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Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and former Vice President and APC presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, during the courtesy visit of Alhaji Abubakar to the governor in Benin, on Wednesday. | credits: Alexander Okere

A former vice president and a presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday called for a deeper understanding among the leadership of the party across the country, ahead of the partys national convention in December.

Alhaji Abubakar made this known during a visit to the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, at the Government House in Benin.

Although his visit may not be unconnected with seeking the support of Oshiomhole for his presidential bid, the former vice president explained that he was in Benin to interact with Governor Adams Oshiomhole and leaders of the All Progressives Congress in the state.

The party currently has four persons, including, former military Head of State, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and the Publisher of the Leadership Newspaper, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, vying for the presidential ticket, following the withdrawal of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, from the race.

I am here this morning to have an audience with you and also to interact with party faithful in the state and I want to thank you for this opportunity. I hope we will make the best use of the day in Edo today, he said.

Governor Oshiomhole, who received him in his office expressed the hope that the party would address its internal issues prior to the 2015 general elections in order to meet the aspirations of Nigerians who want to enjoy a new approach to politics and governance.

The governor also appreciated him for honouring his sixth anniversary celebration held last week, despite the very short notice, adding that his contributions helped to sharpen the issues involved in the season of electioneering.

Oshiomhole said, It is my hope and prayer that our party, over the next few weeks, would sort out all issues that we need to sort out so that Nigerians will have the opportunity to enjoy a new approach to politics and governance based on issues and pedigree of individuals, so that we can move away from politics of religion, ethnicity and other pedestrian interests.

That is what APC is bringing to the table and I am very anxious that we get to that stage so that Nigeria will move away from this present stage to making life more meaningful for Nigerians.

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Atiku meets Oshiomhole, seeks party unity

Some members of the All Progressives Congress in the Ekiti House of Assembly have written to Governor Ayodele Fayose over the need to respect the constitution and to ensure their protection.

In a November 18 letter addressed to the Governor, their lawyer, Dr. Tunji Abayomi,said the letter became necessary due to invasion of the Assembly, harassment, intimidation and threat to them for refusing to join the Peoples Democratic Party.

The letter was titled, Your threat to peace, order and governance leadership in the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

Abayomi who refused to name the concerned lawmakersbecause of the prevailing threat to them, asked the Governor to assure their personal security, political standing in the Assembly and the honor of the House of Assembly as a separate power.

Their concern and ours as their legal counsel arose from government sponsored threat to peace, order, good leadership and good government, particularly in the House of Assembly of Ekiti State.

This Letter is a warning to you and your administration that no one is above the Law in Nigeria.Please take time to do right not only to those who voted to support you but those who voted against you in exercise of their constitutional duty.

This is what the constitution expects for you to be considered fit for the commission you now hold, the letter stated.

ButFayose in his reaction to the letter described Abayomi as a hypocrite not worthy of attention.

He said Nigerians should ask Abayomi where he was when a former Ekiti Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, used 12 Action Congress of Nigeria lawmakers to confirm the appointment of Local Government Caretaker Committee in 2010 while the then Speaker, Tunji Odeyemi, and other Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers were in Abuja to meet with the president.

Fayose, who was reacting through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, advised Abayomi to stop exposing his naked hypocrisy.

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APC lawmakers write Fayose on constitutional abuse

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) Rand Paul of all people is enjoying a kind of a honeymoon with some on the left.

Yes, the Republican senator from Kentucky backed by the Tea Party and openly aspiring to run for president has fans among progressives who otherwise have nothing good to say about Republicans.

One of the things they like is Pauls opposition to knee-jerk military intervention. It is a stance he inherits from his libertarian father, former Texas Rep. Ron Paul, but which distinguishes him from most other Republican candidates as well as hawkish Democrats like Hillary Clinton, the putative frontrunner for her partys presidential nomination.

Liberals also like Pauls opposition to the war on drugs and along with it his advocacy for criminal-justice reform, including restoring the right to vote to convicted felons. Too often, Paul says, drug-related convictions disproportionately falling on young people of color ruins their lives.

After a recent interview with Paul on his program, the liberal Bill Maher said the conversation left him unsure about 2016. I think its only a good thing for America, the comedian said with his typical modesty, when Im not sure who I am going to vote for next time.

For the time being, at least, these liberals seem willing to forget or overlook Pauls opposition to gay marriage, his defense of personhood, his feeling that private enterprises should be able to discriminate against whoever they choose, and his willingness, at least in the past, to share fringe conspiracy theories.

Pauls successful charm offensive, if that is what it is, prompted Time magazine to feature him on the cover last month with the headline The Most Interesting Man in Politics.

And this week, Salon and Huffington Post blogger H.A. Goodman posted a piece: Im a liberal Democrat. Im voting for Rand Paul in 2016. Here is why.

For Goodman, in addition to Pauls stance on military intervention and criminal-justice reform, it is the Kentucky senators unflinching criticism of domestic spying by the government that puts him at the head of the pack. Neither Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush, nor any other candidate in 2016 has made this a top priority in their campaign, Goodman says.

He also notes that Paul was the first 2016 contender to visit Ferguson, Mo., the site of racial disturbances this summer after a white policeman shot and killed a black teenager. For some reason I just cant imagine Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush taking a moment to find out why Ferguson took place, Goodman says, and what steps are needed to solve that intractable situation.

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Darrell Delamaide's Political Capital: Liberals crush on Rand Paul says more about Clinton

It cost taxpayers $468 million when Premier Kathleen Wynne reopened teacher contracts to soften a wage-freeze bill her predecessor Dalton McGuinty imposed, auditor general Bonnie Lysyk says.

That is the total for the additional cost, she told reporters Wednesday after releasing a long-awaited special report into the 2012 legislation that Wynne repealed and renegotiated after taking power last year.

The lost savings which come off the $2.4 billion originally estimated by the Liberals came in new deals with several unions for benefits, salaries and wages . . . something I view as taken directly out of the classrooms, said Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod.

She chided the Liberals for keeping the extra costs secret after negotiations were reached.

The government wasnt honest and it wasnt truthful, MacLeod charged, noting teachers had deserted their traditional Liberal allies in droves after the wage-freeze bill was passed.

Kathleen Wynne wanted to consolidate a voting bloc of hers before an election.

Education Minister Liz Sandals who said in April 2013 that a revised deal with high school teachers is not going to cost taxpayers one dollar more than when we started walked away from reporters asking about the $468 million in foregone savings when the government is trying to eliminate a $12.5 billion deficit.

I think thats a very odd question . . . I think it is a good news story, she said in reference to Lysyks finding that the Liberal government was reasonable in its estimates of cost savings for the bill covering the two-year period from 2012 to 2014.

All our calculations were reasonable given the information we had at the time.

Lysyk said the extra costs to bolster the deals with teachers are separate.

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Liberals' decision to reopen teacher contract cost $468M, auditor says

A backroom veteran and political pundit who calls himself the Prince of Darkness of Canadian politics is considering running for the federal Liberals in the Toronto riding once held by Jack Layton.

Warren Kinsella was invited, along with other prospective candidates, to attend a recent meeting of the Liberals Toronto-Danforth riding association. He said in an e-mail Wednesday that a number of senior Liberal party members are urging him to run in the 2015 election.

Im giving it serious thought, said Mr. Kinsella. Its a big decision. Im very concerned about the direction the country is going in, and I believe [Liberal Leader Justin] Trudeau is on track to win back the confidence of Canadians. Mr. Kinsella once ran for the federal Liberals in 1997, losing his bid for a seat in North Vancouver.

Among the party veterans who support Mr. Kinsellas candidacy is Dennis Mills, the Liberal who held Toronto-Danforth and its predecessor for 16 years before being defeated by Mr. Layton, the former NDP leader, in 2004.

Mr. Mills said Wednesday he believes Mr. Kinsella would make an excellent MP because of his experience, his knowledge of public policy, and his passion for Canada. I think that he would be a great parliamentarian, said Mr. Mills. He has had a long, long apprenticeship in serving every region of our country.

The potential candidacy of Mr. Kinsella in the downtown Toronto riding, where the Liberals will be seeking to unseat NDP MP Craig Scott, could be the latest headache to ensue from Mr. Trudeaus commitment to open nominations.

Liberal officials would not discuss Mr. Kinsellas potential entry into front-line politics but pointed out that all of their partys candidates must pass a difficult vetting process before they are given the green light to run as a candidate.

Mr. Kinsella, one of the most high-profile political strategists in the country, made his name in politics working on the campaigns of former prime minister Jean Chrtien and former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty, and through books and media. But his career has recently been marked by a series of messy splits and ensuing feuds with parties and politicians who have used his services.

Mr. Kinsellas last known role with the federal Liberals was with former leader Michael Ignatieff, whom he called a treacherous aristocrat after he abruptly left his office about five years ago. And he appeared to part ways with the Ontario Liberals after his preferred choice to replace Mr. McGuinty, Sandra Pupatello, lost her leadership bid; he was subsequently sharply critical of the people around Kathleen Wynne, who won that race.

Earlier this year, he left the Toronto mayoral campaign of Olivia Chow after he suggested that the transit plan of rival candidate and eventual winner John Tory for whom he worked in a previous campaign was segregationist. He subsequently complained that Ms. Chow failed to defend him after the ensuing controversy, and blamed her disappointing third-place election result on her weakness as a candidate.

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Backroom veteran Warren Kinsella mulls bid for Trudeaus Liberals