Will the Court Reinstate Nyako?

       

POLITICAL NOTE

Hope glimmers for the impeached former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako. Glad tidings of great joy rode on the crest of the last Friday’s statement by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Lagos that he would rule on a suit seeking his possible reinstatement on November 7.

The suit, filed on July 15 by a Lagos-based lawyer Olukoya Ogungbeje, challenged the legality of the former governor’s impeachment.  According to Ogungbeje, the impeachment was a clear violation of due process, hence his call on the court to reinstate Nyako. Joined in the suit filed by the Lagos-based lawyer are:  former acting governor of Adamawa State, Mr Umaru Fintiri; Adamawa State House of Assembly, the Acting Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ambrose Mammadi, the Chairman of the seven-member panel which investigated allegations of gross misconduct against Nyako, Justice Buba Kajama; the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP). However, the defence counsel’s had submitted that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case, arguing that the suit challenging the governor’s impeachment could be filed in the state where it was done.

Calling the suit an abuse of court process, the counsel also cited the fact that Nyako had also instituted action challenging his impeachment at an Adamawa State High Court in Yola.

Ogungbeje, in his response, had urged Justice Abang to discountenance the defence counsel’s arguments, citing the judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had held that Nyako’s deputy, Mr James Ngilari did not resign in the eyes of the law, as paving the way for Justice Abang to write his name in gold by reinstating Nyako.  This latest development implies that Nyako is back in contention with Ngilari and Fintiri for the Adamawa Government House.                                 

––    Vincent Obia 

ThisDay.

Buhari Begins Quest for Aso Rock in Grand Style

       

Former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, would not have bargained for any better display of people’s power than what happened during his public declaration of intention to vie for the presidency last week. Onyebuchi Ezigbo reports

General Muhammadu  Buhari is one of the presidential aspirants on the platform of All Progressives Congress. Last Wednesday, Buhari stormed the Eagle Square, in Abuja, along with thousands of his supporters and top leaders of his party to formally tell Nigerians of his ambition to contest for presidency in 2015. His declaration was for a record four times since 2003.

An excited Buhari was driven into the arena about12.25pm. His entry roused the huge crowd of supporters to fever pitch. Crowds ran along with his motorcade round the arena before he climbed the VIP stand. Buhari who came in an open roof Jeep, stood up waving to the appreciative crowd of supporters.

High Attendance
From the day before the morning of Buhari’s declaration, all the roads leading to the Eagle Square venue had been virtually taken over by hundreds his supporters who had driven into the Federal Capital Territory in several convoys of buses to be part of occasion. Up till 12 noon on the D-day, crowds of supporters were still surging into the Eagle Square, making it almost difficult for party leaders to find a thoroughfare as they made their way to the VIP stand. Security men and party officials had a hectic time controlling the enthusiastic crowd of youths who took over the entry points to the covered stands, waving and displaying campaign banners. The ecstatic supporters drummed and danced round the arena almost endlessly till the end of the programme.

Speakers at the occasion repeatedly made allusion to the fact that the huge crowd was a clear affirmation of where the preference of majority of APC members lied.
Many serving federal and state legislators attended the rally.

Priority
The former military Head of State and three-time presidential contender, while formally declaring his intention to enter the presidential race on the platform of APC, promised to fight corruption and wipe out Boko Haram, which he described as “ungodly”.

Buhari, who was accompanied to the podium by four APC governors from Lagos, Rivers, Edo and Nasarawa states, said, “This is an occasion to celebrate our efforts and to resolve to continue until victory is won. I humbly wish to present myself before you, before all of Nigeria and before God, seeking to be elected as APC’s presidential candidate.”

The former military leader highlighted his priority areas if elected president. Among the areas Buhari said his government would focus were the protection of lives and property, pursuit of economic policies for shared prosperity, and youth employment. He said proper attention would be given to the provision of quality education for development, modernity and social mobility, and agricultural productivity to ensure food security and reduction of poverty.

Other areas Buhari pledged to focus on were the revival of industries to generate employment, development of solid minerals sector, restoration of honour and integrity to the public service, and a sincere fight against corruption. He said he would respect the constitutional separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary and respect the rights of citizens.

Maladministration
Buhari did not spare the Peoples Democratic Party, which he said had presided over the country’s decline.
“Since 1999, PDP has presided over our country’s decline. Nigeria, in my experience, has never been so divided, so polarised by an unthinking government hell bent on ruling and stealing forever whatever befalls the country.

“Interference in the form of rigging, which PDP government has practised since 2003, is the worst form of injustice – denying people their right to express their opinions. Whether they like it or not, injustice cannot endure.”
Buhari paid tribute to Nigerians who he said had endured all kinds of difficulties, especially growing insecurity. He, nonetheless, commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for their efforts to deal with the insurgency in the North-east.

“It is everyone’s duty to resolve and help the national effort to overcome these immense challenges. I would like us to place on record our appreciation for the efforts of our Armed Forces under a new leadership and police in confronting these challenges,” Buhari said.
On the economy and the power sector, he said the situation had continued to deteriorate while the agricultural and industrial sectors had all spiralled downwards.  Buhari said when PDP assumed power in 1999, Nigeria was generating 4,000MW of electricity, saying, however, that the situation has worsened.

“When PDP came to power in 1999, Nigeria was generating about 4,000MW of electricity. After 15 years and $20 billion spent, we are generating between 3,000MW and 4,000MW. No failure is more glaring than this.”

Commendation
Welcoming party members and supporters to the event, the former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, who chaired the organising committee for the rally, said the country’s economy and security needed intervention. According to him, Buhari has shown in his lifestyle and past performance in government that he is the one to proffer solution to the country’s problems.
He said to those who felt Buhari was too old to be president that age will not be an issue in the election because Buhari has experience and integrity to his advantage, which other candidates lack.

Senator Olurunnimbe Mamora from Lagos State addressed the gathering on behalf of a group known as the National Elders of APC. He said the wind of change was blowing and that come 2015 “we will have an APC government at the centre.”
He listed the problems of unemployment, poor power supply, decay in the education sector and insecurity as some of the biting problems that the APC government will tackle if voted into power.

Another stakeholder of the party and the Minority Leader in the Senate, Senator George Akume, spoke of the exploits of Buhari while he was the petroleum minister, when he was able to manage the country’s key economic resource creditably.
A woman leader, Hajia Rabiu Ishaq, on her part, urged women to support Buhari whom she said was the leader they could trust to ameliorate the plight of Nigeria women.  She described Buhari as the Nigeria’s own Mandela with regard to his integrity, honesty and caring spirit.

Professor Isah Odigie, who represented APC supporters living in Canada, said Nigeria at the moment needed an extraordinary leader in the mould of Buhari to implement the policies required to rescue it from self-inflicted crisis.

Anxiety
Many believed Atiku was rattled by the huge attendance at last Wednesday’s declaration rally for Buhari. But the impression from the the Atiku media office was that the reason more leaders of the APC attended the Buhari declaration rally in comparison to the former vice president’s declaration, was that they were not invited to Atiku’s declaration so as not to compromise their neutrality.

Among the leading figures in APC  that were at the Eagle Square to show solidarity with Buhari were, Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, Edo State Governor Adams Oshiohmole, Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al’makura, and former Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Masari.

Others were National Vice Chairman of APC (North East), B.D Lawal, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senator Ahmed Yerima, Senator Abba Buka Ibrahim, Muoghalu, Sharon Ikeazor, Alhaji Mustapha Habib, Osita Okechukwu, Hajia Hadiza Usman, Tony Momoh, Professor Tom David-West, Alhaji Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, Oluwatayo Oluwa, and Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN.

Rationale
But beyond the fanfare that accompanied the declaration of his presidential ambition, many Nigerians also wanted to know from the former Head of State why he decided to break his promise after losing to the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 not to contest for the presidency again.

Apparently, out of frustration after losing three consecutive times to the candidates of Peoples Democratic Party in 2003, 2007 and 2011, Buhari had vowed not to contest for the presidency again. However, that position would not stand the test of time as Buhari soon realised that apart from succumbing to pressures from associates, he had to contend with the political dynamics of the time.  First, the former Head State said he had found it difficult to ignore the deteriorating state of the country. For a man who went into the last presidential election on the platform of a new party, the then Congress for Progressive Change, barely six months to the election, his ability to still clinch a second position at end of the contest was, indeed, something significant.

For many of his loyalists and political associates, if Buhari could muster close to 12 million votes from the electorate even with the short lifespan and limited reach of the CPC, under the present dispensation, with the merger of three political parties to form APC, he should quite successfully coast home to victory.  It was this line of thought that propelled the decision of Buhari to abandon his position not to contest and to once again throw his hat into the ring.

Last Thursday, following his successful public declaration of ambition, Buhari proceeded to the APC headquarters in Abuja to purchase the party’s nomination form for the presidential primaries.

Consensus
Before making his public declaration of interest there were several attempts to broker a consensus arrangement and to get the party hierarchy to buy into the plan. In pushing for the consensus, Buhari and his loyalist had felt they could lobby other aspirants to accept a consensus arrangement in deciding the presidential flag bearer of the party in his favour. Buhari said his belief in the consensus arrangement was based on a desire to avoid a rancorous primary election.

But, Buhari who addressed a gathering of various youth support groups from around the country in Abuja as a prelude to his public declaration, said he would was ready to contest with other aspirants of the party for the presidential ticket.
Atiku has never hidden his preference for open primaries in choosing the APC presidential candidate. However, after weeks of political manoeuvring and intrigues, the party found that majority of its members wanted the electoral law and the constitution of the party to be adhered to by going ahead with the presidential primaries.

The huge attendance at Buhari’s declaration seems to be an indication of where the APC presidential ticket for next year’s election may head. But  time will tell  how far the former Head of State can go.

ThisDay.

APC to Rejig Timetable, Guidelines for Primaries

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo


The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it will review the guidelines for party primaries as well as readjust its timetable in preparation for the 2015 general elections.

THISDAY gathered that following disagreements among key stakeholders over the modalities for the primaries, the leadership of the opposition party met last night in Abuja to resolve some of the contentious issues and to see how to build confidence amongst the presidential aspirants.
The meeting, which took place behind closed doors at the Rivers governor's lodge in Asokoro, had in attendance the national leadership of the party, leading presidential aspirants, a national leader and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, and some of the governors of the party.
The party has also ruled out speculations that its presidential aspirants may be asked to pay up to N27 million for nomination forms.
Speaking in an interview with THISDAY in Abuja yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the party might consider readjusting its timetable due to intervening factors like public holidays, which encroached into the initial plans.
Regarding fees for nomination forms, Muhammed said the party was yet to publish its guidelines, which include fees payable, adding that whatever guidelines approved by the party would be made public through a publication.
“Look, as far as I am concerned, the party is yet to publish its guidelines and the guidelines also include fees payable. I don’t believe that the party has finalised the fees as of today and so I don’t know where people get these figures from,” he said
Commenting on why the party's National Executive Council (NEC) chose the modified direct primaries, the APC spokesman said what the party wanted was a direct primary which would enable every card-carrying member to exercise his right to decide who represents the party during the elections.
He said part of the problems the party had been trying to solve is the issue of how to reduce the number of people that would participate in electing candidates during the primaries.
According to Muhammed, from its initial calculations, the party found out that the members who would have taken part in the presidential primary would reach an estimated 300,000.
However, he said the party's attention was drawn to a condition set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that presidential primaries and conventions must be held under one roof which make it difficult to get a venue that will accommodate the large number of members.
He said it was at this stage that the leadership of the party asked the national executive to go and review the modalities and to scale down the voting population to a manageable size.
“What we were trying to do is that relying on those delegates might probably not be representative enough and so we said let us enlarge it.
“Ideally, what the party wanted is a direct primary where delegates would be able to cast their votes. That was the most favoured option at the National Working Committee level. But the challenges of the direct primary was what led us to talk about modified direct primary.
“On the challenges of an open primary, the first is as of today, not everybody has the permanent card, what some have are temporary cards.
Then many people after our registration joined our party and they don't even have temporary slips, so how do you have a direct primary that will exclude those people? How do you have a direct primary when there is no way you can identify a particular member?
“Secondly, we looked at the logistics of holding primaries of 8,000 wards all over Nigeria and it was enormous in terms of cost and security implications. Finally, what will happen in other areas where there are security challenges? Can we honestly have direct primaries there?”, he queried.
Muhammed also reassured Nigerians that APC as a party would not endorse a presidential candidate before the primary, although he did not rule out individual or group endorsements by powerful leaders perceived as power brokers within the party.
“A lot of these things are decided before you go into the convention ground, but what is undemocratic is to have a sole candidate to the exclusion of others. For the party to proudly make a statement and say this is our sole candidate is undemocratic,” he said.
‪#‎ThisdayNews‬

2015 secret meeting fallout: Don’t field Atiku, Obasanjo warns APC

•  by Dayo Oketola, Fisayo Falodi and Jesusegun Alagbe

Obasanjo and Atiku

There are strong indications that former President Olusegun Obasanjo may have warned the All Progressives Congress not to field former Vice-President Abubakar Atiku as its flagbearer in the 2015 elections.

Obasanjo, during a recent visit by the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to his residence in Abeokuta, was said to have warned the opposition party against fielding an “unclean vessel” as its presidential candidate in 2015.

An impeccable source, who was at the meeting but did not want his name mentioned, told Saturday PUNCH that last week’s visit by Tinubu to Obasanjo was meant to remind the former President of the need to support the APC to realise its ambition of winning next year’s presidential election.

The source said, “Chief Obasanjo appreciated Tinubu’s visit to his home, but specifically warned the APC to shut its door against “unclean vessel.”

“Chief Obasanjo reiterated his refusal to join the APC when Tinubu visited him in his Abeokuta residence, but warned the party to beware of Atiku.

“The former President appreciated the move by the APC to find out what he knew about two of the APC aspirants seeking the party’s presidential ticket. He was happy that the party consulted him over whom to pick as its presidential candidate. The former President gave detailed information on the APC presidential aspirants to Tinubu.”

But Atiku’s media aide, Garba Shehu, said he was not aware of such comments by Obasanjo against the former vice-president.

Shehu, who said that Atiku had consulted relevant stakeholders on his plan to become Nigeria’s president next year, said, “You can quote me; we are not in any way aware of such comment. What I can say is that the former vice-president has written a letter to his former boss, respectfully informing him of his wish to bid for the APC ticket.”

He also said that Atiku had sent similar letters to other Nigerians.

“These letters, which were personally signed, had gone to thousands of other Nigerians, including politicians, traditional and religious leaders as well as friendly-diplomatic missions.”

Senate President David Mark and Tinubu had last Friday held separate closed-door meetings with Obasanjo. Both Mark and the former Lagos State governor said the issues discussed at the meetings held at the Obasanjo’s Hilltop residence in Abeokuta centred on the state of the nation.

Tinubu had told journalists that he had discussion with Obasanjo on “some of his former boys” who would vie for elective positions in the 2015 general elections, especially the Presidency.

He had said, “We are here to pay homage to our former President and discuss with him because he has a number of influences in the political sphere.

“We need to talk to find out his thinking about Nigeria and the future. We need to seek his observation on some of his former boys who are running for Presidency in our party.”

Mark had also described Obasanjo as the father of the nation with a wealth of experience.

The Senate President had told journalists after the meeting that he came with his team, including Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan; the Peoples Democratic Party Women Leader, Mrs. Josephine Anenih; and Senator Polycarp Nwite, among others to discuss with the former President and raise some basic issues that affected both the party and the nation.

He said, “We discussed issues that will move Nigeria forward because Chief Obasanjo’s love for Nigeria is unquantifiable. So, we had a good discussion with him.”

Saturday PUNCH also learnt that the former president would support APC in its bid to win next year’s presidential election.

Party sources said Obasanjo did not need to defect to the opposition party before he could support it to win the poll.

The APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, told one of our correspondents on telephone on Thursday that the recent visit to Obasanjo by Tinubu was part of efforts to ensure that the opposition party got the former President’s support ahead of the poll.

Though the APC spokesperson said that he was not fully privy to the topic of discussion between Obasanjo and Tinubu, he said that if the party leader had gone to visit the former President, it was about how the former president could help the opposition party win in the 2015 general elections.

He said, “I am not fully aware of what they (Obasanjo and Tinubu) discussed. But of course, did you expect they would discuss church matters? Clearly if he went to visit Obasanjo, it had to be about politics and the party. What else would you expect them to talk about?

“That would not be the first time the party chieftains would meet with the former President. There is no secret about it. We want the party to win in next year’s elections. That is it.”

When asked whether the former President might defect to the APC to help the party achieve its goal, Mohammed said, “Obasanjo does not need to defect to the APC before he could help the party.

“The former President needs not declare openly or defect to our party before he can help us. Someone went to visit him, he was chased out; Asiwaju Tinubu went to visit him and he was entertained. What are you talking about? What does that tell you?”

Obasanjo had in 2013 embraced the APC when some of the party’s national leaders and governors elected on its platform visited him in Abeokuta.

The APC leaders then sought Obasanjo’s support for the party’s bid to win the forthcoming elections.

Among Obasanjo’s visitors during the December 2013 visit were Tinubu, former APC Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari; former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff; Senator Osita Isunazor; and Senator Bukola Saraki.

Tinubu, who hailed Obasanjo’s contributions to nation-building, had lamented that the country was divided more than ever.

Tinubu had added that the APC had resolved to rescue Nigeria and appealed to the former President to lead the mission.

He had said, “You have come out of tribulation and held the highest position in this country. We are here because of your courage. Nobody can say he has information more than you. You have surmounted a number of crises. Nigeria is divided more than before; to realise stable Nigeria, we want to encourage you to continue to speak the truth. We are resolved and determined to rescue Nigeria. We want you as navigator.”

But the Peoples Democratic Party, which apparently sensed that the APC might finally get Obasanjo’s full support, on Wednesday, made entreaties to beg the former President.

Obasanjo, a former Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, had refused to identify with the party following series of disagreements he had with President Goodluck Jonathan and the running of the party.

The former President even as the chairman of BoT of the party shunned the meetings of the various organs of the party, including its National Executive Committee.

But speaking while receiving former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, who defected from the Labour Party to the PDP in Abuja on Wednesday, the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’Azu, begged Obasanjo to return to the PDP.

Mu’azu, who was reacting to an earlier apology offered by Daniel, said every member of the party must beg the former President for forgiveness.

He described Obasanjo as a pragmatic leader, who he said hailed from a zone he claimed had produced the best educated people in the country.

Mu’azu said, “I want to join former Ogun State governor, I want to join my dear elder brother and indeed all the teeming members here to very sincerely apologise to our leader, to our baba, my baba, General, President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to forgive us.

“We cannot continue. I know he has been very prayerful. In the Villa, I know he used to pray every morning. Very early, 5:30 to 6am, he is praying.

“And I know he keeps on praying all the time. As we say in our Lord’s Prayer: ‘Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who trespass against us’; Baba, you have to forgive us. I beg you in the name of the Almighty God, so that you too can be forgiven. We are your children. We are making mistakes, we have made mistakes, we have apologised.

“We will not agree even if you want to throw the baby away with the bath water, the baby will not go without you.

“So, please baba, we apologise. Come and lead us. Even the President (Goodluck Jonathan) is waiting for you. Come and lead us. You are our leader, we appreciate you, we thank you for your leadership.”

PUNCH.

AsiwajuTinubu lobbies for @Buhari2015

*APC presidential hopeful shifts declaration to Oct 15
*Saraki to head campaign organisation

As the battle for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gathers momentum, former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu, has intensified lobby for the emergence of former Head of State, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, as the party’s candidate.
Sources told New Telegraph that Tinubu had stepped up efforts in recent days to ensure that Buhari would get the APC ticket at the December 2 national convention of the party.
He is said to be mobilising the party structures and providing the initial funding in the pursuit of Buhari’s aspiration. In return, it was learnt that Buhari had agreed that should he win, Tinubu would pick his running mate for him.
In preparations for his possible emergence as the party’s candidate, Buhari, it was also learnt, had begun putting together his campaign organisation, which will be headed by former Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, now a senator. Buhari has also shifted the formal declaration of his presidential ambition from today until October 15.
According to the sources, Tinubu, an influential leader of the APC, had on several occasions, met with Buhari in Lagos and Abuja to fine-tune the arrangements while associates of the APC presidential aspirant had held strategic meetings with Tinubu in Lagos and London on the Buhari presidential project.
It was learnt that the former governor is providing logistics and rallying the party structures behind the former military ruler who has contested the presidential elections three times – 2003, 2007 and 2011– based on the belief that he is the best candidate for the party to defeat the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its adopted candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan.
It was learnt that though the Tinubu’s camp was not discountenancing the candidacy of Buhari’s major challenger and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, it was uncomfortable with Atiku emerging the standard bearer of the APC for the February14, 2015 presidential election.
“We have the right to support our choice of the presidential candidate. We are working towards the emergence of Buhari as the APC candidate. We are not considering Atiku at all. He has the money, but we have the party structures.
What Buhari lacks in finance, we will provide for his campaign. “Don’t forget that we provided Atiku with the platform in 2007, but shortly after the election, he jumped ship and moved to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
When he had issues with President Olusegun Obasanjo, we provided six Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to defend him. But what did we get in return? Nothing. So, we can’t take the gamble on Atiku again.
We have pitched our tent with Buhari and we will ensure that he wins the election,” an associate of Tinubu, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of the APC told New Telegraph.
As part of the plan, the Buhari/Tinubu camp is assembling a team that will reach out to delegates to the national convention. “We have the structures. We will move round the states to ensure that the delegates do our bidding.
In the end, Buhari will emerge as the candidate,” another source said. An aide of Tinubu confirmed to New Telegraph that the former governor has been engaging APC governors and other stakeholders on the need to have Buhari on the ballot rather than Atiku. In the permutations of Tinubu, Buhari is the only person that can confront Jonathan in the 2015 elec-tion.
This is hinged on his electoral strength as demonstrated in the 2011 presidential election. In the 2011 election, Jonathan won in seven states, comprising Kwara, Kogi, Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba and Adamawa, out of the 19 states in the north.
Buhari, as the presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) one of the legacy parties of APC, defeated the president in the 12 northern states of Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara. Jonathan, as an incumbent, polled 22, 350, 242 votes to defeat Buhari, who got 11, 914,953 votes. Most of Jonathan’s votes came from the South.
“We are not ruling out other APC presidential aspirants, but we have cast our lot with Buhari. We consider Buhari above others as an asset to the APC in its quest for the presidency,” the source said.
Earlier before New Telegraph learnt of the position of the Tinubu camp, APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, had said the party would provide a level playing ground for all the aspirants. However, it was learnt that Tinubu had not been able to get the full commitment of all the party’s governors in the South-West to the Buhari presidential project.
It was gathered that while Governors Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) are rooting for Buhari, their counterparts in Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, were undecided between Buhari and Atiku. There is also a report of a division in the Tinubu’s camp as to who should emerge the running mate.
Some of the former governor’s associates are backing Fayemi while Tinubu is considering former Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yemi Osibajo, for the position. Osibajo, a professor of Law and a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), is being considered to balance the religious equation.
Tinubu who had been widely rumoured to be nursing a presidential ambition, had to back off following growing resent-ment in the party against a Muslim-Muslim ticket of Buhari and Tinubu. It was also learnt that Buhari has concluded arrangements to appoint Saraki as the Director General of his campaign organisation.
At present, a former PDP National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, is holding forth as the campaign coordinator. A source told New Telegraph that Buhari had met with Saraki in Abuja in the past few days and the duo agreed to work together.
“At the meeting, Buhari told Saraki about his intention to run for the presidency. The former governor also informed the presidential aspirant about his intention to run for the same office, but later agreed to support Buhari,” the source said.
A former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, may also hold a sensitive position in the Buhari’s campaign organisation. “We are sure of winning the APC presidential ticket. So, we are working ahead. Saraki is on board.
Sylva will either head the Logistics or Finance Committee of the campaign,” an aide of the former head of state told New Telegraph. It was further learnt that Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, is to provide the director of media for the campaign organisation.
“He is looking towards picking a senior editorial staff of The Nation newspaper to fill the position,” the source added. Meanwhile, Buhari has shifted his formal declaration earlier scheduled for today until October 15.
A statement yesterday by Ogbeh, said: “The formal declaration ceremony by General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) of his intention to contest the 2015 presidential election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been postponed by one week.
“The declaration earlier scheduled for Wednesday, October 8, will now hold on Wednesday, October 15, at Eagle Square, Abuja. All earlier arrangements remain the same.” New Telegraph learnt that the long Sallah holiday informed the shift as necessary logistics could not be provided for the declaration.
It was further learnt that pressure is being mounted on Kano State Governor, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, to step down for Buhari. Kwankwaso has indicated interest in the APC presidential ticket.
SOURCE: newtelegraphonline

2015: APC Finally Reacts To PDP’s Endorsement Of Jonathan As Sole Presidential Candidate

Alhaji Lai Mohammed

In an apparent flush of excitement at his recent adoption as sole candidate of Peoples Democratic Party for next year’s presidential election, President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday in Lagos that the endorsement had given him the right of first refusal. Jonathan, who believed he now had the right to decide whether to accept or refuse the presidential ticket before it can be declared open for contest, applauded his party for the decision to adopt him, saying it is the practice in the advanced democracies.


But the opposition All Progressives Congress said the endorsement of Jonathan as the only candidate of PDP is a mockery of democracy. Speaking yesterday by telephone, APC’s national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said, “Who then is afraid of internal democracy. It is not that endorsement is entirely bad but the apparent shutting out of other aspirants does not augur well for democracy.”

Mohammed said a worrisome dimension to the president’s endorsement was the allegation that some PDP governors were arm-twisted into submission by an assurance of non-prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after their tenures. He added that under the deal, PDP also granted its governors automatic tickets to run for the senate next year, saying it is a dangerous development in the polity.

Obasanjo offered to support Buhari if he dropped me for Okonjo-Iweala –Tunde Bakare

  by Adeola Balogun, Nonye Ben-Nwankwo and Eric Dumo 

   

Pastor Tunde Bakare
| credits: Odutayo Odusanya

In this interview with ADEOLA BALOGUN, NONYE BEN-NWANKWO and ERIC DUMO, Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly speaks on a wide range of issues including his experience as a running mate to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari at the 2011 general elections

We heard you praising God for the Osun State governorship election despite the militarisation; don’t you think that the militarisation was responsible for the peaceful election?

I think I chose my words, I didn’t use militarisation; I used the word “federal presence.” I said in spite of the intimidating federal presence, things still went on peacefully. I have heard the word militarisation used, I do not necessarily subscribe to it. The reason being that the police are called peace officers and they were there to keep the peace. The military has been used lately in several elections because of the major environment, the violence going on and all kinds of electoral malpractices. In other places, elections are like picnic with citizens having the opportunity to exercise their rights. But when you are beginning to hear statements like “blood will flow,” “it is going to be fire for fire” and   “you will be roasted,” you get scared. You begin to wonder if it is a matter of life and death. But that the Osun State election went peacefully, we thank God.

I also said that a time will come when we’ll stop suspecting ourselves. There are so many things that we cook up when things don’t go our way. We must become mature enough to accept defeat and concede to the winner like Governor Kayode Fayemi did in Ekiti without blood flowing or heads rolling.

Talking about general elections, you were once quoted as saying there might not be elections in 2015, but with what you are seeing now are you still holding on to that statement?

A number of things have taken place since I spoke. I remember it was 2012 that I started saying: take care of 2014 if you want 2015. There are two reasons why I have been saying that we should take care of 2014 and one of them is the conference. The national conference has brought us together to iron out some of our differences. I am not saying the conference is a magic wand that would bring all the solutions to our problems but definitely if there is courage to implement some of the things that we have resolved and are part of that report on the side of the executive and legislature; Nigeria would not be where it used to be. We are not where we ought to be, but we are not where we used to be. We have moved on.

Besides that, part of what makes 2015 a necessity is the 2016 census. Those are two extremely dangerous years. The year you are having general elections followed by census; those things are scary. So, if the foundation is not properly laid in 2014, we are playing with disaster.

Some people saw your participation at the national conference as a signal that you were coming into politics again, is this true?

Maybe you need to dig deeper and find out why I participated. Number one, I didn’t select myself; I didn’t force myself on the government. I represented the South-West geo-political zone. When the elders met, they put my name down. I pleaded with them that I would not even have the time. But they insisted that they wanted me there and you don’t reject your elders if they feel you have something to contribute or they consider that you are relevant.

Two, while I was still battling with who will represent me at the conference, the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, also put forward my name. At that point I decided to give it a chance. But I gave a condition and that condition was that I would not take a penny from the conference; I would not be given any allowance and I wrote a letter to that effect and they replied me. I did this so that if anything went wrong, I would retain my freedom to express myself freely. That does not mean others who took the allowance are bad people. No! We see things from different perspectives. Staying in Abuja is very expensive. I won’t tell you how much I spent but I travelled on each occasion with my research team and about three to four staff and we stayed in a suite which is quite expensive.

Have you joined politics again?

I have never joined politics. I am a nation builder, I am not a politician. I sleep well, I wake up well. I have no ambition; there is no desire to be anything in politics. All I want to see is a nation that works. If you ask me today if I am seeking any elective office, my answer will be no. I was asked to be a running mate to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, I was not looking forward to it at all. But if I am beckoned upon to do something, I will pray about it and if I see that it does not negate what I stand for and believe in, why not? The truth is that if good people don’t participate in politics, then we will continue to endure the rule of idiots.

When you were asked to be a running mate, did you ask God about it or did He tell you to go ahead?

Several times Paul would say in the Bible that “this is I speaking but not the spirit of God even though I have the spirit of God in me.” With every sense of modesty, a man like me would not jump without looking. If you don’t look and you leap, you can leap into disaster that would backfire on you and everything you stand for in the society. When my book is out, it would be clear to all the process it took for me to be a running mate.

I sat in my house, leading a group called Arrow Heads which is already public knowledge after Mallam Nasir El-Rufai wrote about it in his book, ‘Accidental Public Servant.’ We gathered a group of Nigerians we felt could make a change in our clime. People like Oby Ezekwesili, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Donald Duke, Nasir El-Rufai, Nuhu Ribadu, Fola Adeola, Jimi Lawal, Yinka Odumakin, Jimi Agbaje, Wale Osun and a few others. We said to ourselves that we should form the Arrow Heads to produce a change. And when I was given the privilege of being the chairperson of that group, I told them I would only accept on two conditions. Number one, that I would not join any political party and number two, I would not seek any elective office so that if there is a dispute, I can effectively resolve it. Those around me know that I have no desire for a political office but those who don’t know me think I am an opportunist. Gen. Buhari called me on January 15 of that year and said, that he had done his own little prayers and he wanted to ask me to be his running mate. I told him I couldn’t because I lead a group and I had given them my word and that my word is my bond. I also told him that I had no desire for a political office; all I wanted to see was a change and be among those who work behind the scene. So, Gen. Buhari asked me to pray about it that he would get back to me. Within six or seven hours, he called back and I told him that I had not consulted my people. The first person I called among others was my wife and daughter and then spoke to Pastor Adeboye twice on it.

Really?

Yes…you see people don’t know things that happen behind the scene. I spoke to him twice and he said look, don’t be afraid, step in there, whether you win or lose, God is taking you somewhere. I didn’t jump because of that. I spoke to my mother and she said she had a dream about it six months before; I still didn’t jump. I thought it would be unfair not to tell Bola Tinubu because I had been brokering some things between the then Action Congress and the Congress for Progressive Change before the AC became ACN. So, I called Tinubu in the presence of Jimi Agbaje and Yinka Odumakin. I said to him that Gen. Buhari had called to offer this, give me a Christian from your group so that I can present to him. I invited the former governor of Ekiti State, Niyi Adebayo to my house and told him that he would be a better person to handle this. Both of us were in the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos at the same time. So, I looked for every way not to take Buhari’s offer and I didn’t fill the form. I took my team and went to the General and asked him why he wanted me to be his running mate. He said three things, “your passion for Nigeria. You have been a Muslim before, you are a Christian now. You have lived in the North, you were born in the South, you understand the geography and I think you can be a positive influence to pull the nation together. Number two, your integrity, number three, supposing I die in office like Yar’Adua, I want someone who would not sell out, who would still continue my vision for this country.” Still, I didn’t fill the form.

I went to El-Rufai’s house, we sat down there and he encouraged me to take it and I said I was not taking it. I told him I needed to clear a particular thing in my heart. Everyone who had been assistant to Gen. Buhari died before him. Tunde Idiagbon is gone, Okadigbo is gone, Ume-Ezeoke is gone, why do I want to go and put my head in a death sentence. I need to know what is responsible for that, so I can’t just jump, I will need to pray through. I told Gen. Buhari the same thing I am saying now.

The day before the final submission of names, former President Olusegun Obasanjo told El-Rufai that he was ready to support Buhari if he could drop me and replace me with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as his running mate. El-Rufai ran to me, that this was what Obasanjo said. The three of us were in the same hotel but in different suites. We went straight to Gen. Buhari and I said to him that breakthrough had come. I told him I had not filled the form and that there were five reasons why he must take Okonjo-Iweala. Number one, she is Delta-Igbo, you would have solved the problem of South-East/South-South. Number two, she’s a woman, you have settled the gender issue. Number three, Christian, balanced ticket. Number four, a former minister of finance and former minister of external affairs, experience which I don’t have. Number five, World Bank top executive, international exposure. Even though I have travelled round the world, I have not worked in any organisation, she is a better candidate. This is the form, I have not filled it. General Buhari looked at me and said did Obasanjo speak to you and I said no that he spoke to El-Rufai and I believe him. And he asked El-Rufai to repeat everything Obasanjo said to him and he did. He said to El-Rufai that well, you have worked with him and I have worked with him too, he would have something up his sleeves which we don’t know. Buhari turned to me and said, Pastor Bakare, I have waited long enough and today is the last day, if you are not going to fill the form, give it to me, I will look for someone until we can get a person like you. At that point, I became overwhelmed and I signed the form and El-Rufai seconded. That was the process; it was not an overnight thing.

Do you have any regrets accepting that offer?

Not at all. If I have the chance, I will do it again. Buhari is an incorruptible leader. He is a man whose word is his bond. He is a reliable person and he loves this country. I don’t flatter people and you know I fought almost all military impostors in this country; there was a time I couldn’t stand any of them. But getting close to him, I realised he loves Christians as much as he loves Muslims.

For those who said why Buhari? I remember Adunni Abimbola Adelakun, she wrote why can’t Bakare run as President? Why do you have to be a running mate? I just laughed when I read that. Don’t forget that Joseph served Pharaoh, Daniel served Nebuchadnezzar, and we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, so you can maintain contact without contamination. Anything that would contribute to the wellbeing of the people of this country, as much as God gives me the grace, I would do it.

You just spoke glowingly about Buhari, is that why you said if that suicide attempt on his life had succeeded it would have caused commotion in the country?

Whichever way you look at it; Gen. Buhari has succeeded in stepping into the shoes of the likes of the founding fathers of this nation. It is like killing Awo in the West in those days. They jailed him but they dare not kill him. Look at the repercussions of what happened when Saudana was killed. It is like shooting Azikiwe. A time comes when people have such a large followership that you have to be careful about them. Gen. Buhari registered a party and went to contest for election after three months and had 12 million votes. I have seen the people following him running towards a moving plane. He is not loved because he has money to pay them, he doesn’t give a dime to anybody. Buhari does not have such money, he does not have a petrol station, and he has no oil well even after being a petroleum minister and former head of state. There was a time he took his children to public schools. Obasanjo investigated him with Haruna Adamu, and didn’t find anything against him.

Why didn’t you move with him Buhari to the All Progressives Congress?

A strategic man takes his time. I moved the motion for the merger of the parties publicly at Eagles Square. I worked tirelessly for that merger to materialise. But when you perceive that your presence, whether you speak or stay quiet, affects some of the people who think you are ambitious, you leave the stage for them. If you ask me if I am in APC, Buhari knows I am in Daura APC, not Ogun State, Oyo or Lagos State so that those functioning can be free to function without fearing that this man might have an ambition and might still want to be a running mate. I have had my fair share.

In 2012 you were quoted as saying that Jonathan was on a mission to ruin Nigeria, two years later do you still feel the same way?

You do not separate a statement and body of facts that led to that statement. President Jonathan himself is a victim of circumstances. Who groomed him for what he is doing? I think he has had to learn on the job. Whether he is learning fast or is taking his time, is for others to comment. I marched on the streets of Abuja, Lagos, led Save Nigeria Group in different campaigns for him to become Acting President and he subsequently became the President of Nigeria. He is alive, if I have taken a dime from him for anything, he can say. Not that they would not want to be a blessing to me but I don’t take. My hands have provided enough for me. I am contented. I have had the privilege of sitting with the President this year about five times and it is always about how to move the nation forward. I remember when the President wanted to see me; I called Gen. Buhari immediately to inform him about the invitation because I don’t double-deal. I am a loyal person and I made the President know that I informed Gen. Buhari before coming for that particular meeting. The things he said to me are not for now; they would come out at the appropriate time. I think Jonathan is honestly doing his best but history would judge whether his best is good enough. The Nigerian issue is complex. It requires a level of capability and dynamism and that is not common among the current politicians.

You have always been critical of America’s involvement in the politics of other nations especially Nigeria, do you also think that the monstrous painting of Ebola is also part of the conspiracy to further distabilise Nigeria?

I don’t think so, Ebola is here and you don’t run away from it. The man who smuggled himself into the plane and came to Nigeria probably didn’t know the magnitude of the problem he was about to cause.

When America got here over Boko Haram, what I saw on the television is what the Americans call show. You don’t ridicule another nation to look good as if you have your acts together. Right on your own soil, in New York, right on your faces with all your technology and the power you claim to have as the police of the world, terrorists humiliated you. The whole nations of the earth rose up to support you and now we are battling with something here and you are making our leaders look useless, and redundant.

Don’t you believe in church planting?

Any church that does not believe in church planting is like a woman praying to be barren. I have done church planting the way others have done before. We had about seven other satellite churches that we planted and at a time I said no, this is not the pattern I have seen in the Bible and so we started to follow the pattern which is to train men, raise them, so that when they are strong and receive the call, commission them, support them to plant a church. By so doing, we planted several churches without necessarily calling them Latter Rain Assembly.

You once described Nigerian churches as being a theatre where one man performs and the others are just mere spectators, does this not also apply to you?

It doesn’t. If you were here this morning (Sunday, August 10, 2014), I did the least speech. If you quoted me correctly, I said the difference between the cinema and the church in Nigeria is that for the cinema you pay a gate fee before you enter but in the church, they let you come in before they take from you. When the youth pastor was ministering today, I said wow, if I am out of here today, these people can continue.

You are not too prominent in Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and Christian Association of Nigeria, is it by choice or by design?

So, one or two of our pastors attend to matters of PFN, but I don’t go there.

What’s stopping a big church as yours from establishing its own university like others have done?

I am not called to do that. I do not judge those who are doing it because they are contributing their quota to the system and they are helping the society in the area of infrastructure.

But I would have a question mark on the whole thing if part of what is going in there are the offerings of the people and their pastors’ children and members’ children cannot attend that university. Almost all the top universities in the world started from Christian organisations. My daughter graduated from Emory University in Georgia, United States, which is owned by the Methodist Church. Oxford and Cambridge were established by churches. If their real intention was mission and to educate a crop of leaders that would share the light. I commend their efforts. But if it is a money-making and profit-driven, then I don’t know what to say.

Every year we have big churches stage conventions, but we don’t see Latter Rain doing the same, is it that you don’t believe in such gatherings where lives are usually saved in multitudes or what?

It is not wrong to have an annual convention, it is not wrong to have Shiloh or Holy Ghost Congress. I have been invited to the congress about three times but I just didn’t have the time to go. Up till the seventh year of the Latter Rain Assembly, we had what we called Annual Believers’ Convention but I stopped it after then. Look at the population of people in church today and we have negligible righteousness. So, something is wrong. I am not condemning what people are doing. If they are called to do what they are doing, God would reward them. But if it is just a clever ploy to continue to control and manage people, one day they would say “to your tent oh Israel.”

What is your take on anointing oil?

People like to create their own Tunde Bakare. I love God, I love people, I love the godly and the ungodly and I try within my God-given ability to teach the truth. The reason I fought with my friend, Bishop David Oyedepo, and tore his book, I remember when we resolved this problem in London, we came out of a plane, he took me aside and said he was angry with me because I tore his book. I said I didn’t tear your book, I tore my book. That is fine, you wrote it, I bought it, so it was my book I tore. I saw errors in that book because he said the anointing oil is not a symbol of the Holy Spirit that it is the life of God in a bottle. How can you write that and I would let it pass. No! If the anointing oil is the Holy Spirit, then Jesus is a lamb walking on four legs. These are metaphors and when you have the real, you leave the shadow. Besides it is for the sick in the New Testament. So, you can anoint the entire church if they are sick and I would wonder how a sick church can bring healing to a dying world.