Regina Askia Questions Buhari in an Open letter . Is this the Change you Promised?

In an open letter via her instagram page, former nollywood actress turned nurse, cries out to President Buhari on over the county's situation. Who agrees with her?! Read the rest below

Buhari’s government is a one-chance bus - Fayose . Do you Agree?

In these recent times where a bag of pure water is N150 or N200, where we have been deprived lack of basic amenities , many have come for president Buhari, calling to notice the fact that he hasn't exactly fulfilled any promise made. One of such people is the Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose, who has described the Buhari led government as a "one-chance bus". Fayose said this in a statement released by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, while reacting to the recent proclamation by Buhari and Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, that the government cannot be fulfill it's election promises.


 "Everything Buhari and his party promised Nigerians when they were looking for votes, they have denied and it won’t be a surprise if one day, Buhari comes out to even deny that he was elected on the platform of APC. Nigerians have now realised that they are inside a ‘One Chance Bus’ because Buhari and his APC have disowned their entire campaign promises by disowning their campaign document titled; ‘My Covenant with Nigerians. This document that they disowned in August, last year contained everything they promised Nigerians and if today, President Buhari chose faraway Qatar to announce that he won’t pay the N5,000 promised unemployed youths and Lai Mohammed is here in Nigeria saying no job was promised, no one should be surprised. Rather, Nigerians can only begin to pray that God, who rescued Daniel from den of lions will rescue us from this Buhari/APC one chance bus that we have entered,” he said.

Well, thank God "Fear_Buhari" (as in Febuary) has passed. Let's hope for a better March. Literally and figuratively. 

It's Hidden dragon, Crouching Tiger as Japanese politicians fight over controversial security bill (photos)

If you missed the 2000 movie flick "crouching tiger hidden dragon" (An American-Chinese-Hong Kong-Taiwanese co-production film) you sure better shouldn't miss this one, which isn't a movie but a true story,
A fight broke out in the Japanese parliament on September 17 as opposition lawmakers tried to stop a bill that could see the military fight abroad for the first time since World War II. The brawl which came after hours of rigorous debate, failed to stop them from being approved as members of the ruling coalition stood up to signify their votes in favour. The bills are now expected to go to the full upper house on Friday, where they will likely be passed to become law. See more still images below of how the drama unfolded

U.S. hits top terror leader Muhsin al-Fadhli in strike

Airstrikes in northern Syria killed the 'world's most wanted terrorist' before his band of Islamist militants were able to carry out deadly 'toothpaste tube bomb attacks' on the U.S. and Europe, American officials believe.
Muhsin al-Fadhl, 33, was identified as the leader of the Al Qaeda-affiliated Khorasan Group - a radical terror collective specializing in intercepting Western jihadists on their arrival in Syria, and training them to carry out deadly bomb attacks on targets in their home nations.
As well as an American and Arab coalition hitting targets relating to ISIS militants in Syria yesterday, the U.S. air force also independently struck Khorasan as intelligence suggested the group were nearing ‘the execution phase’ of a terror atrocity against a Western target that could have rivalled 9/11.
Details of the alleged death of al-Fadhl emerged this afternoon from a U.S. military official speaking on condition of anonymity.
Despite his relatively young age, the Kuwait-born militant was an Al Qaeda veteran; joining the terror group as a teenager and becoming so close to its leadership that he was among a select few with prior knowledge of the 9/11 attacks in America, despite having only just turned 20 at the time.
News of Muhsin al-Fadhl's alleged death comes as a fresh wave of airstrikes hit ISIS-held territory close to Syria's border with Turkey overnight.

Culled from DailyMail

Buhari is not APC leader, He is a "Mere Product of the Party" says Lai Mohammed

This statement came as a shock to me, because it means "a lot" underneath, is a product of a factory not controlled by it's producer?
National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has dropped a disturbing statement over President Buhari and the leadership of APC .

According to him, President Buhari is not the Leader of the party(APC). He went ahead to describe Buhari as “mere Product of the party”.
Mohammed Ali said this amongst others when he was speaking to Channels Television.

When asked if the President is the Leader of the Party. He said:

” The Chairman of the party is Chief John Oyegun, the President of the country is by virtue of being the President of the whole of the country.

“We have many Leaders in the party and i don’t want to be boxed whether the President is the Leader of the Party”

“The President is a Product of the party”..

Story for the gods ...

Fayose: Heaven Won’t Fall If Jega is Sacked

 Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose has declared that President Goodluck Jonathan will not breach the constitution to protect the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega,  adding that heaven will not fall if the chief electoral officer is sacked.

Fayose described the outbursts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that the country would boil if Jega is removed as a mere comedy, saying; “President Jonathan can sack the INEC boss  if he wishes and if he does, heaven will not fall.”
Controversies have trailed the allegation that Jega, whose tenure expires on June 6, might be asked to proceed on terminal leave on March 6, which the APC had branded a ploy to rig the March 28 elections, vowing that it would resist such rumoured sinister intention.
But the governor said it was apparent that the APC had a secret deal with Jega with the way it has been virulently defending the INEC boss, urging the party to  stop acting as if Nigeria belongs to it.

“By turning themselves to advocates and defenders of the INEC chairman, the APC and its agents have shown that they have a deal with Jega to manipulate the elections and that the deal will be frustrated if he is asked to leave office.”
In a statement issued yesterday by his Special Assistant on Public

Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Fayose said:  “Removal of Jega and any other appointees of the federal government is a prerogative of the president, which no one can question, provided laid down rules are followed.”
He said the position expressed by the House of Representatives was that of the APC members in the House, urging that “the APC lawmakers should rather pay attention to the ill-health of their party’s presidential candidate, Major General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd), whose whereabouts is now a mystery.”

The governor described Jega as partisan, saying, “By his actions and utterances, Jega had already demonstrated his bias in support of the APC. For instance, how can Jega explain the 80 per cent distribution of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) in Boko Haram ravaged Borno and Yobe States while less than 40 per cent distributed in Lagos as at February 7 that the election was postponed?”
He said: “It is on record that Prof Maurice Iwu was asked to proceed on terminal leave two months to the end of his tenure? Is Jega not a beneficiary of Iwu’s removal? So if Iwu was asked to go on terminal leave before the expiration of his tenure for Jega to assume office, what difference does it make if Jega too is asked to proceed on terminal leave before the expiration of his tenure?”

SOURCE - Thisdaylive

Pres. GEJ has condemned Boko Haram's reversion to suicide bombing of soft targets

Following the recent horrible activities of Bokoharam targeting soft environs , President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the act and issued a statement via the House of Reps.
Read the State House Press statement below...

    Boko Haram reversion to suicide bombing of soft targets, act of desperate sect facing extinction

    President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan condemns the reversion by the terrorist group, Boko Haram to the callous bombing of soft targets in parts of Nigeria in the wake of the ongoing rapid recovery by gallant Nigerian troops and their multinational allies of areas formerly controlled by the sect. President Jonathan commiserates with all families who have lost loved ones in the bombings which continued today with attacks on Kano and Potiskum.

    The President shares the grief of all the bereaved families and is deeply saddened by the continued loss of many innocent lives at the hands of misguided and desperate fanatics who are now feeling the heat of the intense counter –insurgency operation by the Nigerian Armed Forces. The President assures all Nigerians and the people of the North-Eastern states in particular that the days of mourning victims of incessant terrorist attacks in the country will soon be over as the tide has now definitely turned against Boko Haram.

    President Jonathan further assures the people of Nigeria that the gallant, courageous and patriotic officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces, supported with new platforms, equipment and logistics provided by the Federal Government will carry the ongoing operations against the terrorists through to a successful conclusion in the shortest possible time. He affirms that his administration will continue to take all necessary action to guarantee the success of ongoing military operations against the terrorist group and drastically reduce its ability to take and hold territory or recruit, groom and brainwash young persons to undertake suicide bombing attacks on soft targets.

    Reuben Abati Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) February 24, 2015

Election Fever by Uche Ahubelem

Uche Ahubelem CEO Brickwall investment Group, a motivatioal Speaker and life coach , has decided to remind Nigerians the importance of peace and dangers of war in regard to the forth coming elections.  Read it below

To all my friends and fans, those connected to me through Facebook, my blog or Twitter, I want to advise on a critical issue that is bothering me on the unity of the nation.

We are all close to the forthcoming elections; my advice for us all is to know that we have no other nation like Nigeria, presently the nation is on the verge of precipice. Ignorant people who don't know the consequences of war are overheating the polity, people with narrow minds are fanning the embers of war.

I call them emissaries of rift because they don't know that any war in Nigeria now will cause business to crumble, economy will break down, a lot will be jobless, and people will die of famine and hunger including those clamouring for war. most of them who want this nation to go to war and burn have plans of enriching themselves by selling arms to the warring faction. Nigerians don't be fooled, this election is not a do or die affair, vote, don't fight, don't be incited to fight, some are beating the drums of war for selfish ends which you will not be a part of the loot.

Buhari or Jonathan, whoever wins, Nigerians should not burn, pray for Nigeria and leave the rest to GOD.

Whosoever emerges the winner, let it be. This is our country, let's not allow the greed of a few narrow minded people to destroy it.

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AhubelemUche

Twitter – www.twitter.com/UcheAhubelemCEO

Blog – http://ucheahubelem.blogspot.com/

Buhari’s Supporters Stone Jonathan’s Campaign Train in Bauchi

  Security personnel comprising soldiers and anti-riot policemen Thursday averted what was potentially an ugly situation as hundreds of  supporters  of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), mostly youths, pelted stones and pure water sachets at the motorcade of President Goodluck Jonathan in Bauchi.

There was palpable tension as the president’s convoy heading to the Bauchi Emir’s palace drove past the Nasarawa area road where some supporters of General Buhari brandishing brooms, the APC’s symbol, welcomed the president with chants of “sai Buhari” even as some could be heard calling President Jonathan “arna,” (in Hausa meaning an unbeliever).

With the president in the motorcade were Vice President Namadi Sambo, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, ministers, other top chieftains of the PDP leadership, among others.

Also, along Ran road, some irate youths in their numbers chanting “Sai Buhari” disrupted business activities as shop owners in the area had to hurriedly lock their business premises for fear of being attacked.

At venue of the colourful occasion held at Ibrahim Babangida's Square, Bauchi, the youths who had, before the arrival of President Goodluck Jonathan and his entourage, chanted solidarity songs for the President and the PDP, as they marched round the venue with their drums and placards with the President’s picture, turned wild and began pelting dignitaries at the stand.

Security operatives had a tough time dispersing the political thugs who came out in their numbers. The youths destroyed some of the canopies erected and plastic chairs.

President Goodluck Jonathan has accused the opposition party of instigating the electorate in the country against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government.

He challenged the party to state its achievements rather than looking for cheap popularity.

Addressing a mammoth crowd of supporters at the flagg-off of the PDP presidential campaign rally held at Ibrahim Babangida Square, Bauchi, President Jonathan  vowed that no retrogressive forces could push the party behind in its effort to develop Northern Nigeria.

Source - Thisday

IBB Endorses Buhari, Says Retired Generals Will Back Him

  In an apparent endorsement of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, who he overthrew in a bloodless coup 30 years ago, former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has stated that retired generals will support Buhari’s bid for the presidency.

Despite Babangida’s seeming endorsement, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday insisted that the APC presidential candidate’s failure to present his secondary school certificate in order to put paid to questions over his eligibility to contest next month’s election, was indicative that he was not even qualified to have been made a commissioned officer of the Nigerian Army.

Babangida, who made this known on Monday in Minna, Niger State, when Buhari paid him a visit, said: “They will support their own.”

Babangida said he was proud of the persistence and perseverance of Buhari in seeking to offer himself for service at the highest level in the country’s young democracy.

“You have beaten some of us in proving Gen. Douglas Macarthur’s theory that old soldiers never die but fade away gradually. But you have refused to fade away,” he added.

He went on to commended APC for honouring the military by nominating Buhari, stating: “I wish to congratulate members of the party for the honour of nominating my colleague, General Muhammadu Buhari, as your presidential candidate for the 2015 election.”

Babangida also accused the media of misrepresenting his relationship with Buhari, adding that it was far from what had been reported.

“I want to commend APC for choosing our colleague as its standard-bearer. All of us will support you (Buhari) in this course to salvage this country,” IBB stated.

Meanwhile, the PDP has continued to question Buhari’s eligibility to contest next month’s presidential election and went as far as questioning his military career.

In a statement by the Director of Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the party said: “It is disingenuous for Buhari to say that he contested previous elections and that the issue of his qualifications did not arise.

“Had INEC not complied with the Electoral Act this year, which requires that it pastes the academic credentials of all the presidential candidates, Nigerians would have remained ignorant of the fact that Buhari has probably been submitting affidavits for past elections.”

Culled from Thisday

Why Buhari May Defeat Jonathan - Doris David

In spite of the weight of incumbency, Doris David explains why President Goodluck Jonathan may lose the February 14 presidential election to former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari

For the fourth time, General Mohammadu Buhari will contest the presidency of Nigeria as a civilian. He was military Head of State between December 1983 and August 1985. He will be contesting against the sitting President Goodluck Jonathan for the second time. The last time was in 2011 elections.

They have chosen their running mates. President Jonathan is retaining Architect Namadi Sambo to run with him. General Buhari has dropped his running mate in the last elections and picked a Professor of Law and former Lagos State Attorney-General, Yemi Osinbajo for this race. Their parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP-Jonathan) and the All Progressive Congress (APC-Buhari) are all charged up and ready to go.

It is clear that Jonathan defeated Buhari in the last election. Buhari then stood on the platform of the relatively newly created Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), registered with the INEC just a year before the elections. It was virtually a personal party, based almost exclusively in the north of the country. President Jonathan, then as now, stood on the platform of the PDP, which prides itself as Africa’s largest political party.

The results of the 2011 elections reflected the strengths of the parties and not the candidates. While the PDP and Jonathan campaigned in every state of the federation and placed daily adverts on television, the CPC and Buhari could only campaign in northern Nigeria, leaving the whole of the south. They could also manage some posters and handbills, but could not carry the campaign to the electronic media.

As he did not campaign at all in the south, Buhari did not secure the required 25% of votes in southern Nigerian states, yet he won all the states in the north and secured 31.9% of the total votes. Jonathan secured the necessary 25% of votes in the northern states and secured 58.8% of the total votes nationwide.

Already it is clear that it would be different this time. Even if PDP were to win the national elections, it would be the narrowest of margins. But there is a fair chance that the APC would be the winner of the 2015 presidential election. If they do, it would be the fault of President Jonathan and Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, mainly because of very poor party leadership, the total disregard for internal democracy and perfidy.

Nigerians have for a long time not trusted the PDP and Nigerians have for over six years bemoaned the dullness and indecisiveness of President Jonathan. Yet they submitted to the machinations of PDP because they had no choice. Now the APC presents a viable opposition. While some of the bigwigs in the APC defected from the PDP, there are a good number of their members that have for decades preached a different kind of politics, such that it is clear to Nigerians that there is a difference between both parties.

The PDP built on corruption and all its ways are corrupt. While President Jonathan has severally been accused publicly of presiding over a system of corruption and that he surrounds himself with the corrupt; his opponent, General Buhari’s name has never been associated with corruption in the Nigerian discourse.

Indeed, he is mentioned as the only person who was president of Nigeria that actually took genuine steps to fight corruption and the general social malaise. He is given as the only example of a former head of government that did not enrich himself. All the Nigerians who wish the evil of corruption in the country to end will gravitate towards him.

Buhari is regarded as a decisive leader, one who would make tough decisions, irrespective of whose ox is gored. Nigerians recall how his government stood up to the international community during his presidency, refusing to be dictated to by the Britain and the United States. They recall how despite Umaru Diko's status in Nigerian politics, the Buhari government crated to return him to Nigeria from self exile in Britain to face trial for corruption.

At this point in time, Nigerians are praying for a person of true leadership qualities to take the country out to the doldrums of corruption, crime, poverty and terrorism. On the other hand, President Jonathan is derided as a man who cannot bridle his wife from her rude intrusion into party and national affairs; he is seen as mentally lazy, indecisive and ineffective. He is talked of as totally lacking in leadership qualities, the kind of qualities that the country direly needs now.

As evidence of what they say about President Jonathan, people need only point to the disarray in the party that he leads, even at the threshold of national elections. Due to his weakness, governors have consistently usurped the powers that belong to the president; they make his appointments for him. Governors have reduced the office of the president to ridicle.

Governors under the leadership of Rotimi Amaechi were able to turn what was supposed to be their talk shop, the Governor's Forum, into a trade union, with the federal government as their target. And in one fell swoop, five governors defected from his party, formed an alliance with the opposition and eventually embedded themselves there. Now they present him a very formidable challenge within the APC.

Right now, there is crisis in at least 17 PDP states over who should be the governorship candidate. In Abia, Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe States there are acute disagreements about how the governorship primaries have been conducted. The powers that be within the PDP anoint aspirants behind the scenes, and then still pretend that they are conducting primaries.

In some cases, as in the case of Rivers State, the party allows a contender to actually make all the arrangements, chose the electoral committees, chose the screening committees, and produce a delegates list from non-existent delegate elections. The whole system is riddled with fraud when it should have been very simple to follow the provisions of the party’s constitution and the electoral guidelines.

On the other hand, we have seen the APC publicly conduct free and fair delegates elections and governorship primaries. The disaffected aspirants and their supporters will punish the party. In some cases, aspirants and their supporters have defected to APC. In any case, the general dislike by the populace for this kind of fraud, a finger-pointer to the kind of electoral fraud and rigging that the PDP is set for, will alienate many voters. Jonathan will certainly lose lots of votes in each of these states to Buhari.

Perhaps as a belated damage-control, the PDP has set up a presidential reconciliation committee to appeal to elders and party followers in Rivers State to forgive. Why should they? There is still time for the party to move to the right path. President Jonathan and the party cannot deliberately hand over the electoral process to the most unsuitable candidate in the state, insult the elders and elite of the state, denigrate that state by saying that it is only Chief Nyesome Wike that possesses the quality to win governorship elections in the state, ignore all petitions at every stage of the process by various concerned groups in the state, and then set up a reconciliation committee to go and share dollars to a few hand-picked in a state where over two million people have votes.

President Jonathan is right in keeping his vice-president as his running mate. Had he changed the running-mate as emeritus-president Olusegun Obasanjo had tried to force him to do, it would have complicated an already very bad situation for him. But even here, General Buhari has trumped him. By choosing Professor Osinbajo, General Buhari has burrowed both into the dedicated followership of the Obafemi Awolowo political dynasty as well as the teeming Christian evangelical followership all around the country.

Namely, Buhari’s chosen running-mate is a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church, which is one of the largest denominations in the country. Professor Osinbajo’s wife is a direct grand-daughter of Obafemi Awolowo and also an officer of the Mountain of Fire Christian denomination. While there is no concrete statistics as to what percentage of votes is dictated by religious affiliation, it is known that there is a great deal of religious influence in who people vote for at elections.

The Peoples Democratic Party may be thumping its chest as the largest party in Africa. Well, such a party with obvious lack of internal democracy is a shame. But what is more important is that its politics and electoral fortunes are confined only to the space that is Nigeria. During previous elections, when several small parties opposed it, it was always certain of itself. That self-assurance should cease.
In the previous election General Buhari contested on the platform of the CPC, a small party more or less confined to the north. Now the General is the standard-bearer of the APC to join former PDP governors, Speaker of House of Representatives, Ministers, Commissioners and several others.

Buhari will win the twelve states he won in the 2011 elections and secure maybe five states in the South-West. He will make gains in the South-South and South-East/, where he did not campaign at all in 2011. Jonathan will be losing votes where he was very secure in 2011. The total tally nationwide may favour General Buhari.

Culled from Thisday

Patience Jonathan in reply to Gen. Buhari on Scrapping off of the office of the First lady

General Buhari in a statement yesterday during an interview with Weekly Trust, stated that if elected as president in next year’s presidential election, he would abolish the office of the First Lady. The office, though not constitutionally recognized, has been maintained by past and present administrations and is even seen as being key in policy decisions. He said that ministries, which are constitutional, should be allowed to play their roles instead.

"There is the Ministry of Women Affairs, and so on. I was raised by my mother, as I lost my father when I was under 6 yars, so I know what a woman can do if given the chance”.

In a subtle way of replying Buhari's comments, First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan, emphasized the importance of the office of the First Lady in the Nigerian politics, saying that the office has been an avenue for mobilizing women for mass participation in politics. 

She said this in Abia state during a reception organized for her by the Ohuhu community, her maternal home in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia state, yesterday.  

She said the bid by politicians from the opposition camp to scrap the office of the First Lady would amount to sending the Nigerian women back to the kitchen if such came to fruition, adding, 

“It is not our portion to go back to the kitchen. We have women that are capable. We can contribute our quota to the development of Nigeria".

She also told the women not to vote for any politician who doesn't respect women.

The First Lady had veered off from the address she was reading at the occasion when she directed the attention of guests to Buhari’s idea which she said was not practicable in the ongoing political dispensation because of the critical role women have been playing in politics.

Asari Dokubo throws shade at Gen. Buhari as he campaigns for GEJ

 

Just incase you can't see it clearly , Asari tweeted saying "Gej2015, he who the cap fits. Goodluck na the man wey sabi do am, not one old retired Hausa soldier" ... Lol  wahala dey o, this coming election will have a stage and an audience , no be small drama go happen .. We  "sidon" dey look .. .

The Knight and his broom - 9ice rides horse to APC secretariat to submit nomination form (photos)

Abolore '9ice' Akande rode on a horse like a knight and a crusader, broom in hand for his people, to submit his nomination form for House of Representatives at All Progressives Congress (APC) Secretariat, Yemetu, Ibadan yesterday, Monday 24th November. See the photos below

Watch the way and manner Tambuwal & his aides imposed their entry into the National Assembly

Am sure you all saw the photos of how Honorable AminuTambuwal and his aids forced their way into the National Assembly two days ago . It was a big joke but in actual sense this isn't funny at all . Anyways here is the video footage on how it all went down ..

President Jonathan Set to Declare for Re-election November 11

President Goodluck Jonathan will formally declare his intention to seek re-election in 2015 on November 11.

Chairman of the Presidential Declaration Committee, Dr. Haliru Bello, disclosed this on Friday when he spoke to State House correspondents at the end of the committee's inaugural meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

However, the venue for the declaration has not been fixed.

Bello said: “The President gave us the task to organise the modality for creating a platform for him to meet Nigerians and announce his response to the various calls for him to come out and declare his interest in the presidential election.

“The President has not said anything yet but it is like all Nigerians have called on him to contest. It is our honest hope that he will come out and say yes to the demand of multitude of Nigerians. We expect he will say yes but we cannot say yes for him. We will wait for him to speak.

“The date that is fixed is Tuesday, November 11. On that day, there will be a forum for the President to meet Nigerians to announce his decision. The venue is yet to be decided. That will be decided at our next meeting.

“When we come out on November 11, the President will face the people of Nigeria and say yes to their demand.

“If he says yes, it will be yes. If he says no, then it is negative. But you are aware that our party, the PDP in all its organs, from the caucus to the Board of Trustees, NWC had decided that President Jonathan should be given the first option of refusal with the PDP ticket.”

He added that if Jonathan declares to run, the PDP would give him preference.
As the president, Bello noted that Jonathan had performed well and that the party was satisfied with what he had done.

“It is only when he declines that we can look at any other contestant,” he stressed.
Most of the committee members attended the meeting yesterday. They include Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina, Saidu Ibrahim Dakwambo of Gombe, Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo, and Liyel Imoke of Cross River.

Fund Raising Dinner Committee Inaugurated…
Prior to the meeting of the Presidential Declaration Committee, Jonathan had on Thursday inaugurated a PDP Fund Raising Dinner Committee headed by Professor Jerry Gana with Alhaji Abdulsalmad Rabiu as Vice Chairman.

Three governors - Godswill Akpabio, Sule Lamido and Gabriel Suswam – are also members of the committee.

President Jonathan reshuffles cabinet

As a result of the resignation of seven ministers last week, President Jonathan has decided to reshuffle his cabinet, appointing temporary ministers to take up the positions of those that resigned.

Announcing this yesterday October 22nd after the Federal Executive Council, the  Minister of State II for Foreign Affairs, Nurudeen Mohammed who now supervises the  Ministry of Information, said the Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Aliyu Gusau will now double as the Minister of State for Defence while the Minister of Special Duties, Taminu Turaki (SAN) will act as the Supervising Minister of Labour and Productivity. Continue...

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, will combine his duties with those of the Minister of State for same Ministry while the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Dr Steven Oru, will double as the Minister of State of the same ministry. Dr. Khaliru Alhassan, who is the Minister of State for Health is to now act as the Minister of Health.

President Jonathan also directed the Minister of State I for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Viola Onwuliri to assume the position of the substantive Minister of State for Education. She will be the only one working in substantive capacity. All others will be working in active capacity. 

According to Actress Clarion Chukwurah , Entertainers are going into Politics for the Money. Do you agree?

  Manyof our Nigerian entertainers are now delving into politics amongst them are 9ice, Desmond Elliot, Kate Henshaw, Tony Tetula  and actress Clarion Chukwurah thinks their decisions  is based on monetary benefits and values . Speaking exclusively to Punch, Clarion said a lot of these entertainers want to go into politics because they are not making that much money from their vocations.

"The motive of those who are embracing partisan politics is purely monetary. Let us call a spade a spade. If you tell me that you want to go into politics to serve the people, I would want to look at your record first. I want to see what you have done to better the lives of the people in your immediate community. How many boreholes have you sunk in the community? How many hours of community service have you given for free over the last four or five years? How well are you known as somebody who yearns for improvement in social development?”

Clarion also criticized the leadership of the AGN. Ibinabo Fiberesima was re-elected AGN president yesterday

“I said earlier that I wanted to take charge of the AGN because I saw that those who were running the body lacked the experience necessary to turn it around and to change the face of the film industry. It was clear that those in charge had not real agenda for the guild and they didn’t know what to do to turn it around.

“Also, I observed that some people already felt that being in charge was the same thing as being in a position to hobnob with top politicians in the corridors of power and to get money from various interest groups in the country. And there was so much desperation on the part of the leadership of the guild to hold on to power because they see their position as a platform to make money.”

 Do you agree with her?

FG, Boko Haram Reach Ceasefire Agreement

In a landmark decision, the Federal Government has reached a ceasefire agreement with the Boko Haram terrorists.

This was announced friday by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh at the end of the two-day Coordinating Conference Cameroun-Nigeria Trans-Border Military Operations at the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Headquarters, Abuja.

Badeh said that the latest ceasefire agreement with the terrorists will not affect the accord reached with Cameroun for joint security border operations.

He further directed all the military Service Chiefs to comply with the new ceasefire agreement, which was said to have been signed in far away Saudi Arabia.

He said: "Without any prejudice to the outcome of our three days interactions and the conclusions of this forum, I wish to inform this audience that a cease fire agreement has been concluded between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Ahlul Sunna Li Daawa Wal Jihad.

"I have, accordingly, directed the Service Chiefs to ensure immediate compliance with this development in the field."

  Regarding the missing Chibok girls, their release and possible ceasefire. See more tweets below

 

Oby Ezekwesili reacted to this positive news see her tweets below

SOURCE - Thisdaylive

$9.3m Arms Deal: Presidency Clears Oritsejafor

in a report by Paul Obi of Thisdaylive , the federal government on Sunday exonerated the President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor of blame in the involvement of his aircraft in the $9.3m controversial arms deal in South Africa.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan (Public Communication), Dr. Doyin Okupe, told Religious Affairs correspondents in Abuja that Oritsejafor, who is also the founder of Word of Life Bible Church, is innocent and has no business with the said deal.

Most Nigerians do not also respect the sensibilities of other people. Oritsejafor is the President of CAN and head of all Christians in Nigeria who is representing at least 50 per cent of people in this country. When it comes to a man like that, people should be cautious and circumspect", Okupe advised.