ABUJA- PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, PDPPCO, Sunday, a swipe at former President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying that he remained a major critic of the present administration because President Goodluck Jonathan has vehemently refused to be a stooge to Obasanjo, just as it said that he does not want genuine democracy as he only pretends to want it.
According to PDP, soon after Jonathan was elected the president of the country, the former President tried everything possible to control and teleguide Jonathan, just as the party alleged that Obasanjo asked the President to do a number of things that were simply wrong and unacceptable to a government with plans for the people.
Addressing Journalists in Abuja, Director, Media and Publicity of PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode who was reacting to allegations against President Jonathan on the postponement of the general elections by former President Obasanjo, stressed that he( Obasanjo) has been lampooning the President and trying to destroy the credibility of the election process because he knew that the President would win the March 28 election.
He said, “After Jonathan came to power, Obasanjo not only tried to control and teleguide him but he also asked him to do a number of things that were simply wrong and unacceptable. It is for President Goodluck Jonathan himself to divulge those things and I am sure that he will do so at the appropriate time. Needless to say President Jonathan refused to be teleguided and told what to do even though at all times he showed Obasanjo maximum respect and accorded him all the privileges, access and courtesies that is due to a former Head of State and a father and mentor. This continued to be the case even after Obasanjo consistently attempted to undermine his government and ridicule his efforts
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.
POOR Attahiru Jega! The distinguished Professor of political science and Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is once again in the dock. Indeed, the first salvo against Jega in the court of public opinion is that he is biased. Those who say that Jega is biased cite his now aborted plot to create 30,000 polling booths eighty per cent of which would have been located in the North as evidence of his ploy to give his side of the country an edge over the rest of the country. Another charge against Jega is to the effect that the umpire has kowtowed to pressure from the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to disenfranchise voters who are seen to be sympathetic to President Goodluck Jonathan and his ruling Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP). The story making the rounds in Lagos is that INEC, in solidarity with APC, has denied the Igbo who constitute more than 46 per cent of the population in Lagos the Permanent Voter Card (PVC).
According to fillers from the nation’s commercial headquarters, INEC has asked Lagosians to go get their PVCs from the 20 local government areas and the 37 local council development areas created by its immediate past governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is currently the national leader of the APC. According to The Guardian of Thursday February 5, 2013, “There are sordid tales of woe from many Lagos residents and environs, four days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) extended the deadline for the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to Sunday February 8, 2015 as they troop out to their various registration centers to collect their PVCs without success. For those residents, the collection of their cards, a prerequisite for casting their votes in the February 14 general elections has either been deliberately made difficult by some individuals for selfish reasons or a deliberate plot to smear INEC’s image and efforts towards superintending a successful election.”
In the usually conservative orientations of the paper, its report was very correct but not very elaborate enough to give its readers the benefit of forming their opinions on this very topical issue at the apogee of our national discourse. A more detailed report would have included the fact that almost one hundred percent of those facing the logic of being disenfranchised in Lagos much against the tenets of the Electoral Act, are Nigerians of South East and South South origin, an aspect of political persecution. How the PVCs got o the hands of APC political jobbers must be investigated right away. It is benumbing that INEC stooped so low as to hand over the distribution of PVCs to politicians who ask the electorate to thumb print before they are given the voter cards in Lagos. The reader should read about the plight of prospective registered voters from the South east and South south who are resident in Lagos in the February 8 edition of The Niche On Sunday. More alarming is the fact that without adequate preparation, INEC told the world that it was ready for the elections.
How ready is INEC for elections when more than 20 million prospective registered voters are yet to get their voter cards? How prepared is it when even its 700,000 ad hoc staff are yet to be trained and the training manuals yet to be released? Why try to blackmail Jonathan and the military with the half-truth that it is postponing the elections because of insecurity in the North-east when it is obvious that it failed to do its work well? Why the hoopla over shift in election date when it is certain that INEC is not ready for the exercise? The Electoral Act states clearly that elections could be held at least not less than 30 days to the hand over date. What this means is that INEC has the mandate to shift any election to a date not exceeding April 26. Apart from politicising the PVCs distribution in Lagos, Kaduna and Kano, the initial refusal of the Prof. Attahiru Jega- led electoral body to shift forward the date of the elections inspite of its obvious shortcomings was the height of impunity. In a more serious and fundamental sense, Jega must explain to Nigerians why and how the distribution of the PVCs suddenly become the sole responsibility of the APC.
I refuse to see this as a manifestation of the much-talked-about elite conspiracy against Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Iam inclined to say here that my joy springs from the fact that Nigerians have now come to the realization that democracy is better than dictatorship. The President’s Spartan outing in his campaign rallies across the country to confirm his transformational strides and his overwhelming endorsement by various interest groups across the country is a huge testimony to the fact that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is once again coasting to victory in the Presidential and National Assembly elections. The rallies depicted Jonathan’s persona, his exuding energy, dogged political savvy, unprecedented achievements in all sectors of the economy and commitment to the Nigerian project. What some of us are saying is that we have come to the stage in our political development when every Nigerian must adhere to the tenets of democracy. No matter your commitment, real or imagined, to the fight against corruption, no matter your plan to curb insurgency in the land, if you don’t adhere to the principles of the rule of law you will end up promoting more corruption and insecurity in the country. What we must first address in our country is the culture of impunity which has degenerated to a rhythm of lawlessness. It is a season of high-profile inanities!
This culture of impunity is alien to the African setting. It is an authoritarian and totalitarian culture which was instituted by the military in our country. General Muhammadu Buhari, the APC presidential candidate and his supporters who are apologetic to this culture of impunity, are still threatening fire and brimstone if there is any further postponement of the elections. They are trying to criminalise the Federal government and the Nigerian military for what is clearly the shortcomings of INEC. Is the military and government to blame for the failure of INEC to distribute the 23 million PVCs to registered voters? Are they to blame for the failure of INEC to produce enough training materials for the elections? Are they to blame for INEC’s inability to conduct training and simulation exercises for the over 700,000 ad hoc staff on the Card Readers and other necessary aspects of the election and deploy enough Card Readers to the states? Are the military and government to blame for INEC’s inability to deploy new and functional printing machines to the 36 states and the FCT to print voters registers or revisit the PVCs contracts where the contractor for the software production is holding three others to ransom? Do we expect INEC to sweep all these facts under the carpet, go ahead to conduct elections and in the end cook up figures as authentic results? What constitute free, fair and credible elections? INEC should apologize to Nigerians and save us from hysteria in this season of high-profile inanities.
•Mr. Amor, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Lagos.
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.
Ballots meant for the Nigerian presidential election were found yesterday at the premises of a local printer in the Essex area of London.
Our sources said the sensitive election materials, which ought to have arrived in Nigeria earlier in the week, were unsecured at the premises of Panther Printing Services in London. SaharaReporters was able to confirm that a Nigerian firm named Cemoz International Limited had been contracted to print some ballot papers for the 2015 presidential elections.
A spokesman for the Independent National Electoral Commission, Kayode Idowu, confirmed to SaharaReporters that Cemoz International Limited was one of the firms awarded the contract to print ballot papers.
It appears that, upon getting the contract, Cemoz went shopping for printers in London to print the ballot papers and then contracted these other printers to serially number the ballot papers. Although the ballot papers for the presidential elections for several southwest states were seen lying around the premises of the printing company in Essex, a staff at the company, speaking to a correspondent of SaharaReporters, said the firm only had the contract to print some of the ballot papers for Jigawa State. Thinking that our correspondent worked for Cemoz, the representative of the Essex-based company asked if we could give them more jobs, adding that their company had mastered how to print ballot papers.
SaharaReporters later obtained a bill of lading showing that Cemoz planned to ship the ballot papers to Nigeria a few hours before February 14th, the day initially sect aside for the presidential election. INEC subsequently postponed the election for six weeks.
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.
It was a thing of joy, a sign of blessing and endorsement from God when a woman gave birth during the campaign rally of Muma Gee last Friday.
Immediately the Mother of the newly born baby named the child Muma Gee, as a sign of remembrance of the encounter with the great woman.And to crown it all, the baby was given instant scholarship from Muma Gee, starting from the age of 2.
With this development, the people of Ikata village in ward 6 in Ahoada East LGA are more conceived that Muma Gee is the chosen one who will bring Goodluck in their lives.See photos here
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.
Traders in various markets in Onitsha, Anambra on Friday voiced their support for the senatorial bid of Princess Stella Oduah, the former Minister of Aviation. Oduah, who is contesting the Anambra North senatorial seat on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), visited the Main Market, Ochanja Market, Ogbo-Afele Market, Electronic Market and Ogbaru Main Market and received a rousing welcome from the traders. According to NAN, while at the Main Market, Oduah assured the traders that she would tackle the issue of shortage of transformers in the 10,000-shop market if elected.
“I will also donate a bus to the market within few months of my stay in office as a mark of appreciation,” she said. She asked the traders to get their permanent voters’ cards and ensure that they thumb-printed on the umbrella logo of the PDP. “You should ensure you exercise the franchise of voting and voting right for the PDP as it is your voice, your network and your mandate for a better society,” she noted.
The Chairman of Onitsha Main Market Traders Union, Chief Innocent Agudiegwu, said the taste of the pudding was in the eating. “We have tasted and seen you have a lot to do and achieve for us. You are assured of our votes on the D-day,” Agudiegwu said. At the Ogbo-Afele Market, Oduah made a donation of 10 air conditioners for their new secretariat complex and promised them a transformer and a bus.
In the same vein, Oduah told traders in Ochanja Market that she was capable of fighting their cause, while promising the market solar streetlights to make night trading possible. Responding, the President of Ochanja Market, Chief Frederick Ezeanyi, said they would pray every Tuesday for her to succeed. “If Anambra State needs one senator alone, Stella Oduah is the one,” Ezeanyi said. Oduah rode in a tricycle through various sections of the markets to acknowledge cheers from her supporters.
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.
A support group of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial candidate in Benue State, Prince Terhemen Tarzoor, known as Booth2Booth, has condemned the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, for destroying the posters of their candidate. The group while making the condemnation at a press briefing yesterday in Makurdi, the state capital, stated that some persons suspected to be APC youths had at about 12 midnight of Wednesday attacked a popular joint known as ‘Pages’ owned by Mr. Zaye Jerome and tore its guber candidate’s posters conspicuously placed around the joint. Mr. Jerome, who incidentally is the president of the group, described the attack as “unwarranted” and “unprovoked” and targeted at intimidating them, maintaining that they would not in any way be deterred by the antics of the opposition in supporting their candidate to emerge as governor of the state. “The destruction of the posters began a day to the visit of the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd). Then yesterday at midnight, they came and tore the posters in a very systematic way. They came in a truck which was traced to Nasarawa APC done in connivance with the Benue APC. While he said the attack was politically motivated, Jerome further stated that “our lives are at stake though we cannot be intimidated. We should not be hindered from supporting any candidate in a democratic setting. So, we are calling on the security agencies to protect our lives,” Jerome pleaded.
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.
Former Chief Security Officer, CSO, to the late head of state, General Sanni Abacha, Major Hamzat Al-Muatapha has filed a suit against the Federal Ministry of Housing And Urban Development before a Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking to recover his landed property located at Block 2, Plot 9, Phase 11, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. Joined as defendant in the suit is one Ladi Ogunleye. Al-Mustapha in the suit number FHC/L/CS/1810 is seeking an order of the court realocating the said land back to him, and an order restoring him as the rightful owner of the land. The former CSO is also seeking an order of the court awarding him the sum of N1 million as cost of instituting the legal action. Al-Mustapha in his amended statement of claim filed before the court by Barrister Abdulfatai Alao-Thomas of Wolver Partners, averred that the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development via a letter dated March 26, 1997, conveyed the acceptance and granting his application and subsequent allocation of the said landed property to him and he duly paid all the land charges as assessed by the ministry. However, he did not at any time receive notice from the ministry that the landed property allotted to him had been revoked, and that there was never a time the allocation was revoked by the federal government or any of its agencies for any overriding public purpose or interest. Al-Mustapha further averred that he was surprised when some time ago he was informed of some acts of trespass on the land, and upon inquiry, he was informed that the land had been re-allotted to another person by the first defendant, the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, and despite repeated demands, the defendant had refused to restore his interest on the said land without justifiable reason. Consequently, he claimed that by the action of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, he had suffered untold hardship, and thus he is entitled to judgement. In an amended witness statement on oath deposed to by Major Al-Mustapha’s brother, Alhaji Usman Aliyu, he stated that his brother, Major Al-Mustapha was the original allottee of the said landed property and that the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development had via a letter dated March 26, 1997, conveyed the acceptance and granted Major Al-Mustapha’s application and subsequent allocation of the said land to him. Alhaji Aliyu also stated that there was never a time the allocation to Major Al-Mustapha was revoked or the plot acquired by the federal government or any of its agencies for any overridden public purpose or interest; and that he was surprised when he was informed of some acts of trespass on the said land; and upon inquiry, he was informed that the land had been re-allotted to another person by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. He also said that despite repeated demands, the ministry had refused to restore to his brother the plot allotted to him without any justifiable reason. The defendants have not filed any response to the suit and the presiding judge, Saliu Saidu has adjourned the suit till February 21 for mention.
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.
No fewer than 100 National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Batch ‘C’ 2014 members yesterday took to the streets of Aba protesting the non-payment of their four months allowances by Abia State government, and locked the entrance of the state Secondary Education Management Board, SEMB, located along Aba-Owerri Road. The protesting corps members who displayed placards with varying inscriptions accused Abia State government of not paying them their N5000 monthly allowance since October last year. The situation caused traffic hold-up along the ever-busy Aba-Owerri Road for hours. One of the protesters who would not want his name in print said that they were initially owed five months but were paid one month when they protested last week, with the assurance that they would be paid fully later after asking them to drop their account details. “It was the same tricks they used on the Batch ‘B’ 2014 members and as I speak with you, they are yet to pay them their outstanding two months allowances and we are not going to allow them to use our brain.” Another corps member who corroborated his colleague’s statement added: “We were supposed to collect this money in Umuahia, but they said that we should go back to our zones, only for us to be paid only one month. We are aware that the governor has released money for them to pay us but a few people have decided to pocket our money, even when we have worked for it. A worker deserves his wages and that is why we are letting people to know the mal-treatment on us.” – See more at:
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.
Northern Christian Leaders have endorsed General Muhammadu Buhari for the March 2015 presidential elections, saying what Nigeria needs now is a leader that can protect both Christians and Muslims and do justice to all.
This was at a meeting of Christian leaders from around the north of the country, which was convened at the instance of the Northern Christian Leaders’ Eagle-Eyes Forum in Abuja to preach the message of peace in the run up to the 2015 elections.
The leaders of the forum said that the persistent misconception of the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, as a fanatic is misleading, saying Nigeria needs a leader like him to do justice to all, irrespective of religion.
The Convener of the forum, Solomon Dalung and the Chairman of the Northern Christian Leaders Forum, Aminchi Habu, who both took turns to speak, told the opposition candidates that Nigeria is at a crossroads and experiencing hard times that only people of strong character and minds can correct these.
They charged both men to ensure that only issues that promote the unity of Nigeria are brought to the front burner while religious discrimination takes a back seat.
The presidential and vice presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) told the northern Christian leaders that the upcoming election is not about religion but the future of Nigeria.
General Buhari said that the persistent division of the electioneering along religious lines and sentiments has become a cause of great irritation.
They warned the Christian leaders to avoid being misled into believing the elections is about religion.
Key among the issues addressed by General Buhari and his running mate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo were security, corruption and poverty.
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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