₦airaland Forum

Austincrow:
Bros, I appreciate all ur efforts on this forum, God 'll reward u accordling. Please when are they going to call for those that applied for the recent vacancy (Internal Auditor)that u posted on this forum. please u can reach me on austincrown025@yahoo.com. Thank you.

.
Gud day bros, pls reply, thank u.

Bros, I appreciate all ur efforts on this forum, God 'll reward u accordling. Please when are they going to call for those dat applied for the recent vacancy (Internal Auditor)dat u posted on this forum. Pls u can reach me on austincrown025@yahoo.com. Thank you.

period,

EFCC arrests ex-governor Ibori
By Oscarline Onwuemenyi, Abuja
Published: Wednesday, 12 Dec 2007
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday finally arrested the former governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, for alleged money laundering and other corrupt acts.

He was arrested by the operatives of the commission after they had trailed him to the Kwara State Governor’s lodge in Abuja, where he was reported to be hiding.

Sources at the Operations Unit of the commission informed our correspondent that the ex-governor had been trailed from his Protea Hotel room, in Asokoro area, where he had been staying after he arrived Abuja the previous day.

“We received intelligence that the former governor had been staying in the hotel since yesterday,” a source said. “However, initial attempts to arrest him failed when our men got to the hotel but found out he had escaped.

“Apparently, he had got wind of the impeding arrest, and moved out before dawn. Further intelligence revealed that he was hiding at the lodge of the Kwara State Governor, at Asokoro, where our people now found him,” the source added.

The commission is investigating Ibori for alleged corruption offences, including money laundering.
Souce: http://punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2007121215242082

VOTE PATRICIA OLUBUNMI ETTEH AS OSUN STATE GOVERNOR FOR 2011
For Beautification & Accountabilty

Etteh made mistakes but… – George
By Geoffrey Ekenna
Published: Tuesday, 9 Oct 2007
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Patricia Etteh, is currently facing the storm over the N628m scandal. What are you doing to help her?

That’s a good question. I have read the report. I think they have gone on recess. We have assessed the report. Although I am not a lawyer, now, the following questions I think we should ask ourselves: Has any money been traced to accounts of any of the individuals involved? Two, fine, procedurally, there were certain lapses. But what is the standard operating procedure in the National Assembly for this? The lesson I have learnt – and I believe they will learn – is that the due process concept must now be followed in the National Assembly, so that those who are the leaders do not sit in judgement over their utilities. A committee should have been set up to sort the whole thing out. It could be ad-hoc; it could be permanent or anything. The committee should have come out with reports that these are what should be done. The way it is done now makes room for a lot of flaws and did she deviate from the standard operating procedure? And what is that procedure? Has any money been traced into accounts of any individual, which will make it look like he or she have stolen? On that basis, don’t let them vilify them until these things are proved. Let us be fair. Yes, procedurally, there have been certain lapses. No doubt about it. But has that landed them in any criminal form by which funds have been stolen? The public now believes they stole N600m; that is what they read in the newspapers.

When you talk of procedural error and the feeling that the contract was inflated, how fair can the Speaker be treated?

What do you mean by treating the Speaker? Just take this particular case. Even in the Federal Executive Council, ministries would have advertised contracts, done all the bidding and whatever, before they are awarded, memos would have been written. The Due Process Office will set up their own machinery on the Internet or anywhere. What is the cost of the things quoted by the contractors? This is what is done the world over. We are just getting into the throes of that in this country. When you talk of fairness to the Speaker, I say procedurally, there are lapses in that place. Those lapses I have seen based on my experience. What is the standard operating procedure in the National Assembly? You take the National Assembly. Is the due process fully established there? Where you do a counter checking; if you don’t do that, now is the time to let us do that. But in the mindset of every Nigerian, Madam Speaker has stolen N628m. That is not the truth. Look, forget about the names behind those people. Look at the issues because I had that experience. The newspaper will flash stories and the people will say ‘Ah! she has stolen’. If she has stolen money, fine. If she has not stolen money and there are lapses that have been established, then what is the punishment for lapses? That is the way the legislator will look at it. Remember due process started under Baba’s (Obasanjo’s) administration. But it has been on in America for a long time. So, for me, he who goes to equity must go with clean hands. Let us go there before we rush to judgement. They say there were cases before; people have been removed. If people were removed before, was there no transfer of money or something?

Are we saying that unless the money is traced to her account then there is nothing against her?

Was the money stolen? Did they tell you that any money was stolen? I have read the report and what they said was that there were lapses: whether it was advertised or not; whether it was quoted above or above. Has the money been paid or what? If the contract has been awarded, has the money been paid to anybody? Has the money been stolen? If the money had not been paid, it is now that you say, ‘Okay don’t pay.’ If there was a fully established due process, then it would have raised the alarm. If the whole thing has been concluded and money paid out, then, you can send somebody to jail. But now, you apply corrective measures. We have to be fair to her and to ourselves. Today it is her. Tomorrow it could be me. I know tomorrow now, they will say that Bode Geroge is covering Etteh. I don’t have the powers to cover Etteh.

Source:http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200710093275150

Etteh made mistakes but… – George
By Geoffrey Ekenna
Published: Tuesday, 9 Oct 2007
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Patricia Etteh, is currently facing the storm over the N628m scandal. What are you doing to help her?

That’s a good question. I have read the report. I think they have gone on recess. We have assessed the report. Although I am not a lawyer, now, the following questions I think we should ask ourselves: Has any money been traced to accounts of any of the individuals involved? Two, fine, procedurally, there were certain lapses. But what is the standard operating procedure in the National Assembly for this? The lesson I have learnt – and I believe they will learn – is that the due process concept must now be followed in the National Assembly, so that those who are the leaders do not sit in judgement over their utilities. A committee should have been set up to sort the whole thing out. It could be ad-hoc; it could be permanent or anything. The committee should have come out with reports that these are what should be done. The way it is done now makes room for a lot of flaws and did she deviate from the standard operating procedure? And what is that procedure? Has any money been traced into accounts of any individual, which will make it look like he or she have stolen? On that basis, don’t let them vilify them until these things are proved. Let us be fair. Yes, procedurally, there have been certain lapses. No doubt about it. But has that landed them in any criminal form by which funds have been stolen? The public now believes they stole N600m; that is what they read in the newspapers.

When you talk of procedural error and the feeling that the contract was inflated, how fair can the Speaker be treated?

What do you mean by treating the Speaker? Just take this particular case. Even in the Federal Executive Council, ministries would have advertised contracts, done all the bidding and whatever, before they are awarded, memos would have been written. The Due Process Office will set up their own machinery on the Internet or anywhere. What is the cost of the things quoted by the contractors? This is what is done the world over. We are just getting into the throes of that in this country. When you talk of fairness to the Speaker, I say procedurally, there are lapses in that place. Those lapses I have seen based on my experience. What is the standard operating procedure in the National Assembly? You take the National Assembly. Is the due process fully established there? Where you do a counter checking; if you don’t do that, now is the time to let us do that. But in the mindset of every Nigerian, Madam Speaker has stolen N628m. That is not the truth. Look, forget about the names behind those people. Look at the issues because I had that experience. The newspaper will flash stories and the people will say ‘Ah! she has stolen’. If she has stolen money, fine. If she has not stolen money and there are lapses that have been established, then what is the punishment for lapses? That is the way the legislator will look at it. Remember due process started under Baba’s (Obasanjo’s) administration. But it has been on in America for a long time. So, for me, he who goes to equity must go with clean hands. Let us go there before we rush to judgement. They say there were cases before; people have been removed. If people were removed before, was there no transfer of money or something?

Are we saying that unless the money is traced to her account then there is nothing against her?

Was the money stolen? Did they tell you that any money was stolen? I have read the report and what they said was that there were lapses: whether it was advertised or not; whether it was quoted above or above. Has the money been paid or what? If the contract has been awarded, has the money been paid to anybody? Has the money been stolen? If the money had not been paid, it is now that you say, ‘Okay don’t pay.’ If there was a fully established due process, then it would have raised the alarm. If the whole thing has been concluded and money paid out, then, you can send somebody to jail. But now, you apply corrective measures. We have to be fair to her and to ourselves. Today it is her. Tomorrow it could be me. I know tomorrow now, they will say that Bode Geroge is covering Etteh. I don’t have the powers to cover Etteh.

Source:http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200710093275150

Etteh made mistakes but… – George
By Geoffrey Ekenna
Published: Tuesday, 9 Oct 2007
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Patricia Etteh, is currently facing the storm over the N628m scandal. What are you doing to help her?

That’s a good question. I have read the report. I think they have gone on recess. We have assessed the report. Although I am not a lawyer, now, the following questions I think we should ask ourselves: Has any money been traced to accounts of any of the individuals involved? Two, fine, procedurally, there were certain lapses. But what is the standard operating procedure in the National Assembly for this? The lesson I have learnt – and I believe they will learn – is that the due process concept must now be followed in the National Assembly, so that those who are the leaders do not sit in judgement over their utilities. A committee should have been set up to sort the whole thing out. It could be ad-hoc; it could be permanent or anything. The committee should have come out with reports that these are what should be done. The way it is done now makes room for a lot of flaws and did she deviate from the standard operating procedure? And what is that procedure? Has any money been traced into accounts of any individual, which will make it look like he or she have stolen? On that basis, don’t let them vilify them until these things are proved. Let us be fair. Yes, procedurally, there have been certain lapses. No doubt about it. But has that landed them in any criminal form by which funds have been stolen? The public now believes they stole N600m; that is what they read in the newspapers.

When you talk of procedural error and the feeling that the contract was inflated, how fair can the Speaker be treated?

What do you mean by treating the Speaker? Just take this particular case. Even in the Federal Executive Council, ministries would have advertised contracts, done all the bidding and whatever, before they are awarded, memos would have been written. The Due Process Office will set up their own machinery on the Internet or anywhere. What is the cost of the things quoted by the contractors? This is what is done the world over. We are just getting into the throes of that in this country. When you talk of fairness to the Speaker, I say procedurally, there are lapses in that place. Those lapses I have seen based on my experience. What is the standard operating procedure in the National Assembly? You take the National Assembly. Is the due process fully established there? Where you do a counter checking; if you don’t do that, now is the time to let us do that. But in the mindset of every Nigerian, Madam Speaker has stolen N628m. That is not the truth. Look, forget about the names behind those people. Look at the issues because I had that experience. The newspaper will flash stories and the people will say ‘Ah! she has stolen’. If she has stolen money, fine. If she has not stolen money and there are lapses that have been established, then what is the punishment for lapses? That is the way the legislator will look at it. Remember due process started under Baba’s (Obasanjo’s) administration. But it has been on in America for a long time. So, for me, he who goes to equity must go with clean hands. Let us go there before we rush to judgement. They say there were cases before; people have been removed. If people were removed before, was there no transfer of money or something?

Are we saying that unless the money is traced to her account then there is nothing against her?

Was the money stolen? Did they tell you that any money was stolen? I have read the report and what they said was that there were lapses: whether it was advertised or not; whether it was quoted above or above. Has the money been paid or what? If the contract has been awarded, has the money been paid to anybody? Has the money been stolen? If the money had not been paid, it is now that you say, ‘Okay don’t pay.’ If there was a fully established due process, then it would have raised the alarm. If the whole thing has been concluded and money paid out, then, you can send somebody to jail. But now, you apply corrective measures. We have to be fair to her and to ourselves. Today it is her. Tomorrow it could be me. I know tomorrow now, they will say that Bode Geroge is covering Etteh. I don’t have the powers to cover Etteh.

Source:http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200710093275150

Hello everyone,

I wish to inform you that Friday 24th & Saturdat 25th 2007 is my Waedding Ceremony. All at Kaduna State.

Thanks.

babyosisi
If she catch u she go break ur head. Thank God dat d 2 of u are ladies!

Dear Lord, have mercy upon me and forgive me all my sins. Help me O' Lord, let there be a dramatic change of status for me this month in Jesus Name. Lord turnaround the economy situation of our country Nigeria in Jesus Name. Lord grant our leaders the required wisdom to lead this country aright in Jesus Wondeful Name. There shall be no war in our country, an end to militants activities in the Niger Delta region and no to every forms of political unrest in Nigeria in Jesus Name, Thank you Father for answering our prayers.

BELIEVE WHAT U ARE ABOUT TO SEE, HAPPY VIEWING AS U CLICK THE LINK BELOW

http://www.ni60.com/ClipDetail.cfm?clip_id=15

Believe what you are about to see in everywhere. Please download and happy viewing:

Thank U for the info. Thank u and God bless u

A little political humor on Yar'adua's Speech

Sank you, sank you, my pellow Naijurians por ze goodwill messages.

I want to sank you por not boting por me as fresident of ze Pederal
Refublic of Naijuria. But I received ze most imfortant botes prom
Fresident Obasanjo and INEC. Zis is why I have now been declared ze
winner of ze elections and ze fresident-elect of ze Pederal Refublic of
Naijuria. Nagode to Obasanjo and nagode to INEC, for zia beri beri
imfortant suffort.

Ze pirst task of my new gwament is to fray por feace and stability in
Naijuria. I will now ask all ze depeated fresidential candidates to join
me in a gwament of national unity. So I will bring back my priends like
Atiku, General Babangida and Buhari into my new gwament.

I sink Atiku will be good as ze new head of ze EFCC. Fresident Obasanjo
should not worry about my gwament frobing him, gaskiya, at least until
apter May 29. Babangida will be ze new minister por pinance, and Buhari
will be in charge of ze ministry of War Against Indiscifline.

My fipul, ze task bepore us is a great one, walahi talahi. I don't know
where to start, but I want to ashuwa you zat I will act in consultation
with all ze emirs and imams.

I am now going to Germany por treatment por exhaustion prom making zis
sfeech. I shall be back por ze swearing in ceremony, inshallah.

One Nigeria , one Fee-Di-Fee, Fower to ze fipul.

Umaru Yar'Adua

we go do DNA test for OBJ!

Who is next?
a. OBJ
b. El-Rufai
c. Maurice Iwu
d. Ribadu

YORUBA leaders have accused President Umar Musa Yar’Adua of trying to re-entrench the Hausa-Fulani hegemony in the country with his recent political appointments into key federal positions.


They said the appointments were skewed, highly flawed and ran contrary to the principles of federal character as provided for in the constitution.


At the 14th anniversary of June 12 election held in Lagos, on Tuesday, Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi, who addressed a press conference, said President Yar’Adua had taken some steps that spelt danger for the Yoruba and Southerners in particular, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria in general.


He said the leadership of the three arms of government at the federal level was in the hands of the North.


“Yar’Adua has appointed a Northerner as Chief of Staff to the president; the Head of Service from the North; the Executive Secretary of the of the Federation Capital Development Authority from the North and the National Security Adviser from the North.


“He has also selected from the North the Secretary to the Federal Government.


“The ruling party’s chairman and the president himself are already from the North.


“The position of the Senate President has been zoned to the North and the Chief Justice of the Federation is a Northerner,” he said.


All these appointments, he said, took place within one week of Yar’Adua’s tenure.


He said despite the inadequacies of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, his tenure maintained the federal balance.


“The executive was headed by the West, the legislature by the East and the judiciary by the North,” according to him.


Bishop Gbonigi said there were speculations that the North would produce the substantive Inspector General of Police.


The Yoruba leaders, according to Gbonigi, were not clamouring for positions, but the protest against the appointments arose from genuine belief that the present arrangement was flawed and could lead to the disintegration of the country.

Thank u for d info! Keep it up

From number three to what? 7/6/2007


The 1999 plot

THIRTY-three years after the assassination of General Johnson Thomas Umunakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi, the first Igbo to assume the leadership of Nigeria (Abia State), the stage was set for the return of the Igbo to the centre.

It was in 1999. The previous year, after the death of General Sani Abacha, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was formed. Among those at the helm of leadership was Second Republic Vice President Dr. Alex Ekwueme.

In the build-up to the party’s presidential primaries, he was also a leading aspirant.

Then, things changed dramatically. Some Northern power brokers and strategists decided that a Yorubaman must succeed General Abdulsalami Abubakar.

They justified their action on the fact that since Chief M.K.O. Abiola, a Yorubaman, died in the cause of actualising his June 12, 1993 presidential election, a fellow Yorubaman should be supported to occupy Aso Rock Presidential Villa.

But, this was a plot within a plot. The real reason is that since after the 30-month civil war (July 6, 1967-January 15, 1970), there has been an apparent mindset by the Hausa of excluding the Igbo from Nigerian leadership.

The February 1999 PDP convention was fierce. General Olusegun Obasanjo was eventually given the ticket. And he won the February 27 presidential election.


Zoning of offices

It was obvious that the Igbo had been wronged. Politically, they were shortchanged, so to say. Since the South-West produced the President and the North-East the Vice President, the kingmakers decided that the Igbo from South-East must produce the number three citizen – Senate President.


2003 contest

Ekwueme also showed interest in the 2003 presidential election but it was obvious that he had lost steam simply because the incumbent Obasanjo was interested in second term. The January 4-6, 2003 PDP convention was a fait accompli for Obasanjo.

The Igbo once again lost out in the power calculation but still retained the number three position.


All-round tripping

It is interesting to note that the presidency and vice presidency stayed in Ogun (South West) and Adamawa (North East) from 1999 to 2007.

The first Speaker Salisu Buhari from Kano was booted out after two months in office over a certificate scam. Ghali Umar Na’abba, also from Kano succeeded him and was in office till 2003. Alhaji Aminu Masari from Katsina also stayed in office from 2003 to 2007.

But it is a different ball game in the upper chamber.

The Senate presidency seat rotated among the five states in the South-East within eight years – Evan Enwerem (Imo), Chuba Okadigbo (Anambra), Anyim Pius Anyim (Ebonyi), Adolphus Wabara (Abia) and Ken Nnamani (Enugu).


A new order

In the build up to the April 21, 2007 presidential election, the Igbo again rose to the occasion.

At least, four former governors – Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Achike Udenwa (Imo) and Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu) campaigned vigorously for the number one position.

Some of them even struggled to be nominated as the running mate to the PDP candidate Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

To get the Igbo votes, the two leading opposition parties picked their running mates from the zone.

Senator Ben Obi from Anambra State was the running mate of the Action Congress (AC) presidential candidate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, the national chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) who hails from Anambra State was the running mate to Major General Muhammadu Buhari.

In 2003, Buhari also picked Okadigbo as running mate.

They could not have their way.

Now, after Tuesday’s inauguration of the National Assembly, the Igbo are nowhere being near the first four positions in the country .This is the new calculation: North-West – President; South-South – Vice President; North-Central – Senate President and South-West – Speaker.

In the present scenario compared to the 1999-2007 zoning structure, North-West has moved from the number four to the first position.

The South-West is now occupying the fourth position.

The South-South and North Central which hitherto were not in the picture have moved to numbers two and three positions.

So, where is the South-East? From number three to what?

Even the North-East which is not among the first four has produced Baba Gana Kingibe, an indigene of Borno State as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

In the first week of the Yar’Adua presidency, no Igbo man was appointed to any top position.

Deputy Inspector General Ogbonnaya Onovo was appointed to step into the shoes of former Inspector General of Police Sunday Ehindero as the most senior police officer.

Forty-eight hours later, he was replaced with DIG Mike Okiro, an indigene of Rivers State from South-South.

Lagos lawyer and activist Chief Gani Fawehinmi took up the fight of the Igbo on Tuesday when he condemned the shoddy treatment meted out to Onovo.

He wondered why the headship of the force, once again, eluded the Igbo, "despite their sterling credentials."

"If Onovo was qualified to be a Deputy Inspector General of Police, why should he not be qualified to be an Inspector General of Police? I demand an explanation from the Yar’Adua administration."

He said: "The development was a distrust of the Igbo, as a psychological after-effect of the civil war in which the rest of the federation engaged the secessionist Igbo in the eastern part of the country for three years of bloody conflict.

He warned that the trend, unless checked, constituted a threat to the unity of the country.

Many Nigerians are quick to say that the PDP has not been fair to the Igbo. But are the Igbo fair to themselves?

In 1998, the Yoruba were united in their determination to produce General Abubakar’s successor.

In fact, it was a field day for the politically-conscious inhabitants of the South-West geo-political zone as the only two candidates – Obasanjo and Chief Olu Falae are Yoruba.

But are the Igbo united in their quest for the number one position?

During the 2007 presidential race, Kalu was a lone voice.

Even the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation Ohaneze was divided.

There was no central command like the Afenifere of 1998/99.

It is believed that individual interest and ambition is the albatross of the Igbo quest for the presidency.

For the next four years, they are nowhere near the first four positions. And this may last for eight years.

But now, there is a ‘future’ problem. Yar’Adua has the constitutional right to contest for a second term.

If the courts do not upturn his victory, it is believed he may be in office till 2015.

The political history of Goodluck Jonathan is a public knowledge.

As deputy governor to Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, he was loyal to a fault. And "goodluck" follows him.

When he became the governor and he got the party ticket for re-election, he was suddenly given the vice presidential slot.

Today, he is the vice president. Given his nature, he is expected to be loyal to Yar’Adua and protect the interest of the Northern elite.

In 2015, the presidency will come to the South.

And naturally, he would vie for the post.

If he wins, since age is on his side, he may remain in office for another eight years.

After his tenure, the presidency will return to the North.

So, when is the turn of the Igbo?

Dear Orode,
I have applied, thnx for the info. God bless u

Happy Birthday - God bless u

Congratulations! It shall be permanent.

Who is going to be the next senate president, send in your nominees, as for me I nominate:
1. Senator Iyiola Omisore (Osun) - PDP
2. Alh. Isiaka Adeleke (Osun) - PDP
3. Alh. Kamorudeen Adedibu (Oyo) - PDP
4. Chief Kola Bajomo (Ogun) - PDP
5. Dr.(Mrs) Iyabo Obasanjo Bello (IOB) - PDP

Tinubu is an achieve while OBJ is super failure and a disgrace to Nigeria democracy and Nigerian as a whole

Congratulationss

Thank u for d info. God bless u

Profile

ATIKU ABUBAKAR (Turakin Adamawa), GCON, Vice-President, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Born in Jada, a town in present day Adamawa state, in North Eastern part of Nigeria, on November 25, 1946. He became an orphan at the age of eight and through perseverance and hard work overcame the poverty and nonchalant attitude of his relatives to acquire education. Atiku enrolled into the Jada Primary School from 1954 to 1960. He later proceeded to Adamawa Provincial Secondary School, Yola, from 1961 to 1965. He studied Economics, British Economic History, Government and Hausa Language at the Yola Middle School before proceeding to the Kano School of Hygiene, where he acquired a Diploma of the Royal Society of Health. He moved to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1967, to study for a Diploma in Law.
It was in the last two schools that he had his first taste of politics, when he took part in the radical student union politics of the 1960’s, serving as President Emeritus of the Student's Union of the School of Hygiene, Kano, and later as the Assistant Secretary General of the Ahmadu Bello University Students Union, as well as Deputy Speaker of the Students’ parliament.

In 1969, Atiku Abubakar enlisted into the Nigerian Customs and Excise service, where he served for 20 years, retiring in 1989 at the rank of Deputy Director. In retirement, Atiku Abubakar went into private business, developing investments in oil services, insurance, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and the print media. He was chairman of seven companies before his election as Vice-President.

His political career proper began in the late 1980s at the advent of the Fourth Republic, when retired General Shehu Musa Yar'adua launched a novel political association, People's Front of Nigeria (PFN). Shehu had retired as Deputy Head of State and Chief of Staff Supreme Headquaters in 1979, when he and Olusegun Obasanjo handed over power to civilians.

The thought, planning and solid programmes packaged with the movement easily made it the most formidable machine in Nigeria. Alas, General Ibrahim Babangida's cabal of military officers drawn from both north and south wanted to "rule Nigeria" forever. Their contrived transition to civil rule program refused to register genuine political parties. Rather, the military government "created" two parties for Nigeria: left-of-centre Social democratic Party (SDP) and right-of-centre National Republican Convention (NRC). Atiku was party to the decision to "re-locate" the PFN into the SDP, ensuring their total control of the party, in the belief that the soldiers were sincere in their promise to handover power.

After scouring and touring every part of the federation, Atiku was there to see the emergence of Shehu Yar'adua as the SDP presidential candidate. However, General Babangida, ostensibly bowing to pressure from short-sighted civilian and military power-hungry leaders cancelled the primaries and disqualified the two candidates. The NRC candidate was Adamu Chiroma, the incumbent Minister of finance in Atiku’s government.

Undaunted, Shehu Yar'adua and his colleagues, determined to ease the military out of power, took all in their stride. In a re-run of the primaries, Abubakar Atiku as a candidate of Yar'adua narrowly missed being nominated the running mate of Chief M K O Abiola, who came to be backed by the PFN caucus. With the cancellation of Abiola's incipient victory at the polls in 1992, Atiku with his mentor continued the struggle to save Nigeria from the power greed of soldiers. Defence minister, General Sani Abacha, later overthrew the resultant Interim National Government (ING). Abacha waged a relentless campaign against Nigerians and their leaders, resulting in the false imprisonment and jailing of Shehu Yar'adua and Olusegun Obasanjo. Again, Abacha's transition program refused to register the Lawal Kaita/Atiku led People's Democratic Movement (PDM). Instead the military sponsored surrogates to set up five "acceptable" parties. All five endorsed Abacha as sole presidential candidate. Yar'adua died under inhumane prison conditions while Atiku was forced to go underground as agents of the junta hunted him from state to state.

Atiku, even while hiding, was part of the G18 pressure group, which later became G34 movement that spearheaded opposition to General Abacha's self-succession bid. The death of Abacha in 1988 brought to power the reformist General Abubakar Abdulsalami, who vowed to handover power 29 May, 1999. Thus in the course of amalgamating different political groupings into political parties, Abubakar Atiku led the old PFN into what later metamorphosed as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His group also drafted in Obasanjo and gave him the machinery at the grassroots not only to win the party primaries but the presidential elections as well. Atiku himself made a second attempt to become the governor of Adamawa state and this time, as a PDP candidate, he was elected.

It is came as a surprise to Atiku shortly after that, when Obasanjo sent for him, following his emergence as the PDP flagbearer, in the heat of lobbying by many candidates for the vice-presidential slot.
"Turaki, are you prepared to take orders from me?" he asked Atiku, calling him by the traditional title in his native Adamawa state.
"Ah, I have always taken instructions from you, sir" Atiku replied, "because you are a general."
"Okay you are my vice-president", Obasanjo told the stunned Atiku, "go and break the news to the party leaders!"

wemo:
just got job with chevron

Congratulationsssssssss

ogwudeuku, Congratulationsssssssssssss! I thank God on ur behalf

Folichu, congratulationssssssssssssss. It shall be permanent in Jesus Name