Gist Arena

Here are some things First Lady Patience Jonathan (allegedly) said at the PDP campaign rally for Nyesom Wike in Okrika, Rivers state today, by someone who watched it. More tweets below

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the call by the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, for the postponement of next month’s general elections ostensibly to give INEC more time to distribute all Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), warning that under no circumstance must the elections be scuttled. In a statement in Abuja, Thursday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the call by Col. Dasuki, during an event at the Chatham House in London on Thursday, has exposed the hitherto clandestine plot by the Jonathan Administration to push for the postponement of the polls, using all sorts of cheap tricks. ”Now that we have found the smoking gun, we are urging the international community, in particular, to urgently extract a commitment from President Goodluck Jonathan that the elections will hold as scheduled next month, and that he would respect the outcome, just as we have said,” it said. APC said Col. Dasuki wa...

Restive youths in Bauchi state this morning attacked PDP campaign delegates, including the Minister of the FCT Senator Bala Mohammed, with stones, slippers, hammers, sachet water and other objects at the party's presidential campaign rally which held at the Ibrahim Babangida square in Bauchi the state capital. According to reports, the youths arrived the venue of the rally singing their support for GEJ but immediately he and his entourage arrived, they started stoning and attacking members of the party. They destroyed canopies and began chanting songs in support of Gen Buhari. The Police detached to the stadium found it hard to disperse them as they were large in number. FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, was stoned with sachet water while making his speech at the event. The Minister in the course of his speech pleaded with President Jonathan and other party members not to take the embarrassment seriously as it was part of politics, stating tha...

Transparent Democracy and Good Government for Nigeria (TransDGGN), a not-for-profit organization based in the United States of America, has endorsed  General Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), for the presidency at next month’s election. A statement by Dr. Emmanuel Abiodun Dada, the Founder and President of TransDGGN, USA, said the unanimous decision to endorse the candidacy of Buhari was taken at the group’s extraordinary meeting held last Sunday.  It explained that the group took the position for three main reasons:  President Goodluck Jonathan has failed woefully to lead Nigeria with dignity, integrity and honor which is required of the office of the president, and under his watch, Nigeria has become a failed state.  In 2014, according to global terrorism index, Nigeria ranked 4th worse than Syria and only better than Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. General Buhari has the experienc...

Pope Francis has raised a few eyebrows for indirectly advocating for birth control methods..While traveling from the Philippines to Rome with reporters, the religious leader made a statement thatCatholics may have a moral responsibility to limit the number of their children. According to  The National Catholic Reporter , Francis shared the story of a woman he recently met who had given birth to seven children via Cesareans section and was expecting another child.He asked the unidentified woman... "Does she want to leave the seven orphans?""This is to tempt God,". "That is an irresponsibility." Catholics, should speak of "responsible parenthood.""God gives you methods to be responsible," "Some think that—excuse the word—that in order to be good Catholics we have to be like rabbits. No."  He said Each person must have a healthy dialogue with his or her's pastor and seek "how to do that respo...

Twitter was all of a fluster when host  Jeremy  stood with his back to the audience in front of a woman who appeared to have forgotten a few key items of clothing. See some of the twitter reaction below: "#jeremykyle sure there is a naked woman behind you lol," one viewer tweeted. Another added: "Definitely just thought this woman on #jeremykyle was half naked...." "JESUS CHRIST at first glance I thought she had nothing on, scarred FOR LIFE..... #jeremykyle," said another. Of course, the lady in question wasn’t actually naked, but wearing (ahem) nude leggings.

A popular Pharmacist in Gboko Benue named Cletus Ternenge Labe (pictured above), the founder of La-Bet Pharmaceuticals was assassinated by unknown gunmen at about 7:45pm yesterday January 21st right inside his pharmaceutical complex.  According to a direct relative who spoke with LIB, Cletus got an emergency call to come over to his health center around  7:35pm yesterday; he  hurriedly left his home and went there, only for him to attacked by unknown persons with a machete. An eye-witness said the assassins numbering 6 arrived the premises in a red Toyota car popularly called 'dog nyash', two remained in the car while four went inside. By the time Cletus was found later by neighbors, his head had been split open. He was also shot. The men also left his pharmacy with some cash. I have a photo of what happened to Cletus after the cut but *viewer discretion advise* Man's inhumanity to man.. . "Cletus was a very brave health personnel ...

A terrible accident occurred this afternoon on Third Mainland bridge which left at least two people dead. According to eye witnesses, 3 vehicles were involved in the collision. The accident is currently causing traffic both ways..

A WASHINGTON, US-based influential think-tank, the Brookings Institution/Africa Growth Initiative has rated President Goodluck Jonathan as the favourite to win the February 14 presidential polls In a report entitled: “The 2015 presidential elections in Nigeria: The issues and challenges,” Brookings said the article published under the Africa Growth Initiative said Jonathan’s Peoples Domocratic Party, PDP, was more likely to win the February election. The paper, which dwells on several aspects of the Nigerian election said that “though the election is expected to be very competitive, the odds still favour President Jonathan.” Jonathan While highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the two main political parties, the PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC, the institution said the APC will be unable to unseat the PDP in the February elections. The paper said: “After suffering a wave of defections to the APC last year, including five of its g...

APC and PDP supporters clashed at Ekoro Junction, Command Road in the Abule-Egba area of Lagos this morning. APC supporters were doing their rally in the area when they were confronted by PDP supporters. According to an eye-witness who spoke with LIB, bottles and cutlasses were used but no one died in the mayhem. The police was quickly called to the scene and they've since brought calm to the area.  

The venue of APC presidential campaign rally in Sokoto state has been changed following a reported bomb scare. According to TheCable, the party had earmarked the Sokoto state stadium for its rally but changed it this morning to the Sokoto Trade Fair complex after a man on a motorcycle was arrested with two bombs on him. 

Read the State House press release below... President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s younger sister, Mrs. Nancy Jonathan-Olei who passed away on Sunday, January 4, 2015 is to be buried tomorrow, Friday, January 23, 2015 in Otuoke, Bayelsa State. According to a burial programme issued on behalf of the Jonathan and Otazi families of Otuoke, Mrs. Jonathan-Olei’s body will leave the Otuoke Comprehensive Hospital Mortuary at 9 am for her residence in Otuoke. Mrs. Jonathan-Olei’s remains will be received by members of her family at the residence and moved to the Dame Patience Jonathan Square for a Service of Songs scheduled to begin at 10 am. A funeral service for the late Mrs. Jonathan-Olei will be held at the St. Stephen’s Anglican Church at 1 pm after which her remains will be interred. President Jonathan is scheduled to participate fully in Mrs. Jonathan-Olei’s burial programme. She is survived by her children, grand-children and siblings including President Jonathan, S...

Four suspected car snatchers, who are now in the custody of the Lagos State Police Command, have explained how they snatched expensive vehicles in different areas of the state and sold them to buyers in Cotonou, Benin Republic.The suspects are Raoul Dedavi, Bright Ekeocha, Aziza Akobu and Adebayo Peter. According to the police, Dedavi, a Beninoise car dealer who is based in Cotonou, is one of the the alleged receivers of the vehicles stolen by the gang. Our correspondent learnt that information had reached the Commissioner of Police, Cornelius Aderanti, about the gang’s activities, and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad Commander, SP Abba Kyari, was directed to apprehend the gang members. The suspects, except Dedavi, were arrested on January 5 at about 5pm in the Ojodu Berger area of Lagos. The suspects were said to have confessed that they delivered the stolen vehicles to Dedavi in Cotonou, who allegedly sold them and shared the money.A few days later, the ...

The National Human Rights Commission, yesterday, reviewed the controversial advert placed in some major national newspapers in the country by Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State with a verdict that the material amounted to “hate speech.” According to Vanguard, though the commission may not immediately arrest and prosecute Fayose because of the immunity he currently enjoys as a sitting governor, the rights commission might recommend him for appropriate sanctions once he leaves office. Chairman of the NHRC, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, who addressed journalists at the forum, decried the death wish publication by the advertiser, saying it offended public decency and violated all known norms of decorum. Odinkalu said the governor, who is a member of the National Council of States, which makes decisions for the security of the country, should have exhibited caution and statesmanship in sending out the message. The NHRC chairman noted that the governor went to...

Patience Jonathan In a swift reaction to different statements issued in Abuja and Yenagoa barring the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan from attending campaign rally in her husband’s home state of Bayelsa, the police and the Department of State Security (DSS) have reportedly swung into action. The Nation reports that the security agencies on Wednesday started investigations to unveil the identities of youths behind the repeated threats to attack the First Lady. According to a security source who spoke on condition of anonymity, the headquarters of the two security agencies were taking the matter very seriously. “They have started their investigations from Abuja and very soon they will establish the veracity of the threats,”  he said. It would be recalled that two youth groups, under the aegis of the Bayelsa Youth Vanguard (BYV) and the Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa (MBB), in different statements barred the First Lady from attending a presidential rally of...