Considering that Nigeria is not just a multi-party democracy but a secular and multi-ethnic nation, there are fears that the things that divide the nation may play out on the senate floor this Tuesday, when the lawmakers vote on the state of emergency proclaimed on three states of the Northeast.

So, expectations are high as the Senate sets to deliberate on the desirability or otherwise of the state of emergency slammed on Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states last Tuesday, by President Goodluck Jonathan, following what was seen as ceaseless and senseless killings of people in the affected states by Boko Haram Islamist group.

The upper legislative chamber had slated Tuesday, as a day for deliberation and subsequent voting to ratify or reject the president’s action.

The Constitution stipulates that the proclamation be approved by two thirds of the whole Senate and the House of Representatives, failing which the proclamations and actions taken under the proclamations lapse immediately.

It was against this backdrop that the Senate President, David Mark, announced during last Thursday’s plenary that all members of the chamber must turn up for today’s sitting so they can form a quorum to handle the issue of the day.

But as the nation anxiously waits to see how the Senate will handle the issue, there are anxieties in some sections of the polity, given the mixed response to the proclamation from some parties and the Northern Elders Forum.

The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, had in swift responses, condemned the president’s action and urged all their adherents not to support the proclamation in any form, saying the president’s action was not without link to his perceived 2015 presidential ambition.

Affront on the zone
Also, some Northern elders represented by former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, and the North’s umbrella body, the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, described the proclamation of the emergency rule as not only a direct declaration of war on the entire Northern region but an affront on the zone, saying they would challenge the action.

So it is not surprising that there is trepidation that the proclamation could face a challenge when the Senate votes on it today.

However, emerging indications are that many senators may shelve their personal or party interests and rather, focus on what they consider “common cause” paramount to national interest. Eyes would especially be on senators belonging to the CPC and ACN whose parties have disagreed with the president on the proclamation.

Remarkably, senators from the PDP controlled Adamawa State may be tempted to vote against the proclamation especially those who may see the inclusion of their state as not only unnecessary but a political vendetta aimed at getting to the state governor, Alhaji Murtala Nyako, who, is well known to be in the bad book of the PDP chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

On the other hand, the senators from Borno and Yobe states, the two states at the heart of the Boko Haram insurgency may not whole-heartedly support emergency rule.

Eyes would especially be on Senator Ali Ndume, PDP, Borno South, given that he is the highest profile public official presently under trial for collaboration with the Boko Haram.

Shortly after the proclamation of the emergency by the president, he had said: “We are hoping that this thing is built positively and we hope that whatever the government is doing, bearing in mind that the government of democracy is government of the people and for the people, the people involved and the states involved or the civilians involved are not exposed to further hardship than the one they are going through”.

But irrespective of the inclination of the senators from the three states, there is optimism that senators of other various political parties, namely, PDP,DPP LP ACN and ANPP in other states like Kano and Zamfara states will forget their political differences to give the president’s proclamation a huge support.

Some senators of the affected parties, who spoke with Vanguard on the issue, said there was need for all members to support the president’s action, given that it was done in the general interest of the nation.

Senator Ganiyu Solomon, ACN, Lagos West, told Vanguard that although, he was awaiting full detail of the proclamation, he believed it was done primarily to restore peace which he noted, had eluded the three states.

“Until I go through the details I cannot say anything much. But I think if the action of the president will bring peace in the states affected by the state of emergency, why would one not embrace it?  It is a good development, given that all elected structures are in place. We should sit and pray that the desired peace is achieved in the affected areas at the end of the day. I can’t speak further than that”, he said.

On his part, Senator Ademuyiwa Adeniyi, ACN, Ekiti South, said: “In as much as I support the president’s action against the backdrop of increased senseless killings of innocent people in the affected states, I will advise that the state of emergency should not be used as instrument of oppression of perceived political opponents. Again, the president who has the power and authority to control the military must ensure that they strictly follow the rules of engagement”.

Display of statesmanship
A CPC senator from North Central who spoke on the condition of anonymity: “Given the spate of violence that we have so far witnessed in these affected states, we can’t afford to go against the action of Mr President.  I believe everybody is affected in one way or the other in what has happened in these states in the past.”

“I think what is expected of us at a moment like this is utter display of statesmanship by standing against those very things that tend to threaten the continuous cooperate existence of this entity called Nigeria. It is not a matter of party, religion or culture here”, he insisted.

So, as seen, consideration of party, faith and region may not fail to play up but these will be captured, leaving national interest to thrive above all.

Police spokesman Thulani Ngubane said the miners had been taken to hospital.

A spokeswoman for Lanxess, which owns the chrome mine, said the guards had opened fire in self-defence.

Industrial relations remain volatile in South Africa’s key mining sector after police shot dead 34 striking workers at the Marikana mine last year.

Last week, workers at Marikana owner Lonmin embarked on a two-day strike.

The Lanxess chrome miners went on a wildcat strike in a row over bonuses last Thursday.

Police say the situation is now under control after the shooting at the Rustenburg mine, north of Johannesburg, and that none of those injured are in a critical condition.

Real Madrid have announced that head coach Jose Mourinho will leave the club at the end of the season after three years in charge of the Spanish giants.

President Florentino Perez revealed the decision at a packed news conference.

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Real Madrid confirm Mourinho will leave

Mourinho, 50, who has been linked with a return to Chelsea, won the league and Copa del Rey at Madrid.

“We’ve decided to bring our relationship to an end,” said Perez. “Nobody’s been sacked, it’s a mutual agreement.”

Real are currently 13 points behind Barcelona in the league and were beaten by city rivals Atletico in the Spanish Cup final last Friday.

They also lost in the semi-finals of the Champions League in each of their three seasons under Mourinho.

Real Madrid have two games left this season.  They are away at Real Sociedad on 26 May, with Mourinho taking charge at the Bernabeu for the final time on 1 June against Osasuna.

“The club and manager agree the timing is right to bring our relationship to an end,” Perez added.

“On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank Jose Mourinho for all his hard work.

“The team has improved in his three years and we wish him all the best.”

Real had not won a trophy in the two years preceding Mourinho’s appointment.

His deal was scheduled to run until 2016 after he had signed a contract extension following last season’s La Liga success.

An agreement has been made on his exit now though, with fellow former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti tipped to replace him after he expressed his desire to make the switch to the Bernabeu.

But Perez denied a replacement had been lined up to take over from Mourinho.

“We have no pre-contract signed with any managerial candidate,” he said.

“It’s something we’ll have to look at in the coming days.”

Paris St-Germain head coach Ancelotti, 53, had earlier said: “I’ve asked to leave and I am waiting for their answer.”

But the Ligue 1 champions’ Qatari president Nasser al-Khelaifi said: “He [Ancelotti] asked to depart for Real Madrid. It is not possible because he has a contract for one year more, so that is our decision.”

It is Mourinho’s failure to win any trophies this season which appears to have accelerated his departure from Madrid – the Portuguese labelling this season “the worst of my career”.

Former Benfica, Uniao de Leiria and Porto boss Mourinho left Inter Milan for Real in 2010 after guiding the Italians to the Champions League crown, replacing Manuel Pellegrini as manager.

He finished second in La Liga in his first season – four points behind Barcelona – but won the title a year later, amassing a record 100 points in the process. 

However, this season Mourinho has cast a sulky figure, arguing with established players such as Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Pepe, while Barcelona sauntered to the title.

In this season’s Copa del Rey final defeat by neighbours Atletico, Mourinho was sent from the dugout for protesting a referee’s decision while, in April, his side were ruthlessly outclassed by Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. Following that exit, he hinted at a return to Chelsea.

“I know in England I am loved,” he said. “I know I am loved by some clubs, especially one.”

Mourinho won two consecutive Premier League titles during his three-year spell at Chelsea, which ended in September 2007, also lifting the League Cup twice and the FA Cup once.

During his tenure at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho won 124 of his 185 games in charge – including a 60-game unbeaten run at home in the league before surprisingly leaving the club in September 2007.

Worst hit was Moore, south of the city, where neighbourhoods were flattened and schools destroyed by winds of up to 200mph (320km/h).

About 120 people are being treated in hospitals.

President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in Oklahoma.

Analysis

Alastair Leithead BBC News, Oklahoma City

Hours after the storm struck, the frantic search-and-rescue operation is still going on.

Heavy machinery is being used under floodlights to try and find and free those still trapped under the tons of debris.

The town of Moore was hit by a record breaking storm once before – 14 years ago – when a deadly tornado took a similar path.

More people are already known to have been killed this time around.

Hospitals have been treating the scores of injured – many are still critically ill and the authorities warn that the number of dead is likely to increase.

He also ordered federal authorities to join in the search efforts which are continuing throughout the night.

Monday’s twister hit Moore, a suburb of about 55,000 people, at 14:56 (19:56 GMT) and remained on the ground for about 45 minutes.

The official death toll is 51, but local authorities say the figure is expected to rise as another 40 bodies have been found.

The Oklahoma chief medical examiner’s office said at least 20 children were among the dead.

Plaza Towers Elementary school took a direct hit: the storm tore off the building’s roof and knocked down walls.

“The school was flattened. The walls were pancaked in,” Oklahoma’s Lt Gov Todd Lamb told the BBC.

“There’s still roughly two dozen children that are missing. There have been some bodies recovered from that school and it’s absolutely horrific and devastating.”

Another school – Briarwood Elementary – was also damaged, and teachers were later seen leading pupils out to safety.

Oklahoma Gov Mary Fallin said it was a “tragic” day.

More than 200 Oklahoma National Guardsmen as well as out-of-state personnel have been called in to assist the search-and-rescue effort.

The BBC’s Alastair Leithead in Oklahoma says many of tornadoes in the region hit the open plain, but this one struck a residential area.

Many houses are built on hard ground without basements, so many people did not have recourse to shelter, our correspondent adds.

‘Most powerful tornado’

Shocked survivors spoke of the tornado’s power.

“We locked the cellar door once we saw it coming, it got louder and next thing you know is you see the latch coming undone,” survivor Ricky Stover said.

“We couldn’t reach for it and it ripped open the door and just glass and debris started slamming on us and we thought we were dead, to be honest.”

The damage wrought by the tornado was “unlike anything that I’ve ever seen before,” said Rick Smith of the National Weather Service

Melissa Newton said: “There’s shingles and pieces of sheet rock and wood in our yard and all across our neighbourhood. Some homes are completely gone. It’s devastating.”

James Rushing said he had hurried to Plaza Towers Elementary School, where his foster son Aiden was a pupil, to see it destroyed by the storm.

“About two minutes after I got there, the school started coming apart,” he told the Associated Press news agency.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said Monday’s tornado had generated winds of up to 200mph.

“It’s certainly the most powerful tornado that I’ve ever dealt with in my 20 years with the weather service,” NWS meteorologist Rick Smith in Norman, Oklahoma, told the BBC.

The town of Moore was hit by a severe tornado in May 1999, which had the highest winds ever recorded on Earth.

But Betsy Randolph of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol told local news station Skynews 9 that the damage on Monday appeared to exceed that of the 1999 tornado.

Tornadoes, hail and high winds also hit Iowa and Kansas, part of a storm system stretching from Texas to Minnesota.

On Sunday, a tornado smashed a trailer park on Highway 102 near Shawnee, Oklahoma.

Oklahoma’s state medical examiner confirmed earlier on Monday that two people had been killed in the area.

Tim Peake’s selection to fly on the International Space Station is seen as a major boost for the UK’s space industry.