Nigerian News | As INEC Explains Choice of April 2007... Iwu: Constitution Ties My Hands

Rejects Option A4 • Registers 2 more parties

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday explained its choice of April next year for the nation’s general elections that will draw the curtain on President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure, saying it was in strict compliance with provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

The commission’s Chair-man, Prof. Maurice Iwu, spoke at the release of its programme for the 2007 general elections in Abuja and explained further that INEC would not be able to announce the order of election until the National Assembly passed the Electoral Bill.

Iwu who also announced the registration of two more political parties, the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and the Peoples Party Alliance (PPA), said that although it was desirable for elections to hold earlier than April so as to leave enough time for post-election litigations, he explained that the provisions of the constitution was rigid and had to be strictly complied with.

Obasanjo: Qualities of Next President

President Olusegun Obasanjo this morning listed qualities, which he said Nigerians could not afford to compromise while choosing the next President as doing so would reverse the gains of the last seven years of democracy in the country.

In his Democracy Day broadcast to the nation, Obasanjo said whoever aspired to lead Nigeria must possess “a track record of discipline, capacity to deliver, integrity, and the essence of humanity- the fear of God.”

To succeed in the search for such a leader, especially given the current search, Obasanjo said Nigerians needed to redefine the purpose of politics and leadership by abandoning old ways of thinking on power relations, explaining that appeals to sentiments rather than rational thinking had stunted the attainment of nationhood.

“We must, as Nigerians, transcend old, non-functional, even discredited basis of power arrangements and permutations that led us no where other than spreading hatred, suspicion, inefficiency, corruption, and the contamination of progressive conduct and values,” he said.

Nigerian News

Nigerian News | US, UK Warships in Lagos

The United States of America and the United Kingdom warships yesterday arrived the shores of Nigeria ahead of the Presidential fleet review scheduled to hold at the Elegbeta channel, Lagos to mark the Golden jubilee celebration of the Nigerian Navy (NN).
While warships from Brazil, Germany, South Africa and Ghana are expected to arrive Lagos before Monday, June 29, to participate in the international event.

The Director Naval Information, Captain Medani, while speaking with media men in Lagos, stated that President Olusegun Obasanjo is expected to review all fleet that will be taking part in the historic event which will begin with a sea power symposium organised for African Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS). The fleet review will hold on Friday, July 2, 2006.

Among the ships arriving for the review includes, a guided missile destroyer from the US, two frigates from UK and South Africa. Others are, a fast attack craft from Ghana, an ocean survey vessel from Brazil, a logistic ship from the UK. Nine ships from the Nigerian Navy fleet and four helicopters will also be participating.

Nigerian News - No third term for Obasanjo

Nigeria's Senate has thrown out a move to allow President Olusegun Obasanjo to seek a third term in office next year - an issue which has divided the country.

Opponents shouted for joy as the bill to amend the constitution was rejected.
Supporters of the third term bid spent days in talks trying to acquire a two-thirds majority in parliament.

Thank God!!!

Nigeria News - Fighting at the Nigerian National Assembly

Nigerian Politricks

In July, presidents of the eight most industrialised countries of the world, the Group of Eight (G8), will be holding the group's annual meeting in the Russian Republic to map out their global economic strategies. As is now customary with G8 meetings, leaders are invited from around the world to represent regional and global interests.

As we write this, authoritative information at our disposal has it that Thabo Mbeki of South Africa has been invited to the G8 meeting; so also has Sassou Nguesso of the Congo who is the new chairman of the African Union (AU). Against this background, it is certainly curious that at press time, Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo is yet to receive the invitation of the world's most powerful leaders.

Without doubt, this is a huge sea-change for Nigeria and our president. Last year in Gleneagles, President Obasanjo was one of the more prominent regional leaders at the G8 meeting in Scotland, leading the way in the campaign for debt relief which Nigeria got and then used to work its way out of the Paris Club of creditors. In fact, every recent G8 meeting has featured both Obasanjo and Mbeki, as conspicuously as possible, to state the case for Africa. And on every occasion, they did so with all the moral and persuasive force in the world.

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