The Nigerian media this week entertained readers with a mixed grill of stories which included attempts to get President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2011 presidency, forces against a two-party system, plan to probe former Military President Ibrahim Babangida and the arrest of a former governor who married a 13-year-old Egyptian minor.
“PDP Plots Jonathan Presidency”, said the TRIBUNE; “2011: PDP set to dump zoning” – the PUNCH, while the INDEPENDENT captured the story with the headline “2011: Jonathan Can Contest ” PDP”.
According to the TRIBUNE on Saturday, even though President Jonathan is yet to indicate interest in the 2011 presidential race, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is apparently toying with the idea of jettisoning its rotational principle to enable him contest if he so desires.
Those who favour the application of the zoning formula for next year’s presidential election cite the need for the North to serve out its eight years after the turn of the South, in spite of the replacement of late President Umaru Yar’Adua, who was from the region, by President Jonathan from the South-South.
The INDEPENDENT reported that controversy over the eligibility of Jonathan to contest in 2011 may have been laid to rest by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP on Friday.
Also on politics, six papers Friday reported the rejection, by the House of Reprensentatives, of bids to introduce a two-party system in Nigeria.
The INDEPENDENT headlined its story “Reps Reject Two-party System Amid Protests”; “Reps reject two-party system” – the PUNCH and the GUARDIAN; “Protests as Reps reject 2-party system” (TRIBUNE); “Reps shoot down two-party system” (THE SUN) and THISDAY – “Protest as Lawmakers Reject Two-Party System”.
The TRIBUNE, featuring politics tainted with corruption, headlined its story on a planned probe of former military President Babangida, as “US$ 12.4 billion scam: Why we are setting up panel on IBB – FG”.
“Babangida: FG to set up committee on Okigbo report”, the PUNCH reported on Friday, quoting the Justice Minister as saying that the outcome of the probe would determine whether Babangida would be prosecuted or not.
THISDAY headlined its story “Okigbo Report: FG Considers Action against Babangida”, with the rider “Govt statement unambiguous, says IBB”.
“Baby wife: Yerima quizzed, granted bail”, was the headline story of the SUN which reported that the embattled Senator Sani Ahmed Yerima, may be arraigned in court anytime from now over his alleged marriage to an Egyptian minor as the National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) moved against him.
The INDEPENDENT, The PUNCH and THISDAY, all ran stories on his interrogation which lasted three hours.
Yerima faces a fine of 500,000 naira (about US$ 3,500) or five years in jail if convicted as the lawful age of marriage in both Nigeria and Egypt is 18.
As expected, all Nigerian papers reported Wednesday’s investiture of Governor Namadi Sambo as Nigeria’s new Vice President.