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Tag: BUHARI

  • Ex-agitators to Buhari: ignore calls for Dokubo’s removal

    A coalition of ex-agitators’ groups from Kalabari extraction of Ijaw nation in Niger Delta region Monday took to the streets of Port Harcourt in support of the Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Prof. Charles Quaker Dokubo in office.

    The youths numbering over 100 staged a peaceful procession from the Port Harcourt Polo club to the Amnesty liaison office in the GRA area of the city, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to ignore the call, describing the masterminds as distractors and mean on the region and country in general.

    Similar protest also by ex-militant youths was reportedly held in Bayelsa last week, but not in favour of the amnesty Boss, the protesters apparently called for his sack from office, on the grounds of incompetence and alleged looting of amnesty training facility in the state (Bayelsa) by unknown persons.

    But the kalabari youths Monday described Dokubo who doubles as Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs a professional, caring and listening father who have changed the face of amnesty office, the youths of the region and by extension resulting in the peace being witnessed in the region, adding that those calling for his removal are faceless and think no good for the region.

    The groups are, Kalabari Indigenous Movement, Niger Delta Ex-agitators forum, Niger Delta Ex-agitators forum for Good Governance, Niger Delta Advocates of Peace, Progressive Youths Movement of Niger Delta and Concerned Aggrieved Youths of Niger Delta.

    The aggrieved youths who displayed pal-cards and banners with inscriptions that captured their position and identity chanted songs as they moved.

    Some of the write-ups read, “Dokubo is doing well, leave him alone”, “Bayelsa, Kalabari are Ijaw”, ” Don’t Destroy Ijaw Unity”, “President Buhari we love you, do not pay attention to the enemies of Niger Delta”, ” Enough is enough”, “Amnesty is not only for Bayelsa”, ” Stop the pull him down syndrome” among others.

    Speaking on behalf of the protesters at the amnesty office, the leader of the march, Sepiribo Douglas, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to Ignore the insinuations of the disgruntled politicians plotting the removal of Prof. Dokubo.

    They said Prof. Dokubo does not deserve the call to be removed but instead he deserves to be comm3nded and applauded for his ingenuity in running the affairs of the office and the youths involved, which in their believe have changed the narratives of the amnesty office.

    They said, “We are happy that our son has all it takes to occupy the position. He is an astute Professor, a think-tank, visionary and a pragmatist. Since he became the Special Adviser, he has promptly and regularly paid ex-agitators and has also brought out a laudable blue print to transform the lives or ex-agitators and the rural communities in the Niger Delta region.”

    Read Also: Buhari on makeup polls: I won’t influence results

    In their judgements, Prof. Dokubo ranks best among the former personnel who headed the office before him, stressing that he has within first year in office cleared all indebtedness to ex-agitators and maintained regular and prompt payments, and also pushed for and implemented the decentralization of the office to states in the region.

    They commended him for his numerous achievements he has recorded in his one year anniversary and advised him to do more for the region in order to leave a legacy that Kalabari people would be proud of.

    “We are not unaware of the spurious protest in Bayelsa by faceless sponsors who were power hungry, and we are yet to come to terms as to the why a fellow Ijaw person(s) will be plotting to remove their own and we are asking if Kalabari is not Ijaw,” they lamented.

    He appealed to Ijaw elders and leaders to caution these individuals from Ijaw land scheming to remove Prof. Dokubo for the sake of the unity of Ijaw nation.

    He congratulated President Muhammadu on his re-election in the just concluded elections and assured him of the support of Kalabari people.

    Responding, the Manager, Rivers state Liaison office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Alabo Fenibo M.M. Jack, promised to take their message to the Special Adviser in Abuja.

    Jack, who was represented by the head, Administrative matters, Mr. Diepreye Robert, appealed to the protesters to remains peaceful and law abiding in their protest, and pledged to get to the root of the unfortunate vandalism and looting of the Amnesty office in Bayelsa state leading to the issues arising.

  • Adamawa elders commend appointment of SGF to head Buhari’s inauguration

    A group of elder statesmen in Adamawa State has applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, as Chairman of the Presidential Inauguration Committee for the May 29, 2019 presidential inauguration.

    The spokesman of the group and a former acting General Manager of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, Mr Titus Kabu Lassa, who spoke to newsmen in Yola, said the gesture extended to Boss Mustapha by Mr President is a clear indication of his confidence in the capability of the SGF.

    Kabu said, “For a man who was once called upon to round up the PTF project started by Buhari and given his political pedigree, it shows that he is up to the task.”

    Read Also: Bauchi Governor briefs Buhari on inconclusive election

    The group of Adamawa elders enjoined Buhari to sustain the culture of working with credible people in government, as it is the surest way of maintaining efficient policy implementation and good service delivery to the people.

    The SGF, Boss Mustapha, was last Wednesday appointed to head the 2019 inauguration committee to plan the swearing-in of President Muhammadu Buhari for his second term.

    Other members of the interministerial Presidential Inauguration Committee include the ministers of Information and Culture, Interior, Foreign Affairs, FCT, and the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, among others.

  • Bauchi Governor briefs Buhari on inconclusive election

    The Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, on Monday, briefed President Muhammadu Buhari over the inconclusive elections declared in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    According to him, the electoral umpire introduced procedure not known to the laws of the land during the March 9th elections in the state.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said “I briefed him on the issues surrounding the inconclusive elections, the Returning Officer for Bauchi State at the end of collation, rejected the result of Tafawa Balewa local government and then 36 other units spread around 15 local governments of Bauchi state and ordered a rerun.

    Read Also: Buhari on makeup polls: I won’t influence results

    “Surprisingly, we woke up one morning and the independent electoral commission came up with a procedure that is not known to law.

    “Because, where a Returning Officer has declared the result, only an election petition tribunal can reverse the result. But INEC is attempting to reverse itself in the case of Bauchi. And when one juxtapose that of Bauchi and other states with inconclusive elections, one wonders why that is happening only in Bauchi State.

    “So, for that reason there is a need for me to come and brief Mr. President because that has the potential of touching on the security of the state and it is paramount we …”

    He added “Of course it is definitely extra illegal. It is a straight forward matter. The returning officer is the final arbiter even with respect to scores and declaration of result.

    “And once he makes a declaration, no power can reverse that declaration except duly constituted court of the land.

    On what he expects the President to do over the matter knowing that INEC is independent, he said “No no no. I said I came to brief Mr. President, I am not seeking any action of Mr. President. We all know Mr. President, he is a stickler for procedure.

    “What I pointedly told him was that I am not here to seek for you to interfere on our behalf sir but to brief you on what is happening and what actions I have taken.”

    Asked what actions he has taken, he said “One of which is that I am a lawyer and I am pursuing the legal angle. I briefed him and he emphasized on that legal angle that it is the best way to go.

    On the security of the state, the governor said “We are on top of the situation, thank God. We have since ordered the van on procession in the metropolis and things are very very calm.”

    He however said that his visit to the President was not indication that his visit to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo over the issue last week was not fruitful.

    According to him, he was only following laid down procedures.

    He said “No no no. There are procedures in this matters and levels of authority. I am a stickler for procedure, I started at the right place and I have also ended up at the right place.”

    On how prepared he was for the rerun elections, he said “If they are going to do it now, we are ready. I don’t know who is afraid of anyone in Tafawa Balewa.

    Asked if he was confident to win the rerun election, he said “Insha Allah.”

  • Buhari on makeup polls: I won’t influence results

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) members in Sokoto, Kano, Adamawa, Plateau and Benue states got a piece of “candid” advice from the Presidency yesterday.

    They should prepare hard for the makeup polls in their states. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity Garba Shehu foreclosed the possibility of manipulating the process to favour any party in a statement he issued in Abuja.

    The Presidency has cautioned against a lot of the hate spewing, incitement to violence and the polarising statements by political leaders as some states brace for supplementary elections prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “Party members in states where there will be supplementary elections then need to be reminded that they need to work hard to earn their people’s votes, rather than expect President Buhari to manipulate INEC in their favour The statement reads,” the statement said.

    To the presidential spokesman, it is strange that the President has been at the receiving ends from the ruling APC and the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since the elections started with the Presidential and National Assembly elections on February 23.

    According to him, the President will remain neutral throughout the electoral process.

    He said: “Interestingly, while members of the ruling APC party were criticising the President for not interfering on their behalf, members of the opposition were condemning the President based on their assumptions that he would definitely interfere, as many in the opposition did while in power.

    “Under President Buhari, INEC has been and will be completely independent throughout the elections, free from any interference.

    “President Buhari is a man of conviction, and the manipulation of election results goes against everything he stands for. INEC is completely in charge.”

    Shehu described as unfair and ridiculous criticisms of President Buhari’s apparent disinterest in the upcoming elections in some states by party members who wrongfully assume that the President will abuse power by changing results to favour them.

    The senior special assistant described as a wrong notion to think that Buhari would meddle in the March 23 supplementary election ordered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) because some of his predecessors interfered in inconclusive elections.

    “This”, he said, “was the reason party members appeared to be upset that the same thing is not happening now.”

    He added: “But President Buhari is a different kind of leader. He swore to defend the constitution and will not veer off from that.

    “The constitution of Nigeria gives the President no such powers. It is unfair and ridiculous to criticise President Buhari for not going against the constitution.”

    Candidates of the ruling party are participating in the supplementary polls in the five states where INEC declared the March 9 elections inconclusive, fixing March 23 for a make-up exercise.

    Three of the candidates are incumbent. They are governors Jibrilla Bindow (Adamawa); Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Umar Ganduje (Kano).

    The others – Alh. Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto (Sokoto) and Emmanuel Jime (Benue) – are challenging Aminu Tambuwal and Samuel Ortom, who defected from the ruling party into the PDP.

    SOKOTO

    In Sokoto, incumbent Tambuwal, who scored 489, 588, is leading with 3,413 votes. He will be slugging it out with APC’s candidate for 75,493 votes in 136 polling units in 22 local government areas. The APC candidate is trailing with 486, 145 votes.

    ADAMAWA

    Before the process was declared inconclusive in Adamawa, the PDP, with 367,471 votes as against APC’s 334,995, was leading by 32,476 votes. The candidates of the two parties have 40,998 votes to fight for on March 23.

    BENUE

    Ortom of the PDP, who got 410, 576, was ahead in Benue with 81,554 votes. He will be slugging it out with Jime for 121, 011 votes. Jime got 329, 022 at the close of the first ballot.

    PLATEAU

    In Plateau, Lalong of the APC got 583, 255 to lead Senator Jeremiah Useni of the PDP with 44,929 votes. Useni got 538, 326. The duo will be fighting for the outstanding 49,377 votes.

    KANO

    There are 100, 873 votes to decide who wins the election in Kano State. The PDP, with 1,014,474 votes, is leading the APC, which got 987, 810, with 26,664 votes.

  • Catholic Bishops to Buhari: implement laws to ensure future credible elections

    Catholic Bishops have advised President Muhammadu Buhari to implement laws and policies that will ensure credible elections in the future.

    They demanded that government should acknowledge the inadequacies which characterised the 2019 elections and embark on a course for redress.

    A communique issued at the end of the First Plenary Meeting of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in Abuja, and signed by the President, CBCN, Rev. Augustine Akubeze, and Secretary Rev. Camillus Umoh, reads: “We affirm that elections are an opportunity for people to freely choose those who will serve them. We denounce the unfortunate loss of lives and destruction of property, which is ongoing even now.

    “We, however, admonish that elections should not be turned into a battle between warriors fighting to capture power and conquer territory and people at all cost. We observe that many of the challenges which emerged during the electoral process were because of inadequate electoral laws, which made implementation problematic and at times offered lacunae for evil minded people to exploit the situation to their own advantage.

    “Even where the rules were clear, they were not always adhered to. One of the reported phenomena during the elections was the crude and reckless use of money to buy votes; showing how desperate politicians and political parties are determined to get political power at all cost.

    “Bad elections do not lead to good governance. We demand that the government acknowledge the inadequacies that characterised the 2019 elections and embark on a course for redress. We urge her to enact, endorse and implement laws and policies that will ensure free, fair and credible elections in the future.

    “We enjoin Nigerians, leaders and the led, to abide by democratic principles such as respect for human life, human rights and the rule of law. We also encourage the electorate to ensure that those who hold public offices in our country are held accountable. We equally urge Nigerians to eschew ndiscipline and corruption, and be resolute rather than lose hope in our struggle for a better future and country.

    “The 2019 general elections have come and gone, except in some areas where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled supplementary elections for specified reasons.

    “We commend our people for the patriotism and the maturity displayed. We praise electorate for coming out en masse during the Presidential and National Assembly elections, and the voter apathy which characterised the Governorship and Houses of Assembly elections.

    “We believe this apathy might not be unconnected to, among others, the violence, malpractice and the unnecessary militarisation of the process, all of which contributed to eroding the people’s confidence in the electoral process.

    “We have taken note of  winners, and hail the civility of those who rejected the results but have chosen to express their grievances legitimately rather than through violence. Whatever the outcome, justice must be seen to have been done. We admonish whoever holds power at the end of the day to remember that power belongs to God and to Him alone. God demands strict accountability for how anyone takes power and uses it, for God cannot be deceived or challenged (Lk 16:2).”

    On the recent killings in Kaduna and other states, the communiqué said: “We have received with deep sorrow, the tragic news of the resurgence of further horrific killings in some parts of Kaduna State, Taraba, Benue, Kogi, Edo, Rivers, Zamfara, Adamawa and other states. Against the backdrop of the violence and bloodshed that characterised the last elections, we are pained that the culture of death is becoming embedded into our daily lives.

    “This persistent devaluation of human life and property poses an existential threat to our personal survival and that of our country. How can the government continue to appear helpless in the face of such shameful tragedy? We strongly appeal to the President, in collaboration with governors of the affected states, to take steps to arrest this drift before total anarchy and mayhem consume the country.”

  • Foursquare Gospel Church congratulates Buhari on re-election

    The Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on the renewal of his mandate at the recent presidential election.

    A letter addressed to the President and signed by the General Overseer, Rev Felix Meduoye on behalf of the Board of Directors and entire worshippers of Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, said: “Your victory at the presidential poll held on Saturday February 23, 2019 is a testimony of God’s divine providence over your life.

    “We commend your administration for providing the enabling environment for a generally peaceful and successful election.

    “We urge you to see your renewed presidential mandate as a call from all Nigerians to you to marshal the growth, unity and stability of our dear country.

    “We therefore pray that God will enable you to utilize this God-given mandate to continue to forge a strong, virile and united Nigeria irrespective of race, religion or region.

    “As a Church, we will continue in our duty of offering prayers for the success of your administration, for your sound health and for divine wisdom to guide you in lifting the country to the desired level of growth, development and progress.”

     

  • Buhari didn’t shun Abubakar – Gov’s aide

    Special Adviser, Media and Strategy to the Bauchi State Governor, Ali M. Ali, has described as false, reports that President Muhammadu Buhari shunned his boss, Governor M. A  Abubakar, at the Presidential Villa recently. He claimed the governor was at the villa to meet with the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and never had any meeting with the president in the first instance.

    Reports have it that the incumbent governor who is seeking re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress [APC] against former Federal Capital Territory [FCT] minister, Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP], had gone to Abuja to seek assistance in tilting the outcome of the March 23 re-run election in his favour.

    Ali, in a statement, said the report is nothing but outright falsehood being peddled by desperate politicians since INEC declared the Bauchi State gubernatorial election inconclusive. “Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have responded to this bare-faced lie and misrepresentation. Happily, this kind of journalism is restricted only to partisan interests. We are compelled, however, to respond because lies repeatedly told may become the truth if Goebbelean philosophy is anything to go by.

    “We put the records straight. The president didn’t shun Gov Abubakar because there was no meeting between them. The governor was at the villa to meet with the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. It is therefore perplexing that such a report will be made. According to this very fantastic story, the president shunned them on account of the political developments in their respective states.

    “We have noticed the fury of half truths and outright falsehood being pushed as gospel truth by a slimy desperate megalomanic circle since INEC declared the Bauchi State gubernatorial election inconclusive. This cabal has unleashed a blistering and sustained propaganda against the person and government of M.A Abubakar. Every day, a generous dose of fiction is served to an unwary citizenry via shadowy and equally crooked cyber media,” he said.

  • Buhari won’t interfere with choice of NASS leaders, says Presidency

    The Presidency has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will not interfere with the process of electing the next crop of leadership of the incoming National Assembly.

    Rather, the President will stick to the rule of law and the operative principle of separation of powers in the affairs of the National Assembly.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Affairs (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, who stated this at a media briefing in Abuja yesterday, said the President will give both arms of the federal legislature a free hand to elect their leaders.

    Enang’s position contradicts claims by some returning senators that President Buhari will have a hand in the choice of the principal officers in the Ninth Senate.

    The presidential aide maintained that Buhari will play neutral and allow the elected lawmakers to sort out their leadership tussle and allow the best candidates to emerge.

    Enang said: “The principle of President Muhammadu Buhari is that each arm of government should function according to what the constitution says, which is that every person in government should do the right thing.

    “He (Buhari) will not go beyond what the constitution allows him and every arm of government should stick to its constitutional responsibilities.”

    Enang appealed to the present crop of lawmakers to give priority to some pending bills, among which are the 2019 Appropriation Bill, the New Minimum Wage Bill, the Medium Terms Expenditure Framework and the budget of the various government agencies.

    “The budget of the 64 different federal government owned agencies are still pending before the national parliament.

    “Unless the budgets of the different agencies are considered and passed, we still have a lot to lose in terms of opportunities for employment in those ministries and some capital projects which would have increased government spending or the spending of the various agencies and parastatals.

    “The executive is ready with all the system to come in and defend the budget. We have, in advance, worked with the committee on appropriation to determine a time table for the defence of their budgets.

    “We have informed all the ministers, heads of departments, agencies and the ministries to be on the alert so that immediately the bill is committed to the committee on appropriation, we will upon invitation, appear before them”, he said.

  • Buhari deserves victory, say Ekiti elders

    Ekiti State All Progressives Congress (APC) Elders Forum has congratulated Governor Kayode Fayemi on his 54th birthday and grateful that President Muhammadu Buhari won the 2019 election.

    In a statement, the chairman of the forum Asiwaju George Akosile, said the efforts of the governor amplified Buhari’s victory in the state.

    He noted that APC’s brilliant performance was due to the support from its members and people of the state, hoping that it would translate to rapid development of the state.

    Read also: Ohanaeze Southwest mourns Debe Ojukwu

    Akosile said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Ekiti State Deputy Governor Bisi Egbeyemi’s support were exemplary.

    “We commend both the governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi and his deputy Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi for their transformational agenda in redefining the image of Ekiti State.”

  • Breaking: Tribunal to rule on Buhari, APC requests to inspect election materials

    The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) is about to deliver ruling on two motions by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate in the last presidential election, Muhammadu Buhari.

    APC and Buhari are asking the tribunal to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow them access to materials used for the election, inspect same and obtain certified true copies of the materials.

    The tribunal took arguments from lawyers to APC and Buhari and rose to write its ruling.

    Details shortly….