NAIJA POLITICAL NEWS.

FG declares Friday work-free day
The Federal Government has declared Friday as work free day to enable the citizens to travel and participate in the Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections. A statement signed by the secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Ufot Ekaette said the declaration of work free day would not affect the operations of banks and other essential services in the country.

Buhari won't boycott the election
The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari yesterday confirmed his disagreement with other opposition candidates for tomorrow's presidential polls, saying "boycott is not a democratic action because by boycotting the election, we forfeit our right to participate."In a statement he personally signed, Buhari said the "history of boycotts suggests that if we boycott Saturday's (tomorrow) elections it will make it easier for government to manipulate the process and we shall have no legal right to question any wrong-doing."

Atiku feels betrayed
In a swift reaction to Buhari's statement, the Action Congress (AC) Presidential candidate, Vice President Atiku Abubakar also expressed his readiness to participate in tomorrow's presidential polls, after describing the action of the ANPP Presidential candidate as a "stab on the back!" Atiku said he is "aware that opting out of the polls will preclude us from a possible legal recourse in case the riggers, out of desperation, go ahead with their plan." He, however, criticised Buhari for reneging on the earlier agreement of the 18 opposition political parties to seek a postponement of Saturday’s Presidential/National Assembly elections. The party said that "unfortunately, the ANPP and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who called the meeting where the agreement was reached, who presided over the meeting and also signed the agreement, have opted to jettison the resolutions so they could participate in the elections. We regret this stab on the back!"

INEC cancels photographs on ballot papers
The Independent National Electoral Commission has said that photographs of candidates will no longer be embossed on ballot papers for Saturday‘s presidential and National Assembly elections. They said it would be more cost effective to do away with the pictures of contestants on the ballot papers.
According to them, logos of political parties would be used in place of the photographs.

Soldiers kill 25 militants in Kano
No fewer than 25 militants were shot dead in Kano in a bloody encounter with soldiers Wednesday morning. The conflict, said to have been provoked by the fundamentalists suspected to be behind the killing of a renowned Islamic cleric.

IG orders shoot on sight
Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Sunday Ehindero, has ordered his men to shoot on sight any person or group wielding arms and other dangerous weapons to attack police stations, even as he vowed that the force will not allow miscreants to disturb the conduct of the forthcoming presidential and National Assembly elections.Ehindero, who was apparently bitter over the number of casualties the force recorded in attacks on police formations and at last Saturday’s elections, gave the directive Wednesday, in Abuja, while finalizing strategies with senior police officers from the rank of Commissioners of Police (CPs) and above, towards the conduct of the elections scheduled for Saturday.

Obasanjo: No Nigerian lives below $1 per day
President Olusegun Obasanjo has rejected the often repeated claim that many Nigerians were surviving on less than one United States ’ dollar per day, saying that although a lot of Nigerians do not earn the equivalent of $1 a day, they however eat three square meals per day from what thy are able to produce on their farms.

Obasanjo extends emergency rule in Ekiti
President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday extended the emergency rule he declared in Ekiti State till May 29, 2007, blaming it on the violence and mayhem which characterised the governorship and state house of assembly elections

Tinubu after my life –Pedro
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State and Labour Party’s gubernatorial candidate in last Saturday’s election, Otunba Femi Pedro has accused his boss, Governor, Bola Tinubu of plotting to eliminate him.

All news thanks to Punch, Thisday and Sun Newspapers.