Benchmark Naija

Dr. Leonard Olalekan Shogunle, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP claims to have consulted oracles in India,China and Pakistan on the fate of President Goodluck Jonathan in the forthcoming presidential elections.  According to DAILY INDEPENDENT, Shogunle said the oracles assured him that President Jonathan will win the elections.  Shogunle said, ''Don’t assume I was kidding with my submission. I am a real Lagosian born in the Mainland during the Lagos Colony. I am 69 years old. My great grandfathers, though, migrated from Abeokuta in Ogun State to settle in Lagos, we own Abule Onigbagbo in Maryland. ''I am from Lagos Mainland so I am a real Lagosian. If I asked a spiritualist to do that for me in the country, some people would have doubts and rubbish the fellow. This year’s general election is no joke. Nigerians must be guided in the right direction. ''Last month, I went to Pakistan, Indian and up to the extreme end of China in Yung where I consul...

Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC has pulled out of a presidential debate organised by CHANNELS TV.  Director of Media and Communication of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Dele Alake announced Buhari's withdrawal during Monday’s edition of Channels’ TV Sunrise Daily. Alake said Buhari was pulling out of the Debate because the APC had intelligence reports which suggests that the organizers of the debates are partisan in nature and pro PDP. You will recall that after Buhari and APC raised the issue of bias on the part of the organisers the NEDG and the platform is under the control the of the government, CHANNELS TV offer to host the 2  candidates to a debate

The Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari (ret), has threatened to take legal action against the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, and the African Independent Television, AIT, for airing hate broadcasts against his personality. This came on a day the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, warned all broadcasting stations operating in the country to adhere strictly to the provisions of the broadcasting code or risk sanctions. In a protest letter lodged through the Legal Director of APC Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume, SAN, Buhari, insisted that the two television stations must not only retract the “hate documentaries,” but also issue a public apology to him. He said he would not hesitate to seek legal remedy should the television houses refuse to comply with the conditions. Besides, the APC candidate said he had already petitioned the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC, and the National Human Rights Co...

I was classmates with Bome Mowoe whose grandfather along with Dr. Salubi formed the PAN Urhobo Association called Urhobo Progress(ive) Union. It was an organisation borne out of necessity to cohere the activities of the Urhobo people, knowing Urhobo is made up of up to 26 Kingdoms, depending on how one counts. The victories recorded by Mowoe and Salubi include establishing Urhobo College Effurun, influencing the location of Government College Ughelli, defending the Okpes in the Sapele land ownership case against Itsekiris etc. Despite the UPU establishing the Urhobo College, many other tribes were welcome at the school. None No one has ever said he was treated badly by his peers or teachers for not being Urhobo. Even all the "jaguda" of Urhobo College, all the young boys do it together. Government College Ughelli and their yellow badge written "Sailors" is a crest of honour in Uniben, at least in those days. The boys....Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ijaw, Yoruba, all wear i...

The actor, whose demise hit the movie industry like a shock wave yesterday, was said to have died of kidney failure in an undisclosed hospital in Lagos. According to a source close to the actor, Muna has been battling renal related ailment but has kept it secret for a long time before informing the president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ibinabo Fiberesima who has since been in touch with him. The source furt her stated that that actor’s drinking habit may not be unconnected to his death. Until his death, the Enugu based actor was one of the controversial actors in the Nigerian movie industry dubbed Nollywood. Muna, who has a knack for acting romantic scenes, once came under attack for grabbing fellow actor, Biola Ige’s breast, in the movie, Pregnant Hawker. However, the actress later denied the story, claiming that the picture which went viral was doctored and that there was no such scene in the movie. Muna on his own part was quoted to have said, “…I don’t remember th...

It was reported now that the President Goodluck Jonathan for the first time in few years, has just landed in Maiduguri Airport in a surprise visit to the hot zone of Boko Haram’s insugency which has claimed thousands of lives in the Nigeria North-East. The President was accompany by the National Security adviser, Sambo Dasuki and Chief of Defense staff, Air Vice Marshall Alex Badeh. The two were said to have arrived at the Maiduguri airport in a separate airplane. It was reported that Governor Kashim Shettima was at the airport to receive President Jonathan. Details later….  

There are indications that Gen. Muhamad Buhari, the APC Presidential flagbearer may be disqualified by INEC. this indicaton was given by former NBA chairman OLISA AGBAKOBA, SAN. He said "When this issue came to the front burner, I did what is expected -research. I called for the past INEC forms filled by Buhari the past three times he had contested for this office. In all of them, he filled them properly because there was no provision for proof of certificates/credentials.But now that the Electoral Act (2011?) is asking for proof of such credentials, INEC has complied by including on its forms, this requirement. Again Buhari filled all other sections of this form correctly. But when he got to the section asking for proof of credentials, he deposed to an affidavit. Without sounding very specific, that was wrong. It is for the candidates to provide proof to claims of certificates, not affidavit.' The closing date for submission of Nomination forms to INEC was December 30th. b...