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Twelve governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have arrived at the National Assembly, ahead of inauguration slated for 10 am today.

The governors were led by chairman of APC Governors’ Forum, and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi.

They headed straight to the gallery of the Senate, where they are expected to monitor the inauguration.

In what appears as an unprecedented demonstration of desperation by the APC anointed duo of Femi Gbajabiamila and Wase, a sum of N36m ($100,000) will be paid per vote.

Here is the cards already distributed by Gbajabiamila and Wase.

Members are to snap the CARD with their ballots papers after voting and with this, a sum of $100,000 (N36m) will be collected. 

Nigerians took to social media to ask if the NASS leadership is now for sale? “Where is the anti-corruption fight? Where is Magu’s EFCC?” they queried

They went on to ask “Honourable Members-elect and Nigerians are hereby put on notice that this card MUST NOT BE BROUGHT TO THE CHAMBER for the purpose of compromising the integrity of the election to choose the next Speaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

According to the group, some provisions of the law criminalizes ‘Any person who plays a religious cassette or uses a loud speaker for religious purposes between the hours of 11pm and 4am.’

The statement adds, “This is very disturbing as it means that Christians cannot hold night vigils, celebrate Christmas, Easter and New Year eve in the evenings, which fall typically within those hours. The provision is also divisive as our Muslim brothers are allowed to say their prayers at 5am after the ban for Christians.

“That this law seeks to ‘accredit preachers’ and appoint regulators of faith means that it is the state government that will determine what is preached or not. Has the state purged itself of its own political woes as to move into the sphere of faith?

“Surely, we are not in a theocracy but a democracy. The state and faith must be well separated. It is surprising that politicians who use thugs and take over the streets with loudspeakers do not have laws that will regulate them yet think that worshippers are the people to be regulated.

“We the CCC wish to draw the attention of the Kaduna State Government of the violation of our faith which this law will bring. We urge the Governor to reconsider its position and not pass this into law.”

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, have asked Governor El-Rufai to rescind his administration’s decision to gazette the new as they alleged that the law had the potentials to incite religious controversies in the state.

Governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are meeting in Abuja to take a position on the elections into the leadership positions of the National Assembly scheduled for Tuesday.

The meeting under the aegis of the PDP Governors Forum, is taking place at the Bayelsa State Lodge, Maitama Abuja, hosted by the forum chairman and Governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Dickson.

The meeting is ostensibly to fashion out a common position as the legislators elect their leaders for the ninth assembly.

It was not clear whether the main opposition party will be presenting candidates within the party or would side with the candidates being floated by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

The meeting is also being attended by immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, who has already denied interest in the speakership position.

The meeting was yet to start at the time of this report.

The ninth Plateau State House of Assembly has elected Hon. Abok Ayuba, a 33-year-old 500-level student of Law at the University of Jos, as its speaker.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has adopted Senator Ovie Omo-Agege for the positions of Deputy Senate President and Hon. Muhammed Idris Wase as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives for the ninth Assembly.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday following the emergency meetings of the NWC held on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 of June 2019.

He said that the decision was arrived after wide consultations with President Muhammadu Buhari, party stakeholders, including APC governors.

Issa-Onilu said, “The party formally adopts Senator Ovie Omo-Agege for the positions of Deputy Senate President and Hon. Muhammed Idris Wase as Deputy Speaker. This is sequel to wide consultations with President Muhammadu Buhari, party stakeholders, including APC governors.

“You would recall that the party had earlier announced the duo of Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as the party’s candidates for the positions of Senate President and Speaker of House Representatives respectively.

“All elected APC members of the Senate and House of Representatives are hereby directed to fully mobilise as a united force behind the party’s choice.

“Members who have earlier signified interests in these positions are urged to support the party’s decisions as loyal and committed members of APC by working with other members to ensure the emergence of the adopted candidates.”

Similarly, the APC Governors Forum has equally backed Lawan and Gbajabiamila for the Senate presidency and Speaker of the House respectively.

The progressives governors disclosed this in Abuja after a closed door meeting held at the Kebbi Governor’s lodge. The meeting was the inaugural meeting of the governors after the 2019 elections.

The Governor of Kebbi state and Chairman of the Forum, Atiku Bagudu, said that the governors were unanimous in supporting the party and President Muhammadu Buhari.

He stated: “We equally use the opportunity to deliberate on our support for the leadership of the National Assembly. The governors of the APC have always been unanimous in supporting the party leader, President Muhammadu Buhari and our party in ensuring that we achieve a common purpose

“Towards that extent, we are all unanimous in our support for Senator Ahmed Lawan for the Senate presidency and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila for the Speaker of the House of Representatives and all governors are in agreement and we will work towards that purpose.”

Bagudu urged the members of the party who were kicking against the zoning arrangement to support the party’s position.

According to him, “We are urging our members, Senators and members of the House of Representatives to support the position and it is encouraging to see that other parties are happy to see the emergence of the unanimous position that has been taken by APC.”

A Pan-yoruba socio-cultural group, Yoruba Koya Movement has declared Wednesday June 12 as a National Day of Protest against the ongoing killings and kidnappings across Yoruba Speaking States including Kogi and Kwara States.

The rally, tagged JUNE 12 OTOGE RALLY, backed by a Yoruba Intelligentsia group, Voice of Reason (VOR) and 26 other socio-cultural and self-determination groups will hold in all Yoruba Speaking State capitals of Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti, Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Kogi and Kwara States respectively.

The rally, according to a statement made available to news men on Monday in Lagos by the National Director of Organization and Publicity of the group, Mr. Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye is aimed at presenting the Yoruba Charter of Demands to the government of Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) and to also present a Public Petition to the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) over the ongoing genocide in Southern and Middle Belt Nations of Nigeria.

The group also said the rally is being organized to reawaken the people of Yoruba Speaking States to be conscious of the agenda of some ethnic warlords and reactionaries outside their domain to capture their land and enslave them while masquerading as visitors and to enjoin all Governors in Yoruba Speaking States to integrate towards economic, social and political development of Yoruba Land and to encourage them to make the security of lives and properties of their people utmost priority.

The statement also reads that the rally is meant to encourage Yoruba Legislators both at State and National Assemblies to endorse, support and move motions that will expressly indicate where the Yoruba Stands.

The rally, billed to commence at 9am, will hold simultaneously in Gani Faweyinmi Park, Lagos, Ibadan Military Cenotaph, Opposite Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, Oyo State, Pansheke Roundabout, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Fajuyi Roundabout, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, Osun State, Alagbaka Roundabout, opposite First Bank, Akure, Ondo State, kabba Township Stadium, Kabba, Kogi state and Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Ilorin, Kwara State respectively.

The management of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State has ordered students to resume from the forced mid term break it sent the students following protest against the no tuition, no test order of the school.

In a statement released by the Acting Registrar, Opeoluwa Akinfemiwa, reads “the Senate of the University at its emergency meeting held today, Thursday, 6th June 2019, discussed the resumption of students from mid semester break. Senate after deliberation, decided that students should resume on campus for the remaining part of first semester 2018/2019 academic session on Sunday, 9th June, 2019.”

The statement also informed the students the first semester 2018/2019 examinations will commence on Monday 17th June, 2019.

It is yet to be ascertained if the students will yield to the order since their agitations which led to the protest are yet to be met. The State Government had earlier promised to meet the students’ leaders and resolve the lingering crisis.