Governors shun IBB’s presidential declaration
By Niyi Odebode and Fidelis Soriwei
Thursday, 16 Sep 2010
 

Twenty-five out of the 28 Peoples Democratic Party governors and most stalwarts of the party on Wednesday boycotted former military President Ibrahim Babangida’s declaration of his intention to contest the 2011 presidential election.

The three governors that attended the event at the Eagle Square in Abuja were Dr. Aliyu Babangida (Niger); Alhaji Mamudu Shinkafi (Zamfara) and Alhaji Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).

Most of Babangida’s closest associates and members of the PDP National Working Committee did not attend the declaration that was characterised by unruly behaviour by the supporters of the former military dictator. The event started at 11am.

The supporters, who included those from Ondo, Abia, Ekiti and Edo states, accused their leaders of bringing them to Abuja to suffer.

In spite of the fact that the PDP National Executive Committee meeting was shifted from 10am to 2:50pm because of Babangida’s declaration, many other prominent politicians from the six geopolitical zones also shunned the ceremony.

The few notable politicians in attendance included a former President of the Senate, Chief Ken Nnamani; an ex-Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili; a former-governor of Niger State, Abdulkhadir Kure; a former governor of Nassarawa State, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu; and an ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Ghali Na’Abba.

The top associates of the former military ruler who were absent were his kinsman and former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.); his former deputy, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu (retd); a former chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Mike Akhigbe.

The poor attendance was such that even the former military President, in his address, lamented that not all the people who were invited for the ceremony turned up.

[size=16pt]Besides the aspirant, who limped to the podium to deliver his address around 1am[/size], other speakers at the event were Nnamani and Na’Abba.

Their speeches, our correspondents, observed, did not elicit much reactions from the crowd.

[size=16pt]Babangida suffers from radiculopathy, a condition caused by the compression of a nerve in the spine. Its symptoms include pain, numbness, tingling and weakness along the course of the nerve.[/size]

After the ceremony, some of the Babangida supporters from outside Abuja were seen quarreling over funds that ought to have been given to them through their coordinators.

The angry supporters said that they had also been persuaded to attend an earlier pro – IBB function in Ibadan, Oyo State, without being paid.

They added that they were promised that the money meant for them for their presence in the Ibadan rally would be given to them in Abuja.

They alleged that they had spent all their money on hotel accommodation and feeding and vowed that they would not allow their coordinators to leave the venue of the ceremony without settling the issue of their entitlements.

One of the delegates, Idowu Roberts, said, “We were promised N6,000 when we went to Ibadan. But we did not get a kobo. Our leaders told us that IBB did not give them any money. They told us that the money would be paid together with the one we would receive in Abuja.

“We arrived in Abuja yesterday (Tuesday). I have paid N6,000 for hotel and spent N3,000 on feeding. They are telling us again that IBB has not paid them. They said they would forward our names to the general.”

But as Babangida declared his ambition, a group, the Democratic Alliance for Good Governance, said that the former military dictator had a hidden agenda.

The group, in posters pasted in Maitama, Gariki, Eagles Square and other parts of Abuja, warned that a vote for Babangida would be a vote for tenure elongation.

Some of the posters read “Different faces of IBB: The evil genius strikes;” “Do not be deceived, Maradona, the actor is at it again;” and “Nigerians beware, the military are back, again.”

Rented crowd dominated the occasion.

With former Nigerian military despot Babangida's connivance, MKO Abiola, the winner of the June 12 1993 presidential election, was thrown into a dungeon for the crime of announcing his landslide electoral victory.

While locked up, Abiola was beaten savagely by guards, which resulted in a spinal injury called radiculopathy, that, with supreme irony, is the EXACT SAME affliction causing Babangida, the silent architect of Abiola's incarceration and ultimate death, to limp in pain towards the podium during the opening ceremony of what will turn out to be his FAILED presidential ambition.

Babangida is clearly CURSED by the restless ghost of June 12th, and the undying spirit of MKO Abiola,  Nigeria's shooting star, who no doubt gazes down from the heavens at the doomed flailing of his nemesis.

TewMuch:

One of the delegates, Idowu Roberts, said, “We were promised N6,000 when we went to Ibadan. But we did not get a kobo. Our leaders told us that IBB did not give them any money. They told us that the money would be paid together with the one we would receive in Abuja.
[/b]
“We arrived in Abuja yesterday (Tuesday). I have paid N6,000 for hotel and spent N3,000 on feeding. They are telling us again that IBB has not paid them. They said they would forward our names to the general.”

Idowu Ole Barawo Onyiosi, that serves you and your colleague right. I pray they never pay that money. N10,000 is big enough to buy your conscience and destiny. Poor soul.

Things are turning out as expected. Mr Babangida shall soon receive his disgrace in full measure.

I said it when the mammoth crowd story was first posted on this forum that they were nothing but a bunch of hired thugs. I knew they won't get paid at all and they can be sure to get more of this treatment from IBB's henchmen.

If he really is suffering from radiculopathy, then his campaign will suffer a big blow because he won't be able to go through the rigours of moving around so easily.

Good to know that the crowd was not paid; IBB dribbles them yet again.

TewMuch:


[size=16pt]Babangida suffers from radiculopathy, a condition caused by the compression of a nerve in the spine. Its symptoms include pain, numbness, tingling and weakness along the course of the nerve.[/size]

[b]After the ceremony, some of the Babangida supporters from outside Abuja were seen quarreling over funds that ought to have been given to them through their coordinators.

This country is just a funny place. Apart from the poor pedigree and shabby records of Mr Babangida, do we need a sick and ailing 70-year old man as a President given the enormous socio-economic and political challenges bedevilling us?

Maradona doing his thing as usual.

Give them Promises! Promises! Promises! Promises! Promises! Promises! Promises! Promises! Promises! Promises! Promises! Promises!

otokx:

[size=40pt]Good to know that the crowd was not paid; IBB dribbles them yet again.[/size]

He's too sick to be our president.We need a young person with a clean bill of health.After Yar'adua's circus am thinking we should have learned.All elected officials should be made to undergo health screening and tests.As for the money thugs, this is just the begining.IBB we show u hunger beyond ur wildest dreams just so u can remain under his control.Old habits die hard, a man at 70 can never change.His almost senile nd sick state will make him worse.

@ Jakumo, very interesting story about the illneess, its called karma.The irony, shows God is a big comedian.There is a story circulating on here that he daughter slumped at the declaration.Not good to laugh at people's misfortune but this man is having his reward on earth already.The irony of it all.

even wen those sick governors dont lik ibb, wat hav they don compared to ibb. ibb is my man of d moment.

He has already started playing politics with his workers' 'salary', rotflmao.

IBB should go and rest. I am already designing a placard to carry in protest if he wins the election.
I believe millions of Nigerians are doing the same.

^
What has IBB done? Be careful how you answer this question.It is a trick question and a trap for your sponsor.Maybe the bread and tea you soaked this morning is making you hallucinate because ur still hungry.

Sam Milla:

IBB should go and rest. I am already designing a placard to carry in protest if he wins the election.

I believe millions of Nigerians are doing the same.

. . .which is not gonna happen.

What has IBB done?

Nothing, since you're a denizen of Jupiter.

The Babangida years

By Tolu Ogunlesi
April 17, 2010 10:36PM  

In his first New Year Days speech as military president, months after deposing the Buhari-Idiagbon government in a bloodless coup enthusiastically welcomed by Nigerians, Ibrahim Babangida declared: I wish to reaffirm that this administration does not intend to stay in power a day longer than is required to lay the necessary institutional framework to bring about a better and more stable Nigeria. Babangidas bonhomie (its trademark an endearing gap-toothed smile) - in stark contrast to the stern, unsmiling façade of Muhammadu Buhari, his predecessor - made it easy for him to be believed.
The distinction between the two regimes in fact ran much deeper than personality quirks. Babangida, in action, proved to be the complete antithesis of his predecessor. He threw open prison doors, setting free hundreds of 3rd republic politicians convicted and jailed by Buhari. He repealed the obnoxious Decree No. 4 of 1984 with which the Buhari regime had shackled the media. He promised to run an open administration that is responsive to the yearnings and aspirations of all the people - a departure from the high-handedness of the Buhari/Idiagbon era.
One of his first actions as military president was to allow Nigerians to decide, through public debates, whether to accept the $2.5 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan the Buhari government had been negotiating for.
After the terror of the Buhari years, Nigerians appeared to have found a statesman in military uniform.

Tough times that lasted

By 1985, Nigerias foreign debt had ballooned to $18 billion, up from $3.4 billion in 1980 (it would rise beyond $30 billion by the end of the 80s), and external reserves had dwindled to less than $2 billion. Oil prices had been in freefall for 3 years running, and in January 1986 they finally fell to less than $20 per barrel, a record low since the start of the decade.
To his credit Babangida made all the right noises about revamping the economy. In his Independence Day 1985 speech, barely two months old in office, he declared a state of economic emergency for the next 15 months. That speech went on to lay down a comprehensive plan for economic reconstruction.
This plan included a moratorium on new foreign debt, promotion of agriculture and industrial development, restriction of importation to essential commodities, financial sector reform and privatisation.

Populist leanings

IBB was a master of the populist move - ambitious government programs targeted at tackling poverty, and empowering rural dwellers. His government churned out program after program, in a bid to actualize his promises to run an inclusive, people-facing government. In 1986, Babangida launched the Mass Mobilization for Self Reliance, Social Justice, and Economic Recovery (MAMSER).
In 1987, the Directorate of Food and Rural Infrastructure (DFFRI) was launched to promote agriculture and transform Nigerias rural landscape by providing modern infrastructure. Other Babangida creations include the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), National Economic Reconstruction Fund (NERFUND), Peoples Bank of Nigeria (PBN), National Board for Community Banks (NBCB), Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), National Planning Commission (NPC), and the Urban Development Bank.
No other Nigerian government presided over such substantial expansion of government bureaucracy as the Babangida administration. In time, the fiscal prudence that Babangida espoused vanished: billions of naira were sunk into an endless transition programme, and in the early 90s, 12 billion dollars worth of windfall crude oil revenue (courtesy of the rise in the oil prices due to the Gulf War) could not be accounted for.
Mr. Babangida also came to perfect the art of dispensing patronage through political appointments (mostly targeted at leading members of the opposition) and a far-from-transparent allocation of lucrative oil blocks.

A man whose words mean nothing

Mr. Babangidas contradictions eventually overwhelmed his reputation so that when, in May 1993, the activist and lawyer Gani Fawehinmi described him as a man whose words mean nothing to him, evidence of this littered his eight years in power.
Only months after vowing to run a government by consultation with the people, Mr. Babangida in 1986 surreptitiously - and unilaterally - took Nigeria, an avowed secular state, into full membership of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), a body which describes itself as the collective voice of the Muslim world.
Mr. Babangida lamented the large role played by the public sector in economic activity with hardly any concrete results to justify such a role.Ironically, over the course of the next five years, he would go ahead to supervise an unprecedented expansion of government. And despite his deference to the wish of Nigerians to reject the IMF loan, Mr. Babangida went ahead to implement some of the Funds most drastic requirements - a devaluation of the naira, and removal of subsidies, chief of which were the petroleum subsidies.
Mr. Babangida promised Nigerians that the belt-tightening was sorely needed: the painful injection that would usher in vibrant economic health; the mandatory dark lining before a cloud of prosperity. Those reforms, which he christened Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), came into effect in 1986, with a far-from-pleasant impact on Nigerians. Purchasing powers dwindled, inflation rose, and the obliteration of the middle class began. In 1989, SAP riots rocked the country, as Nigerians had finally had enough of economic reforms which silver lining they waited in vain for.

Greatest failings

Mr. Babangidas greatest failings were however in two key areas: his human rights record, and his political transition programme. In December 1985, a group of soldiers, which included his close friend, Mamman Vatsa, were arrested on allegations of plotting to topple the 4-month old Babangida government. After Vatsa was convicted and sentenced to death, Mr. Babangida assured a delegation of distinguished writers (Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and J.P. Clark), which had come pleading for mercy, that he was determined to do everything in my power to save (Vatsa).
Hours later, Vatsa and the other alleged plotters were executed.
As opposition to Mr. Babangidas rule grew, so did his intolerance for dissent, so that he routinely shut down or proscribed media houses; and harassed journalists, civil society and labour groups using the instruments of state (the State Security Service, Directorate of Military Intelligence and the Police).
In 1986, five students of the Ahmadu Bello University were murdered when mobile policemen invaded the campus to quell anti-IMF protests. He also promulgated a series of draconian decrees targeted at quelling all opposition, and on occasion did not hesitate to deport foreign critics (University lecturer Patrick Wilmot and journalist William Keeling).
In October 1986, frontline journalist Dele Giwa was murdered by a letter bomb in Lagos. Preliminary police investigations stated that senior officers of Mr. Babangidas intelligence services, who had hounded Giwa in his final days, had questions to answer regarding Giwas death. The mystery of the Giwa assassination remains unsolved till date.

An interminable journey

A maddeningly convoluted transition programme, whose terminal date soon became a mirage - first 1990, then 1992, and then 1993 - is one of the most significant things Babangida will be remembered for.
Early on in his administration, Mr. Babangida inaugurated a Political Bureau to kick off, as it were, the national debate on a viable future political ethos and structure for our dear country.
The political bureau was soon followed by a Constituent Assembly, which in 1989 fashioned a new constitution for the country.
Also, in 1989, he created, by presidential fiat, two political parties, the Social Democratic Party and the National Republican Convention. Then in 1991, he released a controversial list of prominent politicians whom he said were banned from participating in the transition programme.
In October 1992, he cancelled the results of the parties presidential primaries, causing new primaries to be held in March 1993. And then in June 1993 he annulled the results of the presidential elections, presumed to have been won by billionaire businessman MKO Abiola.

This was the final straw
.
By this time, Nigerians had finally had enough of his shenanigans, and violent protests forced him to step aside on August 27, 1993,My colleagues and I are determined to change the course of history, Mr. Babangida told Nigerians in his maiden speech as Head of State, on August 27, 1985.
By the time he reluctantly relinquished power exactly eight years later, he had achieved that goal, far more successfully than he, or anyone else, could ever have imagined.

Source: Next
====================

The Holy Book says "my people perish for lack of knowledge".
Will you allow 150m of us (Nigerians) perish or will you ALSO forward this article on the (mis) deeds of our self-proclaimed "evil genius" to all Nigerians that you know
Will you help confirm "maradona" IBB's claim (in Germany in the 90s during one of his radiculopathy treatment trips) that we, his fellow citizens are "docile" (MUGUs) by not sharing this mail
Find a way to get involved at all levels- local, state and federal- this election period for a better Nigeria!!!

Lol! Exactly all he did in one article.Abdulzaty, open your eyes and ears.Who do u think your deceiving.Only yourself my friend.

LOl yup[img]http://2.s07.flagcounter.com/count/DymW/bg=ffffff/txt=ffffff/border=ffffff/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=3/labels=0/[/img]
[img]http://s07.flagcounter.com/count/DymW/bg=ffffff/txt=ffffff/border=ffffff/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=3/labels=0/[/img]

The three governors that attended the event at the Eagle Square in Abuja were Dr. Aliyu Babangida (Niger); Alhaji Mamudu Shinkafi (Zamfara) and Alhaji Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).

The governor of Zamfara is IBB's inlaw, so we can subtract him and say only two govs attended!!!
Really sad state of affairs for the murdering and thieving ex-general!!!

JUST WAIT NOW THAT THE GOVERNORS HAVE WIN THE BATTLE AGAINST JONATHAN ON PDP GOVERNORSHIP PRIMARIES. JUST WAIT AFTER THE GOVERNORSHIP PRIMARIES BEFORE THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES THEN YOU WILL SEE IBB SUPPORTERS

This man should have known by now that there is no space to occupy him in the heart of already broken heart of Nigerians.

He might have been forgiving, but nobody wants to see him in that office anymore

slap1:

He has already started playing politics with his workers' 'salary', rotflmao.

Beaf:

The governor of Zamfara is IBB's inlaw, so we can subtract him and say only two govs attended!!!
Really sad state of affairs for the murdering and thieving ex-general!!!

Pro-Jonathan rally flops in Lafia
Monday, 13 September 2010 00:47 Hir Joseph, Lafia
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The first rally meant to garner support for President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2011 presidential race in Nasarawa State was greeted with disappointment at the weekend.

The rally was organised in the state capital, Lafia by one of the many Pro-Jonathan groups, National Democratic Youth Movement for Good Governance (NDYMGG).

The Abuja based NDYMGG, sought audience with Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma by noon on Saturday, according to its programme, but the governor refused to receive the procession.

Chikat Ishaya Lekshak, NDYMGG’s national co-ordinator said his group received the governor’s attitude with shock. “The reason we chose to come to Nasarawa was because Doma was among governors who openly declared support for Jonathan, only for us to be disappointed”, Chikat told newsmen at the parade ground where the procession terminated.

When contacted, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Information, Mamman Alakayi, said the group never wrote to inform Governor Doma of the visit to him during the Sallah celebration when he received several visitors.

According to him, the group didn’t even seek permission to hold any rally in the state capital.

Doubting the authenticity of the group, the commissioner said: “There are over 1000 groups claiming to work for the president. we don’t know which is authentic.”

About two weeks ago, Governor Doma had led a section of leaders of the state including his predecessor, Abdullahi Adamu and the minister of state for information, Labaran Maku, as well as the leadership of the PDP in the state to the Presidency where he promised support for the president’s bid to contest in 2011.

Meanwhile, though the group was not received by Doma, it still went ahead with the scanty procession, singing and dancing along major roads in Lafia, till the rally ended at the parade ground. The visit to Government House was expected to receive the governor’s blessing and kick-start the rally, but the governor’s refusal to meet with the leaders appeared to have slowed down their spirit.

The group’s coordinator also expressed disappointment with the reception accorded the procession in Lafia, saying the rally was greeted rather with posters of General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), another presidential aspirant.

Jonathan’s posters which were pasted on public installations including road signs were superimposed with those of IBB, to the disappointment of the rally.

Beaf:

The governor of Zamfara is IBB's inlaw, so we can subtract him and say only two govs attended!!!
Really sad state of affairs for the murdering and thieving ex-general!!!

I schooled in Minna n i can tell u dat Niger state governor just followed IBB to save him d shame of people saying he's got no home support. d same governor asked to marry there daughter wen he was still a perm sec n IBB's family said no. Put this 2gether n u'll know only 1 governor attended. IBB can never rule this country again, d last tin we need rit now is a draw back from a wicked man like IBB. I only pity broke ass fools like Raymond Dopkesi dat are following the Idiot about,

This man called IBB if Nigerians are NOT carefully this man will end this country because he has ruined it already and demonised it already the last to happen which this man will do if not send back to his house to go and rest it to wipe out that name calle Nigeria but for sure he wont succeed he would rather ends up wipe himself out completely.

Please let every able minded Nigeria revert back towhat was the situation in Nigeria before this man(IBB) came to power and see what he turned Nigeria to within eigth years that after almost two decades he left power tears are still in face of millions of Nigeria till today by what he turned this country to. This is a good time for us to recalled back and see all the pictures.

IBB 8 yrs in power was  8yrs of Bribery plc, 8 yrs or corruption Nig. Ltd, 8 yrs of fraudster and 419ers Int'l Ltd, 8 yrs of blackout(NEPA Crashed), 8 yrs of disapperance of NITEL to Alien world, 8 yrs of the highest student/workers strike ever in the history of Nigeria? these are just few please what has this man called IBB stand for and did for this country? Is it 3rd mailand bridge, build Abuja, MAMSER, SAP, SFEM because these are all he claimed as his own achievement please posters what are these his boastful achiement for? Nonsense!!!!!!

vicknesh:

Pro-Jonathan rally flops in Lafia
Monday, 13 September 2010 00:47 Hir Joseph, Lafia
E-mail Print PDF

The first rally meant to garner support for President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2011 presidential race in Nasarawa State was greeted with disappointment at the weekend.

The rally was organised in the state capital, Lafia by one of the many Pro-Jonathan groups, National Democratic Youth Movement for Good Governance (NDYMGG).

The Abuja based NDYMGG, sought audience with Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma by noon on Saturday, according to its programme, but the governor refused to receive the procession.

Chikat Ishaya Lekshak, NDYMGG’s national co-ordinator said his group received the governor’s attitude with shock. “The reason we chose to come to Nasarawa was because Doma was among governors who openly declared support for Jonathan, only for us to be disappointed”, Chikat told newsmen at the parade ground where the procession terminated.

When contacted, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Information, Mamman Alakayi, said the group never wrote to inform Governor Doma of the visit to him during the Sallah celebration when he received several visitors.

According to him, the group didn’t even seek permission to hold any rally in the state capital.

Doubting the authenticity of the group, the commissioner said: “There are over 1000 groups claiming to work for the president. we don’t know which is authentic.”

About two weeks ago, Governor Doma had led a section of leaders of the state including his predecessor, Abdullahi Adamu and the minister of state for information, Labaran Maku, as well as the leadership of the PDP in the state to the Presidency where he promised support for the president’s bid to contest in 2011.

Meanwhile, though the group was not received by Doma, it still went ahead with the scanty procession, singing and dancing along major roads in Lafia, till the rally ended at the parade ground. The visit to Government House was expected to receive the governor’s blessing and kick-start the rally, but the governor’s refusal to meet with the leaders appeared to have slowed down their spirit.

The group’s coordinator also expressed disappointment with the reception accorded the procession in Lafia, saying the rally was greeted rather with posters of General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), another presidential aspirant.

Jonathan’s posters which were pasted on public installations including road signs were superimposed with those of IBB, to the disappointment of the rally.

President Goodluck said he was going to declare his intentions on saturday according to Prof. Dora Akunyili after the Federal Execuitive Council meeting yesterday, Lets see how it goes first b4 coming to a conclusion on who supports him and not

Hamid O:

I schooled in Minna n i can tell u dat Niger state governor just followed IBB to save him d shame of people saying he's got no home support. d same governor asked to marry there daughter wen he was still a perm sec n IBB's family said no. Put this 2gether n u'll know only 1 governor attended. IBB can never rule this country again, d last tin we need rit now is a draw back from a wicked man like IBB. I only pity broke backside fools like Raymond Dopkesi dat are following the about,

Rivers Govt shuns Jonathan’s rally in Port Harcourt

By Aniefiok Macauley (Uyo) and Godwin Egba (Port Harcourt)



A rally organised in Port Harcourt on Tuesday to flesh up Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential ambition was well attended, just that those who did were mainly the opponents of Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State.

Amaechi and all his aides stayed away.

However, another campaign gig in Uyo witnessed both a massive turn out and the adoption of Jonathan by South South leaders.

The attendees in Port Harcourt included members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) whose positions have been re-allocated to others, elected members whose positions are marked for replacement, loyalists of two former Governors, and ethnic opposition groups.

Members of these camps, who may have formed a coalition of about 50 groups in Rivers, took Port Harcourt by storm with a boisterous rally at the Isaac Boro Park.

A source said the boycott by government officials may be connected with the presence at the rally of many of the anti-Amaechi members of the PDP.

“I think their absence was not unexpected given the animosity between the organisers and the Amaechi government,” the source added.

Among the mammoth crowd were Ijaw leader Edwin Clark, former Aviation Minister, Alabo Graham-Douglas, former PDP Governorship candidate, Sergeant Awuse, and National Coordinator of Youths support Groups for Jonathan, Chibudom Nwuche.

They also included former Governor Celestine Omehia; former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Austin Okpara; former Senator Cyrus Nunieh; Ijaw activist Ankio Briggs; and former Commissioners.

Clark, who chaired the event, said the aim of the solidarity rally was to expose the lie that Rivers people are undecided in their support for Jonathan’s run.

Graham-Douglas traced the history of the Southern minorities’ political friendship with the North and the region’s economic marginalisation when the pillars of Nigeria’s economy were cocoa, palm oil, and groundnut.

He recalled that God mercifully smiled on the South South when oil was struck in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State in 1956 but regretted that “despite the region’s oil wealth that oiled and continues to oil the national economy, the region and its people have been consigned to political exclusion from national leadership poverty and lack of development.”

He said there has been no government in Nigeria since 1959 without the backing of the minorities, especially from Rivers and Bayelsa.

“Instead of our historical allies to support us this time, they chose to work against it, is this attitude fair?” he wondered.

Awuse insisted that Jonathan has the right to vie for the Villa.

“Jonathan is like a co-pilot in a plane where the pilot suddenly died. Will the co-pilot allow the plane to crash?” he asked.

Awuse urged Nigerians to allow Jonathan to lead the country for the next four years.

Omehia, who drew standing ovation as he rose to speak, implored the people to keep organising solidarity rallies, and all the delegates to cast their votes for Jonathan in the primaries

The crowd defied a heavy rain and water logged ground to demonstrate their support for Jonathan.

The other rally in Uyo Township Stadium drew people from political parties who said they endorsed Jonathan after consultative meetings on his national acceptability.

Clark, who also attended the second rally, reassured that Jonathan will run and that Governor Godswill Akpabio and the entire people of Akwa Ibom support him 100 per cent.

He said the crowd at the event showed that the people of the South South are solidly behind Jonathan, and “when we took the decision about five days ago in Abuja, I told my people that Akwa Ibom State is a fertile ground for us to have the rally.”

Others present at the rally included Vice President Namadi Sambo and Akpabio, who said the Johnathan/Sambo ticket is the best thing to happen to Nigeria as a nation.

Sambo added that Jonathan is fully committed to the transformation of the Niger Delta through the construction of the East-West Road to attract foreign investors.

vicknesh:

Pro-Jonathan rally flops in Lafia
Monday, 13 September 2010 00:47 Hir Joseph, Lafia
[size=16pt]E-mail Print PDF[/size]

The first rally meant to garner support for President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2011 presidential race in Nasarawa State was greeted with disappointment at the weekend.

The rally was organised in the state capital, Lafia by one of the many Pro-Jonathan groups, National Democratic Youth Movement for Good Governance (NDYMGG).

The Abuja based NDYMGG, sought audience with Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma by noon on Saturday, according to its programme, but the governor refused to receive the procession.

Chikat Ishaya Lekshak, NDYMGG’s national co-ordinator said his group received the governor’s attitude with shock. “The reason we chose to come to Nasarawa was because Doma was among governors who openly declared support for Jonathan, only for us to be disappointed”, Chikat told newsmen at the parade ground where the procession terminated.

When contacted, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Information, Mamman Alakayi, said the group never wrote to inform Governor Doma of the visit to him during the Sallah celebration when he received several visitors.

According to him, the group didn’t even seek permission to hold any rally in the state capital.

Doubting the authenticity of the group, the commissioner said: “[size=16pt]There are over 1000 groups claiming to work for the president. we don’t know which is authentic.[/size]”

[size=16pt]About two weeks ago, Governor Doma had led a section of leaders of the state including his predecessor, Abdullahi Adamu and the minister of state for information, Labaran Maku, as well as the leadership of the PDP in the state to the Presidency where he promised support for the president’s bid to contest in 2011.[/size]

Meanwhile, though the group was not received by Doma, it still went ahead with the scanty procession, singing and dancing along major roads in Lafia, till the rally ended at the parade ground. The visit to Government House was expected to receive the governor’s blessing and kick-start the rally, but the governor’s refusal to meet with the leaders appeared to have slowed down their spirit.

The group’s coordinator also expressed disappointment with the reception accorded the procession in Lafia, saying the rally was greeted rather with posters of General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), another presidential aspirant.

Jonathan’s posters which were pasted on public installations including road signs were superimposed with those of IBB, to the disappointment of the rally.

Vicknesh, your supposed nonsense does not have a link attached it it. You sound like a drowning man. And how does anything occuring in lafia mean anything? The people probably have other things to do, if they were not PAID to come to the rally. Most Nigerian's are hustling up and down for their daily bread. Jonathan does not need to pay supporters like your sponsor whose thugs are fighting not too far away from eagle's square

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vicknesh:

Rivers Govt shuns Jonathan’s rally in Port Harcourt

By Aniefiok Macauley (Uyo) and Godwin Egba (Port Harcourt)



A rally organised in Port Harcourt on Tuesday to flesh up Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential ambition was well attended, just that those who did were mainly the opponents of Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State.

Amaechi and all his aides stayed away.

[size=16pt]However, another campaign gig in Uyo witnessed both a massive turn out and the adoption of Jonathan by South South leaders.[/size]

The attendees in Port Harcourt included members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) whose positions have been re-allocated to others, elected members whose positions are marked for replacement, loyalists of two former Governors, and ethnic opposition groups.

[size=16pt]Members of these camps, who may have formed a coalition of about 50 groups in Rivers, took Port Harcourt by storm with a boisterous rally at the Isaac Boro Park.[/size]

A source said the boycott by government officials may be connected with the presence at the rally of many of the anti-Amaechi members of the PDP.

“I think their absence was not unexpected given the animosity between the organisers and the Amaechi government,” the source added.

[size=16pt]Among the mammoth crowd [/size]were Ijaw leader Edwin Clark, former Aviation Minister, Alabo Graham-Douglas, former PDP Governorship candidate, Sergeant Awuse, and National Coordinator of Youths support Groups for Jonathan, Chibudom Nwuche.

They also included former Governor Celestine Omehia; former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Austin Okpara; former Senator Cyrus Nunieh; Ijaw activist Ankio Briggs; and former Commissioners.

Clark, who chaired the event, said the aim of the solidarity rally was to expose the lie that Rivers people are undecided in their support for Jonathan’s run.

Graham-Douglas traced the history of the Southern minorities’ political friendship with the North and the region’s economic marginalisation when the pillars of Nigeria’s economy were cocoa, palm oil, and groundnut.

He recalled that God mercifully smiled on the South South when oil was struck in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State in 1956 but regretted that “despite the region’s oil wealth that oiled and continues to oil the national economy, the region and its people have been consigned to political exclusion from national leadership poverty and lack of development.”

He said there has been no government in Nigeria since 1959 without the backing of the minorities, especially from Rivers and Bayelsa.

“Instead of our historical allies to support us this time, they chose to work against it, is this attitude fair?” he wondered.

Awuse insisted that Jonathan has the right to vie for the Villa.

“Jonathan is like a co-pilot in a plane where the pilot suddenly died. Will the co-pilot allow the plane to crash?” he asked.

Awuse urged Nigerians to allow Jonathan to lead the country for the next four years.

Omehia, who drew standing ovation as he rose to speak, implored the people to keep organising solidarity rallies, and all the delegates to cast their votes for Jonathan in the primaries

[size=16pt]The crowd defied a heavy rain and water logged ground to demonstrate their support for Jonathan. [/size] (no one who was paid will do this )

The other rally in Uyo Township Stadium drew people from political parties who said they endorsed Jonathan after consultative meetings on his national acceptability.

Clark, who also attended the second rally, reassured that Jonathan will run and that Governor Godswill Akpabio and the entire people of Akwa Ibom support him 100 per cent.

[size=16pt]He said the crowd at the event showed that the people of the South South are solidly behind Jonathan, and “when we took the decision about five days ago in Abuja, I told my people that Akwa Ibom State is a fertile ground for us to have the rally.”[/size]

Others present at the rally included Vice President Namadi Sambo and Akpabio, who said the Johnathan/Sambo ticket is the best thing to happen to Nigeria as a nation.

Sambo added that Jonathan is fully committed to the transformation of the Niger Delta through the construction of the East-West Road to attract foreign investors.

[size=20pt]The articles you are posting are not well researched as you are shooting yourself in the foot. If i was babangida, i will fire you. You cannot read . Shows the shoddy mess of people Babangida is going to force down our throats. Face your education and stop supporting thrash while mortgaging your children's future.[/size]