Ridoola's blog

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olabode George, has called on aggrieved members of the party to close rank for the benefit of the PDP. While urging the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to reach out to aggrieved persons, George also appealed to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to continue to show interest in the party’s affairs. George made his position known on Wednesday at a conference held at his residence in Ikoyi, Lagos. He also urged the party’s National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, to honour his promise and resign. He said Ayu had earlier promised to resign if the party’s presidential candidate emerges from the North. He said, “I aspired to serve as national chairman, but had to bury the ambition when it was not zoned to the South West, contrary to the expectation of party faithful in the region. “Ayu once said if the presidential candidate should emerge from the North, he will resign. I want to take on him for his word...

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday urged Nigerians to make the right choice during the 2023 general elections. He warned that making the wrong choice in the election may consume the nation. Obasanjo spoke as the special guest of honour at the Wilson Badejo Foundation’s 15th annual lecture with the theme, ‘Overcoming the twin challenge of poverty and insecurity in Nigeria’ held in Lagos. The former President expressed the hope that if the right choice was made in 2023, the nation may witness progress. “It is either we make the right choice in 2023 because if we make the right choice, we would get there. “However, if we do not make the right choice in 2023, things would consume us and we pray against that one. We must make the right choice in 2023,” Obasanjo said. He had earlier said that Nigeria has not taken its rightful position because of poverty and insecurity. He said, “Nigeria is not where it is supposed to be today. If anyone says it is ok where we are at the moment,...

Here are 5 people Ayo Fayose can settle for as running mate in 2019. Ekiti State Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose celebrates with supporters after announcing on September 28, 2017 that he will run in the next Nigerian General Elections in 2019 (AFP) Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State declared his intention to become Nigeria’s next president on Thursday, September 28, in the nation’s capital city of Abuja. During his declaration , Fayose promised to fix the nation’s broken healthcare system, revamp the country’s education sector and revive a faltering economy. Fayose is yet to settle for a Vice Presidential pick, but that’s exactly why we are here. Here are the five persons who could be on the same ticket with Peter ‘the Rock’ Fayose. 1. Ibrahim Dankwambo    Gombe State Governor Dankwambo   By most accounts, a dece...

APC wants Prof. Itse Sagay to respect the party's leadership.   Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described Professor Itse Sagay as a quintessential rogue elephant. Sagay was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to chair of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-corruption (PACAC). The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) has been in the news for accusing Nigerian lawmakers of sucking the country dry of its resources . In an interview with TheNation , Sagay described the leadership of the APC as weak and unprincipled . This did not go down with the ruling party. Reacting to Sagay’s comment, the APC national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi accused the PACAC chairman of describing President Buhari – who is the leader of the party – as weak. ...

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has said the Federal Government needs to shed weight and return powers and resources to the states. El-Rufai, who leads a 10-man APC Committee on true federalism, also argued for the devolution of powers and control of resources by the state government. Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State. (Guardian) The governor made this known on Thursday, September 21, 2017, while delivering a lecture on restructuring at Chatham House, London. The governor, who leads a 10-man All Progressives Congress Committee on true federalism, also argued for the devolution of powers and control of resources by the state government. El-Rufai said, “The APC set up a Committee on True Federalism to help give structure to the debate, remove the bile and bitterness colouring the matter and transform the discourse into a nation-building opportunity. “The preponderance of opinion is that the Federal Government needs to shed we...

FILE - In this March 8, 2015, file photo, Jimmy Kimmel arrives at the 32nd Annual Paleyfest : "Scandal" held at The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Kimmel said on Sept. 19, 2017, that Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy “lied right to my face” by going back on his word to ensure any health care overhaul passes a test the Republican lawmaker named for the late night host. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File) Jimmy Kimmel sharply criticized U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy on his late-night show, saying the Louisiana Republican "lied right to my face" by going back on his word to ensure any health care overhaul passes a test named for the host. Kimmel said that a health care bill co-sponsored by Cassidy fails the "Jimmy Kimmel test." The phrase was coined by Cassidy after Kimmel announced in May that his baby son, Billy, had surgery for a birth defect and argued that all American families should ...

Trump U.N. Speech Apparently Sent Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to Sleep President Donald Trump touched on many hot-button subjects during his 41-minute address at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday.    The U.S. president pontificated on the potential impending destruction of North Korea ; railed against Iran as a “rogue regime” and described the Venezuelan government as a “socialist dictatorship” and “corrupt regime” that had inflicted “terrible pain and suffering” on its people. But it seems that none of these topics was particularly engaging for Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe. The 93-year-old African leader—the world’s oldest serving head of state—appeared to try and catch up on sleep during Trump’s address. While Trump was speaking about how the United States “bears an unfair cost burden” for maintaining the U.N., a cutaway showed members of the Zimbabwean delegation in various st...

PM expects Cabinet agreement on Brexit despite Boris Johnson row Image: Theresa May insisted Boris Johnson is "doing good work" as Foreign Secretary At the UN General Assembly in New York, Mrs May expressed confidence the whole Cabinet will agree on her Brexit strategy, as she prepares for a major speech on the UK's EU departure later this week. Asked if she believed there will be unity at a special meeting of her top ministers before the speech, the Prime Minister said: "Yes, the Cabinet is absolutely clear about the destination we are aiming for in relation to our European negotiations." Mr Johnson's decision to pen an explosive 4,000-word newspaper article setting out his own Brexit blueprint prompted calls f...

Post-Brexit customs checks could cost £9bn a year, says report. Ship freight containers sit on Tilbury Dock on February 1, 2007 Ports must be ready to deal with customs declarations on day one of Brexit, the report warns The introduction of post-Brexit customs checks could cost traders up to £9bn a year, according to a think-tank report. The Institute for Government said in its study that the introduction of customs declarations will affect up to 180,000 traders who now operate only within the EU. Those traders face making customs declarations for the first time after Brexit, and the Government estimates an expected extra 200 million a year. Those declarations cost £20 to £45 each, the institute said, putting the total additional cost at £4bn to £9bn. Davis: We want 'slick' EU customs arrangements The Government wants to leave the EU customs union when it leaves the bloc in March 2019 - and it wants to negotiate a new relationship that wil...

Wike donates for APCs to Police. PORT HARCOURT— GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has strengthened the Rivers State Police Command with four Armoured Personnel Careers, APCs, to rid federal highways linking the state of criminals. Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike Governor Wike spoke, weekend, in Port Harcourt, noting that his administration had effectively supported the Police with logistics. Assuring that his government will continue to accord security matters top priority attention, Wike also called for state Police, saying it will improve the security situation in the country. He recalled that his administration had donated several patrol vehicles to the Police, adding “we have released four armoured personnel carriers to the Police as a way of strengthening their response capacity along roads outside Port Harcourt. “Because of the strong security network within Port Harcourt City, these criminals now operate on some routes outside Port Harcourt.”

Anti-Brexit marchers demand UK remains in EU Pro-EU demonstrators are seen with EU flags during the People. March for Europe against Brexit in central London on September 9, 2017. Image: Pro-EU demonstrators at the People's March for Europe against Brexit The rally in the centre of London was attended by at least 50,000 people according to its organisers. They gathered in Parliament Square to hear Sir Bob Geldof and former Liberal Democrat cabinet minister Sir Ed Davey talk about remaining within the European Union. The rally comes ahead of a Parliament vote on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill on Monday, which opponents have described as a "power grab" by the Government. Labour's shadow Brexit secretary, Sir Keir Starmer, said the bill amounted to an "affront to Parliament", a claim which Brexit secretary David Davis said was "cynical and unprincipled". David Davis makes a statement in the House of Commons about the Brexit bill Brexit Bill a ...

Tory donor hits out at 'hopeless' Theresa May Lord Harris says he's a "Conservative through and through" but suggests Britain would be better off under a Labour government. Image: Theresa May has 'changed her mind too many times', says Lord Harris Theresa May is a "hopeless" leader of a "weak" government and Britain would be better off with a young Tony Blair at the helm instead, a major Tory donor has said. Lord Harris of Peckham criticised the Prime Minister's "shell-shocked" performance at the General Election in which the Tories d...