Ajasin family warns Jonathan

The family of the late Afenifere leader and first civilian governor of Ondo State, late Chief Adekunle Ajasin, has cautioned the Peoples Democratic Party against using their fathers name as a campaign smear against the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
The Ajasin family also said they had forgiven Muhammadu Buhari over the arrest of their father under his military administration in 1984.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Chief Tokunbo Ajasin, said in Akure on Thursday that his father forgave Buhari before his death.
Tokunbo therefore cautioned politicians particularly those seeking for elective positions to base their campaigns on issues rather than using his father’s name to campaign against the progressives which he (Ajasin) belonged to when he was alive.
Chief Tokumbo said there was no any judicial pronouncement or ruling under Buhari’s government where his father was sentenced to prison or indicted
“It will be totally wrong for anybody to say that Gen. Buhari jailed my father. No that is not correct. It was true that my father was detained under Gen. Buhari’s military regime along with other former governors in Nigeria and two panels of enquiry were consequently set-up to look into the allegations against my father and others, but the panels found my father innocent and exonerated him as well.
“What Buhari did then was part of military policies and tradition. Though many Nigerians were not happy with that but my father had since forgiven Buhari before his demise.
“Let me also tell you that as far as the issue is concerned, the family of Ajasin had forgiven Buhari as well. Because as Christians we should learn and exhibit the spirit of forgiveness always. The Bible says, father forgive us as we forgive those who offend us,” he stated.
Chief Ajasin said he met Buhari at a function sometime ago and happily embraced each other indicating that all was well.
According to him, himself and his sister, Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose, were part of the crowd that received Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo at the Akure airport during his presidential campaign rally in ondo State .
Also the Ondo State Coordinator of Buhari/Osinbajo presidential campaign, Mr. Ife Oyedele, accused the PDP of unduly capitalizing on the Buhari/Ajasin saga to score cheap political points.
He said APC as a progressive party should be more concerned about the welfare of Ajasin’s family than the PDP that is antagonistic of the interest of the Yoruba race.
“You cannot cry more than the bereaved. We are happy that the Ajasin family has come to clear the air on this issue,” Oyedele
- See more at: http://www.punchng.com/news/stop-using-ajasin-for-smear-campaign-against-buhari-family/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.xLe0WxIm.dpuf

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Analysis of Buhari's 2015 Campaign

Inside Buhari ‘s 2015 campaign

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Category: Inside politics

Published on Monday, 26 January 2015 05:01

Written by Nuruddeen M. Abdallah

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Gen. Muhammadu Buhari

As the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari campaigns in full swing, our correspondent who covered the Buhari campaign trail in 2011 and is now following the campaign trail, examines what the opposition flag-bearer is doing differently.

General Buhari flagged off his 2015 presidential campaign in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, unlike in 2011 when he began in Kaduna, where he resides.

His campaign trail is now managed by a Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) peopled by eminent politicians drawn from various parts of the country.

This is far different from his campaign in 2011 where his campaign was managed by his ‘associates’ from The Buhari Organisation (TBO).

This is not to mention the fact that the former Head of State has a chartered aircraft that shuttles him and his delegation from one campaign location to the other, unlike in 2011 where he executed over 90 percent of his campaign by road.

Campaign structure

In 2011, Buhari’s presidential campaign was headed by the TBO’s director general and the secretary Sule Yahaya Hamma and Buba Galadima respectively.

The duo of Hamma and Galadima, who were CPC’s Board of Trustees chairman and national secretary respectively, ran the affairs of the presidential campaign as a TBO’s affair in their capacities. Buhari also ran his campaign with no single serving governor, no serving senator, among others in 2011.

But things have dramatically changed now as his campaign boasts of 12 serving governors, a sitting House of Representatives Speaker, about 40 senators, 170 House of Representatives members and so on.

Unlike the last campaign, Buhari’s campaign council is now managed by experienced politicians that include Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as director general; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as vice chairman North, and former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is vice chairman South.

The effective running of the APC by Tinubu, some say, has helped in reducing crisis that bedevilled other parties on whose platform Buhari ran.

For instance, it is believed that Tinubu’s management style has helped the APC to have less internal crisis resulting from party primaries unlike the PDP.

This is unlike in 2011 where Buhari’s fortune was overturned by myriads of crisis that rocked the defunct CPC during its primary elections, making him lose his strongholds of Kano, Katsina, Bauchi, and many other states.

National reach out

Unlike in the previous campaigns where Buhari was seen as a northern candidate, the current campaign is different as he has reached out to the Southern part of the country with impressive and unprecedented campaign rallies turn out.

Buhari this time around has expanded his followership as seen by massive turn out during campaign tours from the Northern part of the country to the Southern part.

Some say that his rallies in the South western states as well as South East and  even South South have helped  changed the perception that he is a northern candidate.

The presence of Tinubu and his firm control of the South West politics has deepened the support base of Buhari in the zone.

The selection of Professor Yemi Osinbajo as Buhari’s running mate has soared the APC flag bearer’s popularity in the South and flawed his opponents’ branding him as a religious bigot, according to political observers.

Analysts say that Osinbajo has converted more supporters to the presidential candidate than Pastor Tunde Bakare did in 2011, late Ume Ezeoke in 2007 and even the late Dr Chuba Okadigbo in 2003.

Information management

The emergence of APC and Alhaji Lai Muhammed as its spokesperson, many say, has given the party an edge in terms of information management.

Many an observer believe that even the ruling party’s information managers couldn’t out-do the hyperactive Lai in terms of media war.

In the same vein, the selection of Osinbajo into the APC ticket came along with his army of Lagos-based social media activists - all campaigning for Buhari.

The appointment of another successful reputation manager Malam Garba Shehu, who is Atiku’s media handler, is another boost for the Buhari campaign.

All these have tremendously improved the media outlook of Buhari, who has been having deficiencies in that area. Buhari, though, he has been running for the presidency since 2003 has no media office.

Financial muscles

Unlike the previous campaigns, finances are now not much of a problem to the Buhari campaign. This can be seen from the goodwill he gets as well the now popular ‘Buhari Recharge Cards,’ which has fetched money for the campaign.

Recurring challenges

But despite these milestones, it is observed that the Buhari campaign, like the previous ones, is still bogged down by challenges, which seem to defy solutions.

One of such challenges is that of organisation. Though the campaign is well-structured with clear cut division of labour, the reality on ground is still a far cry.

Bureaucratic bottlenecks and red-tapism have been slowing down the campaign, this reporter learned. “The campaign is just going on smoothly by the grace of God,” an insider who had participated in past campaigns told Daily Trust but added that there is a seeming disconnect between the campaign DG and his directorates who are the operational managers.

Daily Trust observed that despite the presence of Shehu as its spokesperson, the campaign’s information management is still far from better.

Presently, Buhari campaign trail moves without journalists attached to it like he did in the past. Only Daily Trust officially attached a reporter since 2003 with a cameraman.

Sometimes, the reporters board public transport to catch up with campaign trail which moves by plane. It is even more difficult as the campaign trails do two states per day.

But a source from the campaign organisation explained that the media and publicity director Shehu made efforts to secure two buses for journalists who would cover the campaign.

“But up to this time, I can tell you that no buses have been provided. That is why you don’t see your colleagues here with us. They can’t afford running helter skelter with all the risks of using public transport to cover our campaign as you are doing,” the source said.

Apart from the media, even the selection of people that follow the campaign trail is another ball game as complained by another insider, who said, “the Buhari campaign trail is filled up by people who have no role or schedule in the campaign rally itself. They are only there to maintain ‘constant visibility’ around the General,” he said.

He said there are times when some of the General’s details are dropped from the aircraft to provide space for those whose only work is maintaining ‘constant visibility’ around Buhari.

He cited the rally at Lokoja, Kogi State, where Buhari got there with only two security details. “You saw how difficult it was to take him to the podium because those security aides whose job is to protect him and control crowd were stood down in Abuja because of space,” he said.

The source added that despite the assassination attempt on the General in Kaduna last year and the current death threats, Buhari’s security is not that improved.

The APC flag bearer usually has difficulty containing mammoth crowds particularly in non-APC states. Usually, the security arrangement and crowd control mechanism are better in APC controlled states.

Another source said, in comparison to Buhari’s delegation, that of Osinbajo is better planned. His people are referred to as the “VP’s men” in the campaign.

“The vice president’s team is better organised. He moves around with his aides in his plane. Unlike our team, Osinbajo’s team comprises of people that add value to the campaign,” he said.

Daily Trust observed that the South West APC governors seemed more committed to the Buhari campaign than most of their northern counterparts.

Tinubu and Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, South West zonal coordinator, for instance, attended almost all the campaign tours in the region. Tinubu went far by attending some of the campaigns in the North.

But Tinubu’s northern counterpart on the campaign, Atiku, has been absent so far in the campaign though on health grounds. He returned to the country only last week.

Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura, who is the North Central zonal coordinator of the campaign, attended only the rally held in his home state. He was absent in Kogi, Niger, Plateau and Benue states.

Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, North West zonal coordinator, only attended that of Kaduna and Kano and his home state. He was absent in Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa and Kebbi states.

On the other hand, Senator Chris Ngige, South East coordinator, was present in all the South East states rallies.

But all these challenges are surmountable and General Buhari is not unaware of them, one of his associates on the campaign told this reporter.

“He knows almost all these things and he takes careful note of all that is happening around him. He is just buying time. He’s a very patient and tolerant gentleman. He will tackle all of them at the appropriate time,” the associate said.

Daily Trust

War threats: Call ex-militants to order, Buhari tells Jonathan

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General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd)

All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, retired General Muhammadu Buhari, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP to call to order, Niger Delta ex-militants who have threatened to  declare war if Jonathan loses the February 14 presidential election.

A statement by the APC campaign media and publicity director, Malam Garba Shehu, said the ultimatum by the ex-militants is not only a barbaric threat on the sovereignty of the country but also goes against the spirit and letter of the non-violence pact to which Jonathan is a signatory.
The campaign spokesperson observed that the declaration of war against the state is causing panic and concern among Nigerians who are already embattled by so many challenges particularly of insecurity, which have been begging for attention.
The Buhari campaign reminded Jonathan that as commander-in-chief it is his primary responsibility to ensure the protection of citizens and their property and that such an open declaration of war by the ex-militants and several other acts of violence need to be denounced by him in the interest of democracy, unity and stability of Nigeria.

Daily Trust

I endorse US visa denials to violent politicians and election manipulators-Buhari

The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari endorsed United States' call for free and fair election and non-violence in the February general polls. ‎

On the US threat to deny Visa to politicians that engage in electoral violence and malpractices, the APC flag bearer said he fully endorsed the measure to serve as deterrence and give credibility to Nigeria’s democracy and electoral system.

A statement signed by the APC presidential campaign media and publicity director Malam Garba Shehu said it fully identifies with Secretary of State John Kerry’s appeal to political parties to ensure free and fair and non-violent polls.

The spokesperson said all responsible politicians should support the objectives of free, fair and non-violent polls as advocated by the US government. 

He however appealed to the Jonathan-led administration to show commitment to free and fair elections and non-violence.

The Buhari campaign also called on other members of the international community to show active interest in the attitude of the PDP administration to these issues of non-violence and free and fair elections.

The U.S. and other members of the international community should not leave the Jonathan administration to its devices or whims and caprices, adding that the government must be held to these commitments to avoid any hanky-panky during the elections, the spokesperson said.

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Jonathan lacks will to crush B’Haram, Buhari tells Kerry

Former Head of State, Gen.Muhammadu Buhari

The All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj.Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has listed the strategies that he would adopt to end insecurity in the country if elected President.

The methods, The PUNCH learnt, were unveiled by Buhari during his meeting with the United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, in Lagos on Sunday.

The source, who was one of the APC members that also attended the meeting,   said on Monday that the strategies included the elimination of corruption, transparency in the management of defence budgets and an overhaul of the nation’s security apparatuses.

He said that Buhari highlighted the plans when Kerry expressed concern about the spate of insecurity in the North-East.

The source added, “Kerry said the US was interested in someone that could curb the Boko Haram menace. He said the concern of President Barack Obama was that terrorism should not spread beyond the North-East as it seemed to be doing so gradually.

“Kerry asked what the strategy of the APC would be in fighting insecurity.”

One of our correspondents   gathered that while responding, Buhari said since he knows that corruption and lack of political will are some of the problems militating against the war against insurgency, he would tackle them headlong if elected.

Buhari was said to have told Kerry that the Goodluck Jonathan administration had spent billions of dollars on defence and that a large portion of the money was diverted by those in power.

It was also learnt that the APC candidate informed the Secretary of State that the President had turned a blind eye to this.

Buhari was said to have also stated that there was something wrong with the intelligence-gathering mechanism of the military. He therefore promised that he would revamp the security apparatuses of the government.

According to our source, the APC candidate   said “that Boko Haram members were not ghosts but that they   were gaining ground because the security agencies had been compromised.”

He said that the former Head of State also promised that transparency would be his watchword in the disbursement of defence budgets.

It was gathered that Buhari     “promised to ensure that every kobo spent on security would be accounted for as this would ensure that our soldiers get the appropriate equipment and have   their morale boosted.”

He was also said to have told Kerry that the Jonathan government once scuttled a hearing by the National Assembly on defence spending, an act that clearly showed that it was not ready to promote transparency in the management of the nation’s affairs.

“Buhari said when the National Assembly set up a hearing with the heads of security agencies to know how the defence budgets were being spent, the Presidency scuttled it because it was obvious that the money for equipment was not being spent judiciously. He said by such an act, the Jonathan government was not encouraging transparency in the way and manner money meant for security was being spent.”

The PUNCH   gathered that APC leaders like the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and   Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi,   who were also at the meeting, urged the US to impress it upon the Jonathan government to ensure that next month’s elections were not postponed.

Kerry was said to have expressed worry at the pre-election violence in the country but the APC leaders told him   that they had nothing to do with it.

The APC Presidential Campaign Organisation has however welcomed the call by the US for   free, fair   and peaceful elections   in Nigeria.

The   organisation, in a statement   by its Director, Media and Publicity,   Garba Shehu,   said it fully identified with Washington’s appeal to political parties to ensure credible   polls.

According to the statement, the Jonathan administration and   all responsible politicians should support the objectives of free, fair and peaceful polls as advocated by the US government.

The statement read in part, “He(Kerry) explained that the US and other members of the international community should not leave the Jonathan administration to its devices or whims and caprices, adding that the government must be held to these commitments to avoid any hanky-panky during the elections.

“On the US threat to deny visa to politicians that engage in electoral violence and malpractices, the APC Campaign organisation said it fully endorsed the measure to serve as a deterrent and give credibility to Nigeria’s democracy and electoral system.”

I can’t fight corruption by jailing people, Jonathan insists

Meanwhile,   Jonathan has insisted that he will not fight corruption by jailing people.

He, however, stated that he would build a system that would block people’s   direct access to funds.

The President said this at a corporate forum titled, ‘An Evening with Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan’ in Lagos on Sunday.

He said even if five million Nigerians were thrown into jail for corruption, graft would still continue if the system was porous.

He said, “People always say government is not fighting corruption but our position is very clear. We are fighting corruption and our position is that fighting corruption is not all about jailing people and showing them on television sets.

“In this country, we never had armed robbery until the civil war when small arms were being used. Initially, armed robbers were being shot in public and later in secret.   But it did not stop armed robbery;   so our commitment is in the British law system that states that it is better for nine criminals to go free than for one innocent person to suffer undue punishment. In that case, the concept of beyond reasonable doubt is always difficult to prove in corrupt cases and that is why they even accuse the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) of going for plea bargain.

“In the area of arrest, the EFCC has prosecuted more people and has secured more convictions than before but even if you prosecute 10 million Nigerians and convict five million, it will not stop corruption. Yes, you are fighting corruption which must continue but the most important thing is to block those avenues that   corruption can occur.”

The President also   promised to bring the fight against insurgency to an end   if re-elected.

Earlier, many of his key ministers had spoken about the administration’s achievements.

For instance, the Minister of Finance,   Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said the recent rebasing of the GDP showed that the Jonathan administration had actually diversified the economy better than its predecessors.

Okonjo-Iweala, however, warned that there would be tough days ahead but maintained that the diversification of the economy would cushion the drop in the price of crude oil.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, said there had been giant strides in the oil sector but lamented that   pipeline vandalism was affecting both oil production and revenue.

She said over 60,000 barrels of crude were still being lost to the act daily.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, said the economy should be diversified such that oil would constitute only about 40 per cent of the nation’s revenue.

Dangote, who called on the government to ensure job creation,   said it was unfortunate that within 90 days the price of oil went from $110 per barrel to less than $50.

Copyright PUNCH.

Inside details of Bamidele's meeting with Tinubu

Strong indications emerged on Friday that the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the last election in Ekiti State, Opeyemi Bamidele, has agreed to work with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress to ensure victory for the party’s presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, in next month election.
Saturday PUNCH gathered that the deal was sealed at a meeting between Bamidele and the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in Lagos on Friday.
It was learnt that Bamidele agreed to use the Ekiti ‘Bibire’ group to mobilise support for Buhari ahead of the party’s rally in Ekiti State today.
Bamidele formed the Ekiti ‘Bibire Coalition’ in 2013 to realise his governorship ambition within the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, which pitted him against the then governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, an action that led to his eventual exit from the party.
Those at the meeting held at the Bourdillon home of the APC leader were leaders from the three senatorial districts in Ekiti State, including a former commissioner for works, Mr. Diran Adesua; wife of former governor of old Ondo State, Mrs. Yimika Olumilua; Bishop Gabriel Oloniyo; Mr. Ropo Ige and Mr. Remi Oguntuase.
The Deputy National Chairman of the APC and ex-governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Segun Oni, had met with Bamidele and his supporters in Iyin-Ekiti last Saturday.
It was reliably gathered that Bamidele’s group had a fruitful deliberation with Tinubu on how to deliver Ekiti for the APC in the presidential election.
A source in the meeting revealed that Tinubu appealed to Bamidele to continue to strive harder to ensure that APC regains its strength in Ekiti, describing him as a reliable compatriot that had the capacity to turn the fortunes of the party around.
Copyright PUNCH

Credentials: PDP's plot against Buhari thickens

 The Peoples Democratic Party has said it is not satisfied with the credentials of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and has threatened to contest the authenticity of his academic results.
A top party official, who spoke with Saturday PUNCH on Thursday, said the ruling party would investigate Buhari’s statement of results issued on Wednesday by the Katsina State Ministry of Education.
The statement of result and the confidential result sheet by the University of Cambridge were both dated January 21, stamped and signed by the Principal and Examination Officer, Government College, Katsina (formerly Provincial Secondary School).
In the result sheet, Buhari’s name was the second among the 17 candidates that sat for the Cambridge/ West African School Certificate Examination in 1961.
But the party source who does not want to be named, said, “The plan of the PDP is to contest Buhari’s academic qualification on two fronts.
“We will first contest the APC presidential candidate’s credentials by writing to all the institutions he attended for the verification of his certificates. We already have individuals in our party that are doing that.
“On the other hand, the ruling party will prevail on the Ministry of Justice to sue the former head of state for perjury.”
The party official said Buhari had, in the affidavit submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, claimed that his certificates were with the military, but the Nigerian Army denied that it had the ex-head of state’s certificates in its custody.
“This means he (Buhari) lied on oath when he said his credentials were with the army. We are not going to take this from him at all. It is the job of the Ministry of Justice to look into this case of perjury and we are going to remind them.”
Buhari had defened the affidavit he submitted by saying, “I had assumed all along that all my records were in the custody of the Secretary of the Nigerian Army. Much to my surprise, we are now told that although a record of the result is available, there are no copies of the certificates in my personal file.”
He said that was why he requested his old school to release his result.
The Director of Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, also said a perjury case should be launched against the APC candidate.
Fani-Kayode urged Buhari to submit himself to the police to answer charges of perjury.
He said, “If they fail to come forward voluntarily, we hereby call on the police and other security agencies to seek them out, find them, arrest them, interrogate them and prosecute them in accordance with the laws of the land.”
Repeated calls to the mobile telephone number of the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, indicated that it was switched off.
A text message sent to him had yet to be responded to as of the time of filing this report at 6:03pm on Friday.
Attempts by our correspondent to also reach the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, for his comment on Thursday, was unsuccessful as his phone was switched off.
The minister had also not responded to a text message inquiry on the issue.
The police however told one of our correspondents they would investigate the allegation of perjury against Buhari if there is a complaint to the force against him.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said, “There is no complaint before the police on the perjury allegation but if there is, we will investigate it.”.
In his reaction, the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said the party was not surprised that the PDP wants to contest Buhari’s school records because it is afraid that President Jonathan might lose the election.
He said, “Let them go to court. The truth is that they are not ready for the election. They are making all these excuses because they are terrified they would lose the election.”
Copyright PUNCH

APC orders international probe into PDP's plot to kill Buhari

The All Progressives' Congress Presidential Campaign Council has called for an independent inquiry into the alleged Peoples Democratic Party's plan to kill its presidential flag bearer General Muhammadu‎ Buhari ahead of next month's polls.
The Buhari campaign said in a statement by its media and publicity director Malam Garba Shehu Monday that it is bewildered by plans of the PDP and their surrogates to be plotting the death of Buhari ahead of the February 14 presidential poll.
The APC presidential campaign said it wants an international inquiry into the plot to kill Buhari "because of the danger it poses to Nigeria’s unity and democracy and by extension the stability of the West African sub-region."
“The insinuation that the leader of Nigeria’s opposition should or may die ahead of the February 14 presidential polls is not only morbid and fatalistic, but drips of desperation and represents the pinnacle of political paranoia on the part of the incumbent government which has run out of favour with the populace after nearly six years of lacklustre performance,” the APC campaign said.
It describes as distasteful the paid advertisement by PDP Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, titled “Life and Death and Enough of State Burials...”, as “nothing but death plan by the government in power to scuttle the results of the election and prevent the APC from taking over the mantle of leadership of the country

Nigerian Presidency denies handover plans to military if Buhari wins

The Presidency has denied it had planned to hand over power te military should General Muhammadu Buhari win the February 14 Presidential election.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council had on Saturday said a statement posted on Facebook by an official of the Presidency indicated that the government would rather hand over power to the military than allow Buhari to be inaugurated in the event that he wins the election.
The APC based its claim on a Blackberry Messenger (BBM) statement by Deji Adeyanju, an official in the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe which said:
“Buhari can never be President of Nigeria. Quote me any day any time. Instead of Buhari to become President of Nigeria, Nigeria would rather break. A military coup will even be allowed than for Buhari to become the president of a democratic Nigeria quote me any day, any time.”
However, Mr Bamidele Salam, head, Media Relations, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, in a statement yesterday dismissed the claim as false. He however did not say whether Mr Adeyanju was an official of the SSA’s office or not.
“We categorically deny that this statement was ever made by anyone in this office. The APC claim is absolutely false, mischievous and malicious.
“The Senior Special Assistant to the president on Public Affairs personally handles his Twitter, @doyinokupe and other social media platforms and continues to use such as a legitimate medium of advancing the cause of democratic good governance and institutional integrity which President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan represents.
“Dr Okupe has never and will never associate himself with thoughts or actions which run contrary to the tenets of democracy, rule of law and the right of Nigerians to freely elect those who govern them.
Salam said the APC should focus more on clearing the name of its presidential candidate “from the mess of not having requisite academic certificates and incapacity to govern Nigeria rather than seek a cheap diversion from a phantom post by some persons on the social media”.
He added: “We remain committed to running campaigns based on those issues which are pertinent to the growth and stability of the Nigerian nation and will not condescend to the known antics of the opposition party in blackmail, falsehood and crass opportunism.
Daily Trust

APC advises Jonathan on good electioneering, tells supporters to shun PDP "roforofo" fight tactics

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organization on Monday advised President Jonathan and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, to take charge of their re-election campaign before their surrogates plunge Nigeria into anarchy.
 This was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Media and Publicity of the campaign, Mallam Garba Shehu.
 The campaign was reacting to a front page wrap-around cover advertisement on the Monday, 19th January, 2015, edition of some newspapers in which Nigerians were asked to choose between life and death, grouping General Buhari among former Nigerian leaders who were either killed or died of natural causes while in office.
 The APC campaign said, “This is the height of desperate tactics by the PDP, which is capable of degenerating into unnecessary bloodshed and destruction. They are choosing death for us. This is not politics. We are therefore, asking our supporters to stay calm and be law-abiding.
“Even as a candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has a duty to lead the country with responsibility up until May 29, when a new President will be inaugurated.”
According to the statement, taken in its ordinary meaning, the APC alleged that the on-going campaign on Buhari’s health, using forged medical reports, and now suggestions of death are reeking of plots to eliminate him (Buhari) before or after he wins.
 The statement warned that “The whole world is watching and that if anything happens to General Muhammadu Buhari before, during or after the elections, under the pretext of X, Y, or Z, we shall be left with no option than to conclude that the PDP and their surrogates are to be held accountable.”
The campaign appealed to all APC members and millions of supporters of Buhari across the country not to play into the hands of the PDP hatchet men to be provoked and thereby, giving them the much-needed excuse to abort this democracy before or after the elections.
 Shehu said the APC campaign remains faithfully committed to the peace accord signed by the country’s political parties under the auspices of Ambassador Kofi Annan.
 He, however, alleged that the PDP is paying lip service to this commitment by trying to stroke the embers of hate and smear campaign, which he said is inconsistent with the commitment to peace.
 The statement also advised the police, the SSS, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the advertising regulatory agency in Nigeria, to do their jobs by not allowing these dangerous threats to democracy go unchecked.
“Once again, the APC campaign advises all its supporters to strive to stay above the “rofo-rofo”, which is clearly designed to provoke our supporters to help the PDP sinister agenda to abort this hard fought for democracy in view of their impending defeat in the forthcoming general elections,” Shehu said.
 Meanwhile, the APC Campaign said that petitions are being sent to Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, INEC, DSS, Nigeria Police and concerned newspapers involved to protest this malicious death wish

View Pics as Buhari/Osinbajo campaign rousingly sweeps through Minna, Kaduna

The crowd at the Kaduna rally waited till evening for Buhari and Osinbajo

Nigerians are indeed thirsty for Change.

That aptly describes the atmosphere of ecstatic expectations as people trooped inas early as 6 a.m. to witness General Muhammadu Buhari and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, presidential and vice presidential candidates of the leading opposition party All Progressives' Congress (APC) in Kaduna today.

By 8.30 a.m., the state's stadium was already filled to capacity as the crowd eagerly awaited the arrival of Buhari, who earlier stopped at Minna, Nigeri state for an earlier rally.

The expectant crowd 

Upon his arrival, it was nearly impossible to get the crowd the quieten as then y rend the air with different songs and shouts of "Sai Buhari" and "Winner ooh, oooh< Buhari you don win oooh, winner".

Earlier, at the Niger state campaign stop, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), former head of state, remarked on his buoyant health, enthusiasm and bullish determination by jocularly telling Buhari he "beat all of them to the saying 'Old soldier never dies'" in this electoral dispensation.

L-R: Rotimi Amaechi, DG in jacket, Buhari Campaign Council;IBB; Buhari; Osinbajo; Bola Tinubu, APC national leader; Bisi Akande, former party chairman at IBB's Minna home during Niger's state campaign stop today

Thereafter, the former head of state and leading member of the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) endorsed the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket of the APC for the presidential race.

Well done, guys! IBB seems to be saying to Osinbajo, right, as they shook hands

The occasion marked the forst time a leading member of a ruling party will publicly endorse a presidential candidate from the opposition for the number one office in the land during a campaign.

Nigeria is a laughing stock under Jonathan-Oshiomhole

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has ac­cused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the federal level of reducing Nigeria to a laughing stock in the comity of nations with its alleged ineptitude to provide basic amenities and fight insurgency.

Speaking at two mega ral­lies of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Auchi in Edo North and Irrua in Edo Central, the governor said when the PDP took the reins of governance in 1999, the coun­try had 774 local government areas, saying insurgents were now controlling close to 30 of those local government areas.

He said: “It is time to ask yourselves; in 16 years of PDP leadership, what has PDP government produced? For 16 years, they gave us darkness. No light, yet they keep bring­ing bills.

They produced unemploy­ment; our companies have all closed down. If the Federal Government does not have good industrial policy, unem­ployment will continue to be here. So, PDP brought unem­ployment. PDP government brought kidnapping to our country. There was no single case of kidnapping before 1999; PDP brought kidnap­ping.”

Stop whipping up hatred against Buhari – APC warns PDP

The All Progressives Con­gress (APC) has accused the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of breaching the peace accord it entered into last week with its violent attack on APC’s flagbearer, Gen Muham­madu Buhari.

A statement issued by APC’s Direc­tor of Strategic Communications, Mr. Dele Alake, the party stated that PDP’s desperate attempt to demonize Buhari contradicts the peace accord entered into by the political parties.

“It is shocking that rather than explain itself over the multiple crises it has engendered or has failed to respond to; or offer panaceas to these challeng­ing troubles, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates and spokesmen have stuck to the tactics of demonizing the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, using all sorts of red herrings, abuses, foul temper to whip up hatred against his person,” the statement said.

Alake pointed to the attempt by the PDP’s spokesmen to paint Buhari black with the allegation of corrup­tion and favouritism during Buhari’s days as the chairman of the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) and the orchestrated attempt to link him with the activities of Boko Haram.

“But a few days ago, former Presi­dent Olusegun Obasanjo, who was supposed to have commissioned the investigation into the PTF activities, disclosed that he was in possession of the report and nothing untoward was established against the APC candidate.

“To the astonishment of all right thinking persons, the PDP has chosen not to believe in the authority of President Obasanjo who ordered the investigation and has final say on it, but prefers to allege that the man who has the fact is dead! Can there be a worse tragicomedy than this? Who really is fooling who?

“It is true Gen. Buhari ruled as a military Head of State. But it must also be acknowledged that General Olusegun Obasanjo also once ruled as a military Head of State. Yet, that did not prevent the PDP from nominating and presenting him as its presidential candidate in 1999 and 2003 general elections.

“Gen. Buhari was himself a victim of Boko Haram attack, and has also lost some relatives to the sect’s violent activities. He has denounced the sect, and has signified his preparedness to take on the militants on a much firmer and intelligent basis than President Jonathan has done in four years,” the statement read in parts.

APC urged PDP and its hatchet men to focus on the main issues and proffer solution to the challenges facing the country and stop the aggressive attack on the person of Buhari.

“It is clear that President Jonathan’s aides, ministers and hatchet writers base nearly all their accusations against Gen. Buhari on his period as military head of state. They have nothing on him since then, except fishing for other commentators’ views on the retired General; views that were either politically inspired or else taken out of context. The PDP refuses to acknowl­edge that the times have changed and that the dynamics of Nigerian politics and the grave challenges of the mo­ment have made the APC candidate’s style, views and discipline precisely the pressing need of the moment.

“The fact is that the PDP has consistently avoided the main issues of this campaign. Apparently, it has no answers to them. The party prefers to focus on personal attacks, dreg up unsubstantiated records of the General during his military rule, make wild imputations of his motives, and label him atrociously in order to hang him. Nigerians, happily, have recognized that the country has little time left to tackle the grave economic collapse facing it, and the even more critical security challenges threatening the entire country. The country is rallying to the side of the APC, to the side of Gen Buhari, and to the side of poster­ity. This is an idea whose time has come, which no one can stop, not even with all the abuses possible and all the tendentiousness the PDP can muster,” the statement noted.

The Sun

Osinbajo unveils APC power generation plan

Prof. Yemi Osinbajo

The vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, said an APC-led Federal Government would provide steady power supply by installing Independent Power Projects in strategic parts of the country.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria added that his party would ensure that the privatisation of the power sector was given a larger scope if the APC was voted into power.

Osinbajo, who is the running mate of Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), said this at a Ketu town hall meeting organised by Friends of Osinbajo in Lagos on Sunday after he delivered a sermon as a guest minister at the Abundant Life Model Assembly Parish, Ketu, Lagos of the Redeemer Christian Church of God.

He said already IPPs were being used to provide steady electricity in courts and hospitals across Lagos State and this could be expanded.

He said, “What we must understand is that the Federal Government has privatised power distribution and generation, not transmission and we feel transmission should be privatised as well. We don’t have power today because generating plants can’t get gas supply and this is also largely because of the bad pipes.

“If we wait until we can set up proper gas infrastructure, it can take 10 to 15 years before we can get steady power supply.

“So, we have decided to decentralise power. For example, in Lagos we have IPPs in Marina which generates 10 megawatts and it powers hospitals and courts. We also have in Ikeja. They do not have problems of gas supply. The IPPs are directly connected to the place we want it to power.

“If we can mobilise our trade groups in certain areas, we can provide 24-hour power for them. Also, we can then provide for local governments. In Lagos for instance, the state government already knows the power needs of each local government so we can provide IPPs as well.”

Osinbajo added that the price of gas must also be deregulated so that more private companies could invest in the sector and increase power supply.

The APC candidate also berated the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government for failing to address the issue of insecurity.

While making reference to a CNN report in which soldiers claimed that they paid for their uniforms and boots with their money, Osinbajo said it was evidence that President Goodluck Jonathan was only paying lip service to the fight against insurgency.

He promised that Buhari, as an ex-serviceman, would not take the issue of insecurity with levity if voted into power.

He said, “A few days ago, I watched Nigerian soldiers on CNN saying they had to buy uniforms and boots with their own money and these are people we are sending to lay down their lives for us. This is the most irresponsible thing.

“So far, we have spent N4tn on defence and yet our soldiers don’t have enough equipment. Buhari will lead as commander-in-chief from the front. Jonathan says Buhari did not buy rifles when he was in power and yet we’re presented facts that show that between 1983 and 1999, no government spent on the military more than Buhari.”

The Deputy Director General of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, urged the people of the state to ensure that they voted massively for the APC, adding that Nigeria needed change more than ever.

Copyright PUNCH.

Northern ministers afraid of campaigning for Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan

Anxiety is growing among ministers from the North as the campaign train of President Goodluck Jonathan moves to the region from today (Monday), investigation has revealed.

The Peoples Democratic Party has so far held rallies in the South-West (except Ondo) and south- eastern states since it inaugurated its campaign in Lagos on January 8.

This week, the party is scheduled to hold its presidential campaigns in Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Gusau, Kano, Dutse, Bauchi, Makurdi and Maiduguri.

A minister, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that the growing anxiety among his colleagues from the North was a result of the fact that they were not sure of the kind of reception that would be accorded the President and the party leadership during the rallies in the region.

He attributed the fear to the campaign of hate, which he said, the opposition had successfully spread against the President in that part of the country.

This, he further said, had led to a wide acceptability of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in the area.

He said, “We know that we ministers will be held responsible for the success or failure of the rallies in our region. We are also aware that we are going to be assessed based on the success recorded by our colleagues from the South-West and South-East who have, with all sincerity, put up good performances.

“In our region, there is currently a campaign of hate against the PDP and all that it represents. Majority of these claims are untrue but unfortunately, they are gaining ground.

“Have you not heard one of our governors in the region saying it publicly that the PDP members in his state are afraid to campaign for their candidates openly? Is that supposed to be so?”

The minister however said he and his colleagues would not spare any efforts aimed at ensuring the success of the rallies that would start today in Sokoto and Birni Kebbi, despite all odds.

Our correspondent further learnt that to achieve this, the ministers from the North had been holding strategic meetings with Vice President Namadi Sambo.

Apart from the success of the rallies, it was learnt that how to woo enough voters for the President in the North, despite the glaring hostilities, had formed part of discussions at such meetings.

Ministers from states where there are no PDP governors are taking charge of preparation for the rallies which will take the President to Jos, Ilorin, Lafia, Yola, Jalingo and Kaduna next week.

Copyright PUNCH.