2015 FEVER: Atiku Abubakar's Posters Infest Abuja

Abuja - The 2015 Presidential election fever manifested itself once again on Sunday, December 8, as posters depicting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar appeared in Nigeria's capital, Abuja.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was a two-Term Vice President to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007. The placards are sponsored by the Turaki Network of Change (TNC), and the
inscription reads, "inspired by Change, Turaki Network for Change, TNC Atiku Abubakar GCON (Turaki Adamawa).
Bigger Challenges, Greater
Opportunities."

The posters adorned major overhead and pedestrian bridges, and walls by the roadsides, notably along the Umaru
Yar'Adua way which leads to Abuja Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport.

Mr. Abubakar is yet to declare his
intention to run as a candidate for the 2015 Presidential election where he would compete against the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. It will bebrecalled that Atiku is currently a member
of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Partyb(PDP).

On August 31, 2013, Atiku led a
procession of six Northern governors outbof Special National Convention of PDP atbthe Eagles' Square venue, to later address the press at the Yar'Adua
Centre, with Alhaji Abubakar Baraje as Chairman, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as Secretary and Sam Sam Jaja as Deputy National Chairman of the now-defunct new PDP.

In September, in what political analysts consider as a 2015 posturing move by
Atiku, he, along with PDP Board of
Trustees Chairman Tony Anenih, Alhaji Shaibu Oyedokun, Mrs Titi Ajanaku, among others, formed the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) group.

The group was registered by the
Independent National Electoral
Commission as a political party.
Following the registration of PDM, the former Vice President never showed himself as a member.

Mr. Abubakar has previously contested for the presidential office as a PDP candidate in 2011, but was defeated by President Goodluck Jonathan who gained 78% of the votes.

In 2006, Atiku Abubakar also emerged as the Presidential candidate, but lost the battle.

His posters were earlier seen along the Nyanya-Maraba-Abuja road with the inscription "The Alternative Candidate For 2015".

Pics: President Jonathan receives Bill Gates at State House, Abuja

The world's richest man Bill Gates is in Nigeria for the Stakeholders Meeting on Polio Eradication. The billionaire businessman and Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote were received at State House in Abuja by President Jonathan
and other top government officials.

See more photos after the break..

Abuja Carnival: Civil servants to work half day

Abuja - The minister of tourism, culture and national orientation, Chief Edem Duke, on Tuesday advocated half day work to enable civil servant to participate in the Abuja Carnival.
Duke, who made the suggestion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said that the carnival was an economic activity that required proper planning.
"We will look at the possibility of getting government to allow for a half day work for civil servants on the day of the carnival so that they can participate fully.
"We are also trying to get Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to bring their own float, carnival group showcasing the kind of
work they do, like agriculture, youths and NYSC.
"We are working on this for this year's carnival, we are encouraging all the parastatals under the ministry to have their own carnival groups.
"There are some of the things that bring cohesion to the community and promote peace amongst our people,’’ he said.
The minister said that efforts were also on to ensure that local governments featured prominently in the carnival.
The theme of the 2013 carnival is "the jubilee carnival."
The carnival will hold between
November 27 and November 29 with a street carnival, children fiesta and Durbar.
- NAN