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Tag: atiku

  • 2019 poll: Osinbajo, Atiku renew restructuring battle

    The restructuring debate returned at the weekend, with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo  describing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar as an opponent of the idea when he was in office as vice-president between 1999 and 2007.

    Atiku has promised to restructure Nigeria in six months, if voted in as president.

    Speaking in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, while delivering the ninth public lecture of Sigma Club at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan (UI), Osinbajo spoke of how he as Attorney-General of Lagos State went to the Supreme Court 12 times on restructuring.

    That was when the Lagos State Government’s move was opposed by the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency with Atiku as his deputy.

    “All this time, this was 2000, some of those people, including the presidential candidate of PDP, who is talking about restructuring, was the vice president then.

    “They opposed every step we took. Of course, we were taking the Federal Government to court then. They opposed every step.

    “Let me explain my position clearly. I am not just an advocate of restructuring, there is no other government in Nigeria that has actively pursued restructuring such as we did when I was Attorney General in Lagos State.

    “People talking about restructuring, if you ask them what they meant by restructuring, they won’t even know what it means and that is the problem we have to face,” he said.

    The vice president recalled the Supreme Court battles.

    His words: “We started with fiscal restructuring, which is more of resource control. Should states control their own resources? We went to the Supreme Court. They argued that each state should control its own resources.

    “The states that argued in favour of autonomy for states to control their resources were the oil producing states in the country and Lagos State while some others argued on the other side because they wanted to share oil money.

    “We lost at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court said ‘no’, that you cannot control your resources. If you are an oil producing state, take 13 per cent extra, which is derivation.”

    Osinbajo said Lagos State argued that it had ports and the ports served the entire nation, so the state should also take 13 per cent derivation which the Supreme Court objected.

    Osinbajo said further argument led to the introduction of onshore and offshore law, which enabled the state to share from onshore resources.

    “The next thing we did was that the states should be able to create their own local governments, which is autonomy of states.

    “So, we created 37 new local governments in Lagos. The president then, Chief Obasanjo, seized our local government funds and said we could not create new local governments,” he said.

    But Atiku fired back in a statement by Paul Ibe of his media office. He described Prof. Osinbajo as “economical with the truth.”

    The statement said: “given that Prof Osinbajo and his boss have been speaking discordant tunes on restructuring, we can understand their desperation to revise history, however, it is impossible to revise documented history.

    “Prof. Osinbajo needs to be reminded that there are well documented accounts in the Nigerian media chronicling Atiku Abubakar’s support and struggle for restructuring.”

    The statement said a piece published in a national newspaper chronicled Atiku’s thoughts on how “to restructure the revenue allocation formula to allow littoral states of the federation benefit from off shore oil proceeds.’

    It added that “ironically, it was precisely Mr. Osinbajo’s boss, Muhammadu Buhari, who as military dictator, cheated these states of their just due by military fiat.

    “It is also common knowledge that the six geopolitical zones structure which all parts of Nigeria benefit from today is the fruit of the collaborative efforts of Atiku Abubakar, the late Alex Ekwueme and other patriots.

    “Their efforts at restructuring Nigeria are captured in the Hansard of the 1995 Constitutional Conference, which is a public document and is still available at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

    “The question we want to ask Professor Osinbajo is this – why do he and his boss constantly resort to rewriting history? Why can they not campaign on their achievements? Is it that they are forced to campaign on subterfuge because they have no achievements to campaign on?

    Nigerians want to know if promises have been kept. They are not interested in fairy tales about how Atiku Abubakar did not support restructuring because they know that he is and was and will always be an active promoter of restructuring.

    Everywhere he goes to campaign, Atiku Abubakar has used temperate and respectful language on both President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo.

  • Buhari towers above Obasanjo, Atiku in integrity, says APC spokesman

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy National Publicity Secretary Yekini Nabena said yesterday that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar cannot beat President Muhammadu Buhari in an integrity contest.

    Nabena said Obasanjo’s sudden endorsement of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate has brought to question his real nature as a national leader.

    The APC spokesman said Obasanjo’s previous statements about the credibility of his former deputy when he described Atiku as a corrupt, disloyal and unpatriotic leader, who was not fit and proper to handle the mantle of Nigerian leadership, were enough to rubbish any sudden endorsement from him.

    In a statement in Abuja, Nabena said it was a big contradiction on the part of the former President when he made a volte face and suddenly told Nigerians that he has forgiven Abubakar and now sees him as the best President for Nigeria.

    He said: “Throughout their second tenure in office, (2003-2007) and until recently, former President Obasanjo had described Atiku as a corrupt, disloyal and unpatriotic leader, who was not fit and proper to handle the mantle of Nigerian leadership.

    “Only recently, Obasanjo vowed that God would not forgive him if he supported the presidential aspiration of Atiku as “it would amount to handing Nigeria over to sharks and looters”, only to make a U-turn to announced that he had forgiven Atiku and that he had decided to also support his presidential aspiration.

    He maintained that Obasanjo’s message to Nigerians, therefore, was that his former deputy, whom he had accused of various acts of corruption, had suddenly become clean, credible and prepared to lead Nigeria.

    Nabena added that it was surprising that Obasanjo who had accused Atiku of corrupt tendencies, suddenly turned around and declare the sinner forgiven and eminently qualified to govern Nigeria.

    “It is this tendency towards indecision, insincerity, double talk and deception that has made Nigeria ridiculed in the eyes of the international community. A statesman is known for his principles and his statements are based on the strength of his convictions.

    “When a supposed national leader makes declarations that are subject to change at any time based on his mood, such a leader loses his integrity and reliability,” he said.

  • Atiku, S/East rift deepens over single term request

    The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, does not seem to be interested in committing himself to a single term in office if he wins next year’s election, The Nation can now report.

    Prominent Igbo leaders are said to have been putting pressure on Atiku to agree to do only one term in office  as a condition for the geo-political zone to support him.

    The idea is to pave the way for  a Southeasterner to succeed him in 2023.

    But Atiku, who believes his choice of Mr. Peter Obi from the zone, is enough as an expression of his respect for the people, is not keen on doing one term.

    Southeast stakeholders, including prominent political leaders, are worried that the zone may have to wait till 2026 to have a shot at the Presidency should Atiku stick to his gun, and goes on to win the 2019 election.

    The Nation learnt that the issue was the main subject of discussion as a meeting in Enugu last week when a committee earlier mandated to discuss the request with Atiku and his handlers reported back to the house.

    The committee, sources said, informed the meeting that the PDP presidential candidate gave no definite answer on their proposal.

    Those at the meeting were said to have expressed disappointment at the situation, coming so soon after Atiku was accused of not consulting them in picking Obi as his running mate.

    Although Atiku had, in a previous interview pledged to do only one term, sources said he has refused so far to give any such undertaking since he was nominated at the Port Harcourt convention of the PDP.

    Atiku was quoted in that interview as saying:  “I have said it before on my own initiative… if I am elected as the president in 2019; I give an undertaking that I would only do one term… I am prepared to sign an undertaking to do only one term.”

    Sources said he has not come forward to give effect to that vow, since he got the PDP ticket.

    A source close to him confirmed the development to The Nation but denied that Atiku is now dodging the issue.

    He recalled that Atiku had publicly said he might do one term if elected.

    He, however, frowned at what he described as an attempt to ‘box’ the PDP presidential hopeful to a corner even before he is elected president.

    The source said:”I can tell you categorically that Atiku, as a person, is committed to keeping his promises.

    “But in politics, every little detail matters. While they may say he will win the confidence of the Igbo by signing an undertaking like that are they thinking of how his people from the North will feel about such move?

    “We were all living witnesses to how such a commitment became the albatross of former President Jonathan.

    “There is no crisis over this matter and it is not true that Atiku doesn’t want to discuss the issue. I suspect that those who claim to be acting on behalf of those making the demands are not being truthful about the real situation of things.

    “If a man has given his words publicly and you still want more, then you will have to do more to get more.”

    A serving PDP Senator from the Southeast who also spoke to The Nation on the matter said the leaders of the region have taken it upon themselves to get Atiku to address the issue as it is of great importance to the   political future of the people.

    He, however, said some politicians from the region are also helping the PDP candidate to dodge the question.

    He said:”It is true we are worried about the single term request.

    “It is very correct that we are yet to get a definite answer from Atiku and we are not pleased with that.

    “Just like he handled the manner in which he nominated his running mate, Atiku is allowing this issue to generate too much bad blood from our midst towards him. It is a very germane matter that is being handled with levity by him and his handlers.

    “We had a committee made up of prominent people including people very close to Atiku himself. And they have not been able to tell us something definite. We find that quite funny.

    “The people of the Southeast are very sophisticated people who  will not allow anybody or group of people to take them for a ride. We know Buhari cannot seek another term after 2023. We need Atiku to tell us his plans beyond 2023.

    “Our people are only keeping quiet now because we agreed to save the PDP in the Southeast by managing our differences better. Following the bad publicity generated by the bad handling of the Peter Obi choice, we agreed to keep issues away from the press.

    “That is why I am speaking with you on anonymity. But if care is not taken, another round of uproar will soon break out because the Igbo race will not allow anybody to disrespect us for long.”

    The Nation also gathered that as part of last minute efforts to get Atiku to address the single term question, a delegation of Southeast leaders has been raised to meet him and present the matter to him.

    “This new delegation is likely to have headed to Dubai to converse with the PDP candidate. The group is made up of largely PDP chieftains. Some of them had been at loggerheads with Atiku before now. But they all agreed to carry out the task to save the situation. We await the outcome of this last effort,” our source added.

     

  • Atiku not sincere on restructuring, says Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday named the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as one of those who stood against the restructuring of the country when the party was in power.

    Atiku made restructuring a key plank of his campaign in the run up to the PDP national convention where he was nominated as the party’s presidential flag bearer in next year’s election.

    But Osinbajo, speaking in Ibadan yesterday, said Atiku who was Vice President between 1999 and 2007, opposed every move made by the Lagos State government at that time to assert its authority.

    Delivering a lecture entitled  “Developing the nation through youth empowerment”, at the University of Ibadan, the Vice President said: “I am not just an advocate of restructuring as there is no other government in Nigeria that has actively pursued restructuring such as we did when I was Attorney General in Lagos State.

    “People talking about restructuring, if you ask them ‘what do you mean by restructuring’? They won’t even know what it means, and that is the problem we have and that we have to face.

    “Let me tell you what it is. When I was the Attorney General in Lagos State, we pursued in the Supreme Court, all of the issues of restructuring. We started with fiscal restructuring, which is more of resource control. Should states control their own resources? We went to the Supreme Court. They argued that each state should control its own resources.”

    Osinbajo explained that the states that argued in favour of autonomy of states to control their resources were the oil-producing states in the country and Lagos State argued on one side, while other states of the federation argued on another side because every state wants to share the oil money.

    “So, our own argument was that each state should control its own resources. We lost at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court said no, that you cannot control your resources. If you are an oil producing state, take 13 per cent extra, which is a derivation.”

    Osinbajo said Lagos State further argued that it has ports and the ports serve the entire nation, so the state should also take 13 per cent derivation. The Supreme Court, he said, said no, adding that the argument was pursued further, which has led to the introduction of the onshore and offshore law, “which is fast enabling the state to share from onshore resources.

    “All this time, this was 2000, some of those people, including the presidential candidate of PDP, who is talking about restructuring today, was the Vice President then. They opposed every step that we took. Of course, we were taking the Federal Government to court then. They opposed every step.

    “The next thing we did was that the states should be able to create their own local governments. So, we created 47 new local governments in Lagos. The President then, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, seized our local government funds and said we could not create new local governments. So, they seized the funds they were supposed to allocate for our local governments.

    “We challenged the seizure by going to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court held that the president had no right to seize the funds meant for local governments of the state and that we have a right to create local governments.

    “But after they have created the local governments, the process is not complete. They must still bring the list of new local governments to the National Assembly and the National Assembly will then amend the whole list of the local governments in the country. So, our local governments remain. But we could not get the National Assembly’s endorsement. So, we passed the LCDA Law. We created 47 and made them local council development areas.

    “If you ask those people now talking about restructuring, none of them has done anything compared to what we have done. So, I am not a latter-day convert to restructuring. I am an active practitioner of restructuring, and I have gone to the Supreme Court 12 times to test restructuring.

    “If today, somebody is talking about restructuring, ask him what does he mean? And where was he when we were going to court? Were they not opposing restructuring when we were going to court? We were in the opposition then. They were in the Federal Government, and they opposed every step that we took on restructuring.”

    The lecture was in commemoration of the 68th anniversary of Sigma Club, University of Ibadan.

     

  • Southwest PDP to Atiku: We want more than SGF

    The Southwest Zone of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to give more key positions to the zone should he win next year’s election.

    The vice-chairman of the party in the zone, Dr Eddy Olafeso, made the demand in Lagos on Friday night, at a meeting of key members across the six states in the zone.

    He said though the promise of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) slot by Atiku was a good development, the zone deserved more key political and government positions.

    The vice-chairman said that the zone had been schemed out in the power arrangement of the party for the past few years.

    Olafeso said for Atiku to give the zone a sense of belonging and compensate “for the years of abandonment”, he should zone key positions of the Chief of Staff to the President and Attorney-General of the Federation to the Southwest in addition to the SGF.

    He said the zone had the second highest voting population in the country and would demand its fair share of political positions if PDP wins in 2019.

    “We have been denied for too long. In 2011, the country under the control of our party zoned the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the zone and it was taken away.

    “And from 2011 to 2015, we were left just like that and the reverberating effect of that abandonment is the reason why we are still having the hangover of neglect till today.

    “Now we are here again, the party is working with a zone with 14 million votes, the second largest in the country.  We refuse and we will not accept where we finish the job in the next election and for one reason or the other, we will not be considered.

    “We don’t have to wait till after the election before we say what we want. We want to let the party and our candidate know that certain positions are strategic to governance and we want them.

    “Yes, the SGF is great, but there is nothing wrong with having the Chief of Staff and Attorney-General on top of it to compensate us for the denials of the past, so that all of us can work as a united front.

    “We will continue to fight for it, we will speak with a loud voice. We give so much, so the zone deserves a lot,” he said.

    While congratulating Abubakar on his emergence as presidential candidate, Olafeso said the zone was pleased with the choice of Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, as his running mate.

    He said the country was faced with serious economic challenges, and Obi had the pedigree that could realise the party’s economic vision for Nigeria.

    Olafeso said the zone was concerned about the travails of former governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over a case.

    He urged members of the party to stand with Fayose in his trying moment, saying the former governor was paying for being truthful and standing against injustice.

    “I was in the court the last time and I am glad to tell you that he has been granted bail.

    “We will do our best to ensure that he perfects his bail conditions and he is released soon,” he said.

    The meeting, according to the  News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), had in attendance a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George; the current Deputy National Chairman (South),Chief Yemi Akinwonmi; and a former National Vice Chairman of the party, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo.

    Also present were former Minister of State for Defence, Mrs Sola Obada; a former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Alhaja Makanjuola Badru; and a member of the National Assembly, Sen. Abiodun Olujimi.

    The party’s governorship candidate in Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde; the governorship candidate in Ogun, Mr Ladi Adebutu; and a former governorship aspirant in Osun State, Chief Akin Ogunbiyi, were also at the meeting, among others.

     

  • I earned N60.2m in three years, Atiku tells INEC

    PDP candidate paid N10.3m tax

    Buhari’s papers ‘with military’

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has declared a personal income of N60.2 million in three years, according to the credentials he filed with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

    He also indicated in his tax returns attached to his presidential nomination form that he paid N10.8 million tax between 2015 and 2017.

    Atiku is reputed to be a billionaire, one of Nigeria’s richest. He has been campaigning  with his ability to create millions of jobs as, according to him, he does now with his numerous companies.

    His N60.2 million income in three years is likely to suprise many.

    The PDP candidate’s credentials indicate his highest educational qualification as a Diploma in Law of 1969 from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU).

    President Muhammadu Buhari, in an affidavit to support his form, said his credentials are still with the military.

    In the sworn affidavit, the President, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said: “I am the above-named person and the deponent of this affidavit herein. All my academic qualification documents as filled in my Presidential form, APC/001/2015 are currently with the Secretary of the Military Board as of the time of this affidavit.”

    Seventy-four other people, apart from Buhari and Atiku, have filed nomination forms with the INEC to run for President on February 16 – 112 days away.

    Yesterday,  INEC, in line with Section 31 (3) of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended published the names and particulars of the candidates.

    The candidates for senatorial and House of Representatives seats have also been published in the states.

    The final days for submission of names of presidential candidates and Senate/House of Reps  was last Thusday.

    The Electoral Act Section 31 (3) states: “The commission shall, within seven days of the receipt of the personal particulars of the candidates, publish same in the constituency where the candidate intends to contest the election.”

    Some of the other presidential candidates are Obadiah Mailafia of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Donald Duke of the Social Democratic Party (SDP)  and Olusegun Mimiko of Zenith Labour Party(ZLP).

    The list of senatorial candidates from the states as published include:

    Anambra

    Senators Victor Umeh, Stella Oduah and Uche Ekwenife are listed to contest senatorial seats.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC displayed the list of candidates for the 2019 general election and their particulars at the INEC state headquarters in Awka.

    Head, Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Leo Nkedife  said:

    “Today we formally publish the list of candidates as submitted by the political parties in line with Section 31(3) of the Electoral Act as amended.

    “It stipulates that INEC must publish the particulars of the candidates submitted to INEC within seven days.

    “In compliance to that, we hereby publish the list of candidates submitted to INEC.

    In Anambra Central Senatorial District, the published candidates are Mr Charles Odunukwe of Peoples Democratic (PDP), Umeh of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Ekwunife of All Progressives Congress (APC).

    In South Senatorial District, Sen. Andy Uba of the APC, Mr Chukwunedum Ubah of the PDP and Chief Nicholas Ukachukwu of APGA made the list.

    For North Senatorial District, Sen. Margery Okadigbo of the APC, Oduah of the PDP and Chief Chinedu Emeka of APGA made the provisional list.

    Nkedife said the list of governorship and House of Assembly candidates will be published on November 2.

    Bayelsa

    The INEC yesterday released the list of qualified candidates in Yenagoa..

    In Bayelsa West, immediate past Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure  Lawrence Ewhrujakpo is the PDP’s candidate.

    He will contest against Capt. Mathew Karimo of the APC.

    In Bayelsa East,  Edwin Blessing Ipigansi (PDP) and Bishop Degi Eraumieyo (APC) will square it up. In  Bayelsa Central, Douye Diri (PDP) and Festus Daumeri (APC) will slug it out.

    For the Sagbama-Ekeremor Federal Constituency, Famous Daumeigha (APC) and Fredrick Agnes (PDP); Yenagoa-Opokuma, Osomkeme Blankson, APC and Steve Azaiki PDP; Southern Ijaw, Preye Oseke, APC.

    Others are Ogbia Federal Constituency, Samuel Ogbuku (APC), Fred Obua (PDP); Brass, Isreal Sunny-Goli,  APC and Marie Ebikake,  PDP.

     Lagos

    .A check by a NAN correspondent at INEC office in Lagos revealed that 50 candidates are contesting for the three Lagos senatorial seats from 25 political parties.

    There are 249 candidates across 30 political parties contesting the state’s 24 seats in the House of Representatives.

    A breakdown of the list showed that the Lagos West Senatorial District has the highest contenders of 22 candidates. Lagos East and Lagos Central had 15 and 13 contestants.

    Political parties fielding candidates in Lagos West are: Accord, AA, ADP, AAC, ADC, APC, AD, ANP, APM, CAP, DPP, GPN, MPN, NCP, ND, PDP, PPN, PRP, PT, PPC, UDP and YPP.

    Political parties fielding candidates in Lagos East are: Accord, ACD, AAC, ADC, APC, AD, CAP, DPP, ID, MPN, PDP, PPN, PT and PPC.

    In Lagos Central, the following parties have candidates: Accord, ACD, ADC, APC, ANP, FJP, ID, LM, MPN, PDP and PT.

    For the House of Representatives seats, of the 30 political parties participating, only PDP, APC and ADC are fielding candidates in all the 24 federal constituencies. Others did not.

    Ogun

    The names of outgoing  Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun(Ogun Central) is on the list of senatorial candidates of the APC.

    The other APC candidates are Chief of Staff to the Governor Tolu Odebiyi (Ogun West) and Senator Lekan Mustapha(Ogun East).

    For the House of Representatives son of former Governor Olusegun Osoba, Hon. Olumide Osoba, is listed for Obafemi – Owode and Odeda Federal Constituency seat.

    The others are  Jimoh Ojugbele (Ado/Odo/Ota), Sulaiman Ismail(Ijebu North, Ijebu East and Ogun Waterside constituency), Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/ Ewekoro Federal Constituency),  Edun Oladapo, (Abeokuta South Federal Constituency), Biyi Otegbeye (Egbado South and Ipokia), Kayode Oladele(Egbado North, Imeko Afon) Osunsanya Korede(Ijebu North, Ijebu -Ode, Odogbolu) and Adewunmi Onanuga (Ikenne, Remo North, Sagamu).

    Senatorial candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are: former Speaker Titi Oseni – Gomez (Ogun Central), Mr. Adedeji Ashiru (Ogun East) and Mr. Babatunde Ogunola (Ogun West).

    FCT

    Also pasted at the INEC national secretariat is the particulars of 22 candidates for one FCT Senatorial District seat and 24candidates jostling for two FCT House of Representatives seats.

    Those contesting for the Senate are Sen. Zaphaniah Jisalo (APC); Sen. Philip Aduda, (PDP); Esther Audu,  (ADC) and Eric lbe, (SDP).

    For the House of Representatives (AMAC Bwari) are Lamorde Hallilu (APC) Micah Jiba (PDP); and Ene Idoko-Abel (ADC).

    Benue

    In Benue State, former Governor Gabriel Suswam PDP) will battle Senator Barnabas Gemade (SDP), Joseph Akaagerger (APGA) and Former Benue State Internal Revenue Service Chair Mrs Mimi Orubi (APC) will contest for the Zone A Benue North East senatorial seat.

    For Zone B Benue North West Senatorial district the top candidates are Senator George Akume (APC) and Chairman House Committee on Businesses (PDP)

    In Zone C which Senator David Mark is vacating, former Minister Abba Morro (PDP) is running against former permanent Secretary of Defence,Okibe Onoja Mike (SDP) are running.

     

  • Youths to Obasanjo: Atiku should drop Obi or lose

    Ex-governor: I’m eminently qualified to be running mate

    Atiku Abubakar got yesterday a complex challenge on his presidential bid —he should drop running mate Peter Obi or lose.

    Some youths in the North visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo to table the knotty request.

    The Northern Youths Leaders Forum (NYLF) advised  the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to review the  choice of Obi, if he hopes to earn the North’s support.

    The group, which prides itself as the apex  body of 46 youth organisations in the North, threatened to mobilise its over six million members against the PDP and its presidential candidate, if Atiku failed to take its advice.

    The national chairman of the group,  Comrade Elliot Afiyo, who spoke on Tuesday  in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, after a meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday night, claimed that the body had been instrumental to the electoral victories of successive presidents since 1999. It claimed to have played a major role in incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory and it also played a critical role in the reconciliation between Atiku and Obasanjo.

    According to Afiyo, the group had equally intimated  the former President of their position on Atiku’s running mate.

    It was not immediately clear yesterday what Obasanjo, who has just ended a long feud with Atiku and endorsed him, told the youths.

    He said the Obi’s choice was causing friction in the Southeast, which  is largely responsible for the impending defection of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremandu, from the PDP.

    He added that Obi is strongly viewed as anti-north and a major sponsor of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

    According to him, over 70 percent of Emirs and other traditional rulers in the North will not support Atiku’s choice of running mate and maintained that  PDP will fail to produce the next president, if the party eventually flies the Atiku/Obi ticket.

    Afiyo advised PDP to pick Atiku’s running mate from Southsouth. He suggested that either Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike or his Bayelsa State counterpart, Seriake Dickson, should be considered.

    Afiyo said: “Atiku is an experienced politician, and he knows what happened and as a northern Nigerian, he cannot ignore that group. I have spoken to almost all the Southeast governors and they told me that they remained in PDP because of their governorship elections and after their governorship elections, they will vote somewhere, not PDP.

    “And for us to ignore the stakeholders, it is political suicidal, so we must agree with that fact. That was what we told Obasanjo yesterday, that as far as we want to Atiku to succeed, he has no alternative than to drop Peter Obi and with the contention between Peter Obi’s group and Ike Ekeremadu’s group, it is not political convenient again to pick a running mate from the Southeast.

    Because whichever group you pick from, the other group will work against them.

    “Then, in the North, we consider Peter Obi as anti-North. This is no sentiment. Apart from the way he treated the northeners when he was the governor of Anambra State, we consider him as a bonafide member and major sponsor of IPOB.

    “In fact, 70 percent of emirs, traditional rulers from the North will not support Peter Obi as the vice president.

    “We don’t work on sentiment. As I have told you before, our group staked our lives in 2015 for Buhari. Personally, I was placed under house arrest for two weeks throughout the extension of the presidential election in 2015. I was fighting with the hope that Buhari would change things but there is a cabal and Buhari is completely caged.

    “Also, mind you, Atiku is not a saint, anyone that becomes president, there must be a cabal, so we need a vice president that will tell the cabal ‘no’ and Peter Obi doesn’t have the courage and boldness to be the vice president to challenge the authorities. But if Atiku fails to heed our warning, then, APC will win. Buhari will win hands down because we cannot support a failure. We will work for APC.”

    Obi’s spokesman Valemtine Obienyen dismissed the claims by the group. He said Obi’s choice had been well received.

    He added: “Why protest in Ota? Who is behind the protest? What does the project intend to achieve? Is it true that the planning of the protest was revealed almost a week ago? Why is it that when you have failed to see any fault in Obi, you are bent on inventing one?  These are necessary questions which any sincere inquirer will deem appropriate to start with.

    He said: “ We do not need such  distraction now. What we need is joining of hands together as we collectively seek solutions to our problems.

    “All those that knew Obi very well for what he did in the past, both in his private business and governance of Anambra State and thereafter,  wrote eulogies of him. Researchers went to work. After careful and painstaking analyses of his past, they submitted that he is humble, hardworking, knowledgeable about the economy, aware of the myriad of problems of the country, detribalised and a believe in the unity of the country .

    Since leaving office, Obi has been busy visiting schools all over the country, from Cross River to Sokoto. Obi has been busy diagnosing the problems of the country and offering solutions. Obi has been busy preaching the unity of the country and how good governance will solve the problems in Nigeria, caused by cumulative years of leadership failure that make the protest under review suspicious and, in fact, an attempt to give the dog a bad name in order to hang it.”

     

  • Gowon urges Buhari, Atiku, others to get ready to accept 2019 polls’ results

    FORMER Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon yesterday appealed to politicians across parties contesting key political offices to, in the interest of national unity and cohesion, get ready to accept the result of the 2019 elections in good faith.

    Particularly, Gowon urged the leading presidential contestants on the platform of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), President Muhammadu Buhari and that of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to prepare to accept the eventual result of the forthcoming presidential poll for the country to move forward peacefully.

    The former Head of State spoke while responding to questions from reporters after the opening of an exhibition in honour of an Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Oladipo Akinkugbe, at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

    The event was organised to flag off week-long activities for the celebration of Akinkugbe’s 60th years’ anniversary as a doctor of medicine; 50th years as a professor, 85th birthday and retirement from public service.

    The event was attended by Chairman, Board of Management of UCH, Alhaji Ibrahim Shettima; the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Temitope Alonge; Gowon’s wife Mrs. Victoria Gowon, Akinkugbe and his wife, Prof. Sade, former UCH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Abiodun Ilesanmi among others.

    Gowon, who ruled from 1966 to 1975, described Akinkugbe as his longtime friend and lecturer to his wife when she was in the school of nursing at UCH.

    He noted that their friendship dated back to 1957, when they met in the United Kingdom.

    He enjoined the political gladiators to imbibe the same spirit displayed by the former President Goodluck Jonathan in conceding defeat after the 2015 presidential poll, in the interest of the unity and peace.

    Gowon said: “What happened last time (2015), if you remember, there was so much tension and the tension was so high that if things had gone wrong, Nigeria would be on fire. Then, as a result, (former) President Jonathan agreed at the early stage to say he accepted the results and congratulated Gen. Buhari. Now, this is the way.

    “I was in Ethiopia on African Union (AU) mission. The feeling before what happened was tension, anxiety, and worry by all in African states. When the result was announced, I was just leaving Ethiopia to come back to Nigeria; come and see the joy in the people of Africa at that meeting.

    “So, that was the sort of things I will really say we should have so that we can have a peaceful election that is credible, peaceful and people should accept the results of the election for the sake of Nigeria.

    “Where things go wrong, try to improve for the next time. It is my hope and prayer that things will go well. I hope all of you will play your parts to ensure a peaceful election.  If you make your own contributions that way, then we will be well.”

  • 2019: Buhari, Atiku dangle records, SGF at Southwest

    President Muhammadu Buhari is wooing southern leaders in a bid to strengthen his support base ahead of the 2019 poll.

    The Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO) is in talks with prominent southern leaders and groups, including Afenifere, Ohanaeze, Ijaw National Congress and Middle Belt Forum, it said yesterday.

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar is pleading with critics of his running mate Peter Obi’s choice to take it easy.

    Atiku is dangling before the Southwest two main items —restructuring and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) slot.

    Buhari’s campaigners are relying on the President’s records to fetch him support.

    BCO believes that Buhari’s second term will be in the best interest of the country because, said the organisation, he is poised to use the next four years to consolidate on the policies of his administration.

    The Director of Communication and Strategic Planning of the BCO, Mallam Gidado Ibrahim, in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, noted that the group had been touring the southern states “in the past few weeks”.

    According to him, the group’s meetings with southern leaders, including royal fathers, is to get them to re-examine the scorecard of the Buhari administration in the last three years, and realise that he has performed well, contrary to “the falsehood” being peddled by the opposition.

    Ibrahim  said: “First, we want to reach out to fellow leaders in the South and convince them to rally round Buhari and support him beyond boundaries.

    “If the President is allowed another four years to do what is needed to consolidate on what he has started, within a very short time, the situation will change in Nigeria.”

    According to Ibrahim, most of the North’s leaders are leading Buhari’s campaign for re-election because his performance, particularly in agric, and his economic diversification policy was yielding results for the economy.

    The group has visited the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III. “We reviewed President Buhari’s performance in the last three years. The royal father agreed with us that he has done creditably well, Ibrahim said.

    On why the meetings with the southern leaders had been going on secretly, he said: “The agenda of the meetings is not for public consumption. We have been meeting and it is not for me to announce the dates of the meetings and venue of the meetings for newspapers. It is not proper. When we circulate notice of meeting, it is for those who are involved only and not to those who are not part of the meeting”.

    On the consistent criticism of President Buhari by some opposition leaders, Ibrahim warned that the “divisive” politics being practised by certain politicians won’t benefit the country.

    He added: “Let me state here that some so-called opposition leaders should desist from attempts to draft Nigeria into unecessary national opposition and negative narratives on national events by their destructive criticism of President Buhari. Some groups have also appointed themselves as opposition. This is not the right thing to do.

    “President Buhari should be praised for fulfilling some of his campaign promises in sectors like security, war against corruption and the economy. He has even done much more in global politics. Nigeria is no more treated with disdain in the international community,” Ibrahim said.

    Over  200, 000 members of the Atiku Care Foundation  in the North-West Zone yesterday dumped the Foundation and collapsed into Arewa Media Group Organisation for Buhari 2019 Campaign. Their leader of  Alhaji Abdulmajid Danbiliki Commander.

    At a brief ceremony,  chairman of the amalgamated group under the auspices of Atku Care Foundation, Comrade Sanusi Ababai, said over seven affiliates of the Atiku Care Foundation supporters, decided to dump Atiku for Buhari because of unfulfilled promises.

    He said: “For several years now, we have been working hard for the development of Atiku Care Foundation. A lot of promises were made when we started.

    “They told us that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar needed a platform to reach out to the masses at the grassroot. We were committed because there were programmes from healthcare delivery, education, entrepreneurship, youth and women empowerment.”

    Ababai, former Director of Administration and Strategy in-charge of North-West for Atiku Care Foundation, said the group  has decided to pitch its tent with President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 re-election bid for his foresight and commitment to redeem Nigeria from the shackles of corruption and poverty.

    Worried by criticisms of the choice of ex-Governor Peter Obi as his running mate, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has initiated moves to pacify Southeast PDP governors.

    To set the tone for reconciliation, with PDP leaders in the Southeast, it was also learnt Atiku is said to have called Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.

    Further talks with Southeast leaders will begin when Atiku returns from vacation this week.

    It was gathered that Atiku limited his consultation on the choice of Obi to stave off pressure and reduce friction on his decision.

    There were indications that the PDP candidate might disband his personal campaign organisation to pave the way for the take-off of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC)  with Senate President Bukola Saraki as the Director-General.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, confirmed Atiku’s reconciliatory moves. He said: “What happened was that Atiku was not unilateral in picking Obi. There was really consultation but restricted to some national and PDP leaders to avoid the search degenerating to conflict in the South-East.

    “Following reactions from governors and PDP leaders in the Southeast, Atiku has started reaching out to them. In fact, he has put a call to Ekweremadu whose camp was more embittered.”

    Details of Atiku’s discussion with Ekweremadu remained unknown yesterday.

    “Atiku is returning from vacation this week and he will embark on more rapprochement talks with Southeast leaders.

    The Southeast leaders will want other issues addressed. They include:

    • reaching consensus on other posts to concede to the zone;
    • finding a meeting point with the zone on Atiku’s idea of restructuring;
    • the need to spend one term in office; and
    • ceding power to the Southeast in 2023

    A PDP leader in the Southeast said: “We need more discussion with Atiku on the fate of this zone. Between 1979 and 1983, the defunct National Party of Nigeria(NPN) conceded the vice presidential slot to the Southeast with the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme nominated as deputy to ex-President Shehu Shagari.

    “Within the same power sharing structure, the Southeast also produced the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who was Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke.

    “We want a concrete deal with Atiku beyond the choice of Peter Obi. We need to know his plans for us. What other things will the Southeast get, apart from being Vice President.”

    As at press time, there were indications that Atiku Campaign Organisation may be disbanded to give room for the Presidential Campaign Council headed by Saraki.

    “The PDP candidate is expected back in the country this week and one of his plans is to disband Atiku Campaign Organisation.”

    Also yesterday, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the Director General of the  Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, said the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) will go to the Southwest, should Atiku become president.

    Daniel, a former governor of Ogun State, broke the news at an interactive session with reporters in Lagos.

    The PDP initially zoned its national chairman to the Southwest, but  gave the job to Uche Secondus (Southsouth).

    Also, Atiku’s running mate, Mr Peter Obi, hails from the Southeast.

    “We need to understand that the candidate has control over who becomes his running mate during the election and who becomes the SGF if he wins.

    “The decisions on major offices are being given serious consideration and no zone or region will be marginalised.

    “The offices of Senate President and Speaker of the House of Reps will be decided after the polls and based on what plays out in both houses.

    “Aside major slots, I think what is paramount to the people of the Southwest is restructuring of the country, which Atiku is very serious about.

    “So the issue for the Southwest is not personality or slot issue per se because personalities come and go but restructuring Nigeria is significant and more symbolic than zoned offices,” he said.

    On Atiku’s manifesto, Daniel said that it would be published as soon as the campaigns kick off.

    The PDP said its Presidential candidate was set to revamp the economy through the creation of qualitative employment for the youths.

    The party gave the assurance in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan on Sunday in Abuja.

    The party added that Atiku would implement the political and economic restructuring of the nation in a manner that would engender unity, inclusiveness in governance and uplift the general standard of living for all.

    Ologbondiyan added: ”Atiku will open a system-wide fight against corruption as soon as he is elected into office by strengthening the institutions empowered by our laws to do their jobs.

    ”He will do this while he also concentrates on the onerous duty of governance and rescuing our people from hunger, starvation, bloodlettings and wanton killings.’’

    Ologbondiyan assured that rebranded PDP would ensure that all those looting the national treasury, would definitely face the wrath of the law and go to jail.

    He added that Atiku administration would not only fight poverty but will also uncompromisingly fight corruption.”

     

  • Atiku will take Nigeria backward, says Olawepo-Hashim

    Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) presidential candidate Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim spoke with reporters in Lagos on his ambition, plans for the country and why next year’s general elections will determine Nigeria’s future. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU was there.

    WHAT is your reaction to the emergence of Alhaji Atiku abubakar as the PDP presidential candidate?

    By all standards the Waziri of Adamawa is qualified to be the President of Nigeria, having been Vice President before. But, the 2019 election is a different election. I think Vice President Atiku missed his chance of being president in 2007 and talking about in 2019 is like talking about the future of Nigeria and at the same time racing and reasoning backwards. I think the choice before Nigerians is between Nigeria and the whole Nigerians. A better Nigeria and the Nigeria that people like Atiku created before and most electorates from the polling that we have seen already are not talking about the maps that are been called up by some newspapers, I mean the pollings by those who have PVCs and want to vote. Eighty per cent of Nigerians want to see a new direction. They don’t want to go backward and Vice President Atiku Abukakar is a man of yesterday.

    What competitive edge do you have over him going into this election?

    Number one, I will be able to unite the country. I will be able to build a strong economy, given my experience and I’m that candidate that majority of voters, particularly first time voters and who are very significant, almost about 15 million of them who are not supporters of APC or PDP and then my friends in PDP and APC, who have made up their mind that when it comes to presidential election we will vote Gbenga. That’s an edge I have going for me I believe, no other candidate in this election has that.

    I think the ANN as a party is not all that my political structure is all about. The Olawepo-Hashim Organisation, which is our political platform is presently in 36 states of the federation is bigger than the ANN. ANN comprises of the fathers of ANN and some of my supporters who agreed to migrate to that party, but the GHO is made up of my supporters and friends who are in APC, PDP, SDP, PT and ANN and it all these forces that we are going to be galvanizing for the next election and we have always known that we will come to this point when we started this campaign, 2019 elections is going to be a different election, you will find some states when it comes to presidency they will vote candidate A and party A, when it comes to governorship they will vote for party B so the results of the presidential election is not going to be measured by the strengths of the parties as they are established right now and because it’s not automatic that because someone’s in APC he will vote Buhari. We did an opinion polls 6 months ago, a survey of people who actually have PVCs. In Lagos for instance, Buhari scored 5 per cent, Atiku scored 3 per cent. majority of the people who are both APC and PDP said they are waiting for a new candidate. The 2019 elections is a unique election, it’s not going to be that simple and this is not just a Nigerian trend, it’s a worldwide trend. In the last elections in the United States we saw that a lot of democratic supporters, the men for instance migrated and voted for trump even though they were in a Democratic Party and that’s the trend.

    I understand that in ANN you have an alliance with People’s Trust, what are the basic issues. What are you presenting?

    The alliance with the People’s Trust, the PT is a party promoted by National Intervention Movement and in discussion to have an alliance with ANN started as far back as May, it’s not a new thing, we are just consummating that and our national convention which was held in Abuja proves that, it’s not just people’s trust, we have a number of organizations and parties that have also signed up in the alliance. The whole idea is to key in into the strategy of national intervention movement that promoted for almost one year running now. So this is not just any initiative, it’s just being consolidated and taken up some further steps. I think the issue is to build a stronger political platform that’s also committed to the idea of national unity, economic development, security in the land and to have a Nigeria where the life of every citizen will count and no discrimination against anyone regardless of your ethnic decent and religious beliefs and a true federal system, these are some of the issues that the platform is committed to.

    I think the alliance with the National Intervention Movement shows you that this is the natural platform that I belong to. The leader was the president of the civil liberty organisation while I was the national administrative secretary of the Committee for Defense of Human Rights. In 1990 with me and some other patriotic Nigerians some are late today, we traveled the whole of northern Nigeria consistently for about three weeks in a bus to get the consensus of our people on how to end military rule so we are already working together, I quite understand that there are many civil societies structures now outside these traditional structures that we have and there’s a whole historical gap between the civil society activists of the 80’s and the 90’s and some of them are here today. So I believe that we will have a lot of buying in as the campaign progresses. You start somewhere and people get the right information that they need and they join in the process so it’s a developing story.

    We have very good candidates, particularly we are in the People’s Trust Alliance. One thing I can assure you is that we are fielding candidates in virtually all the constituencies and what the alliance has given us the opportunity to do is also to migrate candidate from different parties who are in their alliance to the same single platform. Particularly the presidential and National Assembly elections and that’s what we are going to do, once INEC finishes with the process of nomination and their names should be published. One thing we want to assure Nigerians is that given our history, we are coming with a lot of experience that will a proper difference, we are going to be presenting people who are tested. It’s only when you are tested that you can talk about your integrity. It’s unfortunate that history has been taken out of our syllabus by people who want hold Nigeria down. Unfortunately when the military decided to amend the curriculum, it produced a generation of people who don’t have historical consciousness. We have to fill in the void and I think that’s going to be one of the first job we are going to do once we are elected as president. We need to restore content in the Nigerian educational system because the education curriculum that we have doesn’t support patriotism, if you don’t have a historical consciousness you can’t be patriotic. A lot of young people think that Nigeria has always been a mess like this, No it has not always been a mess like this, there are people who stood for integrity. Aminu Kano died without having a house, some of the young people don’t even know, they just think looting and stealing is what Nigeria has always been, it has not always been like that. A lot of people don’t know it’s not Buhari that started anti-corruption campaign in Nigeria. In 1966 coup, people were killed because people were being accused of corruption and corruption still didn’t stop in Nigeria. So Buhari isn’t the first person that started anti-corruption campaign, a lot of people don’t know that, they don’t know that there are people who have more integrity than people that they are looking at. So, there’s a sense of void that helps up hand of charlatans to get public attention so we need to put a proper education in place that will restore the historical consciousness of young Nigerians.

    Alliances have limitations. Why are you not considering the fusion of parties in the alliance?

    I think the People’s Trust/ANN Alliance is with an intention for a merger and that is on the card, but because election is here, we have to do election first. With mergers, you have to talk about new constitutions and so on. We have already notified INEC as to what we intend to do and what we are doing. Outside the election we will see the merger of the number of the existing parties with the initiatives that we are having and that’s where we are going. As I said to you, our organization which is the campaign platform, the Gbenga Hashim Organization has members of PDP, APC, SDP and various parties so these people are going to vote for us in the presidential election.

    I think most importantly for me and my priority is to expand the GDP of Nigeria because this is the most important issue and the economy is too small for 180 million people. If you consider that even in 2013, when Nigeria made a lot of money from oil sales, the country made less than 50 billion dollars in total revenue, that same year Disney world a private company that markets entertainment in Florida made 47 billion dollars. So for 180 million people that revenue base is to small and its GDP of 510 billion even though it was celebrated as being the biggest in Africa as at 2013. Equals to poverty and that’s why you see that almost 2/3rd of the country’s population still live below two dollars in a day, and that’s why you see that the life expectancy rate in Nigeria is 53 whereas in Liberia that experience civil war and Ebola on a max scale, their life expectancy rate is 61, Sudan is 63. We need to build a bigger economy and the new economic development program (NEP) which we have out in place will move Nigeria from 410 billion US dollars to 4 trillion dollars in ten years and that will bring our average per capita income to be at par with countries like Malaysia, Thailand than Nigeria was. We are not talking about comparing the United States or Germany, we are talking about building a comparable economic base so nothing extraordinary for 4 trillion dollars GDP in ten years for a country of 180 million people.

    Are you comfortable with the fact that among these two major parties as it were, those you expect to vote for you are throwing up old men in their 70’s as their presidential candidates in the APC and PDP?

    You see the two major political parties have their own problems that’s is perhaps why somebody like me didn’t run under them, I have a lot of friends in PDP, I left PDP in 2006. I have a lot of friends in APC too. And some of them in APC I funded their elections in the National Assembly, I funded some people who are big people today in the APC in the past so the point is that when I’m in the ballot it’s a different matter. I’m a young man but I’m bringing to the table something more than being a young man, I’m not against old people because they are old, that’s not the narrative here. Mandela was very old and advanced in age and he was a good president because he had the legacy and history that recommended him to the whole world as a leader. Trump is 70 and the economy is doing well under President Trump even though you don’t like him, the economy of America is growing. So I’m not against anyone because you are young or old, and I’m not marketing myself as a young candidate, that’s not my selling point. The most important thing is the history, experience, competence that I bring to the table so it’s not just a question of young versus old. You are not breaking any record by being young, yes we need young people but young people with content, history, experience. There’s some kind of skill set that’s necessary and I take exception to people who don’t want to have any kind of experience, they just want to start from the top, you don’t want to be councilor, chairman but your first sting in politics is to become President. Even if you are coming from business background, you have led corporations and which exposes you to some level of politics and that gives you some experience to be president of a country but you don’t have any such history you have never been a student union leader, trade union leader, even if its chairman of road transport workers union, that’s some politics, that gives you some experience so I’m not just saying any young man, I’m not against old people as long you are competent and have something to offer we will take you for who you are. I will like to encourage a lot of young people but I also want you people to have the required skill set to do the job well. One of the difference between me and other people is that I started very early. There’s nothing to come up as a young leader, there’s nothing about it as long as have prerequisite training and there’s no job in this world without a skill set if you want to do properly well in that job.

    Why the crisis in your party over presidential nomination?

    Well, you know once a party start becoming relevant, then, you will have lots of internal contestations. Sometimes people sponsor from outside because they don’t want a formidable challengers competing with them and that was the case with ANN and there were attempt to have one convention where a candidate was supposed to have been produced with delegates from six states out of 26 states where the ANN is presently constituted but at the end of the day the NEC took the appropriate decision to annul that and those who tried to do that have been punished according to the party constitution and at the convention of the party where we had about twenty states in attendance out of the 26 states where I was elected presidential candidate, a decision was also taken to fast track the alliance discussion with other political parties like PT also adopted me as their presidential candidate, now we have about ten political parties also coming to the alliance and I will be running as the flag bearer of the entire alliance of the political parties. For different reasons some of our supporters ended up in different political parties, some in SDP, so will say the time is too short we are in PDP and we already have a governorship candidate that has been campaigning, we will vote for our governor and vote for you as the presidential candidate. So the GHO which is the big machine plus the alliance platform is the machine for the 2019 election  and because we are in a unique circumstance, no party is actually coercive seriously even this two big parties that you are talking about. The APC virtually in every state had factional congresses from Lagos to Oyo to every state in Nigeria. So what you are talking about isn’t unique to AN. So this is expected. For us in our campaign the GHO and the alliance platform is a big platform that will be able to compete with APC.