10 Political Parties Kick against Shift in Polls, Abuja Residents Protest

Chuks Okocha in Abuja
With no resolution reached at the Council of State meeting on whether the general election would take place as scheduled or be postponed, a coalition of 10 political parties on Thursday kicked against the postponement of the polls, alleging that those who scuttled the June 12, 1993 general election had coalesced again and were about to re-enact the situation for their selfish ends.

Council of State Divided Along Party Lines, INEC to Review, Decide on Election Dates

Former president Alhaji Shehu Shagari, former head of state General Mohammed Buhari and former Military president General Ibrahim Babangida, during the National council of state meeting at the presidential villa

Jega: INEC ready, but cannot ignore security situation in North East

Chuks Okocha, Jaiyeola Andrews and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Following a seven-hour meeting of the National Council of State on Thursday on the 2015 general election and security issues in the country, deep divisions along party lines deterred the council from taking a decision on whether to hold the poll as scheduled or not, THISDAY has learnt.

40 FOREIGN JOURNALISTS HAVE BEEN PREVENTED FROM COVERING 2015 ELECTIONS -CPJ

Despite the thick uncertainty palling over the 14 February election, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the Nigerian authorities to ensure that international journalists are allowed access to cover the country’s elections.

Nigeria’s presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for 14th February, while state elections are set for 28th February.

President Goodluck Jonathan is seeking re-election amid an insurgency by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram,

Fire Razes Kano GSM Market

Scene of a market fire outbreak

A night fire incident occurred at the popular GSM market in Kano situated at Farm Center adjacent to passport office of the Nigeria Immigration Service and razed down all the portions of the market on Tuesday night.

The fire started about 9pm and lasted for about two hours and also destroyed valuables, mostly new and second hands phones and other related items worth millions of naira.

Personnel from the state fire service and volunteers spent hours battling the fire before they could put it out to salvage the largest and most popular GSM market in the state.

FG Cuts 2015 Joint Venture Oil Budget by 40% to $8.1bn

Nigeria is reducing its capital budget for joint venture oil operations by 40 per cent this year to $8.1 billion due to the slump in crude oil prices, sources at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said Monday.

Nigeria, through the NNPC, operates oil joint ventures with multinational companies including Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Total and Eni that account for almost half of Nigeria's oil output.

French Planes Back Multinational Force in Fight Against Boko Haram

•    Chadian troops join Nigeria in onslaught 
• UN Security Council condemns terror attacks

Senator Iroegbu with agency report

French military aircraft have been carrying out surveillance missions to help countries bordering Nigeria tackle Boko Haram militants, officials said on Tuesday, amid efforts by African countries to coordinate a response to the threat posed by the terror group.

16 Parties Endorse Postponement of Elections, Threaten Polls’ Boycott

• APC warns against lobby by presidency for proposed shift at Council of State meeting tomorrow
• Opposition party alleges foreign journalists are being denied visas

Olawale Olaleye in Lagos and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The plot continued to thicken for a postponement of the elections on Tuesday,

Five suspects arrested for raping 14-year-old girl in Nasarawa

The officers of the Nasarawa State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps on Wednesday paraded five suspects for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl.
The state Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Andekin Musa, said the suspects, including a father of three, were laborers working at a construction site in Doma Local Government market.
Musa disclosed that the girl they raped hawks sachet water otherwise called ‘Pure Water’ in the same area.