Mediaboss Marketing

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reids (D-Nev.) announcement Friday that he will not seek reelection next year has progressive groups licking their chops at the prospect of seeing Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as the Democratic leader.

New York Sen. Charles Schumer, currently Democrats' No. 3 in the Senate, is the heavy favorite to succeed Reid, but progressive groups have other ideas.

Democracy for America (DFA) is urging Warren to run for president, but says that if she passes, theyd back her or someone from her wing of the party as the next Democratic leader in the Senate.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee echoed that sentiment, predicting the race for Democratic leader wont be a coronation for the establishment members of the party believed to be next in line.

Her lifetime of fighting for the little guy against Wall Street power shows she can think big, wage tough fights against powerful interests, and win key votes in the Senate, the PCCC said in a statement. She's the definition of a leader. There will likely not be a coronation to replace Harry Reid as Senate Democratic Leader, and Elizabeth Warren is right up there with others as someone who would be taken very seriously."

Warren's office on Friday morning said she would not run for the leader's spot.

In addition to Schumer, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Senate Democratic Conference Secretary Patty Murray (D-Wash.) could be in the mix.

But in Senate races playing out across the country, the progressive groups have shown theyre thirsty for new blood in the party. They credit Warren with bringing their primary initiatives, like the expansion of entitlement programs, into the mainstream.

Both the DFA and the PCCC cited Thursday's vote on a Warren amendment to expand Social Security benefits, which was backed by 42 Democrats in the Senate, as evidence the Massachusetts Democrat already has the gravitas to lead the party.

Nearly the entirety of the Democratic caucus voted to expand Social Security benefits last night, Sroka said. Shes shown the ability to lead in the caucus and theres no doubt she could be a real force for the party.

Original post:
Progressives push for Warren as next Senate Democratic leader

Former Head of State, Gen.Muhammadu Buhari

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari on Friday reiterated his commitment to the Abuja peace Accord.

He said himself and President Goodluck Jonathan signed a new accord reinforcing their commitment to violent-free elections.

This, he said, was a follow- up to the Abuja Accord which they both signed, along with nine other party leaders, on January 14, 2015, to show our commitment to free, fair and credible elections in our dear country.

In a statement he signed in Abuja barely 24 hours to the presidential elections, Buhari said, I take these accords very seriously, and this has reflected in the issues-based campaign which I ran all through the period of electioneering campaign, despite the provocative and sleazy campaign directed at my person and my party.

He, however, expressed disappointment that certain happenings within the polity across the country, ahead of Saturdays elections, run against the contents and spirit of the peace accords.

He said, for example, the ink with which the new peace accord was signed had barely dried when he started hearing reports of violence directed against members of the All Progressives Congress, as well as glaring acts of harassment and intimidation being carried out against the opposition by security agents across the country.

He said, Shots were fired at the convoy of the Director General of my Campaign Organisation, His Excellency Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, in Rumuolumeni, Obio Akpor area of Port Harcourt, a few hours after the second peace accord was signed, leaving two persons injured.

I do hope this is not a confirmation of the information reaching my party that some notorious security agents have been deployed to Port Harcourt to restrict the movement of Gov. Amaechi.

Buhari also observed that in Ondo State, a serving APC member of the House of Representatives, Eniolorunda Omosule, was arrested and detained by the police for no reason other than to keep him away until after elections.

Read the original:
Im committed to peace accord Buhari

Nasir El-Rufai

The All Progressives Congress Campaign Council in Kaduna State on Friday alleged that the State Police Command has perfected plans to arrest its governorship candidate, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, and some other key members in the state.

Other key figures of the APC to be arrested by the police, according to the partys campaign council, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, are a former Secretary to the State Government, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC, Lawal Samaila(Yakawada), and a former State Commissioner for Finance and Kaduna North Senatorial candidate, Sulieman Hunkuyi.

The party said the command had already served a summons on the trio to appear before it today(Friday) and report to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the CID in the state.

However, the states police commands Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Zubairu, denied that command had planned to arrest the APC chiefs, neither had they been invited.

It is not true. If there is any arrest, I should know. We are where we are deploying our officers and men in their beats, he said.

But the APC spokesman in a statement, alleged that the partys chiefs were served a summons and that the intent behind requesting three top leaders of the APC to report on Friday, a day to the presidential election, was to arrest them.

He said the pretext the police were employing is a petition about destruction of billboards in Zaria, an act for which the APC has been the victim.

The party noted that it was part of a campaign to frame indict the opposition on trumped-up criminal charges, for actions for which the APC had been victimised.

He said the police in the state should refrain from the act, stressing that already the party has indeed notified the police that there is an ongoing court action against the police on the events in Zaria, at the Federal High Court, Kaduna judicial division in suit no FHC/KD/CS/48/2015.

Read more:
Police plan arrest of El-Rufai, others, APC alleges

The presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), has raised alarm over attacks on his supporters and victimisation of his party members.

In a statement, he made available to Saturday Independent on Friday, the former head of state said: "On Thursday, March 26, President Goodluck Jonathan and I signed a new accord reinforcing our commitment to violence-free elections.

"The new accord is a follow-up to the Abuja Accord which we signed, along with nine other party leaders, on January 14, 2015, to show our commitment to free, fair and credible elections in our dear country.

"I take these accords very seriously, and this has reflected in the issues-based campaign which I ran all through the period of the campaign, despite the provocative and sleazy campaign directed at my person and my party.

"But recent developments across the country, ahead of Saturday's elections, run against the contents and spirit of the peace accords.

"For example, the ink with which we signed the new peace accord had barely dried when we started hearing reports of violence directed against members of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), as well as glaring acts of harassment and intimidation being carried out against the opposition by security agents across the country.

"Shots were fired at the convoy of the Director General of my campaign organisation, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, of Rivers State, in Rumuolumeni, Obio Akpor area of Port Harcourt, a few hours after the second peace accord was signed, leaving two persons injured.

"I do hope this is not a confirmation of the information reaching my party that some notorious security agents have been deployed to Port Harcourt to restrict the movement of Amaechi?

"In Ondo State, a serving APC member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Eniolorunda Omosule, was arrested and detained by the police for no reason other than to keep him away until after elections, while we have heard reports of an alleged meeting in Ibadan between the Commissioners of Police in the South-west and PDP officials.

"In Imo State, we have read of how more than 30 armed mobile policemen were unleashed on some APC youths at Mbutu in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area, with the policemen firing indiscriminately, smashing doors and windows and arresting some of the youths, while there are alleged plans to deploy troops clothed in DSS uniforms to the South-west to help the PDP to rig the elections.

View post:
Nigeria: Buhari Raises the Alarm Over Attack On Suporters

The Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Samuel Udobong, has said the party does not have confidence in the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Austin Okijie.

Udobong, who spoke in Uyo on Friday, alleged that the REC had an unethical relationship with the state governor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, and the standard bearer of the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, in the state, Mr. Udom Emmanuel.

Udobong said,We dont have confidence in this REC because of his recent activities with Akpabio.

We also hear that they have printed result sheets that are now being stored in the Government House and he can only use them with the cooperation of the REC.

We want the governor to know that every plan he has with Akpabio has been revealed and he should be prepared to conduct a free and fair election.

He, however, said the party had created situation rooms in the state, where every abnormality or case of misconduct should be reported and addressed to.

The PDP is planning to harass voters and intimate observers from other parties and we are calling on security agencies assigned to election duties to do their job to prevent electoral violence, he said.

Meanwhile security personnel, including members of the Department of State Service, were seen patrolling the Brooks Street, Obi-Imoh and Oron areas in the state.

Residents have expressed fears that the menacing presence of the security operatives could create tension and scare voters.

But the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Gabriel Achong, has assured residents that voters would not be molested in the state.

Read the original post:
Weve no confidence in Akwa Ibom REC APC