Peter Okoye(one of P-Square) shows off stunning and lavish sitting/dining room at Patience Jonathan's mum's burial

Peter Okoye's pictures showing a stunning and lavish sitting and dining room plated with gold. The duo of P-Square(Paul&Peter Okoye) attended Patience Jonathan's mum's burial in Okrika Rivers State yesterday so this is definitely the home of a top government official.

Obi Of Onitsha Curses Ngige & APC

The flag off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate in Anambra State, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige Tuesday kicked off without the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu even as the traditional institution in Onitsha condemned the flag off on the day Onitsha was holding its Ofala festival.

Although only three governors, including Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, Fayemi of Ekiti State and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State where among other party chieftains who attended the rally, which was disrupted by a heavy down pour till after 3 pm.
Adding to that, youths in Onitsha protested against Ngige for holding their flag-off campaign on the day, Dr. Alfred Achebe, the Igwe of Onitsha was having his Ofala festival.

The Obi of Onitsha speaking at his palace, placed curse on Ngige and APC , saying his Ofala announcement was made over a year ago and wondered why APC should disrupt its sanctity.

While rounding up his Ofala festival Tuesday, the angry Obi said it was very disrespectful for a political party, in spite of the almost one year notice, to fix their rally the same day.

He angrily struck his ofor thrice on the ground and spoke in Igbo "onye mejoo ani, ochuba ya (he who goes contrary to tradition will have himself hunted).

Earlier he debunked the rumour in some quarters that he resigned as the Chairman of the Traditional Rulers Council on account of differences with Governor Obi, insisting that having been in the position for over five years that it was time for others to serve too.

He said he enjoyed good and harmonious relationship with Obi, who accorded him due respect punctuated by reciprocity. He said he was behind him in the support for Anambra North to produce the next governor in the spirit of equity and fairness.

Senator Ngige was also not spared too by Governor Obi, who condemned APC rally, expressing surprise that a true Igbo son, Dr. Chris Ngige is supposed to be, would allow his party to fix rally at Onitsha the same day the Obi of Onitsha is performing Ofala festival.

Calling on the people of the state to respect traditional institutions, he wondered if any politician, including Ngige would try such in an APC-controlled state.

Obi, who recalled that APGA shifted their rally from Tuesday, the 8th to Monday, the 7th, said a dog bears the name given it by its owner and that it behoves Igbos to stand up firmly and insist that their traditional institutions must be accorded full respect at all times.

Meanwhile, Onitsha Youths carried placards with anti APC and Ngige inscriptions, some which read: "from deportation to desecration of Igbo land!”

Anambra 2013: INEC unveils 23 guber candidates

*Bars unlisted candidates from campaigning
*Lists Ukachukwu as PDP candidate

File photo: INEC officials

FIFTY-TWO days to the November 16 governorship elections in Anambra State, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, unveiled the names of 23 candidates that will do battle for the Anambra top job. In the list, there are only four female deputy governorship candidates. The rest are men.

Multiple candidates

In an unprecedented move, the commission also dealt with the menace of multiple candidates in the state by barring unlisted candidates from canvassing for votes, warning that anyone, who does the contrary is guilty of an electoral offence.

In a statement by Mr. Kayode Idowu, chief press secretary to INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, the commission said: “In line with the provisions of  Section 31 (3) of the  Electoral Act 2010, as amended, the Independent National  Electoral Commission, INEC, has today, September 24, 2013, published  the Form CF001  (Personal Particulars of Candidate) of candidates nominated by political  parties for the November 16th governorship  election in Anambra  State.

”A total of 23 political parties nominated candidates for the governorship and deputy governorship slots. Two political parties, namely the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had issues with the candidates they intend to sponsor before the closure of nominations on September 17, 2013. But the Federal High Court in Awka eased the contention over APGA’s nomination by vacating its order directing the Commission to accept two governorship candidates from the party.

For  the PDP, the Commission resolved to list Nicholas Chukwuejekwu Ukachukwu as the governorship candidate in accordance with the latest order as delivered by the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/296/2013 – Nicholas Chukwuejekwu Ukachukwu vs. Dr. Tony Nwoye & 3 others.

Advises political parties and the General Public

”The Commission hereby advises political parties,their members and the general public that only those on the list published by it are allowed to conduct electioneering campaigns. Any violation of this rule amounts to an electoral offence and security agencies are urged to intervene as
such.”

List of the candidates(in alphabetical order)

Okeke Chika Jerry (AA)
Chukwuemeka Nwankwo (ACCORD)
Dr Ifeatu Ekelem (ACD)
Engr Anthony Anene (ACPN)
Comrade Aaron Igweze (AD)
Chief Anayo Arinze (ADC)
Patrick Chukwuka Ibeziako (APA)
Senator Chris Ngige (APC)
Chief Willie Obiano (APGA)
Chief Austin Nwangwu (CPP)
Chijioke Geofrey Ndubuisi (DPP)
Christian Ikechukwu Otti (ID)
Chief Dennis Nwaforka Oguge (KOWA)
Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah (LP)
Pastor Simon Okafor (MPPP)
Okoknkwo Webster (NCP)
Prince Leonard Uchendu (NNPP)
Nicholas Ukachukwu (PDP)
Godwin Ezeemo (PPA)
Hon Basil Ijedinma (PPN)
Onuarah Onyeachonam (SDP)
Barr Okoye Godson (UDP)
Prince Akaneebu Ogochukwu (UPP).

Nigeria Will No Longer Participate In DV-2015 Lottery Program- US

The United States’ Diversity Visa Lottery program will no longer be open to Nigerians, the U.S. Department of State has said.

A statement released by the Department on Sunday, listed Nigeria as one of the countries barred from participating in the upcoming DV-2015 which opens on October 1 and closes on November 2, 2013.

According to the statement, the disqualification from the program is because “more than 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years.”

“For DV-2015, natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply, because more than 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories,and Vietnam”.

It added that “Changes in eligibility this year: For DV-2015, natives of Nigeria are no longer eligible”. However, since entries are based on country of birth, Nigerians born in eligible countries can still apply.

Many other African countries, however, remain eligible to participate in the program.

The department listed African countries that are eligible for the DV-2015 to include people from Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Djibouti, Egypt*, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger,Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles and Sierra Leone.

Entries for the DV-2015 opens on October 1 and closes on November 2, 2013

ANAMBRA 2013: The guber line up

Ngige, APC; Obiano, APGA; Nwoye, PDP; Uba, Labour

Senator Chris Ngige, last Monday, emerged the candidate of the All Progessives Congress, APC, joining the trio of Tony Nwoye, (PDP); Willie Obiano, (APGA) and Ifeanyi Uba (Labour) as candidates of the major parties in the governorship contest due on November 16. Charles Kumolu who was in Awka for the primaries gives a rundown of the intrigues that shadowed the parties’ primaries.

PDP
Indeed the state chapter of the PDP, did not fail to disappoint those who have for years looked up to it as a centre of intrigues.

Despite the acclaimed agreement by all 15 candidates to abide by the rules put forth by the national party through the Ike Emeakayi led executive, one of the candidates pulled out at the last minute to participate in the primaries conducted by the Chief Ejike Oguebego faction of the party.

The mainstream primaries conducted by the Emeakayi faction and supervised by the Governor Ibrahim Shema led team delegated by the national secretariat was originally scheduled to hold at the Alex Ekwueme Square at 10 am, but did not commence until 5: 45 following a tedious accreditation exercise at the Women Development Centre, WDC.

Conducting of primaries
While the accreditation was ongoing at WDC, the faction headed by Oguebego, was also conducting its primaries at Emaus House.

It was gathered that many of the 1500 delegates from the 326 wards that voted were financially enticed by agents of the aspirants. But how many of them succumbed remains an issue especially given that Nwoye, who won the primaries would not be considered the richest or a moneybag in the Anambra sense of estimation of money.

Also, delegates had a hectic time entering the venue, as some were refused accreditation for non possession of the party’s membership card.

A Director General of the campaign of one of the aspirants, who spoke with Vanguard on condition of anonymity, regretted that eligible delegates were disenfranchised through that process. “Delegates are being stopped because they don’t have party card. That is not supposed to be the criteria. I have never voted with a voter’s card before. Once you are a delegate, it is assumed that you have fulfilled all the needed requirements to participate in the exercise,” he said. However, delegates were later driven in buses to Alex Ekwueme Square for voting at the end of the exhaustive accreditation exercise.

While this was going on, the Oguebego group, whose leadership is believed to be inclined to the Ubas, had commenced voting an hour earlier. Not surprisingly, Senator Andy Uba emerged victorious in the contest that was boycotted by all but one of the 15 aspirants.

Nwoye’s victory at the end of the exercise conducted by the team delegated by the national secretariat was shocking to many, especially to those outside the mainstream of the PDP in Anambra State. This was especially so since he was not regarded as one of the money bags in the party and was not known to be among the frontline aspirants.

APGA’s coronation party/Maxi Okwu factor
While stakeholders were still imagining the developments in the PDP, the outcome of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA primaries confirmed insinuations on the possible role of the incumbency factor in the polls. The APGA primaries which took place two days after the PDP primaries at the WDC turned out to be a coronation exercise of sorts.

Before it commenced, there were rumors that three aspirants had stepped down for Obiano. And that however played out when one of the candidates Mr. Patrick Onochie announced that he was stepping down.

An attempt to step down in absentia by one of the aspirants was declined by Chief Martins Agbaso, the chairman of the electoral panel. He insisted that aspirants could only step down either physically or through a written note. It was therefore, easy to know were the pendulum would swing to, even before the end of the exercise.

Though Obiano’s victory did not trigger off feelings of disquietness among the party faithful analysts are still to be convinced that the former banker is rugged enough to trudge the difficult Anambra political terrain.

Chairman the party’s Board of Trustess, BoT, Chief Tim Menakaya, is, however, not one of such skeptics saying in a chat with Vanguard that Obiano is an asset to the party. “His emergence is an asset to the party because he is clean and has got good background. He represents a new dawn. That was why he was elected. He emerged because he will continue the good work the party is doing in Anambra.”

The impression that Obiano’s emergence, had foreclosed any possible controversy, appears to be a mere imagination following the election of Obidigbo by the Maxi Okwu faction. Obidigbo was returned unopposed with a score of 450 votes and was also handed the party’s flag by Okwu, who commended the delegates for the large turnout.

Ngige and the APC prospects
Before the September 2 All Progressive Congress,APC, primaries, the news that the national leadership of the party, had settled for Senator Chris Ngige, was generally hailed across the state. Though Chief Godwin Ezemou refused to step down despite entreaties from the APC hierarchy, Ngige still triumphed in the statewide Option A4 primaries conducted last Monday.

His emergence nonetheless, the once famous electoral potentials of the former governor have been seriously desecrated by the recent saga arising from the deportation of some alleged destitute persons from Lagos to Anambra State.

Obi’s commissioner hits Okwu

Three months ago, Governor Peter Obi and his entourage in Anambra State were all over Chief Maxi Okwu who they had proclaimed the national chairman of APGA. But with the prospect of proclaiming a successor for the governor slipping by their hands after the court proclaimed Chief Victor Umeh as chairman, Obi and his men quietly changed allegiance.

It was as such not surprising that the Anambra State Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Planning Mr. John Akirika yesterday hit at Okwu over the latter’s conduct of a parallel governorship congress following the emergence of Obi’s man, Willie Obiano as winner of the primaries done by Umeh’s faction.

Chike Obidigbo emerged at that primary conducted by Umeh. Akirika, who is a former state secretary of the party, told Vanguard that Obidigbo’s emergence from the Maxi Okwu faction, would not affect the chances of the party in the polls.

“I am not aware of any other congress outside the congress duly convened and held at the Women Development Centre, Awka in which the leader of the party, Gov Peter Obi and other national officers of the party participated. Secondly, nobody ever raised any issue questioning the authenticity and legality of that congress.

“Chief Maxi Okwu never raised any molecule of protest against that congress. So it is a very great surprise for me to hear that another congress was purportedly held. I will say that the purported congress organized by Chief Maxi Okwu that produced Dr Chike Obidigbo did not satisfy the requirements of the law neither will it be acceptable to the leadership of the party.”

“An APGA event in which the national leader, Mr. Peter Obi, the authentic national chairman of the party confirmed by the judiciary, Chief Victor Umeh and other national officers were not there, cannot stand the test of time. So sounding personal and legal, I don’t think that the presentation of Chike Obidigbo will stand.’’

Ozil completes Arsenal move

The Germany star has agreed a stunning €47 million move from Real Madrid to the Emirates, signing a five-year contract with the Premier League side

Mesut Ozil has sealed a spectacular €47 million move to Arsenal after signing a five-year contract.

The Gunners have smashed their transfer record to land the Germany international, who underwent the second part of his medical in Munich on Monday after agreeing personal terms with the club.

Goal has learned that Ozil has signed a deal worth around €150,000-a-week that will run until 2018 after Real Madrid gave the green light to his departure.

He will comfortably become Arsenal’s highest-paid player as well as the club’s record signing, after Arsene Wenger sanctioned the first €23m-plus transfer in their history.

Arsenal were in advanced discussions with Real to sign Ozil before Monday night’s transfer deadline.

The two clubs agreed a €47m fee before Ozil’s representatives began discussing personal terms with senior Arsenal officials.

An agreement was reached late on Monday morning before Ozil underwent medical tests in Germany, where he had been based as the national team prepare for their forthcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Arsenal are hoping to sign at least three players on deadline day as they try to make amends for a frustrating summer of transfer activity at the club.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano has already had a medical, which he passed on Monday morning, and has agreed the terms of a season-long loan from Palermo. Arsenal are also in talks with Chelsea about a season-long loan move for Demba Ba.

The Gunners have still not abandoned hope of signing Angel Di Maria, also from Real, for €30m.

The Gunners tabled a bid for Di Maria last week and the offer is still believed to be on the table. However, the Argentine winger has begun the season in impressive form and is reluctant to cut his ties with the Santiago Bernabeu.

ANAMBRA 2013: Candidates to pay N1m for posters

Pix: Soludo, Ogene, Odenigbo, Uzoh, Mrs. Ekwunife , Okonkwo, Wille Obiano, Ndubuisi & Ifeanyi Uba

FOR one who came to government from the field of business, it is understandable that Governor Peter Obi would explore all avenues to generate money for the state.

As it prepares to exit, the Obi administration has discovered that election is even a good way of generating internal revenue.

It is thus not surprising that the administration has recently notified candidates for the governorship election that they are to pay N1 million each for their posters being pasted in all parts of the state. This is in addition to unspecified amounts they are to pay for their bill boards.

Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Chief Joe Martins Uzodike said that the state government decided to wait for candidates to emerge so as not to bother those who lost at the primaries.

The charge, he said, is provided in the signage law passed by the state House of Assembly, adding that it is done everywhere.

The commissioner said the payment became necessary because of the mess created by the posters in public places, explaining that the state signage authorities would use the money to restore the walls the politicians would have defaced after the election.

He said: “The candidates are being notified already about the payment and they are expected to pay into a designated government account. In the next two weeks, we will begin to bring down the bill boards if they fail to pay the stipulated amount.”

Guber candidates: Ogbaru people excited at emerging trends
The people of Ogbaru area of Anambra North are excited about the emergence of governorship candidates of two major political parties from Anambra North senatorial zone.

The people say they are indeed grateful to Governor Peter Obi who championed the zoning of the next governor to the area to give them a sense of belonging.

Former secretary to the state government, Mr. Oseloka Obaze, who spoke when Mrs. Margaret Obi visited Ogbaru, said the area was grateful for what Governor Peter Obi has done for Ogbaru people during his two terms in office.

He said: “The governor has shown us love and support and we wish to acknowledge that today. We also thank him for his steadfast support in ensuring that the governorship candidate of APGA came from Anambra north senatorial zone.

“It is true that we all yearned for a candidate from Ogbaru; I was part of that intense effort and campaign, but that did not happen. But as Ndi Ogbaru, we must remain steadfast in our support for APGA and its candidate, my dear friend, brother and schoolmate, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano.

“Let me say here that I have known Willie Obiano for forty-three years. He is a good, caring and God- fearing man. He was one year my junior at CKC Onitsha. We were boys scouts and belonged to the same troop.

“He comes from Aguleri, a part of Anambra that share a lot of identical values, needs and concerns with Ogbaru.

PPA spoils Ulasi’s fun
Suggestions had been rife that London based Mrs. Blessing Ulasi had been endorsed by the PPA hierarchy as the presumptive nominee of the party in the gubernatorial election.

Mrs. Ulasi, a lawyer has been all around the state campaigning not as an aspirant, but as a candidate.

Sources say that after Mrs. Uche Ekwunife exited the party following the 2010 gubernatorial election, that Mrs. Ulasi helped to revive the fortunes of the party.

However, her unrivalled claim to the ticket came under dispute yesterday after the national chairman of the party, Chief Sam Nkire put off yesterday’s governorship primary on the excuse that it was to enable more aspirants to pick up the party’s gubernatorial primary forms.

He was equally firm in disputing assertions that the party had anointed anyone as its candidate for the polls describing the speculations to the evil “handwork of other political parties that are afraid of facing PPA in the election.”

The governorship primary is now to hold on September 2.

Primaries: Dan Nwanyanwu urges parties to emulate LPNational chairman of the Labour Party, LP, Dan Nwanyanwu has been basking on the peaceful conduct of his party’s governorship primaries, urging other political parties to emulate LP in the way it conducts its activities in the interest of the country’s democracy.

Speaking in Awka after the oil magnet, Ifeanyi Ubah, was nominated as the party’s flag bearer for the forthcoming election, Nwanyanwu expressed delight at the way every member of the party accepted the choice of its candidate.

“This is how party primaries should be conducted. You can see how happy our members are and how they are exchanging banters because the exercise is very transparent, unlike what happened in some political parties where rancour had become the order of the day.

“What is happening in LP makes us happy and gives us hope that we will go into this election as a united political party.  “Our opponents are already jittery because they know that our candidate is solid and has the support of a cross section of the people of Anambra.”

Ubah, in his acceptance speech, promised not to disappoint the people of Anambra State, if elected the next governor of the state.

He said that his government will be for all and will strive to meet the aspirations of the people, irrespective of their political leanings.

Newsstand campaign begins
The emergence of the governorship candidates of the various political parties have emerged and campaigns appear to have shifted to the newspaper stands. Every morning in the major towns of Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia, Ihiala, Otuocha, among others, large numbers of people, mainly youths, gather and discuss the candidates and their chances.

While some argue that the state needs an untainted person to be elected governor, others argue that experience matters in every sphere of life.

Perhaps, what attracts the most heated argument is the unfolding events in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. For instance, some of the people say that they still find it difficult to believe that the controversy over the party’s rightful candidate should be raging between Senator Andy Uba and Comrade Tony Nwoye, knowing that both worked together in the past.

A long standing member of PDP tried desperately to make his listeners believe that both factional candidates are working together, recalling that it was Andy Uba, as President Obasanjo’s aide, that single handedly made Nwoye the state chairman of PDP.

For APC, some of the people said the confusion in the state was created by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, who they accuse of not reasoning like a politician. To some of the people, the Imo governor, if he meant well for Senator Chris Ngige, should have ensured that primaries of the party was conducted before his coming to Awka to announce to the people that Ngige is the candidate of the party.

Those who watched Ngige speak on television after presenting his nomination forms to the party said that was an action he should have taken before coming with Okorocha to Awka.

Pix: Ngige

In the face of the transparent governorship primary elections in Anambra State, in other political parties, the state was thrown into mourning on August 21, 2013 when it was announced that Senator Chris Ngige has been presented as consensus governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the November 16 election.

This was mainly so because no primaries have been held to select the candidate of the party,

This is moreso since, on August 22, almost all the newspapers that circulated in Anambra state that day had a picture of Chief Bisi Akande, interim national chairman of APC and Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State raising Ngige’s hand as the party’s candidate.

As expected, some aggrieved and disappointed party members had troop out to demonstrate in some parts of Anambra State, as they condemn the  APC for not allowing primary election to take place, before pronouncing Ngige as the candidate.

Some of their placards read: “APC is not democratic; APC, you have shot yourself on the legs; Ngige is not our choice; APC give us primary election; We will swim or sink with Godwin Ezeemo’ Please save Anambra now; Ngige, don’t enter house through the window; Abuja can’t choose for us; Ngige come home and face us in the primary; We don’t want sponsored governor in Anambra State again and  Godwin Ezeemo talk now,”

When Godwin Ezeemo released a statement demanding a primary election, the aggrieved people felt that something will be done. And it’s more gratifying that the APC has decided to hold primary election on Monday, September 2.

My advice is: Ngige should come back to Anambra State to test his popularity with the people, in a free and fair election. Ngige must think less of these greedy sponsors, as Anambra can’t progress with that. Ngige must understand that Anambra governorship is not a do or die affair. To all politicians, do not mortgage Anambra to these heartless moneybags again.

Anambra people must reject all form of godfatherism. We must learn from what happened in 2003.

HTC One Mini Launches on AT&T This Friday

If you've been holding out for a smaller version of the HTC One flagship smartphone, the wait will soon be over. AT&T will welcome the new scaled-down HTC One Mini phone on Friday.

The HTC One Mini, which was first announced in July, features an aluminum body and a 4.3-inch screen. The LTE-capable phone is 21 grams lighter, 5.4 mm shorter, 5 mm less wide and just barely thinner than its 4.7-inch big brother. Carrier AT&T will sell the HTC One Mini for $99.99 with a two-year agreement.

The more compact HTC One Mini makes some power compromises when compared with the flagship HTC One. The One Mini utilizes a dual-core 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor, 16GB of storage and 1GB of RAM. Its HD screen is 720p, compared to the larger One's 1080p display. But similar to the One, the One Mini also has dual front-facing speakers with a built-in amplifier and other HTC-specific perks like BlinkFeed and Zoe.