Buhari: Triumph of a resilient fighter - Michael Jegede.

SIR: General Muhammadu Buhari is one man that is highly respected and loved by many within and outside Nigeria for his simplicity, uprightness and zero tolerance for corruption. Born on December 17, 1942 in Daura, Katsina State, Buhari, a professionally trained soldier and former military Head of State between 31 December 31, 1983 and August 27, 1985, has over the
years proved himself as a man of rectitude, and demonstrated his commitment towards the struggle to build a better Nigeria in the interest of the masses.
As a dogged, resilient fighter and uncompromising politician with unalloyed forthrightness, he pursued his presidential ambition with great tenacity, despite his failure at every attempt since 2003. The retired
Army General’s actually sojourn to the Presidency started in 2003, when he vied on the platform of the defunct All Peoples Party, APP. In that year’s election, Buhari garnered about 12.7 million votes, which represented 32.1per cent to lose to the then President Olusegun Obasanjo of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who was seeking a second term at that time. Obasanjo scored about 24.5 million votes representing 61.9per cent of total votes cast.
Four years later in 2007, he contested under the umbrella of All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), but again lost to Umaru Yar’Adua of blessed memory also of the PDP, polling a meager 6.6 million votes, a far worse performance than that of 2003. Yar’Adua had about 24.6 million votes. Not taking his eyes off the Presidency, by 2011, the unrelenting and persevering Buhari contested on the ticket of a new party he founded-the Congress for Progressive Change. Despite being a new party single handedly formed by the retired General with the support of people of like minds, just less than six months to the election, he scored 12.2 million votes to lose to the incumbent President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of PDP who got 22.5million votes in that contest.
However, the figures Buhari had in 2011, as the CPC candidate was an impressive improvement compared to his 2007 outing. In fact, he received commendations from a lot of Nigerians who had maintained that the support
for Buhari from the people since he began his journey to occupy the seat of power at the centre in the current democratic dispensation was purely based on his personality and reputation. He is believed to have distinguished himself in all the various positions he held in the past and thereby succeeded in getting endeared into the hearts of the populace.
After the conduct of the 2011 general elections, some major political parties in the country – Buhari’s CPC, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the ANPP and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
commenced talks on a merger that would provide them with a formidably strong platform to unknot the dominance of the ruling PDP. On February 6, 2013, the All Progressives Congress (APC) was founded from the merger arrangement and Buhari eventually emerged as the party’s presidential candidate after a well-organized, transparent, free and fair primary election in Lagos last December.
Today, the former Head of State has made history by becoming the first Nigerian politician to defeat an incumbent President. He polled a total of 15,424,921 votes to defeat Jonathan, who scored a total of 12,853,162 votes to place second in the race involving 14 contestants. His victory has been described by many observers as a welcome development heralding the beginning of a new era in the affairs of the country under a democratic setting. Indeed, most Nigerians cannot wait for this new horizon to unfurl.
•Michael Jegede,
Abuja

Pope Goodluck Jonathan: NOT SO SOON.NIGERIANS!

 by Okey ONYEJEKWE

The certificate issue almost led to a constitutional crisis on the eve of the Presidential Election. General Mummadu Buhari has consistently maintained that his High School certificate was in the custody of the military. He was scorned and vilified by the PDP. Several Radio, TV and newspaper advertisements ran, days on end, calling him a liar, a cheat, an illiterate. Presidential spokespersons, namely: Dr. Doyin Okupe, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and Dr. Reuben Abati all took turns to ramp up the "Certificate-gate". They saw this as their ace against Buhari. As all these efforts failed to resonate with the public, they engaged all manner of surrogates to file lawsuits hoping to find any willing and purchasable judge who would disqualify Buhari. The man himself possesses unassailable integrity and honesty, tested over decades. There must be a thorough investigation on how some in the military became complicit in this travesty. There must be accountability.

Meanwhile, Jonathan is being hailed now as the "New Mandela” of Africa for conceding defeat after he was rejected by the Nigerian electorate. I am astounded and feel insulted that we are being sold a bill of goods that a Statesman status is conferred by simply conceding an electoral defeat. Never mind that the new "Statesman" presided over a totally failed and massively corrupt administration, coopted all the security agencies to thwart the democratic process in many despicable ways at every step of the way; trying to stop the use of PVCs, Card Readers (designed to eliminate all forms of electoral fraud), including violence and massive vote rigging on Election Day. In the South-South and South East States, in full view of the security agencies, polling officials were video taped filling out ballot papers and result sheets. Bags and bags of dollars from public coffers were doled out in public view to many "ethnic brokers" to buy votes. Paradoxically Nigeria just recently made the dubious list of "extremely poor nations", with over 70 % rate.

In Ekiti and other States, touts were recruited and given military and police uniforms to intimidate and brutalize voters in order to assure victory for the ruling party.
The world watched a last ditch effort by the incumbent party to derail our democracy. While the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega was announcing the last batch of the election results, lo and behold, [Jonathan?s] former Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, [Elder] Godsday Orubebe, appeared and held the nation/world hostage in an orchestrated last ditch ploy to stop the announcement and render the election inconclusive. They expected the security forces to engage him and all hell would break loose in the room and then his touts in the Conference Center, outside and in the States were ready to cause mayhem. Thanks to the steel disposition of Jega, Nigerians will be telling a different story today. Mr. Orubebe was not a lonely wild wolf on the prowl. He was acting from a script, which came out of a meeting held the previous evening and chaired by PDP elder "statesman", former Minister Edwin Clark, also a political Godfather of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Apologists are arguing that President Jonathan deserves to be hailed as a Statesman for saving Nigeria from violence and also for setting an example for Africa on how to concede when defeated. Some are even more bizarre to suggest that he should be awarded a Nobel Prize! Obviously, Nigerians are glad that he, egged on by the insane sycophants and self-centered praise-singers, did not act foolishly in an attempt to truncate the process. But having said this, please let us not get carried away, totally out of context and proportionality. The incumbent created a situation ante, which led to a context in which the whole world was forced to hold its breath.

The question we must ask is this: when you contest an election and you lose, are you not supposed to concede? Why is this an extraordinary feat deserving of a Nobel Prize, regardless of his extremely anti-democratic record leading to the elections? Incumbents in other African states have lost elections, conceded and left office in Benin twice. Didn't President Diouf of Senegal lose and concede to Wade? Didn't President Wade of same Senegal lose to Macky Sall and conceded? Didn't President Thabo Mbeki bow out, without a whimper when he was defeated by Zuma in the ANC convention? Incumbent parties have lost elections in Ghana and all hell did not break loose. Come to think of it, didn't President Olusegun Obasanjo, a military Head of State, hand over to a civilian regime in 1979? It is even more noteworthy for a military regime to voluntarily surrender power to a civilian dispensation, given its monopoly of the instruments of violence, than from one "democratic" dispensation to another.

I can understand it when the Western world hails Jonathan's concession as an earth-shattering event because in their usual condescending way, they don't expect higher standards from us. Foreign observers will usually adjudge African elections to be "free and fair, by African Standards" no matter how flawed. We are often judged by a minimalist threshold. But it is more painful when we ourselves begin to tout the same nonsense and judge ourselves by the same threshold and expect to be taken seriously.

This whole issue has become a total distraction from what was a courageous and remarkable effort, against all odds, by the Nigerian electorate to reclaim their mandate. That should be the real story, not on President Jonathan's concession whose administration and party, had turned the whole electoral process into a war like exercise in which they were determined to hang on to power by any means necessary. Nigerians must continually ask how we got to this point where we are willing to award a Nobel Prize just for conceding a defeat. It is because we are relieved that we averted a conflagration because the incumbent was determined to stay on by hook or crook? Or because when pressured by the "big boys" and the enormity of the defeat he did the right thing at the nick of time, especially after the "Orubebe Show of Ignominy" had failed? We are glad nevertheless.

Some are claiming that he could have clung on to power had he chosen to hang on. I argue that every action of the administration, including the postponement of the election, leading to the election suggest otherwise. The electorate had spoken thunderously and the world community, in unison, had warned, in no uncertain terms, that the will of the people must not be subverted. Most of the average members of the security agencies would not have acquiesced in any forlorn attempt at foolishness. Evidence: The president lost decisively in the polling units in the Army and Police barracks, as well as those in Aso Rock, the seat of power. The appetite for Change was voracious and insatiable.

We must not forget that many were brutalized, imprisoned, even died before, during and after the elections just for daring to exercise their constitutional rights, in what is supposed to be a democracy. We must not forget that these are the real heroes before we are affected by collective amnesia in the quest to move on quickly and forget the ugly past. Not so soon please! We cannot say "Never again", if we chose the convenient path - The Big Lie!

Professor Okeychukwu Onyejekwe was African Governance Expert at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA

Buhari: The Aftermath....

The Flipside - Eric Osagie



The aftermath of presidential cam­paign, especially the kind we had before March 28, 2015 poll, is like the morning after a rancorous party: Broken bottles and plates, messed up dancehall and garbage-filled kitchen and sinks full of leftover rubbish. An eyesore that testifies to the rowdy evening that heralds the reality of the morning after, the aftermath.
The campaigns were more than the riotous evening described above: All kinds of hate mes­sages, calumnious adverts, poisonous words and acidic punches. War drums and threats of Arma­geddon. Pockets of violence here and there. The possibility of the doomsday prophecies coming to fruition was high. Everyone held his breath. Some with livers of lily held swift dialogue with their feet and bundled their families to their hometowns and villages, far removed from vola­tile cities and combustible enclaves, which had been theatres of war in times past.
You couldn’t blame them. Anyone who had witnessed the mass slaughter of the civil war or seen the macabre dance of blood occasioned by political violence would not wait to be told that everything would be okay this time around. Dis­cretion is the better part of valour, as the old say­ing goes.
Then, it happened. An anti-climax. No dispu­tation of presidential election results. No bon­fires. No blood flowing on the streets. No citizens chanting: ‘We no go gree o. We no go gree.’ No mass killings. It was as if a dove had descended on the nation, enveloping us with the cover of peace and tranquillity. Those you expected to de­nounce the poll results lost their voice or rather, got the tongue of peace and conciliation: No trouble. ‘Let the General have his day in the sun, and swim in the tide of victory.’ First, President Jonathan, then, governors of the ruling party and the bruised party; then, the international commu­nity, diaspora Nigerians. The world spoke in one language: Language of peace and brotherhood. Language of one nation, one people, though votes and preferences may differ. It was one moment to be proud of Nigeria, the black man and humanity. Because it was unexpected, the moment would remain memorable and frozen in eternity.
Many people have been eulogising the duo of President Jonathan and Professor Jega, the na­tion’s chief electoral umpire for what happened in our country on March 28; the latter for con­ducting a free, fair and credible election, and the former for having the grace to accept his defeat. The argument is that, if President Jonathan had failed to congratulate the winner, General Buhari, the stage would have been set for the festival of blood, which was bound to ensue from the dis­putations. The other leg of the argument is that, Jega, through the ingenuity of the card reader and PVCs (Permanent Voters Card) set the ground platform for a credible process, which made vio­lent reactions to the electoral outcome improbable. I agree only partially to the above postulations.
And here are my reasons: In my view, it is God’s, not man’s doing. God intervened at the na­tion’s breaking point, which forestalled violence and bloodletting. God only used Jonathan to fore­stall the cataclysm that would have engulfed us if violence had taken over. When God uses a man, he really has no choice in the matter. He becomes a mere instrument in the hands of the Almighty. Look at David in the Bible, the shepherd boy who slew Goliath; Samson, the man of war; Solomon, the wise king. It is God who gives strength and wis­dom. We commend him all the same for allowing God to use him…
As for Jega, we give him credit but not full credit. The erratic card readers, muddled up voting process and glaring electoral malpractices in many parts of the country, are not what should make us dress the electoral umpire in superlative adjectives. The real credit for March 28 goes to God and ordi­nary Nigerians. As I noted last week in this column, March 28 was the triumph of the Nigerian spirit, triumph of the human will to make the impossible, possible. To make the change they desire happen, in spite of all odds. In all my write-ups pre-election, I had canvassed for the voter to simply let his con­science be his guide. Let him ponder within if he wanted change or preferred the status quo? If his life was better the old way or he sought change? It was the voter’s right, I argued, to decide if he preferred a retired General, Ph.D or professor to be his president? It was not anyone’s duty to dictate to the electorate. What we saw on March 28 was largely the will of the people, even if we agree that it was not a flawless process. In the future, hope­fully, things could get better. No personal animos­ity or ill-feelings Prof!
Now, the rowdy party is over. We are faced with the aftermath. When the party is over, it becomes the duty of the host or owner of the facility to clean up the mess of the night. Buhari has emerged pres­ident-elect. In the next four years, it will be his un­enviable duty to clean up the mess in our country. At this time, it doesn’t matter whether you voted for or against him; supported him or not. What would matter for him and our nation is what he does with his mandate. What do we expect of and from him? What should be his agenda? Can he deliver on his promises? I can’t tell you I have answers to some of the posers raised above. The answer to some of the questions lies in the bowels of time.
But, here are my agenda for the General, which he should tackle if he will leave his name engraved in the sands of time. First, he must be president of the whole Nigeria, not president of APC, or president of Daura or Katsina. Even if some parts of the country didn’t vote over­whelmingly for him, he must resist the tempta­tion to ‘extract his pound of flesh’ from any part of the country for their preference in the polls. Fortunately, his acceptance speech has allayed such fears, as he has promised to do justice to all Nigerians irrespective of region, religion and gender. As an officer and gentleman, we expect no less of him. I believe we know the evil venge­ful actions or pandering to parochial interests can do to a government and a country. We saw what it did to Obasanjo’s government and how it contributed to the fall of Jonathan’s administra­tion. Once I wrote against the ‘Ijaw-nisation’ of Jonathan’s government and all hell was let loose on me. If Buhari must succeed, he must resist from day one, the many ethnic or tribal jingoists in our country who are ever ready to derail every government. I trust he will rise above this fray.
I have interviewed Buhari thrice, in 2004, 2010 and 2012, and from what he says, I believe he will be broadminded. There really isn’t any alternative to that.
Then, he must tame the ugly but familiar mon­ster, running riot over our country: Corruption. He says he will fight it to a standstill. This is where he needs the prayers and support of all Nigerians. Corruption, as we all know, is the deadliest mon­ster ravaging our land, and it is a formidable foe. We also know that Nigerian politicians haven’t changed automatically since March 28, and Nige­rians, many of whom are chanting change, haven’t changed much either. We know our Senators and House members. We know what they do in the red and green chambers. The incoming president would need all the strength and wisdom to navigate the fight and crush the deadly enemy of corruption. God help him. But, again it is not his battle alone. It is only when we support him that we can all win. As military head of state, it is easy to shove every­body into one straight line. But as civilian president, it is a different ball game. This is where he needs to completely overhaul the National Orientation Agency, to begin a reorientation of Nigerians to their civic duties and responsibilities. To live the decent life and shun corruption, and indiscipline. Fortunately, with a whistle-clean leader, who will lead by example, that shouldn’t be impossible to achieve. Still talking corruption, he must beam his searchlight on agencies of government that have been cesspool of sleaze over the years. We all know them. We must do something about them.
There are other areas we will need him to take a look at: Power, security, education, health, among others. I am sure he should know what to do, hav­ing run the race for the Number One job a record four times, with a plan of action.
Finally, and certainly most importantly, the Gen­eral must as a matter of urgency heal the land of its sore in the aftermath of the most acrimonious and divisive campaigns and polls ever conducted in the history of our nation. As soon as he settles down, he must find a way to address the fears and apprehensions of Nigerians from different parts of the country, especially in the South. He must con­tinue to reassure them that he will be president of all, irrespective of the way they voted. He should continue to show in words and deeds that he is no ethnic or religious bigot, as they had tried to foist on him in the past; that he would not rule with ven­geance or allow his party men to rub their defeat in the face of their opponents. I believe that a peace and reconciliation committee preferably headed by General Abdusalami or General Gowon, would not be out of place at this point in time. A genuine and serious reconciliation team, not the circus we saw in the past. If that is not possible, he must have cred­ible Nigerians in his team, whose mere presence in the administration, would be reassuring to all Nige­rians that the new president means business. Best of luck, General. You will need tonnes of it…

Kalu and the progressive change in Nigeria
In the aftermath of the historic March 28 Presidential and National Assem­bly elections, some Nigerians have been hailed as apostles of change in Nigeria. Surely, the All Progressives Congress leaders and members, who fought the hard way to get their candi­date elected would qualify for diadem of change agents. So should ordinary Nige­rians who braved all odds to stand by the courage of their conviction in electing a candidate of their choice. It doesn’t mat­ter if their choice was right or wrong; if they elected the right man or not. In a democracy, the decision of the elector­ate is supreme and final. I suppose that is what Americans call ‘the majesty of democracy.’
However, when elections are won and lost, it is sometimes convenient to forget some people who have played significant roles in democracy and democratisation process; who have in their own way contributed to the change Nigerians now talk about. One of such persons whose contributions are easily overlooked is Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia State. Hate him or love him, no one can deny that he has made useful contribution to what is happening in our country today or rather, events leading to March 28.
Here is how: In 2007, when the then reigning ‘emperor’ Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, wanted to clip Kalu’s wings and locked him out of PDP through the so-called ‘party linkmen,’ he would not be cowed, he founded the Peoples Progres­sive Aliance, PPA, on which platform he ran for the nation’s presidency. He made an impressive showing in that race, coming third. The point he sought to make was that, no man, no matter how powerful, could conscript the political space. The PPA also wrested two states, National Assembly seats as well as House of Assembly seats in some states in the South-East.
After a while, he tried to return to the PDP, the party he co-founded with others. But the man he made governor, Chief Theodore Orji, would not let him. He again fought his way in, because of his belief that no man had the power to shut oth­ers out of a party. The battle for political space still rages in Abia State till today.
The point being made is simple: Democracy thrives when you stand firmly by the courage of your con­victions. Kalu, in his numerous battles, often seeks to make the point that democracy thrives in popular participation and plurality of views.
It is in the pursuit of his plurality of views mantra that he would not attempt muscling dissenting or opposing voices in his media group. In his news­papers, every writer is entitled to his views. You do not have to agree or share Kalu’s view points. Comments are truly free here in the real sense of the word. Facts are what will not be compro­mised. You can ask my friend and colleague, Femi Adesina. I am sure he has told his story a couple of times: A publisher and his MD sharing divergent political points and leanings, and having a hearty laugh thereafter. If that is not progressive politics, I wonder what else is, as simple as you would think it is. In the years ahead, we want to see our country rise to the level of political tolerance and relation­ships devoid of acrimony, even when we disagree. That is the way our democracy can grow.

I've Been In Cage For 16 years, Says Jonathan.

Augustine Ehikioya 


President Goodluck Jonathan spoke yesterday about his sojourn in governance, saying  he has been in a cage since 1999.
Dr. Jonathan spoke when the Christian community in the Federal Capital Territory  (FCT) paid him Easter homage at the new Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
He described himself as one of the luckiest Nigerians, having occupied public offices from the deputy governor of Bayelsa State to governor, vice-president and president.
He said: “I thank you for coming to encourage us. This Easter period coincides with when I’m leaving but I always say I’m one of the luckiest Nigerians. From 1999 I have been in the hands of government. I am yet to see somebody luckier than me. I was in the hands of governments for 16 years, not in government as a parliamentarian, because if you are in the National Assembly or House of Assembly, you take care of yourself in your house.  I was in a cage being taken care of by the government. But I think it is enough and I am happy. Help me to thank God for that.
“I will continue to thank Nigerians for giving me that privilege. I became deputy governor because Baylesans voted for me and governor then. I became VP because Nigerians voted for me and Yar’Adua. And Nigerians voted for me and Sambo. We have to thank all Nigerians. Wherever I will be, I have to thank all Nigerians. Today is a glorious day for me.”
Dr. Jonathan noted that the key lesson of the Easter celebration is sacrifice.
He said: “Thank you for this Easter homage. It is a period to reflect on the essence of our belief. Because we believe without the resurrection there wouldn’t have been Christianity.
“Whenever we talk about this period, the key lesson there is sacrifice. Somebody sacrificed for our own salvation. So, as a people, as a government, what I always believe we should ask: ‘What sacrifice are you making?’
“Now it is not about supporting Jonathan or government. Now Buhari is coming on board; it is not about supporting Buhari or government, but what sacrifice as individual are you willing to make for government and for the nation?
“If you are a businessman and you say you are supporting government but you don’t pay tax, how do you expect that government to survive? That government will not survive.”
Continuing, he said: “While in Bayelsa State as a deputy governor, people used to come to me to say ‘I’m loyal’. Don’t tell me you are loyal, tell me  I’m patriotic to the country and that you believe in Bayelsa State.
“To me, whenever I travel to different countries and see things work, those things didn’t fall down as manna. People made sacrifice. Therefore, in Nigeria people must also be ready to make the required sacrifice.
“Whoever becomes president is immaterial so long as the citizens are happy. Our children go to school, when we are sick they go to  good hospital and of course the economy blossom.
“But for that to take place, people must make the required sacrifice. In ECOWAS sub-region, for example, Nigeria has the lowest VAT 5 per cent (Value Added Tax) payment, other countries pay up to 12 per cent.
“If for instance Buhari decides to increase VAT from 5 to 10 per cent, will Nigerians support him? That is sacrifice and we must make sacrifice.
“Nation building depends on the  sacrifice of individuals  and the patriotism of the citizens. These are two key elements. We must be ready to sacrifice for our nation. We are talking about Boko Haram or terror, soldiers are dying for us to live, police are dying for us to live; that is sacrifice. As individuals, you don’t need to die but there are various roles you need to play. You must make sacrifice.
“The economy of China was threatened but they locked themselves up for a period of time but by the time they opened their doors, they become even a threat to the biggest economy. Are we ready for that kind of sacrifice for the government? Whenever we talk of Easter, these are the key lessons of sacrifice.”
Vice-President Namadi Sambo thanked Jonathan for making Nigeria the pride of Africa and the world.
According to him, Jonathan’s name will be written in gold.
He said that the President had groomed him in the past five years to a doctorate degree level.
Sambo said: “I am proud to be your deputy. You are my brother and teacher forever. For the five years I have been with you, I have got Phd from you. I am forever loyal to you and we are of the same family.”
He prayed for God’s wisdom for the president in leading the nation.
Among the guests are Cardinal John Onayeikan, Chairman of FCT Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Israel Akanji, and the primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) Primate Nicholas Okoh.
Also in the delegation are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim, FCT Minister Bala Mohammed, FCT Minister of State Olajumoke Akinjide and Chief Imam of FCT Hustaz Mohammed Musa.

Saraki Dynasty: How PDP's Flaws Reunite Bukola, Gbemi

Even though she is not a candidate in any of the elections holding this year, Senator Gbemisola Saraki is about the most keenly watched politicians in Kwara State at the moment.
By Emmanuel Aziken and Demola Akinyemi
SEnator Bukola Saraki, the new king on the bloc in Kwara State is reported to have done almost everything to appease his immediate younger sister for his action in passing over her to support Abdulfatah Ahmed for the governorship four years ago.
Visits, emissaries, childhood reminisces were said to have been of no effect in assuaging the hurt of Gbemisola who lost the 2011 governorship election to Ahmed upon the support thrown to the later by her brother.
Gbemisola Saraki
Gbemisola Saraki
When the opportunity opened for her to spite her brother a year ago, she wasted no time when the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP opened its doors to her after the brother left the party for the newly emerged All Progressives Congress, APC.
However, the elders in the PDP only took her in only to widen the gulf with her brother it apparently dawned on the former senator.
Gbemi and her brother Bukola and their late influential father, Olusola form a unique partnership in the country’s political firmament in being the only family to have produced three senators.
That image is, however, said to be the envy of many political stakeholders in Kwara who allege that they cannot serve father, brother and daughter.
So, when she returned to the party and Abuja sought a heavy weight politician in Kwara to serve as minister to counter the influence of Bukola, Gbemi was a top name that came for consideration, but the anti-Saraki feeling helped to ensure that she was eased out of consideration.
Gbemi it seemed took it in quietly and pushed forward the process of seeking the PDP’s governorship ticket. Again she lost out, but her associates and several other independent observers allege that the process was skewed.
Even more embarrassingly for her was the fact that Senator Simon Ajibola who emerged as the governorship candidate was one her supporters claim answered to Gbemi while they were all in the Senate together. Besides, insiders in the Gbemi camp alleged a systematic attack on her structures within the party. It was as such no surprise that throughout the presidential campaigns that Gbemi stayed away, a development that inevitably worried party chieftains.
Over time it again increasingly emerged that Gbemi was about to make a statement.
A signpost to her exit from the PDP came to the fore in mid February when she visited Ilorin and was received by a mammoth crowd who were conveyed in a long entourage of buses. Conspicuous in the convoy were beautiful posters of the radiant Gbemi noticeable by the absence of the logo of any political party.
It was not surprising that top party chieftains in the state immediately sought to woo her. Initially, she was given the slot of the deputy governor but taking it as an insult she reportedly immediately turned her back on it.
In apparent move to stave off her exit from the party the PDP state chairman, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo and the secretary Barrister Abdurazaq Hassan in separate press statements pleaded with her to consider her efforts and investments in the party and reconsider her alleged plan to dump the party.
Gbemi tactically kept her distance from them and from the speculations about her political trajectory.
That was until the eve of the presidential and National Assembly election when she arrived Ilorin to a mammoth reception organised by her supporters.
From the airport, the convoy moved to the Saraki family home where she symbolically told her supporters to vote for the broom party.
An eye witness account disclosed that Gbemi told her supporters to take into consideration that the presidential election fell on the same day as the Environmental Sanitation Day. She was as such reported to have told them to sweep their environments thoroughly with their brooms.
Defection of women leader
Senator Saraki
Senator Saraki
“All of you know that tomorrow March 28 is the last Saturday of the month and also the day for the presidential elections, I urge you to sweep your environment very well with your brooms,” a source present at the occasion reported her as saying.
She was quoted as having directed her supporters to vote for the APC at all levels.
An indication to her imminent defection from the PDP was given by the defection of the women leader of the PDP in the state, Mrs. Nimota Suleiman penultimate Sunday. Mrs. Suleiman is a well-known associate of Gbemi.
Sources close to the former senator confided that, the national leadership of the APC may storm Ilorin, the state capital anytime soon to receive her into the APC fold.
The return of Gbemi to the fold would only harden the already difficult grounds in Kwara for the PDP. But for the Saraki family compound Gbemi’s return would only soften the grounds with tears of joy.

Buhari: "We Feared Jonathan Would Not Accept Defeat".

By Levinus Nwabughiogu
Up to the time Professor  Attahiru Jega, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was announcing the results of the March 28 presidential election on Wednesday,  fear of uncertainty engulfed the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.
President-elect Muhammadu Buhari (L) waves in Abuja on April 1, 2015. Nigeria's new president-elect Muhammadu Buhari hailed polls that will lead to the first democratic change of power in Africa's most populous nation as "historic" hours after he secured a decisive victory. AFP PHOTO
Buhari
However, it was not a fear occasioned by any conceivable loss of the election because with the result already trickling in the previous day, the camp knew the APC was coasting home to victory. But it was the uncertainty that President Goodluck Jonathan, the  candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election, would reject the results and invoke a military intervention to stop Buhari from ascending to the presidency.
The otherwise, after all, smacked a big surprise to APC, Buhari and his campaign organization.
And for conceding defeat and subsequently calling to congratulate the president-elect even before the last result was officially announced, Jonathan did not only carve a niche for himself but also launched into the community of patriots and statesmen.
These were thoughts expressed by the Director, Media and Publicity Directorate of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organization, APCPCO, Mallam Garba Shehu, in Abuja.
Speaking with Sunday Vanguard, Shehu, who was central to the election of Buhari by way of information dissemination and management, said that the campaign was the fiercest he had ever witnessed since he debuted into partisan politics.
He said: “I can say that the President acted with grace. He surprised us because we never expected that they would accept defeat. In fact, the sense everyone had was that they probably had plan A, B, C or D. And in any case, with the kind of thing that Mr. Orubebe did at the collation center, you knew that even when the President had grace, given the chance with the community of people around him, they could have threatened this democracy.
“Look, I have been involved in presidential campaigns about three or four times in the past, the difference is that this is the most fearful campaign that I have ever experienced. This is the most life threatening campaign because we were dealing with opponents we thought would stop at nothing because they were throwing everything into it. 
“So, we were not taking anything for granted. It affected our lives. Would you see me in a night club? You couldn’t  risk it because you didn’t even know who was trailing you. And it came as a huge relief. 
“Again, we were getting security reports from our own sources. Until the President said ‘I concede’ and congratulated  Buhari, we felt every minute that something wrong would happen. There was a clear and discernible threat to democracy as a system of government.
“Look, everyone  felt concerned because, what if, God forbid, he declared a coup? These scenarios had been laid before Nigerians. Mr. Okupe, the Special Adviser to the President, was he not on Youtube, recorded on video, saying that Buhari will never become President? What do you take that for? It means that Buhari would win and they will take it away from him.
“This careless talk, arrogant display of power, it had come from the Villa. Many sources with linkages to power: Asari-Dokubo, Chief E.K. Clark  and all of them, were they not sounding words to the President? They had said it that they would take away their part of the country from Nigeria if Buhari won.
“But for the President to have come and say ‘I accept accept defeat as the leader of the country’; that had an effect of really calming things down. And that’s why, whether they like it or not, President Jonathan has written his name in gold in so far as this is concerned.”
Shehu assured that the president-elect would not avenge the attacks on his person by the allies of   Jonathan, saying there was enough work to do to meet the aspirations of Nigerians than pursuing mundane things.
Excerpts from interview: 
Your camp alleged hate campaign and messages from the other camp. How were you able to weather it?
The starting point is that the presidential candidate himself laid down the rule from day one. General Buhari said ‘don’t abuse anybody’. ‘Don’t beat or attack anybody because of this campaign’. He set the rule that we must not abuse or insult anyone. So, we were guided by that. But let me tell you this also without meaning to be boastful. Coming from some professional background, you know that the most important thing in a campaign is the message. Insult, abuses and throwing of muds don’t win elections anywhere. If those things win elections, they would have won it for President  Jonathan because they threw everything at us. Look, let me tell you, we didn’t do  one documentary that  was negative on  Jonathan. We isolated the issues.
We knew that the country is concerned about security, the economy and the effect of joblessness and corruption. And you know, the presidential candidate led the way. He said at every rally, people were attacking him for saying too little. He has a load of agenda for the country and he isolated them to be these three things. He called them the tripod of evil upon which every wrong doing in Nigeria rested whether it is Boko Haram, kidnapping, or anything you can think of. Because, if you have young people gainfully employed, corruption –
free country, economy that is thriving and doing well and people are living in a secure environment; who is that person who is going to create trouble? So, we had a message and the message was successfully taken to the people.  If you ask me, was it easy staying on the message, I would say no, it wasn’t easy. Because all of these people; the party supporters,   the low level masses don’t understand the game that played out. If they see Fani-Kayode on the television throwing insults at Buhari, your phone will begin to ring. ‘You, what are you doing? What are you doing? You are not answering this man. Why won’t you respond?’
The masses want you to respond in like manner. But we understood what was playing out. They wanted to take us off the message. They didn’t want us to talk about corruption or insecurity. So, we had to fight. As it I said, it was not easy for our supporters. Some of them did not understand us. They felt like we were conspirators inside. That we had come to undermine the campaign because here is somebody who is throwing insults, abuses and why are you not replying him? Mr. Kayode even declared when he took up the job that he would go after the personal life of General Buhari. And we maintained that we would not join issues with him and you can see that all efforts for us to stand side-by-side with him in a TV debate failed. I can’t stand with somebody whose stock in trade is to throw mud, insults and abuses on people. So, that’s how we managed it.
There were speculations that APC campaign also hired its own experts to sharpen its campaign messages. How do you respond?
Where is the US expert? You know this breed. If you have a US expert, where is he hiding? The man should make a contribution from morning to sundown. We didn’t   have them. The Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, did not have any foreign specialist. If we had one with us, you would have seen  him. But we had wished we had because, you know, some of them can bring value to your campaign. There are those who had had presidential campaigns in 40 countries. You need that kind of experience to help you. But then, we were here and we did all by ourselves.
But are you not surprised that most of the perceived hate speech campaigners turned around to congratulate your presidential candidate immediately he was declared the winner of the election?
No, I wasn’t surprised because if one says one is surprised, then one does not really know Nigerians. There will be bandwagon. People will ride on the bandwagon train. They would like it. And it tells you that the people who were doing all of that didn’t even believe in the kind of things that were going on. They were just led to it. Basically, they had gone there to fight and there was plenty of food and money for them, otherwise why was it that they couldn’t defend the positions? They couldn’t defend anything because they never believed in it. So, for us, we are very happy about it.
The other day, one security man was saying ‘Oga, NTA and AIT people were at the door, we must stop them with your permission’. I said no. If we do that, then we are not graceful. We have won this election, we must show grace. In any case, the president-elect has said that he will be president for all Nigerians. And I can assure you that it is the same way he said that President Jonathan will have nothing to fear. That speech has been closed as far as we are concerned. Those guys have done their own part and we still believe that a good number of them still have things to contribute positively to the new administration because this is their own country. They have no other country than this one.
The campaign was time consuming. Did that have any impact on your family life? How  do you also describe your joy having won the election?
Obviously, it had impact because it took you away from them. But that was expected having being a journalist, an editor yourself. I know an editor, after  seven  years somewhere, he said that if he walked the street of his town, most people will not recognise him because he would have left home when everybody had gone to work. By the time he comes back, everybody would have slept off, even his children. So, most times, no time for socialising. So, having been  editor and all of that, you are used to all that with your family. Look, I have been involved in presidential campaigns about  three or four times in the past, the difference is that this is the most fearful campaign that I have ever experienced.
This is the most life-threatening campaign because we were dealing with opponents we thought would stop at nothing because they were throwing everything into it. So, we were not taking anything for granted. It affected our lives. Would you see me in a night club? You couldn’t  risk it because you didn’t even know who  was trailing you. And it came as a huge relief. Again, we were getting security reports from our own sources. Until the President said ‘I concede’  and congratulated Buhari, we felt  at every minute that something wrong would happen. There was a clear and discernible threat to democracy as a system of government. I can say that the President acted with grace. He surprised us because we never expected that they would accept defeat. In fact, the sense everyone had was that they probably had plan A, B, C or D. And, in any case, with the kind of thing that Mr. Orubebe did at the collation center, you knew that even when the President had grace, given the chance with the community of people around him, they could have threatened this democracy.
Your party did say that the President’s action helped to douse any conceivable post-election crisis. Did you share that perspective?
Absolutely. Look, everyone had felt concerned because, what if, God forbid, he declared a coup? These scenarios had been laid before Nigerians. Mr. Okupe, the Special Adviser to the President, was he not on Youtube, recorded on video, saying that Buhari will never become President? What do you take that for? It means that Buhari would win and they will take it away from him. This careless talk, arrogant display of power, it had come from the Villa. Many sources with linkages to power: Asari-Dokubo, Chief  E.K. Clark and all of them, were they not sounding words to the President? They said it that they would take away their part of the country from Nigeria if Buhari won. But for the President to have come and say  ‘I accept accept defeat as the leader of the country’; that had an effect of really calming things down. And that’s why, whether they like it or not, President Jonathan has written his name in gold in so  far as this is concerned.
But people may say that those statements were mere  politics, that there was a time to play politics and they did play politics irrespective of what was said. Don’t you see it as that?
Let me tell you that even politics has norms. There is a bottom line. It should be said of somebody that this person cannot go beyond a given point. This is the most horrible campaign anybody could have run. It wasn’t politics. It was enmity. We saw it. It was hatred. And that was why when we took our case to the ICC, they were very quick to understand the import of our petition.
Now that politics is over, would the president-elect embrace everyone or would there be some temptation to…?
No. Don’t even ask this question. There will be no temptation to go after anyone. There is no time for witch-hunt. He has said it. The enormity of the challenges ahead of him is such that he doesn’t need to spend one minute looking back to what has happened. There is enough to do looking forward. He has extended his hand of fellowship to all Nigerians and please take note of this: it includes Fani-Kayode, Governor Fayose, Chief Clark, Asari-Dokubo, all of them. Those outrageous people, he has extended his hands of fellowship. He will embrace them and they should be prepared to play their role in the reinvigoration of this country. That is my understanding of what he has said.
Now, assuming the election went the other way, would you have accepted it the way President Jonathan has done?
With the credibility all across,  let me tell you one thing, APC, in accepting all of the results, I believe you will agree with me that we have blind-sided all of the outrageous things that happened. You know that in Imo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers States, no elections took place because two things happened: they sabotaged the card reader technology, insisted on the use of voters register for accreditation and that took the election back to the PDP’s manner of doing things. And that’s how those numbers came. It is incredible that all House of Reps seats, all senatorial seats in Rivers, they have been taken. They will go to court I believe and they will recover their seats. But you know that the card reader worked in the North, South-West and this is why elections were credible in those parts. In some parts of the South East, it did work. But in Imo State, it didn’t. But I am saying that, for us, we have chosen to show grace because by accepting those numbers from Akwa Ibom, Delta, Rivers, you could see that it only narrowed our margin. It didn’t stop us. So, what else do you want? You have won the elections fair and square. So, what do you want again? You know that kind of thing. Otherwise, there is a real case to be made with all of things that happened there. And it had a substantial effect on our margin. We knew we were going to win the election. It was clear between 65 to 75 percent.
How do you mean, “you knew you were going to win the election”, even before the election?
No, not before the election. Even from the numbers we got. Look, we had polling agents in the 150,000 polling units across the country except in the places where they were chased away. So, before INEC announced their results, we had our numbers upstairs. We had a situation room where we collected all the results and I am telling you that the accuracy with which we recorded our numbers was such that except in Akwa Ibom, Delta, Rivers and Imo states, every result that came here seemed to be confirming the results. As Professor Jega was reading the numbers, our people were saying “yes, yes, yes”. So, we didn’t get it wrong.
Some people also complained of a litany of underaged voters especially in the North.
No. If they have evidence, they should produce it. And how do you know if those were not historical pictures? Let me tell, the card reader technology worked in the North and South-West. It didn’t work in the South East and South-South.
But  it didn’t dictate age?
Well, people had a responsibility. If anybody was voting with under aged children, everybody was represented by an agent. It is not like in Port Harcourt where some ex-militants came with guns and chased them away. They had representatives there. I don’t want to believe what you saw. I don’t believe it happened.
Unlike in the past contests, the love Nigerians showed to General Buhari this time around was unprecedented. Would you attribute that to the coming together of the legacy parties to form APC?
Yes, that is one of the factors. Of course, another one is also the fact that this country has been mismanaged by the PDP in the last 16 years and the environment was ripe for change. Let’s give it to Nigerians. Number three is the integrity factor of General Buhari. Nigerians, at this time, are looking for someone they could trust. So, it won it for him. Yes, the opposition parties have the majority than the ruling party. They came together with their number and won the election. I think it is an important lesson Nigerians have come to teach the rest of the world and African countries that atomization of the parties is unhelpful. This one gets five  percent, that one gets 10 percent. But by the time you bring it together, you will see that you can defeat the ruling party and it has worked this time around.
Transition will soon take place. What do you think both the outgoing and incoming governments should do to meet the aspirations of Nigerians?
No. This should be made very clear. Even our supporters should know that this country must have only one President at a time. And between now and  May 29, Dr. Jonathan remains the President of Nigeria and he calls the shots. So, don’t expect General Buhari or his team to interfere in any way, trying to influence this or that. No. One thing has been assured: Full cooperation to Mr. Jonathan by our team and also the fact that he would be given his full regards. We will respect him. So, whatever Buhari has by way of a plan, this must wait  until May 29  and beyond.
There is speculation that General has said that as soon as he is sworn in, Boko Haram would be a thing of the past. How do you react?
We have just reported that General Buhari never said that. We have circulated all the speeches, the interviews he did on CNN, BBC, never did he say that. Yes, he did promise quickest end to Boko Haram, saying that we will show them the strength of the will of the people of this country. What is he saying? He is saying that some appreciable progress has been made by the outgoing administration. We will bring it to full completion and eradication as soon as we can. How can he promise two weeks or two months? He hasn’t even sat down with the army commanders. He hasn’t seen the number of troops we have, the weaponry available to the army. What more do they need? There must be calculations based on facts and he needs to get in there, receive the intelligence, the knowledge and information that is needed to make this decision

How Ministers, Governors Sabotaged Jonathan.

catherine agbo, Chibuzo Ukaibe

                                 
President Goodluck Jonathan etched his name in gold in history books when he called president-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd) on March 31, to congratulate him even before the result of the presidential election had been completely collated and the winner declared by the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC).
But while it would appear to all that President Jonathan has already moved on after conceding defeat, LEADERSHIP Sunday can authoritatively report that he is nursing the sting of betrayal by his close allies, which led to his loss at the polls.
According to reliable presidency sources, beyond the pain of losing out, he is disappointed that despite assurances from his cabinet members and other trusted political appointees as well as high ranking officials of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that they had vigorously campaigned and sold his achievements to the people and were sure from feelers they were receiving that he would be re-elected, it turned out that they had in fact, not campaigned for him as they made it seem.
The president, it was gathered is particularly peeved by the action of some governors of Northern and North-Central states where he suffered the worst defeat.
Of the 19 states in the north, the PDP, the president’s party only won the presidential election in Plateau, Nasarawa and Taraba.
LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that the sum of N500million was given as campaign fund to each state but those who the funds were entrusted to, rather than use the money for the purpose it was meant, held on to it. The money was disbursed through PDP-led state governors and cabinet ministers or political appointees in opposition-led states.
In Ondo State for instance, LEADERSHIP gathered that the money was disbursed through one of the principal presidency officials from the state but as at night fall on the election eve, the official was yet to deliver the money to the state governor for the campaigns. The leadership of the PDP in the state, it was learnt, resorted to calling managers of banks in the state late in the night on the eve of the presidential election to ask for funds but could only get very little, by which time there wasn’t enough time to reach out to a large number of electorate in the state.
A similar scenario reportedly played out in Oyo State where a minister from the state who was entrusted with the campaign funds allegedly held onto the money. In Kogi State where the PDP also lost out in the presidential election, LEADERSHIP sources said money for the election was also diverted to other uses such as payment of debts, hence the abysmal result the party got in the state.
The abysmal performance of the party in Benue, Bauchi and Kano states, where the PDP has two governors, a Senate president, national chairman of the party and three cabinet ministers, Gabriel Suswam, Isa Yuguda, David Mark, Adamu Muazu, Bala Mohammed, Ibrahim Shekarau and Aminu Wali, respectively, but could not garner votes for the president, was also said to have drawn his ire.
Our source said the president despite having received security reports that a high ranking official of the party was allegedly covertly working for the opposition was particularly annoyed that he had trusted the said official and waved the reports.
Sources in Kaduna State where the vice president, Namadi Sambo hails from and where there is a PDP government in charge, also informed LEADERSHIP Sunday that in one of the local governments in Southern Kaduna, only N100,000 was allotted to two polling units in one of the wards with a voting population of over 1,000 people in sharp contrast with the situation in some local governments in Edo State, where eligible voters with Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) were given N2000 each to vote for the party, hence the success recorded.
Recall that few days before the election, LEADERSHIP Sunday’s sister publication, LEADERSHIP, had exclusively reported that allegations of embezzlement and diversion of campaign funds were rife in the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO).
According to the report, coordinators of some of President Jonathan’s campaign groups as well as state and zonal coordinators were taking steps to ensure that they did not lose out completely, in the event that he does not win. LEADERSHIP’s investigations in Abuja revealed that the coordinators, rather than use the money for campaigns, had been scouting the Abuja property market with dollars, acquiring choice property. The campaigners, it was gathered, rather than use the money for the purpose it is meant, have resorted to investing the money in property, so that in the event that their candidate does not emerge, they would have something to fall back on.
Real estate agents privy to the development told LEADERSHIP Sunday that since the campaigns began and particularly after the postponement of the elections, there had been an upswing in the number of persons looking to buy property and most of them who usually pay in dollars had been linked to the campaign.
Recall also that about two weeks before the presidential and National Assembly election, there was a free-for-all among some PDP officials in Ogun State, following the failure of those entrusted with the money to release same to campaign coordinators across the state. It was gathered that the campaign coordinators suspected foul play when the money which was to be shared among 708 of them was not, over claims that it was yet to be paid into a certain designated bank account.
Similarly, another report had it that a former governor deeply involved in President Jonathan’s re-election campaign had rather than use money given to him for campaign, deposited it in a bank for it to yield interest and possibly remain there till after the election, after which it will be forgotten and he would convert it to personal use.
Sources within the president’s campaign organisation, said such funds were being used by those they were entrusted with as they pleased and that the situation had compelled the president to personally take charge of his campaign especially in the Northern and South-Western parts of the country.
At the time of the report, a high ranking member of the campaign organisation had confirmed to LEADERSHIP that the headquarters of the campaign organisation was in the know of the development.
“State coordinators are responsible for mobilising and organising campaign rallies in their respective states while zonal coordinators do same for zonal campaigns and when people from the headquarters attend such rallies, they take note of the lapses in planning for further action. The money for such organisation and mobilisation is disbursed by the PDPPCO.
“It has come to the knowledge of the campaign organisation that some coordinators have been telling party members that the money given to them is not sufficient to do what they expect of them but this is not true. They have been given adequate funds. However, the matter cannot be handled now till after the election when the coordinators would be required to retire their spending. The focus right now is on the election,” he said.
It was further gathered that while collation of results was on-going on March 31, after the result of Delta State was presented and it became imminent that Jonathan had lost out, as results from Sokoto, Borno and Yobe were still being expected, some allies of Jonathan met him at the Presidential Villa, where they reportedly prevailed on him to stop further collation and announcement of the results.
While the desperadoes were trying frantically to make Jonathan see reason why he should not accept the outcome of the poll, people on the other divide, led by former head of state, Gen Abdulsalam Abubakar, who were for peace urged Jonathan not to allow the moment of making history slip by.
The president eventually, the source said, rebuffed them saying after failing to convince people to vote for him, they were now suggesting ideas that would set the country on fire.
Following the president’s refusal to play ball, his allies who by now had realised that they would also lose out if he is not re-elected, immediately reached out to the party’s representatives at the collation centre, Dr. Bello Fadile, who is also a director in the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, following which Orubebe disrupted collation of results for several minutes, citing INEC’s refusal to attend to a protest by the PDP over results from some Northern states whereas the commission had set up a committee to investigate allegations against the party in Rivers State.
Jonathan, our sources said, called and ordered Orubebe to desist from further disrupting the collation process, failing which he would be whisked out by security operatives, which explains why Orubebe who had earlier rebuffed all entreaties to retreat from the podium, suddenly went back to his seat and remained calm for the rest of the exercise.
The source said that following the development, the president had directed that certain members of the party including governors of some Northern states should not be allowed access to him for now, “and that is why it was only governors of South-East and South-West states that paid him a visit on Monday. The only Northern Governor on the entourage was the Plateau governor. The party won in his state.”
Meanwhile, governors, states chairmen and governorship candidates of the party have been strategising on how to win the governorship and state assembly elections this Saturday. They met at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja, on Friday.
Mu’azu Blames Loss On Voter Apathy
The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday blamed President Jonathan’s loss in last Saturday’s presidential election on voter apathy.
Mu’azu however charged all PDP gubernatorial candidates in the April 11 polls to guard against the bandwagon effect that could arise from the presidential election.
Mu’azu, in a statement signed by his media aide, Tony Amadi, said, expressed hope that the governorship election will certainly provide the PDP a soft-landing after conceding the presidency to the All Progressives Congress in the presidential election and urged the PDP faithful to pick up the pieces and ensure that they return quickly to the party’s old winning ways.
“There should be no room for voter apathy that was a major factor to our losing the presidential election. While our opponents were savouring their famous victory, we should out flank them and corner at least two thirds of the states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is not an impossible target if we return to our elements with immediate effect. We have done it before and we can do it again. Nothing will be sweeter than PDP taking Lagos, our own Rivers State and Imo. Our candidates in these states are first class material who have fully penetrated the political structures of those states and are set to win.
“Our target in this remaining election should be to retain our present states and then sink our teeth into the heart of our political opponents and show that their presidential victory is nothing more than a one-off that won’t be repeated in a long while,” he noted.
Muazu, in the statement, recalled that earlier in the week, he had reminded gubernatorial candidates of the party at Wadata House that one thing that won’t happen in the gubernatorial race is “the so called bandwagon effect. The reason is simple. Our party is used to bouncing back whenever we experience a setback.
“The PDP in the past 16 years of democracy has maintained fair play consistently, this much the APC admitted in their response to President Jonathan’s speech conceding to President-elect General Muhammdu Buhari.”
He emphasised that the key to winning the remaining election was heavy turnout and voting the PDP all the way.
“There should be no tactical voting. Be consistent in your support for the party. What we experienced in the presidential election is merely a hiccup which we must cast out in the gubernatorial polls. All PDP supporters must remember their pedigree, our track record and history of the party and the source of our electoral feats of the last 16 years. We are the reason that democracy has taken root in Nigeria since 1999. This is something every member of our great party should be very proud of.
“We have only lost a battle but the war to bring our country to the highest level of democratic governance is still to be won or lost. Our governorship candidates should go out and finish the good fight and come up trumps in the remaining gubernatorial and houses of assembly election on 11th April. We remain the winning party and by God’s special grace, we shall win again and again.”