PDP Reps Demand Automatic Tickets For 2015

Wary of the threat posed by the rising influence of the All Progressives Congress in the House of Representatives, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, met with its lawmakers on Tuesday evening at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.

The meeting which was still on as at 10:00 p.m. last night was attended by governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Labour Party, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.

The National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Mu’azu, led members of the party’s National Working Committee to the meeting.

The governors at the meeting include Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom, PDP), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo, Labour Party), Peter Obi (Anambra, APGA), Emmanuel Uduagham (Delta, PDP), Theodore Orji (Abia, PDP) Babangida Aliyu (Niger, PDP) Liyel Imoke (Cross River, PDP), Ramalan Yero (Kaduna, PDP), Usman Darkingeri (Kebbi, PDP) and Acting Governor Garba Umar (Taraba State, PDP).

The deputy governors of Kogi and Jigawa states were also in attendance.

Members of the lower chamber from the three parties were also present at the all-important meeting, which comes on the heels of APC’s directive to its lawmakers in the National Assembly to shut down government if President Goodluck Jonathan does not put a stop to the reign of lawlessness in Rivers State.

What would be a major revelation from the meeting was when the House Leader, Mulikat Akande-Adeola, in her welcome address reminded the PDP of its promise to offer all its lawmakers automatic tickets for 2015 election, ostensibly to deter them from defecting to the APC. She asked the PDP not to renege on that promise.

She said: “Members of this House will want to be reassured of the party’s promise of automatic tickets in the forthcoming elections, their welfare and opportunity to nominate membership of the various committees from their respective constituencies whenever the need arises.

“All these measures will no doubt go a long way in soothing frail nerves, engender unflinching loyalty and indeed utmost commitment to the cause of the party”.

On his part, Akapabio admitted that the ruling party was facing difficult times, but said if all members worked together, “we believe we can pick up the pieces”.

He also noted that most members of the PDP in the House and their governors do not seem to be on the same page soon after the lawmakers assumed power in Abuja.

He added that the meeting was actually the initiative of the PDP governors’ forum to correct the mistakes of the past.

Akpabio added, “We are determined to bring closeness to the PDP family so that we can forge a closer working relationship.

“The outcome of this meeting will determine the exit or return of some of you from the House of Representatives.

“Whatever we seal here will become the Abuja Accord”.

On the presence of Obi and Mimiko at the meeting, Akpabio, who is chairman of the PDPGF, said it was to assure the lawmakers that the PDP was no longer alone.

“You should understand political language and you know what I mean”, he added.

Screening Of Service Chiefs: Our Senators Did Not Disobey Party’s Directive – APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as quite misleading reports in the media on Tuesday that its Senators disobeyed the party’s directive to its members in the National Assembly to block all Executive Bills until the restoration of law and order in Rivers.

The party was reacting to media reports that its members attended the screening of newly appointed Service Chiefs on Monday.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the opposition party said the reports were borne out of the gross misunderstanding of filibustering as a veritable democratic tool to impede legislation by obstructive tactics.

“We never directed our members in the National Assembly to boycott the chambers’ sessions, whether it is screening of appointees or plenary. What we said is that they should block Executive Bills. In any case, a Senator or an Honourable member can only filibuster when he is in attendance. Fillibuster does not equate to boycott or non-attendance”, APC said.

On the screening of the Service Chiefs, APC said it was fully aware that its members would participate in the process, “just as we are sure they will be part of any debate on the issue, and we have no problems with that. After all they were elected to attend the National Assembly sessions and fully participate in its activities. But their contributions will help swing things one way or the other. That is the crux of the matter”.

PDP: Rivers Is Broke

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Rivers State government have disagreed over the financial status of the state as the former alleged that the state is broke and cannot meet its obligations.

The Rivers State chapter of PDP argued that despite the contrary view of the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, evidence had shown that the state was bankrupt.

A statement signed by Jerry Needam, the media aide to Rivers PDP chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah, described the state government’s denial as laughable.

It urged Semenitari to explain why the state government owed officers and men of the State Transport Management Agency for about six months.

“The newly recruited 13,000 teachers are also owed six months’ salaries, roads and other infrastructural projects abandoned, and the delay in the release of the N300 million Christmas bonus meant for the civil servants in the state.

“The PDP also demands explanation from the Information Commissioner to justify the reason for the denial of funds for full implementation of the 2013 Budget by the various ministries if the state was not broke”, the statement read.

Debunking the claim by the PDP as absurd, Rivers State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside explained that it was wrong for the PDP to stay on the sideline and declare that the state was broke without facts.

He said, “The state is not broke. It is absurd for the PDP to say that the state is broke. The PDP does not run the government and nobody tells the government when payment of contractors and workers are due because the state government has always lived up to its expectations.

“How do you determine that a government is broke? Is it by sitting on the sideline? Does the processing of teachers’ salaries through biometric procedure mean that the state is broke?” Peterside asked.

2015: INEC’s Timetable Hit Us Unexpectedly, Says Presidency… Denies Influencing Jega

The presidency has dismissed as false, comments that it influenced the scheduling of the 2015 general elections time-table released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, last week, saying it received the news with surprise like every other Nigerian.

Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State Monday, accused the Presidency of influencing the electoral umpire to schedule the presidential election first so as to create a ‘bandwagon effect’ in subsequent elections in favour of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Kwankwaso was one of the governors that defected from PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

“I don’t know how they influenced the Independent National Electoral Commission to put this election and National Assembly election first and then two weeks after, they’ll do House of Assembly and governorship elections. I think the presidential election should come last”, the Kano governor was quoted as saying.

But reacting to the allegation, Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi, said the Presidency had allowed INEC to perform its duties without interference hence the presumption by Kwankwaso and others with same views was wrong.

The presidential aide said: “They (INEC) have a constitutional responsibility to take care of elections. It is that responsibility they have adhered to. For me, it is part of the transformation agenda that those who are given responsibilities to perform do so without let or hindrance.

“That is what the (Professor Attahiru) Jega-led INEC has done. Nobody was expecting it. If anybody was saying that they were under some influence that person is wrong in his presumption.

“It is the independent nature of the various organisations under this administration that is coming to play. We must thank the President for making sure that these organisations have a free atmosphere to function”.
On the argument in some quarters that the time table was released a little too early as the 2015 elections are still 13 months away, Senator Obi said: “It is their (INEC) responsibility to put out dates for elections, declare dates for campaigns, among others, that is what they have done.  Don’t forget they did that under a retreat. All of them cannot be making a mistake at the same time”.

On whether putting the presidential election first would not create a bandwagon effect in favour of the ruling party as alleged, Obi  said the argument was misplaced as previous elections had not followed any strict order.

2015: Akwa Ibom No-Go Area For APC – Akpabio

Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday threw his weight behind President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term ambition and called on the President to declare his 2015 intention now without further delay.

Akpabio, who is the chairman of Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum, PDPGF, made the call in Abuja when he visited the new national chairman of PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu in his office at the Wadata Plaza national headquarters of the party.

While promising to deliver to the President all the delegate votes from his state, just like he did during the party’s 2011 presidential primaries, Akpabio also warned that Akwa Ibom is a no-go area for other political parties in 2015.

“We have no doubt and that is why we came to let you know that in Akwa Ibom PDP, there is no shaking. We would deliver the presidency.

“Akwa Ibom is intact for the PDP and it is a no go area for other political parties”, Akpabio said.

He added: “We did it in 2011 and I assure Mr. President that Akwa Ibom will do it again. We were the first set in 2010 to announce our support for him to go for his first tenure in 2011.

“We did that and other states followed. We are again the first state in 2014 to urge Mr. President to go back for a second term in office.

“We are a monolithic group in Akwa Ibom, although you may have one or two people who want to test the political waters here and there”, he added.

Information Nigeria reports that although Mr. Jonathan has deployed delay tactics over his reelection bid, his body language over time and the various support groups springing up calling on him to throw his hat in the ring, has continued to reinforce the general belief and suspicion among party chieftains that he might be scheming to clinch the 2015 presidential ticket of his party.

Governors Treat Jonathan Like Their Houseboy - Useni

The Chairman, Board of Trustees, Arewa Consultative Forum, and former FCT Minister, Lt.Gen Jeremiah Useni (retd.) consideres the proposed national conference is a waste of time and that northern agitators should allow President Goodluck Jonathan contest in 2015

See excerpts of his interview below;

It’s been some time since we heard your voice in the political circuit. Why have you been quiet?

Unless there is something important, one doesn’t make noise. But I don’t have to make noise before you know I’m around. Yes, I only talk when there is an issue of concern to me, when there is something of general interest and when I think my voice may be of relevance.

As a retired general in the Nigerian Army, how would you rate the Federal Government’s fight against terrorism and insecurity across the country?

Government is doing its best, no doubt about it. But we started late, if we had nipped it in the bud, the issue would have been different. It is just like the civil war, where we started with police action. It had become a full-scale war before we took proper action and it took three years to stop the Biafran war. It is just like this case, but like I said, everything is being done to get it off our neck. Government is doing its best, a division has been created for that zone, the Seventh Division of the Nigerian Army. Service chiefs have been changed to give new impetus to the campaign. I see more improvement in clamping down on those people.

Would you agree a carrot-and-stick approach is the best in handling Boko Haram?

I don’t know whether that is going on now. Even in war, those who surrender, you treat them nicely and those who refuse to surrender, of course, you deal with them appropriately.

It is widely believed that the North is against the proposed national conference. Is this true?

That is not true; I am the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Arewa Consultative Forum, the umbrella body of all the associations in the North. We believe that the members of the National Assembly are the representatives of the people. They should be able to speak for the people; they should be able to see whether something is good or bad. Can you give a man a job and still sack him  and say there is a group of people that should come and do the job? Don’t forget, you still have  to go back to them again and they can disagree with what you have done. That means nothing will come out of it. That is why some of us are saying we must tread with caution. Has there been any talk that lawmakers have failed or that we think they are useless and we should get a new crop of people? I don’t understand. We are not against it, we are just saying it should go through the National Assembly.

Would you have joined the All Progressives Congress, if you had remained in the All Nigeria Peoples Party?

Yes, or alternatively, I would have left the ANPP.

Do you see the APC as a better alternative for the electorate in the 2015 elections?

I don’t think so. They are having problems too. Look at Kano, Ibrahim Shekarau and the governor are not in good terms. Shekarau was governor and he contested the presidential election, now Rabiu Kwankwanso who lost, is governor. Now, by their constitution, the state leader of the party is the governor and Shekarau would not take kindly to Kwankwanso being his leader. The same thing in Sokoto. The governor there was deputy to Attahiru Bafarawa and if they say the governor is the leader of the party, Bafarawa would not take kindly to the governor being his leader. So, they are having problems there and they haven’t settled them. The same thing with (Col. Buba) Marwa (retd) in Adamawa, they haven’t settled. So, everywhere, there is problem, we can only watch and see. Many people left the Peoples Democratic Party because they wanted Tukur out. Now Tukur has left, maybe some of them will come back. So, I don’t think they have won over PDP yet. APC can’t say hallelujah yet because some people are rushing to join them. Let’s just watch and see.

Looking beyond the crisis, as an elder statesman, do you think APC is a credible alternative for Nigerians? Can you recommend it as a better alternative to PDP?

As it is now, they are next to PDP. When you are talking of credible alternative, all I know is that they are next to PDP. If PDP is not there, they are the next biggest party to PDP, full stop. Whether they are credible is a different thing altogether. I won’t like to say anything on that aspect because that would mean talking about the individuals that make up the party.

Regarding Buhari, some Nigerians feel he should be considered for the Presidency in 2015. Is this your opinion too?

He is a good chap. If he is given the opportunity, I think he would do well, being a disciplinarian. But we are in a democratic set up and the majority counts. If the people say they don’t want you, what do you do? But he is a very disciplined person; that, I can vouch for.

Can Buhari function within a democratic set up?

I don’t know, he hasn’t been a democratic head of state, so I can’t assess him. During the military, he did well, he set up the War against Indiscipline programme and we saw how people were queuing. Are they doing so now? People were not throwing dirt out of  the windows of their cars then, but that is going on now. During the military regime, the governors were disciplined. Forget the fact that they were military governors, they had respect for the president. The President has the whole country as one constituency, but the governors have only 36 constituencies, yet the present governors have no respect for the President. They behave anyhow, talk to the President anyhow, as if he is their houseboy. The same governors will not allow a local government chairman talk to them anyhow. So, I can’t assess whether Buhari would be a good civilian president or not.

Is it true that President Jonathan had a one-term agreement with the North?

I have never been in the PDP, so I don’t know. That was a party thing. I don’t know anything about it. The  discussions were at the party level, not elders level, so I don’t know.

Some Niger-Delta activists are threatening bloodshed if Jonathan is not allowed to contest in 2015. What is your take on this?

I agree with them on this. Jonathan has the right to contest to complete two terms in office. There is no reason why Jonathan should not contest in 2015. If Yar’Ardua were alive, he would be finishing his eight years now. The man (Jonathan) took part of it. I can only say these four years that he is about to finish will be really his own. So if you don’t want him to spend another four years to make eight years, you can say let him spend two-and-a-half years or so, of what remained of Yar’Adua’s tenure to make up his own eight years. Definitely, there is no reason why Jonathan should not go for it in 2015, unless people reject him. It is not that he is not qualified, he is over-qualified.

So, are you opposed to agitators who want power to return to the North?

I am from the North, I don’t agree with them. The calculation is wrong, the calculation is selfish.

How do you assess Jonathan’s government?

The only thing I would say is he (the President) should blow hot and cold. Too much of cold compared to hot is why this nonsense is going on. He should balance it. I think he is doing well. One tree cannot make a forest; he cannot run the Federal Government and also run the states. State governments are there to do their own bit, so also are local governments.

Are you still in Democratic Peoples Party?

I’m still in DPP.

But DPP has almost fizzled from the political landscape?

No, I am still there. How can you say we have fizzled out? We are having meetings and looking at the whole set-up.

Any plan to field a presidential candidate in 2015 or merge with another party?

No, we have no plan to field a presidential candidate, but we may merge with another party, preferably PDP because that is where I believe we have more friends. But we have not concluded on that yet, I am just talking about preference.

How would you react to the recent appointment of service chiefs?

It’s a normal thing. As a service chief, you are there at the pleasure of the commander -in-chief. He can appoint you today and remove you tomorrow. So there is no rule or law that says you must spend this number of years there.

Source: Punch Nigeria
READ MORE: 

Obasanjo's Loyalists Divided Over Jonathan's Re-election

Cracks have appeared  in the political camp of  former President Olusegun Obasanjo as  his loyalists are divided. Some of the loyalists want to remain in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, while others are in favour of defection to  the All Progressives Congress, APC.

It has been gathered that some of the ex-president’s loyalists, who ruled out the idea of defecting  into APC, are behind  President Goodluck Jonathan in his second term ambition.

At a meeting of the PDP caucus in Ogun State, held at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Friday night, a motion was moved to decamp to APC.

According to a  source at the meeting, the motion to join APC was moved by the Ogun East senatorial chairman, Chief Tayo Ajayi, and was seconded by another elder from Ogun West, Chief Shina Adejobi.

A counter motion was moved by a former lawmaker who represented Ifo I constituency at the state House of Assembly, Hon. Johnson Fatoki, before the motion was put to vote.

14 PDP  chairmen out of  the 20 across Ogun and two serving members of  the state House of Assembly, Job Akintan and Abiodun Akovoyon, also allegedly countered the motion to join the APC. After the move to join APC hit a brickwall, the two groups were advised to continue negotiating with the parties of their choice and report back to the house.

At the meeting, Chief Sunday Alawode was elected interim Chairman of the caucus. Alawode later  said the Obasanjo  group was not in support of the move to negotiate with the APC.

He said that members of the group were  solidly behind the reconciliatory moves by the new Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu  Mu’azu.

“Yes, a meeting was held and someone moved a motion to join the APC and the motion was countered. 14 local government Chairmen and all political functionaries were not in support of the move and since Chief Obasanjo has made it clear he is staying in PDP, we stand by him on that decision,” he said.

“We congratulate the new National Chairman of our party and believe in his ability to reconcile the party in the South-west and Ogun State in particular.

“ We also support President Jonathan’s 2015 presidential ambition and we are ready to work for its success.”
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/57623.html

2015 General Elections: 60,000 Police Officers Undergoing Training

At least 60,000 anti-riot mobile Police officers are currently being trained at the Police Mobile Training College, Ila-Orangun, Osun state for the 2015 general elections.

Police sources say the officers were drawn from all the 36 states of the federation and are being prepared to ensure peaceful elections in the 2015 general elections.

Speaking at the weekend, Commandant of the college, Mr. Jackson El-Ekoh, a Deputy
Commissioner of Police, stated that the training was to make police officers more effective before, during and after the elections scheduled for this year and next year.

Former Sokoto Gov Bafarawa Dumps APC For PDP

Former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, has formally made a switch from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The defection of Bafarawa was made public in Sokoto by his media advisor, Yusuf Dingyadi, who said the former governor made the “collective and unanimous decision” on the basis of a consensus reached by his associates and supporters from the 23 local governments of the state.

According to him, Bafarawa and his associates no longer believed they will get justice and a sense of belonging in the APC.

Dingyadi, also the state Publicity Secretary of the Bafarawa’s faction of APC, said that the decision was taken on Saturday after a meeting with Bafarawa and former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau.

Dingyadi said the meeting was also attended by the supporters of Bafarawa in the three parties, who merged to form the APC.

According to Dingyadi, the leaders of the former governor’s faction of the APC had been asked to go back to the 23 local government areas in the state for further consultation.

In his reaction, State Secretary of Gov. Aliyu Wamakko’s faction of the APC, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu, told NAN that it was a welcome development.

“It is a good omen for the APC in Sokoto state and at the national level. APC will now be stronger and united.

“Bafarawa is afraid of Wamakko. He had since been working for PDP. Only his body was in APC, but his heart was already in the PDP,” said Aliyu, who is also the health commissioner, said.

Wamakko had defected to the APC from the PDP, although his deputy, Alhaji Mukhtari Shagari, refused to defect to the APC.

The APC in the state had since been factionalised into two, with two separate state headquarters and different interim state caretaker leaderships.

Leadership Tussle: We Can’t Be Stooges For Anybody In APC, Says Shekarau

Immediate past Governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shakarau yesterday denied rumors that he and other aggrieved chieftains of All Progressives Congress, APC, are working for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stressing that they are too politically matured to be stooges to anyone.

The APC has been in disarray in some states where the governors defected from PDP to the opposition party as the national leadership reportedly handed over control of party structures in the affected states to the governors. This development did not go down well with Kwankwaso and others, who were party leaders in their respective states before the defection of the governors.

Kwankwaso, who spoke in Sokoto alongside former Governor of the state, Attahiru Bafarawa at the latter’s residence, said, “As far as we are concerned, we are on our own. Both of us have passed a stage of being stooges for anybody and we have the courage. If a PDP man will walk out of the party to another party, why shouldn’t we as responsible people instead of working for anybody behind the scene?”

According to him, their major focus is the way forward in resolving the disagreement between them as stakeholders in their respective states and the leadership of the APC.

“Sokoto, Kano, Adamawa, Kwara and Rivers have the similar predicament   as far as the operations of the APC in our states are concerned, we have been comparing notes, we have been working together, because we have the concern for the growth and development of APC and if there is anything that needs to be done, we need to put heads together to address such an issue, this is why we are here, it is a continuation of our consultation”.

He lamented that they had written separately to lodge their complaint with the leadership of the APC as well as jointly signed letters on their position to some of the steps taken by the leadership of the party, which they felt were unconstitutional but that the leadership was yet to respond to their plight.

“We are not happy that they have taken this long, for example it is getting to 50 days now since Kano brought its own petition, over 250 members of the stakeholders of APC signed the petition, more than 50 days now, no response not even acknowledgement; tot even a telephone call, so we keep pacifying our members to exercise patience”, he said.

Kwankwaso, however, said they are still discussing and working on the way forward.

PDP must take action against defection – Aruwa

Senator Mohammed Muktar Aruwa served two-terms as Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the Senate between 1999 and 2003. After he left the Senate, he took a shot at the governorship race on the platform of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Kaduna State, in 2007. He again gave another trial in 2011 elections, which was futile. In this interview with a group of journalists at his Kaduna Allied Ranch Farms, Aruwa spoke on various issues ranging from President Goodluck Jonathan’s rumoured ambition to contest the 2015 election and the North’s insistence on power returning to the region. Correspondent, John Adi, was there. Excerpts:

How do you assess the leadership of Bamanga Tukur in retrospect?

Senator Mohammed Muktar Aruwa

Well, unfortunately the decisions of the party hierarchy to pick Bamanga as Chairman of the party, rightly or wrongly, was made, and throughout the party was full of turmoil.  From the time he took over, I don’t think there was a week of peace. So, there is no room to assess his administration.  He was not able to administer other than troubleshooting, trying to resolve problems.  So, it is difficult, to be fair, for anybody to say he was good or bad.  For this reason, I don’t think I can pass any comment on Bamanga Tukur’s administration of PDP.

Now that Bamanga Tukur has become a former chairman of PDP, having resigned his position due to pressure, and PDP, particularly in the North, has lost four governors to the opposition APC, what do you think would be the electoral fortunes of the party in the coming elections?

He has come and he’s gone. Now if we are talking about governors defecting, members of the House of Representatives – they did not do this for neither Tukur nor PDP; they were inviting chaos into the nation and it would affect everyone of us, because it is only in a country where there is no rule of law that you can take a mandate from party ‘A’ to party ‘B’ without regard to the electorate and you expect democracy to succeed. So, talking about defection within a party, a ruling party, and expecting it to be a minority through the whims and caprices of its own members – not the electorate – I don’t think anyone of you should even give credence or support, unless you all resolve that the military should come back.  For example, if PDP today decided to recall each of those members, governors, senators or House of Representatives, it requires only 5,000 signatories. Do you think in all those states that the governors said they have left, PDP will fail to get 5,000 signatories from its own members within that state? The answer is no, PDP can always get that signatories. But what is the consequential effect of recall, if PDP elect to do that? If you look at what is happening now, it’s like people who have cooked in a pot, fed fat in the pot, now becoming hell bent on breaking that pot so that nobody can cook in that pot again – it’s more or less in that direction. There is nothing good about defection. If you want to defect, resign your elected office. But in this case, they are not resigning, and do you expect PDP to just sit and fold its arm? So, this is a question for each and every one of you.  It affects all of us.  It’s an invitation to chaos.  So, I don’t know what reaction PDP will take in this direction, but certainly don’t expect it to sit down and not apply the rules governing such defections. And if that happens, it is politicians that have failed the country. So, it is nothing to write home about.

But we’ve seen governors from other parties defecting to PDP and the world did not collapse. In any case, what does the PDP constitution say concerning defection?

If a precedent was established, it is not an excuse to totally abandon the rule and law.  I’m not talking about the PDP constitution; I’m talking about the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, these are very clear. Let’s talk about Yuguda. He took a ticket from ANPP to PDP. I know how much we fought on that issue, but again, like I said, precedent is not greater than the law.  So, if ANPP decided not to recall Yuguda that does not mean.  Try this in the South-West.  Any governor from the APC should try and go to another party, I don’t think Tinubu will allow that as it is clear in the Electoral Act and Constitution.  First, you must resign.  Even INEC, within the law establishing it, supported by the Electoral Act, can declare all those seats vacant. Is that good for the nation? Look at the share number! So, it is a very delicate balance. I’m surprised at the former speaker, Masari. Only recently, he announced that any state where the governor decamps, he automatically becomes the leader of the party in that state.  Masari is a lawmaker and should know what the law provides. If we cannot build on what the political establishment has built upon, we should not be distorting, because it is the masses that will suffer. Today, if people like me were still in the Armed Force, we would have sent the politicians home long time, because they have failed the nation. No issues that the political party or body cannot resolve, unless they want total destruction. Let me be clear, PDP will not sit and just look at this thing.  It will not just sit and look at it. So, let’s be concerned and worried about what will be the reaction, in the coming weeks and months. We should all be very concerned because there are no two ways about this.

Let’s look at the issue of internal party democracy in the PDP vis-à-vis the leadership imposition by the same party, don’t you think this could be a factor that will definitely inspire defection in the party?

Internal democracy in all the political parties in Nigeria is lacking. Talk about internal democracy if there is any.  Even in APC, Masari wouldn’t have said what he said a few days ago.  Does that give room for internal democracy? Yes, interest groups abound in all political parties, but no matter the problems, at the end of the day, you should sit as a family to resolve it.  But where some insist that there will be no resolution, where do you go from there? This is the situation PDP finds itself. Yes, there are lapses on the part of the management of PDP, no question about it, but two wrongs cannot make a right. The situation democracy finds itself in Nigeria, do you think it is proper and right for democracy?  You answer that.  Gentlemen, here is a country that is yearning for democracy; the gladiators are not willing to resolve issues, who suffers? Democracy. Some of the media have not been fair, there is a lopsided reportage on about all issues.  Leaders are bound to make mistakes.   Followers are bound to read between the lines and see which is genuine, or deliberate. Nobody has a monopoly of knowledge ,PDP inclusive, but that is not to say that in a 30-member State Assembly, 27 will decide to change camp leaving 3 on the platform that brought all of them into the house. Is there any sense in that, democratically? Whoever is the leader ought to have stopped that, because they are challenging democracy.  Democracy doesn’t talk.  We should speak and talk on behalf of democracy, but when we see wrong, we beat the drum and dance to it; the consequences will spare no one of us.  It is wrong for any leader to think that he wants people to decamp to his side; he would remove 27 out of 30 at a go and expect not to be hacking on the fabric of democracy, that’s my point, and I don’t think it’s right. The same legislators went to court – PDP did not go to court – for fear of recall, they went to court.  And what was the court’s verdict? It said there is no faction in PDP.  INEC said there is no faction in PDP and you said they are legislators. So, what good are they when they don’t respect the law? They went to court and this is the verdict. I was not in the court and I read the verdict. So, it’s a matter of lawlessness, period.

Many Northern elders and some members of the PDP from the North claimed to be disappointed at the PDP government. What is your opinion on this?

I don’t believe that the North should fight or go out of its way because it wants to govern this country. The seat of power, I have said it and with no regret and I will say it again, the home of power in Nigeria remains in the North, no question about it. Democracy is about number and election is about number. Whoever that is ruling today, even Jonathan, I don’t think he got to where he is without at least 25% minimum of votes from the North.  So, make no mistake about it, no Southerner can be president without northerners and no northerner without southerners. So, for any northerner to go over head fighting that at such and such point power should come here, I’m not with that thought. We have a country that belongs to all of us. We have a non-Northerner ruling today, it will turn round and round. So, it should be allowed the natural movement.  But to force your way just because you are a majority, democracy still request that you protect the interest of the minority.  So, now a Southerner is ruling eventually it will come to the North and at that time, you can now block it going out, but don’t say you will force your way and that it must be now, and for that reason hell must be let loose. If we the Northerners believe that that is the way to run the government or democracy, I don’t see it that way.  But that is not the fight we should embark on.  We should work towards reuniting the nation, working together; the wheel has turned the other way, but it’s coming back and it will come back in our life time or in our children’s life time.  That’s what democracy is all about, it’s not about the north because it has number. And this is why I’m surprised at that the Buharis and the Atikus, all of those who converge, they are all doing it for themselves not for our younger ones, not for the future.  If it was for the future, I don’t think it will be this intense, I don’t think so.

What will be your take on the position of Northerners, based on what they said concerning the so-called gentleman agreement in the PDP for a rotational presidency vis-à-vis Jonathan’s reelection bid?

Firstly, democratically, it was wrong for them to go into that agreement which doesn’t exist. If they were guided by the constitution they needn’t even have talked about that so-called agreement which, as far as I’m concerned, is verbal; you’re not a witness to it, the voterswere not witnesses to it.  All those Northerners and elders, I don’t care if they escort the earth to the world, none of them can present a copy of that agreement, they only talk about a non-existent agreement.  In any case, it is not democratic. The constitution provides for two terms, the Electoral Act provides for two terms.  So, the voters are the only ones that can deny or give you one term or even recall you, if the need be.  So, who gave those elders you are referring to the mandate to negotiate this non-existing agreement? If it exists – I don’t know – have you seen it?  You are members of the press, has anybody shown you that agreement?  Let me draw your attention to the fact that, sometimes you members of the press are the problems of our polity.  Jonathan inherited 2 years from Umar Yar’adua of blessed memory.  Jonathan agitated for 6 year one term, the time he is referring to is the 2 years he finished for Yar’adua and the 4 years he’s now on.  But we said no.  Can any one of you recall the time he was agitating for six year single term? Where was our head at that time? Are our heads over our shoulders or were they somewhere else? But now we say no to six year single term, and then it is constitutional he has the right to re-contest.  There is nowhere in the constitution that ban him from contesting, and he saw it fit that he wants to try it again.  It is the voters that will decide, not north deciding for you. They arrogate to themselves all sorts of names – elders, stakeholders, all kinds of names which is not known by the constitution of either the party or the federation. So, if we had agreed to a six year single term, today Jonathan would not be talking about contesting, but we said no, and the constitution says you cannot be elected twice in the same office. The drafters of the constitution are very clever, they didn’t say you cannot be sworn-in, if it is swearing-in, he would not have reason to contest. They say you cannot be elected twice in the same office.  So, Jonathan was elected once, unless he on his own decided to say; ‘I am not contesting’, no power, no group of persons or elders can stop him. This is the position of the law, constitution and the electorate. To we Northerners, all I’m begging is that we become united.  We need to work on that unity to hold ourselves as a bloc and speak the truth, honestly, fairly and sincerely at all given times.

APC Crisis May Escalate

There are indications that the crisis brewing within the All Progressives Congress may lead to the suspension or expulsion of several prominent members of the party who are currently perceived as working against its interest.

It was learnt that some of the prominent members including  former governors may be shown the way out of the party if they continue to resist the take-over of the opposition party’s structures by the  G-5 governors who recently defected from the People’s Democratic Party.

A reliable source within the National Secretariat of the party said on condition of anonymity said the thinking within the leadership of the party is that the G-5 governors must be allowed to take over structures of the party in the affected states to enable them   provide the funds to strengthen the APC for the 2015 elections.

The G-5 governors who defected from the PDP were Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers; Murtala Nyako of Adamawa; Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano; Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara and Aliyu Wammako of Sokoto.

The source asked: “ Do you think former Governors Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano, Bafarawa of Sokoto   or   rtd. Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa of Adamawa have the capacity to win elections in those states now? “

He continued: “We know that some of these people are PDP agents who want to sabotage APC from inside by causing all types of crisis”.

When reminded that most of the defected   governors would complete their second tenure by 2015 and may therefore not have much at stake during the forth-coming   polls, he said : “ If APC doesn’t win the states where the G-5 governors are currently in power, it means they would be politically finished. So they would surely throw in their resources to ensure that APC wins in their states to enable them   be in a vantage position to pursue their   future political career”.

”Who told you that some of them don’t have presidential ambition?” he asked.

The source however expressed confidence that the crisis would be resolved just like the various opposition parties were able to overcome all their differences and merge.

Said he: “ When political battles are fought, it is either you win, lose and   leave or reconcile”.

It would be recalled that the G-5 governors defected after reportedly   reaching an agreement with the leadership of APC that the party’s structures in the five states would be handed over to them.

However, since they defected they have faced stiff resistance from prominent members of the party   especially former governors in their attempt to take over APC structures in the affected states.

When contacted by phone yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of the party Alhaji Lai Mohammed dismissed certain media reports about the crisis as the handiwork of the PDP.

He admitted that the party was aware of the disagreement within some state chapters of the party but said a National Reconciliation Committee had been set up to handle the situation.

By OKEY NDIRIBE
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/57592.html

Nothing Can Force Me Out Of PDP - Tambuwal

Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday debunked speculations that he is planning a defection to the All Peoples Congress.

He  said he still remains a member of  the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite widespread insinuations that he was dumping the party for the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Meanwhile, the Speaker has described Governor Adams Oshiomhole as a defender of democracy, and achiever.

Tambuwal spoke in Benin City shortly after paying a condolence visit to the Benin Monarch, Oba Erediauwa on the death of his eldest wife, Queen Esther Erediauwa. He also paid a courtesy visit to Governor Oshiomhole at Government House.

Asked if he is still a member of the PDP,, Tambuwal asserted that “I am still a member of the PDP”.

Also, reacting to the directive of the APC leadership that the National Assembly should not pass the  Budget, the Speaker said that the directive is meant for  APC  lawmakers and not for PDP.

He said, the House of Representatives has been calling on the Federal Government and security agencies to do everything  possible to restore  peace in  Rivers State.

Speaking at Government House Benin City,, Tambuwal said, “We commend you for your efforts in not only promoting and sustaining very key and important developments in Edo  State but also,, promoting democracy and democratic ethics. You are one leader that we appreciate and pray that God will continue to sustain you in good health and may He continue to guide your state and by the grace of God, He will reward you abundantly even after leaving the office that you currently occupy.

“We are happy with you and I’m sure the people of Edo State are very happy to have a true and committed nationalist, a pan -Nigerian as their governor. We are in Edo State to condole the Royal Majesty and through the Comrade Governor to the people of Edo State on the transition unto glory of  our dear mother, Queen Esther Erediauwa.

“From what I was told, she was the head of the harem of His Royal Majesty. That therefore underscores  how important she has been in the palace and in the Kingdom of Benin. She has been a very good supporter and comforter of the Royal Majesty. That is why I felt I should come and condole him and the people of Edo State over this loss”.

Responding, Governor Adams Oshiomhole described the Speaker as a role model  worthy of emulation by all Nigerians.

According to the governor, “You have been guided by the overall objective of a parliament that legislates and carries out its oversight function for the purpose of ensuring there is good governance  for the common man. You speak in unison on issues that affect national interest. It is a fact looking at national institutions that you are a presiding officer who has been able to make a statement not by mouth but by action that the National Assembly is truly one regardless of the political party.

“Let me say that in Edo State, our people admire you a lot for the very effective leadership that you have provided to the House that has a history of instability even when it was dominated by one political party. I am sure most Nigerians admire your leadership style in which you have carried everybody along in the House of Representatives. You are a role model with rare leadership qualities needed by every nation”, he said.

The Speaker  was joined on the visit by five members of the House of Representatives from Edo State, including  Samson Osagie, Rasaq Bello Osagie among others.
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/57584.html

Northern Politicians Want To Incite The North Against President Jonathan - Maku

Labaran Maku, the Minister of Information, has condemned those politicians who make provocative statements, saying they want to incite the North against the administration and person of President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2015 general elections.

The Minister spoke in his office during a courtesy call by a political awareness group, the Goodluck/Sambo National Organisation of Ulama Media Forum.

Mr. Maku observed that some politicians use the media to make their statements against the President.

"People who call themselves politicians, they will go to radio stations, go to television stations and make dangerous statements, which will create confusion, create hatred, which will set people against each other, which will incite violence.

"This is what we have been witnessing in the North since 2011. Beginning with 2011 elections, we have continued to witness this unfortunate tendency from leaders, not all leaders, some leaders among us who are always inciting people.

"You will recollect that during the 2011 general elections, especially presidential election, people tried to turn the election into a religious war," the Minister noted.

Mr. Maku recalled that people lost their lives and property just supporting the President in 2011 election, and said the trend must cease to exist.

"All these violence going on now in the North, it's Northerners that are dying mostly. If you say you love your house, you will not go and cause confusion in your house or set it on fire," the Minister observed.

"Since independence, we have more Northerners ruling Nigeria and people did not cause trouble because we were ruling.

"Whenever we were President, whether military head of state or civilian, the Southerners did not say Let there be war because some Northerners are ruling or Let us raise a religious war or Let's create confusion in the country. We ruled and ruled and ruled and they cooperated with us".

He denied the allegation that President Jonathan is 'anti-North' by pointing out that the North is developing "far better" now than at the times when Northeners ruled Nigeria. He named a number of projects situated in the North.
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/57571.html

MUST READ: INEC Releases the Timetable for the 2015 General Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the timetable for the 2015 general elections in the night of January 24, 2014, Friday.

The Commission also announced the timetable for the conduct of the governorship election in both Ekiti and Osun States. Both states have early elections.

In a three-paragraph statement INEC revealed that the presidential and National Assembly elections would come first.

Nigerians will elect the President, as well as the members of the national legislature, on February 14, 2015.

Elections for governors, as well as members of the 36 state houses of assembly, are scheduled for February 28, 2015.

The Ekiti State governorship election is to hold on June 21, 2014 while that of Osun State will hold on August 9, 2014.

It would be noted that INEC faces a major test and unprecedented challenge in conducting next year’s general elections.

The recent upheavals in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, as well as a dramatic rise in the rhetoric of supporters and opponents of President Goodluck Jonathan, have provoked speculations that a rigged election could precipitate a level of post-poll violence that has not been witnessed in Nigeria in a long time. 

SEE the photocopy of the document by INEC below:

READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/57570.html

President Jonathan Stops SSS From Quizzing Obasanjo

The Presidency may have put on hold its earlier directive to the State Security Service to investigate the weighty allegations contained in the controversial letter written by former president Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan in December last year.

It was learnt that the Presidency decided to halt the investigation of  the issues raised in the former president’s  letter in order to amicably settle the rift between President Jonathan  and his political benefactor.

It was learnt that notable political leaders in the country were already engrossed in moves to bring the President and Obasanjo together.

It was further gathered that security operatives were directed   to stop the investigation as a result of the ongoing efforts in high political circles to broker a truce between the two political figures.

A  source close to the Presidency, who craved anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on behalf of the President, told one of our correspondents in Abuja on Thursday  that the President was more interested in settling his differences with Obasanjo than carrying out the investigation that could deepen the crisis.

“The President was the one that gave the directive but I think another counter directive is in force now; they might not go into investigating all those things in the letter. I think they are making efforts to settle this matter.

“Political elders are intervening in it so the President asked them to stay action on it; so, for now there is nothing on it.

“There is the need to take a look at the political implication of the course of action. Besides, the President believes that his differences with Obasanjo are not irreconcilable,” the source said.

Security operatives had earlier contacted   the former president  over the controversial letter two weeks ago in response to an earlier directive by President Goodluck Jonathan.

A security source told one of our correspondents   that the SSS wrote Obasanjo following a presidential directive to security operatives to investigate the grave issues raised by the former president in his letter to the President late last year.

It was learnt that the SSS wrote to notify Obasanjo of the impending investigation.

Obasanjo had in an 18-page letter to the President, accused him, among other things, of not honouring his words that he would not run in 2015, and taking actions calculated at destroying Nigeria.

In the letter dated December 2, 2013 and titled, “Before it is too late”, Obasanjo accused the President of pursuing “selfish personal and political interests” based on advice from his “self-centred aides.”

He also alleged that the President had failed to deliver on his promises to Nigerians and to curb insurgency and corruption in the country.

Obasanjo also alleged that the President had put 1,000 politicians on a watch list and was training snipers.

“Nigeria is bleeding and the haemorrhage must be stopped,” an obviously angry Obasanjo had lamented. He went ahead to declare that “Jonathan had betrayed God and Nigerians,” who voted him into power.

In his response, Jonathan described the former president’s letter as a threat to national security.

The source added that the agency wrote Obasanjo on the week he wrote the then Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to announce his decision to withdraw from the activities of the PDP at the national and regional levels.

It was further learnt that the leadership of the SSS might decide to put the investigation on hold because of a move by the Federal Government and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party to resolve the matter through peaceful means.

The source said, “Obasanjo ought to have been summoned, but we have also been instructed to put investigation on hold for a possible peaceful resolution of the issues at stake.’’

However, a source close to the former president said that the SSS could not have summoned the former President even though the person was not specific in denying if a letter was written to the former President to notify him of the investigation.

The source also said that the issue of the SSS inviting Obasanjo was not likely as ‘they couldn’t have done so’ now that efforts were being made to settle the whole problem.

The source added that Obasanjo had been out of the country since last week, noting that he was expected back into the country within the week.

When contacted on Thursday, SSS Deputy Director, Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, pleaded for time to find out the status of the probe. “I will find out and get back to you,” the SSS spokesperson said.

But attempts to get Ogar’s reaction on Friday did not yield fruits as she neither pick her calls nor respond to text messages sent to her phone.

The police however claimed that they were not involved in the probe of the allegations made by former president Obasanjo.

A senior police officer confided in one of our correspondents that the police did not have record of investigation of the allegations made by Obasanjo.

The officer described the issues as political which he said would be resolved by the parties concerned. He added adding that the Force would not be involved in political issues.

“Do we have any record of such an investigation of Obasanjo’s allegations? I will say we don’t have such information with us. In any case, there is no way we can investigate the former president and those close to him would not know. Such an investigation cannot be hidden and the police will have to comment on it publicly if it is true, but for now, there is no information or record on any probe against Obasanjo,” the source said.

In previous attempts to confirm the status of the probe with the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Dr. Reuben Abati, he had always said he would not comment on alleged reversal of any directive that was officially issued by the President.

But the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Olisah Metuh, has said  that the new National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, is likely to  meet former president Obasanjo as he commences efforts to woo aggrieved PDP members to the party next week.

Metuh said that the new chairman of the party would unveil his agenda for reconciliation in the party with effect from next week.

He said that Mu’azu placed emphasis on the issue of reconciliation when he hosted the Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, in Abuja.

He said that Mu’azu’s agenda for reconciliation also included how to get the former president to participate in the party’s activities.

Metuh said, “The National Chairman is unveiling his agenda next week, but he has already said that the issue of reconciliation is paramount and very important.

“He stated this when he received the Governor of Jigawa State and he said categorically that he would try and bring the people that left.

“And the National Chairman has enormous, complete respect for our former President and our former Chairman, Board of Trustees, (Chief Olusegun Obasanjo) and I am sure that he would unveil his agenda and the way that he would engage him in the coming weeks.

“He is unveiling his agenda for reconciliation and everything from next week, and would include the process of engaging the former President to ensure that he remains involved in the activities of the party, but let us wait for the national chairman to unveil his agenda from next week; from next week, he would start making policy statements on it.”
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/57576.html?