₦airaland Forum

President Muhammadu Buhari has blamed the Nigerian Media for failing to showcase the agricultural achievements of his administration.

The president apportioned the blame on Wednesday while addressing young political appointees at the presidential villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.

Mr Buhari has never spoken to any Nigerian Media outfits since he came into office. He is known for granting interview to foreign based media outlets each time he leaves the shores of the country.

The Nigerian leader said he is disappointed that the local media has has refused to showcase the achievements of his administration in the agricultural sector.



Buhari also stated that his administration has reduced the importation of rice by 90 percent and that those who have gone into the agricultural sector because they could not secure white-collar jobs are reaping the reward.

“I’m very disappointed with the Nigerian press. They didn’t give this government the credit of the `go back to land programme,” Mr Buhari said.

“We have cut down the importation of rice by at least 90 percent. I foresaw our problem in agriculture and did the right thing and today, people are much better.

“In terms of unemployment, our able-bodied persons that do not have education and can’t get white-collar jobs, went back to till the land and today, none of them is regretting it,” he noted.

The president who is seeking a second term in office added that the intention of his administration “is to do the infrastructure and give education and healthcare to our people especially the poor.”

Ralph Uwazuruike, a former ally of Nnamdi Kanu, has stated why the leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) came out of his hiding place.

Mr Kanu, who heads IPOB, disappeared last year in the midst of clash involving his supporters and the Nigerian Army.

Before the clash, he said the then coming Anambra State governorship election was not going to hold in the state advising his followers not to participate.

Since then he has not been publicly seen campaigning for his request for an independent state of Biafra. A report on the internet said he was sighted in Ghana but his seperatist group debunked the report claiming the federal government knows the whereabout of its leader.



Last week, Kanu resurfaced in a video posted on the internet with claims that he was in Isreal, this the Israeli government has debunked saying the video might be an old one.

However, the IPOB leader who addressed his supporters on Sunday urged them to stay away from participating in the 2019 general election.

Uwazuruike, who now heads the Biafra Independent Movement (BIM) in reaction to the development said the IPOB leader is out to make money from the next year’s general election.

He stated this on Monday in Owerri, the Imo State capital while addressing reporters.

“Last time, he carried a campaign that there wouldn’t be election in Anambra state and what eventually happened in the end?” Uwazuruike queried.

“Today, he has started again. He is back again after several months, because election is just by the corner, so as to deceive the people and mop up money for himself as the IPOB leader and in the name of fighting for the realisation of Biafra independence.

“That he ran away after a while and reappeared during the electioneering period is deceitful.

“The issue of no election is a constitutional matter. Kanu does not have the powers to say that election can never take place in the south-east.

“The truth is that in the south-east, we have only five states and what a presidential candidate, for example, only needs to win his or her election is two-thirds majority vote.

“If the five states out of the 36 states, including the FCT, do not vote and 31 states vote, two-thirds majority would still be gotten. The president then has the powers to appoint anybody to be in charge of the other five states who do not vote. This is, therefore, politically detrimental to Ndigbo.

“These are things some Igbo people do not know. Kanu has started his campaign to cause more confusion for our people, which I call campaign of calumny and deceit. He is being used to destabilise Ndigbo towards gaining the independence of Biafra.”

Nnamdi Kanu, the resurfaced leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said his group will not participate in the 2019 general election.

Mr Kanu stated this on Sunday while addressing members of his movement from Isreal where he reappeared recently after disappearing publicly when his country home was raided last year September. The address was monitored by NGPOLITICS.

He was granted bail last year and ordered not to speak or address members of his group, a decision he allegedly flouted, according to the federal officials.

While a date for his appearing in court was drawing near, Kanu said he was going to storm Abuja, the nation’s capital, and come back with the head of President Muhammadu Buhari. This statement did not go down well with the military who immediately commenced a military operation tagged ‘Operation Python Dance‘ in the South East zone of the country.



The operation which passed through the residence of the IPOB leader ended in fracas between the Army and IPOB members. The building was later raided by suspected military men and Kanu was last seen publicly since then. Last week he surfaced in Isreal praying.

The comment of the separatist leader on the forthcoming 2019 general election seems to differ from the claims of former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode.

Mr Fani-Kayode had at the week claimed Kanu spoke to him through telephone and they have both agreed to oust incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.

Hours after the minister’s comment, IPOB distanced itself from the claim saying it’s only purpose of existence is to restore Biafra, which seeks to crave out an independence nation from Nigeria.

The Deputy leader of IPOB, Uche Mefor, frowned at the statement credited to the former minister of aviation.

“Our attention has been drawn to some deceptive and crude tactics employed by some politicians to drag the name of our leader, Nnamdi Kanu to the mud by suggesting that he held talks with such politicians to oust Muhammadu Buhari,” Mr Mefor said in a statement.

“We want to use this medium to state unequivocally that at no time did Nnamdi Kanu reach any agreement with any politician to participate in Nigerian politics,” he added.

“IPOB will not participate in 2019 election,” Kanu said, adding that: “I will be back to restore Biafra soon.”

He did not give a date when he will be returning to the country.

A similar order issued by the separatist leader during the last governorship election in Anambra recorded huge success. He said his members was not going to vote in the election and it was carried out by majority of the residence of the state. Despite the order, few who came out to vote elected the current governor of the state.

Sen Shehu Sani has just dumped D APC. People who did not like you in the morning & afternoon but claim to like you at night,i beg borrow urself some brain. Baba God i thank you say i no become suya in the hands of cash & carry party. (APC) Aboki accept my condolence.. oh my home

Poor
@ShehuSani
. When you should have honourably left with
@BukolaSaraki
, you allowed yourself be deceived by Oshiomhole’s empty promise of ‘automatic ticket’. Now that automatic ticket has become automatic trick, you now realise you were used and dumped

Bukola Saraki, President of Nigeria’s 8th Senate has been appointed to chair the Presidential Campaign Council of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).

The national chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, said Mr Saraki was appointed to head the campaign council as director general after stakeholders of the party were duly consulted.

Ayodele Fayose, outgoing governor of Ekiti State, has raised alarm over strange movements around his residence.

The alarm by Mr Fayose NGPOLITICS recalls may not be unconnected to moves to prevent him from escaping from the country prior to his handover date Tuesday, October 16, 2018.

This medium also recalls how the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) agency wrote several security outfits in the country to be at alert and arrest the outgoing governor should he take which ever route manned by them to escape from the country.

Although the governor had offered to willingly present himself the EFCC, the anti-graft agency is not leaving any stone unturned to prevent Fayose from escaping from alleged abuse of office, money laundering, among others while he still enjoys immunity from prosecution.

The governor, who accused the anti-graft agency of partiality, asked the commission to tender an apology and withdraw the notice placed on him. The EFCC has not adhered to the governor’s advise hence his decision to seek legal redress.

He is widely known for criticising President Muhammadu Buhari.

Raising the alarm early Tuesday, Fayose alleged that he has noticed strange movements around his vicinity which might soon be invaded.

“It is known to the public that I offered to make myself available at the EFCC office today,” Mr Fayose said in a tweet.

“However, as I write, there are strange movements around my residence & I’m aware of planned invasion any moment from now.

“Despite this,I will be at the commission’s tomorrow as promised,” he added.


The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to which Fayose belongs to, lost the July 2018 governorship election in Ekiti state.

Kayode Fayemi, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defeated the candidate of the PDP, Olusola Kolapo, to win the election.

Nyesom Wike, Rivers State Governor, has warned Nigerians against re-electing President Muhammadu Buhari who is seeking a second term in office in the 2019 presidential election.

Mr Wike gave the warning on Sunday in Port Harcourt during a thanksgiving service for the successful hosting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention in the city.

The PDP elective convention had last week produced Atiku Abubakar, as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2019 poll.

The Rivers State governor while warning Nigerians against returning Mr Buhari in office said the suffering currently going on will be a child’s play to what will befall the country should the president be re-elected.

Describing the president's administration as a bad one Wike said Nigerians would be digging their grave if they insist on voting for Mr Buhari again.

“We must put our heads together to ensure that this bad government is sacked. We must ensure that this bad government goes in 2019,” the governor’s media aide, Simeon Nwakaudu, quoted his principal as saying in a statement.

“If this same government returns in 2019, then Nigerians are digging their graves. The suffering now will be a child’s play. That is why we must work for the good of our people,” Wike said.

The governor also declared his support for Mr Abubakar while acknowledging that he had supported Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, who came second during the just concluded presidential primary of the PDP.



Wike who said he had no regret for supporting Tambuwal said he now supports Abubakar because the party has chosen the former vice president as its candidate and as a loyal party man he has no other choice.

“I supported the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal fully. I have no regrets for my support for Tambuwal.

“But the party has made a choice and as a loyal party man, I stand by the choice of the party. I will support His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar to victory in 2019.

“That is what is called party loyalty,” Mr Wike said.

He expressed confidence that the PDP will still win the state in the forth coming elections.

Senators of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have dumped the initial plan of impeaching Bukola Saraki, the president of the 8th Senate.

Mr Saraki who emerged the leader of the National Assembly has not been in good terms with the APC even while he was in their fold.

Since his emergence, against the wish of the ruling party, several attempt to oust the top lawmaker from his position have often met brick wall.

His defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently made the APC to openly call on him to relinquish the position. Mr Saraki, however, vowed to remain in office because he enjoys the support of majority members of the chamber.



Threatening Saraki, the lawmakers of the ruling party vowed to oust the Senate President when the house resumed from recess on Tuesday. On resumption no drama of sought has taken place thereby suggesting that the APC Senators may have backed down.

Addressing State House journalists on Friday, the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, who heads the APC caucus at the upper chamber said they decided to drop the plans because of national interest which supersedes those of the party.

“We definitely have to bury our hatchets for us to work for Nigeria and Nigerians. Perhaps that might have informed the disappointment of many people that there will be crisis in the National Assembly,” Mr Lawan said after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I don’t know what informed your view to anticipate crisis but let me tell you that National Assembly will continue to remain focus on national issues, we must be patriotic, nationalistic.

“We must put national interest above individual, parochial or partisan interest.

“Let me also say that disagreements are usual. In fact, there are very practical components of any parliament, when you have two to three parties or even within parties, you will have views that may differ.

“It is traditional, it is usual for us to disagree. Maybe these disagreements may crop up and some other issues. But for now, our focus is on national interest.



“The National Assembly is a Nigerian parliament and therefore the best thing to do is to ensure that Nigerians gets a good deal and for now the good deal is for Nigeria to have all those pending request of Mr President approved by the National Assembly.

“I think the national interest for now overrides any other interest.

“Our intention is to ensure that Mr President doesn’t lack from inactivity of the National Assembly. That whatever he requests, the fundamental aspects especially will be attended to. This is our determination both as APC senators. In fact as Senate and National Assembly.”

The All Progressive Congress (APC) has alleged that former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has initiated moves to secure a United States’ visa for Atiku Abubakar.

Mr Abubakar, a former vice president and a presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 presidential election, was endorsed by Mr Obasanjo on Thursday.

The APC in a statement signed by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, said the party got the information from its intelligence unit.

Mr Nabena said the former president was lobbying US authorities to withdraw the country’s entry ban placed on Abubakar who is widely known as Atiku.



“We have come across reports that former President Olusegun Obasanjo has made moves to secure United States entry visa for the presidential candidate of the PDP ,Alh. Atiku Abubakar, whose candidacy he endorsed on Thursday,” the party said.

“It is learnt that that the former President who during and after leaving office insisted on Atiku’s unsuitability to govern Nigeria based on his knowledge of the latter’s extensive corrupt practices while he served as Vice President, is lobbying US authorities to withdraw the ban reportedly placed on Atiku from entering the United States following a 2005 $500,000 bribery scandal that involved Atiku, his fourth wife, Jennifer and former United States Congressman, William Jefferson.

Recall that the former president while in office had deployed enormous resources of the country on a global dragnet coordinated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in getting Atiku prosecuted for corrupt enrichment and money laundering.

A report by the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by Senator Carl Levin reported that Atiku used offshore companies to siphon millions of dollars to his fourth wife in the United States, Jennifer while still the vice president of Nigeria between 2000 and 2008.



The report further stated that then President Bush had on the strength of his report, barred Atiku and other corrupt politically exposed persons from being issued visa to the United States, a reason for which he has been unable to travel to the United States till date.

“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s intervention in Alh.Abubakar Atiku’s ban from the United States of America is evidence of Obasanjo’s legendary hypocrisy and self-serving interest in national affairs,” the statement read.