Pressure Mounts On 9 Presidential Candidates To Step Down For Jonathan

The National Unity Group, an NGO said on Saturday that nine presidential candidates in the February 14 presidential election may step down for President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The National Secretary of the group, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, told newsmen in Abuja that it had been meeting with the parties on the need for them to support Jonathan.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that also present at the briefing were a former governor of old Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, and a sacked governor of Edo State, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, among others.

According to Ojougboh, who did not mention the candidates and their parties, though consultations would continue on Sunday, the discussions so far had been fruitful.

He said the PDP presidential campaign was satisfactorily progressing in the northern part of the country.

He urged the citizenry not to feel intimidated but to perform their civic responsibility of voting on election days.

“We are counting on all Nigerians, northerners especially, that they should not be intimidated, they should go out and vote massively for Mr President.

“For this country to remain united and for the progress we are experiencing now to continue, there is the need for all to cooperate with Mr President and vote massively for the PDP,’’ he said.

467 Nigerians Languish In British Prisons

There are at least 467 Nigerian prisoners in the United Kingdom, the British Ministry of Justice has said.

A spokeswoman for the ministry, Emily Poyser, told SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday.

According to her, out of the 467 Nigerians who are held in prisons in England and Wales, 439 are men and 28 are women.

She also disclosed that one prisoner had been exchanged between Nigeria and Britain under the Prisoner Transfer Agreement.

“This is a transfer arrangement and not a prisoner-swap agreement. The first prisoner was transferred from the UK to Nigeria under this agreement on 8th January 2015,” Poyser told our correspondent.

The United Kingdom and Nigeria signed a prisoner transfer agreement on January 9, 2014.

When asked if the convicted former governor of Delta State James Ibori could benefit from the agreement, the UK prisons spokeswoman said, “One prisoner has been transferred under the Prisoner transfer Agreement. We do not comment on individual prisoners.”

She also would not confirm whether President Goodluck Jonathan’s brief visit to the UK on December 28 included a stopover at the prison in which Ibori is being kept.

“Unfortunately we cannot help you with this request as we do not comment on individual prisoners, or their cases. We wouldn’t confirm any visits,” Poyser said.

Sunday Punch

Why We Date Married Men, Nigerian Ladies Confess

EROMOSELE EBHOMELE

Despite having an understanding of the risks involved in dating married men, P.M. NEWS finding has shown that many young ladies still think it is far better than giving themselves to single men especially when the latter are not yet ready for marriage.

A study by P.M. NEWS revealed that most Nigerian ladies have, at one point or another, dated married men.

Some have continued to even maintain double relationships where they date a married man and keep their relationships with younger males-bachelors.

Many of the ladies who spoke with our correspondent concerning the issue, said they feel more comfortable dating married men that bachelors.

While some disclosed that date married men because of money, some said they engage in such relationships because of the maturity and experience of the man as one who already has a wife at home.

However, apart from these two reasons, P.M. NEWS stumbled on two ladies who said they were dating married men as revenge against their boyfriends.

More touching however, is the fact that many of these ladies confessed that they had to stuck themselves with married men because they have not found a man ready to marry them.

Toyin Adedamola, a 36-year-old resident of the Oshodi area of Lagos, told our correspondent that dating a married man "is not a big deal."

"I am old enough to marry, but where I don't find the right man ready to put me in his house as his wife, should I just remain like a prisoner?

"As I am now, I don't mind being a second wife as long as I am comfortable and respected like a wife by the man," she said.

Another respondent, who simply gave her name as Jumoke, confirmed that she was dating a married man but added that she was not ready to be a second wife.

"I am dating one married man and we have been together for two years now. He is ready to marry me, but I am not ready to be a second wife.

"Experience has taught me that being a second wife would make you fight for your life till death. So I told him I can't be a second wife.

"I am only with him till I find the right person to marry me," she said.

A married woman, who refused to mention her name for safety reasons, told our correspondent that it is sometimes good to date a married man for experience.

"I dated a married man here in Ogun State before I got married. I finally bade him bye two days to my wedding.

"I had a good time with him all through the period we dated. I decided to date him so that I would know how best to handle my husband.

"I felt it would also help me to monitor my husband's activities and keep him from women. The man was actually encouraged to date a woman outside because his wife made his home hell for him," the pregnant 29-year-old woman explained.

For Maureen, she dates a married man apart from two regular boyfriends.

While the married man pays most of her bills, she keeps the two boyfriends pending when any one of them would decide on marriage.

"I am getting to 30 years old and that is not funny. That's why I have the two guys. But for the married man, we both know we don't have a future together, but he pays my bills and assist in other areas.

"I have been managing them. The married man knows I have another person, but the two bachelors don't know each other or whether I have a married man.

For Eyitayo, dating a married man comes with risks, but she believes that in life, everything possess their own risks.

"There was this man I dated last year and his wife sent people after me. I was beaten mercilessly and had to spend three weeks in the hospital," the 29-year-old petty trader said.

She admitted that she learnt her lesson since the mistake came from her.

"At a time, the I couldn't do anything without thinking of him. Moreover, he was the one who rescued me and made me self-dependent.

"I always called and chatted with him even though I knew it was risky. That was how his wife knew and came after me.

"Though I have left the man, I am in another relationship but this time, the man's wife is not in Lagos. The man alone lives and works here," she said.

This is not funny

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LOL! Please watch and say what this kid is doing...