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Tag: BUHARI

  • Shettima orders APC stakeholders to mobilise vote for Buhari

    Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno on Monday ordered All Progressives Congress (APC), stakeholders in the state to return to their respective wards for the purpose of producing high number of votes for President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.
    The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), report that the stakeholders include deputy, national and state assembly members, state, local government and ward executives of the party, all past and serving government officials as well as party chieftains.
    Shettima gave the order while swearing-in caretaker chairmen of the 27 local government areas for a term of six months at the government house in Maiduguri.
    Shettima said that he was  taking the Thursday’s primaries seriously regardless of whether the President has opponent or not.
    He said, “As principal beneficiaries of Buhari’s administration” the Borno APC intends to produce an impressive turn out of voters in the direct primaries to demonstrate gratitude to the Presidency for its dedication to the fight against Boko Haram since 2015.
    “Let me start by giving matching orders to all our 27 caretaker chairmen, that in addition to your constitutional duties of steering the affairs of your respective local government areas, your immediate assignment is to go back to your local government areas and effectively mobilise members of our party, the APC, to all come out en mass in their respective wards to fully take part in the Presidential direct primaries.
    “We all know that our cherished President, Muhammadu Buhari has no opponent in the APC ahead of the 2019 election.
    “However,  as principal beneficiaries of President Buhari’s regime, all of us in Borno State have obligations to line up and be counted for President Buhari’s candidature.
    “As leader of the APC, I will also go to my ward here in Maiduguri on Thursday and line up to be counted as delegate for the direct primaries. I expect all stakeholders to go back to their respective wards.
     “In areas that wards are not accessible, arrangements should be made for alternative venues so that Stakeholders  should lead party members to stand and be counted for President Buhari. I know most of us here have been doing some quiet mobilisation, it is time to do something different.
     “Of course, I should acknowledge that together, we have done the most important thing in encouraging hundreds of thousands of our people to obtain their PVCs.
    “However, before the main election, the APC in Borno State needs to make a bold statement by coming out in high number to demonstrate our loyalty and gratitude to President Buhari and to reaffirm the supremacy of APC in Borno State.
    “We need to handle the Presidential primaries with all the seriousness it deserves irrespective of whether the President is standing alone or not. We are on ground with our people and we need to prove this.
    “I will like to also request that during the Presidential direct primaries, all our members of party should display their PVCs to confirm their readiness for the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari.
    “As your leader, I will display my PVC like everyone, while I stand on the line during the direct primaries,”said Shettima.(NAN)

  • Buhari arrives New York ahead of UNGA73

    President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived New York ahead of the 73rd Session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA73) which officially opened on Sept. 18.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the president accompanied by his wife, Aisha, departed the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on Sunday morning and had arrived New York on Monday (Nigerian time) morning.

    The theme for this year’s Session is: “Making the United Nations relevant to all People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies.”

    A statement earlier issued in Abuja on Saturday by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said the highpoint of Buhari’s participation would be his address on Tuesday to the General Assembly on the opening day of the General Debate.

    According to him, the President’s presentation of Nigeria’s National Statement is expected to reaffirm the nation’s commitment to international peace and security and sustainable socio-economic development.

    Read Also: Parties, observers, others take stock of Osun poll

    He said the presentation would also cover the areas of disarmament and denuclearisation, youth and women empowerment, climate change, rule of law and human rights, among others.

    The presidential aide said Buhari would particularly canvass international support for the fight against corruption, the return of illicit assets, counter-terrorism, insurgency and curbing irregular migration.

    He said the president would seek the support of the international community in efforts to re-settle Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and recharging the receding Lake Chad.

    Adesina, who is the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, said the president would also advocate for the reform of the United Nations, especially the expansion of the permanent membership of the Security Council to make the vital organ of the global organisation reflect regional and equitable geographical representation.

    He disclosed that the president and his wife, Aisha, would also attend a welcome reception hosted by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres and his spouse for Heads of State and Government and their spouses.

    “The Nigerian leader and his delegation will participate in a High-Level meeting on the Fight against Tuberculosis, organised by the World Health Organisation as Nigeria currently ranks seventh amongst the high TB-burden countries globally, and second in Africa.

    “The Nigerian delegation is expected to attend the Mandela Peace Summit, which is a High-Level Meeting on Global Peace in honour of the centenary birth of the late South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nelson Mandela,’’ he revealed.

    According to Adesina, other side events lined up for the Nigerian delegation include a High-Level Meeting on financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Development Impact Summit.

    Others are the Second Annual Bloomberg Global Business Forum, High-Level Meeting on Action for Peace-Keeping, Commemoration and Promotion of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

    He said: “During the course of his stay in New York, in addition to the audience with the UN Secretary-General, the Nigerian President is also expected to have bilateral meetings with African and world leaders, including Bill Gates, to promote national and African interests.’’

    Adesina disclosed that the president would also grant audience to a select group of Nigerian professionals based in the United States.

  • Buhari, Saraki and caustic electioneering

    President Muhammadu Buhari, the presumptive All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate for the 2019 election is lucky to have to eventually face only one of the more than half a dozen presidential aspirants of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). More than three years in the presidential saddle and three times as presidential candidate during very bitter and unrelenting campaigns have quite curiously not toughened him enough to make him develop thick skin to criticisms, especially from boisterous and flippant presidential aspirants. His aides’ reply to Senate President Bukola Saraki’s damning speech a few days ago gave no indication at all that the Buhari presidency had developed the temper and sophistication needed to checkmate unfavourable or even hostile views of his government and person.

    Dr Saraki had during his sensitisation trip to Bayelsa State, when he apprised the state government and PDP members and leaders of his presidential ambition, suggested that the country needed a man with the capacity and vision to lead Nigeria. It was a frontal and direct allusion to the opinion in certain key quarters that President Buhari was too archaic and divisive to preside over the affairs of Nigeria. Said the senate president: “Wherever you go, people ask questions: where do you belong? We need to address the issue of unity in this country; it is time for everybody to have a seat on the table, a time for everyone to have a sense of belonging in this country. It is not about me. There is a new order in the world today, wherever we go, we see leaders that have vision, that are ready to develop their countries. A lot of us talked about the Asian Tigers, but they did not come by chance, or trial and error; they became tigers because they have visionary leaders. They are leaders that are ready to defend their countries that have an idea of what they want to do.  As I keep on saying, you cannot give what you don’t have. Where we are now, we have a leadership that has no vision for us. We must bring visionary leadership to the presidential level so we can move this country forward.”

    Cut to the quick, the presidency issued an angry, patrician rebuke suggesting rather curiously that Dr Saraki was rude and offensive in his language. Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, whose idiosyncratic inability to moderate his own responses is legendary, signed the response. Hear him: “The Presidency wishes to react to the crude speeches hitting the news from Senator Bukola Saraki who recently joined the Peoples Democratic Party with the sole ambition of running for the president of Nigeria. In response to the condemnable and extremely derogatory speeches by the PDP aspirant, we urge all Buhari supporters to display restraint in language and conduct and to always put across their points of view in a decent language. Throughout his political career, Senator Saraki has shown that he is a very dangerous person who can go any length to promote his personal interests. The language of his campaign is such that cannot be used against a domestic help. Is he just knowing that the President lacked vision? This is someone that the Senator had worked with very closely for more than three years. Amazingly, he never said all that he is now saying against him. Rather, his word for and on the President were always respectful and reassuring. That’s the man he called ‘My Father’. About him, ‘there is no cause for alarm…a President who is healthy, witty and himself.’ What then changed, all of a sudden?”

    It is not clear how Dr Saraki’s admittedly vigorous, perhaps even caustic, view of the president has made him dangerous. He thinks the president lacks capacity and vision. That is harsh and wounding. But it remains his opinion, right or wrong. He says the president cannot give what he does not have. Again, that is lacerating; but it is neither offensive nor derogatory. He suggests that under President Buhari, not everyone feels a sense of belonging. Given that Dr Saraki addressed a Bayelsa State audience, a people whose son, Matthew Seiyefa, was brusquely shoved aside in favour of a retired Department of State Service (DSS) operative from Kano State, Dr Saraki’s hint that the president was dividing the country was understandable, even if it was opportunistically political. How Mr Shehu construes this as making the senate president dangerous is hard to explain. Indeed, none of the views publicly attributed to Dr Saraki in the media portrays the incendiarism Mr Shehu struggled to assign to him. The senate president’s views of President Buhari are undoubtedly unflattering and corrosive, but they are not rude or dangerous. Others, including ex-president Olusegun Obaanjo, have said worse things about the president. As a matter of fact, except to his ardent and uncompromising supporters, most commentators think the president’s style and appointments, not to say his views, are archaic, divisive and mostly inappropriate.

    In responding to Dr Saraki’s harsh dismissal of the president, Mr Shehu may be confusing the senate president’s failings with the so-called disrespectful views he has publicly expressed about the president. The senate president is very ambitious, in fact too ambitious for many of his contemporaries to accommodate within their worldview. They see him as Machiavellian, untruthful, larcenous, and even politically amoral. Yet others see him as really not an exponent of democracy or of the libertarian values the constitution tries to promote and defend. Worse, some others think he is precisely the kind of politician quite eager and capable of plumbing the lowest depths of political wickedness in furtherance of his private and narrow interests. He will of course disagree with these conclusions about his person and politics, but he is unlikely to convince many Nigerians that he unfairly vilified.

    But by conflating the senate president’s attributes — mostly the negative ones — with his politics, and in particular his trenchant conclusions about the president or the APC he had just angrily spurned, Mr Shehu misses the point badly. In the process, the presidential spokesman also seems to give the impression that the moralisation of politics embraced by President Buhari and his aides, to wit, the elevation of the virtues of honesty and incorruptibility, necessarily makes the president, his party, and his aides superior to the urgent need for capacity and vision in leadership. While a honest and incorruptible leader is desperately needed, especially given the country’s disruptive penchant for corruption and all sorts of financial malfeasances, it does not make the need for capacity and vision less valuable or subordinate. By all means, let the country be governed by honest and untainted leaders, if they can be found. But by all greater means, let those leaders possess the capacity and vision without which neither honesty nor integrity would avail much.

    It is unlikely, however, that President Buhari or his spokesmen and aides would find the motivation to redress the president’s political and leadership weaknesses, especially of his alleged divisiveness, policy archaism entwined with both lack of vision and considerable unease with modern ideas and methods, and quaint worldview. Unlike the PDP which boasts of at least six powerful aspirants, each of whom possesses the capacity to dexterously hurl barbs at the president, the APC has only one aspirant, the candidate-president himself. Were the PDP aspirants spread over some six or more parties, with the distinct chance that each would direct his barbs at the president, it is hard to see him surviving the fusillade, especially considering that he has found it tough going weathering the pot shot from Dr Saraki. In a month or two, the battle will be finally and brutally joined. If the president cannot find the shrewdness and tolerance to respond brilliantly to the attacks from one or two quarters of the PDP, how would he fare when the opposition finally chooses one formidable rival to assail the APC at its weakest points, many of which points are open and gangrenous?

  • 2019: Imo APC backs Oshiomhole, Buhari

    …says party is repositioned for victory

     

    As the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), grapples with the challenges of selecting its candidates for the 2019 general elections, the Imo State chapter of the party, has restated its confidence in the National leadership of the party headed by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

    The State Chairman of the party, Hon Daniel Nwafor, who made the position of the SEC known to journalists in Owerri, commended Oshiomhole’s leadership style, which he said has strengthened participatory and internal democracy in the party.

    Describing Oshiomhole as the best thing that has happened to the party, Nwafor, noted that he has successfully navigated the party out of crisis and repositioned it for great exploits within a short period.

    According to the APC Chair, the effect of the ‘Oshiomhole magic’, has already transformed the APC in Imo State, adding that “it is now the party of first choice among other numerous political parties.

    In his words, ” I am highly impressed with the performance of the Chairman of our great party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and this has justified our support for him. In his first few months in office, he has returned the party to the winning ways. From the Ekiti governorship election to Senate bye elections in other states, the party has won convincingly against the predictions of the opposition “.

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    He continued that, ” Imo APC under my leadership has implicit and unshakable confidence in the National leadership of our party headed by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and we are ready to sweep the polls as a way of appreciating his astute leadership.

    “The name of Oshiomhole has been giving opposition parties sleepless nights and that is what the APC needed at this time. I make bold to say that it took the strong leadership of Oshiomhole to defeat the intention of those that defected from the APC, which was to destroy the party. So the party is relying on Oshiomhole’s experience, goodwill and strength of character to win the 2019 elections”.

    The party also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his “Sterling achievements”, which they said has endeared the APC to Nigerians.

    Nwafor assured that the President will record landslide victory in the state, adding that, “President Muhammadu Buhari has performed so well with remarkable projects in the Southeast, such that working for his reelection will not pose any challenge and he will have a resounding victory in Imo State in 2019”.

    Meanwhile the Imo state chapter of the APC adopted the indirect primary as the mode for electing its candidates in line with the directives of the party’s NEC

  • Buhari, 87 other presidents to address UN General Assembly September 25

    President Muhammadu Buhari and 87 other presidents will on September 25 take turns to address the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the New York Headquarters of the United Nations (UN).

    Buhari is billed to address other world leaders on the opening day of the general debate of the General Assembly’s high-level events.

    The President was initially placed as number 20 on the list of the speakers out of the 193 world leaders that would address the Assembly.

    However, the revised list obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) showed that Buhari is now number 18.

    Buhari, whose speech is scheduled for the afternoon session on the first day, between 7pm and 8pm (between 12 midnight and 1am Nigerian time), would speak before the leaders of Japan and the United Kingdom (UK).

    The President of Brazil would be the first world leader to present his address, followed by the United States (U.S.) President, Donald Trump, the traditional second speaker, being the host country.

    UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the number of participating Heads of State and Heads of Government in 2018 are higher than that of last year.

    “In advance of the plenary session, 88 Heads of State and 45 Heads of Government have confirmed that they will attend this session, which is up from 77 Heads of State and 37 Heads of Government last year.

    “Regarding other events, as of today, the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management has received 342 requests for meetings during the high-level week. Compared to the same time last year, 343 requests had been received.

    “As of today, the UN has received a total of 741 requests for bilateral meetings amongst member-states.

    “This number will increase next week. Later in the week, the number of bi-laterals for the Secretary-General will be announced,” the UN spokesperson said.

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his remarks at the opening of the General Assembly, told the member-states to brace for a busy session ahead of them.

    Guterres said the UN needed action for peacekeeping, financing for the 2030 Agenda, empowerment for the world’s young people, urgent steps to end poverty and conflict, and much else.

    The Secretary-General encouraged the ambassadors to tell their leaders to come to next week’s high-level week ready to be bold, ready to cooperate and ready to forge solutions.

     

  • Amnesty Office rallies ex-militant leaders for Buhari

    Leaders of ex-agitators enlisted in the first phase of the Presidential Amnesty Programme met on Tuesday with the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Prof. Charles Dokubo, ahead of the 2019 polls.

    The forthcoming presidential election was top on the agenda of the meeting which was held at the instance of the ex-agitators at Casa De Lucy Hotel in Abuja.

    Pastor Reuben Wilson, who led 31 phase one leaders of ex-agitators in the Amnesty Programme to the meeting, said it was to consult with Dokubo for a clear direction on political alignment of the Niger Delta people.

    “First of all, we thank you because you have tried and what you have been doing in this programme, especially recognising the leaders and giving them empowerment. This is something people have not been doing but when you came, you said no, your mission here is to make sure that we succeed in this programme

    “Let me from this point explain why we said we needed this meeting with you. This is an hour of politics; people are moving from one political party to another. Presidential aspirants are meeting people every day and night but we the committed leaders of the Amnesty Programme, had not have a say. The reason being that we have a leader who is the head of this programme, and the leader is no other person than you sir.

    “We are here to get directive from you; we are here to know where we will dance to and to know your mind. We are here to get everything about this forthcoming election from you so that the leaders under this programme will know what to do. Even though most of us here have been pressured by some groups to dance right or left, but we still believe we have a leader who is overseeing this programme and before we take a decision, we have to hear from you”.

    “While noting that they had been abandoned after working to support previous administrations during elections, they expressed hope that it would be different this time. “Even if the leaders and followers have been abandoned after working tirelessly for previous governments during elections, we believe it is necessary to hear from you. We pray that if you say we should dance to left or right, we will not be abandoned again because it is not easy for people to struggle, others win and those that suffered will remain the same. We pray that you will speak to us wisely so that we will understand”.

    Dokubo described President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration as reliable. He said it was imperative for the people of Niger Delta to be at the mainstream politically, to regain loses occasioned by being at the periphery.

    “I want all of us to think deep and fast on what we will benefit if our people do not support this administration and bring back President Buhari; the alternative will be too ghastly to even contemplate. This programme is on and for me, this government has been so reliable; we just have a little hitch in the releases, but the support of this government for the programme is enormous.

    “I want the Niger Delta to be in the mainstream of this government, that this government should be our own government.  Don’t distract attention. Instead of agonising, let us organise ourselves better in groups, not individually. I am now making a political plea because you said you want to know where you can lean or move.”

  • Buhari in the eyes of a writer

    BOOK REVIEW

    Title: Muhammadu Buhari: Strides In Incorruptible Leadership

    Author: Dapo Olaosebikan

    Publisher: Double Golden

    Pagination: 450

    The 450-page book Muhammadu Buhari: Strides In Incorruptible Leadership by Dapo Olaosebikian begins with the author’s narrative of Buhari and His Friend’s Bicycle, which is the captivating curtain-raiser of the book.

    This narrative was a pre-2015 general election exaltation of PMB by Alhaji Bashir Tofa, National Republican Convention (NRC) presidential candidate, who contested against the late Bashorun MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the famed June 12, 1993 presidential election in Nigeria.

    There is in-depth presentation of what the author calls two broad pillars of the life and leadership essence of President Muhammadu Buhari in this chapter of the book. These he summarizes as honesty and discipline.

    These identified pillars of leadership essence of PMB and all the factors that underpin it through his childhood to adulthood, especially his military career, are scholarly and admiringly presented in this chapter by the author. He also establishes through theoretical models that these pillars are the bedrock of Buharism and Buharinomics, which later in the chapter, are pillared by commendable and huge scholarly, academic or scientific superstructure to justify all PMB has lived for as a Nigerian and African leader.

    In this chapter also, the author expressly allows many Nigerian and international personalities to talk to the readers who Muhammadu Buhari really is. He thus concludes that “Nigerians home and abroad as well as innumerable citizens of the international community appreciate PMB as a colossus and rare leader “purely because of his patent character coefficients of which include vision, honesty, sincerity, handwork, discipline and incorruptibility.

    Chapter two sub-titled A Defined Character from Cradle,establishes the background of PMB’s life as a man and leader through his enviable parentage and early encounter and acculturation with the principles of hard-work through training by his parents, guardians and teachers. This much the author extracts from the media interview by PMB which The Sun Newspaper published on the occasion of his 70th in 2012.

    The author gives a recap of Buhari’s life journey through elementary school to his training as a professional infantry soldier home and abroad. The chapter also chronicles PMB’s rise as an officer in the Army and details all his promotions, postings as well as all the accompanying duties and his celebrated commitment to professionalism and achievement of goals with unmatchable discipline and nationalistic fervor.

    Using Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s famous quote in his book My March Through Prison published in 1985, the author closes this chapter with a resounding summary. According to him, “In more than one way, the childhood and youth of President Muhammadu Buhari could be viewed via the prism of Chief Awolowo’s historic and timeless quote. As it is a fact of PMB’s life, his celebrated enviably defined character as a man, a professional infantry soldier and Nigerian leader are all rooted in a childhood tendered towards becoming a prime member of the ‘men who are masters of themselves’ with consequential attribute of ‘severe self-discipline’.

    Chapter threeexplains why PMB chose to go to the Army where he became a thorough bred soldier and military leader. It presents, from PMB’s account, how and why like every young mind created for greatness, the youthful Buhari was role-modeled by late General Hassan Katsina whose father had a special concern in getting interested school leavers in his Emirate into the military.

    Contrary to the peddled misconception by some opinion leaders and a section of the academia, PMB’s choice of military career was not a product of a conscious or grand regional design by the North for perpetual domination of other geo-political regions of the Nigerian Federation. Rather, his career choice at the formative period of his life is undoubtedly and perceptually denominated by a vision to chart the course of a purposeful and disciplined life for which he has been acclaimed worldwide.

    The author explains that many of PMB’s 1953 classmates in KatsinaMiddle School and Katsina Provincial Secondary School (now Government College Katsina) from 1956 to 1961; later charted individual professional paths to greatness in our national firmament. Some of these who later emerged national leaders include late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomasie, former Inspector General of Police and Justice Katsina Alu, former Chief Justice of the Federation, who indeed, was initially in the military with PMB during their training in Jos, but was never commissioned because he later proceeded to university to read Law.

    The chapter also gives a checklist of PMB’s accomplishment as a professional soldier and consummate military leader. Indeed, it presents why General Muhammadu Buhari remains a man of intimidating personality and credentials. The reader is feasted with facts of PMB’s inimitable credentials as Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Minister of Petroleum; Military Governor of the then North- Eastern State; an affable man of courage; an incorruptible Nigerian. The chapter explains background to his life of dedication to sanitising the social and economic life of Nigeria; a soldier known for his gallantry and gallantry; an accomplished administrator, statesman, politician and above all a most honest Nigerian leader.

    Chapter fourpresents both in theoretical and analytical formats,a most positively exhaustive literature on the Buhari Military Administration between December 31, 1983 and August 27, 1985.

    The chapter effectively summarizes all the negative things ever written in disfavour of PMB as military Head of State, beginning with the trumped up reasons given by the palace coup that ousted him from power; exorcised his so call dictatorial sins epistemologically and exposes the real reasons for his ouster by those who popular newspaper columnist, Max Siollun, called Soldiers of Fortune.

    The author re-echoes PMB strides as Nigerian Military Head of state, situates and contextualizes them (his strides) within the framework of a nationalistic vision to make Nigeria and Nigerians toe the progressive line of discipline, accountability and probity to greatness.

    He also makes the chapter an academic beauty with relevant facts, anti and pro points of view of the Buhari persona as military Head of State of the federal Republic of Nigeria between 1983 and 1985. He convincingly establishes the fact appreciated inside and outside the country that had PMB continued leading the nation for at least five years in that epoch, Nigeria would have, by now, joined the Asian Tigers in global economic growth and self-reliance.

    Chapter fiveen capsulates the re-launch of PMB into public service between 1998 and 2007, beginning with his appointment as Chairman of PTF and his foray into party politics as presidential candidate of defunct ANPP in 2003.

    Olaosebikan makes a lucid and convincing presentation of PMB’s strides as PTF’s Chairman and how this catalyzed his re-launched into the national focus as the leader Nigeria truly required to take her to her promise land in governance denominated by focused and accountable leadership, genuine discipline and probity in handling the nation’s commonwealth. He presents PMB’s lofty achievements as PTF’s Chairman against the position of all anti-Buhari forces regarding his historic strides during his tenure at the PTF.

    The summary of his narrative about Buhari’s PTF assignment in this chapter is that Buhari managed the PTF with an unequalled nationalistic fervour and transparency-publishing the annual report on time and always openly made it (each annual report) a media event which usually attracted local and global media practitioners.

    Chapter six dwells on both 2011 and 2015 elections, the continuation of PMB’s dogged attempts at winning the presidential elections in Nigeria between 2003 and 2015. The author establishes convincingly that the crowning of PMB’s presidential election in 2015, remotely began with the 2011 Presidential.

    The curtail-raiser of this chapter is the author’s factual narrative that it was apparent that PMB was done with the ANPP, the political platform he used to contest the 2007 presidential election from the point of view of what went down between him and the party’s leadership after the election. Giving a detailed history of the scenario, the author touches on the foundation of CPC and analytically explains that after Buhari left ANPP’s to join CPC, the party’s (ANPP’s) spread and political fortunes dwindled irredeemably on the national scene.

    This chapter establishes that the pre-election atmosphere leading up to the 2011 elections was predominantly shaped by the aftermath of Nigeria’s discredited 2007 elections, which were widely recognized by Nigerians and the international community to be the most poorly organized and fraudulent in the country’s history.

    The author lists factors that contributed to the poor 2007 elections. These  include fraudulent voter register; polling stations that opened late or not at all; stuffed ballot boxes; snatched ballot boxes; lack of voting privacy; violence and intimidation at polling stations; falsified results sheets; and, underage voting.

    As result of all of these, a number of critical changes were made in the months leading up to the April 2011 elections according to the author,.  Most importantly, a series of modifications were made to the 2010 Electoral Act. Details of these modifications and how they coalesced to give the 2011 elections some aura of credibility were given lucid presentation in the chapter.

    In this chapter also, there is an academic presentation of the acrimonious social situation in Nigeria; especially, the intermittent bombings between March 2010 and January 2011 which largely aggravated general fear of insecurity pervading the land in Nigeria.

    This chapter elucidates that despite INEC’s good rating and positive perception of the electoral process by the Nigerian electorate, the 2011 presidential election was conducted in an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust by the political elites. The result of the election unarguably justified that frustration and palpable fear by the opposition parties, particularly Muhammadu Buhari’s CPC, regarding orchestrated dominance by then ruling PDP.

    This chapter presents and explains why and how the announcement of the results of 2011 presidential election with ex-President Goodluck Jonathan winning with 58.69% to PMB’s 31.98%, sparked off violent demonstrations in some Northern states of the country.

    Buhari & Historic 2015 Presidential Electionis the sub-heading of the second part of this chapter. And, as it is obvious, it is yet another scholarly presentation of virtually all events that climaxed in the unprecedented victory of PMB and APC, his political party this time around, in the 2015 general elections in the country with relevant facts, figures and statistics.

     

  • Students pledge support for Buhari

    A group of students dubbed Buhari Students Support Group has declared its support for the re-election of President Muhammad Buhari in 2019.
     This declaration was made on September 10th in Lagos at a press briefing themed “In Defence of Democracy.”
     “As the 2019 elections clock tricks, we [Buhari Students Support Group] deem it fit to pass a vote of confidence on our dear president, Muhammadu Buhari, given the valance of achievements recorded by his administration and how he has successfully progressed and maintained the state of the nation,” said Dhikrullah Aasim, the leader of the Group and a student of Lagos State University.
    He noted that the emergence of President Buhari in 2015 brought hope to the Nigerian populace, as he has rescued the country from the maladministration of the past tenures, restored the economy and also enhanced national security.
    “Those who diverted public funds are not finding it easy,” Aasim said, adding that Buhari’s administration has also recorded rare feat as insurgency has reduced drastically compared to what was obtained in previous administrations.
    “This administration has secured the return of some chibok girls and their Dapchi counterparts abducted by Boko Haram,” he emphasized.
    Stating reasons why the Buhari Students Support Group was formed, Adelowo Adewale, a student of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, said: “because President Muhammadu Buhari’s integrity is still very much intact, and he has set a landmark in his fight against corruption among many other things, we students have decided to come together and support his continuity in 2019.”
    A student of Fountain University, Lawal Muhammad, reiterated that the sole aim of the Group is for the re-election of President Buhari. “We are not in support of any party; we’re being straightforward in the support of Buhari,” he said.
     Urging Nigerians to vote Buhari in 2019, Adelakun Tufayl from LASU said, “our PVC is our power; we should get it, and troop out in mass to vote this man of integrity, so that he can continue with his work of change and transformation.”
    Muneer Yaqub

  • I sacrificed my Presidential ambition for Buhari – Ribadu

    Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has said the he sacrificed his Presidential ambition to allow President Muhammadu Buhari go for a second term in office because of the good work he is doing for the country.

    Speaking in an interview with newsmen, Ribadu also threw his weight behind the President allowing the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu to continue to head the agency despite opposition from the National Assembly, saying fighting corruption is the most difficult job to do.

    Asked whether he was sacrificing his presidential ambition because of President Buhari, Ribadu who is contesting the governorship primary of the APC in Adamawa State, said “You can say part of it. Of course, that is a good reason. When you agree with a leadership, it is okay that you step aside and allow good thing to happen and I am comfortable with that.

    “That is okay. It is fine if what you have in your heart is honest service. Any chance is an opportunity for you to do what you can to help your own people, you cannot shy away from that. I have no issue with that.

    “Today, President Buhari is our President and I agree with him totally and I am comfortable with the leadership he is giving this country. If there is anything under, I can also make my own contribution, I am very much prepared to do so.”

    Speaking on the non confirmation of the appointment of the EFCC Chairman, Ribadu said “This is sad part of our country. To even get things done properly and correctly becomes almost impossible. I don’t see any reason why they will not confirm him and allow him to do the work properly. I totally agree with the federal government in allowing him to do this work.

    “Whatever you can say about Ibrahim Magu, you cannot take away the fact that he is a honest person and a very courageous person. These are some of the requirements you need in an anti corruption agency. He is doing extremely well.

    “I know him and I know how the place works. I know this difficult in doing this work for our country. I am in total agreement with the decision of the federal government to allow him to continue. It is a matter of courage because fighting corruption is the most difficult job to do.

    “It will require all the sacrifice, all the patience and everything that everybody can give for us to make an impact. We are going the right direction. It is tough one, a difficult one, but Nigerians should please go along with it and support it. If we don’t, the chances are that we will not be able to do anything in this country.”

    On whether the EFCC was right in investigating accounts of state government and state governors, he said “I told you earlier that fighting corruption is not easy. It is not likely that you will please everyone. You will have to go after people who are in control of government.

    “I won’t go to the village and go after somebody for the fun of it. It has to be people who are in charge and on control and often, they are people in opposition or against.
    “When you are fighting corruption, there are targets and the target is often people who are in charge of our own wealth and if they mismanage it, the agency has a duty to go after them. But I don’t think that you can do it outside the law.

    “There are rules and regulations that govern and determine the way you conduct yourself, as long as you follow it, as long as you are within the permission of the law, I think we must understand that it has to be done. Look across the world, the issue of fighting corruption is the same thing all over. People are saying the same thing they are saying in Nigeria.

    “We are not different from the rest of the world. Fighting corruption is the most difficult thing. It is the most difficult job you can do, especially if you are going to do it with all honesty and with good intentions. There is no way that you will not be condemned.”

    On the allegation that Corrupt persons were joining the APC for protection, he said “I don’t think that is the case, but that is the beauty of democracy. People are entitled to be where they want to be. Constitutionally, no one has the right to stop you fr9m belonging to any political party. It is the fundamental right of individuals to belong where they want to and no one has the right to.

    “You have no right to stop the, because they are entitled to. I am not saying that I totally agree with what is going on. It is not my choice that today, I am from Nigeria, from Adamawa and from Yola. I found myself here and I have no right to say that simply because I disagree with somebody from Yola, I don’t want to play a role or participate in making Adamawa a great place.

    “I have no right to exclude anybody. Nobody has the right to stop another person from belonging to any Organisation of Association. Even if you disagree, you can’t do much about it. If somebody is corrupt, let the law take its course. I don’t think that can be a reason for you to stop a person from belong to a political party.

    “I think these are things that you have to get clear. It is in our constitution that you are free to belong to a political party, you are free to contest unless the constitution says you cannot. Those issues are constitutional, and fundamental and Nigerians will just have to understand that.”

    On why he wants to be Governor, Ribadu said “I just want to serve. In Adamawa State, just like many other states in Nigeria deserve better leadership. We can do better. We are faced with challenges and difficulties and people will just have to come forward and stand up.

    “When you are faced with challenges and problems, people will have to stand up and confront it. I believe that anybody with something to offer must come forward and I believe I have something to offer. I believe that I can work honestly and change the way things are, I can run a government that is honest, just, fair and all inclusive.

    “I will address the problem of insecurity. I will certainly change the lives of our people. That is the reason why I still want to try and see if Nigerians will give us chance.”

  • Buhari promises to connect North-South rail line by 2021

    The Federal Government has disclosed its plans to connect the North-South trading route through rail by 2021.

    The government also disclosed that 25 major highways and 44 roads are currently under construction across the six geo political zones of the country.

    The link is expected to boost the movement of passengers and cargoes as well as boost the economy of the country.

    This was disclosed by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja when he addressed the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) Africa regional conference.

    Nigeria currently holds the Regional Vice Presidency of the Association, through the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority.

    The president while acknowledging developmental challenges in Africa called on nations to work together and deploy resources towards solving those issues that militate against the region.

    He said: “It is particularly gratifying that it is at the time that Nigeria has the privilege of the vice presidency of this important body that the idea of a continental conference is coming up for the first time.

    “This is a testament to our commitment to the development of the continent and its maritime industry in this particular instance.

    “Nations in Africa are also largely connected by the same developmental challenges as well as large human capital and natural endowments.

    “It behooves on us therefore to work together and deploy our resources towards solving those issues that militate against us.

    “One of the resources that we can proudly speak about as Africans is our maritime endowments. A situation in which at least 39 of the 54 countries on the continent are either littoral or island states makes the formulation of policies for the effective utilisation of our waters for the growth of our economies expedient.

    “This, in a sense, seems to be a divine ordination of our desire for continental integration. Even though we have physical national boundaries that separate us, the waters are a natural source of connectivity and they seem like a subtle message that we must work together for the good of all our countries.

    He continued: “This is why there could be no better time than now to hold this conference. The theme of the conference: ‘African Ports and Hinterland Connectivity’ is itself a testament of the determination to collectively seek lasting solutions to the challenges that port operations face on the continent.

    “After the issues of adequate security and transparency, the one other important factor deciding the competitiveness of ports is that efficiency with which cargoes are evacuated to and from the ports. This, without doubt is an area in which port operations in Africa needs a lot of intervention.

    On efforts made to curb challenges faced by port operations, the President said: “There are on-going discussions in Nigeria and other African countries on the expediency of urgently investing in infrastructure that supports multi-modal means of transportation between our ports and the hinterland.

    “This administration that I am privileged to lead is committed to rebuilding infrastructure that supports multimodal means of transportation from the ports to the hinterland.

    “We understand that this interconnectivity will improve the country’s economic competitiveness as targeted under the Economic Recovery and Growth.

    “So for starters, I have directed that every port must have the complement of rail infrastructure. Our projections is that by the end of 2021, we will have standard gauge railway across the main North-South trading route.

    “The same level of serious attention is being given to the improvement of road infrastructure. At the moment, 25 major highways and 44 roads are under construction across the six geo political zones of the country.

    “Just as we have insisted on the stimulation activities on our inland waterways. Major inland river channels are being dredged with adequate channel markings for ease of navigation all the way through the Eastern and Northern parts of the country.

    “That is the only way to go if we plan to remain competitive in the maritime industry.”

    He urged participants to proffer ideas that are central to the facilitation of trade and the total integration of Africa for even development.

    Also speaking, the Minster of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi said Nigeria is committed to the optimal development and utilisation of the nation’s port potentials.

    He said the federal government was in talks with the government of Niger for the construction of a standard gauge rail line to connect Mahardi in Niger with Katsina State in Nigeria.

    According to him: “Our desire in Nigeria is to have ports that are not just part of transport and logistics supply chains in themselves, but Ports which are landlocked transit corridors and directly connected through rail to the inland Dry Ports for efficient evacuation of cargoes.

    “We are as a result committed to developing the intermodal transport system as a mechanism to reinvigorate the conveyance of maritime logistics.

    Read Also: 2019: Niger Delta militants endorse Buhari

    “The task of opening up the hinterland where the largest population of our people resides and where most of the agricultural produce are domiciled becomes a challenge that requires urgent response which this administration has provided and we are totally determined to strategically link up the 36 state capitals with the Federal Capital, Abuja with standard gauge rail services.

    He continued: “Recently we embarked on the realignment and re-modification of the national railway gauge lines and the revitalisation of the once moribund Lagos to Kano Express Train.

    “In the same vein, the Kaduna-Abuja rail lines which was meant to improve the movement of our people and ease the transactions along that corridor. This has also been completed and operational.

    “Similarly, the Lokoja- Itapke – Warri rail line started operations only a few months ago while the Port Harcourt-Aba-Maiduguri axis is being reconstructed to standard gauge to further open up the nation’s hinterland for market penetration.

    “With the development of dry ports in Kano and Kaduna with direct rail connection, cargoes and containers easily now transit to the nook and crannies of Northern Nigeria.

    “This, also extends to Chad and Niger Republic in our determination to promote trans-shipment of cargoes to the neighboring countries.”

    On the proposed connection of Niger Republic to Nigeria through rail, Amaechi said: “The Federal Government of Nigeria is also partnering with the government of Niger in the construction of a standard gauge rail line to connect Mahardi in Niger with Katsina State in Nigeria.

    “This is also part of our efforts to promote regional integration and trade between our two nations.

    He also said as part of government’s determination to create an efficient multi-modal transport system, the inland waterways are being revitalized as another alternative to other modes of transportation.

    “At the moment, inland river channels are being dredged starting from the River Port in Onitsha up to the Northern region of Lokoja in Kogi and Baro in Niger States with adequate channel markings for ease of navigation.

    “It is an established fact that solid minerals like manganese and agricultural produce are already being exported out of Nigeria from the Ikorodu Lighter Terminal through barges on the shallow lagoon extending to the Apapa Port in Lagos.

    “As part of government’s consciousness that Nigeria, with a land mass of over 30,000 square miles and 900 miles coastline needs to open up her hinterland, we have facilitated the establishment of General Electric site in Calabar, Cross River State.

    “From here, the company will manufacture rail wagons and provide other support services to ease the connection of the nation for efficient movement of the citizens and evacuation of our farm produce”, he said.

    He also said the governemnt was working with Chinese Engineering Corporation Company to remodel the current narrow gauge rail lines into standard gauge so as to fast track the seamless transportation of people and good.

    Speaking on the importance of the conference, the Vice president of IAPH (Africa) and the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman said the conference would provide a platform for the discussion and formulation of ideas that would create policies for the effective administration of ports and increase collective capacity for efficiency.

    She also said the continent needs to do more in the area of clearing of cargoes out of the ports.

    She said: “There is no doubt that Africa holds a special place in the global maritime space, with 39 of the 54 countries on the continent endowed with littoral assets, the development of the continent is to a large extent, tied to the optimal exploitation of its vast maritime resources.

    “Since we, as brothers and sisters on the continent are also affected by relatively identical limitations and concerns, this conference gives us the opportunity to explore ways of cooperation for the development of our ports and the economies of our countries, ultimately.

    “There is no doubt that one of the determinants factors for the relevance of ports is the speed and seamlessness with which owners of cargo are able to move their consignments out of the ports and that Africa really does still have a lot of work to do in this area.

    “For these and so many other reasons, the theme for the conference, African Ports and Hinterland Connectivity, is one that will hopefully unleash the potential of our ports to contribute to development”, she said.