NORTHERN and Southern delegates at the ongoing National Conference were sharply divided yesterday over the propriety of retaining the three-quarter benchmark stipulated for approving decisions at the conference.

The office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) on Thursday prayed an FCT High Court for more time to study the case file of Pastor Emmanuel Mathew charged with defilement.

Mr Chidi Lloyd, Majority Leader of the Rivers House of Assembly, was on Thursday discharged and acquitted by a High Court in Port Harcourt over a charge of attempted murder.

The search in the southern Indian Ocean for signs of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was suspended on Thursday due to bad weather.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said that all aircraft were returning to Perth and all ships were leaving the search area.

THE President inaugurated the National Conference in Abuja on Monday. By so doing, he has fulfilled another promise of “this nebulously packaged Transformation Agenda”. Another noise making gathering of the people has commenced. It shall produce nothing except the desires and wishes of the man who singled out everyone that is qualified to be member, and that is the President himself.

IN their efforts to take the gains of the Federal Government amnesty programme for Niger Delta militants to the grassroots, former militants are now taking the non-violence philosophy to primary and secondary schools in the region

EGBEMA for Positive Change, EPC, in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, has appealed to Egbema Radical Change, ERC, the Ijaw group which admitted blowing up the Dibi pipeline, operated by Chevron Nigeria Limited, last week, to give government time to address their grievances

Fifty-one lawmakers that defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, persuaded the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to suspend judgment on a suit they entered before it with a view to stopping their former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from declaring their seats vacant

Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC, has condemned exclusion of Igbo youths from the list of delegates to the National Conference, blaming it on unwillingness of spent Igbo elders to allow young elements play leadership role in the region.

ELECTIONS present the best opportunities for candidates to say the worst things about their opponents. Threats and counter threats appear to be the only selling points of most candidates. We are seeing more threats as people jostle for space in the governorship elections in Ekiti (June) and Osun (August).