₦airaland Forum

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Confusion over Jonathan’s campaign committee


There is confusion in the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party over when the party will inaugurate its Presidential Campaign Committee.

The committee, which is headed by a former National Chairman of the party, Ahmadu Ali, was made known during the inauguration of the party’s National Campaign Council, headed by its National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on December 11.

It was meant to be inaugurated the following day at Legacy Building, Maitama, Abuja.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that neither the party nor the Presidency can speak authoritatively on when the committee will be inaugurated.

Since no one knows this, it is also observed that there is no plan yet as to when the committee will release President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign itinerary.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, told our correspondent that he was not in the position to state when the President’s campaign would start, adding that a committee was being put in place for that purpose.

“I’m not in charge of that; I don’t know where and how the campaign would run,” he told our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday.

Also, the National Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, when contacted, was unable to give specific date on when the committee would begin work.

Initially he said it would be inaugurated this week, but when reminded that both Thursday and Friday had been declared public holidays, he said he was not sure.

He said, “The committee will be inaugurated this week, or before it runs out. Anyway, we are working on it.”

The committee, which is being considered as being juicy, already has N21.27bn to work with.

Meanwhile, there are indications that prominent members of the party from both the North-West and North-East may have rejected the headship of the President’s campaign committee.

Their refusal to stand up for the President, it was gathered, was as a result of the general apathy to the President’s second term ambition in the area.

Ali, who is heading the committee now, is from the North-Central.

A former member of the Senate, Dr. Dalhatu Tafida, was the director general of the campaign in 2011.

He is from Kaduna State.

It was learnt that the Presidency and the national leadership of the party were still scouting for more people to fortify the campaign committee.

A presidency official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The President wants more capable hands in the committee. He knows that this election is different from the one held in 2011.

“Besides, since the opposition, the All Progressives Congress had named its committee members, the PDP and the Presidency have to return to the drawing board.”

While the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, is the director general of the APC’s Presidential Campaign, a former Commissioner of Information in Lagos State, Mr. Dele Alake, is its spokesperson.

It will be recalled that the President of the Senate, David Mark, had admitted that the PDP has serious opponents to contend with at all levels during the forthcoming 2015 general elections.


http://www.punchng.com/news/confusion-over-jonathans-campaign-committee/

How my father made me a suicide bomber — 13-yr old suspect


KANO—The ancient city of Kano was thrown into shock yesterday following the confession of a 13 years old suicide bomber arrested by the police at the wake of twin bombblast that rocked the city textile market over how she was conscripted as suicide bomber by his biological father.

The suicide bomber who identified herself as Zaharau Babangida told a bewildered city dwellers that ‘it began one day when my father took my mum and I to a forest in Bauchi where we met people claiming to be working for God”.
In her confession, the frail looking Zaharau said “in the Bauchi forest I met some other girls who I guessed were my age mate and their leader told us to give our lives to God and enjoy the bounties of heaven’.
I was not moved by the soul searching preaching of bounties in the heaven and it was at this point, their leader resorted to threat and intimidation to obtain my consent. We were shown a deep hole where the leader of the group threatened to bury us alive at a point if any of us refused to play along, and at another time he picked a big gun and threatened to shoot anyone who fails to obey his command.”
Zaharau who told reporters that she hailed from Damaturu, the capital city of Yobe state explained that “it was at this point my father stepped forward to persuade me to play along, and told me to prepare to die as martyr and clear the way for him to join me soon”.
The 13 years old girl who spoke fluent Hausa dialect further said “when I was confronted with option of death, I chose to play along hoping to find an escape route one day”.
Speaking on the Kano bomb blast, Zaharau Babangida said “I and two other girls were conveyed to Kano and quartered at the outskirt of the city by a man I could hardly remember his name, and this same man conveyed all of us to the market square and deployed us at strategic positions at Kwari market on the day we struck.
“I was taken aback when my partners were shattered to pieces barely a second after they detonated. I then rushed out of the scene to pick a commercial rickshaw to a hospital in Dawanau area of the city for medical treatment, and doctors were already attending to me when the driver of the Keke NAPEP resurfaced and showed me a metal object and requested to know whether it was mine of which I answered in affirmative.
“I told him the object he dangled before me is a bomb and its mine, and in no time armed soldiers picked me from my sick bed to their headquarters.”
Earlier in the day, the Department of State Security Services and the Nigerian Police had paraded her as one of the suicide bombers that attacked Kano textile market December 10.
The Commissioner of police, Adelenre Shinaba who was flanked by the state Director of SS, Mr. Basey Ettang explained that the arrest was as a result of synergy among the security agents in the state.
Meanwhile, a suicide bomber who rammed into a military check point in Bajoga, Gombe State in an attempt to perpetrate mass killings of troops and innocent civilians, yesterday failed to accomplish his mission, the Defence Headquarters’ has said.
According to a statement signed by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, the attempt by the terrorist to escape also failed as he was brought down by vigilant soldiers when he tried to flee after hitting a military Amoured Personnel Carrier with his IED laden Honda car.
The explosives which failed to detonate have been evacuated and handed to the police.
Also in Kano, security forces have raided the terrorists’ hideout in Nasarawa Local Government Area leading to the arrest of bomb making experts who are already helping in the investigation into activities of bombers lately.
Officers believe that the efforts will yield useful clues.
Meanwhile, the Military High Command has directed troops deployed in all locations of the counter terrorism campaign to sustain the tempo of operations all through the period of seasonal celebrations and ensure that the intention of terrorists to attack civilian target while avoiding troops is duly frustrated.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/father-made-suicide-bomber-13-yr-old-suspect/

This is also why a lot of people are hooked on Nairaland .

How Facebook and Candy Crush Got You Hooked
BY TED GREENWALD

Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. World of Warcraft. Angry Birds. The most successful tech products have one thing in common: They’re addictive. And users don’t get hooked by accident. Just ask Nir Eyal. A Bay Area entrepreneur turned desire guru, Eyal has worked with some of the top tech firms in Silicon Valley, teaching them how to apply the system he developed for engineering habit-forming apps, services, and games. His blog, Nir and Far, has attracted tens of thousands of subscribers hungry for insights, and his writing has appeared in both the mass-market pages of Psychology Today and the insider club of TechCrunch. His inaugural Habit Summit, held last March on the Stanford campus, drew 400 participants. Eyal’s book, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, self-published in January 2014, shot immediately to the top of Amazon’s product-design list. Penguin acquired it and released it in November.

At the heart of Eyal’s system is a four-step cycle he calls the Hook. These steps were derived from his observation of online products and services, as well as a wide range of psychological and neurological research, from B. F. Skinner to B. J. Fogg. The Hook, Eyal says, is the magic behind just about every icon of the consumer Internet, from Google to WhatsApp.


1 | TRIGGER
The process starts with a cue or stimulus. That’s an external trigger. It’s most effective if it arrives when the target is feeling some kind of discomfort (which Eyal calls an internal trigger), from which it can promise relief—like a Facebook message that happens to arrive in your inbox just when you’re feeling alone. “The more times users go through the Hook, the more the product forms an association with internal triggers like loneliness, boredom, or fear,” Eyal explains. “When we’re lonely, we turn to Facebook. When we’re feeling out of the loop, we turn to Twitter.”

You’re sitting at home on a Sunday afternoon, feeling lonely and wondering if everyone else had a better weekend. Your phone buzzes with a Facebook alert: You’ve been tagged in a photo taken at the party you went to on Friday. You log on to Facebook to check it out.


2 | ACTION
A behavior happens when a trigger coincides with both the motivation to take action and the ability to do so, says theorist B. J. Fogg. Say you’re expecting a phone call while in the middle of a business meeting; your motivation to answer is high, but your ability to answer is low, so when the phone rings you don’t pick up. Or you may be free to answer when your phone rings, but you notice that the incoming number is blocked—presumably by a telemarketer. Now your ability to answer is high but your motivation is low, and again you don’t answer. If a trigger consistently fails to initiate the desired behavior, habit designers should aim to boost the user’s ability, which is easier to influence than motivation.

You spend your lunch hour reading a newsletter that has arrived in your inbox. One story in particular catches your fancy, and at the bottom you see the message “Share with friends.” Clicking it automatically connects you to your Twitter account. The technology has made it so easy for you to tweet—increased your ability—that you take the action almost without thinking about it.


3 | REWARD
Rewards can come in an almost endless variety of forms, from receiving attention, acceptance, and appreciation (an obvious force in social networks) to gaining a sense of mastery and autonomy (thank you videogames and Words With Friends) to prizes like money and gift cards. One of the most powerful methods to amp up the anticipation and ultimate effect of a reward, B. F. Skinner found, is to make it unpredictable. A classic example is slot-machine gambling. The player never knows whether the next pull might bring a $5 win or a $50,000 jackpot. The unpredictability of the reward—and the randomness of its arrival—is a powerful motivator to pull the lever again and again.

You’re a software programmer and you’re active on Stack Overflow, the community site where volunteers post some 10,000 coding answers a day. Last week you saw a question about an interesting problem: Hitting the Clear button in a shopping app doesn’t empty the cart. You had recently solved this problem yourself, so you posted the code. Logging in now, you’re delighted to see that your reply has gotten 10 up-votes, way more than you expected. You beam with pride.

You’re sitting at your desk at the end of a workday when your phone chimes with a Snapchat notification. It’s from a colleague who’s on vacation: He’s sent you a photo of a brimming martini sitting next to a juicy steak. You have to reply, which is easy to do—just double-tap on the message and your phone’s camera is activated. You send your colleague a photo of a knish. You can’t wait to see what he sends back.


4 | INVESTMENT
This last stage of the process closes the loop by “loading the next trigger,” Eyal says. The key is for the user to contribute some element of their own—a tweet, a comment, a video—and for that, in turn, to set in motion a chain of events resulting in the delivery of the next trigger. Consider Instagram: You make an investment by posting a photo. Then, when a follower likes or comments on your contribution, the service sends a push notification triggering you to take yet another spin through the Hook. Investment can also engage what behavioral economist Dan Ariely calls the Ikea effect: Contribute to the creation of something and you value it more, whether it’s a YouTube video of your kid’s recital or a post on Pinterest.

http://www.wired.com/2014/12/how-to-build-habit-forming-products/

APC South East Salutes Ndigbo For Emerging Highest Donors To GMB Support Fund


The South East All Progressives Congress (APC) has congratulated Ndigbo for topping the list of donors to the Buhari Support Organization Campaign Fund, a peoples' contribution to General Muhammadu Buhari’s (GMB) war chest for the 2015 presidential election.

Muhammadu Buhari with son of former Nigerian Nnamdi Azikiwe
“We are happy to announce that when the managers of the First Bank of Nigeria warehoused fund unveiled N54 million so far realized, Ndigbo topped the list of the highest donors; a unique account that has GMB as the only signatory,” APC South East spokesman Osita Okechukwu said in a statement.

“By topping the donor list, Ndigbo has graciously demonstrated that the celestial bond between GMB and the Nigerian Masses and the Middle Class is Pan-Nigeria and not sectional as insinuated,” he said.

He noted that the Buhari Campaign Support Fund has General Buhari as the sole signatory for purposes of transparency, and is aimed at assisting the candidate, who refused to enrich himself while in office, to prosecute his presidential campaign.

“The South East APC salutes our people who embrace the Buhari-Bandwagon-Vehicle for Salvation; for it is our candid opinion that it is less than wise for the hard working and enterprising Ndigbo to election after election put all our eggs in one basket,” Okechukwu said.

http://saharareporters.com/2014/12/24/apc-south-east-salutes-ndigbo-emerging-highest-donors-gmb-support-fund

Taye Taiwo explains why he wants Stephen Keshi sacked



Taye Taiwo has become the latest person to call for the sack of Stephen Keshi as Super Eagles coach.

The Bursaspor of Turkey defender drew inference from the sacking of Samson Siasia when he failed to qualify Nigeria for the 2012 African Nations Cup tournament, arguing that Keshi should get the same treatment as well.

Keshi has been in the eye of the storm since he failed to qualify Nigeria for the 2015 African Nations Cup, with many clamouring for his head on a plate.

His situation is still uncertain, with the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) yet to offer him a new contract.

“Everybody in Nigeria knows that when Siasia did not qualify everybody from the media, the fans insisted that they have to sack him, so it is normal that when a coach does not qualify for the Nations Cup or the World Cup he is not allowed to stay on, I am sorry to say that; they have to sack him (Keshi),” Taiwo told PREMIUM TIMES

“Nigeria is not just for one person, if a coach does not qualify you for a competition why do you have to keep him?”

Taiwo last played for Nigeria when Siasia was still coach and has since been overlooked by Keshi since 2011.

However he denied that he has a personal vendetta with Keshi for not calling him up to the national team.

“Please don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with Keshi, Amokachi or even the NFF. The players that have been called are also doing fantastically well, everything is in the hands of Allah. If I get the chance to play for Nigeria I will, if not, life goes on,” he added.

http://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/taye-taiwo-explains-why-he-wants-stephen-keshi-sacked.105066/

I spent nine hours in traffic in that location before Easter last year. I had just descended from the lokoja bridge on my way to kwali when I met the gridlock. A journey that should last about two hours from that point became a journey of nine hours.

Watch And Pray, Watch And Prey

BY WOLE SOYINKA

I had fully attuned myself to the fact that our Owu retiree soldier and prolific author is an infliction that those of us who share the same era and nation space must learn to endure. However, it does appear that there is no end to this individual’s capacity for infantile mischief, and for needless, mind-boggling provocations, such as his recent ‘literary’ intrusion on my peace.

Perhaps I ought to interrupt myself here with an apology to some mutual acquaintances – ‘blessed peacemakers’ and all - especially in this season of ‘peace and goodwill to all men’. Please know that your efforts have not been entirely in vain. I had a cordial exchange with Obasanjo over the phone recently – engineered by himself, his ground staff and/or a chance visitor – when I had cause to visit his Presidential Laundromat for the first time ever. During that exchange, I complemented him on making some quite positive use of landed property that was acquired under morally dubious circumstances, and blatantly developed through a process that I denounced as ‘executive extortionism’. That obscene proceeding has certainly set a competitive precedent for impunity in President Jonathan’s recent fund-raising shindig, editorialized in THE PUNCH (Dec. 23, 2014) as “Impunity Taken too Far”. So much for the latest from that directions - we mustn’t allow Handing-Over notes between presidents to distract us for too long.

To return to our main man, and friendly interventionists, you may like to note that I went so far as to engage him in light banter, stating that some of his lesser sins would be forgiven him for that creative conversion of the landscape – a conversation that he shortly afterwards delightedly shared with at least three mutual acquaintances. I promised a follow-up visit to view some mysterious rock script whose existence, he informed me, was uncovered by workers during ground clearing. The exchange was, in short, as good as ‘malice towards none’ that any polemicist could hope to contribute to the ongoing season of peace and goodwill. Obviously that visit will not now take place, any more than the pursuit of vague notions of some creative collaboration with his Centre that began to play around my mind.

That much I do owe you from my report card. Perhaps you will now accept that there are individuals who are born incorrigible but, more importantly, that some issues transcend one’s personal preferences for harmonious human relationships even in a season of traditional good will. The change in weather conditions sits quite well with me however, since we are both acquainted with the Yoruba proverb that goes: the child that swears his mother will not sleep must also prepare for a prolonged, sleepless infancy. So let it be with Okikiola, the overgrown child of circumstance.

One of the incessant ironies that leapt up at me as I read Obasanjo’s magnum opus was that we are both victims of a number of distasteful impositions - such as being compelled again and again to seek justice against libel in the law courts. I felt genuine empathy to read that he still has a pending thirty-year case instituted by him against his alleged libelers! Judgment was delivered in my favour regarding one of the most nauseating only this year, after surviving technical and other procrastinations, defendant evasions and other legalistic impediments for nearly as long as his. That leaves only a veritable Methuselah on the court list still awaiting re-listing under the resurrection ritual language known as de novo. Unfortunately, not all acts of defamation or willful misrepresentation are actionable, otherwise, my personal list against this newly revealed fellow-sufferer would have counted for an independent volume of the Nigerian Law Report since our paths first crossed during the Civil War. My commitment to the belief in the fundamental right of all human beings NOT TO BE LIED AGAINST remains a life obsession, and thus demands, at the very least, an obligation of non-commission among fellow victims.

I must therefore reserve a full, frontal dissection of Obasanjo’s My Watch for later, most especially since the work itself is currently under legal restraint and is not readily accessible to a general readership. So, for now, let me single out just one of the most glaring instances of this man’s compulsive career of lying, one sample that the media can readily check upon and use as a touchstone – if they do need one - in assessing our author’s multifaceted claims and commentaries on people and events. I refer here to the grotesque and personally insulting statement that he has attributed to me for some inscrutable but obviously diversionary reasons. In the process, this past Master of Mendacity brazenly implicates an innocent young man, Akin Osuntokun, who once served him as a Special Adviser. Instead of conferring dignity on a direct rebuttal of an ignoble fabrication, I shall simply make a personal, all-embracing attestation:

I despise that species of humanity whose stock-in-trade is to concoct lies simply to score a point, win an argument, puff up his or her own ego, denigrate or attempt to destroy a fellow being. However, even within such deplorable species, a special pit of universal opprobrium is surely reserved for those who even lack the courage of their own lies, but must foist them on others. When an old man stuffs a lie into the throat of an age-mate of his own children - omo inu e! - we can only pity an irredeemable egomaniac whose dotage is headed for twilight disgrace.

D.O. Fagunwa, the pioneer Yoruba novelist, was a compulsive moralist. I suspect that he may have exerted some influence on our garrulous general, resulting in his pupil’s tedious, misapplied and self-serving deluge of moralizing. It seems quite likely indeed that the ghostly, moralistic hand of Fagunwa reached out from the Great Beyond, sat his would-be competitor forcefully before a mirror and bade him write what he saw in that image. I invoke Fagunwa because, at his commemorative colloquium in Akure in August last year, I drew my audience’s attention to a remarkable passage in Fagunwa’s Igbo Olodumare. The passage had struck me during translation and stuck to my mind. I found it uncanny that the original creative moralist, Fagunwa, had captured the psychological profile of a being whom I have been compelled by circumstances to study as an eerie creation, yet this was a character Fagunwa was unlikely to have encountered in real life at the time that he produced that work.

The section comes from an account of a visit to the abode of Iku, Death, the terrifying host to Olowo-aiye, the narrative voice of the adventure. Iku, the host, had been admonishing his guests through the histories of seven creatures who were not permitted a straightforward passage to Heaven or Hell, but were subjected to admonitory punishment at the halfway house to the abode of the dead. The most horrendous tortures were reserved, it would seem, for the last of the seven such ‘detainees’, and I invited my audience to ponder if they could identify any prominent individual, a public figure whose life conduct seamlessly fitted into Fagunwa’s portrayal, which went thus:

“The seventh…. is not among those who set out to improve the world but rather to cause distress to its inhabitants. It was through manipulations that he attained a high position. Having achieved this however, he constantly blocked the progress of those behind him, this being a most deplorable act in the eyes of God, and rank behaviour in the judgment of the dwellers of heaven – that anyone who has enjoyed upliftment in life should seek to be an obstacle for those who follow him. This man forgot the beings of earth, forgot the beings of heaven, in turn, he forgot the presence of God. The worst kind of behaviour agitated his hands – greed occupied the centre of his heart, and he was a creature that walked in darkness. This man wallowed in bribery, he was chairman of the circle of scheming, head of the gang of double-dealing, field-marshal of those who crept about in the dark of night. With his mouth, he ruined the work of others, while he used a big potsherd to cover the good works of some, that others might not see their attainments. He nosed around for secrets that would entrap his companions, and blew them up into monumental crimes in the eyes of the world. He who turns the world upside down, places the deceitful on the throne, casts the truthful down – because such is a being of base earth, he will never stand as equal among the uplifted.”

My co-occupants of the High Table, in side remarks, and those who came up from the audience afterwards to volunteer their answer to the riddle, without exception named one individual and one individual only, even as I remained non-committal. Indeed, one or two tried to put up a defence of that nominee, and I had to remind them that I had named no one! Fagunwa wrote largely of the world of mongrelized creatures but, as I remarked, his fiction remains a prescient and cautionary mirror of the society we inhabit, where beasts of the forest appear to have a greater moral integrity than those who claim to be leading lights of society.

In this season of goodwill, we owe a duty to our immediate and distant neighbours: CAVEAT EMPTOR! Let all beware, who try to buy a Rolex from this indefatigable watch peddler. His own hand-crafted, uniquely personalized timepiece has been temporarily confiscated by NDLEA and other guardians of public health but, there is no cause for despair. Such has been the fate of the misunderstood and the envied, avatars descended from the heavens before their time, the seers, and all who crave recognition. Our author invokes God tirelessly, without provocation, without necessity and without justification, perhaps preemptively, but does he really believe in such an entity? Does our home-bred Double-O-Seven believe in anything outside his own Omnipotency? Could he possibly have mistaken the Christian exhortation – ‘Watch and Pray’ for his private inclination to “Watch and Prey? This is a seasoned predator on others’ achievements – he preys on their names, their characters, their motivations, their true lives, preys on gossip and preys on facts, preys on contributions to collective undertakings…..even preys on their identities, substituting his own where possible. Well, hopefully he may actually believe in the inevitable End to all vanities? So, let our Great Immortal, the Unparalleled Achiever, Divinely appointed Watchman even on the world that is yet to come remember Fagunwa’s Iku, the ultimate predator whose visitation comes to us all, sooner or later.


http://saharareporters.com/2014/12/24/watch-and-pray-watch-and-prey-wole-soyinka

Removing Body Organs Without Consent Permitted By The National Health Act, 2014

BY FEMI FALANA

It was reported in the media last week that President Goodluck Jonathan had signed the National Health Bill into law. As a legal framework for the management and regulation of the health sector the Act has addressed some of the challenges and concerns of the Nigerian people with respect to access to medical care. Unfortunately, some of the provisions of the Act have empowered doctors to violate the right of Nigerians to life by removing the organs of living persons without authorization. Before examining the obnoxious provisions of the Act it is pertinent to note that it is the most comprehensive legislation on healthcare in Nigeria.


Femi Falana (SAN)
Section 46 of the Act which has barred public officers from travelling abroad for medical check-up, investigation and treatment at public expense should compel the federal government to fix and upgrade some hospitals to international standards. To ensure the provision of basic health services to Nigerians not less than 1% of the consolidated revenue fund of the federal government shall be allocated to the National Provision Fund on an annual basis. But having regard to the enormous costs of medical services the 1% allocation is like a drop in the ocean. It is however hoped that the National Health Insurance Scheme will be reorganized to partner with the National Health Council (created under the Act) to ensure the provision of efficient and affordable healthcare delivery system throughout the country.

The Act has imposed a mandatory duty on all hospitals and medical establishments to provide medical services, even for emergency cases like accident, without demanding for police reports. Going by the letter and spirit of the Act it is indisputable that the right to health has been elevated to the level of justiciability as anyone denied of access to basic health has the unquestionable right to seek redress in court. If religiously implemented by the federal government the Act is going to tackle all preventable diseases including infant and maternal mortality. Any industrial action in the health sector shall be resolved within as health is classified as an essential service by the Act.

It is however doubtful if both chambers of the National Assembly which had passed the Bill and the President who assented to it studied the provisions of the law. Otherwise how can the President and the federal legislators justify section 51 of the Act which provides as follows:

“1. A person shall not remove tissue from a living person for transplantation in another living person or carry out the transplantation of such tissue except:

(a) In a hospital authorized for that purpose; and

(b) On the written authority of;

(i) The medical practitioner in charge of clinical services

in that hospital or any other medical practitioner authorized by him or her; or

(ii) In the case where there is no medical practitioner in

charge of the clinical services at that hospital a medical practitioner authorized thereto by the person in charge of the hospital.

2. The medical practitioner stated in subsection(1)(b) shall not be the lead participation in a transplant for which he has granted authorization under that subsection.

3. For the purpose of transplantation, there shall be an independent tissue transplantation committee within any health establishment that engages in the act and practice of transplantation as prescribed.”

It is indubitably clear from the said section 51 of the Act that the National Assembly has infringed on the fundamental rights of every citizen of Nigeria to the dignity of their person and the right to privacy as well as freedom of thought, conscience and religion guaranteed by sections 34, 37 and 38 of the amended 1999 Constitution. As there can be no justification for reducing the body of a Nigerian citizen to spare parts of vehicles which can be removed and sold in the market the National Assembly has, by the obnoxious provision of the National Health Act, 2014, abused its legislative powers.

Before the passage of the controversial bill into law the constitutional right of the Nigerian people to reject or refuse medication including a life saving treatment on religious grounds had long been recognized by the courts. The essence of the constitutional right is that an individual should be allowed to choose a course for his/her life subject to overriding public interests. Hence, the consent of patients or their family members is required where surgical operations are recommended. Where such consent is not freely given a doctor cannot perform an operation on any person without a court order. From the information at my disposal a powerful Foundation in the United States influenced the introduction of section 51 to the bill at the National Assembly. It is sad to note that none of the legislators could challenge the sponsors of the provision which cannot be found in any of the health legislations in western countries.

Since medical doctors have been empowered to decide when to remove organs from living persons Section 51 of the Act constitutes an infringement of the rights of citizens to life, dignity of their persons as well as the rights to privacy and freedom of thought, conscience and religion guaranteed by Section 33, 34, 37 and 38 of the Constitution. In Medical and Dental Practitioner Disciplinary Tribunal v. Okonkwo (2001) WRN 1 the Supreme Court held that a patient has the constitutional right to reject a life-serving treatment on religious n grounds. In the leading judgment of the apex court Justice Emmanuel Ayoola held inter alia:

“The patient’s constitutional right to object to medical treatment or, particularly, as in this case, to blood transfusion on religious grounds is founded on fundamental rights protected by the 1979 Constitution…The right to privacy implies a right to protect one’s thought, conscience or religious belief and practice from coercive and unjustified intrusion; and, one’s body from unauthorized invasion. The right to freedom of thought, conscience or religion implies a right not to be prevented, without lawful justification, from choosing the course of one’s life, fashioned on what one believes in, and a right not to be coerced into acting contrary to religious belief. The limits of these freedoms, as in all cases, are where they impinge on the rights of others or where they put the welfare of society or public health in jeopardy.”

It is pertinent to point out that it is the medical doctor or manager of a hospital and not the donor who has the power to authorize that an organ be removed from a living Nigerian citizen. The definition of “organ” in the law includes kidney, liver, heart, lens, ovarian eggs, sperm . The proponents of the law are likely to refer to section 48 thereof which provides for the “informed consent” of a donor. But such consent “may be waived for medical investigations and treatment in emergency cases”. As far as the fundamental right of a Nigerian to dignity is concerned there can be no waiver of consent under any medical condition. Even where a patient is unconscious or incapable to give informed consent the power is transferred to a next-of-kin or parents in the case of children.

Since the consent clause may be waived for “medical investigation and treatment in emergency cases” it does appear that medical practitioners and hospitals have been licensed to remove tissues and organs of living Nigerian citizens as any medical condition may be considered an emergency. By denying patients the right to give consent or authorize the removal of vital organs from their bodies the National Assembly has empowered doctors to subject Nigerians to degrading and inhuman treatment. In other words, Section 51 of the Act constitutes an egregious assault on the humanity of Nigerians. The provision of the law cannot be allowed to be implemented in any civilized society.Therefore, the National Assembly should expunge it from the law without any delay.

The writer is Femi Falana, SAN

http://saharareporters.com/2014/12/23/removing-body-organs-without-consent-permitted-national-health-act-2014-femi-falana

Nigeria's Oil Woes: USA's Hillary Clinton Slams into President Jonathan


Former US Secretary of State, Mrs. Hillary Clinton has attacked President Jonathan for the squandering of Nigeria's oil resources and his 'indirectly' helping corruption to fester in the terrorism-ridden nation.

She said: “The government of Nigeria has been, in my view, somewhat derelict in its responsibility toward protecting boys and girls, men and women in northern Nigeria over the last years.

“The Nigerian government must accept help – particularly intelligence, surveillance and recognizance help – their troops have to be the ones that (are) necessary, but they could do a better job if they accept the offers that are being made. Nigeria has made bad choices, not hard choices,” Clinton said.
“They have squandered their oil wealth; they have allowed corruption to fester, and now they are losing control of parts of their (own) territory because they would not make hard choices.”

She said this while speaking with ABC-TV's Robin Roberts. Afterwards, she also spoke at an International Crisis Group function, and at a philantropy parley which got significant airplay.

“The seizure of these young women by this radical, extremist group, Boko Haram, is abominable, it’s criminal, it’s an act of terrorism, and it really merits the fullest response possible, first and foremost from the government of Nigeria.

“The Nigerian government has failed to confront the threat, or to address the underlying challenges. Most of all, the government of Nigeria needs to get serious about protecting all of its citizens and ensuring that every child has the right and opportunity to go to school,” she said in her address to the function organized by the International Crisis Group.

“Every asset and expertise should be brought to bear. Everyone needs to see this for what it is, it is a gross human rights abuse, but it is also part of a continuing struggle within Nigeria and within North Africa,” she said.

http://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/nigerias-oil-woes-usas-hillary-clinton-slams-into-president-jonathan.104758/

Bus Station Bombed Again In Gombe

A bomb explosion has occurred again at another bus station known as Dukku motor park in Gombe metropolis.

Eyewitnesses told Saharareporters that the bombing killed several people and also injured as many as 40 others.

http://saharareporters.com/2014/12/22/bus-station-bombed-again-gombe

Fani-Kayode Writes to Osinbajo – What Fellowship is there Between Light and Darkness?


A WORD FOR PROFESSOR YEMI OSINBAJO

I am glad that the APC eventually took my advice and saw the wisdom in not fielding a muslim/muslim ticket for the 2015 Presidential election even though I hear that, right up till the last minute, they almost did.

I congratulate my friend and brother Professor Yemi Osinbajo on his nomination as the Vice Presidential candidate of the APC and running mate to General Muhammadu Buhari.

I have known Yemi for a number of years and I must say that he is not only a very pleasant and civilised person with a warm and gentle disposition but he is also a cerebal lawyer with a brilliant mind. I have immense respect for him.

Yet sadly ever since I heard about his nomination and announcement as Buhari's running mate I have felt nothing but sheer pity for him and a deep sense of pathos. My counsel and words for him are as follows:
Woe unto the children of light that secretly delight in darkness and that seek to thwart the counsel of God for their nation by joining hands with the sons of Boko and the daughters of Haram.

The bible says ''what fellowship is there between light and darkness?'' It says ''what does God have to do with Belial?'' It says ''what profiteth a man to gain the world and lose his soul?''.

A respected Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, a devout and committed Christian and an intellectually-sound, well-bred and well educated Professor of Law accepts to be running mate to a closet fundamentalist, a bloodthirsty, cruel and murderous military dictator and a die-hard believer in the philosophy of ''born to rule''? This is serious.

A gifted servant of God who is a favored spiritual son of Rev. Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God has jumped into bed with one of the most notorious troublers of the faith and one of the most consistent enemies of democracy and Nigeria? This is very sad.

Rev. Enoch Adeboye is undoubtedly one of God's greatest and most respected generals on the planet and one of the Church's most humble and best-loved precious gems, yet one of his spiritual sons has surely let him, and indeed the Kingdom of God, down by choosing to play ''man Friday'' and second fiddle to an individual that represents everything that is troubling, unsettling and repugnant to the modern world and to the 21st century? What a tragedy.

A learned Professor of Law and a senior member of the Nigerian bar who is the leading authority on the law of evidence and who has written numerous books on that topic chooses to play number two to a man that failed all his exams at military college and that never went to a decent school or to any university? Jumping Jehoshaphat.

It is only in Nigeria that this sort of thing can happen. Poor Yemi. Look at what the Haramites have done to him and look at what they have reduced him to. Is there anything that these creatures from hell will not do?
Is there anyone that they will not use and is there any norm that they will not defile, pervert, debase, violate and corrupt in their ignoble quest for power and as a consequence of their insatiable lusts and manifest greed?

The truth is that each and everyone one of us, including my friend Yemi, will ultimately have to answer to God for the choices that we make and we must live with the consequences of those choices.

It is no wonder that the Redeemed Christian Church of God has disassociated itself from a false claim that the Church and, by implication, Rev. Adegboye himself, was supporting the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket.

Thankfully they have come out to say clearly and categorically that this is not so. One can always trust Adegboye to do and say the right thing because he is a man that is truly ''after God's heart''.

Yet the denial of an endorsement and tacit support from his Church is just the first of many shockers and unwelcome surprises that Yemi will be served with in the next few weeks. He will get shock after shock and surprise after surprise until the battle is over and circumstances compel him to go back to his very lucrative legal practice.

Yet before he does that he should learn a thing or two from one of his esteemed colleagues and yet another Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, the courageous Pastor Bosun Emmanuel. Bosun said the following words in his famous sermon titled 'The Nigerian Church' which went viral just a few months ago.

He said, ''woe be unto any believer who joins hands with the enemies of God in an attempt to bury the Church and destroy the gospel''. This was a timely admonition and these are strong and wise words from a true servant of God who is under no illusion about what is going on in the politics of Nigeria and who is brave enough to say it as it is.

Yet whether we choose to heed Bosun's words or not I am absolutely certain of one thing: those that have aligned with the servants of satan and the children of darkness and that seek to thwart God's counsel for our nation shall not prevail.

Boko Haram abducted 185 women in Borno state on December 18th and they killed no less than 52 innocent people. Despite that some people are still supporting Buhari and his army of desperate Haramites? What a people, what a country.

Those that say that Buhari has changed simply because he chose a Pastor as his running mate are ignorant. Did he not have a Pastor as his running mate in his last outing in 2011? Did he not still say that it was his intention to ''spread sharia throughout the country'' and that ''an attack on Boko Haram is an attack on the north''?

Did he not oppose a state of emergency in the north eastern states and say that it was unfair for the military to kill Boko Haram members? Did he not say that instead of killing them they should forgive them, pamper them and treat them in the same way that the Niger Delta militants were treated?

Did the spokesman of his party Alhaji Lai Mohammed not say that the proscription of Boko Haram by the Federal Government was ‘’unjust’’ and ‘’unconstitutional’’? How does the fact that Buhari has opted for a Christian running mate change any of these things?

In any case he only opted for a Christian running mate because he was compelled to do so as a consequence of the hue and cry that the prospect of a muslim/muslim ticket had already started to generate.

Are those that cite the fact that he has a Christian running mate as evidence of his new-found love for Christians aware of the fact that during the American civil war a small, ignorant, misguided and deluded group of negro slaves actually fought on the side of the southern confederate forces in an attempt to keep slavery in place?

Did that suggest that the leaders of the southern confederate ‘’secession’’ states suddenly changed their minds and fell in love with the blacks that they had enslaved and treated like animals?

Is Buhari's claim of not being partial to his own hausa-fulani tribe not a little far-fetched? Did he not lead a northern delegation to Alhaji Lam Adesina, the late Governor of Oyo state, just a few years ago when some Fulani herdsmen were slaughtering Yoruba farmers on their own land and ask him ‘’why are YOUR people killing MY people?’’

Apparently Buhari believed that the aggressors that had invaded the land and farms of others and that killed all the occupants had a right to do so simply because they were fulani. Yet some people still claim that the man is not a tribalist.

Ignorance and lack of knowledge is a terrible affliction but in this context it is not only terrible but also very dangerous. Buhari’s choice of a Christian Pastor as his running mate means nothing and changes nothing about him or his entrenched views and ancient mindset.

It rather provides clear evidence of his sheer desperation to win power at all costs and it is a reflection of his obvious and deep-seated deceit. Let the truth be told even though the heavens may fall: Christian Vice President or no Christian Vice President, Buhari's heart remains as dark as ever.

We shall meet him in the field: let God's will be done.

http://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/fani-kayode-writes-to-osinbajo-–-what-fellowship-is-there-between-light-and-darkness.104727/

Why We Stopped Buying Nigeria’s Oil, By White House

OFFICIALS of the United States government have for the first time in months presented an explanation on the sudden termination of oil imports from Nigeria since July, an action which spurred concerns whether there were any possible political connotation especially because of the current strain in Nigeria-US diplomatic relations.

Answering a question on the issue from The Guardian, during the week, White House Director of the US National Economic Council, Mr. Jeff Zients, said the cessation of oil imports from Nigeria had to do with the significant rise in US oil production.

Zients, US Labor Secretary, Thomas Perez, and White House Policy Council Director, Cecelia Munoz, were addressing a few US journalists on Thursday afternoon on the state of the American economy when The Guardian raised the question wondering why the US brought oil imports from Nigeria to a complete zero, while still importing oil from Saudi Arabia and other major oil producing countries.

According to the White House Economic Council Director, “across the last several years, US oil production has ramped up significantly by more than 50 percent to now over eight and a half million barrels per day.”

He explained that such a high turn up in local US oil production “has now dramatically reduced our dependency on imports,” Zients noted, adding that “in fact, we now produce more here than we import.”

The White House official stated that the development is consistent with President Barack Obama’s energy strategy, which has changed “quite a bit over the last few years as we are much less dependent on oil imports.”

That strategy has not only left Nigeria in the lurch, but has generally also driven down the international market price of oil to a ridiculous $60 range by the close of trading on Friday. Oil price, which soared around $100 in September, is now $56.52 for the WTI Crude and $61.38 for the Brent Crude oil.

But Zients and the other US officials at the press briefing did not address the issue of the ongoing importation from other oil producing nations, including OPEC members like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and non-OPEC suppliers like Canada. In fact, as at last month, it was reported that, while US completely halted oil imports from Nigeria, it increased its importation from those three countries.

The reduction of US oil importation from Nigeria to zero is the very first time since 1973 that the US did not import oil from Nigeria. US Shale oil production is responsible for the infusion of “light, sweet crude,” said to be similar to Nigeria’s Bonny Light oil, and US refineries are said to have preferred buying the locally produced oil, which is cheaper than Nigeria’s light crude.

Before Zients explanation on Thursday, there have been muted concerns whether the decision to completely end oil importation from Nigeria has any political connotation. For instance, a German top bank, Deutsche Bank had commented last month that “as if the recent drop in oil prices was not enough bad news for Nigeria’s economy, recent data show the US completely stopped importing crude oil from Nigeria. This marks a dramatic reversal for Africa’s largest economy, which in 2010 was still among America’s top 5 oil suppliers and exported at its peak 1.3m barrels per day to the United States.”

The German bank analysis further questioned why Nigeria was singled out, an aspect of the question posed by The Guardian to which the US government officials did not address. According to Deutsche Bank, the decline in US imports from Nigeria, “proceeded much faster than for the US’ other major suppliers.’ It is the rather drastic and complete zero oil imports from Nigeria that suggested a possible political connotation, which was however left unexplained by Zients.

Observers say it is not unlikely that oil imports termination with Nigeria and the refusal of the US government to sell weapons to Nigeria to fight Boko Haram might both be political signals from President Barack Obama to the Nigerian presidency as it can be seen as demonstration of a lack of commitment by the US government to a supposed strategic partner —Nigeria — in Africa.

The Obama administration’s outright refusal to approve the sale of specific military equipment to Nigeria, in a clear-cut public renunciation of the Nigerian military and security apparatus which requested the okay from the US Defense department is also a potential dampener to US claims of a thriving diplomatic relationship with Nigeria. First, it was the US Ambassador in Nigeria who confirmed that the country would not okay the weapons sales to Nigeria, and then the State Department in response to Nigeria’s Ambassador’s complaints on the issue.

This particular refusal is sending clear indications that there are strong oppositional voices against President Jonathan in the White House, the State Department and Pentagon, causing further strain between Nigeria and the American governments, according to knowledgeable US sources.

Last month, Nigeria’s US Ambassador had to openly criticise the US government for not approving the sales of Cobra fighter jets to Nigeria to help fight the Boko Haram insurgency at a meeting he had with the influential US Council for Foreign Relations in his office. Adefuye, US sources say was expending his far-reaching influence with top US government officials in an apparent last-ditch effort to change the tone of the Obama administration towards the Jonathan presidency.

In fact, authoritative US sources said the denouncement of the military sale and the abandonment of the highly valued Nigerian crude oil by US oil future traders recently are happening at a time when the offices of National Security Adviser and Finance Minister of Nigeria are spending millions of dollars to retain US lobbyists in Washington DC to help plead the case of the Jonathan presidency without much success.

Explaining the desperation from the Nigerian government over the need for such lobbyists, a source from the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Abuja also said while the federal government through the office of the NSA and Finance Ministry were paying millions for lobbyists, the salaries of Nigerian diplomats were still backlogged, including in the US.


http://ngrguardiannews.com/lead-story/191117-why-we-stopped-buying-nigeria-s-oil-by-white-house

EXCLUSIVE: Tinubu, Amaechi in a 750m deal


Details are beginning to emerge on some of the sweetheart deals that cemented the relationships of the old guard of the All Peoples Congress (APC) and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State.

As the dust from the tremors of the political landscape settled back in 2013 with the defection of the five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors to the APC, what followed were weeks of getting-to-know-deals in the APC.

“Finding their feet in the new environment had huge financial implications for the newcomers. Behind the photo opportunities that the country was treated to, the sharks among them moved in quickly,” a source involved in the exchanges told the Nigerian Times.

To the delight of the APC top brass, Amaechi who appeared in a hurry to acclimatize started picking the tabs of many party programmes. Nigerian Times learnt that even the publicity arm of the party had a new lease of life on account of Amaechi’s generosity. Lai Mohammed, the APC’s publicity czar, became a frequent flyer on the Lagos/Port Harcourt, Abuja/Port Harcourt routes.

That was when Bola Tinubu, the ultimate power broker in APC, moved in. No governor in the Class of ’99 comes close to Bola Tinubu in privatising public resources. Lagos has been such a boon that almost a decade since he left office, he has been a central figure in all the political intrigues.

Those abreast of the early days of the relationship characterize it thus: “Amaechi was the political orphan on the prowl with plenty of cash buying up affection and influence in the new political family. Too many doors opened up to him because the party, in many respects, was poorly funded and too often, depended on Tinubu’s mood swings. Tinubu on his part was seeing beyond Amaechi’s new convert’s zeal; he had his eyes fixed on the honey pot that was Rivers State. They hit it off”.

Tinubu owns both TV Continental (TVC) and Radio Continental (RC); companies that have always been run by a few journalist friends of his. But a few years ago, he brought in a former top shot of Qatar based Aljazeera to rejig the place. Part of the reforms was the launch of a pay TV arm called Consat TV (Continental Satellite Television). Since he had his fingers burnt in the defunct HiTV, Tinubu had always dreamt of a business to rival South African owned DSTV. Consat was his answer and the service launched in June.

His next move was to tie up Consat and the Rivers State Government. Consat TV and the Rivers State Government entered a deal for the purchase of fifty thousand decoders at the premium rate of fifteen thousand Naira per decoder. The deal set the Rivers State treasury back by seven hundred and fifty million Naira. Nigerian Times can report that since the signing of the deal and full payment was effected, less than ten percent of the decoders have been supplied.

Why a government would want to buy decoders for its citizens remains unclear, but watchers of the Rivers State treasury say it is one of the “transfer of wealth” cases they have been witnessing since the governor decamped to APC.”

The relationship had recorded its first victim almost immediately. In a classic case of journalism misreading the dark art of a proprietor’s interest , Bola Tinubu’s TVC, or more precisely, Oluchi, who was TVC’s correspondent in Port Harcourt ,when the Rivers State House of Assembly crisis began, was to pay a steep price. Her crime was that bit of the trade every journalist lives for, a scoop.

On the day Chidi Llyod, the governor’s supporter went wild, bludgeoning another member on the head with the mace, it was Oluchi and her crew that brought the scenes across homes in the country. But because of the limited coverage of TVC not many people saw the video that night. Indeed the government and many media houses had eggshells on their faces in the intervening twenty four hours.

The governor’s propaganda machine got all the newspapers to report the event as one more instance of Wike’s supporters’ belligerence. Unknown to them, Oluchi had reported the event as it unfolded, correctly identifying Chidi Llyod as the villain and properly situating him between the warring camps. It took twenty four hours for other media houses, especially the newspapers to realise that they have been badly used.

TVC, itself, was forced to stop running the story the following day. By then the video had gone viral. Miss Oluchi was declared persona non grata in Port Harcourt. Her company could not protect her and fearing for her safety she escaped to Owerri. Her cameraman returned home late one night to find his house ransacked. He fled Port Harcourt too. After many months of idling away in Owerri, and the company ignoring her, she resigned.

RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT REACTS

SemenitariIn her reaction, the Information Commissioner in Rivers State, Ibim Semenitari, admitted that though such a deal exists between Consat TV and the state government, the agreement was never about Governor Rotimi Amaechi, but about the good of the people of the state.

She told the Nigerian Times that it was wrong to say that just 10 percent of the decoders had been supplied, adding that 50 percent of the product (the quantity which the state government paid for) had been delivered.

While defending the agreement for the supply of the product, the Commissioner noted that the deal was important given that the Federal Government’s digitization policy would soon take off and the state government needed to comply.

“First, your figures are wrong, but to your question, 50 percent has been supplied and that is all we have paid for. What we are doing is not about the purchase of the decoders, but about the digitization policy which will commence soon’’, she explained.

Semenitari added, “We are getting the decoders because we need to migrate to the new platform and we are also grooming installers for the project which will in turn empower our youths by way of providing job opportunities’’.

According to her, since the state owned television station and radio station were in the process of joining the rest of the world in migrating to the new platform, it was important that the purchase was made to enhance the penetration of information to the remotest parts of the state.

“The penetration into the villages will not exist since we want to reach the largest mass of the people if we do not do this migration,’’ she explained.

The Devil in the Detail of the Government’s Defence

Decoders-new

Consat TV which launched in June this year is one of three pay TV firms apart from the popular but expensive DSTV.

GOtv is a cheaper offering from Multichoice and StarTimes which is a joint venture between the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Chinese investors.

The NTA StarTimes, the biggest player in the direct to home television service sector is offering free decoders ahead of the 2015 digital migration.

Until the Christmas promotion started, the decoders went for N3, 900 with one month free subscription and offering 35 to 70 channels at 1,000 Naira monthly or up to 3,000 Naira monthly.

NTA Startimes is currently available in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Aba, Benin, Enugu, Ilorin, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Markurdi, Onitsha, Port Harcourt, Sokoto, Uyo, Yola, and Ibadan.

GOtv owned by Multichoice Africa with some channels from the DSTV bouquet offers a similar service to StarTimes and is a direct competitor. For N2, 900 subscribers get a GOtv decoder including one month subscription to GOtv Plus – which gives them access to over 41 local and international channels.

But until the recent promotion, Gotv access cost was 6,900 Naira for decoder, outdoor antenna, remote, and 1 month free Gotv plus package.

However, consat TV is one of the new Nigeria pay TV which offers subscribers only 24 channels at a cost of N15, 000 for dish and accessories and subscription price of N4000 per month.

And very crucially, both Startimes and Gotv are plug and play. No installation fees.

So, far from Mrs Semenitari’s pro-poor fibbing, this is a deal done at the behest of the mafia don.


http://nigeriantimes.ng/news/exclusive-tinubu-amaechi-in-a-750m-deal/

Court upholds right of prison inmates to vote

A Federal High Court sitting in Benin, the Edo State capital, on Tuesday ruled that inmates of all prisons across Nigeria have the right to vote in all elections conducted in the country.

Ruling in a suit filed by Victor Emenuwe, Onome Inaye, Kabiru Abu, Osagie Iyekepolor, Modugu Odion (for and on behalf of inmates of Nigeria Prisons) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Prisons Service, the court presided over by Justice Mohammed Lima compelled the defendants to ensure that the applicants (being the prisoners) are not disenfranchised.

The plaintiffs had in an amended Originating Summons, prayed the court to determine “whether having regards to the provisions of section 25 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended in 2011, and section 12 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010, the plaintiffs are not entitled to be registered as voters by the first Defendants.”


Other reliefs sought by the plaintiffs were that the court should determine whether having regard to the provisions of Section 77 (2) ‎of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and Section 12 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010, the plaintiffs are not entitled to cast their votes at any election; and whether the failure of the first defendant to make registration and voting provisions for the inmates in the custody of the 2nd Defendant does not constitute an infringement on their rights as citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as enshrined in section 14 (1) (2) (a) (b), section 17 (2) (a), section 24 (b), (c), section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Article 13 (1) and Article 20 (1) of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.


Justice Lima in his ruling held that “any act by the first Defendant to deny inmates the right to vote is unconstitutional, illegal, irregular, unlawful, null and void and of no effect whatsoever; that the Defendants do not have the constitutional right to deny the claimants their voting rights; that being an inmate is not an offence that impedes their registration and voting right under section 24 of the Electoral Act; and that‎ the exclusion of inmates in elections conducted in Nigeria is illegal, ultra vires and null and void.”

The judge further gave an order of mandatory injunction directing the first Defendant to update and include in the National register of voters names of citizens in the custody of second defendant and an order of mandatory injunction tasking INEC and the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Prisons Service to include the plaintiffs as well as make the environment comfortable for them to exercise their franchise.
‎
Reacting to the judgment, Counsel to the plaintiffs, Barrister Aigbokhan,hailed the ruling, stressing that erosion of inmates’ rights to vote creates dangerously fragile environment for overall human rights in the light of 365 days of human right that is the theme of human right in 2014.


“The judgment is a wedge on the slippery slope of creating second class citizens in Nigeria,” he said.


http://dailypost.ng/2014/12/18/court-upholds-right-prison-inmates-vote/

Buhari Broke Tinubu's Heart By Choosing Osinbajo - Leadership


Though there has been media frenzy over who becomes the running mate to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday’s nomination of the former Lagos State attorney-general and commissioner for justice, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), came as something of an anti-climax.

LEADERSHIP had exclusively reported on its Friday edition of December 12, 2014, that Buhari would pick Osinbajo as his running mate.

But the manner the information of his nomination was conveyed to Osinbajo appears to be different from the usual. After series of nocturnal meetings among the chieftains of the party in the last 72 hours, the party leadership resolved to send a chartered aircraft to bring Osinbajo from Lagos.

When the party informed him of his nomination and asked for his whereabouts in Lagos in order to fly him to Abuja, he replied that was already in Abuja at the Supreme Court where he was appearing in a landmark case. He, thereafter, came to the secretariat where he held a prolonged meeting with Buhari.

The development was said to be responsible for the delay in unveiling him to the public as Buhari himself disclosed this in his speech.

Osinbajo’s emergence from among other prominent members of the party was the outcome of dramatic scheming, high-wire politics and horse trading.

A reliable source close to the arrowheads of the party confided in LEADERSHIP last night that Osinbajo’s selection caught the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, by surprise.

Tinubu himself was said to be interested in the post and had insisted that he was eminently qualified for it. The development must have been responsible for the series of meetings in Lagos and Abuja and the long delay in choosing a number two candidate for the APC.

According to the source, who sought anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, Tinubu did not know that Osinbajo would emerge as the running mate to Buhari.

He said, “I can authoritatively tell you that the emergence of Osinbajo is not an easy task. This is because a lot of issues, interests and other national issues were considered, apart from politics. Tinubu himself did not know that Osinbajo’s name was on the list until this morning ( yesterday).

“I also wish to inform you that the situation got to a point that a top retired general from the south west had to call Buhari and blast him over why he allowed himself to be tossed about in choosing his running mate. The general further asked Buhari to make up his mind on a credible candidate and announce his name without further delay.

“Don’t forget that Tinubu has said that it is only one name that the south west is presenting (that is himself) and that Buhari cannot change the name.”

The source added that when Buhari visited Tinubu for further consultations on the issue of the nominee from the south west, Tinubu was said to have refused to see off the former head of state as courtesy demands as a result of the contentious issue as the two of them could not agree on the matter.

The development was said to have devastated Tinubu while Buhari thereafter decided to choose Osinbajo and unveil him to the public at about 4:23pm at the party secretariat in Abuja.

The nominee, a senior pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), was acceptable to Buhari because of his outstanding credibility. Incidentally, Osinbajo’s name also came up in 2011 during the merger of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

Speaking on why he preferred Osinbajo, Buhari said he was certain that the professor and former Lagos AG will be of great assist in the mission to rescue Nigeria because of what he called his unimpeachable integrity.

The choice of Buhari running-mate was delayed for six days after he was elected as APC presidential candidate in Lagos last week.

While presenting his running-mate at the national secretariat of the party yesterday in Abuja, Buhari said: “I have chosen a man of unimpeachable integrity, an excellent professional, a man of faith, a devoted family man and a role model to our fellow countrymen and women. He is a professor of law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, aAn alumnus of the University of Lagos and the London School of Economics.

“He is a prodigious author who has to his credit several books on civil procedure in Nigerian superior courts.

“The vice-presidential candidate is a friend of the less privileged, compassionate and zealous in service. A man of uncommon humility, a loyal, dependable and selfless patriot. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, who by the grace of God, and the vote of Nigerians, will be the next vice-president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The APC presidential candidate admitted that the method employed in the choice was quite meticulous but rigorous: “It involved the establishment of objective criteria, broad consultations with party leaders and a few opinion leaders outside the party and interactions with a number of nominees.”

In his acceptance speech, Osibanjo said he was honoured to have been nominated as the vice-presidential candidate of the APC and especially the presidential candidate to Buhari.

He said: “The task of rebuilding this nation is one to which I am fully committed. There can be no other president, leader and commander that can lead that common sense revolution Nigeria urgently needs than General Muhammadu Buhari. I will proudly serve this country with him.

“General Buhari’s uprightness and fierce commitment to good governance is well known. It will be a privilege to work with him. I come to this assignment with lots of hope and a resolve to be a part of this movement to bring Nigeria back to its lost glory. With the support of all Nigerians and the help of God, we shall make Nigeria work again.”

It is also instructive to note that Buhari had presented Osinbajo to journalists before his ratification by the NWC of the party, but he later apologised for the mix-up.

Certain individuals had been touted as possible running mate to Buhari. They were state governors: Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), former Ekiti State governor Kayode Fayemi and former Osun State governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola



Osinbajo, a passionate and dedicated administrator

For those that know Professor Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo (SAN), one thing that they cannot stop talking about is his passion and dedication to duty. Professor Osinbajo is an erudite scholar whose successes during his eight years as the attorney-general and commissioner for Justice in Lagos State between 1999 and 2007 are still visible today.

One could rightly state that although he became the attorney-general by accident – as he was not a politician, he contributed more to the success recorded by that administration than any other person, as attested to by former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, in an interview he granted shorty after they left office.

“Appointing Osinbajo as my attorney-general was the wisest decision I ever made in my life. I am proud to be a successful governor but Osinbajo’s story is part of my success. The best thing for a government that wants to succeed is to first get for itself a good attorney-general. I did not know Yemi personally because I was not a lawyer. I knew him in the chambers of Prince Bola Ajibola, SAN. He is not just a legal luminary; he is wholesome, committed and a brilliant human being. Yemi is instrumental to some of the wise decisions my administration made in its eight years of service,” said Tinubu.

…His legal reforms in Lagos

As attorney-general, Osinbajo introduced many reforms in the justice administration sector, part of which was repositioning the ministry of justice from a government lawyers’ agency – which it was under the military, to that of a citizen-focused department of justice.

This he did by establishing policies and programmes which promoted access to justice, especially for the poor and the needy.

It was during his tenure that the state established the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) and Citizens Medication Centre. The OPD provided free legal services to those who could not afford the cost of legal representation. Through the agency, many people incarcerated for a long period of time without charges or those arrested illegally by the police have breathed the air of freedom.

The Citizen Mediation Centre, on its part, has become the abode for many people to resolve civil disputes without recourse to the law courts.

Osinbajo as attorney-general also oversaw the elevation of the judiciary in the state. It was during his tenure that Lagos became the reference point in terms of remuneration and good working condition for the judicial arm of government with the introduction of a wide range reforms in the welfare of judges and magistrates as well as provision and upgrading of infrastructure for courts.

It was to his credit that many of the reforms he initiated in Lagos State such as Office of the Public Defender and increment of judges’ salary, among others, are being replicated in many states of the federation today.

His eight-year tenure was characterized by constant conflict between former governor Bola Tinubu and the federal government, headed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Some of these disagreements bordered on constitutionalism, federalism and the rule of law.

…His involvement in landmark cases

Some of the landmark cases that he handled which has also changed the legal landscape of Nigeria include: fiscal dispute between the federating units and the federal government; disputes regarding the ownership and control of oil and gas resources; town and physical planning disputes between the federating units and the federal government.

There were also such cases like regulation of lottery business. The dispute over creation of additional local government, withholding of Lagos State’s federal allocation, state tax and telecom operations among others.

Some of the cases he handled in his private practice include: an international territorial jurisdictional dispute in the West African sub-regional court; shareholder disputes involving a multinational, private investors and state-owned investment corporations and energy disputes arising from multinational participation in power projects in Nigeria.

He was also the counsel to former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Malam Lamido Sanusi, during the latters’ faceoff with the federal government.

In other cases, Osinbajo has advised and represented clients in a broad range of commercial and corporate issues, including securities litigation, investments and divestments, joint ventures, oil block acquisitions, product liability, fiduciary duties of directors, intellectual property, and corporate valuations. He is also involved in statutory and regulatory appraisal representation before the legislature and federal and state agencies.

He currently supervises the commercial litigation group at SimmonsCooper Partners (SCP), a leading commercial litigation and corporate commercial firm in Nigeria.

With a multi-jurisdictional competence spanning Nigeria, the United States and the United Kingdom, SCP provides a very comprehensive and integrated range of litigation, transactional, advisory and several support services to a vast array of clients.

Osinbajo was born on March 8, 1957, and obtained his Master of Law in 1980 from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He was educated as Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos, from 1969 to 1975 where he won African Statesman Intercollegiate Best Speaker’s Prize (1974); School Prize for Literature (HSC) 1975; Elias Prize for Best Performance in History (WASC) – 1973; Adeola Prize for English Oratory from 1972 to 1975, and School Prize for English Oratory, 1971 and 1972.

He was in the University of Lagos between 1975 and 1978, where he obtained LLB with Second Class Upper Honours and was also the winner of State Merit Award before he proceeded to the Nigerian Law School. He also won the Graham-Douglas Prize for Commercial Law.

His working experience started in the defunct Bendel State as a Youth Corps member between 1979 and 1980 when he was the Legal Officer, Bendel Development and Planning Authority. He was a partner in the law firm of Osinbajo, Kukoyi & Adokpaye and is currently a Senior Partner with Simmons Cooper Partners (Barristers and Solicitors).

His international experience saw him working with the United Nations as member of the UN secretary general’s Committee of Experts on Conduct and Discipline of UN Peacekeeping Personnel around the world (2006) and Staff member, Justice Division of the UN Operations in Somalia (UNOSOM 11).

He is currently an Ethics Advisor to the Ethics Committee of the African Development Bank (ADB) and is a non-executive director of Citibank.

Osinbajo is co-founder and board member, Convention on Business Integrity and the Justice Research Institute Ltd.

In 2007, Prof. and his wife Oludolapo founded ‘The Orderly Society Trust’, a non-governmental organization dedicated to the promotion of Christian ethics and orderliness”.

“Professor Osinbajo has authored, co-authored and edited several books and publications, including, The Unification and Reform of the Nigerian Criminal Law and Procedure Codes ; Law Development and Administration; The Annotated Civil Procedure Rules of the Superior Courts in Nigeria and Cross Examination: A Trial Lawyer’s Most Potent Weapon.

Osinbajo is a member of many professional bodies, including but not limited to, the Body of Benchers, Council of Legal Education, British Institute of International and Comparative Law, International Criminal Court, Arusha, Nigerian Bar Association; ECOWAS Eminent Persons Group for the Harmonization of Commercial Laws of ECOWAS States.

He has to his credit about 17 awards to date. The awards cut across the spectrum of society, from government to the bar and the religious sect. Professor Osinbajo also doubles as a senior pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. He is married to Dolapo Osinbajo and they are blessed with children.



Osinbajo and APC pastoral permutation

If the APC wanted to show its clairvoyance in the nation’s political terrain, it got it right with the choice of Osinbajo, a senior pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

Osinbajo rates as one of the richest pastors in the country. Though he rarely exudes affluence, he is currently a pastor at Olive Tree House of Prayer for All Nations, Banana Island, a parish of the RCCG.

The RCCG has 14,000 branches in Nigeria and outposts in 110 countries. The church has an estimated membership population of five million s in Nigeria alone.

Thus, as the country is now polarized along religious lines, observers submit that the choice of Osinbajo is a deft political calculation that will crush the religious card being played by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

As a highly revered pastor in RCCG, he stands the chance of raking in the RCCG five million votes, with Christian sympathizers across the country aligning in that direction to clinch the number two position in the country if eventually APC wrests power from the ruling PDP in the 2015 general election at the national level.

Pastor Bukola Johnson, a pastor with the RCCG, said,” Osinbajo is a man of integrity. His pairing with General Muhammadu Buhari will save the country from the quagmire of corruption it found itself. Right now, Nigerians are longing for leaders that have integrity that would liberate them from the mess of under-development that corruption has plunged the country.”

At a forum held at the Covenant University Canaan Land, Ota, Osinbajo showed a level of understanding of the current situation in the country and the need to tackle the scourge.

He said: “In the military, the rank and file are convinced, and perhaps rightly, that funds meant for their operational convenience and welfare are simply embezzled by their superiors. The scandal surrounding the battle readiness or un-readiness of soldiers fighting the terrible Boko Haram insurgency in the north east is a case in point.

“The newspapers recently reported a mutiny of troops deployed to fight the insurgency, apparently over these issues. It is incredible indeed that with a security budget of over N1.3 trillion naira – almost a quarter of the entire federal budget, there can still be complaints that national troops are not as well equipped as the insurgents.”

“No matter how much assistance the insurgents are getting, it cannot come anywhere near the federal budget, the question is where is the money? The truth is that in the “corrupted society”, corruption and embezzlement come before the safety and well-being of the citizens, or territorial integrity of the nation. The corrupted society is self-immolating.”

He remarked that very few will deny that the perception of Nigeria and Nigerians as a place and a people with whom integrity and trustworthiness are in short supply, saying such perception affects all aspects of the people’s life.

According to him, “It affects local and international investment decisions. The frequent issue is how to find the Nigerian of integrity to do business with. The thousands of so called 419 e-mails which emanate daily from Nigeria and the huge daily scandals of official corruption conduce to this perception of Nigerians as frauds.

“Certificates and other documentation emanating from Nigeria today come under close scrutiny at home and abroad. Obtaining practically any kind of fake documentation, whether degree certificates or diplomas , bank statements or licences, is so commonplace that most institutions now devote considerable resources to verifying documents presented to them.

“The culture of cheating and pilfering is so widespread that this has become a major disincentive to establishing small businesses, especially retail ones which may require assistants and sales persons. Businesses where the owners are not hands–on almost always suffer the same fate; eventually staff pilfering and cheating will destroy the business.”

Osinbajo pointed out that the solution to most national crises must begin with an elite consensus to deal with the issue.

He said, “The Nigerian elite, constituting political, business, academic, religious actors, must decide that the nation’s core values must be repaired. The elite must accept, regardless of political, religious, or ethnic affiliations, that a corrupted society has no future and it already contains the seed of its own destruction.”

http://leadership.ng/news/396006/buharis-running-mate-drama-behind-osinbajos-choice

Nairaland, there is God O! All this lie that you are sharing about your server being overwhelmed and not allowing to post topics. Meanwhile, you are opening your server to others. Continue!

alakara:
Bros, I kept wondering what will make APC present Osibanjo with zero political clout is to sell APC out to PDP.
Tinubu doing his thing since 1914.
Kaka ki eku ma je sese a ooo fi se awada nu nii.

What clout does Sambo have even in Kaduna state? What clout does Amaechi have beyond Rivers? Not to talk of the deficit he will bring to the ticket as a result of the political damage awaiting him from PDP when he is announced as VP. What Buhari has done is create the balance he needs to be able to win come 2015.

I would rather end my career in the Nigerian league than play in South Africa- Yobo

Reports linking Joseph Yobo with a transfer move to the South Africa Football League have emerged to be false.

Yobo's representative denied speculations that the player is set to end his football career in South Africa, saying that he is presently considering offers to remain in Asia.

The former Super Eagles defender has been without a club since Turkish side, Fenerbahce released him in the summer.

"It’s ridiculous to hear that. Name one South African club that can be able to afford his wages? The story is not true and I wonder where they got it from,'' Yobo's representative Chiedozie Nwabueze told SL10.ng.

''Yobo is not happy with the story because it’s 100 per cent false. He never discussed anything like that with any club in South Africa or anybody else; neither did he intend to buy a house in South Africa with
the view of settling down there. ''

He further maintained that playing in South Africa was never on the cards for Yobo, adding that he would rather return to Nigeria and play for free rather than take that option.

'If that is the case it would have been better for him to play for a second division club in Turkey than going to play for a first division club in South Africa or even come back home to play for Sharks for free as well as manage his business in Lagos and Abuja. I think the report is insulting.''

However he noted that other offers have come in for Yobo, which he will select from before the new year.

''So many clubs from Europe and MLS want him but he is more interested in the offers from the Asian clubs, which is a mouth watering one.

''They are discussing with Yobo’s agents at the moment ahead of the January transfer window and hopefully the deal would be signed and sealed before the New Year,'' he added.

IT'S NOT JUST FOR YOUR BRAIN: MEDITATING CAN ACTUALLY CHANGE YOUR DNA.

THE BENEFITS OF MINDFULNESS MEDITATION JUST KEEP PILING UP.
BY JOHN PAUL TITLOW

Meditation is good for you. We don't need to tell you that. The chorus of voices extolling the virtues of mindfulness is never-ending: It decreases stress. It helps you focus. It can even rewire your mental circuitry. But it's not just your synapses that see the benefits: As it turns out, meditating can physically change your DNA.

In a recent study, the use of mindfulness meditation was shown to have an impact on certain types of DNA in breast cancer patients. Specifically, the length of telomeres—these are the tiny protective caps on the end of chromosomes—was physically altered as the result of this type of meditation.

The study, which was published in the Canadian journal Cancer, showed that the length of telomeres was preserved by meditation. Why does that matter? Shorter telomeres aren't explicitly problematic, but they do tend to correlate with things like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. So, if we can manage to keep these microscopic structures from whittling down in size, our health is better off.

Explains Scientific American:

In Carlson’s study distressed breast cancer survivors were divided into three groups. The first group was randomly assigned to an 8-week cancer recovery program consisting of mindfulness meditation and yoga; the second to 12-weeks of group therapy in which they shared difficult emotions and fostered social support; and the third was a control group, receiving just a 6-hour stress management course. A total of 88 women completed the study and had their blood analyzed for telomere length before and after the interventions. Telomeres were maintained in both treatment groups but shortened in controls.
This isn't the first time that Buddhist-style mindfulness meditation has been linked to the molecular goings-on of our biological makeup. A December 2013 study from the University of Wisconson-Madison demonstrated that the DNA of subjects who meditated "showed a range of genetic and molecular differences, including altered levels of gene-regulating machinery and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory genes, which in turn correlated with faster physical recovery from a stressful situation."

The telomere length correlation goes back to 2008, when a study found that stress management, aerobic exercise, and a vegan diet had an impact on telomere length in prostate cancer patients.

Pretty nuts. So if the neurocircuitry-boosting, focus-enhancing wonders of meditation weren't enough to sell you, perhaps the promise of physical health benefits will rope you onto the bandwagon. And just in time for the New Year's resolution season, no less.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3040039/its-not-just-for-your-brain-meditating-can-actually-change-your-dna?utm_source=facebook

APC Presidential Candidate, Muhammadu Buhari Presents His Running Mate, Yemi Osinbajo (PHOTOS)


Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) , Muhammadu Buhari present former Attorney general of Lagos State, Yemi Osinbajo as his running mate for the 2015 presidential election. The short ceremony featured party leaders at the APC secretariat in Abuja today.

http://saharareporters.com/2014/12/17/apc-presidential-candidate-muhammadu-buhari-presents-his-running-mate-yemi-osinbajo#

gebest:
my dear this is political season so it will continue like that until june next year.

I just found out that someone had posted the topic before I did. My apologies to Nairaland.

Nairaland is now a political party. One minute this topic was in the political section. The next moment it is no where to be found. There is God O!

Buhari Calls Pastor Adeboye To Seek His Blessing Before Announcing Osinbajo As Running Mate


Presidential candidate of the All progressive Congress (APC), General Muhammad Buhari today called the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye a few minutes after he made his final decision to announce Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as his running mate for the 2015 presidential election, to seek his blessings.

An aide to the retired general said Adeboye gave his blessing over the phone and wished Buhari and Osinbajo a successful election campaign.

Osinbajo is one of Pastor Adeboye’s close confidants at the RCCG, where Osinbajo is a pastor, and also a church compere for major events.

Buhari will be making an official announcement and presentation of Osinbajo as his running mate at the APC headquarters in Abuja at 4:00PM Nigerian time.

http://saharareporters.com/2014/12/17/buhari-calls-pastor-adeboye-seek-his-blessing-announcing-osinbajo-running-mate

Buhari Calls Pastor Adeboye To Seek His Blessing Before Announcing Osinbajo As Running Mate


Presidential candidate of the All progressive Congress (APC), General Muhammad Buhari today called the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye a few minutes after he made his final decision to announce Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as his running mate for the 2015 presidential election, to seek his blessings.

An aide to the retired general said Adeboye gave his blessing over the phone and wished Buhari and Osinbajo a successful election campaign.

Osinbajo is one of Pastor Adeboye’s close confidants at the RCCG, where Osinbajo is a pastor, and also a church compere for major events.

Buhari will be making an official announcement and presentation of Osinbajo as his running mate at the APC headquarters in Abuja at 4:00PM Nigerian time.

http://saharareporters.com/2014/12/17/buhari-calls-pastor-adeboye-seek-his-blessing-announcing-osinbajo-running-mate

ndcide:
You people keep talking about dividing the vote of SE and SS and NC. but don't believe that of the north and west can be divided

isn't it foolishness?

Hope you have your voters card. I'm in Lagos and I'm voting GEJ and I'm not alone.

You are in the minority, believe me. GEJ will garner lots of votes in the South West but will not win the states.

Lyoncrescent:
The image shows the result of the last election.

They need to consolidate on that.in 2011, Buhari(CPC) won 12 states while Ribadu(ACN) won 1 state(Osun State). Goodluck won the rest.

At worst case scenario, the 13 states won by CPC and ACN in 2011 combined should be maintained in the 2015 elections for victory.

The key question is whether Buhari can win Lagos,Ogun,Oyo,Ondo,Ekiti and Kwara which are all APC states anyway with the exception of Ondo and Ekiti ? If buhari wins the 4 APC states from the above that brings the total to 17 states .The entire south west apart from Osun state voted Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 so its shaky.

I dont see what Osinbajo is offering to secure the remaining states. Unless ofcourse APC wins Ondo and Ekiti which would give Buhari 19 states and more likely than not secure victory for him. EDO ,IMO and Nasarrawa states which were won by Goodluck in 2011 are now APC states and who knows if Buhari/Osinbajo can clinch those states ? If they do, that would see APC win 22 statess and surely secure victory. WILL Rivers state under Ameachi as APC Governor even vote for Buhari/Osinbajo ? That one na Wild Card State.

I would have prefered Rochas,Adams or Rotimi. But yet again what do i know? APC,Change is here. Time to end 15 years of PDP bondage

I also dont believe APC should waste resources campaigning in some states such as bayelsa. If they focus on the states discussed here i think it is the end of PDP. They shouldnt also campaign on twitter or nairaland, they should campaign to the pepper seller and okada riders cos these are the majority and the will stand under the sun for hours to cast their votes.

During the 2011 elections, ACN only fielded Ribadu because they had to. They knew they couldn't get a win across the country especially with the collapse of talks with Buhari. They concentrated their resources on winning SW which they did to convince Buhari that he, Tinubu, is no push over. The only reason Ribadu won in Osun was because Aregbesola needed to convince the PDP that his victory at the electoral panel was not a fluke. Can you imagine PDP winning the presidential election in Lagos with the standing of Tinubu and Fashola if it were not orchestrated by Tinubu. What Buhari had counted on was that he can win without merging with Tinubu. If he Buhari had won in the North and ACN had won in the south West, PDP will not have enough votes in the South & SE to beat the votes he will garner in the North. Tinubu saw through him and decided to go to sleep during the presidential election. That is what humbled Buhari into the merger we have today. Today Jonathan doesn't stand the chance of winning in the South West and the North the votes in the middle belt and SE maybe divided leaving him with only the SS.

Suljosh:
Wrong VP. I'm sorry to say this but GMB has lost this already. Adam would have been a better VP which would have attract voters.

Attract votes from where? What base does he really have? He is only popular. He doesn't really have a political base. Even the Labour party doesn't have much clout.

iGeneral:
Four things about this choice:

1. Place Oshibajo beside sambo and let them debate on any issue, we know who will win

2. With Oshibajo on the ticket, GEJ can't go to Adeboye to commit that kneeling down fraud he committed in 2011 which he used to cream RCCG members vote. So GEJ lost a block vote there cos there's an homeboy as VP.

3.Oshibajo will certainly win his Polling unit, ward, local govt and state. Unlike Sambo who walks like a duck and is notorious for losing even in his nuclear family. Sambo doesn't bring any electoral value to the GEJ ticket.

4. It follows therefore that this coming election is more about the prez candidates than any VP. And on this note most people agreed GEJ has made a mess of our nation and can't be allowed to continue on that trajectory.

And finally, if GMB had chosen Amaechi, PDP goons will say he is corrupt and a traitor. If he had chosen Oshiomole, they will bring up the issue of'go and die' for the campaign. If he chose Fayemi, they will say the man who was rejected for 2nd term by his own people. So it is good GMB went for a man without baggage.

I agree with your analysis. Osinbajo comes with no baggage unlike Amaechi. He has more electoral value than Amaechi because he has RCCG as his base plus other churches who have close affinity with RCCG like Winners Chapel and others. This are groups that have membership across Nigeria SE & SS inclusive.

All Progressives Congress VP Nomination Process: Tinubu Snubs Buhari


Former governor of Lagos state, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has reportedly spurned entreaties from Muhammad Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to submit a fresh list of nominees to be considered for the second spot on the presidential ticket.

Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu
The national leader of the APC shunned a general caucus meeting of the APC in Abuja last night because of hostility by state governors in the party towards his candidature.

In a rejoinder sent to Saharareporters earlier today, Mr. Tinubu declared his interest becoming the Vice Presidential candidate to Buhari, affirming that as a great mobilizer, he was most suited to be Buhari’s running mate. His position, however, is at variance with the position of party caucus members who have decided against fielding a Muslim/Muslim ticket.

Contrary to the wisdom of the top hierarchy of the party, Tinubu averred in his statement that religion could not be a barrier against his ambition.

SaharaReporters sources disclosed that party chairman John Odigie-Oyegun has submitted 10 names to Buhari for his consideration, leaving him at liberty to decide whom he wanted as his running mate following the Monday night party deadlock.

Buhari reportedly reached out to Tinubu today to nominate at least three people to be considered, but the former governor refused, claiming that he remains the most qualified candidate for the second spot on the presidential ticket.

Mr. Oyegun told the press that the party will announce a candidate by Wednesday.

http://saharareporters.com/2014/12/16/all-progressives-congress-vp-nomination-process-tinubu-snubs-buhari