₦airaland Forum

I’ll be in Senate for life
dailytrust.com.ng

I’ll be in Senate for life — Bukar Ibrahim
A former governor of Yobe State, Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim (APC, Yobe East), said yesterday that he will be in the Senate for life.

Ibrahim had served as Yobe governor three times before he went to the Senate in 2007. He was re-elected in 2011 and for the third time in 2015.

He is at the moment the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.
His wife, Khadija Bukar Ibrahim, was at the House of Representatives also for the third time until President Muhammadu Buhari made her Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in 2015.

It was not clear who Bukar was sending the message to but he is from the same senatorial district as incumbent governor of the state, Ibrahim Geidam, who is also rounding up his tenure as governor.
Since 1999, many governors had transited to the Senate after they bow out of the government house.
Contributing to a debate on the 57th anniversary of the country, the former governor said only death will take him away from the upper chamber.

Bukar, who read his profile starting from his nursery, secondary and university education; as well as political career as commissioner, state governor and senator, said he would be 68 on Sunday when the country would be marking its 57 anniversary.



“We are very grateful to God and to all Nigerians. Let me categorically say, Mr. Senate President, that I will stay in the Senate until death do us part. Everybody tells me that I’m Senator for life. I’m going to be in the Senate for life..,” he said .

Responding, the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, jokingly asked the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan and Senator Mohammad Hassan, who were all from Yobe State to take note.
A lawmaker familiar with Yobe politics said the senator made the statement in response to the Yobe state governor, Ibrahim Geidam’s move to unseat him come 2019.

“He made the statement because Yobe State governor is planning to come to the Senate on expiration of his second tenure in 2019,” the lawmaker said on condition of anonymity.

Former President Jonathan Offered Me Huge Sums of Money to Dump APC – Okorocha Reveals
onlinenigeria.com



The Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha has revealed that former President Goodluck Jonathan offered him huge sums of money, a second term ticket and an influential ministry in a bid to woo him into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the 2015 general elections.

According to NewTelegraph, Okorocha said he refused Jonathan’s offer and remained with the All Progressives Congress (APC). The Imo State Governor revealed this while speaking at a meeting with the people of Njaba Local Government Area of the state who paid him a solidarity visit on his 55th birthday celebration.

Okorocha said he was at the time, convinced that the APC would resoundingly defeat the PDP because Nigerians were tired of the bad governance PDP represented.

He noted, however, that in spite of his sacrifices and contributions to the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari by way of preventing the PDP from rigging their way to power; he had not been treated fairly.



“Look at Rivers State where they rigged Rotimi Amaechi out by allocating over 1.2 million votes to the PDP, yet he got lots of juicy positions like the Ministry of Transport, NIMASA and all that. “But, in all these, have you seen me complain? No, because I know that one day, my time will come and President Buhari will remember me,” he said.

The governor appealed to the people of Njaba, who had felt marginalized in the areas of projects and appointments to emulate him by being patient, and assured them that they would feature prominently in his next appointments. “It may look like it would never come, but if you remain consistent; it would surely come through for you,” he said.

Itse Sagay fires back at APC leadership, says they are "come and chop politicians"
nigerianeye.com


The war of words between the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) and the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay (SAN), continued yesterday with Itse Sagay referring to Oyegun and other leaders of the party as "Come and Chop" politicians.


The war of words started last week when Sagay in an interview with The Nation, referred to APC as a Failed party whose leaders are weak and lily-livered.

The party through its spokesperson, replied Sagay, describing him as a "rogue elephant" who President Buhari dragged out of his inevitable obscurity.

Sagay has now reacted to the party's statement. According to him, he is an accomplished man who does not require an appointment unlike the party leaders who are come and chop politicians.

“I am an accomplished man long before any appointment. I am not a “come and chop” politician like you lot. My loyalty is to the president and not to the party which has continued to fail under the leadership of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

To start with, I am not a ‘come and chop’ person as you are. I did not come to ‘chop’; so the party is not doing me a favor. You are the ones that have come to ‘chop. Secondly, my criticism of APC is not against President Muhammadu Buhari who I think is a man of great honor, integrity and whom I admire and who inspires me. I took this job because of Buhari and Osinbajo, who I admire greatly.

The people I am referring to in my criticism are John Odigie-Oyegun and one Bolaji Abdullahi, who is (Senate President Bukola) Saraki’s Man Friday. They are dining with the devil who wants to destroy the party. They are appeasers, who are acting the way (former) British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, appeased Adolf Hitler and in the process, they will destroy the party because they are weak and unable to confront evil and they will end up helping that Hitler to destroy the party. What is APC without Buhari, Osinbajo and Tinubu? The Oyegun-led executive, which is doing a policy of appeasement, will destroy the party.” he said

President Buhari Presides Over FEC Meeting at the Presidential Villa (Photos)
tori.ng


President Muhammadu Buhari who returned from London some days ago is currently presiding over the weekly FEC meeting in Abuja.


President Muhammadu Buhari presiding over FEC meeting in Abuja today

President, Muhammadu Buhari is presiding over the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting, currently holding at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Last week, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo presided over the FEC meeting while the President attended the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.

TORI News will bring you details of the meeting shortly. Below are photos from the meeting as shared on Facebook by the President's adviser on social media, Lauretta Onochie.

Fayose wasting his time over 2019 presidential ambition - PDP
naij.com


- The Peoples Democratic Party asks Governor Ayodele Fayose to forget his 2019 presidential ambition

- The party says its leadership had zoned the presidential seat to the northern part of Nigeria

- It wondered why the governor was going against the same decision he is privy to



The 2019 presidential ambition of Governor Ayodele Fayose has hit the rocks even before it began as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under which he hopes to achieve this feat, has asked him not to waste his time.

The party informed him the slot for the presidency had been zoned to the northern part of Nigeria adding that all its members were aware of this.

The Punch reports that the national publicity secretary of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, who expressed shock at Fayose’s, urged the governor to respect the decisions taken by the party on zoning.

“The highest organ of the party, which is the national convention, zoned the presidential ticket of the PDP to the north. That has not changed.

“The same national convention zoned the position of the national chairman to the south. The convention has yet to change any of these two.

“That (national convention) is the supreme organ of the party. Those decisions are binding on all members of the party. Nobody can alter these decisions.

“The governor is a member of the party and was at the convention where these decisions were taken. As a leader of the party, one expected the governor to respect the party and its decisions.

"If someone in such an office is breaking the decisions of the party, what do you expect from the rank and file.

“My dear leader, it is with deep sense of responsibility that I write to inform you of my intention to seek the ticket/mandate of our party to contest the 2019 presidential election, considering your support and commitment towards our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, it becomes imperative to keep you informed and seek your support.

“This ambition is however without prejudice to our party’s position, but in the overall interest of the party and our country.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1 new app

“I urge that all hands should be on deck to ensure victory in our quest to return to the Presidential Villa, Abuja in 2019,” Adeyeye said.

It was learnt that the governor earlier met with the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Walid Jibrin, at his residence in Abuja to solicit support, but was reminded of the decision on zoning.

NAIJ.com earlier reported how Governor Ayodele Fayose boasted that he will take over power from President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 election.

The governor made the statement when he informed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) about his intention to contest for the position of president of Nigeria under the party’s platform in 2019.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not being held by the Nigerian Federal government.


This is coming just many days after the Nigerian army clashed with IPOB in Umuahia, Abia state after it launched a military exercise tagged Operation Egwu Eke II or Operation Python Dance II in the south Eastern states of Nigeria.

Ever since the clash which many reports claimed the Nigerian army invaded the IPOB leader’s home and allegedly shot dead many of his supporters, the whereabouts of Kanu has been unknown.

The Nigerian army has however refuted the claims it invaded Kanu’s home nor killed anybody.

In fact, the army accused IPOB members of attacking its personnel with “stones, molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles, among others on a military patrol on Sept. 10, 2017.”

Kanu is currently on bail pending the resumption of his trial in Abuja next month on charges of treasonable felony.

Nnamdi Kanu’s supporters claim the military took away the IPOB leader after the claimed invasion.

But in an interview with AFP shortly after the return to Nigeria from London by President Muhammadu Buhari, Alhaji Mohammed said the IPOB leader could be in hiding. Talking on Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s health condition, the Minister disclosed that President Buhari is not in any obligation to disclose his health conditions to anybody even if his medical bills are paid by the state.

According to him, “He’s not being held by government at all.” He said Kanu had “crossed a line” with his agitation for Biafra and that he (Mohammed) suspects the IPOB leader could be “in hiding.”

On the President, he said, “I think there’s so much speculation as to what he’s been treated for.

“I think we would rather respect his privacy. If Mr President feels like telling the world his ailment, so be it. I don’t think he’s under an obligation to tell anyone.”

Recall that the South-East governors had proscribed the activities of IPOB in the region after the army’s pronouncement that IPOB is a terrorist organisation.

Further on the proscription, the federal government of Nigeria had equally and still insists that IPOB is a terrorist organisation, maintaining that the group had printed its currency and was extorting money from innocent citizens of Nigeria.

It gave these reasons for backing IPOB’s categorisation as a terrorist organisation, maintaining, however, that not even the Fulani herdsmen reported to have clashed with and killed farmers, raped women and destroyed farm lands could be placed on the same level with IPOB which it said had carved out a territory of its own within Nigeria.

In fact, the federal government had even said it had begun processes of blocking foreign sources of funding to IPOB.

Nigeria had equally accused both the governments of France and the United Kingdom of being in support and as well as funding IPOB’s activities in Nigeria but the two governments of France and UK denied the allegation.

Recall also that barely 24 hours after the Nigerian army pronounced IPOB a terrorist organisation, the President of the Nigerian 8th Senate, Dr. Saraki condemned the categorisation of IPOB as a terrorist organisation, saying it was unconstitutional.

However, after Saraki’s comments, the Federal Government of Nigeria had immediately taken its quest for IPOB’s proscription to court where it obtained a court’s order proscribing IPOB.

The order the federal government obtained from a Federal High Court in Abuja, ruled that IPOB is a terrorist organisation.

But IPOB had equally approached the court, demanding it to quash the order, saying the court order that said it was a terrorist organisation was a black market order.

It argued that the said order violated its right to freedom of assembly, expression and a right to demand freedom as enshrined in the United Nation’s charter on Human Rights as well as other national and international rights treaties to which Nigeria is a signatory.

Despite its argument, the Nigerian government maintains IPOB is a terrorist organisation, especially with the signing of the group’s proscription by the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari.

Biafra: Senate Finally Makes Fresh Declaration on Nigeria's Unity
tori.ng

The leadership of the Nigerian Senate has in one voice spoken on the Biafra agitations which has being promoted by the Indigenous People of Biafra in recent times.

The Senate on Tuesday resolved that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable, in the face of secessionist agitation in parts of the country.

President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, after a closed-door session during the day’s plenary, said the lawmakers agreed that the territorial integrity of the country must be protected.

Saraki said, “The Senate resolved that Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable and we are all committed to the territorial integrity of our country.
“The Senate will use all possible measures to make sure that peace is restored to all parts of Nigeria.

"The Senate hereby advise that all groups who seem to be pursuing any agitation should do so within constitutional means.”

IPOB Is Not A Terror Group, European Union Slams FG
buzznigeria.com

The European Union (EU) has joined the public condemnation and rejected the unilateral classification of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organisation by the Nigerian Armed Forces.

The Defence Headquarters of the Nigeria Army on Friday declared IPOB a terrorist organisation, claiming that its members had become violent and a security threat in the country.

But the EU’s condemnation followed reported video footages of the brutal and inhuman activities of the Nigerian Army in the South-East region of Nigeria.

The videos showed various scenes of the invasion of communities, torture and killings of IPOB members, which have gone viral since the Nigeria Army launched its Operation Python Dance II to clamp down on the group agitating for selfdetermination.

President of the EU Commission, Mr. Jean-Claude Junker, who made the view of the Commission known, openly warned the Nigerian security personnel against what he described as their ill hearted and unprofessional handling of democratic issues and the rights of the people.

Junker cautioned the Nigerian military chiefs that they must employ every democratic tenet to handle issues that concern the agitations of the citizens in Nigeria.

It is the people’s right to agitate and make a request from their government; self-determination is a right enshrined in the United Nation Charter. The people of Biafra have every right to request for a referendum, they have been in this struggle for a while now they have never killed or shot a bullet instead they are the victims of attacks and murder.

The entire EU hereby condemns the brutal attack on IPOB members and leadership under the pretentious disguise of a military exercise (Operation Python Dance). The Nigerian military is warned to adopt democratic tenets in handling citizens.
The EU will not sit and watch things go undemocratic in the largest economy of the West African region

Junker promised to raise the issues concerning the peoples’ request for a referendum among the caucus of the EU, stating that the Biafra request for a referendum was not different from that of the Catalonians in Spain and the Scots in Britain.

He said the Nigeria government must rise above the suppression of voices of dissent and handle issues with every tenet of maturity and democracy.

Earlier, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu had petitioned the European Union on the on-going military operation in southeast region of Nigeria.

In the petition, Kanu accused the army of intimidation, torture, arrest, abduction and killing of the civilian populace in the southeast He also petitioned the European Union High Commission, the Presidents of United States of America, Russia, Israel, United Kingdom and France.

Showdown imminent as Senate resumes
dailytrust.com.ng


Showdown imminent as Senate resumes
As the National Assembly resumes tomorrow, indications have emerged of an imminent showdown in the Senate.

Highly placed sources in the upper chamber told Daily Trust that a number of senators are still unhappy with the Senate President Bukola Saraki over his recent remarks on the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The senate president, Daily Trust reports, is already making frantic efforts to calm aggrieved lawmakers following the controversy that his comments have generated.

Senator Bukola Saraki, the sources said, would have to convince his colleagues as to why he “unilaterally” described the proscription of IPOB as illegal.
But some senators close to Saraki said his seat “remained unshaken because he did not go beyond the boundary.”

It was gathered that at the height of the debate ahead of the proscription of IPOB, Saraki had serious misunderstanding with the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

“A lot of issues came to play, Malami felt the Senate president was undermining the executive. It was a serious issue that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had to intervene,” a source said.

Saraki had last Monday issued a statement describing as “unconstitutional,” the proscription and declaration of the IPOB as a terrorists group.

Though some sources said the Senate was sharply divided over what to do with Saraki, considering the “weighty nature of the words he used in calling the attention of the executive arm of government,” other sources said Saraki actually fell into a trap.

It was gathered that Saraki’s statement had angered many northern senators, who received endless calls from their constituents as to whether he had their mandate to say what he said.

“Many constituents, especially in the North and some places in the South West, have undiluted support for President Muhammadu Buhari. They hardly tolerate attack on Buhari; they therefore viewed what Saraki said as an affront, disrespect or an attempt to ridicule the presidency,” a source said.

A senator said: “Actually, it was a section of the presidency that dug the ditch for Saraki. Some people close to the corridors of power approached and asked him to make the statement on IPOB as the chief lawmaker in order to stabilize the polity.

“It was based on their prompting that he issued the statement but unknown to him, it was meant to put him in trouble. But after issuing the statement, they are now mobilising senators against Saraki.

“It is serious treachery because many of the senators are being encouraged to go against Saraki when we resume tomorrow on the grounds that he was wrong to have spoken without first consulting us,” he said.
“While the call for Saraki to speak on IPOB made
sense on face value, the same people actually wanted to use what he said to undermine him in the eyes of President Buhari,” another source said.

Aware of the plot, Saraki last week embarked on marathon meetings with caucuses of the Senate with a view to reassure his colleagues and assuage their fears.

He separately met with senators from the South East, South West, South South and then the North caucuses of the Senate where the issue was reportedly discussed.

At the meeting with the northern senators, Saraki was said to have assured them that he was not against President Muhammadu Buhari and that he issued the statement to simply douse tension in the country.
It was gathered that at his meeting with the South East senators, Saraki asked them to use their caucus to preach for the unity and progress of the country.
Specifically, Saraki appealed to them against preaching division and break up.

“In fact, he told them to stop playing the ostrich and talk to their people on the need to keep Nigeria one,” he said.

A ranking senator said, “The meeting is not unusual, it’s a sort of routine whereby issues relating to a particular caucus or forum is discussed. The meeting was successful and it was to keep the Senate and its various caucuses united for cohesion, stability and peaceful coexistence,” he said.

On the possible showdown, he said people who were unhappy would inevitably raise the issue when the Senate resumes tomorrow.

“Remember, he spoke as an individual not as the Senate president. But even at that, I’m sure people who are not happy with the statement will seek explanation on Tuesday. There is a possibility that it will result to a showdown.

“We are all members of the National Assembly, representing various senatorial districts and constituencies. We are here to promote, protect and foster the interest of our constituents,” he said.
He said members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) either in the executive or legislature must not be seen speaking at cross purposes or fighting each other.

“We must at all times support our armed forces to discharge their constitutional responsibilities, anything short of this must be resisted,” the ranking senator said.

President Buhari’s spokesperson, Mr Femi Adesina and Malam Garba Shehu, could not be reached for comment last night.