₦airaland Forum

abramelin11:
Half bread is better than full chin chin

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flyingpig:
Wike will be cornered in the PDP convention to elect the NWC that will engineer the presidential primaries.

Well, this is also plausible.

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seunmsg:
To be honest, I think SE should even be grateful if they get the VP slot of PDP. With the way Wike is going, Peter Obi may not be considered for the VP slot again in 2023.

Hmm...this is plausible.

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omenka:
For President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, I know.

Anyone else, I don't.

EoD.

Hmm, I think you're getting more strident on this your campaign for the Prof, and nothing wrong with that.

For me though, Prof Osinbajo's present political profile IS fleeting. In the real world of political play in Nigeria as a whole, the Prof, even as VP, remains an appendage to Mr. Tinubu. And quite frankly, Osinbajo will be the first one to not contest but support Bola Ahmed Tinubu IF or once Tinubu launches a bid towards 2023, IMHO.

People should not think they can just knock Osinbajo's head against that of Tinubu... that's not going to happen in the APC the way it stands at the moment. In any case, the Prof is quite honestly too pragmatic for that. I think one of his key roles at the moment, is to help stabilize the Buhari regime, especially w.r.t. the way the regime is perceived, rightly or wrongly, by a lot of the ordinary observers on one side of the religious divide, outside the government.

And by jove, Prof Osinbajo Is playing that role to perfection.

I'm just an observer of political power play in Nigeria, and not a card carrying member of any political party, anywhere. And I make bold to say that the APC establishment will even prefer to field Babatunde Fashola for president to — among other things — more readily garner the support of the core north, than field Osinbajo, in the unlikely event Tinubu is not fielded by the Southwest.

But hey, wetin I know sef? It's just my two Kobo!

Good luck, everyone.

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IamHeWrites:
https://igberetvnews.com/1363462/edo-deputy-govs-wife-threatens-flog-women-seen-apc-group/

Like husband, like wife.

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solmusdesigns:





Trump is related to Nigerian Politician
A guy who lost popular vote to Hilary Clinton a woman first timer by 3 million vote, knows he has a problem with Joe Bidden a popular Vice President and a white man


Reading insults on his tweeter page is getting him agitated more and more


.

You reason well and have good eyes, IMHO.

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Royalfurnitures:
I'm sure APC hawks and vultures must have threatened him

Your home is incomplete without good quality furniture thats why we are here for you

It seems you don't want patronage from "APC hawks and vultures?" Just make that one of the key points/criteria in your ads nau. Simple.

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kahal29:
https://www.sunnewsonline.com/edo-judge-withdraws-from-suit-seeking-disqualification-of-ize-iyamu/

To be fair, this is a fantastic piece of news for all sides.

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imagrg:
Peace.
Let's all stay cool and watch more drama unfold.

Obaseki stands to WIN this election from all indications though.

LOL.

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Simplyleo:
In other words, Gej as an incumbent bowed to the decision of Nigerians and accepted defeat. Obaseki should get ready for same.

But if he choose to be misled by ipob miscreants, then I wish him good luck.

Good thinking.

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415volt:
@OP
You are a big liar, the video was edited and it never reflect your narratives.

I'll advise you just don't call another poster a liar, after all, the video was published by a reputable TV station and not the OP; instead, please post the unedited video you're claiming, so as to help us ordinary observers reach our own informed opinions.

Thanks.

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EXCLUSIVE: Top NDDC officials arrested for alleged fraud

August 28, 2020Cletus Ukpong

https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2020/05/NDDC.jpg?w=800&ssl=1
The Niger Delta Development Commission [Photo Credit: Nsima ekere]

Two directors at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have been arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

One of the arrested directors is in charge of education, health, and social services, while the other is in charge of special projects.

Their arrest, PREMIUM TIMES learnt, borders on allegations of abuse of office regarding COVID-19 spending by the NDDC and the mishandling of the commission’s scholarship programme.

The directors, whose names could not be ascertained Friday night, were arrested on Monday and were detained till Thursday before they were released on administrative bail.

Azuka Ogugua, ICPC’s spokesperson, confirmed the arrest to PREMIUM TIMES, Friday.

She did not, however, mention where the officials were detained and when they would likely be quizzed again.

The NDDC was set up in 2000 by the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo to fast-track development in the troubled Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

The commission has, however, been plagued by corruption, while the people in the region continue to live in poverty and the commission’s uncompleted projects are found in almost every community.

The National Assembly launched a corruption probe of the agency which later became controversial, with the commission’s management accusing senators and House of Representatives members of cornering for themselves several contracts.

A forensic audit of the NDDC is yet to commence, 10 months after it was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The acting Managing Director of the commission, Kemebradikumo Pondei, admitted recently that the commission spent N1.5 billion for its staff as ‘COVID-19 relief funds’.

A report by the Senate said top management of the NDDC paid themselves N85.6 million to attend a graduation ceremony in the United Kingdom at a time Nigeria was on lockdown and airports shut because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Senate also said NDDC officials paid themselves scholarship grants at a time hundreds of deserving scholarship beneficiaries had not been paid for years and were stranded in different countries.

“I think people were treating the place as an ATM, where you just walk in there to go and pluck money and go away, I don’t think they were looking at it as an interventionist agency,” Godswill Akpabio, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, said last year about the corruption in NDDC.

Source: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/411254-exclusive-top-nddc-officials-arrested-for-alleged-fraud.html

muykem:
Attention seekers. You predicted victory for your party in 2016 and failed, you are coming again. Election issue is purely physical and not spiritual. I can bet my money that APC will win Edo state. Obaseki has committed a political suicidal, I will not explain in detail till after election because his supporters will not reason with me now.

Well said.

The charlatan "seer" gave excuses for his failed prediction of 2016, and has already given excuses as to why this latest prediction would also fail. Who's a fool? Hehehe.

I'm sorry to say, but the fact is that most of these charlatans in fact lack the basic intelligence to survive engaged in normal work/business activities. They can only survive by making money preaching to other lowly people such as themselves. Fortunately for them, the lowly form the large majority in any population or society.

They're mostly naturally angry human beings, BTW.

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AerialMapper:
Corruption has been institutionalized and the person proposing the time limit contributed to the rot in the system. When someone smart enough to understand how to run a country is elected, i will give a suggestion. My suggestion will not even be needed because a smart person will know what to do .No need filling a basket with water

LOL, c rambling.

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Jollylolly:
This move is a developmental move and this will effectuate the right of the accused to a speedy trial, further the interests of the public, including victims and witnesses, in the fair, accurate, and timely resolution of criminal cases; and to ensure the effective utilization of resources.

Little by little, the Buahri Osinbajo administration is reforming the judicial system in the country

Very well said.

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iwaeda:
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday, decried what he described as the “terribly slow pace” of justice administration in the Nigerian courts.

Buhari, who recalled how it took so long for the courts to decide and eventually dismiss the election petitions he filed to challenge his losses in the 2003, 2007, and 2011 presidential polls, declared that the Nigerian justice system needed an urgent reform.

He suggested that the judiciary should put a 12-month time limit on the hearing of criminal cases from the high court to the Supreme Court, while all civil cases should be concluded within 15 months.


Buhari spoke at the 60th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, with the theme, “Stepping Forward.”



His speech was read at the virtual conference by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN).

Speaking about his experience, Buhari said, “At the end, I lost all three cases. I wondered then, why it needed to take so long to arrive at a verdict and if I had won the case, someone who did not legitimately win the election would have been in office all that time.


“In 2019, I was no longer petitioner; I had now become a respondent in the case of Atiku and Buhari and the whole process took barely six months; just over six months. What was the difference? The law had changed since my own in 2003, 2007 and 2011. You had now introduced time limits for election petitions. Everything must be done within a six to eight-month period. My question then is why can’t we have a time limit for criminal cases? Why can’t we have a rule that will say a criminal trial all the way to the Supreme Court must not exceed 12 months? And why can’t we do the same for civil cases? Even if we say that civil cases must not go beyond between 12 and 15 months. I think that for me is stepping forward.”


The president equally lamented the churning out of multiple and conflicting court orders by judges, noting that in the recent leadership crisis that rocked the ruling All Progressives Congress, no fewer than eight conflicting court orders were made by different judges in a space of six weeks.

Buhari also proposed a reform of the process of judges’ appointment, recommending that aspiring judges should take tests.


https://punchng.com/buhari-proposes-12-month-time-limit-for-criminal-cases/

To me, if the President can get this done, his name would have been written in gold! Such a piece of legislation is that important to this country, IMHO. For one, it will help change a lot of the fundamentals that determine how our country's rules and laws are operated.

Mr. President with your executive arm + NASS + the judiciary, please, let's go!

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helinues:
Easier said than done

I'll not just say, "Easier said than done." That's almost tongue-in-cheek, IMO. I'll encourage the man to get it done.

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contigiency:
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday, decried what he described as the “terribly slow pace” of justice administration in the Nigerian courts.

Buhari, who recalled how it took so long for the courts to decide and eventually dismiss the election petitions he filed to challenge his losses in the 2003, 2007, and 2011 presidential polls, declared that the Nigerian justice system needed an urgent reform.

He suggested that the judiciary should put a 12-month time limit on the hearing of criminal cases from the high court to the Supreme Court, while all civil cases should be concluded within 15 months.

Buhari spoke at the 60th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, with the theme, “Stepping Forward.”

His speech was read at the virtual conference by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN).

Speaking about his experience, Buhari said, “At the end, I lost all three cases. I wondered then, why it needed to take so long to arrive at a verdict and if I had won the case, someone who did not legitimately win the election would have been in office all that time.

“In 2019, I was no longer petitioner; I had now become a respondent in the case of Atiku and Buhari and the whole process took barely six months; just over six months. What was the difference? The law had changed since my own in 2003, 2007 and 2011. You had now introduced time limits for election petitions. Everything must be done within a six to eight-month period. My question then is why can’t we have a time limit for criminal cases? Why can’t we have a rule that will say a criminal trial all the way to the Supreme Court must not exceed 12 months? And why can’t we do the same for civil cases? Even if we say that civil cases must not go beyond between 12 and 15 months. I think that for me is stepping forward.”

The president equally lamented the churning out of multiple and conflicting court orders by judges, noting that in the recent leadership crisis that rocked the ruling All Progressives Congress, no fewer than eight conflicting court orders were made by different judges in a space of six weeks.

Buhari also proposed a reform of the process of judges’ appointment, recommending that aspiring judges should take tests.

To me, if the President can get this done, his name would have been written in gold! Such a piece of legislation is that important to this country, IMHO. For one, it will help change a lot of the fundamentals within which rules and laws are taken seriously.

Mr. President with your executive arm + NASS + the judiciary, please, let's go!

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Igboid:
How can IPOB be crying for Igbo leadership to speak up for them, when they have the power to decide Igbo leadership.
He who pays the piper determines the tone.

We have long advised IPOB that total control of political representation of SE in Igboland from councilor to governor is essential in this struggle.
But Kanu sensing that that would be a tough task chickened out and told them that Nigerian politics is not to be ventured into by Biafrans.

Is it not common sense to first secure total political control of your home turf before venturing out to fight outside?
When NK was in prison, he needed Igbo political elite in Abaribe to bail him out as his guarantor, yet he continues to deceive his followers that control of Nigerian politics in SE is not important for the Biafrans struggle. If Abaribe wasn't pro Biafra and in politics in Nigeria, would Kanu be in UK where he enjoys the comfort of safety of first world country while he sends our defenseless youths to their early graves?

The pro Catalonia group hold the majority of political representation seat of Catalonia in Spanish government. They hijacked power in Spain from pro Spanish unity Catalonian leaders by getting involved in local politics and planting their own loyal persons in government.

IPOB wants to have Ohanaeze Ndiigbo dance to their tune, yet they fail to see that Ohaneze Ndiigbo is controlled by five SE governors who control them because they are their main source of finance , and that the SE governors are controlled by Nigerian government and are anti Biafra. Shouldn't IPOB by common sense seek to be in control of the the 5 governors in SE by directly placing pro Biafra assets on those seats through direct involvement in Nigerian politics in Igboland?
Common sense is not common after all.


IPOB strategy is fundamentally flawed from its very foundation to the top, but they are impervious to advice. They are the proverbial "Eze onye agwanam" who defecated on his clothing and went about town with it, because nobody would point it out to him, since he is "Eze onye agwana m".

IPOB is becoming a liability to Ndiigbo. And it's a pity because we all had high hopes of them when they started, we thought they had a logical sequence of plans. But obviously, that's not the case.

IPOB crying over Igbo leadership not speaking up against their ordeal at the hands of murderous Nigerian security agents is pathetic and exposes how vacuous they are. It's really very embarrassing as well as disappointing what IPOB has evolved into. Igbos are very intelligent race.
I see no intelligence in IPOB, only clowning.

Hmm... heavy words.

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Trumpcard05:
This is probably yet another false endorsement the liars will come out later to apologize for as another error.

See Wetin desperation for power Dey cause. Clowns! All serious minded people have since stopped believing una lies. Obaseki 4+4 torgba!!

LOL; so you think all the pastors' names and signatures or the communique itself, were forged? Hehehe.

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SmartProf:
I feel whoever Magu offended just wants him evicted from the EFCC. It's difficult to be suspended as a public office holder in Nigeria, and return to the same office. His defense not withstanding may only help salvage whatever reputation is left of him. From the script playing out, he should kiss that office goodbye.

I agree with you — for the most part.

With respect to the way the story ends, however, Buhari has shown he can be erratic sometimes, so I won't be surprised if the Salami panel ends up finding no credible evidence/smoking gun against Magu, and Buhari returns him.

Whichever way the story ends, it will just be a little more stain on the personality of Buhari as has been caused rather frequently by Abubakar Malami, IMHO.

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Counsel Insists Salami Can’t Submit Report Without Magu’s Defence

https://dailytrust.com/counsel-insists-salami-cant-submit-report-without-magus-defence

AUGUST 24, 2020 AT 3:41:17 AM

By: ABBAS JIMOH

https://content.dailytrust.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Magu-released-from-detention.jpg
The suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu

A lawyer of the suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu on Sunday faulted a media report that the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel had, in its interim report, recommended that President Muhammadu Buhari fire and prosecute him for alleged corruption.

Magu, through his lawyer, Wahab Shittu, said he was yet to formally present his defence as proceedings were ongoing and witnesses still lined up for next week beginning from Monday.

“Please note that the earlier report of similar import published (by a newspaper) was brought to the attention of the panel and we were advised by the chairman of the panel to ignore the story. Our attitude is also to ignore this latest story as falsehood not reflecting the realities on ground,” Shittu said.

He also said in spite of repeated demands, he had not been served with copies of allegations against him.

According to him, the instrument embodying the terms of reference was not served on his client until August 8, 2020 (35 days after proceedings has commenced).

He said the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, whose memo triggered the proceedings, was yet to be summoned to testify to support the allegations against.

“Our client was excluded from the initial stages of the proceedings with several witnesses testifying in his absence. That counsel to our client was not allowed to cross-examine many of the witnesses who had testified until recently.”

Shittu added that his client is yet to be granted access to petitions/presentations, case files and exhibits admitted in the proceedings and that he had written to the panel to that effect.

“That our client, owing to his suspension from office, is unable to have access to official documents and other information necessary for his defence. That cases pending before superior courts of records such as Federal High Court, Court of Appeal and The Supreme Court are being reviewed in the proceedings. We believe that this development is subjudice and unhealthy for our jurisprudence.

“That witnesses appearing before the panel were not sworn on oath before giving evidence as stipulated under the Tribunals of Inquiry Act, 2004 on whose authority the instrument setting up the Judicial Commission of Inquiry is derived.

“It is curious and worrisome that an administrative panel of inquiry headed by His Lordship, Justice Ayo Isa Salami, having sat and taken evidence (both oral and documentary) in the past one month, has suddenly metamorphosed into a Judicial Commission of Inquiry. How this comes within a contemplation of a commission of the Tribunal of Inquiry Act, 2004 is very questionable.”

He said while the proceedings were still ongoing and Magu was yet to present his defence and that the suggestion that an interim report had been submitted to Buhari was shocking.

Source: https://dailytrust.com/counsel-insists-salami-cant-submit-report-without-magus-defence

favor914:
Good you are aware, Obaseki has already lost, they are both Apc elected Governors & will remain same.

Perfect response to some who just type anything...

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awhybliss:
I see vividly how corruption works �
I called a member number from the special public works site (ondo committee 774,000 jobs), the man referred me to a king in the community to get the form from so that I can Register. I got to the oba's palaces yesterday,
I told the security personal I came for the special public works, he look me like a novice, he says he don't know anything about it, he direct me to the secretary, getting to the secretary I asked the same question, she also said she haven't heard about that before, so I take my time to talk her through.

She then told me to wait so that she can deliver my message to the king, to my surprise the king comes out, I pay respect as a Yoruba guy, he ask me who referred me, I told him the name (I don't want to mention names) he pick up his phone and call a number probably he didn't clearly hear the name I called, so he call another member of the committee (I could here the conversation, the phone speaker was loud and clear)
The discussion on phone:

Oba: why do you send someone to me
man:I don't send anybody baba
Oba: a boy came here saying you sent him to me
Man: please give him the phone
(I collect the phone)
Man: why are you lying I sent you
Me: not a lie sir, I call a number from the special public works site.
Man: what's name
Me: Mr.*******(for security purposes I don't want mention name yet)
Man: give oba the phone,
I give back the phone to oba
Man: it's is honorable ***** that sent him
Oba: why is honorable doing like this (in Yoruba), sebi we agreed we are only employing 8 people out of the 1000, why did he send somebody else again
MeI almost fainted after hearing that) Oba: help me tell your people not to refer anybody to the job again oo please
(Phone hang up).
He then told me to write my name and phone number.... So I left the place.

I have been thinking about it since yesterday, am even less concerned about me getting the job My main concern is even if you want to embezzle money, why must you go so far and deep? it will even be better to employ 500 people and you can embezzle the remaining 500 out of the 1000 beneficiaries..why will you plan to embezzle 992 out of 1000. That's too much, leaving only 8?
@fkeyamo fought a good fight by not allowing the project been hijacked.. but it will still end in vain because there will be so many ghost worker that will get paid during this program.
Imagine if what I experience is likely what is happening in major local government.

This OP sef...

The way I understand it, and knowing who Festus Keyamo is, the salary for each beneficiary of the scheme will be paid into the individual bank account of the beneficiary, and such an account has got to have a BVN.

No one is going to pay bulk money into any official's account, or dole out money to the beneficiaries in cash. Simple as that. If any of these is done though, I'll be very disappointed in Festus Keyamo and his lieutenants.

However, if some beneficiaries end up giving back some or all of the money they'd earn from the 3-month or so job, or they've had to pay bribes to get the slots, then so be it. Even the Devil can't help anyone in that case in Naija.

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ethicallyright:
Former CAN PRESIDENT, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor was caught in South Africa with almost 10 million dollars in his private Jet not up to a decade ago. Though he claimed the money was meant for the purchase of arms for the Nigerian State, it is enough evidence that millions of dollars which are unrelated to the duties of churches and mosques ,as stipulated in their articles of assoiciation and constitutions, are dumped with these religious leaders for businesses they would have no duty with in an organized country.

Let's leave the issue of Churches since there are evidence of their money laundering schemes for public officials. The United States of America which leads the global fight against terrorism have opined that for a successful resistance against Islamic extremism and terrorism to be achieved, regimes in every continent of this planet must monitor finances and prevent terrorism sponsorship. To fight a monster, it is pertinent to target its head not tail. When there are no funds to propagate the terrorist ideology to the most rural enclaves or pay fighters to cause havoc, the enemies of this country will be subdued.

The board of the Corporate Affairs Commission are well represented both on tribal and religious lines. This law does not in anyway specify churches. It literally states "NGOs and Religious bodies."

This means if IRAN sends funds to Shite Muslims in Nigeria for any purpose but officially says it is for building of Mosques , roads construction or building of a world class hospital, the Government of Nigeria will ensure that the funds are used for those purposes and no money is channeled for arms purchase. If SAUDI ARABIA sends funds to an Islamic Humanitarian Organization in Yobe or Zamfara, this bill will give the Corporate Affairs Commission authority to demand annual bank statements of these Organizations and trace the expenditure of their funds.

Remember, it's a legislation and will remain same even when a Christian PRESIDENT is elected. Similar legislations have been enacted in most developed nations. Only those who negate the concept of accountability will be irritated by this relevant amendment.

Very well said, ethicallyright; your head is correct.

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Islie:
PUNCH

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who was sacked from office over allegations that he misappropriated funds, Babachir Lawal, tells HINDI LIVINUS that the party risks losing the next presidential election if some things are not done


Some members of the All Progressives Congress, including Mamman Daura, a nephew of the President, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), have said competence and not zoning should be the key determinant for the President’s successor in 2023. What do you think about it?


You said some senior members of our party, but I am not aware that Mamman Daura is a card-carrying member of our party. Ideally, Daura is supposed to be considered as an elder in the North on account of his age and achievements in public service. On that basis, we accord him a level of respect to the extent that his comments will carry weight.

But since he has never contested any position, either in the party or in government, we will not take his comments on zoning very seriously. My own inclination is to take it as a personal opinion. The issue of zoning is a very critical component of the Nigerian entity. Zoning is not entrenched in the APC constitution nor is it in our (Nigerian) constitution but a political party is in the business of politics to win elections.


And for any political party to be successful, it has to take into consideration the diverse demography and political structure of its constituents. Don’t forget that our politics is built on some fundamental understanding, though not legal. First, there is the issue of religious balance. We want a country in which every Nigeria feels secure to live their life in a peaceful and prosperous manner in an environment created by the government. Any political party that ignores this is obviously digging its grave. Nigerians like to count the numbers of Muslims and Christians in the Federal Executive Council to see if there is balance.


And one of the things Nigerians have criticised about the security architecture is the fact that they see the top echelons of the security service as being predominantly dominated by Muslims. To that extent, Christians find faults in whatever they do. I suspect that most of the calls that the leadership of the security agencies should be rejigged is because Christians don’t feel comfortable with the dominance of one religion, especially as cases of insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and so on, have soared and Nigerians have factored in the religious orientation of the perpetrators.

Two, politically, Nigerians want zoning in the polity. In states where the people are homogenous on the basis of religion and tribe, they tend to rotate power across the zones or blocs within the state. At the national level, it translates into North and South; that is the understanding and every Nigerian has come to accept it. That, however, does not mean that Nigerians do not believe that merits should count. But people who have merits are available in all parts of the country and are not localised to any geopolitical zone.


There are fears that the Peoples Democratic Party may field a northerner in 2023 and that it may give them an advantage if your party picks a southerner…

No! The PDP introduced the principle of zoning. Even the All Nigerian Peoples Party, the Congress for Progressive Change, and the Action Congress of Nigeria, which existed then but now defunct, never discussed zoning. The concept was largely successful because the party had elder statesmen like Adamu Ciroma, Alex Ekwueme, and Solomon Lar who could come up with a workable political structure acceptable to the generality of their party members when things got hot. Now, the APC has found itself in the same situation and has to toe that path, or else it will not win the next presidential election. To win the next election, the APC must apply the principle of zoning, though not clearly stated in the APC constitution. We believe by 2023, after the North has produced the President for eight years, the South should have a go at it.



Do you think that will be practical if the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, is again put forward by the PDP as its candidate? Don’t you think he will win by securing the majority of the votes from the North?


I am not thinking like that. Atiku Abubakar is from Adamawa State and is a northerner like me, but I will like to contest the basis of your statistics. The conclusion that the North produces the largest bloc vote is not true. The North-West geopolitical zone in the North tends to go in one direction all the time. The North-East tends to go in another direction. They have never voted along the same lines and we are not even talking about the Middle Belt.

If the South-West, South-East and South-South agree to vote for one party as they do in the North-West, the chances are that our so-called (northern) numerical strength may be challenged, and we may come off worst.


With Adams Oshiomhole and the APC’s National Working Committee’s removal and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s alleged presidential ambitions, do you think there could be divisions in the APC?


First of all, I want to declare that I am a Tinubu man. There’s no denying that there’s a Tinubu factor in the APC. Just like I was a Buharist and every time Buhari’s name was mentioned, I stood by it. But the crisis that started in the APC has nothing to do with 2023. It just had to do with the mismanagement of the party by those entrusted with that responsibility – namely the NWC.

We had a chairman that had deficiencies in management skills in a political system where everybody needed to be carried along. As much as possible, he was like Alexander the Great. In almost every state, because of his approach to politics and conflict resolution, there was crisis, even in states where the APC had no governors. So it got to a stage where everybody was fed up with having Oshiomhole as the chairman. However, there were some people who wanted Oshiomhole out more than the rest and members of the APC knew they had ulterior motives that were not altruistic, but majorly selfish.


Does the selfishness have anything to do with 2023?

Yes, like some governors who wanted to go back to the old days when they would sit down and decide what would happen and who got what in the party. Many within the party felt that as a former governor and labour leader, he would be able to stand up to the governors. We also felt that coming to that position with some affluence; he would not sell our party for pecuniary considerations.

But Oshiomhole, to some certain extent, did not give the governors one inch because he was autocratic or a dictator. And the governors who wanted to go back to running the party created a crisis. It got to a point when even those of us who ordinarily supported Oshiomhole later became disappointed because he so messed us up. But because those who wanted to throw him out were worse than him, we stood by him. They deployed all kinds of arsenal and Machiavellian tactics that no one after something good would be inclined to do. Some of us advocated for a ‘soft landing’ for him. Like every other human being, Oshiomhole had his weaknesses. He, however, started to change towards the end of his reign but it came too late. Those who wanted him out were more desperate. From my own observation, there is very little the national chairman of a party can do to impose a presidential candidate on their party.


Do you see Buhari supporting zoning ahead of 2023?

Buhari believes firmly and strictly in what is legal. Once you point out to the President that this is what the law says, he goes with it and other considerations won’t matter. I don’t know what he will do but it is only necessary that any leader, whose tenure is running out, ought to show interest in who their successor will be. Not for personal reasons but for the continuity of their policies and programmes. To that extent, even if Buhari is not inclined towards it. I will urge him to.



Do you think the President would support that power should move to the South?


When we were in the CPC, we got many votes but didn’t win. But there were other challenges; there was an unhealthy perception that Buhari was a religious bigot. He was also seen as someone who would be hard on corrupt persons and many groups didn’t feel they would be safe if he became the President, especially the Christian community. So we sat down as a strategic group and thought of what we could do.

Which bloc could give us the votes that could make Buhari to become the President? There was no other bloc other than the South-West bloc, which had the defunct ACN in control of states in the South-West as a regional party. This was done as far back as 2010, so we planned to have a merger before the 2011 general elections. But time ran out on us. The merger didn’t work. After the loss, we were encouraged to start the merger process again. I remember a letter from the chairman of the CPC Board of Trustees directing our committee to work with the ACN, only towards having a merger. It was when we read his letter for discussion that we decided that we should not restrict it to the ACN. We moved to include the ANPP.

One of our specific goals was to make Buhari the President. Tinubu was a colossus of South-West politics. If he had said there would be no merger, there wouldn’t have been any merger. By the time we went to the APC national convention, the North-West was not with Buhari. The North-West people were either for Atiku or Rabiu Kwankwaso; most of them, at least. The late Inuwa Abdulkadir and I continued to pile pressure on Tinubu, giving him the statistics. There was no point supporting a candidate that would not win the election. We told Tinubu that this man had 12 million votes, and that there could be two million votes for Atiku and four or five million votes for Kwankwaso at best, and that it would not translate to any electoral victory.

It became very clear that Buhari was going to win that primary election once Tinubu declared publicly his support for him and accepted that the South-West would vote for Buhari.

Between Wednesday and Thursday (before the convention), it was clear Tinubu and Bisi Akande were going to support Buhari and the North-West had no choice but to support Buhari, otherwise they were going to lose out. So if Tinubu had not conceded at that point, I think probably Kwakwanso would have won the presidential nomination of the APC. For that reason alone, you can see Tinubu’s contributions to the emergence of Buhari as President and his role in building the party.

Everybody knows Buhari had no money and he doesn’t play money politics. So he won his presidential primary election without spending money. Also, Buharists didn’t have money; they only had ideas, zeal and fanaticism. And politics requires money. Tinubu, who had his tentacles spread across the corporate world, was the only man who knew where and how to raise the funds needed. He was the one that reached out to all the ‘big men’ who were at the time scared of the then President Goodluck Jonathan. These were all rich men that depended on government’s patronage. But somehow, Tinubu was able to persuade some of them to support Buhari. We had so many experiences, Timipre Sylva (now Minister of State for Petroleum Resources) and I thought we could do it but found out we couldn’t until Tinubu came in and we won the election.



How did you manage to turn around the negative perceptions the public had of Buhari?

At the time, Nigerians saw Buhari as just a wood. He had no emotions. People weren’t seeing him as a loving husband and father, and doubted if he could be humane. It was Tinubu who brought in consultants from the US – the firm behind the successful execution of President Barrack Obama’s campaign. It helped to repackage Buhari to Nigerians. They came and started from the scratch; they did some research work for us. They told us where Buhari was weak and the messages needed to change the long held perception, using billboards and other campaign methods.

That was when you started seeing Buhari wearing a suit, and in Igbo, Yoruba and Kanuri attire. It was then people started to see Buhari as a family man with his beautiful daughters.

The strategy was to transform his image and show a humane, loving and trustworthy person. It helped us. At some point during our strategy sessions, the consultants asked us: why don’t you allow Buhari’s wife to come out so that she can be contrasted with Dame Patience Jonathan? When you do that, you would have won the election already, they said. She provided a contrast to the former First Lady.

Rallies don’t win elections. It is the underground work that wins elections. Almost the same thing repeated itself in 2019. Tinubu doesn’t like to take credit for what he does; he lives for politics, gets his money from politics and spends it on politics. He has no other interest except politics. The monies he spent out of his pocket that are unaccounted for outside of the party’s campaign finances, are quite enormous. I know this because he’s my friend and because I am also involved in the Buhari government. So when there is a crisis, I am the one whose duty is to run to the South-West.

Therefore, except we want to bring the wrath of God on our heads, which we don’t want, the party must create an environment that is free and fair for anybody who wants to contest, including Tinubu, to do so. Allow the delegates, who must have emerged through a similarly free and fair process, decide who they want to vote for. It will be our duty as ‘Tinubu’s boys’ that time to say, ‘Let us vote for Bola’.

By the way, what did we get from several years that the Presidency has resided in the North? Along that line, we have also had vice presidents who were northerners. We have had presidents who were northerners but for some reason, the system is not improving. Presidency from the North is like an albatross around our neck. We northerners can do with power going elsewhere so that at least, we can now complain. But you cannot be holding on to power while things are not working fine. Let us also be able to complain, especially those of us who play active roles in the country.


There have been problems between the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, people that should be working together to promote the President’s anti-corruption war. How bad do you think this is for the country?

Like the Bible says, the heart of man is desperately wicked: who can phantom it? The conducts of certain people, whether in government or not, is incomprehensible to a normal person with a decent character. Both of them are like my younger brothers. I have known Malami since I was in the CPC and only got to know Magu when I was in government. And I like his sense of duty and commitment to his job. That’s all I know about him. I don’t know however if there had been attempts to address these issues in another way before the options were exhausted and the issues resulted in the escalation of those differences.

What I consider painful in all this is that this government has fought corruption and committed all its energies and resources to fighting corruption irrespective of the parties the people they go after belong to. Some are politically motivated; some are not right. I would not be self-serving if I say take my own case, for instance. This issue has given the international community the impression that we are not serious about our anti-corruption campaign. When I was removed as SGF, the general outcry was that because of my closeness to Buhari, they wanted to weaken my flanks so that they could come after me.

But now in the case of Magu, the narrative is that corruption is fighting back. These are the impressions and the consequences of such conducts. Initially I had the feeling that the system would come after Magu, especially the press and the social media. If you are very discerning, you will know they are with him. The preponderance of opinions is in support of Magu’s position. The views being laid out are as if it is a witch-hunt. There are better ways to end Magu’s reign because no matter what anybody tells you, Magu tried. I used to joke that if you are a thief and you are caught by Magu, nobody can release you unless you cut off his hands.


PUNCH
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This is so reference worthy, IMHO. [Sorry, folks, I've had to copy the entire interview verbatim here, in the likely event I don't have Internet access when I delve into my own archives for stuff such as this.]

BTW, many thanks for being so forthcoming on the issues you touched on in this interview, Babachir!

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middlebelter:
Godwin Obaseki is preaching against godfather-ism on one hand and on the other hand building a worse political godfather-ism than what he is accusing Adams Oshiomhole of. Why forcing people to decamp with you to PDP? Is that not a worse form of political imposition


The best way to fight Adams with clean hands is to allow people voluntarily follow you without compulsion even by displaying your achievements vis-a vis the revenue and expenditures. Let people see you are more transparent and accountable and the revenue has be prudently used for the benefits of the state.

Very well said.

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westreign:
Oshomoele went on invitation of the president on complains that he's heating up the polity in Edo state, hence advice to stir clear and let contestant slog it out. You will see his activities going forward will be minimal and backgrounds.

C analysis, lol.

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AAA593:
Chairman of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo, has distanced himself from majority judgement of the tribunal that nullified the election of Governor Duoye Diri.


Justice Sirajo, who delivered a dissenting judgement shortly after two other Justices on the three-member panel tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to within 90 days, conduct a fresh poll in Bayelsa State, affirmed governor Diri’s election.

Also read: Court declares Kogi PDP had no candidate in 2019 governorship election
The two other members of the panel, Justices Owei Woniwei and Yunusa Musa had in their decisions, voided the outcome of the election that held in the state on November 16, 2019, over the exclusion of one of the registered political parties, Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party, ANDP, in the contest.


ANDP had in a petition it lodged before the tribunal, contended that it was unlawfully excluded from participating in the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, despite the fact that it fulfilled all the statutory requirements.

Justices Owei Woniwei and Yunusa Musa, in their majority judgement, agreed that INEC illegally excluded ANDP and its governorship candidate, King George, from the election.

However, disagreeing with the verdict, the tribunal Chairman, Justice Sirajo, said there was evidence that ANDP was disqualified from the election for fielding an ineligible candidate.


He noted that the party nominated an underaged deputy governorship candidate, who admitted that he was 34 years old, instead of the 35 years age bracket the Constitution stipulated.

Justice Sirajo said there was evidence that the party failed to substitute the candidate till the statutory window for such substitution elapsed.

He noted that Exhibit P8 before the tribunal was a letter that INEC wrote to the party on September 21, 2019, wherein it notified ANDP that the period for substitution of candidates had expired.


According to the Justice Sirajo, what the petitioners brought before the tribunal was a pre-election case since INEC’s decision that disqualified its candidates occurred before the actual election held on November 16, 2019.

He held that under section 285(9) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the party, ought to have within 14 days after it got the notification from INEC, gone to a Federal High Court to challenge it.

The tribunal chairman held that failure of the party to do so, made its petition against governor Diri’s election, statute-barred.


Besides, Justice Sirajo held that section 138(1) (d) of the Electoral Act provided grounds upon which an election could be challenged at tribunal, vis-a-vis section 285(14) of the Constitution which defined disqualification of the candidate by INEC as a pre-election matter.

He held that since the Constitution is superior to the Electoral Act, it takes preeminence.

He held that the disqualification of ANDP by INEC was not unconstitutional because it nominated an underaged candidate.


The Judge stressed that since the disqualified candidate did not meet the constitutional requirement, he was therefore not a valid candidate that could claim right of exclusion.

He held that a political party must have a valid nomination before the issue of exclusion could arise.

Consequently, Justice Sirajo dismissed the petition as lacking in merit, even as he upheld the election of governor Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.


Vanguard News
Chairman of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo, has distanced himself from majority judgement of the tribunal that nullified the election of Governor Duoye Diri.

Justice Sirajo, who delivered a dissenting judgement shortly after two other Justices on the three-member panel tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to within 90 days, conduct a fresh poll in Bayelsa State, affirmed governor Diri’s electi

I can read the dissenting judgement, so what? I honestly don't think that changes anything? Certainly not the majority judgement — which has now gone into the books. The Chairman does not have more than one vote nau.

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AAA593:
Stop deceiving yourself oga

OK, Sir. But please take note of this following quoted post:

ejimatic:
. Guidelines of elections nominations and conduct were not followed by the INEC and parties.So if INEC is ordered to conduct a fresh election all parties mist take part in it with replacement of candidates if necessary.. Remember selection of candidates is a party affair.This can still take place within six months.A party registered today can take part in the election.

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AAA593:
See below

I accept. Let's see how it plays out. But the sitting Governor still has to obtain a stay of execution of the latest judgement, otherwise he stands removed, appeal or no appeal.

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