Presidential aspirants who lost to former Vice President, ATIKU ABUBAKAR in the Peoples Democratic Party primary have pledged their full support to him.

ATIKU ABUBAKAR defeated eleven other aspirants at the party’s National convention held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The former vice president scored 1,532 votes, more than double scored by his closest challenger, AMINU TAMBUWAL, who had 693 votes. Senate President BUKOLA SARAKI came third with 317 votes.

Reacting to the victory, ATIKU ABUBAKAR commended the transparent conduct of the exercise adding the victory is for all Nigerians.

He also said that he learnt a lot under former President, OLUSEGUN OBASANJO.

Speaking on behalf of the other aspirants, BUKOLA SARAKI, pledged their support to the former Vice President.

Wife of the President, Mrs. AISHA BUHARI has faulted the manner in which some of the primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress were conducted.

She particularly took a swipe at the party’s National Chairman, ADAMS OSHIOMHOLE, who she accused of allowing impunity under his watch.

She made her position known in a series of tweets she posted on her verified Twitter handle, @aishambuhari, on Sunday.

She said the conduct negated the principle of change that the APC stood for.

The President’s wife, whose brother contested the governorship primary in Adamawa State and lost to the incumbent, however, did not mention the specific cases she was referring to.

The Presiding Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, TUNDE BAKARE has expressed optimism that he will become the sixteenth President of the country.

While speaking at his state of the nation address to mark the 58th Independence Anniversary of Nigeria, Pastor TUNDE BAKARE however declared that he is “running” in 2019 election but not against President MUHAMMADU BUHARI.

He said the emergence of former Vice President, ATIKU ABUBAKR as the Presidential candidate of the PDP means the battle between APC and the PDP in 2019 will be a tough one.

According to him, many Nigerians have been asking questions on when he will declare his 2019 Presidential ambition.

Pastor TUNDE BAKARE lamented that the country has spent N450b conducting five general elections since 1999 when millions of people are wallowing in abject poverty.

Legislative aides to members of the National Assembly have embarked on a peaceful protest over the alleged non-payment of their allowances totalling N5.8bn.

The workers, most of whom were dressed in black, stormed the lobby adjoining the Senate and House of Representatives chambers with placards as the lawmakers were resuming from their annual two-month recess.

They were however prevented from blocking the entrances to the chambers to allow lawmakers access to the floors for plenary.

While both chambers resumed plenary, the protesters were still occupying a section of the lobby, where some of them sat on the floor and others were singing protest songs.

The legislative aides had on September 4, during the recess, threatened to shut down the National Assembly if their allowances were not paid before resumption.

SAM MELAYE is the leader of the aggrieved aides.