The presidential media team of PDP are voicing out in discontent after being owed several months wages and falsely accused of theft in a bid to dispose of them without pay by their boss, Mr Taiye Garrick.
Follow the links on Twitter for more updates:

https://twitter.com/omoosaomo/status/1133347630489243649?s=19

https://twitter.com/belindababba/status/1133405592813543424?s=19

https://twitter.com/omoosaomo/status/1133407441339736066

The Nigerian Army Division 6 has taken over the Port Harcourt Collation Center in a bid to alter and manipulate results coming from Rivers State just the way they did during the presidential elections. This APC's style of rigging election has to stop otherwise, we may loose our democratic gains. UK in Nigeria U.S. Embassy Nigeria.

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Details of your location please

madridguy:
The 3 card readers at my polling unit are not working.

God help this nation

We have been ridiculed by this government and it's really pathetic that many are still in support of this tyrant.

No reasonable Nigerian will

The pace at which society is able to make meaningful progress is critically dependent on the quality and commitment of its leadership. For the better part of Nigeria’s history, poor, selfish, nepotistic, ethnocentric and religious freaks have ineffectively led her to disrepute and to have weak institutions. To remedy the situation will require more than a passing glance at the root causes of this catastrophic state of affairs. It will take a bold confrontation of the situation with genuine solutions by an impartial, sincere and focused leadership.

The humongous bloodletting and general insecurity that have left many, faint hearted, including the abject poverty that has made our people destitute cannot be left to fester while a few individuals constitute themselves into a rogue cabal, tele-guiding an absent-minded and often absentee president.

The Atiku personality is a realistic, purpose-driven, goal-oriented, cosmopolitan and enthusiastic nation-building disposition, highly committed to addressing the fault lines in our quest for unity and audacious dealing with issues of restructuring, rule of law, empowerment, social justice and economic sustainability of all Nigerians.

The Obi factor is a warm embrace to proven integrity, track record and selfless service premised on good conscience, open mindedness, prudence and outstanding management of processes with due diligence and uncommon determination. Throughout his public engagements, he has demonstrated capacity to get the job done and pursued uncharted courses with remarkable positive outcomes.

Notwithstanding the scheming or seeming conspiracy of regions to align solely and essentially for power grab, here comes another in the replica of Shehu Shagari and Alex Ekwueme, to make further amelioration to the scars of the bitter civil war.

Both these candidates have successfully run private enterprises to enviable heights and, without a doubt, are imbued with the clinical passion to make a positive difference. They are dogged performers who recruit suitable hands devoid of ethno-religious sentiments.

Most of the milestones recorded in the political evolution of Nigeria since the former president Babangida transition programme have had Atiku’s input and sacrifice. This includes the support and consolidation of the M.K.O. Abiola candidacy alongside several democratic undertakings like seeking judicial reliefs over stormy circumstances with Obasanjo, as well as presidential aspirations under different parties since 2003. The leading lights of the PDP government as at 1999 were brought on board by Atiku, just as he also headed the national council on privatisation.

Obi on his part was the first to reclaim his mandate through the courts and overcame all the turbulent trappings set before him honourably. He bequeathed a robust economy to Anambra state, undertook massive infrastructural development and achieved comprehensive, if not unparalleled, educational feats.

Unlike the ‘promise and fail’ leadership that we have experienced, especially most recently, this duo are not known for rhetoric or careless talk, they say what they mean and mean what they say. Their enthusiasm about Nigeria is never in doubt, as they are both broad minded, tolerant, deliberate and quite sincere.

Given the current travails we face under this dispensation of propaganda, false claims on scarce achievements, terrible lies, suppression of the media, selective corruption fight, vote buying, impunity and militarisation of our democratic space, there is emergency on our hands. This credible pair is most suitable to rescue our beloved nation and set it aright on the path of peace, progress, equity and positive exploitation. By the way, they have verifiable certificates and are not shy about declaring their assets; even so they are available for citizen engagement and interaction. They are committed to rebuilding trust, transparency, accountability and social welfare.

A modern, self-sufficient Nigeria is possible; it only depends on who will drive it. I give you Atiku and Obi, please join the campaign and vote right. Let’s get Nigeria working again.

By Martins Lomba
Source : https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/02/09/atiku-obi-presidency-an-idea-whose-time-has-come/

.......says Nigerians have spoken through ethnic leaders.



The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus has admonished the nation's security agencies to safeguard the unity of this country by being neutral in all their operation in this general elections.



Prince Secondus said that the PDP has credible intelligence that some security operatives are being hired by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to connive with some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to manipulate the election in their favour.



Addressing huge crowd of party supporters at the International Trade fair complex in Gusau, Zamfara state on Monday as the Presidential Campaign arrived the state, Prince Secondus said that there is still some good patriotic operatives who do their job professionally..



According to a statement from the National Chairman's media office signed by Ike Abonyi, Prince Secondus advised the security operatives to be guided by the constitution of the country as any bias roles from them in this election is capable of plunging this country into major crisis.



The National Chairman said that the endorsement of the PDP Presidential candidate by all the apex ethnic bodies of the North, the East, the West, the South and the middle belt shows clearly where Nigeria is headed to in this election.



"By that endorsement which APC is refusing to accept as coming from the people, Nigerians of all divides have spoken that the APC administration can no longer continue.



Prince Secondus assured Nigerians that the candidate the party is presenting, Atiku Abuabkar will not fail the nation as he has been tested and tried and found to be well equipped for the challenges of the country.



He said that PDP presidency will restore all the collapsed industries in the state with a view to giving jobs to the people and ensuring adequate security.



The Presidential candidate told the jubilant crowd that he would give them the airport they requested but noted that what they need most is living under peace and security which his presidency will address seriously.



He also assured them that he would rebuild malori dam and reactivate industrial and agricultural activities in the state.



The former Governor of Kano state and the deputy Director General of the campaign, Dr Rabiu Kwakwaso, former governors of Niger, Babangida Aliyu, of Kogi Capt Idris Wada were among top northern leaders who addressed the mammoth crowd.



The former National Security Adviser NSA, General Mohammad Alyiu Gusau was also at the rally.



The National Chairman gave the victory flag of the party to the party's governorship flag bearer in the state Dr Bello Mohammad.

The Presidential campaign train which moves to the North East on Tuesday was also at the palace of the Emir of Gusau for courtesy call.



Signed

Ike Abonyi

A piece of paper is taped to the table: one sentence typed on it for President Buhari to read out, another sentence typed to remind him of what to do thereafter.
Is this normal or is something wrong?

Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin

The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, insists there is a plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress to rig the forthcoming general elections by importing foreigners into the country to vote in the February 16 elections.

‎He made the allegation at the PDP presidential campaign rally held in Benin.

Atiku advised the party faithful to be vigilant and watchful and not to allow anybody to force them to leave their polling unit after voting but to stay-put and allow the result to be declared before leaving.

“When you vote, like I said, it is about your future, where you vote, stay there, tell them that, that result must be announced and if you go, they will cheat you, they will rig the election.

“You see how they are bringing people from Niger and Chad. They will come in your own country to turn you to slaves, do not agree. Now after that, you can go and make sure they do not rig you out,” he said.

The PDP presidential candidate who arrived at the rally ground at 5 pm, said Nigerians should not forget in a hurry how PDP rescued the country from poverty and debts that the ruling APC has returned the country into.

“They have already destroyed this country. This is the first time we are having 21 million people out of jobs. Never in this country – most of you people are out of jobs – it is the APC that has caused this problem for us. So, join me now to send them home.

“We are not like APC; you know what PDP has done for this country. The price of crude was $11 yet we saved to pay all our foreign debts. We saw prosperity, we saw GSM revolution. We want to continue with this prosperity. So, we appeal to you to vote PDP,” Abubakar said.

He, however, promised to create jobs for the unemployed in the country.

“I have always told Nigerians that I am the bridge between my generation and your own generation.

“There is something I can see here; virtually 90 percent are young men and young women and that is why I said my government is going to be made up of 70 percent young men and women because if you look at the number of people who have registered between the young men and women, they constitute about 70 percent and what does it mean? It means that we have to prepare you to take over the reign of government of this country; we have to prepare you so that you can have a meaningful career. Whatever you want to do, so that you can succeed,” he said.

In his speech, the National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, appealed to INEC not to use the IDPs to rig the forthcoming general elections.

“Today, we are convinced without doubt that the people of Edo State have come out here in their numbers and by your own mandate; come February16, you will come out to vote Atiku .

“Atiku is coming to rescue Nigeria from poverty, from hunger, from mass stealing, to create jobs; he is very energetic with his wealth of experience he will bring to bear and Nigeria will be better again but we warn INEC not to use IDPs to rig the elections,” he said.

Source : https://www.sunnewsonline.com/atiku-to-apc-you-want-to-use-foreigners-to-rig-elections/

More images.

Atiku visits Abia today as he is conferred with a title.
More details shortly.

The APC Presidential Campaign Council said on Thursday that the PDP Presidential, Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Peter Obi were engaged in what it described as bare face lies and dishonest claims when they appeared on a national television programme, “The Candidate” on Wednesday night.

Spokesman of the Campaign, Barrister Festus Keyamo said in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja that simple fact checks revealed that several claims by the PDP candidate and his running mate were nothing but a tissue of lies.

Keyamo said Nigerians should take note of “Alhaji Atiku Abubakar defined Corruption as “the use of your privileged position to either enrich yourself or enrich your relatives or even your friends”, adding that “when this is juxtaposed with his earlier statement in Lagos, that he will enrich his friends if he becomes President, we can safely conclude that he will be fully in the business of corruption if he becomes President.

“Atiku/Obi made it clear to Nigerians that conflict of interests as a public servant should be the norm as, during their tenures, they found absolutely nothing wrong then and today, with investing public funds in enterprises they own or their families own. For instance, Kadaria ran Peter Obi into a ditch when she asked him if his family was not enriched as a result of using public funds for his family business ‘NEXT’.

“Their claim on experience in running anything public or private cannot stand any act of scrutiny. The Presidential candidate, who is easily a major contributor to our huge unemployment problem today as a result of his corrupt privatisation programme, counts this failure as a huge experience and wants to repeat same if elected.

“Their proposed Agriculture Programme which they claim to have put together to lift majority of the people out of poverty is a version of what is already being implemented by the present government under the Anchors Borrowers Programme and the Government Enterprises and Empowerment Programmes.

“After watching Atiku/Obi on that programme, it has become clear to all Nigerians that our public institutions and commonwealth would be in grave danger if left in the hands of these dodgy and questionable characters who have no morals and no scruples about using and misusing public funds for private gains.”

Keyamo listed some of the lies he claimed were told by the PDP candidate and his running mate to include:

*Lie Number 1: Alhaji Atiku Abubakar claimed that at handover in May 2019, our GDP growth rate was 6%. Fact Checked Truth: It is a well-documented fact that at handover, the GDP growth rate was 2.35%. The economy was on a free fall as the GDP growth rate had dropped for three consecutive quarters.

*Lie Number 2: Alhaji Atiku Abubakar claims recession was caused by the APC Government. Fact Checked Truth: With a consistent and rapid drop of our GDP, their Coordinating Minister of the Economy at that time, Okonjo Iweala, former Central Bank Governor Prof. Charles Soludo and the Central Bank Governor at the time, now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, warned the PDP Government and Nigerians that we were headed for a recession.

*Lie Number 3: Alhaji Atiku Abubakar claimed that security challenges were restricted to the North East during their time. Truth: Nigerians will recall that the Boko Haram activities had spread all over the North East, North West and North Central. For instance, UN Headquarters, Police Headquarters, a Bus stop in Nyanya, a prominent Plaza in Wuse II were all bombed during the era of the last government in Abuja. A church or Mosque was bombed every week in 2013/2014. The herders-farmers’ clashes were the deadliest in 2014, claiming over 1,300 lives in a short period across the North. Boko Haram occupied over 17 Local Government Areas and hoisted their flags, effectively establishing a caliphate in the North East. All these happened before the coming of this administration.

*Lie Number 4: Peter Obi claimed that out-of-school children grew to 13.5 million under this administration. Truth: The figure of 13.2 million out-of-school children was a 2015 survey by UNICEF. An alarm was raised by several global bodies then because the figure had grown from 10.5 million in 2010 to 13.2 million in 2015, despite record earnings of the Government at that time. In other words, Peter Obi’s claim is self-indicting.

*Lie Number 5: That Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as a Customs officer, said there was nothing wrong at that time with setting up a company that had dealings in the Ports that were under customs supervision.
Truth: The Code of Conduct for Public Officers was first enshrined in the 1979 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Atiku Abubakar co-founded the company, as a serving customs officer, three years after the 1979 constitution came into operation. According to Section 1 of the 5th Schedule to the 1979 Constitution, a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities. By establishing a company involved in Port-related business at a time when he was an officer in the Nigeria Customs Service charge with managing the Ports, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar definitely put himself in a position where his personal (business) interest conflicted with his duties as a public officer.

*Lie Number 6: Peter Obi claims Nigeria has record poverty now. Truth: Despite high oil revenue, according to the World Bank, extreme poverty under PDP grew to 112 million in 2013 through 2014, compared to 86 million today. India pulled their citizens out of poverty for over two decades by using the same methods Nigeria is now using today.

He said further that “In summary one would have thought that in the course of the programme, ‘The Candidates’, Atiku/Obi would have modified the lies they told earlier in their campaigns and make it consistent with reality as most of them were already fact-checked by independent bodies and proven to be lies. Alas, they have continued on the same path, believing that ‘If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed”.

Reports going around suggests that the APC is sharing about $70,000 among the senators and $40,000 each for Reps.
It's really pathetic that this nation has been driven into the shallows by this illiterate tyrant of Buhari.
Nigerians must rise up and fight all this tyranny and impunity with their votes.

....Commends US. UK for standing for democracy.

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus has commended the United States and the United Kingdom for standing up for democracy through their strong cautionary statement that would encourage and enhance free and fair election in Nigeria.

Prince Secondus said that the position of the two nations is a huge boost for the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria given the rigging body language being displayed by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the general election.

But the National Chairman in a statement from his media office signed by Ike Abonyi, said they should go further in their threat and order sanctions against this government because the rigging has already started with the brazen attempt to force out the Chief Justice of Nigeria CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen and install a 'friendly and amenable' person that would help them manipulate the electoral process.

Prince Secondus said that the illegal action of the government under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney General of the federation Mallam Abubakar Malami SAN, to intimidate, harass and throw away Justice Onnoghen is a foundation for election rigging.

"Because of their plot to manipulate the electoral process and being unable to face the legal consequences of such action from an independent judiciary, they have gone ahead brazenly to malign and discredit the Judiciary.

The National Chairman said that the global democratic watchers like the US and the U.K. should take a copious interest in a government that goes out to destroy other arms of government on their way to destroying all ingredients of democracy.

Prince Secondus recall the 2016 breaking in of the homes of Judges and Justice at the dead of the night and the August 8, 2018 attempt to hijack the legislature by using security operatives to block the gates of the National Assembly and says that all are signs to cage democratic process in the country.

The National Chairman said that the contributions of these two nations to the development of the democracy in our land is enormous and they should not just stay and watch it being destroyed by a government that is not disposed to democratic norms.

"The signs are apparent of the anti-Democratic posture of this government, none observance of the rule of law, disregard to court orders and the limiting of free speeches and arbitrary use of security agents to concoct and frame up perceived enemies.

Prince Secondus said that election rigging is not limited to Election Day activities only pointing out that the APC has already set the machinery in motion with all efforts to weaken and intimidate critical players.

The National Chairman said that in the coming days ahead of the election, special attention should be paid to the activities of some APC stakeholders in Abuja, Lagos, and Kaduna including two serving Ministers who are part of the nefarious APC rigging machine.



Signed

Ike Abonyi

SA media

......As PDP Presidential campaign train arrive Kaduna.

The Presidential Campaign train of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, arrived Kaduna on Thursday to tumultuous reception as thousands of jubilant supporters thronged Ahmadu Bello Staduim for a presidential rally.

Security, jobs and the issue of hunger dominated discussion as the crowd cheered and screamed for an end to the regime of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and President Muhammadu Buhari.

The National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus listed reasons why the good people of Kaduna state must not vote for any other party outside the PDP in all elections.

The PDP has a track record of good governance and delivery of democracy dividends, it has an experienced candidate in the person of the former Vice President who has been tested in both public and private sector.

He said that Buhari Presidency has lowered the esteem of the nation with his embarrassing outings recently and assured the people that Atiku will restore Nigeria and return its status in the comity of nations.

"Atiku will deliver on his promises unlike President Buhari who has not been able to keep any of his promises because he is not in charge, he sleeps while cabals destroy the country.

The National Chairman assured the people of Kaduna state that Atiku Presidency at the federal and Ashiru governorship in the state will restore peace and good neighborliness in the state.

The Presidential Candidate Atiku in his own remarks assured the people that his Presidency would provide adequate security that will restore the glory of Kaduna state.

Atiku said that APC failed to provide any of their promises to the people because they lack the competence.

He charged the people to not only vote PDP in all the elections but be ready to defend their votes and stop APC from stealing them.

The Director General of the campaign and the Senate President Bukola Saraki told the mammoth crowd of supporters that APC should rejected at the poll because they have failed to provide the much needed peace in Kaduna and the country.

The former Vice President Namadi Sambo who is from the state also addressed the crowd and assured them that a vote for PDP is vote for peace in the state and the country.

Critical stakeholders of the party in the North, former National Chairman Dr Haliru Bello, former Governors of Kaduna and Niger states, Ahmad Makarfi and Dr Babangida Aliyu respectively all graced the highly successful rally.

The PDP Presidential campaign train leaves Kaduna on friday after a national conference on security to the North Central state of Benue on Saturday.



Signed

Ike Abonyi

SA Media to the National Chairman.

Images from Kaduna PDP rally

More images

Several supporters gathered awaiting Atiku's arrival at the PDP Legacy office, Maitama, Abuja.

As the organisers get set for the epoch presidential debate today, Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof Itse Sagay, has given reasons why President Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate will not participate in the debate.

Speaking with VINCENT KALU, the erudite Law Professor, said, the president is far ahead of all other candidates, he described as ‘political dwarfs’, and as such, appearing with them in a debate is just to give relevance to people who have no hope. Sagay’s position on the debate was confirmed from multiple sources in the presidency, who told Saturday Sun that President Buhari won’t participate in today’s debate because he had attended one on Wednesday along with his deputy, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, tagged ‘The Candidates’ anchored by Kadaria Ahmed and wouldn’t want to give his opponents the platform to embarrass him.

In this interview, Sagay also said that Aisha Buhari enjoys his sympathy in her fight to cut down the influence of the cabal in the presidency.

Barely four weeks to the election, how do you see the atmosphere?

I welcome the calmness; four years ago, the frenzy was all over the place, over heating the polity. There was too much activity. I remember few days to the election that Jonathan was all over the West carrying money from one person to the other.

There were all sorts of things; of course before the election, there was attempt to disqualify Buhari before he could even start campaigning.

Luckily, we don’t have that now; there is quietness as people are campaigning with their posters, and going from home to home.

We have campaign rallies, not as we had before. I welcome it because it introduces some calmness in society. That is one aspect, but the other aspect, which has retained rather unfortunately is diversionary things instead of going to the issues, like when former Chief of Defence Staff, Badeh was killed, the opposition queried President Buhari’s absence at his funeral. Some thing was decided recently and the PDP decided to go to the European Union. I think we are too matured now for this type of thing; why should the European Union be our arbiter. There are still some evidence of childishness and immaturity particularly coming from the PDP, which should not be, otherwise, I prefer the present atmosphere, it is cooler, and it is calmer.

What could be the reason for this?

I suspect the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Economic and Financial and Crimes Commission (EFCC) have restricted the availability of money, very seriously on this occasion. You can’t bring in money; you can’t withdraw money unless you explain precisely what you need it for.

So, there is money restriction. The Bureau de change has also been warned about changing money for people. So, people are being careful as nobody wants to be arrested and charged for breaching financial regulations.

That constraint has limited the capacity of our people to be boisterous, noisy and behave in a way that can create anarchy and upheaval.

Boko Haram is waxing stronger, then there is the banditry going on in Zamfara; the other day, Katsina governor cried out that the bandits were in his state and El- Rufai also raised the alarm that it is spilling over to Kaduna. Don’t you think that this may imperil the general elections?

It may have a limited effect, but not serious, because elections took place in 2015 when Boko Haram was holding sway. I think there is a way the INEC wanted to manage it.

In this country, we suspect each other so much; they wanted to have some special centres for the IDPs , but all the other parties said over their dead bodies, so that has to be scraped. We will go on and do the best we can in this situation. Yes, there are limitations, but we can still manage to hold elections.

You mentioned that in 2015, Boko Haram was all over the places in Borno State, it hoisted its flags, but elections were held. Who then did the voting, who were the brave INEC officials to go to those council areas to conduct elections, and the PDP said the figures that came out from those places for Buhari were mindboggling?

No, it wasn’t mindboggling. I can still remember, but I can’t give the exact figure. I downloaded it and I kept it somewhere. It was relatively small, well below a million. It was relatively small given the size of Borno. It was low; the security situation affected it.

Lets come back to the campaigns, are you satisfied with the way the campaigns are going?

On the part of the opposition, particularly the PDP, there is not enough concentration on issues. When you want to attack, attack on issues so that the other person has to respond by defending himself.

If you make accusation of, ‘oh, he is going to rig’ that has been said over 20 times; every day, ‘oh, they have perfected plans on how to rig.’ I don’t think that helps because there is nothing to discuss; it renders the whole campaign poorer in quality; in terms of ideas and thoughts. We should go on issues; take on the government on issues, force them to defend themselves that is what they should do.

Coming close to this is the issue of presidential debates, which almost all the presidential aspirants are eager to feature, but the feelers we are getting is that Buhari is not going to participate. What is your view on this?

One really has to look at this thing from the point of what favours you. From the little information I have, opinion polls and so, Buhari appears to be far ahead from the other credible party’s candidate, that is, Alhaji Atiku. Buhari is far ahead, and when you have that, you then calculate, if I take part in the debate, I don’t have anything to gain but they may have something to gain, so, I’m not going to give them that advantage. It is a calculation anybody can make. This is not the first time, Goodluck Jonathan did it, Obasanjo did it, and Yar’Adua did it.

If you are far ahead, you may just say what do I stand to gain by going to debate and give them an opportunity of talking to me shoulder to shoulder as if we are equal when I’m far ahead. So, I will not go.

It then means that there are many opinion polls, the two I have seen say that Atiku is far ahead of Buhari?

Well, just for weeks away. At nine months, the secret between a man and a woman will come out; we are going to see it. It can never happen, it is going to be a landslide.

Is the presidential debate not an open cheque to market yourself and tell Nigerians your plans for them?

The president has been telling Nigerians things they need to know, it doesn’t have to be on that debate alone. That is what the campaign is all about, there are releases on televisions, and so many things are going on. I have seen a lot of information, so the debate is not a crucial platform for giving information out. It is more an opportunity to give everybody an attempt to be shoulder to shoulder with each other. The person who is leading doesn’t want to give them that opportunity.

Unfortunately, there is no law that is binding about participating in a debate. It is ideal for everybody to appear for the debate, but if you have nothing to lose by not debating, you may decide not to do so. It is a calculation. We cannot blame any candidate who, like someone who is playing chess, knows that my best move is to ignore the debate and carry on and let them debate among themselves.

Won’t it be interpreted that he doesn’t know what to say?

Obviously, he knows what to say. He is the head of government, even if he is not initiating everything that the government is doing, he is approving them; he is reading, he is signing. That can’t be true.

You know many of these people, particularly the motivational speakers, that is their life; they have nothing else doing. It doesn’t even make sense for somebody who is deeply involved in government about development and improving the lots of his people to say that you are going to compete with people like that. All that they are going to do is to ramble on and on before you know what is happening.

He knows what to say. It is not in his interest to go and debate with those people. Let us be practical and sensible about a situation. You go on areas, which you have your strength and concentrate on that. He has nothing to gain by debate. If he goes to debate, he is just going to help people who have no hope, and I call them, Buhari and the political dwarfs; he is only going to give relevance to the political dwarfs; he is already far ahead of all of them. He doesn’t want to go there and make them taller than they are; so, let them remain like that – political dwarfs. In four weeks time, we will know them.

Some people are expressing the fears that Buhari may not agree to handover if he loses?

There is no problem there at all. Buhari is just there to serve; he is making a great sacrifice, working day and night for the people of this country.

If in our own consideration and we are not happy, and we want to change and we vote for any other persons who wins, Buhari will gladly go. He would do what Jonathan did, congratulate the person and he would quietly go back to Kaduna and Katsina. I assure you about that, there will be no resistance if that happens.

However, I know from the facts I have seen that it is the most unlikely thing; be rest assured, if he loses, he will handover, congratulate the man and happily retire.

The problem may not be with Buhari, but the cabal, which his wife, Aisha has cried out, is hindering the president from working?

Well, the wife has made some statements to the effect of the existence of a cabal. I have been critical of some of these people close to him because they are not progressive enough as the president himself.

Even though Oshiomhole has done so many things that I’m critical of, but he is an enlightened man, and he would say, yes, and congratulate his counterpart in the other party and let them take over.

Of course, think of Vice President Osinbajo, a fine gentleman, a cultured person, he will not allow that.

But these people you are mentioning are not among the cabals?

Yes, they are not part of the cabals; they are very fine people. We are all critical of those people (cabal); they are not progressive people, and they do not belong to the level of enlightenment that Buhari is in, and to the level of enlightenment and progressive thinking that most of us who support him are in.

It is true, one or two of them don’t deserve to be there, and their impact has not been helpful.

I agree with Mrs. Buhari in that regard.

We have the names of the cabals, but of course I can’t say that; we all know the names, they are reoccurring decimal, two, three people being mentioned regularly.

Why is Buhari allowing some people to drag him behind?

It is a difficult question.

Like I said, I agree entirely with the wife of the president in that regard; I just hope that she will prevail in her insistence that the influence of such people be cut down.

Nigerians are crying over the hardship in the land. Why?

The truth is that the government is trying, when they came in there was no money; to even start a government, there was hardly anything, it resorted to borrowing, that is why there is a lot of debts, borrowing to finance budget. Because of the concern they have over the plight of the vulnerable Nigerians, they introduced a lot of projects.

There is this Conditional Transfer Programme, under which poorest families are getting N5, 000 a month all over the country. We have another project for people whose business is very small; they are given between N100, 000 and N500, 000 automatic loans without interest, just pay back, that is all. We have young people who are out of jobs; over 500,000 of them are being paid monthly to learn skills.

The government is really trying, things are difficult, we have to be patient and give time for things to turn around. Over a trillion Naira has been recovered from looters, and the subsidy scam has stopped. These people who pretended that they were supplying fuel were making a lot of money, and stole almost N400 billion Naira a year, whereas they never brought anything into Nigeria, but had all the paper works done. All that has stopped. There is a lot of improvement, I agree with you, but it is going to take time to trickle down to improve the standard of living of everybody, but there is hard work going on.

We have about N1.3 trillion or more in the budget for fuel subsidy; this can build a refinery in 15 months, why are we still talking about subsidy on petrol?

You are theoretically right, in practice, it is not possible for a government in Nigeria to remove fuel subsidy. Our prayer is that Dangote’s refinery and other refineries will come on stream and we will stop importing fuel.

Importation is the reason for the high cost. For a government to say that it is removing subsidy, it can’t survive.

Diesel subsidy has been removed, but no government will remove subsidy of petrol and survive. Subsidy is like social welfare grant from government to the ordinary person in this country.

No government can remove it, we have to bear until those refineries come on board, especially Dangote, then we can stop importing petrol and the price will go down as low as N45, N30 a litre. It will happen, at least in the next one year.

Source : https://www.sunnewsonline.com/why-buhari-wont-debate-with-atiku-others-sagay/

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says with or without a trip to the US, he will dislodge President Muhammadu Buhari, his main rival, in next month’s election.

Atiku said this in a statement issued which Phrank Shaibu, his special assistant on public communication, issued on his behalf on Thursday.

He asked the federal government to bury its head in shame having failed to stop him from travelling to the US.

He said it was shameful that the governing APC took it upon itself to call on the authorities of another country not to grant a private citizen entry visa, which ordinarily should not be its business.

Last year, Lai Mohammed, minister of information, had asked the US not to grant Atiku visa.

But Atiku who arrived in the US on Thursday said the APC was jittery knowing that its government has failed.

He said Buhari’s days as president were numbered, “which explains why members of the ruling party have been running from pillar to post”.

READ Buhari Pledges commitment to agribusiness economy
The former vice-president described as cock and bull story, the allegation that he has a case to answer over the collapse of BankPHB, a merger of Platinum and Habib Banks.

He challenged the federal government to either prove his alleged corrupt activities, or forever remain quiet.

“It is disgusting to continue to spin allegations of corruption against me by people who have failed to come forward with a single shred of evidence of my misconduct while in office,” he said.

“Isn’t it a shame that the ruling party whose National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole only yesterday gave official confirmation to the general belief that , even if Lawrence Anini becomes an APC member today, Buhari will forgive and consecrate him can turn around to accuse me of corruption today?

“They just suddenly woke up to the reality that, their lies about Atiku being corrupt can no longer hold? I challenge the federal government to come up with evidence that I benefited from N156 million slush funds through Claremont Management Services Account on 13th January, 2009 as well as the collapse of Bank PHB as they have alleged.

“It is instructive to note that, the same BankPHB is now Keystone bank Which was said to have been acquired Buhari’s cronies through AMCON last year.”

He said Nigerians had already made up their minds to send Buhari packing on February 16, 2019 and there is nothing the ruling party can do about it.

“Tell them that their days of deceit are numbered. Nigerians are tired of them and they can no longer lie or take the people for a ride anymore,” the statement said.

Atiku said it was a mark of the idleness of the folks in charge of the APC that they resorted to lobby the US to deny him visa, when they should be busy strategizing on how to save their party from an imminent defeat.

“There is no need to worry, as we shall unveil on Sunday, January 20, 2019 “Buhari’s Hall Of Shame”. It’s a scorecard of failure, incompetence, nepotism and a President’s proclivity to harbouring indicted and other famed thieves of our patrimony. Date and venue shall be made public in due course.

”Never in the history of Nigeria have the people being subjected to the kind of unemployment level that the country is now witnessing under the All Progressives Congress (APC). It is indeed a double tragedy that a government that cannot even provide for the people is also unable to ensure their security. Having failed woefully, it is time for the Buhari led administration and APC governments at all levels to be kicked out through the forthcoming general elections.”



Source : https://www.thebreakingtimes.com/ill-floor-buhari-with-or-without-us-trip-atiku/