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Tag: PDP

  • It will be most unlike PDP not to rig the 2015 election

    It will be most unlike PDP not to rig the 2015 election

    Why would Fayemi lose? he asked, and the soldier simply told him that even if Ekiti people voted from then till the next morning, PDP had already won, having pre-programmed the ballot papers

    General Buhari and Professor Osinbajo are not by any means men without fault. But they are our men for the job in the presidency at this point of our national history. The Buhari-Osinbajo presidency will not be an accidental or a reluctant presidency. These are two individuals with convictions of great possibilities for the nation. These are two men of courage: courage to follow through with great ideas; courage to take sides with the poor and the vulnerable; courage to do the right thing in the interest of the nation. The Buhari-Osinbajo presidency might be the beginning of our true democratic experience -the era where government is beholden to the people’ -Gbemi Jaiyebo, New York.

    The more popular Buhari gets, and he is catching on like wild fire, the more desperate to rig, PDP gets. Chief Olu Falae has not stopped bemoaning his 1999 loss to Obasanjo, claiming the election was rigged.  Many were killed in 2003 as thugs ensured that election results were declared for the PDP. It was worst in the Southwest where, anxious to outdo Awo, Obasanjo completely outmaneuvered the AD governors, except in Lagos. Suffice for the 2007 election to say that the late President Yar’ Adua was scandalised enough to publicly confess that he was rigged into office. Unfortunately, such  sense of shame has since departed the PDP; otherwise  they would not be  grandstanding, celebrating a non-existent transparency in the 2011 elections during which fake ballot papers, printed at an Abuja press named in General Buhari’s pleadings at the Presidential Election Tribunal, were flying  all around.  Ditto Ogun and Akwa Ibom, two PDP states. In more recent elections, Governor Adams Oshiomhole was close to tears describing to press men the shameless rigging and brigandage witnessed in an election in the Local Government Area of a top PDP chieftain in Edo State. Readers of this column are by now familiar with my take on the ’16:0 defeat’ of a sitting governor by now Governor Ayo Fayose of the PDP in Ekiti.

    Circumstances surrounding the Ekiti election which Professor Wole Soyinka aptly described as a mystery, and the call by Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, for a Memorandum of Undertaking which would see Jonathan and Buhari order/direct their supporters to accept the result of the presidential election, willy nilly, irrespective of the integrity of the process, in order to avoid any post electoral crisis, are the very reasons for this article at a time we should still be singing ‘Silent night’.

    Musliu Obanikoro, former, as well as, incoming State Minister for Defence, has been gloating and boasting concerning the 2015 election. The gentleman has been fouling the air around since he lost the governorship primary election to Mr Jimi Agbaje, believed by party leaders to have better electoral value. But having now successfully got back his ministerial position, which many believe was the reason for all the noise, he has headed to press interviews in celebration.  In the interview, published in the Punch of Sunday, 28 December, 2015, Obanikoro declared assuredly:

    “Ogunlewe said in his interview with Sunday Punch that he doesn’t know whether the PDP will win in the Southwest. He said it is not yet time for him to talk about that. But it is time for me to talk about it. I can tell you that we are going to win. The president is going to win BIG; WE ARE GOING TO CLEAR THE SOUTHWEST. YOU CAN MARK TODAY’S DATE AND QUOTE ME’.   Obanikoro may be everything Bode George and Seye called him but, they cannot contest the fact that this man knows much more than they do about PDP’s behind the scene escapades.  For instance, while it is doubtful if any of George or Seye knows anything about how the Ekiti election was won and lost, Obanikoro can beat his chest and claim he was one of  the high priests of that  strange election.  It is for that reason that, like Wike in Rivers State, Obanikoro almost fought to the death to be the PDP candidate in Lagos State, in the sure knowledge that he will win BIG. For Obanikoro to successfully controvert any of these, he must explain to Nigerians what exactly he was doing in Ekiti during the election. This is somebody who is neither from Ekiti nor is he an official of INEC and he cannot claim to have been performing any official duties since the military high command had earlier warned him against politicising the military.  While Jonathan’s goons were stopping and  detaining governors right on the highway to Ado-Ekiti, and stopping planes from landing anywhere near Ekiti, Obanikoro not only flew into Akure with an evil luggage which was later ferried into Ekiti in a bullion van as was  copiously reported by newspapers, he joined other non-Ekiti PDP busy bodies, among them a self-confessed Igbo serial  election rigger, all of who then worked the magic of  21 June, 2014,  that night when the police declared a totally unnecessary curfew. At this point, I must narrate a story told me by the very person to whom it happened. When one of the APC leaders detained before the election asked why they were being detained, he was told by the soldier guarding them that it was because they were the ones who could rouse people to riot after Fayemi had lost. Why would Fayemi lose? he asked, and the soldier simply told him that even if Ekiti people voted from then till  the next morning, PDP had  already won, having pre-programmed the ballot papers. He almost collapsed. The gentleman is alive and kicking.

    Only a fool would claim not to know that Obanikoro and Adesiyan were deliberately planted ahead of the elections as junior ministers in the armour-bearing ministries of Defence and Police Affairs for the sole purpose of intimidating and pacifying Yoruba land.  Obanikoro’s boasts, quoted above,  are very reminiscent of Fayose’s boasts before the Ekiti election. Fayose told everybody at his campaigns stops that he had already won. He even said he would defeat Fayemi in his ward which he, however, failed to do. But so certain of victory was he that he said publicly that Fayemi should not bother painting the new state house because he doesn’t know his preferred colours.  The Obanikoro boasts, also  a replica of  that of the president who  has already sent ambassadors to their heads of state as to  how seamless the 2015 election would be, are no phony boasts at all. Ekiti has more than shown that these people get serious when the business at hand concerns rigging and I just hope APC is not sleeping. INEC must be compelled to conduct the election strictly according to the provisions of the Electoral Law which, among other things, prescribes ONLY INDELIBLE INK. Rogue elements within INEC rigged the Ekiti election for PDP simply by supplying VANISHING INK in place of indelible ink.  I have once written on these pages  that when you see a seemingly powerful governor, as in Akwa Ibom, or a presidency- supported candidate like Wike , insisting on a particular candidate, or being the candidate himself, to the total chagrin of majority of  party members, many of who are therefore defecting to other parties, and  the PDP  is unconcerned, it is because they are not  depending  on legitimate votes for victory.

    The purpose of this article is to ask Nigerians to plead with the PDP – being the party with the history and the material capacity to rig on an industrial scale, to spare Nigeria the consequences of a probable post-election crisis. Unfortunately for the Southwest, most of those who traditionally perform this function – a check on governments – have already been sucked in by, and at, the National Conference and now love Jonathan more than an Asari Dokubo with books getting written and published in under two weeks and with Obasanjo getting serially thrashed by an amalgam of deliberately selected Yoruba National conferees. I cannot wonder enough as to where they will disappear to when Asari Dokubo levels their territory as he has promised, and, by the way, we are yet to hear these acclaimed Yoruba leaders comment on that threat by the President’s Ijaw compatriot.  Luckily for Nigeria, there are still enough men of integrity to do the needful.

    I wish my readers a happy and wonderful New Year.

  • Ikimi sidelined in PDP

    Ikimi sidelined in PDP

    FORMER External Affairs Minister, Tom Ikimi, is not a happy man at the moment. Sources revealed that Ikimi’s high hopes following his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) some months have been dashed due to alleged unfulfilled promises of the PDP leadership. Within the Edo PDP and at the national level, Ikimi has become irrelevant, as most part

    IT is no longer news that Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has picked Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga as his running mate for the February 21 governorship elections in the state.

    A surprise pick from the array of prominent politicians and associates who jostled for the slot, Onanuga’s choice according to sources, was informed by the need to strike a delicate balance in the sharing of two most powerful elective positions, in addition to settling for someone with little or no political experience that can rock the boat of the administration.

    Until her nomination by the governor, Onanuga was a Director of Finance and Administration in the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment.

    If the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) wins the election, Onanuga would succeed Prince Segun Adesegun, who has defected to the Social Democratic Party alongside a faction of the APC led by a former governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba.

    Sources disclosed that Onanuga’s choice was a political masterstroke by the governor based on the former civil servant’s lineage by birth and marriage to Ijebu Ode and Ijebu Igbo, two major towns that are very strategic in the political equation of the state.

    From Aparaki, Ijebu Igbo in Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state, Onanuga is married to Chief Giwa Onanuga from Ijebu- Ode Local Government Area.

    She holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business Administration from the Lagos State Institute of Science and Technology and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Ogun State University, Ago Iwoye.

    y members in the state still defer to Chief Anthony Anenih, the Chairman of its Board of Trustees (BOT).

  • Ogun Central: The battle of two doctors

    Ogun Central: The battle of two doctors

    IT’S no longer news that Bisola, wife of Ijaw leader would be running for Ogun Central senatorial election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) come next month. The medical doctor-turned-politician’s major opponent is a fellow medical practitioner, Lanre Tejuosho, a blue blood and son of the Osile Oke Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuosho, himself a medical doctor. While the younger Tejuosho, the APC candidate would be relying on his pedigree and support of the ruling government in the state to win the seat, Clark’s aspiration is being hampered by the festering crisis in Ogun PDP, which has read its ugly head after about four years of relative peace.

  • Niger: PDP, APC in two-horse race

    Niger: PDP, APC in two-horse race

    POPULAR and well-loved politician, Abubakar Sani Bello emerged in Niger State as the governorship candidate of the opposition All Progressives Party (APC) after a protrafted political contest with other chieftians of the party angling for the ticket.Pundits say the affable polititician’s choice is the best for the APC.

    However, he has to contend with another young but fast rising politician, Umar Nasko, who is flying the banner of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February governorship election. Umar, who shook off fierce contest from a number of PDP bigwigs in the state to pick the ticket, acording to observers, enjoys the backing of two-term state Governor, Dr. Aliyu Babangida.

    The implication of this is that Bello will have to battle Babangida’s power of incumbent amongst other things, to defeat Umar, the governor’s annointed candidate and sucessor.

    “The governorship election here is too close to call. It is too early to say which party will win. I listen to some people saying Niger is a PDP state and I laugh. As we speak, the APC has one of the three senate sats in the state. Many frontline politicians are in the APC and the people are more sympathetic to the APC especially because of General Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential candidature on the same party.

    If you consider this and also consider the fact that many people here love the Governor, Babangida Aliyu, you will agree with me that it is too early to decide who wins. The people will decide eventually but I pray they give it to the APC candidate because he is more matured and prepared to govern a state like Niger.

    Although the people love Nasko too, many are of the opinion that he is too young to be Governor. There is the fear that Governor Aliyu may have annointed him so as to be able to influcence him. These are the issues that will determine the next governroship election in our state,” Alhaji Ahmed Barde, former Vice chairman of the All Peoples Party (APP) in the state said.

    But Nasko, has said he is not too young to be the governor of Niger State. He recently told the large crowd of supporters from all over the state and party chieftains that at 40, he could not be said to be young to run the affairs of the state as suggested by his adversaries.

    He reasoned that with the life expectancy of 50 years in Nigeria, he was not young to understand the peculiar demands and needs of people of the state as he had adequately prepared himself for the challenge ahead.

    “In a country where life expectancy is put at less than fifty years, a forty-year old couldn’t be ‘too young’ to serve in the exalted office of state governor”, Nasko said, adding that he had received enough mentoring by Governor Aliyu to advance the course of development of the state.

    He expressed his feelings at being given the ticket, saying it is a confirmation of “your belief in the capacity of the youth and the young at heart to provide purposeful leadership.

    But a chieftain of the party in the state, Abdullai Marafa, said the PDP may lose because theGovernor has allowed his selfish agenda and interest to becloud his sense of justice and fairness, which will in turn affect the internal democracy within the party.

    “Our Chief Servant always pay lip service to supremacy of the party, and go behind the door to undermine the organs of the party and the members of the party who have being contributing to the growth of the party that he has reap from in the past seven years.

    Since he came to office the Party always find it difficult to win elections even in places that the party has strong hold, it is on record that the state House of assembly used to be 100 percent PDP, the House of Representatives PDP, Senate 100 percent PDP but today the story is different.

    He is not worried that in his ward and polling unit PDP has always being loosing; Niger North had PDP Senator but today the Niger north Senator is an All Progressive Congress APC member because of the selfish politics of the Chief servant that has exposed the party to the opposition,” Marafa said.

    Expressing further fear over the chances of the PDP, Marafa said, “the experiences during the last Niger East Bye-election has shown us in PDP that the party may not win the state in 2015.”

    Reaching out to the electorate recently, Bello, the APC gubernatorial candidate, said he would focus attention on rural development if elected governor in 2015.

    “Local government areas have no commercial activities; they need to be funded so as to reduce the level of poverty. We went round the 25 local government areas of the state; I must say that I wept due to the kind of hardship and poverty the people are confronted with.

    A lot of them are exposed to different kinds of diseases from the contaminated water they drink as a result of open defecation. If elected into office, there will be training and re-training of local government officials, it would include practical and theoretical training. Proper education must be given to these people, what we saw was pathetic, I am sad with what I saw.”

    Bello said more public schools with adequate facilities would be provided in the rural areas, adding that education was key to development. He also pledged to address the problem of corruption at both Local and state levels.

    “As a leader, you lead by example, and to truly have a democratic country, we must have a corruption-free country.” He called on the people of the state not to relent “because the race is not over yet. We seek your support during the elections”, he said.

  • APC dares PDP in Cross Rivers State

    APC dares PDP in Cross Rivers State

    SINCE the registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its shcoking merger with a group of prominent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftians under the auspice of the New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), the race towards the 2015 general election has become more tense in many states of the federation.

    Pundits say while the situation is dicey in some states because of the incumbency factor, the APC’s rising profile is giving the PDP a tough fight in a number of others. In Cross Rivers State, where the PDP is the ruling party, political analysts are saying it may be too early to give the governorship party to either of the parties in spite of the fact that PDP hold the aces.

    “The situation is such that while yoyu can say the ruling party is in good stead to remain in offcie beyond 2015, you cannot and must not say the opposition APC is not in a position to spring suprises. These are tow states where the APC was little known a few months back. But the situation is different today.

    The party has good presence in the state and has even chosen candidates that are no political push overs for itself. The people are given the very best of opportunity to make choices. This is unlike what obtained in the past, today, the people of these state can choose freely,” Geofrey Bassey, Programmes Officer at Voters’ Right Agenda, told our correspondent.

    Observers of the politics ofn the state said the ruling PDP made the best of a dicey situation when it hearkened to the voice of the majority and allowed the candidcay of Senator Benedict Ayade to stand in spite of alleged effort by some ‘Abuja’ politicians to upturn his victory.

    “If the PDP add fielded someone else, it would have shot itself in the leg because it would have more than its fair share of internal crisis to battle with instead of planning how to stop APC from dislodging it. But with Ayade, the partry is in a good position to face the oppositon party’s Odey Ochicha, another good choice as candidate.

    For me, I think the people of the state are the winners in this race because they have the opportunity to choose from two good candidates. Never before have the people of this state been prersented with a situation likem this. But I have a feeling the people will make a profound statement with their votes on election day,” Bassey said.

     

    The candidates and their running mates

    Senator Benendict Ayade, a professor of microbiology and lawyer, who currently represents the Cross River North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, where he is Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, is the governoship candidate of the ruling PDP.

    For his deputy, the party has chosen a foremr Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor Ivara Esu. The party thus prides itself for presenting to the people of the state, two erudite scholars as governorship and deputy governsorship candidate in the february electoral contest.

    Odey Ochicha would be flying the banner of the opposition APC. The party expresses confidence that in the Ochicha, a former topnotch of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), they have someone capable of stopping Governor Liyel Imoke’s dream of handing over to a fellow PDP chieftian as governor in May.

    Ochicha showed early promises of emerging as the flag bearer of the party. He triumphed over other aspirants in a free and fair primary election that held in Calabar. And his supporters say he is a worthy successor to the outgoing Governor Liyel Imoke.

    To join Ochicha on its ticket, the APC in Cross River picked an economist, Mr Sylvester Nsa, as deputy Governorship candidate in the 2015 gubernatorial election. The Cross River APC State Chairman, Mr Usani Usani, said the choice of Nsa was a unanimous one, after due consultations by the party buffs.

    Usani said Nsa’s choice arose from “political exigency” and was informed by positive electoral values it could bring to the party. “We have made a choice of the running mate for our governorship candidate after a successful governorship primary which was adjudged to be free and fair,” he said.

    The Nation learnt that the two party’s took a lot of factors into consideration in arriving a the choices of their candidates for the contest. Aside from popularity, acceptrance and qualifications, zoning was one other issue that both nthe PDP and the APC considered in no small measure in deciding who got the governorship and

     

    Zoning

    Thestruggle for the 2015 governorship tickets of PDP and the APC, the two leading political parties IN Cross Rivers State, was a silent tug of war between the South and Northern Senatorial Districts. Neither of the two senatorial district hid its desire to have one of its own emerge as the next governor of the state.

    To make the struggle more intense, the Calabar-Ogoja Accord was re-introudced by the south to support their case for the rotation of power between the geographical north (Atam) and south (Efik, others) irrespective of the fact that Cross River now stands on a senatorial tripod.

    The disputed accord lumps the Central and Northern Senatorial Districts as one and they argue that they should so enjoy the governorship slot together. With outgoing Governor Liyel Imoke hailing from the central senatorial district, the south agitated for the return of power to the Efiks in the south.

    Although Imoke had earlier announced that his successor would come from the north, a political ally of his, Gershom Bassey’s desire to succeed him proved a serious threat to the zoning arrangement in the state. But help came Imoke’s way when the top hierachy of the ruling party unanimously decided to zone the governorship of the state to the Northern Senatorial District.

    Not much came out of the decision of the Efiks to turn to the opposition APC for help as the party also read the mood of the people of the state correctly and gave its ticket to another northerner in the person of Ochicha.

    The decision of the APC to respect the zoning arrangement in the state put paid to the agitation from the south and set a stage for a fierce politcal contest between the ruling party and the rampaging opposition.

    Speaking on the changing face of the politics of the state, former Secretary to the State Government, Ntufam Fidelis Ugbe, said “The politics of Cross River State is what I regard as a family affair. It is a family affair, in the sense that when this political dispensation started in 1999, a number of Cross Riverians believed that the state was marginalised and there was need to come together as a family in order to have a strong foothold in Nigeria.

    That is what brought about the family issue because we believe that united we will stand and if we are divided we will fall. And if we do not want to allow Cross River State to be continuously marginalised by the Nigerian state, then we must be together as a family and fight as a family. There were two dominant parties in the state  the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    But because of the aspiration of everybody that we must be together and fight as one, the two parties gradually fused into one and the ANPP gradually phased out. In 1999, the two parties were almost equal in strength, in terms of even membership of the state House of Assembly. So, Cross River politics have been a family affair.”

    But the situation is different to day as the APC dares the ruling party for the political control of the state “The stage is set for a political struggle that will determine the future of the state. It is now left for the voters to make the best use of the situation by voting rightly. The two parties have campaigned vigourously. The candidates have reached out to the people and now, the people are to decide,” Bassey said.

  • Ihedioha plots Araraume’s expulsion

    Ihedioha plots Araraume’s expulsion

    ALL seems not well with the Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The fall-out of the party’s governorship primaries won by Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, sources alleged, has created a sharp division within the party, with one faction loyal to Ihedioha and the other faction rooting for his major opponent for the PDP ticket, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume. Rumours of Araraume’s likely expulsion from the party, which he rejoined a few months ago has gained ground in recent weeks, even as some influential members of the party are said to be secretly opposed to Ihedioha’s candidature.

  • As PDP rolls its selfish agenda into 2015

    As PDP rolls its selfish agenda into 2015

    Nigeria is lingering at a crossroads. It is grappling with the desire of a clique of politically insolvent leaders to perpetuate themselves and their cronies in power for economic gains. This is sapping this nation of all its vigour. But what is the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan’s real end game?

    To understand their secret power-grab strategy for a one-party nation ruled by one political party with a crony capitalist agenda, we need to understand this government’s manipulation of the centripetal and the centrifugal forces in shaping Nigeria’s socio-political terrain. PDP’s policy is simply to impose an agenda of transforming our democratic government and emerging but creeping free market economy into a nation governed by a rent-seeking cabal. This obsessive fixation on turning our multi-party system into a one-party monopoly has blinded them to the real issues threatening the economy, the safety and mutual co-existence of the Nigerian people.

    This fits perfectly into the unprecedented plan of the newly passed Election Act 2010 (As Amended), which seeks to limit the political space by giving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) additional powers to de-register political parties; an action some judges have pronounced ultra vires. The invocation of the Electoral Act 2010, which deregistered FRESH and 27 other political parties, is based on this unstated objective to keep the polity firmly in the hands of the governing elites. This has led many observers to wonder why INEC is behaving so badly, stabbing the rule of law in the head under Jonathan’s watch.

    It is also why, even though FRESH and one other party got their de-listing by INEC overturned by the courts, the electoral body ignored this ruling and foot-dragged on compliance until, like in the case of Hope Democratic Party (HDP), it reluctantly allowed the party to join the 2015 electoral contest at the close of nominations. FRESH, though rumoured to have been similarly re-enlisted, has still not been given a letter of recertification at the time of writing.

    Politicians like Rev. Chris Okotie who are proposing a new governance paradigm are out of the race- no thanks to INEC’s manipulations; the field is now left for the PDP’s incumbent President, Dr. Jonathan, and veteran candidate, APC’s Gen. Mohammadu Buhari, who is hoping to break the record with his fourth straight shot at the presidency. Their proposed debate, if it ever happens, will reveal a lot. But had Rev. Okotie been allowed the chance to sell his ideals of a new governance paradigm, the public would have been in for a rare treat: a battle between old war horses and a new kid on the block.

    We know what Gen. Buhari stands for: anti-corruption, discipline and efficient service delivery by civil servants. But what has the President’s transformation agenda produced since he mounted the saddle in 2010? Like the rebasing of the economy, he is rebasing corruption, impunity and lawlessness in high places. These are the reasons for the dysfunctional state of the economy that is unable to face up to the challenges of falling oil prices. It is this government’s refusal to foresee and preempt the reversal of our oil fortunes that has become the harbinger of bad omen for the nation, giving way to our self-inflicted economic woes, religious bigotry and aberrations like this resurfacing of austerity measures and the Boko Haram insurgency.

    The military will readily tell us that the deadliest sting of the terror group can be contained in a space of two weeks, but like President Jonathan once said, there are Boko Haram apologists in his government. These allies of the Boko Haram brigands, who are in government, obviously trade our soldiers’ souls by sending them to suicide missions with inappropriate fire-power. Truth is that these Boko Haram chaps are not the real problem; it is the cabal of untouchables behind the scenes who ensure that the reign of terror continues, that pose the real problem to our great nation.

    Look at the plight of the Bornu 12 alleged mutineers, whose lives hang in the balance by the court martial verdict of summary execution, for refusing to be led like lambs to the slaughter, despite the fact that they were fighting for their rights to be regarded as human beings and fathers who have family responsibilities. Nigerians should not remain passive but begin a #Freethebornu12 campaign hash-tag against such an injustice.

    It is in line with the need to honestly confront these issues by adopting a selfless leadership that Rev. Okotie began to promote the paradigm shift philosophy, seeing that the recycled hands on the deck lack the will and understanding to grapple with our age-long problems. Obviously, INEC with its well-crafted display of disregard for the rule of law has succeeded in truncating this, at least, as far as 2015 general election is concerned. But, having accomplished the great task of shoving the participation of FRESH aside by its cunning delay of the process of appealing the party’s verdict, INEC must still set the records straight, because a force for change has been denied the opportunity of actualising his mandate, not because he is unqualified, but because the power that be conspired to stop him. Whichever way the agency’s pendulum swings, one thing is sure: history shows that time always sets things right, and Nigeria will not be an exception. It’s just a matter of time, and the birth pangs will ease away for a new dawn for Nigeria under a new, progressive paradigm.

    •Muthada wrote in from Ilorin, Kwara State

  • INEC is conspiring with PDP, says Balarabe Musa

    INEC is conspiring with PDP, says Balarabe Musa

    FOURTEEN political parties, under the platform called Credible Alternative Alliance (CAA), have accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of conspiring with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to frustrate other political parties, ahead of the general elections.

    Former Governor of Old Kaduna State and a co-chairman of CAA Alhaji Balarabe Musa, who said this at a news conference in Abuja yesterday, decried the alleged stance of INEC on the merger of the political parties.

    Musa said: “INEC is deliberately creating difficulties for the emergence of parties under CAA. By doing so, the commission is conspiring with the PDP to make sure that they did not contest the 2015 general election and also not to vote.

    “What I mean is that those political parties, including the deregistered political parties, which are coming together to merge under CAA, are now faced with problems created by INEC to help the PDP. These political parties are not connected with the PDP and the APC. They have decided to form a democratic  and credible alliance under the leadership of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN).

    “But, INEC, which is serving the interest of the PDP, do not want to allow this to happen. Therefore, they are creating and supporting fictionalisation in the ACPN, so that there will not be a chance for these political parties to perfect their planned alliance.

    “INEC is illegally recognising a rebellious faction of the ACPN, so that ACPN will not give platform for these political parties to pursue their constitutional right of contesting election.”

    Musa vowed that the affected parties would not allow INEC to go away with its plans.

    The elder statesman noted that those behind the new political coalition were surprised to read in the newspapers that ACPN submitted the name of “Gani Galadima” along with other political parties that have submitted the names of their presidential candidates.

    But former governor said he never heard of “Gani Galadima” since his connection with ACPN, accusing INEC of smuggling him through the backdoor to frustrate the alliance.

    Musa, who is the chairman of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), also faulted President Goodluck Jonathan’s comment few days ago that no place was safe in Nigeria.

    He urged Jonathan to resign and forget running in the presidential election, adding that the president was “incompetent” to rule the country.

    His words: “Few days ago, President Jonathan said that there is no security anywhere in the country. The incompetence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is quite clear. We must correct the negative state of the nation.

    “Jonathan has proven what I have always said that he is incompetent; because he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the chief security officer of the country. If he knows that no part of Nigeria is safe, he should be able to do something about it, because that is what is expected of him.

    “If he cannot for whatever reason; then, he should resign. The implication of what Jonathan has said is that Nigerians should not rely on government.

    “With this statement, Jonathan has ruled himself out of contesting the  presidential election.”

  • Borno group rejects PDP governorship candidate

    Concerned Borno State indigenes in the Southwest have kicked against the choice of Alhaji Mohammed Imam as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in their state.

    Members of the Yerwa-Oodu’a socio-economic society said yesterday that Borno State should be led by the best the state could offer, especially as it was passing through difficult times in the hands of the Boko Haram insurgents.

    The group said they either belonged to the PDP nor the All Progressives Congress (APC), adding that its interest “is the future of the state”.

    The Borno State indigenes said this was why “we believe that the two leading parties ought to present credible candidates to enable the citizens make their choice”.

    They addressed reporters yesterday in Lagos.

    The Borno indigenes spoke through their Secretary, Haruna Wamdio, and Chairman, Alhaji Kachalla Bulama.

    The Yerwa-Oodu’a is a socio-economic society of Borno indigenes doing business and living in the Southwest. They expressed worry over the situation back home, having lost relations and friends to the insurgency in their state.

    Some of them said they were hosting in the Southwest family members who escaped from insurgency in their state.

    Wamdio said they were opposed to the candidacy of Imam, especially because he had not demonstrated good leadership in his private capacity.

    Besides, they said the PDP candidate was imposed on the party by former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff.

    The former governor had been under fire for single-handedly replacing Imam with Alhaji Gambo Lawan, who was “validly elected” by PDP delegates as the party’s standard bearer.

    The Borno indigenes said Imam ought not to be any party’s candidate because of his antecedent.

    They claimed that Modu Sheriff once refused to allow his daughter to marry Imam because of certain misgivings about his person.

    They queried why Sheriff would “impose on the people of Borno State the same man he refused to allow to become his son-in-law? Why should a man Sheriff considered not suitable for his own daughter to suddenly become suitable to manage the affairs of the over three million people of Borno State?”

  • PDP scores Jonathan high on transportation

    •Minister hails President for uniting Nigeria

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the performance of President Goodluck Jonathan in transport and aviation as unprecedented.

    In a statement yesterday, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said the party and “all well-meaning Nigerians” were happy with the transformation in these key sectors that support greater economic productivity.

    The statement said: “Under President Jonathan, rail services have returned, boosting not only commerce but also national integration.

    “Today, the Lagos-Ibadan- Osogbo-Ilorin-Minna-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano narrow gauge has been rehabilitated with improved fast coaches providing regular services. The Enugu-Port Harcourt-Enugu intercity train has been opened for operations while container cargo freight services from Apapa port complex have commenced.

    “Already, rehabilitation works on the Port Harcourt-Aba-Umuahia-Enugu-Markurdi-Lafia-Kuru-Bauchi-Gombe-Ashaka-Maiduguri, as well as the branch line from Kafanchan to Kaduna are at completion stages and will be operational soon.

    “In the same vein, work on the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge rail line has reached advanced stage and is expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2015.  This is in addition to the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri standard gauge line, which is projected to resume full operation by the middle of 2015.

    “Other segments of the new standard gauge speed train network are planned, with contract already awarded for the Lagos–Ibadan segment. Already, a Memorandum of Understanding for the construction of a new railway line that will run from Lagos to Calabar, extending to the Obudu Cattle Ranch has been signed.

    “Passengers carried by rail has increased from 1 million in 2012 to 4.2 million in 2013 and still growing with the opening of new lines in 2014.

    “On land transportation, the investment friendly environment created by the Jonathan administration has resulted in increased participation of private individuals and companies in road mass transit, including those funded through SURE-P and other financing windows, thereby reducing the land transport challenges faced by Nigerians”.

    Giving an overview of the achievements in the water transport sector, the party noted that the dredging of the River Escavos and the Niger from Warri to Baro in Niger State and the inland city ports in Onitsha have since been completed to create the desired inland water channel for movement of workers and goods.

    “This is in addition to the acceleration of the dredging work at the Lokoja axis and the opening of coastal transport services. In the last three years, over 6.7 million passengers and over 1.6 million tonnes of cargo have been moved through this channel.

    “In the same vein, extensive port reforms by the administration have paved the way for availability of twenty-four hour services with clearing time reduced from 39 days to 7 days for trouble-free cargo.

    “On aviation, it is incontrovertible that this sector, which in the past was denied desired attention, has been revamped and repositioned by President Jonathan.

    “In line with the President’s Transformation Agenda, the Aviation Ministry and its parastatals were immediately restructured, while obsolete infrastructure were either replaced or upgraded in all the major airports in line with international best practices.

    Also, the National Planning Minister, Dr. Sulaiman Olanrewaju Abubakar, said despite the challenges facing the nation, Jonathan deserved praise for keeping the country together.

    He assured Nigerians that next year will bring hope and succour.