NIGERIA ACCUMULATED 8 TRILLION DEBT IN 2 YEARS

At the time some analysts are expressing concerns that Nigeria is borrowing too much, it has come to light that between September 2015 and September 2017, Nigeria’s debt stock has risen by 64.81% to 8 trillion naira.

According to statistics from the Debt Management Office, DMO, Nigeria’s total debt stock as of the end of September this year stood at 20.37 trillion naira, while the figure at the same period in 2015 stood at 12.36 trillion naira.

This means that within a period of two years, Nigeria has borrowed 8.1 trillion naira.

The DMO did not give a breakdown of the federal and state governments’ components of the total debt commitment. However, the bulk of the debt usually belongs to the Federal Government.

Also Read:  3 Things To Know About $5.5 Billion Loan Approved By Senate

As of 2015, part of the loan obtained from overseas stood at 2.09 trillion. However, as of September 30, 2017, the foreign loan component stood at N4.60 trillion. This means that the external debt component rose by 2.6 trillion or 124.4%.

The domestic debt component of the total debt, on the other hand, rose from 10.27 trillion as of September 2015 to 15.68 trillion the same time this year.

This means that within the two-year period, the domestic debt rose by 5.41 trillion naira. In percentage terms, the domestic debt increased by 52.68%.

Meanwhile it has also come to light that the Eurobonds make up more than a fifth of Nigeria’s total foreign debt portfolio of $66.63 billion as of September and more than half of interest paid in the third quarter of this year.

Anti-Corruption: Jail corrupt people in your govt first, Fayose tells Buhari

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has told President Muhammadu Buhari to stop being hypocritical about his fight against corruption and rid his government of corrupt elements first, saying; “Someone needs to tell the President that Nigerians no longer believe in his anti-corruption fight because he harbours the most corrupt Nigerians in his government.”

President Buhari had said yesterday, in Abuja during the presentation of the book, “Making Steady Sustainable Progress” that any public official caught will go to jail.

Reacting through a statement on Friday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose asked; “How many of those indicted of corruption in President Buhari’s government has he jailed? Isn’t it the height of hypocrisy for a President that is using APC broom to sweep corruption involving his men under the carpet to be talking about jailing anyone caught stealing public fund?”

The governor, who insisted that President Buhari was only hiding under anti-corruption fight to harass his perceived political foes, said; “We have a President who is the Life Patron of Corruption in Nigeria. His government is not only corrupt, the government itself is corruption! Sadly, our President is still carrying on with the mindset that Nigerians are still listening to his lyrics of ‘we are fighting corruption.’

“Today, it is seventeen days since President Buhari sacked the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Babachir Lawal, and the Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayodele Oke, has any of them been arrested by the EFCC?

“Apart from sacking Oke, has President Buhari told Nigerians any other thing about the $43 million discovered in the Osbourne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos apartment? Who owns the apartment?

“What has happened to those involved in the fraudulent reinstatement of the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Mr Abdullahi Maina, who was declared wanted for corrupt practices by the International Police Organisation, (INTERPOL) after he was dismissed from office by the Civil Service Commission in 2013 for allegedly committing N2.1 Billion pension fraud while in office?

“Why hasn’t Maina been arrested by the EFCC up till now?

“When the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Ibe Kachikwu’s alleged that the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); Dr. Maikanti Baru awarded $25 billion contracts without following due process against and weren’t Buhari’s men the ones defending Baru?

“Isn’t the same Abba Kyari, who was accused of collecting N500 million bribe from MTN still Buhari’s Chief of Staff? Has anything been heard about the $5 billion fine imposed on MTN by the federal government after Abba Kyari allegedly received the N500 million bribe?

“Methinks President Buhari should face the reality that there are people in his government that should be in jail by now for corruption. Not until he jails those corrupt elements that are wining and dining with him, Nigerians will continue to liken his threat to jail anyone who steals pubic fund with a cow thief threatening to jail a fowl thief.”

NDI ANAMBRA, THE CHOICE BEFORE YOU FOR A BETTER TODAY AND A GREATER TOMORROW (III)

If Anambra is a Pariah or Failed State under His Excellency, Governor Willie Maduaburochukwu Obiano, how come Global Development Agencies are falling over themselves to associate with Anambra State, thus, positively touching the lives of Ndi Anambra?

Ndi Anambra, never must we listen to the EVIL BLACK PROPAGANDA peddled by Internally Displaced Social Media Influenzas, who want Anambra to go back to the Dark Days of Turmoil, just because of peanuts and the one yard of ankara gifted them.

In less than 24hours, over '2.1million' will be going to the polls.

Just like Prophet Moses in Deuteronomy 30, I present you the Choice between Good & Evil, between Fruitful Life and Odindu Onwu Ka Nma (Alive but Death is preferable), between Blesings and Penury. Ndi Anambra, the Choices are yours.

If you want an Anambra where Armedrobbery, Kidnappings and other heinous crimes is the order of the day, then choose Evil.

If you want an Anambra State where Cultism and Kidnap of State Governors is the order of the day, then choose Evil.

If you want an Anambra where workers are told to be patient for their Six months Salary Arrears, Pension arrears, Gratuities, then choose Evil.

If you want a Failed Anambra State that would transcend into Thomas Hobbes' Hobbesian State, where nothing works, then choose EVIL.

If you want an Anambra that will be like the Centre (APC-LED GOVERNMENT), an Anambra where Erection of Statues is the order of the day, where civil servants die of Hypertension over unpaid salary arrears, an Anambra where workers are asked to give up some months salary arrears, an Anambra where workers are paid half of their monthly salary, then chose EVIL.

But if you want an Anambra Flowing with Milk and Honey, where Infrastructural Development and Opening of Rural Communities is the in-thing, then the choice is yours.

If you want an Anambra where Global Development Agencies are falling over themselves to come partner and invest in the critical sectors of our State's economy, then the choice is yours.

Anambra Decides: We Charge INEC, Security Agencies On Free, Fair And Credible Election - PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is prepared and ready for the the Saturday November 18, 2017 Governorship Election in Anambra State; and we are charging the Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies deployed for the Election to be neutral in the Conduct of the Election.

      The Anambra State Governorship Election is a litmus test for INEC and another opportunity for the Ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), to redeem itself from the culture of impunity, inconclusive elections and rigging as exhibited in previous elections in Edo, Ondo and other by-elections in the Country. 

       We want to join other well-meaning Nigerians to condemn the recent withdrawal of personal security of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris. Notwithstanding that President Buhari ordered the reinstatement of Governor's security aides, this recent action by the Police  is a clear signal that the Force is working to favour some individuals in the State or destabilize the Governorship Election in Anambra State.

   In view of the above, we are again, sounding a note of warning that we will not accept any manipulation of results in Anambra State. The INEC and all security agencies deployed for the election must remain neutral and unbiased before, during and after the Election. We insist that this election in Anambra State and others henceforth  must be free, fair, credible and transparent. Anything short of these will not be acceptable to us.

      We call on the people of Anambra State to protect their PVC and come out enmass to vote for our Governorship Candidate, Mr. Henry Oseloka Obaze and his Running Mate, Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe as Governor and Deputy Governor, respectively. We also urge the electorate in Anambra to vote and stay to protect their votes from polling units to the Collation Centers in order to scuttle the planned replacement of Authentic Results Sheet by the APC.

   Finally, we call on all election monitors and observers to maintain vigilance during the period of the Election. The success of our electoral processes depends largely on the hard-work of observers and monitors exposing election riggers and vote theft.

God bless the people of Anambra State! God bless the PDP!! God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

2019 election: Buhari Won't But I Will Force Internet, Power, Phone Rates Down Drastically – Dr. Brimah

I want to tell you about cabal mentality and a cabal system, and you will see if you can recognize it. Do you know that the amount you pay for gigabyte is ridiculous? That there is unlimited talk, text and data plans in the US as low as $20/month (N8,000)? Do you know that you pay double what people pay in America for light (power) and for cable? That in the US the triple package of cable, phone and unlimited high-speed internet is as low as $70/month?

So you are in the ‘third world’ but are paying two or three times more than people pay in the so-called first world. Why? It is because you are running a cabal system which is set-up to exploit you so the billionaires get richer, and these issues I just raised are not on their radar. I mean, Buhari and Osinbajo’s radar. Or are they?

Why should you in a ‘third world country’ be counting gigabyte by gigabyte while your peers in the US know of no such thing? How will you progress, conduct your research and be competitive in a global net-linked village when the cabal strangulate you to a gigabyte by gigabyte snail’s pace?

The things that matter in your life: internet that will enable you advance, phone that will make you communicate and make connections for business and pleasure, light, water. When did you hear Buhari and Osinbajo or Jonathan and Patience discuss these things? They believe you have them already; they believe you should be happy being exploited, paying exorbitant rates for these things. They will never fight the cabal who sponsor both political parties and force them to cut down those rates. They believe in the private sector which really means about 30 cabal. You know their names. Masses and consumers are never invited to those meetings and boards. The consumer does not count.

Obasanjo, Atiku and el-Rufai ran the privatization frenzy scam, private sector exploitation campaign. They signed up all these deals and sold off all we had at cheap rates to their friends to secure permanent wealth for themselves and put us in permanent bondage to the cabal. And them Buhari and Osinbajo are their friends, in bed with them and the same cabal who they appoint as heads of all government boards to monitor these very processes where they have been given monopolies. Do you see a cabal system? Do you see any way out of it except by a hard or soft revolution in the sense of a candidate like myself, with no ties to the cabal, coming in ‘guns blazing’ to shoot down all their cemented oligopolies?

Let me give you another: do you know that .ng domain is the most expensive in the world? It sells for $100/year. Compared to .com etc that sell and renew at $14 or less/year. Do you see why Nigeria is stagnant? Obasanjo set the .ng up and the cabal he gave it to were so greedy they figured the way to exploit the masses was by selling it at a 600% markup for themselves and his returns.

I have written of these over and over through the Jonathan years and now, seeing that two-years into the Buhari regime, these things are not on their radar; this is why I am contesting to be your next president God willing come 2019. Together we will smash the authority cartel. We will provide government free internet to all major towns and provide sponsor-slot internet hot spots as is in US subway and street corners. We will cut down rates and bring in competition so you never have to count gigabyte in your lives again. We will flood Nigeria with the internet it needs to grow. Internet is water and you shall have it God willing after 2019 on my watch. And we will flood you with the light (power) you need by allowing every household the right to generate its own power and sell it to the grid when not in use. These things are not rocket science.

Whereas there may be no employment, in the developed world, they make sure everyone is able to afford these basic things…light, water, phone, internet and security. The things that matter and that keep you with peace and dignity. But in Nigeria the cabal decide that it is these essential things that they will exploit you on, since you cannot do without them. And the government helps them at it.

The cabal are out to get you. Wait till you see the road-use fines million-dollar-borehole Fashola will slam on you when he finishes building those roads. You go take! Wait till you see how much you continue to pay for the power he will give you. These people set themselves up to be billionaires in a ponzi-like scheme by getting their friends to run the monopolies on you. And you have no say. The government does not enable competition or force down the prices. Only Yar’Adua of distinguished memory fought Dangote to force down his cement prices and overturned the sales of Nigeria’s assets by Atiku, OBJ and El-Rufai dem to him…and then according to US Cables, he died suddenly as he was about to overturn the sale/gift of Transcorp to Elumelu dem. Since then there has been no leader that fights the cabal for you. But that is about to change.

Let’s go, Nigeria. It’s time for Action!

They chanced our parents! They chanced us! We will never let them chance our children.

The Nigerian Police lost a gallant officer to death

The Intelligence Response Team (IRT) under the watch of Abba Kyari at the weekend, lost one of its gallant officers to the cold hands of death.

The gallant officer was one of the leading ‘field detectives’ who tracked and demystified Lagos based billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuadike aka Evans.

It was in the middle of a similar arrest that the suspect pumped bullets into Lanre’s stomach while his colleague got shot in the hand.

Unperturbed by the surprise attack, both the late Sergeant and others chased after the kidnappers and killed the man that fired the killer shots.

The bullets lodged in their bodies were later extracted with medical teams on ground confirming that the injured Policemen were responding to treatment.

But tragedy struck a few days later. It was discovered that Sergeant Lanre who had opened his eyes and exchanged pleasantries with his colleagues, later gave up the ghost.

“It is really sad and painful altogether. We have not been able to tell his wife and other family members yet. This is the risk of the job we are talking about; we put our lives on line for others, yet when it is time for promotion, one thing or the other will happen and the list will be kept in view.

“Look at this now, Sergeant Lanre was one of the men that put his life on the line to arrest Evans and now he is dead. We don’t even know how to break the news to his wife and family. It is painful,” one of his colleagues said at the weekend.

The commander of IRT, Kyari, is said to be in deep pain over Lanre’s death.

I will sue the Federal Government - Femi Falana

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has threatened to sue the Federal Government following his involvement in a road accident.

The human rights lawyer had broken his leg after falling into a manhole while walking to his office in Abuja.

He promised that he would not leave the matter to God like the ordinary Nigerian would, but will sue the government on Wednesday.

Falana who made this known while delivering his speech at the National Stakeholders Summit on Whistleblowing in Abuja on Tuesday said, “I am sure you saw me limping and using a walking stick when I was coming in. It is because I fell into a manhole while walking to my office on Shehu Shagari Way.

“I broke my leg and I am even wearing Plaster of Paris and I was even hospitalised. So, I won’t like the ordinary Nigerian leave it to God.

“I have decided that tomorrow I will sue the Federal Government.”

Buhari to announce new ministers before the end of November

• Power, works and housing ministry may be split into three

• Aviation and marine transport may be hived off from transportation

• Tinubu, APC governors may get nominees

In a move to keep to his promise to the chieftains and loyalists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to appoint more ministers to his cabinet, President Muhammadu Buhari is considering a tentative proposal to restructure some of the ministries, appoint eight new ministers to his cabinet and reshuffle the cabinet, we learnt.

Presidency sources privy to the proposal informed us that the plan is to appoint eight new ministers who will all be politicians, to accommodate the yearnings of his party members including its national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and at the same time position APC for the 2019 general elections.

In order to accommodate the eight new appointees to the cabinet, the plan is to get the president to split the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing into three ministries that will be manned by full ministers, and hived off the aviation and marine transport units from the Ministry of Transportation.

One minister will man Aviation and another may lead Marine Transportation.

A presidency source who spoke on the issue said the proposal that has been sent to the president provides for the appointment of eight new ministers, one representing each of the six geopolitical zones in the country and one from Lagos (who may be a nominee of Tinubu) and Kano State (who may be a nominee of Rabiu Kwankwaso).

Fashola is expected to retain Works and Road Transport, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau who is from Kano is expected to retain Ministry of Interior.

However, Police Affairs may be hived off from the Ministry of Interior.

The appointment of two more ministers from the two most populous states in the country is strategic and is aimed at ensuring that the appointees from Lagos and Kano play crucial roles in delivering both states to the APC in 2019.

The source also revealed that with the split of the power and transportation ministries, Fashola would most likely be made responsible for the newly created Ministry of Works and Roads Infrastructure, an appointee from the North-east geopolitical zone will be appointed to man the Ministry of Housing while an appointee from either the North-central zone or the South-east will be handed the Ministry of Power.

In the case of the Ministry of Transportation, once it is split, the current minister, Rotimi Amaechi, will be appointed to man the Ministry of Rail Transportation while Hadi Sirika who is currently a Minister of State in the transportation ministry (aviation) will most likely be made a full Minister of Aviation.

Another appointee will be given the Ministry of Marine Transport after it is hived off from the transportation ministry.

All the new appointments, said the source, will be done with the consultation of state governors.

“The proposal has been put together and sent to Mr. President for his final approval. It remains tentative for now, but if it meets the approval of the president, the announcement will be made public before the end of the month and the names of the nominees will be sent to the Senate for confirmation,” the source volunteered.

He also disclosed that the proposal includes a cabinet reshuffle which could see the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu redeployed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a new minister appointed to replace him as minister of state while Buhari continues to hold on to the petroleum ministry portfolio as the full minister.

At the last meeting of the National Executive Committee of the APC held last month in Abuja, Buhari had promised to appoint more ministers and members to the boards of federal parastatals.

The pledge was made to appease aggrieved members who had felt that they had been ditched after helping the party to win the 2015 elections.

He had said that the new appointees will be fit for purpose and will breathe new life into the administration.

Although Buhari has not yet publicly declared that he will run for a second term, the move is also targeted at empowering strong politicians who can deliver critical states during the 2019 elections.

Prince Ayodele Adeleye Discovers Cure For Diabetics, Hepatitis, Strokes, Ulcer.

A Nigerian medical scientist, Prince Ayodele I. Adeleye has recorded a break through for discovering permanent cure for some chronic diseases known to have no cure according to world medical records history.
The disease according to his claims include diabetics, strokes/paralysis, hepatitis, cancer, BP, ulcer, epilepsy and sickle cell.
The scientist has also improved on therapy that now reduces to two hours, the treatment and cure for HIV/Aids, including kidney, plus other damaged organs.
(Prof.) Adeleye, made the outcome of his breakthrough public penultimate week after an age-long research where he excelled in establishing cure in the nine ailments considered to have no permanent cure the world over.
Adeleye was the best graduate of Laboratory Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, and was retained immediately after graduation as a lecturer as well as staff in medical lab department of the university teaching hospital, ABUTH.
A major in parasitology, Adeleye rose to the position of principal staff in the lab science department of ABUTH, and retired after successful carrier as federal civil servant to establish a research centre in Kaduna metropolis.
In a chat with our correspondent, at the “Yaro Medicare Nigeria limited, the research centre”, located in the heart of Kaduna, Adeleye said more research was still in progress.
In a handbill made available to journalists, the permanent cure for diabetes takes only a month, stating that it’s the first and only of its kind in the world.
On hepatitis, the cure is said to be instantaneous and takes only a day, while cure for all kinds of stroke/paralysis, at any level inclusive, takes only three days, respectively.
Curatives, according to the claimant, include all types of cancer including leukemia, are also instant, and takes only one day for treatment and cure, while that of ulcer is also one day.
Work on full cure of epilepsy and sickle cell have also been completed, and permanent cure also discovered, he said.
The two hours, HIV/Aids cure according to the medical researcher, also treats organs, including kidney, and others, damaged as a result of prolonged anti-retro viral therapy, adding that patients would test negative five days later.

Press release: kanu is still our leader, IPOD speaks

We the family members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leadership worldwide under the supreme command of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu the prophet of our time, wish to clarify that the DSS/Ministry of Information engineered speculation regarding the position of our leader is a cheap diversionary tactics designed to test our dedication and resolve in the run up to the much anticipated boycott of Anambra elections on Saturday November 18th, 2017. Not minding the involvement of two key ministries of government in the propagation of this falsehood, we remain fiercely resolute and undeterred by the crude antics of a drowning government. They have lost every sense of shame. The only option left open for them is to periodically opt for hyper-dramatics in an environment devoid of any form of investigative journalism.

By seeking to deflect attention away from multiple fronts of attack IPOB have subjected the Buhari regime to, DSS and their propaganda arm, the Ministry of Information came up with this laughable concoction about the dismissal of our leader, which they know, even by their own very low standards of news management, is so hilarious that no sane mind will believe it. Biafrans and the entire humanity knows that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was abducted by Nigerian soldiers on the 14th September 2017, therefore no amount of fake stories about our leader and our movement planted through government friendly media houses, will dent our resolve to restore Biafra. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the only person with absolute command over entire Biafra restoration effort, remains the rock upon which the entire edifice of IPOB is built. The preposterous and laughable idea that he has been sacked from Radio Biafra he personally established in London and IPOB he founded is tantamount to saying that the Sun is no longer part of the solar system. It is not only unthinkable, it will be foolish of anyone to contemplate it.

The world can now see how the Caliphate cabal is running Nigeria through fabrications and unadulterated falsehood in the hope of twisting the minds of the gullible and the easily deceived. For anyone to believe that faceless hitherto unheard of individuals can wake up one evening and announce the replacement of a man that commands 50 million people with presence in over 100 countries of the world, making him only second to Pope Francis as the personality with the largest cult following on earth, is plain stupid. Anybody who peddles or believes such a story needs his or her brain examined. This is another classic DSS engineered subterfuge that fell flat on its face as all on their previous efforts to rubbish the personality of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu did. Many more weird and ludicrous stories will emerge in the coming days. The more IPOB applies the pressure, the more bizarre the antics of this shambolic APC Government becomes.

No amount of fabricated falsehood or carefully packaged lies by DSS and Lai Mohammed's Ministry of Information will ever erase the fact that Nigerian soldiers last September invaded Kanu's compound and abducted him. The Minister of Defence Mansur Dan Ali on Channels Television admitted during an interview that troops went in search of our leader in his home without court warrant in a supposed democracy. This invasion led to the death of 28 people shot by Nigerian soldiers. It doesn't take much to understand that fake stories is part of the strategy of government to stop people from asking them where Nnamdi Kanu is. By regaling the gullible few with wild stories such as the sacking of our leader, they hope to cheapen a very serious matter of abduction and possible extra judicial execution. We advice the discerning public to disregard such junk news and continue to demand for the whereabouts of our leader from the Buhari regime.

We must not forget the case of purported splinter groups set up by DSS such as REIPOB, TRIPOB, RENIPOB, SEXIPOB etc. Non of them made it from newspaper pages into the real world. This latest show of shame by DSS and the Nigerian Army proves that they are still holding our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in their custody and are hoping to create a diversion with this talk of his replacement when they know such is impossible.

We have all become accustomed to the crude antics of this shameless Nigerian Government and her security agencies who are so desperate to create confusion and pandemonium within the hierarchy of IPOB. That they came up with this ludicrous propaganda of the replacement of the irreplaceable IPOB leader is confirmation of their desperation. IPOB is arguably the most disciplined mass movement in the world today, if not all the years of torture of Benjamin Madubugwu, David Nwawuisi and Bright Chimezie Ishinwa would have provided DSS the key witness against Kanu in the treasonable felony trial they have been looking for. 

This fabricated news of the sacking of our leader is nothing more than mere childish prank played by unintelligent people in a supposedly intelligence agency. No right thinking person would waste his or her time on such nonsensical gimmick.

We have concluded that instead of DSS to remove Nnamdi Kanu as IPOB leader,  Nnamdi Kanu, even in military custody, will remove Jubril the Sudanese who is parading himself as Buhari and return him to Sudan where he belongs. Fabricating, concocting and peddling lies against IPOB through government friendly newspapers and media houses to the amusement of the undiscerning public is an exercise in futility. Our leader cannot be demystified with cheap lies. IPOB under the leadership and supreme command of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, even in custody, is unstoppable, unquenchable, irreversible and irrevocable. We are waiting for their next installment.

OGUN 2019: Senator Mamora Enters the Ogun State Governorship Race.

The two-term speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly and former senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District in the Red Chamber, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora has declared to contest for Ogun State governorship in 2019.

The official declaration which took place today at his family house in Isapodo,Ijebu Ife in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State has in attendance politicians across Ijebu East,especially from Ijebu Ife Ward 1&2. High Chief Segun Osibote (Aloran of Ijebu Ife),Mr Wale Adedayo (former Chief Permanent Secretary to Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Mr Tayo Mabeweje and the host of others were also present at the event.

Loyalist from APC Yayi Movement and SIA Group who are from Ijebu Ife Ward 1&2 stormed the event in multitude to pay loyalty to one of their own as the son of the soil.

A chieftain of APC Mr Elepe while speaking urged Sen Mamora to appoint someone who is trustworthy in the local government area to be his Liason Officer and to also make himself accessible to people.

ow Obasanjo Destroyed Nigeria

Of Nigeria's cabal, the worst that is still alive and active till today who I would say is the most responsible for the intractable woes of Nigeria is Olusegun Obasanjo. The headmaster of the cabal. In my view, Obasanjo singlehandedly destroyed Nigeria and he did so starting from his first time as Head of State, from 1976-79. I am not sure any nation could suffer greater evil.  Here are some of Obasanjo's most destructive policies:

Destruction of Nigeria's Anthem

The below, anthem written by Lilian Jean Williams was in use from 1960 till Obasanjo changed it in 1978. It was an anthem that had meaning and value and promoted dignified and healthy growth for Nigeria's diverse groups. [Watch Anthem critique @CabalMustGo NY Meeting: https://youtu.be/fi_Tzew1ND4 ]

Old Anthem (Emphasis mine):

Nigeria we hail thee,
Our own dear native land,
Though tribe and tongue may differ,
In brotherhood we stand,
Nigerians all, and proud to serve
Our sovereign Motherland.

Our flag shall be a symbol
That truth and justice reign,
In peace or battle honour'd,
And this we count as gain,
To hand on to our children
A banner without stain.

O God of all creation,
Grant this our one request,
Help us to build a nation
Where no man is oppressed,
And so with peace and plenty
Nigeria may be blessed.

But a very sinister Obasanjo who lacked respect for women and mothers, and planned no promise for the youth, changed it to this anthem enshrining highlighted slavish service and obeisance, and with prayers for the leading cabal and disparage for the youth. 

Obasanjo's Anthem in use Today (Emphasis mine):

Arise, O compatriots
Nigeria's call obey
To serve our fatherland
With love and strength and faith
The labour of our heroes past
Shall never be in vain 
To serve with heart and might
One nation bound in freedom
Peace and unity.

Oh God of creation
Direct our noble cause
Guide our leaders right
Help our youth the truth to know
In love and honesty to grow
And live in just and true
Great lofty heights attain
To build a nation where peace
And justice shall reign

How about helping the leaders the truth to know?

As president of Nigeria in 2019, I promise to work on restoring or replacing the anthem.

Destruction of Nigeria's Constitution

"A federation of the existing states would probably perpetuate the highly centralized form of federalism that was created by the constitution of 1979 and restored by the current (1999) constitution" – Richard R. Sklar, Crafting the New Nigeria: Confronting the Challenges, 2004.

As Robert Clarke SAN put it when he recently invoked a military takeover for constitutional reversal, Obasanjo's replacement of the 1963 constitution and conversion of the Parliamentary system of government to the Presidential system, was the "root of corruption" in the government and national assembly. 

The crooked cabal headmaster created the powerful almighty Abuja center which he knew that once he and his controlled, they would be able to control all wealth and promise of Nigeria and guarantee Nigeria's children received a "banner with stain"... or actually only the stain as the banner has been looted by Obasanjo and his coterie of helpless, chronically loot-dependent cabal.

Nigeria cannot advance until its regions are restored and power is devolved. 

As President of Nigeria in 2019, I promise that my priority will be the discard of Obasanjo's illegal constitutions and the restoration of Nigeria's 1963 legitimate constitution or something better. Nigeria must discard Obasanjo's changes and return to a healthy Regional system as is operational in USA, Canada, UK, UAE, India, Malaysia, Brazil, etc.

Obasanjo's Transfer of Land and Oil Income from the Indigenous Owners to the Cabal

As head of state, Obasanjo reduced the oil royalties and rents due to the state of origin from 50 to 30 percent. He also created the "Land use act," perhaps the most repugnant and contemptible piece of legislature in the world.

"An Act to Vest all Land compromised in the territory of each State (except land vested in the Federal government or its agencies) solely in the Governor of the State..."

The ungodly "Act" vests all land in the country in the State, thereby divesting the customary owners of their original title. With the act, oil companies stopped approaching families and communities to buy or rent their land, but now needed to go only to the cabal in power to seize the land. Such a wicked and revolting "Act" is not seen from the USA to the UAE.

Obasanjo's land use act turned Nigeria's government into broad day light robbers. It destroyed families across the nation by transferring and continuing to transfer their inheritance over to the cabal for their sugarcane plantations and oil exploration.

The trouble in the Niger Delta and pollution of the region, which is currently the most polluted estate in the entire world, was a result of no one but Olusegun Obasanjo by whose laws oil-blessed lands were seized from indigenes and given to callous cabal and their tailors, far and wide who cared only about exploiting them of their oil and did not care the least about the pollution to the indigenes.

As president of Nigeria in 2019, I promise to work on abrogating and expunging the land use act and to properly compensate its millions of victims.

The list of Obasanjo's atrocities and his devious acts that capitalized on the "divide and rule" principle by sowing intractable ethnic discord and caused the direct transfer of all hope, wealth and from the masses to the cabal while cementing their hold of the reins of power, is limitless. 

As President of Nigeria in 2019, I promise that the first item on my list of priorities will be the arrest of Olusegun Obasanjo if he is still alive. We will prepare him for the International Criminal Court, ICC for the 1999 Odi massacre and his other crimes against humanity.

Don't Vote Buhari Again In 2019, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi

Sheikh (Dr) Ahmad Abubakar Gumi has declared the President Muhammadu Buhari APC-led administration as a failure.

The Islamic scholar said this in his assessment of Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last two years.

He noted that the general assessment of government’s performance was below the expectation of Nigerians, and urged Nigerians to reject both the APC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) if they really desire a new lease of life.

His words: “The problem is that no matter how good you are as a leader, you should have a team. If you put Maradona in a bad team, no one will pass the ball to him in order to score a goal. The APC government has failed for lack of a team”.

“Every failure has reasons. When a patient dies in the hospital, there is usually a post mortem examination to determine the direct cause of death. We have symptoms but they may not be the cause of death.

“The widespread suffering in the country is a symptom of an underlying disease afflicting the nation that needs to be tackled. But if the government has been listening all along, it could have alleviated the problem or it could have done more than it is doing.

“I can imagine somebody who has nothing. How is he surviving? How is he paying his children’s school fees? How can he treat his children when they are sick? How can he feed? So, when you look at all these indices, you will know that it is a miracle that we are still existing.

“So, if we want to do a post mortem on this government, you have to look far beyond the inception of the administration. Like I said, they inherited some of the defects and the solution would have been to manage Nigeria as a critically ill patient”.

Gumi, a medical doctor, also stated that Nigeria is not united. He said the APC took over a divided country and that what political scientists needed to do at that time was to design a template without dividing Nigeria.

“Now, there is too much hostility and bad blood in the country. All I know is that all Nigerians are one. What we need was someone to correct us”, he told our corresponds.

“This is the time to bring people together, the kind of leader that Nigeria needs at this critical time is the one that can pacify. Not one that will show that he is clean and the other person is dirty. No. He should show that we are all dirty, let us all come and clean ourselves.

“So, the so-called clean party which has the broom, who is it trying to sweep? It is so antagonistic. It is so provocative that it has divided the country. If your house is also dirty, you cannot clean someone’s house. People thought that change is coming when it was not possible to effect that change.

Gumi fumed that top officials were getting away with stealing and corruption and cited examples.

“The allegations of corruption are already been made against the (suspended) Secretary to the Government of the Federation, of a government that is fighting corruption. And the government cannot do anything besides suspension.

“The present administration came to rule Nigeria using the slogan of war against corruption and this is disrupting the unity of the country. The unity of the country is more important than the money that people stole; more important than the current underdevelopment that we are witnessing”.

Asked the way out of Nigeria’s problems, Sheikh Gumi advised that before 2019, politics has to change completely and drastically.

“No more APC or PDP”, he declared, adding that “once they continue, Nigeria’s problems will continue. What I am saying is that they should metamorphose, they should change. When you see a butterfly, there was a time when it was a larva.

“The parties have to change; PDP has to change, APC has to change or it will break because it is an alloy which is not well moulded. We want these parties to change because of the future of our children.

“The major defect of APC is that it is a party which was grown by the power of individuals; Buhari in the North and Tinubu in the South West. And there is danger in this kind of politics. Look at Mugabe now, he has suppressed and pinned down everybody in Zimbabwe and he has been winning elections in quote.

“If we continue along this path, Nigeria will be like that. When we have somebody who feels that he is the Messiah, then we are in trouble because as I am speaking to you now, not everybody in the North can speak to you like this.”

OUT OF THE THREE UNSCRUPULOUS CHARACTERS THAT WERE CAUGHT FOR TAX EVASION, ONLY JIM OVIA HAS SHOWN REMORSE, WHY IS SARAKI AND EMEFIELE QUIET ABOUT IT - PIUS ADESANMI

Within one week of being caught pants down evading taxes and sundry financial offenses within the jurisdiction of the European Union, Mr Jim Ovia has quickly instructed his lawyers to announce his readiness to refund £11 Million tax he allegedly avoided.

This should be an occasion for sober reflection for every Nigerian. Those of us who are always screaming and bursting two veins per day over the need for us to have a society of consequences are not mad. And we are not referencing 21st-century societies of consequences as ntor - which is what you think we are doing, hence all your insults and lashing back in automated defence of the 17th-century lawless status quo in Nigeria.

Look at it this way. Three Nigerians are implicated in the Paradise Papers: Jim Ovia, Bukola Saraki, and Godwin Emefiele. Of the three, only one is vulnerable for now to 21st-century consequences of tax evasion in civilization. The other two, Bukola Saraki and Godwin Emefiele, are operating in a 17th-century zoo of impunity in Nigeria. They know that they are Lords (CBN Governor & Senate President) in a 17th-cventury animal farm where there is no crime and punishment for their ilk.

Of the three unscrupulous characters, only the one who is immediately vulnerable to consequences in civilization is running upandan to pay back taxes even before he is charged with anything. Don't you wish this for Nigeria today today?

And you think I should fold my arms and accept that Nigeria deserves less? And you think I should agree with you that we shall get there gradually?

By fire by force, you must understand the urgency of these things for Nigeria. By the way, anywhere in the jurisdiction of the European Union, Bukola Saraki and Godwin Emefiele would have resigned to go and clear their names by now.

As for Jim Ovia, were this to be within Nigeria's jurisdiction, he would never have offered to pay back taxes. He would have mobilized placard-carrying young people taught in our school system nationwide by the metaphorical Kaduna teachers to claim that he is being held to account because of his religion, ethnicity or political affiliation.

Or he would simply have said that he is broke. After all, one irresponsible former member of the Federal House of Representatives recently told the courts that he is unable to refund salaries he unlawfully received to the Nigerian purse because he is broke. When I flagged it, there were defenders...

Whether you like it or not, we will continue to scream these things until Nigeria changes course.

STOP YOUR ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON GOV. WIKE NOW - PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is once again constrained to draw the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to another assassination attempt by his Minister of Transport, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi on the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike yesterday being Saturday, November 11, 2017 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The Convoy of Governor Wike was ambushed by a  contingent of security apparatus led by the commander of Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), in Rivers State, Mr. Akin Fakorede and supervised by Amaechi’s ADC, Mr. Debewari. These constant harassment and attempt on the Life of Governor Wike is an open invitation to anarchy and another plan of the APC to ignite crisis against Rivers State.

The public is aware that the Minister of Transport has been making attempts on the Life of Governor Wike and in all of the attempts, the Commander of SARS in Rivers State, Mr. Fakorede is ever ready to lead the ill-advised onslaught.

Again, we condemn this attack in very strong terms and call on President Buhari to order the immediate transfer of Mr. Fakorede of SARS out of Rivers State. Any delay in effecting this change will be taken that President Buhari is fully in charge of these ugly activities in the State.

We are also calling on the International Community to take note of these chain of activity that are carefully planned by the Ruling APC and being executed by the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi. If anything happens to Governor Wike or his immediate family and aides, the APC and Mr. Amaechi should be held responsible. "A stitch in time saves nine".

God bless the PDP! God bless the people of Rivers State!! God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!

BUHARI THIS IS THE HEIGHT OF IMPUNITY IN A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT, RELEASE SHEIKH ZAKZAKY NOW - IMN PRESIDENT

The continuous detention of the leader of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat, for almost two years without trial is a sour point in the human rights rating of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, writes John Shiklam

By December 14, it would be two years since the Muhammadu Buhari administration detained the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat without trial even against court orders. Unfortunately, the case of El-Zakzaky and wife has however become one of the worst cases of human right abuses being recorded against the administration of President Buhari.

Zakzaky and Zeenat had been in detention since December 14, 2015, following a clash between his followers and the Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State. Many of his followers, who were equally arrested during the incident, are also in prison custody facing different charges.
By next month, the Islamic leader and his wife would have spent two years in detention without trial despite a court order for their release.

An Abuja Federal High Court had on December 2, 2016, declared their continuous detention without trial illegal.
Counsel to the Shiite leader, Femi Falana, had approached the court to demand the release of the duo several months after their arrest without being charged to Court, arguing that their continuous detention was unlawful and a violation of their fundamental rights.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole, who presided over the case, had rejected submissions of the counsel to the State Security Service (SSS), Tijjani Gazali, that El-Zakzaky was being held in protective custody of the SSS, noting that, “I have not been shown any incident report or any complaint lodged by residents around the neighbourhood that the applicant has become a nuisance to his neigbourhood,” as claimed by the SSS.

The judge had declared that the decision of the government to hold the Shiite leader for so long amounted to great danger.
Citing the death of a former leader of the Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf, the judge had observed that, “If the applicant dies in custody which I do not pray for, it could result in many needless deaths.”

He however ruled that the continued detention of the couple violated their rights under Section 35 (1) of the Constitution and provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.
Consequently, he ordered that the Shi’ite leader and his wife be released within 45 days and must be provided with a suitable accommodation and security. The court also ordered the federal government to pay a fine of 50 million to El-Zakzaky and his wife.

Dissatisfied with the decision of the court, the federal government filed an appeal on January 27, 2017, on the grounds that the trial judge erred when he ordered that a suitable accommodation and security be provided for the duo.
The government also challenged the jurisdiction of the Abuja court, saying the alleged destruction of the Shi’ite’s leader’s property occurred in Kaduna.

The appellant stated further that the judge erred in law when he lumped two cases together in his judgment stressing, that two separate judgments ought to have been delivered by the trial judge.
Almost one year after the appeal, it is still pending as the Islamic leader languishes in detention. Several human rights groups had condemned El-Zakzaky’s detention without trial and described it as one of the worst human rights abuses. His followers have also not relented in demanding for his unconditional release.

Ibrahim Musa, President of IMN media forum, in a recent statement said the federal government’s refusal to release El-Zakzaky despite the court order is the “height of impunity that had ever been committed by a democratic government in this country. It is even worse when a court has ordered the release of such a person, and the government contemptuously holds him.

“Even previously under a military dictatorship headed by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, nobody was detained without an order made, pursuant to a decree, the States Security Detention of Persons Decree Number 2 of 1984.
“Nobody was detained without an order made by the detaining authority. Today, there is no such law. So, our case cannot be worse under a democratic dispensation as against what occurred in that military junta.

How can you detain somebody for about two years, without trial! This is illegal and undemocratic,” Musa said.
Falana has also written many letters to President Muhammadu Buhari, demanding the release of the IMN leader. The latest of such letters was dated November 6, (last Tuesday), in which he urged the president to stop the physical and mental agony that has been inflicted on the duo by releasing them to travel abroad for urgent medical attention.
He noted that the refusal of the federal government to release them, despite the order of an Abuja Federal High Court has created a “dangerous impression that the federal government does not operate under the rule of law.

“We urge Your Excellency to terminate forthwith the physical and mental agony that has been inflicted on our clients by releasing them from illegal custody and allowing them to travel abroad for urgent medical attention,” Falana wrote.
The human right lawyer also lamented the deteriorating health condition of El-Zakzaky, who, according to him, “was at a risk of total blindness” while his wife is still going through “excruciating pain and agony” as a result of bullets still lodged in her body.

“In case the federal government is not prepared to direct the State Security Service to comply with the orders of the Federal High Court, we are compelled to urge Your Excellency to order the release of the couple on health grounds.
“Although Sheikh El-Zakzaky lost his left eye while he is on the verge of losing the right eye sequel to the brutal treatment meted out to him by the armed soldiers, the State Security Service has denied him foreign medical treatment recommended by the local specialists, who had attended to him.

“Even the alternative arrangement put in place by the family of the Sheikh to bring eye specialists from abroad to treat him in custody has equally been rejected without any legal justification. It may interest Your Excellency to know that the medical condition of Mrs, Zeenat Elzakzaky is by far worse than that of her husband.

“For reasons best known to the State Security Service, some of the bullets lodged in her body during the brutal attack of December 14, 2015 have not been extracted up till now. In the circumstances, she has been subjected to excruciating pain and agony on a daily basis. Her life which is currently in danger may be saved and prolonged if she is allowed to receive adequate medical attention without any further delay,” the letter read.

El-Zakzaky’s travails started on December 12 and 14, 2015, when his followers clashed with the Nigerian Army in Zaria. The IMN members, were reported to be conducting a “hoisting of flag ceremony” at their Hussainiyya Baqiyyatillah centre and decided to block strategic locations on the highway from Samaru and at PZ railway junctions.

Incidentally, the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, who was in Zaria to attend the Passing out Parade (PoP) ceremony of the Army Depot, was caught up in the blockade.
Senior army officers on the COAS entourage were said to have made frantic efforts to persuade the IMN members to remove the barricade for the convoy to pass, but they allegedly refused to open the road, which led to the forceful clearance of the roadblocks by soldiers as they allegedly opened fire to disperse the crowd.
Unfortunately, this led to the clashes that claimed the lives of 349 members of the IMN, who were buried in a mass grave in Mando area of Kaduna metropolis.

Suffice it to say that the IMN members had always been accused of lawlessness and lack of respect to constituted authorities, including the Nigerian state. They have been accused on many occasions of operating a state within a state.
In Zaria and elsewhere, residents accused IMN members of illegal road blocks, imposition of illegal curfews and checkpoints in and around Gyallesu area, where El-Zakzaky resides.
They were alleged to have once stopped the convoy of the former governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Mukhtar Yero, and ordered him out of his car to walk.

The IMN worship places and other structures in Zaria including Zakzaky’s Gyelesu residence were demolished by the Kaduna State government on the grounds that they were constructed without due process and in contravention of the Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Agency (KASUPDA) Law.

A judicial commission of inquiry set up by the state government to look into the remote and immediate causes of the crisis, said “the IMN members should primarily be responsible for the clash and its liabilities”.
The commission also said the group was as an illegal organisation as it was not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Though the group refused to appear before the panel, it dismissed the report, describing it as a sham.
But acting on the pronouncement of the panel, the Kaduna State, government, declared the group an illegal association and banned it from operating in the state.

According to the report of the panel headed by Hon. Mohammed Lawal Garba, Justice of the Court of Appeal (JCA), the commission conducted a research and discovered that the IMN was not registered with the CAC.
“In view of this, one can safely come to the conclusion that IMN is not a registered entity under the Nigerian laws. The conclusion above should not be surprising because of the oral and documentary evidence that abound before the commission that the leadership of IMN treats the Nigerian Constitution, its laws and authorities with disdain and lack of recognition.

“It is therefore the conclusion of the commission that the IMN is an unregistered body under the law and cannot legally sue or be sued nor be proceeded against in that name. The Nigerian Constitution however allows citizens the freedom of association and movement and members of IMN are free to associate as long as they respect the laws of the country and do not infringe on the rights of others,” the report said.
Nevertheless, El-Zakzaky’s long detention without trial and similar other cases like the one involving the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, are a serious minus to the human rights record of the Buhari government, which it must consider a challenge to be addressed, indeed with urgency.

2019 ELECTION: ATIKU IS AN UNCOMMON LEADER, A VISIONARY AND GIFTED POLITICIAN

The former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s uncommon leadership quality, visions, his disposition and commitment to the nation will leave no one in doubt that he remains one of the best man for the position of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria at a time when Nigeria is in distress but the fear of many Nigerian is the corruption label that has been tagged to him by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

On October 21,1984, Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States was engaged in a pre-election debate with his opponent, Walter Mondale, who was Vice President under Jimmy Carter.

Reagan was 73 years old and Mondale was 56 and had been gaining in the polls because of his youth full age.

As the debate commenced, Henry Trewhitt of the Baltimore Sun asked Reagan about his advancing age. Reagan, who was then the oldest American president looked at the much younger Mondale before him and then turned to Trewhitt and said “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

In this classic response, Reagan highlighted to the American voters the advantages of age which include wisdom and experience. The American voters agreed with him that age should not be an issue in an election but that what mattered was the vision or manifesto the candidate was bringing to the table.
Reagan soundly defeated Mondale in the election in November and went on to become one of America’s greatest and most idolized presidents.

Here in Nigeria, former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, the Waziri Adamawa; unarguably one of Nigeria’s most visionary and most gifted politicians since the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914, may soon find himself in President Reagan’s shoes.

A tiny but influential group, long embittered by Atiku’s ever-rising acceptability across Nigeria, is now feverishly trying to sell the view that any candidate who is above 65 years of age should not be supported in the 2019 presidential election; a self-serving unconstitutional position clearly targeted against the cerebral former vice president.

In the last few years, Nigeria has changed dramatically. Yesterday’s solutions have proven incapable of sustaining our march to unity, peace and progress but unfortunately, there are people who still flaunt yesterday’s failed solutions as the panacea for our present sorry pass. What they profess is a continuation of the failed status quo. But what Nigeria needs now is a real change leader who has the vision and courage to alter the status quo and pull this nation back from the brink of destruction.

History teaches about uncommon leaders who in moments of great national distress rise to the occasion to reset their nations on the path of prosperity and great nationhood.

In Britain we had Winston Churchill, in the United States we had Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt, in China there was Chairman Mao Zedong and in Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew. In Nigeria soon, there will be Atiku Abubakar, the change Nigeria needs.

For space constraints, let us briefly look at a few of the Waziri Adamawa’s prophetic and visionary interventions into Nigeria’s political economy to ascertain whether indeed he can read the future.
Since ages, Atiku has always canvassed for a change in our energy power structure stressing that it is defective and will not provide electricity for Nigerians. That Nigeria continues to grapple with poor electric power supply is because the Atiku electric power plan has not been implemented in Nigeria. Atiku’s power strategy is the construction of smaller power generating plants all over Nigeria to serve clusters of people in the areas where these plants are located. Nigeria’s current power strategy has continued to invest and waste billions of dollars on white-elephant power infrastructure that have continued to produce darkness, decade after decade.

About a year after the inauguration of the current President Muhammadu Buhari government, Atiku had called for a change in this government’s economic policies saying that the policies being put in place will not engender economic development. There was a flurry of attacks against him. Less than six months after his advice, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced that the economy had plunged into recession.

And long before the now recurring deadly clashes between farmers and herdsmen, Atiku had been advocating for ranching as the modern way of growing the livestock industry to avoid encroaching into farmlands. To walk the talk, he went into the production of animal feeds. Now several years down the line and with thousands of lives lost in the clashes, is everyone not saying ranching is the way to go for sustainable peace?

While delivering a paper on restructuring at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) recently, Atiku, a research buff who is always thinking ahead had told his audience: “Oil is not infinite…in the next 10-20 years the proportion of the energy market share that fossil fuels hold will shrink and almost vanish even as those of alternative energy are set to rise dramatically…Volvo and Peugeot have announced plans to phase out petrol and diesel cars…France’s President, Emmanuel Macron, has told the world that petrol and diesel cars will be illegal to make or sell in France by 2040. Norway has said it will do the same but earlier: by 2025. On a recent visit to the United Kingdom I noticed that senior members of the Conservative Party were driving the Toyota Mirai, a car that runs on hydrogen and emits water instead of harmful carbon monoxide…So the world is not waiting for us to see reason and reengineer our economy”.

Few days after Atiku’s lecture, the British government also formally announced it would phase out petrol and diesel vehicles from 2040.

Atiku’s consistent call for restructuring has now been accepted as the only condition for sustainable peace, unity and progress in Nigeria.

Atiku is the only presidential aspirant that has a verifiable track-record of canvassing the need to alter the status quo in order for Nigeria to achieve sustainable peace, unity and progress. All other presidential aspirants are committed to the sustenance of the failed status quo.

But the truth of the matter is that the status quo can no longer remain. With the sorry state of our economy, politics and unity, any continuation of the status quo will inevitably lead to the dismemberment of this country.

Which of Atiku’s opponents can match the Waziri Adamawa’s job creation acumen and record? Which of them has Atiku’s pedigree in business and financial management? Which, among them, can equal Atiku’s track-record in human resources development; or his legendary ability to read the future? Even his greatest critics acknowledge that Atiku is what the Yoruba’s will call “okunrin meta”, which literally means a three-in-one man: employer of labour, jobs creator and youth supporter. At the last count, he has created over 50,000 jobs and still counting. The American University of Nigeria, a not for profit institution, which he founded in Yola contributes about $100 million to the GDP of Adamawa State.

Nigeria’s multi-dimensional problems have reached an implosive stage and only a leader like Atiku who is truly detribalized, eminently visionary and clearly acceptable across the ethnic and religious divides that make up Nigeria can pull this nation back from the brink of destruction. His verifiable vision for Nigeria will galvanise the potentials of this great nation and usher each and every one of us into the Nigeria of our dreams.

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"With the sorry state of our economy, politics and unity, any continuation of the status quo will inevitably lead to the dismemberment of this country."

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"Atiku is the only presidential aspirant that has a verifiable track-record of canvassing the need to alter the status quo in order for Nigeria to achieve sustainable peace, unity and progress."

ANAMBRA 2017: NNEWI TO DECIDE WHO WINS THE ELECTION IN ANAMBRA

In the run up to the Anambra Gubernatorial polls, the industrial town of Nnewi has suddenly become the dazzling and most wanted political bride as the major political parties contesting the November 18 governorship went to the town to shop for running mates.

Mr Oseloka Henry Obaze of the PDP was the first to pick his deputy, Mrs. Chidi Onyemelukwe, daughter of former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, who is married to the famous Onyemelukwe family in Nnewiichi community, from the town.

Also, the candidate of the APC, Dr. Tony Nwoye  has picked the son of the former President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr. Dozie Ikedife from Otolo Nnewi. Ikedife is a very popular family in the area and he has been using his medical practice to provide near- free medical service to the people, an action that had made him very popular.

Apart from these two, the incumbent Governor and APGA's flagbearer, Chief Willie Obiano recently gained full endorsement from the Nnewi born billionaire oil magnate and politician Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah who happens to be a formidable force to reckon with in the Anambra political landscape.

If the three major parties, which incidentally have their candidates from Anambra North, scramble for Nnewi votes through deputies and endorsements.

Who is likely to coast home to victory?

Dont bite the finger that fed you Ambassador Malam Madori By Adamu Muhd Usman

“Success is not by our thinking, will, interest or personal opinion. It is destined and accompanied by good attitude and determination. So, the best way to succeed is to follow the footsteps of the achievers”.
-----Sule Lamido

I would like to use this medium to advice Alhaji Ahmad Abdulhameed Malam Madori, who is locally known as Chichiyali, to please retrace his political steps from the political wilderness and try to find his way back to reckoning by embracing the facts and realities of life.

Ahmed was a political son of Sule Lamido whom he helped to be Jigawa state PDP organizing secretary, PDP zonal auditor (North West, Commissioner Federal Character Commission representing Jigawa. Ahmad was a minister of power and steals and was also an ambassador (Turkey) till May 29, 2015 when the PDP tenure came to an end.

Despite the above opportunities (positions or posts) given to him courtesy of Lamido, Ahmed was among the few who decamped to APC after the 2015 presidential elections before the governorship election because he was angry he was not opportuned to emerged as the PDP 2015 governorship candidate due to some of his attitude of lackluster performance, lack of respect for elders, arrogance, undiplomatic in his relationship with other party faithful, and he is poor politician who hardly stretches his handshakes to other people.

Right now, instead of him to be grateful and have a sober reflection and directing his energies towards reconciliation and showing his loyalty and respect to his political god father (Lamido) for the future elections In-Sha-Allah and by persuading the people that he has repented from his old ways, he is now engaging in senseless accusation, allegations and disrespect that tend to confirm peoples worst fears about him. His main preoccupation these days is something to take home, and also to lure Jigawa governor, Alhaji Badaru’s attention to recognize and believe in him as somebody relevant, but this attitude will not make people to take him seriously and if he can do this to Lamido, the very person who made him what he is who can’t he betrays?

Allegations made by Ahmad in recent APC gathering in Dutse, Jigawa State capital have proved for all to see that he is out of touch with political realities and he is out to feather his own nest at the expense of Jigawa people’s aspiration, agitation and prayer for peace, progress, mutual understanding, peaceful co-existence, political stability and positive societal development. He said for example that Lamido is “Despotic and possessive” who else in Jigawa will ever believe that? Not to talk of Ahmad as one of the largest, biggest and highest beneficiaries of Lamido’s kind gesture and generosity etc

Under the previous dispensation, consultations were made in regular aspect of governance and people interest, which was the cardinal reference point for all policies and progammes of Lamido’s administraration. It is this policy of accommodation and careful promotion of Jigawa States larger interest that enabled the state during Sule Lamido administration secured two ministers and an ambassador (you yourself) at same time. They were respectively from other two Senatorial zones not only Lamido’s constituency, proof enough that all parts of the state have benefitted from the policy of inclusion an even developments. If Lamido were possessive as Ahmad now claims, how come he encouraged and supported these appointments and he did not direct them to only his Senatorial Zone, Dutse? or his Local government or his country home (Bamaina)?

Equally hollow is Ahmad’s allegations that Lamido imposed candidates during the last 2015 election, especially the governorship. Chichiyali had the same level playing field as all other aspirants to purchase the necessary form and aspire for any position of his choice. If Jigawa people refuse to support you on account of your poor performance record and lack of political reliability in the past, how can you blame Lamido for that, can he force people to like the man that they don’t trust?

Ahmad alleged that Lamido in 2015 had sympathy for the gubernatorial aspiration of Malam Aminu Ibrahim Ringim. There are no law or party guidelines that say that you cannot have sympathy for an aspirant especially somebody who has been his political ally since their PRP days in the second republic.

Aminu Ringim is a person who contested and won election under the PRP in the 70’s and who has been in the corridors of power in Jigawa state since 1992 during the tenure of governor Ali Sa’ad Birnin-Kudu. He also served as a commissioner and chief of staff to Governor Saminu Turaki (1999-2007), he then served meritoriously as Lamido’s Chief of Staff for eight years (2007-2015). It must be his loyalty, sagacity, hard work, commitment, honesty and tireless effort that convinced Lamido to back his aspiration.

Lastly, Ahmed should bear in mind that, Sule Lamido is faithful who believes in destiny. If not that, how can he undergo life and political tussles of lose and win? Lamido is a person who wants everyone to grow. Ahmed, you are in the right and better position to spread or carry that gospel. But whatever one says about Lamido negatively is his own opinion. Everyone knows Lamido has impacted positive developments to the lives of Jigawa people even a visitor or away farer can testify to that. The earlier Ahmad respects his political realities and learns to control his tongue and mind his language the better and also let him emulate the way of the achievers or he will continue to wonder in the political wilderness. A word is enough for the wise and time is the best judge to history and events mark my words.

I DON'T ADMIRE TINUBU - PROF. WOLE SOYINKA

I do not admire Tinubu because he is a saint. I do not admire Tinubu because he is from the south. I do not admire Tinubu because he is a Yoruba. If I want saints, I will proceed to heaven not on earth. Every human is fallible.

I admire Tinubu because; He saved Nigeria from the danger of falling into “one party state. He has nurtured many renowned National successors. He listened to the voice of the masses to surrender his personal ambition at the most critical moment. He strategically terminated PDP 60 years life spam in 16 years.

The robust critic and critique we are enjoying today is because Tinubu aligned himself to the masses to return the power to them. Tinubu has the option of joining the PDP elites to hold us hostage for another decade but he gave his all to the masses to dethrone the elites. Political juveniles believed that APC won because of the votes from the North.

No!!!, APC victory was cemented the day PMB and Asiwaju resolved to work together. Asiwaju and PMB almost became a Nomadic by visiting every human that can help midwife Nigeria salvation.

Those Nomadic Almajiri walk later brought salvation to us. God willing, PMB is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Anybody, any cabal, any Viju milk activist, attempting to humiliate Asiwaju must have me to contend with.

An average PDP man is sad with Asiwaju because he brought them to their knee. If anyone thinks that bringing down Asiwaju is his project, that mission will not only crash but it will boomerang. Don’t tell me he is overbearing, your

underbearing” mentors were nowhere to be found when this Country was lying critically at the intensive care of the universe. Recall my first line, Asiwaju is not a saint. Stop demonising what you admire out of envy. Even your mentors admire him.
He owns Lagos! I hear you! Ask your grand father and parents how they acquired your so called “family land”. Is it God that allocated it to them?

You are terrorizing your neighbours and village with your kpof-kpof kobo yet you criticise a man that is naturally addicted to technocrats irrespective of their tribe or Religion.
Hmmmmm. I don talk am ooo, Asiwaju is not a political office holder oooo.

Please let him be. He is evil, I agree, but we need more of him than a your a saintly specie. Dear Asiwaju, the gentle stride of a tiger is not a symbol of a cowardice”…. Prof Wole Soyinka.

VOTE AND DIE - IPOB THREATENS ANAMBRA PEOPLE

IPOB threatened voters with death if they come to vote on Saturday, November 18

- IPOB’s media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, noted that the election boycott will give the group's agitation a global momentum needed

Ahead of the Anambra state governorship election the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has threatened voters with death if they vote, vowing to disrupt the election.
A10action news gathered that the members of the group marched around some streets in Onitsha, Anambra state on Friday, vowing a lockdown on the day of the election.
In videos of the march circulating online IPOB members were seen threatening voters.

They said: “If you vote you will die. Don’t go out, stay in your house. If you vote on November 18, you will die. We are not running around for the zoo.
“There will be no election. We will not participate, we will not vote. Nothing concerns us with any election. We are formidable.
“We are in Onitsha to tell the Federal Government to produce Kanu. They should release all the Biafrans in Nigerian prisons. ”
IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, speaking to our corresponds noted that the purpose of the demonstration in Onitsha was to show the world that “the threat of bullet” would not stop the group from realising its aim of having Biafra Republic.
He said Igbo people living outside the South-East should contact their families at home to boycott all future Nigerian elections, including the governorship election.
He said, “Today in Onitsha, we broke the python Buratai, Ohanaeze, Obiano and Igbo governors brought to our land. Anybody doubting the resolve of IPOB under the supreme command of Nnamdi Kanu is mistaken.
“We will put Anambra State on lockdown on November 18. This is a taste of what is to come. Nigeria should be prepared.
“It is also very critical to inform every Biafran, be you IPOB family member, businessman, farmer, artisan, driver, teacher, doctor, motorcycle/tricycle union, civil servant, trader, market leader, National Union of Road Transport Workers, National Association of Road Transport Owners, fisherman, market men and women, including politicians who believe in freedom and liberty of a free independent State of Biafra, to boycott the Anambra State election.”
The secretary further said that the election boycott will give IPOB's agitation a global momentum needed to make world leaders accept a peaceful break-up of Nigeria.
He added: “They will be morally bound to consider a possible date for Biafra’s referendum for independence without delay. A vote in Anambra elections will mean electing into office the same people who, over the years, have been responsible for the death, pain, misery, agony and suffering of our people. We would have only succeeded in renewing our suffering for another four years.”

Nigeria news previously reported that the Senate committee on Independent National Electoral Commission, on Friday, November 10, said Anambra governorship election will hold on November 18 as scheduled.
Senator Suleiman Nasif, committee chairman of the committee, made this known when he led members of the committee to a meeting with INEC officials, chairmen and secretaries of various political parties in Awka.
According to a report, Nkwachukwu Orji, the resident electoral commissioner in the state, said the commission was ready for the election as planned.

PMB ENOUGH OF YOUR LOPSIDED APPOINTMENT - CAN WARNED BUHARI

The president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, on Saturday, November 11, revealed the full details of the organisation’s demands to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The demands were made by the association during a closed-door meeting held between its leadership and the president on Friday, November, 10.
Read the full demands as presented by Ayokunle to the president as obtained by Nigeria news

Your Excellency Sir, it was about two and a half years ago, precisely, July 2015 that we had the intention of paying this courtesy visit to you to congratulate you for becoming the president of our great country Nigeria. We however thank God that as Christian body in Nigeria, we are able to meet with you at last. So, what we intended to do then when we wrote to pay you courtesy visit, we are doing now by congratulating you for winning the election and for you to count on the association to continue to pray for you for the Spirit of wisdom and understanding to be able to lead this country in the right direction until we get to our Promised Land.

We wish to seize this opportunity as well to very much congratulate you for the miraculous recovery from sickness which took you away from the shores of Nigeria for many days. We as an association took time to pray for you like other religious groups in this nation and we thank God that you are back alive. It was the love of Nigerians for you that kept all things intact while you were away and the able lieutenants that God gave to you who held the fort in your absence. May the affliction never arise again in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

We want to advise you to manage your recovery well and take one step at a time. Delegation would be of help for you to totally recover and deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.
Please allow us in this visit to pray for you because that is the major reason we are here today.
Recognition of achievements
We want to appreciate you in the areas in which your administration is making giant strides since you came on board. The first of these is the recognition of corruption as a virus which has the potential of killing the nation if not stopped. Much more we salute your courage to confront it headlong as never done by any government in this nation before to the best of our knowledge and judgement. We do not want you to relent in doing this. The setbacks not withstanding, accomplishing the goal is the ultimate. However, we want you to fight corruption without fear or favour including those around you who may be like the ‘mixed multitude’ who went out of Egypt with the Israelites but were not Israelis. They caused harm along the way. Therefore, let there be no untouchable, hand those close to you that may be corrupt over to law enforcement agents as you have done to others for proper prosecution.
Secondly we want to commend you for your commitment to the flushing out of Boko Haram Islamic Fundamentalists from Nigeria. They had caused deep sorrow and damage to the nation especially many Christians, churches and facilities in the north-east in particular and the North in general.
We praise you for the empowerment of the military to do their work and the courage of the military and dedication to duty.
We on the other hand observe that the murderous Fulani herdsmen who were previously allowed to ply their trade in many communities in Nigeria have become a menace to many communities. The Christian communities of Benue state, Southern Kaduna, Enugu and a host of others have been on the receiving side on this. Recently I went to a village called Ancha in Bassa Local Government of Plateau state where 21 Christians in a village were killed overnight by Fulani herdsmen. My church in that village lost 20 members out of the 21 and we gave them mass burial. It was a gory sight to behold. The most painful and baffling thing about it was that after that attack, they came to the same area again and killed another 24 people with none of them arrested by the enforcement agents. What a complicity! Why are the Fulani herdsmen devastating communities without being arrested? Why are they not prosecuted? Why was the source of their ammunition not investigated? Why do they roam about with guns without being arrested? All these are begging for the quick attention of the president so that the people they are attacking also might not seek self defence which may lead to the breakdown of law and order in the nation.

Thirdly, we want to commend your administration for the recovery of some of the kidnapped Chibok girls after some years of incarceration by the insurgents in the north-east. We are pleading with you to intensify more efforts to recover the rest who may still be alive before their lives are completely messed up. Equally, we sent a special appeal to the government and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in particular to help us recover twenty Borno women that were kidnapped by Boko Haram while going to bury their relative who died outside Maiduguri. Up till now, we did not hear anything over the matter from the government neither was our letter acknowledged. We are renewing our appeal again for the recovery of those women who were all Christians.
In a nutshell, the following are the issues the Christian Association of Nigeria wants Mr President to address without delay.
Withdrawal of Nigeria from religious organisations
We call on the executive and legislative arms of government to withdraw Nigeria from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and from other international religious bodies and treaties Nigeria signed with such religious organizations because it violates the secular state of the nation as enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria and further violates government’s non-partisanship in religious matters as enshrined in the same constitution. The sanctity of the constitution must be kept for Nigeria to survive as one nation.
Issuance of certificate of occupancy to churches in the north
We call on the Executive and the National Assembly to prevail on States in the North to issue Certificate of Occupancy to churches in the region. Many excuses are presently being given by state governments in the North to deny Christians the right of building their own places of worship. Recently, Jigawa state government pulled down some church structures under the guise that they did not have building permit. The truth of the matter as obtained from the chairman of CAN in the state was that the churches had applied for permission to build for not less than a year or more without any response. Do the Christians in the North not have the right to build their houses of worship and serve God without fear or favour? If Nigeria is one country, this type of religious discrimination must come to an end.
Lopsidedness in appointments
CAN equally calls on this administration to address the lopsidedness in appointments done by this administration for both ethnic and religious balance for all of us to be able to do pilgrimage together as a nation. For example, the defence apparatus in this nation is skewed in favour of one religion. In the recently released statistics of appointments made by this administration so far by the media adviser to the president, there was apparent lopsidedness because while some states have over thirty people appointed, others do not have more than three. How can people from such states with three have the sense of belonging to this nation and this administration?
Unpaid salaries and allowances
We declare the inability of the state governments to pay workers’ salaries and allowances as at when due as unacceptable and call on the federal and state governments to work together to address this as quick as possible. This would step the tide of crimes and suic*de that are increasing all over the nation.

Breakdown of infrastructure in the nation
We further urge your administration to address the breakdown of infrastructure in the nation such as road construction, provision of uninterrupted power supply and adequate funding of health facilities so as to stop the untimely death of our people and medical tourism abroad.
Unemployment problem
We call on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on unemployment in the nation and to set up a machinery towards the provision of employment for graduates. It is a time bomb that could be devastating if not quickly attended to.
Criminal activities and the need for more police
We observe that the criminal activities that are on the increase in the land should be addressed more squarely. The police should be more adequately equipped in policing the nation. More policemen at the same time should be recruited as the present number is too low to cope with the large population of the country.
Revival of NIREC
Finally, we request for the revival of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council, (NIREC) which in the past had fostered interaction and promoted religious harmony between Christian and Muslim leaders in the country whose meeting logistics were to be provided by the government. Government’s position that there is no money to facilitate the convening of the meeting is not good enough. If there is no money to build peace, we believe that it would be more costly to prosecute war.
We thank Mr President for creating time to listen to us and we hope that this type of parley would be taking place more regularly for the general good of our nation. We believe in one united Nigeria where there is justice, fairplay and mutual respect.

Nigeria news earlier reported that President Muhammadu Buhari and members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have held a meeting at the presidential villa in Abuja.

PDP CONVENTION: WHO WILL BE THE NEXT PDP NATIONAL CHAIRMAN

The fate of Nigeria’s once ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), now lies in the outcome of a December convention that is a source of controversies and divisions.

Chief Shuaibu Oyedokun is a member of the PDP’s Board of Trustees (BoT) and a former deputy national chairman of the party from the South West, who on November 3 came up with a ‘controversial’ advisory that banned some national chairmanship aspirants of the party from the race.

Since then, the PDP has not known peace even as its convention, scheduled to hold on December 9, is just about a month away.

Though Chief Oyedokun was the sole signatory of the purported document, he claimed that all BoT members from the South–West were in agreement with the decision, saying they found it pertinent to pick only three names from the eight contenders vying for the seat.
He said in arriving at the three candidates, the members considered such factors as acceptability, vision, experience, perception by members, winning chances, and educational exposure.

Oyedokun said the move was meant to also reduce election expenditure, avoid splitting of South–West votes and arrive at a consensus candidate for the zone.
Those selected to remain in the race included a former deputy national chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George; a former Minister of Sports and Special Duties, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja and a former Education Minister Prof. Tunde Adeniran.

The document named the South-West aspirants dropped from the race to include Oyo State ex-governor, Senator Rashid Ladoja; Ogun State ex-governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; ex-national secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo; Lagos State former governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje and Akin-Deko Akintayo from Ondo State.

Our corresponds on Sunday reports that the development has sparked mixed reactions as those favoured  to participate in the race are individually and collectively celebrating as they work towards endorsing one of them for the coveted seat, while those that have been edged out of the race are crying foul.

In October, the PDP’s national chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, told the party’s chairmanship contenders to forget micro zoning of the chairmanship position to a particular geo-political zone in the South.
This means aspirants from the South-West, South-South and the South-East will slug it at the party’s elective convention.

Makarfi, who met with all the contestants for the PDP national chairmanship at the Wadata Plaza, the party’s national secretariat, in Abuja, said the Caretaker Committee lacked the authority and legal backing to micro-zone, except if the three zones in the South met and submitted their resolution to the National Executive Committee (NEC) for approval.

But with Oyedokun’s pronouncement, the three aspirants that emerged as South-West candidates will challenge a former acting national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus and a broadcast mogul, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, who are contenders from the South–South. 

We gathered that the whole arithmetic is about 2019, especially because of the fact that the North will produce the presidential candidate of the party while the South will produce the vice presidential candidate.
Some people said the convention would ultimately go in favour of Secondus from the South-South while the vice presidential candidate would be picked from the South-West “so as to deplete APC’s strength in the region because the vice president at the moment, Yemi Osinbajo, is from there.”

But Chief Bode George, in an interview with our correspondents, debunked the claim, saying the two scenarios, including who becomes party chairman and who becomes vice presidential candidate, are distinct.

While Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State from the South-West has already declared to run for the office of president, contrary to the zoning formula and decision of the various organs of the PDP, analysts say he is actually eyeing the VP slot.

There are also feelers that a former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, may consider running.
Similarly, credible sources in the PDP told our correspondents that political heavyweights in the South-East are highly interested in the vice presidential slot and are relentlessly agitating for it, alluding to the fact that many of those in the race are only trying to assert their influence so that they would not be forgotten at the end of the day.

One of the sources, a former national officer, explained that politicians from the South-East zone have not shown any interest in the chairmanship race and have refused to make noise about it because they want to be considered for the VP ticket.

“Yes, it’s true, they are scheming to have it. About two politicians from the zone are angling for the VP slot,” he said.
It was gathered that the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and a former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, may likely contest for the VP ticket.

However, party bigwigs say the decision to zone the vice presidential slot is not going to be reached at the convention.
Already, the chairman of the PDP’s BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin, has condemned the move to restrict the number of the party’s chairmanship aspirants from any of the geo-political zones in the South.

Senator Jibrin, who was responding to the purported trimming of the South–West aspirants, said,  “I want to state clearly that the meeting in which such decision was taken was never at the instance of the National Board of Trustees and that we cannot afford to hold such meeting now as done in the South-West.

“In the South-West, we have two BoT members contesting for the chairmanship and who should never be in a meeting where such a sensitive decision was taken.

“I have invited Chief Shuaibu Oyedokun to a national caucus to explain what led him to champion that exercise. I want to further advise all other organs of our party to be extra careful not to rush to any one-sided decision. All aspirants must exercise restraint of give and take and wait for proper guidelines from the National Working Committee.

“Count me out in any game that deliberately excludes any aspirant from fair participation. The delegates of our convention should be allowed to decide in accordance with set up rules of the party,” he stated.

Since the time Senator Jibrin made this clarification, there is no indication that the embattled Oyedokun has honoured the invitation or not.

Also, Oyedokun has neither retracted what he said nor shed light on why he caused the confusion that might likely make the PDP convention nearly impossible.

Some campaign co-ordinators of the embittered contestants are already alleging that Oyedokun was “induced” to do what he did without any consultation, simply to cause confusion in the party and have their ways.

“He was actually settled to do what he did because the fact is that the chairmanship is not restricted to the South-West. Everyone from the South is free to contest. How on earth would he appear from the blues and say only three aspirants should go to the ring, what was the criteria he used?” one of them asked.
Efforts to get him to clear the air proved abortive. While his phone rang a couple of times on Friday, it subsequently went dead. The short message (SMS) sent to him was also not responded to as at the time of filing this report.

Barring any last minute change, the PDP will elect a new crop of National Working Committee (NWC) members during the December convention.

The convention, which is the highest decision-making body, will also ratify the amendment of constitution of the PDP.
It is expected to be the largest gathering of the PDP faithful since the party’s 14-month leadership tussle between Senators Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu Sheriff was resolved by the Supreme Court on July 12, 2017.

If all goes well, the convention would have more weight than that of August 12, which was tagged “mini and non-elective convention.”

Party stakeholders say if the party gets it wrong at the convention, it would equally get it wrong during the 2019 general elections by witnessing another round of defeat.
Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo, serving and ex-governors, ex-ministers, serving and ex-members in both chambers of the National Assembly and Board of Trustees (BoT) members are expected to grace the event.

Similarly, founding fathers of the party, serving and ex-principal officers of the National Assembly, serving and ex-members of the state Houses of Assembly, serving and ex-state chairmen, serving and ex-local government chairmen, party elders, ward leaders and all members nationwide, are also expected at the convention.

Already, some of the aspirants that were asked to leave the scene and other chieftains are voicing their anger, saying there must be restraint so that the PDP will not collapse for the last time.
In an exclusive interview with one of our corresponds, Akin Deko said the EFCC would have enough grounds to descend on the PDP if any of those with case is fielded as chairman of the party.

“These are my fellow brothers from the South-West, I wish them luck. But I ask: Are they the right people for this position at this point in time?

“The APC is watching us happily, they already have the iron in the fire of the EFCC, that if you bring the wrong person out, they would haunt us all over the place. It is not the question of whether the person has been found guilty, just having a little bit of debt on your hand that you haven’t washed off, the APC would make fire on the PDP.

“I am lucky, nobody can point accusing fingers and say this man has done anything wrong. I am not saying the others have done anything wrong, but the allegations are mounting and the PDP cannot afford to have anybody coming to give them that kind of difficult time.

“It would be hard enough to beat the APC; it would be hard enough reconciling all our members behind one person and for that person to be a subject of EFCC investigation would be the death nail of the party. I have been in the race in spirit right from the beginning,” he said.

On his part, Senator Buruji Kashamu refuted a claim by Gbenga Daniel that the corruption charges against him would not be an obstacle to his bid of becoming the national chairman of the party.
The lawmaker said in other climes, anyone standing trial steers clear of running for a public office until he is vindicated, explaining that Daniel’s claim of being persecuted “does not hold water.”

He argued that if the party elects Daniel, who is standing trial for corruption, it would be indicative that the PDP condones corruption and is for corrupt people.

“This perception will adversely affect the party’s fortune. The PDP stands a chance to reinvent itself and improve its rating among the populace if it positions itself as a party that is ready to make a clean break from its sordid past.

“We should not repeat the mistake of 2015. This starts with electing who is not tainted by corruption charges or has an image deficit as Daniel,” he said.

Daniel had earlier said he was innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction, adding that he had gone to court for about 40 times but was not proven guilty yet.

“I don’t want to talk about my trial. People call it prosecution, but I call it persecution. The case has dragged on for seven years. I don’t want to talk about it, but in our laws, a person remains innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction,” he said.
Ex-President Jonathan has already warned that the office of national chairman and that of the national publicity secretary should not be taken for granted, saying only persons of proven integrity who have in-depth knowledge of the workings of the party should be voted into those offices because of the complexities involved.

But while the day for taking the decision is approaching, there is anxiety, tension and uncertainty as to who clinches the seat of national chairman of the party.
Daily Trust on Sunday reports that the aspirants purportedly knocked out of the race have resolved not to obey that decision but keep their dreams alive in order to recover from the “damage” done to them.

For instance, Daniel has said that he has no plan of stepping down for anyone, including Chief Olabode George as being speculated.
“I will not step down for anyone because I did my consultations during our convention in Port Harcourt and I know so many leaders in Yorubaland who support me.

“People contest for various reasons. Some people contest to enrich their curriculum vitae, some contest to get donations while some run to win. It is not a do-or-die affair. It is an in-house contest and I’m running to win so as to bring my experiences to bear on the party and work on re-positioning it,” Daniel said.

But Chief George is already happy with Chief Oyedokun, strongly believing he is the man to beat.

George, through his media aide, Uthman Shodipe, said the South–West BoT caucus intervention was “a very significant step.”

“It is a necessary and important move, which is predicated on restoring order, establishing a coherent platform where the elders can speak collectively about what is fair and proper.

“You cannot have a strong South-West presence in the chairmanship race when everyone can basically jump into the fray, whether the person is qualified or not.
“We do not need a pliable and unassertive chairman. We need an experienced and tested hand who will be devoted to the greater glory of our party,” he said.
Prof. Adeniran also said he was favourably disposed to the South–West BoT endorsement.

There are feelers that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is preparing grounds to return to the PDP and would personally want a party chairman that would do his bidding in the scheme of things ahead of next year when he would vie for the party’s presidential  ticket. 

Though Atiku is still in the ruling APC, sources said he had gone far in preparing grounds for his eventual defection to the PDP, where he may likely find his way.  
Just last week, the newly elected leadership of the PDP in Adamawa State led by Barrister Tahir Shehu, urged Atiku to return to the party.

The party leaders made the appeal during the swearing-in of the 21 local government areas chairmen of the party who were elected during the recent congresses conducted by the party in the state.

It was based on this alleged gambit that a former aide of Atiku, Dr. Umar Ardo, who is also from Adamawa State, said the former VP had planted his stooges in his home state ahead of his return.

In a petition dated November 5, 2017, and addressed to the chairman, Adamawa State PDP congress appeal panel, Ardo called for cancellation of the congresses held last week in the state. 

“We learnt that Atiku is coming back to the party with an ambition; an ambition to contest for the presidency. Now, his return will be a source of conflict because there are others in the party (PDP) who are also interested and are nursing this ambition.

“Secondly, the deep pocket that Atiku has will not just serve that ambition, it will deepen the conflict. The third disadvantage is that those foot soldiers will also serve for the ambition, and in the process, deepen the conflict.

“Along with the friends that Atiku will be coming to the party are also those that will bring up enemies. For instance, it is an open secret and everybody knows it that Obasanjo will fight him.
“I think I will conclude that PDP will be better off without Atiku coming back,” he said.

But Atiku’s media adviser, Paul Ibe, said it is “ludicrous to accuse a man who is not a member of a party of plotting to hijack its structure.

“Whoever is making this allegation has to look elsewhere for their failings,” he said.
A foundation member of the party from the North–East, Alhaji Aminu Yakudima, told Daily Trust on Sunday in a telephone interview that it is wrong for Ardo to make such statement against Atiku.
“Ardo may be saying his own opinion, which he is entitled to. But what the PDP is doing now is serious membership drive,” he said.

When asked whether Atiku is playing a key role ahead of the PDP convention as being rumoured in some quarters, the party chieftain said, “I can’t say because it is not visible. You can’t ascertain that, but at the same time, you can’t dispute things like this in politics. Whether Atiku is backing anybody or not is not known, so we can take that as an allegation.”
It is now left to be seen whether or not the December convention will make or break the party.