For ignoring his directive not to join opposition parties in smear campaigns, the Peoples Democratic Party, [PDP] Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has suffered a casualty as President Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday, ordered the suspension of the PCC Director of Research and Strategy, Mr. Mike Omeri.

A Daily Sun source revealed that at its stormy meeting held on Tuesday at the Legacy House with members of the PCC in attendance, President Jonathan expressed his displeasure over a statement issued last weekend by Mike Omeri, in which he cast aspersion on the integrity of the Congress for Progressive Change, (CPC) presidential candidate, General Muhamadu Buhari and his Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) counterpart, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and threatened to expose them.

In the statement signed by Omeri and published in some national dailies, the PCC noted that the antecedents of ‘’the two self-acclaimed anti-corruption ’stars’ had proved that they had their hands soiled with acts of corruption when they were in government.” On Buhari, Omeri recalled that in 1984, as Head of State, the CPC presidential candidate exhibited double standards in public administration by allowing 52 suit cases suspected to be filled with hard currency brought in by his ADC to enter the country without passing through checks for the mandatory Customs clearance.

The PCC Director of Research and Strategy, therefore submitted that the 1984 incident was a clear case of money laundering and ‘’wondered what moral right such a candidate had to talk about corruption.’’ The statement also took the ACN presidential candidate to the cleaners and recalled that in 2007, while answering questions before the Senate on the alleged acts of corruption by some governors, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the former chairman of the anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) said the alleged sleaze perpetrated by former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu “was of international dimension.”

“Is it not curious that the same person with such a tag is now the political godfather of Ribadu and sole financier of his political campaigns?’’ Omeri further stated in the statement. Daily Sun source revealed that the President also demanded explanation from Omeri on why he persisted in ignoring his instructions that the PCC Publicity Department should focus on issues and restrain from indulging in spurious attacks on his main opponents.

“President Jonathan was not convinced with the defence put up by Omeri and his boss, Director of Publicity, Abba Dabo and ordered Omeri out of the meeting. He further gave an instruction for his suspension from the campaign activities.’’ Daily Sun findings revealed that the PCC Director of Research had since been suspended until further notice.

A copy of his Query/Suspension Letter dated 22nd March, 2011 and signed by the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Dalhatu Tafida, accused Omeri of pronouncements on the campaigns without clearance and accordingly placed him on suspension until further notice.
The letter, a copy of which was made available by a Daily Sun source reads:

‘’In spite of repeated warnings to you to desist from pronouncements on the campaign without clearance from either the Director of Publicity, or Deputy Director-General, or Director-General, you have persisted in this direction and thereby embarrassed the campaign with unauthorized statements that are at variance with the values and principles of our presidential candidate.

You are accordingly suspended from your duties as Director of Research and Strategy until further notice while you are required to respond within 24 hours as to why stronger sanctions should not be applied to you.”




Link;http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/mar/24/national-24-03-2011-001.htm

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Statement on Buhari: PDP campaign council suspends director


The Presidential Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party has suspended its Director of Research and Strategy, Mr. Mike Omeri.



He was suspended for issuing unauthorised statement that was considered to have impugned on the character of the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) in which he described the former head of state as being corrupt.



Investigations by our correspondent showed that President Goodluck Jonathan had raised the issue when he came to the PDP presidential campaign office located at Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja.



He was also said to have verbally queried Omeri for issuing the statement without clearance from the leadership of the campaign.



The President, it was further gathered, was livid with anger, saying that he had not authorised anyone to abuse his opponents just because election was on hand.



Omeri had, in a statement he signed on Saturday, accused Buhari for being the mastermind behind the 53 suit cases that were not searched at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos during his regime.



He also said in the statement that President Jonathan would soon expose Buhari for his “hypocritical stand on anti corruption.”



Jonathan was quoted as saying that “General Buhari is a former Head of State of this country and therefore should not be rubbished because he is contesting the April presidential election.”



He was also said to have said that he believed in issue-based campaign and not in character assassination of anyone.



Omeri was also accused of issuing a statement during the Suleja bomb blast, accusing the CPC and Buhari of being responsible for the blast.



The statement was later withdrawn.



His last statement compelled the spokesperson of Buhari, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, to issue a response to the allegation, in which he also impugned on the character of the wife of the President, Patience.



While condemning the CPC’s reply to Omeri, the President had, through his spokesperson, Mr. Ima Niboro, described Omeri’s statement as unfortunate.



The letter that contained the suspension of Omeri, dated March 22, and signed by the Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Dalhatu Tafida, was titled “Query and Suspension.”



He was queried and suspended for making unauthorised statements.



http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201103242351414

I know that I made the right choice, when I chose Jonathan as the best among the lot.

Thanks Mr. President, you are truelly a leader and we are doing our part to see that you shall lead Nigeria.

as much as i will like to commend the actions of GEJ, i cant but consider a dissent view as holding onto a single story will mean ignorance, gullibilty and shortsightedness in politics. The statement has been made from the campaign committee and fortunately, Gen. Buhari has to give a response to the allegation.
But, i've got questions. what if this is just another drama as it's always been in politics? what if GEJ is only learning the "scape goat" concept from his new koko master friend? What if Mike Umeri was given an unclear consent to issue such statement? what if mike Umeri was only used as the scape goat? these are only what if's, but one thing is clear, the statement has been made and GEJ has scored an extra point by the way he handled it.
well play GEJ but i'm not fooled!!

Perfect analysis @brianride. I think its just a ploy to score points and it has probably achieved its purpose. GEJ has used this all through his campaign. This also apppears in his ads where he gets all those people to say "I am Goodluck Jonathan".

Goodluck has only ever been goodluck to himself and badluck to others. He bacame govenor and brought extreme poverty to Bayelsa plus he handed them over to a crazy man (who recently beat up an Assistant Commissioner of Police)to continue opressing his people. Then came his meteoric rise to the post of Vice-President in an administration that did virtually nothing for the country. He was lucky but Nigeria was stagnant and Yar'adua died.

GOODLUCK IS GOODLUCK TO HIMSELF ALONE AND BADLUCK TO OTHERS.

brainride:

as much as i will like to commend the actions of GEJ, i cant but consider a dissent view as holding onto a single story will mean ignorance, gullibilty and shortsightedness in politics. The statement has been made from the campaign committee and fortunately, Gen. Buhari has to give a response to the allegation.
But, i've got questions. what if this is just another drama as it's always been in politics? what if GEJ is only learning the "scape goat" concept from his new koko master friend? What if Mike Umeri was given an unclear consent to issue such statement? what if mike Umeri was only used as the scape goat? these are only what if's, but one thing is clear, the statement has been made and GEJ has scored an extra point by the way he handled it.
well play GEJ but i'm not fooled!!

This is an analysis from someone who has already made up his mind. The fact is this, "we dont see things the way they really are, we see them the way we are"

[size=38pt]Sai GEJ![/size]

Good decision

[This is an analysis from someone who has already made up his mind. The fact is this, "we dont see things the way they really are, we see them the way we are"][quote][/quote]

i see nothing else considered as a fair analysis than to argue and see things from different points of view. This singular fact dispells you assertion of only seeing things the way we are.

More actions and less talk,qualities of a good leader

brainride:

as much as i will like to commend the actions of GEJ, i cant but consider a dissent view as holding onto a single story will mean ignorance, gullibilty and shortsightedness in politics. The statement has been made from the campaign committee and fortunately, Gen. Buhari has to give a response to the allegation.
But, i've got questions. what if this is just another drama as it's always been in politics? what if GEJ is only learning the "scape goat" concept from his new koko master friend? What if Mike Umeri was given an unclear consent to issue such statement? what if mike Umeri was only used as the scape goat? these are only what if's, but one thing is clear, the statement has been made and GEJ has scored an extra point by the way he handled it.
well play GEJ but i'm not fooled!!

IT would rank as one of the highest forms of gullibility if we're to believe Umeri was acting on his own.