₦airaland Forum

Ayodele Fayose, incumbent governor of Ekiti State has opined why the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) placed him on watchlist.

The EFCC recently alerted the Nigeria Custom Service (NCS) to placed Mr Fayose on its watchlist.

The anti-graft agency said this is to prevent the governor from escaping from investigations of alleged abuse of office, money laundering, among others.

“There is a reasonable suspicion suggesting that he may likely leave the country either through the land borders, airports or seaports in order to evade investigation. Hence, you are kindly requested to watch-list him and arrest him,” Ibrahim Magu, acting EFCC chairman said in a letter to the NCS.



Reacting, Fayose on Sunday said having informed the EFCC of his intention to tender himself at the office of the anti-graft agency, the move to watchlist him was political.

The governor said what ever happens he will not dump the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).

“@officialEFCC Putting my name on watch list after receiving notification of my coming is not only political but petty,” Fayose said in a tweet via his twitter handle.

“I’m not among those who are afraid to face tomorrow. Nobody is God.

“They should expect me on October 16 by 1pm.

“Whatever they do, I will remain in PDP.”

Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House of Representative, has stated why he is considering leaving the All Progressive Congress, (APC).

Although Mr Dogara is yet to formally declare his exit from the ruling party, the APC has so far described him as one who is politically worthless and has no electoral value.

The speaker on Thursday said his constituents asked him to leave the APC.

Dogara said his constituents made the appeal when they presented a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nomination form they had bought for him.



“Earlier today, I was presented with the PDP @HouseNGR nomination form by my constituents,” the speaker said on his twitter handle.

“They urged me to relinquish membership of the ruling APC & stated reasons such as the blatant injustice and outright disregard for democratic principles being perpetrated within the party,” he said.

Dogara said he was asked to beg for the return ticket of the APC if he wish to return to the lower legislative chamber

“That there have been infractions isn’t news, but what I have kept from the public – until this moment – is that even while reconciliation efforts were on, I was told to beg for a ticket if I wished to return to the House of Representatives.

“Representing my people has been an honour & no one should have to suffer the indignity of begging before being allowed to exercise a constitutional right.

“I had even considered stepping aside as I’ve held this position for close to 12 years but as my constituents have asked that I seek re-election, then I must heed their call,” he said.

The lawmaker said he accepted the form but will not fill it until he had completed his consultation.

“I feel deeply honoured by this kind gesture; however, I will not fill this form until I have consulted with those supporters who remain in APC. I thank my people for their unwavering support so far, and remain unshaken in my belief that all power belongs to God.”

Dogara has long been expected to leave the APC like scores of federal lawmakers who were locked in bitter and prolonged political rivalry with their governors across the country.

More than 50 senators and representatives defected to opposition parties at the height of the wave in July, an exercise that proportionately benefited the PDP.

Senate President Bukola Saraki also defected at the time, a decision that seriously angered the APC and exposed him to impeachment and removal threats.

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a new Director-General to head the Department of State Service (DSS).

This was made known by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Thursday.

The new DSS boss, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, takes over from Matthew Seiyeifa, who has been in acting capacity since the dismissal of the agency former DG.

Read Mr Shehu’s full statement below.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) has described Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House of Representative, as one who is politically worthless.

The APC stated this in reaction to reports that Mr Dogara has left its fold even when he is yet to formally do so.

The speaker was reported to have picked up the nomination form of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a bid to return to the lower legislative chamber in the next general election.

The ruling party reacting said the lawmaker has no electoral value as it would not expend much energy on Mr Dogara.



“He is not a loss to us. Even if we give him the ticket he would lose on ground. He is not even on ground in the first place,” Yekini Nabena, the acting spokesman of the APC was quoted by Premium Times to have said on Thursday.

“It is not a surprise to us, we already know that he has been working with the PDP.

“Those kinds of people we call them Abuja politicians.

“He is not a problem as far as I am concerned. Yakubu Dogara has no electoral value in the APC,” Nabena added.

Mr Dogara has long been expected to leave the APC like scores of federal lawmakers who were locked in bitter and prolonged political rivalry with their governors across the country.

More than 50 senators and representatives defected to opposition parties at the height of the wave in July, an exercise that proportionately benefited the PDP.

Senate President Bukola Saraki also defected at the time, a decision that seriously angered the APC and exposed him to impeachment and removal threats.

Nigerians have been told to ensure President Muhammadu Buhari is re-elected if they want to enjoy 24 hours of power supply in the country.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, gave the advise on Wednesday while engaging the media in an interactive session on the ministry’s achievement since he came into office.

Mr Buhari who is seeking a second term in office is expected to emerge the presidential flag bearer of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the 2019 general election.

Many Nigerians have been suffering under the crushing weight of lack of power supply. The power supply seems to have worsened significantly at the inception of the present administration.



The current Minister of Power, Babatunde Fashola, in 2014, urged Nigerians to vote out the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from power as the only way to get uninterrupted electricity supply in the country.

Mr Fashola, a former Lagos governor had said at the time: “I agree that it is possible to generate electricity and to make sure that everybody in this country has electricity. I agree with you it is simple with what we have done in Lagos within the areas where we are constrained showed that it can be done. But the only way you and I will have uninterrupted electricity in this country is to vote out the PDP.”

In April, the APC government said its vast investment in the power sector is not translating into improved power supply in the country because the power distributing companies, DISCOs, have no capacity for effective distribution of electricity generated by transmission companies.

But for Amaechi, if Buhari is given a second chance Nigerians will enjoy 24 hours of power supply.

“There is an improvement in power. We have moved from 3000megawatt to 7000 but we are distributing 5000 because some of the infrastructure are not in good state but we are slowly fixing them,” the minister said.

“The expectation is that it should be 24 hours power supply but there will still be a gap but if you give us a second term, that gap will be closed,” he added.

Amaechi said the government was committed to infrastructural projects in the country.

“It is also unfair if Nigerians think the ministry of works is not working. The road to Bonny was abandoned after Obasanjo left government, the road was below N39 billion but it is now N120 billion that the federal government wants to do it.

“So, Buhari government is dealing with corruption, building roads, the worst roads in Nigeria used to be between Uyo and Calabar but it has been awarded.

“The road to Enugu too that people are complaining about: contractors are working on the roads already. The work may be slow but they are working. Also the Ilorin-Jebba road has been awarded.

Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, started vote buying in Nigeria, the national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Adams Oshiomhole has alleged.

Mr Oshiomhole stated this on Sunday where he featured on a Channels Television programme, Roadmap.

Vote buying, defined as a reward given to a person for voting in a particular way, is a corrupt election practice. It is a threat to the conduct of fair elections.

Although recorded in previous elections in the country, the loudest was witnessed in the recently conducted governorship election in Ekiti State with both the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) participating.



“I cannot be chairman of a party and celebrate anything that tends to distort the actual wishes of the electorate,” Oshiomhole said in the programme monitored by NGPOLITICS.

Mr Oshiomhole accusing Mr Jonathan said the former president introduced the electoral malpractice in Nigeria.

“But your recollection of history is not complete. If you were to really trace the history of vote buying it started with Jonathan’s second attempt (second term) with all due respect to him.

“In Edo State where I participated, I was still governor at the time. They turn out not just Naira, they turn out Dollars.

“President Jonathan started this massive vote buying in Nigeria and the Media must play back and do proper interview and proper investigation to discover the origin of vote buying,” he said.

When asked if his party participated in vote buying, the APC chairman said although he will not dismiss the allegation, he was not a party to such practise.

He expressed doubt that the candidate of the party, Kayode Fayemi, who he said was struggling to sustain his campaign had such money to throw around.

He said if there was need to point accusing fingers it should be to the incumbent State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, who he alleged must have used the funds of the state to indulge in the illegal electoral act.

Accusing Fayose, Oshiomhole said: “I guess it was the guy who had access to Ekiti treasury which in this case was the PDP and the sitting governor who was so confident that he has all the resources.”

Oshiomhole said to eliminate vote buying the anti-corruption fight President Muhammadu Buhari must be supported.

“I am committed and agree absolutely with those who says we must do everything possible to eliminate vote buying.

“Going forward, the way to eliminate it is to support President Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign.

“If people of power no longer can take money freely from the treasury, I want to submit with all seriousness that those who labour to make money are not likely to buy votes,” he added.

The spokesman of the former president, Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, was not reachable for comments as at the time of publication.

Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, says he will not choose who will succeed him in office.

Mr Wike, a former minister during the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan, stated this in an interview with an online news portal, Premium Times.

He contested for governor of the state under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 and won against the wish of the then governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

Mr Amaechi, a former political ally of Mr Wike is now the incumbent minister of Transportation under the All Progressive Congress, (APC).



The duo has been on the neck of each other since the minister defected from the PDP to the APC when he held sway of the state.

Mr Wike who is seeking re-election said he will not foist anyone to succeed him after he has served out his tenure.

“Let me tell you today, I will not put a successor in office,” Wike reportedly said.

The governor while speaking to the medium said if he wins re-election in 2019, he will support the riverine area to produce the next governor of the state.

“They have supported the PDP, and when the time comes I will do everything to support them. If you want it to go the riverine, allow the riverine people to bring anyone, and not you choosing someone for them,” he said.

The governor said intelligence report he gathered has it that some presidential aspirants on the platform of the PDP were being sponsored by the APC.

“I know some of our presidential aspirants who are running on the sponsorship of the APC and the presidency,” Wike said.

The state which is known for violent confrontations has so far been peaceful under his watch. Giving reason for the peaceful atmosphere, the governor attributed it to God.

“It is God! There’s nothing the APC government did not do to turn Rivers State into a place of insecurity.

“…God in his infinite mercy has kept us in this state. Has the federal government ever said one day that they were sending special squad to tackle insecurity in Rivers State? We cannot rely on man, God is the ultimate, and he is the chief security officer.”

The All Progressive Congress (APC) has urged Nigerians not to vote for Bukola Saraki, Senate President, as the top lawmaker has indicated interest to vie for the highest office in the land.

Mr Saraki until July 31, was a member of the APC. He is now in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and has since picked a presidential nomination form of the party.

Describing the top lawmaker as “extremely selfish, deceitful, untrustworthy and unreliable,” the ruling APC in a statement by its acting spokesman, Yekini Nabena, warned Nigerians to be cautious of Mr Saraki.

“His only goal is to get to the top, stay at the top, ruin or wreck whatever he finds there or in the event of failure, collapse the system or process,” the party said on Wednesday.

The ruling party has been urging the top lawmaker to relinquish his position at the upper legislative chamber. Mr Saraki in response told the APC that only his colleagues who elected him could get him out of the way.

Several attempts to oust the Senate President have often met brick wall.

THE FULL STATEMENT IS REPRODUCED BELOW.

2019 Presidency: Nigerians Tired Of Saraki’s Retrogressive Politics, Deserve No More

At last the Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki has declared his intention to run for the Presidency of Nigeria. While the All Progressives Congress (APC) welcomes him to the race as it is his right to do so as a Nigerian Citizen, there are however many issues that border on his integrity, antecedents, competence and capability to preside over the affairs of the country.

Meanwhile, we are not unaware of reports that Saraki’s presidential declaration is his tactic to deflect attention from the deluge of issues he deals with particularly ahead of the 2019 General Elections i.e. pressure to reconvene the National Assembly, a fast shifting political order in Kwara State, among others.

Saraki in his declaration speech stated among others:

•I have decided to heed the call of teeming youths who have asked me to run for the Presidency.
•I have what it takes to secure inclusive growth for Nigeria.
•I will address our infrastructural deficiency through aggressive financial initiatives.
•Our fight against corruption will be on deterrence.
•I offer leadership driven by empathy.

On these few points, we are mindful of the popular axiom: “By their fruits, we shall know them”. By virtue of Saraki’s antecedents, he is an abysmal failure and is totally incompetent to offer himself as a candidate for leadership of Nigeria.

Saraki was a two-term Governor of Kwara State and Senate President in the last three years. What were his performance records in these two assignments? As Kwara State Governor, was his Shonga Agricultural Programme not a white elephant project in which hundreds of millions of State funds was sunk into?

The infrastructure, particularly roads network in Kwara State in which the present administration remains under his tight grip and political machinations long after leaving office, remains deplorable while state resources is mismanaged through corrupt enrichment.

A Presidential aspirant who promises to create jobs and turn around the economy at the national level, must have done so in a state he served as Governor for eight years. We challenge Saraki to give the nation his scorecard as a Kwara State.

As Senate President, how Saraki used the position to superintend over budget padding, sabotage of the executive by frustrating confirmation of presidential nominees, stalling legislative approvals for election budgets and his recent shadow boxing on the Electoral Act, among other treacherous actions against the APC (which he was then a member) in pursuit of his selfish political interests has been well reported.

Was Saraki’s Senate Presidency not a journey of shame and disgrace? – moving from one Court or Tribunal to another over charges of forgery of Senate Rules, false declaration of assets, and being linked with armed robbers who brutally killed and maimed innocent residents in Offa recently.

Saraki says he is heeding the call of Nigerian youths to contest the Presidency. We are not aware of any meeting of Nigerian youths held during which they decided that. For the record, the #NotTooYoungToRun group berated Saraki for selfishly using their forum to make his presidential declaration. We are not surprised by Saraki’s selfish actions as it has come to define his politics and persona.

Saraki says he will offer leadership driven by empathy. Coming from an incredibly selfish and self-opinionated politician this is indeed an irony. Saraki’s Presidential aspiration is a huge joke and should not be taken seriously. He has repeatedly displayed his character as extremely selfish, deceitful, untrustworthy and unreliable. His only goal is to get to the top, stay at the top, ruin or wreck whatever he finds there or in the event of failure, collapse the system or process.

Nigerians have had enough of Dr. Bukola Saraki’s retrogressive and disruptive style of politics and deserve no more.

An informant who tipped the Nigeria Police which in turn raided the home of Chief Edwin Clark has narrated what transpired.
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Named Ismail Yakubu, 45, the informant who is now a suspect, said he was being misled by a taxi driver who provided him the details.

Mr Yakubu stated this on Wednesday when he was paraded at the force headquarters by the Police. The transcript obtained by NGPOLITICS is reproduced below.

“I am an indigene of Waru village in Apo in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT),” the informant said.



“First and foremost, I appreciate the time given to me. The point is that I got to hear about the large cache of arms and ammunition in the home of Chief Edwin Clark on Monday on my way to Asokoro exactly around 4 o’clock.

“I was called to come and receive a message at the back of ECOWAS Secretariat and I took a taxi from Apo Roundabout.

“On getting to the back of ECOWAS Secretariat, I called the man that asked me to come and receive the message. There is a street called Halle Salasi Street. That was the street I was going to. There is Catholic Church on that street and there is an incomplete building there. That was exactly where the man asked me to come and meet him.

“So on my way going, I was sitting on the front seat of the taxi and there were two other people at the back seat.

“So, when we reached there, the whole place was crowded. No way in and no way out.

“So, I began to ask question about what was happening here and the taxi driver now told me that is this not the area where this Niger Delta people are living.

“And I said which Niger Delta people and I said how manage because the whole place was rowdy.

“Then he now pointed to me that I should look at that truck that is entering that compound and I checked the compound and the house was house number 43.

“So, it was a white hilux van sealed and it was entering the compound and it was in the process of entering the compound that was why the whole place was blocked to allow it to enter the compound.

“The driver then told me that this hilux that is entering the compound is carrying ammunition, and I said what!”

He maintained that as a citizen of the FCT, he could not keep the information to himself hence he decided to alert the police.

The raid has sparked nationwide condemnation from Nigerians.

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari says he is not afraid of free and fair election.

Mr Buhari said having benefitted from a credible process as such he was no frightened.

The president who restated his commitment to making sure that the 2019 polls, under his watch, will be free, fair and credible said this at an interactive session with members of the Nigerian community in China.

The meeting was held at the Nigerian Embassy in Beijing, the capital city of China.

“I have no fear about free and fair elections because that is what brought me to the present position. I know what I went through and very few Nigerians could boast of trying four times [contesting for the presidency].

“Those interested in participating in the elections must get their PVCs, register in their constituency and elect anybody of their choice across ethnicity and religion.

“The Nigerian police, law enforcement agencies and INEC must respect the people to express their wishes,” he said.

Citing recent elections in Bauchi, Katsina and Kogi states, the president said the country had made progress relative to elections conducted in the past years.

On security issues, the president reaffirmed that his government has succeeded in curtailing Boko Haram insurgents in the country, adding that the terrorist group no longer controls any part of the country.

President Buhari advised Nigerians planning to travel abroad for “greener pastures” to do so legitimately and not to expect too much from their countries of destination.

“You cannot seek greener pastures in a place where you are not respected because of the colour of your skin or your lack of education or other things. Personally, I think you will earn more respect when you remain at home and get a job,” he said

On Nigeria-China relations, the president applauded China’s generosity and contribution to the development of Nigeria, citing the successful completion of the Abuja-Kaduna railway line, built by the Chinese, and ongoing works on Lagos, Ibadan, Ilorin, Abuja, Kano railway routes.

Earlier in his remarks, the Nigerian Ambassador to China, Baba Ahmed-Jidda, thanked the president for his support to the embassy, which led to the completion of the ambassador’s residence.

The ambassador praised Nigerians resident in the various province of China for being law abiding with the exception of few.

Delegates with Buhari at the meeting include: Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi; Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo State; Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State; Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State; Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State; Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari of Zamfara State; Willie Obiano of Anambra State; Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State.

FORMER Military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida, has revealed what the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has achieved since he was democratically elected President.

Messrs Babangida and Buhari ruled the country during the military era, with the former overthrowing the government of the latter.

Mr Babangida was among those who supported Buhari to emerge president in the 2015 election but has so far asked the president not to seek a second term in office.

A similar advice from former President Olusegun Obasanjo urging the incumbent Nigerian leader to drop his 2019 ambition fell on deaf ears as the president has officially declared to vie for re-election.

For Babangida, the only change achieved by the Buhari’s administration since it came to power is moving upward to become the world headquarters of poor people.

“The only change I heard in the last 4 years is by defeating India to become the poorest country in the world,” he said in a tweet on Sunday.


Nigeria recently emerged the nation with the highest number of extremely poor people, a report by Brookings Institution said.

Before now, India used to hold the position with a population of 1.324 billion people as against Nigeria’s 200 million.

The report said the number of Nigerians in extreme poverty increases by six people every minute.

“According to our projections, Nigeria has already overtaken India as the country with the largest number of extremely poor in early 2018, and the Democratic Republic of Congo could soon take over the number 2 spot,” it said.

“At the end of May 2018, our trajectories suggest that Nigeria had about 87 million people in extreme poverty, compared with India’s 73 million. What is more, extreme poverty in Nigeria is growing by six people every minute, while poverty in India continues to fall.

“In fact, by the end of 2018 in Africa as a whole, there will probably be about 3.2 million more people living in extreme poverty than there is today.

“Africans account for about two-thirds of the world’s extreme poor and that If current trends persist, Africa will account for nine-tenths by 2030.

“Fourteen out of 18 countries in the world—where the number of extreme poor is rising—are in Africa,” the report added.

In March, the International Monetary Fund had said Nigerians are getting poorer saying there is a need for coherent and comprehensive economic reforms.

THE Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called for a Sit-At-Home protest over the unknown whereabout of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

Mr Kanu was last seen September 14, 2017 when troops of the Nigerian Army were exercising around his neighbourhood in Abia State.

The exercise which later turned into confrontation between the soldiers and members of IPOB led to the proscription of the group as a terrorist organisation by the federal government.

The proscribed group who declared September 14 as “a day of general strike, mourning and resistance across Biafra land,” warned that anyone found outside on September 14 will be classified as “an enemy of the people.”

IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, in a statement Wednesday gave reasons why the group called for a sit-at-home order on September 14 across “Biafraland.”



He said they are carrying out the exercise to protest the invasion of the country home of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, same date last year.

According to Mr Powerful, the protest will “be a way to register our anger regarding the men and women killed at Afaraukwu in Umuahia, during Operation Python Dance II on September 14 last year.”

“Those killed in Ngwa, Aba, Igweocha (Port Harcourt) and buried in unmarked mass graves as a result of unprovoked military invasion of Biafraland by the Nigerian Army.”

He said inhabitants of South-East/South-South and all conscientious Biafrans living in other parts of Nigeria and the world are required to stay indoors and away from work or daily business activities throughout the said day.

Mr powerful said all businesses, offices, markets, schools and road transportation will be shut down for 24 hours from midnight of the 13th of September. “There will be no human or vehicular movement across Biafraland.”

‘’We shall also remember all those killed in the struggle for the restoration of Biafra independence since August 2015 when the army shot dead Mr. Okafor in Onitsha on a peaceful march from Nkpor to Onitsha main town. Their sacrifice will neither be forgotten nor will it be in vain, because come what may, this generation of IPOB must and will restore Biafra.”



The event, he said, will also be dedicated to the “sacrilegious and disgraceful humiliation of Igbo women, some of them great grand-mothers, ranks as one of the most abominable act of desecration ever visited upon the land of Biafra in recorded history. It will mark the defining event that completed the shame and humiliation of the Igbo race.”

The IPOB spokesman said the group and the people of the South-east are also against the military’s plans to stage Operation Python Dance 3 this year

Mr Powerful said that the sit-at-home is the only way Biafrans can honour their fallen brethren and “legitimately remind our northern oppressors and their collaborators in our midst that enough is enough! We do not want another Operation Python Dance or another mass murder of Biafra agitators and humiliation of our mothers in our land.”

Previous sit-at-home orders by the group had always recorded significant progress particularly in the South-East.

A day after he made public his intention to vie for President in the forth coming 2019 general election, Bukola Saraki, Senate President, has obtained the presidential nomination form of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).

This also comes barely 24 hours after Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, picked his.

This was made known on Friday by Olu Onemola, an aide of Mr Saraki.