Adamawa

Former Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Buba Marwa, has made good his threat to quit PDP by defecting to Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

Marwa who was registered as a CPC member in a ceremony at the party’s secretariat in Yola on Sunday evening also picked the party’s governorship form.

Marwa had on Friday addressed a news conference where he expressed his disappointment with the cancellation of the state PDP ward congress, which he said was done by the party leadership to favour Gov. Murtala Nyako.

Marwa and his supporters were received at the Adamawa CPC office by the party executives led by the state Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri.

Waziri thereafter registered Marwa and issued him with the party’s membership card.

Bauchi

Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi on Monday picked the PDP governorship ticket after defeating his opponent Alhaji Ahmed Iliyasu at the party primaries on Sunday.

The returning officer, Alhaji Adamu Mustafa, who announced the result on Monday in Bauchi, said that Yuguda polled 774 votes to defeat Iliyasu who got five votes.

The third aspirant Sen Baba Tela boycotted the election.

Yuguda thanked the delegates for electing him, promising the people of Bauchi that they would notice the desired changes in the state of affairs.

He gave the assurance of his administration’s determination to tackle poverty in the state in order to reduce the people’s suffering if re-elected as governor at the April polls.

Ekiti

The judiciary in Ekiti State treated 12,189 cases in its various courts during the 2009/2010 legal year.

Mr Rufius Fasoro, the Public Relations Officer of the state judiciary, told newsmen on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti that 1,633 cases were handled by the High Courts, while the Magistrate’s and Customary Courts dealt with 3,899 and 6,659 cases respectively.

He said 7,207 cases were thrown out during the period, with 578 of them discarded at the High Courts, while the Magistrate’s Courts got rid of 2,750 and Customary Courts, 3,879 cases.

Fasoro said 4,982 cases were still pending in the various courts during the period, with 1,055 of them in the High Courts; 1,149 in the Magistrate’s Courts; and 2778 in the Customary Courts.

FCT

The Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) on Monday in Abuja said it had commenced negotiations to stem the ongoing mass sack in the banks.

Mr Sunday Salako, the National President of the association, told newsmen that the union would only embark on an industrial action if it failed to reach any amicable agreement with the banks.

The union had on January 7 urged customers of Unity Bank Plc, Intercontinental Bank Plc and Oceanic Bank Plc to make mass withdrawals in order not to be caught unawares by its strike action.

The union’s leadership said it had perfected strategies to paralyse business activities in the banks from January 12 over the mass sack of their workers.

Gombe

The PDP in Gombe State said it was not aware of a court order restraining the use of elected ward delegates for gubernatorial primaries pending determination of a suit before it.

The PDP gubernatorial primaries took place in the 36 states of the federation on Sunday, January 9.

The state Chairman of the party, Mr Jack Gumpy, gave the explanation in an interview with newsmen in Gombe.

But a Federal High Court in Abuja had issued an interlocutory injunction restraining the use of such delegates for the gubernatorial primaries in the state.

The suit was filed in Abuja by a member of the party, Alhaji Hassan Ahmadu and 10 others.

Jigawa

The Emir of Dutse in Jigawa, Alhaji Nuhu Sanusi, on Tuesday called on women in the state to come out and contest for elective positions in order to be part of the development of the state.

Sanusi made the call in Dutse at a two-day sensitisation workshop for women electorates from Jigawa and Kano states.

The theme of the workshop is “Violence Free 2011 Elections”, and is organised by an NGO, Gender Education Empowerment Foundation of Nigeria (GEEFON) in collaboration with INEC held in Dutse.

He said that the number of women occupying elective positions in the North particularly in Jigawa was negligible when compared to the women in the Southern part of the country.

Kaduna

Kaduna State Government says the annual Kaduna Festival of Arts and Culture (KADFEST) will hold in May.  

A Deputy Director in the  Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Abdulmumin Ashafa made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Kaduna.

Ashafa said the festival would hold in May to commemorate the Democracy Day celebrations.

He explained that the event could not  hold last year due to logistics problems, adding that “arrangements for a successful hosting of KADFEST 2011, are  in top gear” .

Ashafa said that  although, this year’s budget had not been passed,  the festival would hold as planned.

Katsina

One of Nigeria’s leading industrialists, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has redeemed his pledge of N200 million donation to the Katsina University, owned by the Katsina Islamic Foundation.

The Secretary-General of the Foundation, Alhaji Sani Lugga, told newsmen in Katsina on Monday that Dangote had released the second installment of N100 million to the university on Sunday.

He said Dangote pledged the N200 million at the investiture of the Chancellor of the university, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, about two years ago, after which he paid the first installment of N100 million.

Lugga said that so far, the university had realised about 60 per cent of all the pledges made by individuals and corporate organisations at the ceremony.

Kogi

A banker, Alhaji Jibril Isah, on Monday emerged as the PDP governorship candidate for Kogi, after defeating 17 other aspirants in the party’s primaries, held on Sunday in Lokoja.

Isah, a former Director of a bank, clinched the ticket after polling 361 votes to beat his opponents in the party’s primaries.

Among his opponents were the nation’s former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo who scored  no vote. Businessman, Alhaji Abdulrazak Kutepa scored 303 votes while the state’s incumbent Deputy Governor, Chief Phillips Salawu, scored 24 votes.

Plateau

Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau has emerged the PDP governorship candidate for Plateau.

Jang, who was unopposed, got the nod from 756 out of the 763 delegates that attended the state congress held at the Rwang Pam Stadium, Jos.

Mr Emmanuel Ibeshi, the Returning Officer for Plateau, who announced the results, said that seven votes were voided.

He said that the election was held in spite of the absence of any opposition “because some of the delegates may not be disposed to Jang’s aspiration and may want a replacement’’.

He expressed happiness that the election was “peaceful and orderly, saying that he was particularly impressed that the people came in spite of the violence in some parts of Plateau.

In his acceptance speech, Jang thanked the delegates for electing him to contest for the governorship election in April and called for unity of  purpose among party faithful to ensure victory in the general elections.

Sokoto

Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State has advised politicians to approach the 2011 general election  with high sense of political maturity.

Wamakko stated this in an interview with newsmen in Sokoto on Sunday shortly after  being announced winner of the PDP governorship primaries.

He said  that, politicians must play  politics without bitterness in order to ensure peaceful conduct of the election, pointed out that it was the only way Nigerians could boast of a free, fair and credible election.

Wamakko also  tasked politicians to embark on aggressive  campaign to educate their followers on the dangers involved in political violence.

He said  that, what we needed as a nation was political tolerance and understanding for the overall political growth of the country.

Wamakko also said  that PDP as a party had come to stay in Sokoto state as the party would continue to implement policies and programmes that would enhance the well-being of the people.

He called on the people to continue to leave in peace with one another to enable government to implement its laudable programmes for the overall political development of the state.

Zamfara

The lingering leadership crisis in Zamfara PDP on Sunday resulted  in the conduct of  two parallel governorship primaries.

Both Governor Mahmuda Shinkafi and former Information Minister, Ikra Bilbis, separately claimed victory  in the primaries.

Our correspondent reports that the  PDP leadership in the state under Ibrahim Mallaha held its congress at the old motor park near Kantin daji.