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Unbelievable! 10 things opposition parties are planning to do Oyo state

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The opposition parties in Oyo State are at the verge of forming an alliance to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

On Friday, the Bodija home of former governor of the state, Senator Rasheed Ladoja, played host to four governorship candidates in the forthcoming governorship election.

Present at the meeting were the candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Seyi Makinde, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Sharafadeen Alli and Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN.

According to our source, the meeting was to conclude arrangement on a possible coalition of the leading opposition parties to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Our source further hinted that the arrowhead of the proposed coalition, the ADP governorship candidate, former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, was absent at the meeting.

The absence of the Ogbomosho-born political gladiator fueled speculations that he might have succumbed to persuasion to rejoining the ruling APC which he left late 2018 after failing to clinch the party’s governorship ticket.

The meeting which lasted barely an hour and half behind closed doors agreed to continue discussion today (Saturday) and reached an agreement on the planned ‘government of unity’.

Buratai And The Art of Patriotism

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By David Onmeje

All hail the reformed and disciplined Nigerian Army. Even those who maliciously hated you in the past have keenly observed both your private and official actions in the last three years and Nigerians fete you with accolades as venerated institution. The phrase drops on every lip and everywhere in shocking pleasantness.

The Army has proved skeptics wrong; it has triumphed over masked enemies who plotted and set booby traps on their official paths to cascade the failure of soldiers to erupt in indiscernible joy. Unfortunately, these esteemed soldiers have not fumbled in all national engagements as anticipated by the anti-progressive forces. Instead, they are soaring higher with each given opportunity.

The Army’s deployment to assist civil security secure the country to conduct peaceful, free, fair and credible presidential and national assembly elections in Nigeria has also been performed with exceptional splendor, in spite of the initial upbraids. Army personnel exuded unquestionable patriotism and loyalty to their country, by keeping faith with their creed of service.

Soldiers dispensed this assignment in a manner which has further conferred palms on it as an institution or intensified the respect earned from Nigerians previously. Today, Nigerians and indeed, the international community are regaled that the country has successfully gone through the first round of the 2019 general elections without any major setback. The Army played a significant role in preventing the elections from degenerating into free and unbridled violence.

Much thanks to the COAS and leader of counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai. He is a leader, who does not just bark to his personnel. Each time he shouts, there is an urgent national problem, worth solving with the active backing of the Army. He sleeps and eats patriotism for his country and constantly evolves way to restructure the Army in accordance with global best practices. When he steps out with his foot soldiers on any special assignment, brooding enemies of Nigeria take cover and allow peace to reign.

The Army Chief cherishes peace infinitely, but does not brook the effrontery of armed gangs who are out to violently destroy and ruin the security and peace of Nigeria. The peace and unity of Nigeria is always uppermost on his mind at all times.

So, consistently, Gen. Buratai pictures national interest at heart. And when he scowls, it is not intended to harm the innocent, but to squeeze the juice out of hardened armed gangs and militias tormenting the peace loving and law abiding Nigerians. That’s why, he has adopted the “carrot and stick,” approach in his engagement of the Nigerian people. Armed criminal gangs only incur his wrath when they ignore the carrot of peace dangled at them. It is what defines his official posturing in all assignments.

Gen. Buratai again spoke to Nigerians endearingly in the aftermath of the presidential and national assembly elections. This was a ballot which stirred some uproars from the opposition over the drafting of soldiers for assistance. The e Army Chief for the umpteenth time, tasked the conscience of Nigerians on a dispassionate appraisal and an unbiased perception of military participation in the electoral process.

Rather than see it as an aberration, Gen. Buarati persuaded Nigerians to view the Army as apolitical and or neutral and their deployment for election duties was only part of a core constitutional responsibility of securing the nation. It becomes expedient where civil security fails or is likely to fail.

Gen. Buratai yelled in his post-election assessment, “ When a General Speaks on national issues, he speaks strategy, not politics. It is a way and a means to an end. Therefore, the end result will be national defence and security. It is also to foster national unity, peace, development and protection of human rights.”

And truly, Nigerians can verify that after the general elections, the end result is the sustenance of national security and defence. And this is the spirit that guided the operations of the Army throughout the duration of the general elections. They were after national security and defence alone; they never brooked those who attempted to compromise it.

Soldiers were not part of the gangs intent of conniving with politicians to compromise elections or truncate democracy. Since Gen. Buratai assumed leadership of the Army, he has persistently preached to Army personnel about absolute subordination and obedience to civil authority, respect for the dignity and human rights of Nigerians. These tenets have always been observed religiously by Army personnel under his watch.

And the Army Chief spares no disciplinary action on any soldier, who engages in unprofessional or unethical conduct, while on special assignments’, no matter how highly placed or “connected,” in the military. Many have been penalized by Gen. Buratai for such professional misconduct.

It explains why, even after the general elections, the most loquacious or acerbic of critics have never raised eyebrows or accused soldiers of indulgence in compromising the electoral process. Those initially opposed to the deployment of soldiers to ensure national security and peace for the electorates to cast their votes are dead quiet after the ballot. There is no modicum of misdemeanor which can be traced or labeled on the Army. Rather soldiers arrested many electoral fraudsters and handed them over to prosecuting authorities.

The excellence performance of the Army is not in anyway, an indication that they never faced such temptations’ or were never induced into such dishonorable acts on the field. But they resisted the antics of politicians to smear their reputation. Such cases were replete in scores of places all over Nigeria.

One of such instance is the prominent case between the Rivers State Gov, Nyesom Wike’s alleged attempt to financially induce soldiers on the February 23, 2019 election duty as publicly attested in a press briefing by the Deputy director, Army Public Relations, Col. Aminu Iliyasu of the 6 Division Nigerian Army.

But the soldiers refused to bow to Gov. Wike’s satanic actions to lure the Army officers into compromising the electoral process. They rejected his cash and performed their duties, in consonance with their conscience, loyalty and patriotism to the nation.

It is an exemplary conduct by the Army officers, who have made Nigeria proud. In field operations, the soldiers have demonstrated or replicated the orientations and disposition of the leadership of the Nigerian Army under Gen. Buratai. He is a no nonsense, strict and disciplined officer.

It is an indication that the present breed of Army personnel have harkened to Gen. Buratai’s teachings on patriotism, selflessness and discipline in all their national assignments’. With a Nigerian Army which has redefined itself on the path of discipline, truth, honesty and selflessness, Nigeria is surely on the route to recovery and national progress on all fronts.

Onmeje wrote this article from the United Kingdom.

2019 Polls: HURIWA acting politicians’ script to incite violence in Nigeria, Coalition discloses

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The Coalition of Civil Society Groups on Human Rights and Conflict Resolution said it has unraveled a plot by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) to incite violence in Nigeria over the outcome of the 2019 general election.

The coalition said HURIWA was only being used by some selfish politicians to cause anarchy in the country.

The group made this revelation in a supplementary report on the February 23, 2019 presidential/national assembly elections.

Maxwell Gowon, the Executive Director of the group, who presented the report on behalf of the group, said HURIWA, was attempting to use the outcome of the poll to reopen old ethnic crises that have no bearing with the matter under

The report below:

The Coalition of Civil Society Groups on Human Rights and Conflict Resolution had in the aftermath of the February 23, 2019 Presidential and National Assembly (Senatorial/House of Representatives) Elections issued a report on the security situation during the elections. That report found that the security and military did a good job in ensuring that security situation did not significantly degenerate in spite of the threat of violence that preceded the election.

The Coalition has further reviewed the prevailing situation in the aftermath of the declaration of the results for the elections. The findings are alarming as there are indications that some candidates that lost have been inciting their supporters to cause security breaches in their respective constituencies.
Below are the findings from a Post-Result Announcement Assessment carried out by the Coalition:

Candidates that lost in the elections have been publishing audio, pictures and videos to prove that there were incidences of vote tampering, intimidation of voters, destruction of ballot and other incidents that could be interpreted as capable of undermining the integrity of the polls. However, when extrapolated for geo-tagging it was found that these incidences were not localized to a specific part of the country. Further analysis of the multimedia content showed an even spread between the APC and PDP in terms of what political is being accused of responsibility for the infractions, which implies that neither party gained any advantage above the other from engaging in these acts.

Several groups have issued statements that are aimed at undermining the credibility of the elections. These groups are affiliated with the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Their statement or stated position on the election results are exact replicas of PDP’s and Atiku’s statements rejecting the Presidential Election Results. This aligns with the warning earlier issued by some groups that people are being mobilized to reject and discredit the election results irrespective of the degree of transparency attained by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

There has been several pockets of violence in several parts of the country. Like the multimedia detailing infractions, these were also spread across geo-political zones and involved supporters across political lines.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) is one of the groups that has openly identified as a recruit in the plot to use the election result to incite violence. HURIWA issued a statement with which it intended to create the impression of ethnic persecution with the election result. While it is on record that the main contenders in the presidential election are of the same ethnic stock, HURIWA, is attempting to use the outcome of the poll to reopen old ethnic crises that have no bearing with the matter under discuss.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP has reportedly made demands on the National Peace Committee (NPC). He is yet to deny or refute reports that he made these demands. What is worrisome about these demands is that they are underpinned by an inferred threat of violence, which his supporters are already mobilizing for. It is noteworthy that one of the demands is for the military not to have any role in the states’ elections due on March 9, which is an invitation to anarchy because the military played a critical role in discouraging intending ballot box snatchers.

The threats of violence by PDP members are getting validation from some of their foreign partners that are issuing compromised reports about the elections. Atiku and the PDP are citing these questionable reports as basis for their supporters to reject the results, which these supporters have interpreted as a call to violent protests, even though Atiku had sought to insulate himself from liability by tepidly asking them to remain calm while stoking negative emotions in them with his assertions.

The conduct of the elections might have been largely peaceful but a combined interplay of the situations we have identified present a tense outlook for security in the country especially since states’ elections are holding in a matter of days. There is credible threat of violence arising from PDP supporters who are being primed to attack others by a group like HURIWA.

It is imperative that necessary actions are taken to identify areas where party supporters are likely to attempt unleashing violence and necessary steps taken to prevent this from happening since it will compromise March 9 elections.

Politicians, especially Atiku Abubakar and his party should be prevailed upon to desist from making utterances that could be interpreted by their supporters to imply a directive for them to attack those in other political parties.
The National Peace Committee must rise up to the task of holding signatories to the peace accord accountable to maintaining the peace while also cautioning groups that may be acting as proxies to incite or carry out violence on behalf of signatories.

Two million women rally for democracy, calls on Atiku to eschew bitterness over polls

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in last Saturday’s presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has been urged to tow the path of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan and congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari.

This appeal was made by Two Million Women Rally for Democracy on Friday.

Mr Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC) was returned as president for a second-term by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

While the incumbent has continued to receive massive commendation over a free, fair and credible polls as well congratulatory messages from both local and international communities, the opposition has resolved to contest the people’s mandate.

In a statement by Convener, Mary Onuche, the Two Million Women Rally for Democracy has advised Mr Atiku to quit his on-going disruptive stance on the election.

According to the group, although the PDP candidate is within his constitutional right to seek redress, such disruptive and frightful atmosphere could lead to an a anarchy.

“ Fortunately for Nigeria, our democracy, though still young, has continued to evolve in ways that reassure us that things can only get better. One such leap is the development in 2015 when the then President Goodluck Jonathan called to congratulate the then winner of the presidential election, incumbent President Buhari, even before the votes’ tally was completed. That singular act of patriotism is today hailed as the benchmark of the level of statesmanship befitting of candidates in our elections. May God bless President Goodluck Jonathan, the hero of our modern democracy.

“ This has become a modern democratic culture in Nigeria for which former President Jonathan will continue to receive accolades. Had he acted contrary at that time, perhaps democratic growth in Nigeria might have been stunted or even truncated.

“ But thankfully he set the benchmark, a standard that we today expect from anyone that takes part in the presidential election.

“ We therefore call on Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to emulate the statesmanship of President Jonathan and quit his on-going disruptive stance on the election. There has been series of calls on him to call and congratulate President Buhari as the winner of the election, which would infer that he would by consequence give up any legal challenge of the election result. We are tempted to align with the first half of this demand that Atiku calls President Buhari to offer his congratulations but we will not suggest that he forfeits his right to seeking judicial redress. He is very free to approach the courts to ventilate his grievances.

“ What is unacceptable, however, is the adoption of positions and making of utterances that are being interpreted by his supporters and party members as a call to violence. We have become aware that his supporters are strategizing for violent protests that they are targeting to cause chaos nationwide and bring down the government. Some of Atiku’s lieutenants and political associates are subtly encouraging such protests through comments they have been making in the mainstream media and their social media accounts.

“ The hostile environment being created by Atiku’s stance has been made even tenser by his reported demands on President Buhari, made through the National Peace Committee. Such behaviour suggests an opposition that has transmuted into a dictatorship, one that is hell-bent on blackmailing the country to impose itself on the people when it has been clearly rejected at the polls. This is not acceptable at a time when Nigerians expect that anyone that aspired to govern the country would at the very least imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship championed by former President Jonathan.

“ Our democracy comes first before the personal fixations of any politician. We insist that the peace accord signed by political parties and their candidates, including Atiku must be respected .

“ Nigeria truly deserves peace and stability at this point in time, which is why we are holding this “Two Million Woman Rally for Democracy in Nigeria” to demand for national stability and peace in Nigeria.

“ While we remain apolitical, we are encouraged by the assessment of international election observation missions, which in-spite of their earlier tilt in favour of Atiku prior to the election, have come out to declare that the conduct and the outcome of the poll was satisfactory to them. We suggest that Atiku takes time to slow down and listen to his foreign allies who have now concluded that even the Parallel Vote Tabulation they used as control showed that the PDP candidate was fairly defeated. “

How brave Nigerian troops took cover against Boko Haram

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he Nigerian Army has maintained its onslaught against the Boko Haram sect in the North-East.

Unlike years past, the gallant troops have crippled the radical Islamic group from wreaking havoc.

A recent video circulating social media showed how the Army withstood massive attacks from the camp of the enemy.

Instead of seeking refuge away from the hit of the combat, the highly-motivated soldiers held firm, firing back at the Boko Haram fighters.

A commander was heard dishing orders to his subordinates to be calm and firm.

Needless to say, this showed an enormous level of courage and utter bravery.

This is even more fascinating as just some days ago, the jubilant Nigerian troops were captured singing and chanting victory songs the Christian way.

Messi nets 50th hat-trick

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Lionel Messi hit a sumptuous hat-trick, the 50th of his career, to inspire Barcelona to a 4-2 victory over Sevilla on Saturday and take them one step closer to winning La Liga.

Messi was supposed to be lacking fitness and Barca struggling for form but both delivered a resounding response at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, with two matches against Real Madrid just around the corner.

After scoring 11 goals in nine games, Messi’s thigh strain had coincided with a dip by his own high standards, one goal in four prompting concerns he was being pushed too far.

But the Argentinian was back to his scintillating best, this his 44th treble for Barcelona, now the joint most for a Spanish club alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, rounded off by a trademark chip late on.

“We cannot always be at our best,” Messi said afterwards. “We came from a streak when, to be honest, we weren’t playing our best football. If the game flows it is easier to score goals.”

Luis Suarez needed a goal after a disappointing performance against Lyon in midweek and Messi arranged that too. It was his pass that Suarez converted for a fourth, after Jesus Navas and Gabriel Mercado had twice put Sevilla ahead in the first half.

Sevilla’s top-four hopes look increasingly uncertain but for Barcelona, this was one of the toughest tests left in their run-in, with perhaps the most difficult to come next weekend, against Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real, who face Levante on Sunday, sit 12 points behind Barca and their best hope of a domestic trophy is surely now in beating them first on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey.

“This is not the title almost won but it was important to win today,” Messi said. “It gets harder towards the end and it is never easy here. Today we were back to being us.”

As well as a return to form for Barca and Messi, there was a return to the team for Samuel Umtiti, the defender handed his first appearance in three months after recovering from a knee injury.

It was given an early test as Wissam Ben Yedder twisted him one way and then the other but Umtiti was quick on his feet and did well to make the block.

Sevilla had started at a furious pace and it was the speedy Navas that scored first, sprinting almost 78 metres to meet the end of a slick counter-attack.

Messi lost the ball and Ben Yedder set off through the centre, teeing up Navas on the right to find the far corner.

Messi soon made amends. Ivan Rakitic sent over a dangling cross, which he volleyed sweetly past Tomas Vaclik with his left foot.

The ball was flying from one end to the other as Umtiti stopped the lively Pablo Sarabia and Gerard Pique’s blistering break forward was halted by his opposite number three, Sergi Gomez.

Sevilla scored next, just before half-time, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s underhit clearance allowing Sarabia to scuttle down the right. He flicked the ball off the goalline and back to Mercado, who steered it into the net.

Ousmane Dembele came on and should have equalised, fluffing his finish after a cross from Suarez, who should have had a penalty when Simon Kjaer caught him late.

Messi provided the finishing touch. Again it came from the goalkeeper, Vaclik’s punt falling straight to Rakitic. Dembele pulled back for Messi, who took one touch and curled it, this time right-footed, into the top corner.

Sevilla looked dead on their feet, their early intensity draining away, and Messi landed the knock-out blow. There was a hint of fortune as Carles Alena’s shot deflected neatly into his path. Vaclik came out but Messi scooped it over his body and in.

Three times a scorer, there was still time for an assist. Messi chested and poked the ball through for Suarez. His lob made it four.

Buhari’s victory is a reward to Nigerians-Ribadu

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Buhari’s victory: A reward to Nigerians, says Ribadu
Buhari’s victory: A reward to Nigerians, says Ribadu

By Yakubu Uba

The Director, Field Operations of President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has described the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari as a reward to Nigerians.

Ribadu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Yola that Nigerians sacrificed their time and energy to vote in a free and fair election and were rewarded with a man committed to selfless service.

“As Director Field Operations of a successful candidate, I will first of all congratulate our candidate; a good and honest man has been reelected and Nigeria will continue to change for better,” Ribadu said.

Ribadu urged opponents of Buhari to accept the outcome in the spirit of sportsmanship.

The former boss of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) added that everyone participating in Nigeria’s democratic process was a winner.

“No winner, no vanguish, Nigeria is the winner,” Ribadu said.

Also speaking the Adamawa Coordinator of the operations, Mallam Shehu Umar, lauded Nigerians for their faith in Buhari and assured that they would not be disappointed.

Umar said the second coming of the reelected president would enable him consolidate on people-oriented projects and programmes  for the country.

Igbos congratulate Buhari over election victory

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The Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), a pan-Igbo cultural and socio-political group has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari, on his re-election for 2nd term in office.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was on Wednesday declared re-elected by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),  having polled 15,191,847 votes, winning in 19 states.

Buhari defeated other 72 candidates including Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 11, 255,978 votes and won 17 states and the FCT, to occupy the second position.

The President of NUF, Mr Augustine Chukwudum, gave the congratulatory message in an interview with NAN in Enugu, urging Nigerians to remain calm.

Chukwudum said that Nigerians must be applauded for coming out en mass to vote in the presidential election.

“My appeal to every Nigerian now is for us to remain calm as the winner has been declared by INEC.

“Any party that does not accept the result should go to court.

“There is no need for violence in any form under any guise,’’ Chukwudum said.

Humbled Kwankwaso counsels supporters after electoral loss

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Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso has asked the people of Kano state to accept the results of the presidential and national assembly elections in good faith.

The bigwig of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spoke in Hausa to placate the people over the loss.

The report is contained in the twitter handle of Bashir Ahmad.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) won all the three senatorial seats and many seats of the House of Representatives.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar failed to make the minimum 25 per cent of the votes cast in Kano and Yobe States, according to the results announced by INEC.

In the result announced in Kano, Muhammadu Buhari of the APC polled 1,464,768 (78.9%) of the vote cast, while Atiku Abubakar of the PDP polled 391,573 (21.1%).

A candidate must win at least 25 per cent of the votes in two thirds of the state, apart from winning majority votes to win the presidential election.

STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI ON THE OUTCOME OF FEBRUARY 23, 2019 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

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My Dear Nigerians,

First and foremost, I give thanks to Almighty God Who has spared our lives to witness another victory for Nigerian democracy and victory for our party APC.

2. I thank the millions of Nigerians who voted to re-elect me as your president for the next four years. I am deeply humbled and profoundly grateful to you for judging me worthy of continuing to serve you and for your peaceful conduct.

3. In particular, I would like to thank Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for his masterful leadership as Co-chair of the Campaign Council. I would like to also thank the Party Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, the Director General of the Campaign Council Rotimi Amaechi, all members of the Presidential Campaign Council and other various Support Groups.

4. My grateful thanks to all those who contributed to the logistical expenses of the campaign in such a vast country like Nigeria.

5. I also thank the millions of volunteers, self-appointed overseers, canvassers, agents, escorts and sentries who sacrificed so much of their time and resources to ensure the success of these elections. I do not have the words adequate to thank them.

6. Although Saturday’s elections were relatively peaceful, troublemakers in a handful of states attempted to disrupt an otherwise orderly process. Security agencies will bring to justice all those arrested in the process.

7. I am very sad at the grievous loss of lives during these elections. Security agencies will step up their efforts to protect voters in the forthcoming State elections.

8. I would like to commend our security agencies, as severely overstretched as they are, for handling the difficult task of securing the country during the election period.

9. I will like to make a special appeal to my supporters not to gloat or humiliate the opposition. Victory is enough reward for your efforts.

10. We give thanks also to our Domestic and International observers for contributing to the success of our elections and for their interest in our country and our developing democracy.

11. The new Administration will intensify its efforts in Security, Restructuring the Economy and Fighting Corruption. We have laid down the foundation and we are committed to seeing matters to the end. We will strive to strengthen our unity and inclusiveness so that no section or group will feel left behind or left out.

12. I thank you for your support and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria

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