2019: Buhari not Afraid of e-voting, card readers – Presidency

The Presidency has rejected allegations by opposition politicians and their cohorts that President Muhammadu Buhari declined assent to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018, because he was against e-voting and the use of card readers in the 2019 elections.


It made this known on Sunday in a statement sent to DAILY POST by Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President.

According to the statement, the President’s recent decision to decline assent to the Bill had no effect on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s use of card readers for next year’s polls.


It further clarified that the issue was not raised either by the Executive or the Legislature in the latest review of the Bill that was declined.

The statement reads: “We wish to state in clear and unambiguous terms that the issue of e-voting and use of card readers was NEVER an issue for the President’s decision to decline assent to the Bill.

“It is equally important that this issue was not raised either by the Executive or the Legislature in the recent reviews. Moreover, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) adoption of e-voting reforms is enshrined in the 2015 Amendment Act to the Electoral Reform Act. Card reader is therefore a settled matter.


“Regrettably, purveyors of ‘fake news’ have been quick to churn out sensational headlines such as that of a leading newspaper, which screamed: “Card Reader in Jeopardy, Buhari Rejects Electoral Act Amendment Bill Again.

“Unfortunately, most of the critics of the President, including the editorial of a national daily this morning read out parts of the letters, as made available by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, detailing the issues that were of concern to the government.

“An issue has been raised by the President concerning some ill-prepared and flawed parts of the bill for which corrections needed to be made to allow for his signature. The President wanted engagement with the parliament for the corrections to be effected so that, at the end of the day, both arms of government will be happy with the fact that we have a good electoral law in place.

“The President is not in confrontation with the parliament on this issue. He has asked his officials to dialogue with the legislature for the corrections to be effected.

“As for his alleged rejection of the card reader, nothing can be farther from the truth.

“The President is the country’s number one fan of the card reader. For a candidate who ran three times and “lost” in an electoral environment in which votes were allocated and losers asked to go to court if they felt unhappy, the President knows fully well the role that the card reader played in his emergence in 2015.

“He has said times without number that he would strengthen and widen its application in the country and this, he is determined to do.

“Accordingly, we would like to appeal, especially to the media to disregard baseless allegations against the President, even as he puts in his best efforts in working with the National Assembly to give the nation a good electoral law, and in time.

“The card reader is not in danger of being discarded. It is a sine qua non for credible elections.

“We appeal to the National Assembly to reconvene as soon as possible to consider and approve the necessary corrections to the amended electoral act.”

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Atiku identifies Buhari govt as worst administration to govern Nigeria since 1999, gives reasons

A former vice president, Atiku Abubakar has identified the President Muhammadu Buhari administration as the worst government in Nigeria since 1999.

Abubakar, a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential aspirant, said this when he visited former Kaduna State governor, Ahmed Makarfi, on Saturday.

He stated that the rate of unemployment, disunity, inflation among others have increased under the present administration.

According to Abubakar, “You can definitely acknowledge that since the return of democracy, we have not had a worst period than now, whether in terms of economy, whether in terms of unity, whether in terms of security, this is the worst time since 1999.

“The maladministration of the APC government is very evident, we have the highest record of unemployment since 1999, we have the highest inflation, we have multiple exchange rates that discourage foreign investment. We have the highest level of insecurity since 1999.

“People are more angry, people are poorer more than at anytime. Nigeria is rated as the headquarters of poverty in the world. This is unthinkable for a country that is endowed with human and natural resources like ours, just because of lack of clear headed leadership and direction, this is where we find ourselves. So, it is obvious that we just have to change the leadership of this country.”

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2019: Atiku Visits Makarfi, Seeks Support

Former Vice President Of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday visited the former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmed Makarfi, at his residence in Kaduna.

Atiku, who is a presidential aspirant under the PDP in the 2019 elections, said the visit was aimed at seeking the support of Makarfi, who is also a presidential aspirant, as the party struggles to wrest power from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He described the APC government as a total failure and therefore, said the party must not be allowed to continue in office in 2019.

Atiku said he was willing to support any other candidate of the party that emerged through a credible process, should he lose in the presidential primary.

On his part, Senator Makarfi said both himself and Atiku were eminently qualified for the country’s number one seat, adding that his presidential ambition was not a do or die affair.

Also in attendance at the meeting was the Director General of the Atiku Campaign Organization and former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, as well as close associates of Senator Makarfi.

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BREAKING: Shekarau Defects From PDP To APC

A former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Shekarau announced his decision to join the ruling party after a closed-door meeting with the national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

The closed-door meeting was held on Friday in Kano State.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and other top party officials were also at the meeting.

Shekarau while announcing his defection said he believes that given by the current state of the political situation in Nigeria, it is important he moves to the APC.

See photos from the meeting below

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Professor Wole Soyinka blasts Mohammadu Buhari

"I made a mistake supporting the most scandalous and directionless government in the history of Nigeria.

Repeating such mistakes would be evil and unpardonable.

Buhari is more than clueless and doesn't deserve a second chance. "
-Prof. Wole Soyinka.

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Buhari Returns To Abuja After Six Days In China

Also present at the summit were Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya; Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa and other African leaders.

President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja from China.

The President returned on Thursday after attending the 7th Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing.

He left the country last Friday, with a delegation of 20 officials that included four governors, four senators and nine ministers.

Also present at the summit were Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya; Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa and other African leaders.

The meeting was chaired by Xi Jinping, President of China.

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Ambode promises electricity to all Lagos homes

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Thursday said arrangement had been put in place to implement the embedded power project which would soon bring electricity to every home in the state.

Ambode spoke at the 2017 community day celebration with the theme: “Community Affinity: Aligning Lagos Communities with Private Sector” held in Lagos.

He said that his administration would not rest until it ensured that there was light in every home, a school in every ward, as well as a clinic in every neighbourhood.

“These may look like tall dreams, but history has shown that they are achievable. Together, we shall realise these goals,” he said.

The governor also said that the government hoped to achieve phenomenal increase in the state’s internally generated revenue in 2018 by persuading more people into the tax net.

“2018 is going to be a better year for Lagos.

“With your support through the performance of your obligations, we can safely commit ourselves in the conviction that by the end of 2018, more youths will be in schools and more families will be gainfully employed.

“With a home to return to and a community to live in, our dream of a more secure and prosperous state will be another Nigerian wonder,” he said.

Ambode commended the Community Development Associations for coming together to celebrate the values of community development.

He also appealed to residents to continue to cooperate with his administration to make the state bigger and better.

Earlier, Alhaji Tajudeen Quadri, Chairman, Community Development Advisory Committee, urged the Community Development Associations and Committees to imbibe the spirit of transparency and accountability in running their affairs.

Quadri, who said the theme of the event was apt, urged community leaders to key into Corporate Social Responsibility as a vehicle to boost development at the grassroots.

Also, the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Alhaji Muslim Folami, urged residents to support the state government to deliver more on its promises of improved services, programmes and projects.

Prizes were won by community associations for self help projects, while the governor also announced a gift of N500, 000 to each of the community development committees.

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2019: What’ll happen if Buhari refuses to handover power after defeat – Atiku

Former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has revealed what will happen should President Muhammadu Buhari refuse to leave office in an event he is defeated in 2019.

Former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has revealed what will happen should President Muhammadu Buhari refuse to leave office in an event he is defeated in 2019.

Atiku, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said if President is defeated at the polls, he will have no choice than to step aside.

According to him, any refusal to step aside and handover power peacefully will plunge the country into political crisis, a situation the President may not want.

Former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has revealed what will happen should President Muhammadu Buhari refuse to leave office in an event he is defeated in 2019.

Atiku, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said if President is defeated at the polls, he will have no choice than to step aside.

According to him, any refusal to step aside and handover power peacefully will plunge the country into political crisis, a situation the President may not want.

Speaking on a short interview on Pulse TV, the ex-Vice President said, “Buhari will have to leave power if he is voted out unless he wants to plunge this country into political crisis and I don’t believe he’ll want to do that.

“But so far, he has done badly as far as electoral processes are concerned because there have been serious breeches of fundamental electoral processes.

“I felt there was a need for someone like me who’s experienced in politics; experienced in governance; experience in business to try and restore and bring back the country on track as far as economic development was concerned.”

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53 Nigerians get Chevening scholarships

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb. Paul Arkwright, has said that 53 Nigerians have been awarded Chevening scholarships for 2018.

Arkwright said this at a dinner organised for the beneficiaries of the scholarship and Chevening Alumni in Abuja on Monday.
He told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the beneficiaries were selected out of no fewer than 6, 000 applications, adding that the number of awardees had increased from 43 in 2017.

“Last year we had 43 and this year it is an increase of 10, to 53 which is great; it means that the standard is very high because over 6, 000 people applied for Chevening Scholarship this year.

“To get 53 scholarships this year is a real bonus and it is wonderful that so many young, intelligent and bright Nigerians want to study in the UK.
“Over 6, 000 applications, this is the highest number anywhere in the world actually.”

He said that 40 per cent of recipients were females and that five out of the 53 scholarships were awarded to people with disabilities.
The envoy disclosed that only one person with disability had been awarded the scholarship in the last 20 years in Nigeria.

“We have increased the number of women from 33 per cent to 40 per cent; our target next year is 50 per cent.
“It is so important that Nigeria encourages girls to go into education. There are 12 million Nigerian children who do not go to school and the majority, are girls and women.

“It is therefore really important that we do everything we can to encourage girls to get the education they need.”
He expressed hope that Nigeria would get a good proportion in the increase of the scholarships to 100 in Africa as recently announced by British Prime Minister, Mrs Theresa May.

Arkwright also said that no fewer than 15, 000 Nigerian students were currently studying in different universities in the UK, adding that a lot of people were taking advantage of British universities.
“I would like to increase that number. Britain is a very welcoming place for students. We like to encourage more people to apply,” he added.

Miss Tinuoluwa Adelegan, Senior Communications Officer of the high commission and a past recipient of the scholarship, said the main focus of the awards was to develop young leaders globally.
Adelegan was awarded a scholarship at Leeds Business School for the 2016/17 academic year.

“The opportunity Chevening scholarship gives is to experience global best practices; it is not just about the UK but people get to mix and learn from others.

“There are leaders that are willing to make a difference, and that is why with Chevening you must come back to your country to make the difference.”

She encouraged more women to apply for the scholarship and advised the new scholars to make the most of the opportunity given to them through the scholarship.

One of the scholarship awardees, Miss Lilian Umeakunne, who is also a crop farmer, said she got a scholarship to study Food Security in the University of Glasgow, Scotland.

“The process of applying for the scholarship takes you through a path of self-discovery and you do not have to know anybody to apply.
“I had to search within, know what exactly I wanted to do with my life to try to answer the four essay questions, gave examples of the work I had done, the impact and results achieved during the interview.”

Umeakunne said she had spent more than six years working with women farmers and hoped to apply her new skills to address challenges faced in the agriculture sector.
She added that she was a first-time applicant.

Another recipient, Mr Damian Ohienmhen, who is a co-founder of Nugenesis Energy, was also awarded a Masters scholarship in Sustainable Energy at the University of Glasgow.

Ohienmhen said he had applied for the scholarship for three consecutive years before being finally rewarded.
“I was fortunate to be selected for the interview; I actually applied three times in a row and I was always rejected.

“No one tells you why but I realised that my application became stronger each time I applied and I am glad because I grew as a person and my desire to study in the UK gained greater clarity.

He advised aspiring applicants and those whose applications were not accepted not to be discouraged.

The Chevening Scholarships Programme commenced in 1983 as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Awards Scheme and is funded by the British Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

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Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, is set to change the political calculations in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as he picks the party’s Presidential Nomination Form today at the national secretariat of PDP.

A highly placed source in the camp of the former Senate President confirmed to AREA NEWS yesterday in Abuja that plans have been concluded for Senator David Mark to pick the PDP presidential nomination form.

The entrance of Senator Mark into the 2019 presidential race is ending months of speculations over Mark’s political future in the country after having being in the Nigerian Senate since 1999.

The source also told AREA NEWS that Senator Mark had wanted to run for the Presidency in 2015 general election but was prevailed upon to bury his ambition to allow former President Goodluck Jonathan to seek reelection.

With Senator Mark joining the race, the source said political permutations within the PDP has changed ahead of the much-anticipated presidential primaries of the party.

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Presidential hopeful and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has revealed that he deliberately left Lagos out of the Southwest states penciled for take-over by the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2003 polls.

The PDP presidential aspirant made the disclosure yesterday, while meeting with party stalwarts in Lagos.

He said he deliberately excluded Lagos by then because of his long-time relationship with the former Lagos governor, just as he pleaded with the people of the state to forgive him for that costly mistake.

The former Vice President said if given another chance he would not repeat such mistake, adding: “When the PDP came to power in 1999, the entire Southwest states were controlled by the Alliance for Democracy (AD), but in 2003, I told my boss, former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, to give me the authority to take over the Southwest, which he did and I took over all the southwest states except Lagos.

“I left Lagos, because Tinubu and I have come a long way from the PFM, PDM to SDP. For that reason I decided to leave Lagos for him. I could easily have taken over Lagos, but unfortunately he (Tinubu) used Lagos to bounce back and today we have lost the Southwest states to the ruling APC.”

While asking for forgiveness for leaving Lagos out of the 2003 takeover arrangement, Atiku declared: “If I have another opportunity, Lagos will go together, I can tell you that. I knew what I did to preserve Lagos, but I want to appeal to you to give me the chance to return, so that I can correct that mistake. That mistake brought us to where we are today.

“Lagos State and its resources have completely become the property of one person and their children. If you continue in this stage after next election, it means you are going to be responsible to only one person.”

Atiku warned Nigerians never to make the error of reelecting the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari next year “for the sake of their present and future, the future of their children and grand children and the generation to come.”

He also flayed the economic policies of the ruling party, saying Nigeria now has the worst economy since the return of democracy in 1999.

He said: “In fact this government came with a method of merely seven per cent growth GDP, but as soon as it got into power, it crashed the nation’s economy into recession and we have been trying to come out of it, but up till now the nation is barely at 1.0 GDP growth.”

The former Vice President asserted that the Buhari-led administration has made life almost impossible for Nigerians on account of spiraling insecurity in the country.

Decrying the state of insecurity further Atiku said: “I have never seen Nigeria so much insecure as it is today. You are safer even here in Southwest, but in the north we cannot travel, we can’t go to farm they will kidnap us or our relatives and I believe by the end of this time we may not even have food to eat. That is how bad it is.

“The unity of this country, which enjoyed tremendous improvement under the PDP is now shattered. We are more divided than we have ever been, either based on north-south or Christian-Muslim, simply because we elected a government that is so insensitive to our multi-ethnic and multi religious composition. But I bet you, as I have said, if given the opportunity within six months I will restructure this nation and make the presidency so unattractive, because I will devolve powers back to the states to the extent that when they ask you to come and be president, you will ask, why.”

He said the 2019 election is so crucial and would therefore be the most important election ever in the history of the nation, adding: “Our present, our future and the future of our children and grand children are going to be determined by this election. If you make the mistake and return APC to power you will have yourselves to blame.

“Don’t let anybody come and deceive you, because there is only one way to go and that is to make sure we unite and we give a person, who has the capacity, this is very important and the national spread support to return PDP to power at the centre and in many states as possible in 2019.”

Urging the voters to open their eyes, Atiku said: “People keep on saying that Buhari cannot be defeated in the north, but we found that he has always lost. For example, Buhari has never won in my state in his political career. Even in Katsina
State, where he hails from, he never won election there except this time around.

“So do not listen to the narrative that Buhari cannot be defeated in the north. Evidence and facts of statistics do not support that narrative at all.”

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Members rejecting direct primary will be dealt with, says APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has threatened to discipline its members plotting to oppose its choice of direct primary.

The party initially decided to adopt indirect primary for all elective positions, but later
switched to direct primary.

Indirect primary election would require
delegates to choose the party’s candidate while direct primary is a process where interested members of the party vote for a candidate.

The APC says some of its members, drawn from various organs of the party, are planning to meet on Sunday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, to kick against the adoption of direct primary.

“We want to state clearly that the meeting is illegal and an attempt to puncture the sincere efforts being made by the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led NWC to reposition our Party ahead the 2019 General Elections and to ensure unity, equity and justice in the Party,” the APC said in a statement issued Sunday by Yekini Nabena, its acting spokesman.

“The outcome of such meeting which is already known will be a nullity and we admonish our members to disregard such meetings in the interest of the Party. It is illegal to call such meetings outside the purview of the constituted authority.”

The ruling party said the identities of those behind the meeting have been identified and “unless they desist from such they will be dealt with in line with the Party’s Constitution at the appropriate time”.

The APC added that its national working committee will resist any attempt to disrupt the current peace and harmony prevailing in the party after the exit of some of its members.

“We remain focused in delivering good governance to Nigerians and above all ensuring the victory for our Party come 2019 and we will not be intimidated by the antics of a few in ensuring success for our Party,” the party said.

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REVIEW… Who will grab PDP ticket in race against Buhari?

In the next few weeks, activities geared towards the 2019 general election will begin, and a lot of attention will be placed on the opposition parties especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which in fact, is the opposition.

The attention on PDP will not only be to the extent of its ability to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), but to how smartly it will be able to maintain its peace and keep the party together in the wake of the number of heavyweight politicians seeking to fly it’s flag.

No doubt, a good number of Nigerians are unsatisfied with the change the ruling party has brought on national and economic life. Many have concluded that APC is, in practice, the other side of PDP. This creates a void in the mind of many such that the question remains if President Muhammadu Buhari, given his health challenges and what many consider as a lack of grip on leadership developments and realities, will still be on the 2019 presidential ballot.

The body language from his party, the APC, is to the effect that it has no other persons aspiring to become president under its platform in 2019 but Buhari. This shifts the attention to PDP where several party bigwigs had indicated interest.

Such interests are also from the northern divide of the country. This domiciles ‘battle’ for the presidency in the north while the southern divide would be seen as decider.

With Buhari certain to fly the APC flag, the next challenge is who squares up against him from the PDP? As at the last count, there are at least ten aspirants who have indicated interest to contest for the PDP ticket.

Who gets it is a matter for PDP delegates to decide. But from the field, their chances against Buhari will be determined by Nigerians.

Atiku Abubakar

2019 will be his fourth attempt at contesting to become Nigeria’s president. Many believe that going by Buhari’s experience, 2019 may be his year. Buhari won the election on his fourth attempt. But unlike Buhari, Atiku is more detribalized with followership and support across all states of the country. Rich and capable of funding his election campaign single handedly, Atiku presents himself as deeply knowledgeable about the intricate details of demographic balancing in Nigeria’s politics. He has good understanding and appreciation of Nigeria’s diversity and has drawn from that to grow his businesses.

However, he seems to have too many drawbacks from his northern political home base as many do not see him as a core northerner -a label that is used to discriminate between the liberal and conservative northerner. His pre-campaign promises to restructure nigeria and make it workable captures the minds and hearts of southern political leaders but scares his northern folks who are strictly opposed to a restructuring of Nigeria that would task their ingenuity in resource management and wealth creation. For many youths, Atiku represents a new beginning especially for his appreciation and support for the creative industries were many Nigerian youths had excelled. Atiku also demonstrated courage in challenging the limits. He is not afraid to state his mind and to pursue causes he believes in.

However, he will have to convince his party delegates, and Nigerians in general that he is indeed the candidate that will launch Nigeria on the path of glory. Many look at him as part of the old breed that brought the nation to its present sorry state. There is a mindset in many quarters that he acquired his wealth through devious and corrupt means, especially with stories of his days as a customs officer flying around, and insinuations that he can’t step into some countries because of allegations of wrongdoings against him.

In all, Atiku still has a lot of work to do within PDP despite the fact that he had travelled round the country in the past few weeks seeking the support of everyone that matters. He is also the first among the pack to have publicly declared his intention to contest for the top job.

Aminu Tambuwal

Tambuwal’s ambition to contest for the presidency of Nigeria has gone from being speculative to definitive, as he purchased the party’s expression of interest form on Thursday. Tambuwal, until now had remained quiet on the project while still consulting with different segments of the country.

He is young and fits into the bill for the aspiration to have a younger person become president. However, many believe he still has a lot of learning to do. His brightest chance was in 2014 when he had a rock-star rating following his opposition to President Goodluck Jonathan despite being a PDP member and Speaker of the House of Representatives. Many believed he would have won the presidential election had he taken the plunge.

However, it was believed he was talked out of it be those who were promoting other interests. His settling for governorship of Sokoto state has also exposed his depth of leadership especially with his focus on education and rural development. Though he has served for just one term as governor, Tambuwal lacks deep penetration in the southern divide of Nigeria, but this can be remedied if he clinched the PDP ticket. He is not deeply rooted like Atiku in the south. For this, his touted ambition to contest for the presidency may be flowery.

Recently, posters of him and another former governor of the Sokoto state flashed through streets of the state announcing the former governor for president in 2019 and Tambuwal for governor. It might as well be that Tambuwal desires a second term as governor but would prefer a different platform from the APC which he said had lost leadership focus. Many however believe that Tambuwal may not yet be ripe for the presidency of 2019 despite backing by the Sultanate and some top ex-military leaders.

Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso

Kwankwaso’s sights on the presidency have been more of focused speculation that of any real action. However, his public declaration on Wednesday in Jabi, Abuja, to contest for the office added some bit of seriousness to his aspiration. Despite decamping from APC where he contested in the presidential primary election in 2014, Kwankwaso has a strong followership in the northwest part of the country. This sequesters him in the northwest. Beyond that, he is pariah. He is hardly considered serious in the southern part of the country and does not even have a presence there. Although this can change if he eventually secures the party’s ticket. Many believe that his politics is swallowed up in the Hausa/Fulani leadership friction in the north. Kwankwaso is Hausa and not considered as one to lead the Fulani. Many also believe he will strike a deal with Atiku not to enter the presidential race but remain within PDP and play the spoilers role for APC in Kano where Buhari secured about two million votes in 2014 on the influence of the Kwankwaso factor.

APC considers him a great loss and will rue issues that forced Kwankwaso away from it. In all, Kwankwaso may not have a handle on managing delegates that will vote at the PDP presidential primary election. Though he was denied use of the famous Eagle Square by managers of the facility, Kwankwaso’s red-cap crowd took the shine off the visit of British Prime Minister, Theresa May, to Buhari in Abuja. Kwankwaso’s crowd announced him as being serious, but it failed to show a mix of Nigeria’s diversity. That could be a huge minus to his game.

Sule Lamido

Sule Lamido is in the twilight of his political career. 2019 may be his last contest for power. So, he needs to put in his best. Though a very strong factor in Jigawa and adjoining states, Lamido is seen more like an Olusegun Obasanjo-boy. Though he refused to decamp to PDP when the floodgate opened in 2014 after disagreements with the party’s leadership then, and remained to salvage it, he still does not have the support base to achieve a presidential ambition. He has been governor and minister but lacks the broader pan-Nigerian angle to politics.

Even in Jigawa state where he holds the reins, he is having problems with his support base for reasons aligned to the ambition of his son to enter the senate. Many liken Lamido to Buhari and insist that their worldview is similar. Such a destructive comparison will make it difficult for Lamido to push his aspiration beyond the posters that dot some street light poles in Abuja.

Tanimu Turaki

Not many think him serious. But this Kebbi state-born Senior Advocate of Nigeria is serious. He came to national limelight when President Goodluck Jonathan appointed him a Minister for Special Duties and he eventually led Federal Government negotiations with Boko Haram. This makes him deeply knowledgeable about Boko Haram issues and the details that have been denied by the incumbent administration in the areas of efforts to eliminate the terrorist gang.

Turaki was also a member of the team of northern political leaders led then, by Olusola Saraki (late), which negotiated Jonathan’s administration into being as President Umaru Yar’Adua gradually faded out. However, his political catchment area has not gone beyond Abuja and his home state where he once aspired to be governor. Turaki is not known to many outside Kebbi and Abuja. He has no national spread and support like Atiku. His views on national issues remain unknown and he lacks the capacity to even market himself beyond the billboards announcing his interest in the presidency.

Ibrahim Damkwambo

Ibrahim Damkwambo is an astute administrator. He has led Gombe state gloriously in the past seven years plus. He is one of the pillars that has held PDP together since 2015. He is suave and educated. An accountant by profession, he is a good manager of resources and could make a good president but he also suffers exclusion because of his minority status. He has not been sold to the southern divide as an alternative in PDP’s quest to regain the presidency and as such many do not count him serious in the race.

It is believed that his association with the presidential race is the normal outcome of the conclusion of an eight-year governorship run. Damkwambo needs to make Nigerians believe he is serious about the presidential contest. Though he has made some positive marks on the life of Gombe, same have not been communicated to the larger Nigerian public as strong enough to make him win the PDP ticket. He however comes across as a good manager of resources, human and material.

Bukola Saraki

Saraki has become a very popular politician of the 2015-2019 era because of the political mishaps of the Buhari leadership. No politician of this period has suffered as much humiliation like him. However, with each humiliating bout, his popularity soars leaving his traducers, who are found to be in bed with Buhari, gasping for breath. But many see him more as working to upstage APC in the general election and negotiate for himself, to retain the office of Senate President. Saraki, who had long before now been secretly eyeing the presidency, finally made his intention public on Thursday, though he has been seen consulting with past Nigerian leaders including Ibrahim Babangida, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Goodluck Jonathan.

Saraki who lacks a very strong political base, does have some support in the southeast and southwest, he is however without much support in the northeast and northwest where many see him as using his office to undermine Buhari. His north central base is a home for him and has been made easier for him with the murderous rampage of the Fulani herdsmen which is certain to cost APC its votes in the region.

Considered as one person Buhari would love to jail, the Senate President does have a number of baggage working against him. Corruption allegations have been flying around him, some of which he has cleared, but a long-time tale of how his family handled the now collapsed Societe-General bank still dangles on his neck.

Ahmed Makarfi

This ex-governor of Kaduna State and ex-senator would like to cap his political journey with the presidency of Nigeria. He is a cerebral mind and also articulate. PDP remembers him for his loyalty and service, especially, for leading it through a crisis occasioned by Ali Modu Sheriff. His calm-headedness in the face of all the troubles that the party had to go through, earned him high respect among party members. However, despite being an alumnus of Federal Government College, Enugu, Makarfi still lacks that appeal that makes one deserving of the presidency.

Though he may have friends across Nigeria, it is doubtful if the friendship is a sign of political support. Makarfi does not have the mass appeal that politicians look out for before taking the plunge. Some say he is preferred by some retired generals, but many believe he is not deeply serious about the contest but seeking political accommodation in post-2019 elections. However, there are feelings that he may be counting on his successful midwifing of the party through its turbulent days, for a stake in the race.

Attahiru Bafarawa

This former governor of Sokoto state was presidential candidate of Democratic Party (DP) in the last general election. He is believed to be wildly loved among northwest elite. However, his political influence and reach does not extend beyond his home political base and Abuja. For this reason, not a few believe he is a serious contestant for the ticket. Many in the southern divide do not even know him beyond being a former governor of Sokoto state. He may as well be one of those who wants to enrich their CVs with the title of ‘Ex-presidential aspirant’. However, coming from Sokoto state makes the game a bit tight for Tambuwal as he sure will split delegates from the state. There is a feeling that he will back out of the race at the last minute.

Ibrahim Shekarau

This Kano-born politician is tactically suited for the politics of Kano. He is interested in the race as he was in 2010. A two-term governor of Kano and Minister of Education, Shekarau, like Kwankwaso, has cult followership in Kano. His aspiration for the presidency is said to be one of the reasons keeping him politically relevant.

However, many see his involvement as a tactical approach towards ensuring that APC’s Buhari does not win in Kano the way he did in 2015. Shekarau suffers the same problem that Kwankwaso, Damkwambo, Bafarawa, Turaki and Lamido suffer -lack of deep penetration of the southern divide.

Together, they also fail the test of policy and plans. They all lack sustaining ideologies and have been unable to market themselves to Nigerians on the grounds of ideologies and policies for resurrection of Nigeria.

There are views in strategic quarters that their aspirations are governed by the feeling of entitlement to rule, a feeling that the southern divide of the Nigerian polity, has become weary of. Shekarau is not deeply rooted in the political space as to cause anyone sleepless nights over the PDP presidential ticket.

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APC, INEC in Alliance to Rig 2019 Elections, PDP Alleges

• INEC denies claim, challenges PDP to produce evidence

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) saturday accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of being in an unholy alliance with the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to rig the 2019 elections.

In a swift reaction, however, the INEC faulted the PDP’s claim, noting that there was nothing like unholy alliance between the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and the APC and any other political party whatsoever.

The PDP made the allegation in a statement its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan saturday, linking the APC plan to rig the 2019 elections to the recent decision of the party to adopt direct primaries.

As shown in its statement, the opposition party said it was aware that the Presidency forced the direct primaries on party members “to eliminate delegates’ participation and pave way for the allocation of millions of conjured votes, which they intend to use as basis to authenticate the fictitious votes they intend to declare for President Buhari at the general elections.”

The statement said it had also uncovers plots by the Buhari Presidency and the APC “to use direct primary to validate their plot to rig the 2019 general elections, particularly for President Muhammadu Buhari, who has become grossly unpopular ahead of the elections.

“Having eliminated contest within the APC, the presidency is now apprehensive of apathy against Buhari due to his increasing unpopularity. It plots to import non-members of the party to satiate the venue of the presidential primaries to create an impression of overwhelming popularity for Mr. President and use that to validate the fictitious votes they are conjuring for the presidential election.

“The PDP is reliably informed that this rigging plot is the reason APC aspirants to other positions, especially, APC state governors, are demanding for direct primaries instead of the indirect primaries earlier approved for them by their party. PDP cautions the Chairman of INEC, Prof Yakubu, to end the unholy alliance between his commission and the APC.”

He added that the PDP was already privy to how very senior officials of the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC, including a blood relation of the President, who controls the commission’s data center, masterminded and pushed the plot for which they held several meetings with presidency officials and APC leaders.

He stated: “This rigging plot is the major reason behind the secret creation of 30,000 illegal polling units by INEC, in compromised areas, which we earlier alerted the nation about.

“This is in addition to plots by INEC to frustrate genuine voters from accessing their Permanent Voters Cards, so as to allow the cards in the hands of compromised INEC officials, who will attempt to use such to allocate fake figures for APC.”

The opposition party said that the Buhari Presidency and APC leaders must know that Nigerians are tired of them and are ready to stop all enemies of our democracy on their trails in this election.

Ologbondiyan stressed that President Buhari and the APC leadership should note that not all the APC members are happy with their anti-democratic proclivities and that such persons are indeed ashamed and embarrassed by the pedestrian nature of this rigging plan.

He said: “Consequently the PDP restates the demand that Prof. Yakubu immediately withdraws the illegal 30,000 polling centers and declare the location, status and voter population of all already existing polling units for review by political parties and the media.

“INEC must also publish on their website, the number of accredited voters in all polling centers before the commencement of voting in all elections, particularly the Presidential election.

“INEC, by now, should know that Nigerians are united in the desire for a new President and that any attempt to illegally allocate figures or detract from a free, fair and credible elections, come 2019, will be absolutely rejected by the people.

“Anybody, therefore, who yields to be used to test the will of the people, in the 2019 election, should be prepared to incur the wrath of Nigerians.”

In a telephone conversation yesterday, the Chief Press Secretary of INEC chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi said that there is nothing like unholy alliance between the INEC chairman and the APCand any other political party whatsoever.

He challenged the opposition party to produce evidence to back its allegation if it had any to present.

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Tambuwal: APC Can’t Return to Aso Rock in 2019

Confident of clinching presidential ticket
Aspirant seeks donation to purchase form
Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto and Wole Ayodele in Jalingo

Sokoto State Governor and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal saturday noted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would be defeated in the 2019 presidential election.

Tambuwal, one of the actors that ended the PDP rule in 2015, noted that he was confident of clinching the PDP presidential ticket in the face of various political gladiators seeking to run on the PDP platform.

He predicted APC’s defeat at a news conference at the State House, Sokoto yesterday, expressing confidence that he “has what it takes to clinch the PDP presidential ticket in the forthcoming primary election.

In a memorandum to its National Executive Council last Monday, the PDP had set aside October 5 and 6 to hold its national convention where the party’s candidate for the 2019 presidential election would emerge.

Apart from Tambuwal, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; former Kano State Governor, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso; President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki; Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Hassan Dankwambo, former PDP National Chairman, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, former Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa and former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Taminu Turaki, among others, are seeking the PDP nomination.

At the news conference yesterday, Tambuwal said he had gone round the country “to meet with party members and was optimistic of winning big in the forthcoming polls. Delegates of the party are the determinants of the winner of the primary election and as such confident that they would vote for him.

“As you are aware, the primary election is about party delegates and I am sure that the delegates would find me worthy to be the PDP candidate, with a view to winning the 2019 presidential election.”

He noted that his mission to become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was borne out of the desire to rescue Nigeria from the myriad of challenges bedeviling it, noting that the people of Nigeria “are in dire need of a secured and economically developed country, as well as a stable polity.”

Tambuwal expressed determination “to provide quality education for the youths so as to become useful in the society if given the mandate come 2019. The PDP will defeat the APC in the 2019 presidential election.”

At the end of the primary election, the presidential aspirant pledged “to accept the outcome of the election whether I win or lose. This is because anybody, who wins believes that, we are going to work collectively to save Nigeria from the present mess we find ourselves in the country.”

Another PDP presidential aspirant, Mr. Hamidu Tafida yesterday appealed to Nigerians to contribute money for him to enable him obtain the party’s nomination form and achieve his aspiration.

Tafida stated that he would be able “to prosecute his campaign if one million Nigerians contribute N200 each to his campaign fund. The situation in the country required sacrifice from all and sundry to pull it out of the doldrums saying all hands must be on deck to overhaul the country.

“I wish to officially make public my intention to run for the Presidency of Nigeria. Let me appeal to one million Nigerians put together N 200 each and purchase nomination form for me to enable me actualise this ambition for the good of all,” Tafida noted.

Tafida urged Nigerians to be wise and resist attempts by political merchants to continue stifling the country’s development through vote buying and manipulation of the electoral process.

He promised to tackle corruption and insecurity headlong by doing away and eliminating the reign of impunity currently being witnessed in the country to pave way for rapid socio-economic development.

He promised to create jobs through mechanised agriculture and rapid industrialization if elected into office, noting that Nigerians “have suffered and it is time to make sacrifices for a better society.”

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2019: Removing Buhari will not solve Nigeria’s problems – Fani-Kayode

Former minister of Aviation and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Femi Fani-Kayode, has stated that removing President Muhammadu Buhari from office is not the solution to the problems bedeviling Nigeria.

According to him, problems of Nigeria can only be solved by having a credible and all-encompassing referendum and ensuring that “our so-called federation is properly and thoroughly restructured.”

He stated this in a new month message posted on his Facebook wall.

He said, “Election fever has gripped our country and many want to be President. Some are serious contenders whilst others are not. Yet the truth is that our problems cannot be solved simply by a Presidential election.

“It is a good start but it is not a cure all. We need to do far more than just electing a new President if we want lasting peace, if we want to flourish as a people and if we want to grow as a nation.

“Anyone that believes that removing Buhari alone will solve all our problems is naive and shortsighted. We need to go much further than that.

"The reality is that the problems of Nigeria can only be solved by having a credible and all-encompassing REFERENDUM and ensuring that our so-called federation is properly and thoroughly RESTRUCTURED. Anything short of that means we are simply postponing the evil day.

“Outside of that, whether it is Buhari or anyone else that is at the helm of affairs from next year, the very real challenges and fundamental problems that we are witnessing today as a nation will simply continue. May God grant us wisdom, understanding and foresight.”

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2019: More senators threaten to dump APC

Some senators are threatening to leave the ruling All Progressives Congress should the party fail to adopt direct primaries for the 2019 elections, AREA NEWS has learnt.

Some of the lawmakers who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES warned that the party will experience mass defection if it fails to adopt the direct primaries.

They alleged that some governors are applying pressure on the national leadership of the party to adopt indirect primaries to choose candidates for the 2019 elections.

If the party adopts the usual indirect primary, the senators said, the party will lose its majority status at the Senate. For them, the only way to reclaim leadership of the senate is an assurance of direct primaries by the party.

Direct primaries involves the participation of all party members in the selection of party candidates while indirect primaries involves use of delegates, often party leaders at local levels and political appointees as well as elected officials, to elect party candidates.

The APC used the direct primaries to elect its governorship candidate in Osun for next month’s governorship election. Prior to that, it often used the indirect primaries system.

The ruling party will on Thursday hold its first National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting since Senate President Bukola Saraki left the party.

The meeting is expected to deliberate on the party’s preparation for the 2019 elections especially its primaries.

APC NEC, the second highest organ of the ruling party, comprises the president, vice president, governors elected under the platform of the party as well as chairpersons of the party in the 36 states.

DIRECT OR INDIRECT PRIMARIES

Controversy over the choice of primaries for the party started in July when the chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, declared the party will adopt direct primary method in Osun State in choosing a candidate ahead of the state’s governorship election.

Mr Oshiomhole said the method remains the “most democratic way of handling the primary.”

The party went ahead employing the method to choose its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, but the process did not go down well with some of the aspirants.

Prominent among the voices against the method was the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuf, who was runner up in the primary.

“I did not accept the outcome of the primary election. Why would I accept that kind of primary, where a direct primary was conducted in my state, one week after another form of primary was conducted in another state.

“And I hope the chairman will wake up. That chairman is going to destroy that party. The chairman of that party is going to destroy it,” the lawmaker said.

However, many lawmakers, especially those who fell out with their governors in the last state congresses, wants the party to adopt direct primaries to choose candidates for the 2019 election.

MASS DEFECTION AWAITS – LAWMAKERS

Three senators who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES expressed fears over the possibility of deploying indirect primaries for the APC primaries.

They alleged that some governors are laying pressure on the party leadership to deploy indirect primaries in order to replace them come 2019.

One of the lawmakers who spoke on condition of anonymity said the party should brace itself for mass defection if the NEC resolves to adopt indirect primaries.

“I am aware the National Chairman and members of the NWC are under pressure from state governors to adopt indirect primaries. Most of us suffered injustice during the Congress. Till this moment, the leadership is yet to resolve the issues. We will not tolerate injustice again.

“For me, the next NEC meeting is a make or mar meeting for our party. The APC has assured us of justice through direct primaries. If the party bows to governors, we will have no option than to leave the party. It will be mass exodus,” the senator said.

In July, 14 APC senators left the party with at least 12 joining the major opposition, PDP.

Few weeks after their defection, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, also announced his defection to PDP.

Following his announcement, some senators and leaders of the APC have continued to mount pressure on Mr Saraki to relinquish his position since his party does not have majority at the senate.

Another senator who prefers not to be named said the party will lose its majority status at the Senate if the governors have their way.

The senator said the governors are ready to replace up to 90 per cent of the federal lawmakers if the party allows delegates to choose candidates for the party.

“With the war that exist between the party and Saraki, the party has confidentially resolved to return the senators because it is dangerous to come back on 25th when some people don’t have assurances.

“The governors have their individual agenda because the people whom they want cannot win election by direct primaries. If you cannot win by direct primary, it means that you are unpopular and the party cannot bring people who cannot win election.

“The party will be heading into trouble because it will be the Senate Presidency that will be at stake at the National Assembly. The point is that if you have an indirect primary election, the governors will replace up to 90 per cent of existing federal legislatures. Now, that will be playing into the hands of the PDP,” the lawmaker said.

The senator said the party risks losing at least 20 senators if it tolls the line of indirect primary.

“The moment the Senate resumes, the conflicting figure we have now is that PDP are saying they are the majority, APC are saying they are the majority, what do you take for consideration? We have up 20, 30 APC senators without a ticket and they have nothing to lose (if they leave the party).

“Let us get there first, because we were kept in the party on the promise that it is going to be a direct primaries. If the party says Saraki must go, who is going to remove Saraki, is it the governors? We are in a tango. The governors must concede, they must keep their heads down.

“We’ll see what happens but I can tell you that the Saraki group are waiting for those eliminated in the APC to join them.”

Another senator, Shehu Sani, expressed his dislike for indirect primary in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday.

“Indirect Primaries is a boulevard to corruption. It’s a seed to imposition, manipulation and systematic desecration of the anti-corruption crusade of the government and the party.

“Indirect Primaries is a bidding process, a slave market and an auction house where price tag is placed to honour,” he noted.

Urging all members of the party to reject the method, Mr Sani described it as a “final step to consolidate a fraudulent congresses.”

APC At Liberty To Choose – Ambode

The Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode, has said that the party is at liberty to employ either direct or indirect primary in choosing its candidates.

He said this while responding to questions from journalists after an APC caucus meeting on Wednesday.

“The fact remains that the constitution of our party allows us to carry out our primaries and elections using direct or indirect primaries.

“We cannot disagree with the constitution so either direct or indirect primaries, you are at liberty to justify the choice you want to pick, once it suits your purpose and in line with constitution as the state determines.

“The whole essence is for us to deepen democracy and also allow our members to participate in this whole process. The idea is once you have party members that are able to take decisions on who should represent them, I think we would have gone a step higher and better than other parties, that makes us a better party,” he said.

DECISION WILL BE MADE THURSDAY – APC

When contacted, the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena, said the party will take a position on the issue on Thursday.

“We’ll know the position of the party after tomorrow’s NEC meeting. The party has already made a proposal, it’s going to be either direct or indirect primary,” he said.

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SHOCKER: I washed dead bodies for 10 Years – Nigerian Governor Confesses

Governor of Oyo state, Abiola Ajimobi has revealed how he struggled to survive when he was studying as a young man outside the country.
He revealed that he washed dead bodies to survive. Ajimobi made this revelation on Tuesday at a South-west youth regional summit in Osogbo, while encouraging the youth to work hard and have a positive mindset.

He said his parents only sent him 30 dollars all through his stay abroad, adding that he had to look for a way to survive.

“I left Nigeria in 1963 to study abroad, but throughout my stay there, I was washing dead bodies to support myself to go to school. Whenever I got home from work, I will be weeping, remembering the number of dead bodies I washed.

My boss at work then said I should not be afraid or fear, adding that such feeling is normal for first comers. He encouraged me to always see those dead bodies as iced fish.

But against all odds, I survived and that is why I am urging youths to see hard work as the only way to success. I am saying this to challenge the youth of our next generation not to give up.This is our chance as youths and as Yorubas to come together to chart a successful pathway for the country.’’

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Buhari's style of fighting corruption and poverty attracted me to APC, says Akpabio

The APC government’s style of fighting corruption and poverty is what attracted former Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio to the party, the lawmaker says.

Describing the two as twins, Mr Akpabio, after an APC caucus meeting late Tuesday night, praised President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership style in tackling corruption and poverty..

“The first thing you need to know about the APC, from the point of view of leadership, I am quite impressed. The president has kept his integrity intact. He has been able to improve the image of Nigeria and restore a lot of respect to Nigeria from the international community. I can assure you that he alone can attract millions of people, he is that infectious. Of course his stance on corruption and that Nigerians have food on their table is something is applauded all over the world. I have also advocated that he also fights the twin brother of corruption, that is poverty.

“I am joining the APC as a government to stabilise the government and to assist the government to create employment opportunities for Nigerians so that we can fight the twin brother to corruption, which is poverty. Poverty creates corruption and corruption deepens poverty, so we need to fight the two together. And that is one of the things I find attractive with the APC and believe me with my people in Akwa Ibom State, with my presence in the APC my people in South South have now seen the light and they say APC is the party to vote for come 2019.”

On what was discussed, Mr Akpabio said the meeting deliberated on topical issues in the interest of the country.

“The meeting went very well and a lot of topical issues were discussed bothering on the interests of the Nation. The resolutions are fantastic and I believe that resolutions will not only move the party forward but will help to alleviate the situation in the country today and Nigerians will be happy for it.”

Mr Akpabio left the opposition party, PDP, to join the ruling APC last month.

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Emmanuel Uduaghan explains why he dumped PDP for APC

The former governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, Wednesday announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Uduaghan said he decided to join the ruling party because of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s effort in tackling the crisis in Niger Delta region.

“Rather than using the military to harass our people, the Buhari administration has embarked on various engagement processes that have led to agreements and brought hope to the people of the Niger Delta,” he said in a statement titled ‘Moving On To The Bigger Playing Field’.

He said the approach by the APC-led federal government has pointed in “a direction that is at once progressive and developmental.”

Uduaghan noted that the toughest challenge for any leader in the Niger Delta region has been the issue of peace and security since 1997.

“For over 12 years, I was deeply involved in the management of the issues of the region, first as Secretary to State Government (SSG), and then as governor of Delta State for eight years,” he said

“Strategically, we had engagement as our major tool. This involved government officials, with me in the forefront (sometimes personally going into the creeks without security at nocturnal hours), community leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, our youths, retired military officers, activists.”

The former Governor had yesterday held a meeting with Buhari at the New Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Others who attended the meeting were the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali Modu-Sheriff, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and ex- Minority Leader at the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, national leader, Bola Tinubu, former chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Bisi Akande, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.

Uduaghan noted that the toughest challenge for any leader in the Niger Delta region has been the issue of peace and security since 1997.

“For over 12 years, I was deeply involved in the management of the issues of the region, first as Secretary to State Government (SSG), and then as governor of Delta State for eight years,” he said

“Strategically, we had engagement as our major tool. This involved government officials, with me in the forefront (sometimes personally going into the creeks without security at nocturnal hours), community leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, our youths, retired military officers, activists.”

The former Governor had yesterday held a meeting with Buhari at the New Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Others who attended the meeting were the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali Modu-Sheriff, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and ex- Minority Leader at the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, national leader, Bola Tinubu, former chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Bisi Akande, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.

Area News Nigeria

BREAKING: Saraki Meets With Jonathan In Abuja

Senate President Bukola Saraki is currently in a closed-door meeting with former President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.

This meeting comes amidst speculations that the Senate President will join the race for the seat of presidency in the forthcoming 2019 elections.

Details shortly…

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American President - Donald Trump explains his statement against Africans:

"If after 50 years of independence you have not built the necessary infrastructure for your people, are you humans?

"If you sit on gold, diamond, oil, manganese, uranium... and your people don't have food, are you humans?

"If to stay in power, you buy weapons from strangers to kill your own citizens, are you humans?

"If your only social project is to stay in power for life, are you being human?

"If you despise and shoot your own citizens like game, who will respect them?"

"if you take all resources meant for development of your country for personal property are you humans?

" if you leave your country healthcare unattended and treat yourself abroad are you humans?

"Until your leaders think less of themselves and more about your people. You are not human but animal.

��Think about this and share.

Area News Nigeria

PHOTOS: Buhari, Tinubu, Akpabio, others attend APC caucus meeting

A former Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, and his Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Godswill Akpabio, who recently left the Peoples Democratic Party for the APC attended the meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress’ national caucus at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, for the first time on Tuesday.

The meeting which started at about 8.30pm was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

It was attended by leaders of the party including national officers, state governors, former state governors, minister and National Assembly members.

Details soon...

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PDP About to Collapse Over Choice of the Party’s Flag Bearer

Meanwhile report reveals as A fresh crisis similar to what led to the downfall of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State in 2015 may be brewing over the decision by some chieftains of the party in Oyo South Senatorial District to allegedly endorse one of the gubernatorial aspirants of the party, Engr Seyi Makinde as the party’s flag bearer for the 2019 elections.

It is reported that the decision to endorse Makinde as the sole candidate of the party in next year’s elections was said to have been taken at a meeting held at the party’s secretariat, Molete in Ibadan, the state capital.

The motion to adopt Makinde was said to have been moved by former Chairman of Ibadan North West local government, Hon. Remi Ayodele, who represented Ibadan zone, and Hon. Moses Ojoawo who represented chieftains from Ibarapa zone, who said they were mandated by their constituencies to table the motion.

Those who were said to be present at the meeting include: Professor Taoheed Adedoja, Alhaja Bose Adedibu, PDP Senatorial Chairman, Sir Samuel Olawuwo and Secretary of the party, Hon. Wasiu Adeleke.

But, PDP spokesman, Mr Lukman Agboluaje, while reacting, however described the said endorsement as a charade and a huge joke.

Agboluaje added that the said endorsement does not follow due process.

He said such decision cannot be taken when some stalwarts of the party among whom were former Deputy Governor, Alhaji Azeem Gbolarumi, Barrister Lana, Hon. Muraina Ajibola, Senator Kamorudeen Adedibu and other prominent leaders from the district were absent.

Agbokuaje, in a statement obtained by newsmen on Thursday, said, “This is a charade as it did not follow even the minimum condition of due process of arriving at a candidate as critical and genuine stakeholders from the senatorial district were deliberately sidelined.

“Even some of the leaders that were present were not privy to the meeting’s agenda as none was made available to them prior to this impromptu arrangement. For example, a gubernatorial aspirant, Engineer Femi Babalola who was reportedly lured to the meeting was amazed at the turn of event.
“We want to make it categorically clear that the Oyo State PDP gubernatorial ticket is not for sale. We are also using this medium to appraise our members that we have a rebranded P.D.P which has departed from its shameful past where leaders sold the destiny of their followers for a mess of porridge. Those who still cling to the past are reminded that the political terrain has changed.

“When the time comes the choice of the party flag bearer shall follow due process in accordance to its constitution and electoral guidelines.

“We are therefore appealing to our loyal party members to remain calm and await the directives of genuine organs and leaders of the party that are constitutionally saddled with this responsibility.”

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The Labour Party (LP) has pledged to deliver 16 million votes for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential elections

The National Chairman of the Party, Dr Mike Omotosho gave the assurance on Thursday in Ilorin at a public lecture and inauguration of Wards and Local Governments canvassers for re-election bid of Buhari and his Vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

The event organised by the Buhari/Osinbajo 2019 Project was attended by the Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture and the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara.

Omotosho, in a goodwill message at the event, said the labour party will support the re-election bid of Buhari and will mobilise vote for him.

He said his party will also work with the APC to liberate Kwara from misrule by a clique led by one man.

Omotosho charged the people of Kwara, to take the opportunity of the political development in the country to free themselves from slavery and oppression.

Speaking in the same vein, the Chairman of APC caretaker committee in Kwara. Bashir Bolarinwa said President Buhari should be given a chance to continue with his agenda of liberating the country from poverty and treasury looting.

He said Nigerians should not allow a repeat of 1985 history when Buhari regime of discipline and prudence was ousted to pave way for corruption and retrogression.

Otunba Gani Zubair, the coordinator of Buhari/Osinbajo 2019 Project, said the group was formed because of the dysfunction within APC orchestrated by the defection in the National Assembly.

He said the objective of the movement, among others, is to counter all forces against the President and mobilise the people for his re-election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the the Information minister inaugurated the volunteers and charged them to sensitise the grassroots to the achievements of the Buhari’s administration.

Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN) human rights lawyer and the Director Media, Buhari Campaign Organisation delivered the lecture on the theme: “Milestones of Sustainable Economic and Social Political Development in Nigeria”.

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Legal Luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Festus Keyamo has said that no Nigerian has touched the lives of poor Nigerians like President Muhammadu Buhari.
Keyamo, who is also the head of strategic communications for the Muhammadu Buhari 2019 Campaign Organization, made this comment on Thursday in Ilorin at the inauguration of Buhari/Osinbajo Project 2019.

He disclosed that the previous administrations established the worst system of government, based on sharing formula of the nation’s treasury.

“They operated a system that ignored physical infrastructure in the country, that ignored the plight of the poor, the weak and the vulnerable in Nigeria.

If you compare what accrued to the country in 16 years and what were done with the money earned in three years and infrastructure built by Buhari, you will see the difference.

In 16 years, all they did in the South East was Onisha-Owerri road, whereas in three years, President Buhari is doing four major road construction in the region,”

He said what Mr Buhari has done was to take the bullet from the rich to protect the poor.

“You have a president who has fought for you, why can’t you fight for him. This is the time he needs you more to fight for him.

It is reciprocal and that is why we must remind ourselves today why we must stand firmly behind him in 2019. I can tell that there is no government in the history of this country since 1960 that has addressed the plights the poor, the vulnerable in the last three years than this government,”

He listed the administration’s intervention programmes for the poor and vulnerable which included the N5, 000 monthly stipends, feeding of over eight million school pupils and soft loans of between N250, 000 and N350, 000 to small business owners.

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It will take Nigeria 10 years to recover if Atiku becomes president for 1 day - Okupe

- A former aide of ex-Presidents Jonathan and Obasanjo has reacted to the presidential ambition of Atiku Abubakar

- He said Nigeria will need 10 years to recover if Atiku becomes the president

- The ex-presidential aide, however, said Nigeria will make history if Senate president Bukola Saraki becomes Nigeria’s president for a day A former aide of ex-Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Olusegun Obasanjo, Doyin Okupe, says Nigeria will not make progress if former vice-president Atiku Abubakar succeeds in his presidential ambition.

Recall that Abubakar, a former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last year. He is one of the presidential aspirants of the opposition party.

However, Okupe said Abubakar’s presidency would draw Nigeria backwards and that it will take the country ten years to recover from such.

Writing on Twitter on Monday, August 20, Okupe said while he disagrees with Abubakar becoming Nigeria’s president, it would be a different case with Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Saraki had said he is considering running against President Muhammadu Buhari in the next election.

“If Atiku rules Nigeria for 1 day, it will take us 10 years to recover. If Saraki rules for a day, Nigeria will (bxexcxoxmxe) make history,” Okupe tweeted.

However, following the heated the tweet generated on Twitter, Okupe on Wednesday, August 22, claimed he did not originate the tweet but did not mention the originator of the tweet nor reveal where he got it from.

His tweet: "I did not originate d post saying if Atiku ruled, Nig will not recover in 10yrs, but if SP, it 'll bcom history.I changed because history to "will make History".Can never insult Atiku 4 any reason."

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I am afraid of 2019 Elections – Ike Ekweremadu

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has expressed fears towards the upcoming 2019 general elections.

In a statement on Wednesday, Ekweremadu urged Nigerians to pray for a peaceful conduct of the forthcoming elections. The statement read;

“I felicitate with the Nigerian Muslim Umah on the occasion of the 2018 Eid-el-Kabir celebration.I call on all Muslim faithful to emulate Prophet Ibrahim’s life of total obedience, love, justice, and self-sacrifice, which are the hallmarks of Eid-el-Kabir.

We must all imbibe these virtues in order to move Nigeria forward to the Promised Land.

The Eid-el-Kabir also presents yet another opportunity for the Muslim Umah and indeed all Nigerians to reflect soberly on state of the nation and pray for Nigeria’s future and peaceful elections.

Nigeria is certainly in need of both attitudinal change and divine intervention as the country prepares for the 2019 general elections.

Whereas the extensive electoral reforms carried out by the National Assembly manifested in visible improvements in the quality of the 2011 and 2015 general elections, subsequent elections have been gravely marred by excessive violence, vote buying, and other outrageous manipulations that threaten our democracy.

From the Bayelsa Governorship election to the recent bye-elections in Kogi and Rivers States, among others, the nation has witnessed intolerable levels of impunity, violence, excessive abuse and manipulation of vital institutions of democracy, which signal grave turbulence ahead of 2019.”

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Promote our achievements, FG appeals to churches

The Federal Government has appealed to Churches and other religious organisations to use their platforms to propagate the achievements of the President Muhammadu Buhari led Administration.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the appeal at his country home, Oro, near Ilorin, Kwara, when he paid a Sallah visit to the Parish Priest of St Andrews Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Joseph Awoyale.

He also urged the Churches to use their platform to correct the erroneous conception being circulated by naysayers that Farmers/Herdsmen clashes were induced by religion and ethnicity.

Mohammed said the clashes were neither religious nor ethnic but resulted from the heightened contest for increasingly-scarce natural resources like land and water, due to demographic, environmental and other reasons.

On the progress made by the government, the minister said, “without any form of contradiction, no administration in the history of this country has achieved so much in so little a time and with so little resources in the area of infrastructure.

“However, most of our detractors realising that they cannot fault us on this never talk about the projects rather they are inventing fake news to de-market the administration.

“Also, governors that have not performed will like to heap the blame on the Federal Government.

“But I challenge any of them to match what they have done in the area of infrastructure compared to the Federal Government intervention projects in the states.

“Rest assured that this administration is committed to the infrastructural renewal of this country and we are leaving no stone unturned,” he said.

The minister said that the administration was working to undo the 20 years of damage by the previous governments.

“If a government comes in three years and able to revive, complete and make provision for abandoned infrastructure, it is only fair for the people to appreciate it.

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MINISTER of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has raised the alarm that expired rice meant for animals is being exposed to Nigerians to consume in their countries of origin.

Speaking with journalists in his Oro country home on Tuesday, the minister blamed the development on smuggling pointing out that if the affected rice had been put under scrutiny they would have failed NAFDAC test because most of them have been on the shelf more than six years and had expired.

“The rice being imported now are not fit for consumption in their countries of origin.

They are also being subsidised and sent here even in credit because those people know that they are unfit for consumption; they are only fit for animals.

“Imported rice are mostly smuggled into the country because they cannot pass NAFDAC test. No Nigerian rice is more than one year old but the imported ones have spent even six years in their countries”, he said.

But he promised by in the next one and half years Nigeria will become self-sufficient in rice production given the commitment of the administration to agriculture.

“In the area of agriculture, it has been a huge revolution. Let’s take one of our national staples, such as rice, as an example. When we came in, there were 5 million rice farmers.

Today, we have in excess of 11 million rice farmers. Our rice import has been cut by over 80 per cent. These didn’t happen by accident. It was a result of our Anchor Borrowers Programme. There are more millionaire farmers today than at any other time in the history of our nation.

Today, Nigeria is close to achieving self-sufficiency in rice than at any other time in the history of our country.

“This Administration has employed 500,000 unemployed graduates under its Social Intervention Programme (SIP). No government in our country’s history has ever done that.

This Administration has been daily feeding 8.5 million school children in 23 states. That has never been done before in Nigeria. This Administration has been proving 10,000 Naira every two months to over 300,000 families as social security for the most vulnerable. This has never been done before in Nigeria.

This Administration, realising that SMEs are the biggest employers of labour, has been growing such enterprises at an astronomical rate through its Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme. This is unprecedented”, he said.

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