₦airaland Forum

Nigeria’s economy faces significant risks in the days ahead, as the country is currently having difficulties getting buyers for its crude oil in the international market.

Reuters yesterday confirmed that 25 cargoes in the October and November schedules had barely attracted buyers over the last week.

It also revealed that higher offers emerged for the county’s grades but given the abundance of unsold cargoes, no buyers stepped forward, leaving differentials broadly unchanged.

According to the report, the nation’s cargoes have been slow to sell over the past few weeks, but this did not deter sellers from raising their offer prices for both Qua Iboe and Bonny Light.

Both were offered around $1.70 per barrel above dated Brent price, compared with recent indications of $1.55, with no buyers.

The world’s biggest trading houses said they foresee oil prices not falling below $65 per barrel and possibly breaking above $100 next year as U.S. sanctions on Iran reduce crude exports from the Islamic republic.

India’s Chennai Petroleum Corp Limited has shut a 74,000 barrel per day (bpd) crude at its 210,000 bpd Manali refinery in southern part of the country from October 6 for about one month for planned maintenance.

Also, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is building an oil storage facility under the mountains of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, industry sources disclosed.

The underground Mandous facility would have the capacity to store about 40 million barrels of oil and is to be completed by 2020, it was learnt.

The Guardian had on Tuesday reported that traders were shunning Nigerian crude but showing interest in specifications from Angola

The report identified that differentials for Nigerian crude remained unchanged as a lack of bids met an overhang of unsold cargoes, while demand for Angolan remained robust, evidenced by a flurry of fixtures that has pushed shipping rates to near two-year peak.

Kamarudeen Ogundele , Ado Ekiti


The outgoing Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose , has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of shopping for evidence to nail him .

He alleged that the anti - graft agency had started coercing witnesses to implicate him in order to file a trump - up charge against him upon the expiration of his tenure on October 15.

Specifically, Fayose in an October 10 letter addressed to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu , and sighted by our correspondent , alleged that the commission had invited one Maroun Mecheleb in order to mount pressure on him so as to make a false statement to implicate him .

The letter entitled , “ Stop coercing witnesses ”, read, “ I have always been made to know that the statutory functions and powers of your Commission are neither to persecute nor compromise the integrity of your Commission.

“ Permit me to stress that, a situation where a prospective witness is being induced or coerced to change his earlier statement by the operatives of the Commission is nothing but persecution.

“ Therefore, it is important to bring to your notice that I am aware of your desperate efforts in the last 48 hours to procure evidence by hook or crook to ‘ nail ’ me . ”

The governor said the intention of the agency was to concoct charges against him .

He added , “Specifically, I know as a fact that your Commission has been doing everything possible to induce and or coerce Mr Maroun Azeez Mecheleb Sam to make false statement to implicate me (when he appears in your office at noon today 11/ 10/ 2018) as a foundation for you to concoct trumped up charges against me notwithstanding the fact that the said Mr . Maroun who only returned to Nigeria in the last three weeks had earlier made two statements in Charge No . FRN vs . Abiodun Agbele and Ors .

Copies extracted from the earlier proof of evidence are attached for ease of reference.

“Regardless , I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, 16th October 2018. ”

Ade Adesomoju , Abuja



The Federal Government has charged the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu , and Senator Bassey Akpan , who represents Akwa Ibom North- East Senatorial District in Akwa Ibom State, with offences bordering on their alleged refusal and negligence to declare their assets to the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property.

On Wednesday, Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Abuja where two separate sets of charges were instituted against the senators , ordered that the charges and other accompanying papers be served on the two of them through the Clerk of the National Assembly.

The judge, after granting the orders for service through substituted means , fixed October 22 for the next hearing date in respect of Ekweremadu ’ s case and November 19 for Akpan's.

The Okoi Obono - Obla - led SPIPRPP had, on behalf of the Federal Government , filed the two separate criminal suits containing two counts each against the senators.

It filed the criminal suit marked FHC/ ABJ / CR/ 62/ 2018 against Ekweremadu on May 11, 2018, while it instituted the one marked FHC/ABJ /CR /88 /2018 against Akpan on June 13, 2018.

lalasticlala

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will get a running mate from the South-West — although there is a “very strong case” for the South-East — SaharaReporters has been told.

Wednesday is the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for parties to submit the names of their presidential candidates and their running mates, meaning a series of meetings have been going on since Sunday when Atiku overwhelmingly beat Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, to get the PDP ticket.

A source privy to some of the ongoing meetings told Saharareporters that despite the appeal of the South-East, there are three very important reasons why the decision-makers are already leaning towards the South-West.

These are a strong desire to get someone to play the 'Osinbajo role' for Atiku, the need to accommodate the South-West in the national structure, and the electoral value of the region ahead of 2019.

“The whole focus is definitely between South-West and South-East. A lot of dynamics come to play, because the Vice Presidency is not strictly a political position,” said the source, who requested not to be named.

“So, what they are looking at are the sentiments that the vice presidential candidate can drive for the joint ticket. To a large extent, they are looking at South-East, of course; and I can confirm to you that the South-East has a strong case. But the major consideration delaying the announcement is that a lot of stakeholders feel that the position should go to South-West. And they’ve been giving lots of reasons for that.

“First, during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, PDP marginalised the region to a large extent. Anyim Pius Anyim (South-East) was the SGF, Namadi Sambo (North-West) was the Vice President, David Mark (North-Central) was the Senate President. There was no south-westerner in the top five offices in the country. It was one of what Buhari used in campaigning against Jonathan in 2015, that the South-West was not regarded in the scheme of things.

“Also, the South-West has the second-highest number of registered voters, so we should be able to do something for that region in order to get their support.

“They are also looking at the Osinbajo factor as well. Osinbajo comes across as a technocrat, somebody who is intelligent, very smart — and he is from South-West.

So if we are trying to get the votes of South-West in 2019, the question they will ask is: ‘What do you have for us, because APC is giving us the VP.’

“To you and me, it doesn’t make sense — because we know that, to a large extent, where you come from does not really have a direct impact on the people’s yearnings.

Having Osinbajo in government was a factor for Tinubu; when the cabal was moving against him, trying to short-change him, Osinbajo was the one standing for him in the presidency.

So, to a large extent, the party hierarchy feel that if they have someone like that occupying the number-two position, they will be able to push the South-West agenda from the presidency; and they have someone they can hold responsible if Atiku does not deliver his restructuring programme.

So, that’s the argument from the South-West over the past 24 hours, and the decision-makers are already considering it.”

Posted By: Sunny Nwankwo




A man identified as Mr. Cyril Ogolo is currently being interrogated by personnel of the Aba Area Command of Nigeria Police Force (NPF) after he allegedly slept with his twin stepdaughters of about seventeen years respectively.

Our reporter gathered that while the mother of the twin girls just delivered a baby for Ogolo, one of the twins is however, carrying three months pregnancy for her stepfather, who is an indigene of Opobo, in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State and a spiritualist/herbalist based in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State.

Our reporter learnt that the mother of the twins left the biological father of the twins: Mr. Maduabuchi since 2010 and has since been living with her lover; Ogolo with the twins who have been going to school from his house until recently that they just finished their secondary final examination; WAEC.

Sources close to the family who would not want to be named said that the father of the girls, Mr. Maduabuchi died and was buried last year after efforts to bring back home his wife failed.

According to one of the sources, the twins had resisted Ogolo’s several attempts to sleep with them, but after he was said to have his way when efforts made by the girls to draw the attention of their mother to the actions of their randy father failed to yield fruit.

It was said that the matter was reported to the Azuka Police Station off Ikot Ekpene-Aba Expressway when the twins absconded their house to take refuge at a friend’s house in Uyo because they could not face their mum’s rot.

A police source who spoke to our reporter said that the matter was initially reported at Azuka Police Station before it was transferred to the Aba Area Command where the matter is being investigated.

According to the police source, Ogolo had petitioned one of the Pentecostal Churches where the wife worships, accusing them of aborting the baby one of the twins is carrying.

The source however said that upon the strength of the petition by Ogolo, they subjected the twins to medical test only to discover that one of them is carrying three months pregnancy for the stepfather.

The source stated that Ogolo when questioned by the investigating officer, confessed sleeping with the girls and being responsible for the child one of them is carrying.

The source added that Ogolo would be charged to court as soon as investigation into the matter was concluded.

tochukwuifediba:
[s]those pushing Atiku to Pick a South West VP are his worst enemy who want him to fail trust me his south West VP will decamp and congratulate Buhari before INEC finish announcing result[/s]

By Dirisu Yakubu



Port Harcourt- Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2019 general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has been advised to pick his running mate from the South West geo-political zone or perish the thought of securing the support of its people at the polls.

This advice is coming 48 hours after the former Vice President beat eleven others at a special national convention in Port Harcourt, to emerge the party’s flag bearer.

A PDP chieftain of South West extraction and member of the convention planning committee told our correspondent in confidence late on Sunday night that the advice became necessary in view of the “ill treatment,” meted out to the zone by the party in recent times.

According to him, the entire PDP family is ready to work tirelessly for the victory of the party, adding however that equity must not again be glossed over in picking the running mate on the party’s Presidential ballot.

Bemoaning what he described as “the denial of the South West the position of the national chairmanship of our party,” in the December 2017 convention; the PDP bigwig said should the zone be looked over again in the choice of a running mate; it would mean that equity and fairness no longer mean anything to the party.

He said: “Now that we have a candidate to challenge President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, we must be fair to the South West which has been taken for granted in the scheme of things for quite a while now. Anything short of the Vice Presidency slot will not be acceptable to our people.

“Last year, a lot of intrigues played out at our convention and we were denied the opportunity to produce the chairman. A prominent Nigerian and one of our leaders, Bode George backed out of the race and a few others who couldn’t comprehend what was going on left for other parties.

“But we stayed on and were able to prevail on our people to have faith in the party.

Now that the convention has come and gone, I advise our candidate to pick his running mate from the South West to win majority of our people’s votes.”

He advised the ruling party to demonstrate sufficient faith in democracy by conducting a variant of the Port Harcourt convention for a start.

He noted that for not pushing the consensus option, the leadership of Prince Uche Secondus has shown that democracy is “alive and kicking in the party.”

He added: “They shut the doors against others just to affirm President Buhari obviously for fear of the unknown. In our case, we proved to the world that democracy is alive and kicking in the party as we conducted the most credible Presidential primary election in the history of democracy in our country.

Polish oil refiner PKN Orlen expects to receive a first ever shipment of Nigerian crude oil next month, its CEO said, as Poland seeks to reduce its reliance on Russian supplies.

State-run PKN Orlen, Poland’s biggest refiner, and smaller rival Lotos, which it is taking over, rely mostly on Russian oil delivered via pipelines built in the 1960s but both have increased purchases from other sources.

“Nigeria is our new source of supplies we are exploring. Currently, a batch of 130,000 tonnes of Nigerian oil is on its way to Poland. It is expected to arrive at Naftoport (in Gdansk) in mid-October,” PKN’s Chief Executive Daniel Obajtek told Reuters in an interview last week.

“If tests confirm the assumed yields structure and margins, further oil supplies from Nigeria will be a viable option,” he said.

PKN Orlen signed a long-term agreement on regular oil supplies with Saudi Aramco in 2016 and since then both PKN and Lotos have also purchased oil from Iran and the United States.

Oil supplies from Russia account for around 70 percent of all oil deliveries to PKN, down from around 90 percent in 2015.

“There are also tankers sailing to us from other new directions, but at this stage it is too early to talk about it. We are holding discussions on medium- and long-term oil supply contracts with a number of parties, including US partners,” Obajtek also said.
Obajtek said that the deteriorating quality of Russian Urals crude was also prompting PKN to diversify its supplies.

“Generally, the lower quality may impact contract prices, as it affects our yields,” Obajtek said but declined to comment on whether PKN is negotiating new contract prices.

PKN Orlen is taking over Lotos as part of a plan announced in February to improve its negotiating position in oil purchases and to increase investment capacity.

Obajtek said that he hoped to obtain clearance from the European Commission by mid-2019.

“We are in the pre-notification phase and we are preparing to submit a merger clearance application, with some guidance already in place. We intend to file a draft application by the end of the year, which will formally trigger the process of negotiations with the European Commission,” Obajtek said.
NAN

lalasticlala

The family of one 24-year-old Miss Oluchukwu has allegedly rejected her for refusing to sell her baby boy after she gave birth to him out of wedlock.

Oluchukwu, an indigene of Ebonyi State, whose family resides at Awka Etiti in Idemili South local government area of Anambra State, had initially been advised to abort the pregnancy when she got pregnant out of wedlock, but she refused, insisting on keeping the pregnancy.

She was, however, picked up by a non-governmental organisation, Safenest, after she ran away from the family to Awka, the Anambra State capital.

The executive director of Safenest, Mrs. Oluchukwu Ckukwuenyem, who spoke at a seminar organised by the group, said upon Oluchukwu’s delivery, she contacted her family to break the good news of her delivery to them, but was rather advised to sell the baby for her upkeep and be sure not to return to the family with it.

“We were so amazed when we learnt of this, and we have taken it upon ourselves to take care of her and the baby. She is currently in a location we put up for her. We do not want to release her exact location, but I can tell you she is doing well. How much will she sell the baby that can assuage her sufferings for nine months?” Ckukwuenyem said.

She revealed that within a year of the operations of her NGO, she has discovered that most families were threatened by very flimsy excuses, and had gone ahead to experience serious problems like division, divorce and even murder. She admitted that abuse of substances like hard drug, alcohol and others were primarily behind the cause of violence in families.

She further commended the Anambra State command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for their proactive measures in tackling the menace of drug-related issues in the state.

lalasticlala

The ace comedian and humour merchant, Apostle Moses Olaiya, popularly known as Baba Sala, during his dramatic exploits, is dead.

Tribune Online authoritatively gathered that Baba Sala, passed on inside his private residence at Ilesa, Osun State, around 10.00 pm on Sunday night.

According to a press statement signed by his media aide, Mr Isaac Haastrup, which was received by Tribune Online in Osogbo, the remains of the deceased comedian had been deposited at the morgue of the Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa.

It would be recalled that Adejumo had been bedridden for months before his final demise Sunday night.

lalasticlala

by Taiwo Adebulu

The last time ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar faced President Muhammadu Buhari in a political contest was in 2014 when he lost the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Buhari who not only won the general election but also made history by being the first Nigerian politician to unseat an incumbent president.

But having secured the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a keenly contested exercise on Sunday, Abubakar is set to renew the political rivalry with Buhari. The 2019 is no doubt tougher than the APC presidential primary of 2014.

The delegates at Adokiye Amiesimaka stadium in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, would be settling down to other issues by now but winners and losers of the exercise are currently back to the drawing board thinking of what they did right or wrong.

Abubakar polled 1,532 votes to defeat Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto state, his closest challenger, who polled 693. There are those who have one thing or the other to gain or lose as far as the election is concerned. We profile six of them here.


The winners

IFEANYI OKOWA

The governor of Delta state is unarguably the man of the moment as he successfully chaired a peaceful and to a large extent, transparent presidential primary election. Devoid of rancour, delegates trooped into the pavilions earmarked for their respective states, while the 12 aspirants also went about their businesses. States voted concurrently and the officials gave the exercise their best shot.

While declaring the winner after the exercise, the University of Ibadan-trained medical doctor radiated like a winner too. As the chairman of the electoral committee of the party in Ekiti state, Okowa was said to have called the delegates out one after the other and did personal headcount as they lined up to cast their votes. One thing that stands out in his qualities as an electoral umpire is his penchant for orderliness.


GBENGA DANIEL

If there is one man whose efforts paid off with the outcome of the primary election, it should be Gbenga Daniel, former governor of Ogun state.

In May, Abubakar unveiled OGD, as he is popularly called, as the director-general of his campaign organisation. The former vice-president had said, “I am in no doubt OGD is a very positive and welcome addition to our campaign and I look forward to working with him as he leads our campaign to victory in February 2019.”

On Friday, while calling on the delegates to rally behind Abubakar, Daniel said the former vice-president could stand shoulder-to-shoulder against Buhari. With the victory of the ex-vice-president, OGD is no doubt strategising on how to embark on another journey to the nooks and cranny of the country to secure the presidency for Abubakar come 2019.


AISHA ALHASSAN

Although not a member of the PDP, Al-Hassan, fondly called Mama Taraba, can be considered a winner with the outcome of the convention. Even before Abubakar made his presidential ambition public, Alhassan who was minister of women affairs until eight days ago, never hid undivided loyalty to the former vice-president.

In 2017, as a member of Buhari’s cabinet, Mama Taraba declared support for Abubakar whom she described as her godfather. While some consider it an act of folly, it’s safe to assume that Mama Taraba occupies a special place in the heart of Abubakar since candour is a rare virtue in politics.

Besides this, Alhassan would be happy that her godfather is ready to give Buhari a run for his money. The APC disqualified her from the governorship race in Taraba and her loyalty to Abubakar is believed to have contributed to this.


The losers

NYESOM WIKE

The governor of River state is undoubtedly one of the major influencers in the PDP. This could be seen in the way he threatened to teach the party a bitter lesson if it changed the venue of the convention.

Moreover, he was said to have rooted for Tambuwal. During the exercise, he had openly displayed his ballot paper to indicate the he voted for the Sokoto governor.

His support for Tambuwal even pitched him against Abubakar. Although, he didn’t mention the ex-vice-president’s name, Wike had taken a swipe at him while attempting to defend the choice of Port Harcourt as convention venue.

“I don’t know why anyone who wants to be president will be afraid of a venue. Then you are not prepared for the election… you come here to deceive us about restructuring.

Just that Rivers State is a venue, you fight it. Then, when you are there, what will happen? You think we are fools where you preach restructuring, then when you get the position, you abandon restructuring,” he had said.

Wike did not wait for the convention to be brought to a close before he exited the venue.


AHMED MAKARFI

One issue political pundits have been discussing after the primary is the fact that the three top contenders in the race were in the All Progressives Congress (APC) when leadership crisis was tearing at the heart of PDP. Mocked, dejected and rejected, PDP was on its way down during the period.

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo had taunted the party saying it was dead but while many politicians defected, Makarfi stayed back to help in nursing life into the party. Sadly, he polled only 74 votes in the primary.

In a chat with reporters while the party was making preparations for the convention, Makarfi had said no other presidential aspirant had his pedigree and that he had confidence that he would pick the party ticket for the 2019 election.

“PDP has become a beautiful bride because of what I did. The party was considered dead until I came in as chairman of the caretaker committee and turned it round,” he had said.

But the delegates reasoned otherwise and Makarfi came 7th in the race contested by 12 aspirants.


DOYIN OKUPE

In August, Okupe, a former senior special assistant on public affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, said if Abubakar becomes the president, it will take another ten years to recover from that.

Writing on Twitter, Okupe said while he disagreed with Abubakar becoming Nigeria’s president, it would be a different case with Senate President Bukola Saraki.
He tweeted, “If Atiku rules Nigeria for 1 day, it will take us 10 years to recover. If Saraki rules for a day, Nigeria will make history.”

Although he later deleted the tweet and attempted damage control, Saraki named him media head of his campaign.
With the former vice president’s victory and the loss of Saraki, Okupe stands out as one of the losers.

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The Oyo State Government has sealed up a property belonging to Adebayo Alao-Akala, a former Governor of Oyo State.

The building was put under lock and key on Thursday by the Oyo State Board of Internal Revenue.

Customers were also said to be locked inside the building, which is self-valued at over N3 billion.

Jeremiah Akande, Head, New Media and Public Affairs of the Alao-Akala Campaign Organisation, has condemned the locking up of the building, describing it as politically motivated.

Alao-Akala had indicated interest in contesting for the governorship of Oyo State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general election.

However, a few hours to the governorship primary, he withdrew from the exercise, and also urged his supporters to "stay away".


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Although Alao-Akala had said there were plans to impose another aspirant, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, as the governorship candidate of the party, Bayo Adelabu eventually won the APC ticket.

However, according to Akande, the property was locked up "under the guise of non-compliance with tax payment".

The statement read: "Oyo State Government today, under the guise of non-compliance with tax payment, launched a disguised attack on the person and properties of His Excellency, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala.


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"At about 12.30pm this afternoon, staff of the Oyo Board of Internal Revenue stormed one of the Properties of Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala located at No. 32, Oba Adebimpe Road, Dugbe, Ibadan with policemen and members of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps and sealed up the property after presenting a letter from the Revenue Board giving one Mrs Oludewa the authority to seal the Property.

"The Business Complex popularly called Ile Itesiwaju and houses Business Concerns worth over 3Billion Naira is presently under lock and key and most of the shop owners and customers locked inside the complex.

"The General Public is hereby put on Notice and all Lover and Supporters of His Excellency, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala are urged to remain peaceful, maintain calm and charged not to take laws into their hands as it is glaring, this action is Political motivated as 2019 is around the corner."

By Abdullahi Dass




It is generally believed that President Muhammadu Buhari has a near unshakeable stranglehold on the electorate in the North, especially in the North-west zone consisting of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto and Zamfara States.

For a fact, in the last 15 years, Buhari has consistently garnered between 11 and 12 million votes in the three zones of the North. The only exception was when he contested against Late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua in 2007 when his acclaimed domination of northern electorate was broken almost along the middle. Yar’Adua polled 48 percent to Buhari’s 52 percent. This might be due to the fact that both men are Fulani Muslims from same Katsina State.

The question therefore arises that: Is it not better for any party that intends to defeat the Buhari administration democratically to field a candidate with similar influence and pluses like Yar’Adua from the North-west?
There is the need, at this point, to note that Yar’Adua’s exemplary performance against Buhari was not all due to political attributes of the former Governor of Katsina State.

Two factors were at play here, the most important being that Yar’Adua contested against Buhari with the solid and strong backing of a highly respected national icon, President Olusegun Obasanjo who was then the incumbent President.

Obasanjo was in firm control of the Presidency and he had tried to stay in power through a third term agenda, which ordinarily going by the culture of politics in Africa, was not too difficult an ambition to achieve. However, the plan failed. The Northern reaction, from both the elite and the grassroots was that of gratitude and relief that Obasanjo was finally leaving and giving the North a chance to gain power back. It was made a lot easier because the candidate, Yar’Adua was a Northern aristocrat and a Muslim.

Against such considerations and situations mentioned above, the Buhari phenomenon paled into insignificance when put alongside an overriding and collective Northern interest and intense desire to get power back. In that particular election, head and tail, the North was sure to win.

Sacrificing Buhari was a no issue. However, today, the situation is completely different and not comparable to what existed in 2007.

None of the aspirants in the opposition party – Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, Barrister Tanimu Turaki, Senator Rafiu Musa Kwankwaso, Alhaji Sule Lamido and Sen. Ahmed Makarfi has the political clout capable of doing any significant havoc comparable to that done by Umaru Yar’adua.

First, as common to all of them their maximum influence is nearly limited to their states of origin. This applies to Saminu Turaki, Tambuwal, Bafarawa, Lamido and Makarfi. Only Kwankwaso has a not too significant spread outside Kano, his state of origin. The Kwankwansiya movement essentially exists, at least 90 percent of it, in Kano and its environs. It is not distinctly noticeable in Sokoto or Kebbi, and neither in Yobe or Adamawa, not to talk of Niger and Nassarawa.

Unfortunately, even in Kano, its influence has been slightly whittled down by Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau’s recent defection to Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC). The combination of two of the three strong political pillars in Kano (Gov. Umaru Ganduje and Shekarau) being in APC, is a mortal injury to the Kwankwansiya movement in Kano.

Second, as clearly stated in the Yar’Adua case, the existence of a supportive incumbent Federal Government assisted the candidate in no small measure and the absence of such incumbent support presently, totally renders impotent any dream possibility of depleting or eroding Buhari’s support base in the the North West or the North in general by any of the acclaimed opposition aspirants from the North West.

Third, none of these aspirants from the North-west has any known or politically appreciable presence, followership, support or acceptability in any of the Southern zones. Their penetration in the South is abysmally poor and insignificant and they can only rely on ineffectual acolytes to mobilise support for them in the South.

In conclusion, therefore, none of the six aspirants in the PDP from the North West has what it takes to even reduce Buhari’s electoral value by as much as 10 percent in the North West or North in general. And also, none has a known or visible following in the south with which they can upstage Buhari’s entrenched political associates in the South, especially in the South West, which is the second largest voting population in the country.



THE FICTION:

The greatest political fallacy concerning the 2019 elections however is the postulation that a President cannot emerge in Nigeria without the person winning in the North-west zone. Nothing can be farther from the truth than this assumption or perception. The reality, the national political antecedents and bare electoral facts based on past results do not support this position.

First, if the votes of the North west was of such electoral indispensability, why was it impossible for Buhari to win in his first three attempts at the Presidency, despite his consistent six million votes from the North west and approximately 12 million votes from the entire North in all previous three elections; 2003, 2007 and 2011.

Second, in 2003, Obasanjo polled a total votes of 24.2 million against Buhari”s 13.12 million. If all the votes Obasanjo garnered from the North Central, North East and North West (9 million) were to be removed from his votes, he would still have won with a total of 15.2 million votes against Buhari’s total 13.12 million across the country.

Third, in 2011, former President Goodluck Jonathan defeated Buhari, polling a total of 22.2 million as against Buhari’s 12.09 million. Of this vote for Buhari, a whopping 10.7 million came from the three northern zones.

Also, as it was with Obasanjo in 2003, so it was with Jonathan in 2011. If all the 8.3 million votes scored by the former President in the three Northern zones were to be totally deleted from his votes he would still have defeated Buhari because Jonathan would have had 13.9 million votes left to Buhari’s 12. 09 million votes.
In 2019, there are new considerations which make Buhari’s victory against a nationally acceptable opposition candidate an electoral impossibility.

One, 2015 was Buhari’s finest year politically. He was packaged and widely accepted as a national saint, poor but with unparalleled integrity; with great expectations about competence and capability. Unfortunately, even among his most ardent supporters, these “dream” attributes have simply evaporated.

Gross incompetence, lack of capacity and lack of direction has replaced Buhari’s erstwhile “white coated” qualities and general perception.

The prevailing economic conditions, pervasive poverty, hunger, insecurity and growing unemployment across the social strata in the country has made Buhari’s ratings and acceptability to nose-dive. The frightening effect of the unchecked activities of the herdsmen and the obvious and undisguised parochialism that is rife in this administration has further eroded the confidence people have in this administration.

It is safe, therefore, to assume that of the 12 million regular votes for Buhari in the North, a conservative 20 percent of these votes must have been lost because of all the facts stated above plus the fact that some of the major support pillars, the strength of which supported Buhari to come to power have left him and his party.

This will include members of the new PDP like Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Kwankwaso and others. This effectively will reduce the 12 million votes to (12-2.4 million) 9.6million votes.

Buhari garnered two million votes from the six states of the North Central in 2015. Today, only Nassarawa, Kogi and Niger remain in the group. This easily can be translated to another loss of about one million votes.

Effectively, the Buhari electoral “supremo” value has grossly reduced to between 8 and 9 million votes. If we make allowance for the 10 million increase in registered voters nationwide and with the projected voter turnout of about 50 percent, Buhari’s vote may however increase by an extra one million votes.

From all the above, without rigging or any widespread electoral malpractice, as witnessed in the Osun State case, the maximum votes Buhari will get from the North will be less than 10 million votes in total.

To make matters worse, any vote lost by Buhari from his Northern homestead, he will not recover it from any other zone in the South. Also, any candidate that can poll the kind of votes from the North Central, and the entire South like Obasanjo did in 2003, and Jonathan did in 2011 will win the 2019 elections with an overwhelming majority.

In the South-east and South South zones, Buhari’s performance will not change significantly. The IPOB phenomenon will definitely predominate 2019. A rehearsal was what happened in Anambra governorship elections where the two big parties; APC and PDP with their massive resources were thoroughly beaten and disgraced. The masses disobeyed and ignored their elite leadership and voted not for just the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), but against the interest of the incumbent Federal Government in the South-east.

The South-south is not expected to be much different. There may be a spike of support in Akwa Ibom State due to the influence of Senator Godswill Akpabio, but a spike it will be. No more!

The South-west presents a totally different scenario. Today, and all-through the presidential election in 2019, all the six states in the South- west will be under the control of APC governors. In theory, they will be expected to deliver their states. But this will not happen .

Two of the governors will be lame duck; Oyo and Ogun. Others like Ondo, Ekiti and the new one in Osun are not popular and cannot really exercise much political authority on the voters.

The most sophisticated electorate is in the South-west. The electorate here has discerning capabilities and has an antecedent of punishing erring governments and political groups. The leader of APC in the South-west, has lost so much political goodwill and currency. He is almost an expiring political ‘generalissimo’.

In the South West, the results of local elections, that is; governorship, senate, House of Representatives and state assemblies will be different from that of the presidential election.

However, because the entire South-west will be governed by APC governors, and because the South West represents the second largest voting population in the country, it will be impossible for the opposition to win in 2019, if it leaves the South-west completely open and the electorate without any choice if it selects a candidate that on his own does not have any special appeal to the electorate in this zone.

The political irony here is that a North-west candidate is not what is required for PDP to win in 2019 against Buhari. Rather, the political imperative is in the choice of a candidate that can split the South-west votes. This actually is the master key that can ensure victory for the opposition in 2019.

lalasticlala

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he will soon name a Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) to lead the All Progressives Congress, (APC), to victory in the February 2019 general election.

He spoke in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu.

According to him, he is aware of the yearning by Nigerians for the formation of a full Presidential Campaign Council towards the APC’s victory in the presidential elections.

He said that he appreciates the growing interest that Nigerians have shown in this issue, and that he is conscious of their keen expectation.

The President however implored members of the party and the public to exercise some patience regarding the constitution of the PCC.

For now, the President and the party executives are focused on the APC convention scheduled for Saturday, October 6.

The Presidential Campaign Council, he said, will be put in place after the convention.

“We are the party that will free Nigeria from corruption and poor governance. We are the party of change. We will not let the country down,” President Buhari assures.

lalasticlala

CROWNWEALTH019:
Useless Ambode, he couldn't fight at all

Samuel Awoyinfa , Abeokuta


A former Minister of State for Education , Senator Iyabo Anisulowo , has accused the duo of Vice - President Yemi Osinbajo and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress , Adams Oshiomhole , of being the masterminds of the ongoing crisis rocking the APC governorship primary in Ogun State.

She made the allegation on Wednesday during a media chat in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The accusation came barely 24 hours after the Secretary to the Ogun State Government , Taiwo Adeoluwa , came hard on Oshiomhole over an alleged plan to foist his preferred candidate on the state .

The ex - minister , who was working to ensure that the next governor of the state comes from Ogun West , said it saddened her that no one from the zone had governed the state since it was created 42 years ago.

She said she and other Ogun West elders began the struggle for the “ emancipation ” of the zone over 30 years ago .

She described 2019 as the best opportunity for the zone to produce a governor of the state .

Anisulowo disclosed that the Yewa Elders Council unanimously chose the consensus governorship candidate , Adekunle Akinlade , after a thorough screening .
She said , “I am really hurt . I’ m disturbed and feel like crying with this development .

After shifting the direct governorship primary two times, members of the APC in the state trooped out, on Tuesday, to participate in the exercise in the presence of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“ But I was shocked to discover that some APC members , backed by the Vice- President and Oshiomhole , conducted another direct primary .

“He (Osinbajo ) did his politics in Lagos . He came to be Vice -President from Lagos but we cannot deny that he is an indigene of Ogun State.

“ But for us , I have been in politics for 35 years . We don’ t know him in the politics of Ogun State.

“ The only thing we knew about him is that he was a commissioner in Lagos State and his brother was a commissioner here in Ogun State and many times we met, they were very respectful .

“ So , how do we feel that he would be the one that is trying to rock the boat here ?

“ But Oshiomhole , everybody knows him . And if he is faulting the system here, what about the system that made him the national chairman of our party ? How clean was the process ? And now he wants to turn everything upside down for us here.

“ So , we are begging all law-abiding people , all the citizens of Nigeria to please caution our national chairman and other people that are fuelling trouble to put Ogun State on fire . ”

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

The police in Benin have arrested and paraded a man whose name was given as Friday Moses, for allegedly defiling and impregnating his 13-year-old daughter.

Moses, who hails from Cross River State, but resides in Edo, was alleged to have been having carnal knowledge of his daughter when she was seven years old.

He was among the 76 suspected criminals paraded by the state police command, for alleged involvement in various crimes in the state.

It was disclosed that the victim, a primary six pupil, who lost her mother five years ago, has been living with the suspect who constantly abused her sexually.

Competent sources have it that the suspect was driven out of Ologbo community, in Ipoba-Okha local government area of the state, when the people discovered that he was sleeping with his daughter.

The suspect was finally arrested by the police, when members of the community informed the police when they discovered that the girl was pregnant for him.

Speaking with journalists at the Edo police command headquarters in Benin, the minor who is five months pregnant, said her father has been having sexual intercourse with her when she was very small.

“My father slept with me five times. He started when I was very small. My father asked​ me to come to meet him in his room and when I came, he started touching my waist, when I said no, he said If I shout he will use use cutlass to kill,” she said.

On his part, the suspect, Friday Moses, who claimed innocence of the allegation, however said that they should take it as her daughter said.

“I have a girl friend before, but when people come to my house and beat me up that I am going out with a married woman, I abandoned her. My wife died five years ago and my daughter is 13 years. I did not impregnate her, but take it the way she says it,” he said.

The State Police Commissioner, Mr. Babatunde Kokumo, who paraded the suspects, said they were arrested for various crimes, including robbery, kidnapping, rape and cultism.

He added that assorted arms and ammunition were recovered from them.
Kokumo assured that the suspects would be charged to Court as soon as investigations are completed.

Titilope Joseph


Justice Raliat Adebiyi of a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on Wednesday sentenced one Collins Abakwe to 10-year imprisonment for stabbing his younger brother, Chibuke Abakwe, to death.

The Judge handed down the judgement to the convict after finding him guilty of a lone count charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Collins Abakwe, a 28-year-old, was first arraigned in 2013 for murder and he pleaded not guilty to the charge. The trial had commence after his plea but he however made a U-turn during the course of the trial by changing his plea.

In her judgement, Justice Adebiyi sentenced the convict to 10-year in prison for the offense of involuntary manslaughter filed against him by the State of Lagos.

The Judge, before pronouncing the judgement on the defendant confirmed if he understood the meaning of plea bargain agreement he entered into.

The defendant replied in the affirmative, telling the court that he signed the agreement himself.

Justice Adebiyi while sentencing the convict held that the court is satisfied with the jail term agreed upon by the prosecuting counsel and the defence counsel who had earlier made their submissions after the defendant was re-arraigned on the charge of involuntary manslaughter.

She, however, sentenced the defendant, Collins Abakwe to 10-year imprisonment for the murder of his younger brother, Chibuke Abakwe.

Earlier, the Prosecuting Counsel, Mrs O.A. Olusaga informed the court that the defendant, Collins has decided to change his plea and the prosecution has also amended the charge against him.

The amended charge against him read that: “You, Collins Abakwe, on14th of February, at No 54, Adeyanju Street, Amukoko stabbed your younger brother, Chibuke Abakwe to death with a broken bottle.”
Collins pleaded guilty to the amended charge of involuntary manslaughter.

According to the Prosecution, Collins and his younger brother on the said date had a quarrel over a friend’s girlfriend who was trying to pass the night in their place.

“The quarrel got so violent and he ended up stabbing his younger brother which later resulted to his death.”

Olusaga further told the Court that the offences committed by the convict contravenes Section 227 and punishable under Section 221 of the Lagos State Criminal law 2015.

She also prayed that the Court will order the family of the convict to take him to a rehabilitation center for proper counseling when he eventually comes out of the prison.

Counsel to the convict, Scholastical Okoli however aligned herself with the submissions of the prosecuting counsel.

Ade Adesomoju, Abuja



The Nigerian Bar Association said the police appeared compromised during the conduct of the September 27 supplementary governorship election in Osun State .

In the report by its ad hoc committee on the rerun , the association said the police refused to question the activities of the “fierce - looking men who invaded the area at Orolu ” where part of the supplementary poll took place.

The ad hoc committee chaired by Mr Tawo Tawo ( SAN), stated in its report that the rerun “ fell far short of a free and fair election compared to what transpired in the election of September 22” .

Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party was leading with 353 votes in the September 22 election which the Independent National Electoral Commission declared inconclusive .

But Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress came from his second position in the main election to win the supplementary poll and the declared winner in the final results .

The NBA , in its report which was published on its website late on Sunday , said the police by their action and inaction , appeared compromised in the rerun election that took place in seven polling units across four local government areas.

The report added , “In conclusion , the rerun of the Osun State governorship election fell far short of a free and fair election compared to what transpired in the election of the 22 nd of September , 2018 in Osun State which was , however, declared inconclusive.

“ From the actions and inaction of the Nigerian Police Force , they appeared to have been compromised given the fact that the Police did not question the activities of the about fifty (50 ) fierce- looking men who invaded the area at Orolu . ”

The NBA said members of its observation team , monitored the election at Osogbo polling unit 17 , ward 5 , in Osogbo where they observed “massive armed security presence with movement around the polling unit restricted voters and observers . ”

The report noted that all the election materials were made available for the election and the electoral protocols for voting were fulfilled by the electoral officers at the unit .

It stated that accreditation and voting commenced at about 8 :02 am and the voting process went on smoothly till about 11: 30 am “ when some hoodlums invaded the area in an attempt to disrupt the process . ”

It added , “ The situation was brought under control by the security personnel present .
“ In spite of the seeming and subtle form of intimidation , voters were undaunted as they did cast their votes .

“ There was substantial compliance with the election process and procedure at the polling units. ”

The report said at Orolu , where the rerun held in Ward 8 , polling units 1 and 4 , and Ward 9 , polling unit 3 , members of the monitoring team were harassed and subsequently arrested.

It noted that it took the intervention of Mr Festus Okoye , “who is currently the INEC Commissioner representing the South - East geopolitical zone , to secure their release . He also facilitated the team ’ s movement to Orolu . ”

It added , “ There was heavy security presence with about thirty armed Police officials at Orolu .

“ At about 10: 00 am , while figuring out how to get to Idiya Polling Unit in Orolu , four Toyota Hiace buses packed with about 50 fierce - looking men , drove in and the men alighted and walked towards the polling unit without any PVC in their hands .

“ In spite of the heavy security presence of the Nigeria Police , these men were not stopped nor asked if they were going to vote neither were they asked for their PVCs.

“ This, however, aroused our suspicion .

“ A member of the NBA Ad hoc EWG who attempted a recording of the happenings (a few seconds was recorded though) was almost attacked by about six of these men .

“ Surprisingly , the police officials stood aloof and did nothing to stop the invasion by this group of men.

“ The reason given by the security men ( police officials ) for their inaction was that they could not act without formal complaints from us .

“ Another observation at Orolu was that most of the voters had identification bands on their left arms and ring bands on their thumbs. Those with the said identification bands were allowed access into Orolu while those without the bands were not allowed access and so could not vote .

“ Although these voters without the bands displayed their PVCs to the policemen on the ground as evidence that they had been registered to vote at that particular polling unit , the police personnel adamantly turned them back and as such , they could not exercise their right to vote. ”

uijiatalor:
Please help a brother. the date of birth on my waec result differs from the one on my school record. Now am doing my youth service but I wish to correct the date of birth on my waec record to the date of birth on my school record. Is this still possible. Please i need answer and it's urgent.
Thanks in anticipation.

By Peter Moses,



https://f5c9x6n6.stackpathcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Ogun-APC-primaries-national-committee-489x367.jpeg


The All Progressives Congress (APC) eight-man national committee for the Ogun State governorship primaries led by Muhammad Indabawa has concluded its meeting with six aspirants battling for the ruling party’s governorship ticket in the state.

The meeting ended abruptly following a sporadic shooting by suspected political thugs outside the main hall of Mitros Residence, Ibara GRA in Abeokuta, venue of the meeting.

Barely 10 minutes after the meeting began, suspected thugs from various camps had charged the atmosphere and created some tension before they went into shooting spree intermittently.

Journalists who were waiting for the outcome of the meeting scampered for safety.

Our correspondent could not ascertain the thugs’ mission as of the time of this report.
Amidst the panic that engulfed the venue, the meeting was put off as the aspirants left one after the other.

Among those at the meeting are Jimi Lawal, Bimbo Ashiru, Senator Gbenga Kaka, Dapo Abiodun, Abayomi Hunye and Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s choice candidate, Adekunle Akinlade.

The party’s state chairman alongside members of the national committee and party stakeholders had arrived at 10:40pm and kicked-off the meeting immediately.

Also at the meeting are the Secretary to Ogun State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, state executive of APC led by the Chairman, Derin Adebiyi.

Our correspondent recalls that the primary earlier slated for Sunday but it was later postponed to Monday.

The committee members, however, did not arrive until 7pm on Monday.

In his brief address, Indabawa, a retired Commissioner of Police, blamed the late arrival on logistics.

He said the committee deemed it fit to meet all the aspirants ahead of the governorship primaries.

The Committee Chairman sought for cooperation of aspirants and stakeholders to ensure a hitch-free electoral exercise.

Shortly after the address, the SSG asked journalists to step out “to allow the committee and aspirants concentrate on the family meeting.”

hppyromz:
https://december2018calendar.info/
http://december2018calendar.com
http://publicholidays2018.net/
Don't violate the privacy of any people e.g. by posting their private pics, info, or chats without permission.

Olufemi Atoyebi , Ibadan



The candidate of the Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party in the forthcoming 2019 election , Seyi Makinde, on Monday alleged that the national leader of the All Progressives Congress , Ahmed Tinubu , and some businessmen’ s interference in the politics of Oyo State had dragged the state backward .

He alleged that a repeat of the interference was witnessed even in the governorship primaries that took place in Ibadan , the state capital , on Sunday.

In a statement issued by the Makinde’ s Campaign Office and signed by the media coordinator, Dotun Oyelade , the PDP candidate said it was disrespectful to party members and the Oyo State people for Tinubu to dictate who should rule the state, alleging that the problems Tinubu created in Lagos was still unresolved and festering.

He said , “Recall that similar imposition occurred in 2011 when a former Governor Lam Adesina was sidelined in the process leading to the adoption of Governor Abiola Ajimobi, a decision that has drawn the state back leading to record indebtedness yet unsurpassed since the creation of the state in 1976. ”

“ Why must outsiders insist on their stooges to rule us in Oyo State and why must we always accept their orders when what is left is a crumbling empire? For me , the masses of the state remain my motivators because they will insist that we build the state together for the benefit of all. ”

By Peter Moses,



The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ogun State is enmeshed in crisis over the rescheduled governorship primary of the party in the state.

The party had been polarized following the adoption of Hon Adekunle Akinlade as a governorship consensus candidate by the state APC.

Daily Trust reports that five others aspirants rejected the move as well as indirect primary adopted by the Amosun-backed party exco.

However, the National Working Committee of (NWC) of APC approved direct primary mode for Ogun, focusing the state exco to bow to the national leadership.

The party governorship primary slated for Sunday had been shifted to Monday (today), but the members of the committee from the APC headquarters, Abuja are yet to arrive the state as of the time of this report.

Earlier this morning, the Derin Adebiyi-led State APC exco summoned an emergency meeting of the party stakeholders, apparently to address issues regarding the rescheduled primary.

It would be recalled that Amosun hurriedly left Moshood Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, the venue of the Independence Day celebration, to address party leaders and members at the meeting holding at MTR Centre, Ibara GRA, in Ogun State capital.

Speaking at the meeting on Monday, Amosun declared “no retreat no surrender,” accusing the other group of planning to reap where they did not show.

He said the party is ready to participate in the direct primaries on any date fixed by the NWC.

In his blistering remarks, Amosun told the opponents that the battle “will be too hot for them to handle.”

“We will defeat them one million times. We have the government. We have the people and we have the party,” the governor said.