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Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts

Thursday, 26 February 2015

INEC Urged To Shift Borno State Poll To September, 2015

Twenty-three of the 28 political parties in Borno State on Thursday asked that elections should be postponed in the state till September this year.

They also suggested that an interim government should be put in place to run the affairs of the state on the expiration of the tenure of the present administration on May 29, 2015.

Addressing a press conference under the name, Inter Party Advisory Council, Borno State chapter, in Maiduguri, it's chairman, Comrade Babagana Musa, showed the signatures of 23 party chairmen, some who were at the conference.

He said the decision was taken by all other political parties except five — All Progressives Congress, Kowa Party, All Progressive Grand Alliance, Peoples Democratic Party and Africa Alliance.

He claimed that the decision taken after a careful consideration of the situation in Borno State, which he said showed that election could not be held in the troubled state.

Musa pointed to the non-distribution of the Permanent Voter Card in 175 polling units in the state, which represents approximately 500,000 yet to get their PVCs, as one of the reasons the polls should be shifted in the state.

Another reason, he added, was the alleged personal insecurity of opposition party official in the state; vandalisation of opposition party facilities and the indecent activities of the youth vigilance group.

Musa alleged that the thugs, who he claimed were sponsored by the state government, had been on the prowl against opposition politicians and the need to resettle the Internally Displaced Persons back to their homes.

He said, "Because of the foregoing reasons and others not mention here, we are calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission, being the electoral umpire, to extend the conduct of the 2015 general elections for six months i.e from March 28 to September 26, 2015.


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By Kayode Idowu, for PUNCH NEWSPAPER
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[Must Read] Buhari’s Speech at Chatham House – Nigeria’s Transition

Permit me to start by thanking Chatham House for the invitation to talk about this important topic at this crucial time. When speaking about Nigeria overseas, I normally prefer to be my country's public relations and marketing officer, extolling her virtues and hoping to attract investments and tourists. But as we all know, Nigeria is now battling with many challenges, and if I refer to them, I do so only to impress on our friends in the United Kingdom that we are quite aware of our shortcomings and are doing our best to address them.

The 2015 general election in Nigeria is generating a lot of interests within and outside the country. This is understandable. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country and largest economy, is at a defining moment, a moment that has great implications beyond the democratic project and beyond the borders of my dear country.

So let me say upfront that the global interest in Nigeria's landmark election is not misplaced at all and indeed should be commended; for this is an election that has serious import for the world. I urge the international community to continue to focus on Nigeria at this very critical moment. Given increasing global linkages, it is in our collective interests that the postponed elections should hold on the rescheduled dates; that they should be free and fair; that their outcomes should be respected by all parties; and that any form of extension, under whichever guise, is unconstitutional and will not be tolerated.

As you all know, I had been a military head of state in Nigeria for twenty months. We intervened because we were unhappy with the state of affairs in our country. We wanted to arrest the drift. Driven by patriotism, influenced by the prevalence and popularity of such drastic measures all over Africa and elsewhere, we fought our way to power. But the global triumph of democracy has shown that another and a preferable path to change is possible. It is an important lesson I have carried with me since, and a lesson that is not lost on the African continent.

In the last two decades, democracy has grown strong roots in Africa. Elections, once so rare, are now so commonplace. As at the time I was a military head of state between 1983 and 1985, only four African countries held regular multi-party elections. But the number of electoral democracies in Africa, according to Freedom House, jumped to 10 in 1992/1993 then to 18 in 1994/1995 and to 24 in 2005/2006. According to the New York Times, 42 of the 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa conducted multi-party elections between 1990 and 2002.

The newspaper also reported that between 2000 and 2002, ruling parties in four African countries (Senegal, Mauritius, Ghana and Mali) peacefully handed over power to victorious opposition parties. In addition, the proportion of African countries categorized as not free by Freedom House declined from 59% in 1983 to 35% in 2003. Without doubt, Africa has been part of the current global wave of democratisation.

But the growth of democracy on the continent has been uneven. According to Freedom House, the number of electoral democracies in Africa slipped from 24 in 2007/2008 to 19 in 2011/2012; while the percentage of countries categorised as 'not free' assuming for the sake of argument that we accept their definition of "free" increased from 35% in 2003 to 41% in 2013. Also, there have been some reversals at different times in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cote D'Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritania and Togo. We can choose to look at the glass of democracy in Africa as either half full or half empty.

While you can't have representative democracy without elections, it is equally important to look at the quality of the elections and to remember that mere elections do not democracy make. It is globally agreed that democracy is not an event, but a journey. And that the destination of that journey is democratic consolidation – that state where democracy has become so rooted and so routine and widely accepted by all actors.

With this important destination in mind, it is clear that though many African countries now hold regular elections, very few of them have consolidated the practice of democracy. It is important to also state at this point that just as with elections, a consolidated democracy cannot be an end by itself. I will argue that it is not enough to hold a series of elections or even to peacefully alternate power among parties.

Now, let me quickly turn to Nigeria. As you all know, Nigeria's fourth republic is in its 16th year and this general election will be the fifth in a row. This is a major sign of progress for us, given that our first republic lasted five years and three months, the second republic ended after four years and two months and the third republic was a still-birth. However, longevity is not the only reason why everyone is so interested in this election.

The major difference this time around is that for the very first time since transition to civil rule in 1999, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing its stiffest opposition so far from our party the All Progressives Congress (APC). We once had about 50 political parties, but with no real competition. Now Nigeria is transitioning from a dominant party system to a competitive electoral polity, which is a major marker on the road to democratic consolidation. As you know, peaceful alternation of power through competitive elections have happened in Ghana, Senegal, Malawi and Mauritius in recent times. The prospects of democratic consolidation in Africa will be further brightened when that eventually happens in Nigeria.

But there are other reasons why Nigerians and the whole world are intensely focussed on this year's elections, chief of which is that the elections are holding in the shadow of huge security, economic and social uncertainties in Africa's most populous country and largest economy. On insecurity, there is a genuine cause for worry, both within and outside Nigeria. Apart from the civil war era, at no other time in our history has Nigeria been this insecure.

Boko Haram has sadly put Nigeria on the terrorism map, killing more than 13,000 of our nationals, displacing millions internally and externally, and at a time holding on to portions of our territory the size of Belgium. What has been consistently lacking is the required leadership in our battle against insurgency. I, as a retired general and a former head of state, have always known about our soldiers: they are capable, well trained, patriotic, brave and always ready to do their duty in the service of our country.

You all can bear witness to the gallant role of our military in Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Darfur and in many other peacekeeping operations in several parts of the world. But in the matter of this insurgency, our soldiers have neither received the necessary support nor the required incentives to tackle this problem. The government has also failed in any effort towards a multi-dimensional response to this problem leading to a situation in which we have now become dependent on our neighbours to come to our rescue.

Let me assure you that if I am elected president, the world will have no cause to worry about Nigeria as it has had to recently; that Nigeria will return to its stabilising role in West Africa; and that no inch of Nigerian territory will ever be lost to the enemy because we will pay special attention to the welfare of our soldiers in and out of service, we will give them adequate and modern arms and ammunitions to work with, we will improve intelligence gathering and border controls to choke Boko Haram's financial and equipment channels, we will be tough on terrorism and tough on its root causes by initiating a comprehensive economic development plan promoting infrastructural development, job creation, agriculture and industry in the affected areas. We will always act on time and not allow problems to irresponsibly fester, and I, Muhammadu Buhari, will always lead from the front and return Nigeria to its leadership role in regional and international efforts to combat terrorism.

On the economy, the fall in prices of oil has brought our economic and social stress into full relief. After the rebasing exercise in April 2014, Nigeria overtook South Africa as Africa's largest economy. Our GDP is now valued at $510 billion and our economy rated 26th in the world. Also on the bright side, inflation has been kept at single digit for a while and our economy has grown at an average of 7% for about a decade.

But it is more of paper growth, a growth that, on account of mismanagement, profligacy and corruption, has not translated to human development or shared prosperity. A development economist once said three questions should be asked about a country's development: one, what is happening to poverty? Two, what is happening to unemployment? And three, what is happening to inequality?

The answers to these questions in Nigeria show that the current administration has created two economies in one country, a sorry tale of two nations: one economy for a few who have so much in their tiny island of prosperity; and the other economy for the many who have so little in their vast ocean of misery.

In the face of dwindling revenues, a good place to start the repositioning of Nigeria's economy is to swiftly tackle two ills that have ballooned under the present administration: waste and corruption. And in doing this, I will, if elected, lead the way, with the force of personal example.

On corruption, there will be no confusion as to where I stand. Corruption will have no place and the corrupt will not be appointed into my administration. First and foremost, we will plug the holes in the budgetary process. Revenue producing entities such as NNPC and Customs and Excise will have one set of books only. Their revenues will be publicly disclosed and regularly audited. The institutions of state dedicated to fighting corruption will be given independence and prosecutorial authority without political interference.

But I must emphasise that any war waged on corruption should not be misconstrued as settling old scores or a witch-hunt. I'm running for President to lead Nigeria to prosperity and not adversity.

In reforming the economy, we will use savings that arise from blocking these leakages and the proceeds recovered from corruption to fund our party's social investments programmes in education, health, and safety nets such as free school meals for children, emergency public works for unemployed youth and pensions for the elderly.

As a progressive party, we must reform our political economy to unleash the pent-up ingenuity and productivity of the Nigerian people thus freeing them from the curse of poverty. We will run a private sector-led economy but maintain an active role for government through strong regulatory oversight and deliberate interventions and incentives to diversify the base of our economy, strengthen productive sectors, improve the productive capacities of our people and create jobs for our teeming youths.

In short, we will run a functional economy driven by a worldview that sees growth not as an end by itself, but as a tool to create a society that works for all, rich and poor alike. On March 28, Nigeria has a decision to make. To vote for the continuity of failure or to elect progressive change. I believe the people will choose wisely.

In sum, I think that given its strategic importance, Nigeria can trigger a wave of democratic consolidation in Africa. But as a starting point we need to get this critical election right by ensuring that they go ahead, and depriving those who want to scuttle it the benefit of derailing our fledgling democracy. That way, we will all see democracy and democratic consolidation as tools for solving pressing problems in a sustainable way, not as ends in themselves.

Permit me to close this discussion on a personal note. I have heard and read references to me as a former dictator in many respected British newspapers including the well regarded Economist. Let me say without sounding defensive that dictatorship goes with military rule, though some might be less dictatorial than others. I take responsibility for whatever happened under my watch.

I cannot change the past. But I can change the present and the future. So before you is a former military ruler and a converted democrat who is ready to operate under democratic norms and is subjecting himself to the rigours of democratic elections for the fourth time.

You may ask: why is he doing this? This is a question I ask myself all the time too. And here is my humble answer: because the work of making Nigeria great is not yet done, because I still believe that change is possible, this time through the ballot, and most importantly, because I still have the capacity and the passion to dream and work for a Nigeria that will be respected again in the comity of nations and that all Nigerians will be proud of.

I thank you for listening.

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The above was given by General Muhammadu Buhari on the 26th of February, 2015
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Attorney General Adoke Withdraws Anti-PVC Affidavits, Claims They Were Filed Without His Knowledge

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, has claimed ignorance of his own affidavit to scuttle the use of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) in Nigeria's elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a press statement on Wednesday in response to the SaharaReporters' story, Mr. Adoke stated that the two affidavits which were filed by his own staff in the Ministry of Justice without his permission, but that he was accepting responsibility for the incident.
In the story, which we published yesterday, we reported that in one of two affidavits aimed at positioning President Goodluck Jonathan to win next month's election, Mr. Adoke argued that if the election was conducted using the cards, the "constitutional right of the many eligible voters would be taken away from them," and that the election "is likely to be unsuccessful if rigid use of the Permanent Voters' Card is carried out."
We also reported that in a second affidavit, Mr. Adoke also argued that "the use of card readers and/or any other machine at the general elections must encourage eligible voters to vote without being deprived in any way."
On Wednesday, Mr. Adoke denied knowledge of the affidavits.
"While, the deponent, (Lawrence Illop) and Messrs Taiwo Abidogun and N.S. Odusola who signed the Written Address in Support of the Counter Affidavit are staff of the Federal Ministry of Justice, I wish to state that the Officers did not avail me the opportunity of perusing or vetting the Affidavit and Written Address before they were filed," he claimed.
He stated that in the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Attorney General is normally availed copies of all court processes prepared in reply to suits against the Office and his opinion first obtained especially in sensitive suits such as the one in question before such processes are filed, but not in the current case.
He further stated that although the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and the Independent National Electoral Commission are co-defendants in the suit [No. FHC/ABJ/06/15] instituted by the Society For Advancement & Protection of Public Rights seeking the interpretation of sections 77 (2) and 112 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as well as section 9(5) of the Electoral Act, "I wish to categorically state that I was not aware of the contents of the Counter Affidavit deposed to by Lawrence Illop and did not authorize it."
Blaming the officers responsible for not adhering to procedure, Mr. Adoke said he had directed the processes to be withdrawn to enable an appropriate response to be filed to the originating summons.
He announced that a query is to be issued to the officers concerned.

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Sahara Reporters, New York.
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PDP Challenges APC To Admit To Nigerians That Their Manifesto Is False And Unrealistic

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday described as lies and unrealistic, the various electoral promises made to Nigerians by the All Progressives Congress (APC) while seeking votes for its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.

The ruling party accused the APC of deceiving Nigerians repeatedly in a bid to get votes, saying the APC has formed the habit of "one day, one lie."

Olisa Metuh, National Publicity Secretary of the party, at a press conference held at the party's National Secretariat, said the PDP has performed exceptionally well with its present programmes for the nation, and that the APC can never match what the PDP has done for the nation.

Speaking on the promises being made to Nigerians by the APC, Metuh insisted that the offer of monthly stipend to unemployed youths by the APC in relation to its cost on the finances of the nation was unrealistic and unrealisable.

"The APC in one of its phantom promises said it would pay a stipend of N5,000 each to 25 million poor Nigerians monthly.

"This gives a total of N125 billion each month and N1.5 trillion every year.

"What is baffling is that the APC knows full well that this is not only unrealistic but also impracticable in a nation with an estimated budget of N4.69 trillion comprising recurrent and capital expenditures yet they continue to dish it out to unsuspecting citizens in a clear bid to mislead.

"Also, the deceitful tendency of the APC came to light in its promise to create 740,000 direct jobs in each of the 36 states of the federation and the FCT within one year while on the other hand promising to create one million jobs for Igbo youths also within the same period. We ask, which do we believe?

"The APC has also promised to provide free education, daily free meals for millions of Nigerian school children, free tertiary education, free health care and free houses to Nigerians.

"The opposition knows too well that this is unrealistic yet they prefer to brandish falsehood.

"The APC should explain to Nigerians how they would fulfill their promises with the prevailing 40 per cent drop in national income and dwindling oil price in the international market.

"These promises are therefore either bogus or part of their plot to subject the citizens to a harsh tax regime ostensibly to finance Bourdilon Drive and other personal interests, the real reason they desperately seek power.

"We therefore challenge the APC to come forward and admit before Nigerians that these promises are false and merely deceitful, if not, they should be bold enough to tell Nigerians that they are planning to skyrocket our personal income and company taxes if they ever get to power," he stated.

Metuh insisted that the PDP government is workers' and investors' friendly as the tax regime under its leadership is good for an average Nigerian while warning that the APC would impose terrible tax regime on the people to achieve a minute of its numerous promises, even if it would give it a try at all.

"Under the PDP-led administration, company tax is a maximum of 30 per cent of the profit whereas personal income tax hovers from 1 per cent for minimum wage earners to a maximum of 19 per cent for Nigerians earning up to N100 million.

"Can Nigerians afford a tax regime of 45 per cent company tax and 32 per cent personal income tax?

"Whilst we note the multiple tax regimes in APC states like Lagos State, we believe that Nigerians are not ready to bear the brunt of APC's harsh tax policy.

"If on the other hand APC decides to deny the planned imposition of a harsh tax regime, then they must accept they are guilty of fake campaign promises and deceitful manifesto," he stated.

Listing what he considered as the various lies told to Nigerians by the party, Metuh said
"Nigerians are still shocked at the discovery of the latest international fraud where the APC rehashed an old interview by its Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, as a fresh one, all in a bid to cover up a mismanaged international trip.

"This is coming on the heels of another shocking discovery that the APC's claim that its Presidential candidate visited Chibok turned out to be a hoax meant to deceive Nigerians, as he never did," he further stated.


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Reported By Rotimi Akinwumi,
For Daily Independent Newspaper
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Fierce Battle: Femi Fani-Kayode Denies Renting Crowd To Boo Buhari In London

Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has denied allegation that he has rented a crowd to boo the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (Rted) during his presentation at the Chatham House, London, on Thursday.

He took to micro-blogging site-Twitter to deny the allegation, stating that "My attention has been drawn to a story that I am renting a crowd to embarrass Gen. Buhari at Chatham House later today. It is a lie," via his handle, @realFFK.

Since his appointment by president Goodluck Jonathan, the former APC stalwart has engaged the party and its presidential candidate, Gen. Buhari in a fierce campaign battle.

It will be recalled that the APC alleged on Wednesday that their sources in London disclosed that Fani-Kayode is organizing a paid protest against Gen. Buhari on Thursday when he appears for his Chatham House engagement.

Gen. Buhari also threatened, Wednesday, to back out of the Abuja Peace Accord over what he termed 'repeated thrown tantrums' over his academic qualifications by Fani-Kayode.

Buhari will address Chatham House by 11:00am.

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Reported by Abiodun Alade (@biodunpen) for Vanguard Newspaper
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Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Breaking: Nigeria Lawmakers Fail To Confirm Obanikoro’s Ministerial Nomination

The Nigerian Senate failed to conduct the ministerial confirmation hearing for Senator Musiliu Obanikoro scheduled to take place on
Wednesday.

The ministerial confirmation hearing was not listed in the Order paper of the senate, this led to it being rescheduled for another date that is yet to be made available.

According to our sources, the postponement was to enable the Senators debate the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper preparatory to the passage of year 2015 budget today.

Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, including six other ministerial nominees, was reportedly scheduled to be screened by the senate.

It would be recalled that Obanikoro's nomination, by President Jonathan, had been under scrutiny from the opposition APC following the alleged role he played towards the rigging of Ekiti State governorship election that led to the emergence of Fayose as governor.


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Newsbeat Portal, Abuja.
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Breaking: Senate reschedules Ministerial Screening, Passes MTEF

The Senate today rescheduled the Ministerial screening listed in its Notice paper yesterday. The item was not listed in the Order paper.

Reason given for the postponement was to enable the Senators debate the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper preparatory to the passage of year 2015 budget today.

Meanwhile the Senate today at plenary passed the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper.

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Charles Akpan / PR Nigeria
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Jonathan On The Cliffhanger, By Erasmus Ikhide

President Goodluck Jonathan's suspenseful uncertain transitional government is gradually drawing to a close. His secret wish had been truncated. He expects Nigerians to simply reward his 6-year gutter government with another 4-year without election. It was a vain fancy gone awry! It was a sordid denuding piety of dreaming away one's incompetence in governance. His rule has undoubtedly ended. But he has other tricks up on his sleeves.

In primitive societies, authoritarian governments survive because a coalition of political and military elites stands ready and willing to employ violence to execute Machiavellian vision of politics. The scenario described above mirrors Mr Jonathan's government and his propensity to perpetuate himself in power beyond 2015. He has been throwing several variables around to reinforce his fable hold on the governance of the nation.

Corruption in his government has decimated the middle class, dampened the prospect of power generation, ruined production industries, brought education to the precipice and the nation to the edge. This version of on-your-face affront by Mr Jonathan's disingenuous politics of self-sustaining gimmickry can not be disregarded. Beginning from 2014 in Ekiti governorship election, Nigerian democracy became militarized with the overt intrusion of the security sector into the political arena, a process that reached its feverish peak before the August 9th Osun Governorship election.

The electoral dimension of Mr Jonathan's authoritarianism stems from the fact that his failed government fails to hold elections as constitutionally stipulated. He is searching for an avenue to legitimised his hold on power so as to manipulate the elections for his own ends. To become a ruled-based democracy the stated letter of the constitution must be followed. The reign of terror in Ekiti and Osun elections was possible because of the symbiosis between the PDP and the security sector, with Jonathan providing the glue that binds them together in pursuit of regime survival.

The Ekiti and Osun elections heists marked glooming sports on the nation's map of liberal democracy as practised in saner society. It has come to the open after linked tape of how military were used to rig Ekiti election that Nigerians who were alarmed at the Ekiti and Osun elections invested with soldiers, police, DSS Civil Defence Corps, Niger Delta militant were not alarmists as claimed by the president and the PDP. Nigerian is a symptomatic of a militarised state that reflects a broader mindset on the part of the government.

International Communities, Civil Rights Groups, and media outlets have expressed concerned about the militarized role of the military in a democratic society, and even the Department of Justice has raised concerns about how to deal with the brutal force of the military toward unarmed citizens. Taking the long view, I can't agree less that the militarised army is a reflection of the evolution of government toward a police state model.

Although, the nation has witnessed brutal repression of political opponents since the Fourth Republic, which was deeply rooted in former President Olusegun Obasanjo's government, but this phenomenon evolved gradually after 2011 presidential election which led to the death of many. Militarised of the nation's politics reflects the convergence of hostile and desperate political groupings and the policy of the government at the centre which has been striving to remain in power for a hundred years. Now, its new found fang has been to eliminate "potential political enemies as terrorists".

It's interesting to know that in essence the justice system has indicted the military, police DSS and their bloodcurdling cousins in a lawsuit brought before it in Kano by a group of concerned Nigerians. It's interesting because the judgement came at a time the entire justice system was stacked against political opponents or those perceived to be the enemies of the president or his political party. The drawbacks of the military naivety has been exposed which misconstrues faithful service to the nation and its institutional structures, as the actual service to the government at the centre.

The crises that attended both Ekiti and Osun Gubernatorial elections should provoke protests from Nigerians, thereby prompting altruistic reform in our electoral body, its independence, and of course, toward attainment of free and fair election; devoid of manipulation of any kind. Mr Jonathan's heavy-handed government has consistently used the state apparatus to suppress dissenting voices, break up protesting groups violently more than his predecessors.

The goring scene in Ekiti, where the police shot an opposition protesting youth to death, where the military threatened to shoot Rotimi Amaechi, Adams Oshiomhole, both governors of the opposition party and others sympathetic to their cause is still fresh in our minds. The incident of Ayo Fayose, as the Governor-in-waiting of Ekiti ordering the merciless beating of judges handling his eligibility case in Ado-Ekiti High Court has not dissipated.

Mr Jonathan can resort to engaging military hostility, given the history of his failed government because under his watchful eye the state has crushed opposition elements or co-opted their followers in some manner that invariably includes superficial reforms. Nigerians didn't hold much hope for institutional change under President Jonathan with the culture of militarised elections in Nigeria. The subtle mass protests that attended Ekiti Governorship election are not just about the frozen institutional structure steeped in military and police-state methods. It was obviously created by the PDP government.

The Civil Rights Groups actually came short of staving off the negative effects of military deployment in an election and the harm's way such military engagement puts the nation and its toddling democracy. Such protests should have be vehemently design to address social issues, election manipulation and violence, among others, regarding social justice.
It is true that protests movements throughout Nigerian history have failed to change the status quo and there is no reason to be optimistic that the ones which led to the judgement in Kano court a few weeks ago will amount to anything. Nigerians are not in high spirit that their president will order the implementation of the court judgement. Neither do they expect a revolution if the Presidency used the military and other security apparatus to intimidate, manipulate and ultimately suppress Nigerians voices in the coming 2015 Presidential election.

The INEC chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega has in the past faulted the deployment of soldiers, hooded security men during Ekiti and Osun elections, describing it as abhorrent in a democracy. Beside, he spoke of how an attempt to rig the Ogun State governorship failed. Describing the trend as "worrisome, he said masked men would not be allowed for next year's general elections", as he also accused the security men deployed in Osun State of being "overzealous". Department of State Security (DSS) spokesperson Marylyn Ogar admitted that some of the DSS men deployed for the election wore hoods.

There may not be sporadic uprisings in urban areas in Nigeria that will dethrone President Goodluck Jonathan over night but there will be popular protests that will continue for different reasons, all of them revolving around the issue of absence of social justice and popular democracy. However, the cumulative effect of the protests that is to come, if the military lend itself to wrongful uses, as it were in 2011, will lead to mass demonstrations with very serious consequences on the unity of the country.

When the lives of the people are stagnated and the prospects of their children's lives look very bleak, when they realize that society is becoming increasingly unjust for more and more people, and not just the very ordinary people and poor minorities, it is very likely that a segment of the more radical of them will take to the streets and others will follow. This is the danger militarised elections could bring, and had brought to many Third World Country.


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Ikhide, a Public Affairs analyst writes in from
Lagos, Nigeria.

Follow him on twitter @ErasmusIkhide

Visit freepress.com.ng
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VP Sambo Doling Out Millions Of Naira In Kaduna -SaharaReporters

Vice President Namadi Sambo, who arrived in Kaduna at the weekend, is presently supervising the sharing of millions of Naira to individuals and groups in the state with sole aim of ensuring that the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari loses to President Goodluck Jonathan, a credible source in the presidency has confirmed.

Kaduna is one of Buhari's strongholds along with Kano and the rest of the States of the North-west include Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa and Katsina.

The source added that Sambo in one of the meetings held with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates vowed that the party must do all it can to ensure President Jonathan wins the state that has been traditionally been Buhari's base since the 2003 presidential election.

He was quoted as saying it was critical for the PDP to use all the means at its disposal to win the election.

Among those receiving the largesse are traditional rulers, religious clerics and prominent youth leaders, saying it was being delivered to them with the condition they are to ensure Jonathan is elected. Sambo has also distributed exotic cars to some senior citizens of the state in what amounts to purchasing victory.

In the 2011 general elections, it will be recalled, Sambo lost to Buhari's defunct Congress for Progressive Congress all the elections held in his immediate polling unit and his Kaduna North local government area.


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Sahara Reporters, New York.
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Improve health for Nigeria women and children, Political Aspirants Urged

A coalition of women and children's health advocacy groups has challenged political office aspirants to explain details of their maternal and child health plans to the electorate especially at this period of electioneering.

Partnership for advocacy in Child and Family Health Coalition (PACFaH) a public advocacy group said at a press briefing in Abuja that it was drawing attention to the inadequate funding of key interventions meant to save the lives of women and children as the world approach the end of the Millennium Development Goals.

Mrs. Chinwe Onumonu, a member of the group who is also director of Family Planning Sector Lead Project who addressed reporters at the briefing lamented what she described as the dire status of health of women and children in the country.

Political parties and their aspirants "have to share a realistic plan, for Nigerians in order to improve the poor reproductive maternal Health indices in Nigeria".

The group reiterated the imperative for the health sector to review how well the nation has fared in reaching these goals, especially the health related MDG goals. It also called on the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to ensure that budget lines for MNCH are created.

Stressing that if Nigeria must achieve its goal of being one of the top 20 economies by 2020, Onumonu said "the government has to commit to improving the health and wellbeing of Nigerians".

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***Reported by Stellamaries Amuwa for PR Nigeria
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Twist: Obasanjo Destroyed His Expired PDP Membership Card, PDP Claims

Two weeks after former President Olusegun Obasanjo tore his Peoples Democratic Party membership card, the party claimed on Tuesday that the card being held by the former President had expired.

It said that the card hitherto owned by Obasanjo was signed by the party's former Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Kawu Baraje.
Baraje has since left the party and he is now a chieftain of the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress.

While declaring his leaving the party, Obasanjo had asked the Chairman of the PDP in his ward at Abeokuta, Mr. Usman Oladunjoye, to tear his membership card.

Commenting on Obasanjo's action, the National Secretary of the party, Dr. Wale Oladipo, said the card had been changed.

Oladipo spoke during a courtesy call on him by some students, who claimed to be working for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu, and himself signed the current cards being used by the party members.

He said, "Baba (Obasanjo) is over 80 years and my mother is around Obasanjo's age and when you reach that age, you do things that only you can explain.

"Secondly, you will see that Baba did not tear our card. He asked somebody ostensibly to do the tearing and I am assuring you that the card that was torn was not the current PDP card.

"The current PDP card is signed by Mu'azu and Oladipo. So, the card he tore was a Baraje card which we were going to destroy anyway. So, I think Baba started it."

He added that Obasanjo might have left the party in order for it to have more followers.

Oladipo said, "Lastly, Baba is a very intelligent man. When Baba was helping us, he knows that a lot of people could have complained that they could have voted for the PDP but Baba is there.

"You know when a big tree thrives in a big forest, smaller trees cannot grow. If that big tree leaves, 10 to 20 smaller trees will grow."In politics, one big tree has a vote while 20 small trees have 20 votes. If you do the arithmetic, I am a scientist, I know that head or tail, it is a win-win situation for the PDP."

The party also vowed to shock the APC in the South-West, where it said it would spring surprises.

The Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, stated this while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said with the support which he said was coming for the party, there was no way the party would not win the presidential election.
Secondus said this was where the confidence was coming from for the party and the President.

He said, "Look at our pedigree. A party that was formed less than one year ago can't win elections with media vibes.

"Elections are won at polling units and we have the pedigree and statistics that have shown from 1999 till date that we have been consistent."

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***Reported By The PUNCH NEWSPAPER
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So How Come Money Is Failing PDP So Badly? By Peter Claver Oparah

PDP has been known for its money power. It believes so much in the power of money. It oozes money from all pores. It celebrates money such that it's another name is 'share the money'. It makes no pretence of the fact that it is monetarily rich. Money is PDP's aphrodisiac that wakes its potency any time its existence is threatened. Money has come no handily to bail PDP from situations that threaten its existence.

Once PDP deploys money on its often quarrelsome members, all problems get instantly settled. Once PDP unleashes money on the electorates, it walks away with questionable electoral victories. It does not hide its attractive affinity to money such that at every turn, it is quick to flaunt its rich resource base and intimidate others int submitting to its ravaging desires and wishes.

In the run up to every election, PDP has made a ritual of gathering its monied members and financiers to make a public show of its control of the purse. It had always called up those that have benefitted from its many pro-money policies to make returns for any impending electoral battles, and they have returned bountifully to its expansive war chest. With such huge purse, both the electorates and the electoral system become pliable tools the PDP uses . Anyway it chooses. Thus, with every election, money is never always the problem of the PDP. It has money in abundance as it has always manipulated the state treasury to ensure it always has enough when its opponents scratch for funds to run their own campaigns.

PDP and its members want all to believe that the earth is theirs and the goodness within. They want to be seen as the owner-managers of Nigeria's vast estate. They want to be perceived as the only people with the capacity to gather enormous resources and spend such in whatever way they want. Their body language bespeaks this fact. They question their opponents if they spend minimal fractions of what they spend as pocket money. They brook no rival to their affluent status and as such, deign themselves as the unchallenged ones to spend money as they wish. It was such that when PDP's rival, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari got a paltry N54 million from his own fundraising effort, the righteous PDP czars questioned how come he got up to such amount when they have the sole license to raise money for whatever purpose they deem necessary. It is such that when Buhari goes on campaign with a chattered plane, PDP righteous spin masters ask where he got the money to chatter a plane. To them, they remain the sole people capable enough to hire planes for their own campaigns even with more than fifteen air crafts in the presidential fleet turned in for their campaign. It is such that when Buhari's wife made a donation of N135 million drugs to victims of Boko Haram insurgency, PDP propagandists sought to burst the space with questions of how she came about such amount of money to purchase drugs.

In the run up to the on coming general election, PDP made a noisy business of gathering their clients in the business of running the Nigerian economy to come under one roof and in one night, pulling a hefty N21billion for its 2015 electoral battle. This is apart from the limitless license it has with the national treasury where it freely dips its hand to fund its political projects. By this, it sent a clear signal to its poor opponents that the impending battle is going to thread the usual path.

Knowing that its opponent is not monetarily gifted, it was a road show that the coming election, like previous ones, will be won and lost on the turf of money politics. Nigerians know that the PDP has no rival in this sphere. It has sat on the country's wealth for sixteen years and in those sixteen years, has bred a cabal of thieves, rogues, plunderers, treasury raiders such that it has a thick cache of the monied denizens that can always pull together any amount to ensure that the feasting go uninterrupted. It is within PDP that those who benefitted from the missing trillions of Naira, the missing billions of dollars, the multi-trillion Naira fuel subsidy scams, the trillion Naira kerosene subsidy scam, the winding list of multi-billion Naira scam contracts, the seedy oil deals, the multi-trillion Naira import duty waiver bazaar and all the many corrupt deals that have come to define PDP' sixteen awful years in power, domicile.

In the election campaign proper, PDP has enormously displayed the power of money. Remember that when electioneering campaigns were yet to be kick started, PDP embarked on a very expensive nationwide road show under the Transformation Agenda of Nigeria. This took the party to all parts of Nigeria in a sole display of its very potent resources. The opposition never challenged it because it didn't have the resources for such an enormous road show. It was a solo effort and even some enlightened observers like Prof. Akin Oyebode and Mr. Olisa Agbakoba ( SAN) readily wrote off APC and called the coming election for PDP because they saw only PDP campaigning all over the country.

It never occurred to these learned patriots that electioneering campaigns were illegal when they hastily wrote off APC. But with the flag off of the campaigns, PDP had been trailing so poorly that it had hardly organized decent rallies in many states while its opponent pull mammoth crowds of enthusiastic supporters even in states PDP took as their strongholds. While the opposition increases in strength and support, PDP has significantly decreased in strength and support, even with its stupendous resources.

Every day, PDP spends hundreds of millions of Naira on media advertisement; print, electronic. Internet. It has mopped up all available media space and has taken up all purchasable advert spaces to place, very often, meaningless smear campaigns against its opponents. Sure, these are what money can do. PDP is in its usual game, and it is exclusively a money game. PDP has been extravagant and boisterous in displaying its monied status before Nigerians in this campaign.

It is indulging in mass purchase of people, wooing Nigerians in any currency to support its frantic effort to hang on to power. Groups, associations and all manners of gatherings are being induced with hair-raising amounts of money all over the country. Pastors, cultural groups, women groups, traders, market women, traditional rulers, students, youths, nongovernmental organizations are being purchased to support PDP's inordinate ambition to hang on to power.

PDP is sparing nothing because it has the money, it has the key to the treasury and, of course, the power. PDP has been spending money as if it will soon go out of fashion to purchase the support of Nigerians for it to continue in power. Its stomach infrastructure politics is built solely on employing money to buy poor food rations for dehumanized and pauperized Nigerians in exchange for their votes.
>
> But then, how come money seems to work for PDP In reverse mode in this election? What did PDP do wrong this time around that its legendary money power is failing it so badly? How come age old tactics of massive deployment of money is failing PDP this time around? I ask these because going to the 2015 election, PDP is trailing so badly behind poor Buhari and his APC such that credible opinion polls have shown that PDP does not stand the chance of garnering 30 per cent votes in the coming election. It is this fear and reality that made the PDP, which started campaigns for this election so ahead of its opponents, to desperately clobber INEC to shift the election on very flimsy contrived grounds.

The irony of the PDP fate is that the more money it spends, the more its electoral chances plummet. After spending so much of its famed excessive war chest, the PDP, a party in government, is today perceived as the opposition party in this campaign. It is clutching at every available straw to keep afloat as blackmail, insult, lies, propaganda, deceit, character assassination; fabrication have formed the collapsible basis and central core of its campaign. PDP is flailing so helplessly on the APC tailboard even with the enormous resources at its disposal so what is the problem?

Why is it that it is the PDP that is raising vacuous and specious allegations of rigging, manipulation, and electoral chicanery when it is the party in power and with its heavy resource base? Why is it the PDP that is desperately playing cheap ethnic and religious cards to hang on to power? Why is it the PDP that is seeking to shift the goalpost deep into the second half of a soccer game when it has such intimidating resources? Why is it the PDP that is making such laughable demands as change the leadership of INEC, remove every impediment to free manipulation of election as a panacea to its worsening electoral fate? Why is it the PDP that is alleging of being intimidated in a game usually determined by huge money that it had in abundance?

Why is it the PDP that has to engage in very subterranean moves to not only force a shift in the elections but scuttle the entire process it had kick-started with illegal TAN rallies months before electioneering was legally kicked off? Why is it the PDP that is today running so disoriented, so confused and so ragged around the shadow of just one man- Muhammadu Buhari even with the enormous money and power at their disposal?why is it that the PDP is finding it hard swinging the campaigns and subsequently the coming election with its huge money? Why is PDP not dictating the pace of the game this time around but poorly trailing the APC? Why is it that with all the propagandists PDP had purchased for its campaign, it is finding it extremely difficult to mount a decent campaign free from the annoying inanities, childish fabrications, personal insults, blackmail and attack that has become synonymous with PDP's wonky campaign so far?

> Yes, the huge campaign war chest the PDP has gathered is worsening PDP's problem, and this is a viable case study for students of Nigerian electoral contest in the years ahead. The flu that has hit the PDP quest for continuation even with its enormous resources may be a viable theme for the cleansing of the farcically scrambled electoral system in Nigeria. What is happening to PDP today, even with its unassailable money power, needs to be researched into to bail Nigeria from the cabalistic politics PDP excels in and which thrives in inordinately cornering all state resources and employing same to purchase state power. Why money is not working the age long tricks for PDP, today remains perhaps a puzzle to the members of PDP that have invested heavily in leveraging the enormous power of money to stay in power perpetually.

As the rescue of Nigeria from the clutches of negative politics that has prosecuted the progressive decline of Nigeria. I know that PDP leaders, members, henchmen, fixers and enablers are ran ragged pondering how their famed money power is failing them so woefully as they grapple with the realities of losing power to a less monetized opposition that is depending on the freelance goodwill of Nigerians to come to power. Yes, money itself has its expiry potency against a people that have been pushed to the wall by corrupt and bad governance. Faced with the determination of a people, it stands to fail those who place their trust on its artificial power. This is the lesson PDP will take home after the 2015 general election if it survives beyond that date.

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Peter Claver Oparah

Ikeja, Lagos.

E-mail: peterclaver2000@yahoo.com
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Opinions expressed above are those of the author.
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Tuesday, 24 February 2015

Senate To Screen Ministerial Nominees Tomorrow

The Senate will on Wednesday February 25th, 2015 begin the process for the confirmation of Ministerial Nominees during their plenary.

Among those to be screened are Senator Patricia Akwashiki, Professor Nicholas Akise Ada, the controversial Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.

President Goodluck Jonathan last week forwarded the list of ministerial nominees to the senate for confirmation.


A statement by Charles Akpan, Assistant Director of the Presidency read: "According to the Notice Paper of the Senate, it will tomorrow [Wednesday] consider the request of Mr. President, Commander in Chief, for the confirmation of nominees as Ministers of the Government of the federal Republic of Nigeria, in accordance with section 147 (2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended."

"Those to be screened tomorrow include Senator Patricia Akwashiki , Professor Nicholas Akise Ada, Col. Augustine Okwudiri Akobundu, Engineer Fidelis Nwankwo, Mrs Hauwa'u Lawan, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro , Mr. Kenneth Kibani and Senator Joel Danlami Ikenya."

Akpan equally noted that the Senate, during their plenary session on Tuesday, received "the reports of the following Committees: Committees on Investment, Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Conference Committee on Nigeria Financial Intelligence Centre bill and report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Breach of Security at the National Assembly Complex."

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Source: Newsbeat Portal, Abuja / PR Nigeria
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Obasanjo's Graceful Exit From PDP : The Rest Is Noise Within PDP Camp By Bayo Oluwasanmi

Those lines of dialogue from the film "Double Indemnity" (1944) sum up the state of the two major political parties in Nigeria today. Both parties are rotten. How could they not be? Given the complete infestation of the political system by corruption on a scale that now requires a presidential aspirant to cough out N27 million for nomination form to be able to contest for the presidency. Both parties are captives of corruption and looting.

However, both parties are not rotten in quite the same way. The All Progressive Congress (APC) have its share of machine politicians, careerists, corporate bag-men, egomaniacs, and kooks. Nothing, however, quite matches the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Thanks to the presidential election campaigns, millions of Nigerians are finally paying attention to politics and watch with exasperation the tragicomedy of corruption and extended looting. Now, it's no more a shock to Nigerians that the PDP is full of lunatics.

To be sure, PDP has its share of crackpots like Femi Fani-Kayode, Ayodele Fayose, Buruji Kashamu, Bode George, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, Diezani Allison-Madueke, James Ibori, Patience Jonathan, Iyiola Omisore, Musiliu Obanikoro, Jelili Adesiyan, General Aliyu Momoh, Caleb Olubolade, Edwin Clark, Stella Oduah, Dimeji Bankole, and countless other treasury plunderers. The PDP membership reads like a casebook of lunacy.

The cast of characters and pernicious ideas of the PDP have literally bankrupt Nigeria and hold its citizens and the economy as hostages. The postponement of the presidential elections is yet another extension of PDP's political terrorism.

The PDP tactics and beliefs are important indicators of an absolutist, authoritarian mindset that is increasingly hostile to the democratic values of reason, compromise, and conciliation. Rather, this mindset seeks polarizing division, (Okupe and Abati's strategy) conflict, and the crushing of the opposition.

It should have been evident to clear-eyed Nigerians long before now that the PDP has become an antithesis of a representative democracy and more like an apocalyptic cult, a Fascists/Nazist authoritarian parties of 19th and 20th century Europe.

Over the years especially the last six years since President Goodluck Jonathan assumed the presidency, the PDP has become an insurrectionary party that flouts the law when the law is not on PDP's side. And when the law is on the side of the opposition, PDP threatens disorder. It is a party of obstruction, disruption, and destruction.

Recently, former President Olusegun Obasanjo finally renounced his PDP membership by publicly shredding into pieces his membership card. Obasanjo's relentless pounding of Mr. Jonathan with acerbic jokes, comments, and criticisms signalled not if but when he'll leave PDP. We saw it coming.

In three purported tweets from @segunobasanjo, he gave reasons for his departure from PDP: "I'd rather sacrifice my political party for the interest of Nigeria than sacrifice my country for a political party led by a drug baron." "I'd rather tear PDP membership card than sit down and let Jonathan use PDP and corruption to teat my beloved country apart."

"I have national and international standard to maintain. For this reason I'd rather stand alone than be in the same political party with Kashamu." "If there is anything that requires my own comment, position or views, I will say it. It is only when you kill me that I will stop doing so." "My first preoccupation is what is best for Nigeria: Nigeria first, party second, and anything third."

All things considered, it can be argued that Obasanjo holds the franchise of PDP. He's been the pillar of the party. He's the face or the logo if you will, of PDP. He's the god father and kingmaker of the party. After his exit, the rest within PDP camp is noise.

Obasanjo's exit from PDP is fatal to PDP. Obasanjo's action of tearing up his PDP membership card sends a negative message about PDP to the international community. Obasanjo is telling the world that he has no confidence – absolutely none – in Jonathan's government.

The consequence of Obasanjo's action reverberates far beyond PDP. It has a wider economic effect on Nigeria as a whole. Regardless what we think of Obasanjo and how we see him in Nigeria, he is a man the world defers to. Investors' confidence has already been shaken in Nigeria. There is subtle capital flight and new funds are not coming in – part of the reasons the Naira is losing grounds to the Dollar and Pound Sterling in particular, and other currencies in general.

The fall of Naira against other currencies and its falling purchasing power in Nigeria is going to trigger crisis of its own. There is deepening frustration because funds for operating are not available to businesses. Commercial Banks are not lending, neither are finance houses, money lenders and micro-finance banks. Other economic activities are at a stand still.

No one should be surprised by these developments. The direct consequence of the uncertain political climate is being exacerbated by the undercurrent of scheming and shenanigans of Jonathan and his handlers – the Interpreters of Maladies.

Right now, the economy is in shambles. It will get worse because no investor in his right senses will come and invest in an economy that is being threatened by war. Obasanjo's action is concrete proof to the world that a lot is wrong with Nigeria. And that's the essence of symbolically tearing it up publicly. The full implications of Obasanjo's action are huge and scary. Let's be clear: Nigeria is in deep trouble.

There are no national institutions worth that title. We've moved in the warlords' direction and we've initiated another Somalia. The only thing that can save Nigeria now is if we still have a critical core of patriots in the security forces. History will never forgive them if they failed to come together on behalf of the people to save Nigeria, rather than unite to save their 'pot of soup.'

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Author: Bayo Oluwasanmi

Opinions expressed above are solely those of the author.
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Buhari Is Stronger Than Fayose - Gov. Amosun

The Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has berated the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, for his continuous scathing remarks about the health status of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), saying Buhari is stronger than Fayose.

He said this on Monday while speaking with journalists after meeting with 705 community development associations and cooperative societies in the state at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.

Fayose's recent remarks came on the heels of the ongoing visit by the APC presidential candidate to the United Kingdom, where he met former Britain's Prime Minister, Tony Blair, among other engagements.

The Ekiti State governor had alleged that Buhari had gone for a check-up on his alleged failing health, instead of a working visit as claimed by the APC.

But Amosun said it was not in the character of the Yoruba to wish anyone death.

He said, "It's a big shame from the quarters where the ‎allegation came from. We are Yoruba.

"There is an unwritten rule: t'aba n ja, bi ti ka ku ko (Even if we are quarelling, it is not to wish each other dead).

"Even in this instance, we are not fighting. We want to represent our people. How can a sane person wish somebody else dead. It is a disgrace to our race as Yoruba for somebody to be wishing another person dead.

"For your information, General Muhammadu Buhari is even stronger than the character that is saying the man is weak; maybe because of the military background."

Amosun, who was part of Buhari's entourage to the UK, said he had to struggle to catch up with the 72-year-old retired General, despite his own age of 57.

He said, "Even because of the way I walk, it's like catching up with him. For his age, maybe because of his military background. It's like seeing Baba Obasanjo too and say he's old.

"This is the man that is very agile; we are even telling him that you have to slow down. This is the man that we met together with Tony Blair. We left the place and we went to about five different places. The man is hale and hearty.

"Even when we went to Ben Television, I told him 'you can't follow me, you have to go home'. He was willing, he was ready even in the cold. The man was walking round."

He further berated the ruling party for going viral on the Internet with falsehood, on the purported visit of Buhari to a London hospital.

He added, "You can see the photoshop they are using; they are saying a lot of rubbish. This is not politics. It is descending to an abysmal level and I think all lovers of democracy and all lovers of humanity should caution them.

"Politics shouldn't be like‎ this; saying that he (Buhari) has three months to live. They are just talking rubbish.

"Politics will finish. Where would they be when you begin to talk this rubbish? I think it's a shame and I think they are descending to a level that is unheard of, that negates reasonableness and good thinking. It's against our tradition as Yoruba."

While talking about his administration's interaction with the CDAs and cooperative societies, Amosun said he had gone to all the 236 wards in the state and met all the CDAs in their various locations.


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***Reported By Samuel Awoyinfa, Abeokuta for PUNCH NEWSPAPER.
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Ekiti Rigging Saga: Senator Omisore Confesses, "I Was There, All I Said Was Calm Down, Calm Down"

In a one-on-one interview with Nigerian citizen journalist Kayode Ogundamisi at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, Senator Iyiola Omisore of Osun state has admitted that a tape released by SaharaReporters detailing how some politicians met with a Nigerian army general to plot the rigging of last year's gubernatorial election in Ekiti was real and authentic.

Cornered by the interviewer Mr. Omisore admitted that Governor Ayo Fayose, Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan, Musiliu Obanikoro (then minister of state for defense) met with Brigadier General Aliyu Momoh to work out a modality to stop the momentum of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election which the APC subsequently lost.

However, Mr. Omisore claimed that all he said on the tape was "Calm Down, All Down", apparently referring to the point at which he intervened when Gov Fayose and others began bullying Brig. General Momoh. Omisore's assertion is, however, untrue according to the 37-minute tape. In another instance during the meeting, Omisore asked the army general why he had not arrested the campaign director of Fayose's opponent, Bimbo Daramola.

Omisore is the latest person amongst the dramatist personae involved in the rigging plot to confess to the authenticity of the tape.

Earlier, the minister for police affairs, Jelili Adesiyan owned to up to the content of the tape and his involvement by declaring that he was at the meeting, also the beneficiary of the rigging Ayodele Fayose, who earlier claimed the tape was made with a voice software recently recanted and confessed to his participation in the plot.

However, Senator Obanikoro, who was recently renominated as the Minister of state for Defense has embarked on a series of attempts to silence SaharaReporters and other journalists reporting the electoral fraud by threatening to sue the journalists in Nigeria and New York state. Obanikoro's nomination awaits confirmation by the Nigerian Senate.

Opposition APC party Senators have vowed to oppose his nomination, but observers believe that the corrupt members of the Nigerian Senate would likely confirm his appointment after receiving a bribe.

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-----Reported By Sahara Reporters, New York.
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Monday, 23 February 2015

Ogun Presidential Campaign Body To Challenge Mental State And Physical Health Of Buhari

The Presidential Campaign Organisation, Ogun State, on Monday resolved to challenge the state of mind and physical health of General Muhammadu Buhari in a competent court of law and demand that a thorough medical examination be carried out on him to ascertain if he is capable of Ruling Nigeria.

The body also condemned in strong terms the continuous surreptitious positioning of the All Progressive Congress (APC) on the true state of health of its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.

General Muhammadu Buhari is the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress for the upcoming 2015 general elections.

In a statement signed on Monday by Steve Oliyide, the Director, Media and Publicity of the Ogun State Presidential Campaign Organisation (PCO), the body expressed disappointment on the lack of transparency on the APC towards making public the true health state of Buhari.

The statement: "the Presidential Campaign Organisation, Ogun State notes with dismay the secrecy with which the real health status of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential flag bearer, General Muhammadu Buhari is Shrouded. It is even more worrisome that in spite of the embarrassment the nation recently suffered with the Yar'Adua saga, the APC that is busy hallucinating about taking over power at the center has not found it expedient to come straight on this germane matter."

"First as Nigerians, we feel concerned about the well being of our fellow citizen and more about a man who had served this country in the Army but history as taught us that the Presidential position comes with lots of physical challenge and huge mental demands and as such a proposed occupant of such position must be at least 90% healthy and of a very sound mind."

"We wonder why the opposition party is spending so much time and resources to conceal the true state of health of the former dictator. More so, we find it rather ridiculous and a grand insult to Nigerians, that the opposition party has continued to play "hide and seek" whenever the issue of General Buhari's health comes up."

"We love General Buhari and we will not stands idle to watch some greedy, self-centred and selfish politicians push such man around all in the process of actualizing their egocentric lust for power. We will not also fold our hands and allow these few take the already progressing country into constitutional crisis and needless doctrine of necessity."

"We therefore condemn in strong terms the continuous surreptitious positioning of the All Progressive Congress (APC) on the true state of health of its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari."

"In light of these and in conformity with section 137 of the  Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), we hereby wish to make public of our resolve to challenge the state of mind and physical health of General Buhari in a competent court of law and demand that a thorough medical examination be carried out on him to ascertain if he is capable of holding the highest office in the land in line with the provisions of the constitution."

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Source: Newsbeat Portal, Abuja
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Just In: Shonekan Commissions Bandirawo City, Says Kwankwaso Has Done Well

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Press Release
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Former Head of Nigerian Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan on Monday commissioned Bandirawo City, one of the three new mega cities built by the government of Kano state, under Gov. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso.

In the first phase, the Bandirawo city, mainly a high density settlement near Tumfafi, along Kano – Dambatta road, entails 441 housing units of 4, 3 and 2 bedroom bungalows. It also has commercial plots for shopping malls, filling station, hotels, etc. There is also provision for schools, recreational areas and a range of other locational advantages.

The city, alongside the two other cities, namely Kwankwasiyya and Amana, was conceptualized by the Kwankwaso administration as part of efforts to address the housing deficit in the state and the country at large. Nigeria's housing deficit is about N17 million, due to a very high urban growth rate, according to a recent World Bank report.

In this regard, the three mega cities would not only provide shelter to low, medium and high income earners, open for the government the vast and untapped investment potential of the country's real estate sector as well as upgrade Kano to the status of a competitive modern city.
Speaking shortly before commissioning the Bandirawo city, Chief Ernest Shonekan commended Gov. Kwankwaso for initiating the project said in these days when financial resource are scarce, governments must make sure that all commissioned projects are used carefully.

"If commissioned projects are well used, government will be encouraged to do more for the people", he stated, adding that it is also imperative for governments to work with the private sector in the area of infrastructure projects.

Chief Shonekan enjoined citizens of Kano and other Nigerians to cooperate with government so that development can happen fast and people can reap the dividends of democracy.
In his speech, the state governor, Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso said the Bandirawo City, built on 191 hectares, is one of the landmark projects of his government and one of three new mega cities established in Kano to improve housing, which is a basic human need and a key factor for economic development.

"All the three cities were constructed at the combined cost of about N45 billion, with the aim of not only decongesting the old Kano city but also to providing better shelter for our citizens in line with global best practices", the governor stated.

According to him, all the new cities were constructed solely by the state government through the state Housing Corporation in conjunction with the state Investment and Property Company, without any local or foreign loans.

Gov. Kwankwaso stated that the houses would be sold to all Nigerians without discrimination and appealed to investors to complement government's efforts by making meaningful investments in the real estate sector of the state.

______________________________________________
Halilu Ibrahim Dantiye, fnge, mni

Director of Press and Public Relations
to the Executive Governor of Kano state.
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Just In: President Jonathan Has No Plan To Rig March Polls, Says Dr Abubakar Sulaiman

The Honourable Minister/Deputy National Chairman, National Planning Commission (NPC), Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman has declared that President Goodluck Jonathan has no plan to rig next month's general elections, even as he described the president as a leader with large heart.

The minister made the disclosure during a reception in his honour and other past deans, organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Abuja, held at the university auditorium at its mini campus, Gwagwalada.

In a statement made available to the press by the Head of Information, Salisu B. Haiba, the minister said, "This administration is working and the evidence is there. I will continue to do more for the university and I can do better, and if you truly like me, vote to return Goodluck Jonathan.

"One thing we should all know is that Jonathan does not have the plan to rig himself back. If he had or has that plan, he would not have appointed Jega (INEC),  an activist as the INEC chairman. Even on my appointment, Mr. President demonstrated a large heart.

"I was an active unionist during my days as a university lecturer, I led a protest against the then sitting VC, which we carried up to the government level, yet Mr. President  decided, devoid of any sentiment, to appoint me a minister. It takes one with a large heart to do that."

Reeling out the catalogue of  Jonathan's achievements, the minister stated that under President Goodluck Jonathan, 14 Federal Universities were built across the geo-political spread of the country and this is a great height achieved in educational development ever witnessed in the Nigeria

In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Mike Adikwu, commended the minister for putting the university first in the course of discharging his duties as a minister, adding that "Dr Sulaiman, has lived up to his billings as an academic in the federal executive council and has also made the university proud as his constituent."

Adikwu expressed appreciation for the foreign training opportunity given to the university by the NPC under Sulaiman's  leadership,  and expressed confidence that the minister will do more to get the university attain greater height

In his goodwill message, Professor Samuel Asala, Provost, College of Health Sciences, of the university, recalled the historic role in the completion of the College of Health Sciences' building in the university permanent site.

Also speaking, Professor Sarah Anyawu of Economics Department also commended the minister's effort for the numerous economic policy plans initiated by the NPC for the growth and development of Nigeria


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Sunday, 22 February 2015

Ban Ki-Moon Urges FG And INEC To Adhere To New Election Dates

The Secretary-General to the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, on Saturday urged the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the new dates for elections in Nigeria are maintained, in accordance with the provisions of the nation's constitution.

He also maintained that the UN is closely monitoring developments in the country and offers its full support to Nigeria towards the new dates for the elections.

According to a statement issued by UN Spokesperson, Stephane DuJarric, in New York made available to Sunday Independent on Saturday, Ki-moon welcomed the commitments by the candidates to the Presidency to respect the new calendar.

The statement released in Lagos by the National Information Officer, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), in Lagos, Oluseyi Soremekun, stated that the UN boss commended the progress made by INEC in the preparation for the elections, including the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

He urged all relevant national institutions to continue to work with INEC to ensure all voters can exercise their constitutional right to participate in the elections freely and without intimidation.

Ban ki-moon, however, expresses strong concern over reports of election-related violence.

He urged all political leaders to adhere to their commitments under the Abuja Accord, to refrain from inflammatory statements and to immediately condemn any statements from their supporters that amount to an incitement to violence or subversion of the electoral process.

He reiterated that the United Nations will be closely following developments and is offering its full support to Nigeria at this important moment.

He maintained that his High-Level Representative to Nigeria, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, will remain actively engaged with the Nigerian authorities over the coming weeks.


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Daily Independent
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