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Tag: presidential candidate

  • DPC elects Awosola as presidential candidate

    Ahead of the 2019 General Elections, the Democratic People’s Congress (DPC) yesterday elected Elder Williams Olusola Awosola as its Presidential candidate.

    He would contest the election against incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Awosola emerged the DPC candidate after an election at its national convention witnessed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials in Abuja.

    At the DPC convention, Awosola defeated Mrs Seiyefa Sounie Eches by 45 to nine votes by delegates.

    In his acceptance speech, Awosola said the party made history by conducting the first presidential primary election since the party was registered in 2015.

    “I am humbled by delegates and party members’ confidence in me to fly the flag of our great party for the 2019 Presidential Election.

    “I will by the grace of God justify the confidence you reposed in me. We have the confidence that we shall win the 2019 presidential election and use our mandate to reform and transform our great nation and build the Nigeria of our dream, which future generations will be proud of,” he said.

    The National Chairman, DPC, Rev. Olusegun Peters, lauded the delegates for their patriotism and commitment.

    He pledged that the party’s manifesto he handed over to Awosola would be implemented to the letter by his administration after his emergence as President.

    The presidential candidate, Awosola, is a retired engineer with Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).

  • ANN picks Olawepo-Hashim as presidential candidate

    THE Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) has picked Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as its candidate in the February 16, 2019 presidential election.

    Olawepo-Hashim won the party’s ticket at its national convention and presidential primary election held on the premises of Ibeto Hotel in Abuja with 593 delegates in attendance.

    The convention ratified his candidature through a voice vote, following the earlier withdrawal of another presidential aspirant, Alhaji Ibrahim Eyitayo Dan-Musa.

    Other presidential aspirants, who had earlier indicated interest in the party’s ticket did not present themselves for screening.

    The convention also ratified the strategic alliance between ANN and another political party, Peoples Trust (PT) in the single-minded mission to rescue Nigeria.

    Prior to the ratification of Olawepo-Hashim’s candidature, the convention had approved the expulsion of the party’s suspended national chairman, Pastor Emmanuel Dania and the deputy national secretary, Mr. Osita Okonkwo, for alleged anti-party activities.

    In Dania’s stead, the pioneer ANN national chairman, Dr. Jay Osi-Samuels, who had at the party’s last convention in Abuja stepped aside, returned to the position and was ratified by the convention.

    Olawepo-Hashim, who was elated at the decision by the delegates to elect him unopposed, said at the occasion witnessed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that he was more than ever committed to the mission to rescue Nigeria from the stranglehold of underdevelopment and economic backwardness.

    He said he would vigorously pursue the mandate given to him by the party, promising to deploy it to unite Nigeria, create jobs and put smile on the faces of Nigerians.

    According to him, “Our people are tired of poverty; they want jobs, training for unskilled youths, support for farmers as well as the young and the old.”

    Declaring that “there is no time for small boys’ politics on the way to the Promised Land”, Olawepo-Hashim said: “There are political generals in this party and we will not surrender to political boys’ scouts and girl guides.”

    He added that having come this far, the political movement for which he had provided leadership was unstoppable.

    “This is not the time for rhetoric. Nigerians want to see politics with integrity.  This is not the time for apprentice leadership. The 2019 train must be decisive for change in Nigeria,” he stated.

    Olawepo-Hashim listed his offerings to Nigeria as including commitment to build a new economy that would take the nation from $510 billion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to $4 trillion GDP in the next ten years.

    According to him, “It is that size of economy that will deal with hunger and malnutrition in the land.  We want to build a big economy that will cater to 180 million Nigerians.”

     

     

  • APC to pick presidential candidate Sept 20

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) will pick its presidential candidate on September 20, the party announced yesterday.

    It also fixed N45 million as nomination fees for aspirants to the highest office in the country.

    In the guidelines for the primaries released yesterday in line with the approval by the National Executive Commmittee (NEC), governorship primary will hold on September 25, senatorial primary is fixed for September 27 and House of Representatives for September 29. The House of Assembly primary has been fixed for October 2.

    Nomination forms will go on sale from today till September 10. They will be available at the state ooffices and at the national secretariat.

    All forms are to be returned to the national secretariat by September 12. Nationwide congresses to elect delegates to the national convention to pick the presidential candidate will also hold on September 12.

    Nomination fees are: Governorship (N22.5milion) Senatorial (N7million), House of Representatives (3.85 millio) and  House of Assembly (N850,000).

    However, female aspirants and the physically-challenged who usually enjoy free nomination form are expected to pay half of the nomination fees for the office they are aspiring to.

    However, while the guidelines and timetable are specific that the presidential candidate will emerge through direct primary, it is silent on the mode for other positions.

  • APC adopts direct primary for presidential candidate

    Indirect primary for governorship, national/states’ assemblies

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) will pick its presidential candidate through direct primary at a date to be announced later, it was decided at the ruling party’s sixth National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting yesterday.

    Candidates for other positions – governors, national and state assemblies – are to be picked through indirect primary or delegates system, the party said in Abuja.

    In a direct primary, all bona fide party members pick the candidate.

    States that wish to use the direct system to pick their candidates will obtain the permission of the national secretariat by writing a request, accompanied with a resolution of approval by stakeholders.

    President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives and other leaders who are members of the most important organ of the party after the National Convention, attended the meeting.

    House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, who is believed to be on his way out of the party, was absent. Deputy Speaker Yussuff Lasun, who has repeatedly said he will not leave the party, also did not attend.

    National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole announced that Dogara and Yussuff gave written excuses for their absence.

    Oshiomhole said: “We have apologies from the Speaker in a letter dated 27th of August, 2018 that he had a previous engagement and would not be able to attend the NEC meeting as he is currently out of the country. We also have correspondence from the Deputy Speaker that he has an appointment with his doctors and won’t be able to attend the meeting.”

    Governors Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Yahaya Bello (Kogi) spoke to reporters on the outcome of the meeting.

    Lalong also said the meeting failed to agree on the sequence of elections for its primaries. The matter was referred to the National Working Committee (NWC) for a decision.

    The governor said: “About two or three things were discussed. First, the document on the guidelines; the mode of elections and the mode of funding. Also the necessity for unity within the party after the gale of defections.”

    He said the party unanimously agreed that defections had not “affected us much, but we have tightened the party the more”.

    “On the mode of election, we all agreed that for presidential election, we are going for direct primary, but for other elections, there are two options. But the general option is that we go for indirect primary.

    “But any state that has a problem and wants to deviate from that is at liberty to write following the normal process with a resolution from their state executive seeking approval for a deviation from the agreed process.

    “In the sequence of election, it was directed back to the NWC to look at the comments that were made and within those comments, address them in line the Electoral Act and bring out a time table for the sequence of election. The National Executive Committee has been given that power.”

    He added that a standing Committee was set up recommend proper funding of the party.

    “The constitution of the party provides for either direct or indirect primaries or consensus. But for the presidential election, we all agreed to adopt the direct option.

    On automatic tickets for governors and lawmakers, Lalong said: “We didn’t discuss the issue of automatic tickets. But we agreed that patriotic and loyal members should be rewarded but not necessarily with automatic tickets.

    “Some of our senators who are patriotic who were supposed to be taken away were all kept. We asked all the states to look at it and we’ll find a way to reward them. But for the election, the option is given to everybody to face election. So, there was nothing like automatic for anybody.

    “We debated the cost of nomination and left it to the National Working Committee to take into consideration some of the views expressed and come out with a reasonable figure and any figure they bring out will be acceptable and we don’t need to come back to NEC to ratify it.”

    Governors at the meeting include Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Lalong (Plateau), Bello (Kogi), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Tanko Al Makura (Nasarawa), Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe), Atiku Badugu (Kebbi), Sani Bello (Niger), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Jibrilla Bindo (Adamawa), Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina)

    Governors Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) were represented by their deputies.

    Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan led others, such as Senator Godswill Akpabio, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Senator Magnus Abe, Senator Andy Uba, Senator Binta Masi Garba, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Senator Ben Uwajumogu, among others.

    Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustaphar and Special Adviser (Political Matters) to the President Senator Babafemi Ojodu also attended.

  • Inside PDP presidential aspirants’ camps

    The search for the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is gathering more steam. In this report, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu and Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, attempt to uncover the behind-the-scene moves in the camps of the leading aspirants for the party’s ticket

    THE race for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party is gathering momentum with the declaration of the immediate past National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Ahmed Makarfi, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Until recently, the aspiration of the two has been a matter of debate. Now that they have formally made their interests known and have moved into the field to contest for support, it is observed that all the other aspirants have, as a result, also upped their game. The behind-the-scene negotiations and consultations have been intense in the last two weeks.

    Dankwambo

    Though the Gombe State Governor’s presidential ambition started on a low key with very few people seeing him as a serious contender, even for the presidential ticket of the opposition PDP, not to talk of winning the general election in 2019, his political camp today is a beehive of activities across the country as pundits say he has emerged as one of the frontrunners for the PDP ticket.

    To underscore the seriousness attached to the presidential race by his team, the Dankwambo Presidential Project has been opening state chapters across the country to further take the message to Nigerians. It inaugurated the Enugu State chapter few weeks back. National Coordinator of the group, Deacon Zach Okoronkwo, speaking at the event, said “what we are saying is that right now, there is failure in governance. We need a real alternative and we have found one. What we are focusing on now is good governance.”

    Dankwambo’s growing visibility in the race, reliable party sources said, may not be unconnected with the uncertainties that now shroud the likely decision of PDP governors on the choice of the party’s eventual presidential candidate. The Nation gathered that currently, the governors are still unable to reach an agreement on who, among the aspirants currently seeking the ticket, best suits the job of defeating APC and President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The Nation also learnt that contrary to initial assumptions that Dankwambo will find it difficult to convince his fellow governors to back his aspiration, there are indications that the Gombe State Governor may have succeeded in winning to his side some of his colleagues. Recently, it was rumored that the PDP Governors’ Forum was set to endorse him. Though the endorsement never took place, the story is yet to be officially refuted till date.

    “Dankwambo is one of those looking good in the race to the presidential ticket of our party. He may not come across to many analysts as a leading aspirant, but from feelers within the party, and considering many factors, the young man may just be the surprise candidate Nigerians are not talking about yet. And to his credit, he is taking his aspiration to rule Nigeria very seriously.

    “Unlike some other aspirants, he is not waiting for some people to endorse him. His team is all over the place seeking the cooperation of party chieftains and chapters. Recently, he was here personally with his people to talk to us. He is not a stranger to us in PDP and we know what he has done as governor for eight years. Within the party, he has contributed immensely to PDP,” a chieftain of the party from Oyo state, told The Nation.

    Associates and aides of the governor also claimed that the choice of Dankwambo is now being supported by many serving and former PDP governors, ministers and other bigwigs who see in him the combination of competence and capacity. They claimed the decision of the party to field its very best candidate against Buhari is working in favour of the Gombe state helmsman.

    Chief Raphael Ukauku, a politician from Abia State, collaborated this claim when he told The Nation, during the week, that “Governor Dankwambo has made great impression as PDP’s likely choice to contest against Buhari. From what we hear of him and the accomplishments that have been associated to him, he is an achiever. As you know, he is also fresh and young. That seems to be part of the advantages he is enjoying against all the other aspirants. Nigerians are eager to see real change and I think Dankwambo for presidency suggests that change.”

    Atiku

    Former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, according to sources within his campaign team, recently received some soothing assurances from some leading chieftains and groups within the opposition party concerning his 2019 presidential ambition. This, The Nation gathered, is responsible for the upsurge of activities in his campaign efforts of recent. Atiku, as part of efforts to buoy his aspiration, is currently on a nationwide tour to propagate his ambition.

    According to a close female aide of the former Vice President from Taraba State, Atiku is optimistic of clinching the ticket of the opposition PDP. He is more determined than before to help the PDP return to power and he now has the support of those that matter within the party. Before now, there were clouds of uncertainty over the chances of the former APC chieftain in the race for the PDP presidential ticket.

    Talks about some forces being opposed to his clinching the ticket largely because he newly returned to the PDP after dumping the party and helping the APC to displace it from the presidency in 2015, had reportedly worried his team and kept activities at the lowest ebb for sometimes until recently when Atiku officially declared his presidential ambition and kicked off the tour.

    One of Atiku’s latest supporters, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, representing Bayelsa East, has hailed him as the choice to get the country working again. Atiku has also announced former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, as the Director-General of his campaign amidst talks that he has also enlisted the support of both Senator Buruji Kashamu and Hon. Ladi Adebutu to deliver the delegate votes from Ogun State and propagate his ambition across the Southwest.

    Reliable sources also claimed there had been talks between Atiku’s camp and Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State on a possible working relationship between the two aspirants. Fayose, The Nation reliable gathered, may be eyeing the Vice Presidential slot in an arrangement that will see him work for the emergence of Atiku as the flag-bearer of the PDP in 2019.

    Atiku, who had met most of the PDP governors to discuss his ambition, according to close aides of his, is also holding talks with some northern groups and elders with a view to enlisting their support against Buhari and the APC across the north. “Talking about PDP being serious about defeating APC in 2019, everybody within the party now know it is only Atiku that can make that happen and we are sure they will give us the ticket to send APC packing from Aso Rock,” a source said.

    In the Southeast, sources said the former Vice President has been reaching out to his old supporters, even as insiders said he is probably the most popular and acceptable aspirant. “Atiku is well accepted here because of his pedigree and what he did when he was in power as vice-president but the issue of who should be the vice presidential candidate has remained a thorny issue. Here in the Southeast, it would be difficult to contemplate not presenting the vice presidential candidate in 2019. That is the issue both Atiku and the other aspirants are still battling with here,” a source from Enugu State said. We learnt, most of the aspirants are dodging the topic and as a result, some stakeholders are also being careful before making commitments.

    Datti Baba-Ahmed

    Last April, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed officially expressed his intention to contest in the forthcoming 2019 Presidential Election on the platform of the opposition PDP. The 48 year-old ex-lawmaker, according to a statement signed by the Chairman of the Datti Baba-Ahmed Campaign Media Committee, Ibrahim Biu, wants the ticket of the PDP and is ready to contest with others for it.

    “Senator Datti Baba Ahmed’s (DBA) political journey started when he was first elected in April 2003 to the Federal House of Representatives for the Zaria Federal Constituency, Kaduna State. He ran on the platform of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP). In the April 2011 elections, Baba-Ahmed polled 366,398 votes in the contest to represent Kaduna North Senatorial District, beating his closest rival, Senator Ahmed Makarfi of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the incumbent, who polled 365,043 votes.

    “At the age of 41, he had worked for the Security Printing and Minting company in Lagos, obtained two different Masters degrees and a PhD, served as elected Hon. Representative, Distinguished Senator, and established one of the top ranking private universities with two other companies which employ over 600 people drawn from every state in the country,” Biu said while selling the candidacy of Baba-Ahmed to reporters back then.

    But aside the announcement and a few visits to party chieftains in Abuja, nothing much has been heard about the aspirant’s strategy towards clinching the ticket of the opposition party ahead of more established political names like Abubakar Atiku, Sule Lamido, Dankwambo and others. Not much is also known about the people supporting his ambition within and outside the PDP.

    His ambition also suffered a serious setback few days ago with the defection of one of his most visible supporters, Chief Mrs. Remi Adiukwu, to the ruling APC. The leading female politician has been Baba-Ahmed’s most visible supporter in the southern part of the country. But all that ended last Tuesday as she ceremoniously announced her return to the APC, citing the unserious approach of the PDP to leadership and politics.

    But former Commissioner for Environment in Enugu State, Mr. Chijioke Agu, insists Baba-Ahmed is still in the race to win. According to the politician, the young presidential aspirant should be supported largely because of his sound leadership qualities in private and public sectors. He added that he is optimistic that an aspirant with sound leadership qualities would not be ignored by a nation genuinely craving for growth and development.

    Engr. Okechukwu Onwuama, a youth activist in Owerri, Imo State, also said Baba-Ahmed’s candidacy will likely attract the support of the youths. “As a young man, he is one of the aspirants we are interested in although, we know very little about him,” he said, adding that some of the so-called established candidates would be disappointed by the actions of the youths in the coming elections.

    Makarfi

    After months of speculations about his rumored presidential ambition, former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi, finally threw his hat into the ring of the contest for Nigeria’s presidency in 2019. The immediate past National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the PDP made the disclosure while fielding questions from journalists in Kaduna last Sunday.

    But reliable party sources say Makarfi’s first official declaration of his presidential ambition is coming at a time his support base within the party has been seriously weakened by events and some crucial factors. Few months back, the ex-governor was the undisputed front-line aspirant for the PDP ticket given what was then a consensus among majority of the party’s governors to support him for the ticket.

    “But the situation is no longer the same and Makarfi knows too. He has done a lot of underground consultations before declaring his aspiration publicly. He is aware of the change in the situation and he is not a politician you can underrate. If he says he is still in the race, then it simply means that he has added up all the facts and figures and he is ready to give it a fight,” a source told The Nation.

    Makarfi also confirmed to reporters that he consulted widely before arriving at the decision though he had not received endorsement from party members. He however added that the consultation gave him an opportunity to feel the pulse of Nigerians. Aides close to the former party boss revealed that he will be banking on the many connections and contacts he made across the country as party leader to win the PDP presidential ticket.

    “The consultations have been quite positive and I believe it is fair enough to come to the conclusion that one should join other equally capable party men and women who have shown interest in seeking the party’s nomination for the 2019 presidential election. At this stage, it is to seek for the party’s nomination. The successful nominees will become the candidates that will stand for the election. If one’s party does not put him forward, you can’t say you are contesting for presidency yet,” he said.

    The Nation also learnt that the former Governor’s camp will, in a matter of days, announce his campaign team which may be headed by a former governor from the eastern part of the country. “We are putting finishing touches, not just to the campaign team list, but to a whole lot of other things and modalities, before we launch out fully. And when we do, there will be no stopping this train,” an ex-Minister from Osun State, who is part of the team, said.

    Already, the PDP in Nasarawa State had pledged to back Makarfi to pick the 2019 ticket of the party. Hon. Francis Orogu, Chairman of the party in the state, said this at the state’s party secretariat when Makarfi visited the party. Orogu said the former governor of Kaduna State deserved their support based on the role he played in, according to him, making the party formidable.

    Explaining why he wants to be the president, Makarfi told The Nation in an interview: “For me, I have known governance for sometimes at state level. I served Kaduna for three years as Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning. I came in from the private sector. I have private sector experience, especially banking. I governed this complex state for eight years. I have legislative experience, having been in the Senate for a two term of eight years. I got a bonanza when the party leadership fell on my laps, to know about managing political party. If you cannot manage your party, even if you are elected, you will have problems governing. If you can’t manage the legislature and build cordial relationship such that key legislations that can take this country forward are passed, then governance becomes complex for you. If you cannot manage complex society such as Kaduna, which is a mini Nigeria, you cannot manage Nigeria. God has so designed that one has passed through all these processes.

    These, to me, are advantages but of course it does not mean that it is a forgone conclusion. Somebody who may have not prepared himself in governance at all may find himself in government but the country will pay a price for that. I believe I have these advantages. Others may have their own advantage but at the end of the day, the people will decide,” he said.

    Lamido

    Former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, who was the first chieftain of the PDP to declare his interest in the 2019 presidential ticket of the party, has always made it clear that he was not desperate for the position of Nigeria’s president in the 2019 General Elections. This declaration seems to be guiding the pace of his efforts towards securing the PDP ticket ahead of the polls.

    The former minister, according to close aides, though hopeful that he will get the PDP ticket, is also not oblivious of the firm hold on the party by a clique, and he has complained bitterly about this. “He wants to run and he can only run on the platform of the PDP. Defection to any other party is not on the card for him. But he is worried that some people within the party will not allow for a free and fair process.

    “This is largely his only concern for now. And that is having effect on his campaign as he is currently working with others to ensure a level playing field. It is only when we are sure that the process will not be skewed in the favour of any particular aspirants that we can say we are ready to go all the way,” an aide to the former governor told The Nation while explaining the lull in political activities within the aspirant’s camp.

    The increased tempo in the camps of the five aspirants is a sign of the things to come before the primary election.

  • Who becomes PDP presidential candidate?

    Who becomes PDP presidential candidate?

    Eight heavyweight politicans are struggling for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Demoractic Party (PDP). They are Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Alhaji Sule Lamido, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo and his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayodele Fayose. More aspiratns may still join the race. Deputy News Editor Bunmi OGUNMODEDE examines the contestants.

    Who becomes the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for next year’s election?

    The major preoccupation of the PDP is to secure the country.  Hence, the need to appraise the qualities and character of the major individuals that have so far expressed interest in the presidency on the platform of the party.

     

    Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

    Atiku is a household name as far as Nigerian politics is concerned. He has been in the political arena of the country since he retired from the Nigerian Custom Service. He contested the 1993 presidential primaries under the banner of Social Democratic Party before he was prevailed upon to step down for Chief MKO Abiola. Atiku is so deft in political engineering and calculations.

    Atiku contested and won the governorship of his home state, Adamawa before Chief Olusegun Obasanjo chose him as his running mate in the 1999 president election. He eventually won election alongside Obasanjo as Nigerian Vice President. But his two terms of office were dogged with allegations of corruption and backstabbing of his boss. The relationship between Atiku and former president Obasanjo became very frosty at the time the duo were in charge of Nigerian presidency. Their relationship even grew so sour to a level that the two of them were highly suspicious of each other. Although, credit must be given to Atiku for demonstrating the capacities to create wealth and jobs for Nigerians.

    Atiku has contested for president on four different occasions. His age is also a minus to his aspiration. He would have turned 72 years of age by 2019 if he wins the election. Virtually all Nigerian youths are circumspect of having another septuagenarian as their president in view of the health challenges of the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari. Aside the factors of old age, he would have been good presidential material for the PDP.

     

    Alhaji Sule Lamido

    Alhaji Sule Lamido can be regarded as an old timer in Nigerian politics. He entered politics as a member of the left-of-center People’s Redemption Party (PRP) in the Nigerian Second Republic. He had gone ahead to become  the National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) during the Nigerian third republic. Lamido was severely criticized for his handling of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections won by Moshood Abiola, who was prevented from taking office and eventually died in custody while pushing to reclaim his mandate.

    Lamido was appointed as the Foreign Affairs Minister by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999, having contested and narrowly lost Jigawa State governorship election. He later recontested and won. Lamido served two terms as a governor and did his best to transform and reposition Jigawa state. He deserves credits as a loyal and consistent party man. He stayed firmly loyal to the PDP even in the face of crisis when five governors of the party decamped to the then opposition APC.

    Lamido has always expressed his desire to rule Nigeria and he is undoubtedly qualified for the exalted office of president. However, his age and cases of corruption against him in courts would serve as major impediments to his aspiration. Lamido will soon attain 70 years of age and would have become 71, if he wins election as president.

     

    Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi

    Ahmed Makarfi was a two term governor of Kaduna state from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He was subsequently elected a senator for Kaduna North in April 2007. He ran for reelection on the PDP platform and was reelected in 2011 as senator. Makarfi had earlier served in the Executive Council of Kaduna State as Commissioner of Finance and Economic Planning.

    Makarfi had a career with the defunct Nigeria Universal Bank, where he rose to the rank of Assistant General Manager.

    He had also earlier worked as a part-time Lecturer in the Department of Accounting, Ahmadu Bello University from 1987-1993.

    Makarfi is a  trained accountant and he is educated to the level of Master of Science degree in Accounting and Finance. He had also served as a member of the Board of Trustee and the Director of Finance and Administration at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution in Abuja.

    He is the immediate past caretaker Chairman of the PDP, having being appointed at the Port Harcourt Convention. One of the major political achievements of Ahmed Makarfi was the successfully conducted elective national convention of the PDP that produced Prince Uche Secondus as the substantive National Chairman of the party.

    Makarfi is 61 years of age and he has no corruption case against him.

     

    Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo

    Ibrahim Dankwambo is the incumbent executive governor of Gombe state and he is now serving his second term in office. He contested in 2011 and won with a landslide victory; a feat Dankwambo repeated when he recontested as governor in 2015. He was the Accountant General of the Federation during the administration of  Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. He held the position from 2005 to 2011 when  he resigned to  contest election as Gombe state governor. Dakwambo had also served as the Accountant General of Gombe state.

    Dankwambo has had illustrious professional career with Coopers and Lybrand, now PriceWaterHouseCoopers as a Chartered Accountant from 1985 to 1988 before moving over to the Central Bank of Nigeria where he worked from 1988 to 1999.

    He is a graduate of Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University. Dankwambo has also obtained a Master of Science degree in Economics from the University of Lagos in 1992 and a PhD in Accounting from Igbinedion University . He is equally a Post graduate Diploma holder of Computer Science obtained from the Delta State University Abraka, Delta State. He belongs to seven professional  bodies having written and passed their qualifying examinations.

    Dankwambo is reputed to have made his mark while serving as the Accountant-General of the Federation. To his credit are several innovative achievements that he recorded while serving as the Accountant General of the Federation. He has also been described as the best thing to have happened to Gombe state since its creation in 1996. Little wonder he was recently adjudged the Best Northern Governor in view his landmark achievements in Gombe state.

    Dankwambo has simply transformed Gombe state far beyond the expectations of his people. He has turned around the fortune of Gombe state through his numerous verifiable achievements and giant strides. He has initiated and completed whole lots of projects inspite of lean resources of Gombe state. Ibrahim Dakwambo has taken full advantages of his uncommon brilliance and wealth of economic management to achieve much results with the little resources available to Gombe state.

    The achievements of Dakwambo has cut across all sectors of Gombe state. Gombe is one of the few states in Nigeria that has paid its workforce up to date and as at when due. Dakwambo has simply rebuilt Gombe, the capital city of Gombe state and all major towns of the state. He has revolutionized agriculture, health and education in Gombe state. He has built several higher educational institutions in the state and has likewise rebuilt and equipped all state owned hospitals in the state.

    Dankwambo has so far devoted serious attention and deployed huge resources to security of lives and properties, provision of water, housing, rural development and welfare of Gombe state civil servants. Provision of state of the art communication equipments, sports development, attainment of millinium development goals, beautification and lightening of Gombe state and provision of foreign technical assistance have been the major concern of Dakwambo. Gombe state now boast of one of the best road networks in the country and unarguably the best International Conference Center in Nigeria.

    A major advantage of Dankwambo is the fact that he is a relatively young man. He is only 55 years of age; which makes him the youngest amongst the contestants. Another factor is the fact that he does not have any allegation or charges of corruption against him. These are coupled with the facts that he is super brilliant scholar, a goal getter, a flexibly dynamic individual and a proven innovative achiever who can turn around the bad economy of Nigeria.

    Candidacy of Ibrahim Dakwambo will readily enjoy huge acceptance and support from millions of Nigerians who are daily yearning for a breath of fresh air and better governance.

     

  • APGA to field presidential candidate in 2019

    APGA to field presidential candidate in 2019

    The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) will present a candidate for the 2019 presidential election, it was learnt yesterday.

    National Publicity Secretary Ifeatu Obi-Okoye, who spoke yesterday in Awka, said the party was looking towards giving Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano the slot.

    Obi-Okoye said the party will not make the mistakes of the past, where it did not present any candidates, adding that the National Working Committee has not zoned the slot to any part of the country.

    He said: “We have not zoned our presidential candidate to any part of the country. But since APGA is seen as a political party with Igbo interest, it’s natural that we may look for a presidential candidate within.

    “The Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, has distinguished himself as a great party man with great achievements; so he is one of our best for the 2019 presidential race.

    “But one thing is clear; we must field a presidential candidate in 2019. We won’t make the mistake of the past.”

     

  • ‘Why Labour couldn’t field presidential candidate’

    ‘Why Labour couldn’t field presidential candidate’

    Mrs. Olufolahon Olubusola Emmaneul Tella was one of the presidential aspirants on the ticket of the Labour Party. She told Tony Akowe in Abuja, why her party could not produce a candidate in yesterday’s presidential election and other national issues like her plans on solving the unemployment problem, Boko Haram and other issues, including her vision of becoming Nigeria’s president this year. Excerpts

    You were supposed to be a candidate in yesterday’s elections, but as it stands now, you were not. What went wrong?

    Last year, the Labour Party had a national convention and just as you know; it is at the national convention that the presidential candidate emerges. On October 11, we had the convention where the new national executive emerged. However, a second national convention could not hold because of the funds. It costs about N200 million to fund a national convention. The convention is normally funded by the party and if it is big enough, it will just take the funds from the account and also task some members of the party holding positions. The Labour Party is one of the big parties in Nigeria, but we could not do a second national convention and so, there was no presidential candidate emerging because of the funding.

    We are aware that the Labour Party is divided at the moment because the founding fathers of the party, the NLC and TUC did warn against holding the convention. So, which faction of the party do you belong to?

    NLC and TUC are Executive members of the party in accordance with the constitution. However, as a party, the Labour Party still stands. There was an election on October 11 which produced an executive and that executive is still in place.

    In other words, you don’t recognise the Caretaker Committee put in place by Organised Labour?

    There is no caretaker committee; what we have is a national executive.

    But organised Labour has a caretaker committee in place for the party.

    NLC as I said is an executive member. An executive member cannot put in place a caretaker committee. It has to be the executive that runs the affairs of the party.

    You said in your profile that you heard clearly from God that you will be President of Nigeria in 2015

    Is it not a contradiction that God told you you will be President in 2015 and yet, you were not a candidate in the elections?

    There are many ways God works. It was natural for me to be an aspirant, but is that the way that God wants to handle things. The natural mind says go and get the nomination form and do this and that. That was the natural mind. That was why we even bothered to write the expression of interest. From the look of things, that is not the way God wants things done. We will still do things the way God wants. This is the beginning of 2015 are watching to see how things will happen.

    You think you will still be President in 2015?

    According to God’s plan

    Will that not be God creating confusion in the mind of his people?

    God does not create confusion. What God does is that before something happens, He has already planned it years ahead. For example, when children of Abraham were to go to Egypt and be slaves for 400 years, God even planned it before Abraham had one son. So, God has a way of planning things and He has a way of executing His plans.

    Before the commencement of the General Elections, there was the allegation that INEC has not done enough to hold the election, especially in the area of the PVC.

    In 2011, INEC did a good job. However, the plan and schedule of events is where I fault INEC. As at 2013, I believe the INEC should have given those registered voters their Permanent Voters Cards. By December 2014, it is those who have just turned 18 or those who have changed their addresses or were not able to register in 2011 that INEC should have been focusing on now. That is one area where I fault INEC. The shift in the election gave INEC ample time to ensure that everybody who registered actually get his PVC.

    Use of Card Reader was a major controversy before the commencement of the elections. What is your take on that?

    Card Reader is a technological improvement. It is an excellent way of ensuring transparency in voting. So, it is necessary to use it because it is an improvement over 2011.

    But some people believe that the people who are supposed to take charge of this Card Readers have not done their job and not experienced in handling it.

    Maybe you would have been right on that point in February. But now that INEC had six weeks extension, people who need to be trained were trained. I learnt that about 700,000 people were trained. So, I believe that using the Card Reader is an excellent thing to do.

    What is your take on the state of the Nigerian nation at the moment?

    The insecurity in the land is still worrisome. I believe that the way the government is handling Boko Haram is good, but not good enough. I would want to categorize Boko Haram into five or six categories. Number one is the original Boko Haram; which actually started in 2009 by killing police officers. The second category were abducted and conscripted into Boko Haram. These are people who were unwillingly forced into Boko Haram. You have the category of the sympathisers and the category of the financiers. You have the category of the foreigners who came in from Chad and Niger. What government should actually be doing in addition to the military offensive is what I call the mind game technique. Every battle begins and ends in the mind. In January, Zakaria Ahmed of Al Shabab Somalia turned himself in. He was the Finance and Intelligence Director of Al Shabab. Why would somebody in that position turn himself in? It has to do with mind game. If our government can actually focus on mind game, which will make the other four categories see themselves as Nigerians and as people who still have a stake in this country, with very little money, we will stop this Boko Haram war and there will be peace again in Nigeria. Anytime I hear about suicide bombers, I am sad. These are things that can be stopped within few months when the mind game technique is added to what government is doing now.

    Would you say the government has done enough in fighting this insurgency?

    I will say the government has been focusing too much on the military. They should focus also on the mind game. Focus on the mind of the people who willingly give their 10 year old daughters to be suicide bombers. The financiers who thought at the beginning that it was okay, but are now tired and don’t know how to pull out and have become ensnared. So, focus on the mind game. Those who are forced and conscripted into Boko Haram do not really have a choice because they have become prisoners in the Boko Haram camp. Still talking on national issues, 1.8 million graduates are released into the labour market every year. Already, there is an existing pool of unemployed people. So, the unemployed are in their millions. I hear government say we will create jobs which is fine. But creating jobs should be based on production stimulating ideas and businesses. We have our own unemployment solution. We realised that to create jobs that will remain; jobs that will be in millions, you would need to construct a new city in each geopolitical zone and this will require man power. We planned to construct a new city in each geopolitical zone based on the raw materials available in that zone. In the South-West, we have water. If you construct a fish city, there will be fish ponds which will require manpower to construct and will be managed by people. Fish will be processed and there will be factories and because it is a new city, there will be houses constructed, banks will be attracted there, petrol stations will be attracted there and so many other businesses. That is serious job creation. There are other cities that we have in mind and with that, we reckon that within four years, 12 million sustainable jobs, dignified jobs will be created. That is one plan that can be implemented when it comes to unemployment.

    Last year, we heard that Nigeria became the 26th largest economy in the world. During the same period, the real sector contribution to GDP declined from 49 percent to 26 percent. What that means is that factories closed shop and jobs were lost while people became unemployed. We are the 26th largest economy in the world, but jobs were lost, unemployed people increased and poverty increased. So, there is business decline in Nigeria. One way to ensure that businesses come back is creating the market and this market is created when the jobs are created for people to have purchasing power. When they have purchasing power, they will be able to patronize businesses. So, job creation is the most serious challenge the government should actually tackle.

    You talked about developing therapeutic food product for HIV and cancer. What is the level of that product at the moment?

    We started work on the product in England and came and finish the work here in Nigeria and we are very satisfied with them. We are in the process of registering the patent. The product has been based on locally available raw materials with a few items being imported, like vitamins and minerals. But we are very excited about this product.

    Is the product available in the market now?

    It is not in the market yet. That is why I said we are in the process of patent registration because when you don’t patent and register and you launch it to the market, anybody can steal the idea.

    Why the delay in the patent process because from available information, you started work on this product 14 years ago?

    We are more into research and development; just as this product has come up, there are others and when you are trying to patent one, you can as well patent others because it is the same hassle that you pass through for one that you pass through to patent 10. We have other products and we are patenting all of them at the same time.

  • Concluding the series: APC’s ideal Presidential candidate (4)

    Concluding the series: APC’s ideal Presidential candidate (4)

    Since General Buhari is known all over the country as a decent and untainted person, it should not be unduly tough to accede to his emergence in a consensual manner

    As the title goes, this concludes our modest effort at showcasing General Muhammadu Buhari (RTD) as APC’s best leg forward in the 2015 presidential election, if the party’s intention is not to be  just an ‘also ran’. Conscious of the fact that the party is out to rescue a Nigeria already clobbered by indescribable corruption, some hard truths will be told, and  pleas made to some of the leading lights of the party who  must  bend over backwards, think less of self and give  a pride of place to our hemorrhaging country.

    The first of these pleas will go to the contestants who have been to all the nooks and crannies of the country selling their visions for party and country; trying to gain members’ support. This must have been at great personal costs. Both the party and the candidates must, however, ensure that since only one of them will eventually emerge, everything must be done to avoid fallouts which the opposition could latch on to hurt the party at the election proper. That could easily happen if the contestant finally chosen is perceived by Nigerians to be morally unsuitable for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  Since General Buhari is known all over the country as a decent and untainted person, it should not be unduly tough to accede to his emergence in a consensual manner. This is not to suggest that others are not honest, but this is a man who has held the highest office in the land and has never been known, even alleged, to have abused his office.  This will not only demonstrate party unity but will allow every segment of the party to coalesce around his candidature and ensure that he gets everything needed for a successful campaign. After all, the party survived the serial obstacles the opposition erected on the way to its emergence. It is also to be noted that President Jonathan did not emerge PDP’s sole presidential candidate because there were no other interested party members. Even as you read this, a scion of the redoubtable Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, is apparently still fuming.

    However, if settling the presidential slot looks fairly straight forward, not so that of who emerges the Vice Presidential candidate. Given the unending geo political rivalries for political office in our country, even if in reality that never translates to any meaningful advantage, as we saw in the Obasanjo presidency when infrastructure in the entire Southwest collapsed, and akin to what is  currently happening to the South South where the East-West road is taking like forever to complete, I should, ideally, be rooting for a Southwest Vice Presidential candidate. But political reality suggests differently.

    Who becomes the Vice Presidential candidate, and where he comes from, are issues that must be handled tactically and strategically. This is one position that can, and should, indeed, be used to maximally hurt the president in order to substantially reduce the advantages derivable from his literal capture of the Southeast.

    First and foremost, both General Buhari, who is my preferred contestant, and whoever emerges his Vice Presidential candidate cannot afford to be both non-current holders of a high political office given the massive logistical advantage holding such an office confers in our skewed democracy especially with regard to funding, security and overall logistics especially when they will be contesting against an incumbent who does not take prisoners.

    That fact, in my view, should, automatically eliminate any of the gentlemen whose names are currently being mentioned from the Southwest. The only remaining likely candidate is, unfortunately, caught up in the Muslim/Muslim argument which the PDP must eagerly be awaiting to latch on to. Without a doubt, trying that combination will be ill advised as it will be used by the PDP to scare away millions of voters from the party, especially in the North Central zone. So much has President Jonathan, unfortunately, imported religion into our politics that APC dares not go there at all. Nor has Boko Haram helped matters either.

    President Jonathan’s undisguised favoritism towards the Southeast from where he appointed not less than 70 percent of the headship of the country’s regulatory agencies, the Central Bank inclusive, in addition to the most important ministries in his government, has so cemented his capture of that geo-political zone that it would be unwise for the APC to consider any candidate from there. So complete is the president’s hold on the Southeast that former Governor Obi of Anambra State thought nothing of abandoning his promises to the Ikemba for the Jonathan cause, an issue that so upset Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, the late Igbo leader’s spouse.  I say this with considerable unease given Governor Rochas Okorocha’s immense, pan Nigerian goodwill; a goodwill that is obviously only a fractional appreciation of his large heart which knows neither Jew  nor Gentile.

    It is to be noted that the Yoruba, who also voted hugely for candidate Jonathan in 2011, have been remorselessly shortchanged by his government; a fact he admitted during the recent electioneering campaigns in the Southwest.

    This therefore leaves us with only the South South as where the Vice Presidential candidate can come from. As tactics, it must be a deliberate intent of the APC to keep the president busy campaigning in that zone rather than for him to have the luxury of taking their vote for granted. He must be made to sweat for every vote he would get there unlike in 2011. Luckily, there is a groundswell of reasons to ensure that.

    Governor Rotimi Amaechi has shown conclusively that he has all it takes to emerge the APC VP candidate. He has successfully fought a ruthless opposition to the hilt. Many in his situation would have crumbled, if not cave in to the multi-pronged attacks spearheaded, no doubt, by the presidency. The governor enjoys tremendous support in a state where, since 1999 PDP has routinely allocated its massive two million plus votes to itself. The APC must not let that happen in 2015 and with Amaechi on the ticket that will be an absolute impossibility.  Additionally, the massive anti-Jonathan sentiments arising from the Bayelsa/Rivers Soku oil wells crisis and the deliberate, inexplainable  impediments placed on the opening of the Abonnema  seaport as well as the Soku gas plant projects approved by the late President Musa  Yar’Adua will ensure that many  will not be favorably disposed to Jonathan’s candidature.

    This article was about concluded when Wale Adeoye, a former Senior Special Assistant to Governor Fayemi and a top chieftain of the O’odua  Nationalist Coalition, sent me the Coalition’s resolutions at its Ibadan meeting of October  7, 2014.

    The relevant part, to this subject, reads as follows:

    1. The coalition believes that it is more strategic for the Yoruba and the APC to present and support a South-South candidate as the Vice President in the forthcoming election. Such a person will neutralise the passion of PDP’s ethnic minority campaign tactics as well as strengthen confidence in the APC among ethnic minorities across the country.

    2. The coalition resolved to have its contact committee meet with the APC in Yoruba land to recommend Governor  Amaechi in view of his dogged spirit and libertarian heritage in the belief that given that he is an Ikwerre, with close genealogical ties to  the Igbo, he would certainly enjoy a modicum of Igbo support and so break into the president’s near monopoly of that zone. Also, the fact that the governor is highly regarded both in Nigeria and internationally, has vast political linkages across the country and can be trusted would be added advantages.

    What more can I say?

    As for the Yoruba, the most suitable post in an APC- controlled federal government, would, in my view, be the Senate Presidency. Given Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s yeoman’s contribution to the emergence and sustenance of the party, it should not be too much to cede this position to him, either in his personal capacity, or to his nominee.

    And the nominee could very well be his spouse, the highly effective Senator Oluremi Tinubu who would be returning as a second term senator.

    Concluded.

  • Periscoping the ideal APC presidential candidate (2)

    Periscoping the ideal APC presidential candidate (2)

    And I make bold to say that Nigeria, in its current dire straits, needs Buhari more than he needs Nigeria

    Writing in his column in The Nation of Thursday, September 25, 2014, the highly regarded Ambassador Dapo Fafowora clinically dissected one of the many evil consequences of PDP’s screaming ineptitude since assuming power in 1999.  On why Nigeria is no longer respected at international fora, he wrote:  ‘It is because of the widespread corruption in Nigeria which has continued to undermine economic and social development. Virtually all the state institutions, including the executive, legislative and the judiciary, have broken down completely. The other day the Chief Justice of the Federation was reported as complaining that the judiciary was rotten with many judges openly taking bribes to distort justice. The bench too is believed to be as corrupt …’ Now that the PDP has decided to  adopt  insecurity, nation-wide darkness(16 years ago, Nigeria was generating 4000 MW as against today’s below that figure), unprecedented level of corruption, de-industrialisation, massive unemployment, even official money laundering,  by  foreclosing  competition for  elective posts , come 2015, it is important that APC should go out  to deliberately choose  an  individual who, irrespective of  ethnicity or religion, has a track record of incorruptibility in high public office; a candidate whose integrity is so overpowering, overwhelming and assured, that Nigeria  could be lifted up from its current stagnation in  the lowest rungs of  the human  development indices within his first four years in office.

    South Africa, a country we now claim to have upended after re-basing our economy, has just seized a humongous $9.3 million ferried into that country in a private plane, ostensibly to illegally purchase arms, simply because it is alien to the PDP federal government to be honest in anything.  Indeed, the government, only this past week, withdrew the fraud charges against former Works Minister, Hassan Lawal, just like it did in the Abacha case, all for narrow political considerations. As it turned out in the money laundering case, the company they claimed they were going to buy arms from is not even authorised by the South African authorities to deal in arms. Hardly could anything be more demeaning of a country than that seizure, but our government is beyond shame. Everything is about cutting corners; never for them security of life and property, every government’s raison detre,  guaranteed uninterrupted electricity, anti-corruption, employment for  teeming millions of  our unemployed youth, or  programmes designed to reduce mass poverty as long as TAN and the Protectors can conjure claims  of a so-called transformation agenda.

    I was ruminating over these PDP-induced national malaise as I reached page 337 of ‘SCALING ACCIDENTS OF LIFE – an upcoming autobiography by the incomparable patriot, Chief Oladeji  Fasuan, only to  see right before me, a letter the author addressed to Governor Fashola on 1, June 2011. The letter reads as follows: “Dear Governor, during the last elections, I voted for a non-existent Buhari/Fashola ticket. Some of my friends (notably Afe Babalola, SAN) laughed at me. I pity them because until there is a Buhari/Fashola ticket or something containing the characters of these two men, Nigeria will continue to tumble and stumble till we get the right national leadership. Know what these two represent? BELIEF, COMMITMENT, RAW DETERMINATION plus CAPACITY, WILLINGNESS and TRANSPARENCY.

    It is on the heels of the octogenarian’s above testimony that I present below, the views of Fola Aiyegbusi, a young Nigerian patriot, who is critically aware of the perilous times we are:

    ‘My reaction will start with a question:  Is Nigeria ready for an incorruptible president? The answer, unfortunately, is no.  Nigerians only complain of corruption when they are not the beneficiary.  That is when you hear ludicrous rationalisations for corrupt practices as in the one Femi Fani-Kayode recently did entitled: “of cash, the jet and Pastor Oritshejafor,” in defence of his co-religionist.

    ‘Today in Nigeria, General Buhari stands out as an epitome of incorruptibility, very much unlike the rest. As Head of State  between  1983- ‘85, his  government  gave a monthly account of crude oil lifted, how much it was sold for, and what  government was going to do with the revenue generated  there from. That now sounds like ancient history. As a military Head of State, he was not obliged to do it but because of his innate transparency and that of his Chief of General Staff, General Tunde  Idiagbon,  they   opted to lead by example. Today, under a PDP administration, reports of unremitted oil revenues are legion. Rather than openness in the Nigerian extractive industry,  it is corruption galore and we now daily hear of millions of barrels of stolen crude oil in spite of sweet heart, multi-billion pipeline security contracts awarded  to some of our president’s  Ijaw  compatriots.  Are oil thieves ghosts, since you need a barge worth millions of dollars to engage in oil stealing or are they being protected by higher authorities?  Any Nigerian wishing the country well already has his choice for the office of president because the general has already demonstrated, in previous posts, the ability to perform creditably the onerous task of ruling this largest agglomeration of blacks in the universe.

    ‘Anybody rushing to join the PDP today must have his eyes on corrupt enrichment, especially going into an election year.  Were Nigeria a serious country, that party ought to have been asphyxiated to death by now.  With their bulging 2015 campaign budget, not a few unreflecting Nigerians would still head there in search of loot.  Or what, other than monumental corruption, ethnic and religious bigotries and insecurity of life and property can Nigerians point to as benefits of PDP’s fifteen year stranglehold over Nigeria?  Never in the history of our country have religion and ethnic sensitivities been as pronounced as we now have.

    ‘But the time for change has come. For the APC to vanquish a thoroughly clueless PDP, General Buhari is its only option and with any of governors Tunde Fashola, Adams Oshiomhole, Rochas Okorocha, Chris Ngige or Kayode Fayemi. General Buhari will be APC’s ideal presidential candidate.  He has the drive, the passion and the sheer perspicacity to rescue this country from this journey to nowhere.’

    I say a big thank you to Fela for his well crafted views. As my own little contribution, let me quickly say that despite all the attempts by the opposition to dress the general in the robes of a Taliban, he comes to me, in the words of an elder, as a bridge builder who connects easily with his conservative north and the progressive Southwest and Middle belt in particular. A spartan soldier/politician, GMB has more than demonstrated the ability to lift Nigeria far beyond its present morass.  And I make bold to say that Nigeria, in its current dire straits, needs Buhari more than he needs Nigeria. Indeed, only this past week, Tunji Ololade, my co-columnist at The Nation, in his column, Reality Bites, of Friday, September 25, 2014, put the situation very brilliantly when he wrote: ‘Again, we are set to elect familiar ogres we do not know to power. Some of them we know we ought to shy from but we would still go ahead to vote for them, won’t we? Granted the reins of hope come 2015, shall we choose misery and tragedy undiminished? Shall we choose ruin over rebirth, distrust over trust, shallowness over depth and puerile platitudes over the precision of promising logic?’

    These are the questions Nigerians, given our  present circumstances, must critically interrogate from now till that February date when we cast our votes for the next president; not phony religious sentiments, unprofitable ethnicity or filthy lucre in whatever currency. These are the realities Nigerians must face squarely, come February, 2015 unless we want to remain glued to  our current miseries.