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The chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, Ayodele Fayose, who declared his interest to contest the 2019 presidential election, has boasted that he'll defeat Presdent Buhari. 

While speaking at a ceremony where he declared his interest to contest the 2019 presidential election in Abuja on Thursday, the governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose, said having defeated two incumbents in his state, he is sure of defeating President Muhammadu Buhari with the support of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Boasting further, the influential politician, also said as Nigeria's longest-serving governor and having worked under former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan and now Buhari, he has what it takes to emerge Nigeria's next president.

He said;

"My party leaders, standing before you is Peter (The Rock) Ayodele Fayose, the man already destined by God to take Nigeria out of the present political and economic stagnation. 

"I do not stand before Nigerians today to present myself as one with the answers to all our national questions. Rather, I present myself as one with the required knowledge, understanding, competence and, above all, the political will to coordinate the human and material resources that we have in abundance to achieve national greatness. 

"Twice, I defeated incumbents to become the governor of Ekiti state and I am confident that with your support as my party leaders and supporters, I will defeat the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, in a free and fair election."

He took a swipe at the All Progressives Congress (APC) government, saying "like they lied to win election, the government of Buhari has been deceitful for over two years".

Fayose promised that not only will Nigeria's economy be revived under him through diversification to agriculture, there will also be "adequate supply of power and massive industrialization, thereby creating employment for our youth".

He said:

"With me as your president, you can be rest assured of a government that will be responsive to your needs. You are guaranteed a federal government that will relate with all Nigerians not on the basis of ethnicity, religion, political affiliations and the percentage of votes but on equity and justice as citizens of one nation, one people, and one destiny."

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, is confident of winning the coming presidential election when Nigerians elect a new president in 2019. 

The governor was hopeful that if supported by his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he would take over government from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“I’m going straight to that Villa. I’m the next president,” he said in a statement issued on Tuesday by his special assistant on public communications and new media, Mr Lere Olayinka. “I have a penchant for taking powers; that one in President Muhammadu Buhari’s hand, I will take it.”

Fayose further revealed plans to formally declare his intention to run for presidency in the general elections on Thursday in Abuja.

He, however, said in a letter addressed to leaders of the PDP that his ambition to be president was without prejudice to the party’s position, but in the overall interest of the party and the country.

The letter read; “It is with a deep sense of responsibility that I write to inform you of my intention to seek the ticket/mandate of our party to contest the 2019 presidential election.

Considering your support and commitment towards our great party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it becomes imperative to keep you informed and seek your support. 

“This ambition, however, is without prejudice to our party’s position but in the overall interest of the party and our country. “I urge that all hands should be on deck to ensure victory at the 2019 presidential election. “Accept the assurances of my highest regards as a determined presidential hopeful.”

According to popular Online media newspapers Sahara Reporter, PDP made a new development concerning its Presidential issues, on the tweet which read; “FLASH: @OfficialPDPNig party quietly settles for @atiku as Presidential candidate and @GovAyoFayose as VP, at least for now – Source”

As shared by Sahara Reporters below....

FLASH: @OfficialPDPNig party quietly settles for @atiku as Presidential candidate and @GovAyoFayose as VP, at least for now - Source pic.twitter.com/D2zIClxvGK

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) August 2, 2017

The Nigerian Senate, on Wednesday, barred a former president, Goodluck Jonathan from running for a second term in office. This was done during voting in series of new bills being passed by the upper legislative chamber.

The Bill sought that any vice president who had completed a tenure of a sitting president and contested a fresh four years mandate shall not be eligible to run for a second term of office.

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The cold war between the United States of America and Russia is set to be aggravated over the imminent sanctions on the latter for reportedly meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

The Kremlin on Monday warned that new US sanctions on Russia would hit the interests of both sides as Congress gears up to approved fresh punitive measures.

We consider such a continuation of the rhetoric of sanctions counter-productive and harmful to the interests of both countries,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

In mid-June, the US Senate overwhelmingly passed tough sanctions, but the text stalled in the House of Representatives, until agreement was reached on Saturday.

The House is now set to vote Tuesday on a bill that targets Russia — for its alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election and its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 — as well as Iran and North Korea, for its ballistic missile tests.

Initially, US President Donald Trump resisted the legislation, which would prevent him from unilaterally easing penalties against Moscow in the future — effectively placing him under Congress’s watch.

But he seems to be left with little option but to sign off on the move as a political firestorm swirls over potential collusion between his campaign and Russia.

Peskov said the Kremlin is still waiting and watching to see if Trump will approve the measures, after White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said the US leader was weighing his decision.

Before Trump definitively takes a decision it is too early to talk about any potential counter measure from Moscow, Peskov said.

Ties between Moscow and Washington have slumped to their lowest since the Cold War as the US slapped sanctions on Moscow over it meddling in Ukraine.

Russia had hoped that Trump’s election might ease relations between the two sides, but those prospects have dimmed in the face of a major political pushback in Washington.

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Fayose was a guest on AIT where he spoke of Ali Modu Sheriff's claim that PDP governors are with him and more.In part he said.....

Ali Modu Sheriff said the Governors are with him, let him call us to a meeting maybe he will see anyoneGod 

"God forbid, to sit with Alimodu Sheriff again in my life. "One day I know that I will be the Vice President of Nigeria or possibly President Federal Republic of Nigeria".

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Ekiti State Governor, has described the sack of six police officers attached to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike as "the height of political victimisation by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government just because the policemen were among the patriotic Nigerians who foiled the attempt by the party to rig the Rivers State rerun elections."

Governor Fayose, who described the six police officers as heroes of democracy, said "their names will be written in gold in the comity of defenders of the people of Rivers State and whenever normalcy returns to our body polity, they will surely regain their job."

Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose questioned the police authority on what it has done in respect of the Police officers that Nigerians have seen on videos, hijacking ballot boxes.

Funny, they claimed that the six police officers, while in the convoy of Governor Wike misused the firearms in their possession and I have asked myself, who did they shoot with the firearms said to have been misused?

The policemen simply did their job by protecting their principal and punishing them for performing their duties can only be meant to discourage policemen from protecting Governor Wike and other opposition Governors." The governor also challenge the police to tell Nigerians the report of its investigations on the murder of Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mohammed Alkali, and his driver during the Rivers State rerun elections.

He said;

Since Christian Chukwuemela Ekikeme, a member of the gang that killed DSP Alkali, and his driver reportedly linked a certain Mr Kachi Nwokocha, who is a top member of the APC and an aide of the Minister of Transportation and immediate past governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi as sponsor of the gang, the police has been silent on the murder.

Up till today, the man mentioned as the sponsor of the gang that allegedly killed the DSP has not been questioned by the police. Why didn't the police handle the murder of DSP Alkali and his driver with the speed of lighting that it handled the dismissal of the six police officers?

Why are Nigerians not being told anything about the murder and the involvement of an APC chieftain just the way the police paraded the six police officers?"

He said

It is sad that instead of focusing on those who killed its men, the police is now acting as an arm of the APC by punishing whoever acted against the wish of the vindictive leaders of the party."

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New revelation has been made about just how Nigeia's ex president Jonathan ans other top members of his government allegedly siphoned money.

Former Pres. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

An investigative report by Italian prosecutors has alleged that ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, former Minister of Petroleum Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Attorney Generals Mohammed Adoke and Bayo Ojo, former Minister of Defense and ex-National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau as well as numerous other senior government officials shared hundreds of millions of dollars. In an indictment obtained by SaharaReporters, Italian prosecutors alleged that Mr. Jonathan and several officials of his government as well as top corporate officials of international oil firms, Eni and Shell, met several times between 2010 and 2011 to seal the fraudulent Malabu deal and split a massive loot running into hundreds of millions between Nigerian government and public interests as well as corporate officials.

The indictment shows that former Abacha-era Minister, Dauzia Loya Etete, better known as "Dan Etete" and his Malabu company were at the center of the scam that involved the sale of an oil bloc named OPL 245 he illicitly acquired in 1998. According to Italian prosecutors, Mr. Etete had engaged Zubelum Chukwuemeka Obi to source for buyers of the oil bloc. Subsequently, Italian oil giant, Eni, the parent of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company Ltd (NAOC) and Royal Dutch Shell, contracted to acquire 100 percent of the 245 oil block for a deal that totaled $1.3 billion. However, Italian prosecutors are alleging that much of the funds was set aside for fraudulent payments to Mr. Jonathan and other government officials as well as corporate executives working for Eni and Shell.

Apart from naming numerous officials of the global oil firms, the indictment also fingered Mr. Jonathan, Mr. Etete, Mrs. Alison-Madueke, Mr. Adoke, former NSA Gusau, Mr. Obi, Mr. Ojo, and Alhaji Abubakar as beneficiaries from the Malabu fraud.

Among the corporate players named in the Malabu deal are Paolo Scaroni, Eni’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, and Claudio Descalzi, the Managing Director of Eni’s Exploration and Production Division since July 2008. The indictment states that Mr. Scaroni “agreed to intermediation by Obi,” and was constantly informed by Mr. Descalzi of the progress of developments in the deal. In addition, he and Mr. Descalzi met then President Jonathan in person twice, “both during the finalization of the agreements (13 August 2010) and at the final stage, during an electoral campaign rally in Nigeria on 22 February 2011.”

According to the indictment, Mr. Descalzi maintained steady contact with Mr. Obi and two key Eni employees in Nigeria, Roberto Casula and Vincenzo Armanna, who helped coordinate a deal in which Mr. Jonathan and other senior officials of his government would receive illegal commissions in exchange for approving the Malabu oil deal. Mr. Descalzi also coordinated with his Shell counterpart, Malcolm Brinded, on the $1.3 billion price tag for the oil block.

Other Eni and Shell officials also attended meetings with President Jonathan in Abuja on August 13, 2010 regarding the OPL245 deal and, again, on February 22, 2011. In addition, the indictment states that the two oil companies’ executives attended meetings from November 18 to 25, 2010, at Mr. Adoke’s offices in Abuja. Apart from Mr. Adoke, Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar also known as "AAA Oil" was also present at the meetings during which, according to Italian prosecutors, “the financial conditions of the deal (1.3 billion) were agreed.”

The firms’ executives also met with Mr. Dan Etete in Milan, Italy from November 30 to December 1, 2010 and finalized issues “relating to the commissions.” Mr. Armanna, the Senior Advisor of Nigerian Agip Oil Company Ltd and as Eni Vice President for upstream sub-Saharan activities, reportedly played a major role in the scam. The indictment accuses him of maintaining contact with Mr. Obi and Mr. Etete, even though he was “fully aware of the destination of most of the sums paid by Eni to the political sponsors of the operation” and that some executives of Eni and Shell, himself included, were to receive “significant sums” from the deal. He is also accused of coordinating the fraudulent deal with his Shell counterpart, Peter Robinson, and hosting meetings at his residence in Nigeria with Shell executives. Mr. Armanna reportedly “supervised the Eni negotiating team's drafting of the ‘resolution agreements.’” In addition, he met with Mr. Adoke numerous times to discuss the illicit transfers.

Italian prosecutors accuse Mr. Armanna of facilitating the Nigerian government’s active role in the Malabu deal, including the payment “of €1,092,040,000 intended for Etete, in addition to the ‘signature bonus’ of $207,960,000.” The indictment states that he coordinated with Gianfranco Falcioni and Bayo Ojo to transfer funds paid by Eni to the account of the Nigerian government at JP Morgan Chase London. As part of his reward, Mr. Armanna “subsequently received from Bayo Ojo the sum of €917,952 with the false payment reference of ‘Armanna inheritance.’”

The indictment states that, on October 30, 2010, Ciro Antonio Pagano, the NAE’s Managing Director, signed his firm’s offer to Raffeisen Bank, Obi's advisor, for the company’s 100% acquisition of Malabu’s “participating interest” in OPL 245. The payments comprised $207,960,000 to the Nigerian government as the signature bonus and $1,053,000,000 directly to Malabu.

The indictment names Mr. Obi as shareholder in the company Energy Venture Partners Ltd (EVP), and as the person “assigned by Etete to find a buyer for block 245.” Italian prosecutors allege that Mr. Obi agreed with Etete that the “so-called ‘excess price’ – between the sum that Eni/NAE was undertaking to pay and the amount accepted by Etete, would be withheld by Obi, with the expectation that the aforementioned premium would be distributed among Mr. Obi, his sponsors, Di Nardo and Bisignani, Eni and Shell executives and “Nigerian government officials, in particular the Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke.”

According to the indictment, Mr. Obi having met several times with Attorney General Adoke, and maintained direct relations with the AGF as well as with “persons connected to him, specifically Roland Ewubare and Oghogo Akpata.” He also maintained relations with Ms. Alison-Madueke and NSA Gusau, said the indictment.

The document also accuses Ednan Tofik Ogly Agaev of agreeing to a fee of 6% for his work as intermediary between Mr. Etete and Shell. It said Mr. Agaev, a Russian and former MI6 operative, subsequently worked for Shell as Senior Business Advisor and Strategic Investment Advisor. He is accused of meeting NSA Aliyu Gusau “on a number of occasions and having obtained information from him on the expectations of President Jonathan and other members of the government.”

The document describes Mr. Etete as “the fraudulent holder of the OPL245 exploration license since 1998.” He is also accused of “having received authorization from Minister of Petroleum Alison-Madueke to dispose of 100% of OPL245, following the decision of President Jonathan.” In addition, he “conducted confidential negotiations with Aliyu Abubakar, who acted as an agent of Goodluck Jonathan,” and “accepted, under government pressure, the total sum of $1.3 billion, established by Eni and Shell.”

Italian prosecutors also reported that Mr. Etete “received $801.5 million from the Nigerian government under the FGN Resolution Agreement, and having transferred to Abubakar Aliyu, directly or through companies attributable to him, funds of approximately $520 million, intended to be paid to President Jonathan, members of the government and other Nigerian government officials.”

The indictment also states that the Malabu deal involved an agreement that Dan Etete would use much of the funds from the sale of the oil bloc “for his own benefit and that of a large number of other beneficiaries to purchase property, aeroplanes, armored cars, etc.).”

The indictment added that “President Goodluck Jonathan and other members of the Nigerian government in office at the time, including Mrs. Alison-Madueke, Attorney General Muhammed Bello Adoke, National Security Advisor Aliyu Gusau, a member of the House of Representatives, Umar Bature, former Senator Ikechukwu Obiorah, and “holders of influence over President Jonathan and other members of the government” received huge payoffs from the Malabu deal.

Cc
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China has replied U.S President elect 'Donald Trump' against his claims that they are not doing well with North Korea. They also said he shouldn't escalate an already tense situation on North Korean peninsula through his use of social media.

On Monday evening, Trump took to Twitter to deny North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s claim that his nation was in the “final stage” of developing a nuclear-armed ballistic missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. Trump then followed up with another tweet to say China wasn’t doing enough to curb North Korea’s excesses.

In response, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a press briefing on Tuesday that his government’s efforts were “widely recognized,” and that “we hope all sides will avoid remarks and actions to escalate the situation.”

The Korean Peninsula is the latest source of friction between the incoming Trump Administration and China to be aired via the President-elect’s Twitter account.

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