PDP crisis: Sheriff stages dramatic comeback

Ali Modu Sheriff, the ousted National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP made an unexpected but dramatic comeback to the Wadata Plaza National Headquarters of the party on Monday.

Accompanying Sheriff on the triumphant entry were a former National Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Wale Oladipo, ousted National Auditor, Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju and a former President Goodluck Jonathan aide, Ahmed Gulak and a host of other supporters.

Sheriff and his team had first attempted to storm the building at about 9 am but found the policemen there unyielding.

It was only after they had gone to confer with the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase that they had their way.

Sheriff described the caretaker committee appointed by PDP governors and Board of Trustees, BoT as an illegality.  He noted that his tenure as National Chairman of the PDP would only expire in December 2018.

“After due consultations with serious minded stakeholders of the party and my lawyers, against the background that I have remained committed to lawful procedures, I have come, fully armed with all the necessary court orders to resume as national chairman, as directed by a court of competent jurisdiction.

“As we settle down to move the party forward, we wish to call on all party members within and outside the country to come around so that we can together reposition the PDP for future challenges.

“We have to this end, served the necessary court orders on the Independent National Electoral Commission which is the impartial arbiter in matters like this, the police as custodians of the law and we will make same available to you gentlemen of the press, so that you can make informed analysis of the issues involved. We hereby seek your own cooperation as we continue the task of re-engineering the PDP.

“I wish to use this opportunity to thank all those who stood on the side of the truth and the law, and wish to place on record that never again shall the PDP return to wallow in lawlessness and impunity,” he said.

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Senior military officers sacked at the right time - Buratai

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai has said that the sacking of 38 senior Army officers last week followed due process and was done at the right time.

“There is no better time than now because everything has been taken into consideration and procedures have been followed to ensure that we don’t pick the innocent ones. You can see it started with the enquiries first of all, then legal review and after the legal review, we forwarded the report and recommendations to the authority for consideration.

“So it takes time, it is just like a court process, so we follow our own process, our administrative process and legal review as well. It is the right time and no any other time than now,” he said.

On the crisis in the Niger Delta, Buratai said that the military high command will wait for the outcome of the dialogue between the Federal Government and  other stakeholders on one hand and the militants on the other hand.

“The Niger Delta issue did not come up yesterday or today, we are already deployed to the Niger Delta for a very long time. The operations there comprise the armed forces and other security agencies. It entails operations where you have the Army, Navy and Airforce, the Police, Civil Defence and other security agencies, so I don’t think it is overwhelming, it cannot overwhelm the armed forces and we are responding appropriately to ensure that things take shape.

“We are instruments of the political class so whatever decision that the government passes out to us, we want to assure you that we are waiting for whatever decision that will come out from their discussion, but our role is very clear. We must ensure that the security of that place is attained, even as we await the directive of the authorities," he said.

Buratai spoke to newsmen in Abuja on Monday when he paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu.

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Buhari receives Archbishop of Canterbury in London (Photo)

President Muhammadu Buhari received the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby at
the Nigerian High Commission, in London on Monday.

See photo.

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See MEND's 7-man team that'll dialogue with FG

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND has announced a seven-member team to dialogue with the Federal Government over the Niger Delta crisis.

MEND's spokesman, Jomo Gbomo said in a statement issued online on Monday that the team tagged Aaron Team 2 will be led by a former Minister of Petroleum, Odein Ajumogobia.

Other members of the team are;
Bismark Rewane (Delta);
Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa (Cross River);
Timipa Jenkins Okponipere (Bayelsa);
Ibanga Isine (Akwa Ibom); Ledum Mitee (Rivers); 
Lawson Omokhodion (Edo state).

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LMC seals sponsorship deal iPro Sport

The Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL has secured a slice of the international sports sponsorship market with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the League Manage-ment Company, LMC and United Kingdom’s leading  sport drinks maker, iPro Sport International Limited.

The 5 year deal was signed in London on Wednesday, June 7 with the LMC represented by its Chairman, Shehu Dikko and iProsport by its Managing Director, Mr. Thomas Garrad.

The MoU which details have not been made public is said to be one of the biggest football sponsorship deals on the African continent.

The NPFL is also said to be the first league in Africa to be associated with iProsport all natural ingredients Sports drink.

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Ex-convict still robbing

RRS nabs ex-convict for robbing foreigners http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2016/06/rrs-nabs-ex-convict-for-robbing.html

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We only retired 38 senior officers - Army

The Nigerian Army has denied a list of 41 senior officers compulsorily retired, circulating in the media.

In a series of tweets, the Army lamented that those it described as mischievous people are going about unnecessarily whipping up sentiment about the retirement exercise.

In an earlier statement, the Army had said that those who were retired were indicted by the EFCC in the arms procurement scandal and for being partisan in the 2015 general elections.

In one of the tweets, the Army confirmed that only 38 senior officers were retired.

Read the tweets here.

We quite aware that some mischievous elements are trying to whip up sentiments.
     
Nigerian Army
@HQNigerianArmy

The statistics of the officers retired compulsorily are as follows; 9 Maj Gen, 10 Brig Gen, 7 Col, 11 Lt Col and a Major.
   
Nigerian Army
@HQNigerianArmy

We wish to state that only 38 senior officers were affected by the retirement exercise.
    
Nigerian Army
@HQNigerianArmy

It is therefore necessary to inform the public to please disregard such inaccurate lists.
    
Nigerian Army
@HQNigerianArmy

of publishing outrageous figures and names of serving officers as being retired. This is unethical and unfair.
     
Nigerian Army
@HQNigerianArmy

affected in the recent retirement exercise. This is worrisome as some individuals and media houses went to the ridiculous extent
    
Nigerian Army
@HQNigerianArmy

The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to speculations and rumours regarding the number and names of the senior Army officers

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