Nnamani must quit as Electoral Reform Committee Chairman – Fayose

Ekiti State Governor and Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has called for the immediate resignation of former Senate President, Ken Nnamani as chairman of the Electoral Reform Committee and allow a non-partisan person to take over, saying “if the federal government is serious about electoral reform, Senator Nnamani, a card carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won’t head the Electoral Reform Committee.”

Senator wants corruption ‘legalised and liberalised’

A Nigerian senator has asked the country’s senate to legalise corruption, in spite of it being one of the major problems confronting one of Africa’s largest economies.

Senator Yele Omogunwa (APC-Ondo South) spoke during plenary on Wednesday while contributing to the upper chamber’s debate on the 2017 budget.

Noting that pass federal budgets have had little or no impacts on the Nigerian people because of pervasive corruption, the senator stated that legalising and liberalising it would be better.

Nigerians will fare better in 2017 – APC

APC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi

The All Progressives Congress has assured Nigerians that they will fare better in 2017.

The party said the necessary foundation had been laid by the government to set the nation on the path of sustainable growth.

This was contained in the party’s New Yew message to Nigerians on Saturday.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement, said the party was grateful to Nigerians for their support and commitment to the APC-led government in 2016.

He said, “We understand that the past year has been a difficult one for Nigerians as government laid the necessary foundation for setting our country on the path of sustainable growth.

“We are confident, however, that many of government’s efforts will begin to yield positive dividends this year as our country climbs out of the current economic recession.”

Also in his New Year message, the senator representing Lagos-East senatorial district, Gbenga Ashafa, has urged Nigerians not to despair but to expect better life from the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration in 2017.

The senator urged Nigerians to remain patient and focused, stressing that the Federal Government was working assiduously to improve the economy.

The statement partly read, “As we go into the New Year, Nigerians should not despair. I strongly believe that it is in challenging times like these that people have been forced out of their comfort zones to create new economies, new opportunities and enhance the course of modern civilisation.”

PDP helped Buhari become President – Lamido

A former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has appraised the internal wrangling in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and has come to the conclusion that President Muhammadu Buhari is the greatest beneficiary of the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The PDP founding father, who argued that there was no way Buhari could have been given an opportunity to contest for presidency at the outset of the present dispensation in 1998/99, claimed that the President was able to come to power in 2015 because of the efforts of the PDP in reconciling and stabilizing the country.

Lamido, who spoke in his Bamaina hometown at the weekend, stated that all the leaders, including himself, are to be blamed for the party’s woes, but maintained that the PDP is beyond any personality, and that it belongs to Nigerians so cannot be appropriated by anybody.

Speaking about the crisis in the party, he said, “It is not about one’s own personality or one’s ego, but it is about this party called PDP which carries the Nigerian hope which was able to get Nigerians stabilised in spite of the vilification and propaganda and prepared the ground fully for Buhari to come in and become a president because if there is any great beneficiary of PDP in Nigeria, it is Buhari.”

The former Jigawa governor continued, “between 1998 and 1999, there was no way Buhari could have gotten the opportunity to contest, he can’t contest I don’t mean to insult him, but it is simply a historical fact that all those that are now calling the shots, is all, thanks to PDP because the country has been stabilised and reconciled.

“So, anybody in the Villa or Government Houses or wherever they are, who are now enjoying this APC thing are simply because PDP was able to restore the country and made it possible for them,” he stated.

“But today, no matter how big you are as a thief, if you go to APC, they would accept you, look at those going to APC in the last two to three weeks, these are people who are literally on trial by the EFCC,” he declared.

“Maybe because the PDP couldn’t stand up for them, that’s why they are going there or maybe APC has no qualms about fraud by accepting them with the intention of cleaning them,” Lamido added.

APC responsible for Nigeria’s woes, says Okorocha

The Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum and governor of Imo State, Chief Rochas Okorocha, on Monday admitted that the All Progressives Congress is responsible for Nigeria’s woes.

He said although some of the problems predated the present administration, the party must take responsibility without shifting blame.

Okorocha spoke with State House correspondents shortly after leading the APC governors to a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The governor said, “As APC, we are responsible for everything happening in Nigeria. We are responsible for the good, the bad, the ugly but we are promising Nigerians that we shall fix it.”

While admitting that Nigerians were passing through difficult times, Okorocha said there was no surgery that is not painful.

He said Nigerians were experiencing pains because the country was going through what he called “a very serious economic surgery.”

The governor asked Nigerians to be more patient with the present administration.

He said, “We share the pains of Nigerians, every human being must feel it. We also feel what they are going through but we are asking for a little patience.

“Let us do things the right way and do it once and for all. I am sure that by next year, you will begin to see changes, the price of rice will drop, prices of dollars will begin to stabilise and we will see a lot of challenges.

“But at this painful moment, nobody likes it. It is like a woman in the labour room, when she is in the labour room there is no joy but she has to pass through that moment and that moment, she does not wear her high heel shoes, no makeup, no champagne, no party.

“She is going through a process but shortly after that process, joy cometh once she sees the child. So, Nigerians should bear with us as a government.”

Okorocha said the governors discussed a lot of national issues at the meeting including the 21 released Chibok girls, agriculture, the ongoing anti-corruption war and the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State with the President.

Why I dumped PDP for APC – Joshua Dariye

A former Plateau State Governor, Joshua Dariye, has explained why he dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Mr. Dariye on Thursday left the PDP, on whose platform he was first elected governor and then elected to the National Assembly to represent Plateau Central senatorial district.

He is one of the former governors facing corruption charges, accused of siphoning the state’s ecological fund to the tune of N1.16 billion.

In 2004, Mr. Dariye fled the United Kingdom where he was being tried for money laundering.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission first filed charges against Mr. Dariye in 2007. He pleaded not guilty.

For nine years, his trial was delayed until February 2015 when the Supreme Court affirmed the competence of the Abuja court to try him.

In 2011, he defected from the PDP to Labour Party, where he contested the senatorial election.

When Mr. Dariye returned to the PDP in 2014, he explained that his decision to rejoin the party was because he was a founding member.

He had then assured of his “loyalty” to the PDP at all times.

However, in his latest defection letter to the senate president, he said, “after due consultations with my constituency, I write to notify you of my intention to cross over from the PDP to the APC.

“My decision is informed by the protracted division at the national level of the PDP that led to the massive movement of my supporters to the APC.

“Arising from this, I therefore write to formally inform you of my decision to go along with my supporters. I thank you for your understanding.’”

Fielding questions later from journalists, Mr. Dariye said his decision to dump the PDP was informed by the crack in the party.

He added that most of his constituents had defected to the ruling APC and that he wanted to be with his constituents for effective representation.

“My people in the PDP have moved to the APC and there is no need to remain alone,” he said.

Mr. Dariye, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Procurement, reiterated his commitment to serve the people of his constituency.

Despite his stated reason, Nigerians on social media have suggested the Senator did cross-carpet on the hope he would be helped to avoid conviction, being a member of the ruling party.

Ondo Election: ACPN, NCP Elect Their Candidates

The Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) has elected Adetuwo Ogunjumelo as the party’s governorship candidate in the November 26 Ondo election.

Ogunjumelo who had 91 votes in the primary election held in Akure, the state capital, narrowly defeated his closer rival, Remi Okunrinboye who got 90 votes.

The third aspirant, Mrs Ayoade Jegede got 10 votes.

The election was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

A total of 194 party delegates from across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state voted in the election.  Three votes were voided in the process.

The National Secretary of the party, Paul Isamade, while speaking to newsmen, expressed satisfaction on the conduct of the election, saying it was free and fair.

He appealed to the two aspirants to join hands with the candidate to achieve success.

The candidate, appealed to the people of the state to vote for him with a promise to create an enabling environment for development.

He said that he would improve on the internally generated revenue of the state.

In the same vein, the National Conscience Party (NCP) also elected Davies Oluwasuyi as its candidate for the governorship election.

Oluwasuyi emerged the party’s candidate after delegates to the party primary endorsed him unopposed, following the failure of the other aspirant to return his nomination form.

APC may cancel Ondo primary

The All Progressives Congress (APC) may cancel the September 3 governorship primary in Ondo State.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu won the primary which was hotly contested by other aspirants.
Daily Sun gathered yesterday night that the primary may eventually be cancelled “based on the recommendation of two, out of the three members of the Appeal Committee” chaired by Margaret Bendega
For over three hours yesterday, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) met and was initially undecided on whether its September 3 governorship primary in Ondo State should be cancelled based on the Appeal Committee report.
Party leaders failed to reach a decision at an meeting held at its national secretariat in Abuja, yesterday.
But, by yesterday night, indications emerged that the primary may be cancelled.
Last Friday, Bendega comittee submitted its report to the party leadership and Daily Sun gathered that while the party seemed convinced that “the list of delegates used for the primary was ‘tweaked,’ no one was held responsible for the infraction. Besides, the ‘tweak’ was not weighty enough to cancel the entire result.
Another source, however, said the party leaders may take a final decision on the mater. Akeredolu won the primary with Jigawa Governor, Abubakar Badaru as chairman of the Primary Election Committee.
He defeated Segun Abraham and Olusola Oke.
Abraham, has challenged the victory of Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN). His petition is with the Appeal Committee.
The result announced by the Election Committee headed by Jigawa State Governor  Muhammed Badaru Abubakar stated that  Akeredolu scored 669 votes. Abraham polled 635.
Abraham said he was prompted to challenge the result following the emergence of sordid facts on how the process leading to the primary election was manipulated and compromised. After wide consultation with his numerous supporters, Abraham decided to explore the internal mechanism of the party to seek redress.
Another aspirant, Olusola Oke, has also rejected the result, alleging  – like many party chiefs – that the list of delegates was doctored.
A statement signed by the Director-General of Abraham’s campaign organisation Mr Olu Adegboro, reads: “It is no longer news that as a true democrat, imbued with the best spirit of sportsmanship, I congratulated Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, who purportedly emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the September 3rd gubernatorial primary election in Ondo State in the face of palpable disbelief and surprise on the outcome of the primary election by my numerous supporters.
“The news however is that, sordid and staggering facts have since emerged on how the process leading to the primary election was manipulated and compromised. It is now beyond doubt that the delegate list used on the day of the primary election was doctored and strangely injected with a mind blowing number of delegates who are neither executive members of our party nor statutory delegates.
“To say the least, the manipulation of the delegate list, highly skewed accreditation process and the entire processes leading to the conduct of the primary election have cast the darkest stain on the result of the primary election held on the 3rd September, 2016.

Oshiomhole, APC Plan To Replace NYSC Members With Loyalists – PDP

The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has again alerted the international community, accredited election monitors and the general public about secret plot by Governor Adams Oshiomhole and its party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) to substitute members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) trained for Edo governorship election with their party members.

A press statement signed by the state’s publicity secretary of the PDP, Chris Nehikare,  reiterated that the postponement of the Edo State governorship election earlier scheduled for Saturday, September 10, is in line with the governor’s and APC’s devious plan and had nothing to do with insecurity in the state.

According to the PDP,  “the postponement was well-planned to undermine the will of Edo people. We are now convinced that the phantom security advice by the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Security (DSS) was orchestrated by Governor Adams Oshiomhole and some cabal within the APC, in the face of imminent defeat in the election.

‘’For instance, we all know that many members of the NYSC were trained by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as ad-hoc staff for the election. And going by NYSC Action Plan September, 2016, the trained NYSC members are to finish their clearance, as part of their final disengagement process that will end on September 30.

“’And we have just been told by insiders within the APC that Governor Oshiomhole and his party had compiled list of their party’s members that they will secretly use to replace the out-going trained NYSC members.’’

The party added that one of the reasons APC also asked INEC to fix the rescheduled election for Wednesday, September 28, an official working day, is to deny many electorates outside the state, who planned to come to Edo State for the election, from doing so.

It said hundreds of the electorates outside the state had arrived Edo State before the election was postponed, with many of them feeling disappointed about the action of the APC, in connivance with INEC/security agencies.

The PDP added, ‘’We want to once again, put the international community, accredited election monitors and the general public on notice over the devious plan by APC. It will surely undermine our democracy and instigate crisis that might be very difficult to manage if Oshiomhole and his gang are allowed to have their way.

Pray for quick recovery of our economy – APC begs Nigerians

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, John Odigie- Oyegun, has urged Nigerians to pray for the quick recovery of the nation’s economy.

Oyegun, in his Sallah message urged Nigerians to support the current government in its efforts towards salvaging the country from the present downturn.

He stated that President Muhammadu Buhari was working assiduously to towards restoring the country’s failing economy.

Oyegun said, “Muslim faithful and indeed all Nigerians are enjoined to use the occasion of Eid-el-Kabir to pray for the peace, development and prosperity of the country.

“Indeed, Nigeria is today passing through challenging times in its socio-economic life, the Party calls on Nigerians to pray and support the administration as it works assiduously to pull the country out of the present hardships and restore the country on the path growth in all facets.

“Happily, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration is already employing all legitimate and innovative means to restore the country’s battered economy back to health in the quickest possible time.”

Postponement of Edo election, a coup against Nigerians – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party has condemned the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to postpone the Edo State governorship election, describing it as a coup against Nigerians.

INEC had on Thursday night postponed the election till September 28 a day after the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force advised it to shift the poll due to security threats.

However, the PDP, in a statement by its spokesperson, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, condemned the move, adding that under the current INEC, all elections conducted had either been inconclusive or truncated.

It said, “The postponement of the election by INEC is illegal, unconstitutional and a breach of the peoples’ trust in the commission and the security agencies.

“It is a coup against the people of Edo State in particular and Nigerians in general. Since APC assumed power, virtually all elections conducted by INEC have either been inconclusive or truncated.

“Saturday’s election in Edo State must be an exemption. We will not accept anything less than free, fair and transparent election conducted and concluded the same day. INEC must rise to the occasion to restore the confidence of Nigerians in its operations.

“Edo is a test case. With the way INEC is performing, how are we sure that it would be able to handle the 2019 general elections. Our democracy is under a serious threat from the APC and its Gestapo security agencies.

“It is shameful and indeed a major constitutional breach for the security agencies to act in concert with the APC to truncate an election that had been planned for months.”

But the ruling party, the APC, has yet to comment on INEC’s decision to postpone the Edo State governorship election till September 28.

Attempts to get an official reaction from the party’s National Secretariat, in Abuja, on Thursday were unsuccessful.

Repeated calls to the mobile of the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, were not returned.

A response to a text message sent to him was still being awaited as of the time of filing this report.

Similarly, the mobile phone of the party’s National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, indicated that it was switched off when the line was called.

Edo guber: APC behind call to postpone Saturday’s election – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of allegedly sponsoring the call for the postponement of Saturday’s governorship election by some students ‎currently sitting the 2016 West African Senior School Certificate Examination in the state.

It described the call as a alleged ploy by the APC to delay the election because it was afraid of a defeat.

The state Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, who spoke on Tuesday in Benin, said, “I think this protest is being organised by the APC. I do not think they are prepared for the election. It is obvious that what is awaiting the APC come Saturday is defeat.

“So, they are now urging people to go to the streets to request the postponement of the election. What I must say hear is that if they hold the election on Saturday, APC will be defeated.

Orbih noted that the affected WASSCE candidates should have asked WAEC to postpone the examination rather than the election, which he said was long overdue.

He added “If through their organised protest, using thugs‎ to demonstrate that they are students that will be affected if we go ahead to do the election and, as a result, they decide to postpone the election, they will only delay the evil day.”

Efforts to reach the leadership of the APC in the state for comments were not successful.

However, the Commissioner ‎for Information, Kassim Afegbua, dismissed the allegation, adding that the APC had nothing to fear as the opposition party had long been decimated

According to Afegbua, the PDP had shown that it was less concerned about the education of the youths and did not understand its value.

The commissioner said, “How can? How possible is it that the ruling party will be afraid of rickety opposition party that has been decimated over the years?

“We pity them (PDP). They do not value education, so the issue of WASSCE does not bother them.”

Again, APC blames PDP for Nigeria’s economic woes

Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, has again blamed the opposition Peoples Democratic Party for the country’s current economic crisis.

The APC, whose other officials including Chairman John Oyegun had stated similar stance, on Monday asked the opposition party to apologize to Nigerians. It, however, assured that President Muhammadu Buhari would undertake the “urgent task” of reviving the “battered” economy.

Nigeria’s economy is officially in recession, the National Bureau of Statistics confirmed on Wednesday, saying the country’s Gross Domestic Product contracted by 2.06 per cent in the second quarter of 2016, the second time of recording negative growth rate consecutively.

Nigeria’s economic crisis – marked by growing inflation, falling naira value, low oil revenue, increased incapacity of most states to carry out basic responsibilities and general hardship among citizens – was a result of President Muhamadu Buhari’s “ineptitude and incompetent” approach to the management of the economy, PDP said in a statement hours after the NBS release.

“We join all well-meaning Nigerians to call on Mr. Buhari to resign if he is unable to reverse the disastrous economic decline he has brought on Nigerians,” PDP said.

But APC, in a statement by its National Secretary, Mai Buni, insisted the manners in which the economy was managed as well as “unprecedented” high scale corruption under the PDP government of former President Goodluck Jonathan were the circumstances that plunged Nigeria into the current economic quagmire.

The situation has seen many Nigerians struggle to eke out living, and various companies close shops or retrench workers.

Since Mr. Buhari came to power in May last year, a total of 4.58 million Nigerians have become unemployed over a period that stretches through 2015 Q3, Q4 and 2016 Q1, Q2, NBS revealed on Wednesday. 

However, Mr. Buhari, who rode to power on the promise he was going to revive the economy, fight corruption and ensure security, should not blamed for the crisis, the ruling party said.

“In spite of the PDP’s orchestrated and feeble attempts to blackmail the current administration and twist facts, the reality remains that the prevailing socio-economic hardship being faced by Nigerians is a direct consequence of the mismanagement of the economy and unprecedented looting of the country’s commonwealth perpetrated under its watch,” APC said.

It said the PDP’s “attempt to turn truth on its head is fraudulent, insensitive and an insult to Nigerians,” adding that, “For the umpteenth time, the PDP must own up to its transgressions and apologize to Nigerians.”

“Going forward, the urgent task before the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration is to restore the country’s battered economy back to health and all legitimate and innovative means are being employed to achieve this in the quickest possible time.

“The APC assures Nigerians of the strong political will and commitment of the President Buhari administration to revive the economy and tackle the nation’s current challenges through suitable and well-thought economic policies, fiscal discipline and socio-political reforms,” the scribe said.

He added that economic diversification topped the government’s strategic agenda. He also sought public cooperation for Nigeria to reach its deserved place.

“Among other strategic economic agendas, diversification of the country’s economy is a priority for the administration. To this end, President Buhari is aggressively formulating and implementing policies aimed at diversifying Nigeria’s economy from oil to other sectors such as agriculture, mining and manufacturing.

“The APC assures Nigerians that the administration will pull the country out of the present hardships. With the support, cooperation, patience and prayers of Nigerians, the country will reach its deserved potential under our leadership.”

While the government has repeatedly promised better days ahead and encouraged citizens to bear “today’s pains for tomorrow’s gains”, Nigerians appear impatient, demanding short term approaches to address growing hardship.

This was amplified, during the weekend, by Shehu Sani (APC Senator representing Kaduna Central) who warned that Nigerians “may die before President completes reforms”. Similarly, Dino Melaye, another APC Senator, Kogi West, sought “drastic” measures, lamenting that “The hunger in the land is real, pervasive, widespread and debilitating for the poor masses.”

Economy Recession: Stop crying like helpless baby – PDP tells APC

The Peoples Democratic Party has asked President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress, to face the challenge of putting the economy in a good shape instead of “crying like a helpless baby.”

It also said that the ruling party lacked vision to run the economy.

The main opposition party, which ruled the country from 1999 to 2016, also said that the APC’s incompetence and poor handling of the economy caused recession.

Consequently, it said that President Buhari and the APC should stop blaming former President Goodluck Jonathan for the current state of the economy.

The spokesperson for the PDP National Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said this in a statement he signed in Abuja on Sunday.

Adeyeye said the PDP had noticed that some governors of the APC had also joined the fray by blaming the former ruling party and Jonathan for the current hardship in the country.

Specifically, he mentioned the Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, as one of those who he said were of the opinion that the last PDP administration was responsible for the current economic recession.

Adeyeye said, “It is really disappointing that a notable personality as highly-placed as a state governor could be drawn into making idle and pedestrian claims without the benefit of facts.

“It is either he does not realise the obligation of speaking responsibly in that position or he is grossly ill-informed.

“In which case, we could only try to put the facts before him, and hoping he would recognise them.

“In the first place, this blame is misplaced because our elementary understanding of economics teaches us that the major cause of recession is inflation and poor handling of the economy given that the higher the rate of inflation, the more impoverished people become, industrial production and GDP decline resulting in massive job losses.

“Perhaps, we should quote those who should know and tell Governor Badaru that wrong economic policies of the APC-led government caused the current stagnation and recession in the country.”

Adeyeye referred the ruling party and the government to a statement credited to the President of the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association, Mr. Larry Ettah, a few days ago to buttress his point.

He said, “Ettah did not mince words when he said a few days ago that, ‘It is quite evident that the lack of clarity about the economic agenda of the current government contributed to the current economic stagnation and recession.

“‘In recent times at our AGMs, we have variously described our operating environment as challenging, unpredictable, unstable and energy sapping. These words are of course, true and descriptive of what our members have experienced in keeping their businesses afloat.’

“However, beyond that, we make bold to tell Governor Badaru that Jonathan and the PDP government saw this coming since 2011, and wanted to deregulate the sale of hydrocarbons in 2012, but Badaru and his co-travellers who are now in the APC frustrated the effort.”

He added that the former administration also wanted to encourage more savings in the Excess Crude Account and set up the Sovereign Wealth Fund but that “the Badarus of this world” who he said played politics with serious national issues and were state governors at the time took the Federal Government to court and did everything to frustrate the effort.

“Thank God some of them are among the ‘best brains’ in the APC Federal Government of today,” Adeyeye stated sarcastically.

He said that Badaru should know that it would be difficult to plant grapes and harvest mangoes.

Apart from this, he alleged that it was no longer a secret that the policies and statements made by key government actors had not been business-friendly.

This action, he added, made some Nigerians and foreign businessmen to take their hard currencies out of the country.

He said, “When professionals were advising the government to woo investors, characters like Badaru were busy demarketing Nigeria all over the world.

“They should be reminded that great leaders take over countries either in recession or war and still succeed in turning them around; quite unlike the prevailing situation where a ruling party plunges the economy into an avoidable recession, only to turn round and begin to whine helplessly like a baby.

Adeyeye called on the Federal Government to stop the blame game and look inward towards resolving the recession by inviting economic experts irrespective of their political leaning to join hands with the administration at these trying times.

Obaseki: I’ve found my missing certificates

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, on Wednesday said that he has found the original copies of his academic credentials, which had earlier been declared missing in a sworn affidavit.

Obaseki had, in the said affidavit submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the September 10 election, reportedly stated that his academic documents got missing while he was moving his office from one place to another.

The development had on Monday attracted criticisms from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, which described his reasons for not being in possession of the certificates as “flimsy” and “unconvincing.”

However, Obaseki, who spoke during an interactive session organised by civil societies for governorship candidates in Benin, noted that though he had no reason to search for the documents, he had to provide the photocopies and swear to an affidavit for the election.

He explained, “I have found them. The truth is that I have not had any reason to look for them in the last 25 years. I know that I kept them somewhere in a safe box and I had photocopies.

“When I needed them for the exercise, I could not find them. So, I swore to an affidavit that I cannot find the originals.

He said that the photocopies of the documents were certified by the issuing institutions.

Obaseki added, “I took the photocopies to the institutions that issued them and they certified the photocopies.

“So when the whole controversy started raging, my cousin called me from New York and said, ‘But your originals are here. I said, ‘Please, send them to me now.”

The APC candidate also reiterated that his administration would provide security and manpower necessary to attract investors.

PUNCH.

ONDO: Mimiko’s Commissioner, Aide resign, dump PDP to APC

The Ondo State Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperative Services, Yetunde Adeyanju, has resigned her appointment.

Similarly, Hon. Giwa Rasheed, a Special Assistant to Governor Olusegun Mimiko has also resigned.

The duo said they were joining the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The Commissioner in a statement on Monday said with his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party’s government, “a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders.”

“The relief came from a refreshing freedom a political family where impunity reigns, freedom from subversion of democratic principles and indeed, freedom from deification of sycophancy.

“In the last seven years, I have served in various executive capacities in the state. I started as the executive chairman of Ondo State Waste Management Board, later moved on to head Ondo State Development Company Limited as executive chairman and finally, as commissioner in the ministry of Community Development and Cooperative Services.

“Whenever I served, I discharged my duties with utmost dedication and unassailable integrity; notwithstanding the culture of greed, avarice and absolute disregard for the masses.

“Having exited the conundrum of capricious politics, I have, therefore, decided to align myself with true progressives in the APC. While I salute the patriots in the APC, I also want to commend President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption crusades.

“It is, therefore, my great pleasure to renounce my membership of PDP and announce my membership of APC”, she said.

“We didn’t know things were this bad when we were campaigning” – APC National Chairman

John Odigie-Oyegun

The National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun has said that they never expected what they saw in government when they came on board.

PUNCH reports that Odigie-Oyegun said this on Friday at a reception held in his honour by the management and staff of the party’s national secretariat in Abuja to mark his 77th birthday.

“It has been tough times for the nation. When we were campaigning – it is necessary to continue to hammer on this point – we were not in government; we knew things were very bad but we did not know they were as bad as we eventually found them. And the revelations that come out every day continue to buttress that fact.

Secondly, and that is very important: nobody ever expected the prices of crude to collapse in the way they have done. One can only repeat what Mr. President (Muhammadu Buhari) said a few days ago and that is, from being a nation that could have an Excess Crude Account, today, because of the collapse of the prices of crude, a lot of the states in this country do not even have enough resources to meet their very basic functions and responsibilities to their citizens,” he said.

The APC chief added that president Buhari’s emergence “at this critical time” was the handiwork of God.

This is the change we voted for

Muhammadu Buhari

 

The last couple of weeks have witnessed the heaviest public criticism of the Muhammadu Buhari administration since he came to power after inflicting a heavy defeat on the Peoples Democratic Party and their candidate Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Much of it has been on account of the unresolved social and economic problems facing the country.

Unfair criticism of the Buhari administration especially on account of escalating prices of foodstuff and the liberalization of the currency exchange needs to be challenged before it overshadows the commendable job the President has done in fighting terrorism as part of overall effort to secure the country, reducing corruption and yes, arresting the economic slide before it sinks the the nation.

The Hausa have a saying: “Ba zomo na kashe ba, rataya a ka bani,” meaning literally “I killed no rabbit, I am helping to carry the prey.”

Wherever they go these days, in London, Dubai, Beijing, Washington, New York or Tokyo, Nigerians get the good feeling of being asked the question, how is President Muhammadu Buhari?

It is a proud moment for many citizens that the country is being perceived differently now that it has a different kind of leader creating a positive buss abroad, the kind of sentiment that can lead to foreign investments when properly capitalized upon.

The lavish praise the President gets abroad and the wide public support he enjoys among the lower segment of the local population is, by contrast, given a short shrift in the local press, mainstream and online. At its lowest point, this unambiguous media rebuke has created a wave of sympathy for anyone with a view that runs counter to the President’s.

Boko Haram terrorist leader, Shekau or the pipeline vandal form the Delta region is more likely to get newspaper front pages today than the Minister of Labour, Governor Emeka Ngige or the Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun talking about jobs creation in the economy.

I don’t say that media criticism is not reflective of the feeling of the citizens.

President Buhari has himself on numerous occasions admitted that the change mantra has brought with it pain and suffering which he likened to the pains of labor. It is a passing phase.

When they ask the question, is this the change we voted for, the critic forgets how far we have come from the scam-tainted years of the PDP rule.

How many people have given a thought to the possibility of Nigeria doing something that the combined strength of Europe and America have failed to do?

There are many today who take for granted the declared victory over the Boko Haram terrorists, forgetting the reign of the bomber who made it almost impossible for regular attendance in Churches and Mosques in many of our cities, including the Federal Capital City, Abuja.

Victory over Boko Haram has brought peace not only to Nigeria but to the countries in the Lake Chad region.

The world leaders are still at work trying to contain the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, ISIS, which threat sadly continues to become more potent.

Everyone living in Nigeria knows that there is a major movement against corruption as part of the ongoing change. This war has forced the return to the treasury of billions of Naira and millions of Dollars stolen by past officials.

On account of this war, government suspects that the biggest trigger of the opposition to the change agenda is the army of the corrupt. With the enormous resources at their disposal; money that is unearned, these forces are ready to throw in everything to gag the Buhari administration.

When he assumed office, President Buhari said he understood the outcry of Nigerians and was determined to right those wrongs. I will remind you of his inaugural speech where he said: “At home we face enormous challenges. Insecurity, pervasive corruption, the hitherto unending and seemingly impossible fuel and power shortages are the immediate concerns. We are going to tackle them head on. Nigerians will not regret that they have entrusted national responsibility to us. We must not succumb to hopelessness and defeatism. We can fix our problems.”(Emphasis added).

He has said times without number that his government is dedicated to the poor. As can be seen from the 2016 budget, this is a government that is determined to hugely empower the disadvantaged groups- the poor, the jobless, the widows and the orphaned children including those of the North-East.

As a listening government, the President was prepared to open the door to additional food imports but given the processes involved, the turn around in any such import of commodities would have taken a long time as to coincide with the harvest of home grown grains and cereals now in progress. The market would have been deluged and the local grower given the short end of the stick.

Calls on Hausa radio by a rabble-rousing section of the opposition for the “reopening of borders” to “allow food come in” are redundant and mischievous because all the county’s borders remain open till date.

Following the budget, the administration has begun rolling out several social welfare programs. The direct cash transfer to the poorest of the poor, the school feeding and the recruitment/skills training of about one million jobless citizens are such an example.

In addition to hard work, all leaders need luck on their side to create what is sometimes seen as economic miracles. As leader, President Buhari never had the luxury of high oil prices as did his predecessors in office.

When he first emerged as the military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari saw oil price, the mainstay of the nation’s economy sank to as low eight Dollars a barrel.

He rolled up his sleeves, worked on diversification strategy of the economy only to be eased out of power just as they began to take hold. Thereafter, his successors abandoned these efforts.

On his second coming, this time as a democratically elected leader, the collapse of oil prices has challenged President Buhari to quicken efforts towards the diversification of the economy with emphasis given to agriculture and solid minerals mining. Every crisis, it is said, is an opportunity. Not so in Nigeria. This is a county that inherited massive technological inventions from Biafra, yet failed to take it forward. We must not lose this opportunity to diversify the economy and our foreign earnings presented by the present oil crisis.

As the country hopes for a bumper harvest this year, government is taking steps to ensure that no farmer will sell at a loss or fail to find markets for their harvests. Grain silos are being readied nationwide to receive excess produce for warehousing to ensure food security, avert market glut and price collapse. By this, government will ensure a minimum guaranteed price.

In dealing with challenges of the economy, the administration is devoting attention to ridding the country of its notoriety as a difficult place of doing business.

The government has been making quiet but significant progress in this area, thanks to the leadership given by the National Economic Council under the Vice President and the combined efforts of the Ministries of Trade and Investment, Finance, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Budget and Planning and the Customs under new leadership.

Everyone in this sector is doing everything in their power to boost up Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s infrastructure initiatives will see country making progress with intractable projects such as the Second Niger bridge, the East-West expressway, the green field Lagos-Abuja expressway and important national railway projects, Lagos-Calabar and Lagos-Kano which had been on the drawing boards for as long as anyone can remember.

These projects will be counted among the accomplishments of the administration alongside the 4,000 MW Mambila power plant which the President has declared a national priority. Government has also taken several bold steps to boost renewable energy. It has opened the door for a new conversation on the environment with decisive steps towards the clean-up the Ogoniland in the Niger Delta.

The currency liberalization and the deregulation of the petroleum products sale will make President Buhari one of the best presidents till date. The removal of subsidies on the petrol products has saved the government more than two trillion Naira annual expenditure in this respect.

President Buhari’s foreign trips have brought many things to the country. He has energized our foreign policy. Beyond the enormous goodwill reaped from “resetting” age-old but damaged relations with neighbors and distant partners and friends, the President has attracted foreign development assistance and direct investments (FDI). It is generally accepted that good foreign relations bring foreign direct investment. So much is currently being done one year into the administration. This is in spite of the world economy being sluggish and recession-stricken.

It bears repeating that President is a different kind of leader, who just happens to be a victim of the tyranny of high expectations. He has brought positive intention, commitment, honesty and personal integrity into governance. This is why the country’s poor hold him so dear; this is why the world is in love with him.

His knack for prudent spending and effective management of resources is in the belief that this country can only prosper when there is transparency, reduced corruption and a drastic cut in bureaucratic red tape.

His decision to have a small cabinet, reducing government ministries from 46 to 24 has the effect of relieving the treasury of the burden of salaries, allowances and miscellaneous expenses now being counted in billions of Naira.

President Buhari should be credited for the the unblemished record of his ministers. This is a government that has stayed above scandal for a year.

If all of these are not desirable changes, to be appreciated and adored, it is hard to know or determine what some of our critics want.

These reforms certainly represent major milestones in change which have led to a decline of corruption at the top.

As to the question of these leading to a resurgent economy, it all means that in a democracy everything takes times. The President needs our support with understanding and patience. No matter how hasty a president wants to bring changes, there is no magic wand in that office to make everything change from bad to good or make all of us prosperous with a wave of the hand. This change is on course. It requires patience.

The change is working for the nation and sooner than later, the testimony shall be given.

– Shehu is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity.