The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dogara

  • Bauchi: Dogara boycotts congress

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, who secured a court injunction retraining the All Progressives Congress (APC) from holding its state congress in Bauchi State at the weekend, was conspicuously absent from yesterday’s exercise in the state.
    Reacting to the development, the Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Alhaji Kawuwa Damuna (APC) said that members who dragged APC to court are enemies of the party.
    “Any member of the party that takes the party to court is an enemy of the party, because there is a lot of avenue for reconciliation.
    “Six people cannot hold us to ransom. The state congress will hold and it will be hitch-free.
    “We have not been served with the court injunction and that is why we are going on with the congress,” he said.
    Also commenting on the congress, the State Chairman of the party, Alhaji Uba Nana corroborated Damuna’s position.
    Nana, who re-contested his position unopposed, said that the party was yet to be served with the injunction.

     

  • APC congresses: Dogara, nine others drag Oyegun to court

    THE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara and nine others have sued the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, over the conduct of ward and local government congresses of the party in Bauchi State.

    The plaintiffs claimed that the conduct of the congresses was in breach of the APC Constitution and congress guidelines.

    They asked the court to halt today’s state congress in their state on account of the pending suit.

    It was learnt that the action might be the last battle Dogara will fight in APC before defecting to the People’s Democratic Party.

    In the suit filed by A.U. Mustapha, SAN from A.U. Mustapha, SAN & Co, the Speaker alleged that the results of ward and local government congresses in the state were “cooked up.”

    The defendants are APC, Oyegun, National Secretary of APC, State Chairman of APC, Dr. Tony Macfoy and Mr. Sam Para.

    Apart from Dogara, other plaintiffs are Senators Sulaiman Nazif, Isa Hammah Misau and Muhammad Muhammad; Dr. Ibrahim Yakubu Lame; Hon. Ibrahim Zailani; Amb. Yusuf M. Tuggar and Captain Mohammed Bala Jibrin.

    The 10 aggrieved stalwarts sought the following reliefs from the Federal High Court, Abuja:

    An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants by themselves or through their agents, assigns, privies staff or any other person or persons acting through them from recognising, ratifying or according legitimacy to the ward and local government congresses of the All Progressives Congress conducted in Bauchi State on the 5th and 12th day of May respectively, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

    An order of interim injunction restraining the Defendants, their agents, cohorts, privies or any other persons deriving authority from recognising the purported ward and local government congresses conducted in Bauchi on 5th and 12th days of May, 2018 respectively.

    A declaration that the purported ward and local government congresses of the All Progressives Congress purportedly conducted in Bauchi State on the 5th and 12th days of May 2018 respectively are illegal, invalid, null and void and of no  effect whatsoever.

    A declaration that the results declared by the 5th Respondent pursuant to the purported ward and local government congresses are  illegal, invalid, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

    An order restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants from recognising the purported ward and local government congresses of the All Progressives Congress conducted in Bauchi State on the 5th and 12th days of May, 2018 respectively.

    An order directing the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Defendants to immediately conduct fresh wards and local government congresses in Bauchi State.

    An order restraining the persons who were declared as winners at the purported wards and local government congresses purportedly held on the 5th and 12th days of May, 2018 respectively from parading themselves as executive officers/delegates of the 1st Defendant’s wards and local government Areas of Bauchi State.

    An order stopping them from conducting or taking any step to conduct the state congress of the All Progressives Congress or any other congress in Bauchi State pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.

    While suit  FHC/ABJ/CS/521/2018 has not been assigned by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdu Kafarati, the Speaker wrote a letter to  Oyegun (through his counsel) requesting the party to stay action on the state congress today in view of the pending action.

    The letter said in part: “The above subject matter refers. We are counsel to the Plaintiffs (hereinafter referred to as “Our Clients”)  in the above named suit instituted by the Plaintiffs challenging the legality of the conduct of the Ward and Local Government Congresses purportedly held on the 5th and 12th days of May, 2018 in Bauchi State on whose firm instruction we write.

    “We wish to notify your esteemed self of the pendency of the above named suit which we instituted on behalf of our clients to challenge the conduct of the Ward and Local Government Congresses purportedly held on the 5th and 12th days of May, 2018.

    “In the said suit, our clients are praying the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for declaratory and injunctive reliefs against the All Progressives Congress, the Principal Officers of the Party and the Committees constituted for the conduct of the said congresses.

    “Furthermore, in the pending suit, we also seek Interim and Interlocutory injunctions restraining the Defendants from proceeding with the conduct of the State Congress scheduled to hold in Bauchi State on Saturday the 19th day of May, 2018.

    “Please find attached copies of the court’s processes in respect of the pending Suit for your information and proper guidance.

    “Take notice therefore, that the planned or forthcoming state congress slated for Saturday, the 19th day of May, 2018, must not hold in view of the long settled principle of law that when a suit is pending in court, parties are not allowed to take steps that will have nugatory effect on the outcome of the suit or foist on the court a fait accompli.

    “Further take notice that any attempt to proceed with the planned or forthcoming state congress in Bauchi State on Saturday the 19th May, 2018, would be an affront on the judiciary as same is now subjudice.

    “Consequently, we request that you use your good offices to ensure that APC, the ruling party, conforms with the tenets of the rule of law by ensuring that the forthcoming APC state congress in Bauchi State is suspended forthwith pending the determination of the above captioned suit.”

    In an affidavit by Hon. Maryam Garba Bagel (Dass Constituency, Bauchi State House of Assembly), she said:  “That I know as a fact that the purported Ward and Local Government Congresses of the 1st Defendant purportedly conducted in Bauchi State on 5th and 12th May 2018 were fraught with widespread irregularities from the initial preparations to the eventual conduct of the purported conduct of the congresses.

    “That the Party Constitution and Congress guidelines were observed in breach during the conduct of the purported congresses thereby disenfranchising many aspirants and members of the party from participation.

    “That I know as a fact that members of the party in my constituency were gathered at the venue for the ward congress but were dispersed by security operatives at the instance of the State Government.

    “That agent of the State Government thereafter cooked up results of the purported elections at the various wards and forwarded same to the Ward Congress Committee.

    “That the Ward Congress is the root upon which the conduct of Local and State Government Congresses is predicated, and as same has turned out to be a total fiasco, there is the need by this Honourable Court to nullify same.”

  • When Dogara’s Hate for PMB Becomes a Religion

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Right Honourable Yakubu Dogara is a man in desperate need of help before he drowns in his own bile. His Hatred for President Muhammadu Buhari has crossed the bounds of obsession and now borders on being a religion, a pathetic belief that relevance in the contemporary Nigeria comprises chiefly of antagonizing PMB or going for the jugular of those that ae brave enough to identify with his anti-corruption war.

    Not even an event as hallowed as the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja some few days ago could provoke a sense of contrition in Dogara, who thought it was the best time to claim that President Buhari is not the only incorrupt Nigerian alive. True. There are millions of Nigerians that are incorrupt but those Nigerians are not in the legislature where the Speaker only speaks the language of sleaze.
    Had Dogara a tenth of President Buhari’s global standing as an anti-corruption crusader and one percent of his commitment to root out official corruption Nigeria would have been on the mend at a faster rate than is currently the case. The Speaker, instead of supporting the President, has dedicated the better part of his career since June 2015 to undermining the collective resolve to do away with corruption before it sinks Nigeria.
    For him to put it in words that PMB is not the only ‘incorrupt’ person is therefore indicative that his attacks on persons fighting corruption is shifting to a higher gear, something that Nigerians should be worried about because Dogara has a host of House members that share not just his conviction that the country should continue to be corrupt but also share his fanatical passion for implementing this perverted thought pattern.
    Their mode of operation is to target the Chief Executives of government agencies that they know to be compliant with President Buhari’s stance on fighting corruption and unleash multiprong attacks on them. They package this harassment of upright public office holders to appear like legitimate activities in pursuit of a better country so it is not unusual to read of probes, motions, public hearings and other engagements to which these chief executives are invited.
    In fact, there was the instance of a Director General of one government agency who blurted out to his associates that he was unable to do any meaningful work on account of constantly being summoned to appear before standing, ad-hoc and emergency committee of the House of Representatives – often over the same issue in most instances. The suggestion of these associates was for him to pay off the lawmakers, which is impossible because of his belief in the policy direction of his boss, the president, on corruption.
    In some cases, the pettiness of Dogara and his colleagues gets to bizarre levels, like the way they made a circus out of the fraud uncovered at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The NEMA boss, Engineer Mustapha Maihaja, found himself holding the slippery end of the stick for daring to expose the fraud that had been perpetrated at the agency prior to his assumption office as Director General. Logic suggests Maihaja should be acknowledged for his uprightness and contribution to the anti-corruption war, Dogara’s new religion of obsession dictates that he must be hounded and made the accused in the fraud he uncovered.
    Maihaja has honoured several invitations before the House members and there seems to be no end in sight, he is but a few steps away from getting a permanent suit at the National Assembly when he ought to be hard at work providing relief across the country. The humorous part is that the directors he exposed as being thieves have not for once been invited by the same House but were instead rewarded by reinstatement from a befitting suspension for being indicted. It was this attempt at creating a soft landing for indicted treasury looters and the revelation that the House was being teleguided from some quarters that unravelled its investigation into NEMA.
    Desperate to take attention away from its sinking case, and of course create some drama to justify witch-hunting President Buhari, the lawmakers clutched at the air to find what they could blackmail Mr. President with and the straw they came up with was that Maihaja rejected an offer by the World Food Programme (WFP) to donate rice to internally displaced persons but that he rather bought 5000 metric tonnes of rice distributed through WFP.
    The foregoing highlights how the combination of Dogarous greed and obsession threatens not just the stability of the country but also the safety of Nigeria. First, it seems the lawmakers are totally disregard of the tendency of the offer of assistances from international bodies tend to mutate into loans that imperil future generations. Secondly, in an era where the dangers of genetically modified organisms (GMO) are still being hotly debated, it appears the lawmakers have no questions about accepting grains of uncertified origins as food Nigerians; even at the height of a food shortage in 2010, starving Zimbabweans rejected such tainted grains so why should Nigeria’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) be fed poison simply because an international organization is shipping it in.
    Of course, there was the issue of having to give the procured rice to WFP since it has the capacity to distribute and the lapses discovered to have occurred before Maihaja came into office, which Dogara and his goon must overlook simply because it will not give them the opening they are looking for to tear President Buhari down. They have become even more aggressive after their own public hearing have put facts in proper perspective because their religion of obsession has no room for being reasonable.
    Dogara and his co-travellers in this game of Buhari-hounding must learn one truth: that sometimes the frenzy of religious absorption becomes profound to a point that the genuine inner voice is drowned out. Their obsession with President Buhari has blinded them to their own loss of popularity with their own constituencies, which has set them up to fail in the 2019 elections except for the few that can still retrace their steps in time to avert the incoming self-inflicted defeat. The only door of salvation is to renounce the obsession and, as lawmakers, align with the wishes of the electorate, which is to support President Buhari’s anti-corruption war.

    Ibekwe, a public affairs analyst and anti-corruption crusader sent in this piece from Abuja.

  • Re: Dogara and his political vendetta against NEMA

    It is common knowledge and several events have proven that when you fight corruption anywhere in the world, corruption fights back with great intensity. This especially applies to Nigeria where the same people who fleece poor Nigerians of their future disguise as saints and cry to the highest heavens whenever there is an attempt to bring them to justice for their misdeeds.

    And so, it was not surprising when an article titled, “Dogara and his Political Vendetta against NEMA”, written by one James Adamu, appeared in The Nation online edition of April 27, 2018.

    One does not need to read beyond the second paragraph to know where the writer was heading, but there is no need to join issues with him as he is only exercising his right to express himself as guaranteed in the Constitution.

    However, it is pertinent to correct the lies that are embedded in his article in order not to mislead the public.

    For starters, Speaker Yakubu Dogara earned his place as a member of the House of Representatives when his constituents voted him for the third time to represent them. The same virtues that made him worthy of his reelection also gave him favour among his colleagues who, against tough opposition, elected him as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. A person who “burns bridges” as claimed by James Adamu, does not enjoy as much goodwill as Hon Dogara has enjoyed and continues to enjoy through his political journey.

    The writer tried to weave an intricate web of connection between the governor of Bauchi State, M. A Abubakar, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Engr Mustapha Maihaja and Speaker Dogara but he failed woefully. Let it be known that the Speaker shares mutual friends with the governor of Bauchi State and some of them occupy high positions in Nigeria, why then will he single out Maihaja to get back at the Governor of Bauchi State? It is preposterous to create a link between these three and this clearly exists only in the imagination of the writer. We are however, grateful to the writer who has now revealed the so called relationship that he said exists between the Bauchi Governor and Maihaja. And this will surely help to expose all those who may have a hand in the scandal in NEMA.

    The Speaker is known for not holding grudges against people who offend him, his forgiving spirit is one of his greatest attributes and since the writer mentioned it, Hon Gbajabiamila and his supporters have since been embraced by the Speaker and in fact, these people are very much part of his team working to achieve the agenda of the 8th Assembly of the House of Representatives. In fact, Hon Wayo who sponsored the motion was a staunch supporter of Hon Gbajabiamila for the Speakership position.

    One wonders why Mr Adamu has a problem with the investigation of the current management of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) over allegations of mismanagement and lack of due process in the handling of relief materials for flood victims and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), among others because nothing calls for an inquiry more than cries of displaced Nigerians who have not been able to get any aid from government despite huge sums of money released by the government to alleviate their sufferings.

    It was in response to petitions against the agency that on February 15, 2018, the House, through a motion of urgent national importance, mandated its committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness to investigate NEMA over alleged diversion of N19.4 billion relief materials and funds for victims of disasters.

    Sponsor of the motion, Benjamin Wayo from Benue State, said the funds were meant for hunger intervention in the North-east and food intervention across the country. He explained that available records showed that the funds were illegally siphoned by officials of the agency through dubious award of contracts without delivering relief items to the victims.

    The committee presided over by the deputy chairman, Hon Ali Isa, commenced an investigative hearing on the matter on March 21.

    How then did Speaker Yakubu Dogara plot against the fall of Maihaja? If he had proposed a witch-hunt, which, in any case, is inconceivable, the House would not have ensured that the general public could follow proceedings of the investigation via live broadcast. A witch-hunt will work better when the hearing is done in secrecy. So far, three of the investigative hearings have been televised live on NTA.

    One question the writer needs to answer is who else would have been summoned to give account for alleged misapplication of funds if not the Director General of NEMA. He certainly has questions to answer as the chief superintendent and accounting officer of the agency. He has questions to answer on the N1.6bn released to the agency in July last year to procure relief materials for victims of flood in 16 states of the federation last year.

    He has questions to answer on why most of the 289 companies engaged to supply the relief materials did not meet the relevant laws of the land, he has questions to answer on the circumstances that led to the suspension of six management staff of the agency on April 4, he has questions to answer on the 6,779 metric tonnes of rice donated by Chinese government to internally displaced persons in the north east. The same rice that the agency paid N414 million naira on demurrage and an additional N161 million to transport without evidence to show they were delivered. He has questions to answer on why he awarded N3bn rice contract to ‘unqualified’ firms and the N5bn North-east intervention fund.

    To answer the posers thrown in the writer’s article, the investigation came up as a result of the need to find out the truth in allegations that NEMA management is not following due process in their dealings and other issues that are related to sharp practices, the mandate for the probe was gotten from the Nigerian people who members of the House of Representatives represent in the National Assembly and the objective is to unravel the truth or otherwise in the allegations and recommend for sanctions where necessary.

    Hon Yakubu Dogara has always stood for truth, justice and fairness and these have endeared him to so many people, including his opposition.

    The House is not the speaker  the speaker is not the House and  I will advise the NEMA boss to deal with glaring cases of fraud and corruption against him and leave the Speaker out of the matter.

    I wish to conclude by reminding the faceless Adamu and indeed his pay masters that from the humongous revelations of alleged fraud emanating from the House investigation, the grass cutting scandal that consumed former SGF  Babachir David Lawal was a child’s play and the House should get to the end of the matter and ensure Maihaja is not only sacked but also jailed.  Let’s hope  that the faceless Adamu is not one of the beneficiaries of the fraudulent contracts that are being investigated and is working to divert attention from the revelations of monumental fraud because sooner rather than later,  the long arms of the law will surely catch up with him for our sake and that of our family members and other poor and innocent Nigerians who on account of corruption and systemic failure are dying of hunger and starvation in IDP camps across the country.

     

    • Kolo wrote in from Pompamari, Maiduguri, Borno State.

  • Saraki, Dogara report IG to Buhari

    SENATE President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara yesterday reported the Inspector-General Ibrahim Idris to President Muhammadu Buhari over the police boss’ refusal to appear before the upper chamber.

    The Senate had invited Idris twice over the arrest of Senator Dino Melaye. But he failed to show up before the Senate in plenary.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of meeting, Saraki said there was need to ensure Idris respect constituted authority in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

    He said: “Just talking about the issue of the police, we also raised the issue of the non-appearance of the IG at the Senate and felt that they must continue to ensure that he continues to apply obedience to the issue of constituted authority.

    “We are of great concern that this is the first time this is happening and that that matter needs to be addressed considering the importance of the powers of the  constitution and that there is need for police to accept that they too are under constitution and they must obey that. We raised that concern.”

    He added that himself and the Speaker came to the Villa at the invitation of the President, who briefed them on his trip to the United States (U.S.) and on the issue of the 2018 Budget.

    “We also talked on the issue of concerns to us, the invasion of the National Assembly, which he showed great concern and said action will be taken to investigate that.”

    On how soon the budget will be passed,  he said: “Well, hopefully it should be laid this week and passed early next week. But we are hoping it will be laid this week.”

    Asked what the President’s response was on the invasion of the Senate,  he said: “Of course, he sees it as an embarrassment to the country and that there will be a proper investigation because it is something that is not just about the National Assembly, it is about the country.

    On what he is doing to improve the strain relationship between the executive and the legislature, Saraki said: “You see, we are here today, it was the initiative of Mr. President to brief us on his visit to America and to engage on discussions and I think that is a good sign. We at the National Assembly have always been ready to give all our support to the executive and we will continue to work along those lines.

    “As I said, the presidential system that we operate, we sometimes have the responsibility to check the excesses of the executive. So, there will always be times we will disagree but by and large, we will always work for the interest of Nigerians and always keep on moving on.”

    Asked if he would describe the meeting as peaceful, he said: “Yes, of course. I think it is good that we touch on some of the important issues, as I said it is a continuous process.”

    On the treatment metted out to Melaye, Dogara said the police behaved like upgraded barbarians.

    He said: “The issue of Senator Dino, of course, anything that happens to one of our members or any member of the National Assembly is of concern to us. And there is no way we can have this kind of meeting without raising that.

    “This is a civilian administration; it is democracy and it is imperative and very important that all institutions of democracy operate within the ambit of the rule of law.

    “There is nowhere,  I have said it before, that police will behave in a democracy like a clan of tribesmen, like an upgraded barbarians sort of. So, there is need for us  to act with civility.”

    Asked if the issue on the planned impeachment process was raised, he said: “Well, I don’t think we have the authority  to discuss issues of impeachment. Impeachment is a political offence and I don’t think we are there yet.”

    When asked if the President raised the issue, he said: “No, never. It wasn’t part of the agenda.”

  • How Buhari’s men plan to checkmate Saraki, Dogara, others

    Strategists of President Muhammadu Buhari are leaving nothing to chance in the event that some bigwigs of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) dump the party in the build up to next year’s elections.

    The Buhari camp has in place a Plan B to mitigate the effects of the possible defection of the likes of Senate President  Bukola Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Senator  Rabiu Kwankwaso, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Senator  Aliyu Wammako, and  Senator  Ahmed Yerima, among others.

    Also tipped to defect are Senators Shehu Sani, Suleiman Hunkuyi, Magnus Abe, Dino Melaye, and some other Senators and members of the House of Representatives.

    The Buhari strategists, The Nation gathered authoritatively yesterday, have come to the conclusion that some political heavyweights of the APC are on their way out of the party.

    Citing some recent political developments, the strategists at a meeting in Abuja said the bigwigs might abandon Buhari by shifting base from APC to PDP.

    One of the likely defectors is said to have taken a secret trip to  Port Harcourt last weekend to see Governor Nyesom Wike, escaping a near mishap when the chartered jet convening his delegation ran into a storm mid-air.

    The trip was made under the cover of an official engagement.

    Highly placed political sources said Thursday’s inauguration of the Liyel Imoke Committee by the PDP to work out modalities for receiving the APC bigwigs and alliances to ease out Buhari in 2019 was not co-incidental.

    The committee has its origin in what the sources called a secret agreement in Port Harcourt to hasten up the gale of defections.

    The committee was inaugurated by the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.

    Responding to the PDP threat, the Buhari strategists decided  to be a step ahead of the defectors, not wanting to be caught napping like ex-President Goodluck Jonathan when high profile PDP members left him in the lurch in 2014.

    It was gathered that the strategists have devised a “state-by-state” response and what one of the more reliable strategists called a “local content” solution.

    Giving an insight into the Plan B and why Buhari supporters are prepared for ‘aftershock’, one of the sources said: “With the exit of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the pattern is predictable for Buhari strategists. Some chieftains have shown by their conduct that they are no longer with APC in spirit. Some steps taken by these leaders are pointing to likely defection. We cannot be caught unawares again.

    “We know some of those who may defect because intelligence has indicated that some of them are already negotiating the terms of their defection with a few opposition parties.

    “We will give a peculiar local response or local content to each of the defectors. It is going to be high-wire politics.”

    Kano State

    “For instance in Kano State, it is obvious that Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso will leave APC because of his presidential ambition and irreconcilable crisis of confidence with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

    “He wants to prove a point by stopping Ganduje from earning a second term ticket. Since he is extremely popular in Kano, his candidate can become the next governor of the state in 2019 on a 50-50 per cent basis.

    “We also do not rule out the possibility of a repeat of the election of Senator Aliyu Sabo Bakin Zuwo (of the defunct PRP) in 1983 as governor of Kano State against the highly favoured Abubakar Rimi of the defunct Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP). Kwankwaso can spring a surprise like Bakin Zuwo

    “But Kwankwaso may not go far against Buhari in the presidential race because of some hurdles. His challenge is the platform to use because he has to face a stiff competition for the presidential ticket with his local rival, ex-Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, ex-VP Atiku, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, ex-Governor Sule Lamido, ex-Governor Attahiru  Bafarawa, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and others.

    “The permutation of Buhari strategists is that if Kwankwaso gets the ticket of PDP, it will be easier to work with Shekarau’s camp to get substantial votes from Kano.

    “Certainly, there will be split votes in Kano in 2019 but the strategists are working hard on how Buhari, who has a solid support base in Kano, can secure at least 60 to 70 per cent of the presidential votes in the state.”

    Kwara State

    The source said some PDP leaders are in subterranean alliance with Buhari’s camp in case Senate President Saraki moves to PDP.

    The Buhari camp plans to  work with PDP leaders (mostly from Kwara Central) who may ditch the opposition party in protest against the possible  return of Saraki and his anointed candidates for the governorship and other election levels.

    His words: “With the alliance, Buhari may get  between  45%  and  47% of the votes from Kwara State and the  Kwara South Senatorial seat for APC which the incumbent governor from Ifelodun Local Government Area is interested in against Saraki’s long time ally, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, the current Senator.

    “The results of the 2015 governorship election showed that the APC candidate, Governor Ahmed secured 295,832 votes to defeat the runner-up, Senator Simeon Ajibola, of the Peoples Democratic Party by 115,220 votes.

    “A major plan of Buhari’s strategists is to close the gap in 2019 by working with those who may leave PDP like former Minister of National Planning, Professor Abubakar Suleiman, Saraki’s ex-Adviser, Moshood Mustapha, ex-VC of UNILORIN, Prof. Shuaibu Oba, Yinka Aluko, ex-PDP governorship candidate, Sen. Ajibola and others.

    “If Saraki concedes the Kwara South Senatorial ticket to Offa, his camp can easily win the three senatorial districts in Kwara State. But if he allows the rivalry between the governor and Sen. Rafiu to fester, his camp might lose Kwara South because either of them can play a spoiler game.

    “Most of those against Saraki’s hegemony in Kwara State are from Kwara South where the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed comes from. Saraki is worried that Mohammed has not been forthcoming in checking the ‘rebels’ in APC.

    “Saraki has however taken his political destiny in his own hands to avoid any slip. He has been shuttling between Abuja and Kwara State in the past few weeks to fortify his base, and holding series of meetings and events in the state, sometimes without the knowledge of the governor who has allegedly created a political baggage for him.

    “His major headache is the choice of the governorship candidate for Kwara State in 2019 from either  Kwara Central or Kwara North which produced a governor last in 1992 (26 years ago) in the person of Senator Mohammed Sha’aba Lafiagi.

    “The Emirs and other traditional rulers in Lafiagi recently stormed Abuja to demand the governorship slot from Saraki who asked them to resolve the divisions in Kwara North first. These rulers have raised a three-man panel on how to resolve the rifts in Kwara North.

    “If Saraki crosses over to PDP, he will have the same problem of where to pick the next governor from between Kwara Central (the largest voting population area and where opposition to Saraki is unusually coming from) and Kwara North which has been deciding the fate of every elected governor in the state since 1979.

    “Those opposed to Saraki either in APC or PDP are waiting for a slip by him on the choice of party and governorship candidate before forming an alliance against him for Buhari’s camp to capitalize on.

    “As part of the Plan B, some APC chieftains are pushing for the choice of Saraki’s sister, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, as the national women leader of APC at the forthcoming national convention of the party.

    “APC leaders from Kwara South are already plotting against the current National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi by claiming that the slot was conceded to them by the party following the election of Alhaji Lai Mohammed before he became a minister.

    “Pro-Saraki leaders insisted that the office was only zoned to Kwara and not any senatorial district. But it is obvious that Sen. Gbemisola’s candidacy is meant to whittle down the influence of Bukola Saraki.

    “Kwara may end up with two national officers of APC if the proposal is approved.”

    Sokoto State

    The presidential ambition of Governor Aminu Tambuwal may  force the Buhari camp to negotiate with ex-Governor Aliyu Wammako, who is closer to a strategic member of  what is called the cabal.

    The source added: “Although Wammako shares a political bond with Saraki, those in Buhari’s camp believe his grievances can be addressed if they are given local touch.

    “There is a plan by Buhari’s strategists to return the party structure to the ex-governor in order to determine who will be the next governor of the state in 2019 and other elective posts. If the plan works out, Wammako may be able to install his governorship favourite in 2015, Farouk Malami Yabo (ex-Commissioner for Finance).

    “But if Wammako sticks to his new found political ally (Governor Tambuwal) and shifts base to PDP, the alternative for Buhari’s strategists is to strengthen a faction of APC  in Sokoto called APC Buhariyya which is propping up Dahiru Yusuf Yabo (a former Commissioner for Water Resources) as its gubernatorial hopeful. The Buhariyya group comprises those formerly in the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

    “The target of the President’s men is Wammako who has proven to be unbeatable in Sokoto State.

    “The terrain is also slippery for Wammako because the governor has planted all his loyalists in the APC structures from ward to the State Executive Committee. He has been boxed into a corner in a manner that only Tambuwal-anointed candidate can emerge as APC governorship flag bearer even if he moves to PDP.

    “It will be in the interest of Wammako to remain in APC and allow Tambuwal to wander to PDP for the presidential ticket.”

    Benue State

    Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State is believed to be considering switching allegiance to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) because the PDP has shut its doors against him unless he wants to be an ordinary member of the party.

    His chances as APC governorship candidate are not brighter either because his godfather, Senator George Akume, is no longer favourably disposed to him.

    But SDP is willing to admit Ortom into its camp because of his grassroots connection and the political mileage which the killings in Benue State have earned him.

    “Benue appears a write-off but strategists are relying on a change of governorship candidate to win the sympathy of the people of the state or, at worse, secure the mandatory 25 per cent of the total votes cast for Buhari,” another source said.

    “While some strategists and forces in the presidency prefer the Managing Director of the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Emmanuel Jime (who was APC governorship aspirant in 2015), Akume, the kingmaker in the state, wants Mr. Titus Tartenger Zam, who is a Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to Governor Ortom.

    “It is left to the strategists to take a risk or defer to Akume who holds the ace. But Ortom’s plot to control the party machinery in the state might box Akume into a corner.

    “The likely exit of Ortom to SDP will leave three parties (APC, PDP, SDP) competing for votes in the state.”

    Zamfara State

    Sources said Senator  Yerima’s next move appears unclear for now “because of his romance with Saraki.”

    However, Buhari’s  camp is banking on Governor Abdulaziz Yari, some Yarimawa like ex-Governor Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi and his running mate in  2015, Madami Dandoto, and a  former Deputy Governor in the state, Muktari Anka and others to checkmate the ex-governor.

    “The battle is likely to be a royal one because the governor is interested in installing his successor in 2019 and he wants to contest for the senatorial seat being occupied presently by Yerima,” one source said.

    “Yerima has told his political son that he is not yet ready to retire from politics now.”

    Buhari’s strategists have the weighty influence of a former National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau, traditional rulers in the state and the unending killings in Zamfara to cope with.

    “We think Gusau is in league with ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-President Ibrahim Babangida to stop Buhari in 2019,” another strategist added.

    Bauchi State

    Governor Mohammed Abubakar’s strong hold on the party’s structure in Bauchi State is posing immense threat to the political career of House of Reps Speaker Yakubu Dogara, who represents Bogoro/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency.

    From the look of things, it is unlikely that Dogara will get a ticket to return to the National Assembly or even have a shot at the governorship.

    Although the Speaker has reported the governor to the presidency, not much intervention seems to have taken place.

    The APC National Secretariat in August 2017 sent a Fact-Finding and Reconciliation Committee to the Bauchi State chapter but the panel which was headed by Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige could not go far.

    A source said: “The Cold War between Dogara and the governor may lead to the exit of the Speaker from APC to PDP where he will join forces with leaders like ex-Governor Isa Yuguda and ex-FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed to fight the governor.

    “The Speaker in May 2017, said: ‘It was because the people were getting so angry that they decided to take their destiny in their hands and everybody knows. You can find out from them in Bauchi that that was the direction we were heading to, a very dangerous direction and the president needed to intervene.’

    “Buhari’s strategists are aware that Bauchi State is politically fluid. The signs of the deep crisis in APC in the state were obvious at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi during the recent visit of the President to the state.

    “The strategists are relying on total reconciliation with top politicians like Dogara, Yusuf Tuggar and all the segments of the state to save the situation for Buhari. The reconciliation may involve President Buhari this time around.

    “Apart from politicians, the traditional institution is unhappy with the deposition of about 150 district heads and civil servants were shocked by the suspension of their pay for three months. In fact, of the 12 members of the House of Representatives from the state, only five Reps are with the governor.”

    A source said: “Once Tambuwal defects to PDP, Dogara will follow, I can tell you this.”

    Kaduna State

    Apart from his hometown, Daura, President Buhari is emotionally attached to Kaduna where he almost lost his life to a bomb ambush about four years ago. Well-loved and treated like a tin-god by his large support base, Kaduna is an electoral nightmare for Buhari in spite of the pretence by Governor Nasir el-Rufai.

    In an apparently frustrated tone, el-Rufai on Friday declared the three Senators representing the state as useless for allegedly blocking a $350m loan request by the State Government. The senators are Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central), Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North) both of the APC and Danjuma Leah (Kaduna South), who is from the opposition PDP.

    Beyond the loan palaver, the battle ahead in 2019 is the hidden motive behind the vituperations of the governor.

    The facts are not adding up in the presidency and among Buhari’s strategists on the logjam in Kaduna. The entire Kaduna South is almost lost due to incessant killings such that the governor has not been able to attend major events in the area lately.

    The other two Senatorial districts are not an easy ride for el-Rufai who is Buhari’s self-acclaimed 2019 polls salesman.

    The most difficult will be Kaduna North where  Hunkuyi, ex-Governor  Ahmed Makarfi, ex-Governor Ramalan Yero,  a game changer, Isa Ashiru and the aggrieved huge population of followers of the Shiite leader, Ibrahim Yaqoub el-Zakzaky hail or operate from. El-Rufai is from Kaduna North although he votes in Kaduna Central.

    Except for the influence of ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo in Kaduna Central, Senator Sani poses less political threat to Buhari because his senatorial ticket was a “consequence of Buhari-el-Rufai’s benevolence in 2015.”

    Reputed as a human rights activist, Sani is not a natural or typical Nigerian politician. Although he is gifted with oratory skills, he will have to lean on big politicians like the ex-VP and the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki (who can negotiate his exit from APC to PDP) to realize his governorship or senatorial ambition.

    But with the control of party machinery by el-Rufai, there were indications yesterday that Sani, Hunkuyi, Ashiru and other stalwarts might be PDP bound.

    Six options open to the strategists of Buhari on Kaduna are relying on old and stale love for the President by his mob supporters; appeasing Kaduna South with enhanced security and development; granting automatic second term tickets to all House of Reps members and the state Assembly members from Kaduna State;  immediate reconciliation with Hunkuyi and Sani by conceding automatic Senate tickets to them;  factoring Ashiru into consideration with a better package and resorting to aged fault lines of ethno-religious politics to win votes in 2019.

    A top source said: “Capitalizing on the age-long fault lines will make the politics in Kaduna in 2019 messier and Buhari might have the upper hand. The same factor will not make the Christians in Southern Kaduna to vote for Buhari.

    “El-Rufai’s offer of automatic second term tickets to House of Reps members and the state Assembly members from Kaduna State is an ingenious political masterstroke which can make each of them to defend their frontiers.

    “To knock out Sani, one of the propaganda stunts emanating from the fault lines against him is the fact that he is from Niger State and as a non-indigene, he should be disallowed from taking the slot of a native.

    “Also, if Buhari’s camp can strike a deal with Ashiru and Hunkuyi, he can comfortably win Kaduna with a better margin. But Ashiru, whose ambition is to be a governor, might prefer following his political friend and ally, Governor Aminu Tambuwal to PDP. It is becoming too late to win.

    Adamawa State

    The strategists of Buhari and followers of the First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Buhari have been trying to hijack the party structure in Adamawa State with a view to clipping the wings of ex-VP Atiku Abubakar who has tremendous influence on Governor Jibrilla Bindo.

    The outcome of Saturday’s congresses will determine and define where APC stalwarts in the state like ex-Governor Murtala Nyako, SGF Boss Mustapha, ex-SGF Babachir Lawal, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Sen. Binta Mashi, Hajiya Aishatu Dahiru Modibbo Binani and others are headed.

    A source said: “Adamawa is a heterogeneous state and the politics of 2019 is still dicey as I am talking to you.

    “While Atiku is still pulling the strings in APC through the governor, all the leaders are divided. Governor Bindo has visited the Presidential Villa many times to assure the President of support but the strategists of Buhari are still suspicious of him.”

  • The Dogara Gameplan for 2019 revealed

    In Nigeria, it is a known fact that Bauchi state is one of the states in the North East where elections are fiercely contested. It is also a state with political heavyweights that have at one time, or the other played it big at the national scene.

    In the current dispensation, the number four position happens to be occupied by a Bauchi indigene in the person of Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, the speaker of the House of Representatives. And he has been in the news of late as regards the permutations for the 2019 elections.

    Rt. Hon Yakubu Dogora has not signified interest in seeking re-election. However, his foot soldiers have been able to secure a place for him post-2019 if there is a change in leadership. According to impeccable sources in Bauchi state, it was revealed that the Speaker and the Governor do not see an eyeball to eyeball.

    The source stated that the Speaker hadn’t forgiven the Governor for trying to thwart his ambition of becoming Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    “The Speaker has said it openly that it would be a fight to finish with Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar. He thinks that the governor didn’t mean well for him and so, therefore, there is no need associating with him.”

    This much is corroborated with the posture of Speaker Yakubu Dogara on issues that concerns Bauchi State. In some quarters, it is stated that the Speaker would team up with some political heavyweights to ensure that the governor does not return in 2019.

    “Part of the plot is to use his position to weaken the political relevance of the governor at the federal level, through covert means, and one of them is the recent probe of the activities of the National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA) by the House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, whose Director General is a close friend and confidante of the Governor of Bauchi state.”  A source stated.

    The source who pleaded anonymity stated that “the House of Representatives Committee has a clear mandate to indict Engr Mustapha Maihaja at all cost. Did you not wonder why the Chair of the Committee stated that committee was given the mandate to probe the activities of NEMA in the last one year, clearing omitting the years between 2015 -2017 where it was established that there was sleaze amongst a host of other anomalies perpetrated by the former management under Alhaji Sani Sidi, but the committee has turned a blind eye despite the glaring pieces of evidence”

    Insider sources in NEMA confided that most interventions of NEMA especially for Internally Displaced Persons had significantly been affected by the ongoing probe by the House of Representatives. “as we speak, there is a quandary because the House of representatives  Committee either by omission or commission have not been able to invite the real culprits in the NEMA saga. They have been confined to acting out the script of some powerful elements in the House of Representatives.”

    It was also reliably gathered that the former DG has been reaching out to the dominant elements in the House of Representatives since the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) released an interim report on the activities of NEMA, which clearly indicted him and some directors that were suspended by the current management of NEMA chaired by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

    “The issues around the investigation of NEMA are more than what meets the eyes. Remember that the vice president is the Chairman of the Board of NEMA and statutorily he gives approval for expenditures above the threshold of the DG. There is also a grand plot to rubbish the image of the VP before President Buhari. Instead of bringing the real culprits to book, they have been playing to the gallery” the source stated.

    A source close to the camp of the Speaker who pleaded anonymity stated that the governor of Bauchi state would be in for a big surprise during the 2019 elections. The Speaker would ultimately laugh last because he has strategically positioned himself come 2019.

    “I cannot state for now the direction of our movement. But all I can say is that the Speaker would be relevant come 2019, especially if there is a change of government. He has been approached with some juicy offers that are difficult to turn down. But for now, we are keeping our fingers crossed.” He stated.

    Another source who is in the know of the game plan stated that the Speaker had been promised a top position in government should there be a change. “The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) position has been dangled to the speaker should he decide to play the game. I can assure you that the speaker is in bed with some mighty forces in the Northeast that have vowed to unseat President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 elections” he stated.

    The source also added that the Speaker refused to be in attendance when President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned some projects of the Nigeria Airforce even though the Chief of Air Staff is an indigene of Bauchi State.  These are all pointers to the game plan, which has been carefully hatched and been systematically executed.

    “Is it not curious that the Speaker who is the number four citizen in Nigeria would be conspicuously absent during the visit of the President to his home state even when all other members of the National Assembly from Bauchi state were in attendance. I think the Speaker has signed a pact with the opposition group.” He stated.

    This paper also discovered that the Speaker has decided to keep his constituency guessing whether he would seek re-election or not because of the alliance he has entered with some opposition members.

  • Reps ready to pass minimum wage bill – Dogara

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, said on Tuesday the House is ready to pass the minimum wage bill as National Assembly awaits the executive to forward the bill for upward review.

    Dogara, in a statement to mark 2018 Worker’s Day celebration and signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Turaki Hassan, reiterated the desire of the House to provide a better life for workers.

    The Speaker said he was not unmindful of the struggles and hardship faced by Nigerian workers in their daily lives.

    He said this is why the National Assembly is committed to putting more resources in the hands of workers.

    He expressed optimism that the Federal Government Committee on Minimum Wage currently conducting public hearings across the six geo-political zones in the country would soon conclude its assignment.

    He said a new national minimum wage bill would be transmitted to the parliament by the President.

    “On behalf of the entire members of the House of Representatives, I want to use this occasion to, once again, underscore the importance of workers to the growth and prosperity of our dear nation, Nigeria.

    “We see the struggles you go through to survive on wages that can barely last through the first week of the month. We see your dedication to doing your bit in ensuring that Nigeria continues to run effectively despite unfavourable conditions.

    “We commend your courage, your commitment to service and nation building and urge you to continue supporting government policies and agenda.

    “I assure you, on this occasion, that the National Assembly will give expeditious passage to the Minimum Wage Bill whenever it is transmitted by the executive and any other initiative that will promote the welfare of the Nigerian worker.

    “We will support it wholeheartedly,” the Speaker said

  • Buhari, Tinubu, Saraki, Dogara attend SGF’s daughter’s wedding

    •Buhari, Saraki, Dogara meet few days after impeachment threat

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday attended the wedding reception of the daughter of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.

    The wedding reception took place at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

    SGF’s daughter, Amanda Tolulope of Adamawa State was earlier in the day joined in Holy Matrimony to Otelemaba Tamunowariboko Westwood, Son of Westwood from Rivers State at the Family Worship Centre, Abuja.

    Among those who attended the wedding reception included the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, who is the chairman of the occasion

    The wedding reception was the first public function to be attended together by President Buhari, Saraki and Dogara few days after the lawmakers threatened to invoke Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution towards starting impeachment process against the President.

    Also at the event were the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and National Chairman of APC, John Odigie-Oyegun.

    Many state governors and federal cabinet members also attended the wedding reception.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the reception, the SGF said: “It is a pride of a father that at one point in time you will be giving out your children in marriage or receiving bride into your home. And that is what has precisely happened to us today as a family. I feel very happy and very thrilled about it.

    Asked what his advice will be to the new couple, he said “Basically, they have received a lot of inductions and trainings when they went through their pre-marital classes. But as a father, talking out of experience, I’m married for 29 years now, I can assure you that, I wouldn’t say I have done badly, my candid advice to them is that they should respect each other, think highly of each other; they should remain friends and as much as possible let them make God the centre piece of their home.

    “If they have doubts about things happening around them, let them go back to the author of marriage Himself, which is God.

    “So my advice to them is let them remain together through thick and thin. They should not take each other for granted.” he added

    When asked how he feels giving out his daughter to another tribe, he said “Well, I am married to somebody from a different state all together. I come from Adamawa State while my wife comes from Osun State.

    “So Amanda is not the first. It is a marriage of unity. Whenever I hear people talking about Nigeria breaking up, I just laugh. The foundations are deep. I have a brother-in-law who is Igbo. I have a brother-in-law who is Urhobo. So our home has always been a small Nigeria whenever we congregate,” he stated.

  • 2018 budget to be ready by April ending – Dogara

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Thursday assured that the lawmakers would do all within their powers to ensure that the 2018 budget is ready by the end of this month.

    He stated this at Ogbomosho High School during an empowerment programme organised by a lawmaker representing Ogbomoso North/South/Oriire Federal Constituency, Segun Ogunwuyi.

    Dogara, who was represented at the event by the Chairman of the House committee on Education, Hon Zakari Mohammed, said the lateness in the passage of the budget was due to lack of cooperation from ministers and the slow response of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) concerned.

    He said: “For the MDAs we asked them to bring certain things and even the ministers have not been cooperative. We asked them to bring certain things and make certain inputs but they have not and at the end of the day they will be blaming the legislature. The legislature is not to be blamed. When you lay a budget, we are asking for information on it and we cannot manufacture figures. That is the problem. I am sure by the end of April we will definitely have a budget.

    “Our budget performance has been dropping and I think the factor responsible is that when you were supposed to have a quarterly release of funds and you don’t, that is a problem and I think the administration has to work harder and up their game on our projects especially the capital projects.”