by Kemisola Filani

Did you miss President Goodluck Jonathan’s meeting with some 5,000 Nigerian youth in Lagos on Sunday night? Well, worry not, we got you covered.

The event tagged “Meet The President” was organized by PVC which stands for Participate, Vote, Country – a group of Nigerian young professionals, businessmen, entrepreneurs and civil society groups committed to mobilizing public action for national development and youth participation in politics.

The formal session started at 7:30pm, all the accredited participants of the meeting were given unique numbers with which they were called to ask questions.

Artistes, Oritsefemi, Seyi Shay, Mo’Cheddah, Orezi, Sean Tizzle were the performers for the night.

The compere Toyin Aimakhu put up quite an hilarious performance. One of her memorable statements of the night was “I can die for PDP” and she kept referring to GEJ as ‘Daddy’.  She further cracked some jokes that got attendees laughing out loud.

Another notable performance was Sean Tizzle who paid homage to the Commander in Chief and later threw all his blings, golden accessories to the audience.

Some notable guests and celebrities at the event:

Former governor Gbenga Daniel and Ondo state Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

Asari Dokubo (but of-course)

Daddy Showkey

Cross section of guests:

The post GEJ’s Shoki dance, Toyin Aimakhu’s ‘I will die for PDP’ chant, Sean Tizzle’s bling… and everything you missed from last night’s #MeetThePresident event (PHOTOS) appeared first on YNaija.

by Ikechukwu Orji

Jonathan has refused to go after those who are squandering our patrimony. Corruption is rampant and he is pretending that all is well. You cannot be a follower of Christ and allow evil to run rampant around you.

It was Mahatma Gandhi who said he admired Christ not Christians. I guess he said this to remind people that most Christians are definitely not Christ-like. One cannot  claim to be a Christian when his attitude is opposite of the principle that we are called to live by.   There is no middle ground in this race. It is either you are living like Christ or you are a pretender. People like pretending to be what they are not. It is for this reason that one writer defined hypocrisy as a tribute that vice pays to virtue.

There is absolutely nothing Christ-like in President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. His policies are harsh towards the common man. He has done absolutely nothing for the poor of the land. Rather, he has done a lot to favour the rich and eminent personalities. Any true Christian knows that God loves the poor and is earnestly seeking to do them good. He is seriously looking for those to use to render service to the poor. It can only take a wicked man to increase the prices of petroleum products on a New Year day thereby causing immense hardship to numerous poverty stricken citizens.  Any government that is anti poor is anti God.

Jonathan has refused to go after those who are squandering our patrimony. Corruption is rampant and he is pretending that all is well. You cannot be a follower of Christ and allow evil to run rampant around you. How long can we continue this dance of death? How long are we going to allow these men from the forest of thousand demons to continue to desecrate our land? It is about time we chased them away. We need discipline and decorum in governance. And that is what Muhammadu Buhari is about.

Buhari is everything that Jonathan is not. He is disciplined, painstaking and has a visceral dislike for corruption. He has promised to confront corruption and he is just about the only politician that has the credential to do that. He has done it before and he will do it again. The man cares passionately for the poor of the land and wants to do his bit to help them. Buhari is not a drunk and he is not in the business of running around with other people’s wives. As a Head of State, 11 out of 19 Ministers appointed by him were Christians.

Buhari showed leadership when a dangerous Islamic sect known as Maitatsine threatened our peace. He refused to register Nigeria as a member of the Organization of Islamic Countries and banned government sponsorship of pilgrimages to Mecca. It is a well- known fact that his personal aides and domestic workers are mostly Christians and under him no one was victimized on the basis of religion.  It is on record that Jonathan is the first President to lead Nigerian delegation to the Organization of Islamic Countries in February 2013. He has spent an average of $14 billion on 26, 000 Haji pilgrims annually from 2010. From all ramifications, Buhari has more Christian qualities than Jonathan.

Buhari’s government will focus on building a society that would begin to move the powers of a smothering federal government back to states and local government. Government will be closer to the people and better aware of their real needs and wants. APC as party is open and beckoning to a majority of Nigerians not because we are handing out goodies to people but because we have a better proposal for them and their families.

As a transformational leader, Buhari is sure of what he wants happen and is extraordinarily strong-willed about it. He has one thing in mind instead of a variety of passing impulses. He wants a society full of opportunities. In short, the key to a successful transformational leader is to keep your eyes focused on your goals. And the people’s general has a knack for ignoring unproductive criticism and feels neither threatened nor moved by it. He is not one of such politicians that display so much pettiness and hostility that is simply not productive. Surely, Nigeria will be better under him.

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- Ikechukwu Orji is a Media Consultant and Journalist.

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

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by Kolapo Olapoju

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO), has alleged that the All Progressives Congress, (APC) spent N5 billion for the appearance of its Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) at the Chatham House in London last Thursday.

While describing the event as a ‘jamboree and monumental failure’, the PDP said it was an event designed by the APC to hoodwink Nigerians.

According to Fani-Kayode, the APC presidential candidate was not originally scheduled to appear at Chatham House, but it was a last minute arrangement, aimed at diverting the attention of Nigerians and the world from the fact that the trip to London was mainly to seek medical attention and care.

Here are the facts as stated by the Peoples Democratic Party:

1. “Buhari’s appearance at Chatham House was a last-minute decoy to divert the attention of Nigerians and the whole world from the fact that his trip to London was mainly to seek medical attention and care. The point we are making is that General Buhari was not originally scheduled to go to Chatham House but in order to divert attention from the real purpose of the trip, the Chatham House speaking engagement was hurriedly put in place.”
2. “The information at our disposal indicate that no less than N5 billion was budgeted for the London jamboree. This amount was wasted on General Buhari’s Chatham House speaking engagement, numerous foreign consultants, air tickets for the huge delegation, the contingent of governors, hotels bills, the purchase and renting of vehicles and other logistics. We challenge the APC and its leaders to contradict this information.”
3. “There are some interesting facts about the Chatham House outing that Nigerians should know. The event was organised only two days before it took place and well after Buhari had arrived in London. The questions that were asked were given to him two days before the event and the answers were prepared for him and given to him to rehearse. The programme lasted for only 55 minutes and only five questions, which were all planted, were asked.”
4, “The people in the Hall were sponsored. 1,500 persons applied to attend the function but only 200 were allowed in. The audience was carefully selected. The APC mobilised many students from the Republic of Ireland, who were all on scholarship courtesy of the Rivers State Government, to embark on a pro-Buhari rally outside the Chatham House. The students were threatened that their scholarships would be withdrawn if they refused to participate in the rally. This was the show of shame that General Buhari has got himself involved in. Sadly Chatham House offered its prestigious platform to sell a bad product to the world. The APC leaders begged for the speaking engagement and we are reliably informed that they paid for it.”
5. “The ‘arrangee’ Chatham House event is another ploy, like the purported London interview, to hoodwink Nigerians and prevent General Buhari from debating in Nigeria. But we insist, General Buhari must debate in Nigeria. As a party, we are happy over this latest development as it will no longer give Buhari any excuse not to debate when he returns to Nigeria. The APC no longer has any hiding place, but to put General Buhari through a similar coaching course like in the UK, to debate in our beloved country on any media of choice with our candidate, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.”
6. “We would also like to take this opportunity to touch on some aspects of General Buhari’s Chatham House speech. From the contents of the speech it is clear that General Buhari has now admitted to the fact that ”democracy is a journey”. It is a pity that it has taken General Buhari 31 years to admit this and voice it. This is something that any educated leader ought to have known right from the start but General Buhari is different and is clearly lacking in that department. If he could have appreciated that point 31 years ago, he would not have betrayed his own Commander-in-Chief, President Shehu Shagari (who was a democratically elected President), removed him in a coup d’etat and taken his seat. Yet General Buhari now appears to have seen the light. Read him: “It is globally agreed that democracy is not an event, but a journey. And that the destination of that journey is democratic consolidation – that state where democracy has become so rooted and so routine and widely accepted by all actors.”
7. “We are glad that Buhari is now saying the right things but sadly it is too little and too late. The fact of the matter is that he went ahead to truncate that democratic journey and took Nigerians through the darkest period of the most primitive and barbaric form of military rule. If he were in South America or Pakistan he would have been either jailed or hung for what he did to the Nigerian people 31 years ago. He would have been asked to account for every drop of blood that was spilt and every violation of civil liberties and human rights that took place under his watch. We are surprised that General Buhari, after admitting that he is personally responsible for the atrocities of his military dictatorship, failed to use the opportunity of his procured appearance at Chatham House to apologise for his past role as a coup plotter, a promulgator of retroactive decrees and a brutal and unconscionable despot. We challenge him to tell Nigerians and the international community anything tangible that he has done in the last 31 years to consolidate democracy in Nigeria. Can General Buhari give what he does not have? Can he come to power through the ballot box after taking it through the barrel of a gun?”
8. “Despite this boldfaced attempt to hoodwink the international community, the lying APC and their malodorous and lying spokesman Mr. Lai (or is it Lie?) Mohammed, failed to adequately brief General Buhari, who could not help but display his poor grasp of the issues in Nigeria. Specifically, General Buhari goofed when he said at Chatham House that he would draw foreign investors to Nigeria. If the APC and General Buhari were in sane and in their right senses, they would have known that, under President Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria has become one of the most preferred destinations for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the world.”
9. “We are happy that General Buhari admitted that under President Jonathan, Nigeria is now the largest economy in Africa with a GDP now valued at $510 billion and economy rated 26th in the world. He also admitted that “on the bright side, inflation has been kept at single digit for a while and our economy has grown at an average for about a decade. This is the first time General Buhari has admitted that anything good is happening in Nigeria under the watch of President Jonathan. General Buhari, however, lied when he said that the Jonathan administration “has created two economies…one economy for a few who have so much in their tiny island of prosperity; and the other economy for the many who have so little in their vast ocean of misery.” General Buhari should have gone further by naming those he knows who live in “their tiny island of prosperity” and who are bankrolling his presidential campaign, having told the whole world that he paid N27 million for his nomination form through a bank loan.”
10. “Regrettably, General Buhari failed to admit the fact that but for the menace of terrorism which he and his party tactically support, our economy would have grown even faster and done even better. It is on record that every effort being made by President Jonathan and our gallant Armed Forces to combat the terrorists and arrest the scourge has always met a stiff opposition from the APC and General Buhari. They were against emergency rule in the north-eastern states and the proscription of the Boko Haram sect. The APC and its leaders have never deemed it fit to commend our military. This is simply due to the fact that without APC, there will be no Boko Haram and without Boko Haram there will be no APC. The two are linked and their relationship is like the relationship that existed between the IRA and Sinn Fein. One feeds off the other.”

The post APC spent N5 billion for their ‘arrangee’ Chatham House event – PDP explains in 10 points appeared first on YNaija.

by Priye Diri

Do not fall in love with me, I will make you feel the rain.

Do not fall in love with me, I will make the oceans run to you.

Do not fall in love with me, You will feel the waves call out your name.

Do not fall in love with me, You will the feel the sun shine on you so brightly the energy it brings will be your driving force.

Do not fall in love with me, I have multiple demons, they don’t like to see me happy.

Do not fall in love with me, the moon will be your delight and Flowers they will be your saving grace.

Do not fall in love with me, I will let you ride in my soul, I will be a part of you.

Do not fall in love with me, your laughter will be my ring tone and your smile my screen saver.

But

When we fall out of love like always,

When you stop being my cheer of mind, I will walk away…

You will hate nature of course, because it brings back memories of me.

You will detest the dark nights, Rhythm and blues will bring frustrations to you.

You will hate poetry and poets, and think of me as wrecking your heart.

But

When you are awake at 3am, I know you will be,

I will be awake also, painting you into my notebooks.

Because,

The energy you brought to me, was more real than,

what I brought to you and,

My Love that is why I left…

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– Priye Diri Is  a writer who believes in miracles. A film rookie. She tweets from @KingPriyeDiri_

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

The post Priye Diri: Do not fall in love with me (Poetry) appeared first on YNaija.

by Azubuike Azikiwe

National and state assembly aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Anambra State, have threatened to defect to another political party if their party fails to refund them the nomination and screening fees paid before the controversial primaries of last year.

The aspirants, who failed to secure the party’s ticket for the March 28 and April 11 elections, have warned that they will leave the ruling party with their supporters, if they are not promptly re-imbursed.

The aspirants, operating as ‘PDP Aspirants Forum, Anambra State chapter, said they were demanding refund of their money because there were no primaries conducted by the party, adding that those being put forward as candidates of the party in the state had declared themselves winners.

A statement issued by the chairman of the steering committee of the aspirants’ forum, Chukwuemeka Orjiakor and secretary, Godwin Uchime, expressed regret that despite the fact that the leadership of the party knew that there were no primaries, they went ahead to pocket the money paid by the aspirants and pretended as if nothing happened.

The statement read: “PDP has submitted names of those it felt had deep pockets as the candidates for the senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly in the three senatorial zones of the state.”

“Those who were given tickets were predetermined by the PDP. Even though the nomination forms were bought for N4.5 million for senate, N2.5 million for House of Representatives and N1.2 million for House of Assembly, with our contact addresses, we are shocked that PDP has not deemed it proper to invite the aspirants for a meeting to take a decision on the matter.”

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by Kolapo Olapoju

The National Human Rights Commission as well as some groups under the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room have called for an investigation into alleged rigging of the June 21 governorship elections of Ekiti by some politicians and military personnel.

The audio recording captured the voices of the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose; ex-Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro; Brig.-Gen. Aliyu Momoh, who was in charge of the election; Osun PDP governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore; and Minister for Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan, in a meeting where they were heard giving instructions to the military for the benefit of the PDP.

In a communiqué the groups issued after a recent meeting by the groups, they described the allegation as ‘serious’, while also calling for an immediate ‘credible, independent and impartial’ investigation into the matter.

The communiqué was jointly signed by the Chairman, NHRC, Chidi Odinkalu; and Head, the CSO Situation Room, Clement Nwankwo. The groups stated that there was an urgent need to investigate the allegations in the interest of credibility of forthcoming elections and also the credibility of the military as an institution.

The NHRC and the CSOs pointed out the need for “protection of the independence, impartiality and credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission as the body constitutionally entrusted with responsibility for organising elections in Nigeria.”

The communique read in part: “The allegations concerning the role of certain senior political and military personnel in the Ekiti governorship election are serious; and it is in the interest of the credibility of Nigeria’s election system and of all persons and institutions associated with these allegations that there should be a credible, independent and impartial investigation of these allegations without further delay.”

“The CSO Situation Room and the NHRC expressed shared concern about the tone and what appears to be the willingness of the leading political parties to turn the role of the security agencies in the 2015 general elections into a partisan issue and agreed to work together to protect the professionalism and neutrality of all security units or institutions to be deployed for the elections.”

“Accordingly, the CSO Situation Room and the NHRC have agreed to establish a joint Technical Working Group to work together in developing clear Rules of Engagement together with Protocols for monitoring compliance by security agencies (including the police, military, internal security or para-military units) that may be deployed for election duties in the 2015 general elections. The working group shall report not later than the March 10, 2015.”

“The Situation Room and the NHRC called for politicians from across the political divide to close ranks in protecting and defending the credibility of the electoral system.”

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by Kolapo Olapoju

The United Kingdom is believed to be withholding intelligence information regarding the abduction of over 200 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram from Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State, on April 14, 2014.

According to the British government, revealing details of its discovery on the location of the abducted girls would strain its relationship with Nigeria and other allies.

This was arrived at after a UK-based group, Security in Africa, wrote the British Ministry of Defence to request for information on the Chibok girls.

Founder of the group, Ben Oguntala said: “The information was sent on January 30 this year and the UK government has 20 days to comply. They do have a defence of national security and that would prevent them from disclosing the information. Let’s hope they don’t. If they rely on national security defence, we can raise the matter with the Information Commissioner’s office to determine if their claim of national security is reasonable.”

In his letter, he requested from the UK government to know the “results and reports of the British Armed Forces, the details of where they searched and the results of their findings. We also seek to have the details of the technology, technique or methodology used in the search and the consequential results.”

However, a response letter from the MOD’s Permanent Joint Headquarters in Middlesex, dated February 25, the British government said some of the information requested by the group “falls entirely within the scope of the qualified exemption provided for at section 27 (International Relations) of the FOIA and has been withheld.”

It said: “Section 27 is a qualified exemption and is subject to public interest testing which means that the information requested can only be withheld if the public interest in doing so outweighs the public interest in disclosure.”

“Section 27(1)(a), (1)(c) and (2) have been applied because some of the information has the potential to adversely affect relations with our allies. The Public Interest Test concluded that whilst release would increase public understanding and confidence in the relation the United Kingdom has with other international states in its assistance with operations, the balance of the public interest lay in withholding the information you desire.”

“We have considered it necessary to apply the higher level of prejudice against release of the exempted information at the higher level of ‘would’ rather than ‘would be likely to’ adversely affect relations with our allies.”

The British defence ministry stated that it would not release the details of where the UK soldiers searched and the results of their findings, but however, shared details of the “technology, technique or methodology” used in the search.

Apparently unimpressed by the UK government’s stance, Oguntala said his group would approach the British Prime Minister to “reveal what he can about the Chibok girls.”

He said: “I have had several persons suggesting that I drop the matter and claiming Boko Haram is being used by political players. This information request approach means if the British government declares what it knows, there will be no place for Nigerian political players to hide.”

The post The UK has information about Chibok girls’ location but can’t share it because… appeared first on YNaija.

by Pelumi Oyetimein

This year’s Mobile World Congress has just started and we are already beginning to enjoy it. From Huawei’s Smart Watch announcement to HTC’s One M9 release, it’s been cool so far.

What’s even cooler is Samsung announce of two flagship devices at the same time – the much anticipated Samsung Galaxy S6 and it’s edged-screen sibling – the S6 Edge.

Side view – Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

They both sport 16MP rear camera and 5MP front camera, 3GB DDR4 RAM and will be available in 20 countries in white, black, gold and blue colours from April 10. The screen is 5.1 inches Quad HD at 577ppi and also sport quad core processors while the chassis is made from metal, a first for Samsung’s flagships.

Back view – Samsung Galaxy S6

One very noticeable difference is a lack of expandable memory and non-removable battery which Samsung says is fine since it charges faster than the iPhone 6 and also supports wireless charging. The devices will be available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB internal memory sizes.

Gold version – Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

It will come with the new Android Lollipop.

The post Meet the new Samsung S6 and S6 Edge – they’re simply awesome! (WATCH) appeared first on YNaija.

It is a fact that unless in a divided Nigeria, no Igbo man or woman would become President of Nigeria immediately after Jonathan finishes in 2019.

The post Opinion: Who should the Igbos vote for? appeared first on YNaija.

by Mark Bassey

There was little or no surprise, as Arsene Wenger announced his team to play Everton on Sunday.

Following the Gunners’ abject display against Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday, the Frenchman rang the changes for this Premier League tie.

He chose to persist with compatriot Olivier Giroud, who went on to open scoring in the first half. But another notable ommission was Per Mertesacker.

The Big German was dreadful against the Ligue 1 side and was culpable for at least the first two goals.

Gabriel Paulista started against the Toffees. Save for the first few minutes when he was taken aback by the intensity of games in England, he was quick and composed alongside Laurent Koscielny in the centre of defence.

“I think it could be a defining moment in changing Arsenal’s back four now, for sure,” former Arsenal defender Martin Keown told BT Sport.

“Mertesacker, with the experience he has in the game, should have been calling these young players back the other night, the two full-backs were just drifting up the pitch and not coming back.

“When he’s been left isolated one-on-one he struggles due to his lack of pace too. Gabriel is keen to defend so he’ll be relishing this opportunity to stamp a claim for a first-team spot.”

When Wenger take his men across town to Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday, one can expect to see the Brazillian start again.

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by Wilfred Okiche

As the annual #YNaijaPowerList enters its 4^th year, we bring you the most influential young Nigerians under 40 who are challenging the norms, and excelling in the media space. From a blogging titan showing no signs of slowing down, to a television anchor with 4 shows to his name, these are the guys who matter the most.

Ayeni Adekunle

Adekunle is the founder of the popular netng.com, an influential entertainment portal that on its very good days, could be likened to the Variety of the Nigerian media space. As a PR practitioner and CEO of the Black House Media group, Adekunle has leveraged on his journalist background to create vitalised ad campaigns for some high profile clients. BHM last year created the first Nigerian PR mobile and desktop application.

Chamberlain Usoh, Maupe Ogun and Suleiman Aledeh

Also known as television’s formidable trio, Usoh, Ogun and Aledeh are undoubtedly, the biggest attraction of morning television. Channels television’s Sunrise Daily is the most influential breakfast show and the chemistry and professionalism that this trio of presenters bring to the screen is a major factor responsible for the show’s continuous appeal and endurance. Usoh’s quiet forcefulness, Ogun’s probing determination and Aledeh’s smooth but hard hitting style are a match made in tv heaven.

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu

As host of Rubbin’ Minds, the number 1 youth centred television programme in the country, Obi-Uchendu is king. That is a long way from his days as pin up boy and reality television star. Obi-Uchendu sits with the biggest stars and trendiest newsmakers and is able to get them to dish as much as he wants them too. He is also a regular feature on Ebony Life television where he co-hosts the magazine show, The Spot as well as the political show, Naija Politics. He was recently signed on as brand ambassador for telecoms giant Etisalat.

Ik Osakioduwa                                              

IK Osakioduwa has become synonymous with Big Brother Africa, the reality television show he has been hosting since 2009 when he replaced South Africa’s Kabelo. Received in over 40million homes as BBA host, it is no surprise that Osakioduwa’s asking price as events compere quickly skyrocketed such that only major gigs like the AMVCAs and Lagos Countdown can afford his services. When he isn’t in SA, this former Wildchild works as an OAP on Radio’s Rhythm 93.7 and his recently commissioned talk show, Highlites with IK on Africa Magic.

Linda Ikeji               

Everyone and their mother visits the Linda Ikeji blogspot and there is no longer any reason to lie about it. What started out as a random gossip column has become the most important online medium for breaking news, exclusives and human behaviour profiling. When Ikeji’s blogspot was taken down by Google last year due to copyright infringement complaints, not a few persons wondered what to do with their lives. Ikeji rebounded in spectacular style and managed to come out of the debacle even more popular. And powerful. All hail the queen

Mfonobong Nsehe

When you write for Forbes, the world’s unimpeachable authority on all things rich and wealthy, you instantly have some clout. When you cover the African region and your brief is to profile the lifestyles of the continent’s rich and famous, then said clout is multiplied fourfold. Nsehe boasts of access to Africa’s movers and grinders, the kind that many journalists can only dream about and when the fiscal year is done, he submits the definitive rich list.

Seun Okin

Thanks to Seun Okinbaloye’s impeccable grasp of his onions and sterling performance as host of Channels television’s Politics Today, the weekend show has become popular among both politically inclined Nigerians and the politicians in the news. Okin’s bullish but professional methods have attracted the biggest names in today’s politics- from federal ministers to state governors. Everyone talks to Seun Okin.

Tolu Ogunlesi

Presently serving as West African Editor of the Africa Report, Ogunlesi has written for every publication that matters. From Forbes to FAB, The Huffington Post to Punch, the graduate of Pharmacy from the University of Ibadan is indeed one of the most influential and prolific journalists working out of Africa. His investigative work is always stellar and his opinion pieces can be trusted to start a conversation online, especially on Twitter, where he engages his over 100,000 followers.

Toyosi Ogunseye

Ogunseye became one of the youngest editors of a major newspaper when she was promoted to editor of the Sunday Punch. She may be tasked with preparing the weekly but she still finds time to churn out powerful features like her 3-part piece on the impact of gases released by a steel company on an upscale estate in Lagos state which won her her second CNN/Multichoice African journalist of the year trophy, this time in the Environment category.

Uzodinma Iweala

Uzodinma Iweala, editor of Ventures magazine is the product of the union between a Harvard trained Economist and a prominent neurosurgeon so it is comes as no surprise that he has emerged a high flyer in his own right. A critically acclaimed author and physician, he makes this list because of his work with Ventures magazine which has become an influential voice in African reportage. Ventures has uncovered millionaires in places Forbes wouldn’t dare to look and challenges the global leader for authority on the African market space.

The post #YNaijaPowerList: Linda Ikeji, Ayeni Adekunle, Toyosi Ogunseye, Mfonobong Nsehe… See the most powerful young people in media appeared first on YNaija.

by Anike Jacobs

The post Armed robbers kill hotel manager in Lagos (PICTURED) appeared first on YNaija.

by Anike Jacobs

The post Actors, Rita Dominic, Omoni Oboli, Segun Arinze, others were also at #MeetThePresident (PHOTOS) appeared first on YNaija.

by Iyobosa Omergie

The Benue Police Command on Monday arrested 50 candidates of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for violent protests and stoning of security officials.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Hycinth Dagala, said the police intervened to prevent breakdown of law and order when the candidates started throwing stones at JAMB officials.

According to him, the stones injured one of the security guards and a police officer attached to the office.

“The candidates numbering over 300 today approached the JAMB Zonal Office in Makurdi and demanded their print-outs.

“The JAMB officials pleaded with them to come back after one hour for their JAMB slips, but that they refused and started throwing stones at the officials and security operatives.

“They injured one police officer, a security guard and some women who were selling food around the office and also burnt tyres on the road,” the commissioner said.

Dagala said the police rushed to the scene and arrested 50 of the protesters in order to calm the situation.

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by Ugo Okeke

It is heartbreaking that we the Igbos have become politically irrelevant and directionless. No one is interested in articulating an agenda that will move the zone forward.

I visited my ancestral home, Ufuma in Anambra state this past weekend, and once again realised that a lot of Igbos haven’t moved past the bigoted notion they have towards the APC and its candidates.

It was so bad that I almost got cursed by elders in my community when I said the APC and Buhari have a chance of ruling the country come May 29th. They said, ‘How can you claim to be a son of the soil and be supporting that Yoruba party?’

My discussion with the elders and even educated youths revealed that many people from my home town neither support Buhari nor the All Progressives Congress.

Questions that ended up running through my mind were: What is the Igbo agenda in the current political dispensation? Who are those articulating it? Why are Ndigbo reluctant to engage the wind of change currently blowing in the country? What is their reason for the fixation with the status quo?

Many of the people masquerading as Igbo leaders are individuals of questionable character preoccupied with only pecuniary objectives.

The educated youths who even agreed that the current administration had performed below expectation swore that they would rather continue with this administration than vote for the opposition which they see as the enemy.

What crossed my mind after the rants from my village elders and youth was that many have not moved past the hurt from the civil war.

Yes, it is an important part of our national history but isn’t it about time we moved on? Could it be the main reason to like or hate Buhari and the northerners? So, what about Olusegun Obasanjo? What about the Ijaws who took over our abandoned properties in Port Harcourt?

To my mind, and the minds of many young Igbo men, the Ijaw, who colluded with other majority tribes and benefited mostly in the acquisition of properties and wealth in Port Harcourt from a tribe lying helplessly prostrate from a civil war, committed a greater atrocity towards the Igbos.

The Yorubas recently came out to declare that they would not waste their votes for anyone without demanding something in return. Have the Igbo made any similar declaration? What have they gotten from the PDP for the past 16 years to continue to ‘dash’ them votes?

Will the Ijaw presidency guarantee a national redress on the injustice of the civil war and the abandoned property saga? Will President Jonathan, as an Ijaw, a ethnic group that orchestrated and benefited from the abandoned property saga, compensate the Igbo the same way he has guaranteed amnesty to the Niger Delta militants?

Have Ndigbo asked for all of these, especially since a continued support for the south south may jeopardise fresh investments in wealth acquisition in places like Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Maiduguri, Jos, Bauchi, Zaria, Ibadan, Lagos, Abeokuta and Lokoja?

You will recall that Ndigbo subconsciously redirected their business investments to these new territories as a result of the sense of insecurity following the abandoned property saga. Will they now jeopardise all of these new investments and wealth accumulation in support of the kinsman of the same tribe that stripped them of their old wealth?

Why are we not assessing the candidates on what they can offer the nation as a whole? What plans do they have to develop our textile industry, commerce and our other areas of comparative advantage?

What plans do they have to develop Aba, Onitsha and Nnewi where our industry and entrepreneurship are defined daily? How can we expand the infrastructure and capabilities in these cities and expand opportunities for our creative youth population? Does a leader have to be a Christian or a Muslim to attend to these needs? How come Igbo leaders have been unable to demand and extract some of these promises from our politicians? Must we continue to play the second fiddle in this country?

It is heartbreaking that we the Igbos have become politically irrelevant and directionless. No one is interested in articulating an agenda that will move the zone forward. No one considers why someone as comfortable as Eze Festus Odimegwu will throw his support behind Buhari or why President Jonathan’s kinsmen are beginning to reconsider their support for their son.

What you hear when you travel around the Igbo states are unsubstantiated rumours and unjustifiable fixation over the history of yester-years. I will not join my uncles to continue to bemoan the past. I have chosen to engage the present and project, positively, for the future.

Although it’s no crime for one to openly cherish his candidate, as everyone has the right to vote his preferred candidate, the Ndigbo should advance beyond ethnic and religious bigotry and reassess its strategies strictly against the present realities on ground vis the opportunities offered by all political parties. After all, most of the leading political parties have members spread across the ethnic mix in the whole country.

The civil war, regrettable as it was, is in the past. It is a past that even Nigeria has chosen to pretend never existed. It is a past that the curriculum officials have refused to recognise and approve to be taught to our young people officially. But if we continue to dwell on the past, there is no moving forward for us.

The civil war ended 45 years ago and if care is not taken, we may lose out in this current political war. We are losing it already unless we redefine our current priorities from an individual to a group survival and sustaining agenda. For a people so talented and resourceful, this will be nothing but tragic.

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The post Opinion: Does the Ndigbo agenda match the realities of elections 2015? appeared first on YNaija.

by Anike Jacobs

The post Fabulous at 40! Fathia Balogun, Yomi Fash, Ronke Oshodi, Eniola Badmus, others party with Nollywood actress, Moji Olaiya (PHOTOS) appeared first on YNaija.

by Anike Jacobs

It’s safe to say Seyi Shay is the most controversial female celebrity for 2015.

We are only a few months gone into the year, yet she has made headlines a couple of times, sparking up controversies.

From her risque attire to the Channel O Awards last December, to her controversial statement against Amber Rose, to having her hair shaved off.

This time around, it’s the length of her dress.

One would have thought that Seyi shay would settle for a longer dress don’t you think?

The post #MeetThePresident: Twitter users just can’t stop talking about Seyi Shay’s dress (TWEETS) appeared first on YNaija.

by Ranti Joseph

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO) on Monday has attributed the sudden fuel scarcity in many parts of the country to sabotage by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) which it said has infiltrated the ranks of Nigeria’s fuel marketers.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the PDPPCO, Femi Fani-Kayode, said in a statement in Abuja that the fuel marketers have taken a sub-contract from the opposition to frustrate supplies of petrol to fuel stations as part of a grand plan to create tension in the polity.

“We know who the fuel marketers are. We know the relationship that exists between one of the biggest fuel marketers and a national leader of the APC. These unconscionable opposition elements infiltrated the ranks of the fuel marketers, whom they have contracted, in a calculated attempt to frustrate the good efforts of government. Why have they taken this time when all hands are on deck for the March 28 elections to cause this artificial fuel scarcity? The situation is so bad that they are not importing the product. They are even threatening tank farmers not to release any fuel in their depot in order to sustain the shortage. We are aware that the tank farmers have reported the threat to the Police and other security agencies. This shows how desperate and wicked the opposition APC can be in their quest for presidential power. Must they make Nigerians suffer simply because they want to rule? They must desist from this act of sabotage.

“The opposition should not take delight in celebrating over the pains and sufferings of Nigerians as they have continued to do with the Boko Haram attacks on our people and nation. The APC’s penchant to diminish the gallantry of our Armed Forces in the battle to defeat insurgency in the northeast zone whilst mocking the government whenever the insurgents bomb and take over villages in the zone, must be condemned by well-meaning Nigerians. This predilection exposes and portrays the APC and its leaders as forces of retrogression with a devilish mindset to unleash the worst form of anarchy on the nation before, during and after the March 28 presidential election because they know their party and presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari will be dealt a crushing blow by President Goodluck Jonathan at the polls. The PDPPCO also wishes to use this medium to alert the nation on the lingering plot by the opposition elements who have been sponsoring their agents of destruction in the power sector to vandalise critical infrastructure in order to reduce the megawatts of electricity that is being generated and reverse the gains that government is making in the sector,” he said.

The post How APC infiltrated the ranks of fuel marketers to cause scarcity – PDP appeared first on YNaija.

by Anike Jacobs

Ghanaian actress, Juliet Ibrahim is currently celebrating her birthday in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S, and she has shared flawless photos – including one in her lingerie.

Media personality, Yvonne Ekwere has also followed suit, entering into a new year with promises of more photos to follow for fans.

We say happy birthday to ‘em.

The post Birthday ladies, Juliet Ibrahim & Yvonne Ekwere share cool new photos appeared first on YNaija.

by Kolapo Olapoju

President Goodluck Jonathan, has pledged to defeat Islamic terrorist sect, Boko Haram.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Jonathan refuted insinuations that he mishandled the menace of the insurgents, while also denying claims that the recent string of victories by the military against the sect, was to curry political goodwill.

Jonathan was interviewed by Al Jazeera’s Yvonne Ndege in the interview which held in Lagos.

Watch video below:

The post Boko Haram didn’t start with me but we’ll defeat them || Pres. Jonathan pledges on Al-Jazeera (WATCH) appeared first on YNaija.