2015: Voting may fellow ethnic line the punch. Buhari and Jonathan The emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan and a former military Head of
State, General Mohammadu Buhari (retd), as presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress respectively have set the stage for a political war among various ethnic and cultural groups in the country. SUNDAY PUNCH enquires showed that while some of the groups have taken decisions to queue behind either Jonathan or Buhari, others are in the process of taking decision on whom to support. This is happening even as some of the groups have, however, chosen to be neutral. Buhari is the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate for the February
2015 election. He defeated four other APC aspirants: Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Rochas Okorocha and Sam Nda-Isaiah to clinch the party’s ticket at a national convention/primary that held Thursday in Lagos. His victory sets him yet again as the number one challenger to President Goodluck Jonathan, who on Wednesday was formally handed the Peoples Democratic Party flag for the 2015 presidential election without having to contend with any opponent in the party. The Ijaw National Congress told SUNDAY PUNCH it would support President Goodluck Jonathan’s bid for a second term in office. It said its decision was based on the performance of the President. The INC spokesman, Mr. Victor Borubo, said the congress had compared Jonathan’s performance with that of past presidents and came to the conclusion that he (Jonathan) deserved a re-election. “Apart from the fact that President Goodluck Jonathan is a son of the Niger Delta people and we will naturally vote for him, he is the only President that has been so criticised and yet did not harass anybody or send assassins against anybody,” Borubo added. The Coalition of Northern Politicians, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen, is however queuing behind Buhari. The convener of the group, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, urged the electorate in the North to vote for the APC candidate. He observed that while the PDP schemed out other presidential aspirants in the party in favour of Jonathan, a candidate of northern extraction emerged from an open process in the APC. The Second Republic federal lawmaker, who stated that he was not speaking for the North, said Nigerians now had the option to choose between the status quo or vote for a change in the country. Mohammed said, “There are only two candidates in this (presidential) contest in 2015 – there is Goodluck Jonathan, who is incompetent, and there is Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who is not only a former Head of State but also a complete personification of integrity. “What this means is that Nigerians now have a very clear choice: If you don’t like what is in this country in terms of the national economy, insecurity, corruption at all levels and decadence in government, then you have a very clear-cut choice.” Similarly, a pan-Yoruba association, Afenifere Renewal Group, said it was solidly behind whoever the APC fielded as its presidential candidate. Speaking with one of our correspondents, the Publicity Secretary
of the group, Mr. Kunle Famoriyo, said, “We have a soft spot for the APC as progressives, considering the work they are doing in the South-West. We can rightly say the APC is our adopted party. A majority of our members are in the party and we support our members who want to contest for public positions, majority of whom are in the APC. “The APC primary was a step forward for Nigeria’s democracy from the point of view that the election of Buhari was transparent. It marked a new dawn in the way we select people who are to govern in us in Nigeria, because it was done in the presence of everybody. People were able to see that there was no imposition,” he said. The Publicity Secretary of Afenifre, Mr. Yinka Odumakin on Friday, however stated that the group would meet to decide which presidential candidate it will throw its weight behind in 2015 election. “We will look at where both presidential candidates (President Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari) stand on the issue of federalism which is at the core of what the Afenifere group advocates. Afenifere is concerned about the restructuring of this country,” the Yoruba group spokesperson stated. Also, the Coordinator of the Federation
of Middle Belt People, Mr. Manasseh Watyil, told one of our correspondents that the organisation had yet to take a common stand as regards who to support in the 2015 presidential election. Manasseh said the organisation would be having a convention from December 27 to 29 to decide on a particular candidate. Similarly, the pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, stated that it had not decided yet on which presidential candidate to support. The National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze, Osita Oganah, stated that the group was only interested in good governance and that the decision to support either the PDP or the APC will depend on who emerges as the running mate of Buhari. “I have to let you know that at the moment, our support goes to President Jonathan. Jonathan has been doing well for the Igbo “Yet, we will wait to decide who we will finally support in the 2015 presidential election,” he said. In the same vein, the President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, Mr. Legborsi Pyagbara, said MOSOP was still consulting on whether to support Jonathan or Buhari. Pyagbara, who spoke through his Media Assistant, Mr. Bari-ara Kpalap, maintained that MOSOP’s consultation would cut across all spheres of Ogoni people and added that the position of the body would be made known at the end of such consultations. But even as some groups take a definite stand, a northern pressure group, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, has said it will rather remain neutral, and not support either of the candidates. The National President of the group, Yerima Shettima, said it had listened to several manifestos and wanted to be careful to avoid aligning with a party or an individual whose antecedents may serve as a red flag. Asked if any of the candidates had sought support from the organisation, Shettima said, “All of them, including the APC, the PDP and those parties that are not considered popular have sought our support.” According to him, the group has been meeting with candidates from several parties. “We are in Kaduna and we have been in several meetings to consider everything. Soon, we will make our position clear to Nigerians,” the AYCF president said. The Yoruba Unity Forum is another group that would rather remain neutral. It said it would not have a preferred candidate for the 2015 presidential election. The Chairman of the forum, Bishop of Akure Diocese, Anglican Communion, Bolanle Gbonigi, told our correspondent in a telephone interview that since the forum was not a political party, it would not be in tandem with its mandate to back a particular presidential candidate. He however said the forum would meet to discuss the emergency of the two presidential candidates of their respective parties, noting that only after could the forum offer a formal reaction to the development. Copyright PUNCH.All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express. www.punch.com

i just hope d loser will accept defeat. or go to court if he feels cheated. ....cos i remember 2011..when d abokis went on a killing spree..i lost a corper friend of mine. ......

Especially corper members in the north should start returning home because buhari and co have not sleep since 2011.

Yinka Odumakin is a man of integrity and said it the way it should be..what are the stands of the two major presidential candidates as regards true and fiscal federalism? What are their stands as regards diversification? Junaid made mention of ...keeping the status quo or change,but how stunning it is at the realisation that his people,the north,have been the only ones battling tooth n nail and vehemently kicking against anything thats got to do with true federalism,resource control,state police and diversification of the economy,etc,thereby forcing and keeping the current ugly status quo upon you guys in nigeria,as evident and played out in the last national conference and also the pending PIB bill at the Nass..
Junaid,whatever his name is and his coleagues,has no rights or morals to say whatever hes saying....
God rescued nigeria from the hands of her enemies and internal colonialists 2009 and the road hasnt been rosy and easy for the current helmsman (nobody said twas gonna be easy),and you guys gotta be very careful about how you make your choice between the devil you know and the angels you think you know..peace

1. Gen Buhari allowed Shehu Kangiwa, the then Sokoto State Governor from 1979-1981, who conducted and supervised the famous "Bakolori Massacre" of poor peasant farmers, whose lands were seized without compensation, to remain under a very comfortable house arrest, without punishment or proper imprisonment.

2. Ikemba Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, another Igboman who had just returned from 13 years of exile in 1982, following a pardon by then president, Shehu Shangri, was as well locked up in Kiri-Kiri Prison by Buhari. Till this day, we are not told what Ojukwu's offence was.

3. Buhari's CPC loyalists massacred and lynched Nigerian youth corpers after the last election. A refined politician is expected to tender an apology on behalf of the ignorant loyalists, buhari refused to apologise. He said, the mob were angry because they felt the election was rigged. Is that sufficient to take the life of another?

4. Buhari pretended to have forgotten, his CPC party, rigged the election by registering under aged voters. He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.

5. In 1983, an article "The Mallams are Coming" written long ago in the 70's by Bisi Onabanjo, whose column Aiyekooto (parrot - known for telling the plain truth) and a later one in which Onabanjo wrote, people should watch out for that "Gangly Officer from the North" after Buhari gave a no holds barred speech at a Army function, where he openly supported only pro-Fulani and pro-Islam to the exclusion of all other ethnic groups, and the termination of democratic rule, was recalled by Buhari. For exposing that, Onabanjo got a harsh jail term and was tortured while in prison.

6. Mrs. Vera Ifudu, who was an NTA reporter, was sacked on Buhari's orders as military ruler, for reporting what Dr. Olusola Saraki had told her in an interview about how the missing, $2.8 Billion money, while buhari was petroleum minister, was traced to Buhari’s account at Midland Bank, London branch. In view of this, OBJ scraped PTF over Buhari’s misappropriation. Vera eventually won her case in court after providing evidence, and was financially compensated.

7. That obnoxious Decree 4 by buhari, against which truth was no defence, was used to jail journalists, an attempt to shut-up the media as a whole. That tyrannical legislation of buhari shows the essence of his intolerance..... facts of recent history.

8. On the 4th of September, 1984, minutes before leaving Nigeria for an extensive tour of the US, Fela Anikulapo Kuti was arrested at the airport of Lagos on orders of Buhari and was jailed for 5 years, on bogus charges under emergency law initiated by dictator buhari, which prompted the sentencing judge to later confess that, he was ordered to do so and apologised to Fela. Get Fela's (Army Arrangement) song for more expose'.

9. Against all canons of legal decency, Buhari executed Lawal Ojuolape (30), BernardOgedengbe (29) and Bartholomew Owoh (26). Toput it quite plainly, one of those three –Ogedengbe – was executed for a crime that did not carry a capital forfeit at the time it was committed.

10. Buhari was in full support of all the atrocities of Sani Abacha against the Nigerian people. There is no single record of his criticism of Sani Abacha during those dark days when Nigeria was on precipice. It shows that he is a patriot of convenience.

11. After the military government of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari took power, Prof Ambrose Ali, one time governor of (Bendel) state, who had already retired from politics, was arrested and sentenced to 100 years in prison by buhari's military tribunal over trumped up charges. He was finally freed when the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, paid a fine to buhari'government. Ambrose Ali died shortly after his release.

12. Mallam El-rufai who now sings buhari's praise famously said on Oct, 5th 2010 that " General Buhari is perpetually unelectable because his record as military head of state and afterwards, is a warning that many nigerians in the past have wisely heeded. His insensitivity to Nigeria’s diversity and his parochial focus are already well-known."

13. El-Rufai again said: “I was 25 years old when Buhari was Head of State and now am 50+ and he still wants to be President, i don’t understand that, i don’t understand that at all and I call on young people of Nigeria to take their future into their hands and ensure in the next election, they vote for a new generation of leaders. This man should pave way for a younger blood, we don't need an old man. Its only in Nigeria that u willl see the same set of former corrupt leaders hussling to to lead evern when they keep saying that we are the leaders of tomorrow, the same story my teacher told me many years ago. Can any Nairalander gladly point out any American former leader that is still vying for the same post?

A leopard can never, ever change it's spots. Nigerians, do not be deceived,vote wisely.

This is all games. Sometimes, you get it wrong, that does not make you foolish.

Flets:
1. Gen Buhari allowed Shehu Kangiwa, the then Sokoto State Governor from 1979-1981, who conducted and supervised the famous "Bakolori Massacre" of poor peasant farmers, whose lands were seized without compensation, to remain under a very comfortable house arrest, without punishment or proper imprisonment.

Let first respond only to this point now; my response to others will follow later.

You guys have been repeating this contemptible FALSEHOOD that Buhari only punished southerners who broke the law under his military regime and spared the northerners who broke the same law. All those who are old, enlightened and honest enough to know would be disgusted at this your malicious lies!

For the benefits of all decent young men and women who have CONSCIENCE AND SEEK TO KNOW THE TRUTH, let me give you just a few examples to debunk these false accusations against Buhari that are being repeated over and over by desperate, morally bankrupt GEJ supporters who choose to mortgage their conscience for pea-nuts:

1. The late Alhaji Umar Dikko, a scion of the powerful Northern Haua-Fulani oligarchy and arguably the most influential minister in the deposed Shagari administration, had to flee the country to avoid facing trial under the Buhari-led military regime. Buhari was so determined to get Dikko tried for the allegations of massive corruption against him that some secret security agents of the Nigerian government were sent to track him down in his UK hiding place, literally 'boxed' him, and almost succeeded in repatriating him to Nigeria to face justice.

2. Shiekh Isyaku Rabi'u, arguably one of the RICHEST EVER northerners, and one of the MOST highly respected scholars of Tijanniyah Islamic sect in West Africa, was not only arrested and detained during the Buhari regime, but it was reported that his leg was even broken in the process of his arrest, apparently when his teeming supporters attempted to shield him from being arrested.

3. Sheikh Isyaku Rabiu was detailed along with the late Haruna Danja of Kaduna, another powerful super-rich northerner, and many other multi-billonnaires in the North, due to allegations of their involvement in some anti-economic activities, such as hoarding of essential commodities, mis-use of import licenses, etc.

4. The late Abubakar Rimi, a former governor of Kano, was indisputably one of the MOST POPULAR, MOST PROGRESSIVE, MOST CHARISTMATIC AND MOST PERFORMING governors during the Shagari administration, but when he was tried by a special military tribunal and found guilty of some corruption charges, HE WAS SENTENCED AND SENT TO THE BENIN (?) prison.

5. Rimi's political rival and successor, the late Sabo Bakinzuwa, was equally found guilty by the military tribunal and SENT TO THE SAME JAIL as Rimi, were THEY SHARED prison cells and EVENTUALLY RECONCILED IN THE PRISON and became friends again.

6. Almost ALL the other northern governors under Shagari (including Abba Musa Rimi, Lawal Kaita, Tatari Ali, and others) were also detained and made to serve their LONG PRISON TERMS in SOUTHERN PRISONS, just as southern governors that were convicted were made to serve their terms in Northern prisons.

7. The late emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, who was found guilty of contravening a diplomatic travel restriction, was banned from traveling abroad (for 3 months); Buhari slammed THE SAME ban on all the 3 erring paramount traditional rulers of WAZOBIA origins, without sparing the northern Muslim Hausa-Fulani among them!

8. Like their southern counterparts, all the Northern politicians that were convicted and imprisoned during the Buhari regime WERE NEVER released until AFTER the overthrow of the Buhari government.

9. Today, you can hardly find a single member of the privileged Northern Nigerian elite who has not got AT LEAST one of his friends, relatives, in-laws or acquaintances that were jailed during the no-nonsense regime of Buhari.

10. In fact some of the members of the Northern elite hate Buhari today for being so bold and unsparing in prosecuting and jailing of some powerful Northerners that the "CLUELESS", "WEAK-HEARTED" and "SELFISH" (apologies to OBJ) cannot dare touch today!

Flets:
1. Gen Buhari allowed Shehu Kangiwa, the then Sokoto State Governor from 1979-1981, who conducted and supervised the famous "Bakolori Massacre" of poor peasant farmers, whose lands were seized without compensation, to remain under a very comfortable house arrest, without punishment or proper imprisonment.

2. Ikemba Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, another Igboman who had just returned from 13 years of exile in 1982, following a pardon by then president, Shehu Shangri, was as well locked up in Kiri-Kiri Prison by Buhari. Till this day, we are not told what Ojukwu's offence was.

3. Buhari's CPC loyalists massacred and lynched Nigerian youth corpers after the last election. A refined politician is expected to tender an apology on behalf of the ignorant loyalists, buhari refused to apologise. He said, the mob were angry because they felt the election was rigged. Is that sufficient to take the life of another?

4. Buhari pretended to have forgotten, his CPC party, rigged the election by registering under aged voters. He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.

5. In 1983, an article "The Mallams are Coming" written long ago in the 70's by Bisi Onabanjo, whose column Aiyekooto (parrot - known for telling the plain truth) and a later one in which Onabanjo wrote, people should watch out for that "Gangly Officer from the North" after Buhari gave a no holds barred speech at a Army function, where he openly supported only pro-Fulani and pro-Islam to the exclusion of all other ethnic groups, and the termination of democratic rule, was recalled by Buhari. For exposing that, Onabanjo got a harsh jail term and was tortured while in prison.

6. Mrs. Vera Ifudu, who was an NTA reporter, was sacked on Buhari's orders as military ruler, for reporting what Dr. Olusola Saraki had told her in an interview about how the missing, $2.8 Billion money, while buhari was petroleum minister, was traced to Buhari’s account at Midland Bank, London branch. In view of this, OBJ scraped PTF over Buhari’s misappropriation. Vera eventually won her case in court after providing evidence, and was financially compensated.

7. That obnoxious Decree 4 by buhari, against which truth was no defence, was used to jail journalists, an attempt to shut-up the media as a whole. That tyrannical legislation of buhari shows the essence of his intolerance..... facts of recent history.

8. On the 4th of September, 1984, minutes before leaving Nigeria for an extensive tour of the US, Fela Anikulapo Kuti was arrested at the airport of Lagos on orders of Buhari and was jailed for 5 years, on bogus charges under emergency law initiated by dictator buhari, which prompted the sentencing judge to later confess that, he was ordered to do so and apologised to Fela. Get Fela's (Army Arrangement) song for more expose'.

9. Against all canons of legal decency, Buhari executed Lawal Ojuolape (30), BernardOgedengbe (29) and Bartholomew Owoh (26). Toput it quite plainly, one of those three –Ogedengbe – was executed for a crime that did not carry a capital forfeit at the time it was committed.

10. Buhari was in full support of all the atrocities of Sani Abacha against the Nigerian people. There is no single record of his criticism of Sani Abacha during those dark days when Nigeria was on precipice. It shows that he is a patriot of convenience.

11. After the military government of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari took power, Prof Ambrose Ali, one time governor of (Bendel) state, who had already retired from politics, was arrested and sentenced to 100 years in prison by buhari's military tribunal over trumped up charges. He was finally freed when the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, paid a fine to buhari'government. Ambrose Ali died shortly after his release.

12. Mallam El-rufai who now sings buhari's praise famously said on Oct, 5th 2010 that " General Buhari is perpetually unelectable because his record as military head of state and afterwards, is a warning that many nigerians in the past have wisely heeded. His insensitivity to Nigeria’s diversity and his parochial focus are already well-known."

13. El-Rufai again said: “I was 25 years old when Buhari was Head of State and now am 50+ and he still wants to be President, i don’t understand that, i don’t understand that at all and I call on young people of Nigeria to take their future into their hands and ensure in the next election, they vote for a new generation of leaders. This man should pave way for a younger blood, we don't need an old man. Its only in Nigeria that u willl see the same set of former corrupt leaders hussling to to lead evern when they keep saying that we are the leaders of tomorrow, the same story my teacher told me many years ago. Can any Nairalander gladly point out any American former leader that is still vying for the same post?

A leopard can never, ever change it's spots. Nigerians, do not be deceived,vote wisely.

at least gmb is jailing people that aired, who has gej jailed? Instead he reales bode george, mustafa from prison and free ogwuche and alamesiga

North and west are wise, south and east are clueless. Majority wins

amakaeugene:
at least gmb is jailing people that aired, who has gej jailed? Instead he reales bode george, mustafa from prison and free ogwuche and alamesiga

Take a class on english writing, borrow some brain matter... then come back to attempt a more articulate response. Thank you.

Omehn, buhari is this corrupt? Nawao sacking an Nta reporter for reporting stolen oil money in buharis midland bank london. It has always bin oil. Niger delta don suffer ooO

There is no North and South. What Nigerians want is an end to corruption and thats all I personally ask of Buhari.

SE SS and MB wiser

SW ........


North fooling themselves

amakaeugene:
North and west are wise, south and east are clueless. Majority wins

BUT THE SOUTHWEST HAVE TAKEN THIER EIGHT( YEARS?

amakaeugene:
at least gmb is jailing people that aired, who has gej jailed? Instead he reales bode george, mustafa from prison and free ogwuche and alamesiga

Lmao!

You mean Jonathan the coward released Bode George, Mustafa and Ogwuche from prison?