ALARMED by seeming soaring popularity of his main opponent in the March 28 presidential election, President Goodluck Jonathan may have decided to personally coordinate his campaigns for the strategic election, which has already drawn global attention.

In furtherance of the ongoing military onslaught to rout Boko Haram terrorists from the North-East, Special Forces of the Nigerian Military, aided by the Air Force and Chadian troops, yesterday, pounded the Sambisa forest headquarters of the sect, killing 117 terrorists and arresting the Amir (Commander) of the sect. This came as Gwoza, which had become their new training base, was not spared.

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, yesterday, told the Senate that only the service chiefs could guarantee the sanctity of the rescheduled polls in view of the security challenges facing the country.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, released details of the Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs collection rate, showing that 75.94% of registered voters across the country have taken delivery of the crucial voting material.

A mixture of relief and raging indignation swept through the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, after former President Olusegun Obasanjo publicly tore his membership card of the ruling party.

Meanwhile, it was learned at the weekend that the Presidency and the Peoples Democracy Party, PDP, have decided to pull back from earlier plans to sanction Obasanjo over his perceived anti-party activities. Besides, there were indications that Obasanjo’s support among some northern governors, who deferred to him in the past, may be waning. One serving northern governor in the PDP known as an Obasanjo associate, weekend, flayed the former president for crossing the line in his attacks on the president and party.

Two days after he spoke against President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election in London, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, now at home, attacked the President, yesterday, accusing him of a hidden agenda over the 2015 polls.

Specifically, Obasanjo alleged that Jonathan was engaged in do-or-die politics.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, reiterated its readiness for the forthcoming general elections even as strong pressures were brought on its National Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega by contending forces at the National Council of State, NCS, to shift the polls by six weeks.

Ahead of today’s National Council of State meeting, All Progressives Congress, APC, governors were, yesterday, mobilizing to fend off pressures to use the platform to push forward agitations for the postponement of this month’s scheduled elections.

Elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, yesterday, said he was disappointed at the call by former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma (ret), that former Niger Delta militants should be arrested and prosecuted for warning that there would be war if President Goodluck Jonathan loses the presidential election on February 14. He said that Danjuma should have condemned the attacks on Jonathan in several states in the North instead of calling for the arrest of the ex-militants.

Former Defence Minister, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (Ret), has called for the arrest of Asari Dokubo, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, General Boyloaf and others over recent war threats by the ex-Niger Delta militants.

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari (Ret), yesterday, insisted that his academic certificates were submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which were duly acknowledged by the Legal Department of the commission, wondering why people were still making issues of it.

STRONG indications emerged that the cold war between a political godfather and his son has reared its head again, following accusations and counter accusations between Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Senator Bala Mohammed. Their disagreement followed the governor’s claim that the minister hired thugs that stoned the president’s convoy in Bauchi last Thursday.

TWENTY-Four hours after US Secretary of State, John Kerry met President Goodluck Jonathan and former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, pledging his country’s determination to work with Nigeria and other countries to end activities of the Boko Haram terrorists, the Israeli media, yesterday, revealed that the US stopped Nigeria’s purchase of Chinook military helicopters from Israel to fight Boko Haram.

The National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki in London, yesterday, suggested postponement of this year’s national elections by three months to enable the Independent National Election Commission, INEC, distribute the Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, to about 30 million Nigerians who were yet to obtain the cards.