Ex-militants’ war threat is unacceptable

 Dokubo-Asari

TAKING impunity to a new level, some ex-Niger Delta militants, joined by some intemperate public officials, gathered in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, last week to declare war against Nigeria in advance, should President Goodluck Jonathan lose next month’s presidential election. While disdain for law and order is not totally unexpected from pardoned ex-insurgents, the participation of Governor Seriake Dickson and a presidential adviser, Kingsley Kuku, in that provocative conclave is doubly unacceptable and should warrant a response from the government.

The bravado was shocking. According to news reports, the ex-militants, featuring some ex-warlords, vowed to take up arms against the country if Jonathan lost the February 14 presidential election. They also threatened reprisals for attacks on the President’s campaign team and vehicles in some northern states. Asari Dokubo, who has repeatedly trodden this path, urged attendees to get ready for war: “This action is calling the Niger Delta youths to war.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Like him, others, including Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo, and Victor Ebikabowei, aka Boy Loaf, 

vowed to disrupt oil production. “If they take the power away from Jonathan, we will take our oil,” declared Ebikabowei. If the threats of persons who once violently resorted to self-help were disturbing, the benevolent presence of Dickson and Kuku was alarming.

Rather than moderate the extremism on display, Dickson, playing the amiable host, reportedly thanked the speakers for “backing the re-election of President Jonathan with greater vigour” and promised to relate their position to him. On his part, Kuku, the President’s Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman of the Amnesty Implementation Committee, reportedly read the resolutions of the meeting, reiterating that the region’s youths would not take attacks on the President’s campaign entourage lightly.

If these reports are a true reflection of what transpired, Dickson’s and Kuku’s actions were simply treasonable. They have desecrated the high offices they occupy. Dickson imprudently provided the hallowed chambers of the Government House, Yenagoa, for the infamous meeting and lent the imprimatur of his exalted office to threats against the country and the 1999 Constitution that he solemnly swore to uphold.

Most offensive is the complete disregard for law and the electoral process. The militants did not hinge their angst on any universally acceptable present or future injustice to their preferred choice for president. Rather, they demonstrated utter disregard for the electoral process, vowing to declare war and disrupt oil production even if Jonathan lost in a free and fair contest.

This arrogance is insufferable and the rest of Nigeria should be concerned. First, leaders, elders, traditional authorities and even the youths of Ijawland, on whose behalf the incendiary threats were purportedly made, should come out to disclaim the preposterous provocation. It is an ill-wind that benefits no one, certainly not the 14 million population claimed by the Ijaw Foundation.

Jonathan should not play the ostrich on this one. The threat is too weighty to be ignored, especially with the presence of his aide, Kuku, at the meeting. He should not forget this statement that “nobody’s political ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian.” Nigerians have risen as one against mindless, unprovoked violence or threats by any group. When misguided youths rampaged in some northern states after the 2011 presidential election, they received national and worldwide condemnation. His silence can only be interpreted as tacit agreement. Did he send Kuku to the meeting or was the adviser there in his personal capacity? No presidential adviser or state governor ought to be associated with such threats.

The central pillars of democracy are the rule of law and regular free and fair elections. Jonathan won one in 2011; he can remain in office for another four years only through another electoral victory. You neither go to war when your candidate loses an election nor declare war ahead of it.

The misguided militants forget that the votes of the Ijaw militants alone cannot secure election and Nigeria is a single constituency for an aspirant to the presidency. Jonathan won handily across the country in 2011. He fortuitously ascended the presidency, first, as Acting President, not by the actions of his kinsmen, who also played no role whatsoever in his nomination to the vice-presidency in 2007.

It is tragic that ex-militants, once accused of kidnapping, sabotage of oil facilities and killing of soldiers and policemen but were granted amnesty by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, are once again threatening violence on the basis of a divine right to the Presidency. A media report published in February 2014 estimated that at least N260 billion was spent on ex-Niger Delta militants between 2009 and 2013 through amnesty payments and lucrative pipeline protection deals, while N35.8 billion was voted for ex-militants in 2014. Ekpemupolo’s company has been awarded a controversial multimillion dollar coastal protection contract just as Asari Dokubo, Ebikabowei and others also have been given contracts.

Thousands have received scholarships and monthly payouts.

Two years ago, Kuku had, during a visit to the United States, similarly threatened war if Jonathan was not returned to office in 2015. Asari Dokubo has been making the same threat for years with no response from the President. Nigerians can no longer accept silence from their President, whose then political adviser, Ahmed Gulak, reacting to yet another threat of violence from Asari Dokubo in 2013, said the ex-militant was merely expressing his own opinion.

The militants make no pretence to being well-armed. In any case, their security contracts enable them to legally procure sophisticated weapons, funded by the taxpayer, and immense wealth to buy more outside official channels.

The inaction of the Department of State Service and the police is baffling, but may not be unconnected with their reading of the president’s body language. Jonathan should not allow his ambition and supporters to plunge Nigeria into a blood-soaked crisis. The security agencies should shun partisanship and do their duty to the state by taking counter-measures against any violent threats to the country.

Agbaje, a tax defaulter —Fashola

 Governor, Babatunde Fashola

The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, says the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democracy Party, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, is a tax defaulter.

The governor said this on Wednesday at the eighth Annual Lagos State Taxation Stakeholders’ Conference in the Ikeja area.

Fashola urged the residents of the state to reject “a serial tax evader” in the forthcoming governorship election.

He added that it was irresponsible for any politician seeking public office to evade tax and still claim to be a law-abiding citizen.

Fashola said, “All those who have paid their taxes have shown that they are lawful citizens. And anyone who has failed to pay tax is a bad citizen; he is also a cheat. Such person benefits from the roads, hospitals and other facilities provided with taxes paid by other residents.

“I know that you have to vote next month, but look at that candidate that will take over from me. And be careful of who to vote for. You will remember in 2007, Jimi Agbaje claimed that he was in Democratic People’s Alliance and later crossed to the PDP.

“You know that he manages a pharmacy called Jaykay Pharmacy, located at 9, Randle Close, Apapa. His pharmacy has not paid Land Use Charge for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

“They paid in 2013 and 2014 because they discovered that the election would be holding in 2015. His pharmacy owes this state N1, 629, 064.62.

“Let us do that mathematics to see how many facilities the funds would have provided in our hospitals and stationery in our schools. But this was the same person who complained that the state government spent three per cent of its budget on education. Local governments are responsible for the management of the primary schools and yet, he has withheld their taxes.

“This is the man who wants to be your next governor. I will advise that you avoid a deceiver and a tax evader.”

The Director, Media and Publicity, Jimi Agbaje Campaign Organisation, Mr. Felix Oboagwina, said Agbaje had been commended by the Commissioner for Finance, Ayo Gbeleyi, for paying the Land Use Charge on his residence and wondered why the government was bringing up the matter less than a month to the elections

He explained that Agbaje was no longer in charge of the Jaykay Pharmaceuticals and could not be held liable for any tax-related issue.

He said, “Although he founded JayKay Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Agbaje left the directorship of the company in 2006, and this is on record with the state. He is no longer involved in the running of the company. And today, he is not even an Executive Director.

“We have a letter signed by Ayo Gbeleyi, the Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, where Agbaje received commendations for fulfilling his tax obligations.”

War threat: Danjuma calls for Dokubo, Tompolo’s arrest

 Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.)

A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), has called for the arrest of an ex-Niger Delta militants, including Mujahideen   Dokubo-Asari and Government Ekpudomenowei(akaTompolo)   for   threatening to declare war against the nation if President Goodluck loses the February 14 election.

Danjuma, who described the threat as “unguarded and reckless,” warned that “miscreants” must not be allowed to hold the country by the jugular.

Dokubo-Asari, had at a meeting on Friday at the Bayelsa State Government House, Yenagoa, urged an end to what he termed, the intimidation of the Ijaw by other Nigerians.

ADVERTISEMENT

“For every Goliath, God created a David. For every Pharaoh, there is a Moses. We are going to war. Every one of you should go and fortify yourself,” he said.

At the meeting were Governor Seriake Dickson, Ekpudomenowei, Victor Ebikabowei (aka Boy Loaf), the   Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku and the   President General, the Ijaw Youth Council, Udengs Eradiri.

Boyloaf also said at the meeting that if the North succeeded in regaining power on February 14,   the people of the Niger Delta would take their oil back.

However, Danjuma while inaugurating the Kwankwasiyya City alongside   Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Wednesday wondered why Dokubo-Asari and Ebikabowei were heating up the polity.

He reminded them that since Nigeria and its resources belonged to everyone,   no one   must hold the government to ransom.

The former Defence minister, therefore, urged the necessary government agencies to immediately arrest the ex-militants.

“You should arrest Asari Dokubo, Tompolo, Boyloaf and other Niger Delta militants for making reckless statements, which in any way does not mean keeping Nigeria as one entity. They   create a war situation.

“Those were reckless statements coming from irresponsible individuals; they should be condemned and   arrested immediately,” he said.

In a situation like this, the issue of entrenching peace in the country is what is needed most. We should not allow some miscreants to hold us to ransom,” he said.

Danjuma, who served as a Defence minister during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, added,   “Nigeria belongs to everybody and we must do everything possible to safeguard her unity.”

He also asked politicians to stop making utterances capable of overheating the polity.

The former minister said, “As we are approaching election time, we must strive to ensure that important issues are thoroughly discussed but not personalities. We want to have a perfect election where no one would have an axe to grind with anybody.

“Once   politicians base their campaigns on issues not personalities and avoid anything capable of causing disaffection, I am confident that we would have foul-free elections.”

He commended Kwankwaso for providing physical infrastructure in the last four years and described the Kwankwasiyya City as one of the modern edifices in the current democratic dispensation.

Amaechi’s criticism, a challenge – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has admitted the criticism by Governor Rotimi Amaechi that his government has not done anything for the people of Rivers State.

This, he said, was because he did not want to be seen as an ethnic leader. Hence, his resolve to ensure the equitable distribution of resources across the country.

Jonathan’s wife is from Rivers State.

President Jonathan, who spoke during the presidential rally of the Peoples Democratic Party at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Igwuruta-Ali, Ikwerre Local Government of Rivers State, however, promised to develop the South-South region if elected for a second term in office.

The President was reacting to the criticism by Amaechi, who is also the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation, that he (Jonathan) had not done anything for Rivers and Bayelsa states.

Describing Amaechi’s statement as a challenge, Jonathan admitted that though he had not allocated more development to his people, the situation was an indication that he (Jonathan) meant well for the country.

He pointed out that he accepted Amaechi’s challenge, but would do “something” for the South-South states when he is re-elected,

The President said, “What I want to tell you and the rest of the country is that the director-general of the APC presidential campaign organisation, when he was in Yenagoa and when he was in Port Harcourt, mentioned clearly that the President had done nothing for the two states.

“Don’t worry. It is good news because people are saying that I concentrated development in the South-South. Bayelsa State was part of Rivers State. Then, if I don’t concentrate development in this state, that means there has not been development in Rivers and Bayelsa states.

“The DG (Amaechi) is telling Nigerians that I have not done this. That means that I am a transparent person. I did not allocate positions to my people. The DG would have been the very first person to expose me to the rest of the world; not just Nigeria. He would have taken me to America, to South Africa, to France, to UK, but that shows clearly that we mean well for this country.

“In our development, every part of Nigeria must be carried along. You will agree with me that when we looked at the university education, and we insisted that look, the Federal Government must make sure that all Nigerian youths must have opportunity for university education.

“We did not divide North or South; we made sure that all the states that had no federal university got a federal university. I am not going to comment on development in Rivers State and Bayelsa states. I can reassure you that just work with us; vote for us on February 14, for me and Sambo and on February 28, for Wike and Ipalibo. Since we have been challenged that we have not done anything, we will do something.”

Earlier, the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Chief Nyesom Wike, had expressed confidence that the party would win the February 2015 presidential and governorship elections.

Calling on the people of the state to vote for the PDP, Wike, who was formally presented with his party’s flag, criticised Amaechi for his (Amaechi) refusal to approve the application by the state PDP for the usage of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium.

In her remarked, the President’s wife, Patience, boasted that the PDP would get over 2.4 million votes in Rivers State, adding that such a feat would be an improvement on the 2 million votes won by the party in 2011.

Mrs. Jonathan said that only the PDP had done a lot in the area of women empowerment, maintaining that the women had been able to manage the economy of the country.

Okonjo-Iweala, Ezekwesili clash over Soludo

 Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

The Federal Government on Wednesday said the five-year tenure of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria was a disaster to the banking sector.

While the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, described Soludo’s criticism of the management of the economy under President Goodluck Jonathan as “intellectual hara-kiri,” a former Minister of Education, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, called for a public debate by all parties on the actual state of the economy.

Similarly, a faction of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum led by Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State described as illusionary and attention-seeking, Soludo’s recent article on the state of the economy.

Soludo, who was the CBN governor between May 2004 and May 2009, had on Monday written an article in which he claimed that the Nigerian economy under Jonathan had performed woefully.

While reacting to the article, Okonjo-Iweala through a statement issued by her Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, said not only was it littered with abusive and unbecoming language, it showed Soludo, whom she described as an “embittered loser in the Nigerian political space,” could get so derailed by misquoting economic facts and maliciously turning statistics on their head to justify a hatchet job.

However, Ezekwesili said on her Twitter handle shortly after Okonjo-Iweala’s response was made public, that the “nation and people seem to be on an accelerated race to the bottom. So sad! Why would a statement from (the) government read like that? Gosh!”

She also demanded to know what had happened to the report of the forensic audit on the reported missing $20bn from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation as alleged by Sanusi shortly before he was suspended from office by the President.

Okonjo-Iweala had said the Federal Government had hired forensic auditors to scrutinise the accounts of the NNPC following the controversies generated by the allegation of the missing money. But up untill now, the report of the audit has not been made public.

In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, Ezekwesili said that rather than resort to abusive language over Soludo’s comments, the government and the critics of its management of the economy should opt for a national dialogue where the touted achievements of the administration of the President could be subjected to deeper analysis.

In an earlier tweet, she had said that with the character of the response the managers of the economy, have given to Soludo, “a debate is imperative.”

She told one of our correspondents that if the government had been receptive to her observations made in a lecture she delivered at the convocation of the University of Nigeria, Nnsuka in January 2013 on the management of the external reserves and the ECA, the nation would not have found herself in the current economic crisis as a result of dwindling revenue from crude oil.

Okonjo-Iweala had said in her response to Soludo, “It is a sad day for Nigeria and the economics profession that someone like Soludo, a former CBN governor, should write such an article. If Soludo wants to regain respect, he should return to the path of professionalism. He certainly needs something to improve his image from that of someone whose sojourn into national economic management ended in disaster for the banking sector.

“His sojourn in politics ended in overwhelming rejection by the electorate, and more recently, his sojourn abroad has put him out of touch with the reality of the Nigerian economy.”

Okonjo-Iweala noted that the banking sector was practically brought to its knees and required a massive bailout by Nigerian taxpayers during the tenure of Soludo.

This bailout, which according to her, was carried out by Soludo’s successor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, cleaned up all the bad debts and transferred them to the newly-established Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, from where they are currently being managed.

She said, “There is definitely an issue of character with Prof. Charles Soludo and his desperate search for power and relevance in Nigeria. So much of what is written is outright nonsense and self-seeking aggrandisement that need not be dignified with a response.

“It is totally remarkable that Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the man who presided over the worst mismanagement of Nigeria’s banking sector as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria between May 2004 and May 2009, can write about the mismanagement of the economy.

“The consolidation of the banking sector was a good policy idea of the (Olusegun) Obasanjo administration but Soludo went on to thoroughly mismanage its implementation, leading to the worst financial crisis in Nigeria’s history.

“So what did Soludo do? After consolidation, the regulatory functions of the Soludo-led CBN were very poorly exercised. As governor, he failed to adequately supervise and regulate the now larger banks, an anomaly in financial sector supervision.

“In fact, as every Nigerian knows in his time, there was very little separation between the regulators and the regulated, which is a violation of a key requirement of central banking success.

“This led to infractions in corporate governance in many banks as loans and other credit instruments running to hundreds of billions of naira were extended to clients without following due process, and several of these loans could not be paid back.”

The minister claimed that Soludo singlehandedly mismanaged the banking sector, which led to the accumulation of huge toxic assets, and allowed paralysis to get to the banking sector during the period of the global financial crisis.

The liabilities of the banking, according to her, cost Nigerian taxpayers the sum of N5.67tn to clean up the books of the banks.

Okonjo-Iweala said, “This massive accumulation of bad debts, or non-performing loans as they are called in the banking sector, meant that our banks were ill-positioned to deal with the global financial crisis when it hit. In fact, the banking sector was brought to its knees and required a massive bailout by Nigerian taxpayers.

“So, let it be noted for the record that Soludo’s single-handed mismanagement of the banking sector led to an incredible accumulation of liabilities that will cost taxpayers about N5.67tn (being the total face value of AMCON-issued bonds) to clean up.

“Let it be noted also that this amount, which is more than the entire Federal Government’s 2015 budget, constitutes the bulk of Nigeria’s ‘contingent liabilities’ mentioned in Soludo’s article.

“It is only in Nigeria where someone who perpetrated such a colossal economic atrocity would have the temerity to make assertions on public debt and the management of the economy.”

The minister said the cost-cutting measures introduced by the Federal Government were in response to the drop in crude oil prices.

A statement released in Abuja and signed by the Secretary and Administrator of the Jang faction of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr. Osaro Onaiwu, stated that members of the faction were at a loss as to the motive behind the Soludo article, adding that the “half-truths and falsehood in the article could not be a sincere attempt to contribute to the national discourse, but rather a failed attempt at self-aggrandisement.”

I’m not a foreigner – Buhari’s wife

Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari

Hajia Aisha Buhari, wife of Maj.-Gen Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, has said that she is not a foreigner as being speculated in some quarters.

She spoke through Mrs. Deborah Iliya, a chieftain of APC in Kaduna State who represented her at the public presentation of a book, “Wind of change: 72 leadership qualities of Buhari,” written by a civil rights activist and Executive Director of Gatekeepers Foundation, Mr. Blessing Agbomhere, on Friday.

“Let me use this opportunity to deliver a message because there may not be another opportunity to deliver it. We know what is going on in the country today. It has reached the stage that people are hunting for Buhari not to reach that day of election.

“They have also said that Aisha Buhari is not a Nigerian. Aisha said I should tell everyone that she is a Nigerian. Does it even matter if she is not a Nigerian? What has that got to do with what is happening in this country?” Iliya stated.

Iliya further quoted Buhari’s wife to have rooted for a woman president in Nigeria in the nearest future as part of the total change package.

She said, “Aisha said she is pleased because the author is a young man; this is an indication that our youths have always understood the problems of this country and they are really pulling us together to fight a common front and that is change.

“We need change in Nigeria. For the past six years, we have been suffering; I wish a woman has been President we wouldn’t have been in this mess. So women, she (Aisha) has asked that I should encourage you to come out and be part of nation building. We are powerful; we are strong and stronger than the men.

“Please support women and next time we will have a woman President in Nigeria.”

The APC deputy national publicity secretary, Mr. Timi Frank, said at the event that the call by the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), for the postponement of the 2015 elections signified the coming of another “June 12” and that the party and all Nigerians would resist the postponement of the February elections.

The June 12, 1993 presidential election, won by the late businessman, Chief Moshood Abiola, was annulled by a former dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, thus plunging the country into years of political crisis.

Frank said, “That call for election postponement can lead to revolution. If Nigeria were to be a sane clime, this country would have been on fire because this is another June 12 annulment coming.

“These are part of the comments why people are stoning the President in the North. People in government don’t know how to speak and so they will say it is the opposition. When you anger the people, they will rise up against you. The voice of the people is the voice of God and that has come to stay.

“The National Security Adviser’s call for election postponement is a call against the wishes of Nigerians; that call is anti-people and a call for anarchy. That call for postponement is the personal view of the NSA. He’s not speaking for Nigerians. That call for postponement will not stand; we will resist it in any form.

“One man or a cabal cannot dictate for Nigerians. For us in APC, elections must hold on February 14 and if the Peoples Democratic Party is not prepared for election, let them back out of it. Nigerians are ready for the election and nothing on earth can change that date.”

Also, a member of Board of Trustees of APC and former Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh, said what Nigeria needed at the moment was change.

He said the call by Dasuki for the postponement of the 2015 elections was unrealistic.

He said, “The NSA is an individual, he expressed his opinion and he has even denied it.

“INEC said they are prepared; is NSA INEC? He is my friend and I know him very well. I think he was misquoted.

“Why should the elections be violent? People who want change will not fight, we in APC have been asking for change. We know we are more than PDP now and so anybody who is asking for postponement is the one who is not sure of winning the election.

“There will be change; there will be election and it will be non-violent, it will be free, fair and transparent. The results will be announced and the heavens won’t fall.”

Yuguda’s revelations on Bauchi attack shock Presidency, PDP

Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda

REVELATIONS by Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda on the stoning of President Goodluck Jonathan in the state during a campaign rally was said to have shocked the Presidency and the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Yuguda, in an interview with the BBC Hausa service, said that the stoning and the attack on the President were carried out by members of the ruling PDP.

Before now, the Presidency and the ruling party had accused the opposition All Progressives Congress of being the mastermind of the attack.

Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufai Alkali, and the PDP Presidential Campaign Office, however insisted that the attack was carried out by the APC.

But Yuguda, a member of the National Executive Committee of the PDP, insisted that those who organised the youths that threw stones and pelted the President with sachet water, were members of the party from Abuja.

The governor said, “I am sure and let the world know that the people who did this thing were PDP members and those politicians in Abuja were the ones behind it; they were not APC members.

“They found these youths on the road and gave them brooms and satchets of water and they instructed them that when the President was passing they should raise the brooms and throw the satchets of water at him.

“They did that so that the President would think that Isa Yuguda is against him. They have been telling him in Abuja that we are not supporting him. They did that to show the President that Isa Yuguda is nothing in Bauchi, to show that despite being an indigene of Bauchi, Isa Yuguda could not be respected with his guests in Bauchi.”

Yuguda also said that he and members of his cabinet were not aware of the plan ahead of the rally, saying they were taken by surprise.

Reacting to the governor’s statement, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Alhaji Ibrahim Jalo, said that only the governor was in a position to clarify his statement on the matter.

Jalo said, “How can my party be organising stoning? Anyway, Yuguda has spoken on the issue. He should be the one to clarify his position on the matter.

“I was in Bauchi that day and I saw what happened. The governor said it was done by PDP members. Ask him to speak further on it.”

However, a presidency source described the governor’s statement as unfortunate.

“How can he speak like that? We have condemned it; the party has condemned it and now, he’s blaming the party for this. That’s bad,” a presidential aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak officially on the matter, told our correspondent.

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said he was happy that Yuguda was able to summon the courage to clarify what happened in the state.

Mohammed said, “Governor Yuguda’s interview has vindicated the APC and confirmed our position that the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan will stop at nothing to scuttle this election.

“It is sad that in their desperation PDP and Jonathan are ready to bring down the nation.

“Thanks to Governor Yuguda. The whole world now sees the hypocrisy and perfidy of President Jonathan and the PDP.

“In Jos, Kano, Bauchi, Rivers and other states we have witnessed electoral violence, PDP are the instigators and aggressors.”

But the Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP presidential campaign organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, warned the APC on Sunday to stop blaming the ruling party for the attacks on the President.

Jonathan’s aides stranded as B’Haram attacks Maiduguri

Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade

Nine soldiers and 56 insurgents are believed to have lost their lives in an attempt by Boko Haram to capture Maiduguri, Borno State on Sunday morning.

The   attempt by the sect to capture the town began at about 12.30am and could not be suppressed by a combined team of soldiers, Air Force personnel and vigilante groups until about 11am.

It was gathered that hundreds of heavily armed insurgents   tried to enter the state capital through Jinikin-Moronti along the Jos-Kano Highway and close to the   1,000 and 707 housing estates in the city.

But as gunshots boomed less than four kilometres to the city, another   set of militants launched   attacks on Mongunu,   Kodunga and Gubio , also in the troubled state.

They were said to have taken over Monguno and seized a military barracks during a fierce battle in which the Brigade Commander   and some of his men were injured.

The PUNCH learnt from an eyewitness   that the terrorists, who tried to invade Maiduguri were confronted by the soldiers from the 33 Battalion Barracks and other security operatives   at the city’s entrance.

The exchange of gunfire   between them started at about 12.30 am till 3. 30am when the insurgents retreated.

Just when residents of the city began to heave a sigh of relief, the militants   came back at 5.40am with renewed vigour and engaged the soldiers in another round of fierce fighting.

The military had to deploy Airforce jets to carry out aerial bombardments to suppress the   insurgents at about 11am on Sunday.

Some members of President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign delegation to the city were said to have been trapped. Jonathan left Maiduguri on Saturday immediately after     his reelection campaign in Borno State.

A vigilante, who did not want his name in print, said about nine soldiers and 56 insurgents were killed at the end of the battle.

He added that the terrorists also lost   three Armoured Personnel Carriers   and two Toyota Hilux vans during the battle.

Another member of a vigilance group   claimed that the bodies of the felled soldiers   were   conveyed in a military   van   to the Garrison Command along Pompomari at about 12.30 pm.

Some   Airforce jets were seen hovering over the town even after the battle which made fear-stricken residents to stay away from churches ended.

Modu Baana, another vigilante, who spoke with a group of journalists, said “ It was   around 2am that we heard that over 100 heavily armed men with APCs and Hilux vans were about coming into the town   through Jimtilo. But we thank God that   fighter jets   really helped to make them to run away.

The development made military authorities to   slam a 24-hour curfew on the city to enable security operatives fish out some insurgents believed to   be in a hiding.

The   Public Relations Officer, 7 Division   of the Nigerian Army Col. Sani Usman, in a text message to journalists, advised residents to stay indoors.

But the Defence Headquarters later said in a tweet on its twitter handle on Sunday, that the curfew was indefinite.

“Curfew is imposed on Maiduguri with immediate effect till further notice as pursuit of retreating terrorists begins,” the tweet read.

The DHQ had in an earlier tweet on Sunday morning, said   that troops were repelling another attacks on   Mongonu by the insurgents.

“Troops are repelling simultaneous attacks on Monguno and Maiduguri by terrorists. Coordinated air and land operations are being conducted now,” it added.

The Director, Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade, in an electronic mail on Sunday, however said that “scores of the terrorists died in the course of the three attacks (Maiduguri, Monguno and Kodunga) while many of them were also captured with wounds.”

Olukolade added said that some troops were killed   and others who sustained injuries taken to   hospitals for medical attention.

He explained that soldiers pulled out of Monguno following injuries sustained by the Brigade Commander of Monguno and   his men.

The Defence spokesman said that the military had commenced an air campaign in Monguno since the ground troops retreated from the town.

He added that   a cordon and search efforts had also started   to determine the   “casualties suffered by the terrorists” in the three encounters.

According to him, items recovered from the insurgents included a Cobra armoured vehicle, heavy artillery guns, as well as some machine guns and other weapons…’

He stated also that three Volkswagen Gulf cars   loaded with explosives were destroyed.

Olukolade explained that troops successfully repelled the attempt by the militanst to seize   Konduga.

He said that the military would lift the curfew on Maiduguri as soon as the mopping operation was concluded.

The DHQ ‘‘spokesman however explained that ‘citizens will be allowed to go about their lawful activities from 6am tomorrow (today).”

The insurgents, according to sources, attacked the town with heavy equipment and were able to suppress the soldiers before hoisting their black and white flag.

One of the sources claimed that the soldiers who withdrew included Cameroonians   that had assisted to keep the place secured before the attack.

It was also gathered that some of the people that were killed were Customs officers and residents   hit by stray bullets.

Governor Kashim Shettima who shelved a planned trip to Abuja,   called on the people   to stay calm since   security forces were making frantic efforts to safeguard their lives and property.

Shettima, who also regretted the attack on Monguno,   praised the   security agents for pushing back the insurgents from Maiduguri.

He said his government was screening and taking records of survivors of the Monguno attack with a view to accommodating   and offering them immediate palliatives as internally displaced persons.

He called on them to regard what happened as ordained by God, praying that the situation “will insha Allah, come to an end, through intensified commitments on the parts of all stakeholders and sustained invocation of God for divine intervention.”

The governor, in a statement by his media aide, Isa Gusau, said his administration would continue to do everything   possible until territories seized by insurgents were reclaimed and sustainable peace and stability achieved in all parts of the state.

Shettima said, “Our armed forces gallantly repelled attacks on parts of Borno State today(Sunday). We must commend their patriotic efforts. We are very much in touch with leaders of security forces and we will continue to afford them all the support they need as we have always done from our first day in office till date.

“So long as we have the resources, we will continue to regard the efforts to reclaim peace, our number one area of commitment.

“I want to reassure the good people of Borno State that we will never abdicate our responsibility as those they entrusted with leadership. I was supposed to be in Abuja this (Sunday) morning for an important engagement but I have canceled all engagements outside Borno State. We will remain behind with our people through thick and thin as we have been doing as a matter of constitutional and moral covenant.”

Meanwhile, The PUNCH learnt that the   members of the advance team of Jonathan who were trapped in Maiduguri   had been   moved to a military facility in the city   for their safety.

The team comprises representatives of the media, medical and security units of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

It was gathered that the initial plan was for the team to leave the city immediately after the rally on Saturday. But one of   them said   on the telephone that they decided to travel on Sunday based on a security advice.

He added that the hotel where they stayed before they were moved to the security facility was one of the worst hit by the battle for Maiduguri.

The team member said,   “We are stranded. We can’t move out of Maiduguri. Security men fought the insurgents till day break. There is so much sound of exchange of fire. I guess we were the targets of the insurgents.

“We wanted to leave yesterday ( Saturday) after the rally but we were told that it was too late to do so.

“This morning (Sunday), we wanted to leave by 7am but the insurgents started advancing again. So we are still in the security formation where we were taken to.”

On Saturday, Boko Haram insurgents raided six villages in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

A hunter, Ibrahim Gulak. who spoke on the telephone from Michika,   claimed that the terrorists killed some people   and kidnapped   youths and women after destroying properties worth millions of naira.

He gave the names of the villages as Mbororo, Shahu, Liddle, Garta, Kamale and Ghumci.

Gulak said the insurgents   came in their hundreds in vans and on motor cycles at about 8pm when the villagers were preparing to go to bed.

He said, “ The attackers were mercilessly slaughtering people from house to house. They also burnt     houses after looting them.

“Most of the villagers fled to   the mountains For now, I can’t say the number of casualty as we are still in the bush, but they slaughtered many. They also abducted many trapped residents, mostly youths and women.”

A member of the Adamawa State House of Assembly,   Adamu Kamale, who said   the attacks started on Friday, called on the government to come to the rescue of the villagers.

The sect, according reports late on Sunday,   released about 200 women and children it abducted in Yobe State.

US to Nigeria: Don’t postpone elections

 President Goodluck Jonathan (right) receiving United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, in Lagos... on Sunday

The United States has advised Nigeria against postponing the general elections scheduled for next month.

The US Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, gave the advice after he met the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, President Goodluck Jonathan and All Progressives Congress   Maj. Gen. Muhamadu Buhari (retd.) in Lagos on Sunday.

Kerry said that the US would deny entry visa to any Nigerian politician responsible for fomenting violence during the February elections.

He urged the Federal Government not to postpone the elections as being canvassed by the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).

The secretary of state said, “Given the stakes, it’s absolutely critical that these elections are conducted peacefully.”

Kerry was in Nigeria to urge the political class to respect the outcome of the February 14 presidential election.

He explained that Washington was concerned that post-election violence could undermine the stability of Nigeria and hamper the fight against terrorism.

It will be recalled that three days of rioting trailed the 2011 general elections which saw Buhari losing to Jonathan.

Kerry said, “Nobody gains by violence, nobody gains by turning a political disagreement into a killing spree … The proof will be in the actions that are taken in the course of the election and afterwards.

, “Anyone who participates in, plans or calls for violence against the civilian population must be held accountable, including by ineligibility for an American visa. Perpetrators of such violence would not be welcome in the US.”

In an apparent response to Dasuki’s call,   Kerry said, “It is imperative that Nigeria holds its elections on time.”

Dasuki had in London last week called for the postponement of the elections to allow the Independent National Electoral Commission distribute more Permanent Voter Cards to Nigerians.

An unconfirmed source said Kerry also spoke with   the INEC   Chairman,   Prof. Attahiru Jega, on the telephone.

He was said to have urged Jega to ensure that the polls, which would determine how the US relates to Nigeria in future,   were credible.

Kerry also said that the US remained committed to helping Nigeria fight Boko Haram.

May 29 handover date sacrosanct, Jonathan tells US

Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday assured all stakeholders including the United States of America that the May 29 handover date was sacrosanct.

He gave the assurance amidst calls by some individuals including the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), for the postponement of the February general elections.

According to a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President gave the assurance during a closed-door meeting he had with the United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, at the State House, Marina.

The statement was signed personally by the President.

He said he had what he called “a candid and constructive discussion” about a broad range of issues with his guest.

He said he emphasised to Kerry that he was deeply committed to ensuring that the elections were free, fair and credible.

He added that he also promised his guest that his government would provide all resources required by the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct hitch-free elections.

Jonathan said, “I emphasised to Secretary Kerry that I am deeply committed to ensuring that our forthcoming election is free, fair, and credible.

“It is especially critical that all political parties abide by the Abuja Accord, which commits each to non-violence before, during, and after the election.

“I made it absolutely clear that the May 29th handover date is sacrosanct.

“In addition, the government will provide all resources that are required by the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that the election goes smoothly.

“I also emphasised that INEC is an independent body, which makes its own decisions without any interference from the government.”

The President said he was grateful to the US for standing with Nigeria and its people in the nation’s fight against Boko Haram.

He said he reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to working together with the US to put an end to global terrorism and particularly Boko Haram.

He promised that Nigeria would also work to deepen and consolidate its bilateral relationship with the US.

The President described Nigeria as a vibrant democracy and the largest trading partner of the US in Africa with over $18bn in bilateral trade.

He noted that the two countries and peoples shared a mutual admiration for one another and a deep commitment to freedom, democracy, and human rights.

This, he explained, was why the two countries were jointly engaged in a struggle against “a common enemy that promotes terror, fear, division, and violates human rights, most especially of women and girls, with complete impunity.”

The President added, “Winning the fight against Boko Haram in Nigeria and West Africa is absolutely essential to beat back the tide of religious extremism around the world.

“Our security forces have been working tirelessly and courageously to achieve this goal.

“I reaffirmed for Secretary Kerry that Nigeria is strongly committed to building the multinational task force to fight Boko Haram in partnership with Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.

“Indeed, I called publicly for such a regional approach at the African leaders’ summit in Paris in May 2014 and more recently in multilateral meetings.

“We are pleased that the international community is now strongly united behind this initiative and agree that its success is critical.

“It is equally important that the multinational force receives the significant support that is required to address the threat through our global partners.

“The United States, more than any other country in the world, has the most experience fighting armed insurgencies.

“And having suffered the devastating attacks of 9/11, its people also understand the insecurity and fear that is the reality for the vast majority of peaceful, tolerant Muslims and Christians in north eastern Nigeria.”

Federal court workers end strike resume today

The National Executive Council of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria on Sunday asked its members in the federal courts to resume work on Monday (today).

The NEC took the decision at its meeting which took place between 3pm and 7.30pm at the Supreme Court in Abuja on Sunday.

Their counterparts in the state judiciary across to the country are to await the outcome of a meeting the JUSUN officials are to have with stakeholders later on Monday.

The stakeholders, comprising the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Forum of Court Chief Registrars, Body of State Attorneys-Generals are to receive briefing on the outcome of the JUSUN’s NEC meeting at the Supreme Court on Monday.

It was learnt that the outcome of the meeting scheduled to take place by 12pm would determine whether or not the state courts would begin work immediately.

With the decision of the union’s NEC, the Supreme Court, the various divisions of the Court of Appeal, the Federal High Court and the National Industrial Court across the country will resume work after three weeks of shutdown on Monday.

The courts that will also resume tomorrow also include the Federal Capital Territory High Courts and all other courts in the FCT.

Other federal judiciary institutions — the National Judicial Council, the Federal Judicial Service Commission and the National Judicial Institute will resume work on Monday.

The JUSUN president, Mr. Adamu Marwan, who spoke with our correspondent after the NEC meeting on Sunday, said the directive given to the federal court workers to resume on Monday was part of the concession of the union to clear the impression that the strike was political.

The union’s three weeks old strike started on January 5, 2015.

The union is agitating for the implementation of the judgment delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal High Court in Abuja on January 13, 2014.

The court in the judgment affirmed the financial autonomy status of the judiciary and abolished its piecemeal funding by the executive.

The court also ordered the Accountant-General of the Federation to be deducting funds standing to the credit of the judiciary in the Federation Account and be remitting it directly to the various heads of court.

JUSUN’s executive committee had on Wednesday called for the NEC meeting after three days of marathon talks with stakeholders.

‘Edo people won’t vote for Jonathan’

Adams Oshiomhole

The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has said that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, President Goodluck Jonathan, will not secure the votes of the people of the state in next month’s presidential election due to what he described as the abandonment of the state.

Oshiomhole argued that President Jonathan did not fulfil his promise to contribute to the development of the South-South state, despite enjoying 95 per cent of votes of Edo people for his re-election in 2011.

The governor spoke at separate rallies of the All Progressives Congress in Ehor and Igueben, in Uhunmwode Igueben Local Government Area on Saturday. He explained that in spite of several letters to the Federal Government to assist the state on erosion challenges, the Jonathan administration neglected Edo after persuading them to vote for him as their brother in 2011.

He, however, said that the people of the state had become wiser now and would “vote the President out on February 14, for abandoning them.”

He said, “The last time, we voted for President Jonathan. He got 95 per cent of the total votes in Edo State. Yet, I cannot think of any meaningful thing he has done in the state.

“Last year, President Jonathan gave N2bn each to some PDP states even where he lost election to deal with erosion. Those that don’t have flood erosion were given money for desertification but we in Edo State that voted for him got nothing. I am not lamenting this. We have learnt from it and are determined not to repeat our mistakes.”

Oshiomhole also accused the Federal Government of failing to prosecute “those indicted” in the ill-fated immigration recruitment exercise in 2014, adding that it “is a clear indication that President Goodluck Jonathan did not care about the welfare of the Nigerian youths.

“People lost their lives. Last week, the relatives of those who died in Benin were protesting to us that the Federal Government have not given them even the jobs they promised.”

He, however, expressed confidence that Nigerians would vote for change at all levels in the country, adding that “I believe that with Maj. Gen. Buhari, Nigeria will be in a safer hand beginning with security.”

Jonathan not interested in free polls–Amaechi

 Mr. Rotimi Amaechi

The Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has said that contrary to President Goodluck Jonathan’s claim, the President is not interested in a free and fair election.

Amaechi, who was reacting to soldiers’ occupation of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium ahead of the Jonathan’s political campaign in the state on Wednesday, said the action of the President was an indication that he (Jonathan) was opposed to democratic norms.

The governor, who spoke in Government House in Port Harcourt on Sunday, explained that it was wrong for President Jonathan to order soldiers to take over the state-owned stadium, even when approval was not given by the state government.

He argued that a President should have respected the position of the state government in an ideal federation, particularly after telling the Peoples Democratic Party to use the Liberation Stadium.

Amaechi said, “Why is the President insisting on using the Adokiye Amiesamaka Stadium after we have told the PDP that work is currently going on there? It is unfortunate that the President is preaching one thing and doing another thing.

“If the President is truly interested in the conduct of a free and fair election, why did he order armed soldiers to forcefully take over a state government-owned facility when it was not given to him or the PDP?

“Why should a President elected in a democratic election, serving under a democratic dispensation order soldiers to take over a state-owned stadium? In an ideal federation, the President is supposed to respect our position, essentially after we asked them to use the Liberation Stadium at Elekahia, in Port Harcourt City.”

In a related development, the state PDP Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah, confirmed the party’s readiness to use the Adokiye Amiesamaka Stadium on Wednesday.

Obuah said in a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Media, Mr. Jerry Needam, that the reason given by Amaechi on why he refused the party’s request to use the stadium was unacceptable.

The state PDP chairman argued that the stadium was built with state funds, maintaining that the facility was only conceptualised when Amaechi was a member of the PDP.

He, however, challenged the governor to name any capital project that he implemented since he defected to the APC in November 2013.

Obuah told members and supporters of the PDP to turn out in their large number to welcome the presidential campaign train in continuation of President Jonathan’s bid to earn a second term.

Jonathan’ll defeat Buhari – Anenih

Chief Tony Anenih

The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Tony Anenih, has urged Nigerians not to be deceived that President Goodluck Jonathan will not secure a re-election in next month’s presidential election.

Anenih, who said this during a rally on Sunday in Uromi, the headquarters of Esan North-East Local Government of Edo State, noted that he had recently visited some northern states and with what he saw, the PDP would emerge victorious in the February elections.

Also, present at the rally were the Minister for Works, Mike Onolemenmen, a chieftain of the party, Chief Tom Ikimi; state Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih and other state executive members.

The BOT chairman specifically said that the PDP would win Kwara and Sokoto states and defeat the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

He said, “Don’t be deceived if anyone tells you Jonathan will not win. I went out to see things for myself. Four days ago I was in Kwara State. As I was leaving after sitting for five hours, I knew that we have won Kwara.

“Two days ago as Buhari was landing in Sokoto, I was also landing in Sokoto and by the time I was leaving, I knew we have got Sokoto State. These are northern states.”

Anenih also urged the people of the state to support the PDP at the polls.

He added that it would be a sad tale to vote for the APC candidates at all levels because “you don’t take food from your son for a dog.”

“Coming back home, it will be a sad tale for any member of the South- South region to vote for the APC candidates, whether in the Houses of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, governorship or Presidential election. It will be so bad; you take food from your son to a dog,” he said.

Buhari promises Igbo youths one million jobs

 Former Head of State, Gen.Muhammadu Buhari

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has promised to create one million jobs for Igbo youths by revamping huge coal deposits in Enugu State for generation of electricity and export.

Buhari said this at the Enugu West APC zonal rally on Saturday, where he was represented by the spokesman of the party in the South-East, Osita Okechukwu.

Speaking through Okechukwu, the presidential candidate explained that the coal industry would be revamped with the objective of generating electricity to serve the entire South-East.

He assured the people that he would award the contract immediately he comes into office to avoid the mistakes made by the Peoples Democratic Party, which he said squandered over N2bn voted for a coal project between 2012 and 2014.

“We are banking on huge coal deposits located at Amasiodo, Inyi and Leje axis of Enugu Coal belt. We are going to award contract for mining and construction of coal-fired power plant, unlike the PDP that since 1999 promised to revamp the coal fields and 16 years after, nothing has been done.

“We believe that coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in Enugu State and Enugu Coal is one of the most qualitative coal brands in the world, which means that while some are used to generate electricity, some will be exported,” he said.

The former Head of State said his objective was to create one million jobs directly and indirectly from the coal sector, as ancillary projects would follow.

“My idea is to emulate the Taichung Coal-Fired Power Plant in Taiwan, the largest coal power station in the world.

“Coal supplies 46 per cent electricity in the United States and over 60 per cent electricity in China – it is callous to abandon such a golden treasury.

“For 16 years, every election Igbo voted for the PDP and yet, the coal belt remains untapped; hence there is no commensurate reward.

“In 2014 budget, for instance, over N600bn capital projects were executed in the South-South, while less than N200bn was executed in the South-East. Is that equity or justice?”

Also speaking at the rally, the APC Vice Chairman in the Enugu East, Anike Nwoga, expressed confidence that Buhari would win the presidential election.

Nwoga said, “Many of you are Catholics. Did you hear what Father Mbaka said? Every patriot must vote for the APC.”

The statement disclosed that three senatorial candidates from other political parties – Chukwu Ijeoma of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Mabel Onwukwe of the Labour Party and Nwabuike Oliver of the Advanced Congress of Democrats – endorsed Buhari as their candidate for the February 14 presidential election at the rally.

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah dies at 90

 King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud

Throngs of mourners gathered in Mecca early Friday just hours after Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud died. He was 90.

Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz was appointed as the new king, state television reported.​

The announcement of Abdullah’s death comes several weeks after the state-run Saudi Press Agency said he was suffering from pneumonia and had been admitted to the hospital.

Services will be held Friday afternoon at the Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque in Riyadh, and many world leaders are likely to pay their respects.

Jordan’s King Abdullah cut short his visit to Davos, and is heading to Riyadh, according to a Jordanian government source.

“King Abdullah’s life spanned from before the birth of modern Saudi Arabia through its emergence as a critical force within the global economy and a leader among Arab and Islamic nations,” U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement.

“As our countries worked together to confront many challenges, I always valued King Abdullah’s perspective and appreciated our genuine and warm friendship. As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions.”

Odds in favour of Buhari

 Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari

The one picture you would hate to see in your dreams is that of the very opponent of the team you are supporting, clutching a massive trophy and jubilating all over the place! Not just once had one experienced a ‘nightmarish’ dream of this nature and not just once had ‘Joseph the Octopus’ proved to be revealing exactly what was about to happen.

Of course, it should not be interpreted as if one does not want Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to be the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but what the hell was he doing in my dream smiling so broadly as he acknowledged shouts of ‘congratulations’ from a horde of adoring supporters? The man can hardly manage a smile in real life and neither is he the candidate one would ordinarily be rooting for. However, a warning would seem to have come from the unknown: ‘Do not bet your house against Buhari becoming (the next) president unless you are equally prepared to be homeless!”

The above extracts are from an article I wrote (title retained) in the run-up to the 2011 presidential election, having dreamt that Maj. Gen Muhammadu Buhari won the election. Of course, he did not but, who knows, it could have been a distant event that one had foreseen!

In trying to rationalise the circumstances that could have made it a dream-come-true for Buhari, I examined the controversy that surrounded the candidacy of President Goodluck Jonathan over the zoning philosophy of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party. That controversy, more or less, pitted the northern leadership against him. I also examined the possibility that the then so-called progressive parties might actually co-operate among themselves in order to counterbalance the influence and power of the PDP. An attempt made in that direction did not succeed.

Quite a lot has changed since 2011 and the aforementioned factors, more than ever before, will have implications for the direction of the Presidency come February 14.

Firstly, the once splinter progressive parties have coalesced into the All Progressives Congress, thanks to the centralising influence of the institution of the Presidency. The February presidential election will be fought in what is a two-party competition between the PDP and the APC. Buhari could be the beneficiary of this new development, as he now competes for the Presidency under the platform of a political party which, unlike his defunct Congress for Political Change, enjoys nationwide support.

Secondly, the February elections will reveal the extent to which the intra-party crisis in the PDP – a crisis which led to the defection of five of its governors to the rival APC – has resulted into the loss or gain of popular support in the various constituencies. I have attempted to explain the causes of the crisis in the PDP by three factors: “One, a frosty relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State; two, an allegation of arbitrariness on the part of the immediate past PDP national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; and three, the perceived ambition of President Jonathan to seek re-election in 2015 in contradiction of a supposed agreement that he would not be doing so.” (see my book, Party Coalitions in Nigeria (2014), pp. 129-130).

Cleavage, be it of ethnicity or religion, is the worst of political problems. You hardly can resolve the problem of cleavage by preaching to people to forget about those things they hold very dear to their hearts. There are not a few in the North who feel the South had dominated the Presidency for the greater part of the current Republic; they will grab the opportunity provided by the candidacy of Muhammadu Buhari in ensuring that the pendulum of political power swings back to their region.

Finally, Buhari faces an incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan, who may be having problems with economic and security issues. Allegations of escalating official corruption and Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East may have overshadowed the modest achievements of Jonathan. Of course, diverse sentiments will compete and contend in the 2015 election, but there are not a few who would want to reward or punish him on their perception of his stewardship during the past four years. Buhari, himself a former leader, has his own “baggages” but he enjoys the perception of being one disciplined individual who passionately resents corruption. Corruption has been that most deadly virus afflicting the Nigerian state.

There is hardly any doubt that the days ahead will be quite interesting. What we must continue to do is to educate our people about the ramifications of democracy as a game where the minority must have its say while the majority has its way. Why, for instance, would you want to throw the nation into chaos just because someone has lost an election, even when another member of your ethnic or religious constituency could be a beneficiary in the near future? Why would you want the stigma of “intolerant democrats” stamped permanently on you and your people? Our nation must unite behind whoever wins the February presidential election.

Dr. Akinola, a scholar and political analyst, wrote in from Oxford, United Kingdom