₦airaland Forum

The Oyo State Government yesterday sacked the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, as the permanent chairman of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs, with an amendment of the Obas Council’s Law 2000.
Governor Adebayo Alao Akala signed an amendment bill rapidly raised and passed same day yesterday afternoon by the legislators.

At an extraordinary sitting of 18 out of the 32-man Assembly, the legislators revoked the contentious permanency clause in the year 2000 legislation, providing that the office be henceforth rotated among the Alaafin, the Soun of Ogbomosoland and the Olubadan of Ibadanland.

But, the spurious and speedy manner in which the bill was tabled and passed at just one sitting of the House which lasted barely an hour has raised suspicion of a witch-hunt against the Oyo monarch for his alleged role in the defeat of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the just concluded general elections in the state.
The lawmakers last sat on March 22, 2011 and reconvened yesterday with the amendment of the law as their sole agenda for the day.

The Alaafin, who has been in a cold war with Governor Otunba Adebayo Alao Akala over perceived hostile actions against him by the governor is credited with the victory of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the four local governments that make up his domain Atiba, Oyo East, Oyo West and Afijio, where the PDP was completely routed in the National Assembly, governorship and State House of Assembly polls.
In fact, the House Speaker, Moroof Atilola, lost his bid to return to the House on the ticket of his Oyo West-east constituency.

Oba Adeyemi is believed to have favoured and worked covertly for the success of the “broom party,” to settle scores with the Akala regime which also removed his son, Hakeem as Chairman of the Atiba Local Government last year and ostensibly “promoted” a junior chief, the Alago Oja of Oja to the position of an Oba “to rival him.”
But, the House Chief Whip and a member of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Olalekan Ganiyu denied that the PDP dominated Assembly was on a vengeance mission.
In an interview with reporters at the end of yesterday’s session, which was watched by Oyo-born Secretary to the State Government, Chief Olayiwola Olakojo and some journalists from the public and press gallery, the lawmaker said the bill for the amendment of the law had been in the offing for a long time and needed to be addressed by the Assembly before its tenure expired.

According to the new amended bill, section 3(3) provided the “the chairmanship of the council shall be rotated among the Alaafin of Oyo, the Olubadan of Ibadanland and the Soun of Ogbomoso, every two years and in the order specified in Schedule II, whist the Deputy Chairmanship shall be rotated every two years among members listed in Schedule IIA and in the order specified therein.

These are: Olugbon of Orile Igbon; Eleruwa of Eruwa; Okere of Saki and the Aseyin of Iseyin.
Ganiyu had moved the motion shortly after the House began plenary session and the Majority Leader, Waheed Olaniyan announced the amendment as the major issue on the order paper.
Justifying the proposed amendment, Ganiyu traced the principle of rotation to the headship of the council of the Conference of Obas in Southwestern Nigeria in March 1937 where it was agreed that it be rotated to avoid disagreements on issue of seniority among members.

He noted, however, that the emergency of military in power changed the situation as alterations were made depending on the administration.

He remarked that the issue became contentious and resulted in litigation in which the Alaafin and some Obas fought attempted imposition of the Ooni of Ife as permanent chairman in the old Oyo State.
The rotational policy, was, however, restored by the Abdulkareem Adisa regime through the edict of Oct. 30, 1991 which saw the Alaafin and Olubadan enjoying the privilege between 1991 and 1995.
However, this was reversed by the Ike Nwosu administration in 1995, which made both Soun and Olubadan subordinate to Alaafin who was appointed permanent chairman.

“Unfortunately, Nwosu flawed arrangement was erroneously legitimized by the Lam Adesina administration with the publication of Oyo State Gazette No 27, vol. 26 of July 16, 2001. This position has been severely criticized because it has no historical justification,” Ganiyu said, saying since then government had been inundated with resurent agitations and strident clamour for the rotation of the offices, “to correct historical positions of the various communities in the state as well as giving credence to modern trends in the growth of the communities.”
Citing historical authorities, the Chief Whip declared that Ibadan and its ruler were, for instance never vassels to the Alaafin and that it would be incongruous to put him under the Oyo monarch.

Immediately after this Deputy Speaker, Hon. Jelil Adeleke, who stood for the speaker, who was absent, referred the bill to the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for deliberation and the lawmakers went on a 10-minute recess.
Hon. Tunde Jinadu representing Ibadan North II presented the committee’s report, which affirmed the position of the bill sponsored.

When they returned, then, the bill went through the second and third reading and was unanimously passed.
The passed bill, Daily Sun learnt was later ratified by Governor Alao Akala same afternoon when it was presented to him.
Defending the lawmakers’ action, Ganiyu said: “For over one decade, there have been persistent clamour for sections of the state for this amendment. We must do our job and if we fail to do it, somebody else will do it. If anybody is aggrieved, they can call for amendment if another regime comes in. “There are still other things we are planning to do.”
The Alaafin could not be reached by press time yesterday for his comments. However, his Personal Assistant, Azeez Fehintola said he would get back to Daily Sun when contacted on phone.

But Governor Akala in a terse statement by his media aide, Prince Dotun Oyelade who said that the law takes immediate effect noted that it would be “invidious and shallow for anyone to read political motive to this issue while to our mind, the time is ripe and just.”


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/may/04/national-04-05-2011-001.htm

The Afghan Taliban said on Tuesday they had not seen sufficient evidence to convince them that al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, is dead.


This is their first comment since United States officials said the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks was killed in Pakistan.


“As the Americans did not provide any acceptable evidence to back up their claim, and as the other aides close to Osama bin Laden have not confirmed or denied the death , therefore the Islamic Emirate considers any assertion premature,” said a statement e-mailed to the media by Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid.


The statement said the Islamist group, which harboured bin Laden in Southern Afghanistan before and immediately after the September 11 attacks, would not offer any comment until they had seen evidence from bin Laden’s aides.


US President Barack Obama announced the killing of bin Laden, who was found in a compound in the military garrison town of Abottabad about 60 km north of the Pakistani capital Islamabad.


Bin Laden’s body was flown out of Pakistan after the raid by a small US strike team, taken to an aircraft carrier and buried somewhere in the North Arabian sea on Monday, US officials have said.


Washington has so far not released any photographs of bin Laden’s body or the burial, raising doubts in some Islamist forums about whether he was killed.


A US official told Reuters in Washington on Tuesday that the US might release photos of the burial at sea.


Other Islamist groups were quick to denounce the killing of bin Laden, with many vowing to carry out attacks against Westerners to avenge his death.


But the Taliban had remained quiet until Tuesday, despite a relatively sophisticated media network they had developed over the past few years.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201105042213915

this millitant should go and sleep bloody saboteur, e think say e and buhari na mate i laff in ijaw

na wao oh i just discovered that Buhari killed Abiola,Ken Sarowiwa ,infact he is mend leader nonsense Buhari should be left alone ,a man of principle and integrity,well as Beaf said time will tell,to all buhari haters slow i mean it slow your roll let this man be,those responsible for the violence should be dealtn with. no sacred cows

About 200 indigenes of Ondo State, who were recently evacuated from Bauchi State, back to the state yesterday received N10,000 each from the state government.
The corps members were evacuated by the state government on Monday, following the post- election crisis that followed the presidential election.

While addressing newsmen, the Special Adviser to the state governor on Youths, Mr. Olumide George, said the money was to assist the corps members.

“We are grateful to God that the corps members did not perish in the incident. The state government decided to rescue the corps members because it cannot sit down and allow its indigenes to suffer because of political violence in the North. The money is given to them to assist them to take care of their immediate needs,” he said.

http://www.dailytrust.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18105:ondo-govt-donates-n20m-to-evacuated-corps-members&catid=1:news&Itemid=2

By Emma Amaize & Emma Arubi
THOUSANDS of Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, supporters staged a peaceful protest at Asaba, the capital of Delta State, Thursday, soon after Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan was declared winner of Tuesday’s governorship election.

However, residents of Warri, Effurun, Ughelli, Ogbe-Ijoh and Sapele, Thursday, defied heavy rainfall to celebrate the victory of Uduaghan.

But reacting to the protest, the Delta State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chief Paulinus Akpeki urged Chief Great Ogboru’s supporters to accept defeat in good fate.

He said the law was clear on what to do if Chief Ogboru was dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, adding, “PDP supporters are celebrating their victory.”

The protesters marched from Government House axis down Ogbegonogo Market area and other parts of Asaba, chanting war songs with leaves. They called for the cancellation of the results of the poll.

Policemen, however, took position at strategic parts of the town to prevent the protesters from turning violent.

The protesters, mainly youths, mobilised for the purpose by the leadership of the DPP, which anticipated that Uduaghan would be declared the winner, were joined by market women.

In Warri, Effurun, Ughelli, Ogbe-Ijoh and Sapele, thousands of PDP supporters as well as the party’s sympathizers stormed the major streets singing and dancing while convoy blaring vehicles drove round the major roads in celebration of the party’s victory.

According to Ijaw leader from Egbema and PDP chieftain in the state, Chief J. Taylor, “We have to celebrate because each time the PDP defeats the DPP, the party cries foul, alleging rigging. This time there was no room for it to complain considering the outcome of the result which shows that it was keenly contested.”

Similarly, Itsekiri youth leader, Mr. Omolubi Newuwumi from Sapele axis said “the wild jubilation was noticed in the PDP stronghold only while there was mixed feelings in the DPP catchment areas dominated by the Urhobos.”

Meanwhile, calm had returned to Asaba at about 3.00 p.m., after supporters of the DPP, protested the loss of Tuesday’s governorship election by their candidate, Chief Ogboru.

Some of the residents were scared that the protest would degenerate to something bloody.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/04/protest-rocks-asaba-as-itsekiri-ijaw-people-celebrate-uduaghans-victory/

commendale ,matured,good sportsmanship and statesmanship as much as i am not a fan of his for once he behaved maturedly

who ever started this thread the path on which you are threading will never i mean never ever get you anywhere mark my words .you are the religious BIGOT,i am not a fan of tinubu but for God's sake give a brother some credit

Gbam,am waiting for his response abi e neva see am?

Davidom a big big amen to your prayers

Copy ,paste and summarize dnt go smuggling things that suit u 2 adulterate reports. English aint dat hard doh might b difficult to comprehend and summarize. Abi na force to post

Pleep thanks for your response,some peeps just paste rubbish inciting unwanted attention. As much as i condem killing of innocent peeps or taking a soul that is not yours to take. What has the UN done to george bush et al for the attrocities committed in iraq,afghanistan. What about syria,bahrain and yemen. They should mind their business and let GEJ deal with the culprits. UN MY AZZ

Hmmm well i comment my reserve,i mean to say i reserve my comment till wednesday oh but if it happens wahala poju oh

Hmm my heart is so heavy just wish it wasnt true,after all the stress of school,the sojourn of life someone who cant even account for his own soul takes that of another,an innocent soul,hmmm it is so sad,may God grant the family the fortitude to bear this loss. If my siblings are posted up north,then they will have to serve at home in benin. Do they have to kill a big man's son before appropriate measures or actions are taken? Notherners why oh why?

The one who posted that pix should be banned from this forum while heat up the polity. he is a bloody liar why why why all to discredit buhari .God go judge you for peddling lies and i pray Goodluck charges you for treason which i hope you know the penalty. Moderators take appropriate action NOW.THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW OR NEVER

na by force say you must start thread abi you no get another thing to do with your time pleas i beg you leave the name of buhari aloneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

i laugh at you poster flush ko flush ni,they will go into the background and continue to call the shots truss me that is nigeria for you,dont worry after the elections all these so called political prostitutes will flock back to PDP

Former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, spoke to journalists in Abuja yesterday on the impasse between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) over alliance for the presidential polls
What will you say of the failed alliance between the CPC and the ACN?



To me, the story is clear from what the national chairman of the party has said and it is very very unfortunate that the two serious national parties could not sort the problem out earlier than when it started. We had been at it for quite some time and you all are aware of the process in the National Democratic Movement from which former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, at the initial stage was a member, and he moved back to the PDP. That was when it was left for Bafarawa, Buhari and us.

From that moment on, it would have been a good opportunity to even vouch for the alliance. It is not about individuals but about three structures trying to get together. Then, there was no CPC but TBO, which is the Buhari organization. Suddenly, they got their registration as CPC. To me, at that stage, instead of merging to form one uniform group, they started talking about an alliance. Alliance in a presidential situation, I mean in federal system, is going to be very difficult. You need to form a common platform, a common manifesto to really work together and be able to educate the people and show the difference between the other parties. When that did not work, they dragged us back.

Today, I will not trade blames. But Buhari as a leader who is highly experienced and having been a statesman and contested elections twice, has complained of rigging and experienced other irregularities and has been in court for a very long time challenging the process, should have known that it is not wise to bring CPC in at the time we were holding talks on a merger in the first place. But we still respected him and we said let us go ahead with the merger.

But they said they only want an alliance. We worked on the merger process to the extent that it was suspended. In between the process, if you want to match, you must have some concessions, you must give and take, look at the objectives and make sacrifices. It is just unfortunate that Nigerians were so self-centred and selfish that no one applied patriotic sense to sacrifice for the country. That is when we had a problem. We suspended the alliance to the National Assembly elections, to see if we could see the performance, and when we resumed after the National Assembly elections, that demonstrated and it showed clearly the strength of ACN. When you look at that across the country, we have a better spread and a better result and the cumulative amount of votes that we garnered put us in a superior position between CPC and ACN. So we should be the leader and we got to the table. The group demanded for the president’s position, having knowledge that the period for substitution was over, according to the electoral Act.

They wanted to keep the presidential candidate, as well as running mate where we should be the leading pack. And that they will keep their platform, CPC. So what is there to be negotiated again? That is a much more critical issue, but we still looked into it for the long term, and for the long interest of the country. We discovered that during the time we were making discussions on the merger, they had entered into agreement with the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) and conceded the vice presidential slot to them.

We said okay, let us all defer all these. Let us first look at our own demands. Buhari, you are a senior man, you are in the Council of state already. You can offer good advice for the remaining part of your life for this country to recover. Nigeria’s democracy needs a hero.

You should look at our candidate as younger, compared to all other candidates. You look at the performance of other young men across the world, even overly conservative Russia, is shifting ground for the younger generation. You know Ribadu, you know his records. He is a brilliant lawyer, an institutional person. He built EFCC from the scratch and if you build an institution and it is still sustaining and functions as a deterrent to irregularity and corruption. When he was there, you were one of the principal advisers and admirers. They even have a long history. Why not become our hero and our own Mandela and raise his hands up. More so that age is on your side and share the positions of government thereafter. You have Fola Adeola who had built an institution, a bank, a great bank and an accountant.

GTB is one of the largest banks in the country today. So you have the two who can do the Nigeria good, please sir support them. He said no. We even bent backwards and said okay we accept your offer but surrender the vice president’s position to ACN, because our platform will be in danger if we elect both of you, and once you assume power our own platform which is ACN will be in danger, and we worked so hard and said no. We even made suggestions that we will not split the ticket now, that we will go on CPC’s ticket but give us the assurance even if you are not contesting on our platform, but since we wanted to protect our platform and we don’t want to surrender that platform, we will allow you to use the CPC platform because that is the candidate. Please, give us the opportunity that after swearing-in, you will incorporate our platform by surrendering the position of the vice president .That is where we stopped and we continued from there. We set up a merger committee to merge the two parties to become one. We cannot afford to change our symbol which is the broom because it is the symbol of economy to our people. We are ready to even hold the broom on one side and his pen on the other side, and set a new logo for the future. We went to that extent.

Still, no commitment, no paper written, nothing. We could not get anything in writing. Then we told ourselves, what we are looking for. When you look at the results, you have no alternative to offer, National Assembly is over, none of the member of our parties will become senate president when you look at the number, and you have no House of Representatives to offer. So, we just take shrubs in the cabinet and then when you change your cabinet tomorrow then you can fire and replace, and our platform will become a struggling one. So we could not take it. The national chairman and the entire party leadership rejected the idea and that was it. So, we say may be, a very strong one for that matter, the presidential election will throw-in a re-run if no clear winner emerges. Maybe we will talk again. But I heard him making allegations that I was inflexible, and that the party is inflexible in their position, and that is not good for politics.


The president was said to have invited you to Abuja for a deal. How was it sir?

It was not true that he sought for me in Abuja. He sought for my audience in Lagos and as a president, and someone I know when he was the deputy governor. But I know when late Yar’adua, my friend of blessed memory was the president, I have to respect him. We met and that was the second time. We met first during the period when he became president. When we met in Lagos, I told him clearly that I have been in this position years back, during the military era, even when Babangida took me as a baby junior brother and he was very close to my family. He attended my mother’s 75th birthday. Even with that I did not change my position about him vacating the house. You knew as a Treasurer for Mobil I was on leave of absence to contest election, and at that time when the process was aborted I had an option to go back to Mobil or stay with the struggle. I chose to stay with the people and struggle for democracy.

I did not compromise. I did not look at the comfort of opportunity. My commitment to democracy depends on the principle of nation building and is very firm .The fact that PDP had spent 12 years and I have 101 reasons that I will not be part of any PDP arrangement. Mr President is a good man. I respect him but I am not going to work for PDP. I have a party that I am leading and I am not looking for anything. I laugh when I read that I took a presidential jet to Abuja. That is stupid and a bunch of lies. I have a company chartered jet which I used during the campaign, so I don’t need the presidential jet.

I have been in the presidential jet not more than three times since the beginning of this democracy. Twice with Atiku Abubakar to Umurah and Yar’adua was with us and when Yar’adua was alive. We met in Katsina and we flew back to Abuja together. Since Jonathan’s tenure began, I have never seen the inside of the presidential jet. They should give me the number on the manifest and prove it. This is blackmail. We need to live with the truth because there are lots of misleading stories.


Buhari on the Voice of America said ACN has sealed a deal with PDP for some cabinet post and for the Speaker’s post. This is meant to be a government of National Unity?

This is absolutely false. If it is true that he said so, that is blackmail and I don’t expect somebody of his caliber to be going that way. We are democrats, committed to our manifesto and principle. If Jonathan will invite the leadership of ACN to even have a discussion, to even ask for collaboration and cooperation, he has done well. He has shown a desire and zeal to win. What has Buhari done? Has he willingly contacted the leadership of the ACN privately, before we were rallied by the leaders who got us together? He did not get in touch with any one of us and I believe a man who is running for the president of Nigeria, should have such flexibility that will help cement the unity and that is part of leadership that is needed to be demonstrated. It is all about an idea, common ideas. In fact, Ribadu was even willing when we asked him to make the sacrifice to step down. He was willing sincerely, but Buhari remained unbendable. I have been in this struggle for over 20 years.

This democracy we are trying to promote and sustain today was the product of our struggle as NADECO. I did not take advantage when Obasanjo was there, or are you going to say he did not invite me? He invited me several times but I turned him down and that was why I was able to keep Lagos. What has the PDP got to offer?


Obasanjo told his people that the election is no longer a laughing matter. You still dey laugh?

Yes, I still dey laugh o.

http://www.sunday.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6634:im-not-ready-to-work-for-pdp-tinubu&catid=57:cover&Itemid=126

Violence, Fraud Mar Presidential Poll 2 Killed in Kaduna Bomb Blast; Lady in Jos Houses, Cars Destroyed in Jigawa, Adamawa, Bauchi States Buhari Leads in Adamawa, Katsina, Borno, Niger, Kaduna Jonathan Ahead in Rivers, Bayelsa, Ogun, Kwara, Lagos

he presidential election in which Nigerians yesterday decided the fate of President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), General Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and about sixteen others, was marred by violence, in the form of a bomb blast, and mob attacks.
Few days after an explosion rocked Mahuta village, a surbub of Kaduna, another explosion caused panic and tension in Kabala West, a settlement on the outskirts of Kaduna last night.



The explosion, which took place around 8.30pm, allegedly claimed two lives. According to eye witnesses, the explosion occurred at a popular hotel. Journalists who went close to the scene, were chased away and beaten up, by youths in the area.

Sunday Trust correspondent was turned back at Kabala junction by Good Samaritans. Police spokesman DSP Aminu Lawan confirmed the incident but did not give details, advising that he wanted to meet this reporter at the scene of the blast.

The bustling Kabala bus stop was bereft of human and vehicular traffic yester night

According to reports, there was tension in Kabala yesterday during the presidential polls because Muslims were allegedly refused to vote, a claim that has not be verified by Sunday Trust.

In Bauchi State, two persons were killed by irate youths for an alleged attempt to snatch a ballot box at Kofar Dumi Polling Unit in Bauchi metropolis yesterday.

The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Alhaji Aliyu Sa’idu told Sunday Trust that “the two youths attempted to snatch a ballot box and some youths stopped them. The two were beaten to death. We had to cautioned our youths in Bauchi not to take law in to their hands, but people in the town were angry with the attitudes of the PDP who intimidated people in order to rig the election.”

In Tsakuwa Polling Station in Azare one member of the NYSC was stripped naked. In his account of the incident, an eye witness told Sunday Trust that the female corps member went to the polling unit with ballot papers in her pocket and was trying to drop them in the ballot boxes when the youths protested. They grabbed and stripped her naked, and refused to release her to the police until the end of the voting in the centre.”

In a related development, three people were beaten at General Hassan Usman Unity College. An eye-witness who is a resident of the area, Malam Dabo Abubakar Garba, told our reporter last night. He said the college is a collaction centre in Yalwa area of Bauchi State where youths caught the three who attempted to smuggle fake ballot boxes. They were stopped and beaten by the irate youths before they were handed over to the police.”


http://www.sunday.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6643:violence-fraud-mar-presidential-poll-2-killed-in-kaduna-bomb-blast-lady-in-jos-houses-cars-destroyed-in-jigawa-adamawa-bauchi-states-buhari-leads-in-adamawa-katsina-borno-niger-kaduna-jonathan-ahead-in-rivers-bayelsa-ogun-kwara-lagos&catid=57:cover&Itemid=126

The former minister of the Federal Capital Territory was one of the few people that visited James Ibori when he was in detention in Dubai.

Mr. El Rufa'i tells NEXT why he went for the meeting and his impression of Mr. Ibori's state of mind.

Context of the meeting

I met with him twice, I think first on the 14th of March, which was on a Monday. I just wanted to see how he was doing and also ask him some questions about the Yar'Adua administration, because I am curious about how it worked and why Yar'Adua went after me.

I just wanted to understand and I have been visiting people that were close to him in that regard. I have met other people very close to him (Yar'Adua), to try to find out from them why he did what he did.

So, I called my friends in the Dubai police that I wanted to visit Ibori and they gave me a number of his cousin, a young man called Innocent. I called Innocent and he said he would relay that through Mr. Ibori and he called me back in an hour and said James wanted to be sure that no one was impersonating me. We agreed to speak the next day.

I went to the Dubai Police Headquarters, Interpol section, Economic Crime department, and I spent one and a half hours with James.

Was he allowed visitors as a matter of course or was an exception made because it was you?

He was allowed visitors on Mondays in the morning. I don't know if he was allowed visitors on other days, but I know for sure I saw him on Monday, on two Mondays between 9 and 11. He's allowed visitors, he has access to his phone, and he can make calls. Though he was in detention, it was not very restrictive.

What kind of life was he living in Dubai?

At that time I saw him, he was in police detention. Shortly after I returned, I read a report that he was granted bail. Now, granted bail means he could be at the hotel, but his passport was seized because he was not allowed to leave Dubai. I honestly do not know that for sure. I know that I saw him when he was in police detention. We spoke on the phone even when I came back to Nigeria.

How was he when you saw him?

Physically, he was in good shape, he had lost a bit of weight but he was looking good and relaxed. During my discussion with him, he was philosophical, saying "you know, this is how life is. Life has its ups and its downs. Some of the accusations against me are justified, but some are purely fabrication."

He looked like he was in good health and had resigned to his fate. I asked at that time if there was any further appeal and he said to me "well, I can't appeal anymore, this is the end. I am just waiting to go to London."

What was the nature of the meeting?

When we were both in government, I was not very close to James. I knew him just as the governor of Delta State, but we are not very close and quite frankly, I do not blame anyone for what Ya'Adua did to me. I blame Yar'Adua, pure and simple. I have no issue with any of the other people because I think that Yar'Adua was truly and personally responsible for my problems.

James was quite surprised that I came to visit him. Maybe he thought I came to laugh at him and so on, but I think he saw that I was only curious about what really happened. I said James, you and I have a civil relationship, we are not close friends, like you were with Nuhu, (James and Nuhu were very close friends and they used to meet in Andy Uba's house and Bukola Saraki's house).

But what did I do to Yar'Adua that he led this campaign against me. He said Yar'Adua was convinced that your group (the Olusegun Obsanjo economic team) had presidential ambition and you were opposed to his emergence as president, so he felt he had to deal with all of you: Nuhu Ribadu, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and one of the issue was because one of the team was going to contest against him(Yar'Adua).

Who told him?

He said marabouts played a major role in his life and government and that may have contributed and as far as he was concerned, the information he got from OBJ that we were opposed to him. I said ok and I tried getting some few insights. It was a good conversation.

By the time I saw him, he was in incarceration for 9 months. He appeared adjusted to the state and was handling it quite well and he had visitors and was sending messages to Nigeria. My assessment of his emotional state of mind was that he was healthy and he was not looking distressed at all.

Maybe he would have looked different if I had seen him after he was arrested in Dubai, but we laughed about it. However, at a time he had to visit the hospital because of his blood pressure.

Did he explain how he left Nigeria?

I didn't ask specifically, but he was deceived by certain people in government and was betrayed by others he trusted and that's why he was surprised to see me. That people he helped betrayed him, but I didn't ask for any names.

What was the purpose of your second visit?

I went back to him to talk about local politics, who he would be supporting because, like it or not, he's a factor in politics and he said he was not in charge and that his brother in Delta State was. He said Jonathan was not his friend and that Nuhu was not his friend and he would be happy to support any candidate other than those.

When I read he was out of bail, I called and chatted with him and he read that I was a strong supporter of Buhari and he felt I should talk to some of the ex-governors to get support for Buhari. That was what we were talking about until a few days ago.

Why would you reach out to James Ibori?

Well, politics is about people and I felt I should explore that discussion. There was nothing on the table, there's no deal we will be offering him or anything. What he has done has caught up with him.

I thought if we could explore any discussion with his governor or if there's something that is possible, why not. But the discussion didn't go any further because James' approach to politics was let's talk to former governors, but my approach to politics is to talk to people, not choosing who is good or bad.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5690493-146/story.csp

Fact of the matter is that all newspapers and television stations,even radio stations in nigeria are guilty ethnic,religious and political affilliations and bias. no one can be spared and once a contrary view is presented to the general norm we cry foul. we all know nation newspaper,TVC and radio continental is ACN biased, Silverbird and rhythm 97.3 is PDP biased, Tribune newspaper west biased, punch newspaper southern biased in relation to the north,daily trust is north biased against south and it goes on and on so sahara reporters is not alone

and the point of this post is?

henceforth this is a warning any1 that insults kobojunkie will be in my line of fire no matter who the person is .please cant we just be civil and peddle less insults we are not kids or are we? i aint joking with my earlier statement leave kobojunkie alone

WHO IS THIS THING THAT STARTED THIS THREAD, YOU MUST BE DAMN ANGRY AT YOURSELF FOR PUTTING UP THIS POST ABEG USE SHAME REMOVE AM NA. EVERYMAN TO HIS OPINION FOR GOD SAKE EVEN THE DEVIL HAS RIGHT TO HIS OWN OPINION SO DONT GO IMPOSING YOUR OPINION ON OTHERS KEEP IT TO YOURSELF OKAY COMPRENDE AMIGO

tinubu of course sold out to secure his future and not go to jail when jonathan takes over fully and ribadu was the sacrificial lamb but i just hope he knows what he has done pdp can never and will never be trusted and he should be alert he might lose lagos after all or did he think we did not know the nocturnal meetings with the powers that be .well in politics there are always strange bed fellows. so who dey laff now pdpd of course acn ko acn ni,cpc ko cpc ni worthless opposition abi is it apga or fresh .pdp rocks dem all

13volts dont mind the useless ethnic smelling post.peeps just come and post trashy and unnecessary post filled with inciting words without carrying out any research or maybe the poster is not in naija. the next thing will be that BUHARI HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE WAHALA IN JOS AND NIGER DELTA. THIS POST SHOULD BE TAKEN DOWN JOR NONSENSE

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) left a throng of party agents and reporters in dismay or surprise when the electoral body failed to keep its promise to commence collation tonight until the outcome of Nigeria's presidential election is known.

Reporters and collation agents for the nation's various political parties found INEC's Abuja collation center empty. The collation center is located at the Electoral Institute building.
Reporters who had waited anxiously to record the collation live from the center started leaving at 2:00 a.m. [Nigerian time] when INEC did not provide any results to them.

An INEC official also told collation agents of the parties that the exercise would not start tonight as expected. The agents were advised to return at 5:00 a.m. [Nigerian time].
http://saharareporters.com/news-page/inec-collation-center-empty-collation-agents-told-return-sunday-morning

As polls closed today all over Nigeria, observers in Nigeria report that the sense of buoyancy by supporters of the People's Democratic Party and the air of confidence exuded by President Goodluck Jonathan seemed to be petering out. This new guarded tone owes to the fact that poll figures pouring in from most of Nigeria’s Northern states show that the candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change performed better than initially anticipated.

Besides, a security source told us that Mr. Jonathan and his team was worried that any victory secured through the party’s manipulation of the elections could create widespread protests, especially in the Northern part of the country.

Already there are rumbles of protests in several Northern states where the ruling party was trying desperately to manipulate the polls. A report from Bauchi spoke of sporadic violence as people protested efforts by Governor Isa Yuguda to keep agents of the CPC from collating centers. In Jigawa State, youths trailed a van with ballot papers from Sule Tankarka to Government House in Gumel where PDP agents were caught thumb printing the ballots for Mr. Jonathan. The irate youths reportedly burnt three vehicles used by the Government House riggers. Unconfirmed reports also stated that the youths torched the PDP headquarters.

Curiously, results from the Southeast and the South-South have been slow in coming in. SaharaReporters has learnt that the slow pace of results from these zones is part of a calculated strategy by the ruling party to steal the presidential election. The Jonathan team has lined up traditional rulers, clergy, opinion molders and journalists across the country to calm the populace to accept the results of the election. Such calming messages from “prominent” Nigerians are meant to serve as a prelude to the ruling party’s unveiling of its victory via rigging.

Among those recruited to preach calm are the Sultan of Sokoto, the Ooni of Ife, pentecostal leaders, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and retired Colonel Abubakar Umar.

Several security sources have disclosed to SaharaReporters that the ruling party, security agents and INEC officials would collaborate in serious manipulation of election tallies overnight in several states, especially in the South Eastern zone. “The presidential figures will be inflated in Imo, Ebonyi, Anambra, Enugu, Rivers and Akwa Ibom,” said one of our sources, adding that PDP partisans were recruited all-day to engage in massive thumb printing of ballots. In addition, SaharaReporters learnt that two presidential jets were dispatched today to Lagos where former Governor Bola Tinubu and his associates helped the PDP to snatch victory.

SaharaReporters has been told authoritatively that Mr. Tinubu agreed to boost the Jonathan ticket and to rubbish Nuhu Ribadu, his party’s presidential candidate, after the Jonathan team struck a deal with Mr. Tinubu. “Chief Tinubu wants his EFCC file destroyed permanently, and Dr. Jonathan agreed to that. Tinubu also asked to be allowed to nominate the next attorney general of Nigeria,” said our source.

Mr. Tinubu, whose criminal activities stretch from drug deals in the US to false claims about his academic qualifications, is one of the most corrupt politicians in Nigeria. He has already tipped Yemi Osinbajo for the top post in the nation’s judiciary. Mr. Osinbajo, who is widely regarded as a fine legal scholar, served as attorney general of Lagos State under Mr. Tinubu.

One of the security sources revealed that the results from these states are being held back to be used as a "joker" after the Nigerian populace has been told to calm down and accept the results of the elections.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/presidential-polls-fearing-violent-backlash-pdp-hires-calming-voices

The declaration of Solomon Adeola, the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) for Alimosho Federal Constituency, as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission in Lagos has generated controversies threatening the peace of the area.

The constituency has the largest number of polling units in the federation, 701 polling units and 88 satellite units. Consequently, the result was not declared until Monday morning due to the large size. While the delay dragged, the Peoples Democratic Party had started celebrating the victory of their candidate, Segun Adewale.

The rejection

But according the result sheet for the constituency, which was signed by INEC’s collation officer, Dan Ekere, Mr Adeola polled 77,834 while Mr Adewale polled 52,720 votes. Mr Adeola moved swiftly to debunk the rumours that the PDP won. “I won with a wide margin,” he told journalists on Monday.

Though, the result sheet shown to NEXT was signed by all the party agents involved in the election, including one Abiola Olawale, who signed for the PDP, the party rejected the results. “We did not sign it,” said Muftau Lawal, a PDP leader in the area. “We don’t even know anybody called Abiola Olawale. Our party agent was Dada Olayinka. We asked him not to sign the result.” Mr Lawal alleged that the ACN, in collaboration with the electoral commission and the police rigged the election by changing the venue slated for the final collation centre. He said his party had informed the electoral commission of its complaint and demanded a re-run.

ACN reacts

Supporters of the ACN said it is not possible for the PDP to win any election in Alimosho, an area they called “Tinubu’s Country.” “If PDP wins here, it means they rigged,” said Sola Adelaja, an ACN supporter who also accused the PDP of fomenting trouble within the constituency in the process leading up to the election. “They were the ones causing trouble, shooting guns within the constituency,” he said. “The records are there with the security agents.”

Mr Adeola thanked his supporters and the voters, promising not to renege on any of his campaign promises. He promised that the issue of leaking petroleum product pipelines, local government creation, and infrastructural development are the major promises he will deliver on.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/Politicz/5689411-147/poll_results_in_alimosho_threaten_peace.csp

what do you expect from the loud mouthed fat photgrapher/newspaper seller he voted for himself alone make e go face oviation so even his relatives,wife and kids no vote for am what a shame mmmmmmmmmmmmmtsssssssccchhhhewwwwwwwwwwwww nonsense

Ibrahim Shekarau, the presidential candidate of the All Nigerian People's Party (ANPP) and governor of Kano State has urged his fellow presidential candidates to accept the verdict of the people, provided the conduct of the on-going election is free, fair and credible.



Mr Shekarau spoke shortly after casting his vote at the Ginginyu Ward Polling Station, in Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State Saturday.

"If the elections are free, fair and credible, then the participants should accept the verdict of the people.

"This is a great day because it is a turning point for this country. The election has been peaceful, and we have not received any report from anywhere across the state or across the country of any form of malpractice or misconduct, and by the grace of God, this will be sustained." He said. Mr Shekarau expressed satisfaction with the unprecedented turnout of voters, and commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for ensuring that the presidential poll is hitch-free, and devoid of any election malpractices.

"Today's turnout is very impressive and very encouraging because people have answered our appeal to come out. The turnout is unprecedented." "Initially, there were hitches, prompting the postponement of the National Assembly election, but this time, people have turned out en masse to perform their civic responsibility.

Peaceful election

"Everything is orderly and peaceful, as people are going about conducting in a peaceful atmosphere with the water tight security put in place at polling stations. Everybody is law abiding." NEXT spotted underage female voters queuing up for accreditation and subsequently voting in most of the polling stations visited.

In most of the centres, accreditation commenced as early as 8am, with the electoral officers arriving at their various polling centres adequately armed with the election materials.

Voting started at about 12.30pm in Gwagwarwa, Giginyu, Sabon Gari, Unguwar Gini, Mandawari and Yakasai all in the metropolis.

There was heavy presence of security across the state; the streets were empty, and military personnel mounted road blocks and carried out stop-and-search operations to enforce the restriction of movement order.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5690531-147/story.csp

An alleged refusal of a man to heed calls to join a political party led to tragedy last Tuesday in Effurun, Uvwie LGA of Delta State when some armed supporters of the party invaded the man's house to kill his 55-year-old mother, Gloria Ewenode and her 30-year-old daughter, Joy Owolo.


Another victim in the attack carried out at about 10pm was a toddler, who was hit by a stray bullet.

The attackers reportedly raped Miss Owolo, who recently completed her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, before shooting her. Both mother and daughter died on Wednesday in a private hospital in Effurun.

Narrating the incident to reporters in Warri yesterday, Aghoghor Ewenode, the elder son to the late Mrs. Ewenode, said he was the target of the attackers.

‘The Police failed us'

Mr. Ewenode alleged that officers of the Ekpan Police Division, Effurun would have averted the situation but for their nonchalant attitude as he and his murdered sister had reported the threat to their lives by political hoodlums in the area.

He called on the Inspector General of Police to order for the immediate transfer of the DPO in-charge of Ekpan Police Division, Muhammed Muazu for his failure to protect lives and property in the area.

"I was not around when the incident took place. I was hanging out in a drinking bar with some friends when someone came with a report that a woman and her daughter have been shot dead," he said.

"It was later that one okada rider came to tell me that it my mother that was shot by some supporters of a political party. This same group that had come to tell me to come and work with them. That I should come and work with them instead of the DPP where I belong. I have been an agent and a strong supporter of DPP in my area since 2003."

"They beat me up in February because of this same issue. It was the police that came to rescue me on that occasion. Because of their threat, I packed out from my mother's house in Effurun to our house in Warri. Even after that, they called me to say that I should remember that my people are still in Effurun. That if they can't get me, they will erase my family from the surface of the earth and on Tuesday night at about 11pm, they came and killed my lovely mother. They shot my sister in her private part after raping her and shot my mother on the waist."

Police investigation

The spokesperson of the Police in Delta State, Charles Muka, said the Police already have the report of the killing, but that the matter had not been officially reported.

"We (Police) already have record of the killing but we are yet to receive any former statement from anybody or members of the family. However, we have started full scale investigation into the matter with the view of ascertaining if it was a politically motivated crime," he said.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5690240-147/story.csp