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Minister of State, Foreign Affairs II, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro

Minister of State, Foreign Affairs II, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, tells BAYO AKINLOYE that the Peoples Democratic Party will ensure that Saturdays governorship election in Lagos State is not rigged in favour of the All Progressives Congress

Some people consider you to be the eyes and ears of President Goodluck Jonathan in Lagos State. What is your relationship with the President?

I would say I am close enough (to Mr. President) to be one of his boys -lets put it that way.

What made you to be one of his boys?

I am one of his ministers. I am a loyal party man.

But people think there is more to your being close to President Jonathan than being one of his ministers. Why does he have much confidence in you?

You will have to ask Mr. President that question. This is why I said so: President Jonathan may even love me for some reasons that I dont even know. The point, therefore, is that Mr. President is in a better position to tell you why he puts much confidence in me.

How do you feel about the Presidents loss at the presidential poll?

It is painful. But as a Muslim, I have to take the loss in stride God gives, God takes. The fact that President Jonathan came from nowhere to be the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, almost effortlessly, was an act of God. (In the same way) that (Maj. Gen. Muhammadu) Buhari won the just concluded presidential election is also an act of God. Therefore, I take it that it is only God that counts.

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Jonathans loss to Buhari is Gods will Obanikoro

The All Progressives Congress has urged Nigerians to cometogether, irrespective of the fault lines separating them, for anational rebirth, in the spirit of Easter, being celebrated inthe country and around the world.

In its Easter message, contained in a statement onSaturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, theparty said this years Easter celebrations could not have come at abetter time, hence the lessons must not be lost on Nigerians.

APC said, At the core of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of JesusChrist, are the messages of renewal and rebirth, sacrifice,forgiveness and love. In the culmination of his life of selflesssacrifice, Jesus Christ gave his life for others to live. Let usemulate him, in our private and public lives, by exhibiting thosevirtues, for which he lived.

This years Easter celebrations have coincided with an ongoingpolitical transition that has so far been widely adjudged a success,and one that also paves the way for us to have a national rebirth.

Indoing this, we must show love and eschew bitterness. We must put theacrimony of the long drawn electioneering campaign behind us.

Just like Jesus Christ remains a shining light in a world of gloom,let us be beacons of faith, hope and love as we, irrespective of ourpolitical leaning, embark on the onerous task of making our nationgreat again.

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Unite for national rebirth, APC urges Nigerians

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose

The 19 All Progressives Congress lawmakers in the Ekiti State House of Assembly have begun moves that may lead to impeachment proceedings against Governor Ayodele Fayose.

The embattled Speaker, Dr Adewale Omirin, has forwarded a notice of gross misconduct to the governor, which sources within the APC said was served on him during the week.

A copy of the notice was also sent to his deputy, Dr. Olusola Eleka.

But Fayose has advised the APC lawmakers to stop acting like jesters, describing the purported impeachment notice as the joke of the century.

According to him, the script being acted by the APC is a failed one because no one, no matter how highly placed, will be allowed to test the will of the Ekiti people.

This is as the factional Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Dele Olugbemi, dismissed the purported notice of impeachment and accused Omirin of forgery, impersonation and attempt to cause breach of public peace.

In the letter by the 19 lawmakers titled, Re: Notice of Allegations of Gross Misconduct, sent to Fayose, the APC lawmakers listed eight impeachable offences against the governor. These offences bordered on impunity, brigandage, stalking and other constitutional breaches.

These included alleged invasion of the House of Assembly with thugs and miscreants, instigating an unconstitutional takeover of the House by seven legislators to sit in contravention of Section 96(2) of the 1999 Constitution, and prevention of the 19 APC legislators from performing their duties with the use of security agents and armed thugs.

Other allegations listed in the notice are: sponsoring an unlawful impeachment process in the house, spending Ekiti State funds without the requisite constitutional approval in contravention of the constitution and running the government without legally constituted Executive Council in contravention of Section 192(2) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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APC lawmakers serve Fayose impeachmentnotice

Who #39;s happier - Liberals or Conservatives?
The great paywalled source: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/347/6227/1243 What #39;s this doing here? I don #39;t know what this is. Paywalls are sacred: http://www.filedropper.com/conservativesreportbu.

By: DailyData

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Who's happier - Liberals or Conservatives? - Video

Illustration: Matt Golding.

Victoria's voting laws could be overhauled to stem the tide of micro parties who get elected to parliament with only a tiny proportion of the vote.

Five months after the state election in which several micro parties won coveted spots in the upper house Liberals and Labor insiders are considering voting reforms to force candidates to meet a higher threshold of first preference votes before they are elected.

The proposal was one of several motions passed at Liberal state council last week, with proponents arguing that the results of November's poll produced "distorted outcomes", just as it did in the federal Senate, where Motoring Enthusiast Ricky Muir was elected with only 0.51 per cent of first preferences.

"Loose rules for the registration of political parties, voting above the line, and preference harvesting by micro parties have resulted in micro party candidates being elected to the Legislative Council on very low first preference votes," said one resolution, put forward by the Liberals' Sydenham electorate council. "The results of the 2014 Victorian state election can not be said to reflect the will of the people."

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A shake-up of Victoria's voting laws was raised ahead of the election last year, when then premier Denis Napthine approached Daniel Andrews with the idea that candidates could be elected only if they secured at least 5 per cent of the vote.

Mr Andrews rejected the proposal at the time, and the government says changing the system is not a priority at present. However, Labor sources have told The Sunday Age that some within party ranks have started talking about the need for reform, and it was likely that an approach could be made to the Liberals at some point before the 2018 state election in a bid to gain bipartisan support.

Asked if he would support such a shift, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said:"As the Opposition, we will consider any draft legislation that the Andrews government puts forward."

In Victoria's upper house, there are five micro-party MPs sitting on the crossbench: the Sex Party's Fiona Patten (who was elected with 2.63 per cent of first preferences); the DLP's Rachel Carling-Jenkins (2.32 per cent); Jeff Bourman and Daniel Young from the Shooter's and Fisher's Party (1.65 per cent) and James Purcell from Vote 1 Local Jobs (0.21 per cent).

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State Liberals and Labor contemplate voting reform in Victorian upper house