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  • Too close to call

    The most exciting European league season ends today in Cardiff, with the UEFA Champions League final game between Real Madrid FC of Spain and Juventus FC of Italy. The Italians remain the only undefeated team in this year’s tournament. Manchester United, in 2008, was the last undefeated champion. Unfortunately, Real Madrid is the defending champion but has been beaten twice en route this game. Real lost the first leg game 2-1 to Atletico Madrid, although it qualified. The Los Blancos side lost 2-1 at home to Bayern Munich to equal the scores at 3-3, having beaten the Germans by the same score-line. Real moved on in the competition, courtesy the 4-2 extra time victory over Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu Stadium.

    Bets have been placed on either team to carry the day, with those rooting for Juve laying claim to the difficulty of previous winners winning the trophy back-to-back. This is the biggest jinx confronting the Galaticos, whose fans couldn’t be worried by such mundane submission, given the dynamic nature of the game and its unpredictable results since August, last year. AC Milan (1989, 1990), Ajax (1995, 1996), Juve (1996, 1997), and Manchester United (2008, 2009) – these teams lost their finals as cup holders. Will this be Real Madrid’s lot tonight? God forbid, many people will say.

    Do you believe in jinxes? Have such myths been destroyed since the competition began? After all, we have seen players win the trophy as players before transforming to coaches to win the title again. Indeed, Zidane will be the first player to win the trophy back-to-back as a coach. Can somebody say Amen there? Amen. Amen. Amen.

    What are the other facts associated with this competition, with regards to the clubs, players and coaches? Real Madrid will be the first team to score 500 goals in the UEFA Champions League, if they are able to score a goal in Cardiff. The Galaticos have scored 499 goals from the group stage to tonight’s final in the competition’s history. Interestingly, Real Madrid has the record of titles, winning five. Juventus has the unenviable record of losing more matches with four defeats and only one victory against Ajax in 1996.

    Curiously, Real Madrid and Juventus will play their sixth Champions League final, just like AC Milan FC of Italy. Besides, Real Madrid, only Inter Milan, Marseille and Porto have a 100 per cent winning record.

    Indeed, Juve’s strength is Real Madrid’s sore point and it could be the deciding factor tonight. What is Juve’s strength? The Italians’ defence appears impregnable, given the fact that they held star-studded Barcelona 180 minutes without conceding a goal. Barca’s Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar (MSN) have been scoring goals with aplomb. But against Juve in the semi-finals, the players were lost, culminating in Barca not recording a shot at goal in one of the two encounters.

    This isn’t an accomplishment to brush aside, not forgetting goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon’s superlative saves, his commanding presence as the last man in the defence, giving out instructions to his players. One is also worried about the Italians’ collective play without losing sight of key players, such as Gonzalo Higuain, aiming to inflict pain on Real Madrid for daring to send them away at the behest of their big stars. There is also Khedira spoiling for the Spanish side’s fall tonight. Khedira left Real Madrid under acrimonious setting in spite of his heroics with the Spanish side. Khedira joined Real Madrid from Stuttgart on July 30, 2010 for an undisclosed fee. But in June 2015, Italian side Juventus announced that Khedira had signed a four-year deal on a free transfer; the move was completed July 1, at the start of the 2015–16 season.

    Such players seeking vengeance, like Higuain and Khedira, must be reminded that there are players in their former teams who know their strengths and weaknesses, which they will exploit on match day. I will be very surprised if Real Madrid players give Higuain room to operate. Higuain will be marked, having scored five goals so far in the competition.

    So, who are the gladiators at Juventus? Need I restate Buffon’s contributions? I would rather look at the Italians’ defenders, comprising Giorgio Chiellini, Medhi Benatia, Alex Sandro and Dani Alves, who have the daunting task of stopping Cristiano Ronaldo, the talisman of the Spanish side.  Ronaldo will be difficult to pocket over 90 minutes because he has many records he wants to either achieve or possibly surpass. It must be said that victory for Real Madrid offers Ronaldo the best chance of being voted the World Footballer of the Year for the fifth time. If it happens, he equals the feat already achieved by Messi. You can see why it will be too close to call if anyone tries to pick the eventual winners based on facts on paper.

    The Italians are rugged at the rear, but what do they have in the midfield where most of the battles will be fought?  In this area, the Italians will rely on Miralem Pjanic and Sami Khedira to seize the midfield from the Spaniards. If Juve hopes to lift the trophy tonight, their midfielders must dominate the midfield and supply good passes to their strikers – Gonzalo Higuaín, Paulo Dybala, Juan Cuadrado and Mario Mandzukic – to score goals.

    However, Zidane has identified Dybala as the most dangerous striker for Juve. Dybala will be marked.  “Dybala is definitely Juventus’ number one threat. Juve has many good players and Dybala is one of the best. This will be a special final for me as I played for both clubs. I have amazing memories of Juventus.

    “Bale has nothing to tell me; he’s ready, he has suffered a pretty serious injury but I know each one of my players is motivated and that’s the only important thing for me. We still have some days left to prepare for the game, we’ll do some simple things during today’s training and we’ll go into further details tomorrow (Thursday),” Zidane said.

    Marking out star players is what will make tonight’s game very interesting, with each striving to render the opponents’ dangerous men otiose. Indeed, most pundits are expecting a tight and tactical game, which invariably will reduce the number of goals to decide it. Should this be the setting expected from two teams with immensely talented players? Certainly not, except it becomes necessary. Yes it is. So which of the two coaches will blink first?

    Former Brazil captain Cafu starts the rating of key players tonight, beginning with two defenders – Dani Alves (Juventus) and Marcelo (Real Madrid). Cafu said: “It will be a clash of titans. We are talking about the two best full backs in the world at the moment. Dani Alves attacks a lot, but Marcelo does the same. Tactically, it will be very interesting and it will be fantastic for Brazilian football.”

    Already, Higuain is looking forward to the battle against his former mate at Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos. “Let’s hope Ramos doesn’t score in the 90th minute. I have a lot of affection for him and his family and we still send each other messages.

    “Football sometime places you in situations like this one where I will face Real Madrid in the final. It will be an evenly matched game,” Higuian said.

    Will there be personal honour for exemplary players? Yes. Former Real Madrid legend and goalkeeper Iker Casillas raised the likelihood of tonight’s clash by deciding who the best footballer of the year would be when he said: “If the opponent wasn’t Madrid, I’d want him to win the Champions League with all my heart. He deserves it. It’s obvious that I’m a Madrid fan, but Gigi’s journey shouldn’t end without the Champions League.

    “He’s won almost everything, but this is a trophy he’s missing and it weighs heavily on him He’s had a great season, he’s back in the final and for we ‘old people’ – I’m thinking of myself, Petr Cech… – it’s a good thing. It shows that at 39 you can still feel good and be competitive,” the Blancos legend told Gazzetta dello Sport.

    “He started at 17 when I was 14. It was amazing for me to think that a boy just older than me was already at that level with Parma. It was a pattern, I admired him, I followed in his footsteps and I envied him. That was for a little bit, because when I started playing regularly for Madrid in 2001, he moved to Juve. Then we continued on together. The Ballon d’Or? Maybe a goalkeeper could win it, but I think it’s very complicated.”

    So, how deadly is Ronaldo in front of the goal keeper? Zidane captures Ronaldo’s influence in tonight’s game thus: “As you well know, there are no words that can do Cristiano Ronaldo justice. He has now got more than 400 goals for Real Madrid in all competitions. These are unbelievable statistics, but with him, anything is possible.”

    Zidane looks forward to Ramos conjuring last minute goals for Real Madrid, noting: “Ramos represents the values of Real Madrid, the spirit of doing anything to win. For me, those values are commitment, battling and fighting until the last minute. This club has taught me that and our captain, Sergio, represents this. He is a noble player.”

    Can Ronaldo be trusted to win this title with his goals for Real Madrid? “On the day of the game there is going to be a lot of nerves and I prefer not to think much about the final,” Ronaldo told Real Madrid TV.

    “They are an excellent team but so are we. I have the feeling that we are going to play a great game and we are going to win. I feel very good, very good, a bit cold, but it is better than having an injury. I’m better on a physical level compared to the last five seasons. I also played less, although I’m the one who played the most matches in the team,” Ronaldo concluded.

  • Lobi Stars close in on Tenger

    Lobi Stars close in on Tenger

    Supersport.com can reveal that Glo Premier League side, Lobi Stars, are considering experienced Justin Tenger, as head coach.

    Tenger has been unattached since his exit from Akwa United after the 2012/13 season. Lobi completed the 2013/14 season without a head coach after the exit of Evans Ogenyi

    Interestingly, the coach looks set to return to the dug-out after announcing his retirement in 2013 following the expiration of his contract at Akwa United.

    “Tenger is an experienced coach in the league who can make an impact with Lobi Stars. He knows the club,” a Lobi Stars source told supersport.com.

    If both parties agree to the deal, it will mark a return to the Pride of Benue for the tactician, who has previously worked at Gombe United, Kwara United, Wikki Tourists, Niger Tornadoes and defunct Katsina United.

    Lobi begin the new season with a road trip at Bayelsa United.

  • My close shave with death

    SIR; I do not know whether to laugh or to be forlorn about how fear has become a citizen of our country, living daily with us. I am an undergraduate. Few days after the Nyanya car park bomb blast of April 14, I went to my dad’s place at Mararaba, Abuja to spend the weekend. He had told me there was a surprise for me, so I went in enthused anticipation. On the day I was to come back to school, he brought out a package from his room and handed it over to me. I looked at it, desperate and tensed. On the carton was an image of a laptop. I smiled from ear to ear, screaming for joy: “Daddy has fulfilled his promise at last!” A brand new laptop!

    After thanking him, I set out to school.

    I boarded an El- Rufai bus when I got to Mararaba junction. I spotted a vacant seat close to the front and plopped into it, dropping my heavy bag on the floor. The bus hadn’t moved yet because the driver intended the seats to be fully occupied, with some passengers standing, if possible.

    I was famished, so I decided to go down to get a seven up or sprite – my favorites. I left my bag where I sat, to secure the space and because it was heavy; my new lap top was in it. I was holding the drink and was just about collecting my balance from the vendor when I heard shouts from the bus. I turned abruptly and saw people jumping off the bus through the windows and doors. I saw fear on their faces, about three adults flying from one window at the same time. They ran as soon as their legs touched down.

    “Bomb! Bomb!” was all I heard.

    I snatched my money and raced into the bus. Quickly, I snatched my bag, jumped down and joined in the running. I had not run up to 20 metres when I noticed I was being chased and fingers were pointed at me.

    “Catch am! Stop that boy” they ranted.

    Confused, I stopped running. I received a heavy blow behind my neck that confused me the more.

    “Wetin dey dis bag!?”

    I bent to open it for them to see for themselves but I was stopped.

    “Shegen yaro. You wan kill am with us ko? Dan banza”

    “It’s my clothes, school books and laptop” I said with a creaking voice.

    “Why you drop down from the bus?”

    I raised the can of Sprite I held in reply.

    “So you no be boko boy?”

    That was when I understood their hostility.

    “Open the bag. Where you dey school?” they asked, amidst murmurs, laughs and side talks. The crowd was enormous by now.

    I opened my bag and opened my wallet that has my I D card.

    “University of Abuja”. One read aloud, comparing the face on the card with the one in front of them.

    “Sorry o” one said finally. “Na condition make krafish bend”

    I forced a smile, realizing that never again will Nigerians feel secure; never again will we have the trust we had for each other. Never again.

    •Joseph Joshua

    Abuja

  • Close shave

    Close shave

    Buhari assassination miss saved Nigeria from catastrophe. So, it’s time to unite against terrorism   

    It is a season of high insanity. That is emblematised by the claim by former Niger Delta warlord, Asari Dokubo, that Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, former military head of state and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, might have staged his own botched assassination.

    Another rogue supposition, this time from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) camp, suggested the assassination bid was a fall-out of an APC in-fighting. A Buhari elimination, it hinted, would have rid Buhari’s APC rivals, perhaps for the party’s presidential ticket, of their nemesis, once and for all.

    Yet, another rogue conspiracy theory suggested the Buhari elimination plot could have arisen from the Jonathan Presidency. Child’s-death-after-a-witch’s-cry version, these theorists wondered why the Buhari attack came a few days after the former head of state’s widely reported criticism of the president.

    Still, a voice of reason has come from Col. Dangiwa Abubakar Umar, the highly principled and respected former military officer: any supposition that the suicide bomber could have had government’s prompting was pure nonsense, since it was the same Federal Government that had upgraded Gen. Buhari’s security infrastructure, after his famous lampoon of Boko Haram. It is also reassuring that the Presidency has distanced itself from the theory of Olisa Metuh, the PDP national publicity secretary, though it has stayed loudly silent on Dokubo’s rather reckless claim.

    But whatever claims, warped and reasoned, and responses to them, a chilly reality is here: terrorism, with its mass slaughter of innocent citizens, is getting out of hand — if it has not already done so. That should awaken everyone from their partisan stupor; and force a united front against a menace that would eliminate everyone if it is not first eliminated. That is the stark reality facing Nigeria today.  However it is tackled will determine if, for us, there would be a tomorrow as a country.

    Still, while aiming at that tomorrow, it is good to look back at yesterday; and trace how this hideous menace has crept on us. That would help us adjust our today, in order to secure our future.

    Nigeria at independence had a near-zero record of political assassination. But then came the long spell of military rule, with its mass violence, wide-spread impunity, devil-may-care injustices, and militarisation of the Nigerian psyche. All these had built the fundaments of Boko Haram, with its mass disorientation and hopelessness; not to talk of pervading youth joblessness that gives Boko Haram’s murderous philosophy such fillip. All these have not been helped by the advent of military-minded politicians in democratic garb, proud and eager to project power, even if that power brazenly subverts the law and murders due process. That is what has got us to this sorry pass.

    By their anarchic philosophy, Boko Haram terrorists would seek to hit high profile targets, set the country ablaze and set afoot the confusion, anomie and eventual anarchy they need so badly to thrive.

    That was as close to peril the country got in the botched bombing of Gen. Buhari and Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, the leader of the Tijjaniyyat in Nigeria, one of the sects in the mainstream Sunni Islam, as distinct from the Shia.

    The death of both could have set the country on fire, both on religious and political fronts — and only God knows if Nigeria could have emerged from it unscathed as a united country. That narrow escape notwithstanding, it still puts Nigeria at a very grave juncture, in the gallop to terror-induced anarchy.

    Can this gallop to doom be halted? No doubt, even if it would take some doing; for the country has reached a dangerous phase in terror killing. Still, the first step to halting this catastrophe is for the Jonathan Presidency to start — and fast — its promised probe into the attacks on Gen. Buhari and Sheikh Bauchi.

    A very dangerous mindset is to assume that only Boko Haram could have done it. Yes, Boko Haram has logged fearsome notoriety these past few years, such that any bombing is automatically adduced to its unending capacity for evil. But it is also true that, as Boko Haram is a good cover, there might well be other small but no less vicious players in this unfortunate era of equal-opportunity terrorism and anarchy. The earlier the government gets to the root of this bombing, the better it is for everybody; and for its own confidence level, as an effective bastion against terrorism and needless slaughter of innocent souls.

    But beyond getting to the root of this twin-bombing, the Jonathan Presidency needs to pick itself up and demonstrate to Nigerians that it does, indeed, have the capacity to checkmate the terrorists. After all, before the audacious attempt on the duo, there had been near-countless bomb attacks — and there is no guarantee that there would not be more in the future.

    Unfortunately, the sound bites from inside the government are less than reassuring.  Lt-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, the chief of Army Staff, practically said the other day that his troops were ill-trained to face Boko Haram. By requesting for a US $1 billion foreign loan, President Goodluck Jonathan himself would appear to be at the end of his own tether. More unfortunately, the president has not demonstrated how the crippling corruption in the system, that had spectacularly undid past spends on the military, would not undo his proposed new loan.

    However, one thing is sure. Beyond immediate sentiments and excuses (no matter how genuine or sincere), President Jonathan has the ultimate duty to checkmate Boko Haram; and secure Nigerians under his charge. That is why he must tap into as many minds as possible — including the opposition APC’s, which has often accused him of unwise insularity — to save our country from destruction and disintegration.

    This is the time to unite and live; than divide and die. It is time to unite against terrorism.

  • Akin-John advises northern churches to close down

    Churches in the troubled northern parts of the country should shut down to avoid the unabated attacks against them, the President of International Church Growth Ministries, Dr Francis Bola Akin-John, has stated.

    He said it is suicidal for churches to continue operating in locations where they are not wanted and subjected to unwarranted attacks.

    According to him, shutting down does not amount to cowardice but simply acting in strict adherence to the Biblical injunction.

    Akin-John spoke last week with reporters ahead of the 20th anniversary of the premier African church growth institute.

    ‘’There is no sense in doing church where you are not wanted. We have suffered too many deaths and destructions already in the north.

    ‘’Churches in that part of the country should just close down. A living dog is better than a dead lion.

    ‘’Even Jesus said when you preach to a community and you are rejected, you should dust your shoes and leave.’’

    He added: ‘’If they kill everyone there, who will remain? Why kill yourself to preach the gospel? I believe the wisest and the most biblical step to take is to leave until there is an opening again.’’

    The church growth consultant pointed out that the blood of a martyr is a seed, noting that in other climes where Christian where killed, the faith experienced leaps in no sooner time.

    To illustrate, he recalled once reading about a community in Algeria where over 400 people saw Jesus in a dream in one night.

    ‘’All of them had the same dream and Jesus appeared to them. They saw him asking them to serve Him. When they woke up, they narrated the same.

    ‘’Without preaching or a missionary, the entire community surrendered to Christ. It was later discovered that one missionary was killed in the same place over 400 years ago.’’

    Churches in the north, he advised, should take a cue from the story and leave to strategise until where there would an opening for mission work.

    He reminded missionaries in the north that the gospel is not by force, saying only God can save people.

    ‘’When an area says they don’t want the gospel, we should leave until God has done His own works for our mission activities.

    ‘’I know we want to save lives but we shouldn’t do it at the expense of our lives. We should leave until calm returns so that Christians are not wiped out,’’ he explained.

  • Akin-John advises northern churches to close down

    Churches in the troubled northern parts of the country should shut down to avoid the unabated attacks against them, the President of International Church Growth Ministries, Dr Francis Bola Akin-John, has stated.

    He said it is suicidal for churches to continue operating in locations where they are not wanted and subjected to unwarranted attacks.

    According to him, shutting down does not amount to cowardice but simply acting in strict adherence to the Biblical injunction.

    Akin-John spoke last week with reporters ahead of the 20th anniversary of the premier African church growth institute.

    ‘’There is no sense in doing church where you are not wanted. We have suffered too many deaths and destructions already in the north.

    ‘’Churches in that part of the country should just close down. A living dog is better than a dead lion.

    ‘’Even Jesus said when you preach to a community and you are rejected, you should dust your shoes and leave.’’

    He added: ‘’If they kill everyone there, who will remain? Why kill yourself to preach the gospel? I believe the wisest and the most biblical step to take is to leave until there is an opening again.’’

    The church growth consultant pointed out that the blood of a martyr is a seed, noting that in other climes where Christian where killed, the faith experienced leaps in no sooner time.

    To illustrate, he recalled once reading about a community in Algeria where over 400 people saw Jesus in a dream in one night.

    ‘’All of them had the same dream and Jesus appeared to them. They saw him asking them to serve Him. When they woke up, they narrated the same.

    ‘’Without preaching or a missionary, the entire community surrendered to Christ. It was later discovered that one missionary was killed in the same place over 400 years ago.’’

    Churches in the north, he advised, should take a cue from the story and leave to strategise until where there would an opening for mission work.

    He reminded missionaries in the north that the gospel is not by force, saying only God can save people.

    ‘’When an area says they don’t want the gospel, we should leave until God has done His own works for our mission activities.

    ‘’I know we want to save lives but we shouldn’t do it at the expense of our lives. We should leave until calm returns so that Christians are not wiped out,’’ he explained.

  • Nwankwo close to joining Academica

    Nwankwo close to joining Academica

    Ex Inter-Milan youngster and African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2013 winner, Obiorah Nwankwo, is on the verge of completing his move to Portuguese outfit Academica from newly promoted Spanish La-liga team Cordoba.

    Academica’s Coach Paulo Sergio confirmed that Nwankwo will team up with the rest of his colleagues next week after Cordoba and Academica secure an agreement over his transfer.

    “We have almost everybody here except two players, Obiorah Nwankwo who will join us next week from Cordoba and Goalkepper Lee Oliviera from Athletico Miniero; they are the last two notable players who will join us next week,” he told Record.

    SL10 also gathered that the coming of  Nwankwo might force the departure of out-of-favour Super Eagles midfielder, John Ogu, who told SL10 he is not interested in continuing with the team.

    Ogu is yet to resume pre-season with the team as he tries to negotiate terminating his contract which has less than a year to run after being given limited game time last season.

    He made just seven appearances last season while his potential replacement Obiorah Nwankwo made just six appearances for Cordoba as they secured top flight football.

  • Obama… one day to close the deal

    Obama… one day to close the deal

    Madison, the capital of Wisconsin State and home of the famous Wisconsin University, is expecting President Barack Obama today. He will attend a rally at the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in front of the County Building. He will be assisted by a rock star Bruce Springsteen in this eve of election rally.

    As Obama holds the Madison rally, Vice President Joe Biden will hold three campaigns in Virginia. Former President Bill Clinton is expected to make four stops throughout Pennsylvania. First Lady Michelle Obama will fly down the East Coast, sealing the deal for her husband in Charlotte, North Carolina and Orlando, Florida.

    After Madison, Obama, assisted by rap star Jay Z, will address a rally in Columbus, Ohio. He and the First Lady will return to Iowa for a final grassroots rally in Des Moines.

    The President yesterday held grassroots rallies in Concord, New Hampshire in the company of Clinton, Florida and Cincinnati Ohio with Stevie Wonder helping to lift the spirit of supporters.

    Two days ago, Obama was in Milwaukee, another town in Wisconsin, to address a rally, which, according to Tom Nicholson, Director of Event Services with Wisconsin Centre District, was attended by 20,000 people.

    Before Obama arrived at the Milwaukee rally, Mayor Tom Barrett, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Senator Herb Kohl and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin kept the crowd busy with talks pummelling the Republicans.

    Multi-platinum artist Katy Perry also took the stage with a performance that made the crowd keep asking for more. She also told the crowd why Obama must have a second term.

    Outside the venue of the rally was a small group of protesters asking Obama to tell the truth about the event in Libya, where the US envoy and some embassy staff were killed.

    The crowd went wild when Obama took the podium. Sporting a white shirt and a pair of black trousers, he said he had an unfinished business in the White House, adding that allowing the Republican Party takes over would drag the country back. He said Romney’s slogan of change was all lie. He added that the people had tried him and had no doubt about what he stands for.

    He said: “After two years of campaigning and after four years as president, you know me by now. You may not agree with every decision I made, you may have sometimes been frustrated with the pace of change. But you know that I say what I mean and I mean what I say…You have watched me age before you.”

    He added the election was “not just a choice between two candidates or two parties, it’s a choice between two different visions for America”.

    Today’s Madison rally will make it the third time Obama will be addressing rallies in Wisconsin in the last 72 hours. On Friday, speaking at Green Bay, Wisconsin, Obama, sporting a bomber jacket, said: “We know what the future requires. We don’t need a big-government agenda or a small-government agenda. We need a middle-class agenda that rewards hard work and responsibility.”

    He dismissed Romney’s claim to being a candidate of change. “We know what change looks like, and what the governor’s offering sure isn’t it,” he said.

    Milwaukee was not the only place Obama went at the weekend. He was in Mentor, Ohio; Dubuque, Iowa; and Bristow, Virginia.

    He was joined on the campaign train by special guests, such as star actress Kate Walsh, long-time Obama supporter, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews.

    Top campaign principals, including the First Lady, Vice President Biden, Dr. Jill Biden and former President Clinton, have also been busy talking to voters in battleground states about Obama’s plan to develop America and strengthen the middle class.

    In Virginia, Clinton cheered a grassroots event. The First Lady inspired supporters across Ohio and Vice President Biden laid out the choice facing Coloradans in Arvada and Pueblo. He also, on Saturday, helped Pennsylvanians get out to vote before traveling to an evening event in Ohio.

    Obama’s campaign organisation said: “The President and First Lady, the Vice President and Dr. Biden, President Clinton, and countless surrogates are not going to rest in the next 72 hours, because neither are our supporters. Across the country, volunteers are knocking on doors, making calls and voting early. From now until Election Day, volunteer leaders are running 5,117 local staging locations with more than 660,000 volunteer shifts already scheduled. No one is resting, because across the country Americans know we’ve come too far to turn back now.”

    Significantly, results from early voting in Ohio, which began voting on October 2, shows that 23 per cent of Ohio votes have already been cast.

    According to public polling, Obama leads 63/35 among those who have already voted. This means, said an Obama aide, Romney would need to win 54 per cent of the remaining voters to tie the race tomorrow·

    A statement made available to The Nation by the Obama Campaign Organisation said: “ Voters in Democratic counties are voting at higher rates and outnumber voters in Republican counties· Democrats are doing a better job getting our non-midterm low propensity voters to the polls than the Republicans are. More voters from Democratic counties are non-midterm voters than voters from Republican counties.”

    The latest NBC/WSJ poll shows that Obama leads Romney by 20 points among those who have already voted in Wisconsin·

    “In Wisconsin, voters in Democratic counties are turning out at higher rates and outnumber voters in Republican counties by a margin of nearly three to one· 12 per cent of 2008 Wisconsin voters registered on Election Day, which is an advantage for President Obama,” said the Obama Campaign Organisation.

    A new poll said more than one-third (38 per cent) of Iowa votes have already been cast and Obama leads among early voters by nearly 30 points·

    The Obama Campaign Organisation said: “Democrats have an early vote lead of D +62 thousand ballots (D +11 points) – about the same lead we had four years ago when Barack Obama won Iowa by 10 points· Democrats have out-registered Republicans 7 to 1 in the past three months and will benefit from same day registration.”

    Virginia, one of the two states that do not offer early voting, according to a Washington Post poll, is led by Obama with four points.

    Obama’s data-driven campaign manager, Mr. Jim Messina, said: “We have two jobs: One, persuade the undecideds, and two, to turn our voters out.”

    Obama himself has been deeply involved in those efforts to contact voters personally. He made a personal appeal to 9,000 undecided voters on a conference call from Air Force One and offered encouragement to staff and volunteers during numerous stops to battleground state campaign offices.

    He told volunteers in Ohio: “I hate to put the burden of the entire world on you, but basically it’s all up to you.”

    Will his efforts put him back in White House or put him out? The answer will be clearer in the next 24 hours.

  • Police to close Ondo boundary roads today, says IG

    Police to close Ondo boundary roads today, says IG

    Police Inspector-General (IG) Mohammed Abubakar yesterday said the roads leading to Ondo State would be closed from today’s evening, preparatory to Saturday’s election.

    He warned trouble makers, saying they should either flee or face the wrath of the law.

    Also, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, assured that the electoral agency would conduct a free and fair poll in the interest of democracy. He warned National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members recruited as ad hoc electoral workers to shun bribery and corruption, adding that they would not be spared from punishment if they indulge in electoral malpractices.

    The police boss and INEC chairman spoke at the 2012 Governorship Election stakeholders’ meeting held in Akure to discuss with the top security hierarchy, INEC, representatives of the political parties, traditional rulers, electoral monitors and civil society groups. It was hosted by the Resident Electoral Commissioner Akin Orebiyi.

    The meeting was attended by the governorship candidates, including Governor Olusegun Mimiko and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) standard bearer, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN); Tayo Alasoadura, Wale Akinterinwa, Ifedayo Abegunde, Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, Oba Victor Kiladejo, Jegun of Ile-Oluji, Oba Sulade Adedugbe, Ondo ACN Chairman Akin Adesoji and National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Dan Nwayanwu.

    At the forum, opposition party leaders complained to the Inspector-General about alleged plans by the LP to use the police to harass, intimidate and oppress them, thereby diverting their attention from last minute’s preparations for the poll. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Ogundele, urged the police boss to ensure security for stakeholders.

    Others raised an eyebrow about the contentious addendum the electoral commission has added to the computerised voters’ register. Some stakeholders wanted INEC to shed light on the movement of election materials. They alleged that the state has been flooded with fake voter cards and that thugs have been mobilised to invade the state as mercenaries to disrupt election in the strongholds of the opposition.

    Abubakar, whose speech lasted for about five minutes, said that security agents would guarantee safety throughout the state, warning that unruly behaviour would not be condoned before, during and after the poll. He ruled out escort for any party bigwig on election day.

    The IG said: “All routes leading to Ondo State should be closed as from 6 pm tomorrow (today). We are ready with the terms of providing security and safety. In each of the senatorial districts, five units of policemen shall be deployed to check violence and enforce the restriction of movement during the election.

    “We don’t want to see anybody on the water in the riverine areas. There will be no fishing on that day. Whatever fish you have on that day, stay at home and eat it. If you go to the polling unit, shouting and disturbing the election, you will be arrested.”

    The Inspector-General of Police warned politicians against inflammatory statements at campaigns, threatening to arrest violators. He said such statements have security implications, adding that those aspiring to rule the state should respect the law and leave behind a good legacy.

    Also, Abubakar said 20 armoured patrol security personnel and marine police patrol men will be provided at the riverine areas.

    According to him, nobody except security personnel and INEC officials are expected to be seen on the water, noting that there must not be any fishing activity in the riverine areas on Saturday.

    He said political office holders and other personalities are not expected to move around with security men on the election day.

    Akeredolu sought to know who would be the chief security officer of the state during the election. He said the issue of any governor or police commissioner surrounding himself with policemen and terrorising other people should be addressed. The ACN candidate also said the directive that people’s movement should be restricted should be adhered to on the election day, irrespective of people’s positions.

    Akeredolu also suggested that corps members on electoral duty should be given their allowances by INEC so that they would be able to shun bribes on the poll day.

    Mimiko said he would insist on his rights and responsibilities as the governor during the election. He said a credible register is the foundation of a credible election, adding that political parties should have access to certified copies of the voters’ register. He also said the photographs of the electoral officers and party agents should be pasted at the polling units so that they would be identified .