2015 Elections, Myth or Reality? Part 3

A frittered presidency

When president jonathan contested and won in 2011, I know people actually voted for him because he gained so many sympathy votes due to the way the northern elites acted in the bid to gain back power.  If they had allowed Nigerians see their candidates on merit then maybe Gej would have had less sympathy votes. It is interesting that fire and war wasn't the incentive then by Alhaji asari dokubo.
Its sad to note that barely a year later, as reward for people who voted him in, president GEJ rewarded us with  fuel price hike just because he was unwilling to call the nigerian customs to order to curb the smuggling of petroleum products and also prosecute and stop the subsidy scam. He instead chose the easy way of getting the masses to pay for his incompetence.

Sadly the same thing happened in the area of security, an unwillingness to act as a strong commander in chief with people majorly in the north east paying for his incompetence with their lives.

Having frittered away the goodwill he rode in with, Mr president has consistently sided with a few elites against What is best for the country,  so many things he has done defy logic, 10bn for flights by one person, 2bn for food? 250m for a car, so many terrible corrupt practices on his watch and all he could do was pardon his former boss, visit another in prison in the Uk, cahoot with the president of Chad who undermines nigerias security and generally behave like he doesn't read the nigerian national daliies.

Now the election is here, after 6 weeks postponement,  during that 6 weeks, a miracle did happen in the NE! (my faith must be failing) what the Nigerian Army couldn't do in 6 years,  they did in less than 6 weeks! they chased Boko haram from the captured towns even the sambisa forest, in one of the victory lap pictures,  I didn't see any new gun with the soldiers, I saw the same old AK47! 
So were the AK47 jamming before or the army didnt know where Sambisa was?

To cap it, news came that Shekau was in Gwoza, contrary to the 2 years wait before NA would admits he is in Gwoza and another 1 year before sending 5 soldiers with 10 bullets each to fight him in Gwoza, I read that the NA had retaken Gwoza in less than 48hours of the people knowing Shekau was in Gwoza!

Oh my gwad! aren't election period a beautiful time in Nigeria?
In lagos state, the state government suddenly had money to promote, increase and pay workers 6 months salaries on the eve of the election and even gave them a day off to be able to spend the money,  if you ask me (its not "na who i go ask") I would say let Nigeria be in  a perpetual state of "is coming election" since it seems to perform governance miracles! 

Back to the matter, online, APC is already celebrating victory, but going by the recent Ekiti election and the more recent IsrealI election in which the eventual losing party was tipped to win going by social media leads, APC is most likely heading for a huge disappointment. 

I don't know if you watch the series "The goodwife", in one of the episodes,  everybody thought a particular candidate was set to win so people didnt really bother to come out to vote that candidate,  I sincerely hope people come out to vote and assume nothing. 

But wait, there is still that ruling on the legality of the use of card reader by INEC and the judge though having refrained from restraining INEC from conduting the elections using the card reader says it reserves the power to annul the election if it determines the card reader for electioneering processes runs afoul of our constitution. 
Already the President himself couldn't be accredited with the card reader and had to be accredited using the incident form! On the speed, out of over 600 voterd at his polling unit, only 14 had been accredited as at 11am and accreditation is supposed to end by 1pm! So failure is sure at that PU.

In a way different scenario, Ret General Buhari got accredited in less than 2 minutes! 


So like an unending nightmare, the threat of war looms even after the election as whoever wins may do so only on paper and a deadlock looms even larger as either of the behemoth can successfully argue irregularities as per the polls in the event of a loss!

So i say again, consider a unity government,  a solution that saves life, time and our nation! God bless Nigeria.

Read Part 2 here1

For governors and LG chairmen and the President, in the face of dwindling oil revenue and the dire need to increase IGR,..., talk to me....

Sec. John Kerry's wasted visit

John Kerry's wasted visit.

I think I'm getting old, if not I wouldnt have felt the surprise visit by John kerry was going to be meaningful.
I wont say I'm surprised though, he got appointed after senator Clinton couldnt stomach Obamas cloudy foreign policies and resigned. 
I expected him to call for the postponement of this election seeing that INEC is ill prepared and the tension way too much for a credible elections to hold.

The APC believe they have the numbers to win but are not taking into calculations how many of the people sympayhetic to them can vote. 3 weeks to the elections, there are still so many undecided voters. 

Aside that, the threat of war looms irrespective of the winner.
instead he came and in a condescending manner says the election holding will prevent violence?! Does that man actually have access to CIA security briefings or he came here to ensure Nigeria erupts in violence?

Does General Buhari have control over the street urchins and youths who unleashed mayhem in 2011 or does President Jonathan have control over the niger delta militants who few months ago barred him from stepping into the creeks?

So of what significance is the Abuja peace accord that cant be enforced? Or wasnt it after the accord the stonings and killings picked up pace?

The words of Sec. John Kerry were bereft of wisdom Or what do you make of the threat of denial of visas to any Nigerian deemed to have contributed to any unrest? And saying the US will keep sabotaging our fight against boko haram if there is post election violence! 

His visit here and his utterances were not in Nigerias best intetest.

What do you think?

President Jonathan captures Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara - Photo speak

The PDP campaign had huge crowd showings in Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara states. Massive crowd thronged the rally venue to show their support for the incumbent president who is in a tight race.

See pix below

Huge turnout in Sokoto 

Sokoto 

Sokoto all out in support of Mr President! 

Katsina Rally

Zamfara Rally

Zamfara Rally from another angle

President Jonathans campaign seems to have found a new drive as can be seen by the huge turnouts at his campaign rallies making the race for this 2015 presidential election even more interesting.  Lets see APCs showings in these same states!

Buhari triumphant entry to Kano State - photo speak

The APC campaign train moved to Kano State the seat of SLS the former CBN governor and now the Emir of Kano.
The crowd was so tumultuous that Rtd General Buhari couldn't make his way to the Emirs palace. 

See pix below

A street in Kano earlier today

Kano residents thronged the airport awaiting GMBs arrival

GMB arrives at Kano airport

The new bridge commissioned by GMB locked down by the throng

Aerial view of the same bridge

The Emirs palace

At the Kano stadium venue of the rally

With over 4 million permanent voters card up for votes in Kano who do you think will sweep up the peoples votes in Kano? PDPs rally there will tell! 


Pictures Courtesy SOLACE

UPDATE

Kano rally ends

NEXT STOP IS JIGAWA

Much ado about GO...and 2015 by Opeyemi Oduwole

Much ado about GO...and 2015! 

If it is indeed true that Pastors Adeboye and Oyedepo were key figures in trying to broker peace between OBJ and GEJ, then I'm really sorry.... Cause I remember quite vividly during the fuel subsidy rallies when some human right activists appealed to both Adeboye and Oyedepo to please use their voices in joining the people's yearning the PR dept of both churches went on full blast that the GOs should not be dragged into politics despite the fact that it is same people suffering that forms their congregation. 
But now that elections are abound, I wonder what the defense will be - as response to this 'un-clandestine' meeting in Abeokuta earlier this week. As far as I'm concerned these GOs were, and have always, been involved in politics but only choose to look the other way when they are being called to stay on the side of the masses. Their silence during the fuel subsidy saga was loud enough to show the smart minds whose side they were. 
Love them or hate them, I give kudos to Oritsejafor and Tunde Bakare for (at least) not hiding their political affiliations. The only difference is that one is a fraud and the other is a nation builder - my personal opinion anyway and have no apologies for that. I leave you to decide which is which. 
Whilst the dogmatic tendencies will not let many be objective as to the roles of religious leaders in the society. Can I please remind all that names like Mother Theresa, Desmond Tutu, Rev Martin Luther King, St Francis of Assisi - and many more continues to be alive and will perhaps live forever, not because of their clerical activities but for staying in the right side of history. 
We will tell our children and grandchildren of our spiritual leaders that abandoned us when our stomach is empty, we will also tell them about those spiritual fathers who stayed silent in the face of mammoth corruption and those who walked shoulder to shoulder with us in the days of struggle. We shall relay the names of Tunde Bakare, Tony Rapu, Alhaji Abdulrahman Amodu and few others that weren't ashamed to be seen or speak for the common man 

Therefore the never-objective people may continue to defend the indefensible whilst the GOs continue to fly private jets to the detriment of the members of the society they are called to defend. I dare say their 15 minutes of fame will soon be over. Who remembers Jesu Oyingbo today? Who remembers Partick Anwuzia today? Where is Sha Mashad today? I say they are all in oblivionosphere!

Pa OBJ and his maradonic tendencies - pics

The first picture shows Pa OBJ at the wedding of President Jonathans adopted daughter on Saturday at Abuja.

By monday he was reported to have dodged the same president by playing james bond zapping through the other gate that leads to his house just before the presidential chopper landed.

Later that night I heard there was a clandestine meeting between the duo in the presence of two notable pastors.

On Tuesday see Pa OBJ milling with the APC Presidential team, hehehe! I thought IBB was the maradona abi Baba don snatch title ni?

President Jonathan looking presidential!

Caption this!

Dont kill in our names - Buhari, Jonathan and others photo op

Earlier today at a workshop on non violence held in Abuja.
Caption the pics!

Photo credits - SOLACE

2015 elections Myth or Reality - Choose your warlord?

2015 elections Myth or Reality
Choose your warlord?

Read part 1 here 2015 Elections - GEJ the last Nigerian President?

Ret. General Buhari now famously called the peoples general has emerged the APC presidential candidate.  
Prof Osinbajo an active RCCG pastor in a master stroke from APC has emerged his running mate. With the calculation that it would pacify the christians which was necessary in no small part as an effective online campaign and otherwise forgiveable gaffes from Gen Buhari had painted him as a religious fundamentalist (with the singular goal of foistering sharia on the whole country). 

Even down right lies were added to this gaffes and in Nigeria it takes years for the truth to catch up with lies.

Such lies however have not been the exclusive preserve of the PDP camp but lies have also been spun in no small measure by the APC camp.

Even at that, the lies remain the weakest weapon in the arsenal of these two behemoths. 

The abuses going on round the supporters however are even more worrisome.  
Name callings by the supposed educated grassroot supporters who campaign and vent online.
Same by the prominent supporters who are allies of the two main candidates all sounding war cries.

Reports of northerners refusing to serve in GEJ campaign team, the absence of GEJ posters in the north. The threat of fire and brimstone by northern elites if Buhari loses (the events of post 2011 election in the north remains fresh in our minds). 
As at last week, drivers were afraid to drive branded Jonathan/Sambo buses from Kaduna to Kano fearing attacks. The buses were later driven by soldiers under armed guards to their destination, how it would be used without attacks is another thing.

And if we go by the threat coming from Asari Dokubo to start a war on the southwest if GEJ loses the election and we add that to the purported recent purchase of warships by Mr Government Tompolo then such threats should be taken seriously considering the fact that Lagos is accessible by sea and an attack can be launched using these warships. It is also a fact that arms remain readily available and in use in the Niger delta.

Mr President is known to be quiet in matters he should have spoken up about and he has not said anything concerning the warships nor the threat of war on Nigeria if he loses which I take as a taciturn approval by him.

Few days ago it was reported he went visiting James Ibori in prison in the UK.
Are the drums of war already beating?
Is it time for us to choose our warlords or can we still salvage the situation?

Election in the NE?

With the threats and venom from Buharis supporters in the north matched with that of his supporters in other parts (but with that of the north taken more serious because of post 2011 election violence) the likelihood of election taking place there is nil! 

If PDP or GEJ cannot campaign freely in the NE, then Buharis supporters have unwittingly created a loop hole for the cancellation of election there because elections cannot be adjudged to have been free and fair! And thus GEJ stays in power till elections can be conducted fairly!

If the election is cancelled in many states in the North and winner determined on the votes in the rest of the country; the likely outcome would be a deadlock! And GEJ still stays in power. 

If elections go well in all states around the country, (though I am waiting for the miracle that will happen in the NE to make that possible) and Buhari wins then the SS who have weapons and warship start a war deprive the nation of access to crudeoil or Buhari loses and violence starts in the north.

In all my permutations,  violence is the common outcome! 

So is it time to choose our warlords or negotiate a settlement that will satisfy all parties? 

Our potential warlords - na hypothesis o!

GEJ If he wins; commands from the villa and or the creeks

Buhari; will have no money to prosecute a war and his cashcows would most likely cut their losses and flee the violence, however across the country fights will break out leading either to massacres or guerrilla warfare.


Tinubu; will attempt to hold on and control lagos which is the commercial capital of west africa and an oil producing state.

OBJ; will attempt to take command of the south west defence forces, he wont spend his money however but will be useful to the SW in terms of experience. 

Tompolo; who has been empowered for years, battle tested and smart. He will at first defer to the central niger delta defence forces but later branch out when he realizes he doesnt need to wait for orders when he controls all himself.  it will lead to further balkinization of the niger delta as other warlords striving for control over oil will spring up.


Dokubo; will be involved in a tripatite power struggle but will focus more on him living to reap from his investment outside the country.


IBB; with nothing to lose will be the major financier of the northern defence forces fighting on two fronts, against boko haram and pushing towards the niger delta to retake control of nigerias oil in conjuction with the south west and south east.


The Solution?

I have been advocating for a unity government comprising the ruling party and the opposition parties to be formed.

Many people do  not remember what led Pa Obj to prison, it was his clamoring for an Interim National Government instead of fighting alongside the country for the actualization of the June12 mandate.

The country was not this heated on ethnic lines and the Nigerian army had dignity and was still wearing the invincibility toga, right now all those has been lost.

There is ethnic and religious tension ahead of this general election, these are not mere words but people now have the financial capacity to start and sustain a war! case in point is Boko Haram.

So times are different, the country is weak and the stakes are high.

Lets explore a two year unity government that will solve the South South, the opposition and preservation of Nigeria equation. 
Above all this will buy the youths the time to find and prop up their own true agents of change, after all both these candidates have two common flaws, they have ruled and failed the nation before (judging by the state of the nation) and are part of the older generation that destroyed this same nation.

This solution will save this country and help the youth explore better candidates from a newer generation, above all it will usher in true change!

What do you think? 

Buhari lands at Calabar as Osibajo visits Osun

Still on the campaign trail, Buhari stormed Calabar after leaving Uyo. See pics below

His running mate Professor Osibajo was also in Osogbo earlier today. The town practically went agog in celebration. See pics below.

Prof with Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola the Osun State governor

Gov. Okorocha Donates state of the art campaign bus to Buhari/Osibajo ticket

Governor Rochas Okorocha donated a luxurious campaign bus to the Buhari cause. See the handing over and interior below.

What do you think?

Buhari continues onslaught pushes towards UYO

After the tumultuous welcome at Port Harcourt Rivers state, the APC change machine swept into UYO the Akwa Ibom state capital. See pics below

Sea of People welcome Buhari at Uyo

See his prior welcome at PortHarcourt here

Keep checking for more updates

Prof with Bishop Okonkwo

APC knowing they are timed constrained and wishing to touch base with everyone came up with a strategy to delegate some of the visits to the VP candidate,  talk of time management and delegation of responsibility and authority. Hopefully this continues if APC wins

Buhari storms Rivers State dares President Jonathan in South South!

APC took the fight for the control of AsoRock and Nigerias destiny to President Goodluck Jonathans backyard in Rivers State.

The turnout was massive, judge for yourselves.  Pictures courtesy of SOLACE (more on them later)

The Peoples General

Massive crowd welcome their own at Port Harcourt

Keep checking for updates. 

In the spirit of fairness if you have updates on the PDP GEJ campaign I will gladly post it. In all please get your PVC! 

APC campaign in high gears - Prof Osibajo commence regional visits

Check out pictures of the APC vice presidential candidate in Ikenne and Remo as part of the party's tour of all political regions in the country.

Above Professor Osibajo at Mama HID Awolowo's residence in Ikenne who also happens to be his inlaw.

His arrival at Ikenne

At Remo

APC is favoured in online polls to win the 2015 presidential elections in Nigeria

2015 Elections: Myth or Reality?

GEJ the last nigerian president?

I have been watching the nigerian political scene with interest but rarely commenting partly because I see a sea of selfish ambitions in garbs of service to the nation but focused on looting.

I believed there was going to be an election in 2015 especially with the vigour that pro jonathan campaigners started the preparations for the 2015 presidential election using various groups.

I also watched as the North East slowly slipped a town at a time into absolute anarchy, when boko haram campaign picked up after the death of president Musa Yaradua, I watched as stuffs we hear happening in far away countries began happening here. 
I naively believed a Nigerian could never be a suicide bomber, it was the Arabs who could do such things until I started hearing of bomb blasts all over the north east and abuja. 

When it turned into a war, I had so much confidence in our soldiers to rout out these insurgents going by their track record of stopping the war in Liberia and Sierra leone. I believed the army just didn't want to appear brutal but alas I was wrong! 

Then the blame game started, as people died the politicians played the deaths for maximum political gains.  The religious bodies were not left out each group pointing accusing finger whilst ardents of all faiths got slaughtered.

Through all these macabre din, the electoral dance began, not like it ever stopped but it reached higher crescendo daily.  The peak was the NASS brouhaha at which point I stopped and viewed the whole system with my macroscope and realized, we are all just being taken for a huge ride, a long con, there cant possibly be an actual plan for any presidential election to take place in 2015!

Lets go back to the days of  SDP and NRC in which baba Maradona himself Gen IBB took us all on a merry go round of a phantom transition to civil rule.
I remember he first said people should form their parties which they did then after awhile he found an excuse, created two parties, drew up manifestos for both, built party offices throughout the country, organised primaries, there  was even debates on national tv which culminated in the freest and fairest elevtion in the history of nigeria and a yoruba man defeated tofa in his own state! 

Chief Abiola emerged the winner after 7 years of a long con only to die in prison because Ibb was actually taking us all on a ride! he planned for all to fail!

I remember that Chief gani fawehinmi was the lone voice who insisted and fought right from the start of the phantom transition saying Gen IBB had no plans to leave power!
Now yet again I see signs there will be no presidential election holding in 2015.

I will give you my reasons in the next series of this post.