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With just 24 hours to the gubernatorial elections in Lagos State, all is now set to be a battle royale between the All Progressive Congress (APC), candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode and his fiercest rival, Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
From the look of things, both contestants are ready to slug it out tomorrow, April 11, 2015, as they have been vigorous in their campaigns.
In fact, this is the first time the APC led government in the state is having a very formidable opponent and it may not be as smooth sailing as other elections have always been.
But many see the power of incumbency as being in favour of Ambode while others think Agbaje has what it takes to wrestle power from the APC.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Though, Nigeria, the world’s most populous black nation on earth claims to be practising multi-party system, but the 2015 elections have literarily turned the nation to two-party system.
The thrust of the battle has been between the two major political parties –viz; All Progressives Congress,APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Penultimate Saturday saw the end of the PDP’s 16 years of rulership following the victory of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential poll.
The election also saw the rise of the opposition party as the majority in the senate.
As Nigerians march to the poll tomorrow to elect who govern their various state come May 29, ExpressNG presents you the list of the contenders and their running mate in the governorship race.
The list below;
ABIA Alex Otti-APGA Okezie Ikpeazu-PDP
ADAMAWA Bindow Jibrilla-APC Nuhu Ribadu-PDP Marcus Gunduri-SDP Ahmed Muhammed Modibbo-PDM
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
“Nobody can push you into the Atlantic Ocean. Rather, you should use your votes to push the APC into the Atlantic Ocean by voting massively for the PDP on Saturday.”
That was the charge of Jimi Agbaje, the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, To Igbo traders at Alaba International Market.
He urged them to ignore the threats made by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, that if they do not vote for the APC governorship candidate on Saturday, they would die in the lagoon.
Agbaje said, “Election is like a snake. You have to make sure you win by killing the snake completely by using your votes to drive the APC out of power. The reason why they are harassing you is because they fear Igbo votes. They will try to do ‘shakara’ for you but you must vote massively for the PDP and protect your votes.”
Agbaje, who was accompanied by his running mate, Alhaja Safuratu Abdulkarim; and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, said the APC had become arrogant because the party had been in power for too long.
He said, “In the last 16 years, the APC has been full of arrogance. This arrogance must end once and for all. Saturday is the time to say enough is enough.”
Counselling the audience to eschew violence and refuse to be intimidated at the polling venue, Agbaje urged them to guard their votes.
He said, “God is on our side and power will change hands on Saturday and life will be better for you and your businesses. There will be no oppression again because this election is about freedom from bondage.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Distressed parents of the three kidnapped kids belong to the Orekoyas in Surulere, Lagos have not recieved a fresh threat of losing their kids in 24 hours if they don’t pay N13bmillion.
This is the third day after the three kids were whisked to an unknown destination by their nanny. The kids include boys namely; Aderomola (11 months old), Adedamola (four years old), Demola (six years old).
Sources said that the nanny had barely been in the family’s employ for 24 hours after her service was secured via ecommerce platform, Olx.
The nanny identified as Mary Akinloye was said to have issued the ultimatum through a man who used her telephone to communicate with the family.
The new amount is less N2 million from the initial N15m demanded after much appeal by the victim’s mother.
The victims’ father, Leke, told our correspondent that the family received a text message from the kidnappers on Friday afternoon, saying the children’s life depended on the payment of the ransom within 24 hours of the ultimatum. Although, this was later reviewed to 48 hours.
He said, “They said we should produce the money in 24 hours or they would ‘delete’ our kids.
“Our major concern is our 11 months old baby who needs extra care.”
Their mother, Adebisi, said the incident had started affecting her mentally.
She appealed to Nigerians of goodwill to support the family with funds, adding that the family could not afford to pay the ransom.
She said, “I called the line of the nanny and a man picked the call. He initially demanded N15m, but after I begged him, he agreed to take N13m.
“We have been exchanging text messages and he has insisted on N13m. He has also assured us that we have no other option than to pay the money.
“I spoke with the children and they said the kidnappers were treating them well and that they were doing fine.
“I’m sure if they get the money today, they will release my children to me. All they need is the money.
“I appeal to the government, politicians in the country, Nigerians of goodwill to please help us before it is too late.
“After my children have been released to me, the police can then begin their investigation.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, April 7, held a secret meeting with former President, Olusegun Obasanjo in Lagos.
The one-hour meeting between the duo was said to have taken place at the Presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport.
“Gen. Buhari and former President Obasanjo were in the inner lounge of the presidential wing of the airport where they held a secret meeting for almost an hour,” a member of Buhari’s team told Punch.
“The National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Senator Chris Ngige and many of us were made to stay at the main lounge throughout the meeting. We do not really know what was discussed but it must have been very sensitive,” he added.
Obasanjo endorsed Buhari for the Presidency before the March 28 elections and also wrote him an open letter of congratulations and advice upon his victory.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The suspects were caught in possession of three AK-47 riffles, several rounds of live cartridges and many kilograms of Indian hemp.
They were nabbed around Wimpey area of Port Harcourt.
According to Punch, a top security official in the state said the thugs were contracted by politicians to unleash violence on voters and innocent citizens before or during the governorship elections on Saturday.
The state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, while commending the efforts of the JTF, urged voters and the people of River State to remain calm and peaceful, noting the JTF has assured him that it would ensure peaceful, violence-free elections.
Since the March 28 Presidential elections Rivers state has witnessed series of violence and killings.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Sokoto State governor's younger brother, Alhaji Salihu Barade has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Wammako local government area of the state.
The man was reportedly abducted around 8pm on Wednesday, April 8.
Premium Times reports that the kidnappers, numbering four, took Barade in his farm alongside other unidentified people. The people taken with the Governor's brother were later released after the kidnappers had travelled quite a distance with them.
According to the report, the Sokoto state Police Command Public Relations Officer, El-Mustapha Sani, confirmed the incident, stating the command has started investigation on the matter.
It is unclear at this time if the abduction was politically motivated.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The innovation of the Permanent Voters Cards is designed to permanently disenfranchise the South. If this is not redressed immediately, the North will always determine the winner in Nigerian elections.
If you did not see my column last week, it was because I did not want to rain on anyone’s parade. I wanted the euphoria over the bullet we missed by avoiding the riots that would have ensued had the APC been defeated to subside. But I am now back to tell you that the presidential election was a big INEC rigmarole. Long before Jonathan lost the election to Buhari, he had been defeated by the machinations of Jega and INEC.
As a matter of fact, General Buhari did not win this presidential election: President Jonathan lost it. The president lost because he allowed himself to be defeated. Maybe he did not want to remain in power badly enough. Or maybe there was a side of him that felt there is honour in being the first incumbent president to lose an election in Nigeria. Whatever the case; he failed to heed the warning of many that, like Aminu Tambuwal and Lamido Sanusi, Attahiru Jega was working for the enemy.
Failure of Tinubu
With the coalition of Bola Tinubu’s ACN and Buhari’s CPC, many concluded that the outcome of the 2015 presidential election would be determined in the South-West. The assumption was that Tinubu would provide the killer-punch that had been missing in Buhari’s earlier failed attempts. However, this has proved to be mistaken. Tinubu failed to clean up the South-West with his broom for the APC. Indeed, in order for the APC to prevail in Lagos with only 160,000 votes, INEC had to ensure that many non-indigenes could not get their PVCs.
The truth of the matter is that, quite apart from the shenanigan of having a Redeemed Yoruba pastor as Buhari’s vice-presidential running-mate, the people of the South-West don’t like Buhari. In the 2011 election, they said this emphatically by giving him a paltry 321,000 votes out of the 4.7 million cast in the geopolitical zone. This time, in 2015, Buhari received 2.4 million South-West votes, with a plurality of 600,000 over Jonathan. However, most of those votes were actually not for Buhari: they were against Jonathan.
In the end, the South-West vote was neither pivotal to Buhari’s victory nor central to Jonathan’s defeat. Tinubu’s assistance for Buhari ended at the APC presidential primaries where he got Buhari nominated against the wishes of Northern delegates. All Tinubu did at the level of the presidential election was to give a façade of national spread to Buhari’s essentially Northern victory. This factor will soon come to haunt Tinubu and his South-West cohorts when it is time to share the spoils of victory in the Buhari administration.
Should APC lose the Lagos governorship election, Tinubu would be left in a quandary. All the Northern timber and caliber who were missing in action throughout the campaign when Tinubu, Fashola and other Southern politicians were running helter-skelter with Buhari, will soon come out of the woodwork to claim their Buhari inheritance. Inevitably, they will overshadow the Southern brigade. Vice-President Osinbajo will simply be sent to fetch water when crucial decisions are to be made by Northern “born-to-rule” elements.
Southerners without coattails
In order to defeat the PDP, APC needed to undermine Jonathan in his areas of greatest strengths – the South-South and the South-East. However, APC men like Amaechi, Okorocha and Oshiomhole proved to be paper-tigers in these areas. In Rivers, Amaechi was disgraced. With all his bluster, he could only deliver 69,000 votes to Buhari; while Jonathan made off with a whopping 1.45 million. No wonder, therefore, that the governor tried to save face by saying there was no election in Rivers. He even rented a crowd to go on a perfunctory demonstration.
Chinem Bestman sent me a text message from Port Harcourt with the same complaint that the election was rigged. I answered by asking him if there has ever been a free and fair election in Rivers since 1999. Amaechi knew the ropes, therefore when he came for accreditation, he asked to see the election result sheet. He knew the traditional rigmarole in Rivers was to doctor the report sheet. Now that he has been out-rigged, he is singing a different tune; asking Rivers people to forgive him.
In Imo, Okorocha was humiliated. He could only deliver 19% of the vote to Buhari. It looks like the governor is going to need another job very soon as he is unlikely to be re-elected. In Edo, Oshiomhole did much better. APC lost with 208,000 votes to PDP’s 286,000. Nevertheless, Oshiomhole tried to explain this away by complaining that PDP used the military to manipulate the election. However, when INEC announced the results, APC won the senatorial election in Edo North; one of the places where the governor claimed PDP used the military to rig.
Assault on the South-East
Godsday Orubebe grabbed the microphone during the collation of the election results and alleged to the whole world that INEC chairman Attahiru Jega is partial and tribalistic. His outburst may have been embarrassing, but it is not entirely without justification. The evidence of INEC’s partiality is compelling. Although President Jonathan put a call to Orubebe to stop his protest, and he has decided to accept the verdict of INEC, that does not mean we should sweep INEC’s shenanigans under the carpet.
It is easy to fob off Orubebe by saying he was only being emotional because he is a PDP man from Niger Delta, a kinsman of Mr. President who “lost” the election. That just won’t cut it. I am not a Niger Deltan. I don’t belong in the PDP. I don’t know Goodluck Jonathan and I have never ever met him or spoken to him. Cynical Nigerians believe anyone who supports Jonathan must either be in his pay or be looking for a job. Neither allegation is applicable to me. Jonathan ostensibly received 12.8 million votes; surely all these people were neither in his pay nor Aso Rock job-seekers.
My faith requires me to support the weak. Therefore, I will always support the minority against the tyranny of the majority. We cannot be reliant on South-South oil in Nigeria and then treat one of their sons as if he is an impostor for being president of the country. The fact of the matter is that this presidential election was the result of a vicious and malicious gang-up of the majority ethnic groups against the minorities.
Since the civil war, the Igbos of the South-East have been treated as if they are a minority ethnic group in Nigeria when in fact they are one of the majorities. In order to diminish Jonathan’s votes, a major assault was made against them; recognising that they are some of the staunchest Jonathan supporters. In 2011, the Igbo gave Goodluck Jonathan a decisive 5 million votes. The task of INEC in 2015 was to ensure that did not recur.
INEC rigmarole
Buhari prevailed as a result of a deliberate disenfranchisement of the Igbo by INEC through the manipulation of PVC distribution and the failure of the card reader in the South-East and the South-South. INEC ensured that, far more disproportionately and relative to other geopolitical zones, millions of South-East voters disappeared between 2011 and 2015, in order to provide a smooth passage for a Northern presidential candidate; which turned out to be Buhari.
The first strategy of INEC in this regard was to create 29,000 additional polling units, allocating 21,000 of these to the North and only 8,000 to the South. In this crass manipulation, INEC gave more additional polling units to Abuja than it gave to the entire South-East. However, widespread outcry over this proposal forced INEC to jettison it despite protracted resistance by Jega.
But INEC had a plan B: the registration of voters and the collection of PVCs. This was bogus and lopsided; skewed most especially against the South-East where only 7.6 million were registered and 5.6 million PVCs collected. Compare this with the war-torn North-East: 9.1 million were registered and 7.4 million collected. But the most outrageous were the figures of the North-West. 17.6 million registrations and 15.1 million collections were recorded in the North-West; much more than the figures in the entire South-East and South-South combined.
On Election Day, news of a bomb blast in Enugu served to discourage people from coming out to vote in the South-East. In addition, there was widespread late voter accreditation and voting in the South-East as well as the South-South. One reason for this was the massive failure of the card-readers in these zones, highly suggestive that they were programmed to fail there.
Quite incredibly, the card-reader failed to recognise even the president. It took President Jonathan 35 minutes to get accredited; but within five hours, we are meant to believe that 2.5 million voters in Kano were duly accredited. In the middle of the election, INEC changed from card-reader to manual accreditation. This suddenly brought into play the huge voter registrations in the North-West. Cell-phone video recordings showed many of the North-West’s bloated PVC holders to be under-aged children.
Abracadabra
The total effect of these machinations is that over 2.4 million South-East voters were successfully disenfranchised. 38 million people nationwide voted for Buhari and Jonathan in 2011. In 2015, this figure shrank to 28 million. The votes of the South-West remained virtually constant. 4.6 million people of the South-West voted in 2011: 4.2 million in 2015. But compare this with what happened in the South-East. 5 million people voted in 2011, only 2.6 million in 2015. That is a drastic drop of 2.4 million.
While Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Jigawa and Bauchi were posting their traditional humongous figures; Imo, Anambra and Abia were posting relatively disappointing figures. Jigawa used to be a part of Kano, when Kano was said to be bigger than Lagos. In the 2015 election, the votes of Jigawa and Kano combined was double that of Lagos. Lagos had 1.4 million votes. Jigawa and Kano had 3.1 million; virtually all for Buhari.
While the internally displaced Northerners in the North-East could vote, internally displaced Igbos from the North could not. In places like Lagos and Kano, many non-indigenes were not even given their PVCs. In effect, the innovation of the Permanent Voters Cards is designed to permanently disenfranchise the South. If this is not redressed immediately, the North will always determine the winner in Nigerian elections.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
He assured Buhari that the Ndigbo did not hate him but voted for President Goodluck Jonathan ‘’because he assured us that he would implement the report of the national conference.’’
‘’Buhari should not see Ndigbo as his enemies. The Igbos were looking for somebody who will address the problem of marginalisation since the end of the war.’’
He said that the zone had suffered marginalization for a long time and needed a president ‘’who will help to rehabilitate the Igbo people after what they suffered during the war.
‘’We pray that God will use Buhari to address our plight,’’ he said, promising that Ndigbo would support his administration, if he could address issues affecting them.
He further urged Jonathan to reward Ndigbo for their support for his administration by ensuring that the people were allowed to elect leaders of their choice.
The APGA national chairman alleged that the people’s vote in the March 28 election did not count because the ruling People’s Democratic Party used the military and other security operatives to subvert the wishes of the people expressed through the ballot.
‘’The only way Jonathan can reciprocate the support of the Igbo people is to allow them to elect governors and law makers of their choice.’’
He further urged him not to support the incumbent PDP governors to foist their surrogates on the people as their successors.
He said that the unit results of the last election showed that the people voted massively for APGA but expressed regret that the votes did not count due to a “high powered conspiracy to manipulate the results by PDP, along with some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and security operatives.
‘’What we saw during the March 28 poll was total militarization of the entire electoral process in the South- East, which provided a safe ground for PDP-government to rig the results in their favour,’’ he said.
Umeh also spoke on the quality of the party’s flag-bearer in Abia, Dr. Alex Otti, describing him as ‘’the best candidate the party can offer the state.
‘’Otti is the best suitable candidate to revamp Abia,’’ he said, adding that ‘’Otti has the managerial capability and the reach to transform the state.
‘’I call on all Abia people to look inward and elect the best hand for the governorship position,’’ he said, urging them not to succumb to intimidation during the April 11 polls.
‘’APGA is desperately looking for capable hands to support Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra to rebuild the Igboland and Otti is one of such materials.’’
He said that with the defeat of the PDP at the national level, it was time for Ndigbo to form a formidable support for the emergence of APGA governors, who could help to rebuild the area.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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