Fri 22 Nov 2013

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INEC meets Ngige, Ubah, Nwoye, others over Anambra’s poll From Kodilinye Obiagwu, Uzoma Nzeagwu, Chuks Collins (Awka) and Azimazi Momoh Jimoh (Abuja) FRESH attempt to resolve the crisis over the Anambra State’s A election began yesterday as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) met with the principal stakeholders

• Five guber candidates declare election free • APC petitions Jega, seeks trial of REC • PDP alleges party’s plot to cause violence in 2015

gress (APC), Tony Nwoye of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the matter. and Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Present at the meeting in Abuja were the governorship candi- Also in attendance were the leaders of the relevant political pardates of the various political parties, especially Ifeanyi Ubah of ties and other stakeholders. the Labour Party (LP), Chris Ngige of the All Progressives Con- A chieftain of the PDP, Chief Chike Nwanguma, who confirmed

the meeting to journalists in a telephone interview monitored in Awka yesterday, said that it became necessary because of the stance of the key players in the election. He said he was worried about the multiplicity of views from top members of his party who contributed little or nothing to the group. He believed that a larger section of the state’s electorate was disenfranchised last Saturday because INEC and their computer database bungled the voters’ register of the state. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

TheGuardian Conscience, Nurtured by Truth

Friday, November 22, 2013

Vol. 30, No. 12,748

www.ngrguardiannews.com

N150

Oshioze Akhigbe (right), Oghor Okhai-Akhigbe, Mr. Jonathan Okhai-Akhigbe, Mrs. Josephine Akhigbe, Mr. Ikhane Akhigbe, Ochuwa Akhigbe-Igionwo, Mr. Doye Ogionwo and Rolayo Akhigbe, during the requiem mass for Vice Admiral Okhai Michael Akhigbe at Catholic Church of Assumption, Falomo, Lagos… yesterday. PHOTO: GABRIEL IKHAHON

Anxiety over Jonathan’s health From Mohammed Abubakar (Abuja), Chukwuma Muanya, Seye Olumide, Ajibola Amzat and Tunde Akinola (Lagos) DAY after President GoodA luck Jonathan’s birthday was lavishly celebrated by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the Presidency confirmed yesterday that he suddenly took ill and had to undergo a checkup in a hospital in the United Kingdom (UK). Jonathan, who was not present at the celebration, left Nigeria on Wednesday morning for London as the head of the Federal Government’s delegation to a meeting of Honorary International Investors’ Council (HIIC) being co-ordinated by the one-time British Minister of Foreign Office, Baroness Lynda Chalker.

• President in London hospital for checkup • He is only indisposed, says spokesman A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, yesterday said that the President became indisposed and could not be present at the opening of the meeting today. “President Jonathan has since been examined by competent medical practitioners.

He has been advised to rest for a few days,” the statement said, but did not specify the nature of the illness, neither did he identify the hospital where the medical examination allegedly took place. “The Presidency wishes to assure all Nigerians that President Jonathan’s condition is nothing serious and that the

medical attention he has sought is only precautionary,” it said. Reacting to the development yesterday, elder statesman, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, who was outside the country, said: “I am very sorry to hear about the reported illness of President Goodluck Jonathan. He is a young man bristling with

life and energy, therefore there should not be any cause for alarm. “More so, it is our conviction that he is a man of destiny for the Nigerian nation state. He will fulfil his destiny. My family’s prayers and thoughts are with President Jonathan to recover quickly and back at his desk,” Braithwaite said. President, Campaign for Democracy, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin who was shocked, said although she wished Jonathan a quick recovery, he should try as much as possi-

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ble to be back home because he was needed more in Nigeria than a foreign land at this ‘crucial’ time. Okei-Odumakin urged the President to limit his foreign trips because his absence in the country had been stalling the passage of the budget. “The country needs him at this particular time because there are a lot of issues that need his attention. Issues like insecurity, unemployment and university shutdown need to be addressed,” Odumakin said. Former Minister of Information and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tony Momoh, said Jonathan could be ill like every other normal person and that Nigerians should therefore stop making an issue out of it. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2


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