Buhari will not discriminate against any media organization, including AIT – APC •Says TV station free to cover president-elect’s activities

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has clarified that all accredited media organizations in the country, including the African Independent Television (AIT), which was highly critical of its candidate in the run-up to the presidential elections are free to cover the activities of the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

The clarification came on the heels of reports that Mr. Buhari had barred the AIT, owned by PDP chieftain, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, from covering his activities pending when he resolves some issues relating to standard and ethics with the private TV station.

The APC Presidential Campaign spokesperson, Garba Shehu, had while confirming the development on Monday evening said: “AIT has been asked to stay aside based on security and family concerns. In addition, Buhari has decided that they will have to resolve some issues relating to issues of standard and ethics”.

However, in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC said the incoming Buhari Administration will not discriminate against any media organization, irrespective of its role during the electioneering campaign leading up to the recent polls.

It, however, enjoined all media organizations to observe the highest level of professional standards in carrying out their duties.

“There is a Code of Ethics guiding the practice of journalism in Nigeria, and this demands every journalist to ensure a strict adherence to the highest levels of ethics and professionalism in carrying out their duties.

“There must be repercussions, within the realms of the law, for media organizations which have wantonly breached the Code of Ethics of the journalism profession and turned themselves to partisans instead of professionals. But such repercussions will not include barring any accredited media organization from covering the activities of the President-elect”, APC said.

I can’t guarantee March 28 date, Jega says

Jega stated this on Wednesday, February 18, while appearing before the Senate to explain INEC’s readiness to conduct the polls.

 

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega has said that he can’t guarantee the conduct of the general elections on March 28 and April 11.

Jega stated this on Wednesday, February 18, while appearing before the Senate to explain INEC’s readiness to conduct the polls.

The INEC chairman added that only the military could determine if the elections would hold on the scheduled dates.

When asked to give a clear assurance on the dates, Jega said:

“I think it is a very difficult question to answer. I have said consistently that there are things under the control of electoral commission and there are things that are not under the control of electoral commission. For things that are under our control, I can give definite and categorical assurances.”

“On what is not under our control, it is futile, it is fruitless and useless to give a definite guarantee on them. I think that question should be directed appropriately. The questions of security, I will leave it, I don’t think I am competent to answer it sufficiently,” he added.

Jega however stated that any further demand for postponement of the polls would be unconstitutional.

“Every Nigerian knows we want elections to hold… within a constitutional time frame.  The security agencies are (made up of) patriotic Nigerians. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. We should be fair also to the military. Soldiers are also patriotic Nigerians.   I don’t see how anybody will contemplate any extension beyond these six weeks. There is no constitutional grounds upon which you can do that. For us, we work by the constitution, by the law. That is what is guiding us and we should all put the interest of the nation at heart,” Jega said.

“I kept saying consistently that INEC is not a security organisation. We are an election management body; so we rely a lot on security to be able to ensure that things are done well and that there is no disruption of the electoral process. We have been working very closely with the inter agencies consultative committee on election security and that is why for us, if the service chiefs say that we can’t guarantee security, give us more time, what is the alternative security arrangements?” he continued.

The INEC chairman also added that the commission has a duty to protect its staff and as such can’t proceed with the polls without adequate security.

“If we consulted with the stakeholders and we cannot find an answer, what happens? We are going to use close to 700, 000 ad hoc staff. We can’t send people to the field in that kind of a situation. Our prayer is that in the next six weeks, there will be significant improvement in the security situation for us to hold the   elections all over this country in a very secure environment,” he said.

“There are certain questions that we are not really competent to answer. Certain questions should be directed to the military; they can answer them better,” he added.

Jega announced the postponement of the elections on Saturday, February 7, citing security concerns.

IS THIS REAL? PDP PHONE.

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Obasanjo Endorses Buhari For President

A former President of Nigeria,  Olusegun Obasanjo, appears to have finally taken a stand on his choice of a presidential candidate by endorsing the flag-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.).

 
Chief Obasanjo, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the declaration during an interview with the Financial Times at the launch of his autobiography titled, ‘My Watch’, in Nairobi, Kenya.

“The circumstances he (Buhari) would be working under if he wins the election is different from the ones he worked under before, where he was both the Executive and the Legislature, He knows that.
“He is smart enough, he is educated enough. He’s experienced enough. Why shouldn’t I support him?” the former President said.
 
Chief Obasanjo believed that Buhari, who ruled Nigeria between December 1983 and August 1985 as a military Head of State, is aware of Nigeria’s challenges today, and has the qualification to guide the nation out of them.
 
It was the first time the former president would publicly speak of his support for Muhammadu Buhari. He recently said that he would only speak out after the election had been conducted.

Obasanjo, also condemned the postponement of the election while criticising the continuous decline of the country’s resources.

Election Postponement Confers No Advantage On us – PDP

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said on Sunday that the postponement of the general elections did not give it any undue advantage.
The presidency came under the hammer for allegedly instigating the nation’s security chiefs to ask for the postponement, following unfavorable reports that President Goodluck Jonathan, who is seeking reelection, was trailing behind the Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress.

The PDP, however, said that while is supports the postponement based on reasons adduced by the electoral agency, INEC, it was not benefitting from the postponement.
he INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had said on Saturday night that the elections were postponed to March 28 and April 11 because security chiefs said they could not provide security in February as they would be busy within the period conducting an extensive operation against the Boko Haram sect.
 “We state clearly that the postponement neither confers advantage on our party and our candidates, nor can it ever be described as a set back to our democracy”, the PDP’s spokesperson, Olisa Metuh, said. “The ultimate issue in this regard is the conduct of free, fair and credible elections”.

Read the PDP’s statement below:
Response Of The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)    To The Postponement Of The 2015 General Elections By INEC

In the last few days, pursuant to speculations about the shifting of the dates of the general elections, the PDP had restated its readiness for the polls and continued with our rallies whilst directing all our candidates to go on with their campaigns as only the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has the powers to take decision on the matter.

The INEC Chairman had cited an advisory from security forces that they are unable to provide adequate security for the election at the earlier scheduled dates due to the on-going anti-insurgency operations in the northeast part of the country.
Mr. Jega also said that this advisory was reinforced at the Council of State meeting on Thursday by the National Security Adviser and all the Armed Services and Intelligence Chief, who according to him stated “that they needed at least six weeks within which to conclude a major military operation against the insurgents in the northeast; and that during this operation, the military will be concentrating its attention in the theatre of operations such that they may not be able to provide the traditional support they render to the Police and other agencies during elections”. This announcement has not come without the attendant cost of time and great expense to our party and candidates nationwide. However, on account of the reasons adduced by the security forces and INEC, we believe that this shift, which is still within the constitutionally allowed period, can be accommodated.

The thoughts and prayers of PDP members nationwide and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians remain with our security agencies as they confront this enormous challenge at this critical period.
However, while we understand and appreciate the security reasons given by INEC for the rescheduling of the elections, we hold the INEC Chairman, Mr. Jega to his promise when he said, “as for us in INEC, we’ll endeavour to use the period of the extension to keep on perfecting our systems and processes for conducting the best elections in Nigeria’s history. In particular, we believe that we will resolve all outstanding issues in relation to non-collection of PVCs which agitate the minds of Nigerians”.

This is especially as the INEC Chairman himself acknowledged that only 45, 829, 808 representing 66.58 percent of the total number of registered voters have received their PVCs.
INEC itself has confirmed that as at last week, well over two million voter cards were either not yet delivered to INEC by its contractors, lost or stolen.

We demand that INEC should look inwards and thoroughly investigate the apparent involvement of some of its personnel including ad-hoc staff on the issue of the lopsided distribution of the PVCs. INEC must also use this period to attend to our earlier call to address the issue of denial of PVCs to non-indigenes in select states.

For instance, we are aware that in Borno state, 90 percent of the PVCs were handed over to state government officials, who distributed them by proxy contrary to laid-down procedures. Also, in Owerri North Local Government of Imo state, the LGA of our National Woman Leader, only new registered voters have received their PVCs. Citizens with old voters card have not had any replaced and this scenario abounds in other places.

We do hope that INEC will use the period to ensure that all identified irregularities are eliminated to guarantee that registered voters across the country receive their PVCs urgently.
Also, INEC ahead of the polls should adequately demonstrate to Nigerians the application and practicability of card readers to the allotted time for vote.
For the avoidance of doubt, we state clearly that the postponement neither confers advantage on our party and our candidates, nor can it ever be described as a set back to our democracy. The ultimate issue in this regard is the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.


Lastly, we restate that the PDP position on these issues remains our commitment to the sustenance of free, fair and credible elections, which is one of the greatest legacies of President Goodluck Jonathan.
At this historic period in our national life, let nobody irresponsibly politicise what is clearly a practical and administrative decision that affects everyone and all parties equally. At this present time, Nigeria needs men of history and not hysteria.

Signed:
Olisa Metuh

National Publicity Secretary

APC Planning To Sponsor Blackmail Documentary Against President Jonathan – Group

A pro-Jonathan group, the Jonathan Youth Vanguard, JYV, has urged the electorate to be wary of alleged plans by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to foot what it called a blackmail documentary against President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the rescheduled March 28 presidential election.

The group’s Director General, Ebis Orubebe, said in a statement on Monday that the APC documentary was  a plan by the opposition party to divert the attention of Nigerians from weighty issues regarding its presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari’s certificate and other atrocities he allegedly committed when he was Head of State as well as chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, among others.

The APC documentary, Orubebe said, will focus on the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, alleged missing $49 billion, bulletproof cars for former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, naira fall, subsidy removal, Immigration recruitment saga and activities of the dreadful sect, Boko Haram.

SHOCKING!!!

3 killed in Lagos political war.

Three people were killed after thugs from two gangs in Lagos engaged in a political clash in Lagos. 

Three people lost their lives as thugs from different engaged in a politically motivated war in the Ajegunle and Lagos Island areas of Lagos.

According to Punch, the three persons were killed in separate clashes in the Ajegunle and Lagos Island areas of Lagos.

Raimi was killed at Amukoko, Ajegunle area while another two, a certain Ahmed Igbagbo and a yet to be identified man was killed in Lagos Island incident was identified.

The thugs which reportedly belong to a cult gang known as Campos Boys, caused mayhem at Akindele and Apata Street in Amukoko on Sunday, February 1.

Two factions from the Campos Boys gang clashed over political issues which led to the killing of Raimi who was shot in the chest.

A resident of the area told Punch that 12 other persons were injured during the clash.

 “When they left Akindele, they moved to Apata Street and killed two more persons. A woman who wanted to lock her shop was hit by bullets on the buttocks. The thugs are supporters of both the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party,” the resident told Punch.

It was reported that the upcoming elections have brought tensions among youths in the area.

Another resident, Lukman, said that political activities in the area have pitched the thugs and suspected cultists against one another which led to the mayhem.

Ahmed Igbagbo according the reports was hacked to death on Friday, January 30 while he was returning from the APC presidential rally at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

Lukman also said that  Igbagbo was hacked to death by political thugs on the allegation that he stole a mobile phone.

“We were all returning from the TBS around the Isale Eko area, they began to shoot at people. We all fled in different directions, but Igbagbo was not that lucky. They pursued him to a street and hacked him to death. They claimed he stole a mobile phone and they wanted to punish him,” Lukman revealed.

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Public, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed reports of disorder in the Ajegunle area which resulted in the loss of lives of some persons but added that the police division did not have the report.

Fashola explains the difference between APC and PDP.

 Fashola during a meeting between members of the APC and the organized private sector in Marina, Lagos.

The Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola has explained the difference between his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

 “The manifesto of the APC is designed to address 2015 problems going on to 2019 while PDP has is a 1999 manifesto and that probably explains the disconnect between our realities and the realities that you hear. The transformation that has been put forth has headed south not west,” Fashola said.

“The Naira has weakened, interest rates has come up and it is for us to chose whether we want four more years of that and the Naira is essential in a free fall in an economy that is currently import denominated and it would only mean that the purchasing power of our disposable income would continue to reduce,” he added.

“The necessity of now is to halt that free fall. That is something we cannot vote continuity on. I will not. But more importantly as the candidate, Gen Buhari, has said, it is essentially not how much really Nigeria earns, it is what value we get out of that money,” the governor continued.

 “If we had sold crude oil, our major income earner for like almost 5-6 years at over a $100 per barrel and all of us are saying there is pain, do we want to continue now when there is reduced income with the same team on the same management capacity. If they couldn’t do topnotch at $100 per barrel, can we trust them to do more with less?” he said.

The APC and the PDP are viewed as the major contenders in the upcoming general elections.

APC candidate threatens to sue AIT, NTA

Buhari also stated that the networks must retract the “hate documentaries” and issue a public apology to him to prevent legal action.

 

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari has threatened to sue the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Africa Independent Television (AIT) for airing hate broadcasts against him.

Buhari also stated that the networks must retract the “hate documentaries” and issue a public apology to him to prevent legal action.

Tinubu, APC, Preventing Buhari From Embarking On Foreign Medical Trip – Fayose

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has pleaded with leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, particularly a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to be human enough to allow the party’s presidential candidate, General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd) proceed for a purported medical check-up abroad.

The governor maintained his earlier allegation that Buhari is in a poor state of health but is being prevented from traveling abroad for medical treatment by Tinubu.

A statement by the Governor’s Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka quoted Fayose as saying at a campaign rally in Omuo Ekiti, Ekiti East Local Government on Wednesday that “Buhari is a car with a damaged engine but being packaged by Tinubu and his cabal whose only interest is the wealth of Nigeria”.

He said; “In all the campaign rallies held by the APC, Buhari never spoke for more than six minutes.

“Buhari will just utter some words that he had rehearsed and any attempt to bring in new words always result to confusion in his brain due to senility. That was the reason he called his running mate Osunbade instead of Osinbajo and also referred to Imo State as Ibo State.
“This is clear evidence of ill-health, old and and senility.  Those packaging Buhari to achieve their personal ambition of gaining unhindered access to the wealth of Nigeria should fear God and allow this old man to take care of his health”, the governor said.
Speaking further, Fayose, who insisted that Buhari is old and sick said; “they had programmed Buhari to travel to the U.S on 26th of this month, but they opted out when the secret trip was reported in the media.
“As a cover-up, the APC cabal sold a story to the press that Buhari was invited to attend a programme in the US by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, (CSIS).
“Interestingly, the CSIS programme was billed for January 26, the same day Buhari was said to have planned his medical trip to the United States of America.
“However, the programme was cancelled, leaving Buhari with no excuse to travel and instead of them to allow the man to travel as he had planned, the APC cabal, who are obviously more interested in the presidency than Buhari’s welfare are urging him on”.

9ice sings for Buhari

9ice sings for Buhari

Lagos - Musican turned politician 9ice, indicated his support for the All Progressive Congress(APC) candidate, Muhammadu Buhari in a song.
The singer whose real name is Abolore Akande, showed his a support and a video shared on Instagram.

The song is his political version of the popular  Christian chorus “I have decided to follow Jesus”

He also said that he was releasing a full  version of the song that promotes  Buhari and mocks president Goodluck Jonathan.
9ice lost the ticket to run for the Ogbomoso North/Ogbomosho South/Orire Federal Constituency into the House of Representatives come 2015, to Prince Akeem Oyewumi, the son of the Soun of Ogbomosho.

Industry Nite 

AKA South African rap-star to perform in Lagos tonight

  AKA to headline Industry Nite

The South African super star will be the main act for tonight's edition of Industry Nite

AKA (South African rapper) who recently featured in Ice Prince's 'N' Word remix and featured Burna Boy on his record, ‘All Eyes On Me’.
AKA will be the main act to this tonight's edition of Industry Nite With Ehiz as the Host and DJ Spinall on the wheels. The Super star will also be at Pulse VIP Night on Friday, January 30, 2015.
Venue: Spice Route, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Date: 28-1-15

Time: 10pm Till fade.