₦airaland Forum

This is nonsense. What are they blaming the governor for? if Jonathan was the president would they blame the governor? They are dodging the real issue.
Buhari is clueless and doesn't care.
But these northern elites would do everything but blame Clueless Buhari. If Jonathan was the President, that protest would have been about him.

angelawoko:
The arrangement of the contestants already shows the bias of the op. If the arrangement had been alphabetic it would have bn better.

You're very funny, complaining about the arrangement. Abubakar Atiku is AA and that comes before Buhari (B). Here the focus is on the candidate, not parties.

Bafarawa: How I rigged ANPP primary for Buhari in 2003

Attahiru Bafarawa, former governor of Sokoto state, says he manipulated the presidential primary of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in favour of Muhammadu Buhari in 2003.

Buhari got the party’s nomination but lost to President Olusegun Obasanjo in the presidential election.

Bafarawa, who was doubling as the party’s chairman then, said Rochas Okorocha was set to pick the ANPP presidential ticket following a mock primary conducted before the nomination convention.

According to him, Okorocha came first, winning 27 of the 36 states and the FCT, while Buhari could only win five.

These revelations are contained in a new book, ‘Politics as Dashed Hopes in Nigeria’, written by Auwala Anwar, PhD, and former special assistant to the president on FCTA from 2004-2007.

The preview copy of the book, published by Safari Books, was exclusively made available to TheCable and will be launched in Abuja on Thursday, January 31.

The book offers an account into the inner workings of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the party founded by Buhari to run in the 2011 presidential election after he had fallen out with the ANPP having failed to win in 2003 and 2007.

https://www.thecable.ng/bafarawa-how-i-rigged-anpp-primary-for-buhari-in-2003

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has devised a complex and a devious scheme to fund its presidential campaign for the 2019 election, SIGNAL has learned.

The scheme involves routing idle funds of the Agri-Business Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS) with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) to APC party faithful and canvassers in the 774 Local Government of the country for the purpose of the presidential campaign.

The AGSMEIS is an initiative of the Bankers’ Committee which requires all Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) to set aside 5% of their annual profit after tax (PAT) for the purpose of complementing federal government’s effort at promoting agri-business. As of June 2018, the fund has increased to a whooping N60bn.

But the fund has largely remained idle at the CBN as would-be beneficiaries for a number of reasons have not been able to fully access it. So recently, the CBN went into partnership with the NIPOST, for the postal service to set up a national microfinance bank with the purported objective being that of enabling speedy disbursement of the AGSMEIS fund.

But our investigations show that this is, in fact, a ruse to cover up the funding source of the APC presidential campaign. A highly-placed APC source who is obviously disgruntled over the Party’s contentious primaries told our correspondent that the beneficiaries of the AGSMEIS fund through the NIPOST would be dedicated APC party leaders who would then be tasked with funding the party’s campaign in each of the 774 local government of the country. The NIPOST microfinance bank will conveniently begin operations in January 2019 when the presidential campaign is in earnest.

‘’The party chose that complex route because it is wary of going the PDP way in 2015 when the party through the National Security Adviser used funds meant for the purchase of arms and ammunition to fund its presidential run,’’ the source said.

Reliable sources close to the APC note that the party’s leaders have complained bitterly of a shortage of funds to prosecute the presidential run since campaigns were officially declared to begin by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). They say it was because of the reluctance of President Muhammadu Buhari to approve the use of government funds for the campaign.

The party appears to have gone round the challenge with the AGSMEIS fund trapped with the CBN. SIGNAL can however not confirm if the party sought and received the approval of the President for what is obviously an illegal use of government’s funds for campaign purposes.

Our source, however, insisted that some of the President’s top aides are in the know of the devious and illegal scheme. “How do you think the elections in Ekiti and Osun were funded?’’, he asked. “It was with the use of government funds, some were given by state governors, while we know how we got the rest from the federal government. The president can pretend not to know. That is his business,’’ he said.

Sambo Dasuki, the immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA) to former President Goodluck Jonathan is still in detention over the misappropriation of $1bn for arms and ammunition which was misused for the electoral campaign.

http://www.signalng.com/exclusive-how-apc-plans-to-fund-its-presidential-campaign/

The PREMIUM TIMES’ story, “Why Atiku may lose the 2019 presidential election” made very good reading. Quoting an obviously unhappy Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor who did not give his name, the article revealed troubling insights into the party’s chaotic run for the presidency.

The key issues highlighted in the story are lack of consultations by the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; the choices of Peter Obi as the vice presidential nominee and Dr. Bukola Saraki, the Senate president, as the director-general of the campaign council. Other grievances include the alleged marginalisation of party leaders, who stuck with the PDP during its lean years; the supposed faulty campaign structure and lack of proper messaging by the campaign.

These are indeed serious problems, especially the lack of consultation by the presidential candidate and feeling of neglect by the PDP old guard, who did not defect to the ruling party when it was the vogue to do so. This sense of alienation can lead to apathy of party leaders and their supporters and cost the PDP significant votes, particularly in its strongholds of the South-South and South-East. The issues raised by the faceless PDP governor, no doubt, are grim and can very well cost the party the presidential election.

However, none of these concerns are insurmountable. On Obi, the vice presidential nominee, there is little anyone can do about him now. He has been nominated and the time frame allowed for the substitution of candidates has elapsed. But then, he has pulled his weight by demonstrating that he could be an effective VP with his vast knowledge of the economy. By most neutral and objective analyses, he won the vice presidential debate, which also featured Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the current vice president of Nigeria, thereby giving the party a bounce.

It should be given that Atiku Abubakar would spend most of his time consulting party leaders across the country, doing deals and assuaging frayed nerves; in short, demonstrating that he is ready to win and lead! That’s what presidential candidates do. They do the grind, not run to Dubai every now and then to lap up luxury and cool-off.

That said, no challenge the Atiku campaign is going through compares with that being faced by President Muhamadu Buhari. The man has no record to run on and has put together a tattered coalition held together by the illusion of inheriting power in 2023.

In 2015, the momentum was definitely in favour of Candidate Buhari. It was clear as day that Nigerians were fed up with the Goodluck Jonathan government, giving his inability to rise up to the challenges of the time, mainly insecurity and corruption, coupled with what was generally regarded as an uninspiring and underwhelming leadership. His government was tagged ‘clueless’ as Nigerians dreamt of a change.


Buhari was well placed to take advantage of this widespread disaffection as the candidate of the biggest ever coalition put together by the opposition. Supported by a well-heeled communication team, the APC presidential candidate ran an effective campaign, promising to fix Nigeria and deliver a much better country than the one he sought to wrest from the PDP. His manifesto had the solution to all of our ills. On paper, that is. From corruption and good governance to insurgency and insecurity; health to agriculture, and issues in the Niger Delta to the economy, the Buhari policy document was comprehensive and had well thought out solutions to some of the challenges that had plagued our country for years.

The election is therefore Atiku’s to lose. No campaign is perfect. Donald Trump of the U.S. ran one of the most chaotic campaigns ever, yet won the election, mainly by feeding off the citizens’ disgruntlement with the status quo. Atiku can do the same, chirping off the so-called integrity of Buhari and reminding Nigerians how badly the man has done the job he was elected for.


A few examples will suffice. On corruption and good governance, Candidate Buhari promised to “show personal leadership in the war against corruption and hold all the people who work with me to count.” On insurgency and insecurity, he pledged to “give special attention to the welfare of our armed forces and their families, lost heroes and their families and the victims of insurgency”, as well as “Provide of the best and appropriate military and other materials the country needs to combat insurgency and religious violence, kidnapping and rural banditry.”

The document was that comprehensive and covered every sphere of our national life. And no doubt, went a long way in convincing many Nigerians that Buhari was the real deal and was prepared for the arduous task of leading Nigeria into a more stable and prosperous future. Nothing could presently be further from the truth. It has turned out that there is a huge gap between the candidate, Buhari and the man who took over the leadership of the country after the election. Sadly for Nigeria, Candidate Buhari was dressed in borrowed robes.

On being elected, the true Buhari emerged as he ran the most bigoted, nepotistic, exclusive and incompetent government, the like of which we have, perhaps, never seen in the history of our country. The man is provincial, lacks energy and has the penchant for surrounding himself with shady characters from his part of the country. Oby Ezekwesili, the former minister and now presidential candidate put it better when she described the president as lazy, one who enjoys the trappings of his job but not the hard work that comes with it.

The consequences have been dire for the country, which went into recession the first full year Buhari came to power. Since then it has been down the hill for the economy. Over 11 million jobs have been lost since the president took over and hundreds of businesses have shut down and left the country. Nigeria became the poverty capital of the world in 2018; that is, the country with the highest number of extremely poor people. The government has funded the last three budgets with loans and bonds, and consequently, our external debts have risen by over N11 trillion in the last three-and-a-half years. All the indices are bad and growing worse under Buhari.

Security, which arguably is one of the bases on which Buhari got elected, has deteriorated so much that at no other time in the history of Nigeria have we had more deaths as a result of killings by non-state actors. In Zamfara and much of the North-West region, unidentified marauders murder almost at will. The Boko Haram militants have resurged in the North-East and taken over several communities. Several local governments in Borno are no-go areas as the insurgents are fully in charge there. Our soldiers, just like before, now continuously complain about the lack of arms and ammunition to tackle the insurgents. With Buhari nothing has changed, except for worse. Like in the case of pillaging armed herdsmen, who have sacked community after community in the North-Central region and barely got any real pushback from the commander-in-chief.

As such, Buhari, knowing he does not have a record to run on, is relying heavily on his coalition-of-the-corrupt, the never-do-well, the-PDP-disgruntled-and-rejects, the-any-government-in-power (AGIPS), the-2023-hopeful, and in fact, anyone who can assure him of even 10 votes. The man is so desperate to get another chance at ruining, sorry running, Nigeria that he does not even pretend to having integrity or fighting corruption anymore. That’s why he could not move against the governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, who was caught stuffing dollar bribes into his babariga recently. That’s why his new found friends are people like Senator Godswill Akpabio and Orji Uzor Kalu who have gigantic corruption cases on their neck. And that is why he is powerless to call his wife to order even when the woman has set up a parallel campaign council.

The election is, therefore, Atiku’s to lose. No campaign is perfect. Donald Trump of the U.S. ran one of the most chaotic campaigns ever, yet won the election, mainly by feeding off the citizens’ disgruntlement with the status quo. Atiku can do the same, chirping off the so-called integrity of Buhari and reminding Nigerians how badly the man has done the job he was elected for.

https://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2019/01/04/why-atiku-may-win-by-tope-ajayi/

Is it that the Nairaland admin has collected bribe? Why Is the story not on the front page?

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Kano governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, caught receiving bribe
By Jaafar Jaafar -October 14, 201802619
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The Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has appeared in a trove of video clips receiving bribe, amounting to about $5million from contractors in the state.

Multiple contractors who spoke with DAILY NIGERIAN on the condition of anonymity said the governor personally receives from 15 to 25 percent kickbacks for every project executed in the state.



The sting operation to capture the governor on camera began two years ago when one of the contractors agreed with DAILY NIGERIAN request to plant spy camera on his kaftan lapel while offering the bribe.

During about 10 months efforts to capture the bribe giving/taking scenes, the governor’s face and body were clearly captured in nine clips, while six others did not clearly reveal the governor’s face. About $5m dollars were delivered to the governor during the sting operation.

One of the contractors who preferred not to be named said the reason he collaborated with DAILY NIGERIAN was to expose corruption and bring sanity to the country.

Watch the video here:
https://dailynigerian.com/exclusive-video-kano-governor-abdullahi-ganduje-caught-receiving-bribe/

Forget yourself and focus on Christ? In a church like Christ Embassy, try that you'd be completely milked and destroyed. Following God doesn't mean you have to lose your sense of self and what's best for you.

So is it the police' s role to screen voters? The police are indicting themselves. Nigeria is a joke.

So why did she forge the Nysc excemption certificate?

Pastor Chris is a slave master. He has created a system that is very financially beneficial to him, turning the sincere quest by numerous folks for God into a money making industy. That is not the gospel of Christ. His focus is not heaven, it is to make it here and now. Fake pastor and brainwashed followers.

Maestro21:
Of course bro.

I have always said, anyone who is deeply interested in the things of God and has an unquenching desire to know God through and through will fall in love with Pastor Chris.

As your hunger is increasing, where you are will not satisfy you. Especially when you desire to put the word to work and see changes in your life and in the lives of others.

Then you would want someone who uses the word the same way you desire to. Someone who you see work the word with incontrovertible signs and wonders. Someone who obviously works in a power the body of Christ has not seen in years.

If that is you, Pastor Chris is or should be your mentor.

M0ron:
And that’s what I’m asking. What is a ‘practice of sinning’?

Give an example

Pastor Chris, according to his ex-wife, had long time term inappropriate relationship with several women. In other words, he was fucking them. That adulterous relationship that went on for many years. If that is not the practice of sinning, I wonder what is. Yet pastor Chris is not a nepious but a man of God. A very dangerous message.

Of course, Christ Embassy is a cult. So there's no point arguing with a staunch member. Their brains have been taken out.

Ran away from there with my family. I wish the cultists the best.

I love this guy. He's so honest and humble, unlike Pst Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy. The dude just showed up one day with a PhD. No explanation, no graduation photos. No, nothing. When we asked, members such as Joe Agbaje said it's his private business. Lol. The dude likely got the fake PhD from all those fake on-line universities that specialize in awarding fake degrees.

Now see what PST Sam has achieved through hard work. He's a real role model.

PastorDavidAwuj:
That's your opinion dear bro, and you are entitled to it. But that doesn't make it correct. Thank you for reading, and I hope this truth finds its way into your spirit soon in Jesus name. Stay tuned for the second part tomorrow, you will get more insight...

It's now confirmed that you're one of those pastors who live off the people. Go get a real job. Start a business, or something. Then you can talk about prosperity. You don't have to be a Christian to be prosperous. Despite about half of Nigerians being Christians our country is the poverty capital of the world. That is the country with most people living in extreme poverty. The Chinese do not worship the Christian God, yet they live very much better than the Christian Nigeria. The difference is production. They are productive and don't spend all their time in church begging God for help. Mr man go get a real job, before talking about prosperity.

We all believe in prosperity. But we reject the Pentecostal model in which people, even poor people, have to give to pastors before God can bless them. The only people who have become rich by this are the pastors.

Fake news. Not signed. Tinubu's people over working!

Fiction

When I first joined nairaland one of the characters that intrigued me was Joe Agbaje, the Christ Embassy pastor who was not afraid to use his real name as his moniker.

I recall that he was the first to defend any attack on his church. His faith in Pastor Chris seemed unshakable. He would even defend the indefensible. When it was obvious to everyone that the marriage between PST Chris and his wife, Anita was shaking, Joe Agbaje claimed that nothing of such was happening; that in fact, they were so much in love and go on romantic getaway!

He also defended the fake miracle charge made by frosbel and others.

Then he was busted by Frosbel when the man he claimed to have been healed by hiv turned out to be a liar. Soon his appearance on Nairaland dwindled and now he appears to have disappeared.

My question is: has he seen the light and abandoned the Pentecostal nonsense he used to believe in? Or he just has given up on Nairaland as a place to engage people on matters of faith? Whatever, I still want to know where his Joeagbaje?

No one should touch the pastor. He's the anointed of God. This has nothing to do with man but the prophet and his God, who called him! Joe Agbaje and the gang, over to you.

OP, what is your point exactly? You made this long post to explain a very simple matter. The reason Pastor Chris's marriage failed is because he was screwing several of the single female pastors living in the same house with him. The place is called Whitehouse. The wife was sent to the UK where she single handedly raised their two daughters. When she got to know about the harem the man kept in Whitehouse and insisted the women left, Pastor Chris refused, choosing the women over his wife. It's as simple as that. The man is a polygamist. But it doesn't matter. In Christ Embassy, once you're saved nothing can take your salvation away, not even fucking all the young girls in Church.

Even rabid 'delusionist' like Joeagbaje doesn't defend the man on that score again.

The tithe debate is raging amongst Christians and so many people have thrown their hats into the ring, including Pastor Adeboye of RCCG, the leading Pentecostal church in Nigeria and the controversial Apostle Suleiman of Omega Fire Ministry.

The question I'd like to ask is this, who is winning the debate? Is it Daddy Freeze or the Daddy Gos, who feed fat on tithes, first fruits, seeds, offerings etc

The other question is this: is there a Christian here who has been convinced to stop paying tithe as a result of the argument by the non-tithers?

Or is there a non-tither who has been convinced by the debate to start tithing? Pls share your opinions.

Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi is a quintessential gentleman. I think people should wait to read the book before making comments. If you ask me, I think he deserves kudos for writing a book, many politicians leave their positions without putting pen to paper, which is bad for posterity.

We should not review a book before reading it!

3. Pastor Chris is the orthodoxy
In CE, Pst Chris is the standard; he is the orthodoxy of the word of God. He is in fact treated like God. His words are law. He could cancel engagements, delay marriages and, in my mother’s language, can do and undo!
Everything revolves around him. He has limitless powers and not inhibited by anything.

And what do they say about absolute power corrupts absolutely?

Exactly what you have in the church. No one dares challenge him. In a godly environment, there should have been some enquiry in to the crisis of his marriage with the objective to mend the issues. But no one dares even raise such issues. People like Joe Agbaje are prepared to lie for him. I recall a time when the issue of PST Chris living separately from his wife came up here, Joe Agbaje defended him, claiming that the couple see often and even go on romantic get-away. It was not true. To all intents and purpose, the man abandoned his wife and family in London while gallivanting around the world with his concubines. This was wrong, but who could challenge the KING? The man had also warned members never to discuss pastors and that they should run away where such matters are being discussed. What you have is a situation where people are so afraid to even consider the allegations against him, so as not to be consumed by fire! SMH!!!

With such a context, the man can get away with anything, including polygamy. He can rewrite the bible, claiming that some portions or verses were not clearly written. He can do ANYTHING, and the staunch members and the pastors would defend him. I mean ANYTHING.

They deify him, call him the ‘Jesus in white suit,’ ‘the Jesus of our time’ and such heresies.
Two personal experiences really got me worried.

A. I was in church one day when a leader in a talk show said, “Pst Chris is not only in Ikeja or Lagos. His spirit is even here right now’’. I was shocked by the comments and obvious deification of a mere mortal. But when the pastor came up, he did not rebuke the speaker or said anything about it. I left for home, thinking hard: What has happened to these people?
B. Th other one was during prayer. The person leading the prayer asked us to pray so that the message of PST Chris will take over the world. Message of Pst Chris? I asked myself. I thought we came there because of the gospel/message of Christ? Does Pst Chris have a different message? Of course, I didn’t participate in that prayer but I was shocked that no one saw anything wrong in this, which validated my growing belief that the church was veering out of the Christian lane into something else.

I will stop here for now. But if challenged by the minions of the church, I have more arsenals. Good day and God bless you.

2. Sin Means Nothing at CE
Their teaching regarding to sin is so liberal. They rarely even mention it. The belief is that a Christian cannot sin, but only do wrong. The implicit message here is that ‘if you are saved, you are always saved’. You are a son of God and nothing you do or do not do can change the fact. In other words, heaven is sure. I am really not versed in the Bible to argue with this but what I know is that, this teaching is dangerous. It is like giving one a blank cheque or immunity from sin. What you have is a morally decadent church, starting from the top. Sexual sins are so rampant. You must have read the allegations of Pst Anita against her husband, that he was screwing some top female pastors. Such allegations are common in the church and I believe Pst Anita was very naïve in not understanding what was happening under her nose for decades!

It is not just PSt Chris that has been accused of fornication; his younger brother Rev Ken was also accused of impregnating a member of the South African Church when he pastored it. My friend who was in the church at that time (he also has left) told me that in all practical terms, Rev Ken had a harem in SA, with all manners of girls, mainly young university girls, living in his house. His wife was leading the church at Isolo, Lagos at that time. Apart of the Oyakhilome brothers, sin (or wrong-doing since a Christian cannot sin, according to their belief) is very common among the pastors and laity. Including me. I did a lot of things I’m not proud of as a leader, including fornication. But what struck me is that I was going numb, conscienceless in the church. No message speaks to my struggles to stay upright and not to sin. They do not even talk about such things. The focus of the messages is often on how to be successful, perhaps so you can give more money!

In summary, at CE, sin means nothing!

I have not posted in a while but if you have followed my previous posts, you would know that I used to attend Christ Embassy Church, even though I had reservations about some of their teachings. I finally left the church, phew!
I will use this thread to explain why I quit the church and why I may never attend another Pentecostal/Charismatic church which now appears to me like a sole proprietorship, with the General Overseer or lead pastor as the owner.

1. Excessive premium on Giving money

In Christ Embassy the number one thing they lay emphasis on is giving money. The church can use any tactic to get money from members, including manipulation, threats and the likes. While there is nothing wrong with giving money or time, I believe everything should be balanced and moderate. I think that was why St Paul said we should not give out of target, or threat but as we decide in our heart. In CE, there is nothing like moderation or balance when it comes to giving. They tend to believe literally that everything answers to money. You don’t have a job, give and sow seed. You are infertile, give and sow seed. Your father is sick, give and sow seed. Every message ends with a charge to give money. They collect tithes, offerings, partnerships (money), seeds (more money), first fruits (your whole income in January) and plethora of others.

You are also charged to give for Pastor Chris’s birthday and for all the other pastors. And for projects and the likes too.

Before I started worshipping with the Church, I read the story of the account clerk at the Sheraton Hotel who stole from his employers to give to the church. As a member, I could relate with the man. The Church is obsessed with money. They do not mind how or where you get it. If you want to rise or be noticed or win awards, just give big money. It is this obsession with money that led it to start collecting gate fees from members for its New Year Service at the LoveWorld Convocation Arena in Lagos, which ironically was built by the offerings of the members charged to get in. A lot of people I know personally had gone broke, had their businesses ruined, or fallen out with a loved one because of this teaching by the church.

In summary, at CE, money is everything- EVERYTHING.

As controversy over the $43 million discovered by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos continues, Nigerian Times investigation has revealed that the money actually belongs to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

The money, Nigerian Times checks with top intelligence sources, was warehoused at the NIA safe house for the purpose of purchasing weapons for the Nigerian military through back channels after the American government had blocked official avenues for weapons purchase by the Nigerian government under former president Goodluck Jonathan. It was also meant to be used in carrying out other clandestine operations on behalf of the Nigerian government.
The origin of the discovered millions dates back to 2013 when former President Goodluck Jonathan visited Israel. The official story put out at the time was that Jonathan, who went to the Middle East state with a sizable number of aides, was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

The reality however, was that he went to seek the help of the Israeli government in the procurement of weapons. At the time the Jonathan administration was finding it difficult to procure weapons in the open market as the Americans, citing human rights abuses, had blocked every avenue open to the Nigerian government to acquire weapons to fight off the insurgency in the north east of the country.

The American government had turned on the squeeze after the Baga massacre of early 2013 where hundreds of civilians had been killed and some human rights groups had accused the Nigerian military of being responsible for the killings.

In that 2013 trip to Israel, Jonathan had met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netayanhu who advised him to source weapons in the “black market”. It was pursuant to this advice that the Nigerian government sought to purchase weapons through back channels in South Africa in late 2014,with Jewish middle men, which backfired after the South African government seized the sum of $15 million found in a plane in South Africa.

A source in the intelligence community told this paper that the Jonathan administration had informed President Zuma of its intention but the matter had run into a hitch after the United States Government had tipped off the South African intelligence agency, which had been kept in the dark by the Zuma and the Nigerian government.


http://nigeriantimes.ng/news/exclusive-43-million-cash-discovered-by-efcc-meant-for-purchase-of-arms/

Mohammed Adoke, former attorney-general of the federation, says he is aware of plans by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to raid his Okene home in Kogi state.

Adoke said this in a statement on Friday signed by Victor Akhidenor, his media aide.

The anti-graft agency has accused Adoke of enriching himself from the $1 billion Malabu oil deal, but he has denied the allegation, saying there are no documents that could be used in indicting him.

“We have been reliably informed of a plan by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to raid the Okene, Kogi country home of Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), the former minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation,” the statement by Akhidenor read.

“We gathered that the swoop on the country home of the former attorney-general and minister of justice will happen any moment from now as part of EFCC’s sustained campaign to soil the good name of Mr Adoke in the guise of seeking evidence to indict him.

“After turning up with nothing in Kano, now the EFCC wants to conduct another dramatic campaign in Okene for the cameras, and we are certain that like the previous raids which turned up nothing, no incriminating document or item would be found in the premises in Okene or anywhere else for that matter because no such document exist.

“Mr Adoke has made it clear times without number that on the Malabu matter, he only acted as directed by the former president, H.E Goodluck Jonathan, and in the best interest of the country. He did not enrich himself or anyone through the course of the transaction, which had been concluded long before he assumed office. He completed his brief to the best of his abilities and knowledge, and has since moved on.

“However, for whatever reasons, the EFCC appears to have a different opinion on the Malabu issue and has made the harassment of Mr Adoke, his family and associates their past time, without providing any proof of wrongdoing.

“We wish to warn that Mr Adoke would no longer take this harassment of his family and serial invasions of his homes lying low and will now seek all legal means to enforce his rights, including asking for damages. He will also petition international human rights organisations, the UN and other international groups to intimate them of the wilful abuse of his rights by the EFCC.”

He added that the EFCC may plant incriminating documents or cash and claim that same were found at his house.

https://www.thecable.ng/adoke-im-aware-efccs-plan-raid-kogi-residence

The National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Tuesday said he intends to organise a workshop for party spokespersons across the country to enhance political communication between parties and Nigerians.

Mr. Abdullahi, who spoke during the ongoing Social Media Week in Lagos, said the workshop has been among his plans since resumption of office.

“Going back to every statement I have made since January when I started, you will not see any single place where someone is being abused or attacked. Where we don’t know, we simply say we don’t know.”

The APC publicity secretary was appointed to the position last December, replacing Lai Mohammed, the current minister of Information and Culture.

Mr. Abdullahi, a former Sports and Youth Development minister, said the biggest challenge to security in the country is the upsurge in the circulation of fake news.

“What makes it particularly dangerous is not just because it is bad in itself but because of the pervasive nature and the ubiquity that makes it so difficult to control. But I believe that the technology has created this situation, but the technology also has the capacity to correct itself,” he said.
“That’s why we keep emphasising on education, an individual can decide that I don’t want to be part of it. I think we can make progress.”
On the APC national convention, Mr. Abdullahi said it would hold “before April.”

“We are moving gradually towards it, we are waiting on the constitution review committee to finish its work because one of the key things that will be considered at the convention is the amendment of the constitution.”

Earlier, during a panel discussion titled “Online Hate Speech: Can Social Media Reduce Its Spread,” Mr. Abdullahi accused the APC and the Peoples’ Democratic Party of playing active roles in promoting hate speeches in the run-up to the 2015 general elections.
“In 2015, the two major parties were guilty, the APC and PDP were guilty,” he said.

“They turned the 2015 elections into war and when there is war, anything can happen. I complained about the calibre of language some of the spokespersons of political parties used…. Nigeria has to go back to rectify what happened in 2015.”
Mr. Abdullahi said Nigerians set themselves up for a major crisis when they see themselves as killers, kidnappers and armed robbers while noting that the challenge before Nigerians is controlling hate speech so as not to infringe on free speech as the latter is the oxygen for democracy.

“About hate speech, we are talking about hatred, what people say to one another has always been the bedrock of so many fights,” he said.
“When you call Muslims chemical wastes as it’s happening in North America, you don’t see human beings again but a way to eradicate that waste.

“We set ourselves up for a major crisis when we don’t see an armed robber for what he truly is, but a Yoruba armed robber, not a killer but a Fulani herdsman killer and not a kidnapper but an Igbo kidnapper. The oxygen for democracy is free speech. The challenge therefore is how do we control hate speech as not infringing on free speech?”

Abdul-Hakeem Ajijola, the Commissioner of the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace, said hate speech is not just a Nigerian problem.

“The challenge at a global level is the weaponisation of hate speech and it is undermining the liberal democracy,” Mr. Ajijola said.

“We live in an age of never forgetting. This is about we and not the government or Facebook or other social media. When you post on Facebook, taking back that post officially will take three years and that’s why we need to be careful. Social media thrives on attention, don’t like hate speeches, don’t re-tweet hate speeches and don’t share hate speeches.”

Cc Lalastica, Seun

I am really impressed by the new spokesperson of the APC. He seems very smart and understands how democracy function. Yes, Nigerians can protest. God bless him.

'' “For us, it is about the constitution of Nigeria, Tuface or any other citizen of the country has the right to stage a peaceful protest,that is the position of our constitution. We as a party will not be part of anything that will abridge or take away the right of citizens to protest, especially in a democracy,” APC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi told ThisDay.''