Travis Porter - Make it Rain

Boko Haram Kills Three in Fresh Maiduguri Attack

Suspected members of Boko Haram are behind the killing of three more people at a hospital in Maiduguri, police said on Wednesday. The three victims, including a senior police officer, were killed Tuesday evening when some armed men fired shots into a teaching hospital in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. “An investigation has already commenced but I can tell you that we believe the killings must have been carried out by the Boko Haram since it was their mode of operations,” the Borno State police public relations officer said.

Boko Haram said on its website on Tuesday it was behind the Christmas Eve bombings in Jos. The group is loosely modelled on the Taliban movement in Afghanistan.

Members of the group had, last Saturday attacked some churches in Maiduguri killing about six people. A witness said the attack was carried out by around 30 armed men. The Brigade Commander of the military task force in the town, Ibrahim Hassan Ndaliman, said his men were actually on patrol when they heard of the situation in Dala Alemderi, and they came around; but the deed was already done before they arrived. He said they were able to protect other Churches within the state capital against further attacks.

Culled from Reuters.

Not enough Hausa in the East to form a Boko Haram either. However, this is welcomed news. OPC sure does know how to handle business. As long as they don't bother Eastern people who mean them no harm.

Right in the South-East backyard. This is scaring me now, but they used to bomb just pipelines. Now political rallies? What's next? Markets. . .

Envoy says Ojukwu’s health improving

The Ikemba Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, currently receiving treatment at a London hospital, is “remarkably stable”, a Nigerian official has said.

Dozie Nwanna, Nigeria’s acting High Commissioner to the UK, who visited Mr. Ojukwu in the hospital on Sunday, told the Europe correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in London that “there is remarkable improvement everyday on his health.”

The envoy, who said he was received by Mr. Ojukwu’s wife, Bianca, added that the former Biafran leader was much better than when he was brought in from Nigeria.

“The wife and members of his family who are with him are all in good spirit. Nigerians should continue to pray for his quick recovery,” Mr. Nwanna said.

Mr. Ojukwu was flown to London after spending three days in the intensive care unit of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, after suffering from a stroke.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5659401-146/envoy_says_ojukwus_health_improving.csp

This is getting out of hand. Bombs are exploding everywhere in Nigeria. And people wonder why I called Nigeria a failed state.

Bombs hit Bayelsa political rally

Two bombs exploded in a southern Nigerian city during a political rally on Wednesday, police said, in the latest in a series of attacks in the country.

Beemo Seiff, a candidate running in Bayelsa state governorship elections, was holding a rally in the state capital Yenegoa when the first explosion happened.

Baylesa state police commissioner Aliyu Musa said no one had been killed but a number of people had been taken to hospital with injuries.

"It was dynamite explosives planted at the venue earlier by people who are still at large. We are investigating," said Musa. "The aim of the people responsible was to stop the rally."

More to follow,

- Reuters

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5659502-146/bombs_hit__bayelsa_political_rally.csp

My mistake. I admit that I am wrong. I just thought that since Abiola was well liked in the South-East, that should be equated to him winning states. A real man can admit when he is wrong.

udezue:

Leadership of MASSOB should be ashamed of itself. You can't have all these members and not gurantee their safety and defense against bloody Nigerian police. I believe its imperative that MASSOB get a militant wing to fend off these attacks. Non-violence in Nigeria is a useless tactic.

MASSOB has been disappointing me lately. Maybe they should take a page from the playbook used by the OPC. Why are Igbos so non-violent? This turn the other cheek nonsense is becoming too much for me.

lagbaja20:

Example?

Can you give examples of when and where Igbos voted out of tribal affiliation as a matter of choice, not for expediency sake?

Igbos voted in great numbers for Abiola even after he told Nzeribe that he did not need the Igbo vote.

Does anyone know of a local chapter in Maryland?

alj harem1:

the bolded makes sense but the rest is just not reasonable enough

It was an opinion I came across online. It is food for thought. Not to say that I agree with the statement. I still find it interesting how people can say Igbos are tribalistic, even though we have show time and time again that we can vote for people of other groups. The Igbo vote is massive, but we do not vote alike.

Well it would seem that the Northerners and Yorubas only vote for their own which is sad. Igbos are known not to vote based on tribal allegiance , but based on what the person represents. That is what makes us different I guess. We don't care if the person is Yoruba, Hausa, Ijaw, Kanuri etc. As long as the person is the right man for the job.

Here is an interesting read I came across. Maybe you should take the time to read this statement with an open mind. It concerns the clamoring for Buhari and the religious crisis in Jos.

I pity the yorubas down south clamouring for buhari, buhari, buhari. La la la. I pity you guys. Most of you have not been to the North. Why do you like buhari? he is going to rule with fairness right? he has no record of corruption right? but so do jonathan. But ask yourselves these questions: Why is the north clamoring for buhari? Do you think you have common grounds? Someone gave a comment above that CPC is a party to beat in the North, why? find out or i will tell you myself. The north is extremely religious, and i MEAN WHAT I JUST SAID. The north supports Buhari because, first, he's one of their own, second, because he's muslim. The north supports any government, whether corrupt or not, so far he's one of theirs. In this last victory AC have swept over PDP in the southwest, it is glaring that the south-west is after excellence, transparency, ability, and they are less concerned about religious affiliations of the subject. that is not the same in the north. When PDP rigged the last election, was it only in the South west and south east? why is it then that it was only in these regions that some govs were removed from office? PDP rigged extremely in the north. Eye witnesses said ballot papers weren't available in a lot of places, i mean SERIOUS rigging. But tell me, which of those states did they call to remove the governor? It is because he gives them "toshi" i.e bribe in hausa language. I mean money is spread in the populace and everyone keeps quiet. A typical hausa/fulani man wants to sit and collect money without doing anything. they dont have excellence, transparency, justice in their calender, all they have is religious bigotry.

If injustice, killings, theft, corruption can be done to further their religion, there is no problem. You have not been to the north, or only visited the north, i perceive. You DON'T KNOW this people at all. I am talking from more than 20years experience in the north. You need to see the hatred they have for non-indigenes and christians. Pls believe me. i know what i'm saying. Ok. Don't we have christians in the North? We have a LOT of them, significant, inteligent able people. The north has never fielded a christian from the north as its candidate. and dont forget the emergence of Obasanjo was a permissive will when they knew it would be disastrous to hold onto power any longer. Just replace buhari with a northern christian from Jos, or any part of it, then CPC is gone. Yes, that is the fact. I must let you know this. Ok now. Listen. do you know the agenda of the North? Do you know that saudi, iran, possibly iraq, libya, sudan, all sponspor northerners to make sure they islamise nigeria? Do you know that a typical northerner (hausa/fulani) sees a NigeriEn as a brother more that a fellow christian NigeriAn? Do you know they import foriengners from Niger and Sudan, chad to fight their fellow nigerian? If you dont know, you had better know NOW!

I have seen a circular they never wanted it to leak but it did like it has always done. In it, they buried hyena in sudan, casting spells, financial support from islamic nations. Their every year hajj in Saudi, what do you think they go to do? They go to plan and strategise. The nations (the islamic nations mentioned above were surprised as to why they(Nigerian muslims, maybe the ones of norther extract) have not been able to capture nigeria. What do you think about Ivory coast? Who do you think are behind alassan quatarra? they are backing him. Pls find out. What about Sudan's albashir? Find out. If you dont know, they have a world agenda. Uk is taken over already. in the 1970s, there not many muslims in the UK, but today there is a 30-fold increase. 30yrs ago america has about 100,000 muslims, but today they have well over 9 million muslims. What makes you think Nigeria is an exception? If you don't know, Buhari is the man. Find out about buhari, do an honest research. Buhari may give you justice, food, and whatever for the time being but you must know that sharia is coming to stay, or the way will be well prepared for it that it can no longer be resisted. Why do we have arabic on our Naira note in the first place? Obasanjo came and erased the new currency. We want the rest to be erased. Jonathan must do that. We are no islamic nation. Organisation of Islamic Countries will be signed. Why is Jos in crises? Do you think it is ethnic problem? don't let the press fool you. It is purely religious. Find out yourself. I am myself an extract of the Southwest who has been in the north for over 20 years.

The freedom you want, justice and whatever will turn to Sharia.
My opionion: YOu can go ahead and choose whoever you think is best for governors (whether ACN or whatever) but when it comes to presidency SHINE YOUR EYES OOOOO. Pls and Pls. Pls and Pls. think.

^^^

You want trouble?

Never a dull moment in this section.

Police arrest 12 MASSOB members

The police in Aba, Abia State on Christmas Eve, arrested 12 members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). The men were said to be hoisting the Biafran flag along Mbaise Road, Off Ngwa Road in the commercial city in commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ when they were apprehended.

Condemning the arrest, MASSOB’s Administrator for Aba Region, Mrs. Comfort Ogbokiri said it was wrong for the police to have arrested her members for exercising their fundamental human rights. Speaking through her Director of Information, Mr. Sunny Okereafor, Mrs. Ogbokiri wondered why people who were not criminals could be arrested and their friends and relations barred from seeing them. According to her, “my men were hoisting the Biafran flag along Mbaise Road to commemorate the Christmas when they were arrested by the police. They are not kidnappers or armed robbers but members of MASSOB who were merely exercising their legitimate rights.

She was apprehensive that seven of the arrested MASSOB members might have been labelled and killed by the police as kidnappers since visits to the Central Police Station, Aba, have yielded no information about the whereabouts of the said men. In her words: “When we went to the CPS, Aba, one inspector who only identified himself as Gabriel, told us there were only five MASSOB members in the cell. He could not tell us the whereabouts of the remaining seven members.
“Going by the situation in the state at the moment, we are afraid our members might have been killed in the guise of being kidnappers or armed robbers,” she said stressing that if the reverse were the case, the men should be charged to court, latest by Wednesday, or be released without further delay.   

She reiterated the organisation’s policy of fighting a legitimate course bereft of violence, stating that if the seven had been killed, their corpses should be returned to them for proper burial. Ogbokiri urged all MASSOB members in the region to remain calm in the face of what she called a deliberate attempt by the Nigerian police to cause mayhem in the state through wanton arrest of her members.

-Ndi Igbo

dayokanu:

And what does the ACn and SW gain from this?

Now I know who I am combating in this debate.   A person cut from my own cloth. You are a realist. I can see your approach to this argument is from the realist point of view. I do not blame you though. We all want to look out for what is best for our own region. But is this a zero-sum game?

dayokanu, maybe you should talk to the ACN elders to put their ambition aside in order to work with Buhari and his party. 

Too bad both parties ambition is at odds with each other.  

This thread is dedicated to my South-West brothers, dayokunu and eku_bear who I have been debating in the other threads. I hope they read this welcomed development.

Ambition rocks alliance talks between ACN and CPC

By Idris Akinbajo
December 28, 2010 12:45AM

Despite ongoing discussions between two major opposition parties, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), findings by NEXT[b] indicate that the parties will field separate candidates in the 2011 elections.[/b]

Both parties have admitted being involved in negotiations which will lead to a merger or an alliance. While the ACN negotiation team is lead by Niyi Adebayo, former governor of Ekiti State, the CPC team is led by Aminu Masari, former speaker of the House of Representatives.

Sources within the ACN however confirm that for reasons including the short period before the general elections, the rigid positions of the parties and the rejection of the alliance by top members of the ACN, the proposed alliance would not work.

"Let me tell you that majority of our party leaders and members do not support it. Also, there is no time for any merger. We have less than four months to the elections, even the electoral act does not allow that," a national official of the ACN told NEXT. Apart from the four ACN governors (Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, Adams Oshiomole of Edo, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, and Rauf Aregbesola of Osun) who are reportedly opposed to the alliance, the chairman of the party, Bisi AKande, is also said to be against it.

Mr Akande's opposition is based on the insistence of the CPC that Muhammadu Buhari, a retired General and former military ruler, should be made the presidential candidate of any alliance that was formed. Mr. Buhari is not only the CPC's only presidential aspirant, the party was primarily formed to help him achieve his presidential ambition.

"The CPC was founded on my authority by my political associates as a solution to the debilitating ethical and ideological conflicts in my former party, the ANPP," the former head of state stated on the party's website.

Prior to the formation of the ACN, the Action Congress had stated that its presidential candidate for the 2011 elections would be a young man, a child of independence, who has demonstrated competence and integrity and is untainted with corruption allegations.

Party for the young

After his unopposed re-election at the ACN convention in Benin on Tuesday, Mr. Akande again restated this position in his acceptance speech.

"Now that the Action Congress of Nigeria and the entire people of this country are happy with the services of these young men (four ACN governors), I think you will all cooperate with me to ensure that we return another young man as the President of Nigeria," the party chairman stated while surrounded by the four governors.

Unlike Mr. Buhari who is 68 years old, all the presidential aspirants of the ACN are around 50. The Action Congress presently has three presidential aspirants. They are Uba Saidu Malami (46) a businessman; Attahiru Bafarawa (56), former governor of Sokoto State; and Nuhu Ribadu (50), former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Usman Bugaje, the former National Secretary of the party, is believed to have dropped his presidential ambition and will instead run for governor of Katsina state.

"We can say boldly that our party has the youngest and brightest presidential aspirants in the country," Lai Mohammed, the national publicity secretary of the ACN stated while commenting on the relatively young presidential aspirants of the party.

Another senior official of the party said barring last minute political upheavals, Mr. Ribadu will likely emerge the presidential candidate of the party.

Some of the factors believed to be working for Mr. Ribadu, apart from meeting the criteria the party set up, are his popularity not just within the ACN but also across different political parties, and his acceptance and popularity among young Nigerians.

Mr Ribadu proved his political acceptance when leaders gathered at the Thisday dome in Abuja on Tuesday, December 14 to launch his autobiography, "My Story, My vision." Describing the former EFCC boss, Ken Nnamani, former senate President and PDP chieftain stated that "Nuhu is one of the few Nigerians that I consider a good example.

The type of courage he has is the type of courage Nigeria needs if we indeed want to join the committee of Nations in the year 2020." Another PDP leader who clamoured for a Ribadu presidency is Femi Fani- Kayode, the former aviation minister.

"If a man like Ribadu emerges as your candidate, many many people from PDP, from APGA, will join your party," Mr. Fani-Kayode stated.

The National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Victor Umeh, as well as other APGA chieftains are also said to be rooting for a Ribadu candidacy if they are to join any alliance.

The Tinubu factor

One person who many believe is going to influence the decision of whether the ACN picks Mr. Ribadu or joins forces with the CPC to pick Mr. Buhari as the presidential candidate is Bola Tinubu, former Lagos State governor and the most influential ACN chieftain.

"Asiwaju wants an alliance of progressive political parties to defeat the monster called PDP, that is why he is encouraging the talks. But definitely he supports that all presidential aspirants go for primaries," one of his aides said.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5658241-146/ambition_rocks_alliance_talks_between_acn.csp

eku_bear, you better believe I do not have ACN's interest at heart, because it is a tribal party, and I hope it forever remains a tribal party. I support parties that works on behalf of all Nigerians, not just a particular ethnic group. ACN is nice locally, but nationally, it scares the hell out of me. However, I must say I am biased, if APGA was in the position to do this, I probably would be supporting them like you two are.

dayokanu:

Dont you think its getting cyclical right now?

Why do you think ACN offered to be a VP under Buhari if they were not trying to get in the mainstream?


If the ACN had come with Tinubu for president now and just hung on to their 6-7 states then your point would be valid, but they opted to be Vice president under a Buhari that would give them penetration in the North which is enough sacrifice.

What else do you want?

If SE want to be reckoned with much in Nigerian politics they should all rally round APGA and make the 5 SE states bloc votes for APGA

Because Politics you have to bring something to the table

The North nor Buhari wants to settle for the VP slot. They want the presidency. Being a Vice President is only ceremonial. Why would they join the ACN to become a Vice President? If you can see with their beef with GEJ, they want the top spot.

And the SE is rallying behind APGA. Abia, Ebonyi & Imo is in play. If it wasn't for Sullivan Chime, Enugu would be in play as well, but he is doing a good job under the PDP umbrella.

daroz:

Buhari/south east(chris igege) or south south(oshiomhole) is what ACN need to win the presidency, not Buhari south west(Adebayo)

Agreed. However, that would split the Eastern vote.

You do know most people will think you did not succeed in the UK. That is why you are running back home. Unless you are retiring, I would stay in the UK and try to make it there.

dayokanu:

Whats the aim of the Alliance? To win elections right? And you are saying it doesnt matter if a candidate does not bring anything to the table?

Do you think they would be spending their money and time on someone who cant guarantee his home state?

Like I said, if you think ACN is ready for the national spotlight, you are sadly mistaken. It needs to shake off that tribal background. You do know this election is GEJ's to lose?

dayokanu:

Ochi-Agha,

You still havent answered "What sense would it make to put a South easterner on a ticket where he cant even guarantee 3 states at the expense of a Yoruba ACN man who gives you 6-7 states for starters?

Even APGA cant boast of being bigger than PDP in the SE right now, So what does your Hypotethical SE/SS Vice President bring to the alliance?

It doesn't matter. ACN will still be seen as a regional/ethnic party, which it is in my opinion. That party would probably scare more people to PDP. Sometimes the devil you know, is better than the devil you don't know.

2011: Buhari Woos Saraki


2011: Buhari Woos Saraki
From Hammed Shittu in Ilorin, 12.28.2010
The presidential aspirant of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Major-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), yesterday held a closed-door meeting with the Second Republic Senate Leader and strongman of Kwara politics, Dr. Olusola Saraki, in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The meeting, which was held at the Ilofa country-home of the statesman in Ilorin, was well attended by some political associates of the former Senate leader.
Details of the meeting were sketchy last night but THISDAY checks revealed that it might not be unconnected with Buhari’s presidential ambition and the need to reach out to key political leaders for support.


The meeting was also said to have dwelt on the current political situation in the state ahead of the 2011 election.
It was learnt that the rising number of the governorship aspirants in the state was said to be giving Saraki concern, thereby necessitating the need to prepare a plan “B” to ensure his daughter, Senator Rukayyah Gbemisola Saraki, gets a governorship ticket to contest the poll.
Gbemisola, who is a governorship aspirant in the state, and some of her political associates were in attendance at the meeting.
Buhari could not speak to newsmen as he was effectively shielded from journalists, but the former Senate leader denied that the meeting was to prepare grounds for his defection to CPC.


“I don’t intend to go anywhere but we just discussed about the network of CPC across the country,” he said.
He said they discussed CPC’s strength state by state, individual by individual, but that they did not discuss CPC in Kwara State.
Saraki, however, admitted that there was problem in PDP in the state, stating, “I am one of their supporters and not a member of PDP because I don’t like the way and manner the PDP is being run in Kwara State today.”


He said: “I told you yesterday (Monday) when I arrived Ilorin from Lagos that I would tell you where to go but for now I am yet to tell you where to go because as your leader, we are going to discuss and if you accept my advice and you follow me then, it is then we are going to take final decision since we are men of honour in Kwara State.”
Among those who also attended the meeting were some serving council chairmen, former council chairmen, former commissioners, special advisers and top politicians in the state.


There have been reports that Saraki and his son, the state Governor Bukola Saraki, are divided over Gbemisola’s aspiration as the governor is said to be opposed to her sister mounting the saddle immediately after him.
Some commissioners in the state namely: Commissioner for Economic Development, Alhaji Fatai Ahmed; Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Abdulrasaq Atunwa; and former Minister of Sports, Hon. Issa Bio, are said to have collected Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship nomination forms allegedly at the prompting of the governor.


Others that have collected forms in PDP are Senator Ahmed Muhammed, representing Kwara North in the Senate; and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem.
And sensing the game may be up by the powers-that-be in the state, Gbemisola, in the last few weeks now, is said to be working on defecting to CPC in case it’s proving difficult for her to pick the PDP governorship ticket.

http://www.thisdayonline.info/nview.php?id=190886