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Tag: Buhari Media Organisation

  • Stop whipping up primordial sentiments, group urges Atiku

    The Buhari Media Organisation has asked former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, to come to terms with his loss at the presidential election and stop whipping up what it described as primordial sentiments.

    In a statement by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju, and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, BMO said Atiku’s latest meeting with some sectional leaders from southern Nigeria who backed his failed presidential bid “shows that Atiku is still in denial over his loss in the election”, saying it is part of a ploy to further widen the country’s fault-lines at a time the former Vice President is claiming to have a national mandate.

    The statement said: “Since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared President Muhammadu Buhari duly elected for a second term, the losing candidate had been laying claims to what he described as a stolen national mandate, but surprisingly he has been holding clandestine meetings with sectional heads.

    “It is clearly a ploy by Atiku Abubakar to instigate political disaffection in a section of the country that gave him a large chunk of the votes he got on February 23, at a time he is also expressing optimism at getting a favourable response at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

    “We at BMO see the move as unbecoming of a former Vice President who, in spite of losing by almost four million votes to a more popular President Buhari, still managed to get reasonable votes even from other parts of the country where he did not perform creditably.

    “Even after an overwhelming majority of registered voters across the country turned their backs on Atiku Abubakar and his party, he believes that he could still use ‘restructuring’ as a gambit to poison the minds of people.

    “But the former Vice President should realise, as an elder statesman, that now that elections are over and he has opted to exercise his democratic right to seek redress in court, he should not be seen in a gathering where comments like: ‘No restructuring, no Nigeria’ are made.

    “We are convinced that Atiku’s loss shows that more Nigerians were not interested in the type of restructuring that Edwin Clark and the rump of Afenifere are mouthing.

    “The nation’s unity should be paramount at this time and if there are wounds that needed to be healed after a bitter political campaign, this is the time for it, not for sabre-rattling.

    “They have a right to support Atiku Abubakar to press on with his election petition, but they should also respect the right of the majority of Nigerians who are satisfied with the progress the country is making under President Buhari and who voted for continuity.”

  • Stop whipping up primordial sentiments, group urges Atiku

    The Buhari Media Organisation has asked former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar to come to terms with his loss at the presidential election and stop whipping up what it described as primordial sentiments.

    In a statement by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, BMO said Atiku’s latest meeting with some sectional leaders from southern Nigeria who backed his failed presidential bid shows that Atiku is still in denial over his loss in the election, saying it is part of a ploy to further widen the country’s fault-lines at a time the former Vice President is claiming to have a national mandate.

    The statement said; “Since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared President Muhammadu Buhari duly elected for a second term, the losing candidate had been laying claims to what he described as a stolen national mandate, but surprisingly he has been holding clandestine meetings with sectional heads.

    “It is clearly a ploy by Atiku Abubakar to instigate political disaffection in a section of the country that gave him a large chunk of the votes he got on February 23, at a time he is also expressing optimism at getting a favourable response at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

    “We at BMO see the move as unbecoming of a former Vice president who, in spite of losing by almost four million votes to a more popular President Buhari, still managed to get reasonable votes even from other parts of the country where he did not perform creditably.”

    It said that the outcome of the election showed that majority of Nigerians rejected the variant of restructuring that the PDP candidate attempted to sell to the people during the campaign season.

    “Even after an overwhelming majority of registered voters across the country turned their backs on Atiku Abubakar and his party, he believes that he could still use ‘restructuring’ as a gambit to poison the minds of people.

    “But the former Vice president should realise, as an elder statesman, that now that elections are over and he has opted to exercise his democratic right to seek redress in court, he should not be seen in a gathering where comments like ‘No restructuring, no Nigeria’ are made.

    “We are convinced that Atiku’s loss show that more Nigerians were not interested in the type of restructuring that Edwin Clark and the rump of Afenifere are mouthing.

    “We recognise the constitutional rights of people like Chiefs Edwin Clark, Ayo Adebanjo and John Nwodo who are leaders in their own right, but they should not allow the bitterness of backing the losing horse in the election to becloud their paternal instincts.

    “The nation’s unity should be paramount at this time and if there are wounds that needed to be healed after a bitter political campaign, this is the time for it, not for sabre-rattling.

    “They have a right to support Atiku Abubakar to press on with his election petition but they should also respect the right of the majority of Nigerians who are satisfied with the progress the country is making under President Buhari, and who voted for continuity.”

  • BMO to observers: Resist pressure from Obasanjo

    The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has asked former Tanzanian President and Head of the Commonwealth Observer Mission for the 2019 general elections, Dr. Jakaya Kikwete to resist any pressure from his friend and former President, Olusegun Obasanjo in carrying out their assignment while in Nigeria for the 2019 general elections.

    While welcoming the appointment of former Tanzanian leader to head of the 20-member Commonwealth observer group for the February 16 Presidential election, the group demanded fairness and openness from the team, stressing that its only concern was that the team leader is a well-known friend of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    A statement signed by the Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, the group said “Many Nigerians are worried that the head of the Commonwealth observer group may be swayed by Obasanjo’s skewed pre-election position that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not have the integrity to conduct free, fair and credible elections.

    “This concern, we know, is as a result of the long standing friendship between the two former Presidents which began long before Kikwete became the head of the Tanzania government in 2005. But we are encouraged by the values that the Commonwealth holds sacrosanct, and the fact that the head of the election observer team has a track record as a peace maker, especially in the Great Lakes region of East Africa.

    “So we hope that Dr Kikwete would resist the pressure that will surely come from former President Obasanjo who believes that he has a divine role to determine the winner of the Presidential election.”

    The group however assured the Commonwealth team and other observer missions of the readiness of the Buhari administration to ensure a favourable atmosphere for a credible general election.

    “As someone who had previously been on the wrong end of shoddy electoral processes before his electoral victory in 2015, President Buhari has, on many occasions, given his word to the world about his readiness to ensure a credible election after benefitting from one.

    “He has consequently, over the course of three and a half years, made sure that the election management body has everything it requires to conduct a very credible election. And like the 20-man Commonwealth observer team would found out when it visits INEC, the Commission has been operating without any form of interference from the President who is keen on ensuring that the elections are the most credible in the nation’s political history.

    “He has also openly assured Nigerians that he has no interest in rigging the forthcoming elections, and would not allow anyone to rig. It is against this backdrop that we at BMO demand fairness and an open-mind from Kikwete and his team of election observers as they arrive Nigeria on February 8.”

  • BMO to Ezekwesili: You lack capacity to understand Nigerian politics

    The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has said that the sudden decision of former Minister of Education to pull out of the Presidential race barely 23 days to the election is a clear indication that she lacks the capacity to understand the dynamics of Nigerian politics.

    The group said the former Minister owe Nigerians serious explanation about her real intention of joining the presidential race when she knew she had to capacity and intention to see the election through.

    In a statement signed by Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, the group commended the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) on whose platform she was running for the Presidency for endorsing President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term in office.

    The group said: “We are not surprised that she has opted out of the race because it was clearly out of her depth as a pseudo-activist and opportunist without real political clout and pedigree.

    Read Also: Galadima’s allegations baseless, says Ezekwesili

    “Just like her former party acknowledged, the short-lived stint she had as a presidential candidate showed that she had nothing substantial to offer or contribute to political discourse beyond on-line rants and thoughtless invectives

    “And because some of these invectives are often retweeted or liked by some of her 836,000 twitter followers, she began to delude herself as an alternative to a President that has a track record of integrity, consistency in patriotism, honesty and performance to prove his status as a true statesman and leader.

    “Her forays into the real world of politics on the streets even saw Nigerians chanting Sai Buhari during one of her rare campaign outings.

    “So it would be ideal for Ezekwesili to take a second look at the situation and throw her weight behind the President’s re-election bid rather than embarking on another hopeless exercise of building a coalition against President Buhari that so far failed woefully”.

    On ACPN’s decision to support President Buhari as its Presidential candidate, the group described it as a realisation of the values represented by the President and his efforts at putting the country firmly on the path to greatness.
    It added that the party leaders including Ezekwesili’s erstwhile running mate Ganiyu Galadima have, through their action, shown that there is still honour among members of the political class in our great country.

    BMO said it was particularly elated that Galadima who is also the party’s National Chairman said he and his colleagues are joining the President to take the country to the next level and assured them that they would not be disappointed.

    The pro-Buhari group also urged undecided Nigerians to take a cue from ACPN and reject plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to stage a return to power at the centre and get another chance to create economic mess and social chaos among the people.

  • Why Buhari will not rig election – BMO

    President Muhammadu Buhari has no reason whatsoever to rig the forthcoming Presidential election.

    Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) made this assertion in a statement signed by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, in Abuja on Thursday.

    The group said any fear by the opposition elements that President Buhari was preparing grounds to rig the election was a mere conjecture and completely false.

    According to the group, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has all it takes to win the coming election fairly and creditably, with a landslide.

    BMO said President Buhari’s great and verifiable achievements have gladdened millions of Nigerian voters who are going to vote for him massively.

    BMO asserted that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) was raising false alarm because it foresaw its failure in the election.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari also has multitudes of consistent followers and ordinary Nigerians whose lives he has impacted positively;

    “These include the 500,000 N-Power beneficiaries, parents of over 10 million children being fed under the Home Grown School Feeding Programme, the 200,000 cooks and local farmers involved in the school feeding programme.

    Read also: Nigeria needs promise keepers as leaders – Fela Durotoye

    “Others are the 12 million farmers and fishermen, who actually donated money to his campaign, a majority of the 22 million students of tertiary institutions in the country,” the group said.

    BMO said that two million petty traders in the Market Moni and the Trader Moni loan schemes indicated their determination to vote for the President.

    It added that the 350,000 Nigerians being empowered by Government Enterprise and Employment Programme (GEEP) also indicated their determination to vote for the President.

    “Given the loyal followers and supporters of the President in 17 of the 19 states in the North, his huge support base in the South-West and some areas in the South-South, victory for President Muhammadu Buhari is settled,” it said. (NAN)

  • Buhari group flays Atiku for lacking economic knowledge

    THE Buhari Media Organisation (BMO)  yesterday took a swipe at of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over his comment on the 2019 budget proposal, saying his comments have proven that his knowledge of economic principles is questionable.

    The former vice president had given six reasons why he believed that the 2019 budget won’t work and concluded that Nigeria had not exited recession.

    BMO Chairman Niyi Akinsuju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke said in a statement that the comment personally signed by Atiku was most uncharitable and unbecoming of a man seeking to lead the country.

    “How could a man described as one with economic know-how say a country whose Gross Domestic Product (GDP) stood at 1.81 % in the third quarter of 2018 compared to 1.17 % the previous year had not exited recession?

    “Even his statement that indicated that there was a 1.5% growth in the second quarter of 2018 is a clear pointer to a sure and steady growth backed by a non-oil GDP growth of 2.01% in the same quarter as a result of the current administration’s faithful implementation of its Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

    “In addition we have had three budget cycles since 2015 that have spurred massive infrastructural growth with 1,531 kilometres of roads constructed and 1,008 kilometres rehabilitated across the country as well as massive railway construction, yet the PDP presidential candidate wants Nigerians to believe that the 2019 budget proposal and the previous ones were bad.

    “We make bold to say that contrary to Atiku’s position, the budget will build on the sure and steady progress the country has witnessed in so many facets of life and attain the 2019 projection of 3.01% growth.

    It  urged Nigerians to disregard the PDP Presidential candidate’s stance on the 2019 budget as part of the tissue of lies the party has been dishing out in recent times to discredit President Buhari and his administration.

    The BMO also asked the PDP and its presidential campaign spokesperson, Buba Galadima, to have a clear understanding of the laws guiding campaign funding before making public statement on contribution to President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign.

    The organisation lampooned Galadima for displaying ignorance and expressing frustration over the donation of about N1.2 billion by farmers to the campaign.

    Galadima called for Buhari’s disqualification for receiving such huge donation towards his campaign, saying such donations contravenes the provision of the Electoral Act.

    But, the BMO said Galadima is uninformed about the tenets of the Electoral Act, which is why he is finding fault with N100 individual donation of members of an association to the President’s campaign.

    “The association of farmers and fertiliser producers are not corporate entities and neither are they registered corporations, and certainly not captured in the Electoral Act. So for Galadima, a supposedly educated person and politician to ask for disqualification of president Buhari on the basis of their donation, is engagement in petty talks,” the group said.

  • BMO dismisses Amnesty‘s report on killings as mischievous

    The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has accused Amnesty International (AI) of carrying out a hatchet job for the opposition in the run up to the 2019 general elections.

    The group made this known in a statement jointly sihgned by the its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke on Momday in Abuja.

    It said the report titled ‘Harvest of Deaths’ which focused on Herders-Farmers clash in the last three years, was tilted to make it look like the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari did little or nothing to stem the tide of violence.

    “It is also suspicious that Amnesty International went to great lengths to establish what we have always known- that herders’ communities had also been victims of a mindless orgy of violence over land and grazing routes.

    “Could it have to do with the fact that the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is also a member of the same Fulani ethnic stock like the President?

    “But it is mischievous to create the impression that the conflict is either a three-year old conflict or that it was worse in the last three years,” BMO said.

    It also questioned the real intention of Amnesty International in releasing its report barely two months to the election.

    “If the rights’ watchdog meant well for Nigeria, it should have released the report at a time some Nigerians felt that it was a one-way attack by Fulani herdsmen on innocent farming communities because of the ethnic identity of President Buhari.

    Read also: Amnesty International report dampening morale of soldiers- Buhari

    “This would have served to correct that impression, but not at a time of relative peace in virtually all the states listed in the report.

    “Could it be that Amnesty is bent on stoking the dying embers of the conflict in those states?

    “Or why has a group that is meant to be interested in peaceful co-existence not opted to focus on what the government had done right to manage the century-long conflicts between farmers and herdsmen,” it said.

    It added that the report was on the one hand a continuation of Amnesty International’s gripe against Nigeria in recent times.

    It said on the other hand the report was an affirmation of what its management has always said in spite of information to the contrary.

    “The report is a product of a pre-conceived notion which AI just used witnesses to back up.

    “For instance AI’s country Director Osai Ojigho had in a February 2018 interview in ‘The Cable’ claimed that ‘despite the fact that this has been going on for a long time, can we point out one or two cases where people have been arrested, prosecuted and fully went through the course of the law to ensure justice’.

    “If it operated with an unbiased mindset, Amensty would have known that a 15-year-old Fulani herdsman, Haruna Usman was sentenced to death for killing a farmer in Kogi in 2017.

    “Just as another court in Adamawa handed down the death sentence to five young men for killing a herdsmen also in 2017.

    “All these happened before Ms Ojigho’s interview where she was emphatic that there had been no arrests and prosecution of people on both sides of the conflict,” it said

    The group noted that the report gave chilling accounts of how people including two catholic priests were killed in Benue state.

    “More surprising is that the AI report conveniently left out the fact that security forces arrested and are prosecuting six suspects including the commander of the state Livestock Guard, Tahaku Aliyu in connection with the April 24 killing.

    The group said the Police made the arrests within a few weeks after April 24 killing and as at May 31, the suspects were facing trial.

    It added that Amnesty International conveniently omitted it from a report which concluded that security agencies and the government are not doing enough to prosecute suspects.

    “In addition, the Police have recovered 9,657 illegal firearms and ammunition from suspected militias, armed herdsmen and farmers in a nationwide mop-up exercise.

    “The Army, on its part, launched full scale military operations in Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kaduna and Niger states which led to the death of scores of militant herdsmen and several arrests,” it said.

    The Pro-Buhari group urged Nigerians to view the latest report with suspicion.

    It added that government was not only taking steps to mop up illegal weapons, but was also putting in place confidence-building mechanisms that have significantly reduced tension in the affected states.(NAN)

  • BMO wants Kukah out of National peace committee

    The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has called for the withdrawal of the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah from the National Peace Committee led by former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar.

    The organisation made the call in a statement issued by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The group said the call had become necessary because of Kukah’s alleged open display of support for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    It noted that the Abdulsalam Abubakar-led committee was one that should be seen to be non partisan because of the role it was meant to play in the run-up to the 2015 general elections.

    “We are surprised, like many Nigerians, to see Bishop Kukah in the company of the opposition candidate at a reconciliation meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo,” the group said.

    It recalled that Kukah had later on claimed to be the strategic mind behind the reconciliation which was targeted at bringing the two parties together to fight President Buhari administration.

    “This is not expected of a clergyman who is seen in some quarters as the alternate head of the National Peace Committee.

    “He has shown his bias and as such cannot be trusted to be non-partisan,” the group stressed.

    It dismissed claims by the Catholic Bishop that he was not aware of the political nature of the gathering as tales that no one would believe.

    According to the group, Kukah is the key figure behind the reconciliation, a step he took knowing that Atiku was a PDP presidential aspirant.

    “And if it is true that Bishop Kukah is insisting that he was only exercising his right to free movement.

    “We are also demanding that having shown his hand, he has no reason to sit on a panel that is meant to be non-partisan,” the  group maintained.

    It added that it fully supports President Buhari’s admonition that religious leaders abstain from partisan politics.(NAN)

  • ‘You are not fit to sit on National Peace Committee’

    The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has hit out at the Catholic Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese Matthew Kukah for his involvement in the alleged endorsement of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, saying he was longer fit to be part of the National Peace Committee led by former Head of State General Abdulsalam Abubakar for his partisanship.

    The group accused the clergy man of openly engaging himself in partisan politics by leading other religious leaders to seek Obasanjo’s endorsement for the former Vice President who is now Presidential candidate of the PDP.

    But Rev. FR. Kukah has said he only took part in a reconciliation process between Chief Obasanjo and how former Vice and not an endorsement process.

    In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, the group stressed that the Abdulsalam Abubakar-led committee is one that should be seen to be non-partisan because of the role it was meant to play in the run up to the 2015 election.

    They aid; “We are surprised, like many Nigerians, to see Bishop Kukah in the company of the opposition candidate at a reconciliation meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and later on claiming to be the strategic mind behind the reconciliation which we believe was targeted towards bringing the two parties together to fight the President Buhari administration.

    “This is not expected of a clergyman who is seen in some quarters as the alternate head of the National Peace Committee. He has shown his bias and as such cannot be trusted to be non-partisan.”

    While dismissing class that he was not aware of the political nature of the gathering, the group said “the clergy man was the key figure behind the reconciliation and did this knowing that Atiku was a PDP Presidential aspirant.

    “And if it is true that Bishop Kukah is insisting that he was only exercising his right to free movement, we are also demanding that having shown his hand, he has no reason to sit on a panel that is meant to be non-partisan.”

    Reacting to reports credited to Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal  that President Buhari is not in charge of government but only ruling the country by proxy, the group assured Nigerians that the President was fully in charge and in control of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and anyone who is in doubt of this is in grave error.

    Read Also: Kukah, Oyedepo explain mission to Obasanjo

    The Buhari Media Organisation said it was.clear from.his utterances that Tambuwal was getting frustrated after failing go get the Presidential ticket of his party, describing him as a failed politician.

    They alleged that due to his lack of confidence in himself, he depended solely on the support of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike for his failed presidential bid and having failed to realise his ambition, Tambuwal has now become a stooge of the PDP Presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for whom he is ready to descend into any low.

    They said: “We wish to note that Governor Tambuwal has not only failed to serve the people of Sokoto State diligently in the past three and half years but has, in his utterances, displayed crass ignorance on sensitive national issues.”

    The Buhari group says it finds it objectionable that Tambuwal has sunk so low as to describe President Buhari as ‘’ruling by proxy,’’ when in actual fact he knows it as a fact that President Buhari is fully in charge of the country’s affairs, as can be seen in the numerous achievements his administration has recorded

    “Perhaps the clearest evidence of Hon. Tambuwal’s failure as a politician and governor is that he has turned himself into an errand boy of his fellow contestant Atiku Abubakar and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

    “We therefore advise the Sokoto State Governor to stop deluding himself about his party defeating President Buhari in the 2019 presidential election as Nigerians have already taken note of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment towards solving the myriad of problems confronting the country, and they are poised to re-elect him as president in 2019.”

  • 2019: Trump’s remarks can’t stop Buhari – BMO

    The Buhari Media Organisation ( BMO ) has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will not be distracted by the derogatory remarks credited to President Donald Trump of the United States of America, but will remain focused on his mandate to deliver on his promises to the Nigerian people.

    The group was reacting to a report by the Financial Times that the American President told his aides after a meeting with the Nigerian Leader in April that he never wanted to hold such a life less meeting again.

    While describing the comment as disrespectful, Chairman of the group, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Maduekwe  said in a statement whether it was indeed said or in fact unsaid, Buhari would in his character continue to remain focused on his mandate to deliver on his promises to the Nigerian people.

    The group said that “President Muhammadu Buhari is fit and capable to run for the 2019 elections and oversee the affairs of the country for four more years President Donald Trump’s hate speech notwithstanding.”

    They stressed that this was not the first time the US President was heard to make such derogatory remarks about World leaders, and thus President Buhari would not be distracted by such.

    They said: “We are aware that President Trump’s disrespect for World Leaders is not new; his comments on Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, calling him ‘meek and mild’; his reference to Germany’s Leader, Angela Merkel’s actions as ‘insane’, or his outlandish Tweet at the UK’s Theresa May, and more recently, the alleged remarks he made after meeting President Buhari.

    “It is indeed not the first time President Trump would be heard to lower the standards of respect for his colleagues on the world stage. We are not surprised, we know that this age-long character of the US President would not change anytime soon. But it is important that we put it on record that President Buhari remains fit and sprightly, even for the next decade.

    Read Also: BMO replies r-APC, counts Buhari’s achievements

    “We recall that during President Buhari’s visit to Trump in the White House, the US President commended the successes that the Buhari administration had recorded especially in the fight against insurgency and the war on corruption.

    “The US President was full of admiration for Nigeria’s President during the visit, thus such outlandish remarks as reported by the Financial Times are not just to be taken with a pinch of salt but are untrue in themselves.

    “President Buhari has continued to show fitness and capacity to run the country post-2019; it went further to highlight that though the President’s 800 metre walk, where he acknowledged the cheers of members of his constituency, was not intended at showboating, it was an unscripted reference point that further proves a fit and lively President.”