The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, is visiting the North West to assess the ongoing operation against armed bandits that have been attacking villages in Zamfara State, with scores of people killed.

Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar reportedly arrived in Katsina to see the progress being made by troops deployed under Operation Diran Mikiya in a bid to obtain firsthand information on the status of troops, aircraft, ground support equipment and logistics support.

He was accompanied by other senior officers from Headquarters of Nigerian Air Force, while the Air Officer Commanding Special Operations Command, Air Vice-Marshal Samson Akpasa was on ground to receive the delegation at the Umar Musa Yar’adua Airport in Katsina.

Meanwhile; Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola has replaced Air Vice-Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya as Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force.

This followed the redeployment of Air Vice-Marshal Adesanya to the Nigerian Foreign Mission where he is expected to resume as Defence Attaché in Russia.

As the 2019 general election gathers momentum, President Muhammadu Buhari has visited the proposed presidential campaign office for next year’s election.

The building located at Herbert Macaulay Way, Central Area, Abuja, had served as campaign headquarters for the 2015 election.

The President was accompanied on the journey by his Chief of Staff, Mallam abba Kyari, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and other senior government officials.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi who doubles as the Director General of Buhari Campaign Organization was also on hand to receive the President and took him round the newly refurbished structure.

According to a statement issued by the Presidential Spokesman Femi Adesina, President Buhari expressed satisfaction with the face lift and thanked all those who worked to give the office a befitting look.

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the deployment of a one thousand-strong military force in Zamfara State to stem the tide of attacks by bandits on villages and towns.

The deployment is made up of personnel of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Police, as well as operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

This was confirmed in a statement released by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

The presidential spokesman said the Nigerian Air Force fighter aircraft will operate from the Katsina airport, which is the closest proximity to Zamfara State.

He said the President also authorised the Air Force to deploy advanced satellite surveillance technology to help in accurate detection of movement and locations of the bandits.

Garba Shehu also urged the media to avoid what he called unhelpful sensationalism in the coverage of events that border on national security.

Shehu cautioned that armed bandits or terrorists should not be made to feel like superstars, as such could hurt the people.

 Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, says he remains a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, contrary to insinuations that he was planning to defect from the party.

Governor Tambuwal's clarification through his Director-General of Media, Abubakar Shekara, was in reaction to comments credited to the Minister of Transportation and Director General of the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi.

The Minister had listed the Governors of Sokoto, as well as his Kwara state counterpart, Abdulfatah Ahmed as planning to leave the All Progressives Congress.

Amaechi also claimed that Tambuwal had presidential ambition, but boasted that President Buhari would win in Sokoto, Kano and Bauchi states in the 2019 general elections even if he was taken to the states on a sick bed.

The Minister told newsmen that although he did not wish to speak about political matters, he was sure that despite the defection by the APC members at the National Assembly, the party would win the 2019 presidential election.

He added that the delay by the opposition party to name its candidate for the presidential election about six months to the election would work in favour of the ruling party.

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Kayode Fayemi, on winning the Ekiti State governorship election.

President BuharI in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, commended the All Progressives Congress’ candidate and all party supporters for what he described as his hard-fought victory after a dignified campaign.

Candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the Ekiti State governorship election, Kayode Fayemi, was declared winner of the keenly contested election.

According to the declaration of result by the Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, Professor Abel Olayinka, the APC Candidate, Fayemi polled one hundred and ninety-seven thousand, four hundred and fifty-nine while Olusola scored one hundred and seventy eight thousand, one hundred and fourteen votes.

Reacting to the victory, President Buhari said the people of Ekiti State have spoken loud and clear, and democracy has won again.

President Buhari urged the governor-elect and APC members to be magnanimous in victory as the incoming administration prepares to unfold a new lease of life for the people of the state through purposeful and responsible governance.

He commended the people of the state for their matured and peaceful conduct as they made their choice using the power of the ballot.

The President also lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission for adequate preparations and for displaying impartiality throughout the process.

He applauded security agencies for creating the right atmosphere for the relatively peaceful conduct of the polls and urged them to sustain the peace.

In the meantime, National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in charge of Election Operations and Logistics, Aminat Zakari, has issued a forty-eight hour ultimatum to the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, to apologize to her.

Zakari said she wants public apology from Governor Fayose for accusing her of working with the All Progressives Congress candidate, Kayode Fayemi, to rig the governorship election.

This is contained in a suit filed by lawyers to Amina ZakarI who are charging Fayose for scurrilous falsehood which had negatively impacted on her health, career and family life.

Zakari is demanding a written apology by the governor to be published in all national newspapers within forty-eight hours.

The suit further demanded from the governor, public retraction of all the allegations contained in all the said publications in the same manner and format, in which the allegations were made.

Governor Fayose had, on July 2, 2018, accused the police and the Department of State Services of reposting Fayemi’s security aides to the state to coordinate the rigging of the election with the supervision of Amina Zakari.

President Muhamadu Buhari has signed the Medical Residency Training Act, 2018 thereby activating the regulation of medical residency training programme for medical practitioners and dental surgeons under the National Medical Post-Graduate College of Nigeria.

The programme is for scholars who possess the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery or its equivalent, and have gone through the National Youth Service Scheme, NYSC programme or with exemption certificate.

Also signed into law by President Buhari is the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission Amendment Bill, which now provides for the payment of ten per cent of revenue, generated from the operation of hydroelectric dams in any member state to be paid to the Commission, instead of thirty as was previously obtained.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, said the amendment further fortifies the power of the Minister to issue policy directives as well as reinforce statutory powers of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to regulate the electricity industry under the principal Act.

Ceremonies are taking place in Abuja and Lagos to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the June 12 presidential election in 1993, which was presumably won by late Chief M.K.O. Abiola.

These events a holding in grand style this year, with direct involvement of the Federal Government, after President Muhammadu Buhari declared June Twelve as Nigeria’s new Democracy Day, instead of 29th May that had been celebrate previously.

At the Abuja event, late Chief M.K.O. Abiola would be conferred with a posthumous national award as Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCFR, while his running-mate in that election, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, would receive the title of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON.

Also to be conferred with posthumous award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON, is foremost human rights advocate, late Chief Gani Fawehinmi; in recognition of the role he played in trying to actualize the June 12 election mandate.

Representatives of families of the awardees are already in Abuja and were treated to a special dinner last night, which was hosted by former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole.

President Muhammadu Buhari would be presiding over the main ceremony in Abuja, after returning home from Morocco where he spent two days on official visit.

President Muhammadu Buhari has so far signed into law five constitution amendment bills that were recently passed by the Eighth National Assembly.

You will recall that President BUHARI had during his Democracy Day broadcast declared his resolve to sign the “Not Too Young to Run” legislation on the reduction of age limits for elective positions, which he did a few days after.

President Buhari has additionally signed another constitution amendment bill that restricts the Vice President or the Deputy State Governor who completes the tenure of a President or Governor from contesting for the same position more than once.

This was confirmed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, while briefing newsmen at the State House in Abuja.

Senator Enang said President Buhari also signed another Constitution Amendment Bill that grants financial autonomy to the judiciaries and legislatures of the various states.

Another Constitution Amendment Act that provides sufficient time for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct bye-elections from seven to twenty-one days was also signed by the President.

The President equally signed the Act that reduces the date and time of determining pre-election matters.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has yet again raised an alarm that the Federal Government led by the All Progressive Congress has perfected fresh plans to frame him for gun running.

Governor Nyesom claimed that some agents of the Federal government have contacted a Lebanese who has been directed to claim that he received money from him to procure arms for the 2019 elections.

The Governor made the allegations during a Thanksgiving Service in Port Harcourt.

He added that the APC Federal Government has entered a devious mode where it believes that framing opponents will enhance its political fortunes.

The governor stated that the APC Federal Government is also planning to sponsor crisis in Rivers State ahead of the 2019 elections, for the state's election to be postponed.

The governor also alleged that Sergeant Ndubuisi Okoro, the Police Orderly of the Rivers State Commander of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Akin Fakorede has been arrested for armed robbery and kidnapping while another member of the Rivers State SARS Commander's team; Sergeant Christopher Abakpa has also been arrested for armed robbery and kidnapping.

Governor Wike declared that he is alerting Nigerians because the Police High Command will sweep the matter under the carpet.

At the time of posting this report, the Rivers state Police Command is yet to respond to the latest allegations of Governor Wike.

The Presidency says there is no hidden agenda on the proposed National Water Resources Bill.

The clarification is in view of the criticism suffered by the Executive Bill seeking to centralise the control of water resources in the hands of the Federal Government.

When the bill was introduced in the Senate, it divided the lawmakers across regional lines‎, with those opposed to it arguing that it would further worsen the problem of over concentration of power and resources at the centre.

However; the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters,‎ Senator Ita Enang, said one of the objectives of the bill is to ensure that the nation's water resources are protected.