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Tag: 2015 elections

  • Voter’s card, tool to sack incompetent leaders – Buhari

    Voter’s card, tool to sack incompetent leaders – Buhari

    Former head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari  (rtd)has told Nigerians to go out and obtain their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC), saying that is their tool to sack incompetent leaders in 2015.

    Buhari , who is the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, stated this in Kaduna on Monday, while speaking at a public declaration of former FCT Minister, Malam Nasir El-Rufai’s  governorship bid.

    He also endorsed El-Rufai at the occasion, saying, people of Kaduna State would be doing themselves a great favour if they elect the former minister as their governor.

    “Your card is your tool against incompetence in the government, and against the deception of Nigerians. We have suffered enough. You know what it takes to repair Nigeria, especially the infrastructure, security, and above all employment.

    “Lets us get the infrastructures working. Let’s get the security materially, physically and morally,” he stated.

    Speaking on El-Rufai, Buhari said, “I developed cold feet to come and present El-Rufai to you because of the sacrifices which he wanted to make on my behalf which I turned down. But he insisted that I must contest and I told him that if I must contest, he must also come out to contest because I believe he has the qualities required to make Kaduna State great again. These qualities are firstly competence, integrity and courage.

    “Whoever that is interested in the development of this country, and I have seen the way El-Rufai handled Abuja, we know that El-Rufai loves this country, and he is endowed with these three qualities I have mentioned.

    “So please people of Kaduna State, I assure you, I am not being arrogant, I am just being honest, if you vote El-Rufai, you are not doing him a favour, but you are doing yourself a favour.

    “He is a kind of person that will respect you if you respect yourself and if you don’t respect yourself, he will help you go down the drain. I am here deliberately to ask for your support and understanding for El-Rufai and for myself.”

     

  • Jonathan to politicians: Shun desperation ahead of 2015

    Jonathan to politicians: Shun desperation ahead of 2015

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday urged political office seekers to shun desperation, saying their ambitions should never be “do or die” in the interest of the nation.

    The President made the appeal at Otuabula 2, the headquarters of Ward 13 in Ogbia, while monitoring the conduct of the Peoples Democratic Party’s congress in Bayelsa.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Jonathan also warned the leadership of the party at all levels against the imposition of candidates for various offices.

    He said such stance could adversely affect the fortunes of the party in the forthcoming general election in the country.

    He, however, urged all the candidates to be loyal to their party leadership.

    The President commended the peaceful conduct of the Ward Congress of the PDP in Bayelsa.

    The Ward Chairman, Mr. Blessing Odeh, later presented Jonathan with membership card number 2851001.

    The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, was also presented with membership card number 2851002.

    The state’s Governor, Seriake Dickson, lauded the leadership and members of PDP for their peaceful conduct during the party’s ward congress  in the state.

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  • My guber aspiration not a do-or-die affair – El Rufai

    My guber aspiration not a do-or-die affair – El Rufai

    A former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Nasiru El Rufai, on Friday obtained the All Progressives Congress nomination forms to contest for the 2015 governor election in Kaduna State, with an assurance that his aspiration was not out of desperation.

    He told officials of the party and supporters at the APC State Secretariat in Kaduna that he was ready to offer credible leadership if given the chance.

    According to him, he is not in the contest to enrich himself or witch hunt anybody but to bring about the required transformation in the state.

    The former minister, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, called for unity among party members and assured the people of his support to whoever emerged as the party’s flag bearer.

    El-Rufai said the state needed salvation from long years of misrule and assured that the APC would offer credible and people-oriented leadership.

    Earlier, the state’s Chairman of APC, Mr. Bala Bantex, said the party’s leadership would be fair and just to all contestants.

    He appealed to the party supporters to conduct themselves with decorum and unite to ensure victory for the party in the 2015 general election.

  • Our fears for 2015 elections – Odigie-Oyegun

    Our fears for 2015 elections – Odigie-Oyegun

    The National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, said Thursday that the party is concerned about what he described as unnecessary charged political atmosphere in the country.

    He also said attempts to destabilize states like Edo and Rivers were signs of what to expect in February 2015.

    Speaking when he received the ECOWAS Fact Finding team to Nigeria led by former Ghanaian President, John Kuffour, the APC Chairman said the coming together of the opposition parties to form the APC is making the ruling Peoples Democratic Party jittery, resulting in a charged political space in the country.

    He also expressed fear of possible militarization of the electoral process like in the case of elections in Ekiti and Osun States and the attempts to announce fake election results in Osun State, saying “our prayer is that they don’t try to replicate that at the national level.”

    He said: “We have a party in power that has been there for about 16 years. Naturally, given the reality of a growing opposition movement, they have become jittery for the first time in our recent democratic process.

    “They become jittery and it has resulted in an unnecessary charging of the political space. This has manifested itself in the near brutality which they have wielded all the powers available to the national government in terms of security agencies, in terms of economic power and the rest of them.

    “So, the atmosphere is already naturally charged and we could see this displayed in Ekiti State and they tried to display it in Osun State. We saw the attempt in Nasarawa State and the attempt in Adamawa was successful. You can see it being displayed in the destabilization of states like Edo and Rivers States.

    “We are very happy that the sub region is interested in the welfare of democracy in Nigeria and has dispatched somebody of no less status of the former President of Ghana.

    “Really, what we are trying to do is to politically and in a democratic sense ensure that the voting population are made aware that power truly belong to them and that they can hire as they wish and fire when they so wish. That is the basic reason for the APC.”

     

  • My fears for 2015 – Jega

    My fears for 2015 – Jega

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, on Tuesday spoke about his fears for next year’s general election in the country.

    The INEC chief said he was bothered by heightening insecurity and the unruly attitude of politicians which constitute major challenges to peaceful elections next year.

    Jega, who said the security problem was more evident in the three troubled Northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, stated that his greatest fear for the 2015 elections was making politicians to play by the rules.

    “The attitude of the political class is the greatest challenge. They want to intimidate, harass and induce.‎

    “Security is also a challenge. ‎Especially in the three states in Northeast. We cannot put our men and resources at risk. But we are holding inter-agencies security meetings frequently,” Jega said.

    The INEC chairman spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at a national stakeholders’ forum on elections organized by the Civil Society Situation Room on Achieving the Implementation of Credible 2015 general elections‎.

    He said investigation conducted by the commission showed that youth corps members who were compromised were threatened by politicians to either collect gratification or be killed.

    Jega urged politicians to play by the rules of the game during the 2015 elections.

    He said the commission has identified and blocked many of the loopholes exploited in the past by politicians to rig elections‎.

    “I am confident that 2015 will be better operationally and logistically,” Jega said.

    He added that a better voter register has been produced and that all ballot boxes were being numbered serially. This, he said was not so when he was appointed in 2010.

    He spoke of other efforts being made by INEC under his leadership.

    The Bishop of Sokoto Diocese of ‎Catholic Church, Rev. Father Mathew Hassan Kukah, cautioned President Goodluck Jonathan and governors of the 36 states against imposing candidates on the people.

    He said such practice would heat up the polity and frustrate elections’ results.

     

  • France, Germany task INEC on 2015 elections

    France, Germany task INEC on 2015 elections

    The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Laurent Fabius, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to defend Nigeria and Africa’s image by conducting credible elections in 2015.

    Fabius gave the advice when he and Germany’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Frank Seinmeier, led a delegation to a courtesy visit on the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, in Abuja on Monday.

    Fabius said the delegation visited the commission because of INEC’s responsibility to conduct credible elections by 2015.

    “We congratulate your institution for the way you handled general elections in 2011 and more recently the current elections.

    “Now that new elections are coming next year, the challenge is tremendous. You have great responsibility towards Nigeria. The image of Nigeria is at stake and the image of Africa as well.

    “We have no doubt that this election will be free, fair and transparent.

    “European Union (EU) will contribute to it, financially and will also dispatch EU observation mission, ’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Fabius as saying during the visit.

    He said the delegation was interested in knowing INEC’s preparation to face the security challenges because of the current situation, particularly the northern part of Nigeria.

    “We are here to tell you that we have great confidence in what you are going and what you will do,’’ he said.

    Also in his address, Seinmeier, tasked Nigeria to increase its efforts on ending insurgency ahead of the 2015 elections.

    “You know that the elections you are preparing for are taking place under difficult conditions, fighting two enemies at a time.

    “First of all, it was even until last week we were commenting on your effort and the success fighting Ebola.

    “The second enemy we were talking about this morning during breakfast meeting with different religious organisations is the Boko Haram sect.

    “Therefore we know that the fight against Boko Haram is not yet enough successful as over 200 girls are still kidnapped and not yet released,’’ he said.

     

  • 2015: Jonathan to declare on Nov 11

    2015: Jonathan to declare on Nov 11

    The Chairman of the Presidential Declaration Committee Dr. Haliru Bello, on Friday disclosed that President Goodluck Jonathan will formally declare his intention to run for 2015 Presidential election on November 11.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the committee’s inaugural meeting at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, Bello said the venue for the declaration will be decided in the committee’s next meeting.

    He said: “The President gave us the task to organize the modality of creating a platform for him to meet Nigerians and announce his response to the various calls for him to come out and declare his interest in the presidential election.

    “The President has not said anything yet, but it is like all Nigerians have called on him. It is our honest hope that he will come out and say yes to the demand of multitude of Nigerians.

    “We expect he will say yes, but we cannot say yes for him. We will wait for him to speak.

    “The date that is fixed is Tuesday, November 11. On that day, there will be a forum for the President to meet Nigerians to announce his decision.

    “The venue is yet to be decided. That will be decided at our next meeting. When we come out on November 11, the President will face the people of Nigeria and say yes to their demand.

    “If he says yes, it will be yes. If he says no, then it is negative. But you are aware that our party, the Peoples Democratic Party in all its organs, from the caucus to the Board of Trustees and the National Working Committee had decided that President Jonathan should be given the first option of refusal with the PDP ticket.”

    “If he is going to contest, the PDP will give him preference. As the President, he has performed and we are satisfied with what he has done.”

    According to him, it is only when he declines the offer that the PDP could look at any other contestant.

    Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema, disclosed that members of the committee were grouped into sub-committees during the inaugural meeting.

    Some of the groups, according to him, include secretariat, venue and decoration, media and publicity, security, protocol and mobilisation.

    He was optimistic that the committee would come up with enough preparations that would ensure a hitch-free declaration ceremony.

  • Jonathan easiest sitting president to defeat in poll – Kwankwaso

    Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said President Goodluck Jonathan is the easiest sitting President in the world for any opposition party to defeat in an election.

    Kwankwaso, who is a presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, premised his argument on the anger, general disillusionment and disenchantment against Jonathan’s administration.

    The governor while speaking with reporters on Tuesday night in Ilorin, Kwara State, predicted that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not last beyond 2015, having spent 16 years in power.

    He said: “Jonathan is the easiest sitting president to defeat in an election because of insecurity in the land. This is because the first and foremost responsibility of any government is security of the people.

    “You people are not in the front line and that is why you may not understand the gravity of the situation. As I speak with you some people are on the hills, in the forest, under mountains taking refuge; they are internally displaced. Just yesterday (Monday) we sent six trucks of relief materials to our people in refuge camps in Niger Republic.

    “Unfortunately we have leaders in this country who have divided the county along religious and ethnic lines.

    “All other countries are making progress but here we are being fed with statistics that cannot be verified. I think Jonathan should be happy if we unseat him because it will help him to go and rest.

    “Change is possible once you get the right agent of change. What has happened in Kano State for instance has never happened and what made it possible was that the people had a new governor in 2011. It was that simple.

    “We need people who are disciplined in Nigeria, people who mean what they say and stick to it.”

     

     

  • 2015: I’m not under pressure to step down – Kwankwaso

    2015: I’m not under pressure to step down – Kwankwaso

    Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on Tuesday in Kano categorically stated that he is not under pressure from any quarter to drop his presidential ambition for anybody on any consensus arrangement.

    The three All Progressives Congress presidential aspirants namely – former head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd),  former vice president Atiku Abubakar and Kwankwaso, have expressed their determination to slug it out at the party’s December 29 primaries, but agitations are already in progress for the emergence of a consensus candidate, which some aspirants are opposed to.

    Kwankwaso, while speaking to reporters in his office on Tuesday,urged the APC leadership to avoid the mistake of adopting a consensus presidential candidate, arguing that it will spell doom for the party, whereby a popular candidate may be denied the ticket of winning such election.

    According to him, the PDP has been holding primaries for their various aspirants for the sole purpose of getting popular and acceptable candidates for next year’s elections.

    He said,” I am not under any pressure to step down for anybody, in as much as nobody  has contacted me to step down, doing that  will not augur well for the party. You see, so many people are used to either small parties, like medium sized parties, where people sit down and choose somebody in a room.

    “Now, we are talking of APC, a mega party, which is not ANPP, which is not CPC, ACN, or APGA or new PDP. I always tell people to look at the example of the PDP since 1999 and in each election, people have to go for primaries, not arranged elections, real election, primary election, even when we have sitting President in 2003 and 2011, there were elections, very serious elections.

    “That is why PDP has been winning all along and all others who are involved in stage managing primary elections always lose elections. As fate will have it, PDP has now decided to do their own primaries in the Villa, while the APC will hold their’s in the field, which clearly shows that APC will win, while the PDP will lose the elections in 2015.”

     

  • INEC begins voter’s cards distribution in 13 states November 7

    INEC begins voter’s cards distribution in 13 states November 7

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the distribution of Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) will resume in 13 states of the federation between November 7 and November 9.

    In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, INEC also said that there would be Continuous Voter’s Registration (CVR) in the affected states from November 13 to 17.

    According to the statement, the affected states are to be covered under phase three of the exercise.

    It listed the states as Adamawa, Borno, Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Plateau and Rivers.

    The commission advised voters in the states to check their names in the displayed voters’ registers as only those with Permanent Voter‘s Cards would be allowed to vote during the 2015 general elections.

    It added that those who registered earlier but did not see their names in the displayed register were to re-register during the continuous voter’s registration.

    “The CVR is not for those who wish to transfer.

    “Those wishing to transfer should write to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in their new states of domicile, well before the election.

    “No transfer will be approved less than 30 days to the election,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the commission as saying in the statement.

    INEC stated those that had lost their cards or whose cards were damaged might apply for replacement.

    “This can be done by writing to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) through the INEC Electoral Officer of the local government area where they registered for their replacement, well before the election.

    “No replacement will be approved and no new card will be issued less than 30 days to the election,’’ it stated.