₦airaland Forum

fergie001:
Voters in Buni yadi, the headquarters of Gujba local government area of Yobe State, have threatened to boycott elections as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, relocated voting to Damaturu, the Yobe state capital.

Last Sunday, Boko Haram militants launched an attack on military brigade in Buni yadi, killing an officer and 3 soldiers before they were neutralised by the military.

Speaking to Daily Trust on Friday, aggrieved electorate claimed that INEC’s decision was motivated by elites that had refused to return to their ancestral homes.

INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state Alhaji Ahmad Makama told our correspondent that the voting areas were relocated to Damaturu after a careful security considerations by heads of security, INEC and all other stakeholders in the council.

“The securities had declared the area unsafe for the election. So safety of live is not guaranteed and we cannot expose our men and materials to any insecurity. That is why we relocated them to Damaturu,” he said.

Alhaji Lawan Garin Goni, the Sarkin Malamai of Buni yadi, said the relocation of the centres to Damaturu would disenfranchise not less than 70 percent voters in the town.

He said that many people said they would not leave their families behind to travel and cast their votes in Damaturu.

“I have not less than thirty registered voters under me. Now only me would go and vote, my wives and students that are eligible voters will not go as far as Damaturu to vote. That would be the problem in every household, ” he said.

Mamman Sarkin Fawa, said that electorate in the town were enthusiastic about the election until the late evening’s announcement.

“As community leader, I must go and vote, but I want to assured you that 90 percent would not vote this time around because people here are looking for money to feed, let alone transporting themselves to Damaturu for election,” he explained.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/yobe-voters-threaten-election-boycott-as-inec-relocates-voting-centres.html

After the elections pdp should insist on the biometrics investigations of the voters in such relocated polling units simple, this is clear fraud,if the area is insecured let the elections in such areas be cancelled period.

sarrki:
Great job guys

Pmb thanks for re equipping our galant soldiers

Pdp shared the money during there time

It's better to die in the wilderness than to return to Egypt.

what reequipping are you talking about or you are just a plane stupid zombie,is that not the same Ak47 riffles our soldiers has been using for decades now?,you people keep accusing pdp but buhari withdrew $1b from the federation account to purchase arms for the military to fight an already"defeated"Boko Haram for over a year now with nothing to show or account for it, buratai stated on been question late last year that the military is yet to access a dime of that money, zombies like you will never question that plane embezlement only to shouting pdp without proof, what's stopping your dullard from putting Dasuki on open trials all this while?,mumu.

Celebgistz1:
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says any underage person caught trying to participate in the electoral process will be arrested, along with their sponsors.

Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC Chairman, stated this on Friday in Abuja while briefing stakeholders on the updated preparations of the commission for the rescheduled presidential and National Assembly elections slated for Saturday, February 23, 2019.

He stressed that underage voting remains an illegality as the statutory age for voting remains 18.

His words: “Underage voting is an illegality because there is a statutory age for eligibility, for registration as a voter. If on election day, you find anyone that is apparently underage or conclusively, kindly report this to any official of the commission or the security agencies.

“Working with the Inspector General of Police, I said that any underage person caught trying to be accredited or voting on election day will be arrested. Voting is only open to Nigerian citizens who are above the statutory age of 18. It’s an illegality and let me seize this opportunity to warn those who may wish to sponsor underage persons to vote on election day that they will be arrested.

“And the good thing is that in the numerous elections that the commission has undertaken, we have never had a report of incidents of underage voting and we conducted elections into 195 constituencies off-season between the first election we conducted in Kogi State in June 2015, and the last one we conducted in Osun in September last year.”

Source:http://saharareporters.com/2019/02/22/just-underage-voters-and-their-sponsors-will-be-arrested-says-inec

who are you trying to fool?, who gave them the pvc in the first place?.

ijustdey:
https://www.independent.ng/breaking-efcc-invades-fayoses-residence-in-ekiti/amp/

A plane crashed at the airport the other day due to cash overload,in the video clip of the incident one can hear conversations in hausa with Apc been mentioned severally but till today nothing has been heard from the efcc concerning that incident n a previous one involving APC members fighting over flight boarding resulting to Ghana must go bags containing cash been torn!,the efcc is just the attack dogs of Apc/buhari n nothing more.

Votimon69:
today's winning ticket is ready for pay after winning
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Drop one bonus game of 5 or 5+ odds,if it enters I promise you to stake 10k on your next given game provided the game is 10odds n above for a winning sharing ratio of 30%to 70% in my favor, what's your take?

rusher14:
No law stops the police from making arrests.

He should go clear his name.

So for all this while the police we're unaware of his so call misdeed until on the elections Eve!, it's like some of you reasons with your anus.

titiloyeblog:
President Muhammadu Buhari says there is a huge amount of foreign currency flooding the country intended to influence the outcome of the general election beginning on Saturday.

According to Garba Shehu, the president’s senior special assistant on media and publicity, Buhari raised the alarm during the federal executive council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday.

Shehu said the president accused some politicians of flouting money laundering regulations in their desperate bid to capture political power.

He, however, commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for successfully tracking the money in “millions of United States dollars”.

According to him, the EFCC success followed the presidential directive to investigative agencies to probe a number of high profile cases.

He reassured the nation of his administration’s determination to wage relentless war against money laundering and terrorist financing.

Buhari also reiterated his appeal to Nigerians, especially politicians, to place the interest of the “country above all others, as they troop out to cast their votes in the coming elections’’.

Shehu’s statement comes hours after the EFCC alerted Nigerians that there were fake dollar notes in circulation.

Source: https://www.titiloyeblog.com/2019/02/vote-buying-buhari-says-huge-dollars-in.html

Two days ago, there was a story about a plane that crashed on the tarmac as a result of cash over load,in the video clip of the incident online,one can hear conversations in hausa with Apc been mentioned severally,there was also a story last week about Apc supporters fight at Abuja airport resulting to bags spilling their cash contents,I wonder why the efcc hasn't said anything concerning both cases,but I'm sure if any of those cases had pdp connections,the efcc would have dishing out all manners of claims by now,yet buhari the hypocrite will be forming useless saint.spits!.

kahal29:
The National Coordinator, Presidential Support Committee, Senator Godswill Akpabio has insisted that considering the achievements of the President Muhammadu Buhari -led administration in office, Nigeria has no other better alternative than to give him another term.

Akpabio, who spoke with Journalists in Abuja, urged the South South people to reconsider their stand in planning to vote for the party that wants to sell the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC), and its other assets.

Atiku Abubakar, the PDP Presidential Candidate, has vowed to sell the NNPC, if voted into power, to break what he called ‘mafia’ in the corporation.

But Senator Akpabio said it will not be in the interest of the Niger Delta people for NNPC to be sold.

“Yes I believe Nigerians can compare the difference between apple and orange. The reality is that this president has done very well considering the fact that he was able to take Nigeria out of recession.

“He met ongoing projects on ground, such as the airports and the railways. He completed and put them to use. Nigerians are clamoring for change, better health care, better educational facilities and all those things cannot happen when you spend almost 80 percent of resources on recurring expenses like pension, salary arrears.

“So we must commend the President and of course, if you take a look at what is happening on the Lagos-Ibadan railway, you will be very impressed. Take a look at the Abuja-Kano railway, some people now travel with rail to the North.

“The power sector has improved from 2,500MW to 7000MW. So many things are visible and the enabling environment is there in terms of law and order. The fight against corruption has really been intensified and the good thing is that it has now become a deterrent to any public official that yes…, if you go out of your way to move your pocket forward instead of your country or state, you will be held accountable.

“We in the Niger Delta are very apprehensive. I don’t think that there is any person in the South South who will go and vote for PDP. Even some of them are trying to purchase votes because when you look at the major policy document of the PDP today, they are talking about selling the NNPC.

“What does the NNPC have? Is it the building? What NNPC controls is the oil of the Niger Delta, oil wells, oil fields and all those things come together with the land. I don’t see anybody from the South South or any Niger Deltan, who will agree that the same way we sold out Nigeria Airways and we became a laughing stock in the comity of states in Africa is the same way NNPC should be sold.

“Look at Kenya Airways, Ethopia Airline, Ghana Airline, South African Airways and Nigeria has no single plane now called its own. We sold out our Aluminium Smelter Company in Ikot Abasi, that provided thousands of jobs and today that place is totally bare with over 690MW of electricity.

“We sold out Oku Iboku Paper Mill in Akwa Ibom and our people are there jobless. That massive structure is a waste.

All those things combined are things that frighten us when somebody talks about the sale of NNPC. The sale of NNPC on its own simply means that the Niger Deltans are going to be divested of not just their properties, not just the water that they fish in, but the fact that they will become tenants in their lands for the next 50 to 100 years. And people will come from outside, maybe friends of the government, and possess their land.

“The election also is between integrity and others. The President has shown that he can give what belongs to Niger Delta to Niger Delta. He is even refunding monies that were used during my tenure to repair Federal roads and what we use to call Paris Club refund.

“We tried everything under the PDP. We never had that money and I was a Governor and the FG was owing my state over 145 Billion on federal roads and the building of prisons and other things I had to intervene. I dualized federal roads, built airport and today, federal government is refunding those monies to the state.

“If you see a government that has shown sincerity, it simply means that we are now talking about a question of integrity and a question of postulation. We are postulating that if you bring in a government that will sell your father’s land, that will sell your oil wells and sell the waters that you use in fishing, then I can conclude that there is no alternative to President Buhari.”


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/no-alternative-to-president-buhari-akpabio-insists/

people like Akpabio who are against NNPC been sold to private investors are the real criminals who have been feeding fat on the monumental corruption in NNPC,now they are only trying to use the electorate to protect their illicit interests,we are often quick to make reference with the west but we don't want to emulate the west in economic policies n practice yet we desire to develop like them, Western economies are powered by the private sector while the government creates laws, policies n the environment for business to thrive,where is NITEL today compared to the GSM companies?,dangote petrochemicals will soon come on stream only God knows what will be the fate of NNPC there after, I'm 100% in support of Atiku's intent,the people of the Niger Delta stands to benefit more if NNPC is privatised n oil business booms in their region,but they can choose to be blinded by sentiments n propaganda n support the maintenance of the status quo, surely after the elections they shall continue to lament.

Nkemakonam62:
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, has warned the diplomatic community against crossing the line on governance in Nigeria.

Onyeama who briefed the diplomatic community on the rescheduled general elections in Abuja said the community could not exhort Nigeria on good governance and dictating to the country on how to govern.

The meeting which held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was to interact with the diplomatic corps to clarify issues surrounding the postponement of the elections and the country’s readiness as the polls come up on Saturday.

In the run-up to the elections, the Federal Government had on several occasions raised concerns about what it described as interference from foreign bodies.

Onyeama said: “At the end of the day, we are a sovereign nation and the line shouldn’t be crossed from exhorting us and wanting us to succeed and wanting this to be a really democratic process to dictating to us and really getting into the nitty-gritty of how we run the country which is exclusively the responsibility of this government.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/02/dont-cross-line-onyeama-advises.html

Nigeria threatening Western powers!," end shall never wonder"!!.

mushystuff:
Will they put polling booths on the lagoon for Igbos that d Oba sentenced there?



The idiotic, dirty old drug baron is even still threatening those he's supposedly pleading with.

That is the hypocrisy of Apc, useless bunch of crooks.

sarrki:
Take this

They were so neglected previously..
So dehumanised in the last regime.
Each time they witnessed tragedy which is certain, PDP and it's hierarchy would be first to use it against them.
I love and talk with them more often and all they needed is word of encouragement.
Dasuki is/was a case study....
They are human and can make choice..
They understand the word next level perfectly.
May God bless my gallant military men.

You don't know shit,you are just regurgitating what you have been fed by Apc propaganda, buhari is one amongst those that made the fight against Boko Haram unsuccessful during the last regime just to benefit from it politically,we know the agenda of soldiers like these, likely you also stand to benefit from the agenda.

xianah:
I love what he did ,U don't beat a woman no matter what u let it be .

If you like go about running your mouth unnecessarily you go collect better hot slaps,that guy forming van dam on woman matter never jam better agile iron monkey,the kind disgrace him go get,he will never forget it in his entire life.

dollytino4real:
i bad reach u

Oya now,make we jam so we go know who bad pass,what ya say?.

orjisblog:
A Facebook user with shared this photos below with caption:

"Ebonyi State completely burnt down by PDP paid thugs..... Everything gone, completely gone, many dead, hospitals and mortuaries filled up, people are moving out the state in thousands."


http://orjisblog.com.ng/2019/02/19/breaking-news-many-feared-dead-houses-churchs-burnt-in-ebony-political-crisis/

shameless liar,pdp is in charge of ebonyi, it's illogical for pdp to burn down ebonyi.try another propaganda please.

dollytino4real:
dis kind flog dey shrink prick o

Baaad type.

[quote author= post=75879784]THREE HUNDRED BILLION NAIRA, every 12 months??!!
And some miscreants that don't know where and when their next meal is coming are busy shouting athiefkulate, una sufferness neva start.[/quote]It's better for us to shout for Atiku,than zombies shouting next level for a dullard who can't run anything successfully on his own except some 150 gay cows.

stephanie11:
@POLITICSNGR

PoliticsNGR is in possession of documents revealing how the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar allegedly bribed the Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus with board membership of his company, Intels Nigeria Limited [INL], to secure the party's ticket.

The documents in our possession reveal that Intels, currently in a contract with the Nigeria Ports Authority[NPA], reportedly earns a whopping N300 billion annually.

The documents gotten by PoliticsNGR contain CAC records that reveal the changes made and the Timing.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The latest financial statements of Intels for the year 2017 show the board of directors as:

Nasir Ado Bayero, Chairman
Prince Uche Secondus, Director
Volpi, Director
Andrea Caroll, Director

Meanwhile, Orlean Invest holdings, the mother company which has Intels as a subsidiary has on its board:

Atiku Abubakar
Carillo
Volpi
Gian Angelo Perrucci and,
Miskovic.

[See the full documents attached Below]

NPA'S CONTRACT WITH INTELS ENDS IN 2020

PoliticsNGR learned that the NPA contract will end next year, 2020, and would not be renewed.

According to a source, “this is Atiku’s main driver for this election. The source revealed; “He gave Secondus and Wike Intels shares to secure the PDP ticket. Atiku rolled in billions year in year out from 2010 when the 28 per cent deal was signed.

Atiku is now reportedly keen on keeping this sweet deal beyond 2020 when the deal expires. President Muhammadu Buhari, with the introduction of Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the revelation of the adjustments, will not renew Intels contract.

CAC documents reveal that Secondus is now on the board of Intels. [See especially page 24 of the attached report which is reproduced below.]

Intels is owned by Atiku who has the largest share. INL is allowed to collect revenue on behalf of NPA.

From 20 per cent it went up to 28 per cent. Intels later wanted their commission increased to 35 per cent but that was rejected by the Federal government.

SEE THE FULL DOCUMENTS 

https://politicsngr.com/exclusive-how-atiku-bribed-secondus-with-intels-shares-to-secure-pdp-ticket/

Apc propaganda machine has been on over drive since the elections has been rescheduled,to them the only way to succeed is to feed Nigerians with fabricated stories to discredit Atiku, even after 2020 whether the intels contract is renewed or not Atiku is not stupid n will not collapse,the fact that Atiku has successfully run n expand his businesses for years is the more reasons why he is best fitted to run the country instead of buhari who only live on government with nothing success personal to show for it clearly proving his incompetence n emptiness.come to think of it,you accuse Atiku of corruption but failed to take action against him, doesn't that makes you a shameless hypocrite?,Apc can abuse Atiku as much as they want,we are obidiently Atikulated no turning back.

sarrki:
The Nation

Revealed: PDP’s $3m per state cash-for-vote plot
Our Reporter by Our Reporter February 19, 2019
Revealed: PDP’s $3m per state cash-for-vote plot
FacebookTwitterGoogle+PinterestLinkedInWhatsAppEmail
•Ex-INEC chief named in deal •Peace Panel member romances opposition •Party denies claim
Security agencies have uncovered how the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has allocated about $3million (N1.8billion) to each state branch of the party, allegedly for inducement of voters.

The cash was remitted before last Saturday’s postponement elections, but most state chapters were finding it difficult to change the cash to naira because of the surveillance on Bureau De Change operators by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS).

Also, the agencies have intercepted alleged compromise of some officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), policemen and other security agents in some states.

The intelligence report, including the alleged implication of a former top official of INEC, may be presented to the chairman of the electoral commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, by the security agencies.

A former Resident Electoral Commissioner is believed to be neck-deep in the massive cash-for-votes plot.

Besides, a member of the National Peace Committee headed by former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar has been fingered in “political romance” with the opposition, contrary to the mandate of the group.

The popular thinking is that the PDP has hidden under the guise of “logistics” to allocate about $3million (N1.8billion) per state, which security agencies discovered that it was for inducement of voters.

Based on the 36 states, about $111million (N66.6billion) has been deployed by the leading opposition party to influence voters.

The intelligence report indicated that the money was different from the cash allocated to “compromise some officers of INEC, policemen and security agents in some states” which had been marked by security agencies.

An intelligence source said: “ Reports so far have showed that the main opposition party has allocated $3m(N1.8billion) to each of its state chapters under the guise of logistics for the general elections.

“But intelligence confirmed that the cash is for vote buying with about N400,000 devoted to some polling units out of the nation’s 120,000.

“Some of the huge cash cannot be converted to Naira because of the surveillance on Bureau De Change operators by the EFCC and DSS.

“And most banks have become circumspect in view of a similar experience in 2015 in which about N23.9 poll bribery cash was shared through their branches.”



The source, who pleaded not to be named because of the “sensitivity” of the matter, gave insights into the alleged compromise of some INEC officers through a former top shots of the electoral commission who had been engaged as consultants.

The source added: “Detectives also discovered a ‘grand compromise’ of some INEC officers, policemen and others in some states. A former INEC top officer and ex-Resident Electoral Commissioner are implicated in the plans to compromise the nation’s electoral integrity.

“These former top INEC officers were found to have played a key role in the recruitment of the ad hoc staff in some strategic states by using internal links/ surrogates in INEC to perfect their plot. Many officers in INEC, who were recruited by these former officers, are still loyal to them.

“These ex-officers had infiltrated the system and could cause any sabotage of the poll at any point, if it does not favour those who hired them. This is why it is easier for the opposition to have every detail about the movement and actions of INEC chairman and his National Commissioners.

“The intelligence report will be made available to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, especially as it relates to its field officers in some states.

“As for policemen and other security agents, the appropriate authorities are handling specific cases. And these issues will be attended to before the beginning of the poll on Saturday.”

Asked if the intelligence report has been made available to the National Peace Committee, the source said: “It is still an intelligence document as I speak with you now.



“The challenge we are having also is that a member of the committee has been fingered in a political romance with the opposition because of vested interests in some deals.

“Notwithstanding, the government will decide on how and when to brief relevant stakeholders.”

Reacting, INEC said it was unaware of the existence of a recording of the PDP corrupting its men.

In the leaked telephone conversation, a top government official in Rivers State was heard mapping out plans on how to win the last Saturday’s election, which was rescheduled.

INEC officials were said to have been settled to pave the way for the ruling party in the state.

Besides, names of the officials were mentioned in the conversation, which include officials from neighbouring states.

The government official could also be heard issuing out warning to kill any INEC officials who fails to cooperate after collecting money from the government.

However, INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Festus Okoye, said the commission was yet to see the purported recording.

Okoye, who was responding to inquiry by The Nation, said: “I have not seen the recording you are alluding to.”

Also reacting, the PDP said the opposition party lacked the financial wherewithal to deploy such cash.

Its spokesman Kola Ologbodiyan: “We don’t have such funds anywhere, but we enjoy massive support and goodwill of a greater number of Nigerians. As an opposition party, where can we get that money.

“It was the same APC that mocked us a few weeks ago, saying that we were broke and that we could not fund our campaign. Now they have turned around to accuse us of spending such funds.

“Is it not strange that a ruling party is now portraying itself as the victim simply because they have been rejected by the people?

“Rather, it is the APC that has spent humongous amount on their campaign across the country and they are still spending. We have the figures and at the appropriate time we shall release them. For now, we are focused on the coming elections. So, we are very busy right now


http://thenationonlineng.net/revealed-pdps-3m-per-state-cash-for-vote-plot/

This is just a tissue of lies concocted by the APC propaganda machine just to discredit PDP,what of the APC that were fighting physically over flight in Abuja to the extent of their Ghana must go bags spilling their elections bribery monies in public,at least Apc's own was seen Clearly n this piece is just a concoction to mitigate their damage n filthy image, bunch of useless hypocrites.

Preshy561:
Yes oo.
Same with women, a woman must have 2 or more men who she fvcks anytime she wants.
That's the rule of nature.

No qualms,but when you are sent packing to your father's house don't complain,you think life is an ideal setting,Oya carry on n compete with your man ok.

made4naijamusic:
A Twitter user identified as @rozzeloya, who obviously want to go viral, has taken to the platform to advise men who has less than 500k in their bank account to abstain from sex.

According to the young lady, they should focus more on working hard rather than sleeping with a lady.

See her tweet below:

“Guys If you don’t have up to 500k in your bank account you don’t deserve s*x from us, go and work”

See more pictures

source :

https://www.made4naija.com/2019/02/guys-if-you-dont-have-up-to-500k-you-dont-deserve-sex-nigerian-lady-says/

Olosho!, don't go n get yourself good education n relevant skills to succeed in life be there waiting for guys with 500k in their accounts to Bleep ok,last last you will surely have lots of broken heart stories to tell greedy leech.

frowland:
If placed well, you can't fail after few tries. Reason; the liquid inside the bottle is far below half level.... This gives the bottle a very very low and balanced center of gravity. Meaning that even a slight lean to any direction means the bottle will stand back straight up. Kick the ball very fast and the bottle falls straight down, while its low center of gravity keeps it standing. Its simple physics.

There's practicals in physics, let's see yours pls.

Nairatrenders:
A 38-year-old Islamic cleric, Abdul Lateef Mustapha, has been arrested by the police in the Bariga area of Lagos for having sex with his sister-in-law who is reported to be just 17 years old.

The case was reported at the Police station by the Child Protection Agency, Shomolu Unit and Mustapha was ordered to be arrested immediately.


During interrogation, Mustapha, was discovered to have continually defiled the victim whenever the wife was not around.

However, the act was exposed when the embittered victim told two of their neighbours her predicament; how her sister’s husband used to defile her but the two women did not believe her because her sister and the Islamic cleric were present.

The act that broke the camel’s back was said to have happened on 16th February, 2019, when the Islamic cleric had canal knowledge of the girl and was caught red handed. He then apologized never to do such again.

It was gathered that the suspect initially denied the act but later opened up that he had sex with the girl only once and not thrice as stated by the 17-year old victim.

Gist via :- https://nairatrend.com.ng/man-arrested-while-having-sex-with-his-sister-in-law-in-lagos/

Islamically what is the offence here?,is the Alfa not an authority on the shari'a?.

jpphilips:
Until last month, Nigerian presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar had a problem. He was persona non grata in the U.S. after cropping up in connection with several corruption investigations.

Then the cloud lifted. Years after he’d last been seen in the U.S., Abubakar surfaced in Washington in January. He held court at the Trump International Hotel. He met with members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Congress. Those meetings were trumpeted to his followers back home on Facebook and Twitter. The public tour has helped silence opponents who said Abubakar couldn’t effectively lead one of Africa’s biggest economies if he wasn’t even welcome in the U.S.

Abubakar had been blocked from entering the U.S. under a State Department edict applying to officials linked to foreign corruption, two former U.S. officials said. One of them said the Nigerian had been seeking a waiver to enter the country for years and expressed surprise when told that the effort was ultimately successful.

Abubakar’s rehabilitation was driven in part by Washington lobbyists and lawyers with links to President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential race. Ballard Partners -- run by Brian Ballard, a fundraiser for Trump’s campaign who now has a deep roster of clients eager for an inside track to the administration -- helped set up meetings for the candidate in the U.S., according to people familiar with the firm’s work for him.

Law firm Holland & Knight lobbied the State Department, House of Representatives and National Security Council on Abubakar’s behalf on visa issues, according to a disclosure filed with Congress. The firm’s lead lobbyist on the effort was Scott Mason, who previously directed congressional relations for Trump’s campaign and transition team.


In defusing opponents’ chief criticism, the U.S. visit and meetings positioned Abubakar as a stronger challenger, not to mention a potential international partner to the U.S. should he prevail in Nigeria’s Feb. 16 presidential race. He’s the leading opposition candidate to run Africa’s most populous nation and top petroleum producer, where wealth and corruption mix with extreme poverty to create deep concerns about security and safety.

A member of Abubakar’s communications team, Boladale Adekoya, denied Abubakar had been banned from the U.S. A State Department representative declined to comment.

Mason didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Ballard referred questions to its lead lobbyist for Abubakar’s political party, James P. Rubin, who said he wasn’t involved in getting the travel visa and was focused on pushing for fair elections in Nigeria.

Cash in Freezer

Abubakar’s troubles with the U.S. date back more than a decade. In 2004, George W. Bush signed a presidential proclamation meant to deny corrupt foreign officials a coveted luxury -- fluid access to the good life in America and a safe place to stash ill-gotten proceeds.



In the latter case, Abubakar, then Nigeria’s vice president, gained notoriety for his connection to $90,000 in cash found in Jefferson’s freezer in 2005. In a secretly videotaped conversation, Jefferson told an undercover informant that the money was for Abubakar, intended to smooth the way for a U.S. company’s African expansion. Prosecutors never introduced evidence showing Abubakar solicited or accepted a bribe, and he was never prosecuted. Jefferson was convicted, though his case was partially overturned on appeal.


Abubakar was also the subject of a 2010 congressional investigation, which found that he and his wife transferred more than $40 million in suspect funds into the U.S. from offshore corporations. Lawmakers said Abubakar held a stake in an oil-services company that received hundreds of millions of dollars in payments from Western companies seeking to do business in Africa, including when he was vice president.

Abubakar has attributed his wealth to prudent investments and luck. In an interview, Edward Weidenfeld, a Washington lawyer who represented Abubakar at the time of the Jefferson and Siemens cases, said he maintained his innocence in those proceedings.

Adekoya, the Abubakar spokesman, said Jefferson had falsely accused Abubakar of being the intended recipient of the cash. Regarding the $40 million Abubakar brought into the U.S., Adekoya said it was intended as payment to American University to launch a school in Nigeria. He added that Abubakar is a “reputable entrepreneur" and a successful businessman, that his funds were from legitimate business ventures and that his oil-services stake was held in trust while he was in office.

Visa Waiver





In certain cases, the department will grant temporary waivers allowing dignitaries to visit, often with limits on duration and itinerary. If indeed a ban were in place, Abubakar may have been granted a waiver to encourage good relations should he win, one of the officials said.

Holland & Knight, which was hired at the end of October, disclosed payments of $80,000 in relation to its visa work for Abubakar.

[/b]Through his spokesman, Abubakar said he applied for and received a visa through the U.S. mission in Nigeria.

[b]Abubakar’s People’s Democratic Party of Nigeria inked a $1.1 million annual contract with Ballard Partners last fall, according to foreign lobbying records filed with the Justice Department. People familiar with Ballard’s work on Abubakar’s behalf said it included getting him a meeting at the State Department during his visit and shepherding him to various events.

Rubin, Ballard’s primary lobbyist on behalf of Abubakar’s party, was an assistant secretary of state during the Clinton administration. He joined Ballard’s firm as a lobbyist last year, according to a disclosure filing. (He was also previously an executive who helped lead Bloomberg’s editorial page, then called Bloomberg View.)

“My work on behalf of the People’s Democratic Party exclusively focused on pushing for free and fair elections and did not involve any consular matter or visa matter,” Rubin said.

Ballard’s Roster

Ballard Partners opened its Washington office in 2017, just months after Trump’s election. Ballard had previously been as a lobbyist in Florida for Trump; after the election, he was a member of Trump’s inaugural committee. The expanding client roster includes household corporate names such as Amazon.com Inc., Boeing Co., Uber Technologies Inc. and H&R Block Inc., according to lobbying disclosures filed with Congress.

Ballard has also attracted a roster of foreign governments such as Kosovo, Qatar, the Maldives and Azerbaijan. Another pair of clients, the Republic of Turkey and Turkiye Halk Bankasi AS, have been implicated in U.S. court proceedings in a scheme to aid Iranian sanctions evasion, for which Halkbank remains under scrutiny by U.S. authorities.

The firm has also been expanding and adding firepower, in recent weeks hiring other Trump loyalists including a recent White House spokesman, Raj Shah, and the former attorney general of Florida, Pam Bondi. As attorney general, Bondi declined to pursue fraud charges against Trump University after Trump’s charitable foundation gave $25,000 in 2013 to a re-election fund for Bondi.

During his visit, Abubakar held a “town hall” at the Trump International Hotel in Washington to meet with Nigerians in the U.S. He also appeared on a panel at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, stopped at the office of the Voice of America and met with Representative Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican. Abubakar’s campaign broadcast the town hall meeting on Facebook, and he posted a string of photos of his U.S. visit and meetings to his Twitter account, including one from his arrival at the airport putting him back on U.S. soil.

A spokesman for Smith didn’t respond to questions about the meeting. A Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman said the roundtable discussion was private.

— With assistance by Greg Farrell, Tope Alake, and Bill Allison

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-04/trump-linked-lobbyists-help-nigerian-politician-gain-u-s-access

so banning get waiver?, Atiku must be special then,he is surely the man we need.

chiefqueen:
You're as disgusting as your religion. Blood sucking, premature pussy loving pigs. Tufia.

Hahahahahaaaaah chai!,oh guy your blood de hot oh all those insults for my poor head because of kpekus Matter!,but I sure sey if hear Boko you will not wait for Haram before you Usain bolt oh!,well I'm surprised you couldn't spot my sacarsm.now do you get it?.

vllar:
So I met this beautiful lady who wouldn't date any guy if marriage isn't guaranteed within or after 6 months. Her decision was admirable. However, I feel that's a very tough task to place on oneself. I was invited to her church only to hear the pastor saying the same thing. What are your thoughts people?
PS: I am not criticizing the decision I just find it strange!!

very simple,just ask her is she ready to undertake the "test", whatever is her answer,get back to me for further details.

shafshaff95:
A Lady could not contain her distaste at those who find joy in defiling young children in the name of Marriage. To those Pedophiles the lady branded them Bastard and a sick one for that. It is a common practices amongst the Northerners so it is no surprise to see various section attacking the lady for her view.

Some went as far as to enjoined the lady to seek forgiveness and take down the posts.

MORE REACTIONS:https://www.sportspva.com/2019/02/ladys-outrage-against-child-marriage.html

But islamically it's allowed as examplified by prophet Mohammad (SAW),so I put it to you that you are liable to dealth with through an appropriate fatwa to be declared in the nearest future.how dare you!,even the matyr mujahedeens are promised such virgins!.

thazz:
they allow you bring stolen money into their countries

and do what you could have done in your own countries to theirs

with your own money ...i think they are Pennywise and Africans are pounds foolish

why take your money to another man's land in the first place.. stolen or not

Did they force any body to take money from their home countries to them?,by the way,who returned abacha loot?,pls let's learn to do what is right n stop decieving ourselves looking for scapegoats.

ivandragon:
INEC chairman admits commission contractor is APC senatorial candidate


tribuneonlineng.com Feb 17, 2019 9:39 AM


•Says process not compromised



National chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, on Saturday admitted that candidate of the All Progressives Congress, for Niger East Senatorial District, Senator Mohammed Musa, was a registered contractor with the commission.

The INEC chairman made the disclosure at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, had in a statement hinted the nation that the Managing Director of Activate Technologies Limited, Mohammed Sani Musa, whose company supplied the machines used in printing the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), was the candidate of the APC for Niger East Senatorial district in the aborted Saturday’s election.


Atiku, in the statement, further argued that “given that Mr. Musa’s previous company, Act Technologies, had a contract to supply and install PVC card printers in the INEC Headquarters, it does beg the question why Mr Musa’s new company, Activate Technologies, was given a subsequent contract to print PVC cards itself?”

“Other investigations have revealed that an employee and Director of Activate Technologies and an APC member, Mr. Mohammed Keffi, was filmed at Abuja Airport Domestic Departure Lounge on December 29 opening an official INEC envelope and then handling multiple ballot forms which he was checking off against his mobile phone.

INEC obtaining ad-hoc staff list from APC ― PDP
Atiku further noted that “while Sani Musa has the right to hold any public office in spite of his line of business, it is morally unjustifiable to allow a well-known supplier of sensitive INEC materials to partake in an election in which the key materials to be used for the poll were supplied by him.”

Asked by a former Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka, who stood in for PDP national chairman, Uche Secondus for clarification, the INEC Chairman admitted that he was aware that the said contractor with the commission was a senatorial candidate of the APC.

But he, however, assured Nigerians that it would not affect the credibility of the electoral process.

He said: “Yes, I am aware. That company has been working with the commission since 2011. I assure you that we have a strict system. No electoral officer will be compromised. The integrity of the process is protected.”



https://www.tribuneonlineng.com/amp/191184/

Buhari/Apc are just plane evil,all that is happening is just interventions by Providence ,only God knows the terrible schemes Apc has planned.dead or alive there has never been n I don't if there will ever be a corrupt free politician to rule Nigeria, what Nigeria as a very diverse country needs is someone with the capacity, competence n accommodation to all in our diversity to lead,Atiku has clearly shown these qualities n truly deserve a chance now if we really want the country to move forward.

Gullah:
There has always been heated arguments among Christians and Christian denominations as regards the position of the Bible on wearing of trousers by women. I also had been conflicted about this at certain stages of my development as a Christian but after thorough and thoughtful examination of this matter, I came to a conclusion and I will outline my own argument on this issue with this thread.

Deuteronomy 22:5 (KJV)
The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.

This Bible passage above is where the entire controversy over appropriateness of Christian women wearing trousers or not emanate from

1. Note that it made not specifically talking about women wearing trousers, it does not even mention the word trouser as it wasn't even in existence then. It was talking about what we call Cross-dressing today so the question is should women wearing trousers today be seen as an example of cross dressing?

Trousers were not our clothing in this part of the world, it was a dressing we borrowed from western culture so if we are to determine if it is male or female clothing or not, we need to look to those that own the culture. From my research, the earliest appearance of trousers in human history were in Asia and much later in Europe and much of what we call the western world today.

The question is did women wear trousers in Asia and the western world or was it only for men? The truth is their women wore trousers and it is not a modern thing, they had been wearing trousers long before Christianity came to Nigeria. If Among the people that invented this trousers, women wear trousers, how did Africans who borrowed the culture come to conclude that it is only a man's wear? There are lots of evidence in historical arts that women wore trousers as far back as even before Jesus came.

2. Deuteronomy 22 is a Chapter with 30 verses all giving commandments to be obeyed by the Israelites in those days. They include commandments like,

Verse 9: Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled.

Verse 11: Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.

Verse 12: Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear e.t.c

The chapter even advocates for the stoning to death of a woman found not to be a virgin on her wedding night. So my question is why do some Christians zero in on only verse five and try to condemn people with it? Why not advocate for the implementation of the entire commandments in that chapter of the Bible? After all, Jesus said if you fail in one, you have failed in all.

My advice to Christians is that Jesus came and became a fulfillment of the law, in other words, he fulfilled all the requirements of the law and introduced an era of grace where it is faith in Him and not observance of the law that brings salvation. It is a deception by the enemy to make us believe that after receiving salvation by grace through faith in Christ, we need to maintain that salvation by trying to observe all old testament laws and commandments.

I completely agree with your view,but personally I believe the issue should be about wearing trousers in a manner meant to advertise n promote imorality such as low waist trousers, trousers meant to expose camel toe etc which constitutes indecency.

torino88:
no politician dead or alive in Nigeria that isn't corrupt
but vote who can deliver

Your head dey there bro!, Buhari forming useless n fake saint!, Atiku is certainly not a perfect person but the man has shown that he's got capacity n competence,above all he is urbane n accommodating to all, that is the kind of person needed to manage the affairs of a diverse Nation like Nigeria.

Victory4322:
President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed that nobody will unseat him.

He said contrary to opinions in some quarters, he had the strength to lead the country for four more years.

Buhari stated this in an interview aired on Friday on the verified Instagram page of CNN Africa while responding to doubts about his ability to run the country for a second term.

The interviewer had asked the President, “This is a vibrant democracy. You came in, unseating the incumbent. Are you worried the same could happen to you?”

To this, Buhari responded, “No. Nobody would unseat me.”

He added, “I am ready to take this country forward for the next four years.”

When asked his plans for containing the terror in the North-East, the President insisted that Boko Haram was no longer “technically” having a grip on any local government area in the region.

He said, “We have 774 local governments in this country. They (Boko Haram) used to hold 17. They are not technically holding any local government now.

“But they are indoctrinating young men and women, especially girls, wrap them up with explosives and let them explode them in soft targets like churches, mosques, marketplaces, motor parks and other places.”

Buhari added, “Of course, we are doing our best (to contain the terror) and we thank some foreign countries in Europe and the United States for training our armed forces and going to the battlefront to see how they have performed.”

Source:https://punchng.com/2019-election-nobody-will-unseat-me-buhari-vows

Mtscheeeeew tuhaa!,as if he is God!.

realmedia:
Photo: Onnoghen pleads not guilty to all charges, granted bail on self recognition

Suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, has left the premises of the Code of Conduct Tribunal CCT after he pleaded not guilty to the six charges levelled against him by the Federal government.

He was granted bail by the tribunal on self recognition.

The trial was adjourned till March 11th.

Onnoghen arrived the CT premises this morning, two days after a bench warrant for his arrest was issued by the Tribunal. The bench warrant has since been withdrawn.


via https://onecornergizt..com/2019/02/photo-onnoghen-pleads-not-guilty-to-all.html

Yes, onnoghen should stand firm with boldness to fight for his name to the end, there's certainly grounds to believe that his case was clearly pre-planned n doesn't follow due process n rule of law.whatever is it,the CCB would have simply given new assets forms to onnoghen n if still not satisfied after carrying out their investigations they would have tip the presidency to handle onnoghen,if he proves stubborn Even with incontrovertible facts then a petition would have been forwarded to NJC, I'm sure with this due process no one would have cried foul.But right from the onset buhari had shown his bigoted hand but God pass him.