The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Cassidy Madueke

  • INEC’s silence on PDP access to server worrisome, says BMO

    The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has expressed concerns over the long silence of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to claims of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of having access to its backend servers.

    BMO said the long silence was worrisome and frightening.

    Chairman and secretary of the group, Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke respectively said in a statement the claim by the PDP that it had gained illegal access to the servers of INEC through the assistance of some INEC officials was too grave a criminal confession for the electoral Commission to keep mum.

    The pro Buhari group said: “This is most frightening. That INEC is not alarmed or bothered by such blatant claim by the PDP to have procured the hacking of its systems – whether it is false or not- is most worrisome. We would have expected INEC to swing into clearing the air immediately and distancing itself from such a criminal conduct. But INEC has kept a deafening silence.

    “INEC’s silence on this confession of criminality against it is not golden. It is suspicious and carries a weight of taint that must be called out.

    Read Also: INEC sets up committee on Imo North senatorial poll

    “It can be likened to a scenario where a thief says he has robbed a bank and the bank remains silent on the confession of robbery against it, whether its safes and moneys are intact or not. Silence is very weighty in any such instance”.

    BMO said that it knew that the claim by the PDP that it was in possession of results fraudulently fetched from the INEC servers was “a hoax and only an exhibition of the innate fraudulent character of the PDP.

    “For instance, according to the group, the so-called results did not tally with reality, with fundamental errors such as the absence of votes of other political parties that participated during the election. Still, we believe that INEC ought not to be silent in the face of such wild allegations.

    “The very character of the PDP is one of fraud, dishonesty and malfeasance; it is not out of its character to have made moves to procure the hacking into the INEC servers by some of the Commission’s staff.

    “Its Freudian slip of this admission of the stupid attempt, however unsuccessful, must be dealt with and addressed with all sense of seriousness. This, INEC has failed to do.”

    The group said that the recent claim by the PDP to have colluded with INEC staff to have access to INEC’s back-end servers raises serious posers as to an unholy romance between INEC and the PDP.

  • Don’t be intimidated by PDP blackmail, pro Buhari group tells Army

    The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has asked the Nigerian Army not to give in to blackmail by the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but ensure adequate security through the country during this weekend’s governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.

    The group said inspite of the subtle blackmail by the PDP, the military and other security agencies should not back down in their resolve to with potential election riggers and their sponsors during Saturday’s governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections across the country.

    In a statement signed by Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, the BMO expressed support for the strong resolve of the Army authorities to be tough on political thugs and armed militias during Saturday’s gubernatorial and states’ Houses of Assembly elections.

    The group said “We are aware of the subterfuge of opposition elements that even before the elections were bent on tarnishing the image of every national institution that has any role to play in the electoral process, no matter how remote.

    “After months of muck-raking and pot-shots at the Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the run up to the elections, PDP leaders have now shifted attention to the military over perceived bias.

    “But this is the same Army that was not reported to have encroached on polling centres during the Presidential election and was highly praised by international election observers.

    “And now that it has vowed to be tougher on potential trouble makers, we join millions of Nigerians to express support for the Army in its determination to stem the tide of violence witnessed in some states on February 23″.

    They also commend plans by the Air Force authorities to provide air cover for security operations on Election Day, adding that this was necessary in view of revelations by of the Army of plans by some politicians to unleash armed militia men as well as use the farmers-herders crisis to disrupt elections in some parts of the country.

    Read Also: Buhari warns ballot snatchers again

    BMO said: “Nigerians cannot afford to ignore an intelligence report publicly announced by the Chief of Army staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, so it is gratifying that his counterpart in the Air Force, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar has put some air assets on standby for deployment in flash point states.

    “We also hope that there would be strong inter-security cooperation between patrolling members of the armed forces and the Police which is backed by law to be at polling centres especially in states prone to electoral violence”.

    The group urged Nigerians to continue to support the Buhari administration as it continues its people oriented programmes towards taking Nigeria and Nigerians to the Next Level.

    The group expressed joy that Nigerians recognised the numerous achievements of the Buhari administration, hence the massive support they gave him at the presidential election, adding that the administration’s achievements in the three core areas of fight against corruption, revival of the economy and provision of security across the country have endeared the President to the Nigerian people, said BMO.

    “As a group we are witnesses to the various efforts the Buhari administration has been making towards restoring Nigeria to the path of economic growth, infrastructural development and food security.

    “We are also gratified to note that presently Nigeria has emerged as a major rice producer globally based on the deliberate agricultural policies embarked upon by the administration since coming to power on May 29th 2015. This approach has also guaranteed food security for Nigerians as well as reduced poverty in the country.

    “We implore the president not to be distracted by the antics of the opposition, but to remain focused at delivering on his campaign promises to all Nigerians.”

  • Atiku showing acts of desperation, says BMO

    The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has accused former Vice President and presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) of sponsoring fake news against the Nigerian military and President Muhammadu Buhari, saying such action was an act of desperation and lack of patriotism.

    In a statement signed by the Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, the group said recent untrue claims of terrorists’ attacks on the military, desertion by Police personnel; allegations of corruption scandals in the military hierarchy and the resurfacing of a 2014 claim by soldiers of lack of weaponry are sponsored fake news by the opposition candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

    According to the group, the Atiku Abubakar campaign Organisation have no issues to put forward in their campaign and has resorted to sponsoring fake news items aimed at tarnishing the image of Nigeria’s Armed Forces and security personnel.

    It said: “Atiku Abubakar’s desperation knows no bounds; his recent moves to sponsor narrative through fake news that paint Nigeria’s security personnel as weak and incapable of carrying out their duties, is an example of the PDP candidate’s desperation and lack of patriotism.

    “The PDP campaign, finding no fault in the current leadership of the Nigerian Army, had begun sponsoring old videos from 2014 with the aim of selling a narrative that suggests that the military under President Buhari has not been well-taken care of like it was during their 16 year rule of malfeasance.”

    It said further that a recent report by an American firm making unbacked claims that the recently slain former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshal Alex Badeh, was killed to hide corruption under the current Defence leadership was fake news and the handiwork of Mr Brian Ballard, the United States lobbyist Atiku procured at $90,000 a month.

    The group said “It is shameful that a former Vice President of Nigeria would procure the service of an American lobby firm to sponsor fake news aimed at attacking the morale and credibility of Nigeria’s Armed Forces.

    “In addition to this is the hiring of foreign trolls to man their online handles in a way that is  against National interest. The whole aim is to destroy national institutions including INEC and cause confusion after realizing that they have lost the contest even before the votes are cast.

    Read Also: Why we dumped Atiku, PDP – Bello

    “This goes to emphasize the fact that Mr Abubakar does not have Nigeria’s interest at heart and must be kept far away from the seat of power. The PDP has nothing to sell to Nigerians; it has a candidate who is notorious for corruption allegations and is distrusted across the globe; asides being the candidate of a party responsible for the pillage of Nigeria’s treasury.”

    The group asks Nigerians to be wary of Atiku and his party as they would begin promoting fake news items in attempts to compare the Buhari administration to their horrid past.

    They accused the PDP Presidential candidate’s media handlers of lying when they claimed that President Buhari has a record of trafficking illicit funds, saying “It is a blatant lie that Atiku Abubakar, as head of Customs at the Lagos airport in 1984 stopped the ADC of the then Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, from smuggling in 53 suitcases of looted money.

    “This is a matter that was settled back then. The suitcases were the personal belonging of the then Nigerian Ambassador to Libya who was returning to the country after his tour of duty with his three wives and sixteen children.

    “The late Ambassador was coming into the country at the same time as the Emir of Gwandu whose son was General Buhari’s ADC and his suitcases were falsely presented to the public as those of the Emir.

    “So from all indications, the suitcases which were cleared through Customs by soldiers had nothing to do with Buhari and there was nothing to suggest that illicit funds were being brought into the country.

    “Nigerians must be wary in the coming weeks. The party which has no agenda to sell would continue promoting lies on the media. It would, like one of its recent converts, begin to trivialize the impact of corruption and even attempt to normalize it; Nigerians must fight and reject this.”

  • Buhari is hero of Nigerian democracy – Group

    Ask Obasanjo to stop distracting attention from stolen Power funds

    The Buhari Media Organization has said that President Muhammadu Buhari could be described as the father of Nigeria’s modern democracy, saying his courage in declaring June 12 as Democracy day and righting the wrongs and ills of 25 years of a faulty democratic foundation was a political masterstroke.

    In a statement signed by the Chairman, Austin Braimoh and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, the group described the President as the true hero of democracy, noting that he has set high standards of political maturity and established that the will of the people must be respected in Nigeria.

    They said: “President Buhari has established that under him, votes would count, even where they were illegally discountenanced, they would count, and honour would be ascribed to those who deserve it.

    “The President’s move has proven his critics and their baseless opinions about him wrong. President Buhari has not just claimed to espouse and embrace democratic ideals, he has gone ahead to set worthy and enviable standards for democracy in Nigeria.”

    Read Also: No mortal power can stop Buhari’s re-election – Emir

    The group noted that the President, unlike his predecessors, has not interfered with any state or local government elections with the apparatus of state, but rather he has allowed for free and fair elections dictated by the will of the people to take place under him.

    The statement said the President’s insistence on the holding of Party Congresses in the APC in the bid to ensure true intra-party democracy is a further proof of his demonstration of democratic ideals worthy of recognition.

    “No President in Nigeria has shown a truer embrace and practice of democracy as President Buhari has. His respect for the principles that every vote must count, that the will of the people must not be thwarted and that democratic institutions must be upheld has been further expressed in his declaration that June 12 will be the new Democracy Day; there is no gainsaying that President Buhari is the father of Nigeria’s modern democracy”, he said.

    The BMO asked former President Olusegun Obasanjo not to use his recent allegation of planned arrest on trumped-up charges by the current administration to dodge questions on misappropriation of $16 billion on Power during his eight years’ administration.

    The group noted that what former President Obasanjo is trying to do with his unfounded allegation of  imminent arrest is to divert the minds of Nigerians from his unanswered question of squandering the humongous $16bn on power during his eight years administration.

    “We want to state that the Buhari Administration will not be distracted by any shenanigan, any unfounded allegation from any quarter, especially those capable of causing disaffection among Nigerians and portraying government in bad light.

    “Former President Obasanjo should not be afraid of any trumped-up charges as that is not in the character of President Muhammadu Buhari nor that of his administration.  Only the guilty should be worried.”

    They assured Nigerians that the current administration is strongly committed to the tenets of democracy, freedom of speech and the right to dissent, stressing that those who, in their time, were untethered to those principles would find it hard to believe.

  • Group accuses Senate over attempt to blackmail Buhari

    Group accuses Senate over attempt to blackmail Buhari

    A Buhari support group, the Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG), Thursday asked the Senate to put the interested the nation above personal interest and stop blackmailing the President over court summon on its principal officers over forgery allegations.

    In a statement signed by its Coordinator, Muhammad Labbo, and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke and made available to newsmen in Abuja, the group said it was disappointing that the Senate wants to blackmail the president into submitting to its whims and caprices by stampeding him to stop the court summons of principal officers of the Senate to defend themselves against allegation of forgery.

    The group also said that as lawmakers, the senators should be on the same page with the president and his administration to uphold the laws of the land.

    They said further that rather than constitute themselves into obstacles in the quest to reposition the country and ensure obedience to the rule of law, the senators should be seen to show good example to the citizenry.

    The statement said: “we wish to remind the Senate that President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn to an oath to uphold the nation’s constitution, and no attempt should be made by any individual or group to undermine this sacred responsibility.

    “Additionally, it needs to be restated that the summons emanated from the petition raised by some senators over the forgery of the Senate standing order, a ground norm for conducting business in the hallowed chambers of the Senate.

    “The BMSG strongly believes that the individuals mentioned in the summons will have an opportunity in the court to prove their innocence, rather than using the hallowed chambers of the Senate to fan embers of division, and ill-feeling against the President.

    “The BMSG implores that as the representatives of their various constituencies, the senators should always work together with the executive to address the myriad of problems besetting Nigeria.

    “We therefore urge the Senate to immediately withdraw their uncouth language against the president and render an unreserved apology to Nigerians.”

  • Buhari support group condemns Rivers violence

    Buhari support group condemns Rivers violence

    The Buhari Media Support Group on Monday condemned the violence that characterised the legislative re-run elections in Rivers on Saturday.

    A statement signed by Muhammed Labbo and Cassidy Madueke, the group’s Chairman and Secretary, respectively, in Abuja, called on politicians to learn to conduct themselves within the ambit of the law.

    According to the statement, the Federal Government should act swiftly to arrest the unfortunate situation to forestall total breakdown of law and order in the state.

    The statement said: “Security agencies should rise up to the task and fish out those behind the recent killings in Rivers.

    “They should prosecute them to serve as deterrent to those who are bent on throwing the state into anarchy.

    “We appeal to all political parties and politicians in Rivers to conduct themselves and their activities within the ambit of the law.

    “We also condemn the recent provocative statements by Gov. Nyesom Wike and advise him to desist from making further reckless statements,’’ the statement said.

    It further said that the statements were capable of emboldening his party members and supporters to unleash violence on opposition supporters and innocent citizens of the state.