The Senator representing Yobe North Constituency, Senator Ahmad Lawan of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has promised to provide 21st Century leadership for the Nigerian Senate if elected as the Senate President of the 8th National Assembly.
Sen. Lawan said his 16 years’ experience in both the Green and Red Chambers of the National Assembly would aid him to provide the needed leadership.
“I have what it takes to be the Senate President,” he said. “As someone who has spent the last 16 years in the National Assembly – working in the House of Representatives as a member, having being a senator for the last eight years and having chaired the Public Accounts Committee for the last eight years – I think I know a lot about our economic situation and what we need to do to turn around our economy.
“I want to provide 21st Century leadership for the Senate. A leadership that will work with all the segments of senators in the chamber. A leadership that will ensure that we have bipartisan approach to our issues and make sure we work with the executive arm of government in a manner that protects our independence and makes good governance possible.”
Sen. Lawan spoke at a media parley with political editors. He promised to ensure that, if elected, he believes he would bring his record of incorruptibility and credibility to the office of the Senate President.
“I believe Nigeria needs incorruptible administration,” Sen. Lawan said. “The President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, was elected on the basis of three major issues. First is his clear stance against corruption. Secondly, to fight insurgency. And thirdly, to address the economy that has become comatose. I believe that I can complement the anti-corruption fight of the President-elect.”
Sen. Lawan added that his experience in public accounting and finance would be of immense advantage to the nation as it strives to diversify the economy, plug leakages and stop the embezzlement of public funds.
“In the last 16 years, I have worked with three Speakers in the House of Representatives and the current Senate President. I have closely watched these presiding officers conduct the affairs in the two chambers. That is invaluable experience. I have worked very well across party lines in both houses. I am a team player and can work with others across the aisle. We need to build and sustain consensus between the different political parties.”
He said the Nigerian budget must work for Nigerians, indicating that spendings must be pro-poor.
“The Senate that I will lead must take the lead to balance the budget. Even if it will be in phases, we must move away from the current situation where we have an overwhelming expenditure on recurrent to something more pro-poor, pro-people.”
The Senator from Yobe, who has secured the endorsement of two caucuses in the Senate, the North East and South West caucuses, promised to run a fair campaign. He said the issue of zoning was for the party to deal with, assuring Nigerians that whomever emerges as the Senate President from the APC would be worthy of the title.

BREAKING NEWS: WARNING LAGOSIANS BEWARE - ANOTHER PDP ATROCITY THAT COULD HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON LAGOS EXPOSED

What has the Central Bank Governor GODWIN EMEFIELE in COLLUSION with the PDP GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT JONATHAN done with the N300 BILLION REAL SECTOR SUPPORT FACILITY (RSSF).This was money set aside to stimulate the economy by providing Long Term financial assistance to the real sector. If you doubt this information go the extra mile to verify this. Talk to Managing Directors ’s of banks, they will tell you, that they haven’t received a dime from, the fund to finance their qualifying customer financing needs. So what has become of the missing N240 Billion (80% of N300 Billion). This information can also be easily confirmed through CBN employees that are not involved in this theft.

I was informed today by a reliable source that 80% of this fund has disappeared and may have been diverted, some of it utilized by Jonathan Goodluck and his party (PDP) for the election campaign whilst the rest has made it into their individual pockets. They had believed that they would buy their way back to Aso Rock for a Jonathan Goodluck win on the 28th and NO one would be held responsible for the theft, but that is not the case today. Godwin Emefiele you and your PDP collaborators will not get away with this theft.

Don’t let these people (PDP) get their soiled hands on Lagos. Lets not be foolhardy with our VOTES. We do not need or want PDP, their thugs and their cronies in LAGOS they only mean destruction.

Good People of Lagos.
Thought I should add a personal piece to all we have been reading.I'm neither an APC card carrying member or a fan of either Asiwaju or Fashola but the truth has got to be told...
Those of you that think you want to vote for the person of Jimi Agbaje is making a big mistake, just as those who did for Jonathan in 2011. You cannot take the person out of the party-IMPOSSIBLE.
Think back, what does an average Nigerian has to show for PDP 16yrs rule at the Federal level-NOTHING.
Where do we start from, is it the blatant impunity they squandered our resources and the President turned a blind eye to all the atrocities of his aides---nothing was said of the subsidy,pension, Diezani and Oduah's spendings, immigration employment scams not to mention the Chibok girls that are still missing and insecurity in the North East....do not want to bore you with details.

Are these the set of people you want to come and govern Lagos?
All they want to do in Lagos is to grab with same abandon they did with the Federal purse.

Sentiments apart,JimI Agbaje is in the wrong party, we can't compare his achievements wIth Ambode's at all....no ground for comparison at all.
Don't let what Oba Akiolu said divide us in Lagos o .Patience and Jonathan's cronies said worse.

Let our Lagos flourish by aligning with the centre.

JIMI AGBAJE

**You want to remove Lekki Toll Gate, Yet the Airport Toll Gate owned By FG Is milking Lagosians Dry.
The Airport Toll Gate generates N19b yearly yet the road to the airport is a sad story!!
**You also promised 150,000 housing units, yet Jonathan could only build 30,000 Nationally in 6years at a cost o N3 Trillion Naira. Where u wan see the money? Lagos budget is N467 billion yearly.
**You Promised to reduce taxes, Yet Jonathan set up tax review which suggested an upward increase in taxes(Moreover, Jaykay Pharmacy didn't even pay taxes)
**You want to abolish Lastma, Kai, Lamata etc, Yet Ferma, Sure-P,Immigtation,all demanded money from people to get employment. Sure-P in Lagos recieved N27b what was the money used for?
**Yet The PDP led Federal Tax force' demanded and took N5000 for Application forms and and so took N35,000 for uniforms,yet they didn't employ one single soul.Shame!!!
**You want to pay Lagos Workers Minimum wage, as "Governor to be" did you ask the workers if they are not already enjoying N18,760.00 In Lagos.
**You said you will stop the Public Private Partnership used to build the Ikoyi Link Road. Which project did the PDP execute in Lagos in 6 yrs, not one project. Moreover, your PDP led Federal Government signed PPP agreement to build '2nd Niger bridge' for N129 Billion.

Jimi Agbaje, why are you promising what you know you cannot make happen just to win votes? Jimi Agbaje, what do you really have for Lagosians? Jimi Agbaje, Why are you trying to pit the Igbos against Lagosians? The Igbos are Lagosians too!! Jimi Agbaje, PDP as a party has failed!! Jimi Agbaje why are you trying to 'discontinue' the best performing state? A Government/State that has survived despite all Odds!! The reason why Lagos is working is because the PDP have never and will never rule Lagos!! We need CONTINUITY in Lagos because it's the PRAGMATIC choice!!!......pls re bc if u are a concerned lagosian.

The evolution of the All Progressive Congress (APC) into the governing party and the emergence of its candidate, Gen. Muhammad Buhari as the President-elect prove a fundamental truth. A single visionary blessed with courage equal to his vision is ultimately more powerful than a vast multitude that is devoid of sight, courage and sound counsel.
Gen. Buhari, a personification of integrity, stalwart patriotism and decency, was the inevitable candidate and is the right man to be President this time. Complementing him as the necessary strategic catalyst of this great democratic feat was Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Never in the history of our nation has an incumbent President lost to his challenger. For that to happen is a profound feat. For that feat to come about through a newly merged political party is something bordering on the edge of the impossible. Yet, in our Nigeria, that is exactly how our democracy has been secured and our chance for a better future revived.
As the primary architect of the APC, and a key strategist in its drive to become the government of this nation, Bola Tinubu has earned history’s verdict as a true and committed democratic.
At moments when others threatened to quit or did quit, Tinubu stuck doggedly to the course. When the Alliance for Democracy (AD) ran into stormy weather and was hijacked by the reactionary elements funded by the government in power, Tinubu established a another progressive party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN). From his solitary redoubt in Lagos, the ACN cast its progressive message and Tinubu attracted able and committed people to the democratic cause and to his course in it.
The epic turn from governing a single state to governing a nation had begun. Few believed, as Asiwaju did, that this achievement was within reach. The ACN went on to win six states and secure the Southwest for the progressive cause.
And when the time came to re-shape the opposition nationwide into one body, Tinubu took the lead in sowing together the different political parties into a workable whole. In the face of state-sponsored attacks and spirited attempts to scuttle the merger, Tinubu led the team of political fighters to make APC a reality. The period between the formation of the party, the inauguration of the party’s executive, to its convention in Lagos, the national presidential campaign and now the elections was one charactererised by dangerous moves, plots and turns against him. Tinubu survived them all and remained standing.
As the intellectual force behind the APC, Tinubu never waivered. Gen. Buhari and Chief Bisi Akande were the strongest and most faithful of allies in this great effort.
These are statesments of high-caliber personalities who never shook when the adverse wind blew.
If along the way Tinubu had wavered, many would have wavered with him. The story today would have been a different and inferior one. He remained standing even when many tried to make him fall.
Tinubu is brave at heart and large in vision. He has the fortitude to stand when times get tough and when doubt becomes as thick as fog. He forges ahead while others succumb to fear. He stands alone when others are tired and sit down. This rare man chooses to take risks and stake everything he has for a just cause. He stands alone when he makes unbelievable sacrifices in order to achieve a greater goal. He excels in the wee, lonely hours; when others are asleep, he pours over Nigeria’s problems in search for solutions. He stands alone when he makes the tough and necessary decisions, not minding how he will be perceived. He stands alone when he refuses to join the doubters and holds on to the belief that it is possible.
For standing against the tide of greater power and might all these years, Tinubu has achieved something for all us. He is truly an architect of modern Nigeria, a driving force behind a new Nigeria and one of the fathers of a truly democratic two-party system.
Tinubu has ushered Nigeria into the meeting hall of democratic nations. By staying the course, by investing his intellect, experience and resources in the struggle for a better country and by working with people of like minds, Tinubu has helped lift the nation from its despair.
APC’s electoral success is not a fluke. It was earned. It came as a result of great sacrifices and through the effort of the key drivers and other leaders who kept steadfast even when hope seemed lost. The long hours on the road and in the air, crisscrossing the nation, spreading the message of change and urging others to join the party bore fruit. The APC ship got many on board. Not even the attacks from the PDP could sink it.
On the campaign trail, Tinubu was a firebrand. He easily excited the crowd whenever he spoke.
People were sure to taste of his wit, his incisive political jabs and his commanding vision about what APC can do to change Nigeria. Perhaps the greatest lines of the 2014/2015 presidential campaign that will never be forgotten and will remain in the books for a very long time is that from Tinubu. Responding to attacks by the PDP that the APC presidential candidate Gen Buhari was a former general and should not be trusted, Tinubu had a reply for them in full measure that shut them up. Tinubu roared at the Abeokuta campaign: “When France needed to get out of political troubles, it tapped Charles De Gaulle; when America needed solid political leadership, it called on Eisenhower; Nigeria needs fixing and the man for the job is Gen Muhammadu Buhari”. This answer and analysis from Tinubu settled the argument. It won many over and shut the mouths of the politicians on the other side. On the campaign trail from the South to the North, Tinubu was a delight. Fired up and in his elements, he was unrelenting. He saw what many did not see that APC will not form the next government and restore hope to Nigerians.
Whenever the history of this political era in Nigeria is written, it will be said that there was one man, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who stood firm in commitment and courage to make the difference for Nigeria. Tinubu is a class act and is in a class by himself. From the corporate world, he took the political storm by storm in Lagos. This was after a commanding performance in the pro-democracy struggle to liberate Nigeria from the clutches of military dictatorship. He was at the vanguard of democracy in the days of the National Democartic Coalition (NADECO) struggle. Since then, he has never looked back. As governor of Lagos state, he excelled in governance. He brought out the excellence in Lagos through a combination of pragmatic decisions and financial and social engineering that turned into a model city.
Lagos, today, is a reference point. He took over the Southwest, reshaping the political landscape in a positive and dynamic way. He was instrumental in identifying six men, who today remain some of the best governors this country has ever known. On the national stage, he was a constant voice of opposition. Unwavering, unbowed, unbeatable, Tinubu was the fulcrum of opposition politics. His voice rang out loud and clear against injustice, impunity and miss-governance.
For his progressive views and opposition to government, Tinubu suffered. His businesses suffered. His political structures came under severe assaults. Enemies sought to ruin his reputation. They dragged him to court, hoping to jail him but failed. In all, he survived and remained standing. Through all of this, he has remained humble and self-effacing.
In the explosive celebration that followed the victory of the APC in the presidential elections someone in the tiny crowd that gathered in his office said: “Your Excellency Tinubu, this is your finest hour”. Tinubu shot back, “No. This is Nigeria’s finest hour and it is the best birthday gift I can ever wish for”. He went on in his major reaction to the victory to describe the victory of the presidential candidate of the APC, Gen Buhari as Nigeria’s finest moment in its political history. “It is a moment when hope is re-born, faith is rekindled and a fresh fire of patriotism is released for the task ahead”.
That is the measure of a man who sees ultimate victory in the emancipation of his people and the triumph of good over evil. Tinubu has seen it all. Today he stands tall in humility. He has survived where others were crushed. He has achieved what others failed to achieve for our country politically. He has been this generation’s’ most consummate and strategic political mind. History will record that.
If anyone ever doubted the veracity of a sobriquet – The Last Man Standing – given to Tinubu, they should doubt no longer. The title is more than valid. More importantly, this last and only man standing dedicated himself to a great and selfless task that we all may stand to feel the morning rays of genuine democracy shine upon us. This man is a hero. What no one dared to do, he did.
Now, friend and foe alike, we are all the better for it.

Sunday Dare is Chief of Staff/Special Adviser on Media to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

On 8 December, 2014 Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, an aspirant of the Lagos Peoples Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, publicly described the conduct of the election where he polled 343 votes to emerge runners up in the ill-tempered primaries against Jimi Agbaje who won with 432 votes as a “complete sham” and vowed to seek redress in a competent court of law.

We still can’t comprehend how accredited delegates of 806 as announced by the committee rose to 867 at the end of sorting the casted votes. This led aggrieved aspirants of the PDP gubernatorial primaries rule that it was a predetermined scheme by Chief Bode George and Mr. Jimi Agbaje and should be contested.
Bode George, a party chieftain and key supporter of Mr. Jimi Agbaje, blamed Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro of using his thugs to unleash mayhem and intimidate delegates. The blame was later replicated by Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro and other aggrieved aspirants.

The above led to an affidavit which Sen. Obanikoro  filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja in support of his suit, the former minister said he saw the police recover five guns and rounds of ammunition as well as live cartridges from the thugs brought by Chief Olabode George and Mr Jimi Agbaje, a co-aspirant during the party primary.

The process is completely tainted and going forward with that will lead to an outcome that will not be beneficial to the party. His final submission was that as far as he is concerned, there is no fair election result and the election should be cancelled. The leadership of the PDP ignored his concerns and proceeded with campaigns for the controversial winner.

Earlier, as counting of votes was going on, one of the aspirants, Babatunde Gbadamosi, kept shouting “fraud, fraud, shameless fraud” but the conspirators gave a deaf ear, following their determination to ensure that their preferred candidate emerge victorious by the end of the election. Mr. Gbadamosi made a position that the election was “concluded” before it even started, as there was intimidation; tear gassing of delegates from start to finish.
In the light of the fraud that enveloped the ill-treated PDP gubernatorial primaries, the head of the election committee said elections had taken place and the votes must be counted, then the issues can be discussed later.

At this juncture, it is imperative for Lagosians to note that a product of an electoral fraud can never be trusted with the leadership of our beloved State. The allegiances of a failed process will always be with in submission to the master minders. Lagosians must be reminded that the conspirators of Mr. Jimi Agbaje are people of questionable character and should not be allowed to take over the leadership of our beloved Stated.
We have worked tirelessly to make Lagos a growing cosmopolitan city for almost 16 years, it’s important that we continue this process at the interest of us all.
Come 11 April, 2015, let’s converge at our respective polling units and cast our votes for the continuity of the APC strategic plan for Lagos. Vote Akinwunmi Ambode for continuity and consolidation.

-ON SECURITY

We will boost the State Security Fund to scale up the successes recorded so far. We will continue with the city lighting project by expanding the Independent Power Project (IPP) to enhance the security of lives and property across the State. In addition, our government will embark on the acquisition of the latest advanced security communications technology that will track and monitor the daily activities of the State.

-ON ECONOMY & JOBS

We will introduce a 24/7 economy that is typical of a city State like Lagos. We will set up a Lagos Employment Trust Fund (LETF) with 25 billion over four years, with access to finance of a minimum of 1 billion naira annually across the five divisions in the State, this will allow our youth and unemployed lagosians to have access to adequate finance for entrepreneurial ventures. We will protect the growth of our small and medium scale enterprises by providing tax incentives. We will implement government policies that will encourage the private sector to employ more citizens and foster economic development. We will boost internally generated revenue by improving the collection mechanism through e-governance. We will encourage the creation of a Corporate Social Responsibility Trust Fund (CSR-TF) by the Private Sector, to be managed by a Board of Trustees charged with the responsibility of identifying growth opportunities yearly and financing such opportunities to further boost economic development across sectors and communities in the State.

 -ON EDUCATION

We will provide free education up to senior secondary school level to ensure that no child is denied their right to education, and endeavour to provide one meal per day to students to guarantee a healthy learning environment. Along with our bursary and scholarship initiatives for tertiary institutions, we will encourage the private sector to partner with government to this regard as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. We will also deepen skills acquisition through technical and vocational training to create capacity for our informal sector.

-ON HOUSING

We will create communities that are self sustainable for residents that will encourage even development across the State. This will allow easy access and reduce congestion at the city centres. We will provide affordable housing schemes by collaborating with Public Private Partnerships (PPP) to increase the available housing stock. Our government will also improve on the current policy of home ownership through Lagos HOMES and provide ownership options, such as Rent to Own Program (R.O.P).

 -ON MEDICAL CARE

We will introduce free medical care for our children from birth to age six. Healthcare will also be free for pregnant women, including both pre-natal and post-natal care, while our senior citizens will also enjoy free healthcare from sixty-five years onwards.
We will improve on the quality of Primary Healthcare system and make it more accessible, thereby reducing the overdependence on our general hospitals. We will activate emergency services in all our hospitals.

-ON AGRICULTURE

We will build on the current administration’s efforts on agriculture by opening up the virtually untapped aquatic and seafood resources in the State. We will provide incentives for agricultural processing companies, thereby providing employment for our bulging youth population.

 -ON TOURISM, CULTURE & SPORTS

We will increase the avenues to showcase our distinct and diverse Lagos culture and traditions through the establishment of museums and heritage centres. We will create water theme parks for our children and youth by utilizing our prominent natural resource in the State. In order to make our State a tourism destination in Africa, we will also develop our waterfront by providing recreational facilities and encourage investors to invest more in tourism infrastructure. Our unique cultural heritage will be promoted and enhanced to attract tourists globally. This will also create a secondary market for job creation. We will create community sport centres to encourage youth development.

-ON ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS

We will make Lagos the hub of entertainment and arts in Africa. We will provide grants to producers in the movie and music industries to encourage growth in the sectors. We will revive the Lagos Film Office and encourage investors to build theatres, cinemas and art galleries across the State. We will partner with the entertainment industry to develop sustainable structures and frameworks to support interested and upcoming youth.

 -ON TRANSPORTION: 

We will pursue a fully integrated transport management system that takes into consideration roads, rail, water and walkways as means of mobility for ease of movement of residents in the city centres and the suburbs. We will introduce and establish officially designated bus stops/routes in Lagos. We will improve on traffic with construction of new roads and maintaining existing ones, as well as placing directional signs in strategic places. We will also increase the usage of our waterways through channelling and dredging.

-ON INFRASTRUCTURE

We will ensure the provision of good and motor able roads across the State, excellent by-passes, pedestrian bridges, traffic intersections, public and amusement parks, and ensure that all public institutions and facilities are of the highest standards and quality.

 -ON THE RULE OF LAW

We will ensure that all our ministries, agencies and parastatals uphold the rule of law, by rendering services in accordance with laid down rules and procedures, to guarantee the protection of the rights of all citizens. We will also give governance back to the people, to enable probity, accountability and transparency (P.A.T).

The president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday urged the electorate in Lagos to vote for the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next governorship and state assembly elections, noting that Lagos “stands to benefit more under the APC than any other political party.”

This came as the APC national leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, warned against dragging the traditional rulers into politics, stating that the Lagos State Government “has never discriminated against the Ndigbo indigenes and other residents from other ethnic groups.”

The leaders canvassed the views at a rally they addressed at Coker, Surulere, alongside the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and his Rivers state counterpart, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, among others.

Buhari, who thanked Lagos voters for voting him in the just concluded presidential election, acknowledged that before the elections, Fashola informed him of the huge fund spent by the state government “to maintain the federal infrastructures in the state. I told him that if I win the elections, I will give it priority.”

He, therefore, said Lagos “is too important for the APC to lose. I am giving you this assignment because the billions of naira of Nigeria’s INVESTMENT cannot be joked with. Do not attempt to be on the wrong side of the centre. We are now the centre.”

The president-elect, passionately, asked eligible voters from the state “to defy all odds and ensure that you troop out and cast your vote for the APC candidates on Saturday. When you get home tell your friends, relatives and those in the opposition to vote for our candidate in Lagos. The hope is back.

“I am extremely impressed with what Tinubu has done in terms of mobilising revenue to sustain Lagos development. I have a lot of respect for Fashola for his handiwork and commitment to the state and the country.

“There is no doubt Lagos is a mini-Nigeria. Every ethnic is represented in the state. I assure you if you vote for APC in Lagos; you stand to benefit individually more than collectively. It is in your interest to vote for our party.”

Also speaking at the rally, Tinubu upbraided the National Coordinator of Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), Chief Ifeanyi Ubah, for dragging the traditional rulers into politics, noting that he knew the APC leaders “are politicians and the Obas are not.

“He knows that we are the political leaders but the Obas are not. That was why he planned to visit the Oba of Lagos. We are the politicians. Why did he not come to us? He held a meeting with some Igbos in the PDP in Sheraton and later went to the palace.”

He explained that the government and people of Lagos “have never discriminated against anyone in Lagos. We pay the WAEC of students in the public schools irrespective of the state they come from. We organised yearly Spelling Bee competition. It has been won by children of the Igbos in the state.

“They have ruled the state for one day before. One of them is Ebuka an indigene of Anambra State not Oyo State. Ebuka won the spelling bee competition and ruled Lagos State for one day. We did not discriminate against him and turn the vote. We did not discriminate against him. He acted as governor for one day.

“So Igbos cannot say they have not governed Lagos because Ebuka and others acted as governors here. We sent Ebuka to Switzerland for training. We sponsored him to study computer science. We sent him to Obafemi Awolowo University where he got his degree. We also gave him scholarship for his masters. He now works for Oando as an executive.

“Ebuka is in Canada as we speak. We have improved the healthcare sector, especially the construction of Primary Healthcare Centres across the state. To continue the good works, we must vote for Ambode on Saturday.

“We did not just pick Ambode as our governorship candidate. He has the brain, character, integrity and ability to do a good job. When the federal government seized our money in Abuja, we would have retrenched workers and sack some workers. But Ambode told me that there was way out of the problem,” Tinubu said.

Source: Thisday Live.

The President-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has urged the Ndigbo and other non-indigenes in Lagos State to forgive all that has been said against them and move on for the sake of peace.

Buhari said this during a rally in Lagos to address the comments made by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu.

Akiolu has been under fire since Monday when he reportedly threatened the Ndigbo in Lagos to either vote for the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, or perish in the lagoon.

The Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday asked Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola to suspend Akiolu forthwith.

However, the President-elect described Lagos as home for all, adding that the time had come for Nigerians to look past ethnicity in the general interest of peace and unity.

He said, “I admire what your governor has done in terms of mobilising revenue to sustain Lagos development. I have a lot of respect for Governor Fashola for his hard work, commitment to the state and the country. There is no doubt that Lagos is a mini-Nigeria. We are all here and it has been mentioned by previous speakers that everybody (tribe) is adequately represented in Lagos.

“So, I assure you. If you vote for the continuity of APC in Lagos, you stand to gain more. It is in your interest that you vote for the APC.

“Please when you go home tell your neighbours, relatives and even the opposition to please bury the hatchet. Let them fall in line and vote the APC.

“When we were coming in our bus, Fashola told me how Lagos State had been spending to maintain the federal infrastructure here such as buildings, roads and other institutions. I had promised before that if I won the election and became the President, I would make Lagos my priority. Governor Fashola is already holding to me to that promise so I would like the incoming governor to listen carefully and make sure he makes me honour my undertaking.”

The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said Lagos was responsible for building the opposition and ensuring that it finally took control of the centre.

He said it would be a great injustice for Lagos to become an opposition state after working so hard to build a bright future.

Akinolu can’t speak for APC –Tinubu

Also speaking, a former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, said Akiolu was not a member of the APC and could not speak on behalf of the party.

Tinubu, who noted that he was the first Yoruba governor to ever appoint an Igbo commissioner, said the Peoples Democratic Party, having failed to win last week’s presidential elections, had been desperately trying to pull the APC into the Akiolu controversy.

He said the coordinator of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, Ifeanyi Ubah, and the PDP leader, Bode George, were only making baseless accusations against the APC.

Tinubu said, “The Oba is not a politician. His job is to accommodate all political parties whether PDP, APC or SDP. So, what did he (Ubah) go and do at the palace? Is the Oba a politician?

“To you Igbo, don’t we pay your children’s school fees like others? Or is it the palace that pays for it? When we conducted an exam and a spelling competition, an Igbo boy, Ebuka, from Anambra, came first and he became the governor for one day.

“Those that won the competition three times in a row were Igbo. Ebuka was sent to Switzerland computer school and then Obafemi Awolowo University. We did not say he was an Igbo boy and he would not enjoy. He became an executive in Oando and he is now in Canada.

“Another boy, Felix, won and went to Switzerland and OAU. We paid his scholarship; we did not deny him because he is Igbo.”

‘Suspend Him Now’

But the PDP said the Lagos monarch should be on suspension till after Saturday’s governorship and state House of Assembly elections in order to guarantee free, fair and credible elections in the state.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by Lagos PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Taofik Gani, the party said it had also alerted the security agencies to hold the monarch responsible for any attack on non-indigenes or PDP members in Lagos.

The statement read in part, “The governor is thus a conspirator in this threat to life and must also be held accountable for any violence in these elections. We have at this point been vindicated about the desperation of the APC to retain Lagos State at all cost, including the All Progressives Congress’ plan not to concede the imminent defeat on April 11.

“The positions of the PDP are coming on the heels of the now viral threat issued by the Oba of Lagos to Ndigbo that they must vote for the APC governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, or be drowned in Lagos water.”

Despite the alleged threat to their lives, PDP urged Lagos non-indigenes and others to be part of Saturday’s voting exercise.

Monarch Spoke Out of Anger –APC

Meanwhile, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, said in a separate statement on Tuesday that the monarch spoke out of anger.

Igbokwe urged his kinsmen not to take out their anger on the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, who knew nothing about the incident.

The statement read, “Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos is not a card-carrying member of APC. He is not a leader in the APC. He does not speak for the APC. He did not speak for Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State.

“He did not speak for our national leader, Bola Tinubu. He did not speak for the incoming governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode. His Royal Highness is at liberty to speak for him and he spoke for himself only.

“Lagos APC appeals to Ndigbo not to take the statement as the position of the party in Lagos. We passionately appeal to Ndigbo not to carry the statement credited to Oba Akiolu too far so as not to put a knife on things that have held us together for more than 50 years now. If out of annoyance you throw your cap away, a mad man will take it and use it forever.”

Not only have we deemed it fit to appeal to both Lagosians and non-lagosians to refuse to be misled by selfish politicians who have resorted to using community leaders to mislead the public in a pursuit to enrich their purses and garner political relevance, we have also deemed it fit to highlight the achievements of the All Progressives Congress led government in Lagos in its most compressed form and also to further unveil the enviable credentials of the gubernatorial candidate of our great party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

No doubt, the outgoing Babatunde Raji Fashola led government has successfully built on the strong foundation laid by his predecessor, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu and perhaps has convincingly done beyond his campaign promises and the expectations of Lagosians via the provision of 5 Independent Power Plants with over 1300 electric distribution channels which has helped in reducing emitted carbon-dioxide, increased the provision of power to companies and artisans, increased the distribution of hygienic water from its initial 105m gallons to over 185m gallons with the power supplied by one of the independent power plants which also supply electricity to the government house and the State secretariat and reduced cost of power generation in the State, built a 184 bodies space mortuary, the provision of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT), 172 modern schools and 11 public health institutions has been built across the State, to mention just a few.

Before i proceed with this piece, I feel that it should interest Lagosians to know that had President Olusegun Obasanjo succeeded in his regressive plans while in power to disenfranchise Lagos of the present growth and development that are convincingly evident in Lagos following his refusal to release the allocations meant for the State materialized, contesting against the political party who has worked relentlessly for 16years to position Lagos in her present state would not have been perceived as an option, because the State would have been a failed state in a total economic sham.

Interestingly, the incumbent APC led Lagos is on it verge of completing the largest power plant in Africa and its suburbs, provided solar powered information center for the Nigeria Police in order to enhance their responsibilities and boost security in the State, for security is not all about guns and patrol vans. No doubt, the over 11,000 electricity poles was awarded to Lagos based artisans as a way of empowering their businesses. Lagosians believe these are achievements surpass that of his predecessor.

Below is Akinwunmi Ambode's strategic plans for the continuity of the transformation in Lagos State:

-ON SECURITY
We will boost the State Security Fund to scale up the successes recorded so far. We will continue with the city lighting project by expanding the Independent Power Project (IPP) to enhance the security of lives and property across the State. In addition, our government will embark on the acquisition of the latest advanced security communications technology that will track and monitor the daily activities of the State.

-ON ECONOMY & JOBS
We will introduce a 24/7 economy that is typical of a city State like Lagos. We will set up a Lagos Employment Trust Fund (LETF) with 25 billion over four years, through an access to finance of a minimum of 1 billion naira annually across the five divisions in the State, that will allow our youths and unemployed people have access to adequate finance for entrepreneurial ventures. We will protect the growth of our small and medium scale enterprises by providing tax incentives. We will implement government policies that will encourage the private sector to employ more citizens and foster economic development. We will boost internally generated revenue by improving the collection mechanism through e-governance. We will encourage the creation of a Corporate Social Responsibility Trust Fund (CSR-TF) by the Private Sector, to be managed by a Board of Trustees charged with the responsibility of identifying growth opportunities yearly and financing such opportunities to further boost economic development across sectors and communities in the State.


-ON EDUCATION
We will provide free education up to senior secondary school level to ensure that no child is denied their right to education, and endeavor to provide one meal per day to students to guarantee a healthy learning environment. Along with our bursary and scholarship initiatives for tertiary institutions, we will encourage the private sector to partner with government in this regard as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. We will also deepen skills acquisition through technical and vocational training to create capacity for our informal sector.

-ON HOUSING
We will create communities that are self sustainable for residents that will encourage even development across the State. This will allow for easy access and reduce congestion at the city centers. We will provide affordable housing schemes by collaborating through Public Private Partnerships (PPP) to increase the available housing stock. Our government will also improve on the current policy of home ownership through Lagos HOMS and provide ownership options, such as Rent to Own Program (R.O.P).


-ON MEDICAL CARE
We will introduce free medical care for our children from birth to age six. Healthcare will also be free for pregnant women, including both pre-natal and ante-natal care, while our senior citizens will also enjoy free healthcare from sixty-five years onwards. We will improve on the quality of Primary Healthcare system and make it more accessible, thereby reducing the overdependence on our general hospitals. We will activate emergency services in all our hospitals.

-ON AGRICULTURE
We will build on the current administration’s efforts on agriculture by opening up the virtually untapped aquatic and seafood resources in the State. We will provide incentives for agricultural processing companies, thereby providing employment for our bulging youth population.


-ON TOURISM, CULTURE & SPORTS
We will increase the avenues to showcase our distinct and diverse Lagos culture and traditions through the establishment of museums and heritage centers. We will create water theme parks for our children and youths by utilizing our prominent natural resource in the State. In order to make our State a tourism destination in Africa, we will also develop our waterfront by providing recreational facilities and encourage investors to invest more in tourism infrastructure. Our unique cultural heritage will be promoted and enhanced to attract tourists globally. This will also create a secondary market for job creation. We will create community sport centers to encourage our youth development.

-ON ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS
We will make Lagos the hub of entertainment and arts in Africa. We will provide grants to producers in the movie and music industries to encourage growth in the sectors. We will revive the Lagos Film Office and encourage investors to build theatres and cinemas and art galleries across the State. We will partner with the entertainment industry to develop sustainable structures and frameworks to support interested and upcoming youth.


-ON TRANSPORTION: We will pursue a fully integrated transport management system that takes into consideration roads, rail, water and walkways as means of mobility for ease of movement of residents in the city centers and the suburbs. We will introduce and establish officially designated bus stops/routes in Lagos. We will improve on traffic with construction of new roads and maintaining existing ones, as well as placing directional signs in strategic places. We will also increase the usage of our waterways through channeling and dredging.

-ON INFRASTRUCTURE
We will ensure the provision of good and motorable roads across the State, excellent by-passes, pedestrian bridges, traffic intersections, public and amusement parks, and ensure that all public institutions and facilities are of the highest standards and quality.


-ON THE RULE OF LAW
We will ensure that all our ministries, agencies and parastatals uphold the rule of law, by rendering services in accordance with laid down rules and procedures, to guarantee the protection of the rights of all citizens. We will also give governance back to the people, to enable probity, accountability and transparency (P.A.T).

Akinwunmi Ambide pledge to Lagos State to be forthright, dedicated and honest, to serve the State with all his passion, to promote the welfare of its people regardless of age, gender, tribe or religion, and to enhance its status, through good governance, selflessness and accountability. So help him God!

DEAR LAGOSIANS, WE DON’T NEED TO BE TAKEN BACK TO OUR FORMER POSITION BY AN INDIVIDUAL WITH NO PUBLIC SERVICE EXPERIENCE, AFTER STRIVING VERY HARD TO BECOME A MODEL TO OTHER STATES IN THE FEDERATION, MOVE ON WITH THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS, VOTE AKINWUNMI AMBODE FOR CONTINUITY.

WE MUST KEEP LAGOS WORKING!

Lagos being a State with a considerably high level of elites, a large percentage of Lagosians can not be cowed by just an enviable curriculum vitae like that of the APC candidate without a tested and trusted track records nor can they be swayed by the ethnicity and religious sentiments being introduced and promoted in our dear Lagos in other to sway votes from both Lagosians and Lagos based non-indigenes for any candidate governorship but would a cosmopolitan State that doubles as the central business district and the milk and honey of Nigeria’s commerce leave a man whose educational background usurp that of his opponent, a man with an approximate of excellent 27years in public service in Lagos and someone who worked fervently to increase the Lagos Internal Generated Revenue at the face of a devastating power tussle between Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the then president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, is a question that would be answered on saturday.

One should be left with questions of how the Peoples Democratic Party’s gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Jimi Kolawole Agbaje intend to achieve his campaign promises having centralized his campaign promises in the possibility of a better Lagos with the success of President Goodluck Jonathan reelection bid, since the center no longer hold for his political refuge and also to highlight facts that many might not know about him.

Mr. Jimi Kolawole Agbaje, ‘the man we know’ is the who dazzled Lagosians with his good oratory skills during the 2007 Lagos gubernatorial debate but was let down at the polls for reasons that had to do with the popularity of the platform on which he contested and the practicability of his campaign promises but what more can we tell of a man whose brother is the MD/CEO of one of Nigeria’s foremost banks but still finds it impossible to grow his 20year old chemist shop into a super pharmacy like Healthplus, MedPlus and others. We are convinced that such a man can not be trust with the leadership of our dear Lagos State because his antecedents in managing his chemist shop affirms that he lacks the capacity to govern a cosmopolitan city like ours. On the earlier said, we must agree that there are more to the leadership of Lagos State than running two Chemist stores within the confines of the Lagos metropolis.

Mr. Jimi Kolawole Agbaje , ‘the JK we know’ is the man whose ancestral descent in Lagos was a royal home in Lagos Island when he contested for governor in year 2007, but claimed to have come from Ikorodu while filling his INEC Nomination form. Such a man can not be trusted because he lacks integrity to lead a State like Lagos.

Mr. Jimi Kolawole Agbaje, ‘the Jk we know’ is the man who is believed to be the most inconsistent politicians in Lagos, having defected from the defunt Acion Congress, to the Democratic Peoples Allince, reported to have aligned with All Progressives Grand Alliance at a point, lobbied the All Progressives Congress and finally settled for the Peoples Democratic Party following the refusal of the APC to guarantee him of the party’s gubernatorial ticket. Such a man who lacks credibility and political ideologies can not be trusted to govern Lagos State, for people like that are referred to as “POLITICAL HARLOTS”

Mr. Jimi Kolawole Agbaje, ‘the JK we know’ is the man who has been unable to defend or refute the tax invasion allegation leveled against him with clear evidences from the Lagos State Government, we wonder how such a man can lead tax payers, a man who has fed fat on tax payers money via driving on our motorable roads, using our health care institutions, security and other infrastructures provided by the State government.

Mr. Jimi Kolawole Agbaje, ‘the JK we know’ is the man who promised to take our dear Lagos back to her former position where Molues (Mercedes Benz 911) was playing our roads before the advent of the Rapid Bus Transit (BRT), he also promised to reintroduce Motocycles (Okadas) on our major roads as against the ban of Okadas in other PDP States. Such a man can not be trusted, his campaign promises are nothing but deceit.

Mr. Jimi Kolawole Agbaje, ‘the JK we know’ is a man who said the entire of Eti-Osa land belongs to the FG and promised to demolish the Toll Gates on the federal government owned Lekki-Ajah expressway, forgetting that the land belongs to individuals who acquired it with their hard earned income and that the Lekki-Ajah expressway (a trunk ‘A’ road)was in a pitiable situation before the intervention of the Lagos State Government.

Conclusively, If you are one of those students in any of the tertiary institutions in Lagos State or a Lagos based youth who have been swayed by the campaign promise of the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Mr. Jimi Kolawole Agbaje on his plans to provide free internet services on tertiary institutions in Lagos, then it should interest you that Mr. Jimi Kolawole` Agbaje has managed his pharmaceutical stores for over two decades without securing neither a domain name nor does his establishment have a functional website. Such a liar who does not live by example can not be trusted to govern Lagos State.

Imagining a Lagos State in the hands of an ex-convict like Chief Bode George, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, a man who has been indicted in the released Ekiti State gubernatorial rigging tape and guilty of over deployment of the military in the Ekiti State and Osun State governorship polls, Engr. Ogunlewe who served as minister of works under one of the grossly corrupt government and other rogues in the Lagos PDP could be very devastating and unhealthy.

Unarguably, the outgoing ruling party at the center will ultimately relocate to the center of excellence, Lagos State, in order to fund the activities of the Peoples Democratic Party from the Lagos purse which will eventually plunge the State into a monumental debt via the historical financial mishandling that our dear Lagos will be hit by, leaving the State to a dilemma, financial comatose which will inflict hardship and pains on our dear people of Lagos.

While Abuja Slept, the APC led Lagos was wide awake and working for all the people, Let us keep Lagos working, under the new APC government, we will secure a new deal for Lagos, Apapa ports road, Lagos- Ibadan Road, and other abandoned federal government properties in Lagos State.

Dear Lagosians, on 11 April, 2015 go to your designated polling units with your Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and vote competence, vote a man with a tested and trusted track record with a globally acceptable curriculum Vitae, for our dear Lagos deserves nobody but a competent leader with the capacity to continue the ongoing regeneration of our darling Lagos, Lagosians can not afford to push the reset button as promised by the candidate of the PDP, pushing the forward tab is non-negotiable.

GOD BLESS LAGOS STATE, GOD BLESS NIGERIA. AMEN.

My attention has been drawn to a publication in a national newspaper where HRM Oba Riliwanu Akinolu was alleged to have threatened Igbos in Lagos to make them vote for Ambode.

Last Sunday, all honorary Eze Ndigbos in Lagos paid a courtesy call to HRM Oba Akinolu. At the meeting the visitors praised the Oba for his fatherly support for and cooperation with Igbos in. Lagos. They assured him of their continued good neighborliness with other tribes in Lagos and support everything that'll further strengthen that harmony.

Oba Akiolu on his part acknowledged the enviable performance of Governor Fashola and his contribution to the growth of investments in Lagos. He gave the assurance that he is not disturbed or angry with South-East and South- South votes for President Jonathan as perceived by the Eze Ndigbos. The Obas thereafter called on the Igbos chiefs to show appreciation to Lagos State by supporting his candidate Mr. Ambode for continuity of excellence as they have earlier promised.

He assured them of his continued support‎ and assistance where needed and the meeting ended with the traditional breaking of kolas, alligator pepper, and bitter kola and pouring of liberation on the ground. It was within this context that that the tradition of Lagos with regard to the lagoon came up. It was noted that whoever works against the throne and the interest and peaceful co-existence of Lagos would end up in the lagoon as per tradition.

2.Oba Akiolu stated further that the Igbo people have not betrayed the throne. Lagos has also not betrayed the Igbo people. Lagos has done so much to make the Igbos comfortable and to prosper. For this, we expect reciprocal respect and understanding. The Oba of Lagos prays that the Lagoon and the throne will continue to bless and protect all those who reside and visit Lagos.


3. Oba Akiolu is the father of all irrespective of tribe, religion or political persuasion. In Lagos, we have an old traditional proverb that relates to the Lagoon. The Lagoon is unique to Lagos. The proverb stresses the need for unity and understanding when you do business in an environment and in this case when you live and do business in Lagos.
Oba Akiolu prays for peace for the land of Lagos and prosperity for all its inhabitants.




Signed: Chief Lateef Aderibigbe Ajose, Opeluwa of Lagos
April 6, 2015

Happy birthday baba... Ojuyobo 1 of Yoruba land. More years of grace.

Last October after the APC presidential primaries, I tweeted these words ‘I will never vote Buhari.’ I had my reasons, the major one being my conviction that voting a former military dictator does not bode well for a democracy. That same reason was why I never voted General Olusegun Obasanjo the two times he contested and won. The same reason I never voted Buhari in 2011 nor the other times he had contested. I felt that all former military dictators had had their time and it was time for us to move on.
I knew General Muhammad Buhari’s antecedents and track record, that of the upright, somewhat rigid no-nonsense former military man who did not compromise his values or his integrity. He had always run on an anti-corruption campaign platform with the aura of someone who did not mind to go it alone if that was what was required of him. I admired that, but I was not convinced that was all that was required for me to give him my vote. Especially not after the massacre that took place during the 2011 elections and all the inciting statements that were attributed to him.
Up until February 8th, I had not decided whom I would vote or rather, I had decided I would vote neither Buhari nor the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan but I did not have any other candidate. Sometimes, I toyed with the idea of voting Oluremi Sonaiya of KOWA Party but I did not know her track record. As for Jonathan, I did not vote him in 2011 and it felt like in the 4 years since then he had proven why I thought it was a bad idea to not vote him. From mismanaging the economy to mishandling that nation’s security challenges, Jonathan has proven himself to be an incompetent leader.

The abduction of the Chibok girls and the loss of Nigeria’s territories to insurgency due to mostly a lack of political will to tackle it convinced me that Jonathan does not have what it takes to remain president. I have a 5 year-old somewhat precocious daughter, she has a mouth on her. Recently whilst we were driving somewhere, Kaline’s song ‘Bring Them Home’ (a tribute to the Chibok girls) came on the radio. My daughter said to me somberly,
‘Mommy, if somebody took me away from you, I would miss you so much?’
It saddened me that Nigeria had become a country where a 5 year-old could live under the apprehension that some unknown persons could come steal her away from her family. Who should get the blame for that if not the nation’s chief security officer, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan? On top of all of this, to me the biggest testament to Jonathan’s failure as a president is the fact that Buhari has become a viable alternative.
However, Buhari has not just become the viable alternative because of Jonathan’s incompetence but also because this time he has aligned himself with a competent, accomplished team. His campaign team has the right mix of technocrats and politicians. His choice of Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Professor of Law and a former attorney general of Lagos, as vice presidential candidate speaks volumes. The first time I encountered Osinbajo was in March 2013 when he held a meeting with some social media influencers. He spoke so eloquently about the APC’s plans and with a deep understanding of Nigeria’s challenges and how they could be tackled. I left that meeting hoping he would one day be able to work for Nigeria at the national level. I was impressed when Buhari chose him as running mate.
I am not religious so my vote will not be based on religion. I am a nationalist so my vote will not be based on ethnic sentiments. Yet my vote will be based on sentiments, it will be based on emotions, on love for my country, love for my child and for myself. I do not want my beloved country to continue down this path of perdition, I still want my daughter to have a place she calls home 20 years from now. Buhari with his current team can put a stop this journey towards destruction. For this reason, I choose General Muhammad Buhari, to bring Nigeria back to the right path.

I have considered it necessary to shed more light on the interrelationship between the memory Card Readers which is commonly called PVC machines by Nigerians and the electronic smart card which is popularly known as Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), before taking on issues that surrounds its introduction, sustenance and its anticipated untimely extinction.
It is no gain saying that the memory card reader, which is a data input device that reads data from a card-shaped storage medium was proposed and funded by the President Goodluck Jonathan led administration, after a few logical deliberations at the floor of our National Assemblies and with meaningful inputs from technological savvy citizens both at the helms of affairs and the common. The first of the memory card readers were punched card readers, which read punched cards that were used during the first several decades of the computer industry to store information and programs for computer systems.

Modern card readers like the one introduced by the presidency are electronic devices that can read plastic cards embedded with either a barcode, strip, computer chip or another storage medium, which will ultimately drastically reduce the electoral hiccups that has enveloped the sanctity of our electoral institution from the advent of democracy in our nation. No doubt, the introduction of this advance technology is expected to mark the beginning of a new Nigeria, as checkmating the ills that characterizes will be made easy, provided the umpire does not compromise the process.

On the other hand, the smart card which is popularly called a Permanent Voter Cards used for communication with a memory card reader, which is a device used to scan and electronically save printed electronic cards, it must have located it perfect replica on the database before the memory card readers can successfully recognized the electronic smart card at the point of verification, then it can proceed to the identification stage before access can be finally granted to the user.

To the end of the brief information about the interrelationship between the memory card readers and the permanent voter cards, it is very important to also say that all biometric readers to include the memory card readers have a similar architectural design and working principles, by comparing the template stored in memory to the scan obtained during the process of identification. If there is a high enough degree of probability that the template in the memory is compatible with the live scan (the scan belongs to the authorized person), the ID number of that person is sent to a control panel. The control panel then checks the permission level of the user and determines whether access should be allowed. The communication between the reader and the control panel is usually transmitted using the industry standard Wiegand interface.

The Peoples Democratic Party has made their position on their disagreement with the use of the much talked about and funded technology, memory card readers in a few press statements which has eventually raised questions that seems unanswerable by these detractors in the ruling party and its sub-political parties or congresses. After a critical analysis of the number of the TVCs used in year 2011 and the number of casted votes in that year’s election and comparing the present INEC declared numbers of produced PVCs and the large number of the uncollected PVCs in year 2015 with the former, I don’t feel remorse to confidently submit that the large number of uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in the present PDP led States and those States lost to the APC at the tribunal, are the Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs) used to rig the elections in favour of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, which concurrently aided the victory of the PDP in the 2011 general elections.

On this note, reports from our feelers in the President Goodluck Jonathan cabinet has given strong indications that the presidency in conjunction with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has concluded every necessary plans to ensure that the incumbent chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega and the existing 14 Resident Electoral Commissioner (RECs) proceed on the purported terminal leave which will take effect on or before this coming Saturday 21 March, 2015 or before next Saturday.

In addition, the success of these mischievous plans as orchestrated by President Goodluck Jonathan and his political party will witness the emergence of a new leadership of our electoral umpire, there are strong indications that the ushered in INEC leadership will abort the ‘finger print authentication’ during the accreditation phase of the forthcoming general elections and the possibly the relegation of the memory card readers to the trashcans, which will eventually support their evil plans to scuttle the electoral figures, if the people does not coarsely resist the complete phasing out of the card readers and PVCs.

The newly ushered in leadership will eventually request for more time, let's say not more than 60days after May 29, 2015 in order to conduct free, fair and credible elections, which will ultimately lead to an outrage amidst the people and the formation of an national interim government.

If the introducer of an advance technology could turn back to condemn it after being embraced by concerned people, then Nigerians are expected to conclude that something must have gone wrong with the evils attached to the introduced technology by the introducer. Nonetheless, i am afraid that Nigeria will never remain the same, if the ruling party successfully have their way to frustrate the helpless Nigerian masses both before and during the polls, as a predictable anarchy might consume our nation in history.

Sulaiman Kazeem
sulaimanadeshina@yahoo.com
@KazeemDiary

The confirmation of Musiliu Obanikoro is a big slap on the face of this nation. The controversy surrounding him is enough reason for a Minister to be sacked, but he was confirmed instead. I still don't know why he isn't in jail yet... I'm not advocating for any of the parties now, I just think this is not right and shouldn't be done in any sane society. The power to stop this spontaneous madness is our hands. The choice is ours to make.

#teamGMB/PYO #iHaveDecided

The controversial screening and clearing of Musiliu Obanikoro by the PDP wing of the Senate took an ugly turn when minutes after the Senate session, an aide of Obanikoro charged at Senator Oluremi Tinubu as the Senators filed out. The bulky aide to Obanikoro pointed at Senator Tinubu as if to shake her. Instead he challenged her for being vehemently opposed to Obanikoro’s Ministerial clearance earlier. He continued to raise his voice in anger, while Senator Tinubu kept her calm and stood her ground. Suddenly, he attempted to charge at her to attack her but for the timely intervention of a few Senators who cautioned Obanikoro’s aide who exhibited traits of political thuggery. Annoyed by the event, Senator Babafemi Ojudu twitted his condemnation of such act of thuggery Obanikoro’s aide demonstrated.

Senator Tinubu was outspoken on the floor against the dishonorable clearance of Obanikoro. She walked out with other APC Senators in protest.

What's this supposed to mean? Is this where it has gotten to? My president my president, very funny man. God is more than any Obas. His will shall stand.

Mochedda is flawless! She wore it better.

Dubemkelly:
The heart is what really matters... Africans and their perceptions about religion

Forget it bro! The body acts the mind. They can't be separated.

BY GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI (RTD.)
Chatham House, London
26 February 2015



Permit me to start by thanking Chatham House for the invitation to talk about this important topic at this crucial time. When speaking about Nigeria overseas, I normally prefer to be my country’s public relations and marketing officer, extolling her virtues and hoping to attract investments and tourists. But as we all know, Nigeria is now battling with many challenges, and if I refer to them, I do so only to impress on our friends in the United Kingdom that we are quite aware of our shortcomings and are doing our best to address them.

The 2015 general election in Nigeria is generating a lot of interests within and outside the country. This is understandable. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and largest economy, is at a defining moment, a moment that has great implications beyond the democratic project and beyond the borders of my dear country.

So let me say upfront that the global interest in Nigeria’s landmark election is not misplaced at all and indeed should be commended; for this is an election that has serious import for the world. I urge the international community to continue to focus on Nigeria at this very critical moment. Given increasing global linkages, it is in our collective interests that the postponed elections should hold on the rescheduled dates; that they should be free and fair; that their outcomes should be respected by all parties; and that any form of extension, under whichever guise, is unconstitutional and will not be tolerated.
With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War, democracy became the dominant and most preferred system of government across the globe. That global transition has been aptly captured as the triumph of democracy and the ‘most pre-eminent political idea of our time.’ On a personal note, the phased end of the USSR was a turning point for me. It convinced me that change can be brought about without firing a single shot.

 

As you all know, I had been a military head of state in Nigeria for twenty months. We intervened because we were unhappy with the state of affairs in our country. We wanted to arrest the drift. Driven by patriotism, influenced by the prevalence and popularity of such drastic measures all over Africa and elsewhere, we fought our way to power. But the global triumph of democracy has shown that another and a preferable path to change is possible. It is an important lesson I have carried with me since, and a lesson that is not lost on the African continent.

 

In the last two decades, democracy has grown strong roots in Africa. Elections, once so rare, are now so commonplace. As at the time I was a military head of state between 1983 and 1985, only four African countries held regular multi-party elections. But the number of electoral democracies in Africa, according to Freedom House, jumped to 10 in 1992/1993 then to 18 in 1994/1995 and to 24 in 2005/2006. According to theNew York Times, 42 of the 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa conducted multi-party elections between 1990 and 2002.
The newspaper also reported that between 2000 and 2002, ruling parties in four African countries (Senegal, Mauritius, Ghana and Mali) peacefully handed over power to victorious opposition parties. In addition, the proportion of African countries categorized as not free by Freedom House declined from 59% in 1983 to 35% in 2003. Without doubt, Africa has been part of the current global wave of democratisation.

 

But the growth of democracy on the continent has been uneven. According to Freedom House, the number of electoral democracies in Africa slipped from 24 in 2007/2008 to 19 in 2011/2012; while the percentage of countries categorised as ‘not free’ assuming for the sake of argument that we accept their definition of “free” increased from 35% in 2003 to 41% in 2013. Also, there have been some reversals at different times in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho,Mali, Madagascar, Mauritania and Togo. We can choose to look at the glass of democracy in Africa as either half full or half empty.

 

While you can’t have representative democracy without elections, it is equally important to look at the quality of the elections and to remember that mere elections do not democracy make. It is globally agreed that democracy is not an event, but a journey. And that the destination of that journey is democratic consolidation - that state where democracy has become so rooted and so routine and widely accepted by all actors.

 

With this important destination in mind, it is clear that though many African countries now hold regular elections, very few of them have consolidated the practice of democracy. It is important to also state at this point that just as with elections, a consolidated democracy cannot be an end by itself. I will argue that it is not enough to hold a series of elections or even to peacefully alternate power among parties.

It is much more important that the promise of democracy goes beyond just allowing people to freely choose their leaders. It is much more important that democracy should deliver on the promise of choice, of freedoms, of security of lives and property, of transparency and accountability, of rule of law, of good governance and of shared prosperity. It is very important that the promise embedded in the concept of democracy, the promise of a better life for the generality of the people, is not delivered in the breach.

 

Now, let me quickly turn to Nigeria. As you all know, Nigeria’s fourth republic is in its 16th year and this general election will be the fifth in a row. This is a major sign of progress for us, given that our first republic lasted five years and three months, the second republic ended after four years and two months and the third republic was a still-birth. However, longevity is not the only reason why everyone is so interested in this election.

 

The major difference this time around is that for the very first time since transition to civil rule in 1999, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing its stiffest opposition so far from our party the All Progressives Congress (APC). We once had about 50 political parties, but with no real competition. Now Nigeria is transitioning from a dominant party system to a competitive electoral polity, which is amajor marker on the road to democratic consolidation. As you know, peaceful alternation of power through competitive elections have happened in Ghana, Senegal, Malawi andMauritius in recent times. The prospects of democratic consolidation in Africa will be further brightened when that eventually happens in Nigeria.

But there are other reasons why Nigerians and the whole world are intensely focussed on this year’s elections, chief of which is that the elections are holding in the shadow of huge security, economic and social uncertainties in Africa’s most populous country and largest economy. On insecurity, there is a genuine cause for worry, both within and outside Nigeria. Apart from the civil war era, at no other time in our history has Nigeria been this insecure.

 

Boko Haram has sadly put Nigeria on the terrorism map, killing more than 13,000 of our nationals, displacing millions internally and externally, and at a time holding on to portions of our territory the size of Belgium. What has been consistently lacking is the required leadership in our battle against insurgency. I,                                                                                                                  as a retired general and a former head of state, have always known about our soldiers: they are capable, well trained, patriotic, brave and always ready to do their duty in the service of our country.

 

You all can bear witness to the gallant role of our military inBurma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Darfur and in many other peacekeeping operations in several parts of the world. But in the matter of this insurgency, our soldiers have neither received the necessary support nor the required incentives to tackle this problem. The government has also failed in any effort towards a multi-dimensional response to this problem leading to a situation in which we have now become dependent on our neighbours to come to our rescue.
Let me assure you that if I am elected president, the world will have no cause to worry about Nigeria as it has had to recently; that Nigeria will return to its stabilising role in West Africa; and that no inch of Nigerian territory will ever be lost to the enemy because we will pay special attention to the welfare of our soldiers in and out of service, we will give them adequate and modern arms and ammunitions to work with, we will improve intelligence gathering and border controls to choke Boko Haram's financial and equipment channels, we will be tough on terrorism and tough on its root causes by initiating a comprehensive economic development plan promoting infrastructural development, job creation, agriculture and industry in the affected areas. We will always act on time and not allow problems to irresponsibly fester, and I, Muhammadu Buhari, will always lead from the front and return Nigeria to its leadership role in regional and international efforts to combat terrorism.

 

On the economy, the fall in prices of oil has brought our economic and social stress into full relief. After the rebasing exercise in April 2014, Nigeria overtook South Africa as Africa’s largest economy. Our GDP is now valued at $510 billion and our economy rated 26th in the world. Also on the bright side, inflation has been kept at single digit for a while and our economy has grown at an average of 7% for about a decade.

 

But it is more of paper growth, a growth that, on account of mismanagement, profligacy and corruption, has not translated to human development or shared prosperity. A development economist once said three questions should be asked about a country’s development: one, what is happening to poverty? Two, what is happening to unemployment? And three, what is happening to inequality?
The answers to these questions in Nigeria show that the current administration has created two economies in one country, a sorry tale of two nations: one economy for a few who have so much in their tiny island of prosperity; and the other economy for the many who have so little in their vast ocean of misery.

 

Even by official figures, 33.1% of Nigerians live in extreme poverty. That’s at almost 60 million, almost the population of the United Kingdom. There is also the unemployment crisis simmering beneath the surface, ready to explode at the slightest stress, with officially 23.9% of our adult population and almost 60% of our youth unemployed. We also have one of the highest rates of inequalities in the world.

 

With all these, it is not surprising that our performance on most governance and development indicators (like Mo Ibrahim Index on African Governance and UNDP’s Human Development Index.) are unflattering. With fall in the prices of oil, which accounts for more than 70% of government revenues, and lack of savings from more than a decade of oil boom, the poor will be disproportionately impacted. 

 

In the face of dwindling revenues, a good place to start the repositioning of Nigeria's economy is to swiftly tackle two ills that have ballooned under the present administration: waste and corruption. And in doing this, I will, if elected, lead the way, with the force of personal example.

 

On corruption, there will be no confusion as to where I stand. Corruption will have no place and the corrupt will not be appointed into my administration. First and foremost, we will plug the holes in the budgetary process. Revenue producing entities such as NNPC and Customs and Excise will have one set of books only. Their revenues will be publicly disclosed and regularly audited. The institutions of state dedicated to fighting corruption will be given independence and prosecutorial authority without political interference.
But I must emphasise that any war waged on corruption should not be misconstrued as settling old scores or a witch-hunt. I'm running for President to lead Nigeria to prosperity and not adversity.

 

In reforming the economy, we will use savings that arise from blocking these leakages and the proceeds recovered from corruption to fund our party’s social investments programmesin education, health, and safety nets such as free school meals for children, emergency public works for unemployed youth and pensions for the elderly.

 

As a progressive party, we must reform our political economy to unleash the pent-up ingenuity and productivity of the Nigerian people thus freeing them from the curse of poverty. We will run a private sector-led economy but maintain anactive role for government through strong regulatory oversight and deliberate interventions and incentives to diversify the base of our economy, strengthen productive sectors, improve the productive capacities of our people and create jobs for our teeming youths.

 

In short, we will run a functional economy driven by a worldview that sees growth not as an end by itself, but as a tool to create a society that works for all, rich and poor alike. On March 28, Nigeria has a decision to make. To vote for the continuity of failure or to elect progressive change. I believe the people will choose wisely.

 

In sum, I think that given its strategic importance, Nigeria can trigger a wave of democratic consolidation in Africa. But as a starting point we need to get this critical election right by ensuring that they go ahead, and depriving those who want to scuttle it the benefit of derailing our fledgling democracy. That way, we will all see democracy and democratic consolidation as tools for solving pressing problems in a sustainable way, not as ends in themselves.

 

Permit me to close this discussion on a personal note. I have heard and read references to me as a former dictator in many respected British newspapers including the well regarded Economist. Let me say without sounding defensive that dictatorship goes with military rule, though some might be less dictatorial than others. I take responsibility for whatever happened under my watch.

I cannot change the past. But I can change the present and the future. So before you is a former military ruler and a converted democrat who is ready to operate under democratic norms and is subjecting himself to the rigours of democratic elections for the fourth time.

 

You may ask: why is he doing this? This is a question I ask myself all the time too. And here is my humble answer: because the work of making Nigeria great is not yet done, because I still believe that change is possible, this time through the ballot, and most importantly, because I still have the capacity and the passion to dream and work for a Nigeria that will be respected again in the comity of nations and that all Nigerians will be proud of.

 

I thank you for listening.

raayah:
Just finished pleasuring myself and i feel relaxed . In short, body dey sweet me right now!

Everybody with their own.

My only advice is to do it with moderation. Being addicted to anything is bad.

I think it's quite different in the case of a lady. Most of the things listed in this piece talks more to the guy.

This looks more to me like the girl is kissing the buckle of his belt than giving him head. Small small abeg.

I have made up my mind to go with the General and the Prof. The change we seek is here to stay. This is a very nice piece. Jonathan indeed has to go.

Like an Alcoholic fighting his cravings for his first sip of liquor after some months for being sober, I have fought the urge to put my burning political thoughts into writing knowing that it will be like opening a portal I struggled so hard to close.
The events of the weeks past have not helped my determination to stay off the political radar by fringe of the imagination. It has been one raging issue after another.
As I sit on to write this piece, I feel anger and frustration welling up inside of me. Frustration not at myself for bowing to my cravings but at the political power players on the scene in the country.
It is no longer news that the elections have been pushed forward by six weeks but the questions troubling me are the real reasons behind the postponement. Believe me when I tell you that there is more to it than the black and white picture painted to us about the security situation in the country.
Election dates were not fixed few weeks ago and we have all been aware of the security challenges of the nation long before now, so why the wait till the elections were a week away before deciding to shift it.
Some have argued that the ruling PDP did this to bankrupt the opposition and that it has always been in the tank to have elections postponed. This makes sense but it doesn’t really bother me.
My worries have been the “sudden” success rate of the Nigerian army in the fight against the insurgency. Don’t get me wrong here, I am happy to read about dead terrorists but I must ask the logical question WHY NOW?
What has changed in the space of one week that has seen the army records astounding successes in the fight against terror that has dwarfed all of the efforts of the past five years or so?.
Without sounding pessimistic, I think the PDP has been taking us all on a ride for the past five years. This conclusion I came to after listening to the president admitting that he “underestimated Boko Haram”.
I dare say that the President never underestimated Boko Haram but we as a people underestimated his ability to lead this great country.
Why did it takes five years, a shift in the election date and the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent Nigerians for Mr. President to suddenly realize the extent of danger posed by these blood suckers. President Goodluck Jonathan and his cohorts in the PDP have for so long been preparing a dish of deceit to feed Nigerians with or how else does one explain the confidence of the presidency in stating that the leader of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorist group would be captured “alive” in less than six weeks.

Undoubtedly, the news of the purported capture of the resurfaced leader of the Boko Haram terrorist group, Abubakar Shekau presently hovering around the Nigeria political space which may have been credited to feeders within the Nigeria Defense HQ or its mercenaries, is a bid to present a cloned individual as the original leader of the group, further blackmail certain people in the society, and ultimately result to further mudslinging of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. No doubt, Nigerians believe that the monster was a creation of the ruling party in their pursuit to maintain a firm grip on power, the nation’s treasury and extend their 16 years of futile rule at the center. This is at the expense of the lives and properties of the people, who are believed to be helpless in the face of the PDP’s misrule.

In accordance with the statement of a former Nigerian dictator, General Sani Abacha on the consent of the government in power, if terrorism last for more than 48hrs in a country, and with a deep understanding of the relationship between a creature and the creator, Nigerians will collectively subscribe to the submission that a relationship convincingly exist between President Goodluck Jonathan and the leader of the most dreaded Nigerian based Boko Haram terrorist group. This evident claim has aided the fast rise of the terrorist group and the military’s inability to end the activities of this terrorist group for the past six years in power, which has brought so much shame on us as a people.

The decision of the President Goodluck Jonathan led government to satisfy the conditions on which the February polls was untimely postponed, after President Goodluck Jonathan claimed to have underestimated the activities of the dreaded group from its inception, is believed to have instigated the presidency to match the battle field in an attempt to either subdue or eradicate the Boko Haram Terrorist group, so Nigerians should neither be utterly shocked nor perplexed by the swift swing of the President Goodluck Jonathan led Nigerian Military to combat the over six years terrorism that has ravaged the entire North Eastern Nigeria and its environs, for this is a clear indictment of the incumbent administration which is in accordance with claims from well meaning Nigerians that the President Goodluck Jonathan led government has deliberately allowed the insecurity in the North eastern Nigeria to degenerate in pursuance of political points best known to the Presidency and the ruling party.

Nevertheless, the position of some members of the ruling class and the Nigerian masses that the Boko Haram terrorist group is a creation of the ruling party can be best justified with the ongoing perceived determination of the presidency and the ruling party to employ all necessary mercenaries towards bringing peace and tranquility to the North East, after the government’s nonchalant attitude for over six years that has led to the displacement of more than 3 million people, death of more than a hundred score, destruction of many over homes and death of our unborn cities, this calls for a probe by both national court of law and the international criminal court of law.

Conclusively, Nigerians are glad to join the government on their sudden awakening from their six years of slumber by giving the insecurity in the North East a good fight. This will help us restore peace in our country and return sanctity in our society. Nonetheless, we also express our disappointment in the deliberate inactions of the President Goodluck Jonathan led administration to combat the dreaded terrorist group.

Whatever becomes the outcome of the ongoing fight for peace in the North East, we will always remember that the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration consumed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and displaced over 3 million people, for people will be remembered for their actions and inactions.

Kazeem Sulaiman
sulaimanadeshina@yahoo.com
@KazeemDiary

I woke up yesterday to celebrate the good news of the award, by the University of London, of a Honourary Doctorate degree to an eminent citizen of Nigeria and a most illustrious son of Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola, being the 12th of such recognitions from citadels of learning around the world. The joy was however momentarily overshadowed by the bad news of an alarming level of onslaught against one of the foremost 2015 Presidential Candidates, General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd.), by the number one citizen of Ekiti State, Governor Peter AyodeleFayose.
Coming from the same State, I cannot but ponderon the paradox of having two prominent fellow stakeholders being on national spotlight on the same day, one for good news, exporting the Ekiti core values internationally, and the other for bad news, representing that which is not consistent with the Ekiti core values on a national level.
The statements credited to Governor Fayose, if indeed they came from him, constitute a rude invasion of General Muhammadu Buhari’sprivacy and a rough neck tactic to try to dog such a national figure that way.

Even if, according to Governor Fayose, General Buhari had visited a hospital during his foreign trip, the reasonable question to ask, I would think, is whether or not General Buhari deserves rest or even a medical check-up after a full-fledged and most rigorous (over 30 days) campaign during which he did not miss a single rally?
It is sad that many leaders of the political class would rather celebrate a poverty of ideas at the expense of ensuring robust reasoning and proffering perspectives on the way forward for Nigeria in a way that potential voters would be able to make up their minds on which candidate to vote for on the basis of superior postulation and demonstrated strength of character. It is unfortunate that some people have to be given a hatchet job to do in a presidential campaign that is supposed to be a campaign of issues and policy enunciation at such a critical stage of our dear nation. It is, of course, most tragic that afellow Ekiti man, and for that matter the Governor, would be the one to volunteer himself for the dirtiest, ugliest and the most irresponsible part of the hatchet job, even when he is so consistently disowned by the same political establishment he is working so hard for and destroying himself to impress.

No decent Ekiti man or woman, either in the private or public sector, and no Ekiti politician, either in PDP, APC, Labour Party or any other political party can be proud of how Governor Fayose has carried himself since the beginning of this campaign or how he has continued to portray the image of Ekiti as a community of people with integrity deficit. As an Ekiti stakeholder, I, like other credible illustrious citizens of the State, deal with this issue on a daily basis, taking pain to explain the Ekiti personality and core values to those who care to listen and reminding concerned people home and abroad that fine gentlemen and patriots like Aare Afe Babalola, Chief Wole Olanipekun, Comrade Femi Falana, Prof. Akin Oyebode, Pa Ayo Fasanmi, Sir Remi Omotoso, Prof. MobolajiAluko, Prof. Jide Oluwasanmi, Justice AdemolaAjakaiye (Rtd.), Prof. Adeniran, Prof. BabalolaBorisade and many other highly cerebral people of accomplishment (home and abroad) in virtually every profession, in both private and public sectors and in all areas of human endeavour are citizens of Ekiti State.
President Goodluck Jonathan is doing all he can to convince Nigerians and members of the international community that he is committed to the survival of our democracy. Just like he has a right to contest and legitimately expect to win, he has equally assured all and sundry that if he loses the election, he will honourably handover to the winner, making it clear that neither a military nor an interim regime would be an acceptable alternative. If President Jonathan is speaking in this parlance and Gov. Fayose is busy abusing former President OlusegunObasanjo while denigrating the age and person of General Mohammadu Buhari to the extent of wishing him dead, then surely Governor Fayosemust be weeping more than the bereaved. And when a sympathiser is weeping more than the bereaved, there is definitely a cause for suspicion.
Let Governor Fayose call himself to order. Let him leave Gen. Buhari alone and come up with a more positive and decent manner of adding value to the Our democracy and Politics. Right now, he is a like cancer to our body politic. Let him stop dragging the name and image of Ekiti in the mud. Ekiti people abhor hate politics and if even Abuja would disown Gov. Fayose’shate campaign style, then the extent of damage he is doing to the Jonathan campaign in EkitiState is better left in the realm of imagination.
For once, let Governor Fayose jettison the one day-one trouble style of governance and settle down for real deal. Ekiti in her present socio-economic situation needs a critical, sober and scientific leadership intervention, which calls for a conducive atmosphere that would enable all well-meaning sons and daughters of Ekiti at home and abroad to pull ideas together on what is to be done to rescue the State from imminent collapse and bring her glory back from sabbatical.
In the face of dwindling oil revenues and the need to diversify our economy, leadership ingenuity, clear understanding of the microeconomic fundamentals and commitment to global best practice standards of good governance must be the watch word and policy thrust of any Government that wants to be taken seriously. Ekiti cannot and must not be an exception in order not to be left behind by the rest of the nation. Shall we tell Governor Fayoseto allow the days of leadership banters to be over and settle down for real governance, which is a serious business?

Hon Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (M.O.B)
Member, House of Representatives
Labour Party Governorship Candidate, Ekiti

24th February 2014

khalebzy:
I wish I had this little boy as a friend then

Lmaoooo.. .

aryzgreat:
Hmmmm

Thiefnubuu is gambling with d future of Nigeria, We don't want another yaradie

Lalasticlala fp

Try to be more reasonable when next you want to comment on a public post such as this. Anyone in his right sense doesn't use the name of a dead responsible leader of his' in this context. You should respect his memory.