Today's National Newspaper Headlines/News - 8/4/2015

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***CHAOS IN EKITI..

Armed policemen and soldiers took over strategic places in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital on Tuesday as the anti-impeachment protests by the Peoples Democratic Party members entered the second day.

The mayhem which also took place in Igede,   Itawure, Efon Alaaye, Iworoko, Aisegba, Ikere, Ise, Ogotun and Igbemo,   led to the death of one person, accidents and the closure of banks.

Nineteen All Progressives Congress members of the state House of Assembly had served an impeachment notice on Governor Ayodele Fayose, citing eight impeachable offences,   including impunity, violence, stalking and other constitutional breaches, against him.

The protesters, who   converged on   Ajilosun, Ijigbo, the Secretariat Road, Okesa, Ojumose and old garage as early as 6.30am, moved round the city , thereby hindering movements   for several hours.

While some of them made bonfires on the streets, others used broken bottles, wooden chairs and tables to block the highways that   lead to and out of the city.

The development forced private and commercial bus drivers from other parts of the country who pass through the state capital to park until the chaos subsided.

Their passengers panicked as the demonstrators   drove round the streets in commercial buses chanting solidarity songs. They were watched by the heavily-armed soldiers and policemen.

The   security operatives were mostly seen in areas such as the Fajuyi Roundabout, the Governor’s Office Road and the NTA Road where the protesters used luxury buses, tyres and chairs to block them.

But at the Secretariat Road, a Toyota Hilux van marked AA 363 YEK, conveying some gun-wielding protesters to the assembly premises   ran into a police patrol vehicle, a development that led to the arrest of three of them (protesters).

Among the worst affected by the chaos were   Senior Secondary School 3 pupils presently sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations outside the capital city who were turned back by the demonstrators.

Many civil servants and traders, who had reported at their places of work and business had to return home in fear.

In spite of the violence, some bank customers in the city were seen using the Automated Teller Machines while those without ATM cards milled round the front of the banks located on the Bank Road, New Garage and Adebayo Road

*****BUHARI AND OBASANJO HOLDS SECRET MEETING IN LAGOS

The President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday held a secret meeting in Lagos.

Our correspondent learnt that the meeting which held at the Presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, lasted for almost an hour.

The meeting, it was learnt, was the first meeting the two would have since Buhari was declared winner of the presidential election on April 1.

It was learnt that Buhari and other All Progressives Congress leaders had come to Lagos for a thank you visit and to campaign for the party’s governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, but had a meeting with Obasanjo before setting out to campaign in the Orile area of the state.

A member of the President-elect’s entourage said, “Gen. Buhari and former President Obasanjo were in the inner lounge of the presidential wing of the airport where they held a secret meeting for almost an hour.

“The National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Senator Chris Ngige and many of us were made to stay at the main lounge throughout the meeting. We do not really know what was discussed but it must have been very sensitive.”

****ACTIVIST BLAMES JONATHAN’S DEFEAT ON FANI-KAYODE, FIGHT WITH OBASANJO

President Goodluck Jonathan’s electoral defeat by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, has been blamed on the appointment of Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode in the president’s campaign team and his intractable disagreement with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Making the observation on Tuesday in an interview with THISDAY, a Lagos-based human right activist, Mr. Olufemi Aduwo, who is the national coordinator of Rights Monitoring Group (RMG), said many Nigerians were disenchanted with the appointment of Fani-Kayode as a director in the president’s campaign team.

“In a situation where those who destroyed the president last year became the spokesperson - because for me I spoke with a lot of PDP chieftains in the South-west – I can mention their names, who were not comfortable with Fani-Kayode’s emergence as the president’s Director of Media and Publicity.

“How can Fani-Kayode come and be defending the same Jonathan he destroyed a year ago. How qualified is Fani-Kayode to come and defend the president? It is a blunder! And then when you see the APC, they look for professionals. Whether you like it or not, Dele Alake is a professional journalist.

“He did a lot of work. He talked less and did a good work. In Lagos here, look at Ambode and the former Editor of National Mirror (Steve Ayorinde). The PDP is so myopic. Not only are they greedy, they are myopic, self-centred and the level of their thinking.

“You will be shocked that in a study we did about three months ago, I gave a copy to Mr. Ebenezer Babatope, Chief Bode George, Mr. Segun Oni and I sent a message to the president that PDP will lose and that it is going to be between a range of 44 – 56 per cent.

He added that another major setback for the president was his fight with Obasanjo, stressing: “It was a big blow. But those people surrounding Jonathan thought it was not. 

“If you go to the North and you just call ‘OBJ,’ they are not comfortable. They see him as a demigod. They call him ‘baba.’ It is only we here that don’t recognise him that way. He may have his shortcomings but when people like that gave expert advice to Jonathan, he should have taken it,” he noted. - (This day).

*16 parties storm INEC, demand Rivers REC’s removal

*APC wins 214 House of Reps’ seats

*PDP planning to rig elections – el-Rufai

*Aondoakaa, Onoja dump PDP

*There won’t be shortage of materials – Oyo REC

*Confusion in Delta over April 11 elections

*I will support Buhari –Edwin Clark

*Adeyeye asks Buhari to caution Ekiti APC members

*Osun monarchs urge patience with president-elect

*We’ll deal with violent politicians –Oyo CP

*Baga: Army begins trial of Brig.Gen, others

*Outage: Port Harcourt residents threaten to boycott election 

*People’s strength lies in their votes – Buhari

*Jonathan faults ‘negative’ celebration of Buhari’s victory 

THIS DAY

*Oba Akiolu's Threat: Lagos APC Tenders Apology to Igbos

*One Killed as Protests Rock Ekiti Towns Over Fayose’s Impeachment Bid

*STOCK MARKET Ends Rally as Naira Stabilises

*Boko Haram: Nigerian Military Recaptures Alagarno in Borno

*Edo Govt Raises the Alarm on Plane Hovering over Oshiomhole’s Country Home

*Killers of APC Supporters in Rivers will Not Go Unpunished, Says Amaechi

*Patience Jonathan Arrives Abuja Aboard Emirates Airlines

*BPE Contests Court Appeals on Sale of ALSCON to BFIG

*Rivers Guber Poll: 16 Political Parties Besiege INEC, Demand Removal of REC

*APC Tasks Security Agencies, INEC on Neutrality

*Political Killings: IG Deploys More Officers to Rivers, Other Volatile States

*NLC Allays Fear of Planned Sack of Ogun Workers

*Ekweremadu Vows to Remain in PDP

*FG Pays NYSC Ad hoc Staff Ahead of Polls

*Fashola: Enemies of Nigeria Introduced Ethnicity, Religion in Politics

*Kukah Donates Food Items to Sokoto Orphanage, Leprosy Hospital

*Contract Scam: Ex-Gov Audu’s Trial Resumes April 15

*NYSC Calls for Adequate Security Measures for Corp Members

THE NATION

*Aondoakaa: INEC, Jega must not succumb to blackmail over Card Reader

*IGP petitioned over illegal sale of Deeper Life Church’s land

*APC’s victory and the Buhari/Tinubu alliance

*APC members walk out on Assembly

*North’s Christian leaders congratulate Buhari

*LP candidate withdraws

*INEC sacks two electoral officers Edo

*Herbalist, accomplice held for ‘robbery’

*Customers protest poor power supply, workers’ conduct

*Soldiers bar 19 APC lawmakers from entering Ekiti

*Gbemi Saraki, PDP youth leader defect to APC in Kwara

*Military sack insurgents from Alagarno forest

*APC Action Group: Fayose has not learnt any lesson

*Impeachment crisis: Ekiti Obas call for peace

*Pension Scam: Coalition of civil society wants Maina prosecuted

*Indian police kill five terror suspects on way to court

 *Alleged Ekiti Killing: You lied, APC tells Fayose

*April 11 poll: Jonathan urges Nigerians to remain peaceful

*Buhari assures of credible polls in Imo, Rivers, Edo

*Plateau LP guber candidate declares support for APC