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Tag: PRESIDENCY

  • Presidency, Tinubu clash over National Conference

    Presidency, Tinubu clash over National Conference

    Jonathan’s aides launch abuses

    Ex-governor: address doubts

    The President and his men were in a frenzy yesterday over the position of All Progressives Congress (APC) leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the planned national dialogue.

    Tinubu, on his return from a medical trip abroad on October 5, declared the planned talks as a “Greek gift”, which should be avoided because of the suspicious motive of the planners, especially President Goodluck Jonathan who suddenly dropped his long term opposition to the idea,

    On Sunday, in an elaborate statement, the former Lagos State Governor expanded on his reason for opposing the plan.

    He said: “Though I remain an unrepentant supporter of a genuine Sovereign National Conference, I am suspicious of their present concoction because it is half-baked, and fully deceptive. Government’s sincerity is questionable; the timing is also suspect. Now that this government is sinking in a pool of political and economic hot water of its own making, it seizes hold of the national conference idea as if it were a life jacket.”

    Tinubu’s position is published on page 44 today.

    Yesterday, Jonathan in his Eid-el-Kabir message, said: “Those who continue to say that the initiative is diversionary or aimed at promoting certain political ambitions are in error.”

    Besides, according to the President, the decision is in line with his “avowed commitment and my firm belief in the right to freedom of expression and the right of all people in a democracy to make choices on how they wish to live and be governed that I recently announced plans for an orderly national conversation on our problems and challenges”.

    Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs Dr. Doyin Okupe and Presidential Adviser on Amnesty Programme Mr Kinsley Kuku also replied Tinubu.

    Okupe spoke at a news conference in Abuja. Kuku issued a statement, which is also published as an advertorial in newspapers today.

    Okupe said Tinubu’s position on the conference does not represent the views of the majority of the Yoruba in the Southwest.

    Tinubu never said he was speaking for the Yoruba. He also did not say he was speaking for his party, the APC. Rather, he said he was expressing his own personal opinion adding the he would consult with his party.

    The President’s aide also faulted the APC leader’s query on Jonathan’s sincerity, saying the President had demonstrated reliability and capability in the handling of his administration’s electoral reform.

    “The reference to the fact that Mr. President is calling for a national conference at a time when his party, the PDP, seems to be having an internal crisis is plainly mischievous and dishonest,” he said, adding: “The APC leader, as usual, is completely off target.”

    “His assertion that there is an ulterior motive for the conference is purely conjectural and speculative; and has no foundation in any reasoning or logic. The onus is heavily on him to prove this, hence we will not dwell too much on this unjustifiable conclusion.

    “We wish to state categorically that President Goodluck Jonathan has shown convincingly that he is a credible, reliable and capable leader by his unprecedented achievements in such a short space of time. He most certainly does not flip-flop as the opposition politician insinuates,” Okupe said.

    On whether the President would have the courage to implement the resolutions of the conference, Okupe said since independence, this is the first time a Nigerian leader has called for such talks without a no-go-area clause.

    Okupe said: “President Jonathan promised to embark on electoral reforms with the sole aim of giving Nigerians the full value of credible elections.

    “It will be recalled that the very first general elections under the watch of President Jonathan was adjudged by both local and international observers, including leaders of foreign nations, such as America, Britain and France, as being one of the best ever in Nigerian history. This fact is further confirmed by a monumental reduction of almost 70 per cent of litigations arising from the conduct of elections in Nigeria.

    “Another pointer to his commitment in this regard are the Edo and Ondo states governorship elections where the President’s party, PDP, lost and the entire process was commended by all Nigerians, including Bola Tinubu’s party, the then ACN. One, therefore, wonders the mischief that Bola Tinubu intended to play by the alleged non implementation of reports of the Justice Uwais committee on electoral reforms.

    “Therefore, contrary to Senator Tinubu’s position, Mr President has demonstrated reliability and capability in his handling of his electoral reform promise to the Nigerian people.”

    Okupe also criticised Tinubu’s position on the usage of SURE-P cash and the implementation of the Amnesty programme.

    He said: “We submit for the records, the allocation to Sure-P and the projects to which the Federal Government has applied them. These are verifiable facts.

    “The Federal Government receives 41per cent of the total Sure-P funds while all the States and Local Governments receive the remaining 59per cent. “

    Okupe defended the Amnesty programme, adding: “The results of the various programmes of the Amnesty Office are self-evident and have definitely impacted positively on the lives and wellbeing of the youths and communities in the Niger Delta Region.”

    Kuku said the amnesty programme had achieved its objective through well thought-out vocational training and formal education schemes for the former militants.

    He then threw some posers, saying: “Is it a programme that has trained no fewer than 16,000 Niger Delta youths in three years that is a drain pipe? Is it a scheme through which commercial pilots have been produced for Nigeria that is a conduit pipe? What about the delegates currently undergoing jet/type-rating training at the Lufthansa Pilot Institute in Germany? Is it a programme that is producing aviation professionals, aeronautical engineers, marine/maritime technicians and technologists that is a conduit?”

     

  • PDP crisis: Presidency, G-7 governors shift talks

    PDP crisis: Presidency, G-7 governors shift talks

    Towards resolving the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Presidency and the aggrieved governors on Monday postponed the meeting till after the Muslim hajj and Christian pilgrimages.

    Journalists were however not allowed near the First Lady Conference room venue of the meeting.

    Among the aggrieved governors that attended the meeting were the Niger State’s Babangida Aliyu, Abdulfatah Ahmed ( Kwara), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Rabiu Kwankwaso ( Kano).

    The other three aggrieved governors – Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), who had traveled for the Muslim Hajj, reportedly sent apologies.

    The Cross Rivers State Governor, Liyel Imoke read the communiqué of the meeting alongside Babangida Aliyu, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada.

    Even as they agreed to sheath their swords, no particular date was fixed for the next meeting.

    Imoke said, “Sequel to the meeting held on the 15th of September and in line with the agreements reached at the meeting, the governors met with the President, Vice President and the Chairman of the board of trustees, with apologies from the Governors of Jigawa, Sokoto and Adamawa, who had traveled for the Hajj.”

    “The meeting which was cordial, resolved that inspite of the unfortunate events that arose after the meeting of 15th of September, the parties remain committed to the resolution of the differences.

    “The meeting agreed to continue to take steps towards implementing the resolutions agreed at the previous meetings.”

    “In view of the absence of some the governors it was resolved that the meetings be reconvened shortly after the Muslim hajj and Christian pilgrimages are concluded,” he stated.

    Other governors who attended the meeting were Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Ibrahim Shema (Katsina State).

     

  • Senator: we started struggle for Jonathan presidency

    Senator: we started struggle for Jonathan presidency

    The lawmaker representing Rivers Southeast, Senator Magnus Abe, has said President Goodluck Jonathan became the head of state after intense struggle by eminent Rivers sons and other notable personalities from the Southsouth.

    He spoke at the third synod of St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church, Bera Deanery and at a sensitisation rally at Methodist Secondary School field, Bean, in Gokana and Khana local governments.

    According to him, the need to restructure the country propelled the agitation for a Southsouth president.

    This was as support soared for the Rivers State Governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, at the Ogoni sensitisation rally held in Bean in Khana Local Government.

    Abe and other stakeholders at the Ogoni rally assured that they would support Governor Amaechi on the basis of his achievements.

    Senator Abe lamented that Rivers State was being neglected despite its agitation for a Southsouth president and support for President Jonathan in the 2011 election.

    He said: “First, we have not said we are against President Jonathan, we have not said so here. People need to remember that the Southsouth Presidency that we are talking about and enjoying today had an origin. In fact, the Calabar Declaration that was the beginning of the Southsouth struggle for the presidency was written by me in the office of the then Secretary to the Cross River State Government. I wrote it. Prince Tony Momoh was there, Mr. Egbogbo, the then secretary to the Government of Cross River State was there and a lot of other eminent persons from the Southsouth.

    “The reason why we fought for the presidency to come to the Southsouth was because we said we wanted Nigeria to be restructured. That we needed to change the structure of this country so that we have a more progressive, a more prosperous, a more successful Nigeria for all Nigerians.

    “Today, we have a president from the Southsouth and in bringing about that president from the Southsouth, all of us supported President Jonathan in 2011. We voted for him, we spent money on him. Nobody brought one Naira to Rivers State to campaign for Jonathan. Nobody brought one Naira and I challenge anybody who said he gave Rivers State money. It was out of our resources and our time, we settled our differences and ignored whatever challenges we had to ensure that we produced a president from the Southsouth.

    “Now, what is the problem today? We are politicians, you must look around you. Today, we are standing here, if we talk of the president from the Southsouth and the president is from Bayelsa, it means someone from Rivers State can no longer be president because it is our turn. It is as much the turn of Rivers State as it is the turn of Akwa Ibom, as it is the turn of Cross River, as it is the turn of Bayelsa, as it is the turn of Edo, as it is the turn of Delta because this is how Nigeria is structured. So this president it is our own turn. It is the president from Rivers State and the question that has brought about the fences between us and the Federal Government is simple: what has Rivers State benefited from it?

    “We have challenges that started right from the time of Dr. Peter Odili between Rivers State and Bayelsa State over some oil wells in Rivers State. Presidents came and went, the problem was still there, we were in court, the boundary commission had written to say that the matter would be settled and all that, but today, those oil wells had been ceded to other states. The money that was in escrow account when we didn’t have a president from Rivers State is no longer in escrow, it has gone to Bayelsa.

    “You look at the Bodo-Bonny road, when we came, the governor (Amaechi) offered to do the Bodo-Bonny road, all he wanted was a letter from the Federal Government…we didn’t get that co-operation, today what is the fate of the road?”

    Senator Abe expressed displeasure at the delay by the Jonathan administration to implement the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoni, saying it gives a wrong impression about the president.

  • Presidency launches plot to remove Tambuwal, others

    Presidency launches plot to remove Tambuwal, others

    Plan will fail, say speaker’s supporters

    THERE are plans to remove House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, source said yesterday.

    The Presidency believes the House has been infiltrated by the G-7 governors and the Kawu Baraje faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    It has launched a counter-move to remove Tambuwal and other principal officers, The Nation learnt.

    The Presidency stepped in following alleged moves to sack the House Leader, Mrs. Mulikat Adeola, who is pro-President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Also, as part of the plot, the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP National Working Committee(NWC) yesterday called off its proposed meeting with the Speaker and the PDP caucus in the House at the last minute.

    According to sources, the Presidency was uncomfortable with the alleged romance between the Speaker and the G-7 governors/ Kawu Baraje faction.

    It was gathered that the Presidency suspected that the G-7 and the Kawu Baraje faction planned to join forces with the opposition to reduce PDP into the minority party in the House.

    It was learnt that the Presidency is acting on security reports on covert plan by the House to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan or make governance difficult for him because of the 2015 election.

    The Presidency alleged that the initial bend of the suspected move against Jonathan was the removal of the Leader of the House.

    Based on what a source described as “false alarm”, the Presidency has also decided to move against Tambuwal.

    It was gathered that a key official of the Pan-African Parliament is the arrowhead of lobbying House members to ease out Tambuwal and other anti-Jonathan principal officers.

    A member of the House from North-Central was being co-opted last night to assist the official.

    Besides meeting with some members at the Presidential Villa, the anti-Tambuwal forces also met at Apo Legislative Quarters and at Bolingo Hotel, Abuja yesterday on how to effect changes in the House.

    The meeting was across party lines as it was attended by some PDP, APGA, Labour and a few elements in APC.

    A principal officer of the House said: “What is happening is that they have fears in the Villa but nobody is moving towards the impeachment of the President.

    “They do not know that we have decided that the leadership will remain but should the G-7 governors defect to APC, the House Leader, Hon. Mulikat Adeola-Akande will seamlessly transform into a minority leader.

    The Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Chief Victor Ogene, confirmed the plot.

    He said House members had been called to meetings at the Presidential Villa and outside the seat of power.

    He said: “Well, what I do know is that members have been meeting in various caucuses, including state and party caucuses. As parliamentarians, we will not stop our members from attending meetings.

    “The unity of the House of Representatives is sancrosanct but any member who goes ahead to attend a meeting that is injurious to our unity will only put himself or herself up for sanctions.

    “We have been hearing rumours of attempt by different interest groups to sway members one way or the other but I wish to say that the leadership of the House is up to the task of keeping the House as one whole unit.

    “We know that some members have been called to meetings in the Presidential Villa or outside the Villa but where the inducement is coming from, we do not want to speculate.

    Responding to a question, Ogene said: “The Speaker and his team are not shaken in any way; they are not threatened.

    “You could see this from the rousing welcome given to the Speaker on the floor of the House today.”

     

  • Group insists on Southeast Presidency in 2015

    The South East Forum (SEF) yesterday advocated a Southeast presidency in 2015.

    It insisted that the only credible group that should talk of producing the next president is the Southeast people.

    In a statement in Abuja yesterday by its Chairman, Louis Olube, the group said it would be a waste of time for anybody or group outside the Southeast to dream of producing the next president.

    Olube said it was only the Igbo that have not got their share in the affairs of the country, including leadership position.

    He said over the years all the Southeast got from successive administrations were nothing but promises.

    “We the Igbo insist that come 2015, we must produce the next president because as one of the largest group in Nigeria, we are yet to have that sense of belonging.

    “The time is now for the Southeast to produce the next president because already we are aware that there are moves for the presidency to move to other parts other than the Southeast after Jonathan.

    “We will not allow it as our people are being sensitised not to vote for any party that fails to present an Igbo as its candidate in 2015,” he stated.

     

  • Presidency to NASS: Hold fast to your contract with Nigerians

    The Presidency on Tuesday urged members of the National Assembly to hold fast tenaciously to their social contract with Nigerians to deliver on good governance.

    It also said that President Goodluck Jonathan is ever committed to his promise to ensure that budget estimates are submitted and passed early with the target of implementation commencing right from the beginning of the New Year.

    The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Affairs, Senator Joy Emodi, stated this in a statement to welcome Senators and members of the House of Representatives back to the National Assembly after about eight week recess.

    Emodi said, “Importantly, Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members should hold fast to their mindset that they have a social contract with Nigerians to deliver on good governance and partner with Mr. President to transform Nigeria and is right on track.

    “This social contract transcends partisanship. Therefore, party politics and intrigues should not be allowed to creep in to blemish the great work they have done so far.

    “Party platforms and intra-party interests may differ, but their social contract with the Nigerian people remains the same.

    “It is a contract that overrides party politics. The total loyalty and commitment of members of the National Assembly should as always, reside with the Constitution and the Nigerian people who elected them in the first place.

    “Party lines must be blurred, while the overall national interest must be accentuated.”

    The Presidential aide noted “with displeasure the mischief of those bent on overheating the polity by flying kites of imminent crises in the National Assembly and looming squabbles between the Executive and the National Assembly.”

    “I want to state categorically that such only exist in the realms of the imaginations of the peddlers. The stories are unfounded, fictitious, and fabricated to heat up the polity,” she said.

    According to her, “Such vendors of instability and disaffection are certainly not in tune with the overwhelming mutual support and efforts of the Executive and Legislative arms towards the speedy actualization of President Goodluck Jonathan Administration’s Transformation Agenda to give Nigerians a better deal for their votes and the nation’s immense resources.”

     

     

  • Hold Presidency responsible if any harm befalls Amaechi, says Rivers’ Forum

    Hold Presidency responsible if any harm befalls Amaechi, says Rivers’ Forum

    •He’s a liar – Rivers PDP

    The Rivers’ Peoples Forum (RPF) has stated that the Presidency should be held responsible, if any harm befalls Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

    The group, a leading socio-political organisation of all Rivers people, both at home and in the Diaspora, also declared that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was behind the many political travails of Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).

    RPF, through its president, Charles Bekwele, yesterday in Port Harcourt, after an executive meeting, strongly condemned Thursday evening’s police blockade of the Forces Avenue, the road leading to the Government House, with the governor’s convoy forced to take a longer route.

    The forum described the blockade as one attack too many on the person and office of the governor of Rivers state.

    However, the Peoples Democratic Party has faulted the claims saying the allegation was supported by a concocted video footage on the internet was a calculated ploy to further smear the name of the Police Commissioner Mbu Joseph Mbu whom he (Amaechi) has continued to demand his removal from the state.

    The party, in a statement by Jerry Needam, Special Adviser on media to the State Chairman Felix Obuah, explained that Amaechi “in his usual characteristic only intended to win public sympathy as there was no reason for his choice of that route at the period when there are several access roads, some of which are direct and smoother leading to the Government House.”

    But RPF said it was shameful and a big insult on the sensibilities of Nigerians, the reaction of the Bamanga Tukur-led faction of the PDP on the intimidation and embarrassment of the Rivers governor by the Mbu-led police.

    The forum stated that: “This current attack on the office and person of the Governor of Rivers State is one attack too many. They have grounded the official plane of the Rivers State Government. They have withdrawn some of Amaechi’s security aides, thereby exposing the governor to harm and danger. All these are being orchestrated by certain interests within the Presidency. The Presidency has been consistent in its harassment, intimidation and attack.”

    It claimed that all these were being done because of 2015 adding, “They (Presidency) believe Amaechi will not support President Jonathan’s 2015 election. The Presidency must stop using the apparatus of state to harass, intimidate and attack an elected governor.” It called on Nigerians and the international community to be alert, adding, “if any harm befalls Governor Amaechi, the Presidency should be held responsible.”

    It wondered how the country’s fund was being used to hound an elected official. It observed that, “It is totally irresponsible, repressive, undemocratic, tyrannical and condemnable. We are not in a military dictatorship, a jackboot regime. It is against the tenets and principles of our constitution. These interests in the Presidency must be told in clear terms that the country does not belong to the Presidency, but to all of us in the federation. The Presidency must stop using the police, the aviation ministry and any other institution or agency of state to harass and attack Amaechi.”

    The Forum said if the Presidency had any disagreement with the governor, it should be resolved politically rather than dragging the institutions of state into political disagreements within the party.

     

  • Presidency rejects governors’ demands

    Presidency rejects governors’ demands

    The Presidency yesterday rejected the demands by aggrieved governors as part of the terms to settle the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crises.

    Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on political matters Ahmed Gulak, yesterday said those demands are not consitutional.

    He spoke against the background of Tuesday night’s peace talks at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    There were strong indications last night that President Jonathan and the aggrieved G-7 governors will meet again on Sunday to continue the peace talks.

    There was concern yesterday on alleged determination of some forces in the Presidency to isolate Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and make him a scapegoat of the crises.

    It was learnt that although the President made some concessions at the peace talks on Tuesday night at the Presidential Villa, he was said to be non-committal on all issues relating to Amaechi.

    The President was at the session with the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, the Chairman of PDP Governors Forum, Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Governors Liyel Imoke (Cross River) and Idris Wada (Kogi).

    On the side of the G-7 governors were Amaechi, Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto).

    Sources last night gave different insights into what happened at the session at the Presidential Villa

    One of the sources said: “The grievances of the governors were tabled and revisited one by one by all those at the meeting.

    “When the issue of party structure in each of the affected states came up, the overriding interest of the PDP was put into the consideration and the President and his team agreed that the authentic party structure should be restored in Adamawa and Kano states.

    “As for Rivers State, the President and his team advised all the parties to withdraw their suits in court to resolve the matter.”

    It was learnt that although the President admitted that the suspension of Amaechi was illegal and the required 30 days had elapsed, everything was predicated on the resolution of disputes in court.

    There was suspicion by the G-7 governors that the Presidency came with a mindset to resolve issues except the crisis in Rivers. “They are trying to isolate Amaechi to deal with him.

    “Everybody has been wondering why the President’s body language was different on Rivers State. Jonathan was non-committal on the solutions to Rivers crisis.

    “The President’s ambivalence on Rivers crisis is making the G-7 governors to be circumspect.

    “The G-7 governors insisted on the resolution of the crisis in Rivers State.”

    On the row in the Nigeria Governors Forum, the source added: “Those with the President advised Amaechi to step down. But Amaechi was straightforward in his response when he said: ‘I won’t step down.’

    Regarding 2015 poll, one of the governors from the North said he had been in four meetings, including at Ethiopia and the United States where Jonathan said he would not contest.

    The source added: “When the tension was too much, it was agreed that 2015 poll should be put on the agenda at the next meeting on Sunday.

    “Also, Tukur’s fate will be discussed on Sunday.

  • PDP crisis: Presidency strengthens base

    PDP crisis: Presidency strengthens base

    President Goodluck Jonathan is strengthening his camp, in anticipation of more onslaught by the members of the Kawu Baraje faction, it was learnt yesterday.

    Also, the mainstream Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, is preparing for its suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, for the determination of the legality or otherwise of the faction led by Alhaji Kawu Baraje. The court, presided over by Justice S.O. Chukwu, will resume hearing on September 12.

    The regular meetings by the President and his camp with the various party leaders and stakeholders may have slowed down governance at the federal and state levels. Many governors now spend more time in Abuja attending caucus meetings related to the festering crises. They also carry out some assignments for the President, who is building resistance to the onslaught by the spinster group.

    A party source said Tukur has directed the 16 state chairmen of the party loyal to the President and his leadership to prevent further cracks in the troubled chapters. The source also said that the party leadership has mandated the state chairmen to vigorously enforce discipline and sanction members supporting the Baraje faction, in a bid to curtail the split across the branches.

    Following the directive, the Osun State leadership of the party has suspended chieftains who attended the rally organised by factional National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, at Okuku, at the weekend. Also, some chieftains loyal to Oyinlola have declined the offers of the factional Legal Adviser and Auditor zoned to the Southwest by the Baraje group to avoid running into trouble.

    According to the source, the President has been reaching out to the founding fathers of the PDP, who have not taken sides in the crisis. He has also dispatched emissaries to other eminent Nigerians, including traditional rulers and leaders of thought, to assist in neutralising the break-away group. Also, a group, ‘The Committee for Change and Equality” headed by former Senate President Ahmed Ebute, comprising the President’s loyalists, is coordinating the activities of other pro-Jonathan groups in their onslaught against the faction in the core Middle Belt states.

    The 16 governors under the leadership of PDP Governors’ Forum (NGF) led by Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio have been mandated to work with the state chairmen to ensure a united party, it was also learnt.

    A top PDP chieftain in the Southwest said: “The President has our support, although we know that there is a rift between the President and our leader, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. We also have the mandate of the national chairman to put our house in order and prevent a split at the state level. We have our grievances in the Southwest PDP, but it is a case of self-inflicted wound. Our position is that Prince Oyinlola should have waited for the outcome of his case against the party in court, instead of trying to divide the party.”

    The state chapters have been holding solidarity meetings for the purpose of passing votes of confidence on the President and the national chairman. Rising from the meeting of the Southwest PDP stakeholders, the Acting Caretaker Chairman, Mr. Deji Doherty, said that the zone was solidly behind the mainstream PDP, urging the chieftains across the six chapters to stand firm.

    The Lagos State PDP leader, Commodore Bode George (rtd), and chairman, Capt. Tunji Shelle (rtd) described the crisis as “unnecessary”, stressing that the aggrieved chieftains should have used the party’s internal crisis-resolution mechanism. George reiterated the support of the chapter to the Jonathan Administration and the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) headed by Tukur.

    Shelle expressed surprise at the emergence of the faction, saying that it is “embarrassing”. He dissociated the Lagos PDP from “the rebellion”, urging the members of the faction to embrace peace.

  • North’s group to Presidency: call Asari-Dokubo to order

    North’s group to Presidency: call Asari-Dokubo to order

    A  pro-democracy group, the National Democratic Forum (NDA), has condemned the threat of bloodshed by a former Niger Delta militant, Mujaheedin Asari-Dokubo, if President Goodluck Jonathan is not returned in the 2015 election.

    It said the Presidency should call him to order.

    The group, in statement in Minna, the Niger State capital, by its National Coordinator, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, said Asari-Dokubo’s utterances were inimical to democratic norms and ethos.

    Asari-Dokubo’s outburst on Channels Television, last Sunday, is threatening the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) peace talks.

    Former military leader, General Ibrahim Babangida, has indicated that he may pull out of the mediation in the party’s crisis following his complaints that Asari-Dokubo’s “reckless” comment could frustrate the efforts of the seven-man panel, headed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    The NDF frowned at the Presidency’s nonchalant attitude to Asari-Dokubo’s utterance since he made the threat.

    The statement reads: “It is sad that the Presidency, and indeed President Goodluck Jonathan, have not seen anything wrong in Asari-Dokubo’s reckless statement and called him to order. It is not proper for the government to keep sealed lips on a comment that is capable of throwing spanner in our fragile democracy.

    “In a democracy, leaders do not emerge through threats. The emergence of leaders is through a non-violent electoral process of voting and not via intimidation and threat to life. We belong to a civilised society and democracy in Nigeria cannot be different from what obtains globally.”