Gist Arena

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential Campaign Organisation has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to address the issues surrounding the certificate of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress [APC] Muhammadu Buhari, or face a vote of no-confidence from the party. Femi Fani-Kayode, Director, Directorate of Media and Publicity of the organisation, said this at a press briefing on Wednesday in Abuja. The briefing, he said, was to raise issues that played up on the certificate of Mr. Buhari, adding that Mr. Buhari had made a shocking and belated disclosure on January 27 that INEC had his documents without being specific about the documents he was referring to. This, he said, was yet another “squalid attempt to give Nigerians the impression that INEC has his certificate. “If this is true, it represents a somersault from his original position which was that INEC has his affidavit and it once again reveals Gen. ...

The Nigerian military has hit back at Amnesty International’s claim that it ignored repeated warnings of an impending attack on Baga and Monguno and also failed to take measures to protect the civilian population of the surrounding towns and villages describing the allegation as “misleading”, “inaccurate and unfair.” On Wednesday, Amnesty International [AI] released a statement claiming information it obtained from a senior military officer and evidence gathered from other sources revealed that commanders at the military base in Baga informed the military headquarters in Abuja of a looming attack on the town and repeatedly asked for reinforcement but the military hierarchy failed to respond accordingly. Amnesty’s claim also tallies with PREMIUM TIMES exclusive report that though the army was aware of an impending attack the base was not adequately prepared when the terrorists attacked. In a statement released on Wednesday evening, Director for Defence Information, ...

This Governor Ayo Fayose is so relentless...lol. Here's a press statement I just received. Read below... Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has pleaded with leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC, especially former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Tinubu to be human enough to allow the party’s presidential candidate, Major General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd) embark on his planned medical trip abroad. The governor said Buhari was being prevented from traveling abroad for medical treatment, despite his ill-health so as to avoid controversies. Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka quoted Governor Fayose as saying at a campaign rally in Omuo Ekiti, Ekiti East Local Government that "Buhari is a car with a damaged engine but being packaged by Tinubu and his cabal whose only interest is the wealth of Nigeria." He said; "In all the campaign rallies held by the APC,  Buhari never spoke for more ...

Elder statesman and former Defense minister, Gen. Theophilous Yakubu Danjuma has called for the arrest of Asari Dokubo, Government Tompolo, Boyloaf and others over recent war threat by the ex-Niger Delta militants. Gen. Danjuma who spoke to reporters at the permanent site of North West University , Kano, after he commissioned the multi billion naira in Kwankwasiyya city said the threat by the Niger Delta militants was highly irresponsible. The civil war General said “those were reckless statement coming from irresponsible individuals, they should be condemned and be arrested immediately”. Bayelsa state Governor, Seriake Dikson hosted the former militants last weekend where they threatened to declare war against the country if President Jonathan is defeated in the February 14 General election.

The All Progressives Congress has asked a Federal High Court in Lagos to compel the Nigerian Communications Commission to pay it N25bn as damages for allegedly banning its presidential campaign fund-raising scheme. Joined with the NCC as respondents in the suit marked FHC/L/CS/16/15 are Etisalat, MTN Nigeria Limited, Globacom Limited, Airtel Nigeria and Visafone Communications Limited. In an 18-paragragh affidavit deposed to by one Ademola Sodiq, the APC accused the NCC of instructing the 2nd to 6th respondents to discontinue an SMS platform it created for the purpose of getting donations from willing members of the public for its presidential campaign. According to Sodiq, the participatory fund-raising strategy was for members of the public to contribute N100 to the APC’s presidential campaign fund each time they sent APC as an SMS to 35350. Sodiq explained that the party’s strategy was borne out of its commitment to raising fund for its presidential cam...

Original copy of John Hinde's photo of Milk maids at the back of the N10 note... Photo credit: SMSN

An Abuja-based veterinary doctor, Dr Yomi Nafiu, said on Wednesday that bird flu viruses could not be transmitted to humans who ate carefully prepared poultry products. Nafiu told newsmen in Abuja that there was no empirical evidence to prove the claims that avian influenza is a human scourge.  He noted that few human cases had been linked to consumption of dishes made of raw, contaminated poultry food. According to him, slaughtering, de-feathering, handling carcasses of infected poultry and preparing poultry for consumption, especially in household settings are likely to be risk factors.  “The primary risk factor for human infection appears to be direct or indirect exposure to infected live or dead poultry or contaminated environments, such as live bird markets. “Controlling circulation of the viruses in poultry is essential to reducing the risk of human infection.  “Given the persistence of the viruses in some poultry populations, control will ...

Contrary to media reports that Yoruba socio-cultural group, the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) has endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid, the group on Wednesday distanced itself from the purported endorsement. In a press statement signed by its publicity secretary, Kunle Famoriyo, the group described the use of its insignia to promote the said endorsement as fraudulent and an attempt to deceive Yoruba people. According to the group, “it has come to our notice that some broadcast stations are using ARG’s name and logo to promote the said endorsement. This is fraudulent and we wish to advice media houses to be wary of such fraudulent promoters especially now that public interest must be defended by the media. “The ARG is not a party to the endorsement and does not in fact think the performance of President Goodluck Jonathan since May 2010 is worth the endorsement of any patriotic citizen. We believe there is a difference between ‘transformation,’ whic...

Nigeria's Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala earlier today released a statement in reaction to former CBN governor Charles Soludo's article on politics & state of Nigeria's economy. Read HERE  Former Education minister, Oby Ezekwesili thinks the statement is sad. 

The Nigerian military for several weeks ignored repeated warnings of impending attacks on Baga and Monguno by Boko Haram and failed to take action to protect civilians, said global human rights organisation, Amnesty International. Amnesty’s claim corroborates PREMIUM TIMES exclusive report of January 26 which indicated the Nigerian military received reliable intelligence report indicating that the Boko Haram sect would launch a massive attack on Monguno, but that yet troops were taken by surprise when the insurgents struck early Sunday, suggesting the 5 Brigade stationed in the area failed to prepare adequately for the group’s onslaught. Relying on the information obtained for a top military officer and evidence gathered from other sources, Amnesty said commanders at the military base in Baga consistently informed the military headquarters in Abuja of a looming threat of Boko Haram attack and in November and December 2014 and repeatedly requested foreinforcements bu...

Massive crowd came out today in Akure, Ondo state for President Jonathan's campaign rally.  h

Terrorist Group, Boko Haram, has operated largely in Nigeria’s North-East region, but has overtime made in-roads into states in the North-Central and North-West regions of Nigeria, including the Nation’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The group has continued to cause havoc in these regions, mostly the North-East, with its activities that has killed many innocent people, made families homeless, kidnapping of young boys and girls, caused locals to flee their villages and even scare some people from going to religious centers. Boko Haram who recently opened a twitter account, according to villagers in Borno state, kill males aged between 15 and 45, while girls that attained the age of puberty are forcefully taken away. Although, the Nigerian military has reportedly deployed another set of sophisticated arms to fight Boko Haram in the North-East, the military has been overwhelmed in most of its confrontations with the militant group. Recently, pi...

  Some married people in Abuja have opened up on why the y cheat o n their spouses..Read their responses as recorded by (NAN)  Mr Johnson Eze, a civil servant, said he was cheating on his wife not because he loved her less but for the sole purpose of “catching some fun’’.  “My marriage is one of the best because my wife, who is God-given, is an understanding woman and she tolerates me a lot.“Yet, I still find myself cheating on her just for the fun of it. This does not in any way diminish the love I have for her and my lovely kids.I recall an incident that happened some time ago. I told my wife that I was travelling to Calabar for an official assignment, but ended up with my girlfriend in a hotel, and she found out. “The incident almost destroyed my home but thanks to God my wife was able to forgive and forget put the ugly incident behind, ‘’ he said.  Eze, who described infidelity as `a careless act,’ advised men to desist from it.A ...

Pope Francis met with transgender man Diego Neria Lejárraga (pictured right) and his fiancée on Saturday January 24th at the Vatican. The Pope agreed to meet Diego after Diego wrote to him telling him about the constant discrimination he experiences in church since he converted from a woman to a man. According to Spanish newspaper, Hoy, Diego, who was labelled 'the devil’s daughter' by a priest said: “After hearing him on many occasions, I felt that he would listen to me.” Despite the meeting, the Vatican has not commented on it or released photos from the visit.

This is crazy and no one will ever believe how proud this man is doing this. He says girls don’t like to date him because he works in the mortuary and so he satisfies himself by making love to dead bodies brought him. The interviewer asked him if he knew it was a crime and he says he is the one in charge of bathing them, he washes their private parts afterall, so what’s the big deal.      They didn’t start speaking in English at first in the video, but after few seconds the man spoke, and he spoke in Incase you were still unable to watch itdue to y our MB here's what he said; “Sometimes if I want to ask a lady out, she will be afraid of me once she hears that I’m a mortuary man and turn me down. But when I’m in the mortuary sometimes, I will see a fresh female corpse and I will satisfy myself. “The ladies sometimes say because I work in the mortuary, I will kill them if they accept my proposal. I have not done it once but many many times. Currently I...

Ayiri's brother initially claimed that they welcomed the president in their home, but when he realized it was being questioned, he changed it to they met him at Akure government house. See that below