Bombs explode in northeastern Nigeria city during meeting of political opposition parties

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MAIDUGURI, Nigeria –  Witnesses say several bombs have exploded in a northeastern Nigeria city which is hosting a meeting of opposition political parties. The blasts happened Thursday afternoon in the city of Maiduguri, long under assault by a radical Islamic sect known as Boko Haram. A security official said he believed some soldiers were killed in the blasts, but did not have any other information. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to journalists.  The All Progressives Congress, a recently announced amalgam of opposition parties in Nigeria, was holding a meeting Thursday in the city that had drawn powerful politicians. Meanwhile, police in the eastern state of Taraba said foreigners working for a construction company escaped a kidnapping attempt Wednesday night that killed two police officers.

2015 Elections: INEC Removes Two More Parties

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As the race towards the upcoming 2015 elections continues, two more parties have been de-registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This development brings to 38 the total number of de-registered parties.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the affected political parties were the Change Advocacy Party (CAP) and the Democratic Front for a Peoples Federation. (DFPF)

According to a reliable source at the INEC the decision to de-register the parties was arrived at during the commission’s meeting of February 5. The source also said that the political parties affected did not meet the requirements stipulated in the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

Also, Mr Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, has confirmed the de-registration of the parties.

Deregistration: We Are Not Interested In Merging With Other Parties – PDP

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Following speculations that the recent deregistration of political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would bring about several mergers among parties in the country, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dismissed any such possibilities as far as they are concerned, saying that they are strong enough to remain a formidable force, come 2015. This was made known by the party’s National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, who said that while the party was ready to accept the members of the recently deregistered parties as individuals, they are not ready to accept them as parties.

INEC Deregisters Three More Political Parties

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Despite the controversies surrounding the deregistration of 28 political parties in Nigeria by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday deregistered three more parties.

In a press statement signed by the Secretary of the commission, Abdullahi Kaugama, INEC said it drew its power from the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2010 (As amended).

Greek government in ‘basic agreement’ on cuts

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Greek finance minister Yannis Stournaras says the three parties in the country’s governing coalition have reached a “basic agreement” on the austerity package for 2013-14, British Broadcasting Corporation reported.

The measures are likely to be presented to Greece’s international lenders on Monday before going before parliament.

The cuts are necessary if Greece is to continue receiving bailout funds.

Earlier, Greece announced plans to sell most of its 34 per cent stake in the gaming monopoly Opap.

Stournaras said there were “very few details left to work out” on the austerity package.

The deal comes the day after 50,000 anti-austerity protesters took to the streets of Athens.

The spending cuts are reported to be worth at least ¤11.5bn ($14.8bn; £9.1bn) and are a condition for Greece to receive the next ¤31bn instalment of its international loans.

 

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Source : punchng[dot]com