₦airaland Forum

Press Statement
4/9/2018

Rising Debt: Buhari Stop Mortgaging the Future of Nigerians, Says Timi Frank
...Urges China to be Wary of Granting Loans

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has described the astronomical rise in the nation’s Foriegn debt portfolio under the present administration as worrisome with a call on President Muhammadu Buhari to stop mortgaging the future of Nigerians.

Frank who made the declaration in a statement in Abuja also pleaded with the Chinese and other foreign governments to be wary of granting loans to the present administration.

He stated that despite over 100 per cent rise in the nation’s external debt under the Buhari administration, there is little or nothing on ground - in terms of concrete economic, social and infrastructural development to justify the huge debt already incurred by Buhari.

The former APC chieftain said that the goal of Buhari is to return the country to pre-1999 debt level which ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo fought hard to cancel.

“If something is not done urgently to stop these huge loans being amassed by Buhari,, the country’s future will be in jeopardy and our children’s children will certainly turn slaves to our creditors. Unfortunately this is the kind of future that Buhari is preparing for Nigerians - both living and yet unborn,” Frank stated.

He thanked the Chinese Government for recently signing a $328million ICT pact with Buhari but regretted that the loans they have released to the country in the last three years are not being utilized for the purposes they were meant.

“Nigerians only hear of loans that the present administration has incurred in the last three years, but there is nothing on ground to show that such amounts have come into the Federal coffers for development,” he stated.

Frank wondered how the nation’s external debt profile skyrocketed from $10billion in 2015, to $22.08bn as of June 30 this year - representing a whooping 114.05 per cent, according to statistics from the Debt Management Office (DMO).

He lamented that the nation’s local debt also currently stands at N12.15trillion.

He said: “Nigerians have not seen the proposed dividends accruable from these loans, otherwise, Nigeria would not have emerged the poverty capital of the world with over 87 million people living in extreme poverty - according to a report by the Brookings Institution on the World Poverty Clock recently.”

He urged the National Assembly to stop approving foreign loan requests by Buhari while calling on the Chinese and other world governments and international financial Institutions to desist from granting loans to the Buhari’s administration.

“The world ought to know that Buhari is on his way out as the 2019 election approaches. Therefore any loan agreement between Buhari and any entity at this point would be repaid by him in person and not the succeeding government,” he stated.

He called on the National Assembly to probe where and how the over $11billion external loans granted to Buhari’s administration in the last three years have been or are being utilized.

“This is not the way Buhari met Nigeria and he must not be allowed to worsen the economic condition of the country further, having failed to improve it. The National Assembly owes the country a duty to stop approving incessant foreign loan requests by Buhari.

“The world also owes Nigeria a duty to stop granting these loans because they are not being utilized for the welfare of the people,” he stated.

Signed

Comrade Timi Frank
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC
timifrank40@gmail.com
07033555555

Press release
3/9/18

Mode of Primaries: APC cursed, confused, needs deliverance - Says Ex-spokesman

The immediate past Deputy National Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has said that Nigerians will soon realise that his former political party has been cursed, now in confusion and urgently needs deliverance.

As a result of that, Frank said it is increasingly difficult for APC to unite its members and make decisions that are in their best interest.

Reacting to current division on the mode of primary elections to be adopted by the party which has pitched one organ of the APC against the other, Frank said in a statement in Abuja on Monday that if a ruling party cannot be united in making a decision on whether to adopt direct or indirect primaries, such a party can neither unite nor lead the country on the path of progress.

Recall that the APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting had adopted the direct primaries for presidential nomination and the indirect primaries for Senate, House of Representatives, Governorship and State Houses of Assembly nominations but the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee unilaterally reversed the decision - a situation that has lead to widespread dissatisfaction and disaffection among the top hierarchy and members of the party.

Frank, however said that the current chaos in the APC is reflective of the lack of direction which the ruling party had foisted on the country in the last three years.

According to him: “It is a shame that a ruling party cannot unanimously take and stand by its decision on the mode of its primary election.

"Nigerians will soon realise that the calibre of people remaining in the APC are only there for their personal political interests and not for the good of the country.

“It is only in the APC-led Federal Government that more than three camps exist around the President - where the Chief of Staff has his own camp, Vice President leads another camp and the President himself is comfortable presiding over a divided house.

"The case is the same among the security agencies where there is no synergy and harmony. So how can a disunited ruling party protect or unite a vast country like Nigeria?”

Speaking on why some prominent members of the party - himself inclusive - recently defected from the APC, Frank who was a pioneer member, said those who are rushing to join the APC currently will soon have themselves to blame as they will soon rush out with bitter experiences.

He said that the APC is a one-man-show-political-party where nothing happens without express orders from the Führer.

He also recalled how the President himself was talking back and forth on whether tenure elongation or not should be adopted during the last days of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun’s chairmanship of the party.

The former APC spokesman said that the infighting within the party "epitomizes APC’s lacklustre leadership approach which has manifested in unmitigated crisis, policy somersaults, dwindling economic fortunes and rising unemployment and insecurity across the country.

He, however called on Nigerians to unanimously reject the APC at all levels in 2019, warning that if the current administration is allowed to continue beyond the next general elections, Nigeria might witness further economic and social stagnation.

Signed:
Comrade Timi Frank
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC
timifrank40@gmail.com
07033555555

Press release


Timi Frank Uncovers Fresh Plot to arraign Saraki
...Says Presidency, APC out to embarrass, Frustrate Presidential Ambition

Barely few days after the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, declared his intention to contest for President in the 2019 General Elections, the presidency has ordered the police and a foremost anti-graft agency to arraign him in court this week over spurious charges, it was learnt on Sunday.

Former Deputy National Publicity of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, who dropped this hint in Abuja through a statement on Sunday, said the planned arraignment of Saraki on cooked-up charges is part of a renewed onslaught by the presidency and the leadership of the APC against Saraki.

Frank said the aim of ASO ROCK and the Adams Oshiomhole-led APC is to embarrass Saraki and frustrate his chances of being nominated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to run against Buhari during the party’s upcoming presidential primary election.

Frank said: “Events of the last three years has shown that the raison d'être for President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration ferocious attacks against Saraki is based on their phobia that the President of the Senate may contest for President and defeat Buhari in 2019.

“Now that their worst fears have been confirmed by the formal declaration of Saraki to contest the 2019 presidential election last week, they are once again frantically foraging for criminal charges to hang on his neck.

“I have it on good authority that the fresh plot to arraign Saraki this week is the first out of the series of strategies being perfected by Buhari and his cronies at their ongoing ‘business trip’ in China.’

“Recall that in a statement on Friday, I had alerted the nation and the international community that Buhari’s APC Governors, Senators and heads of security agencies studded entourage is not in China to boost trade between both countries but to plot the removal of Saraki and how to rig the 2019 elections in favour of the APC.

“Come to think of it, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, U.K. Prime Minister, Theresa May and German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, all came to Nigeria with a retinue of captains of industries and highly reputed Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of thriving business organizations to prospect for trade and investment opportunities in Nigeria, but Buhari is in China with his wife, an armada of APC politicians and heads of security agencies to plot judicial and extra-judicial measures against the leaders of opposition political parties in the country and how to compromise the 2019 general elections,” Frank declared.

He added: “Recall that I have continued to cry out against the unmitigated intimidation, harassment, persecution, intolerance, vilification, arrests and kangaroo trial being unleashed against those opposed to Buhari’s re-election bid - to the exclusion of his key allies with corruption allegations against them.

“The SATURDAY PUNCH had vindicated me when it chronicled at least eight politicians - there are much more - working for the re-election Buhari in the February 2019 election that have pending corruption cases worth N232billion. Unfortunately, some of the names listed by THE PUNCH are with Mr. President in China as I write,” he declared.

The former APC chieftain however called on Nigerians and members of the international community not to be deceived by the fresh charges being concocted by the Presidency against Saraki.

He insisted that the bogus charges being drafted by the assigned security agencies are simply to frustrate Saraki’s presidential ambition the same way they have tried unsuccessfully in the last three years to emasculate his leadership of the Senate and to remove him from office as President of the Senate.

“It is a proven axiom that no democracy can survive without a vibrant and virile opposition, therefore any attempt to gag opposition political parties in the country and decimate their presidential aspirants for the 2019 elections amounts to another coup against democracy and I call on Nigerians and friends of Nigeria to remain vigilant and continue to speak-up to safeguard the nation’s hard earned democracy.

“Above all, I don’t want Nigerians to forget that Adams Oshiomhole has vowed to get Saraki out of office by hook or crook. He also threatened to end Saraki’s dominance of Kwara politics in 2019.

“Now that Saraki has thrown his hat into the ring for the presidential election, the party in connivance with the presidency is out to sully his name and stop him from participating in the up coming election.

Comrade Timi Frank
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC
timifrank40@gmail.com
07033555555

Press release
31/8/2018

Buhari's China Trip is to Plot Rigging of 2019 elections, Saraki’s Removal, alleges Timi Frank

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has faulted a trip to China on Friday by President Muhammadu Buhari and his party men under the guise of participating in the 7th Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Frank in a statement in Abuja described the trip as a decoy to plot how to rig the 2019 general elections in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and also perfect the renewed plot to remove the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

He insisted that the President has once again demonstrated his intolerance for members of the opposition political parties by only selecting APC Governors and other party cronies for the trip instead of availing competent businessmen and women of the opportunity to attend the FOCAC Summit irrespective of their party affiliations.

Recall that the Presidency had on Thursday released names of APC Governors, Senators and cabinet members who will be on the President’s entourage to include Governors Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, Akinwunmi Ambode, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and Rochas Anayo Okorocha of Bauchi, Lagos, Jigawa and Imo States respectively.

Others are Senators Abdullahi Adamu, George Akume, Godswill Akpabio and Aliyu Wamakko representing Nasarawa, Benue, Akwa Ibom and Sokoto States respectively.

Also accompanying the President are: the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Minister of FCT, Muhammad Bello; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma; Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu; Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, and Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

Others are the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; the Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar; and the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Maikanti Baru.

But while querying the entourage in a statement on Friday, Comrade Frank said the trip could not have been in the interest of Nigeria but that of the ruling APC on how to rig the 2019 general elections and perfect plans to effect change of leadership in the Senate.

Frank challenged the Presidency to tell Nigerians why only APC Governors, Senators, Ministers and others were selected for the trip if not "to perfect their plot evil against Nigeria's democracy?”

"Nigerians will recall that during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, no such trip was made without the presence of opposition Governors and Lawmakers.

"Although, President Buhari too has traveled to foreign trips with opposition governors and Senators before now but the make up of the entourage for the current trip casts doubt on the true intent of selecting these points men of Buhari for the FOCAC Summit in China.

"Our sources around the Presidency have also confirmed to us that the plot to perfect the plot to rig the 2019 elections and the removal of Bukola Saraki as Senate President is responsible for the exclusion of opposition elements from the current trip.

"In an official business trip to China where business opportunities abound, one will expect a tolerant government to travel along with foremost Nigerian businessmen and women and not party cronies or leaders of the APC’s cabal in the Senate like Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Senator Godswill Apabio who are anti-Saraki's leadership.

“The very composition of the entourage which include heads of elite security agencies, and top brass of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) - the money pot of the country - betrays the hidden agenda of the Presidency on this trip.”

Frank, however called on Nigerians, right groups and leaders of thought to speak up on how the current administration is using the country’s resources to fund private political meetings disguised as ‘official trip’ on how to subvert the rule of law, remove Saraki and undermine the nation’s democracy in a far away country.

Signed:
Comrade Timi Frank
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary
Abuja

Press Release

30/8/18

Timi Frank Urges German Chancellor, Merkel, to Help Save Nigeria’s Democracy

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has called on the visiting German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, to help prevail on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to adhere to the rule of law and respect the fundamental human rights of Nigerians as part of her engagements during her visit.

Frank said this has become necessary to save democracy and also stem the growing tide of intimidation, harassment, intolerance and desperation by the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration as the 2019 general elections draw near.

Frank said: “Recall that I had about a month ago written an open letter to you with an humble request that you join hands with leaders of the international community to save democracy in Nigeria. I wish to reiterate that call now that you are going to be here in Nigeria on Friday.

“I believe that your visit at this auspicious moment will to a large extent help you to see the living condition of Nigerians and the slow pace of infrastructural development in the country under the present administration.

“I am happy that you have already spoken out about ongoing impunity in the country and I want to urge you to reinforce that message during your conversations with President Buhari and members of his cabinet.

“Permit me to draw your attention to my suggestions to your counterpart in the United Kingdom, Theresa May, during her recent visit to Nigeria and also to urge you to equally seek answers to the questions I proposed to her.

“I have decided to reproduce the 10 questions below for the avoidance of doubt which I want you seek answers to from President Buhari.

“The questions Nigerians want Your Excellency to ask President Buhari include:

1. Is Buhari a democrat or an authoritarian/dictatorial President?

2. Is Buhari fighting corruption or shielding alleged corrupt persons who now find the APC under his leadership a safe haven to escape prosecution?

3. Why is Buhari desperate to get Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki forcefully removed as President of the Senate - by hook or crook - through the invasion of the Senate by thugs and recent siege on the National Assembly by a section of the nation’s security apparatus.

4. Why is Buhari and APC trying to truncate democracy by refusing to prosecute those who have violated the sanctity of the parliament through the recent brazen invasion/siege on the National Assembly?

5. Why has Buhari not ensured the release of Leah Sharibu - the Dapchi school girl - who has continued to languish in captivity after others girls they were kidnapped together have since regained freedom through government’s direct intervention?

6. Why has Buhari kept the Leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheik El-Zakzaky in detention for over three years despite several court rulings granting him bail?

7. Similarly, why has Buhari refused Col. Sambo Dasuki to go home after six court judgements, including the ECOWAS Court of Justice, that have granting him bail?

8. How can Buhari claim to champion an anti-corruption fight when the APC under his leadership continues to compromise the nation’s electoral process through open vote buying to win elections?

9. Why has Buhari continued to gag the press through arrests and long detentions as witness in the case of Jones Abiri - a Port Harcourt based journalist - who was detained without trial for two years and a Premium Times reporter, Samuel Ogundipe who was incarcerated for failing to disclose his sources to the police?

10. Why has Buhari refused to name murderous Fulani herdsmen as a terrorist organization just like he did to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)?

“I sincerely believe that if you ask the above questions and get assurances that the rule of law will be adhered to and human rights respected by the government, it will go a long way to strengthen our democracy, guarantee freedom of expression, association, assembly and prevent the rising gale of intimidation, harassment, arrests and illegal detention of opposition figures and journalists in the country,” Frank added.

He further noted that if the tension and instability occasioned in the country by the dictatorial tendencies of the present administration is not curbed, bilateral or multilateral agreements entered into by the country will be nugatory abinitio without peace, political stability and social cohesion.

Signed

Comrade Timi Frank
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC
timifrank40@gmail.com
07033555555

Press Release

Timi Frank Writes Theresa May ...Proposes 10 Questions for Buhari

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has called on the visiting Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Theresa May, not to be deceived by the lies and propaganda being spewed by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government concerning the political, social and economic health of the country during her visit.

Frank in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday urged May to use the visit to interrogate the germane of issues which bothers on the freedom and liberty of the people to freedom of expression, association, expression, and the press in the country.

He noted that the rising scale of of human rights violations, intimidation, harassment, arrests and prosecution of perceived political enemies under the guise of anti-corruption should not escape the scrutiny of the Prime Minister.

Frank’s Open Letter to Theresa May, reads in part:

Dear Theresa May,

It is with great delight that we welcome you to Nigeria for this auspicious visit. I must say that many Nigerians, particularly my humble self, are very glad to have you visit the country. Nigerian are glad because they believe your presence in Nigeria will enable you to see things as they are and not how they had hitherto been presented to you in Downing Street, London. I also believe that after observing the harsh conditions under which Nigerians daily make their living, you will be better placed to advice the government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, on how to proceed with his change agenda in such a way that will make it beneficial to the masses of this country economically, socially and politically.

We are glad that as a Prime Minister who is at the verge of making history with Brexit in Britain, you are well acquainted on how to lead a major national reform without compromising on the rule of law and fundamental human rights of citizens. It is the hope of majority of Nigerians that following the role of the U.K. in Nigeria up to Independence in 1960, your presence in Nigeria will kickstart a fundamental change in the hostile attitude of the present administration towards Nigerians. Be that as it may, I wish to urge you not be carried away by rich hospitality and royal banquet that will be lavished on you during this visit. Rather, Nigerians want you to use the visit to re-interrogate, albeit diplomatically, the many cases of human rights abuses, disdain for the rule of law, disobedience to court orders, selective and lopsided anti-corruption crusade, intimidation, harassment, hounding, arrests and forceful detention of opposition political party leaders, and the invasion of National Assembly by hired thugs and the attempt to forcefully take over an arm of government - the National Assembly - by one of the security agencies recently.

Following your quest and passionate campaign to end modern day slavery and prevent illegal migration from Africa to Europe, I implore you to use your good offices to prevail on President Buhari to return to the path of democracy and rule of law in the conduct of government business in the country without which people seeking to escape from the oppressive regime and migrate to Europe will continue to swell.

The questions Nigerians want Your Excellency to ask President Buhari include:

1. Is Buhari a democrat or an authoritarian/dictatorial President?

2. Is Buhari fighting corruption or shielding alleged corrupt persons who now find the APC under his leadership a safe haven to escape prosecution?

3. Why is Buhari desperate to get Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki forcefully removed as President of the Senate - by hook or crook - through the invasion of the Senate by thugs and recent siege on the National Assembly by a section of the nation’s security apparatus.

4. Why is Buhari and APC trying to truncate democracy by refusing to prosecute those who have violated the sanctity of the parliament through the recent brazen invasion/siege on the National Assembly?

5. Why has Buhari not ensured the release of Leah Sharibu - the Dapchi school girl - who has continued to languish in captivity after others girls they were kidnapped together have since regained freedom through government’s direct intervention?

6. Why has Buhari kept the Leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheik El-Zakzaky in detention for over three years despite several court rulings granting him bail?

7. Similarly, why has Buhari refused Col. Sambo Dasuki to go home after six court judgements, including the ECOWAS Court of Justice, that have granting him bail?

8. How can Buhari claim to champion an anti-corruption fight when the APC under his leadership continues to compromise the nation’s electoral process through open vote buying to win elections?

9. Why has Buhari continued to gag the press through arrests and long detentions as witness in the case of Jones Abiri - a Port Harcourt based journalist - who was detained without trial for two years and a Premium Times reporter, Samuel Ogundipe who was incarcerated for failing to disclose his sources to the police?

10. Why has Buhari refused to name murderous Fulani herdsmen as a terrorist organization just like he did to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)?

It is important for you to ask Buhari the above questions and get clear cut answers instead of being fed with propaganda and lies for which this government is now reputed.

Signed

Comrade Timi Frank
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC
28/08/2018
timifrank40@gmail.com
07033555555

Press statement

800 meters walks: Stop deceiving Nigerians, Frank tells Presidency
...Challenges Buhari to National Stadium with other aspirants

Immediate past Deputy National Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has urged the presidency to stop using propaganda on Nigerians concerning the health status of President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the President's 800 metres walk is not an achievement to the country.

Comrade Frank said since the seat of power has decided to play politics with mere 800 metres walks, it will be better for President Buhari and other presidential aspirants to take up a walking contest at the National Stadium in Abuja where all Nigerians will see them and not only in Daura.

The President was reported to have walked 800 metres from the praying ground back to his residence in Daura during Sallah prayer on Tuesday.

But reacting in a statement on Wednesday to what Frank consider a propaganda, he asked whether there were Surveyors measuring the distance covered during the presidential walking?

According to the Bayelsa born politician, for presidency to make 800 metres walk an issue in an election year, there is something Nigerians doesn't know about President Buhari's true health condition.

Frank recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and others in President Buhari's age have covered more than 1.2 metres and never made noise about it, also asked whether the president's trek has solved the infrastructure deficiency, troubled economy, security threats against Nigerians and other issues confronting the nation under the APC government?

"I strongly believe that propaganda will not walk on Nigerians in 2019 elections but the reality on ground. How does ordinary walk around becomes an issue? It is shameful in this time and age for the presidency to expect us to roll out drums because our president walked 800 unverified metres.

"As at the time smaller countries like Rwanda and others are celebrating one technological breakthrough or the other, Nigerian seat of power want us to be celebrating 800 metres walk by the president. I wonder how does this put food on the table? "

Frank, however, urged the presidency to fear God and reseach well before playing politics with doing and undoing of the president.

Signed:

Comrade Timi Frank
Former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary
Abuja.




https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/800-meters-walk-stop-deceiving-nigerians-frank-tells-presidency/

...Alleges plan to Arrest Obasanjo, Saraki, Atiku, others


Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari over a reported statement credited to him that he will jail some Nigerians now that he is back from 10 days leave.


Frank, who considered the statement as a threat to Nigerians, called on the President to look inward within his administration if he is looking for looters to jail.


President Buhari had reportedly told newsmen in an interview after his arrival to Abuja on Saturday that he was going to jail more of the thieves that brought economic problems to the country. 


But reacting to the President's comment, the former APC deputy spokesman, in a statement he signed on Sunday revealed that even before the president himself made it public, sources have informed some opposition leaders how the presidency was planning to arrest the likes of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Senate President Bukola Saraki among others.


According to Frank, President Buhari has returned to continue persecution of his political opponents and selective fight against corruption.


"I want to tell you, Mr. President that you are presiding over the worst and most corrupt administration ever. If you really want to fight corruption why not start from your kitchen cabinet and the leadership of APC?


"Nigerians and international community are fully aware that all you have been doing is not fighting corruption but your perceived political enemies.


"Against this backdrop we have reliably gathered that the current administration have penciled down the likes of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Senate President Bukola Saraki among others to be arrested and detained ahead of the general elections in the name of fighting corruption."


According to Frank, Nigeria is currently in a democratic system of government which requires that a competent court must find someone guilty of any allegation before he or she can be sent to prison.


While calling on the president to fully imbibe democratic culture, Frank said if the President carefully search his government with an open mind, "he will realize that he is surrounded by thieves.


"It is no longer hidden that president Buhari's party, the APC is now a heaven for looters. So many known thieves who have stolen Nation's common wealth at all levels are not congregating in the ruling party. So, if President Buhari will make do with his threat, I will suggest that he starts with his party members."


Frank said the President himself, who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum has not made known to Nigerians the budget of his Ministry, not to talk of how much the country generates from the sales of oil daily since his assumption of office three years ago.


While also reminding the President that Nigerians have not forgotten the $43m that was found in Ikoyi house, he challenged him to make public the report of a panel of enquiry set up in the same direction.


"Can Mr. President also tell Nigerians how much has been recovered so far since the beginning of this jamboree talk of fighting corruption? Therefore, if all of these are still hidden, I think the President lacks the moral right to talk about jailing anybody as if the country is in military rule."


Comrade Timi Frank

Former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary

Abuja.

Just take a look at the way Iara is gazing at Saraki in the picture above and you will understand why Oshiomole is so MAD at Saraki

“The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” - Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart

Today the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has vowed not to eat nor drink until he forcibly removes the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki from his position. Yet he is the Chairman of APC and not the Chairman of the National Assembly. He is the head of a political party and not a member of parliament. The former Edo State Governor is boisterous and ready at all times to take on issues he least comprehends. His ongoing shenanigans bothers on the antics of a show master who put up stunts to emasculate his obvious flaws of incompetence and lack of understanding of the larger issues in political party administration. He presently sees himself as both the leader of the APC and the National Assembly. After vowing not to loose sleep over defecting APC Senators, he now conducts incessant nocturnal meetings with APC Governors and Senators in hotels and guest houses in Abuja, on how to raise money to bribe Senators to forcibly and illegally remove Saraki as President of the Senate.


According to Wikipedia, the role of a party chairman is often quite different from that of a party leader. It added that “The duties of the chairman are typically concerned with the party membership as a whole, and the activities of the party organization. Chairmen often play important roles in strategies to recruit and retain members, in campaign fundraising, and in internal party governance, where they may serve as a member of, or even preside over, a governing board or council. They often also have influence in candidate selections, and sometimes in the development and promulgation of party policy.”

It must be noted that no where in the above analysis was it mentioned that in a presidential system of government, which we run in Nigeria, that a party chairman can assume the duties or play the role of a party leader or directly assuming leadership of the party caucus in the parliament of which he is not a member like Oshiomhole has now done. Right from the First Republic the post of a national party chair has always been reserved for charismatic personality who through force of personal example and high sense of integrity work to build bridges of unity to weld the disparate members of the party together and not those who will ride roughshod over the membership of the party. Oshiomhole has betrayed the solid foundation laid by his predecessors in the Office of the National Chairman of frontline political parties in the country, like Chief Solomon Lar, Chief Audu Ogbeh , Chief Barnabas Gemade, Dr. Amadu Ali, Vincent Ogbulafor, Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Bisi Akande, Uche Secondus and Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

He may have ridden roguishly to ascend National Chairmanship seat of the APC merciless plunder of the common patrimony of the good people of Edo State for eight years, the APC ought to have realized following his balkanizing and authoritarian activities in the last few weeks that they have the type of Chairman they never bargained for in their wildest imaginations. After Oyegun, they now have a Chairman that is bereft of knowledge about party politics and party administration. He looks at APC from the prism of unionism which is his natural turf but I doubt if Nigerians will be comfortable with the new unionist bent of the APC movement as being orchestrated and championed by Oshiomhole.

In addition, his barbarism as a union leader has failed to serve him in an enlightened setting he now finds himself, yet he continues to cling to a dead horse in his past thinking he can go far in his new assignment riding on the same spot. He thinks by his signature verbal effusions, confused ideology and undemocratic tendencies, he can run a a political party in this brave new world. He often attempts to hypnotize listeners with his avalanche of words, yet his words drips off like water off the back of a duck. He thinks that by assaulting his hearers with illogicalities, he can hide his shallow academic assets. Let Oshiomhole wake up to the realities of the times we live in. He is not conversing with textile line workers huddled in a side caravan to sip from their beer mugs. Nigerians have read him and they have discovered rightly he has nothing to offer. He has sold a dummy to APC authorities which they bought hook, line and sinker. He is here to destroy and not to build and I dare say that that we are are looking for doers and not talkers like Oshiomhole. He needs to wake up right now. It is no longer might but right that triumphs.

Oshiomhole is like a novice captain who has commenced the process of ruining the APC’s unstable ship. Oshiomhole is the white man in “Things Fall Apart”. He came stealthily and today he has exalted himself far and above those who he begged to make him Chairman of APC. He is not accountable to anybody even Buhari. Recall that barely a few days after he assumed Office, he had threatened to expel Ngige from the APC while hinting that Buhari condones disrespect for his office. He has no place among respected former and contemporary chairmen of political parties in the nation’s history who were thoroughbred and refined administrators, built bridges of unity, valued internal party cohesion and religiously adhered to due process rather than Machiavelli tactics. With only a handful days in the saddle, Oshiomhole has burned the existing bridges of peace in the APC and has set in motion activities that would sooner than later put the party in total disarray. We thought we saw reached its lowest ebb in Oyegun, but Oshiomhole had shattered the records in this Hall of Shame with his thuggery orientation and undemocratic attitude which has set the party spinning dangerously into infamy.

Like the story of the white man in Things Fall Apart, Oshiomhole has ascended the Chairmanship position of the APC through subterfuge. He made himself beholden to President Muhammadu Buhari, and through the president’s influence goaded the APC governors to crown him without any form of contestation as befits a political party in a democracy. As a misbegotten APC Chairman, he is now out to ruin the party. That is his style. He believes in the principle of “unopposed” which he used largely to his favour during his unionism days. He is not here to help but to hurt the APC. As an autocrat and demagogue, he sees himself above the party he was chosen to serve. Little wonder that he thought he could deride Buhari and order the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige and the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika with threats to expel them from the APC until Ngige publicly cut him to size. Speaking to State House correspondents on Monday, July 23, 2018, Oshiomhole accused the two ministers of failure to inaugurate boards of parastatals under their ministries as directed by Buhari and threatened to expel them from the APC and also prevail on Buhari to sack them from the cabinet. Oshiomhole said of Ngige and Sirika: "If the minister refuses, we will suspend him from the party. For me it is the height of mischief for any minister, you cannot purport to be an honourable minister and you act dishonourably and nobody is greater than the party. And if the President condones disrespect for his office, I will not condone disrespect for the party (emphasis mine). And when we expel the minister we will prevail on the president that he can't keep him in his cabinet...”

He is a man of many words who is ignorant about the true essence of words. He claims to be a Christian, but the scriptural injunction in Proverbs 10:19, which says that “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise” means nothing to him. He speaks to destroy and not to build. He intervenes to curry advantage out of any crisis and not to engender peaceful coexistence between feuding parties. He is an army of occupation and not a benevolent master. He needs a job description and a crash course on how to pilot the affairs of a party in a democracy. Oshiomhole has become a shame and an albatross in the APC. His very action may destroy the APC and truncate democracy if urgent steps are not taken by sane leaders still in the APC’s fold to reclaim the party from him.
END

August 15, 2018

Press Statement

PDP Replies APC, Insists On Dismantling Ruling Party’s Rigging Machine

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says no threats or smear campaign will make it buckle on its resolve to contend with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and dismantle its rigging machinery in all future elections.

The PDP notes that the APC had, in its statement on Wednesday, already admitted that it had been engaged in rigging of elections, sponsoring of violence, ballot snatching and announcing of fake results, for which it has become notorious among Nigerians.

It is a settled fact that though truth can be suppressed for a season, it will always have a way of showing itself to the light. The APC, in its own statement, has owned up to electoral contrivances and openly admitted that it blatantly rigged last Saturday’s National Assembly bye-election where results were altered in its favour, ballot boxes were snatched, Nigerians were harassed, intimidated and even killed.

The APC in its own words alluded to ‘crude election rigging methods such as ballot snatching and announcement of concocted election results’ which it confirmed as “recently displayed during last weekend bye-election in Kogi state”, where it was illegally declared winner.

We are therefore happy that having called them out, the APC leaders, apart from admitting their guilt of electoral malfeasance, have demanded for a probe into our move to dismantle their rigging machine. We welcome this demand and further request that the probe should be done in the open, so that we can expose APC’s rigging machine for the world to see.

Such a probe will also provide the PDP our long awaited opportunity to expose the compromised INEC officials, security agents and agencies as well as fake observers used by the APC to rig elections. The PDP will show evidence of how the APC deployed thugs to unleash violence; used security forces to intimidate, arrest and detain PDP supporters; the cancellation and alteration of results where PDP won, allocation of fake results for the APC and outright declaration of concocted results to suit the whims of APC.

The PDP has all the facts and will never allow them to play out again.

Regarding Osun governorship election, the PDP maintains that it will not allow the APC to freely use its Ekiti and Edo rigging templates to manipulate the process to its favour. No amount of propaganda and distortion of our statement will deter the PDP from its stand to confront and resist the APC, head to head and ensure that only the will of the people prevail.

Moreover, the PDP has resolved to set up monitoring teams in all polling centers and we will end all attempts by the APC to buy votes or snatch ballot boxes as they did in Ekiti and the just concluded bye-elections.

While the PDP remains law abiding and will never engage in rigging, it will, with all efficiency, dismantle the APC rigging machine and ensure a free and fair election using all means available to members as free citizens of Nigeria. This nation belongs to all of us and nobody, no matter how higuhly placed, must arrogate himself the power to subjugate others, particularly at elections. Enough is enough.

Signed:

Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary

Akpabio's uncommon situation

Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.-Fergus Henderson
A Rwandan community worker helping to combat HIV Aids through education and counselling, Bangambiki Habyarimana was asked about politics and he said “in politics, what you see is what you get"

What is going on in our polity today is by all standard bizarre but that is what we are seeing and getting as well. The minority leader in the Senate Goodwill Akpabio resigns, dumps his party and schemes to be installed through any means as the Senate President as a ruling party member. Strange isn't it?

Is Akpabio clinically insane? There is no evidence to support it, is he politically sane? What is going on around him does not also support his sanity but like Davy Crockett wrote "It is quite possible that someone is insane and they think they have a chance. Not insane in the clinical sense, but they may have such a strong political ambition that they blind themselves to reality"

It's perhaps also the reason an English politician Alan Clark had to say long ago that "there are no true friends in politics. We are all sharks circulating, and waiting, for traces of blood to appear in the water"
Friendships and family relationship appear too precious to throw away for transient reasons but that exactly is what politicians do. They throw away hard earned friendship and embrace interests hiding under the cover that there is no permanent friends in politics but permanent interests.

Everything points to the fact that in our polity principles are found at the back seat, what takes the front roll is self-preservation.

Anybody desiring to look for principles among Nigerian politicians should ask the man who go a-fishing in the desert if he was able to catch any fish.

As you read this, the ruling All Progressives Congress APC is romancing with its new lover, PDP's minority leader in the senate and an uncommon PDP governor of Akwa Ibom state for eight years, Godswill Akpabio to record an uncommon defection into the party.

The ruling party thought they needed this to alleviate the effect of high profile mass defections from their fold, 14 Senators including the Senate President, three state governors and their assembly member and 37 members of the House of Representatives, a serving ambassador and the party's Spokesman and a member of the party's National Working Committee NWC of the party, the deputy governor of Kano state and still counting. Why should a seasoned politician of Senator Akpabio’s standing want to go against the tide? Why has he chosen opposite direction movement at this time in his political career?

The official reason for Akpabio's defection is the disagreement with his successor, Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom state but we have since realized that there are other undercurrents that border on survival and ambition.

As Senator Akpabio carries microphone to shout APC-change holding broom in one hand, his heart certainly would be bleeding because this cannot be what he really desired. The gods of Akwa Ibom politics would be watching and smiling knowing the battle he went through to be governor and to be able to install his successor and now with his eyes wide open walking into the den of those who used every available means to destroy him.

On the surface it looks as if APC has caught a big fish ahead of 2019 but truth is that a prosecutor who converts an armed robber into a prosecution witness with a view to freeing him and getting his other suspect entangled has actually not solved any problem to the society.

If it is true that Senator Akpabio is acting under duress and being blackmailed, political watchers are wondering how the situation would help the ruling party in their anti-corruption crusade.

There are so many reasons why Godswill Akpabio would be a sad man today, what is ensuing is probably not God's will in his life nor is it really his own will. As a result what he needs is pity not attack. History is a witness that this type of political movement marks the downward journey to political oblivion of the characters involved and this is not going to be an exception.

It’s always curious when a man decides to walk in opposite direction when he watches all others including his long standing associates going the other way, just know that there may be more to it that meets the eye.

Perhaps the most intriguing in the all Akpabio saga is the way the APC is treating him like a Tom boy.
The Presidency now speaks for him. Presidential assistant on Prosecution and Asset recovery Okio Obono-Obla was the first to announce the defection for him. Put one and two together you will find out why he is the one to have the privilege information. He may have been around when the final blackmail agreement was arranged and concluded. Then came Senator Ita Enag, National Assembly person for the President.

And now an arranged meeting with the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo at the Villa at a time his party was holding National Executive Committee NEC meeting for which he was a strategic member and had excused himself that he was traveling abroad.

Aso villa suddenly turned out to be abroad. After that, they still took him to report himself to the Bourdelion strong man in Lagos where they arranged some photo show.

To further prove to him that he is perhaps a political captive who is not in control of his itinerary, he was again sent to London to see the 'King' himself. The photographer ensured that the images he sent out and made viral were the one portraying the once ebullient politician as a subdued man, captured in a battle and brought before the Commander.

Again he returned to report back to Bourdelion for final strategy.
In all these scheming, the APC in Akwa Ibom were watching just like the rest of Nigerians. Not even Akpabio's fiercest political enemy in Akwa Ibom state, Senator John Akpan Udoedehe was briefed of the development but he still welcomed it knowing that his great opponent has now been surmounted.

Recall that Senator Udoedehe was charged for murder by Akpabio's administration a fall out of the gubernatorial battle of the duo but he was discharged by the court. In 2019 Sen. Udoedehe is still in the race possibly to fly APC flag and Akpabio is expected to lead APC campaign telling Akwa Ibomite to jettison PDP and embrace APC, to throw away Governor Udom for APC candidate.
Understandably, the PDP is feeling hurt and betrayed not that Akpabio's exit will affect their electoral fortunes in Akwa Íbom but because the party had bent backward much for him. As a fresh Senator the party broke the ranking rules and installed him as the minority leader just to give his status a meaning in the red chamber. Even when he brought the issue of strained relationship with his governor, the party leadership reportedly still arm twisted the governor to do everything to satisfy him and he did.

It is for this type of great betrayal that made American novelist Caleb Carr to say that "You want to believe that there's one relationship in life that's beyond betrayal. A relationship that's beyond that kind of hurt. And there isn't"
And in truth no relationship is beyond betrayal otherwise Judas Iscariot who was not just made an apostle by Jesus but was entrusted with the finances of his ministry on earth should have been the last person to betray him.


Senator Akpabio's case is one proof that demonstrates the desperation of the ruling APC that it wants to hang on to power beyond 2019.


But unknown to them this incidence has done a deadly blow to the anti-corruption fight of the administration and put Akpabio in the most dangerous aspect of his political career, making him an agent of division not just nationally but back home where his action is establishing a divide between the Ibibios and the Anangs a development that is rubbishing his eloquent and laudable record that made him an uncommon politician. But what we see now is an uncommon man in an uncommon situation. God help our democracy.

Press Statement
12/8/2018

Frank Accuses Buhari, APC of Corrupting Elections Through Vote Buying

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the ruling APC of corrupting the nation’s electoral process through their devious love for massive vote buying.

Frank, in a statement in Abuja, said the Senate and House of Representatives bye-elections held in Bauchi, Katsina and Kogi States respectively at the weekend, have further exposed the desperation of the APC to win local, regional, state and national elections at all cost.

He stated that the ‘vote buying policy’ now adopted by the Buhari-led administration will further weaken the base of the nation’s democratic enterprise and return the country to its inglorious past where outright manipulation of the electoral process to confer undue advantage on the ruling party held sway.

Frank said: “It is a pity that after increasing hunger and poverty in the country through clueless and inept governance in the last three years, the leadership of the APC has now adopted vote buying as a policy geared towards securing fraudulent votes at elections.

“They did it in Ekiti State. Now they have extended their electoral fraud to Katsina, Bauchi and Kogi States. The APC’s electoral corruption which was first publicly applied by the party in Ekiti State, is now on a roller coaster ride across the country.

“Already, this is what they plan to do at the National Assembly where they have increased their budget to induce individual Senators and House of Representatives members from $500,000 to $1million (N352million @CBN rate of N352 to a Dollar) to remove the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, his Deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Speaker Yakubu Dogara - who they fear may defect from the APC any time soon.

“Corruption is not only about stealing or misappropriating finances as vote buying will not only destroy the integrity of elections in the country, it will bring about people of questionable characters into positions of authority.

“I dare say that compromising an election by deploying huge state resources to buy votes as currently being championed and promoted by the APC is the worst form of corruption that can plague any country.

“One can wager that this evil and wicked policy which was test-runned in Ekiti and freely used in Bauchi, Katsina and Kogi at the weekend with ‘appreciable success’ would be massively deployed to rig the forthcoming general elections in 2019 by the APC.

“With the fraudulent successes the party has recorded in the five states aforementioned, little wonder that the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, has not stopped boasting that he will remove Saraki as President of the Senate soon.”

He warned that the 2019 elections is at grave risk of being totally hijacked in favour of Buhari and the APC, if nothing is done by patriotic Nigerians and the nation’s allies in the international community to stop the rising anti-democratic trend being orchestrated by the APC to compromise the nation’s electoral processes for their selfish gain.

“The APC is in power today as a result of free, fair and credible elections conducted by the immediate past administration. Now that they are in the saddle, they have jettisoned free, fair and credible elections as a way of fraudulently perpetuating the APC in power. This money politics must be checked urgently if our democracy is to survive beyond 2019,” Frank warned.

Comrade Timi Frank
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC
timifrank40@gmail.com
07033555555

(The Mother of all stealing’s )The N21 Billion Naira Daura Saga; Nigerians must demand a probe now. ( Corruption stinks in the house of Buhari)

President Mohammed Buhari campaigned in 2015 with the change mantra and the pledge to fight against corruption but recents events unfolding in his government suggests otherwise.

It is no longer strange to Nigerians to hear of one humongous financial scandal or the other coming out of the Buhari government. If it’s not the NNPC; you hear of very close lieutenants and confidants like the sacked SGF or Chief of Staff that are accused of one corruption or the other.

The unfolding scenario concerning the sacked DG DSS Lawal Daura is extremely worrying and mind burgling to Nigerians.

Sources within the Presidency, the police and whistle blowers have consistently alleged in the past 48 hours of the discovery of over N21 billion Naira equivalent in hard currency and Naira in the house of the former DG DSS Lawal Daura and this like many others must not be swept under the carpet.

Sources says the story is real and is sending shivers right down the heart of the Presidency. This like many of the corruption allegations against top officials of this current administration must be investigated by a panel of inquiry set up by the Chief Justice of Nigeria or the National Assembly working with civil society groups.

Nigerians must rise now to demand a full probe of this discovery and the monies involved returned to the National treasury. The international community must be encouraged to step into this matter so that the truth will be unveiled and put out before the world to see.

The anti corruption war of the Buhari government has been nothing more than a smoke screen to loot the country more and rob the Nigeria treasury blind. This new discovery of Lawal Daura is the mother of all stealings and corruption.

This evil must never go unchallenged and all Nigerians must rise up now to demand for a thorough and total probe of this corruption allegations.

President Buhari has lost the moral right to call himself an anti corruption crusader. He is at best nothing more than a predator feasting on the vulnerability of Nigerians. The time to call the APC government out is now.

Press Statement

10-8-18


NASS Siege Report: IGP, Oshiomhole Colluding to Implicate Saraki, Says Timi Frank


Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has accused the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the Adams Oshiomhole-led APC of plotting to blame the recent failed siege on the National Assembly on the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.


He revealed that the APC in desperate move has perfected a sinister plot to implicate Saraki in the final report and thereafter charge him with treason just like the police did in the Offa robbery case.


Frank, in a statement Friday in Abuja, said the failure of the IGP, who is known to be at loggerheads with Saraki and the National Assembly, to name the “APC Politicians” he alleged to have masterminded the invasion is a deliberate ploy to  again rope in Saraki and pave way for his immediate arrest and prosecution.


Frank said: “It is commendable that the IGP has submitted an interim report on the siege of the National Assembly to the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.


“However, nobody should be in doubt of the fact that the IGP, Ibrahim Idris, has deep hatred for the President of Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, considering that Saraki had severally called on the IGP to appear before the Senate to account for the incessant killings across the nation due to his inefficiency.


“Besides, the IGP’s interim report is a clear indication of a grand cover up of the failed plot by Adams Oshiomhole and his cohorts in the APC to forcefully remove Saraki as Senate President.


“Is it not curious that the IGP refused to add statements made by Daura that he deployed DSS operatives to lay siege on the National Assembly based on the orders of Oshiomhole and Abba Kyari - the chief of staff to the President - in his report?


“Recall that I had in a statement on Monday morning alerted Nigerians of a clandestine meeting between Oshiomhole, 30 APC Senators and the former DG of DSS, Lawal Daura, where the plot to take over the National Assembly by security operatives was hatched.


“I had equally alerted Nigerians that the illegal invasion was to pave the way for APC Senators to illegally reconvene the Senate and impeach Saraki and his Deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu. 


“This plot is still well and alive in spite of their failed bid to subvert democracy last Monday,” he said.


Frank again raised the alarm that there is ongoing plot by the APC leadership to twist the report of the IGP and use it as a weapon to incriminate Saraki and thereafter charge him with an offence of treasonable felony.


He added: “In the said report, the IGP blamed the former DG of DSS of working with politicians. The report shows that the IGP is preparing another scheme to implicate Saraki and accuse him of treason. 


“The IGP’s failure to categorically name those behind the failed siege on the National Assembly is deliberate in order to fill the lacuna with the name of his arch enemy, Saraki!


“Let me once again put Nigerians and the international community on notice that the IGP in connivance with Oshiomhole and APC Senators are about to shift from Offa robbery issue to treasonable felony charges against Bukola Saraki in order to clamp him into jail.”


He warned that Oshiomhole and the Presidency have not relented in their onslaught against the Senate President and plot to forcefully takeover the Senate’s leadership.


“Let Nigerians and the international community be aware once again that Oshiomhole and his co-travellers have vowed not to rest until they force Saraki to relinquish his position as the President of the Senate. 


“From information available to me, Oshiomhole has commissioned a team of hatchet writers to perpetually haul attacks on Saraki in the media. 


“They also plan to again use the police to invade the National Assembly next week in their never ending game to truncate democracy in Nigeria,” he said.


He called on Nigerians to be at alert to called fresh threats from the APC to derail democracy in the country while appealing to the international community not to abandon Nigeria at a time anti-democratic forces are up in arms against democracy, rule of law, human rights and due process in the country.


He added: “Nigerians fought and many paid the supreme prize to reinstate democracy in the country and it is only Nigerians that can help sustain democracy in the country. 


“We cannot afford to sleep and allow these brood of dictators, spearheaded by Oshiomhole, the Vice Chairman South West of the APC, Chief Niyi Adebayo and the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, to truncate our democracy and destroy the very fabric of our nation,” he said.


While thanking the European Union, United Kingdom, USA, Canada and other leaders of the international community for standing solidly with the country in the face of threats to its democracy and respect for the rule of law, Frank urged the nation’s allies to continue to play their unbiased role to help sustain democracy in the country.


Comrade Timi  Frank

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC

timifrank40@gmail.com 

07033555555

Press release


NASS siege: Saraki has no pact with sacked DSS DG Daura -Frank

...Wants Oshiomohle, Abba Kyari, others held responsible


Contrary to the insinuation that the sacked Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS) Lawal Daura, was indirectly working for the Senate President Bukola Saraki, a former chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has asked the public to dismiss what he discribed as "misinformation and a cheap blackmail."


He, however called Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to hold National Chairman of APC Adams Oshiomohle, his deputy Niyi Adebayo, the Chief of Staff to the President Abba Kyari and the sacked DG of SSS, Lawal Daura responsible for the deployment of armed SSS personnel that laid siege at National Assembly last Tuesday.


Frank declared that at no point in time the President of the Senate had anything in common apart from official duty with the former DG of SSS.


Reacting in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, Frank said both the National Chairman of APC and the sacked DG SSS with other known cabals in the presidency actually planned the seiged Nigerians witnessed on Tuesday at National Assembly


"Information at our disposal revealed that as at Thursday 2nd August 2018, National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, his deputy Niyi Adebayo, the Chief of Staff to the President Abba Kyari and the sacked DG of SSS, Lawal Daura, summoned the clerk of National Assembly, Sanni Omoloro who was approved and scheduled to commence his annual vacation on 3rd August 2018 outside the country, but was instructed that the presidency has cancelled his earlier approved vacation as he will be needed to be in Senate on Tuesday to swear in a new leadership of the Senate. 


"Sources close to the Clerk of National Assembly privy to his travel itinerary also revealed to us that the Clerk, based on the instruction given to him by those mentioned above, had no choice than to cancel his planned vacation."


The former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, however called on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, to thoroughly order investigation into the activities of the persons mentioned.


"With this available information, I hereby call on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo if he is genuinely committed to get to the bottom of the seige at the National Assembly to consider above information given.”


Comrade Timi  Frank

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC

timifrank40@gmail.com 

07033555555

Press release



2019: APC govt planning to freeze Atiku, Saraki, Wike, other's accounts, says Timi Frank


...Condemns Akwa Ibom, Benue states accounts frozen



Immediate past Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has revealed that current administration was planning to freeze accounts of major opposition leaders ahead of the 2019 general elections to render the opposition party incapacitated.



Frank, who raised the alarm specifically listed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Rivers state governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Sokoto state governor Aminu Tambuwal, National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondu and former governor of Kano state, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso among others in the latest plot.



The plot, according to Frank also mentioned the Speaker House of Representative, Yakubu Dogara, who is believe will leave the APC soon.



Apart from the major opposition leaders, Comrade Frank revealed that some businessmen and women who are sympathetic to the opposition parties are also target in the plot.



The Bayelsa born politician alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari's government is doing all these against opposition leaders but not aware that he "is surrounded by thieves who have looted the treasury even more than Abacha military government."



Speaking through a statement he signed on Thursday, Comrade Timi Frank said information at his disposal revealed that the APC government is using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to raise different allegations against major opposition leaders and serving governors across the country in order to demoralised the opposition leaders and render them incapacitated financially.



According to Frank, the recent reported freezing of accounts of two PDP states (Benue and Akwa Ibom) formed part of the plot to ensure that states being controlled by the opposition parties are deprived from having resources to run government and blackmail them into joining the ruling party.



He challenged the rationale behind freezing of Akwa Ibom state account bearly few hours after a former governor of the state joined the ruling party.



Frank alleged that the new bargaining power by the APC government is to blackmail those that are having one corruption allegation or the other into joining the party for such cases to be forgotten.



The former APC deputy spokesperson called on Nigerians and international communities not to keep silence in the face of what he called "ongoing impunity and threat to democratic system of government in Nigeria.



"Even though after serious pressures we gathered that EFCC had unfrozen the accounts they earlier illegally step down, we are in the know that they will soon start with private individuals but whatever game plan the ruling party might be plotting against the major opposition leaders and other private individuals, Nigerians will rise against it."



While warning the government not to embark on any act of illegality in desperate move to win 2019 election, Frank said Nigerians and international communities are fully awared of all the happening in the country and will surely resist evil plot against the people.



Signed:


Comrade Timi  Frank


Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC


timifrank40@gmail.com

Press release


NASS siege: Timi Frank commends Nigerians, EU, UK, others

...Demands Visa revocation of all culpable persons


Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Franks, has commended Nigerians from all walks of life and the international communities like European Union, United Kingdom, United States of America and other leaders for their prompt condemnations of the siege witnessed at the National Assembly on Tuesday.


Frank, who appealed to world leaders to direct their embassies in Nigeria to investigate the siege on the country's National Assembly, also asked that embassies should revoke the visas of every single person found culpable.


In a statement Frank made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja, he called on international communities to henceforth keep a close watch on the  electoral process in Nigeria, especially the forth coming general elections.


According to Frank, Tuesday's invasion of the National Assembly if not for the prompt intervention of Nigerians and the country’s international allies, would have severely undermined and outrightly truncated the country's fledgling democracy.


"While I thank Nigerians for their vigilance, I also thank the governments of the EU, UK, USA and other leaders of the international community immensely for the failed coup against an arm of Government in Nigeria. 


"I enjoin the UK, USA, EU and other respectable leaders in the international community to continue to keep a close watch on the  electoral process in Nigeria, especially the forth coming general elections. Your keen interest in next year’s elections as well as the process leading to the elections, will be highly appreciated as Nigerians no longer have confidence in the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to conduct free, fair and credible elections come 2019.


"Let me use this opportunity to once more appeal to your governments, through your various Embassies in Nigeria to investigate what transpired at the National Assembly on Tuesday and met out appropriate sanctions on anyone found culpable, whether in the echelon of the security or political offices to serve as a deterrent to others. Let me also plead with your embassies in Nigeria to revoke the visas of every single person found culpable.


"Besides, let me use this opportunity to bring to your notice the action of the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, where he sacked the Director General (DG) of the Department of State Services (DSS). To my mind, this only happened as a result of the intervention from quarters like yours. However, it is worrisome to hear the presidency deny knowledge of what took place as it goes to show the extent of collapse of governance in Nigeria. Please kindly extend your investigation to this observation too.


"On our part as Nigerian citizens, we affirm that we will remain eternally vigilant as a price to pay for our liberty and freedom."


Comrade Timi  Frank

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC

timifrank40@gmail.com 

07033555555

The immediate past Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has condemned the reaction of the ruling party's National Chairman Comrade Adams Oshiomohle, claiming ignorance of the early morning  siege on the National Assembly by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).



Frank said while his first reaction was to ignore the barefaced lies by the APC National Chairman for denying his lead role in the national embarrassment he has caused the nation, he has hoqever, decided to respond if only to ensure that Nigerians are not deceived once again.



Oshiomhole in a statement signed by Yekini Nabena - the Acting National Publicity of the APC - had claimed that “while the Party is monitoring the developments in the National Assembly like every other concerned Nigerian and stakeholder, there is absolutely no basis for all the false allegations and attempt to blame the APC National Chairman for the development there. It is strictly a legislative matter.”


But in a reaction by Timi Frank,  he said: "This is Oshiomhole at his mischievous and manipulative best. Can some one ask Oshiomhole where the 30 Senators and their DSS collaborators met last night to perfect their evil plot to invade the National Assembly, and pave way for the 30 APC Senators to convene a session and impeach Saraki and his deputy, if not his residence in Aso Drive? 



"Even as I write, I am reliably informed that the 30 APC Senators are still held up in the same Oshiomhole’s house. Yet he wants to deceive Nigerians by denying being the mastermind of this plot aimed at truncating democracy in the country. 



"Why is Oshiomhole lying when every Nigerian knows that he is the one out to foist a new leadership on the Senate at all cost even when he knows that the APC lawmakers lack the two-third constitutionally stipulated number of Senators to legally remove Saraki and Ekweremadu?



"Nigerians must not be deceived, Oshiomhole is a dictator. He does not like anything democratic. He only mouths democracy when he has something to gain but when his interest is at stake like it is right now, he is usually forced to show the dictatorial stuff he is made of.



"Besides, having deceived President Buhari to leave for London and give him 10 days to remove Saraki, he is now quick to wash his hands off the dirty plot now that he seems to have failed to deliver on his evil promises. 



"Thankfully, a friend just sent me a Whatsapp photo of Buhari purportedly watching Oshiomhole’s instigated malfeasance at the National Assembly gate.  If that photograph is true, I want Buhari to know that he has been deceived by Oshiomhole. Nigerians want the rule of law and due process to be followed in order to deepen our democracy not crude tactics now being employed by Oshiomhole.



“Besides, any resort to self-help will never fly with Nigerians because they know the price those who fought for democracy in the country had had to pay to bring us to where we are today.



“Once again I call on Nigerians and members of the international community who are now rightly horrified by this coup against democracy in Nigeria to hold Oshiomhole responsible for any breakdown of law and order capable of truncating democracy in the country,” he stated.



Frank also urged Nigerians not to accord the statement credited to the Acting President, Yemi Osibanjo purportedly condemning the invasion of the National Assembly with any modicum of believability. 



“They are acting a script. They want to frustrate the National Assembly and by extension destroy democracy for selfish reasons,” he said

Press statement


Presidency offering  APC lawmakers N150m each to Impeach Saraki, Dogara, says Frank


...State legislators to get N50m each against Ortom, Tambuwal, other


The immediate past Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progresives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has accused the presidency and the leadership of the APC of a plot to induce its Senators, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly members with humongous cash to impeach the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara.


Frank who raised the alarm in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, also listed Governors Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Abdulfatah Ahmed and Samuel Ortom as having been marked for removal in the said plot.


He said while Saraki and the Governors have been slated for removal for daring to defect from the APC to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dogara is to be impeached for fear he may soon dump the APC as well.


He described the ongoing plot to illegally dispense state funds to carry out the unconstitutional removal of duly elected public officials as the height of impunity and corruption that has been prevalent in the present administration since inception in May 2015.


Frank said: “From available information, the Presidency in collaboration with the leadership of the APC is about to dole out the sum of $400,000 (about N150million) each to APC Senators and House of  Representatives members to impeach Saraki who has defected to the PDP and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara - who they fear may soon dump the party as well.


“They are also offering legislators in some State Houses of Assembly the sum of $150,000 (about N50million) each, to impeach their Governors that recently defected to the PDP.”


He said that the President has allegedly directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to foot  the bills to achieve the objective of removing the defectors from their present political positions.


“I have been reliably informed that after separate meetings with APC Senators and House of Representatives members, shortly before his U.K. trip, the President summoned the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and after informing him that ‘APC lawmakers have a proposal’,  he ‘directed the GMD to attend to their needs.’


“I want Nigerians and members of the international community to note that this ‘presidential order’ is coming at a period when State Governors have incessantly complained, during their monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meetings in Abuja, about unexplained shortfalls in remittances of crude oil sales to the Federation Account by the NNPC.


“From this curious directive, it is now clear to Nigerians and the world at large, that the amount accruing to the Federation Account from monthly crude oil sales is being deliberately and illegally deducted at source and set aside by the NNPC - on the orders of the presidency - to fund illegal operations like their present desperate bid to remove Saraki, Dogara and Governors that recently dumped the APC.


“I am not surprised about this unholy cash inducements to lawmakers to do a dirty job because the Presidency and the APC recently conducted a dressed rehearsal of an inducement heist in Ekiti State during the ‘see and buy votes saga’ with which they allegedly rigged the Ekiti Governorship election in favour of the APC,” he said.


He however warned the presidency and the APC to desist from their present plot to illegally remove Saraki, Dogara and affected Governors, it may lead to chaos and anarchy capable of truncating democracy in the country.


He said: “Let me warn the Presidency and the leadership of the APC to desist from their present desperate plot to bribe some Federal and State legislators so as to force the illegal removal of Saraki, Dogara and Governors that recently dumped the APC. 


“Let me also urge APC lawmakers to be circumspect about this unholy transaction as they will be risking the wrath of Nigerians should they yield to the inducements and attempt the illegality for which they are now being primed with loads of cash.


“Is it not curious that this illegal cash bazaar is being clandestinely orchestrated by a government that has visited untold hardship on Nigerians in the last three years?” he queried.


He pleaded with the international community to call the President and the leadership of the APC to order and also to prevail on them to stop their plan to illegally use state funds to truncate the nation’s democracy. 


“I also want Nigerians and members of the international community to jointly hold the presidency and the leadership of the APC responsible for any unintended consequences of their present action aimed at removing the leadership of the National Assembly and governors who recently switched allegiances from the APC to the opposition PDP,” Frank said.


He further urged the APC lawmakers to reject such “blood money” aimed at violating their consciences and lowering their integrity, while calling on Nigerians to be extra vigilant in order to frustrate the current efforts of the Presidency and the APC to instigate chaos and anarchy in the National Assembly and some State Houses of Assembly, capable of truncating democracy in Nigeria. 


Comrade Timi  Frank

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC

04/08/2018

timifrank40@gmail.com 

07033555555



https://www.naija.ng/1184383-apc-lawmakers-promised-n150m-impeach-saraki-dogara-timi-frank-alleges.html?source=notification#1184383

Press statement.



Frank warns Presidency over plot to forcefully reconvene the Senate


Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC),Comrade Timi Frank has cautioned against attempt being made to illegally reconvene the Senate by some APC Senators in collusion with the Presidency.


Frank in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, said no other person is permitted to reconvene any arm of the National Assembly when it is on break except only the presiding officers. 


He said that reopening the Senate under the guise of considering the request of President Muhammadu Buhari for funds for the Independent National Electoral Commission towards the conduct of the 2019 general elections flies in the face.


Frank said: “Only today (Thursday), the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang was caught on video leading about 10 APC Senators, led by the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan to meet with the President and to urge on the President to provide them security to enable forcefully open the doors of the Senate Chambers and conduct an illegal sitting.


“This, if allowed to happen, will not only represent a clear breach of the Constitution but the height of illegality and impunity in this country. They APC Senators are only interested in gaining access to the chambers to carry out a sinister motive against the presiding officers of the Senate and not anywhere near considering Mr. President’s fund request for INEC.


“Besides, available records show that INEC has enough funds to commence preparing for the upcoming elections in the 2018 budget even as additional budgetary allocation would be made for the Agency in the 2019 budget. 


Let me add that the Senate alone cannot approve funds for INEC without the concurrence of the House of Representatives. So the attempt to illegally reopen the Senate by a handful of APC Senators therefore becomes suspect and must not be allowed to happen. 


“I want to call on President Buhari not to accede to the illegal request of these Senators who are only out to gain underserved relevance and political patronage in the buildup to the primaries of the party soon. 


“I also want Nigerians to be aware of this illegal plot and I call on them to rise to save the institution of the National Assembly which is the only defining characteristics of the nation’s democracy,” he said.


Comrade Timi  Frank

APC former Deputy National Publicity Secretary

1/08/2018

timifrank40@gmail.com 

07033555555

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI

A CALL TO STOP ATROCITIES AGAINST POLITICAL OPPONENTS BY SECURITY AGENCIES


Dear Sir,

Our democracy is once again imperiled by the high level of impunity and illegality being exhibited by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress in connivance with willing collaborators in the Executive. What is telling is not what is happening but the dead silence of the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari. The aloofness of the President in the face of injustice, intimidation, harassment, open attacks, persecutions and police and security siege against innocent citizens ought to warrant the President’s response with the aim of righting the wrongs being perpetrated by the top echelon of the party using security and anti-graft agencies to fight and cow political opponents.

Mr, President, as the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you cannot feign ignorance about the atrocities being perpetrated by agencies under the Presidency. You cannot claim not to have known of the illegal deployment of the police to supplant the leadership of the Senate - which is an arm of government, constituted to make laws for the order and good governance of the country. Democracy which is the only thing going for this country at the moment is being brutally assaulted and subverted by direct agents of your administration. I dare say that democracy and its survival in Nigeria today is squarely in the hands of General Buhari. Your aides may deny your direct and indirect involvement in the ongoing reign of terror, injustice, harassment, torture, intimidation, attacks against perceived political enemies under your government, but I doubt if history will toe the lines of your aides when the time of reckoning comes.

I must say that it is General Buhari’s duty, as President and C-In-C of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to ensure that the laws of the land are not obeyed in breach. To ensure that the police and EFCC treat political opponents - now turned accused persons - as innocent until they are proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Sir, you cannot claim ignorance of the rising inferno of impunity and tyranny in the country as we approach the 2019 general elections. You cannot claim not to know that his agents are muzzling the opposition through physical and psychological attacks, trumped up criminal charges and kangaroo trials and imprisonments in order to forcefully procure their support and loyalty for your reelection bid. Your aides may deny your involvement in the ignominious saga, but Nigerians know the truth. Nigerians know that the state security architecture has been sufficiently mobilized to ensure that you stand the next election unopposed just like Adams Oshiomhole was recently coronated as the National Chairman of the APC without contest.

For instance, the police and EFCC had unsuccessfully ambushed and blocked the two presiding officers of the Senate just to prevent a switch by some APC lawmakers to other political parties in the Red Chamber. The police invaded and blocked APC lawmakers in the state House of Assembly that defected to PDP alongside Governor Samuel Ortom only in order to pave way for renegade members to sit and purportedly issue an impeachment notice on the governor. Barely few minutes after Governor was purportedly served an impeachment notice, the EFCC suddenly realized that it had allegations of fraud against him and 21 members of the House loyal to him. Haba! Is anybody still in doubt where the country under General Buhari is headed?

What you must know, Mr. President, is that by virtue of your position, you are custodian and protector of the Nigerian nation and whatever evil is done under your administration will be directly credited to you in history. The more reason you must of necessity rise to the occasion and ensure respect for human rights, due process, rule of law, freedom of speech and association as enshrined and guaranteed by the nation’s Constitution. Besides, a few members in the Imo State House of Assembly have purportedly removed the Deputy Governor of the State, Eze Madumere. Ekiti State was invaded by the army and security operatives deployed from Abuja just to ensure that Kayode Fayemi won the governorship of the state. Today Nigerians openly condemn Police highhandedness against the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the EFCC’s siege and intransigence against the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) treatment of Nigerians, police and EFCC attacks on Ortom and 21 members of the Benue State House of Assembly loyal to him Police and Senator Dino Melaye, the list goes on and on.

I dare say that now that the police have been converted into a gestapo organization, where lies the safety and protection of innocent citizens? The APC is killing our democracy in connivance with elements in your administration and therefore I want to call on you to urgently put a stop to these undemocratic activities of the police and all partisanship tendencies by security agencies purportedly acting at your behest. The security agencies must stop meddling in purely political affairs and face their constitutionally assigned roles. Let them face their security jobs and let politicians face their politicking. The use of the police to commit illegality under your watch is detrimental to the to the peace and security we all crave in this country.

The desperation and the penchant to crush political opponents with a sledgehammer under the guise of security operatives is a complete negation of accepted democratic principles across the world. This is why I cannot but call on you to save our country and democracy by calling the police and other security agencies to order or in the alternative, risk Nigerians rising to defend our country and democracy from annihilation. Mr. President, let me inform you that the cabal in your administration dragging Nigeria’s democracy into the gutters don’t broach any opposition. They are arrayed against Nigeria and her people. They preach change but perpetuate evil. They mouth democracy, but in reality they are autocrats, tyrants and dictators. They are true and living disciples of Machiavelli. The nation’s democracy is of certainty heading for the rocks unless good and patriotic men rise to save her from the iron claws of these buccaneers and ravenous wolfs in sheep clothing, starting with you sir.


With best regards.

Yours sincerely,

Comrade Timi Frank
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC
timifrank40@gmail.com
07033555555

PRESS RELEASE

TIMI Frank exposes fresh plot to arrest Saraki


Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progreasives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has raised an alarm over a fresh plot to arrest the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on the orders of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris in connivance with the presidency.


Frank in a statement in Abuja said he has reliable information that the IGP has ordered operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to raid Saraki’s residence any moment from this night and effect his arrest.


He described the plot as an act of desperation and utter wickedness by the IGP who is overly eager to redeem his image following the failure of the police to prevent Saraki from attending the sitting of the Senate on Tuesday where 15 APC lawmakers defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).


Frank said that the Presidency is equally anxious to get back at Saraki over the defections and therefore has mandated the IGP to ensure his arrest and detention simply to embarrass him.


“Recall that the police on Tuesday morning laid

siege on the residence of the President of the Senate and that of his deputy in a bid to arrest and prevent them from attending plenary. Saraki was able to escape and presided over the Senate.


“Following the development the presidency summoned the IGP and after berating him for failing to gag Saraki, gave him a fresh ultimatum to arrest Saraki using every power at his disposal.

“This act of desperation by the IGP, backed by the presidency against Saraki is condemnable as it has no place in democracy.


“I hereby call on all Nigerias and members of the international community to rise in unison to condemn this act of tyranny and barbarity being perpetrated against the President of the Senate by the present administration using the police.


“As you read this statement the SARS may already be storming the residence of the President of the Senate and I want to call on

Nigerians to hold the IGP and the presidency responsible should any harm befall him following the plot to invade his residence in the dead of the night,” Frank said.


He added that Saraki is a respectable and responsible leader who cannot hurt a fly, saying all efforts being made by this administration through the police to tie the Offa Robbery allegations on him will once again collapse like the CCT trial.


“They are only out to victimize Saraki for being the only responsible voice in this administration. They know that their allegations cannot withstand legal scrutiny, therefore they want to intimidate, embarrass, arrest and treat him like a common criminal.


“But I am rest assured that their present satanic plot against Saraki shall be frustrated by God who has been standing by him in the last three years,” he said.


He called on Nigerians to pray for Saraki as he faces this monumental trial once again.


Comrade Timi Frank

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC
Abuja.

timifrank40@gmail.com

07033555555

The Secretary/General of the United Nations
H.E. António Guterres
Thru: UN's Abuja Office
Diplomatic Drive
Central Business Area
Area 1, Garki Abuja.


Sir,

BUHARI AND THREATS TO NIGERIA’S DEMOCRACY

Once again, I write to draw your attention to the tyrannical and undemocratic conducts of agents of the present administration in Nigeria, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, which if not urgently checked, can lead to the abortion of the 2019 general elections and irretrievably scuttle the nation’s hard earned democracy. On Tuesday, the world woke up to a horrendous report of massive security crackdown against the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu. The residences of the two presiding officers of the Senate were put under siege by security forces acting on orders from the presidency.

The siege on the residences of Saraki and Ekweremadu has continued to receive widespread condemnation from Nigerians who see it as a return of jackboot dictatorship reminiscent of military regimes in the country. This is why I want to urge the United Nations not only to condemn the crackdown against opposition figures and perceived political enemies in the country, ahead of the 2019 general elections, but to lead other world leaders including the G-7 nations, European Union, African Union and the Economic Community of West African States to stop the ongoing security crackdown on opposition figures and wanton abuse of the fundamental human rights of Nigerians irrespective of their political persuasions.

Permit me to state that the resort to the use of security forces to advance political interests by this administration, if not checked, may sooner than later cascade the entire country into a vortex of cataclysmic political struggle capable of tearing the economy into shreds, truncate democracy and lead to unimaginable hardship for the already pauperized and traumatized masses of this country.

May I also state that the UN must act urgently to protect democracy in Nigeria and safeguard the precious lives of countless opposition political actors. This is in view of allegations that certain people are considered to be in opposition to the re-election bid of Mr. President in 2019. Hence the Government is believed to have mapped out plans to suppress and, at the extreme, eliminate them. This may appear to be an unconfirmed report but as the saying goes, there is no smoke without fire. The names of the perceived enemies of government include the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, whose residences were on Tuesday besieged by the police in Abuja, among others.

Recall that the National Chairman of the Reformed All Progressives Congress (RAPC), Engineer Buba Galadinma and his son were recently involved in a road mishap. It is telling that the accident occurred shortly after the National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole openly boasted that he was going to “crush him.” The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, have continued to voice out grave concerns about the their personal safety. Also on the watch list is a frontline member of the RAPC, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje and Senator Dino Melaye, whose convoy was recently attacked by security forces in Kogi State.

Tuesday's barbaric attempt to use security forces to create a lacuna in the Senate in order to force a leadership change was a coup against democracy in the country. It also underscores the level of desperation by the present administration to silence the legislative arm of government which is condemnable. The illegal deployment of heavily armed security forces to detain and muzzle highly placed opposition figures, both within the ruling APC and the PDP also amounts to a denial of their inalienable rights to freedom of association and to hold opinion which are guaranteed by the nation’s Constitution and several international charters, to which Nigeria is a proud signatory.

Permit me to say that Nigeria deserves the protection and every help possible from the international community to sustain its democracy, protect fundamental rights of citizens and above all to prevent it from imminent disintegration. The threat against Nigeria’s democracy is an open secret. I call on the UN all allies of Nigeria to rise to her defence and help to contain it. The UN and leaders of the free world owe it a duty to Nigeria as a good standing member of the Common Wealth and comity of nations, to help prevent this looming political catastrophe before it snowballs out of control as fears abound that the situation will degenerate further.

Please accept the assurances of my highest regards.

God bless Nigeria.

Yours sincerely,

Comrade Timi Frank
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC
timifrank40@gmail.com
07033555555

more pictures..

More pictures...

Nigerians React To The Siege Being Laid On Saraki And Ekweremadu Residences by the Security operatives

PRESS RELEASE



rAPC: Promises of oil well, automatic tickets won't stop our leaders -Frank

...Says 5 govs, 30 Senators, 135 reps members to go


The immediate past Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has said that the promises of oil well and automatic tickets to some leaders of rAPC by the presidency won't stop their planned defection in matter of days.


Frank, who is also a prominent member of rAPC expressed surprised that "the leadership of APC and the presidency could result to begging and making promises of juicy positions, automatic tickets, including oil well to some of our leaders."


He, however declared that about five govenors, 30 serving Senators and 135 House of Representatives members will all dump APC in a matter of days, assuring that there is no going back in their plan to stand by Nigerians who have asked them to leave.


In a statement the former APC spokesman signed in Abuja on Sunday, he said the move to retain the support of rAPC members and leaders by the presidency was coming too late, wondering what has changed if the party could not fulfil it promises in the last three years.


"In a matter of days Nigerians will have cause to celebrate our final exit from party of killings, poverty and propaganda to join hands with real progressive group in the country."


According to Frank, all the latest moves by President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of APC to persuade the leaders of rAPC are all efforts in futility.


"The same people that could not respect the agreement we had in the last three years are now begging, promising heaven and earth to our leaders. In deception, they have failed to realise that Nigerians now know their true colour. They are much talked about integrity is a delusion, they are wolfs in sheep's clothing.


"Our plan to reject them and their party is not for personal gain. It is primarily to team up with real progressive group to rescue the country from the current handlers who rejoice when Nigerians are killed in their number, who value lives of cows to Nigerians and religiously persecute opposition members in the name of fighting corruption.


"In 2019 general elections, Nigerians have come to know that a vote for the APC will mean a vote for hardship, oppression, insecurity and unemployment. We are teaming up to ensure an end to visionless leadership of the current APC government and because our leaders in rAPC are men and women of honour, there is no going back in our plan to join forces in rescue Nigeria from incompetent APC leadership."


While calling on the leaders of rAPC not to give in to presure, the Bayelsa born politician warned that supporting re-election bid of President Buhari is as good as giving consent to be arbitrarily jailed in nearest future.


Signed:

Comrade Timi Frank

Former APC Deputy Publicity Secretary

Abuja, 22/07/2018.

As the heat of the Gubernatorial election in Ekiti state comes to an end, Governor Ayodele Fayose, the Chief campaigner for Kolapo Olusola Eleka despite his current health condition due to the abuse by the police, has decided to go beyond just Physical but also spiritual as he was seen praying for the victory of the PDP candidate, Olusola Eleka.

Fayose was captured in a video praying fervently for the victory of Prof. Kolapo Olusola Eleka and asking God to consider the people of Ekiti who are hungry and suffering.



The Elections takes place tomorrow Saturday the 14th of July, and all eligible voters in Ekiti state are mandated to come out and vote for their preferred Leader.


http://wdn.com.ng/governor-fayose-goes-spiritual-on-eleka/

See Video Below;




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R3mRkZ2IYk

It was reported that armed thugs attempted to kidnap PDP Chieftain and women leader, Chief Badmos.

In a bid to kidnap her before the Gubernatorial elections which is slated to hold tomorrow July 14th, they tried to gain entry into her bedroom using a ladder but instead met a brick wall.

Several disturbing reports have been made about the forth coming elections, hopefully preventive measures have been put in place to avert said disaster.


http://wdn.com.ng/breaking-news-pdp-chieftain-attempted-kidnap-foiled/

There are many undemocratic events going on in this country under this Buhari led administration, what is baffling me is what is going on in Adamawa state right now, concerning the bill-board of Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo who many groups have been promoting to become the next president of Nigeria, which his gigantic performance as the governor of Gombe state kept everyone silent.

To dive to the nitty-gritty of the event that triggers this write up, the executive governor of Adamawa, His Excellency Bindo Jibrilla has given an order for the bill-board of Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo to be removed, even after demanding the sum of one million naira (#1million) which was paid. This act of political hatred is done to ingratiate himself with Buhari.

The governor of Adamawa state is forgotten too quickly that; the president whom he is trying to ingratiate had his (Buhari) bill-board been placed in all the states of the federation before he was elected the president of Nigeria. PDP was ruling vitally in all the country both in federal and state level before Buhari became the president of Nigeria, no one removed his bill-board, no one destroyed his pictures, so it is expected for every states to show that same democratic maturity to anyone who is vying for any political position as guaranteed by the federal republic of Nigerian constitution to be allowed to place their political advert in any state they feel like, whether is their state of origin or not, or political party or not.

The Buhari led administration should not be afraid of someone else coming to take over power from them if they believe they have delivered the promises made to the people cum delivered the dividend of democracy to the people of Nigeria. Democracy is like a free market; where traders bring their market goods to the market for people to make a choice of the kind of goods they want to buy, if one trader is feeling that he alone have the monopoly to sell his/her goods in the market its then become restricted area no longer a market, therefore, if democracy is a government that allows freedom of expression and a government that gives leverages to all qualified candidates to context for any elective position in the country no one have the right to stop such a person, especially when the person has fulfilled all the necessary demands.

Governor Bindo Jibrilla should not allow himself to be seen as an enemy of democracy just as the world is watching sensitively all the democratic deviances of this government, Dankwambo bill-board has been paid for the space which is mounted it should be allowed till the time which it was agreed before it should be removed, giving order for it to be remove will not be the only way to please the president but doing what he was elected for should be his focus. If he continue to push for the removal of Governor Dankwambo’s bill-board it means he is indirectly telling Nigerians that Dankwambo will win Buhari so he is scared of that not to happen.

The Secretary/General of the United Nations

H.E. António Guterres

Thru: UN's Abuja Office

Diplomatic Drive

Central Business Area

Area 1, Garki Abuja.



Sir, 



POLICE SIEGE ON EKITI: NIGERIA'S DEMOCRACY ON TRIAL



Democracy in Nigeria is again being confronted by massive attack launched by security agents employed and funded by the country to protect the citizens and safe guard the nation's territorial integrity. Yesterday the world saw an appalling form of impunity and brutality against innocent citizens in Ekiti State apparently in a last ditch effort to sway the results of this Saturday's gubernatorial election in favour of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Kayode Fayemi. 


The rally (road walk) organized by the outgoing Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not only disrupted with noxious and harmful gas, Fayose was forcefully restricted to the Government House - where he was equally gassed. This renewed intimidation, harassment and attacks against leaders and members of an opposition political party in Nigeria, has compelled me to alert you of the threat to peace and democracy in the country as amply demonstrated by the highhandedness and open display of intolerance by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against opposition political parties in Nigeria. 


There is, therefore, urgent need  for the United Nations (UN) under your leadership to intervene to prevent the ongoing gross violation of the fundamental human rights of citizens to assemble and the brutal attacks against the person of Fayose and hundreds of supporters of the PDP, who had congregated for a grand finale rally in favour of its candidate in the Election, Professor Olusola Eleka, only to be driven back to their houses by the police through the use of tear gas and live ammunitions. Note that the police were recently deployed to the State by the Federal Government under the guise of maintaining law and order before, during and after  the Saturday election. Regrettably, the police deployed to the state in addition to the officers and men in the Ekiti State Police Command have now turned to be an army of occupation.


The ongoing police siege on Ekiti State by 30,000 fully armed policemen in the guise of election duty is nothing but a well-orchestrated security crackdown on innocent citizens who are hoping to be allowed to cast their ballot on Saturday and participate in electing the next governor of the state. It has been established by several UN Conventions and human rights' charter that the right to vote and be voted for is an inalienable right of a citizens of any country. For the a avoidance of doubt, the number of police personnel and equipment deployed so far for the Ekiti election include a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police in charge of operations, Assistant Inspectors General of Police, Four Commissioners of Police, eight Deputy Commissioners of Police, 30,000 fully armed policemen, two patrol surveillance helicopters, 5 additional armored personnel carriers, 10 amoured personnel vehicles and 25,000 police patrol vehicles. The above represents police deployment. Other security agencies will yet make similar deployments.


Recall that the All Progressives Congress on Monday organized its own grand rally at the Ekiti Township stadium in Ado Ekiti to market its governorship candidate, to the electorate. Note that the APC's rally which was attended by Buhari and several APC Governors and leaders from across the country, was highly successful without no iota of obstruction nor disruption. It is therefore curious that in less than 24 hours after the APC's rally, security agents working on the orders of the Inspector General of Police did not only disrupt a rally organized by the PDP in favour of its governorship candidate, Professor Olusola Eleka, the incumbent governor was restricted to and teargassed inside the Government House. If a sitting governor can be brutalized and teargassed, then who is safe in the country?


Permit me to say that Section 99 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010, provides 90 days for the commencement of campaigns by political parties and end of same 24 hours before polling day. Besides, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission's Time Table and schedule of activities for the Ekiti State Governorship Election 2018, signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu and published on October 5, 2017, the last day for campaigns in the Ekiti State gubernatorial poll is Wednesday 12th July, 2018, which is clear 24 hours before the poll scheduled for Saturday July 14, 2018. Under this circumstances, is the Police justified in disrupting the planned rally of the PDP on Wednesday July 11, 2018 with brutal force? 


I hereby call in the UN to order a high-powered independent enquiry into the manifest intransigence and unlawful act of the police against a civilian population comprising mostly of women and the elderly citizens who were freely exercising their right to assemble and support a political party and candidate of their choice. The investigation should among others, determine whether the procession or rally planned by the PDP for its candidate, Eleka, was in tandem with the guidelines and campaign timetable of the INEC for the Ekiti Governorship election. And if it was being conducted within the days allotted for campaigns by INEC, was the police legally justified to have tear-gassed and dispersed the PDP supporters; restricted and confined Fayose to the Government House after being equally gassed?


The UN has the duty to ensure that this police anomaly is speedily and properly investigated and appropriate sanctions meted out to officers and men found wanting in order to prevent a recurrence of such anti-democratic tendencies, bestiality, intimidation, harassment and willful infliction of harm on innocent Nigerians with the use of noxious fumes. The oppressive tactics employed by the police against the people of Ekiti have no place in a democracy as it is indicative of the worst form of dictatorial and totalitarian regimes. The indiscriminate use of military-styled assault weapons on an unarmed civilian population, who were exercising their constitutionally protected civil and electoral rights in a most responsible manner must be remedied with the strictest of sanctions. There is ample and indisputable contextual photo and video evidence to support the claims made by the victims of the police attack, including Governor Fayose who are will to testify to aid the investigative work of the Fact-Finding Commission of Enquiry to be set up by the UN. 


I dare say that the unlawful use of the police against innocent citizens and members of the opposition PDP in Ekiti is a direct manifestation of the level of desperation of the APC and the present administration to win the Ekiti Governorship election. Let me add that had ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP be this desperate in 2015, Buhari and APC would never have tasted power. Impunity has overwhelmed us in Nigeria. And we need help to ensure that our democracy and voting process is devoid of harassment, intimidation and undue influence by the government. If the open display of barbarity by the police in Ekiti State, is anything to go by, one can safely say that a worse fate awaits members and leaders of the opposition political parties during the 2019 general elections. The UN and by extension the world cannot afford to condone this open aggression against a peaceful people gearing up to elect a governor of their choice! This is why I am calling on you to come to the aid of Nigeria in this dark hour of massive security crackdown against the people of Ekiti State. Otherwise, chaos and anarchy may soon reign in an unimaginable way should the people now pushed against the wall be forced to resort to self help to defend themselves. If a Governor can be treated in such shabby and inhuman manner, then where lies the hope for the common man on the streets?


Please accept the assurances of my highest regards.


God bless Nigeria.


Yours sincerely,


Comrade Timi  Frank

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC

timifrank40@gmail.com 

07033555555