I muse the world turning to a global village through the internet media has brought along some nightmares. To be very frank, the most alarming thing to Nigerians after the civil war was the assassination of a few highly placed individuals in different capacities, government or otherwise around the country. (Of course coup de tat was the norm we lived with then). Money laundering and oil bunkering was and still is, purely business. There was no internet then. Nothing to write home about.
Then, with the advent of light speed communication and learning through search engines and social media revolution on the internet came a wave of straight-out-of-a-movie happenings in the Niger Delta wit kidnapping and sabotaging. Though quelled through amnesty, Nigerians faced yet another nightmarish saga with the introduction of the sporadic bombings of Boko Haram where the innocent are not spared and doesn't seem to have an end presently. Now the deadly Ebola Virus has crept into Lagos of all places, with a population of over 20 million people, poor health care and infrastructure. The international media and Internet is having a news feast with Nigeria in recent times. Let us not panic.

Let us Pray! Pray that the Virus has been quarantined from that lone case in Lagos. Pray that there can be a stop to the Boko Haram menace. Pray that there should be a peaceful 2015 elections. And mostly, to avoid the next nightmare,pray that Nigeria should not be divided as some people are clamouring for now because that will take us to the debate of why there shouldn't have been a civil war in the first place. Say NO to division because:
WE ARE UNITY.
WE ARE PEACE.
WE ARE NIGERIA. #NAIJA4LIFE
THIS IS AFRICA.

Interesting! Kwara PDP Elders Are Traitors

Special Report
Hajiya Bola Shagaya, can she deliver Kwara State to the PDP?
By Salman Abdulraheem

It is very obvious that the freedom Kwarans are yearning for through our great party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, may not be forthcoming due to the emergence of another ‘political god’ in the Kwara Political stage. Unlike the late political sage, Senator Olusola Saraki and his son, who is also the acclaimed leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the State, the newly emerged ‘Maradona’ is a woman. She is Hajia Bola Shagaya.

As generally known, Hajia Shagaya is a successful business woman across the African globe and ally of successive administration in Nigeria, a rear privilege which paved ways for her within the nation’s fast growing economy. She came into political limelight having warmed her way into the mind of Nigeria’s First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan on the corridor of social outings among others and was hurriedly approached by some major Stakeholders in the Kwara PDP on the way forward following the exit of Bukola Saraki and his stooges from the party some months ago. Unfortunately, Hajia Shagaya who has been desperate of power, coupled with her selfish capitalist ideology approached the presidency and declared herself the leader of our party even though, she has no atom of good/clear records within her family, let alone within the controversial Ajikobi ward where strong political gladiators exist.

As a member of the party, we are sure that Hajia Bola Shagaya is not in any way committed to the growth of PDP but rather interested in making her son, Mr. Sheriff, who is also a son-in-law to the former PDP National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, as well as boosting her business interest within the corridors of power. She has demonstrated this by picking a minister for Kwara State without due consultation and advice from party faithful, but rather using her instinct instead of the political direction of the state, most especially as it regards 2015 electioneering process. She behaved like a typical selfish, ignorant and nonchalant individual whose personal interests supersede collective interest.

Her moves in connivance with some party members who claimed to be stakeholders and were eventually used as rubber stamp that endorsed Dr. Suleiman Abubakar to represent Kwara State in the federal executive council is not only dubious, but it is also condemnable, frivolous, vexatious and uncharitable to the feelings of members of the PDP family in the state. What the rubber stamp members relied on is cheap and unrealistic promises made by Hajia Shagaya who cannot even deliver her family or ward during elections.

She met with seven of them at different times and promised them the same thing (i.e governorship ticket) at least to have her way of making Dr. Abubakar a Minister so that she can closely monitor what is coming in and out of the party from the presidency as well as corner all contracts from Dr. Abubakar’s ministry when sworn-in.

Is Dr. Abubakar better qualified than any of the candidates nominated at the party level? What has been his contribution to the soul of Kwara PDP? What is his agenda for the people of Kwara? Can he and his ‘godmother’ pose any challenge on the current political leadership in the state? Is there any pride in being a teacher at the University of Abuja, a school which is yet to find it feet?

While we bow our heads in shame for Bola Shagaya and her ‘rubber stamp stakeholders’ cliques, we are certain that they will all live to regret ever parading themselves as our representatives when we truly know that they are not. They are all over-ambitious politicians who believe in self-centered moves towards feeding fat from other people’s labour. We are afraid that Hajia Shagaya will be worse than Bukola Saraki if she dares continue like this.

If things therefore continue this way, then President Goodluck Jonathan should expect protest vote from our members and Hajia Shagaya and her allies should expect high level of humiliation from the peace loving people of Kwara State because such acts of irresponsibility will not be tolerated during our party’s primaries.

Islam has been part of Nigeria culture before you were born Mr Fani Kayode, and it will continue to be part of Nigeria society regardless if the people stays together or cease to exist as one nation. Inserting political Islamophobia into a society struggling with sectarian conflicts will never resolve any problem. Enough of conspiracy theories!

Ripples over composition of Kwara PDP caretaker C’ttee

The emergence of non-indigenes, Hon Soloman Edoja and Alhaji Jubril Bala as Chairman and Secretary of the 14-member Caretaker Committee for the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Kwara State, is causing serious ripples within the party structure in the state.
The composition, The Herald reliably gathered, was polarizing the party as many members were not comfortable with the choice of non-indigenes as the Chairman and Secretary.
Both the Chairman and Secretary, The Herald gathered, were Delta and Plateau indigenes respectively.
Credible sources within the party condemned the composition in its entirety, stressing that “it showed that the national leadership of the party has no confidence in the remnants of the party after the defection of Senator Bukola Saraki and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to the All Progressives Congress.
Some party members who did not want their names in print confided in The Herald that they had lost confidence in the leadership of the party in the state.
They further claimed that the composition pointed to the fact that the national leadership of the party did not have confidence on the crop of people that were laying claim to the party leadership in the state any longer.
According to them, “We are not happy at the development; it is a slap on our faces particularly our leaders that are claiming to be on ground.
“The problem now is how will those non-indigenes understand Kwara politics because our politics here in Kwara is different from any other state”.
The aggrieved individuals who further expressed reservations over the development emphasized that “this is not our expectation at this critical period, all we need is indigenes with credibility”.
The aggrieved members threatened to pull out of the party if the national leadership of the PDP failed to address the composition they considered as” imposition”.
They further attributed the problem to the greediness of some PDP leaders in the state who were head bent on using the opportunity offered by the defection of Senator Bukola Saraki and the state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed to the APC to enrich themselves.
Only this week,the national leadership of the PDP announced the composition of the state caretaker committee which include the suspended member of the State House of Assembly Hon Iliasu Ibrahim, former member of House of Representatives, Hon Ladi Edun and former state PDP Director of Publicity; Hon Mariam Al-Hassan.
Others are; Former Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Affairs to Governor Ahmed; Prince Mahmud Haliru Datsoho, Rex Kola Olawoye, Alhaji Bola Rauf Raji, Isaac Gbenle Adeyemi, Mrs AbdulMumini Ogele, Hon Abdulganiyu Sa’adu,Hon Adebayo Jimoh and Sule Amusa.
Prior to the latest development, The Herald reliably gathered that about three or four factions had emerged within the state PDP which made it difficult for the party members to compose the caretaker committee.
The factions which include, Professor Oba Abdulraheem, Hon Bio Ibrahim, Mr. John Dara, Mr Kunle Sulyman and Senator Gbemi Saraki had been battling tooth and nail over the composition.
They expressed disappointment that people like Hon. Kunle Sulyman and Folorunsho Ayinla who were expected to emerge could not scale through the hurdle

Islamic Group Lambastes Metuh For Calling APC Islamic Party

An Islamic group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has lambasted the Spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for claiming that the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) is an agenda for the Islamisation of Nigeria.

MURIC's position is contained in a statement issued on Thursday by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

Akintola said Metuh's comments were "unguarded, unprofessional, parochial and myopic," adding that "such a statement can only be heard from a man running diarrhoea of the mouth."

The group stated that it was not parochial and that its members belong to various parties, including (PDP, APC, Labour, PDM, APGA, etc, for which they voted "without being prompted from the minbar (mosque's pulpit)."

However, the group said, they "cannot keep quiet in the face of the unwarranted, unprovoked, unsolicited, irrational and inexplicable statement credited to the PDP spokesman."

MURIC challenged PDP's spokesperson to present evidence to back his accusation.
"MURIC appeals to PDP mainstream to call its spokesperson to order. Religion is a very sensitive issue in this country and no political party should attempt to turn Islam into a pawn in its political chess game. We warn that any political party which attempts to drag the name of Islam into the murky waters of Nigerian politics will have the Muslims to contend with," warned the statement.

The groups also advised the PDP leadership to withdraw the statement credited to Metuh, apologise to Nigerian Muslims in particular and all Nigerians in general, and seek Allah's forgiveness.

It will be recalled, that on January 8, Metuh said in a statement: "Now that an Islamic cleric, Ambassador Yusuf Garba and the Religious Equity Promotion Council, REPC, have exposed the evil plot by the APC to balkanize our nation along religious lines by imposing an Islamic agenda just like the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, the PDP wishes to make it manifest to all Nigerians to stand up and resist this evil machination by enemies of our dear country."

"When we met with the President, as Northern governors, he told us that the former US Secretary of State, Lady Clinton, told him that as President he had to look at the issue of the North very critically. She noted that there was an imbalance in terms of patronage, appointments and sharing of resources. He assured that he was looking at those comments and that was why he was delaying appointments into boards and so on. Since that meeting, we have not seen anything or changes so it is my conclusion that the President lacks the capacity and courage to do the right thing. We have had enough crises in this country and it is not right to plant seeds of crisis in the future. Look at the North-East that was allocated N2bn in the current budget, N2bn is what Mr. President allocated to non-APC states for supporting him, while N111bn was allocated to the South-East and South-South. This is not close to fairness.” - Kano State Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso.

TAMBUWAL, SARAKI OTHERS SHUN DAIVID MARK’S PEACE TALK, INSIST ON DEFECTION TO APC

Speaker of house of representative, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, SENATOR BUKOLA SARAKI and some other lawmakers shunned the entreaties by the senate president, David Mark, insisting that there was no going back in their decision to move into APC.
Tambuwal and SARAKI were reported to have stated that they had gone too deep with APC to backpedal at this point in time while Abbe was quoted to have said that any attempt for him to remain in PDP henceforth would be tantamount to betrayal of Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, his political benefactor.
The Senate President, Davis Mark has been hired by President Goodluck Jonathan to help plead with aggrieved federal lawmakers of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP who where bent on defecting to the Opposition All Progressives Congress, APC.
It was gathered that despite obvious frustrations in handling the assignment from the Presidency, Mark continued consultation with the aggrieved members of the National Assembly even on the first day of the New Year yesterday.
One of the lawmakers from the South/South geopolitical zone confirmed to National Mirror in a telephone interview yesterday that Mark is meeting with his colleagues on behalf of the Presidency on the way forward over the protracted crisis bedevilling the ruling party.

Senator @BukolaSaraki salutes patriotic Nigerians and calls for more accountability in 2014

Today, I wish to extend my best wishes to all Nigerians, home and abroad, as we usher in the Year 2014 - the start of a new horizon filled with hope.

As we reflect upon the passing of the old year, we ponder on the innumerable challenges our dear country Nigeria has faced, and the sadness of lives needlessly lost as a result of tragic incidents, religious, ethnic or political unrest. We mourn with those who too mourn the loss of a dear brother, mother, sister, father, friend or neighbor who has paid the supreme sacrifice for our existence as one nation, tolerating and accepting one another despite our differences.

I salute the Nigerian military and other security forces, who despite facing daunting odds have worked tirelessly to preserve the security of our beloved region.

I salute all patriotic Nigerians who have not lost hope and who are still inspired to continue in the sacrifice to keep us democratic and indivisible.

In retrospect, the year 2013 was a defining period in the life of our Nation. From the religious, ethnic and political uprisings that have led to wanton loss of lives and properties, kidnapping and extra judicial killings to the degrading oil spillages and oil theft across the Niger-Delta region particularly the Ogoniland, the shutdown of tertiary institutions by Academic Staff Union of Universities which paralyzed academic activities and it's resultant effect academically and socially on our children. All these tragic incidents threatened to challenge our peaceful co-existence, security of lives and property.

However despite these challenges, in many ways, 2013 reminded us once again of the unique potential our country has for global greatness. Leading global economist Jim O’Neil has identified Nigeria’s potential, as part of the MINT group, the next fastest growing economies globally. However he also identified a substantial weakness in our current leadership. Indeed, every Nigerian is acutely aware of the potential of our nation, but we all remain incredibly frustrated by our day to day experiences of life in Nigeria, from the lack of security to a lack of electricity; from the lack of the rule of law to corruption at the highest levels.

More than ever before, the majority of our people believe that our government and its systems do not work to improve citizens' lives but rather have become a cog in the wheel of change. In fact, there is a growing perception that government neither promotes fairness nor the culture of merit. This frustration has led many to lose hope.

However, I believe that all this too can be a thing of the past and a point of reference of how we as a nation can turn our adversity into strength.

Today, more than ever before, I bring you a message of hope, and by the grace of God I believe that it will lead us to a brighter tomorrow.

Today, the consequences of the retrogressive and repressive policies of this PDP government by commission or omission has inadvertently, created a broader space for the emergence of an effective opposition - a key ingredient of a vibrant democracy. A pointer to this is the conditions that have lead to the near tsunami-like exodus from PDP to APC.

I have always believed that our democracy must be built on a party politics of inclusiveness, politics that is embraced by all Nigerians- not some Nigerians. For some of us, it is non-negotiable that our politics must be one based on the rule of law, morality, the principles of public trust and fairness, and most importantly delivering policies that transform the lives of the people we serve.

For most of us, it was no longer viable to expect the barest minimum for the people of Nigeria under the PDP. It became inexplicable to promote democracy within a party where these principles and issues must be entrenched, hence, the resolve of the tectonic shift in our political base.

This is the premise on which some of us in 2013 left PDP and have since joined APC. This decision though hard was made inevitable by what we saw as the irreconcilable division in the PDP - a party that lacked any semblance of internal democracy; a party that acted without impunity; a party that did not deliver for the people and the country; and a party that threatened to return our country to authoritarianism. Our decision to leave was one borne out of the desire to say no to military democracy and say yes to representative democracy.

As a result I believe the dream of an effective opposition has now been born and the hope of a new dawn of a better, fairer, and more prosperous Nigeria where the wealth of our nation is shared equitably with and for all, now has the potential to become a reality.

My hope is that we will have a vibrant opposition party capable of keeping the party in government accountable on behalf of the people of Nigeria. This I believe is the yearning of every well-meaning Nigerian; and I join them in the belief that Nigeria will be better in 2014 and beyond.

However, I am also convinced that change will only happen if we collectively say no to leadership by selection, leadership by ethnic divide, authority by clannish identity and religious divide. This is what we must stand for. This must be the foundation on which a strong vibrant and fair democratic Nigeria can be realized.

In 2013 we witnessed incidences that collectively shook us. Incidences that were designed to change our way of life and deny us our well won liberty and freedom. But from the ashes of the despair posed by these events, especially the recent religious, ethnic and political uprisings, we will emerge in 2014 more resilient and determined that this country will never die!

Let's all come together and work harder to reinvent our Nigeria and make it great again. Let's re-dedicate ourselves to the work that lies ahead of us. Let's in our areas of influence continue to play our part to move our country in the right direction, even in the face of political intimidation and harassment.

I especially call on you to join hands with us at the senate, and the Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology in particular, to push for a better Nigerian environment and economy in 2014. Remarkable achievement has been made by introducing some important bills on the floor of the National Assembly; chiefly among them is the NOSDRA BILL now in its 3rd reading on the floor of the Senate and ultimately, in the previous year the motion on the fuel subsidy scam that exposed the shady dealings in the downstream sector, which was one of the driving forces of the Federal Governments transformation in 2013.

Today, by virtue of that singular act there has been a reduction in public spending on oil subsidy payments from N2.2 trillion in 2011 to N971 billion last year, saving country an additional N1.2 trillion that can be injected into the economy to provide basic infrastructure and other amenities.

In 2013, the ‪#‎SaveBagega‬ Campaign is arguably one of the biggest social media advocacies i have witnessed in recent times. People from different ethnic and political affiliation came together in unison to prevail on government to secure fund for the remediation exercise in Bagega Zamfara State where 1500 Children neglected two years ago were screened and admitted into the lead poisoning programme. This initiative has brought many other spirited campaigns to limelight in order to ease the sufferings of the masses.

All we need as a people is to focus on the things that bind us together in unity. I urge those fanning the embers of disunity and rancour within the country to the detriment of a larger majority for their selfish reasons to desist from such acts.

As we prepare to celebrate our 100-year centenary anniversary of Nigeria’s existence as a nation, I have no doubt, the year 2014 will undoubtedly bring in new promises as well as challenges. However I am confident that our tolerance, strength, and good spirit will give us the necessary momentum to triumph and achieve greater success for our country and our people.

I look forward to a rewarding 2014 and beyond for all Nigerians at home and in the Disapora.

On behalf of my family and the good people of Kwara Central, I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year.

@BUKOLASARAKI’S DEFECTION KILLS PDP IN KWARA — FORMER CPC BOSS

Alhaji Sulaiman Buhari is the former chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State. In this interview with our correspondent in Ilorin, he argues that the defections of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and former Governor Bukola Saraki to APC have ended the supremacy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. Excerpt:

How will you describe the recent political development in the country as regards the defection of five PDP governors to APC?

It is a very good development and it is good for our democracy. This is the time that Nigeria is practicing democracy. What is happening now would challenge the government in power to sit up. The merger has created a veritable alternative for the ruling party. So it is a good development for our country.

As a chieftain of APC in Kwara State, how do you see the defection of the state governor and his predecessor to your party?

It is also a very good development as far as I am concerned. It is good for Kwara democracy. It is a good development for my party to receive new PDP members. What we are struggling for is to be in power and God has just done it without going to the poll and made the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state the ruling party. It is a good development for the party and the people of Kwara state in general.

How do you plan to manage this success? Do you think it would be possible for APC to retain power in 2015?

It is very possible. I think 2015 election is not going to be very difficult anymore. We are the main opposition party in the state and for them coming to APC, what should be paramount to all of us is the interest of Kwara. So whatever be the struggle, the interest of Kwarans remains sacrosanct and we must not compromise that. Now that the governor and his predecessor have seen themselves as part of progressives, definitely Kwara is going to benefit from it because this is a party that has agenda, you can see what is going on in other APC states: the rapid development taking place. So the merger is going to be beneficial to the people of Kwara.

What of those who remain in PDP, don’t you see them as a threat to APC’s continuous ruling of Kwara, or are you saying there is no PDP again in the state?

Who is the PDP in the state? Is it not the governor and Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki? Those are the PDP. Once they left the party, the PDP is no more in the state. Those who are saying PDP still remains are only deceiving themselves. It is normal as a politician, as a political party, even if you are dying, you would continue to tell people that you are not dying.
Besides, those who remain in PDP, most of them are not sincere. Everybody is struggling, “OK, PDP is in government at the national level, let me remain in PDP to have appointment”.
If they really have the interest of Kwarans at mind, they should let us come together and see how things can be done, how things can be put in a very good shape in Kwara.

But some APC members are not happy with the merger; they are saying that they are not adequately consulted by the national leadership before accepting the new entrants. What is your reaction to that?

Who is that in the APC of today that is greater than we, the legacy chairmen? And as a former CPC chairman, we are satisfied; we are well consulted, well updated, the same thing with ANPP chairman. We passed the message to all our followers. As far as we are concerned, as far as our members are concerned, we are happy with what the leadership of APC is doing. For me I know that I would lose my position as party chairman, but it is not about being a party chairman, we are doing it for the common interest of the masses. So we were well consulted, we were informed. They called us for a meeting in Abuja, we went and we called our national leaders who updated us and gave us necessary information.

Some APC members are said to be planning to join PDP, are you aware of that?

That is political propaganda. Few days ago, we held series of meetings and I am telling you that none of our members is planning to leave the party. They are all committed to the struggle and they are ready to remain in the party. It is a lie that some people are not comfortable with what is happening in APC and they want to leave, it is all rumour. We are all comfortable with the merger of new PDP with APC in Kwara State.
Let’s assume there are those who want to leave, would you say from your own point of view that it is in their best interest to leave?
This is a political party, this is not religion. You can be in APC today and tomorrow you find yourself in PDP. The G5 governors were in one party before. Buhari was in ANPP, he left ANPP to CPC. That is just it. Those who want to leave may have one or two reasons or the other or they might think they would have opportunity in PDP. That is politics. It cannot be because some people are coming to join. If they have the interest of this state in mind, I don’t think they have any reason to leave.

So what prospect do you envisage for the merger?

I hope good things are going to happen because this is a progressive party. We have agenda. You can see what the progressive governors are doing. There is rapid development in APC states and we are going to replicate the same thing in Kwara State. You can see that the new PDP merged with APC because they fell in love with what is happening in our states and they want to share in the ideology of the progressive governors. I am assuring the people of Kwara State that they are going to witness a lot of development with this merger. He (Kwara state governor) is going to embark on massive developmental projects.

What advice do you have for your members?

My advice for our members, especially those of us in APC before the merger, is that they should remain in the party, see themselves as landlords and they should believe that this is a Kwara project, not Saraki’s project, not former CPC project. If truly we believe in making Kwara better, we should remain and join hand with the present government.

#‎COMPARE A SICK YAR'ADUA & A #‎HEALTHY JONATHAN. In 3 years a sick YAR'ADUA; created Ministry of Niger-delta, amnesty restored peace in the Niger-delta, he did not blame militancy on
anybody, he withdrew the refineries sold to cronies (Otedola, Dangote etc), he reduced fuel from N70 to N65, he uphold rule of law by not influencing judiciary, he set the machinery for a credible elections.
In 4 years a healthy JONATHAN; increase fuel from N65 to N97, bye-bye to rule of law, INEC getting worse, He blamed people for Boko haram, refineries on sale.
A sick Yar'adua and a healthy Jonathan
which one is better?

We have been promised uninterrupted power supply by December 2013. Has that promise been fulfilled? There was promise to generate 5000MW by December 2012 but it never happened. There was also the promise to generate 6000MW by June 2013 but never happened. All we have been hearing is complain about witches and wizards attacking gas pipelines.

OBJ vs GEJ: Jonathan’s Response Shallow, Disappointing — Northern Elders

Barely 24 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan replied his predecessor Olusegun Obajanjo, the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, has expressed disappointment with Jonathan's response to the issues raised by the former President.

The NEF lamented that Jonathan adopted what it called 'pedestrian approach' to addressing the core issues raised by Obasanjo and ended up creating more tension in Nigeria than what his predecessor's letter had generated.

"We feel highly disappointed by the tone and contents of Mr. President's response to Obasanjo's letter," Secretary General of the NEF, Prof Ango Abdullahi, commented on Jonathan's move.

NEF representatives blasted Jonathan for him not taking time to explain to Nigerians whether he had fulfilled the electoral promises he made to the nation and whether in his view, he had made the country better than he met it on assumption of duty.

Moreover, Abdullahi claimed that Jonathan should sum up courage as the current leader to address the germane issues raised in the letter so that the country could move forward.

He noted that the country was going through a complicated period in its political history and that Jonathan should take reasonable steps to arrest the drift rahter than pretend that everything was fine.

Abdullahi also said that it would have been better for Jonathan to keep quiet over the Obasanjo letter than offer a lame reply, which in the main, shies away from the bone of contention.

He stated the following:

"By the response given by Jonathan to the Obasanjo's letter, the impression seems to be that Jonathan lacks a clear understanding of the major problems facing the country and does not seem to appreciate the innocuous admonition given him by Obasanjo in his letter.

"Our simply and innocuous advice to Mr. President is to use the remaining part of his tenure to find answers to the raging problems facing Nigeria and desist from acting as if all is well with the nation.

"If Mr. President does not know or the people around him have shielded him from knowing, the truth remains that Nigeria is drifting and its citizens in dire need of a leadership that can take them to the next level."

We Can’t Declare APC Members Seats Vacant – INEC Replies PDP

Pressure mounted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on INEC to declare the seats of the 37 Reps who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has met with rebuff from the commission.
The embattled Chairman of the party, Bamanga Tukur, the National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo, and the National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon, had signed a letter asking INEC to immediately conduct elections into the affected constituencies following the defection of its members to the APC.
But INEC has told the PDP that it is not within its powers to take such an action:
“Honestly…it is not the job of INEC to take such a decision. INEC is not the one to declare seats of elected public office holders vacant. That is not what the law says and I can tell you that INEC is not going to do that.”
Speaking to The Nation on the matter, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Kayode Idowu, said it is not the duty of the commission to declare the seats of lawmakers vacant in whatever circumstance.
Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, was quoted in a newspaper interview that the PDP had written to INEC and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, to declare the seats of the 37 Reps vacant.

SARAKI, A DIGITAL POLITICAL LEADER

With the emergence of Abdulfatah Ahmed as the Governor of Kwara State after the 2011 general elections, a systematic hand-over of SARAKI political dynasty from late DR ABUBAKAR OLUSOLA SARAKI to DR. ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI was obviously completed.

And just like what late DR ABUBAKAR OLUSOLA SARAKI said after one of the popular and confusing elections in the history of the state so far, ‘I am not a loser like some great politicians who had nobody to hand over to’, even though his daughter, SENATOR RUKAYAT GBEMISOLA SARAKI was involved in the whole game and drama.
Just like the late political icon, SENATOR ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI has continued to uphold the vision of the dynasty as an instrument of unity, good governance, development, prosperity and progress of Kwara and Nigeria at large.
As a selfless leader, just like late DR. ABUBAKAR OLUSOLA SARAKI, he has continued to lighten the burden of the people, ensuring freedom, encouraging good governance and giving hope to the less privileged.
Before now, that was when the late political icon was in charge of it all in Kwara state, the popular question was ‘Who succeeds, SARAKI?
The question was, beyond anything, an academy exercise on the political plans of Kwara State after the former Waziri of Ilorin might have retired or have completed his course.
Conscious attempts were then made to distinguish between SARAKI as the Waziri of Ilorin or as the political kingmaker, or better still, as the customary philanthropist.
Many believed that OLUSOLA the kingmaker of Kwara polities would be very difficult to replace. Then, SARAKI’S place as the political kingmaker has attracted the extremes of emotions both from friends and enemies.
No other leader caused likely sparks in the political terrain of this great nation during the reigns of late DR. ABUBAKAR OLUSOLA SARAKI.
When he’s not leading the Senate; he’s changing the political leadership of Kwara to his own taste. But that question, ‘Who succeeds Saraki’ has been answered. The successor is Senator (DR.) ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI. He is not doubt, a worthy successor and a trustworthy leader.
SENATOR ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI is operating though, on a faster lane… on a different wave length… and the systematic change of baton during the 2011 elections was absolutely a switch from analogue to digital type of politics.
His takeover of the dynasty and the gradually unfolding scenario is proving doubting Thomases wrong. He has no doubt proven that he has truly answered that question people kept asking some years back.
Leadership is all about selflessness, about sacrifice, collectiveness and togetherness, which all bothers on making everybody relevant, as SENATOR ABUBAKAR BUKOALA SARAKI has continued to do.
During his eight years reign as the governor of Kwara State, he opened the minds of people to numerous possibilities and realities of total development and the resultant advancement, both physically and otherwise, has lifted the state to an enviable height.
Under SENATOR ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI as governor, Kwara State witnessed tremendous human and physical development that has brought it to the mainstream of commercial class in Nigeria. In agriculture, aviation, education, health, sports as well as other sectors, Kwara today ranks among the best.
Just like late DR. ABUBAKAR OLUSOLA SARAKI, since making his debut into politics, always sought relevance and when you feel he’s finished in the game, he bounces back on the scene of relevance like an acrobat. Just like late SARAKI, there is much to BUKOLA SARAKI that his political opponents are willing to concede. Think of how he beats his opponents in the game… his intelligence, ability to think beyond ordinary… definitely, a leader must prove that ability to lead… he has continued to do just that.
A leader must also lead no matter whose ox is gored. As a leader, what has continued to keep SENATOR ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI above board, just like late DR ABUBAKAR OLUSOLA SARAKI was his maturity, even in the face of provocations and other challenges.
A leader thinks less of himself, but what would benefit the generality of his followers. That was why before the 2003 elections that brought in DR. ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI as governor of Kwara State, late DR ABUBAKAR OLUSOLA SARAKI and his followers dumped All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), all in desperate search for relevance and comfort zone.
That gamble really paid off. And that was the same scenario currently unfolding, with the defection of DR. BUKOLA SARAKI and his people from PDP to All Progressives’ Alliance (APC), all in the name of searching for relevance and comfort zone.
And just like it happened with the late Saraki, when some of his followers thought otherwise, it’s now happening again. But a leader who has a vision will always think and plan beyond pettiness, beyond sentiment, beyond sectionalism and beyond name calling.
But if they did not succeed with late SARAKI then, why would they succeed now? This is because, they have at one time or the other, benefitted from what they are criticising today, and just like former PDP Secretary in the State, Prince Yemi Afolayan said, nobody succeeds after biting the fingers that fed him or her.
According to Afolayan, the so-called ‘rebel’ members are zero in politics individually and collectively. ‘They are failures, he had said.
And just like it happened then with the late political icon, some of them came back, to re-trace their steps, when their bids failed.
The handwriting is definitely on the wall for the wise to comprehend. Time will tell.

OBASANJO EMBRACES APC

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday openly threw his weight behind the All Progressives Congress when some national leaders and governors of the APC visited him, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Our correspondent gathered that the APC leaders at the meeting solicited Obasanjo’s support for the party in the forthcoming elections.
The visitors started arriving at Obasanjo’s Hilltop Mansion around 5:22pm. A former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, led APC leaders, including the party’s Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari; former speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari; former Borno State governor, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff; Senator Osita Isunazor; SENATOR BUKOLA SARAKI; Mr. Lai Mohammed to the meeting.
Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State came to the former president’s house in company with the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissioin, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the former minister of aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and others in a convoy of three black jeeps.
Other APC governors at the meeting included Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abdulfattah Ahmed (Kwara), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Senator Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo).
The Chairman of the New PDP, Kawu Baraje led some of his members and the former Kaduna State Chairman, Yero Makama, to the meeting.
Presenting the party chieftains and the APC governors to Obasanjo during the opening of the meeting, Akande said the party was in support of the former president’s 18-page letter to President Goodluck Jonathan.
The APC National Leader, Tinubu who alluded to Obasanjo’s contribution to the building of the Nigerian nation, lamented that the country was divided more than ever.
Apparently referring to Obasanjo’s recent letter to Jonathan, he enjoined the former president not to shy away from speaking the truth.
Tinubu added that the APC had resolved to rescue Nigeria, appealing to Obasanjo to lead the mission.
“You’ve come out of tribulation and held the highest position in this country. We are here because of your courage. Nobody can say he has information more than you. You have surmounted a number of crises. Nigeria is divided more than before; to realise stable Nigeria, we want to encourage you to continue to speak the truth. We’re resolved and determined to rescue Nigeria. We want you as navigator,” he said.
Responding, Obasanjo, who said he remained a card-carrying member of the ruling PDP, described himself as an “incurable optimist” totally committed to Nigeria’s well-being.
He vowed that nothing would distract him from his commitment to the Nigerian nation.
Obasanjo also enjoined the opposition party to play a constructive politics “without bitterness”
The former president said, “I am a card carrying member of the PDP but the politics I play traverses Nigeria, Africa and world in that order. I am a democrat and one of the essential ingredients of democracy is opposition. A democracy that has no opposition built into it is not democracy.
“As an opposition, you are enhancing democracy. You are at home, you are welcome. I will just appeal that the politics you play is politics without rancour, without bitterness, with decency, that has Nigeria at heart. I am an incurable optimist about Nigeria, I am totally committed to Nigeria and nothing will divert me from that commitment.”
At the end of their two-hour meeting, Tinubu, in a chat with newsmen, denied that the APC had come to woo the former president.
He said, “The meeting was not to woo him but to tap from his wealth of political experience.”
One of those present at the meeting, Fani-Kayode told SUNDAY PUNCH that Obasanjo embraced the APC at the meeting. He said, “The ex-president told us that APC has taken the first step in the right direction towards making Nigeria great. It was an excellent meeting.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the PDP and the presidency were futile on Saturday as the spokesmen of the party and presidency could not be reached. Their phones were switched off.

SARAKI HAILS DEFECTION OF 37 REPS


Former Governor of Kwara state and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), SENATOR BUKOLA SARAKI yesterday hailed the defection of 37 members of the House of Representatives to the APC, describing it as a welcome development.
Some lawmakers including all the six Rep members from Kwara State dumped the ruling the PDP for APC on Wednesday.
Speaking at the empowerment programme organised by Rep. Ali Ahmad representing Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency of Kwara state where items worth N100 million were doled out, SARAKI hailed the federal lawmakers from the state for what he called their bold decision to formally dump the PDP.
“What happened in the House of Representatives in Abuja would not have happened without the support and cooperation of members from Kwara State. It is an indication of their acceptability and endorsement in the House”, said SARAKIwho is also a Senator representing Kwara Central.

PDP SENATORS PLAN MASS DEFECTION TO APC

Just three days after 37 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the House of Representatives dumped the the party for All Progressives Congress (APC), many senators elected on the platform of the party at the upper legislative chamber are planning mass defection to the opposition party, Saturday Independent has gathered.
The move according to impeachable sources in the Senate would be finalised by January.
The senators we learnt are buying time pending when discussions will be concluded with the APC caucus leaders at the National Assembly.
Already, according to our sources, the yet to defect senators have been assured of automatic ticket to fly APC flag at the next election as one of the baits to lure them.
We gathered that some of the senators that had indicated interest to dump PDP surprisingly are from some of the states where their governors appeared to be backing the leadership of PDP under Bamagar Tukur and President Goodluck Jonathan’s yet to be declared second term ambition.
Some of the PDP senators (name withheld) confirmed the development.
They also revealed that the Senate President, David Mark, apparently disturbed that he may be consumed by the move, has been sending emissaries to top PDP leaders to appease the senators to stay back in the party.
A senator in one of the South South states confirmed that some of them will be joining APC next year.
“Yes we are leaving PDP. My state is now APC state and I have to move with the tide,” the senator who pleaded for anonymity said.
Former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Senator Adegbenga Kaka, confirmed the plan saying some of the aggrieved PDP senators have made up their mind to team up with APC by January.
According to him: “It is no longer rumour, we are expecting the PDP senators to join our party and those who are bold among them will soon defect to APC by January. The plan will soon be concretised.
“They are talking to us but I can’t confirm to you their numbers yet. They are many. That does not mean that when they join us that we are going to push for change of leadership at the senate. Whichever way, the signals are clear that PDP is going into extinction and Nigerians at all levels are tired of the party. Of course the process is being perfected for early next year,” Kaka said.
In a separate interview, the Interim National Publicity Secretary of APC, LAI MOHAMMED, said his party was eager to receive the PDP senators as soon as possible.
“Our doors are open. We will accommodate them (PDP senators). They will find our party worthy to join. We have no cause to worry about the PDP antics of trying to use court to intimidate those senators not to join us. That will fail. However, we are leaving the discussion to our caucus leaders at the National Assembly to handle. They will advise us better on how to go about it.
“You asked if we are not bothered that it might be an attempt to plant moles to destabilize our party? All I can tell you is that we are always many steps ahead of PDP in terms of reasoning and planning.”

APC ON THE RIGHT TRACK SAYS OBASANJO

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken the first step in the right direction towards making Nigeria great again.
Obasajo stated this on Saturday when he met with leaders and governors of the APC on Saturday evening at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The meeting is said to be in continuation of their consultations on political developments in the country. The APC leaders including of the Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, its National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, SENATOR BUKOLA SARAKI, Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed, Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso(Kano) and Mutala Nyako (Adamawa) drove into Obasanjo’s mansion on Segun Osoba Hill – Top by 5:50pm in convoy.
General Mohammadu Buhari, three – time presidential contestant, arrived Obasanjo home, the venue of what was described as a “high – powered meeting of an equally high powered coalition of progressive forces,” by 5:56pm on Saturday.
Governor Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) who drove himself with Mallam Nasir El – Rufai on the passenger seat, arrived by 5:59pm and followed closely by Governors Abiola Ajimobi(Oyo) and Babatunde Fashola(Lagos).
Few minutes earlier around 5:23pm, a convoy of three jeeps including the one marked Lagos JJJ 956BQ and carrying Chief Femi Fani – Kayode and former Anti – graft Czar, Mr Nuhu NRibadu arrived the venue.
Others attending the meeting are APC Interim Spokesperson, Alh. Lai Mohammed, former Deputy Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Ogun(2011), Mr Tunde Oladunjoye, former Governor of Borno State, Alimodu Sheriff and Bob Effiong.
The Progressive governors and the APC leaders who arrived Abeokuta by noon earlier met with the State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, at the Government House, Isale – Egbein, Abeokuta where they deliberated for hours before proceeding to Obasanjo’s home.

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‘G7 INTACT, BAUCHI, OTHERS TO JOIN APC SOON’

A traditional title holder in the Kano Emirate Council, Alhaji Muhammadu Gambo Danpass, has said that the seven governors (G7) that were hitherto having a running battle with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are still together fighting a common cause.
This he said was despite the fact that two of them, Governors Babangida Aliyu and Sule Lamido of Niger and Jigawa States respectively, failed to announce their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with five others.
It will be recalled that five governors, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto); ABDULFATAH AHMED(Kwara); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State joined the APC recently.
Danpass, in an interview with journalists in Kano, said more of the governors would soon defect to the party to swell its number of states under its control to about 27.
According to him, the Niger and Jigawa State governors are only bidding their time before they would cross-carpet to the party, emphasising that they were still very much intact with the initial group with a common cause as revealed by Governor Aliyu himself during a visit to Kano Government House recently.
“G7 is still intact; they are still together. In fact, we expect more governors to join the train very soon. As you can see, the two governors (Niger and Jigawa) that are yet to declare for the APC would soon do so.
“This is because their followers are pressurising them to do so. They know if they reject the wish of the people, especially their supporters; they would be abandoned.
“Besides, as things are today, there are some states where the governors have not declared for APC, states like Bauchi and Taraba, among others. I believe they would soon do so, because they are naturally APC states”, he affirmed.
The politician hinted that they have commenced their calculations as the APC is expected to have outright majority when the census of governors and their parties are taken as it would boast of 27 governors leaving the rest for others.
Danpass, who headed the Abubakar Rimi Presidential Campaign Organisation for the 2003 general elections, is of the opinion that if this happens; APC is poised to control the centre from Aso Rock in the next dispensation, however, he added that “2014 would make things clearer for everyone.”
He also debunked insinuations that the Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole was unhappy in the APC and would soon decamp to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), adding that the rumour is the handiwork of jobless elements and propagandists as he was still a very strong member of the party.

APC Wins Again As Court Bars Tukur, PDP, INEC From Declaring Defecting Senators, Reps Seats Vacant

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has barred the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, its Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and the Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives from declaring the seats of the defecting federal lawmakers to the All Progressives Congress vacant.

Sitting yesterday, the Presiding Judge, Justice A. R. Mohammed in his ruling Motion on Notice said, "Upon the case coming up for hearing of the Plaintiffs Motion on Notice, dated and filed on the 28th day of November, 2013 for order of interlocutory injunction.

"After hearing Tairu Adebayo Esq with A. A. Muhammed Esq, of counsel for the Plaintiffs; henry Micheal-Ihunde Esq with C.P. Nzedebe Esq of counsel for the 1st (Bamanga Tukur) and 4th (PDP) Defendants/Applicants moved in terms of the motion paper; 2nd (Senate President) and 3rd (Speaker, House of Rpresentatives) Defendants have been fully served but absent and not represented in Court by counsel; Abdulaziz Sani Esq with Rahimatu Aminu (Mrs.) Esq and Ibrahim S. Mohammed of counsel for the 5th Defendant/Applicant (INEC).

"It is hereby ordered as follows: The 2nd and 3rd Defendants should be asked to maintain status quo on any proposed deliberation to declare the seats of the affected and interested Plaintiffs vacant, at least, pending the hearing and determination of the Plaintiffs motion for interlocutory injunction."

The Judge directed the parties and in particular the 2nd and 3rd Defendants to maintain status quo on any proposed deliberation to declare the seats of the affected/interested Plaintiffs in the suit vacant pending the hearing and determination of the motion.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had applied to a Federal High Court in Abuja for an order declaring the seats of the five governors who defected from the ruling party to the All Progressive Congress (APC) vacant.

But in a bid to save their seats 22 Senators and 57 members of House of Representatives who were aggrieved members of the PDP approached the federal High Court to stop declaration of their seat vacant.

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BARAJE, SARAKI HAIL REPS DEFECTION TO APC

A former acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, and Chairman, Senate Committee on Ecology and Environment, DR ABUBAKAR SARAKI, on Thursday hailed the defection of 37 members of the House of Representatives from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress.
Baraje and SARAKI, who had defected to the APC, said the defection was good for democracy and would ensure good governance in the country.
They spoke during the empowerment programme of a member representing Ilorin East and South Federal Constituency, Dr. Ali Ahmad.
Baraje, who urged Nigerians to remain law abiding and avoid taking the laws into their hands, said more PDP members and the representatives would still defect to APC.
“I am happy with the defection of some members of the House of Representatives from the People Democratic Party to the All
Progressives Congress. More members of the PDP and the Reps will also defect to the APC,” he said.
SARAKI said Rep members from Kwara State played prominent role in the defection of the lawmakers. He commended them for good representation of their people.
Ahmad, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Justice and one of the defectors, said it was imperative to address unemployment in the country.
He stated that he invested over N100m in the empowerment programme. He claimed that no fewer than 15,000 people, including about 10,000 youths as wells as traders, artisans and people in other economic sectors would be both direct and indirect beneficiaries of the empowerment programme.
“I am giving out 10 cars which cost N1.5m each. We have 50 deep freezers, 50 motor bikes and other empowerment tools. There is also the information and communication centre. So I am investing close to N100m in this empowerment,” Ahmad said.

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Ilorin‘s Aviation College to close manpower gaps – Minister

Minister of aviation, Princess Stella Oduah has described the training of airline pilots at the International Aviation College ( IAC), Ilorin , Kwara State as one of the steps that will close the gap of manpower needs in the aviation sector.

Speaking at the graduation of the first set of nine pilots by the Kwara State owned International Aviation College, she said the investment on human capacity development by the state government is a response to the aviation road map put in place by government to fix deficiencies in the aviation sector.

Oduah who was represented at the graduation ceremony by the managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN), Mr George Uriesi , urged other state governments to emulate the steps of Kwara State to build the aviation industry by embarking in projects that will generate endless employment opportunities for Nigerians.

She lauded efforts by the Kwara State government in investing in manpower development for the aviation sector, which she said will transcend the nation's boundaries .

She said: " It is noteworthy to appreciate the efforts of state and local governments and other organizations that have sponsored young Nigerians at this college and encourage others to join hands to build an aviation industry that will generate endless employment opportunities for Nigerians and contribute to the economic development of the country."

Also speaking, the state governor Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed urged the Federal Government to continue to support the International Aviation College, Ilorin to enable it consolidate its leading role as a foremost centre for the training of pilots for the West African sub region.

Ahmed described the training of pilots at the college as one of the steps that will bridge manpower gap in the sector.

He spoke of plans to sustain the standard of training in the college, affirming that Kwara State government is committed to the aerotropolis project initiated by government.

Ahmed urgeurged the minister of aviation to speed up the construction of a cargo terminal at the Ilorin Airport, a project he said will accelerate the pursuit of a hub status for the airport.

He said: "As the aviation industry expands, more pilots will be needed. This explains why we will continue to invest in this college to boost capacity for the aviation industry."

He spoke of plans to expand infrastructure in the college with the construction of additional hostel, an aircraft hangar and a workshop for aircraft repairs next year.

He said the state government was working on partnership to introduce additional aeronautical engineering and management courses for the college at the state university.

In his remarks, the chairman of the college board, Captain Edward Boyo described the graduation of the first set of pilots as a milestone for the industry, as the pilots concluded their programme in sixteen months .

He called on the state government to assist the college with the acquisition of more trainer aircraft to boost its growth.

Also speaking, the chief of air staff, Alex Badeh, said the College has contributed significantly in the training of pilots who are critical in the security of the country.

He said the college has trained about 25 officer, as a foremost institution that deserves to listed as the best aviation training institution in Africa.

In his remarks, the director general of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), Captain Fola Akinkuotu urged the college to maintain the highest standard of safety ,so that the entire industry will benefit.

He said :" The college must stay on the standard and imbibe a culture of safety. The college must inculcate safety culture in the students as it is training pilots. The managers of the college must try to improve on safety standards."

BUKOLA SARAKI TO HAND-PICK KWARA APC CHAIR – LAI MOHAMMED

APC leaders and members across the sixteen local government areas of Kwara state got the shocker of their lives penultimate Monday, when the Party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed revealed that the national leadership of the APC of which he is a prominent part had given MR BUKOLA SARAKI and Mr. Fatai Ahmed the unfettered power to single-handedly handpick the chairman of the APC in the state.
‘You all must have read of a purported agreement between the APC leadership and the G5 Governors of the PDP. Well, I am assuring you today that there is no iota of truth about it. Whoever tells you that he is in possession of such an agreement papers should be challenged to bring it forth. The only agreement we have with the defecting Governors is that they are going to enjoy similar privileges like the original APC Governors. And what is the privilege? It is that they are going to single-handedly produce the Chairman of the APC in the state they govern. So does that amount to handling over of the party structure to the governor?’ Mr. Lai asked rhetorically.
Mr. Lai, who stated this at his private residence along Pipeline road in Ilorin, during an interactive session with existing APC members in the state, said the clarifications became necessary in order to debunk the insinuations that the national leadership of the party had ceded the party state structures to the G5 governors who defected into the APC from their former party, the PDP. He denied that there was any Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the APC and the defecting governors of the PDP as speculated in a section of the media, and challenged any media house that has any such document to produce it for the public.
E-kwara correspondent, who monitored the event, observed that the disclosure was spontaneously greeted with murmurs of disapproval and disappointment by the mass of supporters who had gathered at his residence as early as 10am Monday morning. Instead of the spontaneous claps of approval that heralded other disclosures from Mr. Lai, the crowd grew suddenly restless and responded disapprovingly.
But perhaps sensing the public show of displeasure by his supporters, Mr. Lai Mohammed quickly reverted and hinted that the work of interim party executives would not be more than the coordination of the party’s membership registration and congresses. Still not done with the damage control, Mr. Lai Mohammed revealed that the interim party structure in the state would only have less than a month to commence and round up its assignment, which according to him is not any much time for any individual to leverage upon politically.
The event was attended by a horde of members and supporters of the Party from across the state. The meeting had in attendance, Mr. Saliu Mustapha, a national chieftain of the Party, Mr. Taiwo Eleja, Alhaji Tunji Buhari, Alhaji Shuaib Sanda, Alhaji Abdullahi Hassada, Mr. Akeem Amao and a host of other big names in the Kwara APC.

A nairalander wrote : If you blame APC for handling the party platform to Saraki, it means you are a PDP tools, any party willing to win an election must do what he knows best to win it, Jonathan set Bode George which you and i knows that is an ex convict free in order to use him as a distabilizer in Lagos and also against OBJ, Jonathan free Alamesiya from jail, Al Mustafa from prison, Stella Odua is working freely on the street, subsidy probe indictment theives are walking freely ,he is doing all this to win 2015 election, he is encouraging curruption in order to win 2015. My question is ,do you want APC to fold their hands and watch while 2015 is drawing close? The answer is NO, they've to use their common sense to achieve a result.

MY DISCUSSION WITH TUKUR –SARAKI

A Former Governor and chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Kwara State, SENATOR ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI at the weekend in Ilorin said he advised the embattled Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur to avoid any unnecessary conflict with his state governor after his election as party chairman.
SENATOR SARAKI who made this disclosure while explaining what necessitated their move to the All Progressive Congress (APC) to party members at the monthly interaction held at Ile-Arugbo, GRA, Ilorin, said rather than find ways of harmonious relationship with his state governor, Tukur embarked on a journey of vindictiveness dissolving one state's exco to another.
SENATOR SARAKI traced the dictatorial tendency and resort to unilateral decisions to undue intervention of the PDP National Executive council led by its Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur in the internal affairs of State chapters, particularly in Adamawa and Rivers States and lack of confidence in the ability of the Tukur led executive to uphold the sanctity of the Peoples interest as some of the reasons for dumping the party.
The Senator told his supporters that the defection to the APC was necessitated by the need to sustain the collective interest of the people of the State and not out of selfish interest.
SENATOR SARAKI urged party supporters to turn out enmass when the registration of APC members begins next year so that they could be stakeholders in the transformation of Nigeria for good.
Citing the non reinstatement of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the authentic party secretary despite a court judgement to that effect, Governor of Kwara State, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed, in his address to the people said PDP had become retrogressive and devoid of respect for the rule of law.
The Governor promised the people that in the new year his administration will create 6,000 new jobs for the youths in the State.

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@Bukolasaraki, @Governor_Ahmed, others declare for APC

The media had been flooded with news of G-5 governors deserting nPDP and joining forces with APC thereby making the former a minority in terms of numbers.

Today, the Distinguished Senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki alongside the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed has openly declared for APC.

Speaking today at the party’s monthly meeting, Governor Ahmed said the merger became necessary due to the lack of unity and one voice in the leadership of PDP as preferential treatments were being given to some section of the party.

He added that in about a month’s time, 6000 youths would be gainfully employed as a result of the tangible effort that has been put in place by the State Government.

Senator Bukola Saraki also said the move to APC was born out of selfless sacrifice for the State and the Nation as a whole. The need for fresher pastures was to ensure that Kwara State remains relevant in the helms of the country’s government.

He then urged all the faithful supporters to ensure they register in the forthcoming APC registration that would commence and to co-operate with the new party.

The suit by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) asking a Federal High Court in Abuja to sack the G5 Governors for defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been dismissed as an exercise in futility. “The suit is laughable and betrays the ignorance of the PDP leadership about the laws of the land. It is also a further demonstration of the impunity

associated with PDP in its disdain for democracy and due process,” erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of New PDP, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, said in a statement issued this afternoon in Abuja.

Eze quoted relevant sections of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution to prove that the seats of the affected governors, namely, Alhaji Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Alhaji Magatakarda Wamakko (Sokoto), Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Alhaji Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara), are safe.

His words: “For the education of the confused PDP leadership and its legal team, there is no danger of any of our Governors losing their seats as made clear by sections 68(1)(g) and 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) in relation to the status of members of a legislative house (state and national) who defect from the political parties from which they were elected to join another political party.

“The wordings of the aforesaid sections are in agreement with those of sections 64(1)(g) of the 1979 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria given judicial interpretation by the Supreme Court in the case of FEDECO Vs Goni (1983) FNR 203. This case was argued by the best legal minds of that era (Chief FRA Williams SAN and GOK Ajayi SAN). The court held that such a member keeps his seat if his defection is as a result of a division or split in his party.

“G5 Governors must be commended and congratulated for standing against the draconian and undemocratic acts of PDP and should go about their normal business as both PDP and its sponsors lack the power to sack any of them. This as well covers all members of the National Assembly who desire to join the Aso Rock-bound train (APC) come 2015.”

Eze said it was not debatable that PDP is crisis-ridden, thus guaranteeing that none of its members who defects can be punished as a result. He quoted and attached a recent letter by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voiding the suspension of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje and Dr. Sam Sam Jaja as proof that PDP is in crisis.

The letter signed by INEC’s Secretary, Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu, was dated November 25, with reference number INEC /EPM/PDP/02/024/Vol.T/161 and titled: ‘Re: Suspension of Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Ambassador Ibrahim Karaure from the PDP”. The letter, addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, reads: “This is to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated November 12, 2013 informing the commission on the suspension of four members of your party.

“The commission notes that some of the individuals so suspended held positions covered by the provisions of section 85(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and that no notice of the meeting which approved their suspension was provided to the commission. “Accordingly, the records of the commission does not reflect the process and composition of the meeting that approved the suspension of the individuals, as such, the commission cannot establish an informed position on the matter “Please accept the commission’s highest regard and consideration.”

Eze supported INEC’s position by quoting Section 85 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), which states thus: “Every registered political party shall give the commission at least 21 days notice of any convention, congress, conference or meeting convened for the purpose of electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified under this Act.”

The former New PDP Spokesman accused PDP of mischief for instigating the Houses of Assembly in the affected states to start impeachment proceedings against the defected Governors as being witnessed in Rivers State, where six rebel legislators are desperately trying to impeach Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. He warned PDP to desist from any further act of destabilisation capable of plunging the country into chaos and truncating the country’s hard-won democracy.

In conclusion, Chief Eze asked how come that PDP received Chief TA Orji of Abia State and Chief Ikedi Ohakim former Governor of Imo State that defected from PPA and Alh. Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State who defected from ANPP and joined PDP without declaring their seats vacant. Now that PDP is at the receiving end of the same medicine they administered on others and they are window shopping for ways to have their cakes after devouring them. What a pity as about seven more PDP Governors will be joining APC by the first quarter of 2014 at that time they will be preparing on how to bury PDP formally by 2015

Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze

National Publicity Secretary of the defunct nPDP

In this interview with Sunday Aborisade, a former governor of Kwara State and the Senator representing Kwara-Central Senatorial District, Bukola Saraki, speaks on the crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party


In a political clime like Nigeria where political parties lack ideology, what are the qualities that you see in the All Progressives Congress that make it better than the Peoples Democratic Party you have rejected?

First of all, we must ask ourselves and look at the background, especially of issues we are complaining more about. Over the last few months, we have been asking the party (APC) about the inclusiveness that does not exist in the Peoples Democratic Party. There is the need for a level playing ground and due process; the need to have internal democracy. There cannot be impunity and high handedness and they must abide by the constitution and follow due process. There are many examples of certain things that have happened, starting with the dissolution of the Adamawa State executive of the PDP; suspension of party members that should not have been more than 30 days, among others. In Kwara State, impunity manifested during our local government election. We had started the process of election, we had conducted primaries, and the national body sent representative to oversee the primaries. They also presided over the appeals of the aggrieved aspirants and we all agreed at the end of the day that the cleared candidates after the exercise were those that emerged at the end of the day. But to our horror and shock, 24 hours before the election, a list emerged from the headquarters and was sent to the state Independent National Electoral Commission, containing names of 16 chairmanship candidates and 196 councillors. We asked ourselves, “Where did these names emerge from?” It means that they just sat down and wrote names. We thought that close to 16 years of democracy in Nigeria, this was not the level of democracy we expect of our party. This development really shocked us in the state. This means that in 2014, the choice and the wish of the people may not be guaranteed in determining who represents them at the polls.

What efforts did you make to correct some of these things?

Over three and half months was ample time to resolve these issues but instead of doing the right thing, they were engaging in actions that further made it worse and compounded. Generally, as people in the state, you will now believe that we are not wanted in the party. To me, that is the message that you can get out of the whole thing and it is the time when you are not wanted that you leave. If you are not wanted somewhere as a politician, you leave. Those are the core essence of democracy and party politics.

Are you saying you find internal democracy entrenched in the APC better than in the PDP which you are moving out from?

Well, we have to experience it.

How will you react to the allegation that some of you in the defunct New PDP and G-7 Governors were prosecuting your agenda for selfish reasons?

What is the selfish interest? The selfish interest is to stay in the PDP. It is the government party. It is the comfort zone. It is from where you get patronage because it is in government. What then is selfish interest in what we were doing? It is more of a sacrifice. It is something you have built and lifted to a certain height; it is not easy to just leave just like that. That was why it took several months for us to take the decision. This is more of a sacrifice. Is it easy to take on government? If our struggle was to achieve a selfish end, we would have stayed in the PDP. We know all what we will benefit from government by doing so. We are talking about our people. It is not about an individual. Far from it, it is the opposite.

What if your followers fail to follow you to the APC, don’t you think you might fail in the APC?

How can our followers fail to follow us to the APC? It is not a decision that I unilaterally took. You have to understand how we do politics in Kwara State. It is not a decision that I or few of us sat down and took in Abuja. The choice we made is the decision of the people. We went back home and we said this is our predicament, this is where we are. The last straw that actually broke the camel’s back was the last council election that was conducted in Kwara State. Did I contest in the election? If it was my own election that brought about the protest, and I now forced it on the people then you can say, he is one that is driving the process but when grass-root politicians can see something, it is different. They had nominated Musa Ali as councillor for Akanbi ward four, and they heard later that Abuja had supplemented Ali’s name for Deji Oni. It is not a question of whether the followers would follow us, it is the followers who are saying, “Are we still welcomed in this party?” We had taken decisions at the primaries and had chosen our own candidates and the party in Abuja was doing something else, is this the party we should belong to? At that stage, there was nothing we could do. So, we are being driven by the choices of the people.It is not us taking a position. That question does not arise in Kwara State, it could be the case in other states but not so in Kwara.

Would your late father, Senator Olusola Saraki, while alive, have considered joining the APC notwithstanding the alleged injustice in the PDP, if he were in your shoes?

Yes. You will remember in his time, at one time, we were in the All Nigeria Peoples Party before we went to the PDP. We have been through this before and that is why people will tell you in Kwara that the current development is not new to us. We were in the ANPP and we went to the PDP when there was injustice. PDP, at that time, was a minority party but when we took over, it became the majority party. You will find in Kwara State, again this time around, that the APC would become the majority party.

Since you defected to the APC, what has been the views of your late father’s political associates like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and Alhaji Arisekola-Alao, among others?

This is a Kwara State issue; you are talking of an event of how many weeks ago? We have not gone outside Kwara to seek advice and opinions of people. I don’t know their comments. This is not the decision of an individual. We should all try to know that why we have been able to sustain a machinery like this is because our political structure is built around our people. It is not built around any individual. Kwara politics is about people. It is the people at the grass-roots level that determine and dictate to us the direction that we are going. We are serving the people. If they are now saying, ‘Oga, we no longer wanted in this party, this is where we are no going,’ I will agree with them. We will not go to other states and be seeking opinions; it is our own people who have the final say.

What is the problem with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum which you once headed as the chairman?

Unfortunately, I think that there has been too much external interference in the affairs of the forum and I think people sometimes misread what the forum is about and sometimes perceive it to be a forum that must be dismantled or weakened. The forum has positive values. Development is only seen through the mirror of politics. It is not all about politics. The forum was set up as a peer review mechanism; as a way of improving governance at the state level. That is to say, if Cross River State has a very good educational policy, Zamfara, Kwara and Kaduna can come in and share in that value. And by so doing, the people are better served. That is what the forum is all about. But, unfortunately, some people do not see it that way. Rather, they believe that it is about politics and power. If you look at the positive contributions that the forum has made in the political development of Nigeria, these people will not express such fears, which are misrepresentations of what the forum stands for. Instead of interference, if the governors are alone, they will resolve their issue because it is a voluntary organisation. People were not forced to join. Leave them alone, they will resolve their problems.

How will you describe the roles played by Governor Jonah Jang in the whole saga?

I don’t really see any role he played. The damage had been done before he was brought into the fore. I think and hope that they will still find an avenue to resolve the problem because I believe that the institution should survive beyond this time. As we all know, an election was held and it was clear that the governor from Rivers State won. Whatever the politics that happened before the election; whether some people promised to vote but did not vote; some signed and swore that they will vote for a particular candidate but at the end of the day, they did not vote; that is a different issue. Those issues do not matter. What matters is, at the end of the day, what was the result of the vote? The Rivers State Governor won. What they needed to have done was to reach a compromise. They will now go back to the table and say in the interest of everybody, this is what we will do. Even now, I still believe that there is room for compromise. Yes, Governor Amaechi won but there is no doubt that there are issues and crisis, and I think they can still give and take. Either you allow the man to finish his term or ask him to spend half of the term and go. There must be compromises here and there in the interest of the institution. I am sure that there will be progress, if they look at that direction and are prepared to do that because it is a legacy that they will all want to leave behind. They must find a solution. Amaechi won the election about a year ago now. My take is that if the crisis is not resolved, the damage it will do will be greater. There is an argument that we didn’t conduct election in the past. Yes but the constitution provides for it. It is agreed that a time will come when we will do election and if the election is held, it must be respected. If there are still issues after that, then there should be give and take in finding solution to that.

What are your views on the PDP Governors Forum?

As a party, there is nothing wrong about that. The only reason why we used to combine both the chairmanship of the NGF and that of the PDPGF was for administrative convenience because it is easier for you to administer that way and there is no problem with that. Also, there is nothing wrong with having a PDPGF chairman, once the reason for it is for good intentions. There is nothing wrong with that.

What can you foresee about the 2015 general elections?

Generally, the major issue is that as a country, we must ensure that we have a transparent, free and fair election. That is the greatest challenge before all of us, both the politicians and, especially, INEC. That is the main issue. INEC must live up to the expectations of Nigerians and the international community. The danger is not being able to have a transparent election that is free, acceptable and representative of the real wishes of the people. That is the major challenge. The other issues that are happening at the party levels are secondary. The parties will resolve their problems and if they fail to resolve their problems, the people will leave them and join other parties of their choice. What is the greatest danger to our democracy is being unable to have a credible election much better than the one we recently had in Anambra State, which INEC itself admitted was not perfect. Ekiti and Osun states (governorship) elections are coming up, I hope INEC will not have cause to give excuses again. INEC should build back the confidence of the people in elections. There is the issue of voter card largely unresolved. There must be proper logistics planning before the next general elections. Once we can have a free and transparent election, I believe that is the number one issue before all of us.

Why do you think governors fail to conduct local government elections in their states?

I cannot speak for other governors but throughout my eight-year-tenure as governor of Kwara State, we conducted local government elections as and at when due. My successor too has been conducting elections as at when due. In other states, I don’t really know the challenges they are facing.

Do you have any advice for them, based on your experience in Kwara.

The wish of the people is the most important and we must try and ensure that we build institutions and ensure that we follow and respect the provisions of the constitution.

You recently advocated for the declaration of a state of emergency in the labour market. Why?

What we are saying, basically, is that whenever we go about, interacting with the people, one of the major challenges that keep confronting us is the issue of unemployment. In as much as I say that Kwara has one of the lowest records of unemployed youths in the country, if we still have one or two cases, it is still a problem that any responsible government must take seriously, especially when the youth account for about 70 per cent of the population of the country. We should address it aggressively with passion, as something that is urgent. We must devise our own approach to tackle it. What we did by having that summit is that we considered the needs of the people. We are stressing the need to promote entrepreneurship, find out whether the youths have the skills. If they don’t, can we partner with some of the institutions that can provide them with some of the skills? If they have the skills already but lack capital, we would walk into some of the banks and co-operatives to ask ‘what can my constituency office do to help?’ We will now engage the government to see what we can do. The state was able to make some commitments by pledging to provide 500 new jobs in the area of those that will be employed under KWABECH and also about 4000 in vocational training. In all, about 6,000 people could be employed based on the approach we have designed in the next 60 days. That is what I meant by emergency declaration in the employment sector, which will help significantly to reduce unemployment among our youths.

What is your next move after 2015?

You can see how active we are in 2013; I think 2015 is still a long way to go. We have many challenges — we are building a new party in Kwara, we are addressing the issue of working towards ensuring that there are free, fair, transparent and credible elections. We are working on our assignment at the Senate in the area of environment, especially issues of flooding, degradation and many others. All these are keeping us busy and challenged that I think that to start talking of something two years ahead is really not what is paramount to us now.

There appears to be sharp division among your major party members in Kwara State. Again, the problem between you and Abdulraheem Oba, who is aggrieved that you did not support his re-nomination as Chairman of the Federal Character Commission has again deepened the crisis with some of them threatening now that they would not allow you to have your way in the Kwara State politics anymore, how would you react to this?

I don’t want to comment on some of the questions but I learnt something from my old man in politics. He would say ‘let us meet at the poll.’ Politics is about people and, like I said, we have a big family. Sometimes, people will stay with you, sometimes, due to one or two reasons, some people will go but posterity will judge us. It is a pity that you are here in Abuja, if you were a correspondent in Kwara State, you will not ask me that question because you will know the reality on ground.

There are insinuations that your relationship with your state governor is sour and that you are likely not to support him for another term in office. How true is this?

Like I said earlier, I will not want to comment on some of these issues. A time will come when we will comment on this kind of issue. I can tell you that I have a very good relationship with my state governor because I believe that if we are successful in Kwara State in showing that somebody can take over after you, then you can have a cordial relationship for the development of the state. As I said, it is only in Kwara State that Senator Shaaba Lafiagi who is a former governor; myself, a former governor and Fatai Ahmed is a governor, attend functions together. There is no acrimony; nothing and I see no reason why it should be. And again, I think we are showing a model and I pray it works for me or for him, and I think this will in a long way to helping development.

Would you attribute some of the noticeable absence of good relationship between you and some of your loyalists to the absence of your father?

I have said it that there is no problem in the politics of the state

But you acknowledged that there were some divisions earlier.

I said one or two. Look at those that supported us, we still have 99 per cent of the support in the state; we are still one big family. We just conducted local government election. The state Assembly members are intact; the council chairmen and 196 councillors are intact. The traditional rulers’ support is there. There was a transition, even in the life time of my father, there was a process and it prepared us for this day to continue what he used to do, it is difficult for me to talk. I would have preferred this kind of meeting to be back in Ilorin, when you spend an evening with us there and those of you that know what it used to be at his time and begin to see that the institution is being sustained, then you e what I am talking about here. So what you are seeing from some of the elders are for selfish reasons and they are local issues. I don’t what to respond to them. Those that will respond to them will do that. But I can tell you that majority of the people are still with us, those that followed Baba are still together. and that is why we keep telling people that anyway, anytime, we will deliver in Kwara State.

Would you say your father’s shoe is too big for you?

Yes, his shoe is too big to step into because he has a large heart. You cannot train somebody to get a large heart, it is either you have it or you don’t have it. Truly, he had the ability to give; he could give you anything and I think that is rare. And to give is not just to give money but giving your time to somebody who you do not even know. I wish one can have even half of what he had but people like that are once in a life time.

Former FCT Minister, Nasir El-Rufai recently highlighted some of the reflections on Obasanjo's letter to Jonathan. Read the full text by the author, Zainab Usman, below .

Last night, I was distracted from concluding my tribute to Mandela which I started writing a few days ago. This distraction was the lengthy 18-page open letter (PDF) written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan. I took my time to read the letter described as 'historic' by Premium Times (which broke the story) in detail. For obvious reasons, this document and its contents have gone viral within the Nigerian online and mainstream media, public discourse and even the international media.

What frightens me deeply about the contents is not the allegations made, but that General Obasanjo (the President's mentor) made these grave accusations. Disturbingly, the allegations only confirm many rumours that have been going round (most of which I hitherto refused to believe in) such as:

Clannishness and ethnic factionalism in government on the part of the President in favoring his Ijaw kinsmen principally, and his region to the exclusion of other Nigerians;

Deliberate polarisation of Nigerians across a North-South and Muslim-Christian divide to such a level not seen since the Civil War, to further narrow political ambitions;

The President's tacit support to some of his aggressive kinsmen and known militants who threaten others for disagreeing with him;

Brazen corruption and impunity in government on a scale unrivaled in Nigeria's post-independence history (the $50 billion unremitted by the NNPC surpasses the $12bn windfall earnings which disappeared under General Babangida. This is just one of numerous cases) - crude oil theft and systematic plunder of the nation's wealth by powerful people;

Indirect fueling of the Boko Haram insurgency by refusing to take concrete and feasible steps to address it;

Extreme intolerance by the government for any form of dissent by opposition politicians or civil society;

The existence of a clandestine "killer squad of snipers" and a political watch list containing over 1,000 names;

…and many other such allegations.

Where are we heading to in this country!?

Just on Monday this week, we found out about the Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi's letter alleging that $50 billion went missing under NNPC's watch between 2012 and 2013. Then on Tuesday, the Speaker of the House of Representatives accused the President of encouraging grand corruption. Then on Wednesday, this scathing letter from Obasanjo was published.

All this is barely two months after the corruption scandal involving the President's close ally, the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah. Nothing yet has been done about this.

This systematic plunder of our country's resources and values is perpetuated against the backdrop of monumental crude oil theft in the Niger-Delta and other numerous scandals.

Is this a country we can thump our chests about? What example are we setting for the rest of Africa? Is this the leadership that will create a strong and united country? What future (or lack of) are we building for our offspring?

True, General Obasanjo is not at all blameless in all this and he is one person whose intentions are always, always, ALWAYS suspect. We vividly recall how his ambition to elongate his tenure beyond the constitutionally mandated two-terms threatened to plunge the country into chaos between 2005 and 2007. Perhaps, as the late Whitney Houston once sung, Jonathan "learnt from the best".

Yet, given Obasanjo's close relationship (as a mentor) with President Jonathan, it would be extremely naive and foolish to dismiss these allegations in their entirety.

Say what you want about Obasanjo, but at the very least, his administration established a relatively effective EFCC to fight corruption, established an effective NAFDAC, reformed the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Customs service and many other institutions. Where are all these institutions today? Where is the EFCC today?

NIGERIA A THEATHER OF ABSURDITY- Missing fund again revealed by CBN Governor that 48.9billion dollars was not remitted by NNPC, an agency of FG. GEJ and PDP will bleed to death with these sorts of
attacks and revelations, aside from Governors pulling out. CBN Governors'
revelations on the crude oil sales remittance are
damning and worse than IBB`s inability to
account for gulf war1 oil wind fall. This government will finish and wreck Nigeria, its high time for the patroits and concerns Nigerians to rise up to stop this vultures in power before they finish devouring Nigeria completely. Obasanjo open letter is another great indictment on Jonathan administration and till now nobody has refuted or counter all the allegations OBJ levelled except the attack on the person of OBJ. As much as I dont like OBJ, he actually stated an obvious fact and the reality of now in his letter to his sinking political son 'Jonathan'.

Obasanjo and the 18-page letter.

Obasanjo has his own share of blame for the present state of affairs in Nigeria. This truth is indelible. We have one of its proofs with us today: President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. But this fact cannot be used to undermine the weight of the charges he has brought to the fore. Indeed, in all the rebuttals and back-talking that I have seen, none has refuted Obasanjo or absolved Jonathan. These charges are serious.

Take, for instance, this one: "Allegations of keeping over 1000 people on political watch list rather than criminal or security watch list and training snippets and other armed personnel secretly and clandestinely acquiring weapons to match for political purposes like Abacha and training them where Abacha trained his own killers, if it is true, it cannot augur well for the initiator, the government and the people of Nigeria. Here again, there is the lesson of history to learn from for anybody who cares to learn from history. Mr. President would always remember that he was elected to maintain security for all Nigerians and protect them. And no one should prepare to kill or maim Nigerians for personal or political ambition or interest of anyone."

Pertinently, I am reminded of some unanswered questions regarding the unfortunate decision to place security of our waterway in the hands of militants in the Niger Delta.

1. Who supplies the weapons being used by those boys?
2. Who pays for the weapons?
3. Who keeps the weapons?
4. Are the boys being trained? By whom and where?
5. Are the weapons legal?
6. How much weapons do they presently have in their arsenals? Does the government know?
7. Are there any plans to return security of our waterways back to our nation's security forces or is this a permanent arrangement?
8. If there are plans to return security of our waterways to our nation's security forces, what are the plans to retrieve these weapon?
                             By: Choice Ekpekurede

Why Nigeria President was snubbed @ Mandela's funeral by Gov. Fashola:

“How you will be regarded abroad is determined by how you’re regarded at home. Now how is the Nigeria state regarded by Nigerians? The Nigerian state is regarded by Nigerian as an uncaring state, as a heartless state, as a state that has no love for its people, as a state that has abandoned its people. So how has the Nigerian state treated its own people before we start taking offence at how the Nigerian state is treated by another country?
“Those who may be belly-aching about not being giving recognition by the organisers of the funeral of Mandela should know that while they may not be regarded, the South African people regard Nigeria. Go and read all the accounts, the role that is played by Nigerians is recognised in all those imperishable works and this cannot be obliterated by this treatment that is accorded to Nigerian officials that we at home have contempt for. If we are disgraced outside, that disgrace didn’t come from outside that disgrace come from within because we have disgraced and debased ourselves. Do you expect anybody to take you seriously when what your rulers are known for is taking your money and cashing them away? In fact it s better they are humiliated outside so that they can come back home and be serious. If bad people are accorded all the respect and dignity that good people should be accorded how do you think they will change.”