Gist Arena

F ormer President Goodluck Jonathan says the sincere implementation of the recommendations of the All Progressives Congress (APC) restructuring committee will move the nation forward. The committee led by Ahmad Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, submitted its report last week. Speaking when Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa, led a delegation to the former president on Thursday, Jonathan said the implementation would also encourage inter-ethnic harmony. According to Fidelis Soriwei, spokesman of Dickson, Jonathan said the issues which the committee deliberated upon were exhaustively treated during the 2014 national conference. He said it is a good idea that the APC set up a committee to look into the grey areas which featured prominently in the deliberations of the 2014 conference. He commended Dickson for playing the role of coordinating the thoughts of the Ijaw people on the sensitive issue of restructuring. The Nigerian leader said the governo

F ormer President, Olusegun Obasanjo has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari ignored federal character in the appointment of security chiefs. Obasanjo spoke in Abeokuta Ogun State on Thursday where he criticized the National Assembly and the Federal Character Commission for failing to check the excesses of the President in the uneven distribution of public offices. He stressed that the ethos of nation building through even distribution of public offices had been abused under the current administration. The former President also noted that his recent open letter to Buhari was not borne out malice or what he termed “bad belle” but out of his deep concern for the situation in the country. According to Obasanjo, “Let me emphasise important areas, programmes, priorities or processes for improved attention. To start with, we seem to have taken nation building for granted. Nation building must be given continued attention to give every citizen a feeling of belonging

D onald Duke, a former governor of Cross River State and one of the leaders of the Coalition for Nigeria, the platform proposed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has debunked concerns that the newly-formed political movement could ultimately benefit President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019. “I don’t see how this would favour him,” Mr. Duke told PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday afternoon in Abuja. The former governor spoke on the sidelines of the formal launch of Coalition for Nigeria Movement at Yar’Adua Centre, where he was joined by other politicians like Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a former governor of Osun State. Mr. Duke’s comment was aimed at debunking claims that the group might end up achieving the opposite of what it was founded to do by unwittingly returning Mr. Buhari to power in 2019. Some political commentators have accused the group of lacking basic fundamentals of politics that could portray its members as persons with clear and fresh ideas about Nigeria’s politi

P rofessor Wole Soyinka, Professor Pat Utomi, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Barrister Olisa Agbakoba, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Mr Fela Durotoye are some of the notable names expected to be present, when the Nigeria Intervention Movement (NIM) launches its third force initiative. This was revealed in a statement signed by NIM’s Deputy Director-General, Naseer Kura. Kura also confirmed that the event is scheduled for the last week in February in Abuja. According to the statement, NIM explained that its objective, is to evolve the movement as an alternative to rescuing Nigerians from existing leadership incompetence and impunity in the country. Others expected at the event include General Alani Akinrinade, Mr Donald Duke, Mrs Najatu Mohammed, Mr Balarabe Musa, Dr Garba Adamu, Barrister Femi Falana, Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa, Professor Attahiru Jega, Mr Fola Adeola, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Dr AbduJalil Tafawa Balewa. NIM has also announced its zonal co