₦airaland Forum

Yes elections was rigged,
Yes election was not free and fair it was rigged by CPC(Coup Plotters Congress) and the proof was all over foreign and local media they rigged and broke the law. By using child voters!!!!

At least we now knw who feeds sahara reporters the lies they have been spreading pre election period!! I hope he is warming up for his jail term when his case comes up and I hope some people will not come and shout foul when he is convicted of corruption!!!!

CPC= corrupt people congress
CPC= coup plotters congress

Yoruba weaklings!!! at lest an ibo man occupied a sensible position before he was suspended.a post the noise making tribe can't attain becos dem go use the allocation given to the ministry to do owambe!!! Just like bode george did! Foolish dirty tribe. Before the election I taught this monkey brain tinubu4life said can
Nuhu ribadu Would sweep lagos what happened even fashola lost in his ward to goodluck,



⁠CPC's Buhari Is A Sore Loser!!

Written by Bunmi Divinewealth Awoyemi   

Monday, 18 April 2011 22:37

I am not a PDP supporter neither am I a card carrying member of the PDP but I voted for GEJ because I believed that he was the best candidate among all the contestants for the office of President of Nigeria and I joined many Nigerians in electing GEJ. Why am I not suprised by CPC's empty allegations against an open and transparent ELECTORAL process dt was clear to all and shown live on most major TV stations in Nigeria?

 

The allegation of rigging on BUHARI's part is baseless. International election observers from the AFRICAN UNION, THE EU, Credible Civil Society groups and other major nations have adjudged the election one of the freest and fairest ever held in the history of Nigeria. CPC's flag-bearer, BUHARI is a sore loser. I still remember dt some months ago Buhari issued a statement commanding CPC supporters to lynch, maim and burn anything in their path if they lose the election or if they allege rigging by PDP/GEJ. Where does this kind of reckless statement place the role of the Courts of law and the Rule of Law which the ACN has used to overturn rigged election results in several states in Nigeria in the last 4 years?

 

Buhari also said that he will not go to the election tribunal this time around like he did in 2003 and 2007 and that any dispute in the election will be settled on the streets of Nigeria. I hope Nigerians are aware that people are currently being slaughtered by BUHARI's sponsored supporters (hoodlums) in their homes in Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Adamawa, Gombe, Yobe etc based on their religious beliefs and ethnicity.

They have also burnt down cars, several religious houses, places of worship and the palace of the EMIR OF KANO, His Excellency Ado Bayero, the house of Namadi Sambo the current Vice President of Nigeria and that of hundereds of GEJ's supporters in the North who pasted GEJ's posters on the walls of their houses.

 

They are also threatening to burn down the palace of the Sultan of Sokoto because they believe that he gave implicit support to GEJ and should have rallied the people of the North in favor of BUHARI!  International election observers and the media clearly cited examples of under-age voting across the North with those under-age voters voting for BUHARI and also cited cases of collusion between many of PDP's traitor-agents, CPC's agents and some youth corpers which resulted in the manipulation of figures recorded at polling centers in favor of CPC.

 

There were also cases where Youth Corpers working for INEC were beaten up, stripped naked and their lives threatened for attempting to prevent CPC sponsored under-age voters from voting. There was a particular polling center where the Youth Corpers working for INEC were chased away from the polling center and the ballot box was stuffed with thumb printed ballot papers, the fake results declared for CPC and the result was still maintained as part of the final figures from INEC.

 

Out of all these the most reprehensible is the under-age voters who voted in their millions across the North West and North East for BUHARI!! Contrary to initial expectations, Nigerians have proven that they are not divided because GEJ won 25% of the votes in 31 out of 36 Nigerian states. This shows that Nigeria has come of age and have left Politicians like Buhari behind. Why?

 

Because they have recognized that expired politicians like Buhari only bank on dividing us along ethnic and religious lines for their selfish interest. What is clear from the election is that the average Northerner is very decent, God fearing and peaceful. The arsonists are mere hoodlums who were sponsored to act out a script written and funded by Buhari!! God bless the good people of Nigeria of all religious beliefs and faith as they stay true to the ideals of freedom and democracy!

 

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!

^^this why I continue to say that some people on naira land lack basic education

Ait just announced that the kadunna state government has announced a curfew because of violence in some area like samaru, paladin and some part of kaduna,kano katsina road and some areas of the northern states!! A shame!!!

They just announced it on AIT even in kadunna,adamawa,bauchi,and yobe that is the CHANGE that CPC wants to bring to nigeria

Anoda person is DON LITTLE the under aged buhari supporter, In this democracy everybody is a winner!!! But when people support blindly without fact is totally crazy,

OGUN State=ACN=199,535
CPC=17,654
PDP =309,177

FCT ABUJA= ACN= 2,327
CPC=131,576
PDP=253,444


ENUGU STATE
ACN=1,755
CPC=3,753
PDP=802,144

KOGI STATE
ACN= 6,516
CPC=132,201
PDP=399,816

ONDO STATE
ACN=74,253
CPC=11,890
PDP=387,376

OSUN STATE
ACN=299,711
CPC=6,997
PDP=188,409

She and her other types would join CPC or ACN

In my ward in eti osa PDP-144,ACN28,cpc-14

Another desperado don't u have better things to do? Ur jonathans inlaw my behind mumu no go look for better work do dey spred rumour,

Desperados,

I pray we all have GOODLUCK tomorow.

If you like this prayer say Amen.

Amen

those in diaspora who have lost touch on realities on ground now know why we want this man!!!



⁠2011: And The Winner Is,

Written by Barack Murtala   

Friday, 15 April 2011 13:45

Goodluck Ebere Jonathan! We can all see it already. Every poll conducted so far, credible and otherwise, has revealed the same thing. The debacle of the failed merger between CPC and ACN this week only supports this assertion. Only those in denial choose not to accept the inevitable. Even if Nigerians vote on regional lines, robust analysis shows that he will still win, he can’t be stopped.

 

And why try? The masses love him. Before you object, if you are reading this, you are not one of the masses, as research released this week shows that only 6% of Nigerians have access to broadband internet. Here’s why he is loved – he just recently signed a bill to increase the minimum wage from N7500 to N18000, the euphoria of the first (mostly) free and fair election held last weekend is still pervasive in the country, and most importantly they consider him as one of their own – so goodwill and gratitude is enough to see him over the finish line.

 

And what would this mean for our dear country, you may wonder? Well, let’s analyse his past antecedents. I’ve met Bayelsans who really love him and those that truly despise him, so I’ll gladly avoid that quagmire of his gubernatorial tenure and focus on this past year. When he became the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria after the death of Umaru Yar’Adua, he mentioned 3 things he intended to accomplish in the time remaining – ensure a free and fair election, fix the interminable electricity problem, and fight corruption.

 

While the first item is still ongoing, it is safe to declare that the man has delivered on that promise. Sure the elections were postponed by a week due to a massive logistic failure, and some legislative elections have controversies and irregularities still trailing them, but on a holistic level the elections have been credible. The appointment of a man with the pedigree and integrity of Prof. Attahiru Jega as the chairman of INEC was an inspired decision, and must be applauded.

 

What we have seen so far is only the beginning. Remember that Prof. Jega has only been Chairman for 10 months, with over 4 years left to complete his tenure. I boldly declare that the man should be given a second 5 year tenure (if he is up to it) to ensure that he builds up the institution to a level where it can never be made the puppet of anyone ever again (which should be possible since INEC has now been given autonomy in our amended constitution). In addition, Prof. Jega released new electoral guidelines this week to eliminate some irregularities that we encountered last time. At every polling station, the vote tallies are to be declared so that each political party can independently collate the results themselves and confirm with INEC, so that the magic experienced in places such as Benue South (David Mark), Kwara West (Bukula Saraki) and all over Akwa Ibom, Jigawa, Delta and Bayelsa States, will not be repeated. The electoral success will hopefully be replicated and improved upon in the remaining two elections.

 

On the other hand, the electricity situation has been less impressive. Sometime in the middle of last year, Jonathan promised to increase power generation capacity to 6000 GW by December 2010, doubling the existing capacity. Although current numbers are not readily available, anyone with the slightest knowledge of heavy industries would know that the target he set was impossible to meet. This is out of the play book of former President Obasanjo, who made fantastic claims like ending of gas flaring in 2008 only for the date to elapse with barely anything done. But unlike OBJ before him, some serious strides have been made on power. NEPA assets are slated for privatisation, with the Federal Government (FG) maintaining a 49% stake in companies that would result from their sale, leaving the power generation and distribution in private hands while the FG focuses on regulation.

 

Such a free market model is what is used in developed countries around the globe, and it is about time we adopted it. The bidding process has been so transparent that a total of 331 applications were received by the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) at the submission deadline for expressions of interest (with world-class companies participating). A final shortlist expected in about 3 weeks. This is a very promising development, which should be concluded to ensure that his pledge is kept. Sure, things have not gone as quickly as he predicted, but if he is able to deliver in a reasonable timeframe, he will have the gratitude of all Nigerians even if it is the only achievement of his tenure. But for now, he gets an average grade on his efforts.

 

Which brings me to his war on corruption. To say that nothing has been achieved is an understatement because the fact is that things have gotten worse. Farida Waziri has destroyed EFCC, I mean can you even remember the last successful prosecution by that once august body. There is sufficient evidence of EFCC officials being bribed, of Waziri ignoring credible evidence against powerful Nigerians and of her actually aiding such persons to escape the law (James Ibori for one). Visit the Sahara Reporters website for more details of her dealings, as they usually have something every other week on her. She has to be replaced if EFCC is to regain its lost glory. ICPC is another institution that has been recently decimated by the Jonathan Administration.

 

The Acting Chairman, Dr. Uriah Angulu, was recently relieved of his duties by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, for apparently having the guts to charge a sitting Minister to court for alleged corruption. Also, Angulu began investigating an alleged N6billion fraud in the National Judicial Institute, thereby butting heads with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, who insisted on handling the investigation himself, a matter of which he himself may be complicit (oh the irony).

 

The timing and unusually manner of Angulu’s removal raises a lot of questions and he has since been replaced by Retired AIG Rosemary Wushishi, a woman reputed to resume work at 2pm. Jonathan has done nothing to stem the tide of this malaise in his government, and seems to encourage it by withdrawing $1 Billion from the excess crude account two weeks before the PDP Presidential Primaries (need I say more). The situation is quite laughable, especially when you add anecdotal evidence of the shenanigans that Dame Patience Jonathan has been up to. Here, Jonathan totally fails, and fails quite badly.

 

So on the whole, considering his 3 pledges, Jonathan’s performance has been average. Other occurrences over the past year shed more light on his future exploits. He supported and gave autonomy to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, as he embarked on major banking reforms, leading to the prosecution of powerful banking executives to the point that Sanusi was recently honoured as the best Central Governor in the world by the Financial Times.

 

He has also appointed technocrats to key government positions – first  Arunma Otei was brought from African Development Bank to head the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); then Segun Aganga, a former managing director of Goldman Sachs UK (the premier investment bank in the world), was appointed the Minister of Finance; Oscar N. Onyema who was a Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer with the American Stock Exchange was head-hunted to lead the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); and now a person of similar pedigree is being sort to fill the position of managing director of Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC). With such people running our economy, the path to progress is assured. The impact is already being felt, with Sanusi pursuing banking policies that ensures diversification by increasing investment in agriculture to 10 times the previous levels with the aid of private participation, while also reducing importation of refined crude products by increasing local refinery capacity.

 

However all the good that is accomplished is also being undermined by Jonathan himself who has exhibited a criminal lack of fiscal discipline in handling our country’s resources. Close aides will tell you that Jonathan isn’t afraid to spend money. There is the oft quoted fact that Nigeria is the only oil exporting country the runs it’s budgets on a deficit. This reveals a lack of seriousness on his part. Then there are also reports of liquidity being mopped up from the economy before any electoral event, which in common talk means that money becomes scarce on the street and in banks because the government is using it. Considering that this occurred before the presidential primaries and again this week, the coincidence and damning circumstantial evidence of electoral graft should not be ignored. In addition, he has allowed state governors easy access to the excess crude account (ECA), which reports revealed shrunk from about $13 Billion when Jonathan become president to $500 Million in January this year – a drop of about 95% in 10 months. Some may make the excuse that the governors are too powerful and need to placated to ensure his electoral victory, however that rings hollow as the Chief Executive of the country should be able to assert himself. He should find things easier now that PDP has lost its super majority in both legislative houses. And with the same thing expected to occur in the gubernatorial elections after Easter, his subsequent actions would reveal his true nature. But on a positive note, it was reported this week that the ECA has recovered to $6.9 Billion, which shows that the FG is paying attention to its image and listens to the yearnings of Nigerians. This is a promising start.

 

Jonathan has also invested in the providing new universities so that there would be a Federal institution in every state of the federation. Mixed reactions have trailed this adventure, as no one would deny the need for the extra capacity to alleviate current overcrowding levels, but what happens to the older institutions. What would be done about the decay that has been brought about by 2 decades of neglect and underfunding by the government? What is being done about the drastic drop in standards at my Alma Mater (ABU Zaria) prompted by a shorted-sighted policy of ethnicity and religion being the basis of faculty employment and advancement, which has culminated in the loss of its medical school licence? I commend the Jonathan administration for recruiting world-class academics from the best universities in the world to serve as Vice Chancellors for the new institutions.

 

I also applaud the implementation of a policy that ensures that Nigerians sponsored by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) for doctoral degrees in foreign universities return to Nigerian institutions to add value to the system. And the 2011 budgetary allocation of about 6% for education is fair but needs to be improved upon. However all this would amount to naught if our whole public education system is not entirely reformed. A critical analysis and comprehensive transformation is needed to ensure that the impending crisis, exposed by the high failure rates in our primary and secondary schools, is averted. The country has less than a decade to take action before the situation becomes too difficult to handle.

 

In addition, his unveiling of a $25 Billion gas revolution plan is highly commendable, with the efforts finally being made to end gas flaring (Shell just awarded Saipem a $101 million to this effect), and the investment onus being on private companies with the FG only providing an enabling environment. My read of the situation is that he has bought in to the ideas of knowledgeable people in his administration. I hope he continues to do this and also avoid making fantastical pronouncements about timeframes for delivery of his promises. Other notable advances under Jonathan is the appointment of Hafiz Ringim as the Inspector General of Police, who by most accounts is credible and competent, but should be called to order in his handling of the ACN gubernatorial candidate in Akwa Ibom and his apparently disdained for Journalists (who are still awaiting Jonathan’s accent on the Freedom of Information Bill to provide needed legal backing for their essential activities).

 

So considering all that I have elucidated and for what he represents at this juncture in our history, I will vote for Jonathan this Saturday. His opponents also make the choice easy for me. The statements from General Buhari throughout his campaign reveals that he will spend his tenure fighting corruption, and that is not the priority, the priority is progress and development. Let me be clear that I abhor corrupt practices; however history teaches us that for society to progress, transitions or stages are required.

 

To use a good analogy, South Korea progressed from a poor country at the end of the Korean War, to one where government officials were offered 20% kick-backs on awarded contracts during its development, to the 12th largest economy in the world and one of the most efficient and transparent. Buhari would spend his presidency battling powerful people who have the resources to defend themselves in a democracy, instead of providing leadership and developing the country with their help. Nuhu Ribadu on the other hand has some very nice ideas, but is too green politically, however his time will come. The achievements of Ibrahim Shekarau as the current Kano State Governor are too laughable for me to take his candidacy seriously, no matter how eloquent he is.

 

Jonathan has my vote. As long as he can keep his wife on a tight leash, improves his record on corruption (which can only go up from here), continues his policy to provide a steady power supply, shows seriousness in restructuring our education, grows internal revenue generation via efficient taxation and government agencies like the customs and ports authority (he should put his highly gifted economic team to task), completes implementation of e-payment in the government dealings (introduced by Yar’Adua to elimination graft by reducing access to raw cash), unveils a credible Niger-Delta development plan and starts implementing it (NDDC just awarded contracts worth $300 Million), invests in agricultural infrastructure in the North (Sanusi has that one covered), revives our rail transport network (massive contracts have already been awarded for the rehabilitation of rail lines), ensures that BPE properly privatises NITEL (bidders are waiting for electoral uncertainties to end before they act), invites opposition party members to form a unity government (he is already engage in talks with other parties), and listens when Nigerians object or demand action on his part, then we have the makings of the best presidency in our country’s torrid history (mind you, the competition isn’t stiff).

 

This not just wishful thinking, a lot of this is already happening. And although there is the danger of lack of focus and trying to do too much too soon, if he maintains his “above average performance” on these issues, then he would have laid a good foundation on our match towards progress and prosperity for all Nigerians. Because, in the end that is all that matters!

"A coalition between PDP's IBB, PDP's Gusau, PDP's Atiku, PDP's Ciroma, and CPC's Buhari is NOT a coalition to redeem Nigeria from PDP. It is quite simply a coalition of the hegemonic  ETHNO-military power-bloc. So now that we have the cabal on the ropes, do the Yorubas want to recycle the same cabal that we have all fought against?
This are the same people that wants to bring change to nigeria!!

 

⁠The Northern Gang-up against Goodluck Jonathan

  

Wednesday, 13 April 2011 01:08

Opposition parties were locked in a crucial meeting last night in Abuja over their chances in Saturday’s presidential election. The parties met to choose among three candidates – Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (CPC), Ribadu and Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau (ANPP), who was not at the meeting last night. He was in Lagos. At the end of the parley, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, was forced to step down for General Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the Congress Party of Nigeria, CPC, according to elombah.com earlier report.

 

Sources also say Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, the presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party is expected to follow suit later today.

 

It was not immediately certain the place and feeling of former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu in the entire arrangement. 

 

The Northern Political Leaders Forum, NPLF on Tuesday started pressuring Ribadu to step down. The action, it was gathered, was to enable the ACN and the CPC to forge a partnership towards the Saturday’s presidential election. For many hours yesterday, Northern leaders and some key opposition figures weighed  options on how to wrest the presidency from the PDP, which is fielding incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.

elombah.com gathered that two former Heads of State, three ex-governors, a former National Security Adviser and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and ex-ministers were part of the deal being brokered.

The first meeting was between Buhari and the former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida; former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar; former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji M.D. Yusuf, former National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau and the former minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma. It is all geared towards stopping the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan in his tracks.

The outcome of last weekend’s National Assembly polls, which gave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a huge lead, jolted them into action.

Leaders of the North started mounting pressure on the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to present a common candidate on Saturday. 

The ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) has won every presidential race since the end of military rule in 1999 and Jonathan is considered the favourite, but the opposition parties are hoping their regional strengths could force a run-off.

 

A SUICIDAL MOVE FOR ACN 

 

Commenting on the ACN-CPC pact a Nigerian Political analyst, Mr Albert Ayeni said: "this is a suicidal move for ACN as far as the 2011 elections are concerned! This is not good in a year of free, fair, and transparent elections!!! The youth wing can see through the ganging up! They remember the history of last minute accords between political parties in Nigeria! It has never worked and it serves no significant purpose beyond a momentary self aggrandizement for a few. 

"In my view the young, articulate Mallam Nuhu Ribadu at the head of an ACN/CPC "alliance" would attract greater support from the youths (70% of voters) and give President Goodluck Jonathan/Arch Sambo a fiercer run for the coveted position. If General Buhari's clout is not strong enough to make inroads in the mainstream Northwest, where are the votes going to come from?  --- The gap may be wider now than I once speculated! 

"In any case, an ACN/CPC alliance in itself if pursued seriously to a logical conclusion is good for the future of progressive politics in Nigeria. At least between the two parties, the geographical spread would improve and sectionalism would diminish, giving rise to an opposition strong enough to balance PDP's power in the country.  We most certainly need a strong opposition to check the party in power, always.

"As far as April 16 2011 elections are concerned, I could see the hand writings fairly well! With another free, fair, and transparent election championed by no one other than our young, decent, erudite, consensus building, humble and skillful politician, President Jonathan, I can sleep better with General Buhari as the flag bearer for the ACN/CPC alliance than if it were Mallam Ribadu! General Buhari cannot be a game changer this late in the game!"

 

Regional Strongholds

 

Buhari has strong support in parts of the mostly Muslim north while the ACN has its stronghold in the southwest.

There remain significant hurdles to any deal, not least selling it to the respective party faithful just days before the election. It is already too late to re-print ballot papers and any agreement could backfire by creating confusion.

"I don't know if everybody is happy with it. There may be time to complete a deal but not to sell a deal. It remains to be seen if this agreement can cross the finishing line," said one opposition source who declined to be named.

Last Saturday's parliamentary polls, in which the ACN gained seats but the CPC failed to perform as strongly as expected in some areas, fueled the negotiations.

 

Out of the 91 senatorial election results officially declared by INEC so far, the PDP has won 59; ACN, 14; and the CPC six. The All Nigeria Peoples Party has seven seats. 

For the House of Representatives election, the PDP has won 140 out of 263 results released so far. ACN and CPC have 52 and 35 respectively. 

The PDP -- which has dominated Nigerian politics since 1999 -- lost ground in the parliamentary vote, considered by observers to have been the most credible in Nigeria for decades. Based on results released so far, its majority in the lower house could slip to just over half from three quarters.

The opposition is hoping that momentum could carry it through to a strong showing in the presidential election and governorship votes in the 36 states a week later.

But the PDP has a national machinery where the main opposition parties remain essentially regional players. Forming a credible alliance to overcome that hurdle at such a late stage could prove difficult.

 

TRIBAL POLITICS AND IMPLICATION FOR ETHNIC HARMONY

 

Commenting on this Northern gang-up, a public commentator Dominic Ogonna asked; "As General Buhari teams up with General IBB, General Gusau, Atiku and Ciroma, should our Yoruba brothers throw a lifeline to the Hausa-Fulani oligarchy?  Should the ACN accept to be a junior partner to a party that is mostly a coalition of Boko Haram enthusiasts, a party that has Absolutely No Future beyond April 16 if it looses the election on Saturday? 

"A coalition between PDP's IBB, PDP's Gusau, PDP's Atiku, PDP's Ciroma, and CPC's Buhari is NOT a coalition to redeem Nigeria from PDP. It is quite simply a coalition of the hegemonic  ETHNO-military power-bloc. So now that we have the cabal on the ropes, do the Yorubas want to recycle the same cabal that we have all fought against?

 

"Of all the Southern Peoples, will the Yoruba be the ONLY Southerners who throw their weight behind the IBB power bloc? For what? To resurrect

a clearly dying cabal?

"It was General IBB and Atiku and Ciroma who handed Nigeria over to OBJ -against the wishes of everybody else, including the South-West! Our political history shows that certain mistakes are difficult to recover from.  The tiff between Chief Awolowo and Dr Azikiwe back in 1952, for example, continues to reverberate over the ages.  

"So before they piss off their South-South neighbors, and before they acquire a reputation as the neighbor who will stab you in the back for a quick pot of short-term porridge, I urge our Yoruba brothers to think real hard, about both the short  and the long term implications of what is about to happen here. Nobody should give a lease of life to the beleaguered old guard. What we need is not another re-cycled high-handed despot.  What we need is a new generation of politicians who will respond to the electorate -someone who will deliver fair elections to the people when they insist on it, as Jonathan is doing". 

PDP not lying low

 

But President Jonathan yesterday intensified his talks with the North’s leadership.

He received some of the leaders of the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF), Mallam Tanko Yakasai; former Speaker of the House Representatives Ghali Umar Na’Abba and Alhaji Aminu Wali, among others.

Na’Abba said Jonathan is not a “do-or-die” politician by, according to him, allowing credible parliamentary elections. 

Both of them spoke to reporters after meeting with the President.

 

Jonathan spoke on the election saying the nation was unstoppable in its determination to conduct free, fair and credible elections.

The President, in a posting on his Facebook page, said: “Together, we sent last Saturday and we will again by the grace of God next Saturday a message send a loud message to the world that Nigeria is on an unstoppable forward movement to free, fair and credible elections and a post election period of peace, progress and stability.“ 

In the opposition talks, those involved were groups, such as the ACN, CPC, ANPP, Northern Political Leaders Forum, G-3 and Mega Summit Group.

A source, who spoke in confidence, told The Nation Newspaper: “The moment of truth is here. All the big men in the North are part of the last-minute deal to present a common candidate.

“I think the opposition leaders are considering a working alliance to support a candidate among the three leading ones from the North on Saturday.

“What informed the latest alliance was the need to salvage the nation from the grip of the PDP. It is not an ethnic gang-up, but a timely meeting to save the nation from the clutches of the PDP.

“The opposition leaders have realised that none of the three candidates from the North can go it alone without a working alliance.

“But the nature of the alliance is such that every group will be part of the emerging power game and the three presidential candidates will partake in an all-inclusive government.”

Another source said: “Many factors are being considered. The political future of two of the three candidates that will step down is more of concern to their supporters than the alliance itself.

“That is why those at the negotiating table are insisting on a written agreement before any candidate is chosen. 

“We have the challenge of intense mobilisation in the next three to four days to convince our supporters to vote for a consensus candidate.”

Representatives of the three candidates also met last night on the way forward.

The spokesman for Shekarau Campaign Organisation, Mallam Sule Yau Sule said: “Discussions are ongoing, but the final decision is yet to be taken. The target is to adopt a common candidate; that is where they are heading to.”

Ribadu last night summoned a meeting of his campaign directorate for consultations.

Reacting to the planned ACN-CPC alliance for the presidential poll, the Director of Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Mallam Aba Dabo, also told THE PUNCH in Abuja, that President Goodluck Jonathan would win the election overwhelmingly. 

Dabo, in an interview said, “The overwhelming performance of the PDP in the election is a confirmation of the PDP’s widespread acceptance by majority of Nigerians. 

“This result has vindicated our position all along that the PDP is the only truly national political party from which all Nigerians can realise their political ambitions. 

“There is no second ballot in this situation. Those who are thinking of it should perish the thought. We have the requirement for the spread. The requirement for the majority votes is assured.” 

Dabo said the PDP was not threatened by the planned alliance between the CPC and the ACN.

Citing the results of the National Assembly elections, he stated,“They do not have the number and the spread to threaten us.”

⁠Nigeria; Buhari and Corruption: 3 fingers pointing back
  

Tuesday, 12 April 2011 12:52

When he brags about his much vaunted prowess in “jailing corrupt public officials,” Buhari only exposes his lack of full understanding of what corruption is. Corruption is not all just about embezzled money. Corruption is also about power, and even more so, one can argue. By that yardstick, Buhari is the most corrupt himself: he usurped and misused power in Nigeria to perform dreadful and even criminal actions.

  

A symptom of power-corruption is using illegally obtained power with utter disregard for constituted law and order and elected government. When Buhari carried out a military coup to sack an elected government, he indicted himself as power-corrupt. In bragging about it, he makes the second point about power-corruption—arrogance. Years after essentially raping and destroying an elected government, Buhari insists to the hapless peoples residing in Nigeria that he will continue to try to seek the office of the president of Nigeria, no matter how many times he has to try! The "subtexted" message is that if military coups were still possible in Nigeria, he would have used that avenue once again to achieve his goal. 

Military decrees are not laws: they are in fact military orders that must be carried out by civilian-citizenry, on penalty of death. Buhari set about issuing decrees and ensuring their enforcement In Nigeria between 1983 and 1985. During that period, due process, proper legal representation and process, presumption of innocence until formal trial and conviction, were trashed and would never be practiced as Buhari wielded the power of life and death over each single person and all living in Nigeria then.  

The most unimaginable occurrence is when Buhari issued his Military decrees and then made them retroactive. Based on such cruel and unconscionable act and display of abuse of power, Buhari ordered the execution of persons who had earlier been convicted of drug offences well before his “regime terrible” locked down Nigeria.  The death of such prisoners as such is in fact an act of murder by a psychopath, Buhari. Corruption with power does not get much worse than that.  

Buhari registered Nigeria as an Islamic nation with the OIC—the Organization of Islamic Conference, reserved for Muslim countries. There was no discussion with the rest of non-Muslim Nigeria who constitute over half of the population and who would have bluntly said “No” to that. But, Buhari “had the power” and exercised it, without qualms. How else would one define “power-drunk” and corruption with power? 

Buhari had a chance to show remorse or at least render some accounting and accountability for his inimical activities as a Military ruler of Nigeria at the Oputa Commission, an event reminiscent of the much successful Truth and Reconciliation commission post-Apartheid South Africa. But in sheer arrogance and contempt, Buhari refused to show up. Not quite satisfied, he went to court after intimidating the judge(s) and won an injunction successfully prohibiting the government of Nigeria from ever making the Oputa findings public.  

A society is always threatened by corruption in any form, but power-corruption is invariably more frightening, devastating and lethal than money-corruption. Yet, there is even more danger when a society fails to recognize that power-usurpation and abuse is a form of corruption—and deadly at that. This failure results in the unthinkable: that given their records, persons like Buhari would actually show their faces to contest for public office, and that society would tolerate that. 

Today, the peoples living in Nigeria will be tempted to vote for any candidate who claims that he is an “anti-corruption agent.” Characteristically gullible or otherwise influenced by other criteria, many will actually vote for such a candidate without even checking out the candidate’s past (and without learning from previous votes for such candidates). When corruption is narrowly defined around money, the peoples are lulled into accepting such blinders and fail to realize that power-corruption is a more lethal form of corruption. Buhari is probably correct by claiming that he did not touch any public funds; that does not make him any less corrupt, however, considering how he acquired power and how he used it in Nigeria. All it proves is that money corruption and power-corruption can exist independently. 

But, the greatest failing of the peoples living in Nigeria is the inability to realize that the main problem of Nigeria is not corruption. When a society has “meaningful options,” the incidence of corruption is low, and the chances of getting caught and convicted are high. Nigeria does not offer such meaningful options; it has actually worked very hard to restrict them, and Buhari represents one class of those who have made it so.   

Predictably—and unfortunately—there is nothing coming out of the current elections that is going to change this picture. Unless, of course, the peoples living in Nigeria demand and get a restructuring of Nigeria along the lines of Self Determination: that’s when their options will open up and their potential, collectively and individually, will be fulfilled and even surpassed.

"All of Nigeria’s military regimes failed primarily because they were superimposed on existing corrupt administrative and social structures and relied on tainted, insincere and inefficient bureaucrats."
Last I checked saint buhari was part and parcel of amry arrangement that institutionalized corruption by pretending to fight it

Go and sit down that was then! This now I taught some people said PDP didn't achieve anything since 12years

Military regimes and anti-corruption initiatives

Since independence, Nigeria has alternated between democratic civilian governments and military rule brought about by coups (see table below). After every coup in Nigeria, the military has repudiated the venality of the government it displaced and has announced to cheering citizens plans to curb corruption and revamp the economy. For example, General Sani Abacha, who seized power in November 1993, indicated his desire to restore probity in government. He announced the setting up of a national committee to fight corruption and indiscipline in Nigerian society.7 It was the same Sani Abacha who looted more than $5 billion (US) in Nigeria before his death.

The first military regime in Nigeria promulgated the Public Officers (Investigation of Assets) Decree No 5 of 1966 which empowered the head of state to require public officers to declare their assets. In addition to the above decree, tribunals were set up with the power to investigate whether any public official corruptly enriched himself while in office.8



In 1975, General Murtala Mohammed made several efforts to combat corruption. His regime set up an Assets Investigation Panel to examine the assets of state governors, federal commissioners, and high-ranking officials. Those who were found guilty of corruption were dismissed and their assets confiscated by the government. His regime also enacted the Corrupt Practices Decree of 1975, which extended the scope of his regime’s anti-corruption measures to officers of public bodies as well as government employees. The regime also established a bureau to try offences under this decree. Unfortunately, Mohammed was assassinated in a coup, the decree was repealed after his death and the war against corruption suffered.9

In 1984, the General Muhammad Buhari regime brought in the Special Military Tribunals Decree to deal with corruption in government. It was believed that draconian anti-corruption measures, including long prison sentences and forfeiture of assets, would assure the public of the regime’s seriousness in fighting corruption. It differed from the criminal code in that trials were conducted by a tribunal, chaired by high-ranking military officers and with serving or retired judges of the High Court as members. Under this arrangement, appeals could only be made to the highest military body, the Supreme Military Council (SMC). These tribunals convicted a number of high-ranking public officials including some Second Republic state governors, ministers, presidential advisers and state commissioners. Many of them were sent to jail after conviction.

In August 1985, another coup brought General Ibrahim Babangida to power. His regime released some of the public officials awaiting trial for corruption and also set up a panel to review the cases of those convicted under the Buhari administration. Many that were convicted of corruption under the Buhari regime were released by Babangida. According to Edwin Maduagwu, a renowned Nigerian political economist and regular columnist in Nigeria’s Guardian newspaper, “Babangida saw corruption as a legitimate tool of governance and used it extensively to shore up support.”10 Indeed, the Babangida administration was synonymous with corruption. Little wonder that he referred to himself as an evil genius!

"The Babangida administration was synonymous with corruption. Little wonder that he referred to himself as an evil genius!"

Like his predecessors, however, General Babangida also wanted to be seen as addressing the problem of corruption. In his superficial war against it, he introduced the Audit Alarm System (AAS) at the local government level. The AAS was to serve as an internal check on the finances of the various local government councils; however, since most of the corruption was at the federal and state levels, the AAS measure failed woefully.11 Bagangida also set up the National Committee on Corruption and Other Economic Crimes under the chairmanship of Justice Kayode Esho, a retired justice of the Nigeria Supreme Court. At the end of the committee’s consultations and public hearings, it recommended a single national law to deal with corruption and economic crimes in Nigeria. It also recommended the establishment of an independent agency to tackle corruption in the country. Nothing tangible was done with Justice Esho’s report.

In 1993, under the pretext that his regime was planning to hand power to a democratically elected government, General Babangida imposed two political parties on Nigeria, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC). In the presidential election that followed, the SDP candidate, Alhaji Kasimawo Abiola, a renowned international business man and philanthropist, was declared the winner by several international and local election observers. However, this result was not acceptable to the Babangida regime and so the election was annulled and an interim civilian government announced, with Chief Earnest Shonekan as the appointed head. It lasted less than three months before being overthrown by General Sani Abacha.

When General Abacha took power, he printed Esho’s report on anti-corruption and sent it to all the state governments for comment. At the end of this exercise, however, no concrete action was taken either to implement the report or the feedback of the state governments.12

It is important to stress that all of Nigeria’s military regimes failed primarily because they were superimposed on existing corrupt administrative and social structures and relied on tainted, insincere and inefficient bureaucrats. This resulted in:

a lack of genuine commitment to eradicating corruption;

anti-corruption measures exclusively focussed on post hoc punishment of corruption;

no effort to institute preventive mechanisms and programmes to address the root causes of corruption.

"All of Nigeria’s military regimes failed primarily because they were superimposed on existing corrupt administrative and social structures and relied on tainted, insincere and inefficient bureaucrats."

Democratic initiatives before the Fourth Republic

Since corruption was not an issue that attracted much national attention in Nigeria’s First Republic, not much effort was geared towards combating the problem in the country then.

In the Second Republic, Alhaji Shehu Shagari initiated the Ethical Revolution (ER). Although several governors, ministers and special assistants were convicted of corruption under his administration (1979-1983), his “revolution” generally failed. Indeed, his government was found to be more corrupt more than the military regime that handed over power to it. After General Buhari took power, Shagari himself was not found guilty by the Military Tribunal set up to investigate corrupt government officials in the Second Republic, but the majority of his ministers and other elected officials were.

Nigeria’s Third Republic was short-lived. Although General Babangida had put in place transitional programmes that led to the election of civilian governors in each state, the annulment of the presidential election precluded any significant anti-corruption initiatives.

nti-corruption initiatives of the Fourth Republic

The government of the Fourth Republic took charge of a country which at various times under Generals Babangida and Abacha had been ranked as the first, second or third most corrupt country of those surveyed by Transparency International. In his swearing-in address as President of the Fourth Republic on April 29, 1999, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo stated his administration’s commitment to fight corruption. He declared that there would be no sacred cows. Later, he sent a bill to the National Assembly: the bill was passed and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was established to administer the act. However, many national and international experts have since argued that the act and the commission are dormant. Moreover, Nigerians themselves do not believe that the ICPC is effective.13

"Under Generals Babangida and Abacha, (Nigeria) had been ranked as the first, second or third most corrupt country of those surveyed by Transparency International."

A second anti-corruption initiative of Obasanjo’s civilian administration was the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), established to combat advance fee fraud, popularly known as “419” (Section 419 of Nigeria’s criminal code deals with fraud-related offenses). This commission has succeeded in arresting and prosecuting several corrupt Nigerians. Many argue that the EFCC is more efficient than the ICPC. However, it is important to stress that the EFCC is also better funded, having benefited from the transfer of £3 million that the British Government repatriated from a Nigerian caught in Britain. Related to the work of the EFCC, the federal government has also set up the Price Intelligence and Due Process Office in the presidency to monitor the awards of contracts and to ensure value for money in all contracts.

A third major initiative has been the decentralization of anti-corruption programmes to the state and local levels. The fiscal relations that existed among the three levels of government (federal, state and local) before the Fourth Republic led state and local governments to see anti-corruption campaigns as a federal matter. Now, however, there are anti-corruption committees like the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in both state and national assemblies as well as anti-corruption units or departments in various ministries and in parastatals like the Nigerian Port Authority and Nigerian Freight Forwarders. Other anti-corruption units are found in police forces and customs. In Lagos State, for example, the police command has a monitoring unit that checks the activities of all police officers in the state. Some who have been found guilty of bribery or other corrupt practices have been dismissed.

Some professional bodies in the country have also introduced anti-corruption measures. For example, the Chartered Institute of Accountants of Nigeria, the Medical Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, etc, have instituted disciplinary bodies that deal with members who are guilty of corruption or act against the ethics of their profession.

At the international level, the Nigerian Government is part of an anti-corruption drive called the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), introduced by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. The message is that governments should declare to the public all payments they receive from all extractive industries.

In addition to the programmes of Obasanjo’s government, the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria itself contains elaborate provisions for ensuring transparency, accountability and good governance.

While all of these provisions and initiatives are laudable, commitment to implementation remains the big problem for the Nigerian Government, for corruption as a major practice has been confirmed under the leadership of President Obasanjo. In the Auditor General’s report for the year 2001, for example, most of the ministries and parastatals together with the three arms of government were found to be corrupt.14

"While all of these provisions and initiatives are laudable, commitment to implementation remains the big problem for the Nigerian Government."

Pls use quoran to illustrate ur point and stop making a mockery of the bible BUHARI can be UR president but please don't subject the word of God

Ur tactics of a vote for pdp is this and that people are not voting for party we are wiser now pdp is bad agreed but CPC has people that were booted out of pdp a lot of dem pls can u publish the CPC exco members and all there governorship candidates(they don't have in all the state)to all BB fans let compare note if the majority of them were one time PDP members so let forget this pdp propoganda more over ABACHAs son was rejected by PDP and he bribed his way into CPC today his a governoship candidate under the party and people keep shouting pdp dis pdp that.people will vote individual not party and buhari would be beaten flat already we have seen how under aged voters filled every where in katsina and in the north is that how they want to rig but inec is ready for dem

He has achieved in one year what coupist BUHARI and his fellow arrangy masters could not achieve since they started their army arrangement.I don't blame people that are saying that fuel stability nigeria is not an achievement in Nigeria they stay abroad where their is fuel stability. For their information before GEJ we nigerians sleep in filling station for days to get fuel but thank God for Goodluck all that is in the past.adding to his achievement that has already been mentioned he is the first nigerian president to evacuate his fellow nigerians from troubled spots!!! Our people were evacuated from eygpt,libya,cote d voire!!! Buhari was in government under abacha when liberia war broke out how many nigerians did saint buhari and his friend and comrade in coup evacuated? To me this is also an acheivement as no nigerian president has done this in our 50yr history

Buhara report oh sorry sahara reportis at it again the official reporters of Buhari and cpc I dey laugh for calaba language BB supporters keep dream wishing

Quite from macgboyi. My grouse is his choice of words in public arena!!! At least he is far better that people tha use like lynch and kill in public please go and find something Good to do instead of taking note of the choice of word GEJ use in public very funny

@mcgboye:keep yapping n keep finding english faults of mr president!! Mr ENGLISH lecturer, since mr presidents english is Not good.please go and rewatch the NN24 debate again and come and write how Good the english of those who wants to effect change in nigeria.mchwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww