News In Brief On Saturday

.    President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday appointed Dr. Peter Ezenwa Ekpendu as the new Comptroller General of Prisons. Prior to his new appointment, Ekpendu was Deputy Controller General (Administration), Prisons.

2.   Following a new agreement between the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremandu and Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, Chime has dropped his bid to go to the Senate in 2015. According to report, his decision was confirmed by his Chief Press Secretary, Chukwudi Achife

3.    Report says Mubi has finally been taken over by the Nigerian troops, after weeks of Boko Haram occupation of the town. A coordinated air and land strike currently ongoing has reportedly set the town free from the hands of the insurgents.

4.  It was an unbelievable atmosphere in Enugu State on Friday as the burial ceremony of Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, the late son of former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo almost turned violent. Report says the corpse of the Governor’s son reportedly got missing following a family disagreement over where he should be buried.

5.     Report says over 4,520 delegates on Friday night pledged their support for Governor Kashim Shettima as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the 2015 Governorship elections in Borno State. The affirmation came after the party’s primary election that held on Friday evening at the Elkanemi Sports Centre in Maiduguri.

6.    In an effort to ensure that PDP holds its Primaries free of any form of rancour, Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, like his Enugu state counterpart, Governor Sullivan Chime withdrawn from the senatorial race. Report says he withdrew from the race after a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu; and the senator representing Delta South Senatorial District, James Manager.

7.      . Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has confirmed his acceptance of the one month suspension placed on him by the National Working Committee, NWC. He said he was ready to face the disciplinary Committee and state his own side of the story.

8.      Son of late Head of State, Mohammed Abacha , has vowed to take over the leadership of Kano state come 2015. He said he was confident that he will pick the Peoples Democratic Party governorship ticket in the State, despite the obvious popularity of the incubent Governor.

9.      Nigerian business man, Aliko Dangote has again been crowned as the Forbes Africa Person of the year- 2014. Those who lost to the top business man in the award were Thuli Madonsela, South Africa’s Public Protector, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian author, Arunma Oteh, Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria and Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank.

10.  Following his withdrawal from the PDP primaries in Benue State, there are indications that formal National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Banabas Gemade may be heading to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC. Report says his decision was to ensure that he contests for the Senatorial position in the state.