After several weeks of consultations, the committee set up by the Northern Political Leaders Forum, NPLF, to choose a consensus candidate from amongst former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, serial National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau (rtd) and Kwara State Governor, Bukola Abubakar Saraki, is expected to finally announce its choice this week – barring any last minute disequilibrium. Therefore, this report takes you through the bumpy road to picking that candidate and why the assignment was not a tea party.

FOR members of the Cocoa Association of Nigeria in Ogun State, it is time for a showdown with the Ogun State Government over the latter’s unilateral and arbitrary increase in the fees and levies to be paid by the produce merchants.

This report takes a critical look at the high stakes, intra party power play between presidential contenders across the political divide and concludes that what delegates may be presented with may just be a fiat accompli. It also reveals the real reasons why senators shot down the amendment proposal for Electoral Act, 2010. The question: How would a choreographed political party convention further the cause of democracy, or the one man, one vote mantra?

This is an insight into the diabolic movement of arms and ammunition from Asia to Nigeria and for possible onward shipment to a final destination, the attempt by the importer’s agent to evade detection and why implications for a country that has just been de-listed as a country of interest by the United States of America over last December’s attempted bombing of an airliner by a Nigerian, Farouk Abdulmutallab.

THE Minister of Finance, Mr. Olusegun Aganga stirred the hornet’s nest through a circular addressed to the Comptroller General, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Managing Director of Global Scan Systems Limited, Chief Liaison Officer, SGS Nigeria Limited and Managing Director Cotecna Inspection Limited.