn out of the N4.3bn bailout loan the state government.

“The Senate President neither received any kobo out of the money which was fully used to pay the two-month salary arrears owed state civil servants in August, 2015 nor any other money from the state government,” Ahmed said.

The governor stated that Saraki was fully preoccupied with the onerous task of lawmaking and providing good leadership fpr the National Assembly.

He added that Saraki had no time to either interfere with or control the state’s finances which he said were fully under the jurisdiction of the state government and its authorised officials.

Ahmed said Saraki attended the Ilorin Eid Ground prayers on Thursday not in defiance of any security reports or for any publicity but in fulfillment of his religious obligation.

Saudi prince facing sex assault charge in the US

A Saudi prince has been arrested in Los Angeles for allegedly trying to force a woman to perform oral sex on him at a Beverly Hills mansion.

Prince Majed Abdulaziz Al-Saud was arrested in the early afternoon Wednesday after police were called to the gated compound, Officer Drake Madison, of the Los Angeles police department, told AFP.

He said the 28-year-old prince was arrested on suspicion of forced oral copulation of an adult and spent the night in jail before posting a $300,000 (268,000 euros) bail on Thursday.

Witnesses reported seeing a bleeding woman scream for help as she tried to scale the wall of the property, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The prince, who was also detained for false imprisonment, battery and criminal threats, is due to appear in court on October 19.

If convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The State Department said there was no information indicating that the prince enjoys diplomatic immunity.

Many members of the Gulf monarchies have multi-million dollar mansions in Los Angeles, and it is not the first time one has had a run-in with authorities.

Last week, a member of Qatar’s ruling family — Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al Thani — was questioned by Beverly Hills police after a video surfaced showing a yellow Ferrari speeding through stop signs and past pedestrians.

Residents called police, who determined that Al Thani, a well-known figure in international racing circles, owned the car. He denied that he was driving the vehicle and claimed diplomatic immunity before leaving the country.

In 2013, a Saudi princess was also accused in Los Angeles of enslaving a Kenyan woman as a housemaid, but the charges against Meshael Alayban were eventually dropped.

5 Seconds of Summer Band Member Torched During Concert

Michael Clifford, guitarist for the band 5 Seconds of Summer, was set on fire Saturday night when a fireball engulfed him on stage.

The London concert included pyrotechnics where fire would shoot from portions of the stage. Michael was standing too close when a ball of flames lit his hair on fire, badly burning his face.

The show had almost ended -- the band was about to do an encore - but the show abruptly ended and Michael was taken to the hospital.

Michael tweeted that his condition is stable, adding, "What the f***s up. sorry I couldnt finish the encore but at least I look like two face, thanks for worrying."

Here's the craziest part ... he says he's feeling better and he's performing tonight.

BREAKING: Police summon El-Rufai, other APC bigwigs, hours to elections

PREMIUM TIMES reported that The Kaduna state Police Command on Friday summoned the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Nasir El-Rufai, and two other bigwigs of the party to report for questioning in their offices.

Summoned to appear along with Mr. El-Rufai are Suleiman Hunkuyi and Lawal Yakawada.

Mr. Hunkuyi is the APC senatorial candidate for Kaduna North and chairman of the APC Kaduna state campaign council while Mr. Yakawada, who was secretary to the state government in the Patrick Yakowa government, is a senior member of the APC campaign council.

All three were invited by the deputy commissioner of police in charge of the CID.

Samuel Aruwan, the spokesman for the APC campaign council said, the police have followed up the written invitation with telephone calls.

The intent behind requesting the three top leaders of the opposition to report on the eve of the election is to hold them down until the election ends, Mr. Aruwan said.

It is not clear why the Police want to question the three men but party insiders suggested the invitation has to do with a petition about destruction of billboards in Zaria.

The APC claims it has been a victim of widespread vandalisation of its assets, saying the action of the police “is part of a campaign to slap criminal charges on the opposition for actions for which it has already been victimized”.

In response to the invitation, Yusuf Dankofa, an associate professor of law and counsel to the APC, has written to the police, notifying them that there is an ongoing court action at the Federal High Court in Kaduna regarding the events in Zaria.

In a letter to the commissioner of police, Mr. Dankofa said the pendency of the case prevents the police from taking any action in connection with the matter, as “that would not only amount to an act of sub judice, but would also translate to a total disregard for justice and a further desecration of the hallowed majesty of our courts.”

“In view of this fact that the above mentioned people’s application is before the court, the matter has been further adjourned to the 29th of April 2015 for further arguments and with this the court has been seized of this matter,” Mr. Dankofa said.

The police is yet to respond to Mr. Dankofa’s letter.

Meanwhile, the APC says it has been alerted to a plot to arrest some of its chieftains in Southern Kaduna.

They include party chairman and gubernatorial running-mate, Barnabas Yusuf Bala (Bantex), Mikaiah Tokwak, Ishaya Iko, a retired vice-admiral and Ben Kure, Director General of Kaduna APC Campaign Council.