Former Speaker of House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh dumped PDP for APC

Former Speaker of House of Representatives, Patricia Olubunmi Etteh has dumped the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) for the All progressive Congress (APC) in Osun state.

Etheh’s and her supporters from in Irewole, Ayedaade and Isokan Federal constituency stormed APC rally led by Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun.

At the rally, Etteh told supporters that she decided to join the APC because it is a party of progressives, noting that, its policies and agenda were people-oriented and people-focused.

She stated that her defection will enable her contribute her quota to the development of the people in the state and the country.

She commended Aregbesola for the giant stride and change his government has brought to the state in the last four and a half years, noting that, the
transformation of the state under APC is glaring for all to see. ‎

While speaking, Aregbesola who welcomed the former Speaker and her supporters from Ikoyi, Apomu, Ikire, Araromi Owu, Orile Owu and Gbongan‎ enjoined voters in the local government areas and the whole state to vote for all the candidates of APC across board.

He pointed out that change can only come when the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari comes to power by May 29 this year.

“February 14 and 28 elections are significant for the change that Nigerians have been clamouring for, we need not say much. Our good work has been speaking for us, we plan to do more than what we have done in the last four years.

Religious leaders ask Presidential candidates to respect peace accord

Religious leaders, including the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar and the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, have called on all the candidates in the 2015 presidential election to respect, both in letter and spirit, the Abuja Accord which they have signed and play according to the rules.

The two influential religious leaders who urged politicians to allow Nigerians decide in free and fair elections who will rule them, called for violence-free elections and appealed to Nigerians to refrain from any act that may lead to the destruction of life and property in the country.

Addressing a joint press conference yesterday in Abuja, the Sultan, who warned politicians not to drag religion into politics, emphasized that it is not possible for anyone to Islamize Nigeria.

He said: “It is not possible to have a Nigerian nation that is 100 percent Muslims or 100 percent Christians, nobody can Islamize Nigeria. There is no way you can bring religion into politics, the two major parties in Nigeria have millions of Christians and Muslims as their members.

Nigerian health workers call off three months strike

Nigerian health workers under the umbrella of Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, have suspended their three-month old strike following a meeting with Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan.
The health workers, who have been on strike since November, 2014, are all expected to return back to work on Tuesday, says Ayuba Wabba, JOHESU’s Chairman.
The suspension of the strike came immediately after the union was able to secure a meeting with Mr. Jonathan, one of the needs the union termed necessary in a communique released two weeks ago.
Since the strike, which lasted three months, doctors ran the affairs of hospitals in Nigeria without help from nurses, laboratory scientists and other workers.
The union members were aggrieved that promises made by the Nigerian government that within three weeks, positive steps would have been taken to see Mr. Jonathan about the adjustment of CONHESS salary and other issues were not kept.

Egypt Court confirms mass death sentences

An Egyptian court has confirmed death sentences against 183 men convicted of killing 13 policemen, in a verdict slammed as 'outrageous' by rights group Amnesty International.

The verdict came as another court announced that deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi would stand trial on February 15 in an espionage case.

The policemen were killed in an attack on a police station in Kerdasa, a town on the outskirts of Cairo, on August 14, 2013.

The attack took place on the same day that security forces killed hundreds of demonstrators in clashes as they dismantled two massive protest camps in Cairo supporting Morsi.

The court had in December issued a preliminary verdict against 188 defendants in a mass trial, of whom two were acquitted on Monday while one, a minor, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Charges against the remaining two were dropped after the court found that they were dead.

Monday's verdict, which can be appealed, came after the initial sentences were sent to the grand mufti, the government's official interpreter of Islamic law, for ratification.

Since the army deposed Morsi on July 3, 2013, at least 1400 people have been killed in a police crackdown on protests, mostly Islamists supporting the ousted leader.

Blast Rocks Gombe State after President’s Campaign Rally

A blast struck a stadium in the north eastern Nigerian town of Gombe where President Goodluck Jonathan campaigned earlier on today.
The explosion occurred after Jonathan and his staff left the town, spokesman Mike Omeri told reporters in Abuja.
Three people, including the female suicide bomber who detonated the explosives, died in the blast, Samaila Garba, a worker at Gombe General Hospital, said by phone. At least 18 were injured, Garba said. Omeri earlier said casualty figures were being ascertained.
In a presidential vote set for Feb. 14, Jonathan, 57, is facing a tight race against his main challenger, Muhammadu Buhari, 72. Both have 42 percent support among likely voters, according to an Afrobarometer poll released Jan. 27.
The International Criminal Court said Monday it will send a team to Nigeria to discourage political violence.