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Tag: BUHARI

  • 2015: APC screens Buhari, Atiku, others for primaries

    2015: APC screens Buhari, Atiku, others for primaries

    The All Progressives Congress has began the screening of its presidential aspirants ahead of the party’s presidential primaries slated for December 10.

    Those screened by the committee headed by a former National Chairman of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), Chief Ogbonnaya Onu are – the Publisher of Leadership newspaper, Sam -Isaiah, Kano Stage Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).

    Addressing journalists before commencing the screening exercise, Chief Onu said the committee will put into consideration the constitution of the party, the constitution of the country and the 2010 Electoral Act.

    He said that any of the aspirant who fail to confirm with the relevant section of the party’s constitution, the constitution the country and the electoral act will be disqualified from the contest.

    He said: “In screening the aspirants, we will take into consideration the constitution of our party, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, 2010.

    “We will be doing something that is novel in this country because we will really want to effect change in the country. We want to produce a candidate that will effect change in the country, a candidate that will be able to address the problems confronting our nation.

    “So, in screening our aspirants, we will attach a lot of importance to the manifesto of the party. We will sensitize the aspirants on the urgent need in the area of security, the economy, job creation, foreign policy and corruption.

    “We believe that those who will be successful in this exercise will now be presented to our national convention that will be coming in the next few days and a candidate will emerge from there. It is only those we deem qualified that will emerge successful at the end of the exercise. By tomorrow, we will present certificate to those who scaled through the exercise.”

    He added that the committee will extract some commitment from the aspirants to accept the outcome of the convention and work in harmony with whoever emerges as the candidate of the party since only one of them can be the candidate.

    He said, “There will be some commitment on the part of the aspirants.

    “We want to be sure that all aspirants of the party that will deserve to be presented to our delegates at the national convention must undertake to abide by 10 rules and regulations of our great party, the nomination guidelines, the manifesto, the electoral act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “We would also want every aspirant to give us a commitment because only one will become the candidate, that at the end of the national convention, when the candidate emerges, that all others will support that person and will support the party to ensure that the party will be successful in the presidential election of February 14, 2015.”

  • Buhari to subject crowd funding platform to public scrutiny

    Buhari to subject crowd funding platform to public scrutiny

    The Buhari Support Organisation said at the weekend that the funds accruing to the campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant through the Buhari Crowd Funding Platform, would be subjected to daily public scrutiny.

    The organisation also said Gen. Muhammadu Buhari was prepared to support any aspirant on the platform of the party, who might emerge as the standard-bearer, if he failed to get the party’s ticket at the primaries.

    Head of Media, Publicity and ICT of the organisation, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, said at a media briefing that the organisation was working on a website where Nigerians could monitor the donations to the crowd funding platform for the retired General.

     

  • Buhari tells Nigerians: be prepared for 2015 elections

    Buhari tells Nigerians: be prepared for 2015 elections

    Governors, Tinubu, others at Aregbesola’s inauguration  The victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Osun State governorship election has boosted the morale of the party to go into the 2015 elections and win. A presidential aspirant on the platform of the party, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, stated this yesterday at the second term inauguration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osogbo, the state capital. Gen Buhari told a large ecstatic crowd that attended the ceremony at the Osogbo Mini Stadium that after the “disaster in Ekiti and Adamawa states (where the party lost governorship seats), the victory in Osun State boosted the APC’s morale. “We must work hard for victory in 2015. God helps those who help themselves,” he told the massive crowd of party supporters and ordinary folks. APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who sang and danced on the podium, saluted the people for “standing firm”. Tinubu said: “They abused you; you resolved to stand firm. So, today I congratulate you. I charge you students to take your destiny in your hands. What started here (Osun) is called ‘Common Sense Revolution’. “The revolution is to use our voter cards to send these wicked people away. Our naira is sliding; they steal from all of us. They created class system; the poor are becoming poorer. Is Nigeria not sliding into poverty? We are today celebrating your courage, steadfastness and resolve in Osun. So, be prepared for 2015. We must fight with all we have. They stole what belonged to the people of Ekiti but we are sure we will get it back.” The inauguration of Aregbesola and his deputy Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori was conducted by Madam Chief Judge Oyebola Ojo, who administered the oath of office and oath of allegiance on the governor and his deputy. Chieftains of the APC, governors, ex-governors and other dignitaries graced the ceremony. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was represented by his wife, Titi, who also addressed the gathering. Mrs Abubakar, who hails from Ilesa, Aregbesola’s hometown, spoke in Yoruba. She urged the people to vote for APC in the general elections. The roll call included: Former APC interim chairman Chief Bisi Akande, former governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Senator Isiaka Adeleke,  Kwara State Governor Abdufatah Ahmed, Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, and wife, Emmanuela, former Ekiti State governors Dr. Kayode Fayemi and Segun Oni, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Oyo State Deputy Governor Moses Alake Adeyemo, Alhaji Abdusalam A.A., who represented Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, Yoruba Elders in North America, Rhodes Island,  represented by Ladi Dina, the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Adewale Omirin, and 18 members of the Assembly. There were traditional rulers, including the Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi,  Oba of Lagos Rilwan Akiolu, Owa Obokun of Ijesaland Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdulrasheed Olabomi, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, and the Olufon of Ifon-Osun, Oba Almaroof Magbabeola. Decked in white agbada, Aregbesola, whose wife, Sherifat, and children stood ýbeside him, was swore in at exactly 1.12 pm. The CJ had earlier sworn iný Mrs. Laoye-Tomori. Aregbesola said he was happy that hope for Nigeria started from Osun. He said the use of religion and ethnicity to divide the nation would fail. According to him, religion is about living in peace with others and ethnicity is for identification, adding that promotion of the two will only cause chaos and anarchy. Aregbesola, who listed many of his administration’s achievements in his first term, maintained that “we are here celebrating triumph of goodness over evil.ý” Some APC chiefs were invited to deliver short remarks. Akande, who congratulated unemployed youths, said providing jobs for them was next in Aregbesola’s agenda. Oshiomhole ý urged the people not to forget the import of Aregbesola’s victory. He saluted the courage of the people of Osun State, saying they showned by their determination that people are more powerful than the military. He also saluted the fighting spirit of the youth and elders which he said had taught the nation a lesson that change is possible in 2015. Ahmed said: “Today, people of Osun are happy and everyone is happy with you because you have taken a good choice for good governance. The change is imminent and everyone must join the train.” Amosun said: “The people of Osun State have done us proud. This shows that the people always stand by those serving them faithfully and selflessly. By 2015, we shall have APC president.” Adeleke  said there was work ahead, noting that the APC must record 100 percent success in the 2015 presidential election,. Oyinlola, who was asked to speak in Yoruba because of his exceptional mastery of the language, ýrecalled Aregbesola’s prayer on twitter – that God should not allow a stone to take his position. He prayed for Aregbesola that God will help him and the state in his second term in office. Oni, who noted that Aregbesola’s victory is for the people of Osun, said that in 10 years when many states would be counting their blessings, God would not make Ekiti State regret choosing “stomach infrastructure”. Fayemi: said: “ýOsun people have spoken the true language of Omoluabi; they are on the side of peace and progress. When you see the peace here (Osun) and brigandage in Ekiti, you will know there is a clear difference. So, we shall witness respect for human lives by our government at the centre in 2015.” According to Fashola, ýthe people have earned the victory they have worked for. Therefore, he saluted them for standing by the governor, the truth and good governance. Highlights of the event include parade by many groups such as the cadets of the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES,) the newly recruited teachers in Osun State and also the traditionalists. Fuji maestro King Wasiu Ayinde (KWAM 1)ý was on the band stand.

  • ‘Buhari’s discipline will spur Nigeria’s prosperity’

    ‘Buhari’s discipline will spur Nigeria’s prosperity’

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant, General Muhammadu Buhari, is not against the rich and the affluent in the society, the Southwest Coordinator of Buhari Support Group Centre, Ayo Fatola, has said.

    In a statement in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, the coordinator said Gen. Buhari was disciplined enough to ensure that the nation’s comatose sectors were revived immediately, if he was voted to power as President in the 2015 elelction.

    Fatola noted that those spreading falsehood and the campaign of calumny against the former Head of State usually did so from their conjectures to give him a bad name.

    The governor said Gen. Buhari had an unblemished record in serving the people at various levels.

    He said the former Head of State’s return to the political field at a time the nation was witnessing maladministration, especially at the federal level, would end hunger in the land and placate the angry.

  • Buhari visits Bayelsa, asks voters to kick out PDP

    Buhari visits Bayelsa, asks voters to kick out PDP

    Large crowd of the All Progressive Congress (APC) supporters trooped out in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Wednesday, to receive a presidential aspirant of the party, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).

    Party enthusiasts and other residents of the state crowded the secretariat of APC at Erepa Street in Yenagoa, to catch a glimpse of the former head of state whose slogan is “zero tolerance to corruption.”

    Buhari was in the state to address the delegates of the party for the APC’s forthcoming presidential primaries.

    The aspirant and his entourage were received by the state Chairman of APC, Mr. Tiwe Oruminighe and members of the state working committee.

    Addressing the delegates, Buhari lamented the deep-rooted corruption in Nigeria, blaming it on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said the PDP had brought nothing but untold hardship to Nigerians, adding that another four years of the PDP would further plunge the country into misery.

    He asked the people to compare 1999 when the PDP took over the reins of power with the present realities, observing that everything had gone from bad to worse.

    According to him Nigerians should either make a wise choice in the next election by voting the APC or remain in perpetual suffering.

    “If you want to know how much we have been suffering under the PDP since 1999, try and imagine what our condition was in 1999. We used to have Nigerian airways, we used to have Nigerian shipping lines, the roads were not too bad, even light itself was not too bad,” he said.

    He said under the watch of PDP, many industries had closed shops, leading to backwardness in industrialization.

    Buhari noted that the ruling party had shown total disrespect to democratic institutions and lack of political will to stop corruption.

    “What is wrong? What is wrong is massive corruption. If we don’t kill corruption in Nigeria, corruption will kill us,” he said, adding that corruption had made it impossible for the country to develop its potential.

    He recalled that under PDP many panels of inquiries were set up and people were indicted for corrupt practices in the petroleum and other sectors.

  • FG not ready for free, fair elections – Buhari

    FG not ready for free, fair elections – Buhari

    … Says, PDP desperation grows by the hour

    A presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday said the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan cannot pretend that it knew nothing about the invasion of the All Progressive Congress data centre in Lagos.

    He said the clampdown on the centre was a foretaste of things to come in 2015.

    He said the government had shown that it would not conduct “anything resembling free and fair elections.”

    The former head of state said the desperation of the Peoples Democratic Party is growing by the hour.

    Buhari, who made his position known in a statement in Abuja through his aide, Sabi’u Tunde, asked the Presidency to stop “defending the indefensible.”

    He expressed regrets that the Federal Government was pushing the nation into chaos.

    The statement said:  “Almost every day, the Jonathan presidency seems intent on demonstrating for all to see that they have mastered the art of how to push a nation into chaos within the shortest time possible.

    “The early morning attack by security operatives on the APC data centre in Lagos on Saturday November 22nd is one of such display in a growing chain of abuse and violation of the constitution and political rights of the people. It is a reckless act that must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

    “The APC data centre housed internal party membership information and was also an important vehicle to disseminate information to APC members.

    “Yet, for conducting functions necessary and proper for a political party operating within the democratic context, the Centre became a hated target of the Jonathan government and the PDP.”

    He indicted the administration of being behind the attack on the APC data centre.

    The statement added: “The Jonathan government cannot claim ignorance. The security operatives conducting this illegal raid must have been ordered from Abuja. They would not have done what they did unless given the mandate from their high bosses in Abuja.

    “Attempting to defend the indefensible, they fabricate a story that the attack was necessary because criminal activity was taking place at the Centre. These statements are such plain lies.

    “These acts are nothing but a foretaste of things to come. From these attacks, this government is signaling to the Nigerian people they have no intention of holding anything resembling free and fair elections.

    “Their goal is not to create a level electoral playing field. Their goal is to level the opposition into the dust through the abuse of federal power.”

    The APC presidential aspirant accused the PDP of becoming desperate to win the 2015 poll at all cost.

     

     

  • 2015: Buhari submits presidential nomination form

    2015: Buhari submits presidential nomination form

    Former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), Monday submitted his presidential nomination form at the All Progressive Congress national secretariat in Abuja, saying it was unfortunate that insecurity has been allowed to prevail in the country.

    Buhari, who spoke with journalists after submitting his form to the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, said last week’s invasion of the National Assembly by some policemen is a rape of the nation’s constitution.

    He said, “It is a distressing situation where those who are supposed to protect the constitution are those who are undermining it. That place, the House of Representatives and the Senate are sacred places.

    “The law enforcement agencies shouldn’t go there, fire tear gas and harass them. As far as I am concerned, they are undermining the constitution. If they are undermining the constitution, who is going to correct things when they go bad? My position is that total insecurity in Nigeria is on the match. May God help us.”

    He told the party leaders that having collected the form and complied with the party’s demands, he was returning the form with hope that it will lead him to become the nation’s president come 2015.

    He said: “We have collected the form according to the due process we are pursuing. We have dutifully gone through the processes and have filled the form and attached the documents and the receipts of the demand we have to subject ourselves to if we want to be part of the exercise.

    “I believe that the forms have been filled. I thought that my form should not be submitted on the last day of submission, but to be among the first three. But I was told that it has to be submitted today.”

    Speaking after receiving the form, the APC chairman said that the submission of the form by the retired Army General is a sign that he was serious about the race, pointing out that “if you pick a form and you don’t return it, we are not sure yet whether you mean business.

    “But I am glad that the form is here and you are one of the aspirants that had confirmed his continuation in the presidential race. So, I greet you and wish you the very best.

    “I loved what you said when you came in that there were so many people that you could hardly find a place to pack your car. That is the sign of a vibrant party, a party that is growing and I want to assure you that half the crowd you saw are PDP members seeking registration to join us and seeking waver to pick our ticket for the various offices to be contested.

    “So, we are busy working and preparing the ground for our eventual take over.  I thank you for your forthrightness, simplicity and by God’s grace, one of you in the APC will be the President of this nation in the next few months.”

     

  • Why Buhari’s Nigeria’s best choice

    Why Buhari’s Nigeria’s best choice

    With Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan declaring his intention to contest the 2015 presidential elections under the aegis of the Peoples Democratic Party, one can safely assume who the principal combatants in the election will be; Jonathan versus Muhammadu Buhari.

    The question now is which of the candidates who have offered themselves for this service can really do the job? Who can deliver for Nigeria? Who can get the results?

    Fortunately, they both have occupied the post; one in a democratic dispensation and the other in a military regime. In the matter of choosing presidents, it is my opinion that there are three foundational qualities of a good and effective president namely; character, mission and vision and relationship-building expertise.

    Subjected to the tests identified above; who can tackle the critical issues confronting this country? What did each do as incumbents of the office? Who possesses the essential qualities of a president?

    Character is the defining quality of a good president. Character compels the holding of values and principles that would not be violated however uncomfortable the imminent situation might be. Having character involves making trade-offs between personal and national interest. For example, which president with character will declare his personal interest in running for a second-term of office on the same day and while school children, victims of a dastardly bomb attack were being buried and the whole country was in a somber mood? Remember that the country is still suffering from the Chibok experience which has now become a debacle.

    Successful presidents make decisions and engage in activities based on their inner convictions not the mathematics of expediency. The absence of character ensures that a president cannot “walk the talk.” Neither can he “talk the walk” so that the options left to him are those that satisfy self-serving desires. Consequently, integrity and decency belong to the dogs!

    Character also determines how a president will engage in the work of leadership. Presidents with character are noble and they handle issues with equanimity, grace and tact, while those with base character will resort to such tactics as manipulation, power plays, over-control, emotional outbursts and tirades that tear down anyone who provokes their ire. Remember the now infamous quote, “I don’t give a damn.” A president’s character gives a country the direction which he intends it to follow; a guiding map for action.

    Finally, any and all behavior and all goals are not acceptable and the end does not justify the means. When presidents with highly developed characters are in power, they do not compartmentalize their lives, activities and utterances in other to act one way at home or in one situation and another way in the work place or outside. Real character permeates and influences the president’s entire life. Consistency and accountability are the watchwords.

    A president has the responsibility for defining a country’s strategic mission and for the successful implementation of the mission as well as ensuring the implementation of the strategic vision. Before accepting responsibilities for the success of the mission, a president must have the capacity for envisioning future possibilities. Visionary presidents provide a compelling direction and focus.  This ability to see the future is characterized by insights about future trends, needs, opportunities, and barriers. The visionary president sees the future (live and in living colour), develops a mission and strategy for getting to that future, and establishes a plan for articulating and selling that vision to others.

    A president’s ability and need to understand the circumstances of his people is determined by his ability to simultaneously assess all the aspects of the environment after which a good dosage of intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, resilience, commitment and consistency are applied to what has been discerned. The resulting picture of the purpose or the desired end-state leads to the goals that support and lead to the fulfillment of the purpose. If the vision is appropriate, then it leads to the greater good of the community and not just for a select few.

    Buhari’s strategic mission and vision are evident in his often quoted statement which I paraphrase as “one united and prosperous Nigeria where all can attain the heights of their desires.” He has not changed this focus. These are simple enough and give focus of direction for Nigeria. The staccato “transformation agenda” of President Jonathan, on the other hand, is all hoopla. It is an agenda that offers no sense of direction and is more in line with Josef Goebbels dictum of  “a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth.”

    Effective presidents present missions and vision statements that inspire the hopes and actions of their people; yesterday, today and in the future by tying it to national purpose and strategic direction.

    Some would prefer to call relationship building expertise “building bridges” that span a nation’s divide; critical quality when diversity is an important ingredient in the life of a country. Relationship building expertise refers to how president’s work with the diverse segments of their societies (employees, associates, team members, clients, suppliers, partners, communities, parliaments, senators, royalty, and countless others) to get the job done. As indicated earlier, good presidents know how to inspire and motivate others to participate in implementing the mission and the vision.

    When a young President John F. Kennedy challenged Americans in his inaugural speech to “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country,” millions of Americans were inspired into action. They created or joined organisations that gave back to the country or the world. A notable example is the Peace Corps. This is what relationship building expertise is made of; the ability to galvanize people into purposeful action.

    Using relationship building expertise to inspire others implies the ability to create environments that provide resources that give the people the incentive to bring and do their best to the fore. A president that has this quality is able to capitalize on his people’s strengths and talents while improving and strengthening areas that need development. The ensuing culture must be hospitable and accommodating to all.

    In a country like Nigeria where diversity abounds in all its ramifications, the value of divergent thoughts, ideas and perspectives cannot be over-emphasized. These perspectives sharpen a country’s strategic mission and vision and increase the country’s ability to effectively participate in the world comity of nations. Consequently, a good president must possess good relationship building expertise so that inclusive environments where all members are valued, respected and fully utilized are in existence.

    Against all odds and the prognostications of political pundits, Buhari has galvanized a group of progressives into an effective political opposition in Nigeria that he hopes to lead into election victory in 2015. Newspaper reports confirm the challenges and difficulties of the venture; but the mission and vision continue to guide his efforts via relationship building.

    On the other hand, newspaper reports continue to show that President Jonathan has not been able to harness his PDP party because it is an assemblage of “homogeneous” people (in the image of the President) who cannot challenge themselves into new heights as a result of which both president and party members have the same blind spots. They are not comfortable with diversity of thoughts, ideas, and/or people. The PDP governor that “delivered” was hounded out of the party and out of any body that gives him relevance. The Speaker of the House of Representatives has just defected from the party and intrigues, manipulations and sinister efforts are being fashioned against him starting with the removal of his security detail.

    Good presidents cannot afford to lose high quality talent unnecessarily. They must find and cultivate ways to encourage, dialogue, collaborate and enhance performance. Keeping a positive focus on listening to, including, and developing others is essential.

    From the fore-going, the choice in the 2015 Presidential election is apparent; Muhammadu Buhari. He encapsulates the three foundational qualities of a good president. Nigerians cannot afford to miss the opportunity for a clear and purposeful decision in 2015.

    Personally, I feel convinced that were the Jonathan administration to be given the opportunity to manage the Atlantic Ocean, in a matter of months, we will have no ocean to speak about. A worse problem is that no one will be able to explain to the world where the waters all went! Such has been the trend and Nigeria can longer afford it!

     

    • Onasanya lives in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State
  • Buhari, Atiku, Ogbeh decry attack

    Buhari, Atiku, Ogbeh decry attack

    ALL Progressives Congress’ (APC) presidential aspirants, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as well as the party’s chieftain, Chief Audu Ogbeh, have condemned the police invasion of the National Assembly.

    Buhari said: “If it is true that the House of Representatives has been attacked and the Speaker shot at, then those who are supposed to be protecting the constitution are subverting it. God help us.”

    Former Vice President Atiku said “the siege mentality of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration poses grave danger to the nation’s democracy.”

    He condemned what he called “the crude method” being used by the Jonathan administration to harass and humiliate perceived political enemies into submission.

    Atiku said the action would not augur well for the nation’s democracy.

    A statement from his media office in Abuja noted that considering the fact that the rule of law and the separation of power were enshrined in the constitution, invading the National Assembly amount to trampling on the duties of the legislature.

    He explained that with emergency rule failing to stem the unrest in the Northeast, the Federal Government must work with, rather than against those who understand and have been elected by the people to govern.

    He said the behaviour of the PDP-led government towards Tambuwal was not decent and acceptable under a president that has committed himself to uphold the rule of law, adding that the “crisis highlights the absolute failure of the current PDP’s idea of government: arrogant, indifferent and incompetent.”

    He stressed that abuse of power by using state agents to harass, intimidate and humiliate perceived opponents was not only capable of heating the polity on frightening scale, but also carried the risks of polarising and politicising security operatives in the country.

    “What is happening at the National Assembly taken together with what unfolded today (yesterday) at the Ekiti House of Assembly is totally strange. It is not the democracy we fought for; for which many of our compatriots paid for with their lives. These free-riders should not be allowed to destroy what others built with their sweat and blood,” Atiku said.

    Ogbeh, in his reaction, said: “That is lawlessness, where the police begin to interpret the constitution and bully a democratic institution. It is the beginning of anarchy.”

    Ogbeh suggested that President Goodluck Jonathan should push for the passage of an insurgency act, instead of seeking for an extension of emergency rule.

    He explained that with such an act in place, vigilantes and hunters working with the military would be legally backed to join in the fight.

  • Abuja quakes as Buhari, Oyegun, Amaechi protest

    Abuja quakes as Buhari, Oyegun, Amaechi protest

    Oni, Onu, Oyinlola, El-Rufai, others lead Salvation Rally

    All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders yesterday took to the streets their case against the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration.

    Some of the party’s leading lights, including Chiarman John Odigie-Oyegun, led a “Salvation Rally” in Abuja, accusing President Jonathan of using the Boko Haram insurgency as a joker to win election.

    The party said there was  no limit to the length the President  had not gone in his “obsession” for re-election.

    It accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of working in concert with the Presidential Villa to corrupt the system and disenfranchise voters in APC-controlled states.

    APC queried why the Permanent Voters Cards collection and the continuous registration in 12 states were a fiasco.

    It  challenged the government and INEC to explain why the PVC collection was muddled up in Lagos, Kano Rivers, Niger, Ogun, Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara and  all APC strongholds

    The APC said it was becoming obvious that President Goodluck Jonathan might be unable to organise a free and fair election next February.

    The party said the President was also planning to use the extension of the emergency rule not to conduct the 2015 poll in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

    It protested against the inadequate funding of the Federation Account to, in the party’s view, starve APC-controlled states of funds.

    Besides the rally, the APC chieftains defied old age and apparatchik of office to march around Abuja metropolis to draw the attention of the government and Nigerians to the insurgency in the Northeast.

    Odigie-Oyegun, in an address to open the Salvation Rally at the Eagle Square in Abuja, said the party had tabled four demands which the President must address immediately.

    He said the rally was a demonstration of its lack of confidence in Jonathan’s administration.

    Odigie-Oyegun said: “We are here today as a practical demonstration of our lack of confidence in the ability or willingness of President Goodluck Jonathan to organise a free and fair election come February 2015.

    “President Goodluck Jonathan is so desperate to win re-election that it will now appear that there is a secret understanding that our security forces should turn a blind eye to the Boko Haram Insurgency so that the insurgents can occupy as much territory as possible and make elections impossible in these areas, knowing full well these are APC strongholds.

    “Otherwise, how does one explain that local hunters carrying dane guns and amulets are capable of dislodging the dreaded Boko Haram while our once proud army, which has distinguished itself in and out of the country, has failed?

    We daily hear idle talks that the President needs to declare total war on Boko Haram.

    “ Pray, what has the Jonathan government been doing since the moment the state of emergency was declared the very first time? Or is the President saying that he declared and renewed the state of emergency only to cage the civil populace so that the insurgents can have a free rein?”

    Odigie-Oyegun said the party suspected that Boko Haram insurgency was being used to promote Jonathan’s re-election bid.

    To APC, the extension of the emergency rule may be the President’s ploy not to conduct the 2015 poll in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

    He added: “Without doubt, the war against Boko Haram has become a tool for self enrichment and a tool to disenfranchise Nigerians who are perceived not likely to vote for President Jonathan’s re-election.

    “Everything points to the fact that President Jonathan’s handling of the Boko Haram insurgency is aimed at one thing and one thing only: disenfranchisement of persons who are perceived not to be in support of his re-election, especially in the North-Eastern part of the country.

    “Is it not curious that Mubi was captured without one shot being fired by the insurgents or one single casualty on the part of Federal troops?”

    “As a matter of fact, we have it on good authority that as soon as President Goodluck Jonathan obtains the green light from the National Assembly, there will be no elections in the North-Eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. By this singular act, some five million Nigerians will be disenfranchised, making Jonathan’s re-election a foregone conclusion.”

    Odigie-Oyegun accused Jonathan of being obsessed with re-election by using every issue, including abduction of 219 Chibok girls, as pawns.

    He said: “There is no limit to the length Jonathan has not gone in his obsession for re-election, using the kidnapped Chibok girls as pawns on his political chessboard. On the 17th of October, he cruelly played on the emotions and sensibilities of all Nigerians, especially the families, relations and associates of the kidnapped girls, when he asked his Chief of Defence staff to falsely announce that Boko Haram has agreed to a ceasefire and that the release of the kidnapped Chibok girls was just a matter of days.

    “ Of course, President Jonathan and his cohorts knew this to be false but he needed to deceive Nigerians so as to prepare their minds for his eventual declaration for re-election.”

    He tabled the party’s four demands which Jonathan must address.

    They are:

    •an end to the raging insurgency that is daily killing and maiming our compatriots,

    •an end to the impunity that permeates the Jonathan Administration;

    •an end to the massive corruption that has left our compatriots impoverished in the midst of plenty; and

    •an unambiguous effort to ensure that that 2015 elections will be free and fair.

    The APC National Chairman wrote off the recent distribution of Permanent Voters Cards by INEC and declared the exercise as a deliberate plot to  corrupt the system to disenfranchise voters in APC-controlled states.

    He said: “As you must all be aware, the recent exercise by INEC of collection of Permanent Voters Cards and continuous registration in 12 states of the Federation was a fiasco. The official explanation from the Independent National Electoral Commission is to blame it all on computer error.But we know this is a lie.

    “The truth of the matter is that the ICT unit of INEC, which is working hands in gloves with the Presidential villa, deliberately corrupted the system in order to disenfranchise voters in APC controlled states.

    “How else do you explain the fact this same exercise, which had gone fairly well in 24 other states – mostly PDP states – is now a fiasco in Lagos, Kano Rivers, Niger, Ogun, Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara all APC strongholds and with the highest number of registered voters?

    “In the aforementioned states, millions of voters have been disenfranchised because the system was deliberately corrupted to wipe out their names from the voters register. Even those who were able to vote in 2011 could no longer find their names on the register.

    “Zero units are now to be found more in APC-controlled states or strongholds. The PDP, realising the overwhelming support and followership which APC enjoys in the above mentioned states, has deliberately decided to use the ICT department of INEC to rig the 2015 general elections at source by disenfranchising millions of the opposition party’s supporters.”

    Odigie-Oyegun said APC was joining issues with Jonathan on the poor funding of the Federation Account, which was meant to starve APC states of funds.

    He said: “President Goodluck Jonathan, embarrassed by the runaway success of APC controlled states, has in the last two years embarked on a wicked scheme to create disaffection among the electorate in APC-controlled states by not funding the Federation Account adequately.

    “While this may appear a general problem affecting all states, he has secretly and unconstitutionally being funding PDP controlled states. Not too long ago he dashed all PDP controlled states N2 billion each. Not only does this affect the letter and spirit of our constitution, it also portrays him as the President of the PDP and not that of Nigeria.

    “Although oil has been selling at well over USD108 against the benchmark of USD78, President Jonathan had been funding the Federation Account only between 60-70%. What is his official explanation for this? He claims it is as a result of massive crude oil theft that he has been unable to fund the Federation Account adequately!

    “The truth of the matter is that since the countrywide protest on the subsidy oil scam of 2012 and the embarrassing revelations by the House of Representatives panel, this government has now resorted to stealing from source.

    “How can we be losing steadily on daily basis over months the same quantity, 700,000 barrels of crude? It is this stealing of crude at source that has made it impossible for the govern to adequately fund the Federation Account, and which has led to poverty and unemployment.

    “Is it not baffling that up till today no serious individual or significant organisation has been apprehended for stealing 700,000 barrels of crude everyday! It is nothing but authority stealing-apologies to Fela Anikulpo-Kuti.

    “Only a few days ago, President Jonathan’s administration declared austerity measures. Given the difference between the selling price of our crude in the international market of an average of 108 dollars and the bench mark price of 78 dollars in the last three years, the government should today have close to fifty billion dollars (US$50 billion) in Excess Crude Account.

    “But as a result of corruption and arbitrary manipulation of the account, today the government has declared that there is just three billion dollars (US$3 billion) in this account.”

    The APC National Chairman said political developments in Osun, Edo, Ekiti had pointed to the fact that Jonathan might not allow a free and fair poll in 2015.

    He asked the international community to have keen interest in the process leading to the next General elections.

    He said: “Another pointer that President Jonathan will not allow a free and fair election in 2015 is the reckless use of the police and the military in past elections in Ekiti and Osun states. The extensive use of firearms by PDP thugs in Edo State in collusion with the police to vandalise the Edo State House of Assembly residential quarters, and the police humiliating treatment of Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi are few examples of acts of impunity of this government.

    In Edo State, the police continue to disobey the orders of both the High Court and the Court of Appeal. In Ekiti State the police looked the other way when judges were being beaten and only two days ago in the same Ekiti under the protection of the police, democratically-elected principal officers of the state House of Assembly were sacked by six out of the 26 elected members.

    “The Nigeria Police Force has today become the armed wing of the PDP and they cannot be trusted under President Jonathan to be unbiased umpire in the February 2015 elections.

    “To the international community, we say it is not just enough to rush to declare any election free and fair on election day. We say election is a process, hence they must show interest in all the pre-election events leading up to the election day.

    “In the end, everyone must work together to ensure that the will of the people prevails, that no one who is eligible to vote is disenfranchised, and that every vote must not just be counted, it must count!”

    Odigie-Oyegun said the salvation rally was the beginning of the occupation of Abuja by the party unless the situation in the country improves.

    He said: “What you are seeing here today, which is the first stage of the occupation of Abuja, is just a warning shot.

    “If we do not see any discernible change of attitude on the part of the government, then we will move to the next stage on the list of actions that our party intends to take to stop the rot being perpetuated by the PDP-led Federal Government

    “We are, therefore, using this opportunity to alert Nigerians and the international community to what is undoubtedly a set of carefully-set booby traps on the path to free and fair elections next year.

    “To Nigerians who are desirous of a positive change, we say eternal vigilance is the price of freedom, and we call on them to join us to say NO to impunity, NO to corruption, NO to scorched-earth politics and NO to do or die politics.”

    The APC National Chairman later led some leaders and members of the party in a protest march around Abuja to press home their concerns and demands.

    Some of those at the Salvation Rally are: Former Head of State and presidential aspirant  Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; Governor Rotimi Amaechi; ex-governors Ogbonnaya Onu, Segun Oni(Deputy National Chairman for South),  Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; ex-FCT Minister, Nasir El-Rufai; Deputy National Chairman(North) Sen. Lawal Shuaibu; National Secretary Mai Mala Buni; the National Organising Secretary Osita Izunaso;  presidential aspirant Sam Nda-Isaiah, a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Umaru Dembo,  National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed and Suleiman Hunkuyi, among others.