I have not withdrawn from presidential race, says Balewa’s son

Dr Abdul Jhalil Tafawa Balewa, son of late first Prime Minister of Nigerian, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa has said he had not withdrawn from the 2015 presidential race as being speculated.

He made this known to newsmen at the PDP national headquarters after submitting his Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms to contest the election.

The aspirant, son of late first Prime Minister of Nigerian, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, obtained the forms after the National Executive Committee (NEC) of PDP had endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as sole presidential candidate.

The PDP NEC, its highest decision making organ, endorsed President Jonathan after the PDP Governors Forum and other organs of the party adopted him as their candidate for the election.

Balewa was initially speculated to have jettisoned his ambition after alleged due consultation and a visit to Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark.

But in a dramatic turn of event, Balewa denied his withdrawal from the race for the PDP presidential ticket, saying: "I have never withdrawn from the race, there was no agreement with Chief Edwin Clark.

``I went to Baba Clark’s press briefing, and was asked a question and I responded that I have nothing to say, because it was Clark's briefing", he said.

Balewa, however, disagreed that he was being sponsored as a spoiler allegedly playing the script of a certain group of people as was being speculated.

``I am truly a Nigerian and I will not denigrate this country’’, he stressed.

The aspirant added that his constituency was the 180million Nigerians he seeks to represent, not a clique of persons.

Belewa said he had submitted his forms to the party`s National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, to contest in the PDP electoral process ahead of the 2015 presidential election.

The PDP formally closed the return of completed nomination and expression of interest forms for 2015 general elections by aspirants on Nov. 14.

Prof. Akasoba Duke-Abiola, widow of late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, who also signified interest to contest the presidency, did not show up at the party headquarters to pick her forms.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Olisa Metuh, had on Nov. 13, called on Duke-Abiola to come forward to the party`s headquarters to pick her forms.

According to the statement, Duke-Abiola wilfully refused to collect her expression of interest and nomination forms, even after it was sent to her through her lawyers.

This, the statement said, suggested an ulterior motive, adding that other aspirants, including Balewa and President Goodluck Jonathan, collected their forms on Oct. 30 and Nov. 6 respectively.

Metuh expressed surprise that Duke-Abiola chose to go to court instead of taking advantage of the extension, which expired on Nov. 14, to collect her forms

Wife seeks dissolution of 5 years old marriage

A 25-year old housewife, Damilola, approached an Ado-Ekiti Customary Court on Friday seeking dissolution of her five years old marriage to Dare Adepoju.

Damilola is seeking the dissolution on grounds of frequent fighting and lack of care for her only child by her husband.

She said her husband always beat her up whenever they had misunderstanding.

Damilola, the mother of one, said since she left her husband's house, he had not been taking care of the child.

She claimed that her husband sent her packing and efforts made by her father's sister to intervene proved abortive.

She, therefore, prayed the court to dissolve the marriage and award her the custody of the child.

But the respondent, Dare, 32, denied the allegations, saying he had never beaten her.

He said his wife and her brother staying with them always caused trouble in the neighbourhood.

Dare said he always took care of her and the child until when he stopped due to public embarrassment caused by his wife.

He prayed the court to dissolve the marriage and award him the custody of the child.

President of the court, Mr Joseph Ogunsemi, adjourned the case to Dec. 1, for judgment.

Return to politics, Adebanjo, El-Rufai, others beg Bakare

Some prominent Nigerians including Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Malam Nasir El-Rufai on Friday urged renowned cleric, Pastor Tunde Bakare, to return to active politics.

Bakare had bowed out of active politics after his election bid as a running mate to the Presidential Candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), in 2011.

Speaking at the launch of Bakare's biography in Lagos,  Adebanjo, also a lawyer, said that Bakare would be doing disservice to Nigeria if he refused to go back to politics.

"Bakare has been wonderful on pulpit, and will be excellent as a leader.

``Bakare made a point when he joined Buhari for the presidential race in 2011, and they were my choice,’’ he said.

The elder statesman said that Bakare pursued the issues of Nigeria with much passion, and should not be a bystander.

"Being part of a political decision is very important. We appreciated Bakare so much at the National Conference for his wonderful contributions.

"Bakare's foray into politics is not for personal aggrandisement. Bakare practises what he preaches.

``There   is no scandal about him. That is the type of man we want in Nigeria," Adebanjo said.

Also speaking, El-Rufai, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, described Bakare as a true leader.

He said that Bakare was instrumental to his (El-Rufai's) foray into politics, and should not back out now.

"I met Bakare about five years ago but it is as if I have known him all my life.

"We have struggled together but, more importantly for me, he has been an inspirational leader," El-Rufai said.

 Gov. Mimiko of Ondo said: ``Bakare is an epitome of a true leader. I see him becoming president in Nigeria someday."

Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, represented by his deputy, Mrs Adejoke Orelope–Adefulire, reiterated that leaders must rule or lead by example.

"We must always do things with the fear of God.

"Bakare led and is still living a truly remarkable life," he said.

The book, "Moment of Truth’’, is a life story of Bakare.

It was written by a journalist, Mr Victorson Agnenson.

In his remarks, the Biographer (Agnenson), said that Bakare did not tell him to write the book.

"I never met Pastor Bakare one-on-one before the book.

``I wrote it on my own, and when he saw the manuscript,  he adopted it.

"The book is not just about Bakare but about Nigeria and about moving the country forward, and the challenges we have been facing as a country,’’ he said.

Responding, Bakare said that he would ensure that Nigeria would fulfill its destiny.

"It is part of my destiny; so, I  cannot shake off Nigeria from me," he said.

Chief Segun Osoba, a former Governor of Ogun;  Mr Fola Adeola, Chief Femi Okurunmu, Dr Amos Akingba, Mr Yinka Odumakin and Dr Ayo Olude, were among the dignitaries at the event.

Boko Haram: Adamawa people laud vigilantes, hunters

The people of Adamawa on Friday lauded the collaborative efforts of vigilance groups, hunters and the military in combating the Boko Haram insurgency in the State.

The commendation was made by a cross section of people who spoke on the recapture of Mubi by the combined team of military, hunters and the civilian JTF.

The residents said such efforts should be encouraged by communities in the North-East to curtail the activities of the insurgents.

``This is good news and we expect more of such collaboration from communities in the North-East,"  Fati Husara said.

Ahmed Yerima, the Chairman of Hong Local Government, also lauded the collaborative initiative to dislodge the fleeing insurgents from Mubi who entered Hong.

James Ishaku, Rhoda Ezekiel, Shuaibu Musa and Maryam Ibrahim, who are students of tertiary institutions in Mubi, lauded the development and urged government to mobilise youths in the affected areas to form vigilance groups to further assist the military.

Gov. Bala Ngilari of Adamawa had on Thursday announced that the insurgents had been flushed out of Mubi by a combined team of military, hunters and the civilian JTF.

``They were able to go to Mubi and they have flushed out the insurgents who are now fleeing Mubi", Ngilari said.

He urged the people of Adamawa not to panic but to remain vigilant and pass any relevant security information to the authorities.

Presently,  Yola is calm, although people from Hong and Gombi local government areas who saw the fleeing insurgents from Mubi passing through their villages are trooping to the capital city.

Activist urges FG to deploy soldiers to public schools nationwide

Hajiya Ladi Abubakar, a woman activist in Sokoto State, on Friday advised the Federal Government to deploy soldiers to public schools in the country.

Abubakar told newsmen in Sokoto that the deployment of well- equipped soldiers would go a long way in stopping insurgents from disrupting academic activities in public schools.

She said that the measure would enable school authorities to work together with the security officers to ensure steady academic activities.

She said that the case of the recent bomb blast at a Yobe school and Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Niger State, could have been prevented if adequate security measures were taken.

The activist also called on the management of secondary schools and tertiary institutions in the country to raise awareness on how to effectively tackle any security threat.

Abubakar also called on Nigerians to be security conscious and to promptly report to security agencies any suspicious activity in their immediate environments, saying such measures would go a long way in helping to tackle the security challenges in the country.