₦airaland Forum

I will try again
By Abdulrazaq O Hamzat
People ordinarily wouldn’t vote for any unknown third party. This is the same all over the world. Voting for an unknown third party will be extremely hard, especially a third party, whose campaign they are not seeing on TV and Radio almost all the time.

But you can still break the jinx, says Bernie Sanders, a strong U.S presidential candidate in the 2016 general election.

Before venturing into politics, many thought it was impossible for a third party candidate to win election in U.S. To a lot of people, only Democrats and Republican are destined to win, but Bernie disagreed. He believes that, if Democrats and Republican can do it, others can do it too.

In 1971, Bernie Sanders contested for U.S Senate election as an independent candidate and lost. He didn’t only lose that election; he got just 2% of the total vote cast. But he said to himself, this isn’t bad. I will try again.

In 1972, he ran for Governor. This time, he didn’t only lose; his votes went down to 1% of the total vote cast. He said to himself once again, this isn’t bad, I will try again.

In 1973, he ran again for Senate and lost. This time, he got 4% of the total vote cast. In 1975, he ran again for governor and still lost. This time, he got 6% of the total vote cast.

In 4 years, he ran 4 times and lost in all 4 attempts. This time, he retired from politics for 5 years.

But in 1981, 5 years later, some people from his state came to him to run for city mayor. It’s more like a Local Government Chairman Election in Nigeria. He was reluctant at first due to his 4 previous failures, especially after running for Governor and senate, but he oblige.

Bernie Sanders ran this time again for Mayor as an independent candidate and surprisingly, he won the election by just 14 votes.
It was unbelievable; an independent candidate defeated the almighty Democrat and Republican Party. While they were celebrating the victory, the Democrat runner up could not believe this unknown independent could win, he challenged the election result. The votes had to be recounted. After the vote recount, Bernie still won, but this time with less than 10 votes.

Although has won and scaled through the first hurdle, he has to work with the elected democrat city council official. This means that, he can’t hire his own staff. As a matter of fact, the personal secretary he hired was sacked by the city council officials. Those democrats didn’t allow him govern with his own ideas. This went on for about a year, until in 1982 when another city council election took place. Bernie urged many new guys to run for City Council election and they did.

He campaigned for them and among these guys, 6 won. This 6 gave him the required veto power to get his ideas running. After taking charge fully, he embarked on several pro masses reforms and he got re-elected after 2 years in 1983. He ran again in 1985 and still won.

Faced with opportunity to move up in the political ladder, Bernie ran again for governor in 1986, but he lost the governorship election. This time, he got 14% of the total vote cast.

2 years later in 1988, he ran for Congress seat and lost. He was the runner up with 31% vote, trailing the winner who got 34%. He was determined to run again. He said to himself, if as an independent candidate, I can have 31% of the votes, definitely, I can get even more. So in 1988, he ran again for U.S Congress and this time, he won with a very wide margin. He got more than 50% of the total vote. Ever since, he has been re-elected.

Today, Bernie is the longest serving Congress man in the history of U.S.

In 2016, for the first time in history, he joined the Democratic Party to run for U.S presidential election. He was rigged out by the establishment, but despite losing due to rigging, he has remained consistent with nationwide advocacy for the issues affecting the ordinary people. Today, he his the most popular politician in U.S, even more popular than the President.

After losing the Presidential election, he created a massive peoples organization called the Our Revolution, a nationwide organization that is forcing those in authority to listen to the people. Our Revolution is articulating the issues and proffering solutions. Through his position at the Congress, Bernie is sponsoring bills to advance the cause of the people and mobilizing them to hold their representative accountable to ensure those bills scale through.

Today, Bernie is 74years old, but he his being urged to run again for President in 2020.

No doubt, if he runs again, he will become the next President of United States of America.

The point here is that, it doesn’t necessarily have to be one of the two major parties. Young people must be courageous enough to go under smaller parties. A small party of yesterday may eventually become the big party and the unknown candidate of yesterday may become the most popular candidate.

Also, it doesn’t necessarily have to be about age. An old competent and dedicated person maybe more useful than a young thoughtless person. Age is not a reason to throw competence and capacity to deliver in the gutter.

As we approach the 2019 general election, I urge all Nigerians, old, young, male and female to get involved in the political process. If you elect a fool to be your representative, you will be forced to live by the law he makes. If you elect a looter, you will live the consequence of his looting.

Abdulrazaq O Hamzat © 02/08/2017

Bukola Saraki Recall Postponed As INEC Fails To Release Voter Register
http://saharareporters.com/2017/08/01/bukola-saraki-recall-postponed-inec-fails-release-voter-register

The voter recall of Senate President Bukola Saraki initiated by a civil society group, Kwara Must Change, appears to have been hijacked by Mr. Saraki using the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the group alleged today, announcing it is postponing the process.

The action was to have begun today, August 1, 2017, the group recalled in a statement signed by its President, Abdulrazaq O. Hamzat, and Kwara Central Coordinator, Yusuf Olatunji.

But INEC, to which Kwara Must Change wrote to INEC to inform of the recall plan has failed to release to the group the required a certified copy of the voter registration list, as demanded by the law, it said in the statement.

“Although, prior to this moment, we already have in our possession, a copy of the voters’ registration list, but this copy is not certified; neither can we be sure of its authenticity. The certified copy we requested from INEC is to observe due process and ensure what we have is the original copy.”

The group further stated that some persons on the staff of the commission have confided it should have applied for the certified copy before making the announcement of the recall.

“According to them, we have been double crossed by Mr. Saraki and his aides. They noted that, since the date we made the recall announcement, some aides of the Senate President had approached the commission to seek their cooperation in frustrating the recall. They confessed that few days before our letter arrived, the leadership of INEC in the state had addressed the staff and warned them not to release the official voter’s registration list to any group or person and failure to abide may cost them their jobs.”

The group said while it is unable to ascertain the authenticity of that story, something seems to be amiss given that up until today, INEC has yet to honor its request.

Vowing to get to the bottom of the matter, it described the public solidarity to commence the recall exercise as “overwhelming” and the readiness by coordinators across the wards and Local Government Areas throughout Kwara as “impressive”.

“We greatly appreciate all the goodwill messages and public determination to effect the recall,” the group said, promising to announce a new date “as soon as time permits.”

http://saharareporters.com/2017/08/01/bukola-saraki-recall-postponed-inec-fails-release-voter-register

We saw it coming

PRESS RELEASE: THREAT TO LIFE OVER SARAKI’S RECALL

Kwara Must Change is compelled to issue this statement due to the threat to life of our members, particularly the President, Abdulrazaq
O Hamzat, over the call for recall of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki owing to his poor representation of the Kwara Central
Senatorial District.

Although, we understand that this threat is real, but we are not afraid to confront it.

Aides of the Senate President, who are spearheading this evil plot know themselves, but we also know them and they will soon hear from
us. They and their political thugs would wish they never threatened us, as we have gathered all their previous criminal activities.

It is on record that on 11th July, 2017, Kwara Must Change announced it planned action to commence the process of recalling the Senate
President. This is a constitutional right, guaranteed to all citizens of this country and exercising such right should poss no threat to all
people of conscience.

However, our declaration, which was described by aides of the Senate President as an exercise in futility, has suddenly become something
that they are willing to kill over. If not, how else would one explain all the threats we have been receiving from aides of the Senate
President since the declaration was made?

Apart from the fact that some of the legislative aides in the office of the Senate President had been calling to threaten us, we have
reliably gotten names of other top aides involved in this evil agenda and we are not in anyway surprised considering their past antecedent.

However, while they are plotting to kill other people for exercising their constitutional rights, they are not aware that their own life is
not assured as well.

We at the Kwara Must Change will not beg them to desist from their evil plot, but they must know that we are not in any way scared of
them. We make bold to say that, we will never live in fear of their evil plans. Instead of running away from them, we will face them squarely. No life is more valuable than the other and our right to live will not be put under question by political thugs and sycophants.

Additionally, to say that the Senate President of Nigeria has people that would be threatening the lives of other citizens and planning to eliminate them simply for daring to exercise their constitutional right is a big disgrace to Nigeria and Africa in general. No wonder the Senate president had become a liability, rather than asset to the good people of Ilorin.

Finally, we have concluded plans to write to all appropriate security agencies to report this threat to our lives by the office of the senate president, but we shall not stop there. We shall proceed to notify all international agencies including ECOWAS, African Union,United Nations as well as all major foreign embassies in Nigeria to take note of this threat.

The recall process will not be aborted for this unfortunate reason. It shall proceed as planned on 1st August, 2017 and we urge everyone in
Kwara Central to join us in this historic recall.

Yusuf Olatunji
Kwara Central Coordinator
Kwara Must Change

It shall succeed

Recall Of Senate President Saraki Will Commence On August 1st Despite Threat Of Violence, Group Insists
The Kwara State Publicity Secretary of All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. Sulyman Buhari issued an empty statement on 14th July, 2017, where he was beating his none existing chest over our call for the recall of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.The inconsequential APC spokesman in Kwara State, who is not even known in his own ward in ilorin, nor has the capacity to influence anyone boast that "Kwara Must Change" can never secure the required signatures against the Senate President, adding that he would resign
BY ABDULRAZAQ HAMZATJUL 16, 2017

The Kwara State Publicity Secretary of All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. Sulyman Buhari issued an empty statement on 14th July, 2017, where he was beating his none existing chest over our call for the recall of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

The inconsequential APC spokesman in Kwara State, who is not even known in his own ward in ilorin, nor has the capacity to influence anyone boast that "Kwara Must Change" can never secure the required signatures against the Senate President, adding that he would resign
his position if such happen, but we do not consider such an irrelevant person as worthy of our attention.

We would like to state that, the good people of Ilorin that are ready for the recall exercise have no business with an inconsequential Publicity Secretary. All the people are demanding for is adequate representation, which the Senate President has failed to offer, hence
the decision to activate the constitutional process of recall.

Senate President Bukola Saraki
While the APC publicity secretary is busy making empty boast on media, some of the Legislative Aide of the Senate President have dolled huge sum of money to launch campaign of calumny against the leadership of our group to discredit our personalities, but unknown to them, what
they are doing is not only making the recall process more widely known and accepted by the people, it has also allowed more supporters and well wishers, even among their own followers have access to us to pledge their support to the recall process. We have to thank them for
helping us and the people, as we consider their campaign of calumny, an unintended blessing in disguise.

Most importantly, we must warn one particular legislative aide of the Senate President, Mr. Olaitan Obalowu, who called to threaten violence over the recall of Senator Bukola Saraki. Olaitan is a legislative
aide to Dr. Saraki and a former Coordinator of Muhammed Dele Belgore Solidarity Group.

We wonder what they are scared of, when they have described the recall as an exercise in futility.

Let it be clear that the process of recall has been initiated. It is a constitutional process that can not be stopped by any threat. It will take place as announced and shall succeed insha Allah.

If the senate president is as popular as he thinks, there is nothing to worry about, because we cannot recall the Senate president without the people. This is simply a test of popularity.

We maintain that nobody can threaten us, because we are determined to carry on with this process and get it to a logical conclusion. As law abiding citizens of Nigeria and employer of the Senate President, the
people reserve the right to hire and fire him at any time we consider his services no longer useful. This is the power we intend to exercise without fear or favor.

We therefore call on the Senate President to caution his overzealous aides and warn them to desist from unwarranted threat, because should anything happen to any of our members; we would hold him directly responsible.

We also call on the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Nigerian Police to warn all those making threats against other citizens over issue of law and constitutionality. No citizen should be threatened for exercising their rights, as contained in the Nigerian constitution.

Finally, we reiterate that the signing of the recall register shall hold as announced on August 1st, 2017 and we urge all electorates in Kwara Central to troop out en-mass to sign the register, so as to effect the recall.

http://saharareporters.com/2017/07/16/recall-senate-president-saraki-will-commence-august-1st-despite-threat-violence-group

hum

FEAR GRIP SARAKI, OVER IMMINENT RECALL

On Tuesday, 11 day of July 2017, Kwara Must Change announced date for
the recall of the Senate President, Mr Bukola Saraki. The recall date
as announced remains 1st August, 2017.

The recall announcement has seen people all across ilorin in wild
jubilation, as the electorate are looking forward to the imminent
recall, which is more than certain to attract large turn out, as
people from Ajikobi Ward in Ilorin, Saraki’s strongest hold are
already on massive mobilization drive to ensure the recall success.
The Saraki camp which earlier announce that such call amount to
nothing was forced to convene meetings to strategize on how to counter
the positive reaction generated by the recall announcement.

The visibly threatened Saraki camp, which have been lying to their
principal about his level of popularity were forced to embark on
campaign of calumny against the President of Kwara Must Change,
Abdulrazaq O Hamzat, who led the declaration of the recall process.

In their blackmail effort, the Saraki camp concocted several falsehood
to paint Abdulrazaq in negative light, calling him cultist and other
unprintable name just to discredit his personality and this was widely
circulated all over the social media.

In sharp response to the blackmail, Mr Yusuf Olatunji, Kwara Central
Coordinator of Kwara Must Change described Abdulrazaq in superlative
terms. He said, Abdulrazaq is transformational peace professional,
vibrant youth leader, diplomatic human rights ambassador, critical
policy analyst, liberal author, diligent researcher, social media
enthusiast and an initiative creator.

Kwara Must Change has concluded plans to reach out to the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the electoral body is
carried along through out the process.

END

Some other [eople are pele

the process has begun

Kwara Central group announces plan to recall Saraki’

Some constituents of Kwara Central Senatorial District, under the umbrella of “Kwara Must Change” have announced plans to recall Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

In a statement on Tuesday quoted by SaharaReporters, the group said it regrets voting Saraki into the senate after “realizing the extent of damage” done by him.

“Realizing the extent of damages done by the man we supplied to Nigeria as our contribution, we take full responsibility for his stay in the Senate while representing us, though we regret his actions,” they said.

[Read Also: MELAYE’S RECALL: INEC RECEIVES COURT ORDERS, PASTES VERIFICATION NOTICE]

The group said Saraki had neglected his duty of representing them and was now pushing a personal agenda.

It said, “He has abandoned his primary responsibility of representing us in Kwara Central. He is more concerned in pursing personal interest, which adds no value to our well being as a people. His over ambition and quest for personal enrichment is driving him nut, leading to several questionable actions and unnecessary confrontation with the executive arm of government.

“This selfish pursuit has now made the Nigerian Senate abandon its constitutional responsibility of screening political appointment to score cheap political point, by way of forcing the removal of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through self help. But this is not what we sent him to do.”

[Read Also: NO RESTRAINING ORDER ON DINO MELAYE’S RECALL – INEC]

They added, “We are therefore declaring that, in line with the provisions of Nigerian constitution, we the people of Kwara Central under the Kwara Must Change platform have decided to commence the process of recall against the Senate President to pave way for a more responsible senator that will represent us well, so we can begin to get better results from Nigeria.”

The group asked their coordinators in the 52 wards of Kwara Central to immediately commence the process of recalling Senator Saraki by assigning representatives to all polling units within their wards in the 4 Local Governments Areas of Kwara Central, namely Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South and Asa.

It added that mobilisation for the recall will be completed in the next two weeks, “and by August 1st 2017, we shall begin the recall process properly by presenting the recall register to the public for collection of signatures at the various polling units.

https://ynaija.com/kwara-central-group-announces-plan-recall-saraki/

Kwara Central Senatorial District Announces Plan To Recall Bukola Saraki
In a press statement on Tuesday, the group apologized to Nigerians for electing Mr. Saraki as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the first place, and for making it possible for him to become Senate President of Nigeria.
BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORKJUL 11, 2017

The people of Kwara Central Senatorial District, under the umbrella of “Kwara Must Change,” have announced a plan to recall Senator Bukola Saraki, the current Senate President.

In a press statement on Tuesday, the group apologized to Nigerians for electing Mr. Saraki as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the first place, and for making it possible for him to become Senate President of Nigeria.

“Realizing the extent of damages done by the man we supplied to Nigeria as our contribution, we take full responsibility for his stay in the Senate while representing us, though we regret his actions,” they said, adding that it has become clear Mr. Saraki cannot represent the interest of the people because he doesn’t care about the existence of the people.

Kwara Must Change said its members met during the just-concluded Sallah celebration to deliberate on the state of the nation and of Kwara State, and concluded that the suffering in Kwara State is a self-inflicted borne out of wrong choices.

“We voted for the wrong people, when we should have voted for change,” they lamented.

They then said: “We are therefore declaring that, in line with the provisions of Nigerian constitution, we the people of Kwara Central under the Kwara Must Change platform have decided to commence the process of recall against the Senate President to pave way for a more responsible senator that will represent us well, so we can begin to get better results from Nigeria.”

Towards that end, they put their coordinators in the 52 wards of Kwara Central on notice to immediately commence the process of recalling Senator Saraki by assigning representatives to all polling units within their wards in the 4 Local Governments Areas of Kwara Central, namely Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South and Asa.

According to the statement, the appointment of polling unit representatives and mobilization for the recall is tobe completed in the next two weeks, “and by August 1st 2017, we shall begin the recall process properly by presenting the recall register to the public for collection of signatures at the various polling units.”

The statement was signed by Abdulrazaq O Hamzat, the President of Kwara Must Change, as well as the Coordinators of Kwara Central, Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Asa, and Ilorin South. http://saharareporters.com/2017/07/11/kwara-central-senatorial-district-announces-plan-recall-bukola-saraki

lol

It is happening

It is already happening

PRESS RELEASE
DATE FOR SARAKI’S RECALL-KWARA MUST CHANGE
11/07/2017
1. We the people of Kwara State are not happy with what we are getting from Nigeria, but we realized that from Nigeria, we can only get what we give. Since we are not satisfied with the result we are getting from the leadership of our nation, we have decided to review our imput.
2. During the just concluded Sallah Celebration, Kwara Must Change group uses the opportunity of the public holiday to meet and deliberate on the state of the nation, as well as the current state of things in our dear Kwara state.
3. The leaders of our group, from across the length and breathe of the state all contributed to the discussion and in the process, we heard different tales of agony being experienced by our people on daily basis. Tears were visible in the eyes of many.
4. After careful consideration of all factors that are responsible for the stagnation of our nation’s progress, both at the state and national level, we came to a very sad conclusion that indeed, what ever suffering we are experiencing today in Kwara State is a self inflicted one made out of wrong choices. We voted for the wrong people, when we should have voted for change.
5. We came to the realization that, while the rest of Nigeria were voting change from one candidate to the other, bringing in new ideas and hope, we in Kwara didn’t vote for change, we voted for the same people raping our state with impunity.
6. Our own change in Kwara, was supposed to be away from the corrupt ruling Saraki dynasty, which has remain a menace since our return to democracy in 1999, but we didn’t vote for change during the 2015 election, we voted for hunger, unemployment, more suffering and extreme hardship. The result is what we are witnessing today.
7. Furthermore, we in Kwara, particularly in Kwara Central Senatorial District didn’t only voted for leader of the dynasty Mr. Bukola Saraki to represent us at the Senate, he is our contribution to the nation and with him as the head of the legislative arm of government, we have inflicted unimaginable damage on the psychology of the Nigerian people by contributing, arguably the most corrupt politician Nigeria has
today. And to make matter worse, he became the senate President, a sensitive position capable of truncating any positive stride being made by the sincere and most patriotic anti corruption president.
8. We are sad that our contribution to Nigeria is the reason why the nation is bleeding; using the position of the Senate Presidency to hinder sincere fight against corruption, preventing genuine infrastructural development through misplaced budget allocation, while promoting fraudulent budget padding and now holding the nation to ransom, through acts of legislative impunity that is capable of
derailing our fragile democracy.
9. Additionally, the leader of Saraki dynasty, who is also the senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District has abandoned his primary responsibility of representing us in Kwara Central. He is more concerned in pursing personal interest, which adds no value to our well being as a people. His over ambition and quest for personal enrichment is driving him nut, leading to several questionable actions
and unnecessary confrontation with the executive arm of government. This selfish pursuit has now made the Nigerian Senate abandon its constitutional responsibility of screening political appointment to score cheap political point, by way of forcing the removal of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through self help. But this is not what we sent him to do.
10. Sequel to the foregoing, we would like to state as follows:
• We sincerely apologize to all Nigerians for electing Senator Bukola Saraki as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
• We also apologize for making it possible for him to become Senate President of Nigeria. We had thought that by having one of our own as Senate President, things would be better for us and the country, but the reverse is now the case.
• Realizing the extent of damages done by the man we supplied to Nigeria as our contribution, we take full responsibility for his stay in the senate while representing us, though we regret his actions.
• We dissociate the good people of Kwara Central from all his numerous acts of irresponsibility and declare that we are against the legislative rascality that the 8th senate under Saraki’s leadership is now known for.
11 In view of the above, it is clear that Senator Bukola Saraki has not been representing the interest of Kwara Central at the Nigerian Senate. It is also clear that he cannot represent the interest of the people, because he doesn’t care about the existence of the people.
12 We are therefore declaring that, in line with the provisions of Nigerian constitution, we the people of Kwara Central under the Kwara Must Change platform have decided to commence the process of recall against the Senate President to pave way for a more responsible senator that will represent us well, so we can begin to get better results from Nigeria.
13 With this release, we are putting our coordinators in the 44 wards of Kwara Central on notice, to with immediate effect, commence the process of recall by assigning representatives to all polling units within their wards in the 4 Local Governments Areas of Kwara Central, namely Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South and Asa.
14 This appointment of polling unit representatives as well as mobilization for the recall should be completed within the next 14 working days and by August 1st 2017, we shall begin the recall process properly by presenting the recall register to the public for collection of signatures at the various polling units.

15 We are open to collaboration and partnership with local associations, community organizations, artisan union and other civil society organizations to ensure this recall process is successful.

16 We therefore calling on all groups within Kwara Central Senatorial district to join this patriotic move to free our people from a discredited senator that is not representing our interest in whatever capacity, but using our good name to cause havoc against us, as well as the rest of the nation.

Signed by:
Abdulrazaq O Hamzat
President
Yusuf Olatunji
Kwara Central Coordinator
Ibrahim Olanrewaju
Ilorin West Coordinator
Mariam Oniye
Ilorin East Coordinator
Ahmed Khalil
Asa Coordinator
Waheed Abdullah
Ilorin South Coordinator
For: Kwara Must Change

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Preca:
that's really nice... at least she's not showing her body to get fame

you right. We should celebrate such. Mod, please help take it to front page

More pictures

Nigerian referee at the ongoing Takwando World Championship Thursdaline Peter win best international referee award. The Best Referee Gyorugi

Master Thursdaline a committed Referee doing the best of what she knows how to do well, refereeing with honesty, transparency and focus for safety.

After officiating the 2017 WTF World Taekwondo Championship Muju, Korea, she was also invited to officiate the CHUNCHEON KOREA OPEN International Championship 2017.

And among the International Referees that officiated the Championship, Four Referees from Four Countries namely Belgium, Canada, Korea and Nigeria won the Gyorugi Best Referee Awards 2017.

We're excited to announce that Master Thursdaline Peter of Bodydynamics Nigeria won the BEST GYORUGI REFEREE at the CHUNCHEON KOREA OPEN, International Championship 2017.

See pictures of her receiving the award and some highlights of the championship. Feel free to SHARE and celebrate our own achievement as we wish her safe journey from Korea to Nigeria.

PS: Have you registered your children for our upcoming KIDDIES SUMMER SELF-DEFENCE COACHING? Join us empower them with one week safety gift. We're kicking off... 24th July.

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