Category: Politics

THE NYESOM WIKE FACTOR IN PDP’S FINAL DISINTEGRATION
It is necessary to write this story now if PDP as a party must get it right in the up coming presidential election.

There is a famous saying that pride goes before a fall. Many have learnt that lesson over the years. There are those who believe that history can be changed by doing the same thing to solve like problems even when it failed in the past.

We also have another typical Nigerian problem, those who believe that money overrides wisdom, integrity and intellect. We have also seen how power corrupts and blinds, it can take a person from “we” to “I” excluding others from decision taking.

Governor Nyesom Wike was former Governor Rotimi Ameachi’s boy, whom after been helped saw the need to step on the toes of his predecessor. We all viewed the battle between the two. Wike had to go all the way to the supreme Court just to retain his office.

It wasn’t long before the party was faced with another saga which concerned Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. Wike had approached him to rescue the party and brought him in as the interim chairman serving out the term of his predecessor. Having achieved their purpose they proceeded to dump Sheriff which ended up in many court battles. Succeeding in removing Sheriff from office, in came Makarfi who sat as the caretaker Chairman until a convention was conducted and Secondus was elected as the National Chairman of the PDP.

Now, since the contest within the party started, we have read many grumblings and reckless statements from Makarfi which gives many of us the impression that perhaps he was promised the ticket for the presidency if he played ball and help get rid of Sheriff.

The bad decisions made by Governor Nyesom Wike does not end there. He fails to see the need to work with the leaders of party and other governors to come up with the best solution going forward into the presidential election scheduled for next year. He prides himself as the richest state’s Governor. Hence, the convention must be held in Port Harcourt and he supports Governor Tambuwal. No issues there, everyone has a preference. The problem is when such a preference is forced on the party. The other problem is when the PDP NWC and it’s leaders are rubbished, removed from a position of objective umpire, by the National Chairman of PDP, Secondus by holding them hostage at the Ibadan Airport for 4 hours forcing them to wait for Governor Tambuwal to campaign to the delegates there.

I trust that Governor Nyesom Wike is aware that if the PDP fails to secure the presidency in 2019 the he will definitely not return for a second term.

They say what an old man sees sitting down, a child cannot see it standing on a mountain. A word is enough for the wise. We are sure he will learn from the failing of his friend in Ekiti who thought he alone could do it all.

The wise listens to good counsel. Wike, please don’t lead the people’s hope for a new Nigeria into shambles.

God bless Nigeria. God bless PDP.
September 20, 2018
2019 Presidency: Atiku weeps, obtains PDP Nomination Forms
By Dirisu Yakubu

ABUJA- Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar Friday wept at his Presidential Campaign Office shortly after obtaining his Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headquarters in Abuja.

Atiku who was filled with emotions while receiving the forms from the Atiku Support Groups (ASG) which purchased same for him, reiterated his commitment to the Nigerian cause, and promised to do everything possible not to disappoint Nigerians if given the opportunity.

Unable to overcome his emotions while a member of the ASG, Princess Adekemi Adesanya was painting in graphic details, the sorry state of affairs in the nation, the former Vice President fought back tears as he sobbed, wiping his eyes with the aid of a white handkerchief.

He said: “The event today (purchase of nomination form) is significant and historic because this is the only time in my political career that young men and women in this country have come together without my knowledge or even consent to contribute their own hard-earned money to buy me an Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms.

“You could have seen that one of the ladies who spoke virtually succeeded in getting me to weep. This is because she aptly described the challenges every Nigerian is facing in this country today and she believed honestly and sincerely from the bottom of her heart that I could be an instrument of addressing those challenges.

“So, for such a woman to believe that I have got those leadership qualities and including those of you who have brought out your monies to by this form, is one of the most serious challenges I have ever faced in my political career.

“And believe me, addressing those challenges is possible because we have brought young men and women, Nigerians who have got the talents, who have got the education, who have got the experience, who have got all what it take to honestly turn this country around.”

Atiku also attributed the slow pace of development in the country to the failure to harness the creative energies of young people by successive administrations.

“Putting together such talented young Nigerians requires leadership and it is that leadership we have not been fortunate enough to have on a consistent basis that this country has not been able to take her rightful position in Africa and indeed, the world,” he stressed.

That said, the Wazirin Adamawa eulogised former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua (of blessed memory) on whose feet, he learnt the rudiments of partisan politics.

His words: “The man who actually brought me into politics, the late Shehu Yar’Adua, when he invited me as a young man told us to break the regional siege that every parts of this country had been subjected to.

“He asked us reach out to every Nigerian across the Niger. To him and for him, that was a major objective; so when he died and I decided to build the Yar’Adua centre in his memory, we got an architect to design the uncompleted bridge.

“The significance of that bridge was that we had started building bridges of understanding and unity across this country and unfortunately, the man who started building that bridge died. I wish I could complete building that bridge.

He thanked his supporters, and assured them of his commitment to job creation if voted into office as President even as urged them to accompany him to Wadata Plaza for the submission of the forms.

“On that day (submission of forms), let us overwhelm the PDP secretariat, let us bring Abuja to a standstill. I bet you by the time we overwhelm the secretariat and bring Abuja to a standstill, the PDP will have no alternative than to give us the ticket,” he added.

Note: The Atiku Support Groups (ASG) is made up of various non-governmental agencies, who believe in the leadership skills of the principal, HE, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Wazirin Adamawa, the man who can move Nigeria forward progressively and in unity.
August 31, 2018
Group presents PDP presidential forms to Atiku
In readiness for the PDP party primaries, Members of All Atiku Support Groups officially presented PDP Presidential Expression of Interest and Nomination forms purchased by the group for His Excellency Atiku Abubakar (GCON) at the campaign headquarters Abuja today 31st August, 2018.

This is not only in support of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar interest in contesting for the seat of President, but the belief by these support groups that he is the best option to put forward by the party in the next presidential elections.

The presentation to HE, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Acknowledgement by HE, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Appreciation by HE, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
August 31, 2018
Edo people say no to cattle colonies
WHILE former Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was being crowned in Abuja during the weekend as the national Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), over 3,000 members of the ruling party decamped to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at Fugar, Etsako Central local government area of Edo state.

At a well attended ceremony which was described as a political tsunami by Edo state chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, rejected the new National Cattle Policy of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Orbih told the mammoth crowd which included the two former member of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Abubakar Momoh (Owan), Johnson Abolagba (Owan); member of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Sylvanus Eruaga (Etsako West 11), a former member of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Pascal Ugbomhe and a host of others that the new federal government policy was an indirect way of instituting the discredited cattle colonies.

He advised Governor Godwin Obaseki not to cede any portion of Edo land for the purpose of the new policy on cattle which he insisted is a subtle way of grabbing Edo people’s land.

He said: “Edo people say no to cattle colonies. Edo PDP openly rejects the New National Policy on Cattle. It is an attempt at grabbing our land. No Edo community has agreed up till date to give a portion of their land for the purpose of establishing a cattle colony. We say no to the new National Policy on Cattle by President Muhammadu Buhari.”

The decampees who were led by a an erstwhile Secretary of the defunct Action Congtress of Nigeria (ACN) in Etsako Central local government included Capt. Phillip Itsede; Mr. Imakhue, a former PDP chairman in the council; Mr. Benjamin Enakpene, a former APC youth leader; Comrade Augustine Anomhe wet TT r3, former President of the Student Union Government of the Agenebode campus of the College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi; and Mr. Felix Igbanoi, a former Supervisory Councilor of the council.

The decampees who were former members of the PDP said that it was sweet homecoming after wandering in the wilderness for a long time.

Itsede said that the lack of internal democracy and, the dictatorial tendencies of some of the leaders of the ruling party has resulted in a situation where the decisions of the party are being taken by people outside the council.

Left with no choice after persistent protest, Itsede said that he decided to go back to his roots, adding that the APC was doomed.

HENDRIX OLIOMOGBE- BENIN
August 11, 2018
Saraki/Ekweremadu’s Failed Removal: How APC Lost its Argument Morally & Constitutionally
By Chidiebere Nwobodo

Having failed repeatedly to effect leadership change in the Senate via unconstitutional means, embittered ex-wife called APC has resorted to blatant blackmail and mudslinging in its renewed quest to oust Senate president Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu from their coveted seats. The more they attack the duo, the clearer it becomes to Nigerians that we have a government run by tyrants, who does not give a freaking damn about survival of our hard-earned democracy. These anti-democratic forces are hell bent on setting Nigeria ablaze, just to have their way. I think the time has come to cage this beast and small tyrant called Oshiomhole; enough of his excesses cum impunity.

Section 52 of Nigeria’s constitution made it crystal clear that for a presiding officer of the senate like senate president or his deputy, to be removed from office, you need nothing less than two third majority of senators. In a Red Chamber of 109 senators, the 2/3 majority is 73 senators! The mind-boggling questions racing through the minds of discerning Nigerians are: can those tyrants in Presidential Villa and their foot-soldiers in the senate muster 73 senators to remove Senate President Saraki and his deputy, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu? Can they infiltrate the impregnable support base of current senate leadership? Can’t they accept the stark reality that they have been outfoxed in this political game of thrones once and for all? Is it too late in the day to give peace a chance, at least for the sake of impoverished Nigerians, that are desperately yearning for the “change” promised them over three years ago?

President Buhari and his mindless cabal, should be told categorically that they have lost this argument both in the eyes of the law and court of public opinion. They have also lost the moral aspect of the argument. For supporting Hon. Aminu Tambuwal to retain his seat as speaker of House of Representatives, having defected from PDP to APC in 2014, APC and its herd of zombies, masquerading as supporters, have lost the moral ground on which to demand Saraki’s resignation, using the benchmark of morality.

The APC should better wake up from its hallucination that Saraki and Ekweremadu will be removed “by all means” as leaders of senate. Saraki is not carrying any moral burden as senate president, because APC never supported him to emerge in the first place. Power-drunk APC leaders cannot take back what they did not give in the first place. Nigerian constitution never implied that senate president or his deputy MUST come from majority party (if APC is still majority). Saraki/Ekweremadu senate presidency has come to stay till June, 2019.

Any unconstitutional attempt to effect change of senate leadership, will be tantamount to toppling Nigeria democracy. President Buhari’s name will be written boldly in the hall of SHAME if he watch his party chairman, aides and conscienceless supporters push Nigeria down the deepest valley of anarchy and political turmoil. Oshiomhole and his fellow desperados in the APC, should know that Senators Saraki and Ekweremadu have become the rallying pillars and formidable shield to roll back the forces of fascism and dictatorship, of which President Buhari’s government has metamorphosed into. Nigerians are solidly behind them as commanders leading the army of democrats, against rampaging chariots and soldiers of tyranny, as we head into 2019 general elections.
August 11, 2018
Press Release: Response to Adams Oshiomhole
Press Release
August 10, 2018

Response to Adams Oshiomhole

1. It is rather surprising that Mr. Adams Oshiomhole is behaving like a rain-beaten chicken, crying all over the place about Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, as if the Senate President is the apparition haunting his life and the sinking ship that he captains.

2. Having decided not to join the pigs in rolling in the dirt; we would not like to be involved in any meaningless exchange with the demagogue now in charge of APC. However, because he claimed that he was reacting to the issues raised by the Senate President during his World Press Conference, we thought it necessary to give the APC chairman some attention.

Alas, we found that instead of addressing any issue raised by the Senate President, his press conference merely showcased his obsession and those of his sponsors with Saraki’s removal, which he did without any decorum befitting of his age or his awarded office. He brimmed with hate, hurled abuses, threw tantrums, told lies, huffed and puffed. In the end, he said nothing.

3. It is indeed amazing that the same Oshiomhole, who is now describing Saraki as a politician of no consequence was the same one who only a few months ago was crawling all over the place pleading for Saraki’s support to become chairman. We are sure that those who took him to Saraki several times to plead his case must now be thoroughly embarrassed by his reckless and uncouth manner.

4. By his conduct and utterances, Oshiomhole, who accused Saraki of not acting in national interest needs to do more to convince Nigerians that his desperate desire to become party chairman is not simply to feed his over-sized ego.

5. The position of Oshiomhole and his cohorts in the APC that the Senate President must resign is a mere wishful thinking. They will continue to dream about their planned removal of the Senate President. They will need 73 Senators to lawfully remove Dr. Saraki and they will never get that in the present eight Senate.

6. The argument of APC that the Senate President must come from a majority party; that the Senate Presidency is their crown and National Assembly is their palace is only supported by ignorance and dangerous delusion. First, the issue of which party is in the majority will only be resolved when the Senate resume. Two, Section 50 (1) (a) of the constitution is clear that any Senator can be elected as Senate President. If the only thing left of the APC change agenda is to change the Senate President we can only wish them good luck.

7. Perhaps, Mr. Oshiomhole needs to be better educated about our parliamentary history when he Stated that “For the first time in parliamentary history in Nigeria, we had a situation where the APC had majority of Senators and went on to elect a PDP as Deputy Senate President”. Where is Mr. Oshiomhole when Senator John Wash Pam of the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP) became Deputy Senate President in the Second Republic even when the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) had the majority. The same thing happened in the House of Representatives when NPP’s Rt. Hon. Edwin Umeh Ezeoke was elected Speaker in an NPN majority House. But then, it would require a level of education to understand these things.

8. What hypocrisy! To think that this same APC were jubilating when Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal retained his position after he defected from the PDP and still retained his seat, even when his new party was in the minority. These are people whose standards of morality are infinitely elastic.

9. We are sure the remaining APC Senators need to do a lot of work to bring Oshiomhole up to speed about parliamentary practice. His ignorance are too clear in his comments about how the Senate was adjourned on July 24, 2018, the distribution of committee chairmanship in the Senate and the difference between the post of Senate President and Minority Leader.

10. He has made so much song and dance about Mr. Godswill Akpabio resigning as Senate Minority Leader when he left the PDP to join APC. For this, Akpabio has become his hero and a symbol of honor. He obviously does not understand that the post of Minority Leader is a strictly party affair. And the PDP simply decided who to give it as it is not even a position that was mentioned in the constitution. Whereas, the Senate President position is a constitutional creation, which required majority votes of all the members. Again, we don’t expect people whose only experience in politics is at the provincial levels to understand this. No wonder they are talking of crowns and inheritance.

11. The fair distribution of the Committee chairmanship is one of the stabilizing factors in the 8th Senate and has helped it in achieving more than all its predecessors.

12. We need to inform this divisive element who now leads APC that if he wants to know why the 2018 budget was delayed, he should ask the heads of the MDAs. We reckon that should be easy for him since he is now their ‘headmaster’, moving around with canes to whip ministers into line.

13. Oshiomhole once again demonstrated his lack of sense of history by talking of Buhari winning more votes in Kwara than Saraki. We are sure President Buhari himself will disagree with the APC chairman. We invite the APC chairman to look at the figures of votes secured by the President in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 to know that the difference is clear, like a commercial advert stated.

14. We hereby assure this garrulous, tactless and reckless APC chairman that a million of Adams Oshiomhole cannot remove Saraki as Senate President. His illegal plots, can only feed his insatiable ego and keep him awake at nights. But it will remain an exercise in futility.

Signed

Yusuph Olaniyonu
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Senate President
August 11, 2018
Impending dangers of Senator Godswill Akpabio’s defection to APC
August 3, 2018.

His Excellency,
Adams Oshiomhole
National Chairman
All Progressives Congress

IMPENDING DANGERS OF SENATOR GODSWILL AKPABIO’S DEFECTION TO APC

We in the Akwa Ibom Progressives Watch (AKIPW) have noted with deep concern the broad chorus of disapproval and complete despondency amongst different strata of members of our party, the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom state over the defection of the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio to the APC.

Our group is an integrity watch team whose support for the APC is driven by the party’s change agenda, the fight against corruption as well as the near immaculate personality of the leader of the Party, President Muhammadu Buhari. We metamorphosed from Ibom Transparency Watch under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), working assiduously in the last seven years to entrench in the party sterling values, such as integrity, justice, accountability and transparency, which are lacking in our political system. Hence, we have been on the watch so that such persons with tendencies which violate these values are not found tip-toeing around our party.

For this reason, we feel sad, so are most members of the APC in Akwa Ibom State who looked up to our party as institution that will evict moral pervers as Senator Godswill Akpabio from position of authority, by the admission of Senator Godswill Akpabio into our party.

Senator Akpabio’s records of service show he is a spoiler everywhere he goes. In his first organisation of employment, EMIS Telecoms Nigeria Limited, Akpabio was Personal Assistant to the CEO of the company, Chief E. Okonkwo; suddenly he manipulated his boss and threw himself up as the company’s secretary. During his stint in that position, the company was defrauded to the tune of N4billion. Records suggest Akpabio was party to the fraud and must have benefited from the loot.

Your Excellency, you must be aware that Akpabio polarized ethnicity to its zenith in his bid to annihilate the Ibibio majority, and destroy the Oro ethnic nationality, when he was governor of Akwa Ibom State. In that mindless voyage, more than 80 prominent sons and daughters of the state were either kidnapped or killed; many were compelled to go on exile. Under Akpabio’s watch, an elder statesman, Gen. Edet Akpan Rtd., former DG of NYSC was kidnapped from a church. Four persons were killed during that operation. The wife of a BoT member of our party, Mrs. Sam Enwang, was kidnapped; the wife of Senator Aloysius Etok, who is now a stakeholder of our party was also kidnapped; Chief Senas Ukpanah was killed; a former deputy speaker of our state House of Assembly and member of the APC, Obong Okon Uwah was killed; mother of Mr. Udonwa, a governorship aspirant was kidnapped, killed and her naked corpse was dumped on the road, forcing the deceased’s son to dump his governorship ambition; a foremost traditional father, Edidem Ime Robert from Nsit Ubium was assassinated; an entrepreneur, Elder Paul Inyang was killed; three brothers called the Mbota brothers were killed; three brother to the televangelist Mrs. Helen Ukpabio were killed. The list of assassinations under Akpabio’s atrocious regime is endless.

Your Excellency, you may wish to call for report on Akpabio’s wild intolerance for our party members in Akwa Ibom State during his reign as governor. It is on record that Akpabio’s men masterminded the awful murder of 11 supporters of the defunct ACN in 2011 that were on a campaign visit to Ikot Ekpene. We have not forgotten how Akpabio sought to exterminate, Senator John Udoedehe, who was the governorship candidate of the ACN in 2011, over trump up charges.

You must have heard of the bare-face manipulation of the 2015 election in Akwa Ibom State against our party, by Senator Godswill Akpabio; or how Akpabio bragged on a state radio that he cross off the name of the winner of the PDP primary in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district in 2011 and replaced it with the name of Senator Aloysius Etok.

Senator Akpabio who is now seeking asylum in the APC called our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, very unprintable names during the 2015 electioneering. He ordered the immediate closure of the Ibom Airport on the day the Buhari, who was then the presidential flag – bearer of our party visited Akwa Ibom State. After our President won the 2015 election despite all their antics, Akpabio encouraged former President Goodluck Jonathan to challenge Buhari’s election victory in court.

Senator Akpabio breeds impunity wherever he goes. We strongly think he played significant role in the fall of his first love, the PDP. Akpabio’s schemes factionised the Nigerian Governors Forum, (NGF), and ultimately led to the creation of PDP Governors Forum as well as the eventual defection of five PDP governors to the APC. We have not forgotten how Senator Akpabio superintended over the NGF election where 17 votes were greater than 19.

Your Excellency, based on Akpabio’s antecedent and his dislike for our party, we strongly feel that the senate minority leader is joining the APC for many nocuous reasons. One, Akpabio is seeking an escape from prosecution for the crimes – particularly, financial, and human rights abuses – his regime committed. Two, he wants to give the party a bad image in the eyes of members of the public who looked up to the APC as the only institution that would evict Akpabio from position of authority and bring justice to those whose rights were unjustly stymied by the preponderance of his absolute powers. With his defection, members of the party and the public in extension are inured to think that the APC is a cover for plunderers of public assets. Three, Senator Akpabio wants to use our party to advance his selfish and insatiable quest for power. Four, Akpabio is on a mission to destroy APC for his man Mr. Udom Emmanuel to win a reelection in 2019. Five, Akpabio defection to the APC will provoke massive exodus of foundation members of the party to other political parties. Six, Senator Akpabio wants to catch in on the seeming feud between Mr. Chibuike Amaechi and Adams Oshiomhole to finish his oil well battle with the former Rivers state governor.

Consequently, in our honest consideration, Senator Akpabio does not deserve a welcome to APC because his despicable political idiosyncrasies dealign to the values our great party holds. In as much as much we appreciate defections like last month’s event where a former national lawmaker, Mr. Bassey Etim, defected with over 6000 people. Etim said he defected because of Senator Akpabio’s impunity which stopped his swearing in as Senator. Etim claimed that on the day he was to be sworn-in following a federal high court’s ruling; Senator Akpabio walked into the office of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, knelt down and begged him not to proceed with the swearing in.

Sir, we urge your leadership to look meticulously into the impending dangers of Senator Godswill Akpabio’s defection to our party. Also, the leadership of the party should resist the enticement of building our party structure around an individual.

We look forward to your prompt action.

Thank you for your time, Your Excellency.

We are:

Innocent Sylvanus
Chairman

Ubong Victor
August 9, 2018
Akpabio’s defection story: A peep inside the locker room
It is tempting for APC and it’s Chairman (of the Senate blockade fame) to get very excited about AKPABIO’s defection. The matter is much more than gathering crowd across the south-south Geo-political zone at Ikot Ekpene. Let’s give you a few tips;

Many think that Akpabio only defected in other to protect himself from prosecution by EFCC for embezzling over 200 Billion Naira of public funds. That is only one of the reasons for defection. Even that is forlorn hope. As soon as the 2019 elections are over, the appropriate pressure would be brought to bear on EFCC to prosecute Akpabio and he would be duly prosecuted. No elected Governor in history has pilfered the kind of money that Akpabio carted away from the coffers of Akwa Ibom State. He should find out from Sen. Dariye and former Gov. Jolly Nyame whether defection to APC saved them from prison cells. Let Akpabio ask Orji Uzor Kalu whether or not a court of law ruled that he has a criminal case to answer and granted an interim order of forfeiture against most of his allegedly ill-gotten assets.

Akpabio has forgotten how Obong Victor Attah tried to give the PDP governorship ticket to his son in law and how the people of Akwa Ibom resisted it. In the end, Akpabio was nominated as PDP Governorship candidate in 2007 and became Governor.

After Emmanuel Udom became Governor in 2019, he remained fiercely loyal to Akpabio and allowed him to nominate persons for the posts of the SSG, several commissioners and a host of other Government offices in the state. Nobody enjoyed such benefit from Akpabio. The greed of Akpabio remained uncommon. Despite the huge debt he drove the State into and the frequent harassment suffered by the State in the hands of EFCC on account of Akpabio’s plundering of the resources of the State, Gov. Emmanuel stood by Akpabio in the spirit of the Governor’s name- EMMANUEL.

Akpabio became restless. He took control of the entire Party apparatus and singularly decided who got what, when and how, in the State. He did this without any regards for the Governor on most occasions.

As Akpabio got consumed in his greed, he demanded that the Governor should consult him before submitting Annual Budget Estimates to the State House of Assembly. He added another request. This time, he wanted the Governor to get his approval before expending State funds on any project whatsoever. Indeed, he was bent on running the government on behalf of the Governor. This was was the point of departure. Why on earth did Akpabio think that he would run the government for an urbane intellectual elite and technocrat like Udom Emmanuel ? How would Emmanuel defend that before the people of Akwa Ibom State who voted him into office? As expected, Udom politely refused. Akpabio began to nag. He wanted more of the public funds of the State in addition to the embezzled funds for which he is under EFFC Investigations.

Wait for this. It would shock you. Akpabio then told Udom to commit to making his wife who is from one of the Ibo States, Deputy Governor in 2019. Udom flatly turned this down. Akpabio grew more red.

When Akpabio could not get Udom to surrender the purse of the State to him and secure Udom’s commitment to make his wife Deputy Governor in 2019, he began to woo APC. He knew that the APC led Government had a penchant for promising forgiveness to economic sinners who repent by joining the party. He decided to gamble it. He became a mole in PDP, even as Senate Minority Leader. He leaked out the outcome of PDP caucus meetings to APC members and promised to help them realize the removal of Saraki as Senate President.

A new darling had been secured in the Senate by the ruling party. Such was Akpabio’s infidelity when words filtered out that he had completed arrangements to defect to APC. Nobody was surprised when Akpabio told PDP Senate caucus members that he was off to Germany on a private trip, only to emerge in London prostrating like a recently pardoned convict before President Buhari.

Back in Akwa Ibom, it would not be easy for Akpabio to claim the Government House from Udom. The Governor is an Ibibio man. They control 12 out of the 21 LGA’s in the State. Out of Akpabio’s Senatorial district comprising 8 LGA’s, 2 belong to Ibibios who constitute the majority tribe in the State. Not only is Udom working, he is very civilized and laying durable development plan for the State. The Ibibios are happy with him. The Eket people are enjoying his tenure. So are other component tribes that make up the State. How Akpabio hopes to reverse these gains in 2019 elections for his selfish interest is a matter for conjecture.

In any case, the likes of Obong Victor Attah, Chief Don Etiebet, Akpan Udoedohe , Nsima and others were frustrated out of PDP by Akpabio. He was ruthless to them and their supporters. They were reduced to political- lightweight through complete exclusion from political participation and crass violence against their persons. Now Akpabio would be their new leader in APC and would imagine that they would surrender to his leadership. This would be some sort of dangerous optimism.

Having resigned as Minority Leader of the Senate, what would qualify Akpabio as the leader of these eminent politicians? Would APC and the leaders of the party in Akwa Ibom State accept Akpabio’s wife as Deputy Governorship candidate of their party in 2019. Plenty of trouble ahead as it is not yet Uhuru for APC in Akwa Ibom State.

Dr. Stephen Nwogu writes from Calabar.
August 9, 2018
THIS POLITICAL STORM WILL HELP OUR DEMOCRACY
The storm in the National Assembly is not to make any political party or person fear. The storm is about the right of people to associate and express political views without being terrorized by State apparatus. If former President Jonathan’s arrowheads had done half of what President Buhari’s men are doing to perceived internal and external political opponents, the President would be no where near the gate of Aso Rock.

President Buhari must sustain the democratic environment that created the opportunity for him to assume office as President. He cannot stay more than eight years in office. There is no need to pretend that it is a life time job. President Buhari should fight corruption transparently within the law and no one would cry for what would legally befall the truly corrupt.

The Police should concentrate on the protection of Nigerian citizens along Kaduna/Abuja road and other black spots in our country. They are so many that the number of citizens who daily lose their lives to hoodlums and herdsmen are unbelievable in Peace time. Never before has life been so cheap in our dear country. What a state of insecurity sustained by the continuous incapacity of those that the President has entrusted with such crucial assignment.

The security agents should block the killing fields in our country and stop over concentrating man power on escorting VIPs and laying siege on political opponents or intimidating voters. Our country should show the light in sustaining democracy in Africa in order to rebuild our society and drive it to egalitarianism. We cannot go the way of Cameroon’s Paul Biya and a host of other wayward nations whose graduates yearly attend the Nigerian law school as they do not even have one in their countries.

President Buhari should not allow the Party cheer leaders and supposedly non- partisan hailers to mislead him by calling him a strong man for the growing political intolerance of his opponents. In the event that he fails his second term bid, they would abandon him.

Former President Jonathan got good advice from well meaning Nigerians in respect of spiraling corrupt activists, inefficiency of the public sector and how to curb the growth of Boko Haram insurgency which characterized his era. He did not heed.

The powers of incumbency could not save his fall like Humpty- Dumpty and all the kings men who sang Hosanah -in-the- highest deserted him. Some defected to other Political parties and pointed accusing fingers at him. Such is the fluid nature of our political environment.

Let the President redirect his energies in dealing with what worries the public the most- the state of insecurity in the country. He should keep on working to improve the economy in order to create more jobs, reduce poverty and raise the standard of living of country men and women. If the Government cannot build new infrastructure, it should strive to complete the incomplete projects on ground and renovate the existing ones. At the end, he should let Nigerians judge him and decide whether or not he deserves a second tenure in office.

May God bless Nigeria.

Dr. West-Idahosa.
July 25, 2018
2019: PDP, ADC, R-APC, 36 other parties sign grand alliance MOU to oust APC
By Dirisu Yakubu

ABUJA-The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC) and 36 other political parties Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in a grand alliance to form a government of national unity in 2019. The sole agenda according to the MOU, is to produce a joint Presidential candidate capable of winning the election and enthrone a new government at the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2019. Former Acting National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Ben Obi in his opening remarks said the various parties chose to come together to salvage the nations and put to end all semblance of nepotism and tribalism.

According to him, the President Buhari administration has left Nigerians more divided than they were in 2019. “We are here to begin a process that will lead to the formation of a government of national unity. We are here to put to an end the nepotism and corruption that the APC government has been known for in the past three years. “They promised to tackle corruption, revamp the economy and address security challenges and restructure the nation but as soon as they were elected, they denied making such promises. ” We are here to put an end to to dictatorial tendencies and this is a war between light and darkness and I can assure you that light would prevail,” said Senator Obi. Also speaking, R-APC national chairman, Buba Galadima noted that the MOU will send shivers down the spine of the ruling party, adding that since he led a splinter group out of the ruling party, the R-APC has been receiving messages of solidarity from across the world. Buhari will lose 2019 election-Galadima For Galadima, President Buhari is fated to lose the 2019 election, adding that if the President knew what awaited him, it would have been better for him not to go into electoral contest at all. “With what I know, I can tell you that President Buhari will not only this election, he will lose his deposits. Let us not forget that the man we will be facing is a military general. We are ready, prepared to take on this fight despite their intimidations and threats. “I know him but if I was his adviser, I will tell him not to contest,” Galadima said even as he reminded parties to the alliance that the APC has set aside huge sums of money to buy them over in the months leading to the general polls.

Representatives of the ADC and former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola on his part described the coalition as “an assignment from God,” even as he urged the parties to be committed to the letters and spirit of the MOU. He said: “We are committed to restructuring of this nation and we must respect the spirit and letters of this understanding.”

When Nigerians voted in 2015, they thought the APC vehicle will take them to the promised land. But three years after, the APC has failed and failed tragically too.” Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Minister of Finance, Chief Olu False lamented what he termed the “gross incompetence” of the APC-led government and tasked all parties to the alliance to team up in supporting not only a sole Presidential aspirants but sole governorship candidates, Senatorial candidates as well as House of Representatives candidates across all states of the federation. “All our votes must go to the Presidential candidate and to the governorship, senatorial and House of Representatives in every state of the federation. “It is not sufficient to produce the President alone because if we have a President who does not have majority of seats in parliament, there will be challenge as to what the President would be able to do,” he noted. Parties that signed the MOU were the Action Alliance (AA), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Africa Democratic Party (ADC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Grand Alliance Party (AGAP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD), Better Nigeria Progressive Party, Democratic Alternative (DA), Democratic Peoples Party (DPC), Grand Democratic Party of Nigeria (GDPN), Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), KOWA Party, Labour Party (LP), Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA), Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN). Others included the National Conscience Party (NCP), New Generation Party (NGP), National Unity Party (NUP), Nigeria Intervention Movement (NIM), Peoples Alliance for National Development and Liberty (PANDEL), Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), People for Democratic Change (PDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Providence People’s Congress (PPC), Reformed All Progressive Congress (RAPC), Restoration Party of Nigeria (RPN), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), All Grassroots Alliance (AGA), National Interest Party (NIP), Nigeria Democratic Congress Party (NDCP), Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), and Young Democratic Party (YDP) among others. Baraje, Melaye return One of the highlights of the wells attended event was the formal return to the PDP of its former Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje and the lawmaker representing Kogi East, Senator Dino Melaye. While thanking the PDP for accepting him back in its fold, Baraje said a prodigal son regardless of his sins, would always be received with joy upon repentance from his sins. “We went astray but we are back now. If a child burns one of his fingers, he quickly retreat the others. I will like to thank you for accepting to take us back,” he said. Like Baraje, Melaye said he had the option to flow with the crowd but chose to return to PDP to remain politically consisted, saying come 2019, “President Buhari will fail because he is entitled to failure. Dignitaries at the event included former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, ex-Senate President, David Mark, the governors of Gombe and Akwa Ibom States, Ibrahim Dankwambo and Udoh Emmanuel respectively. Others were Senator Liyel Imoke, Gbenga Daniel, Ibrahim Mantu, Tom Ikimi, Zainab Maina, Ike Ekweremadu and Chief Bode George.
July 9, 2018