If you are a professional teacher resident in Abuja, preferably around Karu site, Nyanya or Jikwoyi axis and can do home lesson for Basic 9 (JSS 3) Basic Science, Basic Technology or Mathematics, please reach me ASAP.

Pejudear:
please zik4ever what of subjects like civic education, social studies
I reside in Nyanya FHA

Mathematics, Basic Technology or Basic Science only.

Many youths Tuesday morning blocked the ever busy Kankara – Katsina road around Yantumaki village in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State protesting the rising insecurity in their areas. The youths, chanting war songs, set fire on the road while turning back motorists and other road users from passing through their village. Bandits kidnap bride-to-be, sack Katsina villages ‘Kill all bandits’, Air Chief tells troops in Katsina Hundreds of motorists had to abandon the route to access Katsina town or Gusau in Zamfara State for ‎safety. The action of the youths was coming a day after a health worker, Mansir Yusuf, and his daughter were kidnapped from the community.
Also, last week, the district head of the area, Atiku Maidabino, was killed by unidentified gunmen at his palace. The locals said hardly a day goes by without any reported attack on the community or its neighbouring villages. Similarly, the residents of Daddara community and neighbouring villages of Jibia local government area, last month, blocked the Katsina – Jibia- Maradi (Niger Republic) international gateway in protest over the unabated killings and attacks by bandits in their domain. It took the intervention of policemen and some traditional rulers from the area to calm the youths leading to the reopening of the road at about midday.

District heads threatens relocation No fewer than 12 district heads from Katsina’s eight troubled local government areas have threatened relocation following the rising insecurity in their respective domains. Daily Trust reports that the district heads are those from; Jibia, Safana, Dandume, Faskari, Sabuwa, Kankara, Danmusa and Batsari. The affected district heads on Monday stormed the palace of the emir of Katsina, Abdulmumin Kabir Usman, to “protest” the continued unabated attacks on their domains by bandits. The districts heads also told the emir that their lives were at risk, especially with the recent cold blood murder of their colleague, the district head of Yantumaki, late Atiku Maidabino last week.

Maidabino was killed in front of his wives and children by his assailants. An affected district head, who was part of the meeting, confided in our reporter that the meeting was necessary and timely giving the daily reported attacks leading to death of people, rustling of animals amongst others. He said; “we were at the palace to share our concerns of what is happening and the risks to our lives because what has happened to our colleague called for concerns. We fear for our lives at our bases” “The emir reasoned with us and was equally concern over the matter. “He (emir) assured us of meeting with the state governor, security chiefs and if need be presidency over the matter,” he added.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/protest-erupts-in-katsina-over-insecurity-as-traditional-rulers-consider-to-relocate.html

Please if you are a certified teacher and Junior WAEC examiner (BECE/JSCE) in Mathematics and/or Basic Sciences or Basic Technology, resident in Abuja (preferably around Karu Site, Kugbo, Nyanya, FHA, Jikwoyi axis) and interests in home tutorials, please contact me ASAP.

Please if you are a certified teacher and Junior WAEC examiner (BECE/JSCE) in Mathematics and/or Basic Sciences or Basic Technology, resident in Abuja (preferably around Karu Site, Kugbo, Nyanya, FHA, Jikwoyi axis) and interested in home tutorials, please contact me ASAP.

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested one Emeka Okeke, popularly known as “Aso Rock” for allegedly raping a 36-year-old woman with a toy gun. The incident occurred at Okpuno in Awka South Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Haruna Mohammed in a statement in Awka, the state capital, said the suspect was apprehended and a search on him revealed a concealed object like a shotgun.

According to the statement, the suspect followed the woman while departing with her friend at Okochi Okpuno and later raised his shirt to show her a “gun” tucked in his waist, and threatened to shoot her dead if she did not submit herself to his sexual demand. “Consequently the frightened victim, believing it was a real gun, and under the fear of being shot dead, followed him to a building in Okochi where he forcefully had unlawful carnal knowledge of her. Again while being led out of the scene, the suspect forcefully led her to the premises of Community Primary School Okpuno, where he had another rounds of carnal knowledge with the victim,” the PPRO explained. The police spokesman said following the report, the suspect was trailed and arrested by detectives in conjunction with vigilante group attached to Opuno community and a cutting hand saw and a semblance of a shotgun were found on him. “Upon interrogation, the suspect voluntarily confessed to the alleged crime,” SP Mohammed said.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/man-held-for-raping-woman-with-toy-gun.html

he National Judicial Council’s (NJC’s) new list of judges for state and Federal High courts, among other levels of courts, has raised eyebrows from some members of the Bar. Senior lawyers have offered tips on how the process of judicial appointments can be made more transparent, writes ADEBISI ONANUGA.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has approved the appointment of 70 judges to various courts. Four of the judges were appointed as heads of special courts. They are: M.B. Dongban (President of the Court of Appeal); Muhammad Salihu (Grand Khadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal, Jigawa State); Muhammad Usman (Grand Khadi, Sharia Court of Appeal, Sokoto State) and Aderonke Aderemi (President, Customary Court of Appeal, Oyo State).
Sixty-four were appointed judges of state and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Courts and two others as Kadis, Sharia Court of Appeal.
NJC Director of Information Soji Oye said the list was approved by the council at its 91st meeting held online. Oye said the NJC members considered the list of candidates presented by its Interview Committee and resolved to recommend the 70 successful candidates to their respective state governors for appointment as Heads of Courts and judicial officers.
The new appointees are expected to be sworn into office soon by their respective state governors.
How judges should be appointed
Judges of the Federal High Court are appointed by the President, and must have been qualified as legal practitioners for at least 10 years. Appointments are on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council.
Paragraph 21 of Part One of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, as amended, empowers the NJC to recommend persons to be appointed justices and judges of the various courts.
Is the reality different?
However, the list of the newly-appointed judges, particularly those of Federal High Courts, has raised eyebrows from some members of the Bar.
Last Tuesday, a former Publicity Secretary of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Abuja, Silas Onu, criticised the list in a statement entitled: “You’re welcome sir As Nigeria Gradually Dies From The Hands of Those it Fed”. According to him, it was “another reminder of everything that is wrong with Nigeria today,”
[b]Onu faulted the composition of the NJC saddled with the responsibility of appointing judges and called for a reform of the council “through a constitutional amendment that will remove all serving and retired judges from the council.” He argued that their presence made the judiciary seem like “a family institution.”
[b]Onu said the situation was similar with the conferment of the rank of SAN. To him, ”the rank is shared by a few in an effort to place their children above their peers undeservedly”.
He also faulted the appointment of 33 of the 64 approved for state and FCT High Courts.
[b]“Apart from not meeting the minimum expectation of the Federal Character principle, it is replete with the names of the children of serving and retired Supreme Court Justices, one was even a Chief Justice. The child of retired FCT Chief Judge and other cronies. Some of these privileged children are magistrates with questionable qualities for the job, yet they got elevated ahead of known magistrates who have served for a longer period with years of experience and dedication to duty. These experienced magistrates will be frustrated out of the job over time as their parents were never superior Court judges. How can a nation progress with such an attitude?” he said.
Allegations of nepotism, godfatherism
Onu’s allegations are weighty, but allegations of nepotism and godfatherism in judicial officers’ appointment are not uncommon. Last October, the Warri Branch of the NBA rejected a list proposed by the Delta State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to the National Judicial Council (NJC) for the appointment of judges in the state.
The branch alleged that the state’s Chief Judge nominated his son and a blood relation of the President of the Customary Court of Appeal as High Court judges, saying that due process was not followed.[/b]
On March 3, 2018, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, blamed ‘godfatherism’ and lobbying in appointments as responsible for the judiciary’s falling standard.[/b][/b]
Mukhtar, the first female CJN, was reputed for taking strong disciplinary actions against erring judicial officers during her tenure from July 16, 2012 to November 20, 2014.
Speaking in Abuja, at a book presentation in honour of a retired female Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Clara Ogunbiyi, warned stakeholders and the NJC to discourage the trend, or risk having incompetent and weak judiciary.
She said: “I will, at this junction, revisit the issue of lobbying and in addition favouritism and godfatherism in the appointment of judicial officers. It is sad that we allow the rising culture of lobbying to influence appointments in the judiciary.
”If we are to revive what held sway in the past, that is, maintaining a strong and competent judiciary, then merit should be the watchword. Lobbying, favouritism and godfatherism should be discouraged and discarded, as they lead to the fall in the standard, and instead of enhancing the institution; they devalue and weaken it because of incompetence of the personnel.”
Two Fridays ago, Justice Francis Abosi, the acting president, Imo State Customary Court of Appeal, and Justice Aliyu Musa Liman of Bauchi State High Court, were recommended for compulsory retirement by the NJC by their respective state governors.
Oye said the council recommended Justice Abosi for compulsory retirement for falsifying his date of birth from 1950 to 1958. He said findings showed that he was supposed to have retired in November 2015 when he clocked the mandatory retirement age of 65.
He also stated that Justice Liman was recommended to the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, for compulsory retirement for his failure to deliver judgment in suit No BA/100/2010, between one Abubakar Isa and Sheik Tahir Usman Bauchi, within the three months period stipulated by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Council, he added, viewed his failure to deliver judgment for nearly four years as a misconduct, contrary to Section 292 (1) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended as amended and Rules 1.3 and 3.7 of the 2016 Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Some observers believe that the NJC’s compulsory retirement of two judges lends credence to Onu’s claims that some appointments of judges of High Courts were lacking in merit.
What then should guide judicial officers’ appointment? Should children of serving/retired members of the upper courts be appointed judges? What is morality’s place in judges’ appointment?
How to solve the problem?
Lawyers, with many years of experience at the Bar differed in their reactions to the issue. They included Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), Seyi Sowemimo (SAN), Louis Alozie (SAN), Former member, Ogun State Judiciary Service Commission, Abayomi Omoyinmi, Former Chairman NBA Ikorodu Branch, Dotun Adetunji,
Appointment process evolving, says Pinheiro
Pinheiro, while admitting that no system is perfect, said it was unfair and uncharitable to the NJC as well as the nominated judges to say and conclude that the process was flawed because some children of retired and serving judges were nominated as judges.
“We should be proud that persons from such a background and pedigree are aspiring to the bench.
“I am not quick to accept the criticism that the recent nomination of persons to the Bench was flawed. What disqualifies a child of a retired or serving judge from being appointed to the bench if he or she merits it? Bearing in mind that the qualifications for such an appointment are prescribed in the Constitution,”
He said the NJC was also a creation of the Constitution and beyond having retired and serving justices as members also has respectable and independent-minded senior members of the Bar. “So, I think it is unfair to cast aspersions on their persons merely because after the process some children of judges were nominated,” Pinheiro said.
According to him: “The system of appointment of judicial officers is still evolving and I think we should focus more on the conditions for the appointment. For example while I recognise that in Lagos, the nominated judges all went through a rigorous process which included tests and interviews that cannot be said in some jurisdictions. I am not aware that the nominated Judges for appointment in the High Court of the FCT went through such a process.
“I, therefore, suggest that the system for appointment into the FCT should be re-engineered. Once a process is perceived to be transparent, there will be little or no complaints.
“Finally, criticising a process as sensitive as the appointment of judges on the pages of newspaper should not be encouraged particularly as the process presented an opportunity for persons to make complaints against any of the candidates.” he argued.
Sowemimo: sound legal knowledge, integrity should be main criteria
Sowemimo suggested that a sound knowledge of the law and integrity should be the paramount criteria for the appointment of judges.’’ I have no information on the criteria used in these recent appointments,’’ he said. He also believed that the process needs to be transparent.’’I have no information on how this recent exercise was undertaken’’. He, however, found nothing wrong in the appointment of serving or retired judicial officers.
According to Sowemimo: “Children of serving and retired judges are entitled to be considered but it should be on merit and the the process should be open to scrutiny
“The composition of the NJC must be reviewed to ensure that it is comprised of persons who are fiercely independent minded and passionate about maintaining the integrity of the judiciary.
“It may be helpful if more persons who are not judges but representative of other segments of our society are allowed to play a role in the appointment process”, he said.
Alozie: Appointment process must be transparent
For Alozie, the solution does not lie in Onu’s proposal for constitutional amendment to alter the composition of the NJC which serves as the regulatory body for the judiciary.
“The point we are making is that appointment to the Bench ought to be transparent and competitive so that the best crop of lawyers are recruited into the Bench. There is no criteria showing children of serving or retired justices are better than others.
“For me, the only problem with NJC is the usual Nigerian factor where every process is manipulated by the powers that be. What is the guarantee that NJC will be free from external and even internal influences and manipulations if otherwise constituted?” Alozie said.
‘Family institution allegation unfounded’
Leaning on his experience as a former commissioner of Ogun State Judiciary Service Commission, Omoyinmi said the process of appointment of judges did not commence with NJC rather it ended with it by ratification.
He said calling for the reconstitution of the NJC on the basis that it had or was turning judiciary into a family institution through such appointment was not founded on any facts and or evidence.
According to him, it is the Judicial Service Commission in the case of federal judges, the Federal Judicial Service Sommission that are solely responsible for the appointment of judges. He added that such appointed judges then proceeded for interview with the NJC and upon satisfactory performance, the NJC then ratifies and sends such names to be sworn in.
“There has been no evidence whatsoever that NJC ratifies any candidate outside the list submitted to it by the Judicial Service Commission. The appointment of judges is based on good character and reputation, diligence and hard work, honesty, integrity and, most importantly, sound knowledge of the law with consistent adherence to professional ethics. Any would- be judge must have also shown active successful practice at the Bar, including satisfactory presentation of cases in court as a legal practitioner, either in private practice or as a legal officer in any public service, consistent display of sound and mature judgment in the office as a chief registrar or chief magistrate, and credible record of teaching law, legal research in reputable university and publication of legal works.
“Once any candidate meets up with the qualities highlighted, be you children of serving or retired judges, consideration to be a judge should not be based on ulterior motive and favouritism”, he contended.
Fair system needed, says ex-NBA chair
Adetunji said it is the desire of the Bar that the judiciary should foster a justice system that is fair, speedy and meets the hope of all men.
According to him, it is natural that lawyers will call for reforms of the NJC through a constitutional amendment when it is felt that the NJC has turned the Judiciary into a private entity and also when it is seen that appointment of new Judges fails to meet the expected regulations put in place for such appointments.
Adetunji said there are some procedural rules in the appointment of judges which the Federal Judicial Service Commission, State Judicial Service Commission and the Judicial Service Committee of the Federal Capital Territory must comply with in their advice to the NJC for nominations or recommendations of candidates for appointment as Judicial officers and anything short of that in considering any appointments to the bench should be dispensed with. Better put, the laid down rules and procedures guiding the appointment of Judicial officers must be strictly followed.
“However, there should be some decorum when criticisms are coming from members of the Bar on issues that borders on the Bench. We can only criticise the procedure for appointment of Judges and also call for reforms rather than to attack members of the Council all of whom are respected Senior Judicial Officers. We can take a stand that appointment of judges should be fair and transparent thereby giving room for all qualified lawyers inclusive of the sons and daughters of these Judges to also throw in their hats and get appointed if found suitable, going by the laid down rules and procedures. For the recently concluded exercise, I say we can do better, he stated.
He, however, pointed out that being the child of a serving/ retired members of the upper courts should not be a hindrance to the rights or entitlements of their children to get appointed in any sane clime, ours inclusive.
“All we are asking for is fairness, equity and transparency in the process of appointments. Also, the Nigerian Bar Association should be carried along by asking for nominations of suitably qualified candidates, the exercise be given the right publicity and opinion of the Bar in the process should not be treated with levity as it is often the case. There should be acceptable justification for all appointments so that the judiciary will not be put into disrepute,” he said.
https://thenationonlineng.net/wanted-transparent-judges-appointment-process/

Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says the only way to understand the scale of COVID-19 is by testing.
He had earlier said Kogi, Yobe and Cross River, the three states yet to record any case of COVID-19, had not sent in enough samples for tests.
Kogi government had dismissed his comments, describing it as unfair and an attempt to shame the state.
The state also said it was already using a self-assessment app for checking for COVID-19 cases in the state.
But reacting at the presidential task force briefing on Wednesday, Ihekweazu said viruses are not written on the forehead and only tests could show if anyone is infected.
“I won’t join issues with any executive governor of any state in Nigeria. I think I have made my position very clear yesterday. My role is to interpret the evidence the best way we can. This is not only about COVID-19, when we urge people to go for HIV testing, it is because nobody has written HIV on his forehead,” he said.
“The only way you can know whether you have this virus in the early days is to get tested. The way we talk about it, we’ve had the largest number of Lassa fever cases in Nigeria ever. We have it because we’ve become more aware, we are testing more and we are finding more.
“The only way we can understand the scale of COVID-19 is by testing. So, it’s really not a controversial issue, everybody has agreed on that fact, we are pushed everyday to test more. I don’t think my comments were controversial, my role is to continue supporting every state in Nigeria with labs, opportunities to test.
“Most states in Nigeria are asking us, pushing us; how do I get a lab, how do I test more people and we will continue to do this on behalf of every state.”
https://www.thecable.ng/ncdc-to-kogi-covid-19-not-written-on-the-forehead-you-have-to-tes

Where in PH is this?

With the increasing spread of COVID 19 across different states in Nigeria, the selective lockdown of mainly Lagos, Abuja and Ogun should be urgently reviewed. In just over one month with a single index case in Lagos on 27th February, we now have over 232 COVID 19 cases and 5 deaths spread across thirteen states and Abuja. As we have limited testing centers, the number of infected persons will certainly be higher when the unknown and untested but positive cases are added. Without claiming to be an infectious disease expert, the exponential spread of the virus suggests that the selective lockdown might be counterproductive. Our states, towns and villages are too inter-connected for disjointed lockdowns.
This is even more so given the permeability of our state borders, our lamentable health sector and the unserious disposition of our state governors in handling the crisis. Using selective lockdown might inadvertently enhance the spread of the virus. For instance, as Lagos is under lockdown and Oyo is not, there is an inherent incentive for people to move from Lagos to Oyo at least to move around and possibly make money particularly for Oyo indigenes resident in Lagos.

Imagine an unknowingly positive and asymptomatic Lagosian that travels to Oyo. Expectedly, he/she will spread the virus to his/her Oyo contacts. In the same vein, the Lagosian can contact the virus in Oyo and spread it in Lagos upon his/her return at the expiration of Lagos lockdown.
But, in a total and national lockdown, the incentive to move from one state to another will be significantly reduced due to the inactivity across the country. As it is proven that lockdown and social distancing are part of the effective measures to curtail the virus, we should do it properly. Anything worth doing should be done appropriately.
The lockdown should be total and national for a specified period! It does not matter whether the virus has reached for instance Abia and Adamawa or not for them to be included. This approach will help in the quick identification, isolation and proper treatment of positive cases across Nigeria and as such significantly reduce the spread of the virus.
Given our weak health sector, it is important that we quickly learn from the mistakes of other countries in order to avoid worse heart-wrenching mortalities being experienced across the world. What we need now is a responsible leadership that is very proactive and effective and not a reactive one. There is no doubt that a total national lockdown will come with its wide socio-economic consequences.
However, it seems to be best option if we want to achieve the least deleterious outcome or scenario which is limited spread of the virus and short duration of negative socio- economic impacts. Without a proactive approach such as a total national lockdown, we might knowingly or unknowingly be preparing for two possible worse outcomes. While the first is a widespread infection and a long term negative socio-economic impacts, the second is a limited spread of the virus with a prolonged management of the negative socio-economic impacts.
Given our already challenging socio-economic situation before COVID 19, neither of the two worse scenarios should be our aim. As we are already in the second quarter of the year, a national lockdown of about three weeks will give us the opportunity of possible recovery from May which if effectively pursued will see business and GDP resume growth likely from the third quarter of 2020.

In my interactions with CEOs on implications of COVID 19 on business and economy, while some have already mandated their Human Resources managers to prepare a list of employees to be sacked from May if the crisis continues, some employees have been asked to proceed on unpaid break. This is just one of the possible consequences that might worsen if the crisis is not proactively and effectively managed. No doubt, a national lockdown will come with its negative consequences but as they say, no pain, no gain. What is required is an effective national strategy to mitigate the pains of a national lockdown.
This is an area that requires our governors to wake up from their slumber and provide effective and responsible leadership. In this crisis period, they need to show patriotism and lead from the front in ensuring first, effective compliance to the lockdown across states and towns in Nigeria. Second, the provision of genuine and meaningful palliatives to the vulnerable and poor of every state.
At the moment, the palliates being provided and the way they are being provided is poor and shameful. In Lagos for instance, it seems that the scheme has been hijacked for selfish interests and even helping to spread the virus. Outside Lagos, the unpreparedness and unserious disposition of most our governors is lamentable. With no isolation centers in many states, even provision of basic equipment such as facemasks and protective wears for government owned hospital is lacking.
A reliable source informed me that some governors are more interested and waiting for huge private sector donations as received by Lagos before they will act. I hope it is not true! With the huge private sector contributions and support, what is required from our governors is to rise to the demands of the moment and provide focused and patriotic leadership to complement the efforts of the Federal Government and save Nigeria from the emerging crisis.
In a recent report, the United Nations states that ‘’From preliminary macro and micro social-economic analysis, the COVID 19 Pandemic is expected to place immense pressure on Nigeria’s healthcare system and will result in a serious economic and fiscal pressure with a risk of negative social impact if proactive measures are not taken to prevent, prepare, respond and cushion the economic impact of the Pandemic’. One of such proactive measures is an immediate national lockdown.

Franklin Nnaemeka Ngwu (PhD)
Dr. Ngwu is a Senior Lecturer in Strategy, Risk Management & Corporate Governance, Lagos Business School and a Member, Expert Network, World Economic Forum. E-mail- fngwu@lbs.edu.ng,
https://businessday.ng/columnist/article/covid-19-a-national-lockdown-is-imperative/

My people
In preparation for the lockdown and considering the unreliable power supply, does anyone around Abuja have Laptop Power Bank for sale?
Or can one use normal power bank such as the one we use for phones to recharge Laptop?

So all we are doing as a nation, is to be collating statistics and announcing the increasing number of infected cases? Waiting for it to go round and "die a natural death"?

I will not let this one pass! This is very cheap blackmail that represents all that is wrong with us -ethno-religious jingoists always wanting to promote their primordial and feudal agenda. Have you ever bothered to check this woman's pedigree? I am not surprised at this trash being written about her and I expect more, all in a bid to stop her from being confirmed in substantive capacity just because of where she comes from. We need to be bold to confront those who want others to be reduced to second class citizens among us. It is unfortunate that many cannot see through the trend.

Hello everyone. This thread has been dormant but I believe a lot has changed about HMOs in Nigeria since the last post. Please can anyone recommend a best value for money HMO in Nigeria now? Thanks.

Anthropology of Fabricating Electoral Results: How the Kano Outcome Might Have Emerged, By Jibrin Ibrahim

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, winner of the Kano State governorship supplementary election held Saturday 23rd March, 2019 . Governor Ganduje was trailing the PDP Candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf at the end of the first election held on March 9, 2019 by a significant margin. In the supplementary election held in 28 out of the 44 local government areas of the state, Ganduje won by scoring 45,876 votes to Yusuf’s 10,239 thereby up turning the result in his favour. The State Returning Officer, Professor Bello Shehu, announced that Governor Ganduje scored a total vote of 1,033,695 while Abba Yusuf polled 1,024,713 given the winning margin of 8,982 between the two major candidates. This was a surprising result as in places where PDP was far ahead, the tides turned and the massive results emerged for the APC.

As an observer, I had noticed during our rounds that the massive presence of thugs had depressed voter turnout so how did the 32% voter turnout during the previous election scale up to turn the tide. I asked an Assistant Presiding Officer to recount what he saw happen in his polling unit. For his security, this traumatised student of Bayero University does not want his name or polling unit revealed.

The APO recounted that his involvement was through Bayero University who had asked students interested in being ad hoc election staff to fill forms, he did and was selected and posted to Nasarawa Local Government. He took part in the Presidential/National Assembly as well as the Governorship/State House Elections and had very good memories of both. He was charged with the smart card reader, which worked well and only those voters who were authenticated were allowed to vote in the two previous elections. He said the whole process was free and fair and he felt he was playing an important civic role for his country.

For the supplementary elections, he had reported to Gama Tudu Primary School, his Registration Area Centre (RAC) which was also the Ward collation centre at 7.30 pm on Friday, 22nd March, 2019, that is the night before the election as directed by INEC. All ad hoc staff comprising most students and youth corps members were expected to spend the night there. He recalls there was a large number of policemen and civil defence corps personnel and they felt safe initially. Their trauma, he said, started at 10 pm that Friday night when mobile policemen came into the school and ordered the youth corps and student ad hoc staff out of the premises without any explanation. They refused to go out and they were tear gassed out. It turned out it was simply an exercise of verification that they were the genuine names on the list. After the verification, the were allowed back in. He said they got very confused why they were tear gassed for a simple verification exercise because they would not have resisted had they been told it was a verification exercise.

At midnight, they realised the school was completely surrounded by thugs armed with clubs, swords and machetes. No one could sleep he explained. At 7.30am, that is Saturday morning, the day of the election security personnel escorted them to their respective polling units and had to set up surrounded by thugs. The first rule set by the thugs was that no cameras or cell phones must be used by anybody. Clearly, they did not want images of what was happening to be recorded he explained. He said he felt so harassed that he took his phone to a nearby house and requested that they keep it for him. Trouble started at 11am when the thugs attacked and they all ran away with their materials. Subsequently, the thugs were cleared temporarily by the police and they returned and voting resumed. By 1 pm however, the thugs took over control of the voting process with police complicity who were present throughout. The thugs threatened to kill the ad hoc staff if they refused to cooperate. By this time all the PDP agents had been chased out. According to him the result of the polling unit was fabricated in the following manner:

1) First, the thugs came with 200 already thumb-printed ballot papers and stuffed them in the ballot box.
2) Secondly, they took out the ballots already thumb-printed for PDP during the polling and thumb-printed them again to turn them into spoilt ballots.
3) Thirdly, he was forced to sign additional ballot papers which the thugs thumb-printed for the APC.
4) Finally, the ad hoc staff were forced to record the compromised results on result sheets and they were taken to the INEC office.

The APO explained he worked under duress because his life was threatened. He said they were held hostage by the thugs and were not allowed to go out to look for food to eat and his next meal came 24 hours later only after he got home. His conclusion is that he would never participate in any other election in any capacity for the rest of his life. SAD. It would be great if other ad hoc staff could write up their stories.

A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES.
https://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2019/03/25/nthropology-of-fabricating-electoral-results-how-the-kano-outcome-might-have-emerged-by-jibrin-ibrahim/

The Nasarawa State police command has confirmed the death of a Mada lady who was raped to death by some suspected Fulani herders in Andaha village area of Akwanga Local Government Area of the state.

The PUNCH learnt that the incident happened when some Mada ladies said to be returning from a wedding ceremony were waylaid by suspected Fulani herders who raped one of them to death. The incident sparked the anger of Mada youths in the area who launched an attack that claimed the life of a Fulani boy.

Confirming the incident to our correspondent in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital on Sunday, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Bola Longe, said the command received information on Saturday that some Mada young ladies who were returning from a wedding were accosted by some suspected Fulani herders who captured and raped one of them to death.

According to him, one of the ladies reported the incident to their village and the youths in the area mobilised themselves and attacked the Fulani settlement. He said the fracas led to the death of a Fulani boy.

He added that two leaders of the warring communities tried to address the crisis, but said all their efforts could not yield any success as some of the angry Fulani herders numbering over 200 in the area also launched a reprisal in Maite and Ndem where they burned down 27 houses.

According to the police boss, no life was lost during the attack. He said the command had already drafted some of its personnel to the area to maintain of law and order.


His words, “At about early hours of Sunday, some suspected Fulani herders numbering over 200 launched a reprisal on two villages, namely Maite and Ndem in Akwanga Local Government Area of the state and burned down 27 houses.”

https://punchng.com/suspected-fulani-herders-rape-lady-to-death/

What is happening in Rivers is something anyone of good will or good conscience should be weeping. It is beyond party politics. People are being shot and hounded by those paid to protect them, INEC officials are being held hostage or prevented from collating/announcing results. Ha ba my dear brothers and sisters!

I am compelled to intervene in the needless exchanges between some Igbo and Yoruba commentators online. I am not from either of the tribes but I have friends from both and my younger sister is married to a Yoruba man while my younger brother is married to an Igbo lady. Both marriages are wonderful. There are other people who have inter-married across both tribes and I am sure there are people like me who have friends from both tribes. A few ethnic jingoists are just bent on inciting ancient hatred. I hope we don't pass this poison to the next generation. May the love and grace of God bring forgiveness, healing, understanding and unity among us. Every little issue is reduced to Igbo vs Yoruba and vice versa. We need to move on and unite against social injustice, criminality, poverty, unemployment, bad governance and the antics of politicians who exploit our differences to feather their nest. We are unique and different but we don't have to be divisive and disagreeable. Sometimes it is so childish. At other times, these sentiments are whipped up out of sheer mischief or crass ignorance. Your post shows how little or how matured you are irrespective of the chain of certificates you possess

I am compelled to intervene in the needless exchanges between some Igbo and Yoruba commentators online. I am not from either of the tribes but I have friends from both and my younger sister is married to a Yoruba man while my younger brother is married to an Igbo lady. Both marriages are wonderful. There are other people who have inter-married across both tribes and I am sure there are people like me who have friends from both tribes. A few ethnic jingoists are just bent on inciting ancient hatred. I hope we don't pass this poison to the next generation. May the love and grace of God bring forgiveness, healing, understanding and unity among us. Every little issue is reduced to Igbo vs Yoruba and vice versa. We need to move on and unite against social injustice, criminality, poverty, unemployment, bad governance and the antics of politicians who exploit our differences to feather their nest. We are unique and different but we don't have to be divisive and disagreeable. Sometimes it is so childish. At other times, these sentiments are whipped up out of sheer mischief or crass ignorance. Your post shows how little or how matured you are irrespective of the chain of certificates you possess

I am compelled to intervene in the needless exchanges between some Igbo and Yoruba commentators online. I am not from either of the tribes but I have friends from both and my younger sister is married to a Yoruba man while my younger brother is married to an Igbo lady. Both marriages are wonderful. There are other people who have inter-married across both tribes and I am sure there are people like me who have friends from both tribes. A few ethnic jingoists are just bent on inciting ancient hatred. I hope we don't pass this poison to the next generation. May the love and grace of God bring forgiveness, healing, understanding and unity among us. Every little issue is reduced to Igbo vs Yoruba and vice versa. We need to move on and unite against social injustice, criminality, poverty, unemployment, bad governance and the antics of politicians who exploit our differences to feather their nest. We are unique and different but we don't have to be divisive and disagreeable. Sometimes it is so childish. At other times, these sentiments are whipped up out of sheer mischief or crass ignorance. Your post shows how little or how matured you are irrespective of the chain of certificates you possess

I am compelled to intervene in the needless exchanges between some Igbo and Yoruba commentators online. I am not from either of the tribes but I have friends from both and my younger sister is married to a Yoruba man while my younger brother is married to an Igbo lady. Both marriages are wonderful. There are other people who have inter-married across both tribes and I am sure there are people like me who have friends from both tribes. A few ethnic jingoists are just bent on inciting ancient hatred. I hope we don't pass this poison to the next generation. May the love and grace of God bring forgiveness, healing, understanding and unity among us. Every little issue is reduced to Igbo vs Yoruba and vice versa. We need to move on and unite against social injustice, criminality, poverty, unemployment, bad governance and the antics of politicians who exploit our differences to feather their nest. We are unique and different but we don't have to be divisive and disagreeable. Sometimes it is so childish. At other times, these sentiments are whipped up out of sheer mischief or crass ignorance. Your post shows how little or how matured you are irrespective of the chain of certificates you possess

I am compelled to intervene in the needless exchanges between some Igbo and Yoruba commentators online. I am not from either of the tribes but I have friends from both and my younger sister is married to a Yoruba man while my younger brother is married to an Igbo lady. Both marriages are wonderful. There are other people who have inter-married across both tribes and I am sure there are people like me who have friends from both tribes. A few ethnic jingoists are just bent on inciting ancient hatred. I hope we don't pass this poison to the next generation. May the love and grace of God bring forgiveness, healing, understanding and unity among us. Every little issue is reduced to Igbo vs Yoruba and vice versa. We need to move on and unite against social injustice, criminality, poverty, unemployment, bad governance and the antics of politicians who exploit our differences to feather their nest. We are unique and different but we don't have to be divisive and disagreeable. Sometimes it is so childish. At other times, these sentiments are whipped up out of sheer mischief or crass ignorance. Your post shows how little or how matured you are irrespective of the chain of certificates you possess

I am compelled to intervene in the needless exchanges between some Igbo and Yoruba commentators online. I am not from either of the tribes but I have friends from both and my younger sister is married to a Yoruba man while my younger brother is married to an Igbo lady. Both marriages are wonderful. There are other people who have inter-married across both tribes and I am sure there are people like me who have friends from both tribes. A few ethnic jingoists are just bent on inciting ancient hatred. I hope we don't pass this poison to the next generation. May the love and grace of God bring forgiveness, healing, understanding and unity among us. Every little issue is reduced to Igbo vs Yoruba and vice versa. We need to move on and unite against social injustice, criminality, poverty, unemployment, bad governance and the antics of politicians who exploit our differences to feather their nest. We are unique and different but we don't have to be divisive and disagreeable. Sometimes it is so childish. At other times, these sentiments are whipped up out of sheer mischief or crass ignorance. Your post shows how little or how matured you are irrespective of the chain of certificates you possess.

Thanks for sharing this insight.

By Wednesday, February 13, 2019, experienced members of staff and management of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) knew that the February 16 presidential and national assembly elections would not hold — no matter the magic. But because of the pervading atmosphere of mutual distrust and suspicion at the commission, people went about their businesses in hushed tones, preparing for the worst.
Several INEC insiders told TheCable over the weekend that based on the experience from elections organised by the commission, the signs were already there that something was going wrong. But many of the commissioners were not comparing notes or even talking to each other, thereby compounding a situation that would lead to the embarrassing postponement of the elections. The prevailing atmosphere of in-fighting, inexperience of the logistics committee and poor preparations was further compounded by poor co-ordination by the leadership of INEC, insiders told TheCable.
“Typically,” a senior member of management told TheCable, “we take delivery of sensitive electoral materials, including ballot papers, two weeks to any given election. We then warehouse them with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). One week to the election, we send the materials to state offices of INEC. Basically, seven days to any election, all the sensitive materials are already at the states.”
At this stage, the official said, the resident electoral commissioners and electoral officers at the state level hold a pre-election conference with party agents and all who will be involved in the elections just to brief them and lay out the procedures.
“We also inform them about the state of preparations, that the materials have arrived and that they are ready to be distributed. This is routine. We take questions and observations and roll out the rules and regulations. It is like a normal stakeholders meeting,” the official told TheCable.
The official said the materials are then moved from the CBN zonal or state offices to various INEC offices in the state on the Tuesday preceding the elections, sometimes on Wednesdays — depending on how big the state is.
“By Friday, the materials are usually already at the ward levels, and then they are distributed to the polling units by Saturday morning. That is how things run on a good day,” the official said.
WARNING SIGNALS
Another INEC commissioner told TheCable that he sensed there was going to be trouble when the materials were yet to get to the states.
“Some of us, including INEC staff, knew things were not going to run smoothly when as at Wednesday, the materials were still at the airports in Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja and Kano. These are materials that should have been at the states in some cases and even local governments by then. It is incredible that we did not take a decision to reschedule until four hours to the commencement of the voting processes,” he said.
“Many of us were also amazed that the media did not pick up the warning signals. Even the observers, both local and international, did not ask INEC these questions. Why were the materials still stuck at the airports one day to voting? How on earth were we going to reach all the 119,000 polling units across 774 local government areas and 36 states in less than 24 hours? That was practically impossible, but the media and observers appeared to be focusing on trivial issues.”
INEXPERIENCE AND INFIGHTING
A member of INEC staff, who spoke at length on the logistical nightmare, said there is an atmosphere of mutual suspicion and distrust among national commissioners and this played a major role in disrupting the elections.
“Amina Zakari used to be in charge of logistics. Because of the controversy over her relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari, the chairman moved her to another department. That is not supposed to be a problem if she was replaced with someone else who can do the job well,” he said.
Although the INEC commissioner in charge of electoral operations and logistics is Okechukwu Ibeanu, he was only heading the standing committee. For the election proper, Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairman, inaugurated the ad hoc committee for logistics on January 3, 2019. The 17-person committee was specifically for the general election.
The chairman is Ahmed Tijjani Mu’azu, a retired air vice marshal. Other members are: Abubakar Nahuche, Mohammed Haruna (both INEC national commissioners), representatives from CBN, customs service, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Federal Road Safety Corps, immigration service, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, DSS, army, navy and air force. Other are the INEC directors of electoral operations department, estate works and transport, procurement, and stores.
THINGS FALL APART
Mu’azu was new on the position and did not have any experience to fall upon when it comes to INEC electoral operations, according to insiders.
“Most of the commissioners were kept in the dark when things were going wrong, and because of the polluted atmosphere, people decided to keep quiet so as not to be accused of trying to usurp other people’s jobs. However, the INEC chairman is also conducting a general election for the first time, so he probably trusted the Mu’azu committee to deliver. Yakubu did not have the benefit of institutional memory which helped his predecessor, Prof. Attahiru Jega,” the insider told TheCable.
“Normally, Mu’azu should be giving regular updates to the INEC management on the situation on ground. He did not. The job of the committee was basically to clear and move materials within timelines. Going by the way things worked for us in the past, we should all know that if materials were not at the states by the preceding Saturday, there was going to be a major crisis. But a day to the election, the materials were still at the airports.
“Some states got materials. Katsina and Adamawa, for instance, were not affected. But states in the south-east were affected. Imagine if elections had gone ahead without the south-east. We all know how the narrative would have been shaped by now.”
Mu’azu used to help INEC with movement of materials before he retired form the air force and it was thought by the INEC leadership that he would do a good job if he was saddled with the task for the general election, an insider said.
“But that was a big mistake. Being put in charge of organising logistics for over 100,000 polling units is not the same thing as helping get some air force aircraft to help INEC transport materials. AVM Mu’azu was permanently at the airports as the crisis worsened, but what could he do?” the insider asked.
SLOW DECISION-MAKING
When it became glaring that elections could not take place all over the federation at the same time, INEC was also too slow in taking a firm decision and communicating it to Nigerians.
The senior member of management who spoke to TheCable said there was no need to wait till close to 3am on Saturday to announce the postponement.
“As soon as the emergency meeting of national commissioners started, it was clear that we needed to take a decision quickly and communicate this to Nigerians. We knew before the meeting was called that elections would not hold. For some weird reasons, the meeting kept dragging and dragging till past 2am,” he said.
Yakubu, addressing stakeholders on Saturday over the postponement, blamed it on sabotage and poor weather which he said disrupted flights on the eve of the elections.
However, Hadi Sirika, the minister of aviation, has debunked Yakubu’s claim that weather affected flights. The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) also said there were no disruptions caused by poor weather.
“The agency in line with the directive of the Honourable Minister of State (Aviation), Sen. Hadi Sirika, had earlier ensured a 24-hour operation at all Nigerian airports on Friday 15th February 2019 to facilitate the transportation of INEC materials nationwide,” NAMA said in a statement issued on Sunday.
WILL ELECTIONS HOLD ON FEBRUARY 23?
Now that the elections have been rescheduled for February 23 — amidst anger expressed by Nigerians — there are still fears that the polls might be postponed again.
However, the INEC chairman has assured Nigerians that the fiasco will not repeat itself.
INEC insiders also told TheCable that they expected things to run better since materials would be at the locations on time.
“Initially, we were pushing for Monday or Tuesday to be picked as the new date, but the tech guys said they would need to re-programme the card readers and they would need six days to do that. Except the tech guys fail us, we are good to go now,” the senior member of management told TheCable.
https://www.thecable.ng/the-insider-how-inecs-in-fighting-inexperience-messed-up-feb-16-elections

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has served mass summons to judges over some alleged discrepancies in their asset declaration forms.
Some judges on Thursday rushed with copies of their asset declaration forms as issued by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to answer the summons.
A source confided in Daily Trust that judges who could not reconcile details contained in their asset forms for the last four years, could be charged to court.
“We do not know why the CCT is issuing the summons to judges now, but it may be related to the CJN matter,” the source.
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/asset-declaration-cct-serves-mass-summons-against-judges.html

President Muhammed Buhari (GCFR) has approved the appointment of a new Director – General for the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria in the person of Barrister Aliyu Bagudu Abubakar. A press release signed by the Head, Press Unit of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Barr. Jessica Mamven, reveals that Abubakar has on Monday, 21st January, 2019, taken over the mantle of leadership of the council from the Acting DG, Mr. Tunde Ikusagba, who is also the council’s Director, Criminal Justice. Mamven who revealed that the new DG is an indigene of Kebbi State and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto in 1987, was called to bar in 1988 after attending the Nigerian Law School in Lagos from 1987 to 1988.Barr.
Abubakar who before now, she said had been into private legal practice as the founder and Principal Partner, Falalah Law Chambers, is also said to be a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) as well as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Loan and Risk Management of Nigeria (FCILRM).“He did his National Youth Service with the defunct Companies Registry, Federal Ministry of Trade and Industry and was subsequently employed by the Federal Civil Service Commission as an Assistant Registrar of Companies in 1989. Mr. Abubakar transferred his services to the National Insurance Corporation (NICON) – in Lagos where he rose to become a Senior Management staff before the privatization of the agency in 2005”, she said.

Read More at: https://leadership.ng/2019/01/22/buhari-approves-appointment-of-dg-legal-aid-council/

President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to teach ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo “and his co-travellers” a political lesson they will never forget.

In a statement which Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, issued on his behalf, Buhari accused the former president of being hostile to leaders he has no control over.

He described him as someone who lacks the moral standing to criticise his administration.

The statement was issued in response to the latest criticism of Obasanjo.

The elder statesman had alleged that Buhari was taking the country down the path of Sani Abacha, former military dictator.

Denying the allegation, Buhari said Obasanjo needed to visit his doctor for treatment.

“The sixteen-page letter the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari and released this afternoon is the last push by desperate politicians who can’t handle the President politically and have resorted to subterfuge,” the statement read.

“Our first message to the former President is that he needs a good doctor for good treatment and to say to him, ‘Get well soon’.”

“As repeatedly said of him, since Chief Obasanjo left office in 1979, he never let every succeeding leader of the country function freely, and this included the one he personally handpicked against all known rules drawn up by the party that put him in the office of the President. But Chief Obasanjo is jealous because President Buhari has more esteem than him and the sooner he learns to respect him the better.

“It is a notorious fact that in dealing with any leader that he failed to control, he resorted to these puerile attacks. As the grand patron, more correctly the grandfather of corruption as described by the National Assembly, Chief Obasanjo released today’s letter purely for the reason of rescuing his thriving corruption establishment.

“The elections starting in February will be free and fair as promised the nation and the international community by President Buhari.

“What Chief Obasanjo and his co-travelers in the PDP should expect is that from the outcome, we will teach them a political lesson that they will never forget. This margin will be much bigger than we had in 2015.”

He also denied the allegations of Obasanjo that the Buhari administration had started recruiting the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who would be used to rig the exercise.

“Claims that President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have embarked on the president’s “self- succession project, by recruiting collation officers who are already awarding results based on their projects to actualise the perpetuation agenda, in which the people will not matter and the votes will not count” is not only utterly false, but a copious note from the book on the failed third term agenda of President Obasanjo,” the statement read.

“As for his attacks of the administration’s records in fighting corruption, what the former President said is no more than evidence that President Buhari’s war against corruption is succeeding. They thought it is all a joke.

“A leader who took USD 16 billion “upfront” to supply electric power yet failed to add a single megawatt to the national grid and to date, there is no trace of the money is jittery that he will be called to account. He is a coward.

“This language of his 16-page letter, likening President Buhari to General Sani Abacha, a man he dreaded and the one who jailed him under military laws is most unfitting from a former President of Nigeria.

“The claim that President Buhari has put in place rigging machinery is both outlandish and outrageous. We are unable to get the words to describe a 90-year old liar, except to say that by the publication of this tissue of lies against the President, he Obasanjo, not the President will fall from everyone’s esteem.”
https://www.thecable.ng/ill-teach-you-a-lesson-you-will-never-forget-buhari-replies-obasanjo

Jubilations rocked Tertiary Education Trust fund (TETFund) office on Monday as President Muhammadu Buhari fired, Abdullahi Bichi Baffa, the executive secretary.

Baffa was immediately replaced by Suleiman Bogoro, the former executive secretary, who was initially appointed by former president Goodluck Jonathan in April 2014.

Bogoro initially handed over to Baffa in August 2016, having worked with Adamu Adamu, the current minister of education, as an adviser.

TheCable understands that Baffa was fired for his active opposition of the candidacy and reelection of Abdullahi Ganduje, the governor of Kano state.
https://www.thecable.ng/breaking-jubilations-at-tetfund-as-buhari-fires-executive-secretary

Extract from article by Godknows Igali
2 Nation Builders, 2 Deaths: The Shehu Shagari And Lulu Briggs Connection Published on January 6, 2019 By Godknows Igali

Read More at: https://leadership.ng/2019/01/06/2-nation-builders-2-deaths-the-shehu-shagari-and-lulu-briggs-connection/

With an outstanding political resume, President Shagari’s four years of governance remains one of the highest points in Nigeria’s socio-economic development. Gladly, the first three years coincided with the “oil boom” era that gave the government enough resources to carry out their programmes. A few highlights will suffice. He initiated affordable, low-cost housing schemes in every one of the then 19 States at the time called “Shagari Houses.” Till today, thousands of Nigerian families have roofs over their heads on account of his efforts. His policy of food security saw a revamp of the agricultural sector. Most of the large dams in the country, including, Bakalori Dam in Kebbi State, Goronyo in Sokoto State and Zobe Dam Katsina as well as Dadin Kowa Dam and Kiri Dam in Gombe and Adamawa States respectively were all built by his government. The Oyan Dam which still supplies drinking water to Lagos and Ogun States and the huge Lower Anambra Irrigation Project (LAIP), amongst others, came on stream during his time. Several River Basin Development Authorities were further created around the country as vehicles to drive the government’s “Green Revolution” agricultural policy. In the industrial sectors, he made some of the greatest impacts. He started the Ajaokuta Steel Complex in 1979, which was one of the largest of its kind in Africa. He also initiated and completed the smaller Delta Steel Plant in Aladja and the rest of the value chain by finishing three Steel rolling mills at Oshogbo, Jos and Katsina. In the same four tenure, President Shagari also built the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) in Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom. For the first time, huge Paper Mills were also established in Iwopin in Ogun State and Okun Ibokun in Akwa Ibom. These industrial complexes in various sectors scattered around the country were amongst the first of their type in Sub-Saharan Africa. Oil and Gas sector, he started and completed the Kaduna Refinery to which no new one has been added in the entire country 35 years after. In other areas, he built the Sapele inland port along the Benin River which is still in use. His administration also saw to the establishment of additional universities and teaching hospitals. In the sphere of foreign policy, the President again brought Nigeria to the fulcrum of African and global diplomacy as the regional power. Domestically, he was a pan-Nigerian who felt at home with people from all parts of the country. He granted pardon to one-time Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon who was alleged to have been involved in the Dimka coup. This paved the way for Gowon to return to the country after a long exile in the United Kingdom where he successfully acquired a PhD in political science at Warwick University. He also granted state pardon to former Biafran War Leader, Chief Odumengwu Ojukwu. With this, the latter also returned to Nigeria from his long sojourn in Cote d’Ivoire to which he fled after the civil war in 1970. Shagari’s cultured and well-mannered pedigree also reflected in his appointment of Service Chiefs, thus: Chief of Defense Staff, Gen Alani Akinrinade (South West), Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Gibson Jallo (North East), Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm Akin Aduwo (South West), and Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Abdulahi Dominic Bello (North Central) and Inspector General of Police, Sunday Adewusi (South West). With the exception of Gen Mohammed Wushishi (North Central) who succeeded Gen Jalo on the latter’s retirement, none of these high ranking officials of state were of same religious or ethnic stock. A greatly detribialized man who felt at home with all!; In spite of these laudable credentials, his government was accused of being corrupt, weak and engaged in election rigging. There was however, no doubt that some powerful members of his inner circle such as the Minister of Transport Alhaji Umaru Dikko overreached himself and made enemies for the government. The Shagari government was also unfortunately steeped in excesses particularly with respect to the importation of fertilizer. But these allegations are observably child’s play compared to the various scandals plaguing the country today.

Read More at: https://leadership.ng/2019/01/06/2-nation-builders-2-deaths-the-shehu-shagari-and-lulu-briggs-connection/

Governance in Nigeria is very poor and the worst levels of poor governance are found at the state and local governments. Whenever general elections occur, however, the attention of Nigerians, and indeed the world, is focused almost entirely on the presidential election, which is invariably a two-horse race. It’s the same for the 2019 general elections, in which high hopes for a better “third force” was rife up until about six months ago. Since the party primaries however, it has become clear that once again, the race is between two candidates, both in their seventies and both of northern Fulani stock. Nigeria has so far been able to develop a new generation of leaders, but we are left with current President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. There are, of course, dozens of other candidates, yet no one seems to pay them much attention.

During the 2015 election, Buhari was the beacon of hope that galvanised Nigerians to vote out an incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan. Today, after nearly four years, the hope has dimmed following his inability to deliver on his very clear campaign promise of providing security, jobs and effectively combating corruption. His rival, Atiku Abubakar, who has had presidential ambitions for the past thirty-five years, might finally have his chance. Clearly, this is his best chance so far.

In October, the Economist magazine articulated the view that it might indeed be his time, given his pledge to curtail joblessness and revive the economy, as this gives him an edge over President Buhari, with a few months to the election. The Atiku campaign organisation jumped on the prediction, claiming that: “As the Economist rightly states, the issues in 2019 are popular frustration over the rise in joblessness and poverty (two of the biggest voter concerns) on Mr. Buhari’s watch, as well as growing insecurity in central Nigeria. No other candidate has the capacity to address these challenges, like Atiku.” Atiku is presenting himself as a successful businessman poised to translate the significant success he has made in his private business empire to the public sector.

In its latest edition, the Economist magazine has changed its mind and now believes that President Muhammadu Buhari would win next year’s election. It also came out with the view that the opposition coalition may collapse before the general election. Not surprisingly, the upset PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, came out to say that this time around, the forecast of the London-based magazine fails to meet the attributes of objectivity, balance and fairness.

President Buhari has a number of weaknesses that are affecting his campaign. His biggest weakness is that he has lost his 2015 coalition, with many key players such as Atiku himself, Senate President Saraki, Speaker Dogara, Governor Tambuwal and so on defecting back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Buhari has also lost a lot of his financers…

Foreign predictions about the 2019 electoral outcome has become a game, with the Economist Intelligence Unit, the research unit of The Economist, and a multinational banking and financial services company, HSBC coming out with pro-Atiku predictions. The Buhari side then had to re-read a report by the United States Institute of Peace claiming they have predicted a Buhari win. The Institute had to come out with a statement captioned: “Correcting a Media Error: USIP Makes No Prediction on Nigerian Election.” They explained that “that the Institute’s 20-page report on risk to a peaceful election in Nigeria, predict(ing) victory for Buhari was false.” The problem with all these predictions and non-predictions of electoral outcome is that they tend to draw on so-called objective factors of performance or non-performance. Elections, however, are not about objective factors, they are often about the sentiments of voters.

Atiku’s choice of Peter Obi as his running mate for example, has created two currents of sentiments that are affecting his campaign negatively. South-East governors have been furious that he went above their heads to select his running mate and are not putting their state party machines in his support. In much of the North, Peter Obi is seen as an ethnic bigot with an anti-Hausa track record and that in itself is working in Buhari’s favour. At this time, it is very difficult to predict the outcome of the 2019 presidential election. The two candidates have strengths and weakness that are being played out in ways that could still swing the outcome.

President Buhari has a number of weaknesses that are affecting his campaign. His biggest weakness is that he has lost his 2015 coalition, with many key players such as Atiku himself, Senate President Saraki, Speaker Dogara, Governor Tambuwal and so on defecting back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Buhari has also lost a lot of his financers, who assumed winning would provide financial rewards for them and that simply did not happen. Equally, Buhari has lost the support of much of the Northern technocratic elite, who are of the view that he has not shown sufficient competence in governance and has, in addition, allowed his key ministers – finance, budget, power and works to allocate more resources to the South-West than the North-East and North-West. His party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has also been very concerned that Buhari has consistently refused to make political appointments in its favour and that too many of Jonathan’s appointees have been retained over the past four years. This has created a significant lack of enthusiasm and commitment to the campaign among many of his supporters. This might reduce his support within his own base.

President Buhari has a number of strengths, however, that work in his favour. His core support in the North-West and North-East has remained with him and still consider him a good man, even if as many of them say, one surrounded by bad advisers. They therefore disregard his alleged non-performance, blaming it on others.

Atiku’s greatest weakness is that he is not well liked in his own base in the North-East and North-West. He does not have the type of love and charisma that Buhari enjoys in the zone. Atiku has also alienated the zone by articulating his campaign on restructuring the country, which is pleasing to the South.

Atiku’s greatest weakness is that he is not well liked in his own base in the North-East and North-West. He does not have the type of love and charisma that Buhari enjoys in the zone. Atiku has also alienated the zone by articulating his campaign on restructuring the country, which is pleasing to the South. Atiku is also considered by too many people as having a long track record of corruption. Even those who are complaining that Buhari has not performed as much as he could have on the anti-corruption front are worried that Atiku would be much worse.

Atiku’s strength is that he has built significant support from the South and the Christian community. He is the beneficiary of the terrible farmers-herders conflict that has turned much of the Middle Belt against President Buhari, who many in that zone believe allowed mass killing to spread unhindered. Atiku also has a vast network of friends and associates supporting him all over the country and has been able to keep his friends, while Buhari has lost much of his own. The PDP machine also has the capacity to generate a lot of financial support for the Atiku campaign, and one of the greatest unknowns of the election is whether the PDP money would flow; if it does, it would be a great boost to the Atiku campaign. The Atiku campaign has strong support in the South-East, South-South and what is known as the cultural or Christian Middle Belt. He is however another Fulani man, as such it is not clear whether voters there would come out en masse to elect another Fulani man.

The South-West would be the arbiter of the election. Would they vote for Atiku, who has promised them the restructuring they love or would they vote for Buhari, who has given them the vice presidency and powerful ministers? Clearly, the votes would be split but the margins of difference could be decisive. The media, social media and overtures that would be made in the coming weeks would all play a major role. President Buhari has a difficult but feasible chance of winning the 2019 elections. It would however require that he is able to quickly mends fences with supporters he has hurt or ignored and is able to mobilise against apathy. Atiku Abubakar also has a difficult but feasible chance of winning the 2019 elections if his campaign structure grows in coherence, is well funded and is above all able to carry the South-West with the promise of restructuring.

A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES.
https://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2018/12/31/the-2019-presidential-election-predicting-the-outcome-by-jibrin-ibrahim/