₦airaland Forum

Kyase:
lol for your mind Abi...
if Atiku get reach 2k for katisna change my name

Never be too sure Sir

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to name any key development project their administration has initiated and completed in any part of the country, particularly, in Buhari's North West geo-political zone.

The party also challenged the President to name any tangible economic policy direction articulated by his administration to end poverty or lift the faces of Nigerians apart from attempts to butter them up with contemptible, penny-pinching monetary handouts, while the Presidency cabal fritter trillions of naira from our national treasury.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, stated the position of the party on Thursday while receiving coalition of youth groups from President Buhari's home state of Katsina, who were at the PDP National Secretariat to register their disappointment with the President and the APC and restate their support for PDP and its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

"Nigerians were deceived to vote in President Buhari in 2015, thinking he was pro-poor and prudent only for them to be confronted with the most corrupt, deceitful and incompetent administration which has no commitment towards fulfilling any of its campaign promises.

President Buhari cannot boast of any development project initiated and implemented by him as a President. Instead, he has denied his promises and completely wrecked our once robust economy with his harsh anti-people and restrictive policies.

At the time the PDP handed over power to President Buhari, our economy was one of the fastest growing in the world, Nigerians had access to the basic economic empowerment.
The private sector thrived; businesses were booming, foreign investors flooded our country, public servants were given a sense of belonging and purchasing power of citizens was high.

Today, under Buhari's anti-people administration, all the gains achieved by the PDP have been reversed. There is persistent bloodletting, acute poverty, hunger and grinding starvation in the land.
Over 30 million Nigerians have lost their jobs and there is serious stress on families.

While millions of Nigerians cannot afford the basic necessities of life, our dear President and his cabal swim in opulence and humongous corruption.
Nigerians have not forgotten how the Buhari administration's corrupt currency round-tripping led to the collapse of our naira with attendant hardship on our citizens. Our nation is now mocked as the world's poverty headquarters.

The question you must ask President Buhari is, what value has his administration added to the life of Nigerians, who voted for him in 2015. Instead, he has continued to deride our citizens as lazy and lovers Of freebies while describing them as very difficult lot" in his December 31,2015 Presidential media chat.

"The fact remains that any leader or administration that holds citizens in disregard, as manifest in the Buhari administration, cannot in any way work for the welfare of the people" the PDP asserted.
The party therefore urged all Nigerians to remain steadfast in rallying behind its Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar in the collective quest to rescue our nation from the misrule Of the Buhari administration.

Speaking, the leader of the group, Mallam Abubakar Shehu, said Nigerian youths are completely disenchanted with President Buhari and look unto the PDP and Atiku Abubakar for solution. He assured the party of the support of youth groups in Katsina state in the 2019 Presidential election.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/pdp-receives-coalition-of-youth-groups-from-president-buharis-home-state-of-katsina-promises-their-support-for-atiku/

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lacks the capacity to conduct credible polls in 2019.

The governor said Nigerians should not be deceived by the statements usually released by INEC because the commission works negate her mandate.

He spoke at the Government House Port Harcourt on Thursday when he granted audience to the Senate Committee on INEC.

He said: "Let's not deceive ourselves, INEC is not prepared for credible elections. If there is an agency that is not prepared for 2019, it is INEC . I have no confidence in INEC. There is no amount of INEC's preparation will convince me.

"INEC chooses how it interpretes laws to suit those they support. They choose the court orders to obey and the ones to disregard. In one state where it favours a particular, they obey. In another state , INEC will claim they are yet to see judgments not in favour of the party they support ".

He said in 2019, any attempt by INEC to negatively manipulate the will of the people will be resisted.

"In 2019, whoever wants to manipulate the process to destroy the outcome, the people will come after that person and the family.

"We will not agree that for anybody to rig elections here in Rivers State. Nobody will do anything contrary to the will of the people ", he said.

He said that results are declared at the polling units, but INEC goes ahead to manipulate results at the collation centre as was done in Osun State.

The governor said that the National Assembly has budgeted money for INEC for them to squander, but not for the conduct of credible elections.

Governor Wike added that the refusal to sign the amended Electoral Act is a ploy by the APC Federal Government to rig the 2019 elections in connivance with INEC.

He said that despite the fact that the National Assembly continues to amend the Electoral Act in favour of the Presidency, the APC Federal Government continues to generate excuses why they will not sign the amended Electoral Act .

He said that INEC and Police are two institutions that impede the conduct of credible elections in the country.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Suleiman Nazif said that the committee was in the state to to carry out assessments on the preparedness of the commission for the conduct of credible elections in 2019.

He said that the committee carried out oversight functions on the available card reader machines, voter registers and other facilities needed for the 2019 polls.


Read more: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/2019-inec-lacks-the-capacity-to-conduct-credibile-polls-governor-wike/

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari has given Presidential Assent to five Bills in a letter transmitted by Senator (Dr.) Ita Solomon Enang who is the
Presidential liaison to the National Assembly- (Senate) and made available to Naija Politico, the Bills include;

> Federal Capital Territory Appropriation Act, 2018.
> Nigerian Centre For Disease Control And Prevention ( Establishment ) Act, 2018
> Extradition (Amendment ) Act 2018
> National Environmental Standard And Regulations Enforcement Agency (Establishment ) (Amendment )Act , 2018
> Nigerian Institute Of Mining And Geosciences , Jos ( Establishment ) Act , 2018

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/president-buhari-assents-to-5-bills-which-are/

The minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika took a swipe at former Vice President and Presidential flagbearer of PDP over his claims that he was searched with the sole aim of intimidating him and his staff.
This was made available in a tweet where tge minister said;

The claim by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is a mischievous attempt to grab the headlines. Nigerians need to know that one of the resolutions of the Atiku team at their recently-concluded Dubai retreat was to embark on scaremongering. This is one of such.
For the records, all incoming passengers on international flights go through customs, Immigration, health and security screening.
Where the aircraft is using the private, charter wing, as the PDP Candidate did, such arrivals are met by a team of the Immìgration, customs and other security agencies.

They go to the arriving aircraft as a team. The airport authorities confirm that this is a routine process, applying to all international arrivals, including Ministers, unless the passenger is the President of Nigeria.
The President, the Vice President and passengers aboard planes on the Presidential air fleet use the Presidential wing of the airport.
It is also important to state that even in the Presidential Wing of the airport which the President of Nigeria uses, there is the presence of Immigration and other security officials who must stamp his or her passport on arrival.
By standard procedure, all aircraft on international arrivals must first of all park at the international wing of the aircraft. They can move to the domestic terminal only upon the completion of the arrival processes.
While it is true that the Task Force on Currency at the airport did the routine action of checking the former Vice President’s travel bag, he was accorded full respect as a former Vice President of Nigeria.

These checks are mandatory, conventional, internationally applied and routine. No one is excused from them under our laws. These checks are carried out on all international arrivals and President Buhari does not get involved in them.
Law-abiding citizens are encouraged to respect the laws of the country and our VIPs should not seek to be treated over and above the citizens they wish to serve

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/you-are-not-above-the-law-nigerian-aviation-minister-to-atiku-abubakar/

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemns in the strongest terms the unleashing of a special security squad of army, police and paramilitary agencies by the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency to physically harass our Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar at the Abuja airport, upon his return from Dubai.
It was shocking when the deadly squad in a Gestapo style attack, and acting on 'orders from above' rushed our candidate immediately he landed and attempted to physically manhandle him before invading
his aircraft with dangerous weapons to conduct a violent search.
While they did not find anything incriminating on our Presidential candidate, this deadly squad violently tampered with certain personal documents and gadgets belonging to him, including some of his campaign documents.
The PDP completely rejects such violence against the person of our Presidential candidate by the Buhari Presidency, which we know has been jittery over Atiku Abubakar's soaring popularity since his emergence as our candidate.
We invite the world to note that having failed to drag down our Presidential candidate with spurious allegations and smear campaign, the APC has now resorted to state-backed violence against him and must be held responsible should any harm befall him or any member of his campaign team.
The PDP is for peace. but we will not accept this recourse to violence, which we believe is orchestrated to directly harm our Presidential candidate foist a siege mentality on the system and set the stage for series of coordinated violence, ostensibly to truncate a peaceful conduct of the 2019 general election.
The Buhari Presidency and the APC should bear in mind that this is an attack on our democracy and the collective sensibility of the overwhelming majority of Nigerians across board who have accepted the choice of Atiku Abubakar as Nigeria's next President and they will vigorously deploy every means available in a democracy to defend him and our democratic process.
Today, Atiku Abubakar, as a Presidential candidate, has the highest demography of supporters and volunteers across our nation and we will not hesitate to call them out in defence of democracy if another such attempt is made against our candidate.
Nigeria is not a conquered territory and anybody that wants to foist a totalitarian regime on our land will be firmly resisted.
We invite President Buhari to recall that as a Presidential candidate. he had occasions to travel out of the country and the government in power never besieged or harassed him in any way. His administration should therefore not introduce such violence in our democratic space.
Finally, the PDP counsels the APC and the Buhari Presidency to know that power belongs to God and that the time has come for Nigerians to choose a new President for which they have collectively rallied around Atiku Abubakar and that their resort to violence, smear campaign, character assassination and rigging will not change this resolve.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/pdp-to-buhari-nigeria-is-not-a-conquered-territory-and-totalitarianism-on-our-land-will-be-firmly-resisted/

The first son of former special adviser to former President Jonathan Ditan Okupe just indicated interest in joining President Buhari's Campaign Team.
In a letter he wrote to Festus Keyamo, Director General of Buhari's Campaign Team, he expressed willingness to be a part of his team.
Ditan Okupe is a UK trained Lawyer and has 12 years post-call in Nigeria and the first son of Doyin Okupe who is one of the front liners for Atiku's emergence as Nigeria's President.
Doyin Okupe who once said but later denounced the publication made it public that if Atiku should win the Presidency, and rule for a day, it will take Nigeria 10 years to recover.
When the news of Ditan Okupe got to his father, he replied; "Ditan Okupe is my Son. He is a very brilliant young man. He went to Kings college, Lagos, Burkinham university, UK and did post graduate studies in Law at the London School of Economics.We both have had serious issues in the last 5yrs.This may be his way of getting back at me. I wish him luck. Keyamo is my friend and lawyer.He is still handing a case for me at the Supreme Court.He called me tonight on his acquaintance with Ditan who also has been trying for months to get the contacts of people he considers my political foes,includinng Tinubu, Kashamu,Otunba Gbenga Daniel etc.
For him this is his finest hour"

Lauretta Onochie, a social media aide to President Buhari praised Festus Keyamo.
She tweeted; "Good job Keyamo.
It is fantastic to see the younger generation of iconic corrupt moguls, embracing the anti corruption team.
There's a great future for Nigeria.
It wont be shocking to see Alh. Atiku Abubakar's adult children shouting, "Sai Buhari. SaiBaba2019."
Recently also, the son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo pledged his support to Buhari's re-election bid while his father is backing his Vice, Atiku Abubakar.
Are the children of these great men moving in the right way considering the fact that their parents contributed to the mess Nigeria is in now?
Do they think President Buhari has what it takes to move this country forward?
Do they have the political clout to counter balance that of their fathers'?
Are they trying to get back at their fathers?
Only time will tell.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/doyin-okupes-first-son-joins-buharis-campaign-team/

Immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose has again told President Muhammadu Buhari to face governance and stop complaining, saying; “When he was seeking votes of Nigerians, he never said he was coming to complain. Rather, he promised to fix what he claimed to have identified as the problems.

He said the President’s time was almost up, adding that he said has spent three and half years blaming his predecessors and inflicted both security and economic crises on the country.

Reacting to the President’s statement that he “inherited a mind boggling mismanaged Nigeria,” Fayose said in a statement issued on Thursday, by his Media Aide, Lere Olayinka that “it is no longer funny that a president who assumed office three and half years ago is still complaining about how he met the country instead of Nigerians having feelings of how well he has solved the problems he claimed that he had capacity to solve.

“He should stop singing the same song of lamentation that he has been singing since 2015 and learn from his colleague in Ghana, who hit the ground running immediately he assumed office.”

Fayose, who said the President should face the reality of a failed tenure and be prepared to leave office next year, added that “only a leader who lacks competence and is challenged by knowledge and exposure will blame his predecessors for over three years.”

“Nigerians of mostly below forty years who voted for the President in 2015 did so because they never experienced him as a Military Head of State. Now that they have seen that he does not have the required capacity to govern a country like Nigeria, they are eager to vote him out.”

The former governor charged Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders to put everything into the 2019 elections so as to be able rescue Nigerians from the present state of anguish occasioned by the directionless APC government.

“Today, Nigeria has become the ‘Poverty Capital’ of the world. God forbid, a Buhari’s second term will turn Nigeria to a republic of poverty where people will be running to other neighboring countries to feed. PDP must therefore work very hard to save the country from going down completely,” Fayose said.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/stop-complaining-your-time-almost-up-fayose-tells-buhari/

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has berated the APC Federal Government for shielding Prince Charles of Wales from the neglected Niger Delta that produces the nation's wealth.

Speaking when he granted audience to international preacher, Evangelist Daniel Kolenda at Government House Port Harcourt on Thursday, Governor Wike wondered what parameters were used in confining the Prince of Wales to Abuja and Lagos.

He said the actions of the APC Federal Government in the course of the visit of Prince of Wales undercored the negativity that has characterised governance under the present administration.

He said: "The Prince of Wales came to Nigeria and they took him to Abuja and Lagos. They didn't want him to see the suffering people of the Niger Delta.

"It is our money and resources that they used to develop Lagos and Abuja, yet they did not want the Prince of Wales to see how they have neglected the area that produces the wealth of the nation.

"Look at the sitting arrangement of their photograph with the Prince of Wales and where they placed the producers of national wealth?".

He said that the action of the APC Federal Government is very painful.

Governor Wike commended the leaders of CFAN for coming to Rivers State, despite the plots by the APC Federal Government to de-market oil producing states.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/apc-federal-government-stopped-prince-charles-from-visiting-south-south-gov-wike/

Contrary to widespread belief and a topic which made nairaland frontpage saying that The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers will join the proposed NLC strike and that fuel scarcity looms, NUPENG released a report of not joining the proposed strike and that consultations are still ongoing.
Here is the official report

The comments made by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the national leader of the APC concerning Alhaji ATIKU's prospects in the coming 2019 presidential elections are essentially not meant for the serious minded, and quite unexpected from the leader of a party in power whose popularity and national acceptability are receding faster than the waters of lake Chad.

Aiswaju's statement is extremely presumptuous. It assumes that he as a person or whatever political platform he stands on will have anything to do with who emerges as president in 2019.

I assure Asiwaju that he does not, and will not have any serious influence on who will emerge as president after the 2019 elections. He had such opportunity in 2015 but it was wasted on a moribund, unproductive and lack lustre presidency.

Hence, it is a fact that Asiwaju had a tremendous influence and did play a significant role in the emergence of president Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

This was due to the fact that he and the APC were able to successfully hoodwink the Nigerian electorates into wrongly believing that the incumbent at that time was weak, inept and clueless.

The prevailing feeling in Nigeria then was that a change was necessary to "save" the country.

However, things are quite different now. Without prompting, propaganda or mass-brainwashing, Nigerians have come to realise that a victory for Buhari in 2019 is an existential threat not only to the peaceful coexistence of the nation, but also to individual wellbeing and survival of families, breadwinners and jobs across the country.

Based on this undeniable fact, Tinubu, APC and their candidate, Muhammadu Buhari have lost the elections even before the set date.

Asiwaju should not worry about where ATIKU is holding meetings to unseat Buhari, or where ATIKU is "going" in 2019. Rather, he should seriously give urgent thoughts to his own destination after 2019.

For certain, I want to assure him that the PDP will retire him gracefully to his political shrine at Bourdillon. While the expired and rejected product he is dutifully carrying to the political market in 2019 heads to Daura; hale and hearty.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/doyin-okupe-asiwajus-comments-on-atiku-extremely-presumptuous/

The Peoples Democratic Party (PdP} mocks the All Progressives Congress (APC} and the Buhari Presidency on their renewed smear campaign against its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, saying these shenanigans will be of no avail as Nigerians have resolved to elect Atiku as President come February, 2019 due to his proven leadership capacity.

PDP notes that the woeful performance of President Muhammadu Buhari in office will remain the referendum for the 2019 presidential election no matter the attempts to use hirelings to change national discuss.
It is instructive for the APC to accept the reality that our candidate, Atiku, enjoys support of Nigerians across the board for his credibility,forthrightness and capacity to deliver.
The party said it is shameful that instead of channeling the nation's resources to productive ventures, the APC and the Presidency have remained fixated on Atiku Abubakar, even when it has become clear that Nigerians can no longer be deceived; having seen
through their lies, fabrications and beguilments.

Nigerians are also aware that since the emergence of Atiku as our Presidential
candidate; the attendant spontaneous jubilation across the country and massive influx of millions of supporters into our party, the Presidency has been on panic mode, knowing that President Buhari is no match for our candidate.
Also, having failed in the attempt to paint and label Atiku as corrupt, the APC has now started creating seemingly independent groups to commence a fresh attack on the personal image of our candidate.
Already, the PDP is privy to the procurement of certain devious groups and individuals, who have been paid millions of naira, to attempt to directly impugn on the character and reputation of our candidate with a view to bringing him to public disrepute ahead of the elections.
The PDP is aware of how two top officials of the APC, two Presidential aides and two APC governors have been detailed to coordinate this agenda against our candidate.
Their strategies include using the procured groups and hirelings to release strings of fabrications against our candidate ahead of the elections.
The PDP therefore counsels the APC and the Buhari Presidency to get ready to face an imminent electoral indignation and defeat from Nigerians as rewards for their basket of unfulfilled promises and empty scorecards.
These desperate plots to divert attention from manifest failures and incompetence in governance will not work.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/no-amount-of-hate-speech-against-atiku-will-make-us-lose-pdp-tells-apc/

Nigeria has left that era in which democratic norms are brazenly subverted, with votes awarded to those favoured by the authorities, and the shortchanged told to go to court if they were not happy.

President Muhammadu Buhari stated this Monday while receiving in State House, Abuja, members of the Joint United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS Good Offices Mission on Elections.

“I am highly qualified to talk on this, having ended in Supreme Court three times, after participating in elections with disputed results. Where will a man looking for where his next meal would come from, have money to hire lawyers, particularly senior advocates?” the President said.

He assured that the 2019 polls would be free and fair, submitting: “The President has only one vote, governors have a vote each, just like anybody else. Let the people vote for whoever they choose, without their will being tampered with.”

Thanking the joint team for being in touch with our institutions, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the President said multi-party democracy gives lots of choice to the people, adding that Nigeria has a vibrant young population, “who trust us to handle their affairs and resources well. A lot depends on leadership.”

President Buhari said the 2015 elections were run with three campaign objectives; securing the country, reviving the economy, fighting corruption, “and the opposition has not succeeded in faulting us. We are doing our best with the resources available to us.”

President of ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Brou, said the team came on a solidarity visit to Nigeria before the forthcoming elections, as it did with other countries like Senegal, Mali, Gambia, and others which recently held polls.

He appreciated the strong role Nigeria plays in the sub-region, while also thanking President Buhari for his strides in the fight against corruption and terrorism.

Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, speaking on behalf of the UN, appreciated what he called “the strong leadership of President Buhari in Nigeria, West Africa, and Africa.”

“You’ve always played politics according to the rules. We will do all that we can to strengthen the institutions. We’re convinced that INEC is ready to provide free and fair elections,” Dr Chambas said.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/votes-will-count-in-2019-election-buhari-assures-nigerians/

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) parodies President Muhammedu Buhari for trying to claim credit for the Port Harcourt Airport Terminal, even when it is public knowledge that the project was conceptualized, articulated and financed by the PDP administration.

The PDP said President Buhari's theatrical commissioning of the terminal built by the PDP administration is another failed media stunt to create a false impression that Mr. President is performing, even when he made no contribution whatsoever towards the execution of the project.

Nigerians were thoroughly amused when President Buhari's handlers brought him to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for the first time since his inauguration in 2015, only to orchestrate another failed attempt to claim credit for project executed by others.
If anything, the Buhari administration, in its incompetence, only succeeded in delaying the completion of the project, which was perfected by the PDP, including payments to contractors.

It is to say the least appalling that after three and half years, a President, who is seeking reelection, cannot point to any development project, initiated and executed by his administration in any part of our country. Instead, our dear President has been moving
around trying to claim credit for projects executed by the PDP all in a desperate attempt to cover his failures in governance.
Only recently, President Buhari and his dysfunctional All Progressives Congress (APC), to the chagrin of Nigerians, attempted to claim credit for the Abuja Light Rail Project, even when it was public knowledge that that project was conceptualized and policy-propelled by the PDP.

We know that President Buhari is eager to stuff up his false performance claims ahead of election, but doing so with the achievements of others is the height of desperation and deceit, which has already become repugnant to majority of Nigerians and the international community.
The PDP therefore counsels President Buhari's handlers to use the remaining days of his failed administration to prepare him to get ready to accept his imminent defeat in 2019, as Nigerians have already rallied behind our candidate, Atiku Abubakar, whose
performance credential is known to all.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/dont-claim-port-harcourt-terminal-project-pdp-tells-buhari/

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) decries President Muhammadu Buhari's fresh outburst against suffering Nigerians as unpresidential, defeatist and characteristic of a failed leadership, which has lost all sense of responsibility towards its citizens.
The party said President Buhari, in saying that Nigerians, "who feel they have another country may choose to go", has further confirmed that he is completely insensitive to the plight of our citizens and has no solution to the myriad of problems his incompetent and disorganized administration has caused our nation.

The PDP describes such comment as 'unfatherly' and a direct slap on the sensibilities of millions of Nigerians, who have been painfully bearing the economic hardship, hunger and starvation caused by President Buhari's wasteful and inept administration, to the extent that many have taken to suicide missions and slavery as survival options.
Such comment is a putrid spit on the graves of thousands of compatriots killed by marauders in various parts of the country, while the Buhari Presidency and dysfunctional All Progressives Congress (APC) remained aloof without decisive actions to end the carnage and bring the perpetrators of the bloodlettings to book.

Mr. President's comment is also a mockery on millions of Nigerians who have lost their businesses and whose families have been wrecked by the anti-people policies of the Buhari-led APC administration.
Since Mr President now knows that Nigerians across board are hurting over the failures of his administrations, the least he, as an elected leader, should have done, was to accept responsibility, rise up to the occasion and find solutions, or at least, have some soothing words to suffering Nigerians instead of dismissing their pains and asking them toabandon their fatherland.
This remark by Mr. President also reminds of his widely condemned outbursts against our youths who he held in disdain as lazy and lovers of freebies.
President Buhari should come to terms with the fact that majority of Nigerians can no longer take the failures, insensitivity and incompetence of his administration and have now reached a consensus to elect our Presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who has always displayed a commitment to the welfare of Nigerians.

This nation belongs to all of us. Our citizens believe and love their fatherland and will never abandon it, notwithstanding the anguish and pains brought by the failures of President Buhari and his corrupt cabal who have, with impunity, continued to display the worst form of aloofness and insensitivity to the plight of our people.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/you-may-choose-to-leave-comment-pdp-accuses-buhari-of-insensitivity-to-sufferings-of-nigerians/

Today, the Nigerian Senate, called on security agencies to investigate the cause of the killings in Kaduna State and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

The decision was taken following a Point of Order moved by Senator Sulaiman Hunkuyi on the killings in the State, which he described as “inhuman, unmindful and unnecessary.” Hunkuyi also stated that the perpetrators carrying out the killings needed to be tackled.

The Senator representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani, said: “We are deeply concerned. There is a need for community and religious leaders to come together to discuss solutions.”

“Life is given by God and there is no reason why it should be taken by man. We cannot continue to just observe this, something must be done,” said Senator Danjuma Laah, the Senator representing Kaduna South.

Speaking on the resolution, the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, said: “The contributions from Distinguished Senators show clearly that a major cause of this impunity is the fact that no one is being sanctioned. As a Senate, we need to come together to discuss this in a manner that is non-partisan.”

Saraki also said: “It is the lack of cooperation, collaboration and implementation of resolutions at the level of the security agencies. Therefore, let us bring together the Chairmen of the important Committee and have an executive session to put forward our observations and recommendations.

“There, we will discuss the things that need to happen and the implementation of the conclusions reached at the summit. At the end of the day, it will still come down to the Executive arm of the Federal Government, therefore, let us seek a session with the executive arm of government to discuss some of these our recommendations and observations.”

The Senate President then directed the Leader of the House, and the Chairmen of the Committees on Security, Defence and Police to fix a date to meet with the Executive.

The Senate also resolved to:

i. Pay a special condolence visit to the Governor and people of Kaduna State, particularly Kasuwan Magani and other affected areas;

ii. Call on the Kaduna State Government and the Federal Government to quicken the process of the release of the paramount ruler, Maiwada Galadima;

iii. Observe a minute silence for the repose of souls lost in the crisis; and urge Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to step in and assist those who have been affected, especially those who have to go out on a daily basis to survive;

iv. Urge the relevant security agencies to investigate the cause of the incident and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice; and

v. Commend the security agencies for the prompt manner in which they responded to the matter without allowing the situation to escalate.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/bring-perpetrators-of-kaduna-killings-to-justice-senate-tasks-security-operatives/

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially submitted names of candidates for National Assembly elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2019 general elections.
The party notes with disdain moves by certain individuals to illegally submit
authorized names from some purported primaries by dissident elements, notably in Ogun State.
The PDP is aware that such elements forged and sold various fake nomination forms, and cornered the proceeds for their selfish gains.
Those who unwittingly bought these fake nomination forms did not pass through the due process of screening and did not participate in primaries as officially conducted by the Electoral Committee set up by the National Working Committee.
The conduct of primaries and submission of names of candidate remain in the purview of the National Working Committee. Any other purported primaries by any state chapter or any other level of the party is absolutely illegal and of no consequence.
The PDP therefore warns, in the strongest possible term, that anybody who attempts to present any name from such illegal primaries as candidate of our party will face arrest and prosecution for forgery and stealing of funds deriVed from sale of fake
nomination forms.
Furthermore, the National Working Committee therefore urge all PDP members and the general public to be calm as the rule of Law shall be strictly adhered to, particularly 'in all processes in our participation in the 2019 general elections.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/submit-unauthorized-names-go-to-jail-pdp-warns-impostors/

The Peoples Democratic Party demands the immediate reconstitution of the Osun state governorship election petition tribunal, as further delay will jeopardize the course of justice in the matter.
The party frowns at the disbanding of the panel by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab gulkachwa, a development which, if not quickly addressed sends a very bad signal on the integrity of the judiciary.
PDP's submission is predicated on reports that the All Progressives Congress has been mounting pressure on the judiciary to deny the PDP justice in the determination of the Osun Governorship election dispute at the tribunal.
We therefore invite Nigerians to note that in our lawful effort to reclaim our stolen mandate, PDP duly filed its petition on Tuesday October 15, 2018 in accordance with section 285 (6} of the 1999 Constitution (as amended} which prescribed that judgment must be delivered on or before 180days.
While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC} was served, the APC and its candidate evadéd service.
Consequently, the PDP on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 applied for substituted service, which was slated for hearing today, Thursday, October 18, 2018, only to be informed that the panel has been disbanded on Wednesday without any reason and without providing a new panel to hear our matter.
The President of the Court of Appeal should note that her disbanding of the panel without setting up a new one, goes to a deliberate attempt to prevent the PDP from serving the APC and its candidate and to meet the constitutional 180 days timeframe for the
determination of the case at the Tribunal.
Election petition matters are sui generis, with specific timeframe allotted to various stages up to the final determination. The failure to set up a new panel to timeously hear our application for substituted service on APC and its candidate smacks of a
shenanigan to deny our party full justice in the matter.
Moreover, the PDP is aware that the original panel was disbanded after the APC and its candidate had failed to manipulate and compromise the members to frustrate our case.
The PDP therefore urges the President of the Court of Appeal not to bend to the proclivities of the APC and its candidate to bring the vouched reputation of the judiciary into a shameful disrepute, in their desperation to hold onto a stolen mandate,
It is also imperative to state that the 2018 Osun Governorship election has become the interest of not only Nigerians but also the global community As such, every institution that has a role in ensuring fairness and justice, particularly, the judiciary, must rise
to its responsibility and not succumb to unlawful and anti-people predilections.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/pdp-demands-immediate-reconstitution-of-osun-electoral-tribunal/

JusticeSeeker:
This thiefing party at it again.
EFCC wanted to investigate this thief when he was in office, PDP said he is carrying immunity, how can he be investigated? Now he is an ordinary citizen, they still don't want EFCC to investigate him, Haba, Passionately, Desperate Party aka PDP. If he doesn't want to cooperate, keep him there and keep obtaining court orders until he talks. His thiefing collaborating lawyer who has obtained his SAN mainly for defending criminals who has embezzled our treasury is the one who has written this script for him to act because by now he's busy sorting out to know which court his client shall be taken to so he can bribe the judges and keep adjourning the case till eternity.

Haha
Take it easy.
We won't know the level of thievery of APC until they leave power.
None is a saint.
That is why u need to be Atikulated so that the thieves in APC will be known come 2019

The PDP and its candidate in the July 14, 2018, governorship election in Ekiti State, Prof. Olusola Kolapo, will today tender in evidence all electoral materials used in the conduct of the disputed election.

PDP and Kolapo had approached the election tribunal sitting in Abuja to challenge the declaration of Dr. John Kayode Fayemi of the APC as the winner of the election. The petitioners joined INEC, APC and Fayemi as respondents in the matter.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, counsel to the petitioners, Yusuf Ali (SAN), informed the three-man tribunal that the petitioners would start presenting their case by tendering in evidence the certified true copies (CTCs) of all electoral materials used for the election.

However, upon return from an hour’s stand-down based on notification by Fayemi’s counsel that the respondents were yet to study the documents, Ali informed the tribunal that parties were yet to complete the checking and, therefore, asked that the hearing be adjourned to today.

He said this would enable the respondents’ counsel to complete checking the materials the petitioners wanted to tender in evidence.

Based on this, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Sulaiman Belgore, adjourned to today (Thursday) for continuation of hearing.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/ekiti-governorship-pdp-kolapo-to-tender-election-materials-today/

PDP SOUTH WEST ZONE

PRESS STATEMENT

FAYOSE'S CONTINUED DETENTION

We note with concern that the EFCC continues to hold in its custody immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Ayo Fayose who submitted himself to the Agency yesterday. Our concern is dictated by the fact that months ago, EFCC claimed that it has concluded its investigations and was merely waiting for Fayose to end his tenure and drop his immunity so that he could be arraigned.

It's now going to 48 hours that he submitted to the agency and he is still being held incommunicado, this development immediately put a lie to the claim that EFCC is actually working in public interest but merely playing a partisan card as attested to by its unfortunate tweet in the immediate aftermath of the Ekiti election.

We therefore hold firmly that if Fayose is not charged to court immediately to answer to whatever charges against him, then it will be very clear that the Buhari administration is merely using the EFCC to intimidate, harass and punish him in the most unjust manner. It will add to the long list of such petty vendetta that have been initiated, prosecuted and sustained by this same administration against some Nigerians that are not in the good books of the President, this clearly is an abuse of power which ordinarily should be beneath the scope of a busy President.

It is sad that at a time Nigerians are wallowing in abject penury, when institutions are failing and insecurity is thriving that this Buhari administration still have enough time to pursue vendetta against citizens. In this regard we easily recall Buhari's "technical victory" over Boko Haram, yet it remains potent enough kidnap our women and girls, decimate our communities and wage war on the nation. Just yesterday another aid worker, Hauwa was executed by Boko Haram and all President Buhari could do is place an impotent phone call to her family. This Government must begin to take its responsibilities serious by taking actions that will safeguard the lives, properties and economic wellbeing of the nation and not continue to reduce itself to a bully!

Ayo Fadaka
Zonal Publicity Secretary
South West.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/charge-fayose-to-court-immediately-pdp-tells-efcc/

NIGERIA’S NATIONAL UNITY: TOWARD PARTICIPATION AND SHARED VALUES

PROTOCOL

Permit me to start off by expressing my gratitude to the Chatham House for the opportunity to be here, despite a very short notice. There is no better testimony to the fact that this Institute is indeed living true to its Mission, which is ‘to help build a sustainably secure, prosperous and just world, through informed debate, independent analysis, new policy ideas, and outreach to audiences’.

2. The topic on which I am to speak, Nigeria’s National Unity: Toward Participation and Shared Values’, could not have been more apt, as Nigeria continues to struggle to forge a national consensus, to accept its diverse ethnic groups as the source of its national power and cohesion, irrespective of religion, status, culture and geographical location. The challenge is made more daunting by the fact that the large country is occupied by diverse people, with diverse languages and culture. In other words, it is a multi-national state, a conglomeration of ethnic nations, each with its distinctive character and ethos.

3. Why is the question of national unity so important? This is simply because without a united country, all its component parts will be working at cross purposes with conflicting signals that will constantly threaten the foundation and the very existence of the country. This is more so in a country as diverse as Nigeria, which has had sufficient doses of ethnic and religious strives at various times in its nationhood journey, including a bitter, 30-month civil war and the Boko Haram insurgency.

4. The relevance of the topic is also accentuated by the fact that, in the next few months, Nigeria will be returning to the polls for the general elections. The run-up to the 2015 general elections tested the nation’s unity, in no small measure, and it remains to be seen whether we, the people, have learnt any lessons as we move closer to the 2019 polls

5. At the Ministry of Information and Culture, where my job definition includes speaking for the federal government both within and outside the country, we are taking our mandate very seriously in order to ensure that the people get, and consistently too, the detailed information they require to enhance their participation in the political process and, ultimately, to help deepen the nation’s democracy. Part of the mandate of the Ministry is the strategic communication of government policies and programmes, as well as developing among Nigerians cultural values and awareness that will inculcate the spirit of patriotism, nationalism, self-discipline and self- reliance.

6. This explains why, immediately upon assuming office as Minister in 2015, I decided to take a trip to the North-East, where the Boko Haram insurgency was then raging. The insurgency that started in 2009 had taken its toll on the country by the time we assumed office. The terrorists struck freely at places and times of their own choosing. They strolled into Abuja, the nation’s capital, several times to wreak havoc, including on the United Nations office and the police headquarters. The terrorists administered a territory the size of Lebanon, collecting taxes and removing and installing Emirs. Nigerians slept with one eye open. It was in the midst of this that the new Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari came into office. The President ordered the relocation of the military campaign against the insurgents to the North-east, and rallied regional and international support for the battle. Shortly thereafter, the insurgents were dislodged from the territories they occupied, and they lost their capacity to freely attack cities or seize territories

7. We figured, therefore, that in order to carry the people along and get them to buy into the government’s effort to prevent Nigeria from being balkanized by the terrorists, they needed to know exactly what was going on. On 5 Dec. 2018, I led over 30 local and foreign journalists to the liberated parts of the North-East, in fact to the heart of the insurgency, the self-declared capital of the terrorists – Bama, over 80 kilometres by road from Maiduguri, capital city of Borno state, touching Konduga and Kaura, all decimated, in the process. It was the first time any Information Minister had visited the battle zone since the slow-motion warfare started. The visit gave us the opportunity to see things for ourselves, and to convey such to Nigerians as vividly as possible. It helped to change the way Nigerians viewed that insurgency, to rally national support for the gallant men and women in uniform and to enlist Nigerians’ support for the efforts to reduce the cowardly suicide bombings of soft targets that the dislodged terrorists resorted to. ‘If you see something, say something’, became the rallying payoff line for the National Campaign Against Insecurity that we launched after the visit.

8. We also realized early on that for democracy to grow, it is important to ensure citizens’ participation in decision and policies affecting their lives – especially in a direct manner, rather than through their elected representatives only. This informed our decision to launch the Town Hall Meeting series that saw cabinet Ministers meeting, in a town hall setting, a cross section of Nigerians from all walks of life, with a view to keeping them informed about government policies and programmes and, at the same time, getting their feedbacks and inputs. So far, we have held 13 of such meetings, spread across the nation’s six geo-political zones and covering various topics. Many more are slated to hold between now and the general elections in February and March 2019.

9. Since coming into office, the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has embarked on an unprecedented renewal of the nation’s infrastructure, investing an unprecedented 2.7 trillion Naira on roads, rails, power and other similar projects. But it is not enough to embark on these projects, it is important to let the public know the extent and spread of such projects to foster a sense of national unity. This explains why we kickstarted a nationwide tour of Federal Government projects nationwide, with not less than 25 journalists accompanying me on each trip. Till date, we have inspected many of such projects, including the new Lagos to Kano standard gauge rail line, the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in the Southwest that connects the port city of Lagos to other parts of the country, the new intra-city rail line connecting the Abuja city centre to the international Airport, the Enugu-Port Harcourt freeway in the South-east and the Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa road in central Nigeria.

10. Then we launched the FGNiApp, downloadable on mobile devices, to provide up-to-date information about government’s projects and policies to the people, irrespective of where they are.

11. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, as you are all aware, some 276 girls were abducted by terrorists from their school in Chibok, Borno State, in 2014, about a year before the Buhari Administration assumed office. At his inauguration, President Buhari promised to do whatever is necessary to secure the release of the girls. Today, many of the girls have been freed unharmed, even though over 100 of the girls remained in captivity. The civil society group Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG), which has consistently advocated for the release of all the girls, demanded information from the Federal Government on what is being done to free them. In response to their yearnings, we arranged with the military to embed them, so to say, in some of their search sorties. Some Bring Back Our Girls campaigners were subsequently flown on search sorties by the air force to give them a firsthand knowledge of the military’s efforts to rescue the girls. BBOG was later to say, in their report on the trip: ‘’We can confirm that the air component of the counterinsurgency war is being prosecuted by a highly-professional, capable, motivated and committed team of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF). We were provided data and imagery evidence to show that the search for our Chibok girls and other abducted citizens is a daily activity by NAF.’’ When some 110 Dapchi school girls were similarly abducted, on 18 Feb. 2019, we ensured that Nigerians were provided with detailed and up-to-date information, having led a number of Federal Government delegations to the school to get first-hand information. When, a few weeks later, most of the girls were released, Nigerians were never in doubt about the efforts that the government had put into freeing the girls.

12. Only last week, I led another Federal Government delegation to Dapchi, in Yobe State, to meet with the mother of Leah Sharibu, the remaining Dapchi girl in captivity, and to Maiduguri, in Borno State, to meet with the families of the three aid workers who were kidnapped by Boko Haram in March this year. Unfortunately, two of the three aid workers have now been killed, the latest one being killed this past Monday. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the murdered women, even as we continue to do everything any responsible government will do to free the women who remain in captivity.
13. It is important to say that we have regularly met with the various media stakeholders in Nigeria, to discuss with them government policies and programmes. These groups include the umbrella Nigeria Union of Journalists, Online publishers, bloggers and social media influencers, Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON), Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), etc.

14. We have also gone beyond the shores of Nigeria to meet with the global media, policy think tanks and decision makers, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States. My current visit to London is the latest of such visits, which are aimed at engaging with the international media and the think tanks. Since assuming office, I have made a deliberate effort to build consistent and constructive relationships with the international media, especially in key media centres and capitals. I have also attempted to make those visits regular, building consistent lines of communication, not only with media houses, but with specific journalists too.

15. I was here in the UK to engage with the media, think tanks and decision makers in September 2017, then travelled to the US for the same purpose in April 2018, and now I am back here to continue with the engagement. This is in appreciation that correct information and proper briefings – to also dispel rumour and conjecture – are just as important as short-term coverage. I am also aware that stakeholder relations are so vital – that is why Chatham House and other think tanks in the UK and the US are important. I have also met with academics. This is important to inform a wider debate.

16. As the 2019 general elections approach, Nigeria faces a new challenge, a threat not just to the country peace and security, but indeed its very existence. It is the dual challenge of fake news and hate speech. Yes, the fake news problem is not unique to Nigeria, but it poses a more potent threat to the country because of its multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural status. It is also a clear and present danger to the nation’s unity. Naysayers have latched onto the fake news phenomenon to exploit the country’s fault lines and inflame passion. For example, the BBC recently did a report on how fake news is aggravating the persistent Farmers-Herders clashes. Pictures of gun-totting herdsmen from other lands are routinely used to depict the herdsmen in Nigeria. Age-long clashes between Farmers and Herders have suddenly been dressed in the garb of religion and ethnicity. Ignored is the fact that the clashes have become more persistent because of a mixture of many factors, including population explosion, effects of climate change, keener contest for dwindling natural resources and sheer criminality. Religion and ethnicity are not the reasons for these clashes.

17. To tackle this, we have launched a national campaign against fake news and hate speech. The aim is to sensitize Nigerians to the dangers posed by fake news, how to spot fake news and what to do. We are under no illusion that the campaign can immediately stop fake news and hate speech. But we want to bring the issues to the front burner of national discourse. And I can say that we are succeeding in that respect. Today, fake news has become a topical issue in Nigeria. To Nigerians, we say: If you can’t vouch for the veracity of any news item, don’t share it!

18. Distinguish ladies and gentlemen, in the words of the organizers of this event, the complex landscape like ours demands a correspondingly dynamic set of mechanisms for the provision of information for both Nigeria’s citizen and globally. There is no better way to say that. And, as I have outlined, we have strived to be as dynamic as possible in the provision of information to the people, and we can only improve on what we have done so far.

19. I thank you for your kind attention.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/text-of-the-presentation-by-hmic-alh-lai-mohammed-at-the-chatham-house-in-london/

The Enugu Meeting: Gov. Peter Obi’s Nomination as Vice Presidential Candidate was Never Opposed
By Osita Chidoka

On 12th of October at 8:06pm, I called my brother and friend Gov. Peter Obi and congratulated him on his nomination as the Vice Presidential candidate of our Party. He thanked me and informed me that it seems the social media announcement of his choice as the VP candidate didn’t go down well with the political leadership in the Southeast and a meeting was scheduled to hold on Saturday the 13th at Enugu. I promised him that I will attend the meeting and he can count on my support. He thanked me again.

Though I did not receive any invitation to the meeting, I immediately made arrangement to be in Enugu the following day.

At Enugu, the meeting was to start by 3pm, after sampling opinion of key stakeholders I was certain there was no plan to scuttle Obi’s nomination rather it was a reaction to perceived slight by our candidate. I decided to go back to Abuja as I had other pressing engagements.

Prince Arthur Eze invited me over for lunch after which he offered me a ride on his Aircraft going to Abuja by 4pm. I accepted the offer. I went to my Hotel, picked my bag and headed out to the Airport.

On my way I briefed the Party Chairman Prince Uche Secondus (who I worked closely with as Special Adviser on Strategy and External Engagement) of the situation and my conclusion that there was no adverse reaction to Peter Obi’s nomination. He agreed with me but asked that I go back to the meeting all the same to soothe frayed nerves, if any.

I also spoke to Gov. Obi who at that time was in the house of a mutual friend in Abuja and He gave more insight. We agreed that I should go back to the meeting. I quickly informed Arthur Eze’s Pilot about my change of plans.

I turned and drove to Sen. Ekweremadu’s house were the Governors and other leaders were already discussing. Sen. Ekweremadu was speaking when I arrived and from the part I heard, he said there was no need for a meeting anymore as our Candidate had sent a message through the President General of Ohaneze Chief Nnia Nwodo that he would meet with Southeast Leaders upon his return from his foreign trip.

Varied discussion went on but none was about Gov. Peter Obi as a wrong choice rather it was all around the choice of those our Candidate consulted before coming to a decision. We all agreed that the issue would be fully discussed when our Candidate returns.

Given that the press had caught wind of the meeting it was agreed that Gov Umahi, as Chairman of South East Governors Forum, should speak briefly to the press. We all went out with him to meet the press. Many of us friends of our Presidential Candidate and Gov. Obi were there and can corroborate the points made here.

That discussion in Ekweremadu’s house was not the meeting it was a briefing that made the meeting unnecessary. Therefore the statement released by a former Gubernatorial candidate was strange as there was no formal meeting. He arrived the gathering late and did not speak during the interaction at Ekweremadu’s residence, hence my surprise at the statement, which fueled the wrong perception that there was opposition to Gov. Peter Obi.

The media frenzy was a storm in a tea cup as there was no discussion around the preference or otherwise of Gov. Obi as Vice Presidential Candidate

The leadership of the PDP understands that Nigerians have a real opportunity to reclaim their country and return it to its hitherto trajectory of growth recorded under Presidents Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, and Jonathan. There was a time when international economists predicted that Nigeria would be part of the “Next-11”countries that would rival the BRIC and the G-7 countries.

It was an era when, through intelligent thinking and committed hard work by Nigerians, our country overtook South Africa to become the largest economy in Africa. That period, which was only a few four years ago, now seem like distant folkloric history.

Atiku/Obi will leverage their business acumen to solve the most critical challenge facing us today: JOBS. They will leverage their experience of creating hundreds of thousands of private sector to create millions of jobs for Nigerians.

Join us; let’s get Nigeria growing again.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/gov-peter-obis-nomination-as-vice-presidential-candidate-was-never-opposed-by-osita-chidoka/

Governor Shettima earlier today awarded scholarship to five winners and cash to six others who represented Borno State at the 2018 National Qur’anic recitation competition.

The Governor announced the rewards on Monday in Maiduguri when he received the participants, accompanied by members of the Qur’anic Competition Committee led by the Chief Imam of Borno, Imam Laisu Ibrahim Ahmed.

Beneficiaries of the scholarship award include; Al-Bashir Goni Usman who was last year’s 1st Position at the Kwara State Qur’anic Recitation Competition. He got 2nd Position at the International Competition held in Saudi Arabia where he was awarded SR100,000 (equivalent to N10,000,000), Amina Ali Mohammed who was this year’s overall winner in the female 1st category in Katsina State. She won a car (G.M.) costing about N4,900,000 and a cash prize of N500,000 by the Katsina State Government.

Others are Sale Abubakar Sale (1st position in male 4th category) who won a Hyundai car worth N3,600,000 and awarded N500,000 cash prize, Idris Abubakar Mohammed (2nd in the 3rd category recitation), who won one tricycle worth N600,000, a deep freezer, and N250,000 cash, and Aisha Hamidu (4th in 2nd category) who won a motorcycle worth N190,000 and a cash prize of N150,000.

The remaining six participants were given N50,000 each by the Katsina State Government.

Impressed with their performance, Governor Kashim Shettima directed the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education to process their scholarships immediately, adding that six of the remaining participants will get One Hundred Thousand Naira each.

He assured that the Government will construct two Qur’anic Schools in the three Senatorial Districts of the State, and a new operational vehicle will be given to the Qur’anic recitation committee to facilitate their movement, so also commended the judges for doing the State proud.

Earlier in his remarks, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Alh. Mohammed Abatcha said ten participants from Borno were selected to represent the State in which four emerged overall winners in various categories.

In their separate remarks, Chief Imam of Borno, Imam Laisu Ibrahim Ahmed, and Secretary of the Committee, Sheikh Ibrahim Umara acknowledged the tremendous support enjoyed from the State Government under the leadership of Hon. Kashim Shettima.

They however appealed to the Governor to re-construct the Qur’anic Schools approved by the State Government in the three Senatorial districts and provide them with a new operational vehicle.

Highlight of the occasion was the symbolic presentation of certificates of participation and keys of the vehicles won by them during the competition, and recitation of some verses in the Holy Qur’an by the winners, and a test drive of the cars by Governor Shettima afterwards.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/quranic-recitation-gov-shettima-awards-scholarship-cash-gifts-to-11-borno-winners/

The Federal Government has said it is shocked and saddened at the killing of another aid worker by Boko Haram on Monday, despite the actions taken by the government and the widespread appeal to save the young woman.

In a statement issued in London on Monday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the killing as dastardly, inhuman and ungodly, saying nothing can justify the shedding of the blood of innocent people.

He commiserated with the family of the aid worker, and said the Federal Government did all within its powers to save her life.

”It is very unfortunate that it has come to this. Before and after the deadline issued by her abductors, the Federal Government did everything any responsible government should do to save the aid worker.

”As we have been doing since these young women were abducted, we kept the line of negotiations open all through. In all the negotiations, we acted in the best interest of the women and the country as a whole.

”We are deeply pained by this killing, just like we were by the recent killing of the first aid worker. However, we will keep the negotiations open and continue to work to free the innocent women who remain in the custody of their abductors,” the Minister said.

He thanked all the friendly governments that have continued to work with Nigeria for the safe release of the abducted women, and the clerics across religious lines who have been pleading for their release.

Segun Adeyemi
SA To The Hon Minister of Information and Culture

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/fg-shocked-saddened-by-aid-workers-killing-condoles-family/

Special Assistant to former President Obasanjo on Media and Publicity and Senior Special Assistant to former President Jonathan on public affairs Dr Reuben Abati has advised the South East leaders to sheath their swords and accept Peter Obi as Atiku's running mate.
According to him on his facebook wall, the choice of VP by the presidential candidate is often times followed by some measure of disapproval by interest groups from the zone where the VP nominee comes from.
However the choice is squarely nearly an exclusive prerogative of the Presidential candidate.
Usually because the zone is under contention for the VP slot the zonal leadership of the party ought to have met immediately after the primaries and agree on a shortlist of 3 candidates which would have been submitted to the candidate through the national leadership of the Party.
It is expected that the candidate will pick one of this three. But still the candidate is at liberty to reject the three and bring up his own preferred candidate in further consultation with the party and selected stakeholders in the zone.
In 1999, the party leadership and stakeholders had their own preferences and the zonal leadership were solidly behind abubakar Rimi.
Candidate Obasanjo got a wind of the position of the party because close individuals within the national caucus revealed to him the trend of their thoughts.
That evening in Nicon Hilton Obasanjo rejected the nominees of the party and the zone which was expected to produce the VP. He gave the name of Atiku Abubakar who was from the north east and not even in the preferred ME zone and therefore not favoured.
It was a night of "long knives" but the strength of his mandate, his personal charisma and the love of party and country, the elders conceded to the lone voice of Obasanjo and accepted Atiku as the Vice President.
This is what the elders and leaders from the south east must do immediately and not allow this issue degenerate to any distasteful level which may make the candidate lose focus and be unnecessarily distracted even in this early stages.
The good thing is that the choice is indeed a good one with a high national appeal and acceptability.
The South East leaders and elders must not create any bad blood capable of eroding the already entrenched popularity of the party in that zone.
TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH IS EXPECTED.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/peter-obis-nomination-and-the-dissention-from-the-south-east-by-doyin-okupe/

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP} berates former governor of Akwa-lbom, Senator Godswill Akpabio over his alleged plots with the All Progressives Congress governorship Candidate Obong Nsima Ekeref (yet to resign NDDC Managing Director} to trigger violent crisis in Akwa-lbom state, as a strategy to stalemate elections in the state.

The party described such plots as wicked, infantile and cowardly, saying it is unfortunate that Senator Akpabio who knows that there is no way the APC can win in any election in Akwa-lbom, is now allowing himself to be used by the APC as an agent of against the state he once governed.
The PDP notes that Senator Akpabio is hugely frustrated over his inability to penetrate the political structure of the state, which has rejected him since he crossed overto the APC but expressed shock that he could lean towards violence against his own people just to satisfy his paymasters in Abuja, as well as his selfish and egoistic tendencies.
The PDP is also already aware of how Senator Akpabio and the APC mobilized a pack of hack writers to
engage in grave propaganda, fabricate and circulate strings of spurious allegations and personal attacks on
Governor Udom Emmanuel, just to tarnish his image and make him look immoral and ineffective.

The party said it is similarly privy to the pact between Senator Akpabio and the APC leaders including the APC governorship candidate, Nsima Ekere, to orchestrate strings of security issues, cause tension in the state and set the stage of violence ahead of the elections.

This is in addition to the plot by the APC to use all opportunity to cause havoc and blame the PDP so as to create an impression of a crisis-soaked state.
Recently a former aide of the governor, one Mr. Mfon Udeme who resigned and decamped to the
APC reportedly had robbery attack at his residence. He reportedly called the police and reported the issue.
only for Senator Akpabio and the APC leadership to organize a press conference in the state to allege that
the state government was responsible, claiming an assassination attempt.

This happened even when the police authority in the state has come out to say that the incident was not an
assassination attempt and that indeed, the said aide had, while he was still an SA to the governor, been
attacked by armed robbers in the same vicinity where he lives.
It will be recalled that the APC in the state, two weeks ago, had raised similar false claims and wrongly
pointed accusing fingers at the PDP Government in the state. when they purported that gun shots were
fired into the bedroom of the APC Governorship Candidate- Mr Nsima Ekere in apparent assassination
attempt.

Before reporting the matter to the security agencies for investigation Don Etiebet an APC chieftain, had
within minutes of the alleged incident called a press conference and read a long well written press
statement in a manner which made every thinking member of the society wonder whether the alleged gun
shots were masterminded by the APC hierarchy as part of their overall false security alarmf as part of the
build-up for a planned postponement of elections in Akwa-lbom state to separate days where they can
flood the state with compromised security operatives to terrorize and intimidate the state like they did
during Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections.
The PDP knows that this desperation by Senator Akpabio and APC in Akwa Ibom State is not unconnected with his frustration after hundreds of militant youths in his senatorial zone, who he wanted to use as thugs to rig elections for the APC, have all disarmed abandoned him and embraced the PDP having realized the evil plots of the APC.
Senator Akpabio knows that Akwa-lbom is a core POP state and that no amount of machination by
him and the APC can change that fact. Senator Akpabio also knows that he committed a political suicide immediately he crossed overto the APC and as such should learn to contain his frustration instead of this plot to turn the state into a theater of violence for his selfish gain.

Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/pdp-berates-akpabio-over-plots-to-cause-violence-in-akwa-lbom-state/

Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) make plain the status of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with regard to their eligibility or otherwise in participating in the 2019 general election.

The Party noted that INEC had recently made it clear that it does not expect the APC to field candidates for the National Assembly, governorship, and State Assembly elections in Zamfara come February having failed to conduct its primaries within the stipulated time, going by sections 87 and 31 of the Electoral Act; the same fate the party faces in the FCT.
By Sunday 7 October, the stipulated deadline by INEC guidelines, the APC primary election in the FCT was yet 'inconclusive'. Up to Wednesday 10 October the aspirants were still in the dark and had therefore given up their hopes. ANRP therefore wonders why INEC has been clear only on the case in Zamfara, but not the other similar and obvious one in the FCT.

That being so, the Party urged the election management body to in like manner promptly state the obvious, to clear all doubts and uncertainties with regard to the status of APC in the FCT fielding candidates as it did in the case of Zamfara for purposes of transparency. 'The silence by the Commission on the eligibility status of APC in the FCT for the 2019 general election is generating an uneasy calm in the polity, a situation that can be easily avoided', ANRP said.

Sesugh Akume
National Spokesman
Email: nationalspokesman@anrp.org.ng

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/anrp-asks-inec-to-clarify-the-position-of-apc-in-the-fct-with-regard-to-the-2019-general-election/

This present government have stayed for more than 3years in power and yet there is no project started, completed and commissioned by this administration.
In a war of words between former minister of aviation and Tolu Ogunlesi, Mr Chidoka listed the Projects carried out by Jonathan's administration while urging Tolu Ogunlesi to list that of his principal.
Here are the Projects

DR. EMMANUEL IBE KACHIKWU, THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF STATE, PETROLEUM RESOURCES have refuted the publications made by premium times concerning obtaining first class honours in the faculty of Law University of Nigeria.
In a letter made available to Naija Politico he wrote;
Re: FACT-CHECK: Document shows Kachikwu lied about graduating with First Class in Law
My attention has been drawn to a publication on an online medium Premium Times with a title "FACT-CHECK: Document shows Kachikwu lied about graduating with First Class in Law". In the publication the writer alleged that l, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu misrepresented information about obtaining a First Class Degree from the prestigious University of Nigeria Nsukka, citing a presentation done at Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA) Abuja.
I would like to categorically state the following facts;
1. That my official CV and resume is in the public domain and has been submitted to various levels of Government and Parastatals. Also the document clearly states that Dr. Kachikwu obtained a "Second Class Honours (Upper Division) degree" from the Faculty of Law in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where I
graduated as best student in 1978. In addition, no First Class Honours were awarded by UNN that year.
However, I was on the list for best graduands with Second Class Upper Honours for that year. At no time
have I misled the Nigerian public or my colleagues in believing otherwise.
2. On the presentation I made at the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA) cited by Premium Times, the substance of the assertions was to the effect that I had a first class performance in school and was emphasizing on the need for hard work amongst youths to get them to the top of their game.
3. To give credence to the statements made during that presentation, I was the best graduating student in the Nigerian Law School in the year 1979 (the first in class) with multiple prizes (winning 5 out of all 7 prizes given). In 1979, the Nigerian Law School had not begun a process of classifying its certificates. That begun many years later. However best graduands have subsequently now been classified in the First Class
category by the Law School.

My results in Harvard University, which is captured in my CV correctly states that I was a Distinction graduate for the Master's degree programme (First in Class) at Harvard University and I went on to obtain my SJD in a record time of one and a half years.
4. I have worked at the highest level of the Oil and Gas industry globally for over 3 decades and indeed lectured at respectable global institutions like University of Ife, Nigerian Law School and Harvard Law
School.
5. Since my appointment three years ago, first as Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), then as GMD/Honourable Minister of State, and now as Honourable Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, championed the change agenda in the Petroleum sector and changed the narrative on performance in the sector.
I have also taken the liberty to attach my CV that shows all my awards and accomplishments.
Thank you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/i-never-said-i-graduated-with-first-class-honours-in-unn-law-ibe-kachukwu/

The attention of Kano State Government has been drawn to malicious report by an online media platform, alleging that the Governor of Kano State His Excellency Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje OFR was involved in an inappropriate conduct after foot dragging by the online media to give clarity to the allegation with a clear view to blackmail and extort the Governor.

The blackmail did not come as a surprise to the government and good people of Kano state particularly, at a time when we are approaching general
elections. Evidently, Kano being the stronghold of the APC and expected to produce the highest votes in the
upcoming general elections is a target of campaign of calumny.
It is also not surprising that the stuff is published by one who has for long been working for the opposition and an antagonist of the APC government in
Nigeria.
We wish to state that there is no iota of truth to these allegations and if indeed there is any such alleged video, it is at best cloned. More so, in this era of technological advancements, some evil minded people often take advantage to blackmail and extort and assassinate the character of people that do not
patronize them".

It will be recalled that just recently, the Inspector General of Police, the Emir of Kano, Governor of Adamawa and many others were ridiculed when their cloned videos and pictures went viral respectively. It is surprising that the same editor of the online medium making the baseless allegations against the Governor was the one who came out to defend the Emir,
arguing that the video was cloned.
Indeed it was.
To further prove that the online media is bent on discrediting, blackmailing and assassinating the character of the Governor, the online media has yet to
reveal the identity of the giver of the bribe, who is also suppose to be a culprit in the eye of the law.
We are therefore calling on the general public to be vigilant as we heard from good authority that many of such cloned videos involving highly placed persons
considered as obstacle to the opposition agenda ahead of 2019 will be released in peace meal.
The government of Kano state is taking this matter seriously, and will exploit every appropriate and legal avenue to ensure that it gets to the root of the
matter and the perpetrators are brought to book. We also call on the good people of Kano and particularly members of the APC to remain calm and always be law abiding.
His Excellency Governor Ganduje will remain focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to the good
people of Kano including other national assignments. He will never succumb to blackmail or negotiate with
blackmailers.

MALAM MUHAMMAD GARBA
Hon. Commissioner, Information, Youth
& Culture, Kano State.

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/governor-ganduje-denies-million-dollars-bribe-allegations/

Lauretta Onochie, social media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari has told Nigerians the achievements of President Buhari in the Agricultural sector after backlash from Nigerians who complained that President Buhari has achieved to be considered for the forthcoming 2019 election.

Disclosing this via her tweeter handle, she wrote

1) The anti-corruption drive of Mr. President put to a halt the exogenous leakages in the Agricultural sector to encourage, empower, and enhance the locally made farm produce thereby increasing our internally generated revenue (IGR) index and foreign exchange capacity and reserve to over $45 Billion in cash and bonds.

2) President Buhari initiated the Home Grown Feeding Programme which is designed to put an end to importation and market monopoly of farm produce that can be grown here in our country which is a pilot vehicle to sustainable economic, agricultural, academic and job creation across the length and breadth of our nation.

3) Under President Buhari, the Standing Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee on Zero-Reject of Agricultural Commodities and Produce / Non-oil Exports in Nigeria was inaugurated.

4) Under the Buhari-led administration, Nigeria has benefitted from 13.1billion Euros honeybee project.

5) The Buhari administration has commenced steps improving the standards of Nigeria’s agricultural exports to align with global standards due to the rejection of our produce at the EU Border Controls.

6) Under President Buhari, Standards and Quality Control measures have been developed in.

7) Under President Buhari administration at the end of 2016, agricultural goods as share of total trade got N212.73bn and 4.02 per cent and Agricultural goods exports were 2.7 per cent higher in Q4 2016 than Q3 2016.

8.) Under the Buhari-led administration, Sesame seeds contributed N6.46billion to Agricultural product exports in the fourth quarter of 2016.

9) In the fourth quarter of 2016, Frozen shrimps and prawns chipped in N4.4billion to Agricultural product exports under PMB’s administration.

10) Under President Buhari administration in the fourth quarter of 2016, Flour and meals of soya beans contributed N2.59billion to agricultural product exports

11) Under President Buhari administration in the fourth quarter of 2016, cashew nuts in shell contributed N0.95billion to Agricultural product exports with the Buhari-led administration.

12) Crude palm kernel accounted for N0.62 billion of the total Agricultural exports under the President Buhari administration in the fourth quarter of 2016.

13) Under the President Buhari administration the agricultural universities coordinating agency is being revitalised as stipulated in the enabling Act which will work closely with the Nigerian University Commission and development partners to re-focus the universities of agriculture in the country.

14) The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises (LIFE) programme was initiated by the Buhari Administration and it is aimed at bringing life back to rural communities through the empowerment of youth, women and other vulnerable groups across the country.

15) Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises (LIFE) Programme initiated by the President Buhari administration is geared towards promoting community-based on-farm and off-farm business activities as a model for job and wealth creation amongst unemployed youth and women in rural and suburban households.

16) Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises (LIFE) Programmes under President Buhari are expected to establish 150,000 cooperatives nationwide under commodity value chain groups.

17) Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises (LIFE) programme under President Buhari will establish and operate up to 1,000 cottage industries in the country, and ultimately engage about 1,995,500 youth and 997,500 women for enhanced productivity.

18) Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises (LIFE) programme under President Buhari would add about 5,965,000 metric tons of foods to the national food store.

19) Anchor Borrowers’ Programme is an intervention of the Buhari administration aimed at fast-tracking access of rural farmers to finance productivity.

20) The Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria under the Buhari-led administration has made available N82billion in funding to 350,000 farmers of rice, wheat, maize, cotton, cassava, poultry, soy beans and groundnut; who have cultivated about 400,000 hectares of land.

21) The Buhari-led administration has made provision of agricultural credit for financing the production of rice, wheat, ginger, maize and soybeans in Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Enugu, Benue, Zamfara, Anambra and Kwara States.

22) The Anchor Borrower’s Programme (ABP) under Buhari’s administration has provided quantum of money for dry season farming in 2015, wet season rice and wheat farming in 2016 and is currently supporting the 2016 dry season farming in many states.

23) The President Buhari administration has commenced the use of National Soil Map Data, with the promotion of the use of soil-specific fertilizer formulations and application in prescribed dosages based on soil types following the conduct of soil mapping/test to enhance agricultural production and productivity.

24) Under President Buhari administration a resurrected interest in agriculture has awakened among small holder farmers.

25) Under the Buhari-led administration, Nigeria’s fertilizer market is growing.

26) The President Buhari administration has signed an agreement with the Government of Morocco for the supply of fertilizer raw materials on concessionary terms to boost local blending to facilitate making soil and crop-specific fertilizer blends available and accessible to smallholder Nigeria farmers.

27) The Ministry of Agriculture under President Buhari is facilitating the timely access of farmers to appropriate quality seeds.

28) The President Buhari administration has facilitated seed trading locally and internationally through the application of regionally agreed principles and rules.

29) The enabling environment for private investment in the seed industry has been created by the Buhari-led administration.

30) Under President Buhari, the National Irrigation Policy and Strategy has been developed and focuses on the need to overcome the irrigation challenges and put available irrigation facilities in the country into effective use.

31) The PMB Administration has assessed the status of infrastructure in all the 12 River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) hence, commenced immediate and effective use of the facilities for commercial farming.

32) Under President Buhari, the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has been strengthened for improved delivery of services through consolidation and recapitalisation in collaboration with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to ensure loan disbursement at a single digit interest regime in the agricultural sector as obtainable in developed and emerging economies.

33) The President Buhari administration has approved the restructuring, re-capitalising and repositioning of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA).

34) The Buhari administration has secured the approval of a grant of $1.1 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the restructuring of the Bank of Agriculture, aimed at staff training to strengthen service delivery.

35) The President Buhari administration has embarked on the re-validation of the claims of agro- dealers and input suppliers under the 2014 wet and 2014/2015 dry seasons to ensure that genuine claims are paid by the government.

36) The President Buhari administration has facilitated the payment of the sum of N20 billion, as part of the debts owed agro-dealers while efforts are on to fully settle the outstanding liabilities.

37) The President Buhari administration has established a N50 billion mechanisation fund to facilitate the second phase of Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprise (AEHE) to roll-out 6,000 tractors and 13,000 harvest and post-harvest equipment units across the country.

38) With the Buhari-led administration, Tractors and Implements were rolled out in Ilorin and Abuja on January 12, 2016, to support targeted commodity value chains.

39) The rising spate of hostilities and attendant insecurity arising from clashes between crop farmers and nomadic herdsmen has raised serious concern within the government. Accordingly, the PMB administration has commenced efforts towards resolution of pastoralists-farmers conflicts through the provision of 55,000 hectares of land by 11 states as part of the 5,000 hectares each expected from the 19 northern states for the development of pasture/paddocks grazing reserves.

40) The Buhari administration has established 40 large scale rice processing plants and 18 High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCGF) plants with a stake commitment of China EXIM (85 per cent) and Nigeria Bank of Industry (BoI) (15 per cent) through concessional credit facilities of US$383,140,375.60 for the rice mills and US$143,722,202.40 for the HQCF Plants.

41) The President Buhari administration through the Ministry of Agriculture is embarking on a programme of distribution of rice mills, of ten tons per day capacity, 20 tons a day, 40 tons a day, 50 tons and a few 100 tons. Collectively between them, the capacity for rice milling will be close to 3,000 tons a day nationwide. That is expected to close the gap between paddy availability and mills to process it.

42) The President Buhari administration has established 10 large scale rice processing plants and 6 High Quality Cassava Flour plants to be owned and operated by the private sector and would be funded by the Special Rice Processing Intervention Fund and the WB Assisted Agricultural Development Policy Operation [AgDPO] Funds.

43) Through President Buhari administration, Real GDP in agriculture grew by 4.11 per cent in the year 2016, and this growth rate was higher than that recorded in 2015 of 3.72 per cent.

44) Under Buhari’s administration as captured by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), there was a continuing strong growth in Agriculture (especially Crop Production) in the Q4 of 2016.

45) Agriculture contributed 21.26 per cent to nominal GDP in the Q4 of 2016 and the sector grew by 6.45 per cent year-on-year under President Buhari administration.

46) In the Buhari-led administration, the contribution of Agriculture to overall GDP in real terms was 25.49 per cent in the quarter under review, higher than its share of 24.18 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2015.

47) The Ministry of Agriculture under President Buhari administration also provided 2283 bags of industrial salt to hides and skin dealers in 12 targeted states.

48) The President Buhari administration placed ban on rice importation and that has saved Nigeria an average of $5 Million daily.

49) The growing success story on agriculture in Buhari’s Administration has prompted more youths to commence full production in agriculture.

50) More than 7 million Nigerians are actively employed in agriculture under the Buhari Government’s diversification agenda and the Ministry of Agriculture is working to ensure that Agriculture will offer 20 million jobs in the nearest future.

51) Nigeria’s milled rice production has increased by about 60 percent, from 2.5 million MT in 2015, to 4 million MT in 2017 under the President Buhari administration.

52) The Buhari-led administration set up the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) to deliver commercially significant quantities of affordable and high quality fertilizer to the Nigerian farmer at the right time

53) The Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) under the President Buhari administration has resulted in the revitalization of 14 blending plants across the country, with a total installed capacity in excess of 2 million MT.

54) The Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) under the President Buhari administration has resulted in benefits which will include annual savings of US$200 million in foreign exchange, and N60 billion annually in budgetary provisions for Fertilizer subsidies.

55) Under President Buhari administration, the current cumulative in terms of IGR generated through Agriculture since the fall in price of crude globally has placed agriculture as the best alternative for creating wealth and increasing our National Foreign Reserve to an all-time high.

56) Nigeria’s economy has since bounced back after the recession of 2015/2016 and has continued to grow back as the strongest stabilizing economy in Africa under Buhari-led administration.

57) Through the Buhari-led administration, agriculture is already ripe to be the next green oil and global gold the world has ever seen and the green-rush will lead all roads to Nigeria.

58) Buhari-led Administration has revived 11 moribund plants with a combined capacity of over two million metric tonnes.

59) In 2017 under the President Buhari administration, Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) delivered 10 million 50kg bags(500,000MT) of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer at a price of N5,500 in time for the wet season which is down from the price of N9,000 per 50kg bag in 2016, a 40% reduction in price.

60) Under President Buhari administration there is a higher patronage for the country’s rail network due to movement of raw materials and finished goods.

61) Under President Buhari administration, the bag-making sector of the economy was boosted, with over 10million packaging bags produced exclusively for Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI).

62) The Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) has been able to create 60,000 direct jobs and even a higher number of indirect jobs under the Buhari-led administration.

63) The Buhari-led administration has cut down on imports of agricultural products in order to enable self-sufficiency in food production and consumption.

64) Under President Buhari administration, The Green Alternative (TGA) was initiated, a major policy thrust to build an agri-business economy capable of delivering sustained prosperity by meeting domestic food security goals, generate exports, support sustainable income and job.

Can Nigerians verify all these claims?

Source: https://naijapolitico.com.ng/sixty-four-64-achievements-of-president-muhammadu-buhari-in-agricultural-sector-by-lauretta-onochie/