Ibrahim Mantu Stages a Comeback in a Politician Contoversial act

 

                       

He will not fade in the blurred ink of politics nor does he intend to fizzle out in the dying flicker of his spent political era; all things being equal, Ibrahim Mantu intends to be in our faces for the long haul, masterminding theatrics and lending his voice to the affray of familiar candidates. Having attained notoriety via his failed bid to actualise former President, Olusegun Obasanjo’s third term bid, Mantu, a former deputy Senate President, gradually fizzled out from public consciousness and the political arena.

Following his failure with former President Obasanjo’s third term bid, he lent his weight to perpetuating late President Musa Yar’Adua in office despite the latter’s ill health and inability to continue in office as President; to this end, he formed the splinter Northern Elders Forum and championed the cause to perpetuate the late President Yar’Adua in office.

In bid to gain favour from the late President Yar’Adua’s family, Mantu mobilized influential figures under his aegis and got them to throw their weight behind his propagandist scheme claiming the indiposed president was actually hale and hearty enough to resume in office. Under the banner of his unpopular Northern Elders Forum, Mantu collected several millions of Naira from the sister of the ailing President to organise a World press conference.

He actually did at the Shehu Musa Yaradua centre Abuja in 2008 where he warned Nigerians, particularly Northerners not to permit Jonathan who was then the Vice President, VP, to the late Yar’Adua to assume office. Eventually, Mantu failed in his plot and he suffered for the ignoble role he played at election time; his constituency refused to retain him as their representative in the nation’s Senate and another candidate was elected in, in his place.
 

Today, Mantu is at it again, he has started warming his way back into the mainstream politics by courting the favour of the incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan, via his PDP Reloaded forum. To reward him for his loyalty, President Jonathan nominated him as federal delegate to the ongoing National Conference.
 

Sources close to the Benson& Hedges chain smoker revealed that he is warming up to replace former Governor Joshua Dariye in the Senate.

Mantu allegedly told his campaign manager in confidence that he has been able to win the heart of President Jonathan and the latter has e allegedly told his campaign manager that President Jonathan has assured him that he would be made the Senate President no sooner than he is re-elected into the National Assembly. These are indeed interesting times for Nigeria and promising days for Ibrahim Mantu.

Cecilia Ibru in the News Again
 

Her femininity is sturdy enough to withstand anything; even desolateness and ruined careers. But for all the misery she has had to endure, Cecilia Ibru, former Managing Director of defunct Oceanic Bank, has waded out of the sinking sands of disgrace and grief with well healed scratches and scars of defeat. Cecilia has smothered the agony and disappointment of her damaged reputation and banking career to chance on joy; rather than mope and wallow eternally in self-pity, she has chosen to rediscover happiness and contentment by reclaiming her seized properties. 

Cecilia Ibru, in a fresh suit, is asking the court to help retrieve all her properties seized by the federal government but in a swift reaction, the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has objected to her plea. It would be recalled that Cecilia Ibru was convicted of gross acts of financial fraud in October 2010 by a federal high court after a plea bargain. Consequently, she forfeited personal assets worth N191billion comprising 94 properties spread across the United States, Dubai and Nigeria. She was sentenced to six months imprisonment after her conviction.

Fairy Tales from the household of Nigeria’s number one cop
 

Babies do more to men than make fathers of them; indeed, the anticipation of a new born thrusts an expectant father into a riotous whirl of joyousness and rebirth. Going by his current state, you may be forgiven if you think that Nigeria’s number one law enforcer is experiencing pangs of rebirth as he anticipates the birth of his new child. As you read, Mohammed Dikko Abubakar, Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police is ecstatic with joy as he impatiently counts down to the d-day when his ravishing heartthrob, Zara Bunu, will put to bed. Zarah Bunu, whom he married last year, is heavy with her first child for Abubakar and this indicates glad tidings for the expectant mother and father no doubt; sources close to the family acknowledge that the birth of their new child would bring greater joy into the family that’s still savouring the good fortune of their breadwinner  the nation’s I.G. Abubakar and Zarah got married last year 19 months after losing his first wife, Maryam. The wedding generated great buzz as it attracted the crème of Nigeria’s high society.

 

Grace Ihonvbere Goes Low Profile
 

Many celebrities who make it big often go through a period in which it seems like they are invincible; and very few celebrities perhaps understand this instructive reality better than Grace Ihonvbere. The stylish wife of former Edo state governorship aspirant, Professor Julius Ihonvbere currently lives her life like one who has been schooled about the transience of fame, money, power and respect. Having suffered neglect and desertion by their closest friends and political associates immediately after her husband left the employ former President Olusegun Obasanjo as a Special Adviser, Grace has learnt to keep a low profile hence in the wake of her husband’s second chance at fame and power, Grace makes a conscious and very successful attempt to shun the limelight. Even though her husband is the current Secretary of State to the Edo State Government, Grace manages to avoid the spotlight and the high societal demands that accompany such elevated office. 

An instructive case to note occurred few weeks ago, when women from Afemai ethnic group in Edo State paid her husband a solidarity visit, urging him to consider taking a shot at the Edo North Senatorial District as their preferred candidate, Grace was conspicuously absent; she was not around to receive the women. For a woman erstwhile renowned for her love of pageantry and obsession with the limelight, her refusal to see the women, astonished the visitors and other people who were in attendance at the State House at the time of the visit.

Gbenga Ogunniya Sets the Record Straight
 

In a swift reaction, Senator Gbenga Ogunniya has dismissed news of his presumed disappearance and loss of relevance in the political scene of Ondo State as incorrect. Ogunniya who rose to eminence during the regime of late Governor Segun Agagu, disagreed with the report that he was not as visible as he used to be in Ondo social and political scenes, stating that he was still relevant in the State’s politics. According to him, he has contributed his quota to Ondo State politics. “I am still the only Yoruba person that had third term in the Senate,” he said, explaining that he had to slow down because he is aging. Ogunniya will clock 65 in September. “I need to slow down and allow younger politicians too,” he said, debunking the rumour that he was planning to leave the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). “I’m still a PDP Chieftain,” he said claiming that he was working with other top-shots in Ondo political space to bring back the glorious days of PDP in the State.

Yanju Lipede Latest Moves
 

Do you still remember Prince Yanju Lipede, the urbane Egba Alake Prince who was a three term executive chairman of Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State? The gist about Yanju this time around is not about the indelible achievements he recorded as the boss of the premier Local Government of Egbaland. Many residents of Abeokuta township and it’s environ today can’t still forget the free transportation system he provided for students of primary and secondary schools with several indelible achievements during his tenure. The new story on Yanju who is the highly respected Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) pastor is that he is now one of the 2015 Guber hopefuls of Labour Party. We gathered that some eggheads in the party who believe the party can only win the 2015 Guber election in Ogun State have finally succeeded in dragging the Egba Alake Prince into the 2015 governorship race after so many pleas. 

We gathered that this Labour Party Think-Tanks believe that the party needs a man with Yanju’s type of integrity and acceptability in Egbaland to win the 2015 guber poll. In  just few weeks that stories hit town that Prince Yanju has finally agreed to run for 2015 governorship on Labour Party platform, the political equation in the Gateway State is beginning to change and so many politicians is PDP and APC have started embracing Labour Party simply because of Yanju. Aside from acceptability in all quarters of Egbaland, Yanju is also acceptable to over 800, 000 RCCG worshippers in Ogun State and he also enjoys chummy relationship with Ogun Muslim community.

Why Gbenga James Deserted Ayo Fayose?
 

There is something instructive about the relationship between Gbenga James and his friend, Ayo Fayose, former governor of Ekiti State. A cursory look at their case may inspire feelings of disillusionment amongst political hopeful, thus you may be forgiven for thinking that real politics has little to do with ideas, values, and imagination; and everything to do with maneuvers, intrigues, plots, paranoia, betrayals, a great deal of calculation, no little cynicism, and every kind of con game. Such was the hallmark of the relationship between Gbenga James and Ayo Fayose that the latter’s recent bid to contest the gubernatorial seat of Ekiti State does not interest Gbenga James.

Back in the days when both men were chummy, Gbenga James would have supported Ayo Fayose’s bid to occupy the Ekiti State governorship seat for the second time; more importantly, he would have teamed up with him to ensure that the dream was not stillborn. Reality however, proves that today, Gbenga nurtures a much different dream from Fayose’s; he would not be seen anywhere close to his friend and former governor of Ekiti State. This has been attributed to the duo’s inability to mend fences in the aftermath of what is described in political and social circles as Gbenga’s unconscionable betrayal of Fayose.

Gbenga, owner of Biological Concept and former business partner of the former governor of Ekiti, Fayose, was implicated in the corruption allegation levelled against Fayose. The intrigues of the incident led to the ouster of Fayose as Ekiti governor. Rumour has it that Gbenga betrayed Fayose and gave him up to the EFCC even though Fayose only sought to help him by awarding him a poultry contract. Gbenga allegedly admitted his guilt stressing that he had to give up his friend as the pressure mounted on him by the EFCC had become unbearable. Gbenga was eventually let off the hook by the anti-corruption agency and he has since withdrawn from the social and political circuits.