Amnesty International has challenged the credibility of data cited by a senior UN official investigating oil-impacted sites in Ogoniland in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

FORMER President of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Professor Festus Iyayi, yesterday in Abuja, said that the appointment of Professor Atahiru Jega as Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was an accident of history as the same system known for manipulating elections would still manipulate the 2011 general elections

AGAINST recent media reports, the National Co-ordinator, Southern Mandate, and a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogor ward, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, Prince Alex Oyoro, has said that the party in the ward did not endorse the state Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, as its governorship candidate in the forthcoming governorship election.

THE Ogun State House of Assembly, yesterday alleged attempts by the Executive to bribe it with N1 billion to facilitate the passage of its request for approval of a N100 billion Bond.

Constitutional lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, yesterday approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, asking it to declare the allowances provided for members of the National Assembly in the Appropriation Act, 2010, illegal, unconstitutional and a quintessential abuse of the provisions of the 1999 constitution

FORMER Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, has dismissed reports he was planning to run with either Alhaji Atiku Abubakar or any other person as vice presidential candidate in the 2011 general elections

FORMER Senate Chief whip, Senator Rowland Owie, has faulted the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to use serving members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, for the 2011 general elections.

THE two-day state visit of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, to Rivers State nearly ended on a sour note, yesterday, when she publicly scolded the state Governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi for wanting to acquire more land in Okrika, her home town, for the expansion of a school project.

The Katsina State Government has denied a role in the circumstances that led to the cancellation of pro-Jonathan rally last weekend in the state capital.