Former Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, has described the handling of Saturday’s governorship in Osun State as a disservice to democracy.
He said this may be the worst election since 1966.
He stated that accreditation was poorly handled in some areas.
Akande also complained about the arrest of APC leaders and supporters.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi, OON, will on Sunday be turbaned by the Council of Imams and Alfas in Eti-Osa area of Lagos State.
The event, the 2nd Eti-Osa Turbaning Ceremony, will hold at the Eti-Osa Islamic Centre on Lekki Road, opposite Eleganza, Ikota, Eti-Osa by 10am.
A spokesman for the organiser said a N500million appeal fund for the Eti-Osa Islamic Centre would also take place at the event.
He said the chairman of the occasion is the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; while the special guests of honour are Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN; and Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi. Also expected are the APC Interim National Chairman Chief Adebisi Akande, Osun State Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and APC Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
The chairperson is Alhaja Sekinah Olusola Yusuf. Chief host is Alhaji Abdul Yekini O. Bakare, while the principal host is Muhammed Bello Oyinlomo Danmole.
Prominent leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday met with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar at his Abuja private residence.
The APC leaders, who met with Atiku behind closed doors for over an hour, described the meeting as a continuation of the party’s consultations with past leaders and stakeholders across the nation.
Those that met with the former vice president included the former head of state; Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), the National Leader of the APC; Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the party’s interim National Chairman; Chief Bisi Akande.
The meeting is coming on the heels of the defection of 37 members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives to the APC.
Atiku, who spoke with journalists shortly after the meeting, said the discussions were very fruitful, stressing that he had always espoused the two party system.
He said that he welcomed the formation of the APC, adding that he would meet with his friends and political associates with the view to taking a decision on the next line of action.
The former Vice President stated further that the formation of the APC was healthy for the nation’s democracy, stressing that it would give the Nigerian people a credible alternative in the 2015 general elections.
Atiku said: “We want to let you know that we had very fruitful discussions and you know I have always believed in a two party structure.
“So I welcome the formation of APC. We have discussed extensively and I will meet with my political associates and friends.
“Most of us have been friends and political associates for over two decades. I will call my stakeholders across the country. We will take a decision and address the press and let you know our decision.
“I congratulated them (APC leaders) and welcomed them because it will improve competition and governance. It is healthy for our democracy.
“Once you have one very strong party and weak ones, there is no way the opposition can check the government in power.
“If the South Africans faced apartheid in the past, Nigeria is facing colonialism. The struggle has been long for the enthronement of democracy in our country.
“It is time we realised we have responsibility to our generation and those yet unborn. I think it (APC) will give Nigerians an alternative during elections. So I told them I will consult with my associates and brief the press later.”
Chief Akande, who led the parry’s delegation, said the visit was to cement a long standing political relationship with Atiku spanning more than two decades.
“We feel that it is necessary to meet people of like minds to rise up and salvage the country. All of us that met here were comrades in politics.
“We only met today to cement that comradeship and all is well cemented. We are moving together to work for this country,” Akande said.
Police barricade on their way and the sun blazing above, All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders marched yesterday on the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
Leading the way were former Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, APC Chairman Chief Bisi Akande, former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) former chairman Chief Ogbonnaya Onu and many others.
Their mission – to demand the cancellation of the November 16 Anambra State governorship election, resignation of INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega and dissolution of the management of the electoral body. In a scene reminiscent of the pro-democracy struggle between 1993 and 1998 during the military era, the leaders trekked for about five kilometrer from the APC National Secretariat in Blantyre Street, Wuse II, Abuja to Zambezi Crescent in Maitama District where INEC is located.
The initial stage of the trek was piloted by Governors Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun State) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti State) and many members of the National Assembly.
The “great trek” was later co-ordinated by a former National Secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change, Buba Galadima, an engineer.
But when the procession took off, Gen. Buhari and some top leaders of APC withstood the rigours of standing in an open lorry for the protest march.
Others in the lorry were Akande, Tinubu; Onu; a former National Chairman of the defunct All Peoples Party(APP), Alhaji Yusuf Ali; ex-Governor Ahmed Sani Yerima, ex-Governor Segun Osoba; ex-Governor Niyi Adebayo; Senator Nazif Suleiman; APC Deputy National Secretary Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Senator Abu Ibrahim; and former House of Representatives member Dino Melaye.
Others who participated in the hectic protest were Senators Oluremi Tinubu; Sola Adeyeye; Domingo Obende; Anthony Adeniyi; Ahmed Lawan and Gbenga Asafa.
House Minority Leader Femi Gbajiabiamila and Chairman of the House Committee on the Diaspora Abike Dabiri-Erewa were there.
Others were the Deputy Minority Chief Whip in the House, Hon. Garba Datti; Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Suleiman Kawu; Hon. Umar Bago; Hon. Adeola Solomon; Hon. Yakubu Balogun; and Hon. Pally Iriase; Hon. Munir Hakeem; Hon. Abayomi Ayeola; Hon. Taiwo Adelekan; Hon. Adeyinka Ajayi; Hon. Gafar Akintayo; Hon. Sunday Adepoju; Hon. Ajibola Famurewa; the APC National Women Leader, Barrister Sharon Ikeazor, APC National Treasurer, and Hajiya Sadiat Umar Farouk,
Waving brooms – the APC’s symbol – the brought traffic to a standstill for about two hours on the ever-busy Ademola Adetokunbo Street in Wuse II. Revolutionary songs blared from mounted speakers.
Many workers in the business district abandoned offices to identify with the protesters.
They held leaflets and placards with the following inscriptions: “Anambrarians, Nigerians are with you”; “Anambra Election: Jega, not the INEC Messiah, Resign Now”; “2015, No hope with Jega”; “No Supplementary Election in Anambra”; “Cancel Anambra Governorship Election Now”; and “Election Fraud Must Stop Now”.
The procession, which started at about 10.30pm, berthed at the INEC headquarters at about 12.03pm.
The situation turned into a battle front with the protesters at one end and combat ready soldiers and policemen at another end.
Journalists were left in between as the protesters moved slowly towards the armed soldiers and policemen.
At about 100metres to INEC gate, 20 armed policemen, backed by a new Armoured Personnel Carrier with registration number NPF, 635 9C, formed a brick wall to restrict the protesters.
The wall was closely supported by a team of armed soldiers in a Hillux van marked ORS 0121.
For about five minutes, it was a tug of war between the protesters and the policemen and the soldiers.
The protesters succeeded in breaking only the first wall mounted by 20 policemen. Attempts to advance towards INEC’s gate were thwarted by the armoured vehicle and the soldiers.
The protesters opted to hold a rally at about 50 metres to INEC’s gate, having achieved their aim to assert their right to protest.
They also succeeded in sending the National Secretary of APC, Alhaji Tijani Tumsah, to submit a letter to the Office of the Chairman of INEC.
The letter, dated 28th November, 2013, was signed by the National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande and addressed to INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega.
Firing the first salvo at the mini-rally, Akande said:
“If INEC is around to take this, we are ready to give it to INEC. The letter is our protest against the rigging of Anambra election. It is against the rigging of Delta State senatorial election. It is against the rigging of Oguta House of Assembly election. And our coming is to ask Nigerians to support us to stop rigging in Nigeria. There is poverty in Nigeria because of fraud. The rigging of election is the greatest fraud that any nation can have and we want to stop electoral rigging in Nigeria. This is because from our democracy our economy will develop, industrialisation will be established.
“So, we are here to say ‘no’ to election rigging and present the letter to INEC. Whoever can come forward, the letter is here.”
Clad in a cream kaftan, ex-Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, amid shouts of “Sai Buhari!”, said: “We are here mainly to give the letter to INEC on our representation to do away with the election in Anambra that was conducted and demanding the cancellation of the election totally and fix another day for the election. The reason we have put it in the letter, which will be handed over to INEC.”
Welcomed with a new appellation of Asiwaju of Nigeria, the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Tinubu, was more pungent in his remarks.
He said the rot in INEC must stop with the overhauling of the commission
He shouted: “The greatest Nigerian democrats!” We are here to serve warning signal to INEC. As an institution, they do not represent the interest of Nigeria. They are all compromised electoral officers. They have committed criminal offences by rigging elections in Nigeria. The electoral commissioners represent 90% of card-carrying members of PDP. We are calling for dissolution of INEC immediately.
“With the amendment of the electoral law, they have never complied with the Uwais Report. They rig; after rigging, because we endure them. They are used to sharing the election money and to promote corruption.
“We are rejecting totality the predetermined result of the rigging in Anambra, the Delta Senatorial election, the Oguta House election. They thought they will keep us in lamentation, no, we are no more in lamentation.
“We are determined for liberty- to liberate Nigeria, to change election thievery, change the electoral fraud, to change the institution here. Jega cannot manage the people, he should resign immediately. No one will accept this result from him. We have engaged him enough with excuses; we are no more taking them. This is our institution.”
Tinubu urged policemen and soldiers not to attack the protesters because they are fighting for their cause.
He added: “Police, your children are involved; your lives are involved. Nigeria police, your children’s life, your future lie here. We can obey you to the extent we are going back now. We have delivered the letter but next time, next time, we will not tolerate you to become the armed wing of PDP.
“If the Nigeria Police have become the armed wing of the PDP, let us know. That is the way you are behaving. If Nigerian Army is now representing their patriotic sense to only one party, they should serve us notice and let us know. We all join the army and dabaru (scatter) the whole thing. This nonsense must stop. APC will stop the rigging. From now on, you must rig and roast. God bless Nigeria.”
Onu said: “Is there anybody here who is happy with happenings in our country? Is there anybody here who is happy with the way INEC is conducting election in our country?
“The APC will put an end to this. We need free and fair elections in our county. Why is PDP afraid of free and fair elections? Why are they afraid of the people? You must have free and fair elections so that our people will elect those they like. It is only when we do such that we can elect people who will put the interest of our country first. We are saying no to election rigging. We want free and fair election in our country; we want competition in the political arena. Why should this government embark on privatisation? Why should they want competition in the economic arena but do not want it in the political arena? Why should our President promise us in Onitsha that Anambra State governorship election will be free and fair? And everybody knows that that election was not free and fair. Why is it that the President has kept quiet? We want him to speak up; we want free and fair election in our country. Enough of this. We want to make sure that we have free and fair election in our country. Nigerians, we must come out and make sure that elections are free and fair.”
Melaye, who did a yeoman job to ensure the success of the protest, said: “Once we have a sanitised electoral system, we will celebrate the obituary of PDP for ever. We are going to sing the old national anthem and we will be done.”
Top leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by a former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari defied police and military barricade to march on the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in protest against the shoddy conduct of the governorship poll in Anambra State.
They demanded outright cancellation of the election by INEC.
They also called for the resignation of INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega and dissolution of the management of the electoral body.
Reminiscence of pro-democracy struggle between 1993 and 1998 during the dark days of military era, the leaders trekked for about five kilometers from APC National Secretariat in Blantyre Street in Wuse II part of Abuja to Zambezi Crescent in Maitama District where INEC is located.
The initial stage of the trek was piloted by Governors Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun State) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti State) and many members of the National Assembly.
The great trek was later coordinated by a former National Secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change, Engr. Buba Galadima.
But when the procession took off, Buhari and some top leaders of APC withstood the rigours of standing in an open lorry for the protest march.
Others tucked in the lorry were the National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; a former National Chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu; a former National Chairman of the defunct All Peoples Party(APP), Alhaji Yusuf Ali; ex-Governor Ahmed Sani Yerima, ex-Governor Segun Osoba; ex-Governor Niyi Adebayo; Senator Nazif Suleiman; the Deputy National Secretary of APC, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Senator Abu Ibrahim; and a former member of the House of Representatives, Comrade Dino Melaye.
Others who participated in the hectic protest were Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Senator (Prof.) Sola Adeyeye; Senator Domingo Obende; Senator Anthony Adeniyi; Senator Ahmed Lawan; Senator Gbenga Asafa; House Minority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajiabiamila and the Chairman of the House Committee on the Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri.
Others were the Deputy Minority Chief Whip in the House, Hon. Garba Datti; Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Suleiman Kawu; Hon. Umar Bago; Hon. Adeola Solomon; Hon. Yakubu Balogun; Hon. Pally Iriase; Hon. Munir Hakeem; Hon. Abayomi Ayeola; Hon. Taiwo Adelekan; Hon. Adeyinka Ajayi; Hon. Gafar Akintayo; Hon. Sunday Adepoju; Hon. Ajibola Famurewa; the APC National Women Leader, Barrister Sharon Ikeazor, APC National Treasurer, and Hajiya Sadiat Umar Farouk,
Waving brooms amidst blare of revolutionary songs, traffic was brought to a standstill for about two hours along the ever busy Ademola Adetokunbo Street in Wuse II.
Many workers in the business district abandoned offices to identify with the protesters.
They wielded leaflets and placards with the following inscriptions: “Anambrarians, Nigerians are with you,” “Anambra Election: Jega, not the INEC Messiah, Resign Now,” “2015, No hope with Jega,” “No Supplementary Election in Anambra,” “Cancel Anambra Governorship Election Now,” “Election Fraud Must Stop Now.”
•Nwoye knows fate
The All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) governorship candidate in the November 16 poll in Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige, will launch his campaign today.
APC chieftains are expected to attend Ngige’s campaign launch, which is holding at the Holy Trinity Ground, Onitsha.
The Labour Party’s (LP’s) standard- bearer, Ifeanyi Ubah, launched his campaign over three weeks ago at the same venue.
Ngige came up with his manifesto of 12-point agenda in Awka at the weekend.
The senator, who promised free primary and secondary education and 50 per cent reduction in school fees in the Anambra State University, said he was coming back to complete his unfinished projects.
APC’s campaign launch has created fears among supporters of other parties.
The Nation learnt that Imo, Osun, Edo and Nasarawa governors will attend the event.
Others expected are the Interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, a National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, senators and members of the House of Representatives.
Speaking at Awka, the Chairman of Ngige Campaign Organisation, Chief George Muoghalu, said the party was ready to receive the APC bigwigs.
He said: “The event will take place on Tuesday at the Holy Trinity Ground in Onitsha. Our national leaders will be in attendance. We are not leaving any stone unturned.”
Ngige’s campaign office, opposite Anambra State Government House, Awka, was a beehive of activities at the weekend.
Muoghalu and members of the campaign team from the Southeast put finishing touches to the programmes and Ngige briefed reporters on his 12-point agenda.
The launch was earlier scheduled for October 3, but was postponed to enable guests from other geopolitical zones get prepared.
One of the contestants for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) ticket, Comrade Tony Nwoye, will know his fate today at the Appeal Court in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
His case against Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, another aspirant, will be decided to determine the party’s candidate.
The National leader of All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to lead the interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, to Anambra on Tuesday.
They will attend Sen. Chris Ngige’s Governorship flag-off at the Holy Trinity field in the commercial city of Onitsha.
Other APC chieftains expected at the event are – Ngige’s governorship campaign team leader and Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole and his counterparts in Osun and Nasarawa States, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Alhaji Ibrahim Al-Makura are co-leaders of the team.
Also, expected in Anambra are Sen. George Akume, interim National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Sen. Osita Izunaso and other National Assembly members in the party.
Speaking with The Nation on Monday in Awka, the Chairman of Ngige Campaign organization, Chief George Muoghalu, said that all arrangements had been put in place.
Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande and leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu are among the eminent personalities expected to grace the launch of Do not be a low mean man: The Story of a Prince of Peace, the autobiography of National President of the Zumratul Islamiyyah Society of Nigeria, Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi.
The 358-page book will be presented to the public on October 13 which coincided with the 77th birthday of the former National Vice- Chairman (Southwest) of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
In his foreword, former Lagos State Governor, Lateef Jakande said the book is not just an autobiography but the story of a public man in every sense of the word.
“It is a story of religions in Lagos. It is a story of Lagos politics. It is a story of education. It is a story of commerce. In this long story, Prince Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi has lived a life of honour and service for which he gives the credit to his father”.
“Prince Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi is a man of integrity and a trustworthy political associate. He is indeed the prince of peace” he said.
The book captures the birth of Olusi into the royal family of Oba of Lagos, Sanusi Matiku Olusi. It also talks about his education, his sojourn into politics under the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo. It also talks about his achievements as a federal lawmaker in the House of Representatives during the Second Republic as well as Commissioner for Commerce in Lagos State under the military regime of Olagunsoye Oyinlola. It also gives readers a vivid picture of events before, during and after the June 12 1993 presidential election and so on.
Chief Bisi Akande, the interim chairman of newly registered APC, must by now be wondering what he said about an elected president to warrant the verbal assault from President Jonathan’s combative media aides. He must be having a nostalgic craving for the old constitutional monarchy of his people where leaders earned their positions, answerable to the people and can be told to abdicate if they betray the trust of the people. Part of what may be agitating his mind could also be whether we have not made a mistake to trade the old reliable system for the current variant of PDP democracy where losers resort to self-help and where might is right.
The old man had incurred the wrath of the angry and combative media experts when he last week stated that ‘following two meetings he had with the president since 2011 and two other long telephone conversation on two other different occasions to discuss serious challenges facing the country, he came to the conclusion that the president has reduced governance to kindergarten level and that he is not serious-minded.’ He also accused him handling national issues with levity as well as of embarking on witch-hunt of political enemies citing the cases of Asiwaju Tinubu who was dragged before the Code of Conduct Bureau, even while the president has refused to declare his own assets and Rotimi Amaechi, who was being persecuted because of what the chief described as ‘his insistence that the allocation of the country must be judiciously shared among local, state and the federal governments.’
The above is what the president aides dismissed as “an unguarded and intemperate outburst, not only an unbecoming lack of respect for the person and office of the President of his country, but also a complete disregard for the patriotic feelings of the millions of Nigerians who voted for President Jonathan and who continue to appreciate his sincere efforts to positively transform the nation.’ He was also accused of ‘rudely and falsely describing President Jonathan as a ‘kindergarten’ leader who treats national issues with levity’. It doesn’t matter whether there is an element of truth in this claim for the president who has not found time to publicly address the ongoing ASUU strike or thought it necessary as the father of all in the on-going intra-party crisis in Rivers to call to order rascals who claimed to be fighting his family’s wars. They also did not forget to warn “Chief Akande and his fellow-travellers to remember that there are laws against libel and defamation of character in this country even if there are no legal impediments to indecorous, hypocritical and unpatriotic vituperations.” As a final shot, they said “It is certainly rude, ill-mannered, uncharitable and hypocritical for Chief Akande to falsely and cavalierly allege that a President who toils tirelessly every day of the week, evolving and implementing workable solutions to Nigeria’s problems, is handling national issues with levity.’ For maximum effect they cited one of the president major achievements- ‘his well acclaimed deft handling of the insurgency.’
And for accusing Jonathan of playing ethnic and religious politics in order to divert attention from his bad governance, the media aides have also taken a swipe at El-Rufai, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. They dismissed him as a ‘serial liar.’ They want Nigerians to note that El-Rufai ‘profaned the name of Jesus Christ on Twitter by tweeting a joke which is too indecent to mention in the presence of civilized persons’.
And to demonstrate that President Jonathan does not play religious and ethnic politics, they called attention to the president who ‘though a Christian took part in the just-concluded Ramadan fast and broke his fast with Muslim faithful every evening.’ Besides they cited ‘the quantum of funds that Jonathan had spent on education specifically tailored for Islamic itinerant scholars known as the almajiris,’ to demonstrate his tolerance of all religions.
The PDP through its acting secretary Okeke also descended heavily on Chief Akande claiming that ‘the main agenda of Akande and other prominent members of the APC were to liquidate the nation’s economy’. He did not say how but added that ‘Akande and El-Rufai were aggrieved because of the refusal of the President to join the APC when he was invited’. I suspect a tinge of blackmail is allowed here to justify the righteous indignation of the president’s media aides and PDP.
President Ebele Jonathan has for over two years worked under severe strains. The thankless albeit a privileged job of paddling the affairs of our great nation has started to take its toll. Watching him closely during his last visit to his godfather, ex-President Obasanjo in Abeokuta, the scars have become very visible. He is fast aging, while some of his ministers, special advisers, and some rabble rousers who claim to be the president co-crusaders are developing rosy cheeks and rotund faces.
The angry media aides have been called upon to assuage the president’s apparent feelings of despondency, celebrate his self-acclaimed giant strides, and insulate him from the offensive actions of some of his PDP feral party members. They are also aware the president as a toy in the hands of PDP political warlords is called upon to take responsibility for the mundane, the ludicrous and outright invidious actions of PDP unruly family members. But the media experts are equally aware that the opposition is the weakest link.
For instance it was not the president but PDP that influenced the emergence of Ahmadu Alli as chairman of PDP as well as his chairmanship of PPRA. Yet his presidency suffered collateral damage when the later was accused of presiding over the loss of about N1.7 trillion in phantom fuel subsidy. When poor Nigerians were indirectly called upon to pay through taxation, which experts said best described the fuel pump price increase, the president took direct responsibility. When his economic advisers misinformed millions of his admirers who gave him a landslide victory that the price increase would affect only the middle class car owners and the wealthy Lagos residents, the president alone faced the outrage of commuters, petty business owners and 140 millions Nigerians that the minister for power claimed have no access to electricity.
When overzealous police officers under the police commissioner Joseph Mbu shut down a section of Port Harcourt where the first lady has her mansion erected, making it impossible for even the governor to move, the president is called upon to check the excesses of his unelected wife. When the governor of Balyelsa appointed the president’s wife, Dr Patience Jonathan, a permanent secretary to operate from the presidency in Abuja, the president was accused of nepotism. Even when Bipi the leader of a gang of five that illegally attempted to take over Rivers State House of Assembly proclaimed the first lady a messiah for whom he was prepared to lay down his life, the president was the one accused of blasphemy by his fellow Christians. As we can see from the account of how Nyesom Wike emerged as a minister, infiltration of the president’s cabinet by leaders of the South-south militants as well as the North-east Boko Haram was the handiwork of PDP.
But as I said on this page last week, both Doyin Okupe and Ahmed Gulak failed to protect the president from bad press because instead of focusing on improving the quality of their product, they adopted an outdated media model of leaving the substance to chase the shadows. The product and its qualities contribute to the making of a successful brand. The decision by Reuben Abati to now join and invigorate the efforts of the duo will not make the press legitimize President Jonathan’s assault on the spirit of the constitution. It is also not likely that angry verbal assault on Chief Akande by combative media aides while ignoring the important issues he had raised will suddenly lead to a change of fortune for a government that has not only failed to meet the aspirations of the people, but generally considered as very corrupt by both national and international press.
•Cleric urges Nigerians to fight corruption
Former Primate of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion Dr. Peter Akinola (rtd) yesterday said the Interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, has a right to air his view on the performance of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.
The cleric said it is up to the president to prove Akande wrong.
He said the characterisation of Jonathan’s administration as “kindergarten” by Akande was not the “issue”, adding that Nigerians are concerned about how the President has been handling major issues.
The former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) said Jonathan has had the rare luck of being the first doctorate degree holder to occupy the number one seat of the nation, coupled with the privilege of experiencing governance as a deputy governor, governor, vice- president and now president.
He asked whether his experience have helped in his handling of national issues.
Akande, a former Osun State governor, recently said the Presidency is not for the “kindergarten”, a remark that triggered angry reactions from the president’s camp.
Speaking with reporters at his country home in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Dr. Akinola said people who do not agree with a government are free to express their opinions.
He said: “Nigerians voted for him (the President), so he has to tell them what he has done to be given a second chance.
“He can be called any name by anybody, that is not the issue. The issue is: Is this government responding to issues affecting Nigeria as it ought to? The president has a Ph.D and has learnt governance in terms of experience as deputy governor, governor and vice -president, so why are things the way they are in the country?
“Unfortunately a tree cannot make a forest and he is surrounded by hawks and political wolves. So what will he tell Nigerians when asked about his earlier promises.”
As the nation’s centenary anniversary draws nearer, the cleric urged political leaders to break away from corruption and build a new Nigeria.
The press conference was organised by the Peter Akinola Foundation to mark the concluding part of the “Wake-Up-Call” series of discussions on the debilitating effects of corruption in the country.
Dr. Akinola lamented the absence of leaders with the political will to tackle corruption and urged the nation’s leaders to emulate China, Singapore, Ghana, Botswana and Burundi, which he said have shown the political will to clean their system.
He said: “If there must be hope for a better country, Nigeria must break the corruption jinx. People must realise that corruption does not represent the most disingenuous invention or creation of modern man.
“For Nigeria, endemic corruption constitutes a huge challenge and remains the biggest obstacle to its development.
“Its harmful effect is the reason Nigeria, which is very endowed, has become a crawling/beggar-nation, with millions of poor, miserable and unhappy citizens.
“Nigeria cannot continue to accommodate corrupt leaders with docility. More so now that the United States, which is Nigeria’s biggest oil importer, is on the throes of becoming self-sufficient in its oil needs.
“With oil no longer the black gold it used to be; with endless external borrowing for no just cause and with corruption unchecked, Nigeria’s future is definitely under serious threat.”
Dr. Akinola urged Nigerians to develop zero-tolerance for corruption at all levels.
He said decisive action should be taken to strengthen the fight against corruption to ensure a bright future.