2019 Polls: APC Miffed Over Obasanjo’s Endorsement of Atiku

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed displeasure over the endorsement of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential flag bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

In a press statement signed by the Director, Strategic Communications, President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, Festus Keyamo (SAN), APC described the “endorsement” as a complete non-event.

Here is the full text of the press statement:
Our attention has just been drawn to the so-called endorsement of the candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party for the forthcoming 2019 Presidential Election, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, by former President Olusegun Obasanjo today at his Presidential Library Complex in Ogun State.
We are inclined to dismiss this gathering and “endorsement” as a complete non-event, but we feel we have a responsibility to Nigerians to remind them of the character and antecedents of these individuals, lest they take Nigerians for granted and see all of us as fools.

We do not intend to dwell on all the unprintable things touching on the lack of character, lack of integrity and corruptibility of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar that Chief Obasanjo has repeatedly and consistently told the whole world about up until few weeks ago. These are well-documented and circulated for Nigerians to remember.

However, we are bemused and amused that a character who intends to be President of Nigeria has, for the past eleven years, consistently begged for “forgiveness” from a man who has consistently and unequivocally called him a very corrupt fellow. We wonder what type of character would not vigorously confront his accuser with facts to show his innocence, but would rather consistently ask for “forgiveness” from him.
The desperation to get the endorsement of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo by the PDP and its candidate is a clear sign that they want to return us to our sordid past where a few people decide who should govern us. 

In 2014/2015, President Muhammadu Buhari and his team, out of respect and convention, paid courtesy calls on prominent individuals and statesmen in the course of their campaigns when they visited cities in which these individuals lived. However, Nigerians should note that President Buhari was NEVER reported to have groveled and “begged” ANYONE for forgiveness, just to be endorsed as a Presidential candidate. Ultimately, he relied on the people of Nigeria to decide his fate. President Buhari would continue to rely on the endorsement of the people of Nigeria to be re-elected.

Interestingly, just a few weeks ago, specifically on the 4th of August, 2018, Chief Obasanjo was widely reported to have said “God will NEVER forgive me if I support Atiku for President”. Whilst we acknowledge the constitutional right of the ex-president to support anyone of his choice, we draw attention of all God-fearing Nigerians to a character who would use the name of God in vain and in a flip-flop manner in just a matter of weeks. Where is the shame? Where is the honour? Where is the pride?

When a person invokes the curse of God upon himself if he does a particular thing, like Obasanjo has done, and then deliberately does that particularly thing and calls on Nigerians to follow him to receive his curse, Nigerians must flee in the opposite direction. We urge Nigerians NOT to follow this character to receive the curse he invoked upon himself.

We are also constrained to ask Chief Obasanjo about his Coalition For Better Nigeria, otherwise known as Third Force. We hope it is doing well.
We also note with interest the full participation of some “men of God” in the entourage of the Peoples’ Democratic Party for this political re-alignment. We are glad that they have publicly declared their partisan interest and urge all Nigerians to see all their previous, present and future attacks on President Buhari from their pulpits in the context of partisan politics and not in the context of nationalistic or altruistic commitment. We wish them well.

Finally, we see this gathering as a confederate of desperate power-mongers and questionable characters who wish to return us to the era of unbridled corruption. It is significant that the meeting was held in a building which has become the symbol of corruption of the Obasanjo years, where a sitting President collected monies from known government hangers-on and contractors to build a “Presidential Library” in clear violation of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers. We hope President Obasanjo would one day return Governor Ayo Fayose’s Ten Million Naira to that building as Fayose has requested. It is a significant reminder of the difference between the past and the present.

Nigerians would soon be called upon to choose between returning us to the era of corrupt Presidents and their deputies or continuing on this path of transparency and people-oriented Government.

Thank you.

FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN, FCIArb (UK)
Director, Strategic Communications,
President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation
(Official Spokesperson)

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Recall of N14.9b Paris Club Refund To Benue State Unacceptable

The Coordinator, Benue Arise Enough is Enough, Prince Omoi Obande has condemned the recall of the N14.9 billion Paris Club refund to Benue state government by the federal government, describing it as unacceptable.

In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, Prince Omoi Obande said that the news of the disbursement of the Paris club refund to Benue State government, and the directive by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom for immediate payment of salary arrears and pension came as a big relief for the good people of the state.

But that the decision of the Federal Government to recall the same fund credited to state after raising the hope of the common man in the state, came as a rude shock to the entire people of the state.

He said that the situation has become an issue of concern and worrisome to every family living and hoping on salary and called on every well-meaning people of  the state, regardless of their political differences to join hands with the state governor to say no to what he described as “injustice and impunity on the good people of Benue State”.

“I urge our brother, sisters and well-wishers to take this once in a life time opportunity available to us to stand together as one in defense of our sovereignty so that posterity will judge us for good.

“This singular act by the Federal Government has compounded the problem of the good and law abiding people of Benue State. The biggest question to ask is; are we really in the same country? Are we still operating a democratic system of government? Is the Federal Government really fighting corruption or fighting the people? Who are the cartels, advisers behind this injustice? It is clear that the people of Benue state after all they have gone through with the herdsmen saga, and as civil servants who rely on salaries from the state government, are the target of this federal government’s unpopular directives.

“The Federal Government should have considered the sensitive situation of the people of Benue State, and not playing politics with issues that affect the lives of the people of the state. It is clear that this battle is no longer with His Excellency Dr Samuel Ortom, but the entire good people of Benue State. It is their rights and their benefit just like other states that have also benefited from the same Paris Club refund.

"If those elected to represent the interest of the people fail to respond to defend the people within 48 hours, then the people will be left with no other option than to stand and defend their interest, their sovereignty and their right.

"There is no doubt that division and disunity among us has contributed to the crisis and situation we found our self today in Benue State. I urge our brother, sisters and well-wishers to take this once in a life time opportunity available to us to stand together as one in defense of our sovereignty so that posterity will judge us for good.

"The people of Benue State are too big, educated, learned, expose and enlightened to be pocketed by some few individuals as their “FOLLOW FOLLOW” and as such we are calling on every leaders, representatives of Benue State to respond to this impunity and injustice for the defense of our people within 48 hours or face total rejection by the people of the State (electorates), for united we stand, divided we fall", Prince Obande stated. 

 

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Turn Your KNOWLEDGE Into Digital Product

One of the BEST ways so many people are building an expert career these days is by “Monetizing WHAT you know” through Digital Information Products.
For anyone who DON’T know what digital products are, and who has NEVER created product before, it might look very difficult a task to embark upon. But, you know what? It’s NOT That Hard.
Creating digital product is the easiest thing to do, if you know how to go about it.
And it is one of the easiest and fastest paths to build a full-time income online, no matter your current skill level, age, sex or experience.
This post shows you a simple and proven system to creating digital information products like eBooks, video or audio courses and programs, even if you’re a complete newbie with no experience.
There are so many different kinds of digital info products that you can write and when you mix and match them with different “topics”, you can create dozens upon dozens of highly desirable resources to sell online.
There are also different styles of presenting your digital products, but I want to show you one of the simplest methods anyone can do. It is called “How-To” Tutorial.
The “How-to” Tutorial is designed in a way that it shows people how to do something to get a desirable outcome. This style of digital product is organized in a systematic, step-by-step approach to accomplishing a task. The steps are most commonly organized in chronological order like Step One is…, Step Two is…, or Part #1…, Part #2…, or Method#1…, Method #2… etc. These are generally known as “systems”, “formulas”, “checklists” or “blueprints”.
Here are a few examples to get you understand what I’m actually talking about:
1. How To Design A Website In 5 Easy Steps
2. How To Get Started With Writing Press Releases
3. How To Lose 10 Pounds In 10 Days
4. How To Monetize Your YouTube Account
5. How To Teach A Sunday School Class
6. How To Plan A Successful Wedding Event
7. How To Meet The Woman of Your Dreams
8. How to Make Your First N100,000 Online
9. How To Make A Fortune Online With Information Products
10. How To Monetize Your Podcast
The topics are endless, and I can go on and on…
People want to learn how to grow their business, how to soothe a sunburn, how to eat healthy foods, how to get rid of lice, how to manage stress, how to design websites, how to use social media, how to speak English, how to speak Igbo, how to speak Yoruba, how to speak Hausa, how to design mobile apps, or even things they might have missed in school.
People want to learn stuff they can use to improve their lives. People have an insatiable curiosity to learn for all kinds of reasons.
It’s your job to create these products and fill the market need.
The thing is, if you possess the knowledge of how to create your own digital product, grow and profit from it, you can pretty much write your own ticket any time any day.
There are thousands of people out there that will gladly pay you high prices to learn from you – they are yearning to learn from you how to improve their lives and businesses from the knowledge that you have already.
YOU as a smart individual can provide them the SOLUTION they need to solve their PROBLEM. And the BEST way to do that is to create a product that addresses that need and desire of the people.
Jumpstart your creative ingenuity today and start creating your own digital information product that people will love and happily pay you for.
If this is something you want to learn more about, take a look here!
It could be just what you need to achieve your income goals or even double your income this year.
Feel free to share this to your friends!
To your info business success!

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You’ll also discover the BIGGEST mistakes most infopreneurs are making right now that cost them a ton of time, energy and money, and how you can avoid them.
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The Osby Blog : Dr Stella Alhassan Advocates Prominent Roles For W...

The Osby Blog : Dr Stella Alhassan Advocates Prominent Roles For W...: The Deputy National Women Leader of the Re-build Nigeria Party (RBNP), Dr. Stella Alhassan, has described lack of prominent roles fo...

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Dr Stella Alhassan Advocates Prominent Roles For Women

The Deputy National Women Leader of the Re-build Nigeria Party (RBNP), Dr. Stella Alhassan, has described lack of prominent roles for women in politics as “the bane of political crises in the country.” 

Dr. Alhassan, who spoke during a consultative meeting with the party’s states women leaders in Abuja yesterday, said women, considering their importance and expertise, should be considered for key positions.

“It is time for us to rethink about the role of women and consider them as co-labourers in the field of rebuilding Nigeria,” she said, adding that the party was educating women not to be intimidated. 

She said educated women were the best to rule Nigeria, adding that there was need to rebuild the country’s economy and fight corruption.

The women rights activist and grassroots politician called on Nigerian women to come out from obscurity, speak out and join hands with their fellow women to build the Nigeria of their dream.  

Also speaking, the Kwara State Chairman of the Re-build Nigeria Party (RBNP) and Chairman of Chairmens' Forum, Mr. Sunday Ajileye, who called for unity of purpose, urged Nigerians to stand up against bad governance and underdevelopment.

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Clerk Reveals How Senate Rules were ‘amended’ for Saraki, Ekweremadu’s elections

The deputy clerk of the National Assembly, Benedict Efeturi, confirmed to police investigators that the senate’s standing orders used for the 2015 elections of Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu as senate president and deputy respectively, were different from the 2011 version which should have been in use at the time, details of police investigation seen by PREMIUM TIMES show.

Mr. Efeturi made the disclosure to the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of the Nigerian Police, which investigated allegations that the rules were forged to help Messrs. Saraki and Ekweremadu to their posts.

He however said the alteration, which some senators denounced as illegal as lawmakers were not informed about, was based on the directive of the former senate leadership, led by its president, David Mark.
He said the amendment was done “by convention and practice” and not be “procedure”, as previous versions of the rules were amended by the same method.

Messrs. Saraki, Ekweremadu, Efeturi and a former clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, have been charged with forgery. They were arraigned on Monday before a High Court in Abuja.
They deny wrongdoing. The senate president and his deputy accuse President Muhammadu Buhari of bias, and argue that the case is a violation of the independence of the legislature.
In his statement to the police, Mr. Efeturi, who is also the Clerk of the Senate, said the leadership of the seventh Senate under Mr. Mark ordered the 2015 Standing Rules be amended “not necessarily by procedure” but “by convention and practice”.

According to the report, he “stated that the leadership of the National Assembly of the 7th Senate ordered the 2015 Standing Rules as amended by their convention and practice. (He stated) that the Senate Standing Orders 2003, 2007 and 2011 followed the same procedure as that of 2015. He emphasized that in the Parliament, amendment of the Standing Orders is by practice not necessarily by procedure.
“He further stated that during the ruling of the Senate President on the 24th of June 2015, that the Senate Standing Orders of the Senate 2015 is authentic, final, relevant and cannot be challenged. He attached a copy of the debates of the Senate on Wednesday, the 24th of June where the Senate President ruled (that) the Senate Standing Order 2015 as authentic Standing Orders of the 8th Senate.”

“Fraudulent amendment”

Mr. Maikasuwa, who conducted the elections of Messrs Saraki and Ekweremadu, said he did not refer to any Senate Standing Rules, rather, he said he only performed his duty using “normal procedures for the opening of a new parliament”.

He said, according to the police report, “that before the election, he called on the Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly who is also the Clerk to the Senate to read out the guidelines for the election”.
He denied knowledge of the existence or production of an amended Senate Standing Rules 2015, saying he had no business in the daily activities in the Senate.

He told the police Mr. Efeturi was “in better position to know of the 2015 Standing Orders as amended”.
The report says a number of Senators, including Suleiman Hukunyi, Kabiru Marafa, Ahmed Lawan, Abdullahi Gumel, Gbenga Ashafa, Robert Boroffice and Abu Ibrahim, were invited during the investigation.
In their separate statements, they said the seventh Senate did not amend the 2011 Standing Rules and thus, the amendment rules used for inauguration of the eighth assembly was fraudulent since there was no compliance with the requirements for amendment of Senate Rules.

Mr. Lawan, who contested and lost the senate presidency to Mr. Saraki, said, “The procedures for election into the two presiding offices are clearly stipulated in Order 2 (2(i) of the Senate Standing Rules 2011. That contrary to the provision of the above order, the Clerk to the National Assembly introduced and used order 3(3) e (ii) of the purported 2015 Standing Order”.

The report also noted the submissions of some former lawmakers like Ita Enang, who was chairman, Rules and Business in the seventh senate. Mr. Enang, now President Buhari’s assistant on senate matters, told the police that the previous Senate did not amend the rules.

Mr. Ekweremadu accused the police of bias in its investigation. His spokesperson, Uche Anichukwu, told PREMIUM TIMES that only All Progressives Congress Senators in the Unity Forum—a group opposed to the election of Mr. Saraki – were invited for questioning. He queried the basis for his arraignment as he was neither questioned nor indicted by the police.

In the summary, the police’s CIID said the contents of the 2015 Rules “are substantially different from the Senate Standing Order 2011 as amended” and that “Sections 2(iv), 3(3)EI,ii,iii,G and H, 5 and 7 of the Rules are different in the two Orders”.

“The allusion of the Clerk of the Senate to procedure of amending the Standing Orders of the Parliament through ‘practice and not necessarily procedure’ is a misplaced analogy and undemocratic because the Nigerian Senate has clearly laid down without a proviso, the procedure to be adopted in amending its standing orders as contained in the section 110 of 2011 Senate Standing Orders,” the police said.

It added that, “This practice where some group of senators amend the Rules of the Senate without following legal procedures is not only criminal but portends danger for growing democracy”.
The report, dated July 14, 2015, was forwarded to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to determine “if this conduct constitutes crime or should be treated as an internal affairs of the Senate”.

Saraki, Ekweremadu not mentioned or indicted

In the report, no complaint was raised against Mr. Saraki. He was not indicted. Although Mr. Ekweremadu was also not expressly indicted by the report, he was part of the seventh Senate leadership which Mr. Efeturi said gave orders for the rules to be amended. Mr. Ekweremadu was deputy senate president under Mr. Mark.
The criminal charges came about a year after the report was submitted to the Federal Government.
Mr. Saraki and the  other three accused persons were arraigned before an Abuja High Court on Monday, triggering a war of words between Mr. Saraki and President Muhammadu Buhari.

“That is what infuriated the Senate,” Mr. Anichukwu said. “How could you prosecute Saraki and Ekweremadu who were neither questioned nor indicted in the Police report.”

Source: PREMIUM TIMES
 

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