The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said yesterday it will win all the supplementary elections scheduled for Saturday.

The polls are holding in Sokoto, Kano, Adamawa, Benue and Plateau State.

In statement by its spokesman Kola Ologbodiyan, the electorate will resist the alleged plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate the elections.

“It is ludicrous that the APC could seek to play the victim when all material facts have established that the APC militarised, perpetuated violence and unleashed mayhem in the elections so far held,” the statement said.

The PDP claimed that a United States (U.S.) States Department’s Bureau reports showed that state apparatus of power was used to intimidate and perpetrate electoral violence in favour of the government.

The statement reads: “The PDP is, however, undeterred in our imminent victory in the March 23 supplementary elections.

“In Benue, it is clear that the people have rejected the APC as clearly demonstrated even in the Presidential election. Benue state has always been home to the PDP.

“It is incontestable that our party has the largest genuine followership in all the units, wards and local government areas of the state and as such, does not need any underhand measure to secure victory in any election in the state.

“Our winning lead of 81, 000 votes were validly delivered at the polling units and that reality will humiliate the APC as it cannot be subverted.

“Similarly, Rivers State is an impregnable home to the PDP since 1999. The results of all the elections held in Rivers, including the House of Assembly, showed that the PDP is in control of the state. Moreover, in Rivers, the APC is a vicious interloper, which has been perpetuating violence as a means to subvert and truncate the electoral process since it has no candidate in the election.

“In Kano, the people of the state are known to be incorruptible and had always detested leaders who are corrupt and incompetent. They have always elected governors that are acceptable to the ordinary people.

“The incompetence of the Ganduje administration is therefore distasteful to the people and that is why they have collectively rejected the APC and rally with the PDP.

“In Bauchi, the PDP has already been elected and this reality cannot be altered by the APC. INEC had already established that the APC compromised its official to declare Tafawa Balewa LGA as inconclusive and had restored the votes that were stolen by the APC. It is imperative for APC to accept the fact that its bunch of broom has become famished.



“In Sokoto, the people have given us the mandate. The constitution provides for simple majority of votes. The declared results show that our candidate clearly won and that is why our candidate has been mandated to go to the court to seek interpretation of the section of the constitution that deals with the declaration of results.

“In Adamawa State, the APC is merely hallucinating and seeking ways to subvert the process. Its despicable resort to using a person who did not participate in the election to seek to use the courts to ambush the election is disgraceful.

“However, INEC had since declared that it cannot be stopped from going ahead with the supplementary election where our party is already in good stead to coast to victory.”

Source: thenationonlineng.net

Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has congratulated Governor-elect Babajide Sanwo-Olu on his victory in the last Saturday election.

In a statement by its spokesman, Mr Taofik Gani, the PDP stated that the congratulate message “is to exhibit good spirit of sportsmanship and show respect for the laws of the land.”

The party, however, stated that if for any reason it has to challenge the result announced it shall not hesitate to do so.

It advised the Governor-elect to eschew any iota of politics of retaliation, seclusion or vendetta. The party also cautioned Sanwo-Olu against going after Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, unless if it must be done for the development of the state because Lagosians will not accept any excuse for any failure in governance as a result of self-inflicted distraction.

Source: thenationonlineng.com

Ebonyi state governor, David Umahi is set to decamp to the All Progressives Congress (APC), latest May 29th.

The candidate of the APC, Senator Sonni Ogbuoji disclosed this in Enugu while rejecting the just concluded governorship election in which Umahi who ran on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner.

In his words: “the information we have now is that while the governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, had acted as a mole in PDP all along, he has started making moves to ditch PDP and cross over to the APC on or before May 29.

We are aware that the votes that enthroned Umahi were procured with the connivance of the system, a reason there are gloomy faces all over the state after the announcement of the claimed victory.”

The senator who is representing Ebonyi South in the upper chamber told reporters that having known the antecedents of the governor, they would not accept him in APC.

He also blamed the failure of the party in the election on the internal wrangling among the members.

“What rather happened as all party insiders know is that the APC in Ebonyi worked so much against itself. By this allusion, I don’t indict all the members or leadership, I am actually taking about the moles among us that double dealt and made things impossible for us while they cloaked like part of us.”

Ogbuoji commended those party members who worked assiduously for the party.

He said: “With this, I also commend and doff my hat for those committed members and leaders of our party, APC that worked assiduously to ensure we made it big and good.

“I want to assure you that even with the gang-up, I and the party gave a good account of the outing and made the ruling party understand that Ebonyi people can’t be taken for a ride.

“I therefore call for consolidation and stronger bond in the party, and that none – including the candidates should despair in the face of the development of this rape of democracy.

“Consolidating a new system takes tenacity and resolute steady effort to achieve and our great party should not relent in giving our dear state the opposition and checks we need in order to stop gangster politicians riding roughshod over our future.

“I am aware also of those among us that desired the change we targeted to bring, seemingly worked for it but in the actual sense worked in contrary direction and deliberately frustrated the change they claimed to belong to.”

Source: Thenationonlineng.net

LAGOS governor-elect Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu yesterday accepted the mandate given to him to steer the ship of the state for the next four years beginning from May 29.

Sanwo-Olu, who was All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s governorship election, polled 739,445 votes to defeat his closest rival Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Agbaje garnered 206, 141 votes.



In his electoral victory speech, the governor-elect said the people have spoken resoundingly with the ballot, promising not to let them down.

Assuring that his eyes and mind are set on the future, Sanwo-Olu said: “Today, you did not just vote for Babajide Sanwo-Olu. You voted for that greater Lagos. I promise that together we shall achieve this. I do not make promises lightly. This is a promise that shall not be broken.

“A greater Lagos shall be ours. We shall construct it with the work of our minds, the grit of our hands and by the will and grace of Almighty God.”

He was reacting to the final results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He appreciated all those who contributed to his victory.

They include President Muhammadu Buhari, APC chieftain Bola Ahmed Tinubu, APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole and his spouse, Ibijoke, who he described as a pillar of support.

Sanwo-Olu said: “This means that indeed you the people have spoken and clearly too. By these words, I accept the mandate you have given and understand that it bestows a most profound honor and sober responsibility on me.

“I thank and commend all those who supported and contributed to this campaign. You have labored and toiled countless hours and done so without complaint or hesitation.

“You exerted yourselves not just for me but because you believe in the rightness and wisdom of the vision we share for our state. You are too numerous and too many to name at this time. In the next few days, I will make sure I thank each of you personally for your contributions to this collective and progressive effort.

“Most of all, I want to commend and honor the voters. While this victory may bear my name because it must bear a name, this victory belongs to you, dear Lagosians.

“At this point, I would like to thank the leadership of my party both at the National and State levels. I also thank party members in Lagos, who believed in my candidacy and that of my Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat.

“To our lawmakers, both at the state and federal levels, thank you immensely. To the National Chairman of our great party APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, thank you for your support. To our committed, energetic and visionary national leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I say a big thank you too.



“To the leader of our party and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, I thank you for the quality of leadership you provide. You paved the path to victory and we have followed you. We shall remain faithful to our progressive vision for a better Nigeria.

“To my dear wife, Ibijoke, I cannot thank you enough for being my pillar of support. To my Deputy, Dr. Hamzat, you are an excellent partner whose experience and intellect will serve this state. To his dear wife, Mrs. Remi Hamzat; we will stay united in the service of our people.

“This election signaled more than a vote for me or any other candidate. It was a vote, a referendum, on how a state and its people would define themselves. Would we be courageous and confident enough to seek our greater place in the world?

“Or would we turn so scared that we spend the greater number of hours fighting each other instead of joining ourselves in productive cooperation that will uplift the lives of each of us?

“We were confident that you would choose courage over fear and select cooperation over confrontation. You made this enlightened choice in resounding and clear numbers.



“Let us be completely frank and honest so that we may quickly clear the air of those things that might pollute and soil our politics if we allow them to linger.

“There were things said during this campaign that should not have been said. And tactics employed that was shortsighted and potentially disruptive to the social accord and harmony of purpose we have enjoyed in Lagos.

“Those who tried to use ethnicity to bring discord in hopes that such tactics might bring them victory have been sorely disappointed. The election is over. I ask them to cease and desist from this unwise conduct.

“Our people are generous in spirit, compassionate at heart and as fair-minded as any people can be. Despite the challenges that we may face, our people exist in a space that is above hatred.

“To be the leader of a people such as these is an honor of the highest level and a sacred obligation. A leader befitting this state and its people is one who unites and leads them to greater progress; not one who seeks to pit them against each other.

“To all those who competed in the election and even those who tried to sow discord, let me say that this day began as an exercise in democracy as the people voted. As the day has matured it has also evolved into a moment for reconciliation because the people have clearly made their decision.

“Whatever you said and did during this election is forgotten. I keep no ledgers of personal grievances and hold no grudges. You contested vigorously and did so as you saw fit. I respect anyone who enters the arena of public endeavor and submits themselves to the decision of the people.

“Politics is tough and competitive. For the many who might compete for an office, only one can win. You all gave much toward the election. Now it is time that we put aside insignificant differences that loomed during the election so that we can give even more and do even better for the good of Lagos.

“I am humbled that the people elected me as the governor to lead them the next four years. I vow to you, dear Lagosians, that my eye and my mind are too focused on the future, too fixed on where we must go to give a second thought to where you might have come from.

“Without a doubt, Lagos is more than a space that we occupy. Lagos is a way of life that speaks of the liberality of spirit and a commitment to excellence in all facets of human endeavor.

“If this describes your outlook on society and your relationship to your neighbor and fellowman, then you are a pure and true Lagosian. Nothing more needs to be said. No further questions need to be asked in that regard. You elected me because I have a vision in mind and a mission at heart that I must fulfill.



“Lagos is home to over 20 million people. Each day, thousands migrate into our state in search of opportunity and a better life. The geographic space we occupy is limited.

“Land is scarce. On this small space of land, we call our state, we must provide livelihoods for all who are here today and all who shall come tomorrow. It requires special people to meet this challenge.

“Lagos is so densely populated, that we are all each other’s neighbor and each other’s brother. With this spirit guiding us, our challenges do not daunt us. They inspire us toward greatness in three key ways.

“First, my administration shall advance and build on the tradition of constructing the modern infrastructure needed to improve living conditions and encourage greater business and investment by lowering the costs and increasing productivity.

“Second, we will strive to enhance social services to make sure the basic needs of the modest and poor are met and that no Lagosian shall be deprived of humane care and human dignity.

“Three, we will develop specific and concrete plans to establish the types of businesses and investment in Lagos that will provide sustainable growth and job opportunities for the 21st century.

“We must provide jobs and economic opportunity for this vast and industrious population. By doing so, we shall function as a catalyst for growth in Nigeria, in West Africa and the entire continent. Lagos will stand as the economic capital of the black race.

“In Lagos, we are limited by space but not by our capacity. Our creativity and drive are ample and tireless. My aim is no less than to construct a way of life and governance for Lagosians that will provide adequate employment and the economic chance now and into the foreseeable future. We do this so that we may put our best asset – our human drive and ingenuity — to its most effective us for the good of all.

“We are already a great state. Our task is not simply to make sure we do not regress, but to push ourselves onward to an even greater Lagos.”

Source: thenationonlineng.net

President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN on the occasion of his 62nd birthday.

The President, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, joined Osinbajo’s wife, Dolapo, her children and Nigerians across the country and around the world to celebrate the erudite scholar, Minister of the Gospel and ‘‘very dependable deputy with whom I share a very special bond.’’

President Buhari said he was grateful to God for preserving the life of Prof. Osinbajo, who in the past four years has diligently championed the values of setting the foundation for the peace, progress, and stability of Nigeria, by working very hard to build a resilient economy while promoting transparency and accountability.

On this special occasion, the President extended special appreciation to the Vice President and wished him many more years of robust health, happiness and fulfilment in his service to God, the nation and humanity.

Buhari said that he looks forward to sharing many special moments of celebration with his deputy as they take Nigeria to the Next Level in the years ahead.

The Presidential Election Tribunal has commenced the hearing of a motion ex-parte filed by the Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and his party to be allowed to inspect materials used for the February 23 presidential election.

A three-man panel led by Justice Abdul Aboki is currently taking argument from the lawyer of Atiku and PDP, Chris Uche (SAN).

Details shortly…

Find followup news @ thenationonlineng.net

The presidential election has been won and lost. President Muhammadu Buhari has received his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). His challenger, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has vowed to launch a legal battle. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU writes on the poll’s drama, post-election challenges and public expectations about Buhari’s second term.

Triumph of integrity

It was the triumph of integrity and honour. The poll was a referendum on the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari. The second term, like the first term, was not won on a platter of gold. The successful election underscores the fact that Nigeria is becoming more stable and building critical institutions of democracy.

However, there are two more hurdles for the president and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to cross. There is need for more aggressive and effective mobilisation for the March 9 governorship and House of Assembly elections. Also, as the presidential battle shifts from the ballot box to the court room, the ruling party cannot afford to sleep on guard.

In his victory speech, President Buhari was conciliatory. The second term, in his view, will enable him consolidate on his achievements in the four critical areas of anti-corruption war, economy, security and job creation. The last manifesto is more important. It is targeted at the youths and the poor. While the elite who apparently had score to settle with the president cast protest votes, he was greatly assisted by the masses’ votes.

The outcome of the election affirmed Nigerians tendency towards two party system. Instructively, President Buhari won in 19 of 36 states. Atiku won in 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Although, constitutionally, Nigeria is a multi-party state, past experience has combined with the present indication that it only has two strong dominant parties. The fringe parties only constitute a big burden to the INEC.

However, the election was not conducted for ideological parties. The APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PD) do not subscribe to any ideology. Yet, it is ideology that gives form, content and predictability to political parties. The restoration of ideological culture will properly demarcate the parties and present wider opportunities for constructive choice by Nigerians.

Election observers have pointed out certain electoral hiccups that threatened to dent the image of the exercise. In a number of states, violence was recorded. Despite President Buhari’s warning, unpatriotic elements still indulged in ballot box snatching. Also, past mistakes were not totally avoided by the umpire.

In many units, polling officers reported late for work. When voters got to the voting units and INEC officials were not on ground, there was anxiety. If there was vote buying, it was not within the vicinity of the polling units. However, the complaint by a presiding officer that he was declaring results under duress in Imo State was worrisome. This may need to be further investigated to prevent the circumstances that led to it in the future.

Less than 30 million voted out of the 84 million Nigerians who were issued with Permanent Voters Card (PVC). That underscored a sort of voter aparthy. Many experts have suggested that public indifference to election may be a function of disenchantment with the government and lack of faith in the opposition. It is expected that, INEC, in its post-election analysis, will release vital demographic statistics on voting age bloc, gender, and zonal responses to the exercise. The information may be helpful to parties while strategising on mobilisation for future polls.

The overview of the voting pattern suggested that the APC still maintained its dominance in its traditional strongholds in the North and Southwest. PDP maintained its hold on the Southeast and Southsouth.

In addition, PDP made an in-road into Oyo and Ondo states, thereby upsetting the poll-confident Southwest. PDP’s victory in Adamawa could be attributed to “the son of the soil factor.” In Taraba State, voters may have carried out partisan instructions of influential Generals and community leaders who have an axe to grind with President Buhari over what they called his slow response to the security challenge. The Abuja result is a product of elite voting. In Benue, the propaganda of Governor Sam Ortom against the APC produced a fatal result, to the detriment of the president. Many indigenes reacted to the security challenge that claimed many lives in the Northcentral region.

The poll results showed that Southeast and Southsouth are the backbone of the PDP. Indisputably, Southeast was motivated to vote for PDP in honour of a ticket that had accommodated its son, Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State.



President Buhari almost turned Southeast into a construction site. He fought the infrastructure battle in the region with vigour. But, there was no correlation between the presidential intervention and Southeast voting pattern.

In Edo, people still voted for PDP in post-Anenih era, meaning that the bond between the party and the state has not been severed by the demise of ‘Mr. Fix It.’



Challenge of second term:

In this first term, the take off of the administration was abysmally slow. It took the Commander-In-Chief six months to set up his cabinet. At the end of the day, the nominees did not spring surprise. The anxiety should not be repeated in this second term.

Another cabinet of talent is required. While performing ministers can be retained, it is important that square pegs should be in round holes.

A total overhaul of the security apparatus is also critical. This is critical to the success of the war against insurgency. Security agencies should not work at cross purpose. A situation whereby the president will forward the name of nominees to the senate and security agencies will write reports to scatter the appointment is not tidy.

Also, it was alleged that critical opposition figures who assisted the president to get to power were sidelined. The wife of the President, Aishat, cried out that cabals have taken over and drawn a wool in the eyes of the leader. That provoked a sense of alienation in some quarters.

Allegations of nepotism were also rife. Political foes criticised the president for the skewed distribution of government appointments. The bone of contention was that the skewed formula favoured the Northern Region, to the detriment of other zones.

Although the president worked hard to deliver on his promises to the nation, he was handicapped by financial constraints. While fighting corruption, corruption was also fighting back.

In his second term, Buhari should not relax the battle. The past loot must be recovered fully in national interest. The greatest problem confronting Nigeria is the culture of graft, which is now being inherited from generation to generation.

The lip service to job creation should give way to more concerted action. Unless the electricity problem is addressed, unemployment will persist, manufacturing sector cannot be revived and cosmetic measures of token poverty alleviation will not solve the problem.

President Buhari has not been vindictive. As the president of all Nigeria, he should carry along the six zones, which accepted or rejected him at the poll. He should also strive to re-unite the country that has been torn apart by the partisan struggle for the presidency. In post-election period, all the zones should also cooperate with the president. After election, the collective challenge is governance in national interest.

The achievements of the president in the areas of road construction and rail transportation should be sustained. President Buhari should defend the education sector to prevent protracted strikes by tertiary teachers.

President Buhari should learn from the mistake of the first term. He should not be indifferent to the nature, tendency and sentiment of the next Senate President. The two arms of government must work in the atmosphere of cooperation and togetherness. The executive must also moderate itself in utter sensitivity to the existence of a virile and active parliament, where experienced statesmen are serving as legislators.

The president must unite his divided party. Anti-party activity is now the hall mark of the APC. This has been demonstrated by aggrieve governors of Imo, Ondo and Ogun states. As the APC national leader, President Buhari should ensure that there is always a basis for reconciliation. He should initiate and fortify the party’s crisis resolution mechanism. Conflict resolution is an essential feature of politics.



Need for reform in APC:

The ruling party has not become a model for other parties. It has a strong leadership. The structure is formidable as an election machine. But, it is devoid of clear ideology. The party is not yet supreme. Lack of party supremacy breeds indiscipline. The contradiction within the fold, right from its formative stage, when it came into existence, as an amalgam of incompatible political groups, paved the way for the protracted feud that led to defections from the fold.

A party is an organisation of like-minded individuals and groups united by similarity of ideas, and strengthened by their collective bid for power. The way forward is reforms.

The leaders of APC may have offended one another during the electioneering, particularly during the tension-soaked nominations. They should bury the hatchet, forgive and embrace. Post-election vendetta could be counter-productive. They have unfinished battles ahead, particularly governorship and House of Assembly polls.

The national leadership should focus attention on the five divided chapters; Oyo, Ondo, Imo, Rivers and Zamfara. How will APC handle the division in these crisis-ridden chapters during the governorship and House of Assembly elections?

Mrs Rebecca Sharibu, the mother of Leah, the only Christian Dapchi Girl still in the hands of Boko Haram has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his re-election by Nigerians on the 23rd February 2019.

Mrs. Sharibu who spoke exclusively with our correspondent on phone from Dapchi also called on the President Buhari not to forget her daughter as he celebrates his victory.

Rebecca Sharibu has also appealed to Boko Haram insurgents who are still holding her daughter in captivity to release her unconditionally, just as she reminded Mr. President to fulfill his promise to rescue her daughter from the insurgents.

“I am grateful to all Nigeria who participated in the election. We are also grateful that the election was peaceful. From the beginning, people felt that there will be a problem but it didn’t happen. We are also happy that the President won the election. On behalf of myself and my family, we congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari and pray for God to give him the desired wisdom to rule the country.

“I want to remind the President that, as he celebrates his victory, he should not forget that Leah is still in the hands of Boko Haram. As for me, my heart is heavy because I have not seen my daughter for more than one year now. I am calling on the President to fulfill his promise of freeing my daughter from the hands of Boko Haram. My cry is still the same, today and tomorrow until I see my daughter.

“As for Boko Haram, that is still holding my daughter, I am still pleading with them to have mercy on my daughter and other captives and release them unconditionally. Boko Haram should please know that we have been subjected to psychological torture and trauma since my daughter was taken away. Please have mercy on my daughter (broke into tears),” Mrs. Sharibu said.

The Nation recalled that Leah, along with other over 100 girls were whisked away from their hostel at Government Girls Science Technical College Dapchi by Boko Haram on the 16th February 2018. While her mates were released a month later and other died, Leah was however held back by the insurgents on the allegations that she refused to denounce her Christian fate.

Though the Federal Government has consistently promised to rescue the girl, it is now over a year that the promise has not come to pass.

Source: thenationonlineng.net

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Wednesday said President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in the 2019 presidential election signified the acceptability of his leadership by a majority of Nigerian citizens.

Buhari won the 2019 Presidential election under the All Progressives Congress (APC) with 15,191,847 votes to beat Abubakar Atiku of the People’s Democratic Party (Party) with 11, 262, 978.

The remarks were made in a statement in Akure on Wednesday, by Segun Ajiboye, Chief Press Secretary to the Ondo State Governor.

According to the statement, Akeredolu joins millions of Nigerians to congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari on his re-election as president-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for a second four-year tenure.

“The governor says the victory belongs to all Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic and religious beliefs.

“He is optimistic that the next level promised Nigerian citizens by President Buhari will indeed take the country to unprecedented heights.

“Gov. Akeredolu hails all stakeholders, including local and international observers, security agencies, social commentators and members of the media, who in one way or the other played a role in ensuring the peaceful conduct of the election.

“He particularly commends the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for conducting a free, fair and credible presidential election accepted by observers and the international community,” the statement said.

NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has won Nasarawa state for the first time since 2003 defeating Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by 37,896 votes.

Results collated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lafia shows that President Buhari polled 279,315 votes to defeat Atiku who polled 241,419 votes.

Buhari won in eight local governments while Atiku won in five local governments marking the first time the Peoples Democratic Party has lost Nasarawa state in a presidential election since then return to democracy in 1999.

The president got his highest number of votes in Lafia, the state capital, where he polled 55,254, while Atiku got his highest votes in Karu local government after polling 49,292.

Source: Thenationonlineng.net

Seven members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State have been arrested for illegal collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from eligible voters in Ikere Ekiti.

The House of Assembly member representing Ikere Constituency 1, Mr. Wale Ayeni, who allegedly masterminded the voter cards racketeering was said to be on the run.

Ayeni escaped being arrested by the whiskers when the policemen swooped on his situation office in Oke’kere area of the town where the alleged PVCs racketeering was going on.

The armed policemen believed to be acting on tip-off stormed the area a few minutes before 1 pm and recovered an unspecified number of PVCs from the suspects.

Ayeni was said to have blocked the federal highway that passes through the area gathering eligible voters to collect their cards.

The operation caused confusion as the seven other PDP members allegedly assisting Ayeni to collect the PVCs were apprehended by the policemen.

Party members arrested are said to be cooling their heels in the custody of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) where they are stating all they know about the incident.

The lawmaker is the Deputy Director General of PDP Presidential Campaign Council in charge of Ekiti South senatorial district of which Ikere is part.

Ayeni could not be reached on his mobile phone at the time of filing this report.

When contacted, Police spokesman Caleb Ikechukwu said the report of the incident was yet to be brought to his office.

Source: thenationonlineng.net

A Suit to disqualify the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, from contesting the presidential election is to be heard on Monday.

The suit filed by Incorporated Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa before the Federal High Court, Abuja, will be heard by Hon. Justice I. E. Ekwo of Court 6.

However, the hearing will be done two days after the presidential election, which is rescheduled for February 23.

According to the group, Atiku should be disqualified over alleged circumstances surrounding his citizenship.

The suit, which was filed on February 11, is seeking an interpretation of Sections 25 (1) & (2) and 131 (a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

The group named the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as defendants in the suit.

It also wants the court to determine the following questions, viz:

*whether Section 25 of the Constitution is the sole authority that spells out ways by which a person can become a Nigerian citizen by birth?

*whether by the provisions of Section 131 (a) of the constitution, only a Nigerian citizen by birth can contest for the office of president?

*whether by the combined interpretation of Sections 25 (1) & (2) and 131 (a) of the constitution and given the circumstances surrounding the birth of Alhaji Atiku, he can be cleared by PDP and INEC to contest for office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?

In the suit, the plaintiff said if the court resolves the issues in its favour, it should declare that by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, only a Nigerian citizen by birth can contest for president.

In an affidavit deposed in support of the plaintiff’s action, the deponent averred that Atiku was born on November 25, 1946 in Cameroon.

“That from Atiku’s own testimony that is gazetted and published in most national dailies in circulation, he is from Jada town in Adamawa and Jada used to be in Ganye Local Government Area in Adamawa.



“That Ganye is regarded as the mother of the whole Chamba tribe and was never part of Nigeria legally as at the date of birth of Atiku.

“That none of Atiku’s parents or grandparents was born in Nigeria and his father died a citizen of Northern Cameroon in 1957 prior to the referendum of June 1, 1961 that made Northern Cameroon a part of Nigeria.”

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday said that President Muhammadu Buhari never ordered security agencies to shoot Nigerians summarily.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja at the end of the APC caucus meeting, he said, that the President was misinterpreted.

He said that the President at the meeting only reinforced that those involved in ballot box snatching will be doing it at the risk of their life.

He said “I was in that meeting; the president was just reinforcing the fact that if you are out there snatching ballot boxes, and causing destructions, you are at risk of your own life. Whatever happens to you; no president will give an order that his own citizens should be shot summarily, No! No, its okay, emotions are running high these days. Any individual including myself can be misinterpreted.

“These are not his words; he is a law abiding person and he understands categorically and clearly what rule of law is and the lives of individual citizens that he is in that office to protect. Now, let me run this; he has been fighting Book Haram, kidnappers and all these before this election, did you hear him asking them to be shot and executed summarily?”

He said; “By law we should continue to energise our people; it depends on our resources. Because the Electoral Act allows us to do that; and ask led us to stop campaigning only 24 hours before the actual election. And once you changed the date to Feb. 23, you have given us the opening to campaign and energise.

“If you a garden and you don’t nourish with water, the grass will remain dormant; we don’t want our party to remain dormant.

“This is ability of leadership to convert adversity to opportunity and prosperity and that’s it; that’s what we must do,” he said.

Asked if the postponement has cast doubt on the credibility of INEC, he said “It depends on how it is handled and the process. How the process is managed; you can convert a crisis–a situation of adversity to an opportunity and progress.

“The INEC, under the law, they are empowered to postpone, cancel and do whatever is necessary to ensure free and fair election. No party other the anger, the disappointment, no party can reverse that. So, we are ready for Feb. 23,” he said.

http://thenationonlineng.net/buhari-didnt-order-nigerians-to-be-shot-summarily-tinubu/amp/

Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) secretary Dr. Wale Ahmed has said that Nigerians will vote for character at the presidential election.

He said if character and integrity are the yardsticks, President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC will be re-elected by Nigerians. Ahmed spoke with reporters in Lagos on the importance of the contest.

He said: “I expect it to be free and fair. I don’t expect any violence. Nigerians are not fools. Nigerians have made up their minds. They have seen what is going on in the country in the last three and half years under President Muhammadu Buhari. This election is about the character of the two frontline candidates and the parties involve, and the kind of leadership APC has, compared to the PDP; the very horrible history of the PDP, having ruled for 16 years and took our country backward, instead of making progress. They condoned corruption. There was infrastructural decay. That’s the hallmark of the PDP.

“President Buhari has been military Head of State Petroleum minister, Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) chairman, and held other positions. Nobody has ascribed any property and bank account somewhere to him, expect his modest abode in Kaduna and in his village in Daura. If he was corrupt, he would have had property all over the country.

“Many people have not had the type of opportunities he had in government and they have a lot being traced to them. Nigerians are not fools. They don’t want to go back to the years of the locust; the years of the PDP. In particular, Nigerians know they cannot hand this country over to someone who has allegations of corruption about him, not only in Nigeria, but also outside our shores.”

Ahed said Vice President Atiku Abubakar does not have god manifesto beyond his self-servong agenda.

He said: “During this campaign, he has make it clear that he is going there to enrich his friends. I was miffed and shocked to hear that openly from somebody who seeks to occupy the position of Commander-In-Chief. Also, during this campaign, he has said openly that he will grant amnesty to looters. That is also very surprising.

“What that connotes, more or less, is setting free people who have been corrupt. What example, what impression do you want to create? That somebody will still and expect someone to set him free? Those things, which he has not denied, and which he has not found plausible explanation for, are enough for Nigerians not to vote for him.

He added: “Nigerians are not fools because they know the difference between a selfless person who want to come and right the wrongs of the past. This he has been doing in the last three and half years and he is only seeking another term to consolidate. Things can still be better. Despite complaints in some quarters, he cannot be compared to his challenger in the other party.

“These are the reasons I believe we are just going to have an affirmation on the character and person of President Muhammadu Buhari, affirmation of the kind of leadership we have in the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and the example of Lagos, the eight years of Tinubu in Lagos and the template which others are building on and adapting; his leadership and mentorship.

“If you look at the example of Lagos which other states in the Federation are copying, it signposts what is expected from a party where Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a leader. It is about character. The captain of the ship matters. How many people are working together to steer the ship? When Obama became president, he made some appointments and he was challenged by people who said these were Washington people. They said: you campaign on the basis of change, what is the difference? His answer was: the difference is me. I made the difference because I control and direct the activities of my appointees. That tells you that it is the person and the character of the person that occupies the seat that matters.

Ahmed said “a disaster of a catastrophic proportion is the issue of a former president, who sought to extend his tenure through the back door, through the third term.”

He stressed: “I have read all the books written by Obasanjo; My Watch, the three volumes, before people started lifting the excerpts of what he said about Atiku. If somebody, sometimes in August said God will not forgive him, if he supports Atiku to be president, and because of his hatred for President Muhamadu Buhari, is now telling the world we should make the same Atiku president, it beats my imagination. You said all sorts of things about somebody; you even tried to set up the Third Force, which collapsed.



“ For him to be finding excuses and telling Nigerians to vote for Atiku, when he has not told us that the person of Atiku is better than the person of Buhari, it means that his reasons are not necessarily altruistic. I used to give him a lot of respect for patriotism. But, on this, it does not appear that he is thinking about Nigeria. It is person.

“Atiku does not have any history of performance. As vice president, what we all remember him for was privatisation. The sale of national assets was skewed to the advantage of certain people. Look at what Gen. Akinrinade published in the newspaper. It is food for thought. With the kind of candidate the PDP has, Nigerians should vote for Buhari.

On the Lagos governorship poll, Ahmed said: “Asiwaju laid the foundation. I am a proud to say I was part of that government. I was a member of the House of Assembly from 1999 to 2003. That template is what we have been using to govern Lagos State. In Lagos, look at the two frontline candidates. The APC candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is a seasoned administrator, with a very good experience in government. He was Special Adviser under Asiwaju Tinubu and commissioner. So, he has government experience.

“Jimi Agbaje of the PDP is campaigning alone. His party is not with him. He is a perennial, perpetual candidate. He contested in 2007, 2011 and 2015. He is out in 2015. We cannot see his performance in any government. You can use Lagos State House to study Governance 101. It requires experience.”

GOING by the February 7 report of New York-based global research and political risk solutions firm Eurasia Group, President Muhammadu Buhari will win Saturday’s election by 60 per cent.

The group, which undertakes investment partnerships, consultancy and risk advisory responsibilities in about 100 countries, said the odds against Buhari’s main challenger, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have positioned the incumbent to retain his seat.

It identified the odds as the divided support being enjoyed by the former vice president from key elements in the rival party.

Such elements, according to the Eurasia Group, would rather exert their energies and resources on the battle to retain their seats in their various constituencies.

The group listed such actors as the governors in the PDP-controlled states and the Director-General of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation, Senator Bukola Saraki, who is battling to retain his seat in the upper chamber as the representative of the Kwara Central Senatorial Zone.

The report said: “As we have previously noted, key actors in Atiku’s camp – including his campaign’s Director -General Bukola Saraki, key powerbroker Governor Nyesom Wike of the oil-rich Rivers State, and Southeast governors from his PDP – had been disengaged from his election campaign.

“Wike was annoyed by Atiku’s failure to consult him on key decisions, Saraki remains distracted by a tough Senate reelection battle in Kwara State, and the Southeast governors are hampered by many conflicting motivations, including their own lack of political clout (which makes them reluctant to overtly challenge the federal government) and their wariness of Atiku’s running mate Peter Obi, a former governor of the southeastern Anambra State who they view as a political outsider.

“The lack of enthusiasm on the part of some PDP governors is a problem for Atiku because these officials control significant discretionary funds at the state level (known as “security votes”) that are easier to access without triggering graft concerns.

“They can also leverage strong relationships with security, judicial, and election officers in their respective states. Governors are thus critical to mobilising voter turnout on Election Day.

“With 23 in office compared to the PDP’s 12, the APC already has an edge; unmotivated PDP governors will only reinforce that advantage by making it harder for the opposition to mobilise and sustain voter support on Election Day.”

Two APC governors, Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) and Benue State counterpart Samuel Ortom, defected to the PDP last year. But the governors are battling to win their states for their new parties.

On the edge the incumbent has over Atiku, the Eurasia Group said President Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) has a widespread political structure to boost voter mobilisation and solidify Buhari’s advantage.

The group noted that the heightened anxiety triggered by the suspension of Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen by President Buhari was not enough to turn the table against the incumbent.



CJN Onnoghen was suspended by the President on January 25 following allegations on false declaration of assets against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). The CCB has since charged the CJN before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

Justice Onnoghen is expected to submit his response to the charges against him to the National Judicial Council (NJC) today.

The group ruled out the possibility of protests against Buhari’s victory.

It said: “These trends support our view that widespread violence is unlikely following the 16 February vote. We have repeatedly argued that Atiku’s voters do not match Buhari’s in passion and are unlikely to risk their lives on the streets for him.

“Though Buhari’s decision to suspend the Chief Justice triggered widespread criticism and stoked passions (along with fears about a more Buhari second term), many voters blame the judiciary for not moving quickly to force CJN Onnoghen’s resignation after he admitted he had violated rules regarding declaration of assets.

Thus should Atiku lose, as we expect, there will be few motivated stakeholders to encourage or instigate serious violence. Instead, we expect PDP governors to quickly turn their attention to fighting to retain their own jobs in the state elections on March 2.”

Source: thenationonlineng.net

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s mother, Mrs. Olubisi Osinbajo was full of praise to God when her son visited her on Thursday at the family house in Somolu, Lagos.

It was their first meeting after the Vice President’s helicopter crashed in Kabba, Kogi State last Saturday.

Excited by the visit, Mrs. Osinbajo said: “I am overwhelmed with this visit and I must thank God for everything that He is doing in my life.”

She added: “Do you know that on Thursday (January 31) I was busy thanking God I didn’t know what was going to happen on Saturday when my son’s helicopter crashed in Kogi.

“I have been praising God and I told my people I wanted to praise God on that Thursday until evening of that day not knowing that something would happen on Saturday to my son.

“That gift was given to me by Jesus Christ that I should be praising him that I should be praising Him and that I will never be sorrowful. That was what God told me”.

On the performance of Buhari/Osinbajo administration, she said: “They have tried. If anybody says they have not done anything such a person is not in this world.

“What Buhari/Osinbajo did in three and a half years, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) couldn’t do it in16 years.

“We are praising God and we shall praise Him after the elections, she added.

I’m not seeking third term, says Buhari, You can’t blackmail Nigerians, PDP tells President

NIGERIANS were yesterday urged to remove the cancer of corruption from Nigeria by renewing the mandate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for another four years.

The counsel was given by APC leaders during the party’s campaign rallies in Ekiti and Ondo states.

At the rallies were President Muhammadu Buhari; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Co-chairman of the APC Presidential Campaign Council Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, governors, including Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and nonagenarian Second Republic Senator Ayo Fansanmi, among others.

They told Nigerians why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar should not be trusted to steer the country’s affairs.

Tinubu, who took a swipe at Atiku and his former boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, for running the nation’s economy aground when they held the forte, said the country deserved a leader like Buhari, who has used the nation’s resources for the common good in the past three years and seven months.

According to the APC chieftain, former President Obasanjo and former vice president Atiku owe Nigerians an explanation on what happened to the Petroleum Trust Development Funds (PTDF).

The PTDF was managed by the Office of the Vice President during the Obasanjo administration from 1999 – 2007.

Cautioning the electorate against making the mistake of returning the PDP to power on February 16, Tinubu urged Nigerians to reject the PDP and its candidate. He said they had nothing to offer but to auction the nation’s commonwealth.

In a sarcastic manner, he said: “People’s Destruction Party (PDP) has come again from all the nooks and crannies to lie to you. Poverty Development Party (PDP) is here again to tell you lies.

“One who is always busy with contentious business says he is running it. What does he know? What he has propagated is their container economy.

“They want to come back and sell our commonwealth. They promised to create two million jobs for you and nobody has asked them how.

“The questions we should ask are: When they were there with Obasanjo, how many jobs did they create? How many times did Obasanjo say Atiku stole PTDF’s money? The answer he always gave was that his former boss too stole money. Is this the kind of person you want to vote for?” Tinubu asked rhetorically.



He said that the PDP was responsible for fake tariff and estimated billing.

“Their actions to share the electricity company into GenCos and DisCos caused the hike in tariff and estimated billing,” he said, adding: “What is Atiku’s response and PDP’s? He said, ‘what is wrong if I share Nigeria’s resources with my friends?’ Is that what you want them to come back to do?”

On why Nigerians should re-elect Buhari, Tinubu said the President revived the agriculture sector and introduced the Anchored Borrowers’ Scheme, noting that both programmes generated over 5.8 million jobs.

He urged the Ekiti people to vote massively for Buhari on February 16 to enjoy more benefits of good governance.

Buhari also addressed the crowd of supporters and residents who thronged the 12,000-capacity Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado Ekiti, the state capital. He renewed his promise to take Nigeria to loftier heights.

Admitting that fighting corruption has been difficult, the President vowed not to be dissuaded to rid the nation of graft in line with the promise he made in 2015.

Buhari said he was quite conscious of the promises he made while contesting four years ago, particularly the ones that had to do with corruption, insecurity and resuscitation of the economy.

The President said: “We are fighting corruption but it has not been easy. But we told the security agencies to keep watch and ensure that those who have cases to answer do not escape justice.

“As part of our promises, we are building roads, rail lines, fighting corruption. We introduced the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and increased power supply, so Nigerians can have their own businesses.

“I want to be grateful to Ekiti voters because the two times I came here, I achieved success. I came here in 2014 and I also came here to campaign for Fayemi; he won the governorship election. So, I’m here today to campaign for myself. I believed you are going to give us the vote to consolidate on our laudable and people-oriented projects.”

He sought the support of royal fathers for sustainable peace in Ekiti State and beyond.

To Oshiomole, Buhari remains the candidate to beat, owing to his achievements since 2015 in security, economy diversification, anti-corruption battles, job creation, agriculture and infrastructure among others.

The APC chair said: “Atiku has told us that if Nigerians mistakenly elect him, he would put Nigeria on sale. I believe Nigerians have made up their minds to return President Buhari, who they can trust, not the one whose business partners are in prison. William Jefferson, Atiku’s business partner is in prison for corruption charges …

“The problem we have had as a nation is lack of policy consistency and coherence. So, changing government every three and half years can only lead to confusion.

“Let us sustain it so that together Nigeria can move from a consuming country of imported product to a country that virtually consume what it produces,” he said.

Prof Osinbajo, who spoke in Yoruba, said: “$383 billion was realised from oil between 2010 and 2014 under Dr Goodluck Jonathan. That was when we had the highest but nothing was done with it.

The vice president said: “If that money had been utilised judiciously, all the roads, rail lines and employment we are creating would have long been in place for Nigerians.

“Buhari built three refineries as minister of Petroleum under the military era. No government has ever added one, not even during the 16 years of PDP.

“Don’t let them deceive you, vote for a President you can trust, that is President Buhari.”

Fayemi promised: “Our president will get 90 per cent of the votes on February 16.

“The government is planning to dualise Ado-Akure road, complete the federal housing units, the federal secretariat and the Lagos-Kano rail line. So, we have no option than to return President Buhari because Ekiti people are progressives.”

The highlight of the rally in Ekiti was the presentation of PDP defectors, including some members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

The lawmakers, who were led by Speaker Ebenezer Alagbada, are: Cecelia Dada (Ilejemeje State Constituency) and Olanrewaju Olayanju (Emure State Constituency.)

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has denied rift among its leaders over the handling of campaign funds, describing media reports on the alleged rift as laughable, infantile and diversionary.

A statement Monday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, accused unnamed agents of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) of having sponsored the said report.

The party said for the APC and agents of the Buhari campaign to descend to the level of fabricating stories to create a non-existent scenario, showed that the APC and the Buhari Presidency have finally come to their wits end and are now suffering a pre-defeat trauma.

The statement said, “The PDP is aware that the Buhari Presidency and the APC have become so frustrated over their dwindled electoral fortune in the face of the soaring popularity of the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar that they are now attempting to inject crisis into the PDP campaign in order to divert public attention from their own failures and rejection.

“For President Buhari’s information, the Atiku Abubakar campaign is owned and driven by the Nigerian public and will never have the kind of rifts that have been ravaging the APC campaign, where their leaders, including their National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, went on the run from security agencies over allegations of siphoning funds from aspirants and candidates.

“Unlike the Buhari Campaign Organization, which is practically a den of looters and sanctuary of persons indicted for corruption, which have been running its campaigns with looted funds, the Atiku Presidential campaign have been running a transparent and people-driven campaign, anchored on the volunteered support of overwhelming majority of Nigerians”.

The main opposition party counseled President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC to note that their resort to smear campaign will not help their cause.

Nigerians, the PDP said, would never be distracted from their collective resolve to vote in Atiku Abubakar as the next President.

The party restated its confidence in Atiku’s proven capacity and will to return the country to the path of national cohesion and economic prosperity.

As the nation continues the steady march towards the February 16 Presidential Election, one big question that has been agitating the minds of the people of the Southwest geopolitical zone of the country is what they stand to benefit by voting for either of the two main contending parties – the APC and the PDP. This is a question that falls within the purview of analysts to examine and present an overview of what to expect from the zone in the coming election.

One of the main grouses of the people of the Southwest against the PDP is the way the party treated the people of the zone during the Jonathan administration of 2009 to 2015. The people believe and rightly so, that they had been shortchanged not only in the siling of infrastructural projects in the zone but also in appointments to public offices.

Hardly can one point to any major project started and completed in the Southwest during the rule of Goodluck Jonathan or that of his predecessor, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Instead many projects initiated by the two PDP leaders have been abandoned halfway only to be taken over by the Buhari administration. Many of such projects have either been completed by now or nearing completion by the current APC government of President Buhari.

For example, the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway construction was to be done through a concessionary arrangement that flopped. That all important project very vital to the socio-economic well-being of the South westerners has now been taken over by Buhari and is getting near completion stage and more interestingly, this big undertaking is now being executed through direct government funding.

Similarly, one of the busiest roads in Nigeria, the Ibadan/Oyo/Ogbomosho Expressway which was started by the PDP government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was abandoned at Oyo leaving the Oyo/Ogbomosho section uncompleted since the past 16years. It is Buhari government that is now working towards the completion of the project.

One other major project that has continued to gladden the hearts of the Yoruba people is the standard gauge railway project directly linking Lagos with Ibadan, the political Capital of the Southwest. This project was started by Jonathan but nothing was done on it until Buhari came on board. While on a state visit to China, Buhari renegotiated the project with the Chinese authorities. Work is progressing at a high speed right now on the project.

You can just imagine a rail journey from Lagos to Ibadan taking only 30minutes. And what about haulage of goods between the two great metropolis? Why will the Southwest then choose to show ingratitude to a party, APC that is doing much at the same time in the geopolitical zone?

Right now Atiku is dangling the bait of restructuring to the region. But where are the details of his restructuring proposal? Will he do it, can he do it and is it going to be a project that will favour the people in that zone? Atiku came to Ibadan to canvass for the people’s support but merely touched the issue of restructuring on the surface. He merely browsed the issue and made no promise to complete ongoing projects that are of immense socio-economic value to the South westerners.

Today, Alhaji Atiku’s most vociferous backer is Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a former President who had once declared the PDP candidate as unfit to rule Nigeria because of what he described as his insatiable greed and corruption. But even then, the pertinent question is, does Obasanjo possess the moral or political compass by which he can direct the course of events in Yorubaland?

Only recently, one of the most highly respected leaders of the Yoruba nation, General Alani Akinrinade, former Chief of Defense Staff, took a swipe at Chief Obasanjo and described his call on South westerners to vote for Atiku as “an insult to our collective intelligence”. He also blamed the media for according the ex-president undue attention, adding that they (the media) owe Nigerians the responsibility of “keeping this irritable man where he belongs – the waste bin of history”.

The retired general then advised his comrade-in-arms to “allow Nigerians choose who they want and stop goading the citizenry for his own selfish interests”. Alani Akinrinade has spoken the minds of most Nigerians, especially people of the Southwest. General Akinrinade is seen and regarded as a highly influential and respected leader whose views on any issues are usually taken as representing the collective interests of the Yoruba.

Now, if Atiku thinks he can rely on Obasanjo’s support to win Southwest votes, then he has missed the point. He must be living under a great illusion that Obasanjo’s political clout in the zone is sufficient enough for him to withstand PMB’s rabbit punch in the February 16 election. The Yoruba people have never regarded Obasanjo as a true son of theirs and many PDP leaders and supporters in the zone regard his much orchestrated support for Atiku as constituting a big albatross on the neck of his former vice.



Reasons why the duo of Obasanjo and Atiku cannot influence voters in the Southwest cannot be far-fetched, given the antecedents of the two leaders while holding the highest offices in the land. Neither of the two of them can point to any project or undertaking of significance that can qualify them for the people’s support or gratitude.

During Atiku’s eight-year vice-presidential tenure, people of the Southwest said they did not see the positive impact of his performance or activities either as a political juggermet or as the all-powerful No. 2 man who could influence the establishment of important national projects in the zone. The name “Atiku Abubakar” is heard in Yorubaland only when he comes calling for electoral support and not for the commissioning or laying of the foundation stone of any public or private projects in any area of the zone. He did not even honour the invitation to witness the heavily attended installation ceremony of the incumberant Olubadan of Ibadan Land, Oba.

As for the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, the Yoruba can never forgive him for the ignoble roles he had played in the affairs of his own people. According to General Alani Akinrinade, through Obasanjo’s “clandestine maneuvers in 1979, he foisted on Nigeria a reluctant Shehu Shagari at the expense of cerebral Obafemi Awolowo”. Through the same undemocratic practice he caused the removal of a popular governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja from office in 2007.

Though Obasanjo was foisted on Nigeria as President by the military to atone for the great loss suffered by the Yoruba in the aborted June 12, 1993 Presidential Election and the state murder of its winner, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the main beneficiary of those sordid events, Obasanjo did not for once publicly appreciate the sacrifice made to bring him back to power, fame and world recognition.

For this and many more, including his unfriendly attitude towards the famous Awolowo family, Obasanjo is and will for many years to come remain a political outcast among the children of Oduduwa.

It is however to the eternal credit of President Muhammadu Buhari that what Obasanjo ungratefully refused to do for his own people in his eight years of misrule, PMB did it in under two years, and that is the official recognition and proclamation of M.K.O. Abiola as winner of the 1993 Presidential Election! This great and courageous act of patriotism on the part of President Buhari is more than enough to endear him to the hearts of South westerners and dismiss the vituperations of Obasanjo as the tantrums of a rejected leader.

By now Atiku should be reminded of the inglorious antecedents of his former boss, his own reputation as a corrupt and ineffectual leader and accept the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari in February 16 Election as a fait-accompli

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, lacks basic knowledge and practicable ideas to drive governance in the state.

Sanwo-Olu spoke yesterday on a radio show, 91.3FM’s People’s Parliament, with Jimi Disu.

The APC candidate said Agbaje does not have any meaningful agenda to offer Lagos residents, hence his resort to smear campaign.

In response to a question about Agbaje’s campaign theme on freedom for Lagos, Sanwo-Olu wondered why in 21st century Nigeria, a governorship candidate was building his campaign strategy around freedom.

He stressed that Lagosians were the freest people in the country.

Sanwo-Olu said Lagos enjoyed freedom in every sphere of life, including the economy, enterprise and infrastructure.

The APC flag bearer reminded the listeners that the state had been enjoying economic prosperity in the hands of the All Progressives Congress (APC) since 1999.

“This fellow (Jimi Agbaje) doesn’t just have anything to offer Lagosians. So, the only thing he could think of putting on the table is freedom. Freedom from what? Are we in bondage in Lagos?” Sanwo-Olu asked.

“Do you think it is by magic that Lagos State assumed the enviable position as the fifth largest economy in Africa? No. People worked hard to get the state to this level and they continue to work harder for the state to surpass its current feat. What freedom is anyone talking to us about?” he added.

The APC candidate promised to tackle traffic gridlocks across the state within six months, if elected.

He said his team had identified about 60 traffic points across the state, adding that each one of them had a peculiar solution.

On the environment and waste management, Sanwo-Olu said his government would treat the issue from homes.

He said: “We must start waste sorting from our various kitchens at home. We will be heavy with advocacy on the use of yellow, blue and black bags for organic, plastics, bottles and domestic waste items. This approach will help with pick-ups. This will automatically help in our drive towards waste to wealth.”



Sanwo-Olu assured Lagosians of his readiness to take the sState to the level every resident will be proud of.

“We plan to run an inclusive government, where every stakeholder will have a voice. We intend to listen to every citizen as part of our decision making process; a Lagos where everyone will have a sense of belonging,” he said.

The March 2 governorship election in Ogun State will go down in history as the toughest since the return to civil rule in 1999. The major parties – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – are embroiled in internal crises that may mar their chances at the election. Correspondent ERNEST NWOKOLO takes stock of the squabbles within the two platforms and how the candidates in the race stand.

BARELY three weeks to the presidential and the National Assembly elections and six weeks to the governorship and the House of Assembly polls in Ogun State, the prospects of the main contenders in the race are not certain. The contest has been thrown open, because of the internal crises rocking the two major parties.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is going into the election as a divided house, with Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s preferred governorship candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, and his supporters jumping ship into a hurriedly formed political party, the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM).

The ruling party and its splinter group are following the footsteps of the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which participated the 2011 general elections in a similar manner. The then Governor Gbenga Daniel’s preferred candidate, Gboyega Isiaka, and his supporters took part in the contest in the relatively unknown Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN). The preferred candidate of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, Gen. Adetunji Olurin (retd), and their supporters stayed in the fold. At the end of the day, this development paved the way for Amosun and his party, the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which is part of the APC today, to win the election.

The PDP is yet to recover from that political bungling, as it has not been able to find its rhythm since then. It is also heading into the 2019 election divided. The PDP has two main factions and two governorship candidates for the March 2 election – Oladipupo Adebutu and Senator Buruji Kashamu.

Though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognises Kashamu as the party’s flag bearer, the tussle to determine the authentic candidate of the party is still raging in court. This will no doubt affect the fortunes of the party in the forthcoming election.

Daniel is yet to launch himself back into much political reckoning ever since. Though Isiaka had won the governorship primary conducted for the party at the MKO Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, by representatives of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), he was denied the ticket. Gen. Olurin, who was the product of a parallel primary conducted at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, got the governorship ticket with the backing of the NWC.

To protest against the injustice meted out to him and his protégé, Daniel instructed his supporters to defect to the PPN to pursue their political ambitions. He stayed put in the PDP, drumming for PPN from the rear.

A similar scenario is playing out today in the APC. The crisis in the APC is not unconnected to the party primary, which took place late last year. Amosun’s protégé, Akinlade, emerged through a consensus that shut out aspirants, such as Senator Gbenga Kaka (Ogun East), Otunba Bimbo Ashiru (Ogun East), Prince Dapo Abiodun (Ogun East), Jimi Lawal (Ogun East) and Abayomi Hunye (Ogun West) among others, who were also locked in the battle for the same ticket.

In the run up to last year’s party primaries, former Governor Segun Osoba deployed suaveness, subterfuge, tact and diplomacy to ensure that whoever emerged the party’s flag bearer followed the prescribed guidelines.

This position put Osoba on a collision course with Amosun. This is not the first time both party leaders have clashed over the running of the party. It happened during the last general elections in 2014/2015, when the issue of who should get what ticket for various elective offices surfaced. Amosun who had allegedly cornered the party structure, by elbowing Osoba and his camp out of their political house and, in frustration, they moved their numbers to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), where they contested the 2015 general elections and lost. But, the governor and his team won about 96 per cent of the seats.

Osoba and his camp were to return later after the reconciliation between the two camps. What happened in 2014/2015 was about to repeat itself prior to last year’s APC primaries, but since Osoba and his group had experienced the disadvantages of being evicted from the party, they were determined to prevent this from happening a second time. They resolved to acquit themselves in a manner that would enable them to stay within the fold and battle the ‘bull’ from the inside.

The succession issue within the APC reached a disturbing dimension in October last year, when the governor announced that the list of 40 candidates of the APC for the 2019 elective positions has already been drawn. He dared whoever that was not comfortable with it to meet him and his team on the day of direct primary.



Amosun said the party elders were aware of the selected 40 candidates. The list included his preferred governorship candidate, Akinlade, and his running mate, Mrs Peju Adebajo, who is the Commissioner for Agriculture in the governor’s cabinet. Governor Amosun added that the candidates were derived from a consensus method allowed by the constitution of the party. Thereafter, he warned that “nobody should take Ogun people for granted or fools”.

Not done, he proceeded to declare: “By May 29, 2019, Akinlade will be our governor. We will have a landslide victory in the coming elections.”

Initial efforts to resolve it through direct primary for all sides and aspirants suffered many setbacks. By early November, it was obvious that there were no more meeting points between the governor and his loyalists and that of the camp loyal to Osoba. This culminated in the declaration of Akinlade as the governorship candidate of the party on November 3, by the state chapter of APC, following a separate primary it conducted. After conducting its own primary, the panel mandated by the NWC for the exercise declared Prince Dapo Abiodun as the candidate of the party. The panel was headed by Muhammad Indabawa.

Today, the die is cast. The 2011 political scenario is set to repeat itself and the APC would be the loser, because the party’s votes would be shared with the APM during the governorship election.

Akinlade is passionate about governing Ogun State. He has promised to lift many out of poverty, develop rural areas, enhance the revenue base of the state and sustain the legacies of the Amosun administration. He has age, bobbling energy of a youth and intelligence on his side. His legislative experience and stint as Special Adviser to Amosun on taxation has sort of prepared him for the office. But, coming from Ago Sasa, in Ipokia, a minority group has not endeared him to many who feel the minority should not be allowed to lord it over the majority.

Besides, the fact that he is being imposed on the people by Governor Amosun has not helped his quest. Many observers see this development as attempt by the governor to secure a third term by proxy. His perceived unimpressive representation of Yewa South and Ipokia Federal Constituency at the National Assembly has also not helped his case.

But, the governor is relying on his ruggedness, huge financial war chest, support from various transport unions, achievements and perceived firm grip on Ogun Central, which is generally seen as a major decider of the direction where the pendulum swings in every governorship election in the state, as the veritable ‘enablers’ to deliver APM and Akinlade in March.

Governor Amosun is also deploying the machinery of state to give Akinlade an edge in the contest ahead of other candidates. This includes using the state signage agency to deny other candidates choice places to erect campaign billboards or paste posters. Amosun is also accused of undermining the chances of the APC governorship candidate, by openly declaring he would not work for him.



Be that as it may, Amosun has many challenges to contend with in his desperation to force Akinlade down the throat of the people. A lot has changed in the politics of the state in the last four years and the Amosun of yesterday is not anymore the same Amosun of today, in the estimation of the people.

In many parts of the state, he is perceived as the first governor to run sectional and divisive government in history. Others routinely accuse his administration of totally leaving the local governments in comatose; the third-tier of government have been unable to perform even a fraction of their rudimentary duties in the last seven and half years, to the extent that most people rarely know the name of their respective council chairmen, because of redundancy, unlike what obtained before May 2011.

Again, some are not in a hurry to forgive him for what they termed the littering of the state with ill-thought out projects that stand the risk of being uncompleted or abandoned at the day.

Analysts say with the negative perception of the APC in some quarters and the anti-party activities allegedly being perpetrated against it by the governor and his loyalists, coupled with the crisis in the PDP, Isiaka who is flying the flag of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) this time around may be the ultimate beneficiary.

This is predicated on the premise that Isiaka is a familiar political brand in the state. He is a technocrat, intelligent, cool headed, youthful and hails from Ogun West, which is yet to produce a governor since the creation of the state. He was the pioneer Group Managing Director of Gateway Holdings Limited (GHL), the state-owned investment company, during Daniel’s administration.

The two-time governorship candidate has remained unrelenting in his ambition to govern the state. It can be said that the ADC candidate has no baggage and Ogun West is more united today to work for the actualization of his dream than it has ever been.

Leaving aside the challenges of inadequate fund, which is visibly slowing down his campaign, there is this unfortunate circumstance which often mars his chances each time he is in the race. The factor is still very much around today, and the fear is that it could work against him in this third attempt.

This factor borders on the fact that Isiaka has never had the good fortune of going into the Ogun governorship race with his adopted political platform, commanders and kingmakers intact. He has always been moving from one political party to another. In 2011, he had hoped to contest the governorship polls on the PDP platform, which was still formidable at the time, but he was eventually denied the party’s ticket and he had to move hurriedly to a new platform.

Same scenario repeated itself in 2015, when he teamed up with Senator Buruji Kashamu to run on the ticket of PDP, but without the support base of his benefactor, Daniel, and PPN supporters who were with him in 2011. Thus, he lost again to Amosun.



Now in 2019, barely eight years after, the situation has not in any way changed. Isiaka has entered the governorship race again on the ticket of the relatively new ADC, without the support base of Kashamu, his Omo-Ilu group and the Dayo Bayo-led arm of Ogun PDP who were largely responsible for the remarkable showing he exhibited in 2015, when Amosun escaped defeat narrowly.

Isiaka is hoping to triumph this time around with the goodwill and support of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was pivotal to the formation of the ADC. The party enjoys a relative popularity in Ogun State, but the truth is that the former president is a prophet without honour at home; while he has a bid following nationally and internationally, he is not a popular figure politically in the Gateway State. The only exception is the 2003 general election when the PDP swept all the states in the Southwest, excluding Lagos State.

There is also no denying the fact that the ADC governorship candidate is a major contender in the race to Oke Mosan this year and will likely dominate the field in most part of Ogun West, his primary constituency, come March 2, but his circumstances of always changing political vehicles and passengers since 2011 do not conduce for fullness, harmony and cohesive force required to deliver punches that could floor a formidable opponent in an election battle.

In previous elections, Isiaka has always squared up against Amosun, as his major challenger. From all indications, the APC candidate in the March 2 governorship election, Prince Adedapo Abiodun, would be his next albatross. Abiodun is an entrepreneur and real estate player from Iperu, Ogun East senatorial district.

Even the PDP cannot be written off yet. Adebutu could have been the candidate to beat by either Isiaka or Abiodun, but for the intractable crisis in the party and the festering feud, both physical and court litigations, between Adebutu and Kashamu, which has weakened the campaign effort of the party.

Adebutu, who is the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Rural Development, is adjudged to be credible, non-controversial and has the financial strength to help the PDP return to power.

He recently told his supporters that people were using the court to stall his political progress and create uncertainty within the party. In his reckoning, the litany of litigations from the faction loyal to Senator Kashamu is just diversionary. He is confident that he would eventually be declared the party’s authentic flag bearer. The lawmaker representing Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North in the House of Representatives is anchoring his confidence on the legitimacy of the Sikirulai Ogundele-led Executive and the outcome of the primary duly conducted by authorised Committee from the party’s national headquarters.

Though Kashamu dominates Ogun East politics and commands a large following through his Omo-Ilu group, but he may not fare better in the governorship race, because of the schism within his party.



Since he became a senator, Kashamu appeared to have confined his political influence to Ogun East. Many are watching to see how his choice of running mate, a cerebral columnist and journalist, Dr. Reuben Abati, would help his governorship ambition in Ogun Central.

The national leadership of the PDP has said it loud and clear that Kashamu is not a member of the party and that he did not purchase the nomination form for the Ogun governorship race. National Chairman, Uche Secondus, recently presented the party’s emblem to Adebutu. Yet, Kashamu remains resolute in his conviction that he is the candidate of the party, citing a valid court order given in his favour.

Indeed, Kashamu’s name is on the list of candidates recently published by INEC. In line with his style of politics, mixed with human face, the senator representing Ogun East in the upper legislative chamber has pledged make security and the welfare of the good people of Ogun State, among other socioeconomic packages, the focal point of his administration, if voted into power.

But the odds do not favour him. In spite of the division in the APC, Abiodun appears to be the candidate riding on the momentum his campaign is currently generating. He seems to enjoy the goodwill from Ogun indigenes and residents, particularly private sector operators who see him as one of them. This is not just because he is a successful entrepreneur, but also because they trust him to understand their plight. They believe he has the pedigree to address the challenges facing them frontally, particularly those of multiple taxations, deplorable roads that hinder movement of raw materials and finished goods, as well as the epileptic power supply.

Abiodun’s campaign centres on his quest to improve the welfare of the people, leveraging on the abundant arable land that could make the state the food basket of the Southwest, create jobs for the youths and triple its internally generated revenue (IGR), by harnessing all the inherent potentials of the state.

Also, Abiodun has been managing effectively the post primary crisis of the party. He has embarked on a reconciliation exercise, to assuage the feelings of the aggrieved members who were not happy with the way the governorship primary panned out.

Despite the alleged anti-party activities of the governor and his loyalists within the state party executive, which led to its dissolution and emergence of a Caretaker Committee, the APC governorship hopeful has been able to penetrate Ogun Central, by making a significant in-road into the zone which constitutes the support base of Governor Amosun.

The Iperu-born Prince too has been demonstrating the poise, confidence and business spirit that rekindled hope in many that he could make a whole lot of difference for good in the state, if given the mandate.

These are evidenced in the harvest of bumper goodwill from all strata of interest groups, leaders, opinion leaders and the electorate cutting across the three senatorial districts since his ward-to-ward campaign tour began this January.

Source: thenationonlineng.net

For sympathizers of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), the joke is on the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), AlhajiAtiku Abubakar, over his recent visit to the United States of America. While the PDP is thumbing her chest that her candidate has broken the travel-to-US jinx, her opponents are querying why a former vice president will require a diplomatic cover from the senate president, Senator BukolaSaraki, to enter the US?

Some have even argued that the former vice president had to quickly depart the US before relevant agencies in that country could secure a warrant to go after him for alleged past misdeeds linking one of his wives, for which an American congressman was jailed years ago. But the Atiku supporters are celebrating the trip as a major diplomatic coup, considering that APC had advised the US consulate in Nigeria not to issue a visa to Atiku.

If the report is true, then it is embarrassing that the presidential candidate of the PDP would need a diplomatic cover as an aide to the senate president, BukolaSaraki, to enter the US. As a former vice president of an important country like Nigeria, the US consulate ordinarily should extend diplomatic courtesies to Atiku, and more importantly as a top contender for the presidency, they should be glad that he wants to visit. If that didn’t happen and he had to turn an aide of senate president to enter US, then something is seriously wrong.

So, instead of celebrating the embarrassing development, PDP sympathizers should be asking their candidate to explain the anomaly. What has he done that he needed to become an aide of his own aide to enter US? After all, as the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Saraki is an aide of the presidential candidate of PDP. Is it a matter of a master who washes the feet of his servants as a gesture of humility, like Jesus Christ did to his apostles, or is it an act of desperation on the part of Atiku?

Interestingly, the spokesperson of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo SAN, has raised posers for the Atiku handlers. The one that reverberates most, is why should Atiku travel to America and not conduct one press conference to sell the country he wants to govern? Again, why did the presidential candidate fail to meet with top government officials and businessmen to discussareas of collaboration should he win the presidency? The party also reminded the PDP the sore mark that the relationship between their candidate and the jailed American congressman William Jefferson represents.

No doubt, Atiku’s past deals will continue to haunt his campaign. This will be so even when one of his foremost tormentors, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has strangely backtracked and endorsed him for the 2019 presidential election. In his books, Obasanjo had described Atiku as gravely too corrupt to be trusted with the presidency of Nigeria. It may be appropriate to ask, what has changed to make Obasanjo a new disciple for Atiku’s presidency?

The APC sympathizers argue that Obasanjo’s beef against President Muhammadu Buhari is because he refused to grant him a favour. Something he feels entitled to, because he supported him to win the presidency against the then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. While President Buhari has kept mute as to why the former president would turn around to support Atiku he earlier forswear against just to get him out of office, there seems to be something personal about the disagreement. Perhaps it is time for the two statesmen to come clean about the cause of the disagreement.

Implacable as always, Obasanjo is now comparing Buhari to former military dictator Sani Abacha. Except that these are desperate times, such comparison should not hold any water. Not only that Abacha ruled as a dictator, he had Obasanjo and many others clamped into jail for daring to hold a different agenda from his own. Presently, Femi Fani-Kayode and other internet warriors are making a daily meal of abusing the president and churning out outright lies, without any fear of harassment from the government.

Furthermore, the president has not shown the kind of desperation that even Obasanjo showed when he gunned for re-election. Both in words and action the president and his party have not shown desperation, like the PDP while in power. While the campaigns are going on, the president has not been traversing the country sharing dollars like President Jonathan did in 2015. Back then, all manner of groups sprang up and positioned themselves to get a share of the dollar rain, and many did.

No doubt, many Nigerians are justifiably offended the way President Buhari gives top jobs to persons from a section of the country, but conversely he has brought some measure of sanity to the manner public officials threat public resources. The foremost testing time for restraint is the election period. If despite Buhari’s determination to win a second term, he has not opened the tap of public resources as his campaign funds, perhaps Nigeria needs another term for the Buhari persona to tame the greatest challenge of our era, corruption.

Those who argue that nepotism is a form of corruption do have a point. But between sharing amongst themselves and their cronies our common patrimony as the PDP gleefully engaged in for 16 years and the weakness of surrounding his presidency with his kinsmen as President Buhari has perfected in the past three years and half years, I believe majority would prefer the much lesser evil. Even in that anomaly the Buhari presidency has delivered more value for money in its infrastructural renewal drive.

Perhaps the closest to desperate action one can attribute to the Buhari presidency is the unfortunate entanglement of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen in asset declaration misadventure. For those who are genuinely suspicious, the timing of the indictment is very troubling. But can that detract from the substance of the charges raised against the CJN? This column fought vehemently for the confirmation of Justice Onnoghen as the CJN in 2016, as a counterpoise to the nepotism of the Buhari presidency. But the recent indictment is turning to a monumental tragedy with the CJN allegedly admitting guilt.

Since the matter is in the Code of Conduct Tribunal and other courts, it is prejudicial to delve into the substantial issues here. My hope is that our public officials will learn from the tragedy that has befallen our judiciary. As a senior member of the bar, I feel pained like Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that our noble profession has become an object of ridicule because of corruption. I earnestly wish the case against the CJN can quickly be brought to a closure in the overall interest of our country.

Get more at the columnist session via http://thenationonlineng.net

PEOPLE’S Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar yesterday accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of planning to rig the forthcoming general elections.

The former vice president, who spoke at the PDP Southeast rally in Owerri, the Imo State capital, urged the people to protect their votes by staying back at the polling units after casting their votes.

He added that except such measures were taken, the APC would manipulate the election.

He said: “APC is planning to rig the election. Please protect your votes. We have promised to restructure this country. APC is an evil party. They have turned this country as headquarter of poverty.”

He noted that under the APC, Nigeria has been made poorer.

“We are going to take over the country in the next election. Immediately after your vote, stay there and protect your vote. We want the economy to start growing again. We want you to vote PDP at all levels. Let nobody deceive you.”

Atiku went on to describe the APC as an evil party that wants to sink Nigeria, if not stopped.

Read also: Keyamo: why Nigerians must vote for Buhari via (the nationonlineng.net)

PDP vice presidential candidate Peter Obi stated that the Southeast will vote for Atiku.

“He is the one to develop Igboland. He has promised us restructuring. He will revamp the economy of Nigeria. Igbo people will vote Atiku Abubakar,” he said.

Senate President Bukola Saraki said: “We have come here to see that the entire Southeast zone is part of the making of Atiku as the next president. Let me tell you, he has the capacity to make Nigeria united. I know that Nigerians are not happy the way it is now. Believe me, Atiku will solve the whole problems.”

Singer, actor and record label owner Banky W, has intensified his campaign to represent Eti Osa constituency at the Federal House of Representatives at the February 16, 2019 elections.

Over the weekend, the artiste who is seeking election under the platform of the Modern Democratic Party (MDP), was spotted engaging members of his constituents in a door to door campaign.

In a video posted online, Banky W and his actress wife, Adesua Etomi, were seen campaigning to passers-by, motorists and residents.

“We will go from Door to door, from street to street, from markets to mansions, from Ajah to Obalende, from Ado to Jakande,” he posted on his Instagram account on Saturday.

We will go from Door to door, from street to street, from markets to mansions, from Ajah to Obalende.. engaging with everybody. Nothing is impossible. Starting in Eti-Osa, we will fix Nigeria one community at a time.#ModernDemocraticParty #StrongerTogether #BankOnBanky pic.twitter.com/yHmVoAnNtT

— Banky Wellington (@BankyW) January 19, 2019

“Engaging with every single member of our community. Nothing is impossible. Starting in Eti-Osa, we will fix Nigeria one community at a time. #ModernDemocraticParty #StrongerTogether#BankOnBanky.”

And on Sunday, he was scheduled to follow up with a meeting to hold by 2pm at Endebani Compound in Ajah, Lagos.

Over the past weeks, Banky W who recently starred in the movie, UpNorth, has increased the tempo of his political campaigns. He beckoned to community groups, estate groups, as well as religious, youth, market and business associations to meet town hall style and discuss his candidacy.

Source: http://thenationonlineng.net/banky-w-intensifies-political-campaign/

The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ), has warned its staff against conniving with politicians to promote the culture of vote buying that has inhibited democratic consolidation in the country.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) in Ekiti State, Prof. Abdulganiy Raji, explained that INEC staff should not be blamed for the malfeasance but politicians, that many of the commission’s staff do compromise to perpetrate the offence through polling booths arrangement that could facilitate the unacceptable practice.

Raji who spoke on the inability of the Nigerians in diaspora to vote in the 2019 elections, said there was no legal provision backing such policy for now, pointing out that this could only happen if the existing constitution and the Electoral Acts are amended to accommodate electronic voting.

The REC said these in Ado Ekiti on Thursday while delivering a lecture themed: ‘Women Participation in Electronic Process in Ekiti State: What exists, Challenges and Benefits’, at a workshop organized by New initiative for Social Development (NISD)in collaboration with Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room.

Speaking at the forum, Raji said the electoral management body is being challenged with the litigation on the guidelines to use for the poll.

He added that could serve as clogs in achieving success in the forthcoming election.

He stated that many of the new innovations fashioned into the electoral processes by INEC were being hindered by some parties in courts, saying these may create confusion for the commission.

“The commission can’t deny the fact that there was vote buying in the system, but this was being done by politicians by way of manipulating the placement of the polling booths so that those voting can be monitored for financial inducement.

“In most cases, some party leaders do coerce or manipulate our staff so that they can be favoured in such arrangement which INEC did not support. INEC is not in support of any action that can affect the actual outcome of elections and that we had told our staff, who are foreigners in most cases”.

Raji advised that political parties may end up having high void votes in the coming elections if INEC staff are stampeded to circumvent the use of smart card readers.

“INEC is no longer using Incident Forms. Whatever votes that will be counted as being valid must be verified and authenticated by Smart card readers, so resorting to other means will not be accepted by our commission.

“If the smart card readers are not working as expected, call for another one because any votes not authenticated by the machine will be regarded as invalid”, he said.

He urged political parties against institutionalising any structures that could manipulate the internal democracy against women emergence for political positions, saying doing so would amount to total infringement on their rights.



“For our electoral system to get it right regarding women’s rights, the constitution must take cognizance of our culture. Women and aged people must be given the rights to vote first, but the present Electoral Acts did not take cognizance of such”, he said.

The NISD Executive Director, Mr. Biodun Oyeleye, said the dialogue was organized to sensitize and conscientise women on the need to to have unity of purpose to fight for their rights in order to remain relevant politically in the country.

Oyeleye lamented that Nigerian men always manipulate the internal democracy of their party to relegate women during primaries, describing this as inhibitive to democratic consolidation.

He urged the security operatives to erect a formidable security architecture that would curtail intimidation, rigging, voting buying and all other forms of electoral threats.

The Benin Airport was agog on Thursday when mammoth crowd troop the Airport to await the arrival of President Muhammadu Buhari for his campaign in the state.

Members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), from different parts of the state and party supporters were also seen colorfully dressed to receive the number one citizen of the country.

The National Chairman, Buhari Supporters’ Organisation, Arewa Chapter, Edo, Abdullah Baba, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the president’s visit was a welcome development.

Baba said that the organisation was at the airport to receive him because of his developmental strides in the country.

‘‘We are expecting him to come and go back peacefully and we hope and pray that he would win the presidential election and the country will be changed for good, “he said.


Among those on ground to receive the president were youths, Association of Market Women and the Bini cultural dance troupe.

Similarly, Leader, Igbo Cultural Group, Edo branch, Chief Fecus Ezekwere, said Buhari deserved second term so that he could complete his fight against corruption .

‘‘We are here to give our full support to President Buhari to run for second term.

“He has done well in the areas of road project, creation of jobs, and fight against corruption among others.

‘‘So we decided we must give him the needed support to finish the good work he has started,” Ezekwere said.

NAN

Credit: http://thenationonlineng.net/mammoth-crowd-troop-benin-airport-buhari/

Lagosians have been warned to stop spreading fake death news of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Lagos State Treasurer Musiliu Akinsanya (a.k.a MC Oluomo).

Those caught, the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) on Monday said, will be prosecuted.

A statement by Taskforce spokesman Taofiq Adebayo reiterated that the latest rumor about Oluomo’s death circulating around the social media is not “TRUE.”

According to him, the agency’s Chairman, Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), confirmed that Akinsanya is not dead as being circulated but recuperating at the hospital.

He stated that the ‘dead’ of the NURTW leader was being rumored by miscreants and hoodlums who want to foment trouble and cause panic around Oshodi and other major motor parks in Lagos.

Egbeyemi called on NURTW leadership to immediately call their members across the state to order, noting that the Commissioner of Police CP Imohimi Edgal has directed that any miscreant or hoodlum caught causing or disturbing the peace of innocent members of the public would not be spared.

Egbeyemi said: “Once again we are using this medium to seriously warn miscreants and hoodlums who might want to foment mayhem to desist or face the full wrath of the Law. We are also urging parents and guardians to closely monitor the activities of their wards.

“The agency would continue the use of patrol vans and power-bikes to patrol around all nooks and cranny of the entire Oshodi area to forestall any possibility of brake-down of law and order.”

He urged members of the public not to be panic and be going about their lawful businesses around Oshodi and other parts of the state.

Chairman of Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area Idris Muse-Ariyoh said Akinsanya will soon to return home.

Ariyoh said: “There is no problem in Oshodi. Anyone trying to cause mayhem will be dealt with in accordance with the law. It is a rumor that there is a crisis in Oshodi. Oshodi is peaceful. People are going about their normal duties without panic.”

Credit: http://thenationonlineng.net/mc-oluomo-taskforce-warns-fake-death-news/

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has stated his desire to have a new approach to deployment of security personnel for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

The electoral body is scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for 16th February, while that of states is scheduled for 2nd of March 2019.

Yakubu who expressed his displeasure to the previous uncoordinated approach, which makes it looks as if the security agencies are running a parallel arrangement with the commission.

Consequently, in the forthcoming general polls, he said the armed forces will only be used for the securing of the distribution and delivery of election materials and protection of election officials.

The INEC boss also posited that the police force will be playing the leading role while other security agencies play supportive role.

Yakubu who backed his stand with the provision of the Electoral law, said the security architecture for the 2019 elections must be consistent with section 29 subsection 3.

He spoke on Wednesday during the Regular Consultative meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES). ICCES consist of all the security agencies and INEC. The committee over sees the security of both personnel and materials during and after elections. It is co-chair by the chair of the commission and the National Security Adviser.

Yakubu who informed the various representatives of the security agencies of the INEC level of preparedness ahead of the 2019 election said the meeting shall discuss modalities for actualizing the provision of the law as it relates to deployment of security personnel.

He said, “Learning from the experience of some the 195 off season elections conducted since 2015, it is pertinent to draw our attention to the need for a different approach to the deployment of security forces during elections. The Nigeria Police Force remains the lead agency for election security . Other security agencies will play a supportive role to the Nigeria police.

“However, we need a new security architecture for 2019 consistent with the provision of section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which provides as follows: “Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law and for the purposes of securing the vote, the commission shall be responsible for requesting for the deployment of relevant security personnel necessary for elections or registration of voters and shall assign them in a manner to be determined by the commission in consultation with the relevant security agencies.

“Provided that the commission shall only request for the deployment of the Nigerian Armed Forces only for the purposes of securing the distribution and delivery of election materials and protection of election officials.

“Accordingly, this meeting shall discuss modalities for actualizing the provision of the law. In particular, we are committed to ensuring that elections are organised a such a manner that the security agencies are not perceived to be running parallel arrangement with INEC. Rather, it should strictly be INEC’s plan for the election that should be implemented.

This meeting, he therefore said ” is convened primarily to update members of the ICCES on our preparations for the 2019 General Elections. It is also an opportunity to hear from the security agencies on your preparations so far.”

Source: http://thenationonlineng.net/2019-inec-seeks-new-approach-deployment-security-personnel/

The general elections will hold between February 16 and March 2. Major political parties have started canvassing for votes across the country. LEKE SALAUDEEN examines the issues that will shape the outcome of the polls.

This is a critical election year. It is the sixth election since the inception of the Fourth Republic. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) time table, the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled to hold on February 16, 2019 while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly polls would come up on March 2, 2019.

Campaigns have started in earnest, following the lifting of ban on political activities by INEC. It has been peaceful so far. It is hoped that the peaceful atmosphere will be sustained throughout. The international community has shown interest in the elections through financial and material support for the electoral body. President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that the polls will be free, fair and credible.

The presidential election will be a straight fight between President Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Atiku Abubakar, the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Although there are many presidential candidates, but the two candidates and their parties are dominant. They have political structure across the country; they have the wherewithal, human and material resources to prosecute the presidential contest. According to analysts, the other presidential candidates are seeking for attention; they are not strong to contest for the highest office in the land. They said some of them should have settled for senatorial or House of Representatives tickets. Besides, they are contesting on the platform of fringe parties. These parties will go to sleep immediately after the general election; they will resurrect in 2023 when another general elections would hold.

A political analyst, Dr Earnest Ibok, believes that the emergence of two Fulani Muslim candidates from the two dominant parties would stabilise the polity. According to him, the results of the election will not trigger crisis as it used to be in previous elections when two major candidates come from North and South. He cited the case of 2003 presidential election which, he said, was Buhari versus Obasanjo; Muslim versus Christian; North versus South and Fulani versus Yoruba. “The election was preceded by the controversies over the introduction of the criminal jurisdiction of Sharia in 12 northern states. Obasanjo kicked against it while Buhari supported it saying it was the right of every Muslim. Buhari’s position endeared him to northern Muslims. Obasanjo lost core northern states he had won comfortably in 1999. Buhari did not score 25 per cent in any of the southern states because he was seen as agent of Islamisation. However, Obasanjo was considered an “infidel” by the northern Muslims.

“In 2007, the election was between two sons of Katsina State, Alhaji Musa Yar’Adua and Buhari as well as Atiku. They were of the same ethnic, religion and region. There were no divisive sentiments used by politicians to garner support. There was no uproar after the election won by Yar’Adua. But unfortunately the death of Yar’Adua which returned power to the South led to a resurgence of political insability. Jonathan who completed Yar’Adua’s tenure wanted a second term which was vehemently opposed by the northerners Although Jonathan won the 2011 presidential election against Buhari, the candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the aftermath was devastating. It was a roubled tenure for Jonathan. The polity was irrevocably poisoned and remained so till 2015 when he was voted by Buhari who contested on the platform of APC.

“My submission is that whoever wins the 2019 presidential election between Buhari and Atiku, there would be no crisis. The north would be contended. Similarly in 2023, if the power shifts to the South where all political parties are expected to pick their presidential candidates, there would be less acrimony, the fear of regional domination and religious hegimony would have been eliminated. Thus, there would be political stability”.

The preparation by INEC is crucial to the conduct of free, fair and credible election. The electoral commission has been improving from one election to the other in the areas of prompt arrival of election materials and electoral officers at the polling units, vote counting in the presence of voters and display of results at the polling units as witnessed in Anambra, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun governorship elections. But opposition parties are not convinced that INEC is fully prepared for the 2019 poll. They premised their argument on late approval of INEC budget few months to the election and the problem of card reader malfunctioning. But the commission said there was no cause for alarm, it was on course with the time table for the election.

But, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, said that the electoral body is focused on delivering credible election this year. The electoral commissioner said the processes and procedure had been rolled out for the 2019 elections.

On the issue of funding, he said INEC is proceeding with preparations for the conduct of the 2019 general elections. “The commission is working and consulting with relevant government agencies to make sure that funds do not hamper its preparations for the poll. The commission is determined to conduct good elections and will not allow funding gaps to derail its preparation.”

Okoye assured Nigerians that all its processes are being deployed to ensure that all procurements are completed on time for the 2019 elections. According to him, the electoral body has introduced far reaching and creative innovations that would raise the bar of elections in Nigeria. He explained that the management and arrangement of the polling units are being reappraised to guarantee and maintain the secrecy of the vote and maintain the independence and personal voting choices of the voters.

On whether the commission will use the smart card reader in 2019 elections, the INEC Commissioner recalled that the commission introduced the smart card reader as a quality control mechanism to strengthen the authentication and verification of the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC) and eliminate ghost voters and multiple voting. He said the card reader is being improved on to enhance its performance and minimise as much as possible hitches that occurred in few places in previous elections. The smart card reader has come to stay; Nigerians have accepted it as part of the electoral process and INEC is determined to sustain improvements on it, he added.

Vote buying is becoming an accepted norm. The brazen act of vote buying was reported during the recently held Ekiti and Osun governorship elections. It violates the 2010 Electoral Act Article 130 which stipulates : “A person who (a) corruptly by himself or by any other person at any time after the date of an election has been announced , directly or indirectly gives or provides or pays money to or for any other person for the purpose of corruptly influencing that person or any other person to vote or refrain from voting at such election or on account of such person or any other person having voted or refrained from voting at such election, or (b) being a voter, corruptly accepts or takes money or any other inducement during any of the period stated in paragraph (a) of the section, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N100,000 or 12 months imprisonment or both.



A lawyer and President, Voters Awareness Initiative, Mr Wale Ogunade alleged that politicians took vote buying in the Ekiti governorship election to a higher dimension. He said while previous acts of vote buying were done in secret, it was done openly during the Ekiti State governorship election, saying that the rising phenomenon of vote-buying during elections calls for deep concern.

Ogunade said: “Vote buying is not a new phenomenon in the country. Before now, we have had it in Anambra State and before Anambra State, we had it in Edo State. But before the elections in Edo and Anambra States, it had always been done strictly-like stuffing naira notes inside loaves of bread or giving out food items and clothes –all with the intention of wooing voters against their conscience to vote for them. But no doubt, the Ekiti election took vote buying to a higher dimension. It has now opened it up because it was done with reckless abandon.”

INEC Chairman Professor Mahmoud Yakubu admitted that vote-buying was already rebranding the nation’s democracy before the international community. He said: “We are witnessing an ugly trend of vote-buying in recent elections. This is giving our democracy a bad name. There is difference between democracy, the government of the people made by the people and for the people, and plutocracy, which is government of the rich.

Yakubu said the commission would enforce the provisions of the Electoral Act that prohibited vote-buying in 2019 as it did during the Osun State governorship election. According to him, those that were caught in Osun have been charged to court. He said the offender is liable to N500,000 fine or twelve months imprisonment or both. For those selling or buying PVC, the penalty is N500,000fine or imprisonment not less than two years.

He said government has proposed a bill to establish election tribunal which will handle cases of electoral offences whether the elections are ongoing or not. He said having such tribunal would facilitate quick dispensation of justice.

Thuggery is now common at the electioneering campaign. The unruly behaviour of some people had disturbed candidates from presenting their programmes to the electorate. Recently, the Senate President Bukola Saraki campaign at Iloin, Kwara State capital was marred by some people among the crowd who were not ready to listen to him. Saraki had to cut it short and left the scene. Every Nigerian seeking political position has the right to canvass for votes anywhere in the country. Leaders of political parties should rein in their supporters to always give peace a chance

Another ugly trend of political intolerance is the removal of posters over night by thugs allegedly sponsored by their principals. Some governors had through their mobile advert agencies refused opponents to erect bill boards. This is not good for democracy. Every candidate should have access to public space.

APC and PDP were hit by defections, especially in the National Assembly. Members of the PDP, who defected to APC in 2014, have returned to their former party. Among them are Saraki, Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and many other legislators. Some senators like the Minority Leader in the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio dumped PDP for APC.

Analysts say the defection will alter the result of 2019 elections. They are of the view that the APC that performed woefully in the South- South and South East is likely to make some in-roads in the region. It has also been predicted that APC may lose few states especially where the post-primaries crises are yet to be resolved.

Some governors would complete their second term in May 2019. They will not seek re-election because of the constitution limitation. They include Governors Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Ibrahim Dankwabo (Gombe), Ibrahim Geidam(Yobe) and AbduFatah Ahmed (Kwara).

by LEKE SALAUD

Source: http://thenationonlineng.net/apc-pdp-blinks-first/

The Presidential Candidate of Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Mr Fela Durotoye, on Wednesday said that he was not a politician and would retain the status if elected president.

Durotoye made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos at the 2018 The Future Awards Africa in Lagos where he was a guest.

NAN reports that the Ibadan-born Durotoye, an Alumnus of the John F Kennedy School of Government, is a business consultant, leadership expert and motivational speaker.

On the reason for running for the highest office in Nigeria, Durotoye said his intention was to represent a generational change in the leadership structure of Nigeria away from politics.

“I have said it that I am not a politician and will never be a politician. I am a nation builder.

“I have always insisted that there is a need to take politics out of governance. We need nation builders so that we can have policy formulators and not politics.
“I think it is policies that change the life of the people and not politics, the economy of the nation is in the hands of the policy articulators not the politicians.

“We should be thinking of those that are ready to build this country through good policies and look away from the politicians who are just to milk the country, he said.

Durotoye urged the electorate to look out for leaders that were trustworthy to move the nation forward and not those that want to get to office for their selfish gains.

“We need honest people in governance, those that know the onions of good governance. So, in this light we need to talk to our people at the grassroots and educate them.

“There is a call to action because everybody’s grass has its roots and it is our responsibility to make the call for the desired change.

“The change we are talking about is not about me but the whole generation of which I belong to, my presidential race is generational.

“I am frank person and honest, I want everyone to do what is right and engage in the right attitude; we should speak out on what we want to change about governance in Nigeria,’’ he said.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate his much touted integrity by allowing an open investigation of his associates and close relatives, who were mentioned in alleged looting of public resources.

The opposition party accused Presidency officials of concealing malpractices by the President’s relatives with the recent attempts by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to gag a suspect who claimed to have engaged in illegal transactions with one Mariatu, a sister to the First Lady.

One Amina Mohammed, who was paraded by the DSS about two weeks ago, had also mentioned name of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. David Babachir Lawal as a beneficiary of the alleged illegal deals.

“Having reviewed all these issues, including the lame denials by those mentioned by the suspect, as well as the failure of the security agency to allow the suspect to complete her open confession, the PDP challenges President Buhari to order an open hearing into the matter, if, indeed, the Presidency has nothing to hide”, a the statement by PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan said.

The party also challenged President Buhari to immediately make public the report of the investigation of the former aide of the First Lady, Mr. Baba-Inna, who was arrested in September this year, over accusations of receiving N2.5 billion as donations from politicians, businessmen and women on behalf of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari.

The statement continued, “Our party holds that President Buhari cannot be parading himself as Mr. Integrity while condoning acts of corruption by his associates and close relatives as well as a cabal in his presidency, which the First Lady had even alluded to, if he is not directly benefiting from those sleazes

“The PDP also dares President Buhari to make public the official report allegedly indicting his Presidency on the siphoning of over N11 trillion in the petroleum sector, including the N9 trillion oil sleaze detailed in the leaked memo at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

“Furthermore, the Buhari Presidency should allow an open inquest into the alleged diversion of defence funds, including part of the $1 billion drawn from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) for purchase of military hardware and welfare of our soldiers, to fund his ill-fated re-election campaign.

“The PDP also challenges President Buhari to make public the report of the looting of over N33 billion meant for the purchase of food for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well as another N18 billion IDP fund, discovered by the Senate, to have been diverted to APC interests.

“It is unfortunate that President Buhari has allowed the festering of sundry racketeering and abuse of fiscal process in his presidency, a situation, which casts a long shadow on his acclaimed integrity as a leader.

“Unless President Buhari allows an open inquest on his associates and close relatives involved in alleged treasury looting, he lacks all moral standing to seek re-election by Nigerians, who have been bearing the brunt of his misrule in the last three and half years”.