The Director General of the Atiku Campaign Organisation, Senator Bukola Saraki has called on Nigerians to Vote only Leaders who mean well for the Country. He made this known via a tweet on his Twitter Handle, calling on Nigerians to vote in atiku and Peter Obi In 6 days, YOU will have the opportunity to decide the future of our nation. I want YOU to come out in large numbers to vote for Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and the PDP, because if YOU show up, they can’t rig!
Anyone conversant with political trends in Nigeria will agree that KWARA state is one of the hotspots during the 2019 elections. The opposition APC is desperate to wrestle power off the ruling PDP in the state. Nigerians are hopeful for a free, fair and credible election in the state.
Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is the gubernatorial aspirant of the APC in the upcoming elections. This is not the first time the name is coming up in the political atmosphere of KWARA, it would be recalled that, he contested the KWARA central senatorial seat under the PDP in 2011 and he was soundly defeated. He was also the CPC gubernatorial candidate in the same 2011 elections in KWARA state. *Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, though not a newbie is a quite unpopular man among the KWARA electorates*, he is one of the *diaspora politicians who visit KWARA once in four years to come and contest electoral seats*. These *diaspora politicians do not relate with the citizenry, attend to their needs or contribute anything to the development of the state*,hence their unpopularity and subsequent woeful performances in elections. They come hoping to reap the rewards of others who have dedicated their Lives to the service of the people of Kwara.
Despite being the gubernatorial candidate of the APC, the unpopularity among the populace still reared its head in the primary elections of the APC in the state. *The APC primary election as reported by reporters and other APC contestants was marred with irregularities and unjust dismissal of candidates before, during and after the elections and also the ambiguous allotment of votes, to ensure the emergence of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq*. This is unsurprisingly a characteristic trait of the APC everywhere across the nation. This is particularly worrisome to a vast majority of Kwarans, who are concerned about having a free and fair election, devoid of electoral malpractices, vote buying and selling and, rigging of any sort.
One common trait of these diaspora politicians, the bulk of which are APC members is their propensity to spread propaganda against the Bukola Saraki led KWARA PDP. They failed to acknowledge that they were not so eager to visit KWARA before the modernization of the state during the years of Sen. Bukola Saraki as governor of KWARA state and the continuity by the Abdulfatah Ahmed's administration of the state.
An elite state like KWARA can not at this stage in its development afford to be governed by people of limited education. *A quick look at the educational qualification of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and his deputy as released by INEC shows their highest qualification is SSCE*. It is still fresh in the memories of Nigerians how our great nation was brought into recession by men of such average education in the APC. *It is even more alarming because the nation was taken to recession by a SSCE/professor team, what then would a SSCE/SSCE do to the affairs of a state?*
Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq the APC aspirant has no prior governance experience whatsoever. Much had been said of him being an oil magnate and that has at best offered him the experience of running business partnerships or sole proprietorship business model. The oil and gas industry in Nigeria is well known for its sharp practices and questionable deals. *The governance of a state cannot be run like a sole proprietorship business model and requires a high level of transparency and accountability which are traits Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq does not possess*. Little else is known about the man,except that he is the son a of the first Northern lawyer and that *he is a disciple of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who despite the huge revenues flowing into the Lagos state government, has filled Lagos with slums, ghettos and ruled by Agberos*.
*It is admirable for a man to have lofty ambitions, it is even more admirable to work towards your ambitions, but governance of a prosperous states requires more than lofty ambitions. It requires a well though out process, it requires a level of experience,it requires vibrancy, it requires relationship and familiarity with the people of the state so as to know their needs and to have an experience of their day to day life. It requires a certain level of education to have a good grasp of certain simple and complex economic principles. These and many more are the reasons why KWARANS Have unanimously approved of Rt. Hon. Bar. Razak Atunwa as the next executive governor of KWARA state, to place KWARA on the right track of development and stability, peace and harmony*. Itesiwaju KWARA, *OTUNYA*
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi's campaign train storms markets and streets of Nsukka, Igbo-Eze South, Igbo-Eze North and Udenu Local Government Areas in Enugu North Senatorial District of Enugu State, in continuation of his intense door-to-door campaign and direct contact with masses, ahead of the forthcoming general election.
The glamour of the campaign and the great joy and enthusiasm on the faces of the people speak volumes of the governor's level of popularity and acceptance in the state, as they reassured him of their overwhelming votes at the polls.
2019 general election will surely end in Praise, for Enugu State is truly in the hands of God.#amokelouis
This afternoon, Reno Omokri shared a video of people alledgely shouting "ole" at the convoy of President Buhari but it turns out to be fake as it was edited.
Traders at Kenyatta Market by Adelabu Street, Uwani, Enugu, whose shops were gutted by fire last week, on Friday, paid a Thank-you visit to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at the Government House, Enugu.
The jubilant traders, who were accompanied by the Chairman of Kenyatta Market Traders Association, Hon. Chinweuba Igwesi, and his secretary, Dons Okeke, displayed different dance steps and expressed gratitude to God and Gov. Ugwuanyi for wiping their tears by offering them financial assistance to re-establish their businesses.
Speaking to newsmen amid excitement and great joy, Lady Chidiebere Ozoude said that “we are really happy that we are back to life, after our shops got burnt”, stressing that “we cannot afford to thank God and thank Gburugburu (Ugwuanyi) who God really used to wipe away our tears and return us back to life”.
Ozoude prayed that God blesses the governor and grants him victory at the polls to continue the good work he has started in the state
According to her, “we are here for the purpose of the surprise assistance the governor gave to us when we had problem at Kenyatta Market. Our shops got burnt and everything we had was so burnt that we couldn’t get anything out.
“We cried to the governor and he came immediately and wiped away our tears. We pray that God who started this good work with him will accomplish it by granting him a resounding victory in the forthcoming governorship election, which is the prayer of the people of Enugu State”.
It would be recalled that when the inferno occurred, Gov. Ugwuanyi visited the victims, empathized with them and donated N1 million to each of the affected traders to ameliorate their loss.
The governor thanked God that no life was lost and told the victims that his administration was deeply concerned about the challenges they encountered as a result of the inferno and reassured them that his administration will not abandon them in their time of need.
Truly, Enugu State is in the hands of God! #amokelouis
Breaking: Conspiracy As INEC Deny Igbos, Minority Tribes their PVCs in Lagos
Following the Issue of Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVC) by the INEC, a lot of complaints have been recorded concerning bottlenecks in the collection of PVCs, both on social media and help lines devoted to PVC collection. Most Nigerians have taken to Facebook and Twitter to show their frustration regarding the bottlenecks in PVC collection. In one of the hotlines for people having issues with collection of PVCs, a caller by name Ayomide has made scathing accusations against the INEC in Lagos, using Mushin INEC office as an example.
The INEC in Mushin local government was accused by the caller as sabotaging the collection of PVCs by Igbos and other minorities. He stated that the PVCs are sorted by tribe and Ward and the wards that promise high vote for the opposition, are usually withheld. The caller affirms that the people doing this, believe that the minorities in Lagos will likely vote for other candidates apart from the APC in Lagos Federal Constituency 2. He however made this discovery a week ago and made efforts to report the case to an officer at Itire Police Station. However, the officer discouraged him from taking up the case, citing threat to his life as an excuse.
Ayomide during his call, stated that Wards J, B and G have had their PVCs sorted out. He stated that “INEC is withholding the PVCs of people from Ward J and people with Igbo names because Ward J are filled with minority tribes and they think Igbos will vote PDP.” HE stated that this was not the same issue with people from Ward F (Idi Araba), who are mostly made up of Northerners whom the INEC believe will vote for the APC.
Recall that a Twitter user tweeted her disappointment upon being denied her PVC in Southern Kaduna because she is a Christian. She stated that the INEC had sorted out PVCs belonging to Christians in Southern Kaduna and were withholding them, with the excuse that INEC had not printed their PVCs and they would be ready after the election.
It is newsworthy to note that the INEC Chairman has mentioned that about 14 million PVCs have been printed and distributed across Nigeria. As such, Professor Yakubu in his press briefing notes that every collection point, already have the PVCs of the people who registered with them.
By Ogunrinde Olayinka, Graduate of Political Science, University of Ilorin.
As a student of political science, over the past few months, I have watched the political actors in my home state, Kwara, campaigning and jostling for power. Some of them want to be House of Assembly members; some of them want to go to the National Assembly as Senators or Honourable members; others want to be Governor; while still, other just want to be the godfathers behind the scene — pulling strings and giving orders.
Focusing on the main contenders, the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and their main challengers, the All Progressives Congress (APC), one thing that strikes me as odd is the clear distinction between the organisational structure and the competence of the candidates being presented by both sides.
For example, the PDP has presented Honourable Razak Atunwa, a former speaker of the State House of Assembly, and current Honourable Member in the 8th National Assembly as its gubernatorial candidate. Atunwa, who also served as a Commissioner for Lands and Housing in the Saraki administration, won the PDP primaries in a landslide due to his executive and legislative experience, that seems to make him well-prepared for the task of governing the State of Harmony.
On the other hand, the APC has presented a virtually untested — at least in public service — Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq as its candidate. Abdulrazaq, whose major claim to fame is that he is the son of the first lawyer in northern Nigeria, has galvanised a segment of the Kwara population with his campaign slogan ‘O to Ge’, which translates to ‘Enough is Enough’ in English.
A brief perusal of the social media handles of the APC and PDP candidates shows that while the PDP candidate, Atunwa, is looking to the future by putting forth specific agendas that his government can be held accountable to if he assumes office, the APC candidate, Abdulrahman, is focusing on the past and trying to appeal to voters based on sentiment, with no specific manifesto that he can be held accountable to.
While Atunwa on one hand, tweets and posts about tapping into the existing comparative advantages of each of local government areas of the state in order to boost the state’s economy, Abdulrahman, continues to focus on stirring up sentiments.
One worthy distinction, is that in the last 10 days for each substantive and specific post of Atunwa’s where he sets forth a specific agenda to develop Kwara, there are at least 3 posts from Abdulrahman that simply say “O To Ge.”
As we, the people of Kwara, prepare to choose which party we will follow in the forthcoming elections, let us be reminded that slogans do not win elections and ‘O To Ge’ is not a manifesto.
We must remember the lessons of APC government at the federal level, who promised us ‘Change’, but instead plunged our economy into its first recession in 30 years; flushed all our development indexes with the international community into the toilet; and spread the insecurity across the nation from the North East, where it was once contained, to areas in the North West and the North Central.
Personally, I will not be swayed by sentiment. I will be convinced by specifics. On February 16th and March 2nd, when I go out to vote, I will cast my votes for the candidates and the party that put forth specific agenda for continuity in the development of the state. I will vote for the party, that is consolidating on the successes of the previous years, not the candidates that want ‘Change’ simply because they want power. In my honest opinion, Atunwa and the PDP, are what’s best for Kwara in 2019. As a student of political science, I stand by this.
-Ogunrinde Olayinka, Graduate of Political Science, University of Ilorin.
Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) excites Enugu residents with intense door-to-door campaign.
Visits Owerri Road, Artisan Market, New Haven Market, GSM Village, Aria New Market, 9th Mile Corner, Udi Town and Four-Corner Junction, canvassing for votes ahead of the forthcoming general election.
Enugu State is truly in the hands of God. #amokelouis
Wife of the presidential flag bearer of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Dr (Mrs) Jennifer Douglas-Abubakar, has tasked women in Nigeria to vote for her husband, Alh. Atiku Abubakar, in the forthcoming presidential elections for quality representation.
Mrs Abubakar made this known on Monday in Calabar Cross River State, during her routine Town Hall meetings in the South South and South East regions of Nigeria to drum up support for the Atiku presidential ticket.
She called on women to get their PVCs and ensure that members of their household do the same and vote for Atiku to change the present politics and policies that have not worked.
"Getting your PVCs is a proof that you want Nigeria to change for the better. Get to the voting centre, cast your votes and protect it. Vote for a better future which will give a new lease of life to every Nigerian. We cannot continue to live as slaves in our own country. We have to vote in this election as if the whole of our future depends on it. This election is a defining moment for us as a people, and as women who bear the grunt of bad governance", she said.
She noted that Atiku if voted into power will tackle the issues of insecurity, healthcare, revamp the economy, and will give equity to gender participation.
Speaking at the event, wife of the Cross River state governor, Dr Lynda Ayade, gave the assurance that women of Cross River will vote for PDP. According to her, the state has over 1.5 million registered voters, half of which are women, who have resolved to redeem their children's future by voting out the incumbent government.
The Town Hall meeting themed "Lets Talk", had notable women express confidence on Atiku's vision to effect the real change and get Nigeria working again.
The event was graced by Wife of the Vice Presidential candidate, Mrs Margaret Obi, wife of PDP National Chairman, Pst Nene Secondus, Sen. Chris Anyawu, Deputy National woman leader of PDP, Haj. Hadiza Umoru, Sen. Florence Ita Giwa, amongst other women who rolled up their support for Atiku.
The event was climaxed by a rally, to canvass for support for all PDP candidates.
It is understatement to say that Nigerian oil is one of the best in the world. We all know that oil and gas export is the biggest foreign exchange earner for the country. The dynamism in the world oil market and the unprecedented rising competition is taken for granted by the Nigerian Government. However, the government deserves all accolades for its bid to review the award process of oil licenses for marginal oil fields in Nigeria and for announcing plan to sign The Petroleum Industry and Governance Bill (PIGB).
In time when the 2017 Resource Governance Index produced by the Nigerian Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) found that the weakest link in Nigeria’s oil and gas value realization is the oil licensing process, the PIGB possess fundamental reforms that Nigeria needs to attain & maintain a domineering position in the world oil marketing in the near future. In all manner of modern marketing strategy, the content of the Bill is to enhance transparency, openness and accountability in oil and gas industry.
Delaying the Bill further is no longer a wise decision. It is like a holding on to shoot the target until he shoots right into your direction. Nigerian oil and Gas industry is the one to bear the brunt if a proactive measure is not taken to sign the bill without further delay. Within the span of 7 years; 2010 and 2017, up to 51 oil licenses expired without any renewals translating into loss of jobs, investment & revenue generation. The oil license renewal isn’t only the issue but the main issue at stake is ensuring that the PIGB is signed into law, because the bill ensures a competitive and transparent process is adhered to in assigning the oil blocks so that only companies with the required financial and technical capacity are issued the licenses, in order to avert a repetition of an unfortunate history.
For example, during the 2005 oil license rounds, several of the firms that were allocated oil blocks lacked the financial and technical capacity to develop the oil fields. Furthermore, only 30% of the previously allocated marginal fields have reached level of commercial production. Then comes the critical question what happened to the 70%? This is contained in the “2014 Benchmarking Exercise Report”.
That kind of loss results from the existence of outdated, primitive & inadequate law governing the oil licensing process. Typical example is the Malabu Oil Scandal which is the worst-case scenario of abusing against due process, that has carved a spot for Nigeria on the world map of corruption, consequently, manifesting in a shortage of FDI in the country’s oil and gas industry, the multiplier effect of which include unemployment and a weak Naira. At the pace things are going, current licensing process gives Nigeria nothing other than the setback in harnessing its economic main stay through which it delivers development programmes.
In conclusion, the PIGB urgently needs to be signed because of heap of financial losses accumulated in 2005, 2006 and 2007 to challenge the quality level of infrastructure and skills at DPR. This led to loss of revenue of more than $2.26 billion. Two, public outcry has been growing on the conduct of the oil licensing process in Nigeria so much so that the past bid rounds have subject to various probes administratively and legislatively, elongating the hardship. Three, there is evidence of non-development of oil fields. Less than 50 contracts were signed or executed after 170 blocks were offered. Four, it is sad that the process contributes to damaged International reputation of oil companies that participate in the Nigeria Bid Rounds, especially the already resident companies that remain without the required bidding qualification in the dynamic competitive environment.
"Whether you vote or not, we will win", The controversial governor of Kano state Abdullahi Ganduje had boasted to the people of Nigeria. The reason for such daring certainty can only be seen as preparatory for some form of rigging of the upcoming elections. For the longest time, there has been speculations as to the significant number of votes spewing from the northern parts of the country which had consequently led to the election of the current President, Mohammadu Buhari. The original conclusion as to the reason for such number was that it was due to the vast population of the people of the North within Nigeria but it has been found to be otherwise . It has been made abundantly clear that the northern votes which had consistuted most of the vote that brought President Buhari into office were carried out by persons who aren't Nigerians and these non-nigerians are attempting to do the same in the upcoming elections. This was clearly shown by the endorsement of Muhammadu Buhari by the government of Niger and the attendance of its delegates to the rally of the APC presidential Candidate in Kano.
As the elections are fast approaching there are strategies that have to be created and executed. Unfortunately, some strategies can only be seen as nothing short of desperate. The Niger republic on the 29th of January released a statement expressing it's involvement in the electoral campaign of the current president, Mohammadu Buhari. In the statement, there were about 60 delegates which the republic proposed to send to Nigeria in favour of the presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari. This led to the serving governors of the republic, Issa Moussa and Zakiri Umar attend the rally of APC presidential Candidate in Kano in the guise of "carrying out an understudy of Buhari's leadership style".
The favorable approach towards the side of the current president by the Niger Republic is no surprise as the president had formally prioritized the republic of Niger over the people of Nigeria in the aspect of infrastructure, by constructing a rail line from kano to Maradi in Niger while ignoring the plethora of infrastructural cases in different parts of the country and with such impunity. Note that, in 2015 during the general elections which ushered in the current president, there were several reports of thousands of people crossing from Niger Republic to vote for a particular candidate which INEC seemed to have purposefully ignored.
The southern and middle belt Leaders' Forum expressed their great disapproval with this approach stating succinctly "Never in our political history has our national security been so endangered in the name of politics and politicking, A situation which calls for immediate investigation by relevant security agencies. The National Intelligence Agency, NIA; the defence intelligence Agency, DIA and the Department of State Services, DSS, must move to interrogate this development and report their findings to us Nigerians whose best interests they swore to serve". The outcry is no surprise as it has been reported that several persons from Chad and Niger are crowding over our borders as elections are fast approaching.
This is however coming after the insinuation of the presidency that the United States and the United Kingdom were interfering with the internal affairs of the Nation when they attempted to intervene in the activities of the country following the unjust and unconstitutional removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Ononghen. The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Buhari, Shehu Garba expressed the dissatisfaction with the alleged interference of the US and UK saying " Nigeria reserves the right to be insulated from suggestions and or interference with respect to wholly internal affairs and commends international laws, customs and norms that mandate and require nations and the comity to respect the prerogative to all". This statement obviously has a limited application as this seems only to apply to matters that favors the presidency and yet to the detriment of the people of Nigeria
It is general knowledge that election is an internal affair but the persons in power acting arbitrialy have turned into a spectacle. There's no doubt that the outright invasion of our territories puts our nation at great risk following the country problems with herdmens attack, terrorism, kidnapping and other related evils. It is important that we do not assist in such disrespect of the system. It is only that can stand up for ourselves. We must be determined to resist the attempt to cripple the economy and lead us into the jaws of chaos. Let's not be deceived for the facts clearly speaks for itself.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has started its recruitment and training of ad-hoc workers. Thousands are being trained to better carry out their electoral duties. However, here is the problem. The INEC trainers in Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi emphasize total disenfranchisement if the card reader fails to verify the PVC of a voter. That is not the problem if it is a consensus agreement across the country. However, here is the problem; the card readers are really bad, said most of the interviewed trainees who want to remain anonymous.
Recall that in 2015, majority of card readers allocated to the South-East and South-South, were bad. In fact, this is seen in the way the former president Goodluck Jonathan’s verification took more time than normal to go through. The idea here is very clear. Keep the process down south slow, and keep them frustrated. In the same way, in 2015, incidence forms were used with reckless abandon up North. In fact, incidence forms accounted for up to 40% of the votes in the North East and North West, while accounting for less than 10% of votes in the South East and the South-South. Looking for a remedy?
Go and get your PVC and outvote their rigging plans.
The people of Zaria in Kaduna state have rejected Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. In a video which just emerged, the people were heard shouting "Ba mwa so," which is hausa for "we don't want". This has become imminent following killings and nad performance by the governor.
It is on record that the opposition placed 50m naira for anyone who can point at a 10km road started and completed under El Rufai. The 50m is untouched beacause no one has since seen any 10km road started and completed by El Rufai.
Following several propaganda from different sources stating that the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi does not support the PDP’s Atiku Abubakar in his presidential bid, the Governor has come out to tell off mischief makers. He stated in his declaration at the PDP presidential rally in Ebonyi State, that the PDP is Ebonyi and Ebonyi is PDP, 100%.
In his speech with the Ebonyi State Traditional Rulers, he announced, “Let nobody be deceived. Ebonyi State is totally PDP and that is beyond any compromise. President Buhari is my personal friend and a sitting president. But that does not extend to politics. I am a man of honor. We will deliver this state totally to PDP in the coming elections.”
Umahi told mischief makers to go and deliver their states and stop worrying about Ebonyi State. The DG of the PDP Presidential campaign who was present, praised Umahi as a working governor and danced with him, while saying clearly that the PDP will continue to favor Ebonyi State no matter what. The PDP National Chairman stated that with the crowd available, it is clear that the PDP’s headquarters is in Ebonyi.
The massive crowd which is speculated to be in the hundreds of thousands, spilling into the streets, was said to be the biggest so far, even bigger than the much talked about Kaduna rally. Atiku Abubakar promised quality projects for the people of Ebonyi and counted on their votes. Peter Obi who is the VP candidate, could not be allowed to speak because of the praises the crowd had for him as they kept on chanting; “Okwute ndi Igbo.”
How Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi sold their candidacy to Nigerians
The chorus to Lupe Fiasco’s 2007 song “Superstar” goes as follows: If you are what you say you are A super star Then have no fear, the camera's here, and the microphone, and they wanna know Oh oh oh oh If you are what you say you are A super star Then have no fear, the crowd is here, and the lights are on and they want a show
It perfectly describes the occasion that PDP Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and his running mate Peter Obi competently rose to. The occasion couldn’t have been bigger. Atiku and Obi were the last of a set of candidates running for the highest office in the land that had sat down for a town hall meeting every Wednesday in January from the 9th to the 30th. On January 9th, Kingsley Moghalu and Umma Getso of the YPP were in the hot seats. On January 16th, it was President Buhari and VP Professor Osinbajo of the ruling APC party On January 23,rd Yele Sowore and Dr Ahmed Rufai of the AAC Finally, on January 30th, Atiku Abubaker and Peter Obi of the PDP. The host of this series of town halls was journalist, tv host, and media entrepreneur Kadaria Ahmed. Her Daria Media company collaborated with NTA in order to bring the town hall to television and mobile phone screens to Nigerians across the country. In what was a combative affair between the hosts and the candidates that focused mostly on corruption and saw Mrs Ahmed repeatedly interrupt them, Mr Atiku and Mr Obi presented themselves as private sector advocates who blamed the socialist tendencies of the Buhari administration for the hardship millions of Nigerians have been suffering for the past 3 years. For many Nigerians that were disappointed that Atiku didn’t get to debate Buhari on January 19th, this was an opportunity for them to hear him answer questions on how he would fix the economy, provide jobs to millions of unemployed Nigerians, improve healthcare and infrastructure. In comparison to the Buhari performance on January 16th, where the President seemed to have a hearing problem and little to no idea about policy initiatives to tackle things like disabilities while requiring Osinbajo to bail him out with answers, Atiku not only required no assistance from running mate Peter Obi (He spoke longer than Obi compared to Osinbajo who had to be told by the host to stand down and let the President speak for himself), he met fire with fire by vigorously defending his record as vice president in the Obasanjo administration. Atiku addressed allegations of corruption lobbed at him by factually stating he had been investigated but never found guilty. He addressed Boko haram, the herdsmen crisis, job creation, foreign direct investment, lowering corporate taxes to spur investment, expanding healthcare to more Nigerians, and improving education to account for the 13 million children currently out of school. Peter Obi was the perfect wingman. He chipped in with witty analogies to support the case Atiku was presenting to Nigerians and also highlighted his record as Governor of Anambra and how investments he made on behalf of the state yielded dividends. Atiku and Obi came off as competent and, forgive the pun, articulate. This was not an easy townhall. At times, it seemed as if the host was on a mission to undermine them by playing a game of “gotcha” with her questions, but both men used the opportunity to clear the minds of any Nigerians that had any lingering doubts about their collective integrity. Above all else, what was most clear was the stark contrast between Atiku and Buhari. Based on this town hall, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that if both men faced off in a debate, Atiku would maul Buhari. No wonder his challenge for another debate with the incumbent has been ignored. If you are what you say you are A super star Then have no fear, the camera's here, and the microphone, and they wanna know Atiku and Obi had no fear. The cameras were there, and the microphone. Nigerians wanted to know if both men had the capacity to steer the country in the direction of recovery. What they got was two seasoned businessmen eager to take Nigeria from loss to profit. February 16th awaits
It was an exciting day on twitter yesterday as H.E. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP Presidential candidate and his running mate, H.E. Peter Obi held Nigerians spell bound during a live broadcast townhall hosted by Kadaria Ahmed.
The duo fielded questions from the host and townhall audience articulately, driving home their points, supporting each other when it was absolutely necessary.
They have warmed their way into the hearts of many, exceeding expectations as Nigerian twitter users shared their opinions. The highly critical occupants of the Nigeria Twitter space could not hold their accolades as hundreds of thousands of tweets praised the duo as the ultimate solution to the Nigeria problem. Here are some of the reactions.
PDP Campaign: Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Ex-Governor Chimaroke Nnamani, others, storm Amankanu, Nkanu East L.G.A amid jubilation, cheers from residents and teeming supporters during a stopover at Eke Obinagu junction, Emene...
2019 will surely end in Praise for Enugu State is truly in the hands of God! #amokelouis
In a Twitter Poll conducted by Philip Obin, the handler of APC Nigeria Twitter handle, 24,000 Nigerians have voted Buhari as the most likely candidate to sell of National Assets to friends and families. 53% of the voters were of this opinion.
Recall that various civil society groups have asked for investigation into the ownership of Keystone Bank and 9Mobile, which are all alleged to be owned by Buhari's family. This has since sparked off massive distrust accross the nation for the former dictator, whose matra is to eradicate corruption.
In an APC rally, the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomole stated that once anyone is a friend and family of the APC, that no matter what the person has done or stolen, that the sins will be forgiven. Nigerians have seen this, including Buhari's affinity with accused people like Orji Kalu and Joshua Dariye, who even in prison for corruption, is a member of Buhari's campaign team.
By February 16th, Nigerians will go to the poll and the question will be; is our National Assets best used for public enrichment or familial enrichment?
.....Urges PDP candidate to join in efforts to take Ekiti to next level of development
Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has declared that Monday's judgement of the Ekiti State Election Tribunal affirming his election as the validly elected Governor of the State is a re- affirmation of the wishes of the vast majority of Ekiti people.
Governor Fayemi who hailed the judgement as another proof that the wishes of the people will always prevail, said he is forever grateful to Ekiti people for electing him as governor for a second term and by standing by his government.
" It is a victory for all Ekiti people. This is democracy at work. This is a reflection of the wishes of our people and i dedicate the victory to our people" said Fayemi in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary. Mr Yinka Oyebode.
The Governor also urged his main challenger, the PDP candidate, Prof Olusola Eleka, to join hands with him and the rest of Ekitis in taking the State to the next level of development and prosperity.
"It is a great day for democracy. And the judiciary has proven again that it is the last hope of the common man.
"We shall now continue with the task of rebuilding our state and restoring the core values of our people without any iota of distraction" he said.
Dr Fayemi also urged his supporters to be magnanimous in victory and celebrate in moderation, saying that he remains the Governor of all Ekitis regardless of party affiliation.
"It is a victory for all of us and together we shall restore the state's lost glory.
" Our desire is to bring back peace, progress and prosperity to Ekiti State. The journey has just begun.
" I call on the PDP candidate, Prof Olusola Kolapo, who is an illustrious son of the state, to join us in the efforts to take the State to the next level of development and prosperity" , the statement added.
signed Yinka Oyebode Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
The South East has about 7 million registered voters. In 2015, the region although witnessed a low turnout, gave PDP about a net vote of 2.5million votes. The strength of the region is in its bloc votes. In fact, the net vote of the APC in the whole of South West, was covered by the bloc vote of Anambra State for PDP.
Hence, Buhari’s electoral victory is traceable to the bloc votes from North East and North West. The problem for APC starts when a strong and loveable candidate like Alhaji Atiku Abubakar becomes the candidate of the PDP. If Northern votes are divided, then the horizon is cloudy for the APC. However, that is not the issue in this article.
The issue here is that there has been a persistent low turnout for South East rallies of the APC, from Enugu, to Anambra, to Imo and then to Abia State. This has become a source of worry for the ruling party as they try to show dominance in the region.
In a situation where a prominent, competent and capable Fulani Muslim is up, challenging Buhari in the North, with the likes of Kwankwaso, Tambuwal and Lamido for the PDP, then chances are that the 2019 election is set to be tough for the APC. With Enugu, Anambra, Imo, and Abia recording empty venues for the APC, one can only guess how the APC will win the 2019 election. The question then becomes; what is the plan for an APC victory come February 2019?
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State with President Muhammadu Buhari at the inauguration of the Centre of Excellence, University of Nigeria, Enugu State - a world class postgraduate school conceived by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) "to ensure students at postgraduate levels in Economics, Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Administration and Statistics study in a serene environment that would stimulate effective learning with a view to building human capacity for the financial services sub-sector".
Enugu State is truly in the hands of God. #amokelouis
Politics › 2019: @bukolasaraki Calls On Nigerians To Vote In @atiku And @peterobi by Chikiletta(op): 1:47pm On Feb 10, 2019
