2015: Jonathan’s ambition is against national interest, says APC  

President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been advised not to bow to the pressure being mounted on him by selfish groups and individuals to contest the 2015 presidential election.
Giving the advice in a statement in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) predicted that Jonathan will lose if he allows himself to be deceived into seeking re-election next year.

Dr Davis Ibiamu Ikanya, APC Chairman Rivers said that the handwriting is already on the wall for President Jonathan in view of the calibre of leaders and unprecedented masses that attended the historic declaration of General Muhammadu Buhari to contest the 2015 presidential election. And it has therefore become imperative for President Jonathan to start writing his handover notes as his game is up.
According to Ikanya, it is now clear why President Jonathan is scared and reluctant in accepting the call to contest the 2015 general election as evident in his recent statement that in deciding on an appropriate response to such calls, I will place the greater interests of national harmony, cohesion, unity, security, political stability, progress, equity, justice and fairness above any personal ambition or sectional agenda.
APC says he must be commended for this wise stand as he knows that his contesting will not be in the greatest interest of national harmony and so must forget re-election if he really loves Nigeria and wishes to promote the greatest interest of national harmony.



Rivers APC warns that: “if Jonathan however succumbs to the pressure of haters of Nigeria to contest the 2015 general election he should prepare to be the first sitting President to lose a general election since there is no basis whatsoever for him to win any election again as his record card shows that he is a failure. Today, Nigeria has never had it so bad as the present leadership under Jonathan has inflicted unimaginable suffering on Nigerians.”

Ikanya noted that apart from the imminent failure awaiting him at the polls, Jonathan very well knows that his participation in the 2015 election would be totally immoral since he is not qualified to run, as he is presently enjoying a second term in office.
“The Constitution of our country makes it clear that no one can enjoy three consecutive tenures as President and Jonathan is bound by the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution,” Ikanya declared.

He expressed happiness over the high quality of tested and trusted leaders who have indicated interest to fly the flag of APC in its rescue mission. “PDP’s reign these past fifteen years has brought shame and hardship to our nation and we must unite to salvage this nation from the hands of the present confused leaders of PDP,” he said.

Rivers APC aligned with the position of its leader, Governor Chibuike Amaechi, who recently asked President Jonathan from where he intends to get the votes that will get him elected in 2015 knowing that he has lost Lagos, Kano and Rivers states before the election as rigging will not be considered for the 2015 general election.

The statement concluded by echoing Amaechi’s position: “For us as APC, we will line up behind the party. Go back home now and get your voters cards. We will punish these people. Rivers state is not in their hands. Lagos State is not in their hands. Kano state is not in their hands. So, tell me where we are going? They are banking on using security against us. We shall teach them a lesson. We will fight with our body, with our lives because there must be change this time.

He boasted that there is no aspirant in APC that is not better than the aspirants in PDP.
“What we must do is not only to vote for the aspirants in support; we must also take the voters card so that when we finish nominating our candidate here, we will line behind that candidate and ensure that we will vote out Jonathan,” the APC chairman said.

Gbajabiamila Battles Tinubu For Senate  

Former Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, Engr. Hakeem Akinola Gbajabiamila, has declared his readiness to wrest the Lagos Central Senatorial District seat from the wife of his former boss, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, in 2015 on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The PDP Chieftain, who announced this while unveiling his political ambition, added that he is battle ready to face the Tinubu factor in the forthcoming election.

•Remi Tinubu

“In life, you must be ready for what you want to do. You can’t sit down here and just be asking for change. 

Tinubu did not get there because it was given to him. He got there through a process  and, therefore, somebody must unseat that process. I pray that my wish is blessed by God.

“I will go through the party primaries. I am ready for it and I have done it before. I believe that with all the efforts that I will put in, I will  be successful and I don’t have any worry about that. I know that God will make it happen. I believe that when it comes to the election, the people’s voice will speak and when the people’s voice speaks, there is nothing that can change it.

“So it is not about who I am competing with or the resources of the person I am competing with. It is the ability to sell my product. It is the ability to win the election. That is the most important thing and with what we have on ground and what we are doing, we will win the heart of the people,” he said.

Speaking on his programmes for the people of Lagos Central, he said by his training and experience, he has realised that in the last 12 years, the quality of representation at the National Assembly has continued to dwindle, hence his decision to change things for the better.

“People go there because they believe it is their gift for being around rather than electing people who have purpose to be there. First and foremost, the people of Lagos need good representation that will take care of their interest, who will discuss their issues, who will talk about the environment of Lagos.

“Lagos has a very small land mass and it accommodates and houses 10 per cent of the population of Nigeria. It is only three per cent of Nigeria’s landmass with lots of water. Therefore, the issue of environment is very critical  to it. Infrastructure development to support that number of people in a small environment is very important.

“Therefore, we must be able to bring about all the benefits that Lagos deserves back to Lagos. It is not only about oversight function because if you look also, of all the arms of government, you will see that it is the legislative arm  that is the least developed. This is because over the years, each time the military came to power, they truncated the legislative aspect of government,” he said.

He said lawmaking is a serious business, adding that it should be taken more seriously than it was taken in the past.

“We should have quality people representing us; quality people who understand the issues, the problem of our people. I understand a lot about Lagos.

“I have said that Lagos is densely populated and the land mass is waterlogged.  In 2000, we did a study of the coastal region. There are a lot of environmental issues that we need to pay more attention to and the Federal Government too needs to be involved in that process. It is not that there is no solution to flooding issues but when environmental impact studies are not carried out on projects being done or people are not carried along  on projects that are being done, we will continue  to have serious environmental issues.

“Those are the kinds of things that I will like to address going into the Senate.  I will ensure that proper laws to support these things are enacted. I will also like to see infrastructure development being brought to Lagos and also continue to push for special status for Lagos through the Lagos Metropolitan Development Authority which is a good vehicle to give the state its deserved status and give it the recognition that it deserves in the scheme of things.  There is no Nigerian that doesn’t have relatives living in Lagos.

“We look at Apapa for example and we see that further representation of Lagos is needed at the center to make sure that Apapa is dealt with accordingly by reducing the congestion there,” he said.

Opposition May Play Into Jonathan’s Hands —Bakare  

Serving overseer of the Lagos, Nigeria-based Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has warned opposition parties in Nigeria to operate with integrity, principles and focus, saying with their current mode of operation, most of them could fall into the hands of President Goodluck Jonathan in his bid to secure another term in office in 2015.

Bakare said, for instance, there are members in Nigeria’s major opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, who still have the blood of other parties flowing in their veins, somewhat like saying they are strange bedfellows.

In an exclusive interview with rev4mation Pastor Bakare also said he would not blame Jonathan like many other Nigerians over perceived failure of his administration, because a society gets the leader it deserves.

In the interview in which he recalled his role during the saga which rocked the ill-health of former President Umaru Yar’Adua, Pastor Bakare said he was happy that through the Save Nigeria Group, a group he convened, he, with other Nigerians have been able to make a mark in the country.

“We insisted that constitutionality be followed. I thank God that at the end of the day, that came to pass. Under some tremendous heat, the National Assembly came up with the ‘Doctrine of Necessity’.

•Pastor Tunde Bakare

“Then we had another President who on the 5th of May(2010) at the demise of former President Yar’Adua, became substantive President. From there he moved in to four years of an administration.

“He is now looking for another four years. Though he has not said so, his body language has pointed in that direction. He’s been adopted, he has not denied it,” Bakare said, adding that what had played out showed that in spite of the storm, Nigeria’s democracy had witnessed a smooth sailing so far after the death of the former president.

He continued: “one of the things we advocated for was National Conference for Nigerians to come together and talk about how they want to be governed and led.

“On 5 May, 2010, the Save Nigeria Group came with what we call a blue-print, a minimum of things the electorate should demand from those who govern them. And by the time we got to the National Conference, all parts of what we have been clamouring for became a reality when that conference began to settle old scores.

“If there is courage and will to implement what we got out of that conference, Nigeria will never be the same again. That is why I said the train has left the nation, when I was interviewed.

“This does not mean that the coast is clear. Look at the decampees. Nuhu Ribadu was in ACN, Nuhu Ribadu was in APC, Nuhu Ribadu is now in PDP. Obi was in APGA. He used APGA for eight years, Obi is now in PDP. Mimiko, the Iroko, uprooted himself from Labour Party and is trying to transplant and take root now in PDP. My friend, OGD (Otunba Gbenga Daniel) was in PDP; he left for one party he started, and then he became part of Labour, and now he is back in PDP.

“So, why are they all looking for a place to hide their heads? Look, I don’t understand. Politicians must know what they are doing.

“Why can’t we build institutions and political parties that would not pave the way for a one-party state in Nigeria so that we can have what is available in America with the Democrats and the Republicans forming the bulk of the Congress and the UK where some minor parties really take care of peculiar interest?

“Why can’t I have a party that would only make sure the local government in Abeokuta is doing well and the people are happy? That is where the elite has to come in from bottom upward.”

He urged the citizens of the country to begin to think about positioning themselves so as to take back their destinies from those who have messed the country and are still benefiting from the mess.

He said his call became important because “men in this country are not ready to die for their country; they are ready for others to die so that they can benefit.”

Listing possible solutions to the country’s political problems which include implementing to the letter the report of the National Conference recently held, making the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,  financially independent and organising an accurate census, he said:with Nigeria’s politicians doing everything possible to secure power at all costs, “you are going to play into the hands of the President in so many ways.

“If I don’t believe in APC, I would not move the motion for the merger. And you should know that I am a man at 60 who says it the way it is according to my level of understanding.

“But when you look at what is happening in APC itself, you’ll begin to say: ‘God help us’.”

“I believe in democracy and democratic principles, but I see all kinds of confusion coming.

“When we were going to the merger, we were thinking it was a merger between ACN, and CPC and then eventually, ANPP came in and a faction of APGA also came in.

“All our thoughst at that point in time was if we can get the north and the southwest to come together, it would then be difficult to dislodge PDP from power after so many years since 1999 that it has been in power.

“But the way things are now, it is going to be a tall order, because right inside APC are PDP men who left PDP for reasons best known to them and who are now looking for a safe haven to protect themselves because they may not be able to leave if PDP wins again.

“Now, if a northerner wins the election and those of the Southsouth think they were rigged out of that election, all your pipelines are not safe.

“They have asked Jonathan not to return home, he must stay there because it is their turn. That is the mentality they have with our money as if oil is the only thing we have. Bill Gates did not make one kobo from any oil well, but from his brain.

“And if Jonathan wins, the north that says power must come to them, you can get Boko Haram times 12. So who wins or who loses the election may not stabilise this nation.

“I believe that if the APC puts its house in order and they pick the right candidate who can deliver the votes, and they go with the thought of changing Nigeria for the better, perhaps there would be that change. But if that is not done, they will be playing into the hands of the PDP. I hope not.”

I have forgiven my persecutors –Fayose

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose; and his wife, Feyisetan, during a thanksgiving service at the Deeper Life Bible Church, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State... on Sunday.
| credits: Ekiti State Government House

The Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, on Sunday said he had forgiven those who were behind his removal from office in 2006 and those who persecuted him while out of office.

The governor said he had appeared 59 times in court and spent 45 days in Ikoyi prison over phantom charges levelled against him after his impeachment.

Fayose spoke at a thanksgiving service held in his honour at the Deeper Life Campground in Ado Ekiti.

He said having a second chance was a rare opportunity to be good to all.

He said, “If this time has been in Bible days, my name would have been one of the names to be recorded as those who God gave a second chance.

“My return to government is not common in history. It is a rare miracle. During the seven-and-a- half years of my political wilderness, I was taken to court over what I knew nothing about 59 times, aside the 45 days I spent in Ikoyi Prisons during my trial by the EFCC.

“My security aides and political aides, such as Chief Dayo Okondo, were incarcerated for three-and-a- half years without committing any offence.

“All my property was left in the Government House because I had to run for my dear life. So, this time my mission is to look after Ekiti people and not to fight anybody. I will not allow this position to go into my head or use it to oppress anybody. I don’t have anybody in mind to punish or any political battle to fight.

“I won’t take vengeance, vengeance belongs to God. Be assured I will be warm to you. But you too turn away from evil so that the state can develop.”

The governor, who expressed his belief that “God is above all,” said he had surrendered himself to His will.

He also thanked his wife for staying by him during the period of challenges with a promise to consult her any time it was necessary to do so.

“In time of challenges if you have no one to support you, you are finished,” he said.

Fayose said he owed nobody any apology for becoming an apostle of stomach infrastructure.

“For that statement, I have no apology. I’m an apostle of stomach infrastructure. Whether you abuse me or not, stomach infrastructure has come to stay in this state.”

His wife, Feyisetan, at the event said God gave the revelation of her husband’s return shortly after his impeachment on October 16, 2006.

She said, “God told me that our return would be done in such a way that will beat people’s imagination. But because of the trouble we went through, at a time I prayed to God to please push my husband out of politics. Later, God told me that I should leave him there because he has committed a lot to politics and has yet to reap the dividends.

“After we left, Gen. Tunji Olurin came, Segun Oni came and then Governor Kayode Fayemi; and today God has manifested His power. This is not by our power or strength, but by the grace of God.”

The founder of the church, Pastor Williams Kumuyi, in a letter to Fayose read in the church, urged him to continue to lead the people of Ekiti State with the fear of God and to manage the resources of the state with prudence.

In the letter read by the Secretary of Deeper Life Worldwide, Pastor Jeremiah Asemota, Kumuyi said the pattern of vote in the election showed Fayose was the choice of the electorate.

“I equally urge you to continue to demonstrate sacred and divine attributes of integrity, selflessness, openness, and excellence with determination to fulfil the public goods at all times.

“I counsel that you continue to manage state resources with fairness, equity, integrity and transparency. These done, you can be assured of God abiding presence and divine approval over the next four years,” Kumuyi added.

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