MR Sunny Onuesoke, a former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship aspirant in Delta State, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to introduce on-line voter registration exercises in the country.

Management of Union Bank of Nigeria, UBN, Plc, yesterday said its domestic branch of Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, ASSBIFI, affiliated Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Union Bank Association of Senior Staff, UBASS, were not proscribed, but merely de-recognised because they were not registered trade unions in accordance with the law.

AS elections draw near, it is clear that the contest for the office of governor of Yobe State will be fought in the main by the ruling All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Both parties have already conducted their primaries and have returned Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam and Senator Usman Albishir, respectively as their candidates.

IT was a reverse flight: While Tunisian General, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was fleeing his country after a quarter of a century dictatorship, former Haitian dictator, Claude Duvalier alias Baby Doc was returning after 25 years in exile.

WITH President Jonathan’s swift annihilation of opponents in the recent PDP presidential primary contest, it is important to review the road we have travelled, in order to have a fairly clear idea of our destination. We must start from the Igbo country, if only because charity should always begin at home.

THE Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, governorship flag bearer in the April 2011 election in Delta State, Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege, has called on all well meaning and patriotic people of the state to participate fully in the ongoing voters registration exercise.

NO chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had a more turbulent time than Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo. None went through the humiliations that resulted in his forced resignation on Wednesday. He was to be sacked.

President Goodluck Jonathan, American President, Barak Obama, and British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, are among the 40 heads of state and governments from around the world who have indicated interest in attending the series of a year-long programme that has been lined up for the celebration of the 50th Jubilee National Day and 20th Liberation Anniversary of the State of Kuwait.

THE Presidential Advisory Council, PAC, yesterday, expressed concern over the increasing high cost of governance and advised President Goodluck Jonathan to reduce the number of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs.

IT is exactly seven days since the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC began the much expected compilation of fresh voters’ list in 120,000 polling units across the country.

The PDP Musical Chair

The position of National Chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is indeed an original illustration of the fabled “Musical Chair”. In a little over twelve years of existence of the Party, no less than seven National Chairmen have presided over its affairs. After the founding and interim chairman, Dr Alex Ekwueme, the post was zoned to the North Central when General Olusegun Obasanjo emerged as the presidential candidate of the party in February 1999.

What informed the decision of the Action Congress of Nigeria to choose Malam Nuhu Ribadu as the consensus presidential candidate of the party for April elections?

In August last year, our party decided to migrate from using the old hands and resolved to make use of the youths. That was why we encouraged the youths to pick our forms for the elections. We felt that the youth of this country have been denied the opportunity to be in the forefront in the political life. So, we wanted them to be able to come forward and showcase their stuff.

How well-spread is your activity in the federal constituency?

One thing I promised my constituents before the election was that a project must be set up in each community before the expiration of my tenure. We are determined to achieve it. But you should not forget that I’ve just spent only 2½ years because of the funny manipulation that happened immediately after our primaries in 2007.

A reputable philosopher, Jean Jacques Rousseau, opined that “patience is bitter but its fruits are sweet”. Although majority of philosophers differ in their analysis on how trust can be sustained, the consensus is that trust is vital for the survival of social interactions or relationship.

For Nigeria to climb out of the socio-economic, political and development abyss, Nigerians must elect credible leaders at the 2011 polls, Presidential Candidate of the National Transformation Party, NTP, Hon John Dara and National Chairman of the party, Hon. Emmanuel Mok, have said.