₦airaland Forum

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Below is an article written by President Muhammadu Buhari made available to PoliticsNGR on Sunday;

"On February 16th, Nigeria will hold a general election. Four years ago, the country experienced its first democratic transfer of power to the opposition since 1999. The vote in a few days will be no less significant.

As president, I have tried to judiciously exercise the trust vested in me to combat the problems of corruption, insecurity and an inequitable economy. All are important. But amongst them, one stands above the others as both a cause and aggravator of the rest. It is, of course, corruption.

A policy programme that does not have fighting corruption at its core is destined to fail. The battle against graft must be the base on which we secure the country, build our economy, provide decent infrastructure and educate the next generation.

This is the challenge of our generation: the variable on which our success as a nation shall be determined. But the vested interests at play can make this fight difficult. By way of their looting, the corrupt have powerful resources at their disposal. And they will use them. For when you fight corruption, you can be sure it will fight back.

It even threatens to undermine February’s poll and – by extension – our democracy. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has raised concerns over laundered money being funnelled into vote buying. This is the problem of corruption writ large. It illustrates how it lurks in all and every crevice of public life, manipulating due process in pursuit of self-preservation and perpetuation; protecting personal political and economic interests at the expense of the common good.

Indeed, those who have criticised my administration’s anti-corruption drive are those who oppose its mission. And though their lawyers may craft expensive alibis, they cannot escape that which binds them together: a raft of documents and barely legal (some clearly illegal) mechanisms – whether that be the Panama Papers, US Congress reports, shell companies or offshore bank accounts.

Corruption corrodes the trust on which the idea of community is founded, because one rule for the few and another for everyone else is unacceptable to anyone working honestly.

But as we have intensified our war on corruption, so we have found that corruption innovates to resist the law. This is not the sole domain of those Nigerians, but the international corruption industry: the unsavoury fellow-traveler of globalisation.

Once the enablers are let in – as they have been in the past – the greed of those they collude with grows. We have closed the door on them, but unfortunately there still remain individuals who are willing to open windows.

Concrete progress has been made, but there is still much to do. We have repatriated hundreds of millions of dollars stowed away in foreign banks. These funds have been transparently deployed on infrastructural projects and used to directly empower the poorest in society. More is still to come from our international partners in France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Yet the hundreds of billions sifted out of the country for the best part of this century promise more.

We have secured high profile convictions, but greater cases remain. Lawyers table endless objections to obstruct court proceedings, whilst their clients hope it lasts until a ‘friendly’ president is voted into office. We must continue to tighten the legal framework and ensure the authorities have the investigative powers at their disposal to secure sentences. Only then will we begin to neutralise the advantages the corrupt have.

More ghost workers must be removed from government payroll (almost $550 million has been saved from identifying phantom employees). More can be recovered through our whistle-blower policy ($370 million has been returned since its launch in 2016). More is still to come. But, together, we shall prevail over corruption.

A Yoruba proverb states that only the patient one can milk a lion. Likewise, victory over corruption is difficult, but not impossible. We must not flounder in our resolve. I know many Nigerians would like to see faster action. So do I. But so too must we follow due process and exercise restraint, ensuring allegation never takes the place of evidence. For that is not the Nigeria we should wish to build.

There is no doubt that this Administration has changed the way we tackle corruption. The choice before voters is this: Do we continue forward on this testing path against corruption? Or do revert to the past, resigned to the falsehood that it is just the-way-things-are-done? Or that it is just too difficult – too pervasive – to fix? I know which one I would choose. It is why I am asking Nigerians for another four years to serve them."

https://politicsngr.com/corruption-threatens-nigeria-2019-election-president-buhari-raises-alarm/

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Governor under the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC displayed their various dance steps at the party's presidential campaign rally in Lagos today.

Governors, Ambode, Ajimobi, Fayemi among others danced vigorously as they waved brooms, the symbol of the party in the air.

Watch the footage HERE

https://politicsngr.com/2019-presidency-apc-governors-dance-seriously-apc-lagos-rally-photos/

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National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu bust into some dance moves earlier today as he arrived the venue of the APC Presidential Campaign rally in Lagos.

PoliticsNGR has footage from the scene.

Watch the Video HERE

https://politicsngr.com/tinubu-busts-zanku-dance-apc-lagos-rally-photos/

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A factional group of Ohaneze Ndigbo led by the Secretary-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Uche Okwukwu on Friday apologized to President Muhammadu Buhari for the announcement by the main body of the group endorsing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar for the 2019 elections.

The group also told the President not to lose any sleep in the South East for the February 16 presidential election, assuring that in a free, fair and credible election he (Buhari) will win a majority of the votes cast in the zone.

Recall that after the endorsement of the PDP’s Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by the Chief John Nnia Nwodo-led Ohaneze Ndigbo on the day President Buhari visited Anambra and Enugu states for his campaign rally, the Secretary-General opposed the endorsement and later announced that President Buhari had been adopted as the Presidential candidate of Ohaneze.

Watch the Video HERE

https://politicsngr.com/ohanaeze-ndigbo-apologized-buhari-endorsing-atiku-video/

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A video trending online shows school pupils thanking Imo state Governor Rochas Okorocha and waving naira notes in the air with a woman charging them on to praise Okorocha.

According to reports online, Okorocha reportedly gave each of the students N500 each.

Watch the Video HERE

https://politicsngr.com/imo-governor-rochas-okorocha-gives-n500-school-pupils-photos/

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Eurasia Group, One of the World's largest Political Risk Consultancy firms has predicted that President Muhammadu Buhari will win the 2019 Presidential Elections.

The Group, founded in 1998 by American political scientist Ian Bremmer, said Buhari has a 60 per cent probability to win. This was contained in its recent Political Forecast.

According to the Group; “Opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar has regained some momentum in recent weeks, but President Muhammadu Buhari remains favored to win (a 60% probability),” the group said.

“On election day, the ruling All Progressives Congress’s (APC’s) significantly greater control of local political structures and resources, it governs 23 states compared to the opposition’s 12, will boost voter mobilization and solidify Buhari’s advantage.”

In 2015, Eurasia Group also predicted that Buhari will defeat former president Goodluck Jonathan, changing its stance some weeks to the election after it had initially chosen the former president to win.

PoliticsNGR observed that the group also highlighted reasons why the PDP might lose adding that the DG of Atiku's Campaign, Bukola Saraki was distracted by the battles he is facing in the National Assembly coupled with the weak campaign being run by South-East governors who are not to happy with the emergence of Atiku's running mate, Peter Obi.

The group stated; "Wike was annoyed by Atiku’s failure to consult him on key decisions, Saraki remains distracted by a tough Senate reelection battle in Kwara state, and the southeast governors are hampered by many conflicting motivations, including their own lack of political clout (which makes them reluctant to overtly challenge the federal government) and their wariness of Atiku’s running mate Peter Obi, a former governor of the southeastern Anambra state who they view as a political outsider.

The lack of enthusiasm on the part of some PDP governors is a problem for Atiku because these officials control significant discretionary funds at the state level (known as ‘security votes’) that are easier to access without triggering graft concerns."

https://politicsngr.com/breaking-buhari-will-win-2019-elections-foreign-firm-eurasia-group-reasons/

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· Party’s Affirmation Of Senator Ayogu Eze As Enugu State Governorship Candidate
· Imo APC Suspension Of State Governor
· Comments By Governor Nasir Elrufai On Foreign Interference In Our Elections
· Niger East Senatorial
· Recent Police Redeployments
· Preparedness For Elections

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu on Friday at the Party’s National Secretariat in Abuja spoke to journalists on wide-ranging issues such as the party’s reaction on Supreme Court Ruling on APC Rivers Governorship Candidate; the Party’s affirmation of Senator Ayogu Eze as Enugu State governorship candidate; Imo APC suspension of the State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha; comments by the Kaduna State Governor Nasir Elrufai on foreign interference in our elections; Niger east senatorial candidate; recent Police redeployments and the Party’s preparedness for the forthcoming elections.

Below Excerpts made available to PoliticsNGR from the Press Conference:

Supreme Court ruling on APC Rivers Candidates

Our legal department is looking into the judgement of the Supreme Court. It is not the kind of judgement we looked forward to base on the facts that we are aware of. The only option before us now is to review this judgement and see what other means that is legal. We think we deserve to field candidates in Rivers state. We know we did the right thing. We had our primaries even though there are issues around it. I don’t know why it appears the APC is the only party that is being subjected to this kind of scrutiny from the electoral body. It is the same APC that PDP has continued to raise flags as being the party that wants to rig election and is supposed to be working in cahoots with INEC. If this is the way to work in cahoots with INEC, we need to ask further questions. We know what we did in Rivers compared to what PDP did in many of the thirty-six states. PDP shouldn’t field candidates in many states if the same parameters applied by the electoral body are applied to the PDP. Our legal department will review the outcome of this as unpalatable as it is and we will be able to say categorically the next step we might be taking and come out with it in due course.

Party’s affirmation of Senator Ayogu Eze as Enugu State Governorship Candidate

In Enugu state, we are aware of the judgement that says our candidate, Senator Ayogu Eze is not the rightful candidate. We would say that we have acknowledged the judgement of the court but we do know the party followed the procedure and the processes that led to the emergence of Senator Ayogu Eze is what this party believes in. We believe that the Appeal Court will do the right thing and upturning it. Senator Ayogu Eze remains in the eyes of the party, the governorship candidate for Enugu state. The person that has been so declared by a court is unknown to this party because he did not even participate in the primaries that we organised. So there is no way he could have emerged as our candidate. Again, as I speak to you we have appealed the judgement and secured a stay of execution. So even legally as at today, Senator Ayogu Eze is the candidate of APC in Enugu state. We are very confident he is going to deliver.

Court decision on Party’s Niger east senatorial candidate

We stand by our process, our process stand up to scrutiny. Take it to anywhere; we are sure we did the right thing without prejudice to what the lower court has said that is why we have the opportunity of an appeal to the higher court.

Imo APC suspension of State Governor

We are aware of the situation in Imo and we have made our point clear. Let me reiterate that APC does not have an alliance with any party including the Action Alliance. We are not in alliance with any party whatsoever in this election. However, we welcome support for our candidates from any party but we do not have such an arrangement that accommodate the candidate of any other party besides APC candidates. In Imo and all the thirty-six states, including the FCT, we are campaigning for APC candidates and we expect APC candidates to win elections anywhere we are campaigning in a free and fair atmosphere.

We are also aware of the fact the Party’s local chapter has taken some disciplinary action as regards the Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha. In last few weeks, we have been going round the country to present our scorecard before Nigerians and to seek a renewal of this mandate to continue the good work that President Muhammadu Buhari has embarked on. The National Working Committee has not been able to seat on that and many other issues pending. In due course the NWC will meet and that may be one of the issues that will be considered. As at today, the real issue in Imo is to emphasise the fact that APC is supporting all APC candidates in Imo and we do not recognise candidates that are not from the APC. We encourage the people of Imo to vote massively for APC candidates. The governorship candidate in Imo remains Senator Hope Uzodinma.

Comments by Governor Nasir Elrufai on foreign interference in our elections

We stand fully by the statement as regards any country that think we are a colony; that we have a right to defend every inch of this country; and we are not a banana republic. So what Governor Elrufai said clearly is the position of this government that we are proud as Nigerians and we are ready to defend the integrity of this country and that any country that thinks in the name of election will want to interfere and dictate to us or intimidate us in any way, it is unacceptable. That is exactly what Governor Elrufai has said. The PDP can twist it the way they want. Governor Elrufai never said people should not come and observe or monitor elections. And he was not referring to people who are genuinely coming to monitor and observe the elections. Nigerians also go to other countries as monitors and observers. So that is acceptable to us, we welcome peer review. What we don’t welcome and what is unacceptable to us is any country thinking we are a colony, we are not. We are a sovereign nation.

APC Preparedness for elections

The APC has been working on a daily basis through our activities in terms of implementation of policy and programmes that touch on the common people. These are what we are now showcasing to the public as a means of telling them that the change we promised is actually taking place; seeking a renewal of the mandate they gave us almost four years ago

As we all can see, PDP missed the bus. They got to the bus station and instead of boarding the bus, PDP is busy picking on issues that do not concern them. All the time they ought to be campaigning, they wake up on daily basis based on their infamous Dubai strategy meeting that failed before they landed in the country

PDP showed abinitio that they were not coming into the elections to win it through the ballots. They put in place all sort of methods and illegal means they had wanted to deploy one after the other to get back to power through the backdoor. The PDP was busy creating false and fake news, spreading all sort of fallacies and that has now come to be their undoing.

It is clear that the elections in February 16, the election on March 2 are elections that the APC has demonstrated clearly that we are ready to win. The PDP has not offered any alternative to whatever APC is doing. When you look at the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alh. Atiku Abubakar, he said on national television that one of his priorities is to make his friends rich but we are busy improving the lives of the common people. Nigerian will remember that. Atiku has said he is coming to sell national assets to his foreign and local friends. The question we are going to ask during the election with our PVCs is what happened to all the national assets during the 16years of the PDP and especially when Atiku was vice president and chairman of the privatisation council. National assets were sold for a pittance and they have all gone down. The only things that remain today are those that are personal to him. The gains he made from his position as vice president. This is the person that is contesting against our candidate. A person we just discovered paid heavily to get a 24-hours entrance into the US. That is the kind of person we want to have as president. Nigerians won’t do that.

Recent Police redeployment

Few weeks ago, it was the same PDP that was crying that the police have been compromised and that the former Inspector General of Police was poised to deliver the election to APC. Now the president has taken the position by appointing a new IGP. Now I don’t know where the noise is coming from.

There is no need to deceive ourselves. The whole noise about the posting of commissioners of police is about Kwara state, Dr. Bukola Saraki who is scared stiff remembering all he had done in the past when he had the control. What he normally used the police for, the way he used to manipulate INEC and he is thinking that the same thing may happen to him. How could you suggest to the police not to carry out its routine exercise. If the police think it is part of its preparation to ensure a free and fair election, provide security before and after the election is to move its personnel around, how does that bother anybody? It is because Bukola Saraki has realised without having control over INEC and the police, there is no way he can win his seat to comeback as a senator. He cannot even deliver his polling unit, without being aided by the police and INEC and that is what he has been doing before but is no longer available for him. But let me assure him and his co travellers, the APC doesn’t need those illegal things to win elections. Infact, we need them to do their jobs, we need them to provide a level playing field to all political parties. That is all we want from the police, that is all we want from INEC. We don’t need the template Bukola Saraki and the PDP have been using and we are not going to use it.

https://politicsngr.com/breaking-apc-reacts-supreme-court-judgement-apc-rivers-candidates/

Ahead of President Buhari’s campaign visit to Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, Thursday, there have been reports of the destruction of campaign billboards of the President and his party, the All Progressives Congress, by persons suspected to be thugs from the opposition.

An APC source speaking on the destruction said: “While President Buhari is preaching peace and making it clear that all Nigerians should be allowed to vote candidates of their choice, the PDP is getting more and more desperate and thinking of the elections as a do-or-die affair,” the source said. “PDP has seen the handwriting on the wall, which is why their campaign strategy right now is focused on shouting about rigging, publishing doctored polls, and destroying campaign materials belonging to the APC. But we will not be moved by their antics.“

The source continued, “The President has asked APC members in Taraba not to reciprocate, that they should continue with their peaceful issues-based campaign. These destroyed billboards were highlighting the projects executed by the Federal Government in Taraba, such as dams and agriculture. Clearly, the PDP does not want citizens of Taraba to know about the impactful initiatives of Mr President in their states.” President Buhari is expected to take his campaign message to Adamawa and Taraba States today, after Benue and Nasarawa yesterday.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/thugs-allegedly-destroy-buharis-campaign-posters-in-taraba/

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The All Progressives Congress, APC has reacted to allegations that the recent redeployment of Police Commissioners was aimed at 'rigging' the 2019 general elections, PoliticsNGR has learned.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday described the allegations as 'laughable'.

He said, “A nebulous group which parades itself as the CUPP has made some laughable allegations on some police postings, particularly in Kwara State ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

Ordinarily, the APC would not respond to a group of charlatans running errands for the embattled President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki.

However, since the group has issued the statement as a decoy for him, we would direct our reactions to their paymaster.”

Issa-Onilu reiterated that the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and indeed other senior party leaders mentioned in the statement were too busy with the party’s presidential campaigns.

He stressed that the APC leadership was too busy with campaigns than to be involved in the childish conspiracies and spurious allegations contained in the statement.

Issa-Onilu, however, said that it was not within the rights or responsibility of any political organisation or group to dictate to agencies empowered by laws how to deliver on specific mandates.

The APC spokesman added that the party believed that leaders with a modicum of honour, should not tread on the path of cowardice by hiding under nebulous groups to make unsubstantiated allegations. He said that the PDP is now scared of its own shadows.

“Let it be known that our party, the APC, has not copied such dubious template from the PDP,” Issa-Onilu said.

He reiterated that “a new and progressive Kwara State beckons through the votes of the people,” adding that the Kwara electorate would decide on the new political direction in the state.

“Kwara State has suffered enough backwardness and underdevelopment resulting from the selfish grip of a self-appointed leader in the state.

“In the next election, the will of the Kwara electorate will prevail,” Issa-Onilu said.

https://politicsngr.com/just-apc-speaks-influencing-police-postings-rig-2019-elections/

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Legal Luminary, Femi Falana has finally reacted to the suspension of the CHief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement sent to PoliticsNGR, Falana stated stated that the Illegality of the suspension should not be allowed to stand. Read the full Statement below;

"I have had cause to call on the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN to withdraw the charge of false declaration of assets filed against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. The call was without prejudice to the merit of the serious allegations levelled against the Chief Justice. In line with decided judicial authorities I had wanted the National Judicial Council to investigate the allegations. Unfortunately, the 88th statutory meeting of the NJC scheduled to hold on January 15, 2019 which could have deliberated on the matter and take an informed position was postponed indefinitely on the directive of the embattled Chief Justice."

"As the battle shifted to the courts, both the Judiciary and the Executive were forum shopping for court orders from the Federal High Court, the National Industrial Court, the Code of Conduct Tribunal and the Court of Appeal. In the process, settled principles of law were sacrificed for the exigency of the moment."

"Thus, at the 15th annual Gani Fawehinmi lecture which held in Lagos on January 15 2019, I was compelled to warn against the dangerous trend. Regrettably, the warning fell on deaf ears. Curiously, in an act of brazen impunity, the Executive procured an ex parte order from the Code of Conduct Tribunal for the immediate suspension of the Chief Justice from office. In his purported compliance with the ex parte order, President Mohammadu Buhari has announced the suspension of Justice Onnoghen as the Chief Justice and appointed Justice Tanko Mohammad as the Acting Chief Justice."

"It is unfortunate that the Bar and the Bench have played into the hands of the sponsors of incipient fascism in the country. For reasons best known to them, the stakeholders in the legal profession stood by and allowed the Office of the Chief Justice to be completely desecrated. It is intringing that the 12 lawyers including three Senior Advocates of Nigeria in the federal cabinet did not deem it fit to disuade President Buhari from carrying out the illegal suspension of the Chief Justice on the basis of an ex parte order issued by the Code of Conduct Tribunal. In particular, they ought to have reminded the President of the compulsory retirement of Justice Stanley Nnaji and Justice Wilson Egbo-Egbo for issuing illegal ex parte orders for the removal of Dr. Chris Ngige as Governor of Anambra State. It is sad to recall that it was the federal government superintended by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that instigated the illegal removal of the governor at the material time."

"However, notwithstanding the inauguration of Justice Tanko Mohammad as the Acting Chief Justice the legal profession should not hesitate to review the entire Onnoghen saga in the interest of the nation's judiciary. In Elelu-Habeeb v AGF (2012) 40 WRN 1, the Supreme Court held that by virtue of section 292 of the Constitution the heads of the judicial arms of the state and federal governments in the country cannot be removed without a prior investigation conducted by the NJC. Consequently, the apex court set aside the purported removal of the appellant as the Chief judge of Kwara State upon an address forwarded to the house of assembly by former Governor Bukola Saraki. Therefore, the National Judicial Council should convene and constitute a committee to investigate the allegations leveled against the Chief Justice and make appropriate recommendation to the relevant authorities."

"Meanwhile, the legal team of the Chief Justice should proceed to challenge his suspension from office either at the Code of Conduct Tribunal or the Court of Appeal."

Despite the gravity of the allegations levelled against the Chief Justice the illegality of the suspension should not be allowed to stand. The ex parte order is a suspect document as the motion ex parte on which it was predicated was allegedly filed on January 9, 2019 while the substantive charge against the Chief Justice was filed at the registry of the Code of Conduct Tribunal on January 11, 2019. Furthermore, the counsel who argued the motion is not indicated in the ex parte order. However, in view of President Buhari's belated fidelity in the rule of law the federal government should comply with all valid and subsisting orders of competent municipal and regional courts made against the federal government. President Buhari should not be permitted to choose and pick orders of courts to obey."

https://politicsngr.com/breaking-illegality-not-stand-femi-falana-reacts-cjn-suspension/

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Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has reacted to the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mohammed, in a media chat on Saturday, explained that from reading the President's statement on the suspension yesterday, Certain things were clear adding that the Chief Justice failed to declare 'millions of dollars in his possession' adding that the President suspended Onnoghen on the orders of a court of competent Jurisdiction.

PoliticsNGR has the footage. Watch HERE

https://politicsngr.com/watch-lai-mohammeds-reaction-cjn-onnoghens-suspension/

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Mr Donald Duke, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Presidential Candidate, says he is going ahead with his campaigns in spite of delays caused by litigation over his candidature.

Duke, a former Governor of Cross River, told newsmen in Lagos on Saturday that his campaign would officially commence next week as he had been pronounced the bona-fide candidate of SDP by the Court of Appeal.

The court in Abuja on Thursday declared Duke the presidential candidate of SDP for the Feb. 16 Presidential Election.

A three-member panel, led by Justice Abdul Aboki, set aside the Dec. 14, 2018, judgment of a Federal Capital Territory High Court which declared Prof. Jerry Gana, a former Minister of Information, the candidate of the party.

Duke said: “ I may have lost time over the proceedings but it will not in any way stall my progress or affect my victory at the polls.

“We have concluded arrangements to kick-start a very smart campaign that will reach the electorate across the nation.

“My campaign will not be a conventional one but it will be very effective.

“Nigerians are yearning for an alternative platform and we intend to position ourselves as that alternative that the people crave for.”

He urged all aggrieved members of the party to unite and work as one family to ensure victory for SDP and its candidates across the country.

Duke said SDP was working on bringing Gana fully back to its fold, adding that he (Duke) would have accepted defeat and worked with Gana if the judgment had not been in his favour as was earlier agreed by the party.

“Gana is mature and noble and am sure we will get through this to achieve the Nigeria of our dream,” he said.

The SDP presidential candidate said Nigeria needed something new that would give young people hope which was what he represented.

“Outside President Muhammadu Buhari, I am the only presidential candidate that has headed a government. I have the experience.

“My vision is that we cannot leave Nigeria the way it is any longer. We need to love ourselves, we have lost our humanity.

“It’s not going to happen overnight but I see the Nigeria of my dream emerging in the next 10 years,” he said.

On threats by the U.S. and UK to deny visas to anyone or politician involved in rigging in the upcoming elections, Duke said the UN, EU, AU and ECOWAS should toe the same line.

“The international community must treat election riggers like pariahs and ensure they are not admitted into their countries. Such measure will go a long way in curbing electoral malpractice in future polls in Nigeria,” he said.

Duke decried the suspension of Justice Walter Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria and described the action as a trial of the Supreme Court and the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA).

“It is the Supreme Court and NBA that are on trial in this matter. This issue may cascade into many other issues in Nigeria if it is not handled with care.

“I feel the removal is hasty and should be reconsidered in the interest of respect for our democracy and laws,” he said.

On the national presidential debates that he missed, Duke said: “ There will be others. I am aware that it is not the best that we find ourselves in that situation but it is not my fault.”

He said Nigerians knew who and what their desires were and would still vote for him in spite of the short time left for the presidential election.

https://politicsngr.com/2019-presidency-wont-stop-campaign-donald-duke/

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The Nigerian Bar Association has organised an Emergency National Executive committee meeting scheduled to hold on Monday to deliberate on the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Below is a statement from the NBA obtained by PoliticsNGR;

There will be an Emergency National Executive Committee meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association on the date and at the time and venue specified hereunder:

DATE: Monday, 28 January 2019
TIME: 12 noon Prompt
VENUE: NBA Auditorium, NBA House, Plot 1101 Muhammadu Buhari Way, Cadastral Zone A00 Central Area, Abuja - FCT

AGENDA

1. Purported Suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Mr Justice Walter S C Onnoghen
2. Any Other Business

Please note that attendance for this NEC meeting is limited only to Statutory NEC members made up of the following:

1. National Officers
2. Past Presidents
3. Past General Secretaries
4. Branch Chairmen
5. Branch Secretaries
6. Branch NEC Representatives
7. Chairmen and Secretaries of Sections

https://politicsngr.com/breaking-nba-hold-emergency-nec-meeting-cjn-suspension/

cc: mynd44 , lalasticlala

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Fellow Nigerians, the way events happen at the speed of light, in our dear beloved country Nigeria, is unbelievable. I flew out of Lagos yesterday on a few hours flight to Sierra Leone but within that twinkle of an eye, a monumental development had occurred back home. Thanks to social media, cyberspace was awash and agog with the story of President Muhammadu Buhari literally firing the Chief Justice of the Federation, Honourable Justice, Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen GCON, with automatic alacrity, even though the President claimed that his action was merely a suspension.

I’m not a lawyer but I’m knowledgeable enough about the Constitutional supremacy, rule of law, fair hearing and judicial process. For now, I will not go into the rights and wrongs of the allegations against the CJN, Honourable Justice Onnoghen because the matter is subjudice as it is still being dealt with by the courts. The President’s actions yesterday would seem to belie this crucial fact. The case against CJN Onnoghen may later turn out to be unassailable, but until then he should be given the benefit of the doubt and allowed to enjoy his right to be presumed innocent until declared guilty by a court of law. It is for him to choose the path of honour and resign, but it is also entirely his discretion, knowing the strength of his case and the conviction about his innocence, to insist on remaining in position until the outcome of the case against him is known.

Without jumping to any conclusions yet, I took time to read President Buhari’s speech dealing with the swearing in of the newly appointed Acting Chief Justice of the Federation, Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed. I was alarmed by what I read. The rhetoric seemed to me to be even worse than it has been in the past. The dictatorial and strident tone and toga of the President in his first speech as Military Head of State was all too palpable for me. I am certain that this speech will go down in the annals of Nigerian history as one of the epochal speeches that shaped Nigeria. Whether for good or ill, only time will tell. Let me therefore literally and figuratively take the pain to quote him verbatim.

Fellow Nigerians,

A short while ago, I was served with an Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal issued on Wednesday 23rd January 2019, directing the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen, from office pending final determination of the cases against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and several other fora relating to his alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.

2. The nation has been gripped by the tragic realities of no less a personality than the Chief Justice of Nigeria himself becoming the accused person in a corruption trial since details of the petition against him by a Civil Society Organization first became public about a fortnight ago.

3. Although the allegations in the petition are grievous enough in themselves, the security agencies have since then traced other suspicious transactions running into millions of dollars to the CJN’s personal accounts, all undeclared or improperly declared as required by law.

4. Perhaps more worrisome is the Chief Justice of Nigeria’s own written admission to the charges that he indeed failed to follow the spirit and letter of the law in declaring his assets, citing ’’mistake’’ and ’’forgetfulness’’ which are totally unknown to our laws as defences in the circumstances of his case.

5. One expected that with his moral authority so wounded, by these serious charges of corruption, more so by his own written admission, Mr. Justice Walter Onnoghen would have acted swiftly to spare our Judicial Arm further disrepute by removing himself from superintending over it while his trial lasted.

6. Unfortunately, he has not done so. Instead, the nation has been treated to the sordid spectacle of a judicial game of wits in which the Chief Justice of Nigeria and his legal team have made nonsense of the efforts of the Code of Conduct Tribunal to hear the allegation on merit and conclude the trial as quickly as possible considering the nature of the times in which we live.

7. Whether deliberately or inadvertently, we have all seen the full weight of the Chief Justice of Nigeria descend on the tender head of one of the organs of justice under his control. There is simply no way the officers of that court, from the Chairman to the bailiffs, can pretend to be unaffected by the influence of the leader of the Judiciary.

8. Not only the trial court, but others have been put on the spot. Practically every other day since his trial commenced, the nation has witnessed various courts granting orders and counter-orders in favour of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, all of them characterised by an unholy alacrity between the time of filing, hearing and delivery of judgment in same.

9. The real effect has been a stalling of the trial of Justice Onnoghen, helped along by lawyers who insist that these orders, whether right or wrong are technically valid, and must be obeyed till an appellate Court says otherwise. No doubt, that it is the proper interpretation, but is it the right disposition for our nation?

10. Nigeria is a constitutional democracy and no one must be, or be seen to be, above the law. Unfortunately, the drama around the trial of the Chief Justice of Nigeria has challenged that pillar of justice in the perception of the ordinary man on the street. For it is certain that no ordinary Nigerian can get the swift and special treatment Justice Onnoghen has enjoyed from his subordinates and privies in our Judicature.

11. In the midst of all these distracting events, the essential question of whether the accused CJN actually has a case to answer has been lost in the squabble over the form and nature of his trial. This should not be so.

12. If Justice cannot be done and clearly seen to be done, society itself is at risk of the most unimaginable chaos. As a Government, we cannot stand by wailing and wringing our hands helplessly but give our full backing and support to those brave elements within the Judiciary who act forthrightly, irrespective of who is involved.

13. As you are all aware, the fight against corruption is one of the tripod of policies promised to Nigerians by this administration. Needless to say that it is an existential Policy which must be given adequate attention and commitment by all the three arms of government. The efforts of the Executive will amount to nothing without the cooperation of the Legislature and especially the Judiciary.

14. It is no secret that this government is dissatisfied with the alarming rate in which the Supreme Court of Nigeria under the oversight of Justice Walter Onnoghen has serially set free, persons accused of the most dire acts of corruption, often on mere technicalities, and after quite a number of them have been convicted by the trial and appellate courts.

15. Since there is nothing the Executive Arm can do after the apex court of the land has spoken on any matter, several of these individuals walk free among us today, enjoying what are clearly the proceeds of the corruption which for so long has defeated the efforts of this nation to develop and prosper.

16. It is against this background that I have received the Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal directing me to suspend the Chief Justice pending final determination of the cases against him. It also explains why I am not only complying immediately, but with some degree of relief for the battered sensibilities of ordinary Nigerians whose patience must have become severely over-taxed by these anomalies.

17. In line with this administration’s avowed respect for the Rule of Law, I have wholeheartedly obeyed the Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal dated 23rd January 2019.

18. Accordingly, I hereby suspend the Honourable Mr. Justice Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen, GCON as the Chief Justice of Nigeria pending final determination of the case against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

19. In further compliance with the same Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, I hereby invite Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed JSC, being the next most Senior Justice in the Supreme Court, to come forward to take the Judicial Oath as Chief Justice of Nigeria in an Acting Capacity.

20. Fellow Nigerians, we can only stand a chance to win the fight against Corruption, and position our dear nation for accelerated development when we stand together to contend against it.

Thank you and may God bless our country.

It is worth reiterating that this aforementioned speech read to me like a coup day speech, with all the preaching and pontificating, especially as it was littered with huge dollops of self-righteousness and moral indignation. The President sermonised in a holier than thou manner with the trenchant rectitude that has now become the hallmark of this administration particularly in the twilight days of this first term. President Muhammadu Buhari turned himself into a real four plus four. He became the Investigator, Prosecutor, Judge and Executioner in one fell swoop.

From that moment, Nigeria immediately transfigured, and migrated, to full blown dictatorship. The President, with one stroke of the pen, instantly abolished the principle of separation of powers as enshrined and entrenched in our Constitution. He more or less abolished any notion of the independence of the judiciary and checkmated the legislature with which he shares the joint responsibility for the suspension or removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria. Indeed, the President’s action is an abrogation of the supremacy of the Constitution, a document which he has given short shrift and practically turned to toilet paper. To all intents and purposes, that is how worthless our Constitution is right now!

One thing is sure, the President is no longer in the mood for the niceties or nuances of Democratic tenets and concepts, but is firmly in the autocratic power mode that militocracy so generously offers. I weep for Nigeria and I cry for the President and his gang of powermongers who have refused to read the history of Nigeria, and, if they did, have refused to learn anything from it.

I heard and read of many Buharideens shouting, jumping and jubilating that the President has done the right thing by summarily sacking the CJN. I don’t blame them, but I wish to let them know that the ozone layer they have entered is too dangerous for anyone to contemplate.

Anytime it seemed Nigeria has been conquered, the conqueror is usually defeated by the resilience of our long-suffering people. The tragedy is, I see many lawyers in this government who are all keeping mute in the face of tyranny, just for them to remain in power, by fire by force. As I wrote to our dear President not too long ago, man shall not live by power alone.

God has been very kind to President Muhammadu Buhari. He became Head of State about 35 odd years ago and was sacked in 1985. Anyone would have thought it was over and finished for him. In less than a couple of years, many Nigerians who hailed his emergence as Head of State were jubilating on the streets when his military government was toppled in a palace coup by those close to him. But God, in His infinite mercy and wisdom, brought him from the shadows of death and restored him back to even greater power and glory in a democratic setting, after making several amazing shots at the Presidency.

Holy Moses! No one would have thought Baba would blow his second chance and shatter it into smithreens in this manner. Since 2015, it’s been obvious that President Buhari is only different from Major General Buhari in terms of change of nomenclature and uniform. He must feel a sense of nostalgia for those days when he didn’t have to share powers with the legislature and Judiciary, and now craves a return to that time he was alpha and omega.

But truth is whatever victory he hopes to record, by playing for broke yesterday, can only be pyrrhic. Nothing more. When tomorrow comes, like it would come, sooner rather than later, he would look back with regrets and ask, why did I do that which may have been needed, but totally unnecessary.

I have no doubt in my mind that whatever happens, it shall be well with Nigeria and this too shall pass away.

Dear compatriots, stay strong and resolute. The best is yet to come. God bless our great country.

https://politicsngr.com/pendulum-president-done-dele-momodu/

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A shocking footage of Soldiers currently battling Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria has emerged.

In the Footage, Nigerian Soldiers are seen battling to push a broken down armoured Truck. The video has elicited outrage from some Nigerians on social media.

PoliticsNGR has the footage. Watch Video HERE

https://politicsngr.com/shocking-video-nigerian-soldiers-pushing-faulty-armoured-truck-war-zone/

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Self-acclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has attacked President Muhammadu Buhari again.

In a tweet on Wednesday, he insisted that President Buhari is from Sudan.

He tweeted: "Yesterday, Atiku Abubakar confirmed that the current @NGRPresident (Jubril) is a fake Fulani man because he cannot speak Fulfulde. Late Buhari took pride in speaking Fulfude (his mother-tongue) fluently, how come this man from Sudan is making a fool of everyone."

https://politicsngr.com/buhari-cant-speak-fulfulde-proof-sudanese-origin-nnamdi-kanu/

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Below is a comprehensive list of all the Registered Political Parties participating in the 2019 General Elections.

https://politicsngr.com/breaking-full-list-registered-parties-2019-elections/

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The Rivers state Police command has issued a statement denying reports that Former Governor of River State, Rotimi Amaechi was arrested on Wednesday by the new state commissioner of Police, Belel Usman.

A report had gone viral alleging that Amaechi was arrested by Belel on corruption charges. PoliticsNGR has been furnished with a statement signed by the Nnamdi Omoni, the PRO of the River state Police Command debunking the rumour.

"The attention of the Rivers State Police Command has been drawn to an item of news making the rounds in the Social Media, credited to AIT Nigeria News, on the purported arrest of the Ex- Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in his home by the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Police Command at the early hours of today 23/1/2019, on the allegation of corruption, directed by the Inspector General of Police.

It has become increasingly necessary at this stage to put the records straight and state unequivocally as follows: That the Ex-Governor of Rivers State and Hon. Minister of Transportation, RT Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi was never arrested by the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command or any Security Agency for that matter, as reported by the AIT medium.

That the general public is hereby enjoined to disregard and discountenance the above news report as being mischievous, ill-conceived, diversionary and only intended to undermine the security situation in the State and harass the Nigeria Police Force and the person of the Ex-Governor and Hon. Minister of Transportation.

The Commissioner of Police wishes to assure the general public that there is no cause for alarm, as the state is peaceful and all business activities are going on peacefully. The Command under the watch of the Commissioner of Police, CP Usman A. Belel is committed to ensuring that the existing peace is sustained."

https://politicsngr.com/just-police-release-statement-arrest-rotimi-amaechi/

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on January 23, 2019 presented four more witnesses in the ongoing trial of former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, Aminu Wada Abubakar, Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The matter had been adjourned from November 23, 2018 following the failure of the fourth prosecution witness, Harry Charles, a Relationship Manager with Diamond Bank Plc, to produce original documents which were to be tendered in evidence, as opposed to the Certified True Copies which were presented before the court.

PoliticsNGR learned that at the resumed proceedings today, Charles presented the original Diamond Bank Account Opening Packages and Statement of Accounts from July 2007 to December 2013 for Interior Woodwork Limited before the court.

According to him, “The Statement of Accounts was generated automatically from a series of customer transaction entries”.
The documents were tendered by the prosecution and admitted by the Court in evidence as Exhibits M1 and M2, respectively.
Also tendered in evidence through Charles, were a Diamond Bank Account Opening Package for Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company, Statements of Accounts from July 2007 to December 2013 and a Certificate of Identification which were tendered and admitted in evidence as Exhibits O series, P1 and P2 respectively.

The fifth Prosecution Witness, PW5, Aminat Abubakar Temitope, a Relationship Officer with Sterling Bank who presented, in response to a subpoena summoning her, the Subpoena, as well as, Mandate Cards, Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, documents, Memorandum of Association and Certificate of Incorporation which formed the Account Opening Package for a Sterling Bank Account opened in the name of Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company.

The documents were tendered and admitted in evidence as Exhibits Q, S series respectively.

The witness also presented Sterling Bank Statements of Accounts for Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company, and a Certificate of Identification, which were tendered and admitted in evidence as Exhibits S1 and S2, respectively.

Shittu Ishaq Mansur, a Branch and Relationships Manager with Unity Bank, testified as the sixth prosecution witness, PW6.
The PW6 presented to the Court the subpoena summoning him, Account Opening Documents of Bamaina Holding Company, Statements of Accounts and a Certificate of Identification, which were tendered and admitted in evidence as Exhibits T, U series, V1 and V2, respectively.

The witness further presented to the court an Account Opening Package for Speeds International Limited containing a letter from the company for activation of the account, the data page of the first defendant’s (Lamido) international passport, Corporate Affairs Commission Registration Documents, Extract of Extraordinary Meeting held in 2006 of Speeds International Limited, Letters of consent by the first defendant (Lamido) and the Statements of Accounts of Speeds International Limited.

The documents were tendered by the prosecution and admitted in evidence as Exhibits W series, X1 and X2, respectively.
According to the witness, “Alhaji Sule Lamido is the sole signatory to the accounts of Bamaina Holdings and Speeds International Limited”.

Ibrahim Nasir, a Businesss Relationship Manager with Polaris Bank Plc. (formerly Skye Bank Plc.), who testified as the seventh prosecution witness, presented to the court the Skye Bank Account Opening Packages of Bamaina Aluminium Limited, Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited, Speeds International Limited and Mustapha Sule Lamido, as well as Statements of Accounts of all four accounts. The documents were tendered and admitted in evidence as Exhibit Y series.

Prior to the examination of the witnesses, counsel to the defendants, Kanu Agabi, SAN, moved for the substitution of sureties for the second, third, fourth and eighth defendants. There was no objection by the prosecution.

The matter was thereafter adjourned to February 25 and 26, 2019 for continuation of trial.

https://politicsngr.com/atikus-jigawa-rally-efcc-goes-sule-lamido-details/

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PDP Spokesman, Buba Galadima has revealed reasons why he believes aides of President Muhammadu Buhari are desperate to win the 2019 General Elections.

Speaking in a recent interview, monitored by PoliticsNGR, Galadima says that the President is not in control of his government and is not ware of what is happening around him.

He claims that this benefits the me around him as they are the ones running the government.

Watch the Video HERE

https://politicsngr.com/real-reason-buharis-men-desperate-win-2019-election-buba-galadima/

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President Muhammadu Buhari, Sunday night replied former President Olusegun Obasanjo for attacking him and his government.

In a lengthy statement on Sunday, Obasanjo attacked President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration comparing it to that of the Abacha era.

Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement said: “The sixteen-page letter the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari and released this afternoon is the last push by desperate politicians who can’t handle the President politically and have resorted to subterfuge.

“Our first message to the former President is that he needs a good doctor for good treatment and to say to him, “Get well soon.”

“As repeatedly said of him, since Chief Obasanjo left office in 1979, he never let every succeeding leader of the country function freely, and this included the one he personally handpicked against all known rules drawn up by the party that put him in the office of the President. But Chief Obasanjo is jealous because President Buhari has more esteem than him and the sooner he learns to respect him the better.

“It is a notorious fact that in dealing with any leader that he failed to control, he resorted to these puerile attacks. As the grand patron, more correctly the grandfather of corruption as described by the National Assembly, Chief Obasanjo released today’s letter purely for the reason of rescuing his thriving corruption establishment.

“The elections starting in February will be free and fair as promised the nation and the international community by President Buhari.

“What Chief Obasanjo and his co-travelers in the PDP should expect is that from the outcome, we will teach them a political lesson that they will never forget. This margin will be much bigger than we had in 2015.

“Claims that President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have embarked on the president’s “self- succession project, by recruiting collation officers who are already awarding results based on their projects to actualise the perpetuation agenda, in which the people will not matter and the votes will not count” is not only utterly false, but a copious note from the book on the failed third term agenda of President Obasanjo.

“The man, President Buhari who has taken Nigeria’s reputation to a higher level internationally and is working hard to improve on the records of elections he found in place cannot descend to the level that Obasanjo has himself sunk.

“As for his attacks of the administration’s records in fighting corruption, what the former President said is no more than evidence that President Buhari’s war against corruption is succeeding. They thought it is all a joke.

“A leader who took USD 16 billion “upfront” to supply electric power yet failed to add a single megawatt to the national grid and to date, there is no trace of the money is jittery that he will be called to account. He is a coward.

“Chief Obasanjo, manifesting a confused state of mind blames President Buhari for the fall of Libya into a failed state and the unholy alliance between the Boko Haram terrorists and the ISIS, while at the same time calling it an African problem, saying “the struggle must be for all West African, Central African, North African and most East African States,” which really does not amount to saying anything new.

“Nigerians looked up to him as a role model and a ray of hope to ethical and clean leadership until President Yar’Adua called him out to explain what happened to the sixteen billion dollars of taxpayer’s money. It is clear that with him sitting on top of the heap of corruption, he is no different from the crowd he leads.

“This language of his 16-page letter, likening President Buhari to General Sani Abacha, a man he dreaded and the one who jailed him under military laws is most unfitting from a former President of Nigeria.

“The claim that President Buhari has put in place rigging machinery is both outlandish and outrageous. We are unable to get the words to describe a 90-year old liar, except to say that by the publication of this tissue of lies against the President, he Obasanjo, not the President will fall from everyone’s esteem.”

https://politicsngr.com/breaking-need-good-doctor-buhari-replies-obasanjo/

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Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that he has received several death threats over his stance against the current government.

In a statement titled, "Points for Concern and Action", issued on Sunday, the former leader said;

"God of Nigeria is a living God and a prayer-answering God. Nigerians must cry out to God to deliver Nigeria. Here again, I have been threatened with arrest and extermination but I will not succumb to intimidation or threats. Maybe I should remind those who are using probe as a threat that I have been probed four times by EFCC, ICPC, House of Representatives and the Senate and Buhari has access to reports of these probes. But I have also challenged Buhari and the criminals around him to set up a probe on the same allegations and I will face such probe in public.

But I know that these criminals cannot withstand a Police inquiry let alone clinical probe on the past public offices they held. My fervent prayer is that President Buhari may live to see the will and purpose of God for Nigeria. My final appeal to him is to desist from evil with manipulation and desperation because evil has repercussion especially as man who should watch and be mindful of his self-acclaimed and packaged integrity. At the end of the day, those who goad you on will leave you in the lurch. You will be left alone, Unclad and unheralded. In defeat, which must be Buhari’s fear leading to desperation, he and his co-travellers can still maintain modicum of decency, and exhibit fear of God in their actions."

https://politicsngr.com/breaking-received-death-threats-obasanjo-reveals-full-details/

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Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi has been heard on tape revealing that Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo is the only true 'Nigerian' he has ever met.

PoliticsNGR gathered that the secret tape leaked by Reno Omokri earlier today has since gone. Amaechi was heard saying;

"The only Nigerian i have seen on earth is Obasanjo. Hate him....Like Him...He is not a Yoruba Man....He is not an Hausa Man....He can be a criminal, He can be stealing money, But he loves Nigeria".

Listen to the full tape HERE

https://politicsngr.com/obasanjo-true-nigerian-seen-rotimi-amaechi-leaked-tape/

cc: lalasticlala

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ON INEC

1. “Democracy becomes a sham if elections are carried out by people who should be impartial and neutral umpires, but who show no integrity...”


2. “The transmission and collation of results are subject to interference, manipulation and meddling.  If the INEC’s favourite political party wins with all the above infractions, the result will be conclusively declared and if not, there will be a ‘rerun’.”

3. “The track record of the present INEC is fairly sordid and all men and women of goodwill and believers in democracy must be prepared for the worst from INEC and their encouragers...”

4. “Amina Zakari has become too controversial a figure to be able to give assurance of free, fair and credible election for INEC.”

5. “A judge does not sit in judgement over a case once he or she becomes a cause for controversy...  Madam Amina Zakari should, in honour, stay out and not be seen as a source of contamination of the election.”

6. “Amina Zakari is not the only Commissioner that can be in the Collation Centre.  Let the INEC Chairman act boldly and impartially and prove his absolute neutrality and responsiveness...”


ON BUHARI

7. “Some men of God would hold President Buhari to his word on free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.  I am a realist... I am not persuaded by a track record of hollow words, impunity, insensitivity and ‘I-couldn’t-care-less’ attitude.”

8. “It is no use, at this juncture, to keep lamenting about the failure, incompetence, divisiveness, nepotism, encouragement and condonation of corruption by Buhari administration...”

10. “President Buhari and his hatchet men in the coming election think that the judiciary must be primed in their favour.  Hence, the Chief Justice of Nigeria... has been harassed and prosecuted...”

11. “President Buhari and his people believe no stone should be left unturned to rig Buhari in.  It seems to be a ploy to intimidate the judiciary as a whole in preparation for all election cases that will go before them.”

12. “Buhari has succeeded in deceiving us the first time and we will be fools to allow ourselves to be deceived the second time.”

13. “Even when figures, facts and statistics are made clear to Buhari, he keeps repeating what is untrue, either because he cannot understand or for mischief purposes and that places him on the level of a pathological liar.”

14. “[Buhari] believes he can get away with impunity and deceit as he seems to have done on many occasions in the past.”

15. “Bola Tinubu’s statement about Muhammadu Buhari in 2003 is fairly prophetic, “Muhammadu Buhari is an agent of destabilisation, ethnic bigot and religious fanatic who, if given the chance, would ensure the disintegration of the country.  His ethnocentrism would jeopardise Nigeria’s national unity.””

16. “Buhari’s watch can be likened to what we witnessed under Gen. Sani Abacha in many ways. When Abacha decided that he must install himself as Nigerian President by all means and at all costs, he went for broke and surrounded himself with hatchet men who on his order and in his interest and at high costs to Nigeria and Nigerians maimed, tortured and killed for Abacha.”

17. “...we have heard of how Buhari and his party are going about his own self-succession project.  They have started recruiting collation officers who are already awarding results based on their projects to actualise the perpetuation agenda...”

18. Buhari’s “henchmen are working round the clock in cahoots with security and election officials to perfect their plan by computing results right from the ward to local government, state and national levels to allot him what will look like a landslide victory irrespective of the true situation...”

19. “The current plan is to drape the pre-determined results with a toga of credibility.  It is also planned that violence of unimaginable proportion will be unleashed in high voting population areas across the country to precipitate re-run elections and where [Buhari] will be returned duly elected after concentration of security...”

20. “Buhari’s scheme bears eloquent testimony to this road similar to Abacha whom he has praised to high heavens and as an arch-supporter and beneficiary from Abacha, he has seen nothing wrong done by him. “

21. “It is clear from all indications that Buhari is putting into practice the lessons he learned from Abacha. Buhari has intimidated and harassed the private sector, attacked the National Assembly and now unconstitutionally and recklessly attacked and intimidated the Judiciary to cow them to submission.”

ON OSINBAJO

22. “Osinbajo must have gone for, “if you can’t beat them, join them”.  A great pity indeed and which makes people ask the questions, “Any hope?”

23. “Osinbajo has shown the human weakness and proved the saying that the corruption of the best is the worst form of corruption.”

24. “What is the connection between taking the number of PVC of the ‘traders’ and the forthcoming election?  There is something sinister about it, and Professor Osinbajo, of all people, should know that.”


ON DEMOCRACY

25. “This is a time for vigilance to fight to safeguard our votes and defend our democracy.  The price of liberty and sustenance of our democracy is eternal vigilance and appropriate reaction to ward off iniquities... We must all be ready to pay that price and not relying on hollow words of callousness.  The derailment of Nigerian democracy will be a monumental disaster comparable to the disaster of the Nigerian first military coup...Nigeria must not be allowed to slip off the democratic path nor go into anarchy and ruin.  No individual nor group has monopoly of violence or gangsterism...”

https://politicsngr.com/just-25-things-obasanjo-said-buhari-osinbajo-inec/

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The Nigerian Presidency has finally reacted to reports of a plot to arrest the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen and frame some Supreme court Justices.

In a statement made available to PoliticsNGR, signed by Femi Adesina, has described the reports as 'False'. 

"We have read with considerable concern and surprise, the fake news of the Presidency's alleged plan to arrest the Chief Justice of Nigeria and frame three other Supreme Court Justices.

This false story is being peddled by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) apparently to set the judiciary against the executive and cause major confusion ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

The story is absolutely false as the Presidency is not in any way involved in plotting against or framing anybody.

We note that the findings of the Code of Conduct Bureau against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and the allegations arising from them, are being handled by the courts in the normal way, as is expected in a democratic society like ours. The Presidency has not, and will certainly not, interfere in the process.

We, however, want to draw the attention of the general public to this or similar false stories, which are ill motivated to further the political interests of their sponsors.

While the Buhari administration is very firmly committed to the fight against corruption, we want to assure the general public that Government will always pursue its mission with the highest standards of fairness, and in strict conformity with the relevant laws."

https://politicsngr.com/breaking-presidency-speaks-plot-arrest-cjn-frame-court-justices/

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Wife of former Vice president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Titi, was on Friday evening attacked by suspected political thugs at Sarkin Sasa house in Ojoo area of Ibadan, Oyo State.

Mrs. Abubakar had arrived in the city two days ago to solicit support for her husband’s presidential bid.

An eyewitness revealed that she had had a fruitful discussion with Sarkin Sasa and the Hausa community in the area when the hoodlums attacked her convoy.

Some of the supporters in the convoy were said to have been injured in the attack.

A chieftain of the PDP in the state, Alhaji Bisi Olopoenia, confirmed the development to our correspondent but said the party was investigating the attack on the harmless visitors.

He said there were insinuations that the attackers demanded money from the visitors and after they were allegedly given, some of them still went ahead to foment trouble.

Efforts to reach the State Police Public Relation Officer, Adekunle Ajisebutu, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

https://politicsngr.com/hoodlums-attack-atikus-wife-ibadan/

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Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari narrowly escaped an embarrassing scenario after he almost fell while trying to take a seat at the just concluded All Progressives Congress rally in Kaduna.

It will be recalled that the President also missed a step and almost fell during a campaign rally in Kogi state a few days earlier. This has raised a lot of concern among Nigerians who are worried about the true status of his health.

PoliticsNGR has been furnished with the footage.

Watch Video HERE

https://politicsngr.com/president-buhari-nearly-falls-kaduna-apc-rally-video/

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Information reaching the PoliticsNGR newsdesk this morning reveals that AVM Aliyu Ahmed El-Rufai, the immediate senior brother to Gov. Nasir Elrufai has died.

He died earlier today in Kaduna.

https://politicsngr.com/breaking-el-rufai-dead/

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PoliticsNGR has been furnished with footage of Nigeria's Information Minister, Lai Mohammed saying that the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar will face 'questioning' over his alleged role in the collapse of Bank PHB.

Mohammed made the shocking revelation on Friday after Atiku arrived the United States. Atiku's visit was a major suprise as he has faced criticisms and allegations of corruption over his refusal to travel to America.

Watch the footage HERE

https://politicsngr.com/footage-lai-mohammed-saying-atiku-will-questioned-bank-phb-emerges/

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Mr. Chike Clark, son of Elder statesman, Chief Edwin Kaigbodo Clark is dead.

PoliticsNGR gathered that Chike died after a brief illness on Monday December 17th in Benin city, Edo state.

He was the  eighth child of the PANDEF leader.

A statement issued on behalf of the family read;

“With deep regrets, we announce the death of Mr. Chike Clark, whose demise took place at a private hospital in Benin, Ihenyen Medical Centre, Benin City, on Monday, 17th December, 2018, after a brief illness.

Mr. Chike Clark, one of the sons of National Leader and elder statesman, Chief (Dr.) E. K. Clark, OFR, CON, was, until his death, a business man. He was aged 43 years and is survived by his aged father, wife and three children.”

https://politicsngr.com/breaking-clark-dead/

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Mr. Buba Galadima has recently insinuated that the person ruling Nigeria is not the President Muhammadu Buhari that he used to know.

Galadima, in a recent speech, monitored by PoliticsNGR, stated that the "man in Aso-rock is not the Buhari he used to know".

The former ally of the President also re-fuelled rumours that the president has been replaced by a body double when he said that the person in Aso-rock "may or may not be Jubril of Sudan."

Watch the Footage HERE

https://politicsngr.com/jubril-sudan-man-aso-rock-not-buhari-buba-galadima-reasons/

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Below is a sstatement from the Buhari Media Orgnization in response to recent comments by the Senate president, Bukola Saraki;

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has described Senate President Bukola Saraki as immature and irresponsible for the position he is occupying.

In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke,BMO said it was the height of irresponsibility and recklessness for him to glibly dismiss the 2019 Budget proposal as "hopeless"

it noted that Saraki’s comments at a meeting with supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party were a continuation of the conduct of the opposition members of the National Assembly at the budget presentation.

“It is barely two days after President Muhammadu Buhari tabled the budget estimates in spite of the worst efforts of a minority group to disrupt the session, and here we have the supposed number three citizen brushing aside a document he could not have thoroughly scrutinized in hours.

“This is the same individual that did not make the traditional opening remark because he was too cowardly to look the President in the eyes and present a speech that was laced with lies and half truths that were later posted on his Face Book page

“There have been several Senate Presidents since 1999 but none of them has been as immature and egoistical as Saraki who finds it hard to separate selfish interest from national interest"

The group said what Saraki did at the PDP gathering was to serve notice to Nigerians that the 2019 budget would be stalled with no hope that it would even be deliberated upon as soon as possible.

“If it was a matter before the courts, Saraki’s irresponsible comments would have been considered subjudice. And that is exactly the situation we have on our hands now. He has played his hands early and there is nothing the Executive would do during budget defence sessions that would be satisfactory to this usurper

“So Nigerians now have the benefit of an advance warning of the Senate President’s intention to make life difficult for all in the name of politics by his outright dismissal of a document that was pain-stakingly put together by a team of experts led by the Director General of the Budget Office Ben Akabueze”

BMO also urged more responsible members of the two legislative chambers to treat his comment as an abuse of their privilege.

“This is because as chairman of the National Assembly, he is seen as the chief spokesman of the Legislature and what he says in and out of the legislative complex could easily be viewed as the opinion of all members.

“So it may be a good idea for more responsible Senators and Members of the House of Representatives to dissociate themselves from the anti-people comment of the Senate President

“They should not allow him to continue to desecrate the hallowed chamber with his reckless comments which boil down to the bitterness he once expressed during an earlier political meeting in Ilorin where he accused President Buhari of not literally throwing open the nation’s coffers for those who spent personal funds to campaign for him in 2015

“It is against this backdrop that we reaffirmed our earlier position that Saraki is not fit to occupy the position of Senate President”,BMO said

https://politicsngr.com/sarakis-comments-2019-budget-immature-reckless-bmo/