Gist Arena

In an interview with Christiane Amanpour on CNN this evening, APC presidential candidate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari reacted to former president Obasanjo publicly endorsing him. When asked by Amanpour how he felt about it, Buhari said; "I am happy about it. It means more supporters and more confidence for those still sitting on the fence. He's well respected. No serious issue can happen (in Nigeria) without people seeking his opinion and listening to it" Continue to read what Obasanjo said about Buhari yesterday At the launch of his controversial book, The Watch, in Kenya yesterday, former President Olusegun Obasanjo endorsed Buhari, saying; "The circumstances [ Buhari ] will be working under if he wins the election are different from the one he worked under before, where he was both the executive and the legislature, he knows that. He’s smart enough. He’s educated enough. He’s experienced enough. Why shouldn’t I support him?”

President Jonathan held a media chat this evening and below are a few important points he put across. He said in Lagos, on 38% have their PVCs, so if elections are held, 62% will not be able to vote. About Boko Haram, he said there is no hiding place for the terrorist group. That he had meetings with the President of Chad and he said before he can send troops to Nigeria, the AU have to be involved. He also said Boko Haram doesn't necessarily have to be completely wiped out before elections are conducted. He also said taking over the territories captured by Boko Haram does not mean that the group have been wiped out. About INEC chairman Prof Jega, GEJ said he has the constitutional right to appoint and the right to remove but he never told anyone that he's planning to remove Jega. He said reports making the rounds that he's planning to send Jega on a 3-month terminal leave is garbage bin story. Continue.. GEJ said INEC is an independent body but...

Full report from  The Breaking Times  below Former Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro has gone to court to seek redress over a case of defamation of character by online newspapers Sahara Reporters and Premium Times. Joined in the suit are Punch Newspapers Ltd., Omoyele Sowore, Publisher of Sahara Reporters and Festus Owete, General Editor at Premium Times. The defendants had published an audio recording of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, purportedly in a conversation with other individuals to rig the Ekiti State gubernatorial elections, an allegation Senator Obanikoro and the others have since disclaimed. In a suit filed at the Lagos State High Court Ikeja on Tuesday, 10th February 2015, Senator Obanikoro is suing the defendants for damages to the tune of N1 billion. According to the suit filed on his behalf by Dr. Yemi Oke of MJS Partners, Senator Obanikoro is seeking “1.) An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from publ...

APC Presidential candidate, Gen. Buhari and his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo met with some Catholic Bishops in Abuja yesterday February 10th. Speaking during the meeting, Buhari said he had no personal religious agenda and as a practicing Muslim, he doesn't share the views of any extremist group.  Buhari's speech below... As our nation approaches perhaps the most crucial election in our history, all true patriots are called to deeper reflection of the basic ingredients that bind the nation together- our common freedom, peace and unity. This reflection is even more relevant in the face of the illegal postponement of the general elections- a feat achieved through various sinister ploys and with the sole aim of avoiding the will and verdict of the people. In all of these, I feel the urgeto communicate some of my personal vision and thoughts to the people of our great country, especially on the question of religion, a sensitive matter for many citizens ...

Bags of Rice allegedly being distributed courtesy of the National Patron of Transformation for Better Nigeria and Minister of Petroleum...Mrs Dieziani Alison Madueke. Heard the PDP National Youth Vanguard have been visiting neighbourhoods with truckload of rice.

The Former Minister of State for Defense pictured at the Gym today...

These are faces of Nigerian children who are currently taking refuge in Chad. They fled Baga during Boko Haram's attack in January this year. Some of them don't even know where their parents or siblings are at the moment.  Photo credit: UNCHR

In a piece titled "Democracy, Deferred", award winning author, Chimamanda Adichie described the recent postponement of the general elections as an act of desperation from an incumbent terrified of losing. Below is the article published on  The Atlantic ... Last week, Victor, a carpenter, came to my Lagos home to fix a broken chair. I asked him whom he preferred as Nigeria’s next president: the incumbent, Goodluck Jonathan, or his challenger, Muhammadu Buhari. "I don’t have a voter’s card, but if I did, I would vote for somebody I don’t like,” he said. 'I don’t like Buhari but Jonathan is not performing.” Victor sounded like many people I know: utterly unenthusiastic about the two major candidates in our upcoming election. Were Nigerians to vote on likeability alone, Jonathan would win. He is mild-mannered and genially unsophisticated, with a conventional sense of humor. Buhari has a severe, ascetic air about him, a rigid uprightness; it is easy t...

The article is an opinion piece by Solomon Ayele Dersso, a legal academic and analyst of African affairs who regularly writes on African issues. He is head of the Peace and Security Council Report at the Institute for Security Studies, Addis Ababa office. He wrote an  article  titled Badluck Jonathan and Aljazeera posted it. Is that not offensive? Read the article below:  This year's Valentine's Day will now be observed in Nigeria free from the destruction of the electoral contest. In a move that triggered major controversy and debate, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria announced the postponement of the national elections originally set for February 14, to March 28.  The elections are said to be unlike any other that Africa's most populous nation has had in its history. Unlike previous elections in which the opposition has been deeply divided and the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) enjoyed electoral dominance, ...

A 29-year-old woman whose greatest wish was to 'settle down and get married' killed herself after becoming troubled that she was approaching 30 unmarried and childless. Rachel Gow, 29, from Haslingden, Lancashire, struggled to overcome the death of her mother, and desperately wanted a family of her own. According to Dailymail , but as her 30th birthday approached, she revealed to family members that she felt she was 'not where she should be in life' and that other members of her family were 'doing better than her.' The inquest was told that she was worried her boyfriend Anton Tsvarev, 30 would leave her, and suffered a number of insecurities about the relationship. The day she died, Miss Gow sent him a text message wishing him 'all the best for the future' before poisoningherself.Mr Tsvarev who had been visiting a friend later found Miss Gow but she died despite attempts by him to revive her. The day before Rachel was found l...

Do you know the way you sleep tells alot about your relationship? A new study into the most common sleep posit ions for couples has revealed that more couples sleep back-to-back without touching,.Psychologist Corrine Sweet, who carried out the  study  on behalf of bed specialist Dreams,said.. 'It shows the couple is connecte d and secure,' say s Ms Sweet, who says sleep positions can speak volumes about the state of a relationship. So what does your sleep stance say about  your relationship ? Liberty:  Back-to-back without touching  Some 27 per cent sleep in this position with plenty of space keeping them apart. Ms Sweet said that couples who adopt the Liberty are: 'Connected and secure in themselves, this position shows both closeness and independence in the relationship.'   Cherish: Back-to-back touching 'A quarter of pairs (23 per cent) like to sleep separately, facing different directions - and is often a ...

PDP Chairman Adamu Muazu says that INEC was never prepared for the earlier proposed date of February 14th for the general elections. In a related development, the Chairman of the PDP Presidential campaign organization, Sen. Ahmodu Ali, at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, said the electoral body was never prepared for the elections hence the shift in the dates to save itself from monumental embarrassment... "From all indications, INEC is not fully prepared for the elections. These are issues with the PVCs. Almost 30 million people are yet to get their PVCs despite the fact that the date of distribution was extended. Will it be possible to have a credible election when millions of Nigerians are disenfranchised because of lack of permanent voter cards? There are also reports that the PVC readers are not fully distributed and tested. How can INEC handle cases of faulty card readers? Do they have a credible plan B in situations where voters are lined up and t...

The suspect arrested with a Ghana-made triple barrel gun in Iseyin town, Oyo State, Ajibola Ibrahim (32) a.k.a.Scorpion, has denied the allegation of motorcycle stealing brought against him, saying that he turned a new leaf after his last arrest and was working as a political thug when he was arrested. Crime Reports Ajibola’s was accused of stealing motorcycles and shooting one of the owners when accosted. The triple barrel gun was said to have been recovered from him. Ajibola, an indigene of Iseyin town, admitted that the gun was found on him but said that it was meant for his current job as a political thug, not robbery. He added that his accusers were only trying to implicate him because of his criminal past. In an interview with Crime Reports , Ibrahim, who said he left prison about six months ago, disclosed that he was an ardent marijuana smoker and started taking the banned drug since 2004. “It is true I was an armed robber but after I was arrested an...