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Tag: Patience Jonathan

  • Patience Jonathan threatens EFCC with N5bn suit

    Patience Jonathan threatens EFCC with N5bn suit

    A former first lady, Patience Jonathan, has threatened to file a N5 billion suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) if the commission fails to defreeze her accounts with Skye Bank within 14 days.

    Mrs. Jonathan’s threat was contained in an open letter, issued by her attorneys, First Law Solicitors and signed by its Senior Partner, Timipa Jenkins Okponipere and addressed to the Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.

    She insisted that the anti-graft body’s actions were malicious and unconstitutional, adding that the said freezing of the accounts was gross violation of her fundamental rights.

    The ex- first lady, however, said she would not hesitate to file a legal action against the EFCC at the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights in the Gambia if the commission continues to bar her access to the accounts in the next 14 days.

    The letter reads: “Sir, it is our client’s brief that there is no formal criminal complaint of economic and financial crime as defined by the EFCC Act 2004 written by any person or institution against her which warranted the EFCC to freeze her accounts. It is also our client’s brief that the EFCC failed to obtain a court order as required by Section 34 of the EFCC Act before her accounts were frozen.

    “It is our client’s further brief that, up until the writing of this open letter, she has not received any formal invitation to appear before the commission for questioning; whereas her accounts domiciled with Skye Bank Plc have since been frozen by the commission without recourse to her.

    “We are very much aware of numerous instances where EFCC used strong-arm tactics to dispossess hard working Nigerians of their legitimately earned money; only to turn around to brazenly and shamelessly loot the recovered loot. This is one of such unfortunate instances. Clearly, it is a failed politically-motivated attempt by the EFCC to steal our client’s money using the cover of the present political climate.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, it shall be counter-productive and inimical to the public interest if the Attorney General of the Federation and/or the EFCC heeded the irresponsible calls to commence the arrest and prosecution of our client based on suspicion. If they did otherwise, they shall be violating the extant provision of Section 174(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which clearly prohibits criminal proceedings that were not in the public interest. Besides, suspicion; no matter how strong it may seem; cannot ground a conviction.”

     

  • Patience Jonathan faces fresh probe over N5b Abuja hotel

    Patience Jonathan faces fresh probe over N5b Abuja hotel

    EFCC sends team to Port Harcourt, Yenagoa over four other choice assets linked to ex-First Lady
    •May forfeit alleged properties to Federal Government
    •Four accounts containing $19m to remain frozen
    •Commission insists Mrs. Jonathan must explain source of fund

    Former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan appears to have more explanation to make to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) besides the $19 million just frozen in her accounts.

    Mrs. Jonathan has just been linked with five choice properties including a N5billion hotel in Abuja, The Nation gathered yesterday.

    The EFCC is currently studying documents on how the Abuja hotel (names withheld) was built.

    It has also dispatched a team of investigators to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State and Port Harcourt, Rivers State for the purpose of establishing the ownership of four properties in the two cities.

    The anti-graft agency is likely to confiscate the five properties once it is able to confirm that they belong to Mrs. Jonathan.

    One of the pieces of evidence the EFCC has in its possession in its probe of the ex-First Lady is her cumulative pay and perks as a civil servant in Bayelsa State where she rose to the post of Permanent Secretary.

    Sources said the pay details are far below the $31million which the ex-First Lady claimed as her legitimately earned money.

    The EFCC is insisting that Mrs. Jonathan must account for how she came about the cash wired into the five accounts to which she is a signatory or forfeit it to the Federal Government.

    One of the sources familiar with the probe said the money used in acquiring the properties under investigation appears to be gratification to Mrs. Jonathan when her husband was in power.

    The source said: “Based on intelligence report, we have isolated five properties allegedly identified with the ex-First Lady. These properties include a N5billion hotel in Abuja and four others in Yenagoa and Port Harcourt.

    “A special team has gone to verify all these assets in the affected areas including the contractors engaged, the mode of payment to them, relevant land registration documents, and associates used as fronts.

    “In the next few days, we will start questioning all those involved in the acquisition or building of the assets. We are lucky that this investigation has a lot of e-transaction and computerization components. There is no hiding place for anyone involved.

    “If at the end of the day the five assets belong to the ex-First Lady, we will approach the court to place all these assets under Interim Assets Forfeiture in line with Sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004.”

    Section 28 of the EFCC Act stipulates that: “Where a person is arrested for an offence under this Act, the Commission shall immediately trace and attach all the assets and properties of the person acquired as a result of such economic or financial crime and shall thereafter cause to be obtained an interim attachment order from the Court.”

    Section 13 of the Federal High Court Act reads in part: “The Court may grant an injunction or appoint a receiver by an interlocutory order in all cases in which it appears to the Court to be just or convenient so to do.

    “Any such order may be made either unconditionally or on such terms and conditions as the Court thinks just.”

    Responding to a question, the source said: “If our investigation reveals that the assets are not owned by Mrs. Patience Jonathan, we will return them to their legitimate owners.”

    The Nation also gathered that the EFCC is not about to defreeze Mrs. Jonathan’s accounts under investigation.

    “We have retrieved documents on the pay package and monetized perks of Mrs. Patience Jonathan when she was a Permanent Secretary in the government of Bayelsa State. Her total emoluments do not tally with the funds remitted into the five accounts,” an EFCC source said.

    “She owes us a duty to explain how she came about these funds. Our investigation showed that the funds came from gratifications; it is left to her to prove otherwise.

    “The good thing is that the ex-First Lady was the one who sued EFCC demanding the release of her $31million. She has a duty as a former public officer to explain how she earned the funds. Did she declare these funds in her Assets Declaration Form as a Permanent Secretary?

    “We are happy that the case is in court and the onus is on her to prove ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ that she is the owner of the funds. If we had initiated the action, some people by now will be accusing EFCC of witch-hunt.

    “But she went to court to exercise her rights under the law. The same law demands that you must seek equity with clean hands. I think the press should take more than a passing interest in what is going on in the court.”

    The anti-graft agency claimed last week that it has established a prima facie case of money laundering against the ex-First Lady and 10 others.

    The 11 suspects may face trial for money laundering if the recommendation of the investigative team is upheld.

    The EFCC declared that “preliminary investigation has also indicted Mrs. Patience Jonathan.”

    The other 10 suspects indicted by the investigative team are a former Senior Special Assistant ( Domestic / Household and Social Events to the former President), Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel; Damola Bolodeoku; Dipo Oshodi; Theodora Varinik; Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development and Investment Limited; Globus Integrated Services Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Skye Bank Plc. The report said in part: “Based on the investigation so far carried out, it has revealed that the four fraudulent VISA Platinum USD Card accounts used by Mrs. Patience Goodluck Jonathan  has a cumulative balance of $14,029.881.79 which has been swept Post No Debit Card category.

    “Again, her personal account, different from the four fraudulent VISA Platinum USD Card accounts, bears the balance of $5,841,426.17.

    “Considering the above stated findings, we can safely conclude that a prima facie case of conspiracy to retain proceeds of unlawful activities, retention of the proceeds of unlawful activities, money laundering contrary to Section 15(3) and 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and forgery contrary to Section 1(2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act,  Cap M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004 have been established against the aforementioned suspects.”

    Also, Mrs. Jonathan has admitted that she is the owner and signatory to the five accounts in which the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) found over $22.3million.

    She said she has never received any monies from any unknown sources paid into the five accounts.

    But she was silent on the sources of the cash wired into the affected accounts.

    She however explained that the accounts were opened to facilitate her travel overseas particularly for medical treatment, sundry purchase for herself and her late mother Mrs. Charity Oba (Mama Sisi).

    She indicted Wampemo-Owei Dudafa who was the Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to the former President Dr. Jonathan, and Skye Bank officials for registering phony companies for four of the five accounts.

    A statement by her Media Office said: “Sometime in 2013, following the advice of top officials of the EFCC then in the company of Wampemo-Owei Dudafa who was the Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to the former President Dr. Jonathan, that she should not travel oversees with cash otherwise she may contravene Money Laundering laws, Mrs. Patience Jonathan agreed to open accounts with Skye Bank Plc and directed Dudafa to see to it.

    “Dudafa came with two bank managers (Officials) of Skye Bank Plc with the account opening forms which she duly signed.

    “These accounts were all dollar based Platinum Visa cards in respect of five accounts.

    “When the bank officials brought the ATM cards for the said accounts of which she is sole signatory, she discovered to her surprise that only one of these accounts bore her personal name while four were in the names of companies not known to her.

    “She immediately complained about this anomaly to Dudafa and the bank officials, Demola Doledeoku and Dipo Oshodi came back to the villa with forms to change and convert the said accounts to the personal name of Mrs. Jonathan.

    “This was her firm request which the bank officials promised to effect immediately and she duly completed account conversion forms and signed the mandate forms as a the sole signatory, but as it would appear, the said bank officials did not change the Account names despite her request.

    “It was in 2014 or thereabout that she was given the ATM cards for all the five accounts with the bank officials promising to exchange the cards for the four reflecting her correct names. This again, the banks officials failed to do despite her repeated request.”

     

  • Ex-First Lady faults firms that pleaded guilty

    Ex-First Lady faults firms that pleaded guilty

    Former First Lady Patience Jonathan yesterday admitted that she is the owner and signatory to the five accounts in which the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) found over $22.3million.

    She said she has never received any money from any unknown sources paid into the five accounts.

    But she was silent on the sources of the cash wired into the accounts.

    Mrs. Jonathan, however, explained that the accounts were opened to facilitate her travel overseas, particularly for medical treatment, sundry purchase for herself and her late mother Mrs. Charity Oba (Mama Sisi).

    She indicted Mr. Wampemo-Owei Dudafa, the Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, and Skye Bank officials for registering phony companies for four of the five accounts.

    She denied opening the accounts in the names of cooks, drivers and artisans.

    In a statement by Yemi Akinbode, Mrs Jonathan picked holes in the authenticity of the representatives of the four companies who pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering.

    He quoted her lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole, as saying she would appeal the validity of the representatives of Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited.

    The former First Lady’s counsel alleged that the prosecution presented four unknown people as the companies’ representatives, all of whom he said did not show letters authorising them by their respective boards to represent them in the case.

     “This is a clear evidence of the desperation of the prosecution to pull down the former First Lady and confiscate her hard-earned money,” the statement quoted Oyewole as saying.

    The ex-First Lady, in another  statement by Media Assistant Chima Osuji, said although the accounts were opened in 2013, she started operating them in 2014.

    She said the remittances into the five accounts were one-third of the $31.7million being claimed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Mrs. Jonathan said she was yet to get a copy of the no debit/freezing order issued by the EFCC on the accounts and likened the agency’s investigation to Nuremberg trials.

    According to Wikipedia, Nuremberg trials were “a series of military tribunals, held by the Allied Forces after World War II which were most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, judicial and economic leadership of Nazi Germany who planned, carried out, or otherwise participated in The Holocaust and other war crimes.” The trials were held in the city of Nuremberg in Germany.

    The statement said:  “Sometime in 2013, following the advice of top officials of the EFCC then in the company of Hon. Wampemo-Owei Dudafa who was the Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to the former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, that she should not travel oversees with cash, otherwise she may contravene Money Laundering laws, Mrs Patience Jonathan agreed to open accounts with Skye Bank Plc and directed Hon. Dudafa to see to it.

    “Hon Dudafa came with two bank managers (officials) of Skye Bank Plc with the account opening forms which she duly signed.

    “These accounts were all dollar based Platinum Visa cards in respect of five accounts.

    “When the bank officials brought the ATM cards for the said accounts of which she is sole signatory, she discovered to her surprise that only one of these accounts bore her personal name while four were in the names of companies not known to her.

    “She immediately complained about this anomaly to Hon. Dudafa and the bank officials, Demola Doledeoku and Dipo Oshodi, came back to the Villa with forms to change and convert the said accounts to the personal name of Mrs Jonathan.

    “This was her firm request which the bank officials promised to effect immediately and she duly completed account conversion forms and signed the mandate forms as a the sole signatory, but as it would appear, the said bank officials did not change the Account names despite her request.

    “It was in 2014 or thereabout that she was given the ATM cards for all the five accounts, with the bank officials promising to exchange the cards for the four reflecting her correct names. This again, the bank officials failed to do despite her repeated request.”

    The former First Lady, fondly known as Madam P, denied opening the accounts in the names of cooks, drivers and artisans.

    The statement said: “That Mrs. Patience Jonathan opened accounts in the names of cooks, drivers and artisans. This is perhaps the biggest falsehood to the knowledge of EFCC.

    “The purpose for these tales by moonlight is to malign our client in the eyes of the misinformed and unsuspecting members of the Nigerian public and beyond and give a semblance of a picture of a hardworking agency bent on fighting corruption and indeed winning the war.

    “It is unfortunate that the EFCC, which belongs to all Nigerians, will rather than conduct a painstaking and thorough investigation of cases brought to it, will resort to a greater disposition and propensity to engage in media trials built on outright falsehood and give to innocent persons, including Mrs. Patience Jonathan, the toga of a “thief” or “corrupt” person even before any proper trial.”

     She said the accounts were opened to facilitate her travel overseas, particularly for medical treatment, sundry purchase for herself and her late mother, Mrs. Charity Oba (Mama Sisi).

    “It is important to highlight the following;

    • Mrs Patience Jonathan is not a director, shareholder, promoter and/or participant in any of the aforementioned four companies.
    • Mrs. Patience Jonathan is the sole signatory to all the said accounts. There is no driver, cook or artisan made to open or sign the said account with her.
    • Mrs. Patience Jonathan has never received any monies from any unknown sources paid into her accounts.
    • The said accounts as aforesaid were to facilitate her travel overseas, particularly for medical treatment, sundry purchase for herself and her late mother Mrs. Charity Oba (Mama Sisi).
    • Mrs. Patience Jonathan has never been involved in any economic crime at all.
    • These cards, all of them were being used solely by Mrs. Patience Jonathan until the four cards failed to function sometime on the 27th July 2016, which necessitated her contacting the said Skye Bank Plc to find out what the problem might be.
    • It was then, for the first time the officials of Skye Bank Plc informed Mrs Patience Jonathan that EFCC placed a no debit order/ freezing instruction on the said accounts. This was in spite of the Bank informing EFCC that those four accounts belonged to Mrs. Patience Jonathan personally.
    • It was at this stage that Mrs. Jonathan contacted her lawyers to protect her interest in her accounts with Skye Bank Plc with a Letter of Authority. The lawyers promptly contacted Skye Bank Plc.

    “The officials of the bank       wrote to the lawyers confirming the no debit status placed on the said accounts without any notification to Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

    The ex-First Lady said the net balance in the five accounts was below one-third of the $31.7million allegedly credited to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

     The statement added:   ”It is noteworthy to state that:

     ”The net balance in the said four accounts is below one third of the falsely quoted $31.7million dollars. We challenge EFCC to provide documents showing otherwise and linked to Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

     ”Hon. Dudafa and the bank managers named earlier have all in writing informed the EFCC that the said balances in the said accounts belong to Mrs. Patience Jonathan but the EFCC rather than act on those credible sources of information decided to orchestrate a mechanism to forcefully seize the monies belonging to her without any iota of evidence that the said sums were proceeds of “economic crime” at all.

    She said she was yet to get a copy of the no debit/freezing order issued by the EFCC on the accounts.

    The statement said: “Both EFCC and Skye Bank Plc have, despite repeated requests failed, neglected and/ or refused to avail the lawyers to Mrs. Patience Jonathan copy of the no debit/freezing order issued by the EFCC on the said accounts

    “On 3rd August, 2016, the lawyers of Mrs. Jonathan approached the EFCC Zonal Office in Lagos and met with the head of STF investigation, Mr. Orji Chukwuma to protest on behalf of Mrs. Patience Jonathan who said who said he would get back to the lawyers but never did until date.

    “The Lawyers were therefore constrained to petition the Chairman, EFCC and the EFCC Zonal Head, Lagos on this issue vide a letter dated 10th August, 2016.

     ”Rather than EFCC to respond to the valid and plausible complaints of the lawyers, they resorted to intimidating, torturing and forcing the Hon. Dudafa, Demola Bolodeoku and Dipo Oshodi amongst others to cajole them to make statements incriminating Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

    “The EFCC also called the Skye Bank officials restraining them from communicating with the lawyers or giving them documents all in a bid to rope in Mrs. Patience Jonathan.”

    The ex-First Lady gave the details of the circumstances which forced her to sue EFCC.

    She said: “Finally, the EFCC resorted to taking fast and surreptitious steps to get the Federal High Court where the criminal case Charge no: FHC/337C/16 is pending to get a final order to confiscate the funds in the said accounts without any notification to Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

    “The attempt has failed three times that the case came up with the EFCC clearly unable to prove its case or open same.

     ”It was in the above circumstances and left with no other option, and to protect her legal rights under the Constitution that Mrs. Patience Jonathan was constrained to file a suit in the Federal High Court.

    “It was the failure of the EFCC to obtain the forfeiture order on the last date at the Federal High Court sitting which was on the 8th august, 2016 that the heavens were let loose, leading to EFCC orchestrating the aforementioned false and malicious publications against the person of Mrs. Patience Jonathan, unleashing so much vendetta; vindictiveness and carefully planned rehearsed act of witch-hunt against her.”

    Mrs. Patience Jonathan likened her investigation by the EFCC to Nuremberg trial

     ”It remains to wonder aloud the following pertinent questions:

    • Is every wife of a successful politician being investigated for her lifestyle in respect of funds in her private accounts?
    • Is there a complaint and if so from who as to the funds in the accounts which Skye Bank has confirmed solely belongs to Mrs. Patience Jonathan?
    • Why is EFCC hell bent on intimidating and molesting witnesses including bank officials, to rope in Mrs. Patience Jonathan in this criminal matter that has nothing to do with her?
    • Is EFCC now involved in investigation that is similar to that at the Nuremberg trial where everyone arrested by them is presumed guilty until the person proves the contrary?
    • Can EFCC who by its actions have turned prosecutorial against Mrs. Patience Jonathan be trusted to still give her fair hearing?

    “In the light of the foregoing, it is important to emphasise that EFCC needs to desist from media trial of innocent citizens before trial.

    “We commend EFCC to adhere to this immutable advice by Hon. Leo Ogor, the distinguished Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

    “ We are fortified in this view by the recent statement of the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, that in the pursuit of the anti-corruption war, the rule of law must be followed and respect for human rights to be adhered to, for it is a truism that no man should be condemned unheard.

     ”We are making this statement to put the facts of this matter in proper perspective and Her Excellency Mrs. Patience Ibifaka Jonathan will not make any further statements on this issue as a law abiding citizen since the issues have been turned over to the courts for adjudication, and the matter is subjudice.”

  • Patience Jonathan, Bola Shagaya still inseparable

    Patience Jonathan, Bola Shagaya still inseparable

    Genuine friendship would survive any dispute or competition while true partnership would provide strength in times of trouble and confusion. It takes a man of a brave heart and unwavering allegiance to stand by a friend when the going gets tough and good times dissolve like ice in scorching sun.

    The friendship between Bola Shagaya and former Nigeria’s first lady, Patience Jonathan, is still waxing strong. The billionaire businesswoman seems determined to prove that true friendship exists in a realm where friendship and enmity does not last. Contrary to rumours that she has abandoned her close friend, Patience Jonathan, investigation revealed that the two remain as close as ever.

    Shagaya, an Ilorin-born businesswoman remains one of the few women that are still standing by Patience Jonathan since her husband, Goodluck Jonathan, lost the presidential election. Not a few had thought that Shagaya was in the relationship for money and influence when the duo became friends at the dawn of Jonathan’s emergence as Vice-President after the 2007 general election.

    Their friendship was allegedly frowned upon by the then first lady of Nigeria, Turai Yar’ Adua, but the latter’s efforts to drive them apart were futile.  To their credit, the two have remained inseparable in spite of their differences in terms of age, tribe and religion.

  • Patience Jonathan’s ex-security aide killed in Abuja

    Police officer, Tamuno Jacob Igbomie, who was Principal Security Officer (PSO) to former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, was shot dead by unknown assailants last Friday on Airport Road, Abuja.

    The body of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) was discovered in his Honda Accord car, after gunmen said to be “assassins shot him at a close range in his car”.

    The Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, confirmed the killing. He added that investigation has started  to arrest the assailants.

    “Yes, a DSP attached to the villa was killed last week Friday. Investigation has started to find out the people behind the murder. No arrest has been made yet,” Ojukwu said yesterday.

    The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Anjuguri Manzah, said the FCT Commissioner of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, had ordered an investigation into the tragic incident.

    A police source said his body “was found early in the morning. But surprisingly, all his phones, wallet and other personal belongings were intact in the car, which engine was left running”.

    It was learnt that the late Igbomie, who hailed from Okrika, Bayelsa State, served at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command before being deployed to the Presidential Villa as Patience’s  Aide-De-Camp (ADC) when Jonathan was the vice president.

    “He was later appointed as the PSO to Patience when her husband became the President,” the source said.

    Another source added: “Tamuno must have been killed by hired assassins because they did not steal anything from his car. We met his phones and wallet with him when his body was found in the car with the engine running.

    “He was shot in the night and his body was found early in the morning. We don’t know if he was killed over a business transaction or disagreement with someone.”

    It was gathered that  the late police officer was just redeployed to the FCT Police Command.

    The late Igbomie was married and had two children.

  • Jonathan, Patience leave for Otuoke

    Jonathan, Patience leave for Otuoke

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan Friday left the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja for his home town Otuoke in Bayelsa State.
    He took off on Nigerian Air Force Aircraft, flight 5N-FGW at about 12.03 pm
    He left in company of his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan , his Aide-De- Camp (ADC) Colonel Ojogbane Adegbe, his escort and some of security personnel.
    Some of those who bade him farewell at the Presidential wing of the airport are some members of his cabinet.
    They were led by the former President, Arch. Namadi Sambo, Attorney General of the Federation Mohammed Adoke, the Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka, FCT Minister Bala Mohammed and other members of his cabinet
  • Polls’ violence: Patience Jonathan, Orubebe, others faces U.S visa ban

    Polls’ violence: Patience Jonathan, Orubebe, others faces U.S visa ban

    The United States government said on Monday it will impose visa restrictions on the wife of Nigeria’s president, Patience Jonathan, a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, the governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, and several others for inciting violence and interfering with the country’s electoral process.

    The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said in a ​statement that America will shut its doors on people involved in any form of violence during the polls.

    “Anyone found to have incited violence or interfered with electoral processes will be unwelcome in the United States and subject to visa sanctions,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said in the statement.

    Although the U.S official did not mention names of those considered for sanctions, Orubebe has been listed in several quarters as one of those that will be affected, ostensibly because of his unruly behavior during the collation of the presidential election results at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s National Collation centre in Abuja last month.

    The former minister verbally assaulted the INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, alleging that the results of the election were skewed in favour of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

    Although Orubebe later apologized to Nigerians, his action was widely condemned within and outside the country.

    Mrs. Jonathan on her part incited violence against APC supporters during the Peoples Democratic Party’s campaign activities in some parts of the country.

    Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said while the elections were generally peaceful, some people resolved to undermine the will of Nigerians and interfere with electoral processes through violence and voter intimidation.

     

  • Patience Jonathan doesn’t need your advice, PDP tells Buhari’s wife

    Patience Jonathan doesn’t need your advice, PDP tells Buhari’s wife

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign organisation has spurned the assurance given the First Lady, Patience Jonathan by Hadjia Aisha Buhari, wife of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

    Mrs. Buhari had offered a word of assurance to Mrs. Jonathan that neither she nor her husband, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan will go to jail if Buhari wins the presidential election.

    Mrs. Buhari’s advice followed the First Lady’s repeated statements expressing fears that Buhari might jail the first couple, apparently for corruption if the APC candidate becomes president.

    But in a statement yesterday, the PDP campaign organisation asked Mrs. Buhari to keep her assurances to herself, saying Mrs. Jonathan did not need the assurance.

    The Director of Media and Publicity of the campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode said, “the entire PDP presidential campaign did not appreciate her counsel because the First Lady has not committed any offence.

    “We take note of what Hajia Aisha Buhari has said. But we don’t appreciate her counsel and neither do we need any advice from her because the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has not done anything wrong.”

    In a separate statement also yesterday, Fani-Kayode said the APC should state whether or not its presidential candidate, could guarantee that not one dollar of Al-Qeda, ISIS or ISIL (terrorist groups) money had been used to support his presidential campaign.

    Fani-Kayode, in a swift response to the threat of court action by the spokesperson of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Malam Garba Shehu, on the question, said it was a pity that supposed educated persons could not make a distinction between a question and an assertion.

    “If they are waiting for a retraction to our questions, they will wait forever. Hell will freeze over before we retract any question that we have put. We will not retract any question rather we will continue to put more uncomfortable questions to them until they provide answers by saying yes or no.”

  • Patience Jonathan’s excesses

    SIR: I am compelled to write this because of the excesses of Nigeria’s acclaimed first lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan regarding the aspiration of her husband for second term. She threw the first salvo sometime ago in the heat of her campaign for the re-election of her husband, when she condemnably mocked the people of the north saying in pidgin English; “we don’t born shildren, throw dat shildren to the street, we are not like the other side”. Then, Mrs. Jonathan had the audacity to call the major opponent of her husband for the presidential election, General Muhammadu Buhari, “brain death”. This is clearly uncultured for an African woman, to insult another woman’s husband.

    Recently, in Edo State, she said; “we must get second term”. This statement by the first lady shows the desperation of her getting a re-election for her husband at all cost. Mrs Jonathan needs to realise the fact that politics entails decency in all ramifications and not gutter language especially at this trying moment for her husband’s second term bid. She also needs to weight her language and the kind of words she uttered especially in campaigning for her husband.

    The basis for the vituperations she is pouring left, right and centre does not augur well for the re-election of her husband, who is facing his toughest political journey. The harsh words that she is pouring can ultimately do great damage to the aspiration of her husband. She needs to exhibit high moral sense in soliciting support for husband in this great contest of his life.

    Mudslinging cannot play any vital role in her quest to still be called the first lady of the nation. What should preoccupy her now is how to do damage control. Denigrating others by mama peace in the course of securing base for her husband cannot take her anywhere. Though, she has freedom of expression, she ought to exercise it within the dictate of decency as a first lady that is expected to show genuine concern rather than insulting the sensibilities of the people.

     

    • Usman Santuraki,

     Santuraki Close, Jambutu Ward, Jimeta-Yola.

  • Open Letter to Patience Jonathan

    SIR: Dear Dame Jonathan, I hope all is well with you and your family? Let me begin by apologising for conveying this message to you through this medium. If it were possible, I would have preferred to converse with you directly to obviate the public backlash that may likely be occasioned by this open letter.

    Madam, be rest assured that before writing this long innocuous letter, I had dispassionately ruminated over the possible consequences of an ‘ordinary’ citizen like me engaging the most ‘vociferous’, powerful and dreaded woman of the most populous black nation on earth. I equally adverted my mind to the fact that you are not only a married woman but the wife of the President and Commander – In – Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I did that because in my culture, it is not permissible to express perceivable insolence towards a married woman.

    Let me quickly state that this cultural immunity is not rigid. The immunity is liable to be disregarded, taken away or waived. When a married woman exudes total contempt for acceptable cultural, moral, ethical and legal prescriptions and standards without reference and regard to her marital status she is deemed to have waived this immunity and will be treated like any other person. Just in case you are oblivious of the non – recognition of the office of the First Lady by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and by any other law in Nigeria, may I humbly put you on notice that a ‘First Lady’ whether of Nigeria or of a state of the federation is and remains and unconstitutional being. It is a creation of the society and the political class not law.

    Being the wife of the president or governor does not make one a public officer; it does not confer any legally cognizable privilege or right.

    Whatever respect and recognition is accorded you and wives of governors by other citizens of this country is purely out of courtesy. It is not because they stand to lose anything if they don’t respect you. It does not also imply that they regard you as anything more than what you are; a woman that happens to be the wife of the president. Recall that Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka had admonished you in the past to first be a lady before being a “first lady”. He also described you as a “mere domestic appendage “. Mr. Soyinka actually spoke the minds of millions of Nigerians especially we the “collective children of anger”.

    During one of your recent needless campaign tour(s), you reportedly described the presidential candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress ( APC ), General Muhammadu Buhari as “brain dead”. An unfortunate outburst that has been upheld and reiterated by the spokesperson of your husband’s second term campaign organization, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode who is presently standing trial on corruption charges. Haba Madam! Is it not you that is called ‘Mama Peace’? Cases of political rivalry abound in other parts of the country because of your meddlesome and autocratic actions in the politics and affairs of this country.

    Please do not get me wrong, it is not my wish that you or the future wives of presidents and governors of this country be confined to the kitchen. Indeed, I am an advocate of women emancipation.

    Dear first lady, you are not the first woman on planet earth whose husband is privileged to be the president of a country. Others were before you, and many will be after you. So there is nothing peculiar or spiritual in being the wife of the president of a country. It’s time you retrace your steps and retreat from your inglorious war of attrition and campaign of calumny against weak and innocent people. Why should Lagos, Rivers and other states be shut down because of your visits? Why should innocent citizens be subjected to untold hardship because of your movement(s )?.

    No self – respecting woman will act and talk in a manner capable of portraying her husband as weak and irresponsible.

    Always be mindful of the fact that Nigeria is greater than the first family. It is greater than Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Without Nigeria, there will be no country for your husband to lead. And without your husband you will not be the wife of the president. Nigerians are not prepared to tolerate another four years of the locust. In 2011, your husband told us the story of his humble and undignified childhood; that he had no shoes.

    We were seduced, we voted for him in the hope that he will appreciate the historical significance of his election. Instead of paying us back with responsible and God fearing leadership, he took away our tattered slippers and gave it to the dogs. Now again, he thinks his ethnic, religious and hypocritical messages will secure him a second term.

    Chai, there is God ooo!

     

    • Inibehe Effiong,

    (From African Examiner)