Newspaper of the Year
Court jails Boko Haram men 25yrs
Senate to reject INEC’s 30,000 units NEWS
Page 4
NEWS Page 8
•‘Idea good but timing is wrong’
•Lagos judge finds three guilty
•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper
VOL. 9, NO. 2988 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2014
•www.thenationonlineng.net
TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH
NIGERIA AT 54
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•Mark: Nigeria ’ll be great •Tambuwal seeks good governance •We must not whitewash leadership failure, says Tinubu •Saraki pleads for Chibok girls•What is Nigeria celebrating? •Nigeria still in the woods (Editorial) •AND MORE ON PAGES 15,19, 27&43
2015: I’m not desperate, says Buhari
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From Tony Akowe, Abuja and Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna
ORMER Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari spoke yesterday on the race for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket. Gen. Buhari, 71, who was Head of State from December 31, 1983 to August 27, 1985, told members of the Buhari Support Group (BSG) in Abuja that though he was confident of getting the ticket, he was not desperate for it. He is expected to formalise his plan to run next week. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar last week became the first aspirant for the APC ticket to declare his interest in the race. The APC presidential primary is fixed for December 2. Gen. Buhari, who has run for president thrice, urged his supporters not to be rude to the party’s leaders or other aspirants. He was accompanied to yesterday’s event by former Kaduna State Military Administrator Col. Hamid Ibrahim Ali, former Minister of Internal Affairs Brig.-General John Shagaya and former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Alhaji Umaru Dembo. He said: “With support, I intend to offer myself for the position of the president of the republic on the platform of our great party. I intend to make a formal announcement soon and I hope I can count on your continuing support and sacrifice. “However, I would like to point out to you that to be more meaningful, your support must Continued on page 2
•UP NIGERIA: Traders hawk Independence branded items in Benin, capital of Edo State...yesterday
PHOTO: NAN
How Fayose led thugs to attack courts, by Ekiti CJ
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WHEN WILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15 BE FREED?
Judge writes CJN, police chief PDP, APC trade words
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OR the first time, the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, has spoken on how thugs molested judges in the state. He identified thugs loyal to the Governor-elect, Mr. Ayo Fayose, as those who perpetrated the assault on judges. He alleged that Fayose specifically led an army of thugs who attacked the High Court on September 25.
From Yusuf Alli and Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja
He also expressed regrets that policemen and security agents watched helplessly as judges were beaten up by the thugs. He said he had no choice than to close the court in the light of the “prevailing lawlessness” in the state. Justice Daramola, who is scheduled to appear before the National Judicial
Council (NJC) tomorrow, said the errant thugs beat judges and workers “black and blue”. Fayose has denied that his supporters beat up Justice John Adeyeye. He described the allegation as not only unfounded, but spurious. He said: “I am not aware that a judge was beaten up. In fact, this is strange to me. “This is reckless and strange to me.
I visited the election petition tribunal as a party to the case and I was the only one that was allowed passage by security men. To the best of my knowledge, the three judges handling the tribunal case sat. “How can I order the people to beat up a judge that has nothing to do with me? At what point was this judge beaten? Was he a member of Continued on page 2
•LIFE P15 •SPORTS P24 •MONEY P26 •INVESTORS P39 •POLITICS P43 •FOREIGN P58