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2015: Buhari Should Anoint Kwankwaso –Salah Jili

Comrade Saleh Jili, in the course of his membership in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State was the secretary of the party’s state elders committee.

He was also an ex-officio member of the North West Zone’s executive committee of the PDP. In this interview, which dwells on a number of topical issues, he told DESMOND MGBOH of the need for General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) to stand down his presidential ambition of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Excerpts:

How do you assess the recent defection to All Progressive Congress (APC) by the aggrieved new PDP governors, including the Kano State Governor, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso?What is the implication for democracy in Nigeria?

Well, I think that it is the best political decision that these governors have taken in their political history, especially as it relates to the governor of Kano State. I definitely would not have advised him to act otherwise or to go in a different political direction or path, given the issues in dispute between these governors and our former party. The truth is that at some point, the dispute had reach a point where something must give in, either the party accept their demands or they must go elsewhere if they are to remain alive politically.

The conflict, as you know, was worsened by the stubborn stance of the PDP national secretariat. Do not forget that there were several efforts to get the national secretariat of the party to listen to their challenges, to come to the table and resolve the issues, but as is typical of the PDP, all the cries by the well-meaning members of the party did not melt their hardened hearts, all the public pleas were ignored despite their knowledge of the fact that politics is dynamic and certain changes are inevitable.

So, I will be the last person to sympathize with them and I will surely be the first person to celebrate with our courageous governors for defecting. For us in Kano, it was the very best move, a dream joker because once again in typical Kwankwassiyya masterstroke, he has realigned the party to the desire of the ordinary people of the state. As you can see, the people here are naturally more at home with a non-PDP party and APC is just the right place to be for us.

What is the reception like for you people moving in to join APC in Kano State? How have you been coping? Let me say that it is too early to say with exactitude what the future holds but that notwithstanding, I will say that our defection to the APC has been welcome by some members of the party despite a few protest against the position of Engineer Rabiu Kwankwaso as the leader of the party. Yes, I know that there are a few hitches here and there regarding those who are opposed to this decision.

Yes, I know that there are these Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau people or loyalists, who are complaining and protesting in Abuja. But seen generally, I want to state here that there are far more people who are home with Kwankwaso as the leader of the party than those who are opposed to him. Do forget that the other day the members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change of the APC in Kano State, led all their leaders to the Government House to pledge their allegiance to Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

If I remember that delegation included the like of their gubernatorial candidate, Brigadier General Jafaru Isa (rtd),the former deputy governor of the state, Engr. Magaji Abudullahi, Alhaji Aliyu Danmaraya, Alhaji Haruna Ungoggo, Alhaji Sabo Nanono and Alhaji Hamisu Buhari among others. So, you see, I can rightly argue that the party we are going to is happy to receive us. And in all fairness, they have every reason to be happy with our coming. Their fortune, individually and collectively, have been boosted by the admission of the governors to their party. They would be in better position to defeat their rivals in their political areas because they would be drawing from the enormous goodwill of Engineer Kwankwaso in Kano State.

A number of persons have argued against Kwankwaso as the state leader of APC in Kano on the grounds that Shekarau is a former governor of the state and a prominent personality in the APC merger deal. Is it fair to now efface him and his contributions by subordinating him to Kwankwaso? I also want you to see it from another perspective, the perspective that a few critics often elect to forget. And which is that politically speaking, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau is actually junior to Kwankwaso if we go by the fact that he succeeded Kwankwaso as a governor; if we go by the fact that Kwankwaso has a better political pedigree, which spans from being a deputy speaker of the House of Representatives to being a former Minister of Defence and so on.

So, if we must rank the political achievements of both men, Kwankwaso had been in politics long before Shekarau’s accidental plunge. Kwankwso has more trophies and Kwankwaso is better manager of men and resources. I think those who want to deploy seniority as basis of their argument must employ all the facts, rather than select them, and make sure they see the dynamics correctly.

What has been the relationship between Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and General Muhammadu Buhari since joining the APC as a party? From the distance of where I am at present, I can say that it has never been this cordial. Both men are enjoying a very frank and open relationship politically. Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso respects him for his age, his experience and his accomplishments. He is such a gentleman that you cannot afford to respect him.

And I want to speculate that General Buhari equally respects our governor for so many reasons including the devotion and dedication with which Kwankwaso had approach the issues of statecraft in his beloved state- Kano. These two heavyweight politicians, I am sure, are working together for the good of the people. They are talking all the time and they are thinking for us. And I must tell you that they are lucky to be together, because they almost think alike on such topics like corruption, bad governance, morality and even politics. So, given their shared visions on a number of subject matters, it has been very easy for them to locate the problems and agree between themselves on how to solve the problems.

I am honestly happy for the turn of events. We are also happy with how General Buhari, as one of the leaders of the APC, is piloting the affairs of the party and the result is self-evident given the wave of defection that is being recorded in the party across the country. We hope that General Buhari would do something more as a statesman, we hope that he would kindly drop his presidential aspiration and pass on the baton to his political godson, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

That is our most fervent and ardent prayers. General Buhari would do better from the point of guidance and support to Kwankwaso. He, as an elder, as a former Head of State, I am sure that if he puts up Kwankwaso in the presidency and stays back to guide him through the paths, I think that Nigeria would be better served that way. Don’t forget that this people – or let me say that a person like General Buhari is not in the democratic struggle for any personal benefit. He is there to liberate the masses and I think that this one more sacrifice for the people is not going to be too heavy for the General.

You were recently deployed to your councils to sell APC to the people in the rural areas. What is the experience like for you and your colleagues?

His Excellency, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso had directed all his immediate lieutenants to immediately return to their local government areas to canvass for support, but most importantly to enlighten them on the defection to the new party. For me, it was a life time experience. I am from Rimi Gado. We held a bigg rally. We even aired life. What we did was that we made sure that we involved all the three dissolved parties in the area namely ANPP, CPC and A C N and you cannot imagine the turnout of people that flooded the venue of the rally. All their leaders came on the stand to make very touching statements.

What do you want in APC, elective or party position?

I am in politics to serve the people and ,therefore, I don’t really have a choice of my own. It is whatever the people want, and not what I want. Also, as a very loyal politician to His Excellency, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, I think I will be looking up to whatever he wants or whichever capacity he deems it necessary for me to serve in the new dispensation, under the APC. You see, he has a very good idea of our competence and he knows the challenges better than any of us. So, he is in a better position to decide my future in the new dispensation. Hence, whatever position he assigns to me in the APC, is good enough. I assure him that I will do my best.
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BOKO HARAM DESTROY ANOTHER CHURCH: Church, NA Member's House In Borno State Burnt

Gunmen suspected to be members of the dreaded Islamic militants, Boko Haram have burnt down a church and a house of a National Assembly member, Hon. Peter Biye.

They carried out the attack on Friday in Gwoza town of Gwoza Local Government council of Borno State.

Biye, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Damboa, Chibok and Gwoza federal constituency disclosed that a church, located close to his house was not spared by the assailants.

Speaking to journalists on Friday, the legislator said when the assailants stormed his house at Bzuba village along Gwoza Pulka road at night on Wednesday, they carted away over 70 domestic animals before setting the building on fire.

He said about three weeks before the incident, he had raised alarm on the need for military authorities to intensify security in the area but nothing was done.

"While in the house, the attackers burnt a consignment of sorghum which was meant for distribution to our people to cushion their hardships. They also burnt 30,000 pieces of exercise books, 30,000 packets of biro and 30,000 packets of chalk which I bought for distribution to schools in my constituency. When I got information from my people that the insurgents were in my village, I called the officer in charge of the area but he did not pick my call. It was the next day that he called back and told me that he was no longer in charge of the area”, he said.

There was no official statement from the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army but a senior military officer who spoke under anonymity confirmed the attack.
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PDP Offers Tambuwal Sokoto Governorship Ticket

In a bid to ensure House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, who has been flirting openly with the opposition, stays with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party has opened the door for him to pick up Sokoto governorship ticket.

The defection of party bigwigs to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has mandated the ruling party to take all necessary steps to ensure the remaining prominent members of the party stays.

The party is dangling before the speaker, a key ally of Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, who is one of the five PDP governors that have defected to APC, the ticket to fly the flag of the ruling party in the 2016 governorship election in the state.

To demonstrate its sincerity, the party Thursday cancelled the planned inauguration of the caretaker committee for the state chapter of the PDP to enable Tambuwal nominate candidates who will protect his interest in the party’s affairs in Sokoto.

However, the PDP inaugurated the caretaker committee for Kwara State, another state where the PDP has lost a large number of members, including the Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his predecessor who is now a senator, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to APC.

PDP’s bid to discourage Tambuwal from defecting to APC came against the backdrop of the defection of nearly all top political officer holders in Sokoto State, including House members from the state, 27 lawmakers from the state House of Assembly, cabinet members, local government chairmen and councillors who followed Wamakko to APC.

Speculations are rife that the speaker is only bidding his time and may soon join other top politicians from the state in APC.

In order to ensure this does not happen, most especially with the grave implications of allowing the House speaker to cross to the opposition, it was gathered that the PDP had moved to make offers to the speaker to keep him in the party.

It was also learnt that the decision to lobby Tambuwal to remain in PDP, which prompted the party to shelve the inauguration of the caretaker committee members for Sokoto State, was reached at a meeting between Jonathan and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio.

The meeting between the president and the governor, according to Thisday, came on the heels of Tambuwal’s visit to Akpabio in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Monday, during which the governor begged him to stop further defections of PDP House members to APC following the switch of political allegiance by 37 federal lawmakers.

The party had recently dissolved both the executive committees in its local chapters in Kwara and Sokoto States following the defection of their governors.

But while the members of the Sokoto State caretaker committee of the party were waiting to be inaugurated along with their Kwara State counterparts in Abuja yesterday, they were told that only those of Kwara would be sworn in.

Sources said a list of new committee members, comprising loyalists to Tambuwal, was being complied and would be inaugurated later.

Lamido Slams Jonathan Over Empty Promises To Jigawa

Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State has expressed dismay with the Federal Government over its deliberate abandonment of the state, particularly in the area of Agriculture.

Lamido made this known when the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina paid him a courtesy visit in his office at Dutse, Jigiwa state capital.

The governor lamented that the President Goodluck Jonathan administration had failed to save Nigerians from extreme poverty and hunger despite the arable land and other natural resources that abound in the country.

The accusation came against the backdrop of the president’s defense of the allegation that his Government was anti-North.

Lamido, one of the aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, who was visibly angry, tasked the Federal government on the need to go beyond its usual rhetoric of empty promises to a dignified level of providing the people with the basic things they require to better their lives.

Lamido added that “Nigeria is a great country where 90% of its people are agrarian, but our government neglect the Agricultural sector and allow majority of the citizens to face abject poverty and hunger”.

The Governor, who also had harsh words for the award-winning Minister said, “it is unfortunate that you are just coming to Jigawa for the first time in your life despite serving as Minister of Agriculture for two years which Jigawa people are part of the people you are serving, yet you know our state has a vast arable land for Agriculture.

“I have on my own planted over 13 million trees since the inception of my administration. I have built an agro-allied cargo airport in the state and there is no single support whatsoever from the Federal Government”, He said.

Lamido continued: “I personally asked people of Jigawa State to vote for Jonathan in the interest of national unity, progress and the promises he made to do justice to the people of the state in terms of executing capital projects. The president and the vice president personally promised to continue with Hadejia irrigation project to the extent that over N10billion was allocated to the project in a budget, but, three years after, nothing has been done.

“The federal government initiated a programme for the establishment of a seed processing centre in Birnin Kudu local government area; we paid our counterpart fund, but, two years after, the federal government has refused to release its fund to buy machines for the take-off of the centre. I believe you know what the provision of qualitative seeds means to my people in their agricultural practices?”

He stressed that, “it has been the case in virtually all the Federal Government sectors”.

Lamido also said that the people of Jigawa state were simply telling the FG that they were paying lip service to their plights, and that what they want is action.

“So what we are saying is if you want to save and secure Nigeria with peace, they must have seen something on ground that could prove that”, Lamido said.

In his remarks, the minister assured the governor of a renewed consultation between the state and federal Government in the area of Agriculture.

2015: Chime’s Perceived Senatorial Ambition Suffers Setback As Kinsmen Root For Ekweremadu

The perceived no-love lost relationship between Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime and the senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, Ike Ekweremadu, went a notch lower as the Governor’s kinsmen rose from a meeting yesterday and declared their support for Ekweremadu.

The group said following due consultations, it decided to support Ekweremadu, who is the Deputy Senate President, based on his excellent track record in the Senate.

President General of Umuneke Progressive Front, UPF, Hon. Clems Emeka Aneke, who addressed reporters in Enugu said that “the Umuneke Progressive Front reviewed the socio-economic, political and infrastructure development in the Umuneke clan comprising of Abia, Agbudu, Amokwe, Obinagu, Umuabi, Umuaga and Nachi towns in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State”.

The development is coming amid popular belief that Governor Chime is eyeing the Enugu West senatorial district seat come 2015 after his maximum tenure of eight years in Government House must have elapsed.

Chime’s kinsmen said they are rooting for Ekweremadu’s candidature, which will be his fourth outing in the National Assembly, based on his achievements in their communities that are more pronounced than those by Chime, their brother.

Aneke said what mattered most to the people was quality representation and not how long Ekweremadu stayed at the Senate.

“The Governor has said that after two terms, there will be changes, but the will of the of the people must prevail; he has expressed his opinion but the people have the final say; if the PDP is a party that listens to the people, we are saying that we want this man to continue in the Senate.

“We are looking at quality representation, after all our brother is a Governor for about eight years now, when we are not drinking water, when we have no road; today, Umuabi now drinks water, Amokwe has road courtesy of Senator Ekweremadu.

“The Governor has the right to aspire for the Senate position, but we have the right to choose; let him present himself to us and tell us why he wants to run for Senate, we are the one that will determine who we will vote for”, he stressed.

They also noted that Ekweremadu has had quality representation in the national assembly and has given voice to their constituency and the south east in his three terms to the senate so far.

Some of Ekweremadu’s achievements, according to the UPF include his rural transformation agenda through numerous constituency projects and appointment of their indigenes to positions of service in federal agencies and parastatals.

They also stated that Ekweremadu’s commanding height as deputy senate president, speaker of ECOWAS parliament and chairman of National Assembly committee on constitution review speaks volume of his national appeal and key player in geo-politics of Nigeria.

A communiqué signed by Aneke and the Secretary General of UPF, Ogbuefi Chibuzo Onyia added that “consequent upon the foregoing, the Umuneke Progressive Front have passed a vote of confidence on senator Ekweremadu and urge him to re-contest the senatorial seat of Enugu west district for sustained service to the people of Enugu west, Enugu state, South East and Nigeria at large.

“We will continue to support senator Ekweremadu in his political endeavour and wish him good health and God’s guidance in his service to humanity”.

Dogged Fighter: Controversial Pastor Chris Okotie To Run Again In 2015 Presidential Elections

Controversial pastor of the Household of God Church International Ministries, Chris Okotie, has declared his intention to contest for the umpteenth time, the 2015 presidential elections.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH in Lagos, Okotie said he would contest for the highest seat in the land under the platform of the FRESH Democratic Party, although, he refused to disclose the strategy being put in place to ensure his victory at the polls.

He said, “I don’t want to talk about our strategy for now, we have learnt from our past experience, we don’t want to talk about it for now”.

It would be recalled that FRESH party was last year deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, but the party won a court victory against its proscription that same year.

FRESH, which is an acronym for Faith, Responsibility, Equality, Security and Hope, according to the flamboyant clergyman, can salvage the country from its present situation. He added that all the cosmetic and superficial solutions provided by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were a journey in futility.

A catalogue of Okotie’s unsuccessful runs at the presidency, include his first attempt against former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 under the banner of Justice Party. He ran again in 2007 as a member of the Fresh Democratic Party and lost to the late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Asked if he would contest in 2015, Okotie said, “I will run in 2015, God willing.

“God spoke to me about my participation in the political process, which was why I took the step in the first place. He has not said anything contrary”.

When reminded that he had lost in previous attempts and that people might actually doubt if his claim that he was instructed by God to contest in the elections was genuine, he said as a servant of God, his duty was to follow divine instructions.

He summed up the blame for his failure in past elections on the prevalence of election malpractices especially by the PDP.

He said, “I can sum it up in one word-rigging by the PDP. Even one of the party’s stalwarts, Chief Adeseye Ogunlewe, told The PUNCH recently that all elections have always been rigged. So that answers the question.

“These election questions are inter-related. If they didn’t rig, then I could have won. Apart from election malpractices, the duty of a servant of God is to obey his master when he gives him instructions, irrespective of whether he fails or succeeds. Like Moses in the Bible, who kept fighting until Pharaoh released the Israelites”.

Obasanjo writes another letter, withdraws from PDP

Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has written another letter, few weeks after his letter to President Goodluck Jonathan caused an uproar in the polity.

In a one-page letter dated 7 January, 2014 to the chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Obasanjo said he would, temporarily, cease to be a member of the party by withdrawing from its activities at the local, state and federal levels.

The letter reads:
“While I believe that a good and truly national political party must be a microcosm of the nation in its membership, made up of all sorts of characters from near-saints to near-satan, I also believe that on no account should a known habitual criminal that is wanted abroad to face criminal charges levelled against him be extolled as a political leader in a respectable and wholesome nation-building political party.

“…has been so extolled in PDP in South-West geo-political zone which I personally find unsavoury. Politics played by any national political party must have morality, decency, discipline, principles and leadership examples as cardinal practices of the party. I have attached here recent documents that clearly indicate that your extolled PDP Zonal Leader in the South-West zone of Nigeria and an indigene of Ogun State is, to say the least, not a credit to the party as a member, let alone being a zonal leader.

“Since I stick in my practice of party politics to the hallowed and cherished principles enunciated above, I take this opportunity to let you know that while I continue to remain a card-carrying member of PDP, I cannot and I will not subscribe to a wanted habitual criminal being installed as my zonal leader in the party; a criminal for whom extradition has been requested by the US government. In the meantime, I will consider withdrawing my activity with PDP at local, state, zonal and national levels until the anomalous and shameful situation is corrected.”

Vanguard

Sexiest Nollywood Actor And Actress 2013

The quest carried out by Vanguard for the Sexiest man and woman in Nollywood for the year 2013 has come to an end, leaving us with interesting results.

The Sexiest woman, according to the votes that came him from the readers through sms and cut-off coupons from Vanguard newspaper is Tonto Dikeh, while Yul Edochie emerged the Sexiest man in the men’s category.

Yul Edochie, Tonto Dike Yul Edochie, Tonto Dike Tonto beat Ebube Nwagbo and Colette Orji who came second and third respectively. Follwing the first three women are Cynthia Agholor on 4th and Stephanie Okereke on 5th.

In the Men’s category, Yul Edochie overcame challenges from Benson Okonkwo and Uti Nwachukwu who came second and third respectively. Odunlade Adekola and Ali Nuhu completed the picture at fourth and fifth places respectively.

How it began

The quest began with 25 men and women who were nominated by our readers. Actors that got the most votes over a period of one month qualified to run in the quest.

After the first two months of running profiles on each of the contestant, the countdown began with the five people exiting the quest.

The figure moved from 25 to 20 then to 15. The last fifteen people enjoyed a long stay in the quest after which the countdown began again with a contestant exiting the game every until the final five emerged.

The final five was made of Tonto Dikeh, Stephanie Okereke, Cynthia Agholor, Colette Orji, and Ebube Nwagbo for the Sexiest woman category.

Yul Edochie, Uti Nwachukwu, Odunlade Adekola, Benson Okonkwo and Ali Nuhu made the final five for the Sexiest man category.

Past winners

The Sexiest in Nollywood public opinion poll started in 2008 and the maiden edition winners were Genevieve Nnaji and Jim Iyke. Genevieve won the crown as the Sexiest woman in Nollywood 2008 followed by Ini Edo in second place and Mercy Johnson in third.

For the men, Emeka Ike and Desmond Elliot trailed Jim Iyke as the first runner-up and second runner-up.

The winners in 2009 were Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and Desmond Elliot. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde beat Genevieve Nnaji and Chika Ike to be crowned the Sexiest woman in Nollywood 2009 while Desmond Elliot floored Chidi Mokeme and Richard Mofe-Damijo to emerge the Sexiest man in Nollywood 2009.