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Ogun State governor,
Gbenga Daniel yesterday stunned political observers by attending
campaign rally of the opposition, Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN). The
rally held at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta was organised
by the PPN, to launch the campaign of its governorship candidate,
Gboyega Isiaka and other candidates. Mr Daniel arrived the campaign
ground mid-way into the programme and was received by members of the PPN
who were mostly those who defected from the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP). He told the PPN supporters that he has become an elder statesman
who will support anything good but insisted that he would work towards
the re-election of President Jonathan “If we see anything good, we must
endorse it. What we are witnessing today is good and we must support
it. Even though you are not happy, you have declared your support for
President Jonathan, we will vote for him because we are working for him.
I have come to feed my eyes and my eyes are seeing good things today,”
Mr Daniel declared.

In his own speech,
PPN governorship candidate, Mr Isiaka told his supporters that he is on a
path of greatness. “I am more than being convinced that we have the
capacity and the courage to govern Ogun State more than any other
candidates in the race. With your continued support and understanding,
we are sure of victory at the polls.” He declared.

PDP asks questions

Meanwhile, the Tunji
Olurin Campaign Organisation said it received with mixed feelings the
inclusion of Mr Isiaka’s name in the list of governorship candidates
released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for
Ogun State.

In a statement
issued and signed by Lai Labode, Chairman, Sub-Committee on Media &
Publicity. The party said “on the one hand we welcome his formal
entrance into the race because we do know that his inclusion in the list
will afford him an opportunity to test his popularity alongside other
candidates in the April polls.

“On the other hand,
we are concerned at the way and manner his name was smuggled into the
list through the backdoor. It is clear to all that the deadline for the
withdrawal and substitution of candidates was February 28, 2011, yet as
at March 3, 2011 when the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered its
judgment, Isiaka and others were parties in a suit seeking to validate
the primaries that produced them as the authentic candidates of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP);the statement pointed out.

“So, the questions
that all men of good conscience should ask are: at what point did Isiaka
become a candidate of the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN)? Was it before
or after the judgment? What would have happened had the court declared
him as the candidate of the PDP? What is the role of INEC in all of
these?” the party asked.

Former members of
the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) in
Furupagha, an Ijaw clan in Ondo State, have vowed not to allow any
election to take place in the state if the Federal Government fails to
recognise former leader of the group in the on-going dialogue with MEND.

In a statement made
available by the ex-militants in Akure, the Ondo State capital through
their spokesman, Ebakormor Ayebi, the youth said failure to carry along
their leader, known as “Creek Lion” in the proposed dialogue with other
leaders of MEND, will not augur well for the existing peace currently
being enjoyed in the state.

The return of Creek Lion

Mr Ayebi noted that
the group, under the leadership of “Creek Lion” is prepared to call on
all ex-freedom fighters in the creeks of Gbelebu, Taribor, Ebijaw,
Zion, Makporo, Kolonbou, Ubagbororo, Siluko, Kekere, Ofinege, Okwa,
Madagbayo and Ezide; to take up arms and stop the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting elections in Ondo State.

The central body of
MEND had, last week, issued a threat that it will unleash terror in
some parts of the country, including Abuja and Lagos, and political
gatherings over what the group described as the federal government’s
defiant approach to the demands of the freedom fighters on post-amnesty
programme of the federal government.

The militant group
said while it will leave the high command of MEND to face the issue of
fresh hostilities on oil installations and political gatherings, the
Furupagha section of MEND will ensure that no INEC official is allowed
to stay and conduct election in any polling booth in all the 203
political wards in Ondo State if its demands are not met.

Meeting the unhappy

But the Special
Adviser to the President on Niger-Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku had said
that the Federal Government is ready to enter into dialogue with MEND
over the latest threat. Mr Kuku said, “so many threats will come, but
this particular one, we’re not taking it lightly; we’re going to look
into it. It is about engagement, we’re going to engage anybody that is
aggrieved.” Mr Kuku hails from Arogbo-Ijaw, Ese-Odo council area of
Ondo State, which forms part of the area the militant group claimed the
federal government abandoned in the scheme of things.

Within the first
one month in office, the federal administration of the National
Conscience Party (NCP) will provide 50, 000 jobs for the youth of the
country, if voted into office in the April 9 election.

The vice
presidential candidate of NCP, Yunusa Tanko, stated this in Abuja
yesterday. Mr. Tanko, who is the running mate to Dele Momodu, said that
the NCP will not spend a whopping N18 billion to purchase presidential
jets while millions of Nigerians are unemployed.

He listed some of
the things Mr. Momodu will do if he wins the presidential elections:
transform governance in the country, revive the economy, provide social
amenities and prosperity, among others.

He stressed that the party’s presidential ticket represents the change Nigerians have been waiting for.

“If voted into
power, the Momodu-Tanko presidency will provide 50,000 job
opportunities to young graduates within one month in office, using
agriculture as a basis for mass employment.

“The economy will
be redirected from heavy dependence on oil revenue. Bank interest rate
will be drastically reduced to boost the operations of local
industries,” Mr. Tanko said.

The vice
presidential candidate also said the middle class, which has been
obliterated due to the economic situation, will be restored and
empowered to contribute to national development, while civil servants
will be adequately remunerated and motivated to serve the country.

“This is the change Nigerians desire and the change they will get in April 2011 if voted into office,” Mr. Tanko said.

The vice
presidential candidate commended the International Republican Institute
(IRI) for its role in producing a Code of Conduct for Political Parties
and formation of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).

He noted that the code, which IPAC and most of the 63 political
parties have signed, is vital for the success of the April elections
and urged political parties and politicians to abide by its provisions
to ensure free, credible, and peaceful elections the nation deserves.

The Oyo State
commissioner of police, Baba Adisa Bolanta, at the weekend, reiterated
his command’s readiness to ensure violence-free elections in the state
in April.

The police chief
had, on Friday, paraded four suspects arrested after a violent clash
between members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) at Onipe village in Oluyole local government
area of the state.

The clash was an
aftermath of a raid on the village by political thugs in which its
longstanding serenity was shattered, leading to infliction of injury on
some residents as well as wanton destruction of properties.

Mr. Bolanta
promised to start intercepting campaign vehicles to see if occupants
use them to convey ammunitions to rally grounds. He said his command
would also conduct intermittent raids on some black spots in the state
to mop up hoodlums who could be used by politicians to disrupt voting
and confer undue advantage on their sponsors during the coming
elections.

“We are sending
clear signals to hoodlums in the state that we will not allow anybody
to disrupt the elections. We will, from now, intercept campaign convoys
and check if the occupants are carrying arm. Anyone caught with arms
will be arrested and treated as an armed robber,” he said.

Speaking on the
suspects arrested at Onipe, the police boss said he was not going to
give their names and political parties they belong to, saying the
police wants to remain neutral in the unfolding political drama in the
state.

“We are not
supporting anybody and we are not harbouring anybody. That is why we
are parading this people. If there is any problem anywhere, people
should endeavour to report to the police and not take laws into their
hands,” he said.

He urged
politicians to stop accusing the police of taking sides and blaming the
institution for unrest they (the politicians) mastermind and inflict on
the people, admonishing them to sell themselves to the people through
issue-based campaign rather than violence or buck-passing.

The hands of the police

When NEXT visited
Onipe at the weekend, the residents alleged that those who came to
attack villagers were accompanied by some police officers.

They said the
thugs, believed to be members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN),
were coming from a campaign rally in a nearby town.

Adebayo Opaleye, the village head, recalled that the thugs stormed the village around 4pm, wielding dangerous weapons.

“When I was told of
their arrival, I thought they wanted to come and campaign as others
often did. But they did not. Instead, they descended on the people,
injured them, and destroyed properties here,” he said.

At the heart of the
crisis at Onipe are accusations and counter-accusations between the ACN
and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over destruction of
campaign posters.

The PDP was said to
be the more established party at Onipe and the ACN thugs, who injured
them on Thursday, allegedly got furious when they were told not to
remove posters of PDP candidates pasted on walls.

Two victims are still in hospital as at last weekend, receiving treatment.

The presidential candidate of the Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN), Nuhu Ribadu, and his running mate, Fola Adeola,
yesterday assured the people of Kano State that the ACN would wipe
their tears by running an open government if elected in the April polls.

The candidates address a large crowd of ACN supporters in Kano during the party’s presidential campaign to the state on Sunday.

“We are going to provide the change the people are
asking for; we promise to work hard and win. We are going to succeed in
this election,” Mr. Ribadu said.

“We have a good message and we also have good
messengers. We have seen our gubernatorial candidate, and how much he
has been accepted in Kano. You have also seen the rest of us. People
are excited and delighted. We are very happy with what we have seen
here in Kano and it is amazing, and I don’t think anybody has seen
anything like this since the beginning of this transition period,” he
further said.

He assured the people that good days are ahead, with
an ACN government in power, and urged the crowd to vote the party at
the polls.

Mr. Ribadu said he was satisfied with the level of turnout, saying it signifies acceptance of the party in Kano.

“We have seen clearly that people are talking about
change, and that the broom revolution has reached Kano. We are glad and
happy, and we are ready to take this challenge. We are the party of the
moment, and we are going to take Kano, and already, we have taken Kano,
no doubt about it. But it is a challenge. We would take it and we would
work hard,” Mr. Ribadu added.

The Kano State ACN governorship candidate, Abdullahi
Tijani Mohammed Gwarzo, urged the party supporters to come out enmasse
and vote for the party in the April polls. He pointed out that the
massive turnout was a clear indication that the people are yearning for
change.

Government of the greedy

Former governor of Lagos State, Ahmed Bola Tinubu,
described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the party inflicting
poverty on Nigerians.

Mr. Tinubu said in the last twelve years, the PDP has
subjected the nation to infrastructural deficiency and economic
backwardness.

“For 12 years, 90 per cent of our power supply is a
disaster in Nigeria, because of PDP corruption, because of PDP failure,
because of the PDP leadership. They define democracy as government of
the people, by the people, and for the people. But democracy, according
to PDP, is government of the greedy, for the greedy and by the greedy.

“PDP and ANPP are one and the same, and I want all
Nigerians to be wary of these two parties, because they have the same
antecedents and characteristics. So Nigerians should not repeat the
mistakes of the past by voting them to power. What they did in Kano to
the deputy governor is a clear manifestation that they are a party of
betrayal,” Mr. Tinubu said.

He expressed confidence that the Ribadu/Adeola candidacy would usher in the change that Nigerians have been waiting for.

Other leaders of the party at the rally are the national chairman of
the party, Bisi Akande; the director general of Ribadu/Adeola Campaign
Organization, Audu Ogbe; former minister of labour, Musa Gwadabe; and
the party’s governorship candidate in Katsina State, Usman Bugaje.

Three persons were
killed on Sunday, when a device assumed to be explosives, exploded at
Dualla junction, Nassarawa Gwong in Jos North Local Government Area of
Plateau State.

Eye witness
report said two men riding on a motor cycle were suspected to be
carrying the explosive which detonated in their custody, killing both
of them instantly.

The third person
was riding alone and turned to escape from the scene of the explosion
when angry residents pulled him down, before killing him and setting
his body ablaze. The mob also burnt the two who died from the explosion.

The incident,
which occurred at about 9:45am, took place near the premises of ECWA
Church, Nassarawa Gwong, some 300 meters from Angwa Rukuba junction.
The junction was scene of the multiple explosions that rocked the city
on December 24, last year.

Pastor in charge of the ECWA parish, Satti Adamu said he was in the church when he heard the sound of an explosion.

“When I came out,
I was told that some Hausa boys wanted to throw a bomb and it exploded
and killed them,” he said. “We had just finished the English service
and were about to start the Hausa service when it happened. The
confusion and reaction it generated disrupted the Hausa service. So, we
did not hold it today.”

Statement from Police

Plateau state
police command confirmed the tragedy. In a bulletin released Sunday
afternoon and signed by the police spokesperson, Apev Jacob, the
command said: “At about 09:45hrs, two men believed to be carrying
explosive devices on them rode on a motorcycle along Nassarawa Gwong,
and on getting to Dualla Junction, the explosives exploded on them
along the road between ECWA and COCIN churches. The two persons lost
their lives in the incident. No church was bombed and there are no
facts yet to suggest that churches were the target.”

Lucky escape

However, security
was immediately beefed up around the Mountain of Fire and Miracles
church, near VIO’s office, after men of the anti bomb squad uncovered a
high-capacity bomb which was planted a few meters from the church
building. A bomb expert at the state police, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, confirmed the discovery.

“If the bomb had gone off, its impact could have raged as far as 500 square meters,” he said.

The state police
commissioner, Abdulkareem Akanno later went into an emergency talk with
the men of the anti bomb squad. But the result of the meeting was not
available to the press.

The Chairman of the
Northern Governors Forum, Muazu Babangida Aliyu at the weekend advised
former military ruler and presidential candidate of the Congress for
Progressive Change (CPC), Muhammadu Buhari and his Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN) counterpart, Nuhu Ribadu, to jettison their political
ambition of becoming the next president of Nigeria. Speaking in
Abeokuta at the 2011 Ogun State Awards of Excellence, Mr Aliyu, who is
also the governor of Niger State, declared that it is in the best
interest of Nigerians for President Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) to be elected at the April polls, saying his
victory will preserve the country’s unity and send the right message to
its citizens.

Respect for Gbenga Daniel

Mr Aliyu, who was
chairman of the occasion, also said his Ogun State counterpart, Gbenga
Daniel (OGD) still has the confidence of majority of the people
notwithstanding the opposition from some quarters. “I gravitated
towards OGD because we share certain things in common – how to manage
elders. And because he has started it earlier than me, I gravitated
towards him to learn. When we have former heads of state, former
generals (in a state), you need to learn a special way. Where I appear
to be succeeding, my teacher appears to be faltering but, like I said,
it’s a learning process too for teachers,” he said. “Believe me OGD, if
you had not won the confidence of your people, with what is going on,
you would not have been driving on the streets of Abeokuta. I’m happy
when you are driving; people still want to see your face. I’m happy
that people are very happy with you and please consider what has been
happening as part of the growth because I believe God and history has
not finished with you yet.”

Jonathan’s desirable victory

“Nigerians must
jettison ethnicity, religious bigotry and other divisive tendencies
capable of subverting peaceful co-existence and national unity as the
race for the presidency hots up,” Mr Aliyu said, expressing conviction
that it was by God’s design that Jonathan became the president after
the demise of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. “Obasanjo became head of state (in
1976) as a result of the death of Murtala Muhammed. Goodluck Jonathan
became the president as a result of the death of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
That was done by God. It wasn’t designed by anybody and if God gives
somebody such powers, what we can do is to complement and then wait for
the appropriate time,” he said. “But where some people think it is
theirs and they use every opportunity and every sentiment to make it
look like it’s their legitimate right, we must fight it. We must resist
it so that every child, no matter the circumstances of his birth, can
aspire to become the president of Nigeria.” Saying a situation such as
the present circumstances demands respect for equity, fair play and
justice, he said Nigerians must do everything possible to make Mr
Jonathan the next president of Nigeria. “Our nation is passing through
one of the most challenging phases of our socio-political developments.
We must therefore sit up and move away from lip service and loose talk
about national unity,” he said. “We must individually and collectively
act in the appropriate direction by promoting activities that will
engender mutual respect, trust and understanding for continued peaceful
co-existence’. Prominent citizens of Ogun State inducted into the Hall
of Fame include the Awujale of Ijebuland, Sikiru Adetona; Ayo Adebanjo;
Olaniwun Ajayi; Subomi Balogun; Mike Adenuga; Kessington Adebutu; Alex
Onabanjo; Adekoyejo Majekodunmi; Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi; Ayo Otegbola;
late Abraham Adesanya; late Oba Oyebade Lipede; Simeon Adebo;
Adetokunbo Ademola and late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

The Resident
Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) in Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Danyaya has urged Nigerian youth
to be in the forefront of promoting credible and violence-free
electoral process in the country.

Mr Danyaya, who
spoke in Kano over the weekend, at a training workshop on voter’s
education, organized by the International Republican Institute, in
conjunction with Basketball for Peace, said the Nigerian youth are the
panacea to electoral irregularities that have characterized the
nation’s electoral process, pointing out that their role in the next
general elections could make or mar the exercise. “The youth can
determine the outcome of a credible elections, and should therefore not
allow self-seeking politicians to use them as agents of violence,” he
said, adding it is now time for them to rise up to their responsibility
as leaders of tomorrow.

Preparations for the polls

On the preparations
for the forth coming elections, Mr Danyaya said about 24,222 ad-hoc
staff would be recruited to handle the elections in the state. He
expressed optimism that the elections would be free, fair and credible.
The Resident Country Director of the institute, represented by Yinka
Lawal, said the essence of the workshop is to enlighten Nigerians youth
on the inherent danger in electoral violence, which he noted should be
discarded by the youth. He noted that the electoral system is
confronted with a multiplicity of problems, pointing out that the youth
can help change the system for the better. He urged them not to be
indifferent towards political activities, but participate actively so
as to map out a nation of their dream.

The Kano State Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP),
Faruk Iya, debunked allegations that all politicians in the country
engage youth in political thuggery. “I am a politician, but there is no
way I can use my money to sponsor youth to carry out violent activities
for me to actualize my ambition,” he said. “The youth themselves must
resist anyone who wants to use them for any ulterior motive.”

A Senior Advocate
of Nigeria, Adeniyi Akintola, has called for an immediate redeployment
of all Commissioners of Police in states across the country, warning
that their retention will compromise the forthcoming general elections.

Mr Akintola, in an
interview at the weekend, said most of the police chiefs have sold
themselves to governors, adding that if they are allowed to supervise
elections in their current states of posting, the country will not
achieve the desired free, fair and credible polls.

“Retention of
police heads ahead of the elections would not mean much in saner
climes,” he said, “but not in a place like Nigeria where all those in
that position and their counterparts in similar agencies believe that
their allegiance is first to the Chief Executive Officer of the
state/country rather to the constitution.”

Mr Akintola also
challenged Nigerians to ask the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) what logistics to it plans to deploy to achieve its
promise of credible polls.

He said past
elections had been flawed despite the fact that no previous heads of
the electoral body had promised to deliver compromised polls.

Citing the 2007
presidential election as an example, he said the plane that brought
electoral materials from South Africa arrived the country at 2.30 p.m.
on the day of the presidential election, adding that the chartered
plane assigned to deliver that of Adamawa only left the airport around
5.30pm the same day.

“The rational
question to ask is how did voting take place in the state that same day
and results declared? All those were reasons why the 2007 election
could not be regarded as election but selection and the more reason why
Nigerians should, from now, be on guard and make sure that they are not
carried away by INEC’s promises,” Mr Akintola said.

No landslides

The lawyer said he
foresees a political future similar to that of 1979, where parties
govern parts of the country where they are popular.

“If APGA is the
most popular party in Anambra State and wins the election, so be it and
if CPC should win in Kaduna or Kano, let it be so. There will be peace
in the country,” he said.

“If people’s votes are made to count as being promised by the
president, I foresee a situation where the people of the South-West
will go for another party aside the ruling Peoples Democratic Party
[PDP] and the North-West voting for party of their choice, ditto for
other zones. For the country to move forward, the powers that be should
forget the idea of landslide, because it was the landslide idea of 1983
that led to gun slide.”

The responsibility
for curbing violence in Jos, the Plateau State capital, lies with both
the state and federal governments, the governor of Niger State,
Babangida Aliyu, has said.

Mr. Aliyu, who
spoke with reporters at the presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed
Airport, Lagos, on Sunday, disclosed that though concerted efforts have
been put in place by Northern governors to calm the trouble in the
city, the affected state and the federal government have a lot to do to
restore peace in the state.

“We are trying our
best, the Northern governors even went to minute and resolve this
matter but we believe that the onus is on the federal government and
the state government,” he said.

Mr Aliyu, who is
also the head of the Northern Governors Forum, said the violence
should, however be controlled before it spreads to other states of the
federation.

“I believe that
both at the local level and at the national level, we must act
concertedly so that we are able to nip this thing in the bud; we must
all come together,” he said. “There are reports that have been made,
there are reports with the federal government; the State government
must also be able to sit down with segments of the society to be able
to resolve this matter,” he said.

Facing litigation

Speaking on the
lawsuit against his government, Mr. Aliyu said though it is a challenge
to his administration, democracy permits such, adding that litigations
at times motivate leaders to give their best in order to remain in
office.

“It is a thing of
concern but, again in a growing democracy, we are likely to have that
because many people would want to try many avenues. Gradually this will
come to subside,” he said.

“If you recall I have had litigations since I started, one of them
just finished about last month so sometimes it should inspire people
for better services and in the process we should also be very careful.”