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Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • Lawyers hold support rally for Buhari in Ibadan

    Lawyers hold support rally for Buhari in Ibadan

    A group, Lawyers4Change, yesterday staged a peaceful support rally in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo.

    The rally, which started at 10:45am from the Aara Afe Babalola Bar centre, Iyaganku, took the lawyers to Roundabout, Mokola, and later ended at Iyaganku at 1:30pm.

    The lawyers carried placards with inscription, such as: ”Nigerians give progress a chance now”; “Vote for Change”; “Vote for Buhari and Osinbajo”; “Time for change is now, vote Buhari”; “Change we need is Buhari/Osinbajo”.

    The coordinator, Adesina Ogunlana, said they had identified Buhari and Osinbajo as the best candidates for the job.

    He said they were not APC members but  professionals  keen on change.

    Ogunlana said they were out to give direction and advice  on who to vote for.

    “We are not partisan because we are not here on the platform of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) but even the NBA must be concerned with what is going on in the country because you can only practise your law and the court can sit when you have a safe and secure country.

    “In few weeks, Nigerians will go to the polls to choose their leaders for the next four years. The big question is do we continue with the present leaders of our country or do we change them? Our answer is change. We have to change our rulers. Aso Rock must have new tenants, if we want our country to survive and make progress. Things have become so bad in our country that almost nothing works well or works at all.

    “Our naira is weak, electricity remains permanently unstable, less than 20 per cent Nigerians have access to good water, affordable education is out of reach of the majority,” he said

    Ogunlana said a vote for Buhari and Osinbajo is a vote for sincere and positive change, describing both as hardworking, patriotic and lovers of Nigerians.

    “They are not corrupt and not thieves and would not allow criminals and fraudsters in the Federal Government they lead,” he said.

  • Babangida to Buhari: we’ll support you to salvage Nigeria

    Babangida to Buhari: we’ll support you to salvage Nigeria

    All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate General Muhammadu Buhari’s ambition yesterday got a boost from his primary constituency –  the military – with former military President Ibrahim Babangida saying his colleagues (retired generals) will support him.

    Gen. Babangida, hosting the APC presidential hopeful in his Uphill residence in Minna, said he was proud of Gen. Buhari’s persistence and perseverance in offering himself for service at the highest level.

    “You have beaten some of us in proving Gen. Douglas Mc’Arthur’s theory that, ‘old soliders never die but fade away gradually’, but you have refused to fade away,” he told his guest.

    He praised APC for honouring the military by nominating Gen. Buhari. “I wish to congratulate members of the party for the honour of nominating my colleague, General Muhammadu Buhari as your presidential candidate in the 2015 election,” Gen. Babangida said.

    The former military president said the media misrepresented his relationship with Gen. Babangida alleging that the media had created the impression that the two leaders were at loggerheads.

    His words: “You media men have created this impression that we are fighting each other. Look at us here today. He knows what I mean and I know what he means. We both fought to keep Nigeria one when we were young majors then. We were well travelled.

    “I want to commend APC for choosing our colleague as your flag bearer. All of us will support you (Buhari) in this course to salvage this country.”

    Earlier, the APC candidate said he was in Minna in continuation of his nationwide search for votes to salvage the country from the 16 years of “misrule” of the PDP government.

    Gen. Buhari, who was elated by assurance, said he had earlier met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo whom he failed to pull to APC but who blessed his aspiration.

    He said the party was set to take over the state, with the calibre of the candidates presented for various offices and the quality of those who defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    With Gen. Buhari were the APC Deputy National Chairman Senator Lawan Shuaibu, National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Mr. Audu Ogbeh, Chief Bisi Akande, Rivers Governor Rotimi Ameachi, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Chief Segun Oni.

    Others are: General Abdulraham Dambazzau, Senator George Akume, Chief Niyi Adebayo, Senator Bukola Saraki, Alhaji Kawu Baraje and Mrs. Kemi Nelson.

  • Ekiti APC alleges plan to attack Buhari’s campaign convoy

    Ekiti APC alleges plan to attack Buhari’s campaign convoy

    THE local chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State yesterday raised the alarm over an alleged plan to ambush the campaign convoys of it presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

    Gen Buhari’s campaign train is due in the Land of Honour State on Saturday ahead of next month’s presidential election.

    In a statement by Taiwo Olatubosun, the party’s Publicity Secretary in Ado-Ekiti, APC  claimed it has in its kitty intelligence that Governor Ayodele Fayose has perfected plan to disrupt  its campaign on Saturday.

    According to Olatunbosun, the party, the plan was to ambush the campaign convoy of the APC on its way to the state. He alleged that members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) have been recruited to carry out the plan.

    The APC spokesman alleged the OPC men have been engaged as task force officials and mandated to remove the posters of all APC candidates.

    They (OPC) members have also been instructed to strike at the campaign grounds to cause stampede during the rally.

    The statement reads: “Fayose’s desperation knows no bounds. He took front pages of two national dailies for   advertorial on Monday (yesterday), depicting that Buhari will die in office like three other presidents from the Northwest died in office.

    “This is dangerous for our national unity and ethnic harmony. Fayose is dangerous to Nigeria’s unity and the earlier the authorities, Nigerians and Ekiti people in particular appreciate this, the better for us as a nation.”

    Olatunbosun alleged that some thugs, who have been imported would be deployed to entry points into Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, where they would ambush APC members on their way to the campaign ground.

    He said: “So far, the group had removed Buhari’s posters pasted in his campaign office in Ado-Ekiti as well as those pasted in the party’s office in the state capital.

    “This is a clear case of undermining the peace pact brokered by eminent international leaders last week.? It is sad that after President Jonathan campaigned in Ekiti State, Fayose sent signage officials and OPC thugs to be removing our candidates’ posters after paying necessary fees to the agency.

    “Fayose’s hatred for Buhari knew no bounds, as his aide was behind a fake medical report on Buhari declaring him as a prostate cancer patient.

    “Fayose’s aide forged the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital? as Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital and forged the signature of a non-existent consultant to declare Buhari as a prostate cancer patient.”

    The APC spokesman said the governor was prosecuting the presidential election as the last battle of his life with its attendant security challenges.

    Olatunbosun said: “What Governor Fayose is doing is to raise the tempo of crisis in the state to further escalate violence in the already charged political climate.

    We have our constitutional right to display the posters of our candidates. We call on the security agents to be alive to their responsibility of protecting the lives of everybody including those of APC members and residents that will throng the campaign rally on Saturday.”

  • Five million-man rally for Buhari/Osinbajo

    Five million-man rally for Buhari/Osinbajo

    Coalition for Change, a political group supporting the candidacy of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, has unveiled plans to mobilise about 5.4 million Nigerians for a walk on Thursday.

    Briefing reporters at the Lagos Television after a’ Drive for Change’ programme put together by the group, which had its members driving in over 200 cars and buses from the Victoria Island campaign office through Ikorodu Road, Ikeja to LTV ground, the president of the coalition, Dr. Tunde Ayeye, said the day had been set aside to show solidarity with the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Ayeye said: “January 22 is a day of symbolism. Everyone in every corner who desires change for the better, change for better education, change for better security, change for better health care, change for new jobs, change for better infrastructure, change to give Nigeria the pride of place that it needs would come out to show solidarity for Buhari and Osinbajo.

    “We say that we have the largest economy, but is it translating to reduction in infant mortality? Is it translating to access to education, is it translating to access to portable water? We desire a change that will ensure that our mothers don’t die in the hospitals, a change that will ensure that our children have good education, a change that will ensure that we grow to old age and in old age; we have security, the change that will ensure that the weak, the disabled amongst us are taken care of.

    “On that day, (January 22) anywhere you are, just dorn something in green. There will be about four programmes that day all across the country.”

    One of the coordinators of the group, Tola Adekunle- Johnson, said the ‘Drive for Change’ came about because of the desire of some supporters who work 8am-5pm and does not have time during the week to participate in the various campaign activities.

    “We decided to do something on a Sunday that will incorporate them so that they can be part of it too and express their support and desire for change,” he said.

    Other persons who spoke at the event include music star, Kenny St. Brown, Lagos lawyer, Rotimi Vaughan among others, who all urged Nigerians to stand up and be counted in the struggle to liberate the country from mal-administration.

  • APC Diaspora members declare support for Buhari

    APC Diaspora members declare support for Buhari

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Diaspora, Canada Chapter, has declared support for the party’s presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbanjo.

    Its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Jerry Solomon, said this in a statement in Abuja.

    Solomon said the policy framework by Buhari and Prof. Osinbanjo was the way out of the nation’s doldrums of under-development.

    He said: “We in APC-Diaspora, Canada Chapter and other branches are in full support of the party and appeal to Nigerians back home to vote wisely.

    “We encourage Nigerians to objectively analyse issues confronting the nation, assess the performance of the government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a whole, in comparison with development witnessed in APC controlled states as well as the good policies and plans itemised by Prof. Osinbajo and choose the path of true positive transformation.

    “We are agreeing absolutely with the issues raised by Prof. Osinbajo on how the administration of successive governments have been characterised by graft and corruption, whose effect inhibits the nation’s progress and development.”

    Solomon urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure a level-playing field was provided for the candidates, where a free and fair election will be conducted.

    He also advised the political parties and all the stakeholders to emulate Prof. Osinbajo and base their campaign strategy more on issues that bordered on how to develop the country, rather than attacking each other and using political thugs to cause violence and disturbing the peace of the nation.

  • We’ll deliver Taraba to Buhari, say APC chiefs

    We’ll deliver Taraba to Buhari, say APC chiefs

    Concerned members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State have pledged to deliver the state to the party’s presidential candidate in the February 14 elections, General Muhammadu Buhari.

    But they promised to work against the governorship candidate, Senator Aisha Alhassan, if the party failed to replace her ahead of the elections.

    The group, in a letter by its Chairman and Secretary, Alhaji Sanusi Maigari and Bitrus Danjos, to APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun, accused Alhassan and State Chairman Hassan Jikan Ardo of anti-party activities.

    Although they hailed the party’s leadership for a successful presidential primary, which led to the emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari, the party chieftains alleged that the primaries in the state were characterised by irregularities.

    They said these led to the emergence of Alhassan as the party’s governorship candidate.

    They expressed their resolve to remain in the party, even if the party’s leadership refused to address their complaints.

    But they warned that they might vote against the party in the governorship election.

    The aggrieved APC chieftains alleged that injustice was meted out to other aspirants in the governorship race, leading to their withdrawal from the race.

    According to them, their complaints on the alleged injustice had been ignored.

    They also said even though APC national leadership had set up a reconciliation committee after the party congresses, the committee had not been seen in the state.

    They expressed dismay about what they called the lackadaisical attitude of the party’s leadership in Taraba State.

  • Why we’re backing Buhari, by Edo campaign group

    Why we’re backing Buhari, by Edo campaign group

    •To intensify door-to-door campaign against ‘tribal governance’
    •Edo-Arewa community backs Buhari, APC

    A political pressure group working for the victory of All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, the Buhari Movement For Change (BMC), was inaugurated yesterday in Warri, Delta State.

    Its mandate is to “intensify door-to-door campaign for the desired change from tribal governance to national government”.

    In a communiqué by its Southsouth Coordinator and Publicity Secretary, Prince David Iwere and Oghenemarho Tega, the group said they were supporting Buhari’s presidential ambition because of the failure of the Federal Government in several areas.

    It noted that “the sacrifice for change has become imperative in the face of failed power sector reform, where Nigerians now pay more for almost zero electricity supply, despite the purported privatisation of the sector and the comatose state of the nation’s economy, coupled with the constant devaluation of the naira”.

    BMC’s spokesman, Dr. Emiko Ofuyaekpone, who read the communiqué on behalf of other members, promised to mobilise resources, men, women and youths from all ethnic nationalities to ensure that General Buhari, who they described as “Mr. Anti-Corruption” wins convincingly in the February 14 election.

    BMC said General Buhari would fix the present security challenges that the Goodluck Jonathan administration “lacks the capacity to resolve”.

    Iwere explained that the mission of BMC was not to hijack the APC structure.

    The coordinator urged APC members to united for the victory of General Buhari and other candidates of the party.

    He added that General Buhari’s posters and billboards with those of his running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, would be pasted across the Southsouth in a few days.

    Also, the Hausa communities in Edo North and Central senatorial districts have promised to support the presidential bid of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State.

  • Yam farmers to raise N5bn for Buhari’s campaign

    Yam farmers to raise N5bn for Buhari’s campaign

    Yam farmers from some northern states have pledged to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign for next year’s general elections with N5 billion.

    The group said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday.

    Rev. Jacob Musa, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the farmers, under the name “Buhari-Osinbajo Presidential Appeal Campaign Fund (BOPCAF)”, said the money will be raised in 10 states.

    Musa said members drawn from Taraba, Nasarawa, Plateau, Adamawa, Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Niger and Kaduna states as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, would feature at the fund-raiser.

    “We have contributed five million tubers of yam to be donated in support of the funding of Buhari’s presidential campaign.

    “The five million tubers of yam will be retailed at a special price of N1,000 each towards raising the sum of N5 billion in support of the APC candidate,’’ he said.

    The statement added that the public presentation of the five million tubers of yam would hold at the Mararaban Demshin village yam market in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau on January 4.

    It stated that the ceremony would also witness traditional wrestling, involving 500 traditional wrestlers from the 19 northern states and the FCT.

    “The aim is to mobilise the wrestlers in the campaign against poverty, crime, killings, kidnappings, armed robbery, cattle rustling, rape, cultism, election rigging, looting of public fund, smuggling, terrorism and other social vices now prevalent in the society,’’ it said.

    The statement also said the event would be heralded by a world news conference in Jos on Friday.

    It added that the event would be attended by Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi in his capacity as the director general of the Buhari-Osinbajo Campaign Organisation.

  • Buhari and northern elites

    Buhari and northern elites

    IR: The emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari as the presidential flag-bearer of the All Progressive Congress in the 2015 general election is still creating furor (e) from his admirers and decriers.

    As a Christian I have written a piece probing why the elite love to sponsor negative campaigns in the news media against General Muhammadu Buhari.  In contrast I wonder why some northern elites have chosen to hijack General Buhari candidacy as though it is all about the north and not about Nigeria.

    Some are now in the habit of criticizing President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, not on his governing philosophy and, policies but because of his religious belief, initiated only by an accident of birth.

    This is a very disingenuous way of scrutinizing statesmen: politics and religious belief do not mix and political persons who mix them are demagogues and do not have anything to offer the people.

    Real democracy respects the values and rights of all, and – that includes the minority. Such minorities must not be marginalized – and observers say that indigenous minorities are put aside politically in the north.

    Some of these northern elites in hammering support for Buhari now submit that he can win without the Middle Belt which they reproach for treachery over time. I find this disrespectful. Historians say that the North created the ‘core north theory” to the detriment of the Middle Belt especially when bazaars for all are to be shared.  I must state here that if appointments to political offices are measures to judge the open mindedness of a leader, then this president is benevolent enough to have selected many northern sons and daughters into offices, yet there is no significant impact on the lives of the under 40 percent population in that part of the country.

    In the attempt to give credit to Bola Tinubu, the national leader of APC for his persistent energy to form the coalition – that gave birth to that party, some northern elites in the press passed a besmirched judgment against Chief Obafemi Awolowo as a rigid politician who could not do the same.  This is misguided and discourteous as there was mutual suspicion by all other regional leaders at that time but unlike others, the Chief was poles apart  – he believed in the rights of the minorities in a federal system.

    If democracy were strictly about numbers as canvassed by these elites, then Barrack Obama would not have become president of the United States of America, Angela Merkel raised up in Eastern Communist Germany might not have become Chancellor of a unified Germany but for the openness of that society.

    Elise Stefanik a Republican in the United States of America at only 30 years old might not have been mentioned today as the first woman in history to be elected at that age into congress in that country.

    Even countries like China are beginning to loosen up, reason why President Xi Jinping can now afford to load his speeches with foreign clichés and mantras, once a crime under Mao Zedong.

    Democracy is not won on the defective concept of propagating religious dogmas, on numbers, but on ideology, the putting up of, and sponsoring candidates with genuine broad support.

    Could the northern elites look along the lines of writing for development, reaching out to the ‘other side’ to win national goals and fervor without bias?

    • Simon Abah.

    PortHarcourt, Rivers State

  • Moneybags won’t fund my campaign, says Buhari

    Moneybags won’t fund my campaign, says Buhari

    All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday that the masses remained the financial and moral strength of his quest to win next year’s election.

    Addressing reporters in Abuja, General Buhari said he was relying on the masses to fund his campaign and have no intention of allowing himself to be held hostage by money bags.

    He disclosed that N54.4 million had been contributed by the masses to his Crowd Funding Project and re-emphasised his commitment to be responsible for the funds because, according to him, N100 is big money to many Nigerians.

    The former Head of State said: “My strength mainly are the ordinary people. N100 is plenty of money for them and I know that they are going to make the sacrifice required for the change we are looking for, especially when I made them a promise to be transparent and personally be responsible for the money.

    “I depend on them and we are taking this idea mainly from what happened in the United States of America. When Obama came out to contest, he is a coloured person and the big companies are not for him, but he knew that he had ground foot soldiers.

    “When he came with this idea, he was able to finance his campaign without looking for money bags or anybody influential and so, he remained independent and was hostage to nobody. This is what I want to achieve.”

    He said having made a pledge to personally take responsibility for the money generated, he considered it necessary to disclose what had been generated  to “disabuse the minds of those who think that we have already started breaking the law by getting the resources other than what the Electoral Act stipulates.

    “I have to go out of my way to tell those who organised this that I will be the only signatory to this account. This will give a lot of confidence to the masses who are our supporters because to them, N100 is very dear to them and they would not want anybody to misuse it,” Gen. Buhari said.

    Although he would not deny or confirm media reports that he collected a loan to buy his nomination form, he said speculations that he was using part of the money generated from the crowd funding project to pay off the supposed bank loan was not correct.

    He explained that what he said when he collected the nomination form was that he needed support from other members of the National Working Committee to bring down the cost of the form or get some form of rebate since women and the physically-challenged were not paying anything, but did not get such support.

    Gen. Buhari said: “I said that when we were going through the modalities at the national caucus, we decided that women and the disabled should not pay anything. I was expecting that there will be discount in the presidential nomination form and that of the governors. I looked for support and I didn’t get any and I told them that I cannot complain because I am a senior member of the party.

    “I said that I put a very quick call to my manager, that whatever the state of my account, he should honour the cheque and that was what he did. People developed their own story from there. Whatever happened is between me and my manager and it is always confidential and my cheque did not bounce.”

    He went on: “I seize this opportunity to welcome everyone present here today. I want to also thank all those who have contributed to our campaign through the crowd funding project, which I personally launched precisely on  November 19 at the Aso Hall,  international Conference Centre, Abuja. As I promised during the take-off that I will take responsibility of the account, we are here today to give you an update in the progress made so far.

    “Currently, 82 support groups have been registered under the Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) with over 475,796 coordinators and total membership in region of 8,492,226 across the length and breadth of this country.

    “We intend to use the registration and donation cards to enlist the members of the groups as volunteers change agents and also capture the spatial distribution of our donors.

    “So far so good, we have received donations of N54,415,386.70  through direct deposit and sales of card to the First Bank account 202624405.

    “Let me reiterate that the only authorised account designated for the crowd funding, which I am the sole signatory to, is the BSO account with First Bank.

    “I know we live in a difficult times in Nigeria; there is insecurity, corruption, poverty and, above all, the uncertainty of life and if has become unbearable. I want to appeal to all our supporters to continue making sacrifice till we get the needed change. It is a real demonstration that when people come together and put their minds to it, change is possible.

    “I wish to thank everyone here and outside this venue who has accepted to join us in securing Nigeria and efficiently manage our country. Through you donations and support, we shall continue to foster the bond of friendship and goodwill of our country.

    “Thank you for supporting, encouraging and praying for the ticket of Muhammadu Buhari/Yemi Osinbajo. You contribution so far has humbled and inspired us.”

    Gen. Buhari met yesterday in Lagos with volunteers for his campaign.

    On his twitter handle yesterday, he said:  ”I am in Lagos at the moment to meet a group of passionate young volunteers and get their input – GMB”.

    The National leader of APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Kaduna State Governorship candidate Nasir El-Rufai, Governor Amaechi and other leaders were in attendance.