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President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to officially comment on the helicopter crash involving vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, his second in command.

Also, POLITICS TIMES observed that a national leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, is yet to release a statement on the development.

This is unusual as the duo are known to respond to developments immediately they occur.

The chopper conveying Mr Osinbajo and his campaign team, who were on their way to a political engagement in Kogi State, crash landed in Kabba area of the state on Saturday at noon.

Although the incident claimed no life, the vice president still went on with his engagement.

Saturday’s incident will be the second time the vice president is involved in a helicopter crash since this administration came into power. The first happened last year June.

While Nigerians including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have thanked God for securing the life of the number two citizen, nothing is being heard from the camps of Buhari and Tinubu.

The opposition party has called for an investigation into the matter, this is despite an explanation on why the chopper crash.

Caverton Helicopters, owners of the aircraft, said in a statement issued on Saturday that the incident occurred due to usual weather conditions.

Already, Reno Omokri, an ex-presidential aide, has advised Mr Osinbajo to watch his back because some political forces see him as a stumbling block to their political aspiration.

Mr Omokri was subtly referring to Mr Tinubu who is alleged to be nursing the aspiration to become president in 2023. The APC Chieftain is yet to deny the allegation since Bukola Saraki, Senate President, made it known.

Tinubu had recommended Osinbajo as running mate to Buhari, when his bid to clinch the position failed. The vice president served as commissioner under the former Lagos State governor.

David Umahi, governor of Ebonyi State, has said but for his 2,000 crowd he provided to welcome President Muhammadu Buhari in his domain, the president would have met an empty stadium during his campaign visit to the state.

Mr Buhari is seeking a second term in office on the platform of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) while Mr Umahi is of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The duo despite belonging to different political parties are in a personal relationship, as the governor puts it lately.

The South East presidential rally of the APC candidate is nothing to write home about. During the president’s visit to most of the state, the campaign venues were empty, those present seems to be only members of his political party.

Although the outing in Ebonyi was impressive much more than what was gotten in other states in the region, the state is a known PDP state.

According to a report published on Daily Sun, Umahi said although mobilised crowds to welcome the president, they were not happy with the APC flag-bearer.

The governor said but not for the respect they accord the office of the president, Mr Buhari would have been booed by those he rented to grace the event.

“The crowd you saw there at the stadium, 2,000 of them were from me because I know they have nobody,” the PDP governor said.

“But for it not to seem like Ebonyi people don’t love Mr. President, I had to make available 2,000 persons to come and cheer the president. That is why if you check the crowd, while they were castigating me unduly, the crowds were not clapping’, the people were not happy. But for the respect they have for Mr. President, they could have booed them. I had to do what I because I’m not into extreme politics; I’m into politics for development,” the governor said.

Mr Buhari during one of his visit to a foreign country was asked why he is being accused of nepotism, he said it was because he got 5% votes from those accusing him of the act as one does not reap where he or she did not sow.

In another interview he said he has been fair to the people of the South East region in terms of appointments and infrastructure in the geo-political zone.

The Presidency has revealed why foreigners attended the presidential rally of President Muhammadu Buhari in Kano State.

Mr Buhari while campaigning in the state on Thursday received two state governors from Niger Republic who came to identify with him despite his administration warning foreign countries against interfering in the internal affairs of the country as the forthcoming general election draws near.

Critics condemned the action as being hypocritical while the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), called for the disqualification of the president from the presidential race.

Defending the action of the foreigners, the presidency said the opposition parties were just been jealous of the Buhari phenomenon which it said was sweeping across the African continent.

It said the visitors came to learn and understand how the president does his own politics.

“What we want the PDP to know, there is a Buhari phenomenon that is sweeping across the entire continent. Candidates for national leadership in each country are doing whatever they can to understand the Buhari phenomenon, to copy it, to institute it,” Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said in a statement on Saturday.

“That’s why people from the African continent…when they had the presidential election in Ghana, there was a candidate who branded himself the Buhari of Ghana.

“When they had the presidential election in Chad last year, there was a Buhari of Chad. They had printed posters with their pictures with Buhari side by side.

“So, Nigeria has been gifted with an honest leader, a man endowed with rare qualities and people are trying to copy that.

“So, if our neighbours from Niger come to witness how President Buhari is doing his politics, what is the problem with that? Is there any law that is broken? Or did they see anyone that will buy vote or collect PVC?

“So, it’s jealousy. They are panicky and jealous. It should worry PDP that nobody is coming across the border to understudy PDP,” he said.

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the ruling party has said there was no crime committed in allowing foreigners participate in political campaigns in the country.

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A state governor elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has revealed why he respects President Muhammadu Buhari so much despite belonging to different political parties.

David Umahi, governor of Ebonyi State said he has much respect for Mr Buhari because of the personal relationship he has with the president.

Mr Umahi who belongs to the PDP in the South East region is the only opposition governor said to have a close relationship with Buhari among others from the zone.

POLITICS TIMES recalls that even before the president, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), made his intention known, the governor had already declared to support the president should he decide to run in the presidential race slated for this month.

The governor at the time said as much as he deserves re-election, Buhari also deserves a second term in office.

Ahead of the president’s visit to the State, Umahi hinted the he will be recruiting 2,000 members of the PDP to help welcome Buhari to the state.

Speaking during a meeting with Atiku Abubakar, PDP presidential candidate, his campaign team, and members of the state traditional rulers council, the governor said people should not misinterpret his personal relationship with the president to mean APC will win the state during the presidential election.

“Ebonyi state is PDP. Ebonyi state has always been the strongest PDP state from day one,” Umahi said.

“We have come of age and our eyes are wide open and let me say sir that the president is my personal friend and it has nothing to do with politics, he is a sitting president and deserves my respect.

“That has nothing to do with politics. Let nobody bring that into politics of Ebonyi state,” he said.

Nuhu Ribadu, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said there is no crime in foreigners joining political campaigns in Nigeria.

Mr Ribadu, a governorship candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), stated this on Friday while addressing newsmen in Abuja at a one day workshop organised by the party’s Presidential Campaign Council for its canvassers.

The APC candidate was reacting to the condemnation that greeted the party’s presidential rally in Kano on Thursday which had two state governors from Chad in attendance. The event had President Muhammadu Buhari, who is seeking a second term in office, in attendance.

Those who condemned the attendance of the governors said they ought to be in their country and not come to side any party in the Nigeria. They also alleged that it was another plot by the ruling party to rig the forthcoming general election.

“For your information, it is a free world and it is the constitutional right of everyone to be where he wants to be,” Ribadu said.

“You have no right to curtail anybody from doing what he wants to do. People from West Africa are free to move into Nigeria.

“We have a protocol or agreement that they don’t need a visa to come into this country. I know for sure that they don’t have the vote but as a free West African who believe that someone has done extremely very well, and decided to identify himself with what he believes in, I don’t think there is anything wrong and I don’t think there is any crime committed.

“You cannot and you have no right as a Nigerian to stop them from exercising their fundamental right to identify with his friends.

“Their presence may or may not have any impact on the re-election but they are entitle to it. We have to guarantee their freedom because their presence is within the law and we don’t have right to stop them,” the governorship candidate said.

While addressing the canvassers who came from from all the 36 states of the federation for the training, Ribadu told the gathering the need to join hands together to rescue Nigeria and refuse to go back to the era it was before Buhari came in.

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has pledged to complete the construction of Second Niger Bridge if he is elected president.

Mr Abubakar, a former vice president popularly known as Atiku, stated this on Thursday while campaigning in Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State.

Atiku said he was going to complete the construction of the bridge because one of his wives is from the State.

His running mate, Peter Obi, is a former governor of the state.

The Second Niger Bridge has being a reference promise always been made by politicians seeking the exalted office in the land.

While past administration of the PDP government made similar promises to ensure the completion of the project, the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) also bought into the idea by using the project to campaign during the 2015 general election. The ruling party is yet to accord any seriousness to the project as at press time.

“I’m not here to campaign, but to inform you that your son, Peter Obi and your daughter are the real contestants. I’m in the minority,” Atiku said at the rally.

“You asked me to complete Second Niger Bridge, that I’ll do because of my wife,” he added.

The PDP candidate also promised to tackle infrastructural development in the region.

“With Peter Obi as the VP, be rest assured that the roads in the region will be completed too,” he said.

Meanwhile, the opposition party has threatened war if the presidential election slated for this month is rigged in favour of the ruling APC.

Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s President seeking a second term in office has goofed again.

Mr Buhari since he started his presidential campaign has repeatedly been caught goofing.

The most recent is his latest proclamation of a gubernatorial candidate as the presidential candidate of the party in which he is seeking re-election on its platform.

While his campaign train stopped in Cross River State on Wednesday, the president after his speech at the event wrongfully lifted the hand of his aide, Senator Ndoma Egba, as the party’s flag-bearer in the March 2 governorship election.

Mr Egba is the president’s aide on national assembly matters and he is returning to the Senate on the platform of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

“I don’t have much to say other than to thank you very much indeed and to present our governortorial candidate…,” Buhari said.

As he was still speaking the legislative aide drew close to him and had his hand raised up as the governortorial candidate of the party. Ndoma himself who never expected the endorsement on realising reminded the president that he is not the governorship candidate for the state.

He quickly referred the president by pointing at Owan Enoh, another federal lawmaker from the state who is the governorship candidate of the party in the state.

Mr Enoh was standing right beside the president when the hand of his colleague was lifted as the governorship candidate.

On realising, the president immediately turn to governorship candidate and raised his hand without handing over the party’s flag to him.

This is captured in a video trending on the social media. The clip seen by POLITICS TIMES showed the president seemed not to known the identity of the governorship candidate.

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Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President, has attacked Ibrahim Idris, the immediate retired Inspector General of Police.

Mr Obasanjo launching the attack said Mr Idris is known to rig election. The former president, however, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for not extending the tenure of the former police boss.

Mr Idris did not leave the force without going controversial. His face off with the legislative arm of government and some opposition politicians is one that won’t be easily forgotten.


He is also known to have flouted presidential orders handed down to him by the president without being sanctioned.

The president was rumored planning to extend the tenure of the former officer, But he proved his accusers wrong by appointing Mohammed Adamu as the current Inspector General of Police.

This has earned Buhari praise from Obasanjo who alleged the president was planning to rig the upcoming general election.

“I personally commend the President for yielding to popular outcry to let the former Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, go when he is due as he had the track record and history of being assigned to rig elections for the incumbent,” he said during his state of the nation address on Sunday.

“It was alleged that he was sent to Kano for that purpose in 2015. He was already deploying his Commissioners of Police on similar mission before his exit.

“He was already deploying his Commissioners of Police on similar mission before his exit. We must all encourage the new Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to tread the path of professionalism, even-handedness, respect and new image for the Police.

“While Nigeria must appreciate Buhari for the little he has done and allow him to depart for home in peace if he allows free, fair, peaceful and credible elections, we must also tell ourselves that Nigeria deserves better at this point in time than what Buhari is capable of offering. History will note that he has been there. Nigeria now needs a man with better physical and mental soundness, with an active mind and intellect.

“Let me say again that Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians and exists for the benefit of all Nigerians and non-Nigerians who desire to live or do business in and with Nigeria. The attitude of “it is my turn and I can do what I like” with impunity will not last because Nigeria is created by God and it will outlive all evil machinations and designs against the overall interest of Nigeria,” Obasanjo said.

Mr Idris is yet to respond to the allegation levelled against him.

Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President, has described the Trader Moni Scheme of President Muhammadu Buhari as idiotic.

Mr Obasanjo gave the description on Sunday in an open letter titled “Point for Concern and Action.”

Trader Moni, according to the Federal Government, is an empowerment scheme created specifically for petty traders and artisans across the country.

The scheme promoted by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has been condemned by critics of the administration largely because of the timing of its implementation and disbursement, which is close to the 2019 general election.

Critics, including chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the programme as vote buying.

While Bukola Saraki, Senate President, described it as sophisticated, Yakubu Dogara, Reps Speaker, elucidated it to be direct vote buying.

For the former president, the scheme is “idiotic.”

“What an act by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria lawyer, number 2 man in the Executive hierarchy; and what is more, a pastor of one of the Christian movements led by a revered, respected and upright church leader, Pastor E. A. Adeboye,” Obasanjo said.

“Traders in rural and sub-urban areas of Nigeria are many more than those in urban areas and they are much poorer than traders in Lagos, Abuja and other cities. They need more attention and greater help.

“Are they to be confined to the heap of perpetual poverty? What of those who are not traders? They are not entitled to hand-out and they can languish in penury? And what about millions who have lost their jobs in the last three and a half years? The timing is also suspect.

“Those who criticise the action are called evil but they are not evil as they know what they are doing and saying, and they love Nigeria and Nigerians not less than the likes of Osinbajo. They are not devils incarnate; they are patriots.

“What is the connection between taking the number of PVC (Permanent Voters Card) of the recipient of the N10,000 doled out to ‘traders’ and the forthcoming election? There is something sinister about it, and Professor Osinbajo, of all people, should know that.

“With collusion of the INEC officials and card readers not made to work, anybody quoting the PVC number may be allowed to vote as the revised Electoral Bill was not signed. And if that happens all over the country, it will be massive rigging indeed.

"His explanation that it was their government programme can only be construed to be very shallow and lopsided, if not an outrightly idiotic programme."

Obasanjo, who described himself as an alarm raiser, passed a vote of no confidence on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) urging the electoral body to diligently carry out its duties.

He also alleged that Mr Buhari is planning and strategizing on how to rig the election using the case of embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, as a reference point.

“The Chairman of INEC must stand firm and carry out his duties with competence and unbending neutrality. Card readers must be used without fail and accreditation must be completed and number ascertained and made public before voting commences as was done in 2015,” the former president said.

Nasir El-rufai, Kaduna State Governor, has said if he were to be Walter Onnoghen, the embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria being prosecuted for failing to declare his assets, he would step aside.

Mr El-rufai stated this on Thursday when he featured at Sunrise Daily, a programme aired on Channels Television.

“I am extremely sad about this Chief Justice matter, I am very said about it because if I am the Chief Justice and I write and said yes I have these assets, I have these bank accounts but did not declare them, I would not even allow the CCB to file charges. I will resign there and then to protect the institution that I head,” El-rufai said.

“Because the admission that I did not declare my assets, that infraction alone is enough for him to step down and protect the institution.

“All this court orders and lawyers and all these is not helping the judiciary, the legal profession and Nigeria,” the governor said.

The Chief Justice is accused for allegedly omitting to declare his assets and illegally operating five domiciliary accounts in various foreign currencies.

The charges were filed by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) on the orders of Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF). Onnoghen is to be arraigned at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

As the matter was called up at the CCT on Monday, the top jurist was absent, challenging the jurisdiction to try him. He was represented by over 40 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) and some lawyers.

Later in the day, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja halted the arraignment of the jurist.

Meanwhile the governor recently hinted on the need to restructure the country saying the north is going to be the most beneficiary.

Nasir El-rufai, Kaduna State Governor, has said the north will benefit most if the country is restructured.

Mr El-rufai made this known on Wednesday while delivering a keynote address at a colloquium in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The event was organised to mark the 80th birthday anniversary of Bisi Akande, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The governor who headed the restructuring committee of the APC said those who opposed restructuring do not have the interest of northerns at heart because if the country is restructured the north would be the biggest beneficiary.

He said the region was ready for the complete restructuring of the polity.

“The coincidence of the mind-set of most of the military leaders being of northern origin must not be confused with that of the ordinary northerner,” El-rufai said.

“I want to state here and now, that not only is the north ready, willing and able to embrace inclusive restructuring of our polity, but to add that those that speak loudly against it represent no one. Most of them have never held elective offices, and therefore do not appreciate that the north with its natural endowments stands to be the biggest beneficiary of restructuring.

“With all sense of responsibility, I believe some Nigerians have made a career and livelihood around restructuring without deep thought, or a clear plan or implementation strategy. For them, it is a tool to alienate rather than convert our compatriots to the nation-building imperative that restructuring offers.

“Rather than the hard graft of solving our governance problems, this group would rather grab headlines and mouth sound-bites at opportunities like this. You can almost sense that this people actually dread restructuring becoming public policy, having succeeded in living off a serious national imperative for so long. We must be mindful of this class of people,” he added.

Since his committe submitted its report to the national leadership of the party in 2017, nothing has been heard about the subject matter except for the recent pledge of Atiku Abubakar, the 2019 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to restructure the country within six months in office if elected president.