₦airaland Forum

A former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, says the Igbo did not vote for the Peoples Democratic Party in the last general election in the South-East, maintaining that the PDP massively rigged the election in the region.

Kalu, who was an ardent supporter of President Goodluck Jonathan before the elections, said this during a programme on Channels TV titled, “View from the Top,” on Monday.

The former governor said out of the five states in the South-East, the PDP only won elections in Ebonyi and Enugu states.

He said it would, therefore, be unfair to accuse the Igbo of voting en masse for the PDP.

Kalu said the people of Abia State voted against the PDP because of their feelings towards Governor Theodore Orji and the overbearing nature of the President’s wife, Patience Jonathan.

The former governor, who lost the Abia-North senatorial election on the platform of the Progressives Peoples Alliance, maintained that he did not lose but that the PDP rigged the election.
He said, “The issue is that what happened in my constituency was a rigged election. Apart from Enugu and Ebonyi states, where the PDP had very good outings, every other state they won in the South-East was rigged.

“So, the Igbo did not make any mistakes, I feel bad when I see people blaming the Igbo. In the presidential election, the result brought out from Abia where I was, did not reflect the voting pattern of the people.

“In Aba, I can tell you and I will tell Jonathan, that he did not win election in Aba. The APC won the election there but when I saw the result, it was a different thing because the people were angry because of the attitude of T. A Orji and the occasional interference of the wife of the President. People were angry.”

Kalu said it would be unfair to criticise a geopolitical zone for voting en masse for a party, adding that in 1999, the South-West voted massively for the then Alliance for Democracy even though Olusegun Obasanjo of the PDP is from the zone.

The former governor said the PDP lost the general election because of its greed and superiority complex.

He said he and a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had planned to form a merger around 2007 but his political associates in the South-East thwarted the plans.

He said he was not surprised that Tinubu went on to form Nigeria’s biggest opposition party which finally defeated the PDP.

He said, “The PDP was bound to lose the elections because many people were very greedy. There was impunity; people in the party felt they were mini gods. And when you feel that God Almighty is no longer God and that you are the new God, you are bound to fail and that was what happened.

“The PDP felt that they could afford anything money could buy. My brothers, the Igbo didn’t understand the local politics. What you see in the country today was planned by Bola Tinubu and me.

“He is alive, you can ask him. He planned to go with the Action Congress and I planned to go with the PPA. We said at the same time, we could come back to the stage but the two governors we had from the South-East were not as forthright as Governor Babatunde Fashola. Fashola was the only AC governor at the time.”

dre11:
http://www.punchng.com/news/youre-an-hypocrite-fayose-replies-falana/

Cc lalasticlala

Maser:
Dickson was economical with the truth. The crisis in Governors forum was created by GEJs men and Jang in particular. Jang lost GF election to Amaechi but refused to concede. Wasn't that what happened?

It still beats me why Nigerians lack the courage to tell the truth as it is

I appreciate the contributions and sacrifices made by our out-going governors and indeed, the sacrifices every one of us has made and will continue to make in the building of a prosperous, stable and democratic Nigeria.

vicadex07:
Yóure the bigger fool. Even if you didn't hear it from a reliable source, can't u deduce it using your common sense. How many big names among the subsidy theives has been probed form 2012 till date despite the noise the PDP government made to the public about the "CABALS" when they were hell bent on increasing the fuel prices to the detriment of the masses.

They finally got their way and kept mute on the whole cabal issue.

According to the lawyer, the client’s friend has already been invited by the EFCC, adding that it is only a matter of time before he (the client) will also be invited by the anti-graft agency.

“The client told me last week that his friend had been invited. So, he has run to me in anticipation that he would also be invited any moment from now,” the lawyer said.

A robbery suspect, Ahmed Adekeye, arrested by the police in Lagos, has confessed that he lied against a man, Tunde Adekambi, who he had earlier claimed to be a member of his gang.

PUNCH Metro learnt that 23-year-old Adekambi was arrested while he was returning from a morning prayer at a mosque in the Ajangbadi area of Lagos.

It was gathered that on Saturday, May 2, 2015, a gang of robbers stormed the area at about 1.30am and unleashed terror on the residents for about an hour.

Our correspondent learnt that a vigilance group in the area confronted the gang, which had about six members, and arrested Adekeye. The other gang members reportedly escaped.

The following day, members of the vigilance group were said to have arrested Adekambi.

It was gathered that Adekeye told the vigilance group members that Adekambi was one of the gang members.

The duo was reportedly handed over to the police.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Adekeye also told the police at Ajangbadi that Adekambi was a gang member. The case was subsequently transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad for further investigation.

Adekeye from Isin, Kwara State, said he lied to the police about Adekambi’s involvement because he did not want to rot in jail alone.

He, however, begged Adekambi to forgive him for making him suffer in detention.

He said, “We are six in the gang, but I was the only one that was arrested on that day. Others ─ Lekan, Biodun, Aloma and two others; I don’t know their names ─ escaped. While in Ajangbadi, I lied to the police that Adekambi was an accomplice.

“Aloma, a cobbler in Suru Alaba, called me on the phone and asked me to meet him in the Ilogbo, Ajangbadi area. I met him and others at a hemp smoking joint.

“They brought three cutlasses and three wooden batons. I took one of the wooden batons.

“We went to Orisa Street, and stayed in an uncompleted building till about 1am. At about 1.30am, we went to our victim’s house. The man and his family cooperated with us, until we cut him with a cutlass. He then let out a scream which attracted people in the neighbourhood.

“So, the vigilance members came and everybody fled. I was caught and handed over to the police.

“When they brought Tunde (Adekambi) later, I lied that he was a gang member. At SARS too, I initially insisted that Tunde was one of us because I did not want to be punished alone. But after a few days, I decided to tell the truth. So, I told the police that Tunde was innocent.

“I did not know why I implicated him. I knew the police would torture a suspected robber, but I did not want to go through it alone. Our usual operation is to use motorcycles to snatch peoples’ bags.”

Adekambi, who hails from Ilorin, Kwara State, said he was shocked for being named as a member of the robbery gang.

He said, “On that fateful day, I had just finished prayer and was coming back home at about 7am when some people on a motorcycle stopped beside me. They were members of a vigilance group.

“They asked me what I was doing there and I explained that I was returning from the mosque. They did not believe me. They tore my shirt, calling me an armed robber. When we got to where Ahmed (Adekeye) was handcuffed, he told them that I was a member of the gang. That was the beginning of my ordeal.

“I was detained at the station for three days and transferred to SARS. I am still in shock, but I have forgiven him. I do not have an option.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident. He added that Adekambi had been released.

He said,“After investigation, we discovered that Adekambi was innocent, and the suspect did not know him from Adam.

“We have released Adekambi.”

He said the EFCC never stopped investigation into the subsidy fraud, but had only been handicapped by the Presidency’s disposition towards the cases

From ALOYSIUS ATTAH, Onitsha

The Movement for the Actualsation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MAS­SOB), has warned that Ni­geria would disintegrate, if its leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike were arrest­ed by the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), adding that he has no constitutional power to arrest him.

The group gave the warning in Onitsha, Anam­bra State.

Reacting to a statement credited to the MASSOB leader that Buhari was plan­ning to clamp down on him using the organisation’s Regional administrator for Nnewi South Region, Tony A. Nwodo, said General Buhari has no constitution­al power to arrest Uwazur­uike and warned that such alleged plan if carried out, would result in disintegra­tion of the country.

Nwodo said: “Uwazur­uike is our spiritual and physical leader, Buhari cannot arrest him. It is like saying you will arrest the Sultan of Sokoto, who is the religious leader of the muslims.

“He should first arrest Oba Rilwan Akiolu of La­gos State, who is now into partisan politics for vowing that Igbo living in Lagos State should perish in the lagoon if they failed to vote for APC gubernatorial can­didate.

“If Uwazuruike is ar­rested, Nigeria will disinte­grate. By virtue of Uwazur­uike’s position, you can’t arrest him. Buhari should focus on how to provide dividends of democracy to Nigerians and not to look for perceived enemies to clamp down upon. We are not in the days of the mili­tary that based its actions on dictatorship.”

Reiterating that MAS­SOB would continue to struggle for a sovereign state of Biafra, Nwodo stated that no amount of threats would deter the group from the struggle.

“We are a non-violent group fighting for a sover­eign state of Biafra because Nigerian government has continued to marginalise Igbo nation.

“We will not relent in the struggle and nobody can threaten us, no matter how highly placed,” he added.

“I am making this appeal because I am the only child of my parents and I do not want to die prematurely and mysteriously,” she said.

“What I think they should do is try to elect those that are capable; those that can manage the House. They should forget about sentiments. When they elect a speaker that is capable, there won’t be any rancour in the House

By Joseph Erunke
AS he prepares to leave office next month as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, after conducting the 2015 general elections, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has expressed worry that the achievements recorded so far by the commission may not be consolidated by his successor.

Jega said INEC had done well in restructuring the electoral process in Nigeria, but noted that it would be very easy for what had been achieved to be reversed by the incoming members if the country got it wrong on the new leadership.
To this end, he has tasked Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, to play a watchdog role in the INEC with a view to putting those that would be at the helm of affairs of the commission, on their toes.
Speaking yesterday, in Abuja, at the presentation of the 2015 general election observation report carried out by Election Monitor, a civil society group, supported by McArthur Foundation, the INEC chairman insisted that for his achievements to be consolidated, his policies and programmes aimed at repositioning the country’s electoral process must be maintained.
Represented by the commission’s, Director, Elections and Party Monitoring, Mr. Sheu Wahab, the INEC chairman stressed that: “We need to continue to beam the searchlight on post election events, and the first thing that will come to your mind is the reconstitution of new INEC.
“Jega’s commission will be winding up by the end of June, a new commission is going to be put in place. If we are going to consolidate on the gains of 2015 elections, I think CSOs have every reason to watch out for the new commission that is going to come in place,” he stated.

eagleeye2:
Theodore Ahamaefula Orji, we told you 8 years will soon be over, and so also immunity.
Ndi Abia na eche gi.

Over 15 ex-governors won senate seats in the March 28 election with many of them having cases of corruption ranging from misappropriation of public funds to money laundering hanging over their necks.

coputa:
You are among,you are only complaining because you have not gotten the opportunity to loot.its in the gene of nigerians,we promote it,display it and pride ourselves in it.

cramjones:
I flew into London last night from Boston, and while on one of the London trains, I saw this!

Can May 29th come already? Why will Africa ever develop when we have such wicked, greedy and heartless leaders?

GMB hurry and be our president please.

CramJones


PS: When I served in government whatever corruption that transpired was certainly child's play compared to what has happened within the last 6 -7 years!

“Due to the three abortions and two miscarriages I suffered, I was told at the hospital that my womb had been tampered with and that it would take divine intervention for me to be pregnant again.

Mary also told the court that she bought almost all the items including the two cell phones her husband was currently using.

Ex-beauty queen and rising actress, Peggy Enoho Ovire, was all eyes last weekend when she stormed the Filmhouse Cinema, Apapa Mall, Lagos, venue of the premiere of 50 Naira Story Initiative’s four movies, wearing long-cocktail dress with no bra, revealing her tantalizing nipples.
Peggy’s ravishing appearance left a silent message that she’s not only sexy and hot, but also, she’s got it and has to flaunt it at will. Endowed with moderate ‘milk bags’, the Urhobo, Delta State-born actress, who starred in one of the movies, “Beneath Her Evil” was the cynosure of attraction at the event which marked a new dawn for the country’s movie industry.
She allowed her bare chest to do all the talking and attention grabbing, as paparazzis had a field day, taking shots of her exposed nipples at random. Her dressing, however, reflected the role she played in the movie as an disadvantaged victim of her own circumstance “Dede” who eventually uses her natural assets to change her own life fortunes. Peggy’s journey to stardom started after she starred in the movie, “Best of Enemies.”

The 2015 Annual Religious Report of the United States Commission on International Religious freedom (USCIRF) has yesterday condemned Nigeria’s military

approach to Boko Haram. It also indicted the Nigerian government, saying that the government’s almost exclusively military approach to Boko Haram contributes to ongoing terrorism in the country.
The 8-page report which was presented to journalists at the Department of States in Washington, DC by the Chairperson of the Commission, Mrs Katrina Lantos Swett, makes it known that the Nigerian government does not actively perpetrate religious freedom abuses, but does tolerate northern and southern state laws and practices that result in religious freedom violations.

The report also says that religious freedom conditions in Nigeria are being strained by Boko Haram’s terrorist attacks against Christians and Muslims, recurring sectarian violence, and escalating interfaith tensions. It stressed that while the federal government does not engage in religious persecution, it fails to implement effective strategies to prevent or stop terrorism or sectarian violence and does not bring to justice those responsible for such violence.

“The Nigerian government’s almost exclusively military approach to Boko Haram contributes to ongoing terrorism in the country. Boko Haram exploits sectarian fissures to manipulate religious tensions and destabilize Nigeria” it notes.

Based on these concerns, the Commission again recommends that Nigeria be designated as a “country of particular concern” or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). It would be recalled that the USCIRF first recommended Nigeria which was on the Commission’s Tier 2 (Watch List) from 2002-2009 be designated a CPC in 2009.

The report further notes that managing ethnic diversity and developing a national identity has been, and continues to be, a problem for Nigerians and the Nigerian government, especially between its Muslim North and Christian South. It adds that elective posts must be religiously balanced from both regions in order to address this challenge.

The report presses further that the State Department and Nigeria security experts are unhappy with the Nigerian government for failing to implement a holistic response to the insurgency that includes counter- and de-radicalization programs and economic and social development initiatives.

While making recommendations, the report says that Nigeria has the capacity to improve religious freedom conditions by more fully addressing Boko Haram and sectarian violence, and will only realize respect for human rights, lasting progress, security, stability, and prosperity as a democracy if it does so.

Moreover, USCIRF says in the report that it is concerned that the charged rhetoric used by political and religious leaders could lead to an escalation of violence and a more divided, sectarian Nigeria. For these reasons, the Commission recommends that the U.S. government designate Nigeria as a CPC.

In addition to so designating Nigeria, USCIRF recommends that the U.S. government should seek to enter into a binding agreement with the Nigerian government, as defined in section 405(c) of IRFA, and be prepared to provide financial and technical support to help the Nigerian government commit to undertake reforms to address policies leading to violations of religious freedom.

It also asks the US to vigorously investigate, prosecute, and bring to justice perpetrators of all past and future incidents of sectarian violence and terrorism; and as well develop effective conflict-prevention and early-warning mechanisms at the local, state, and federal levels using practical and implementable criteria.

The report further asks Nigeria to develop the capability to deploy specialized police and army units rapidly to prevent and combat sectarian violence in cities around the country where there has been a history of sectarian violence; and as well take steps to professionalize its police and military forces in its counter-terrorism, investigative, community policing, crowd control, and conflict prevention capacities by conducting specialized training for its military and security forces on human rights standards, as well as non-lethal responses to crowd control and quelling mob or communal violence.

Calling for the imposition of visa ban on persons who instigate sectarian violence in Nigeria, the report also says there is a need to hold a joint session of the U.S.-Nigeria Bi-National Commission working groups on good governance and security to address issues of Nigeria’s recurrent sectarian violence and failure to prosecute perpetrators.

Urging the Nigerian government to create a Ministry of Northern Affairs and provide technical assistance to this new body to address the socio-economic disparities in the north that fuel the creation and continuation of Boko Haram, the report advises the Nigerian government in the development of de-radicalization and community reintegration programs for youth and women enslaved by Boko Haram.