Sambo Dasuki’s February Blackmail, Recipe For Military Annulling March Election, By Adeolu Ademoyo
On February 7, 2015 seven days to the scheduled February 14 elections, the Nigerian military aborted the voting through a letter from Sambo Dasuki NSA to INEC that they could not guarantee security during the scheduled February 14 elections. Technically, Sambo Dasuki issued a threat and blackmail on behalf of President Jonathan in alliance with the Nigerian military.
On a cheeky note, the Nigerian military said they will commence renewed operation against Boko Haram on February 14, same day the election was to commence. The choice of February 14 as the exact date the Nigerian military said it would commence operation against Boko Haram easily gave the conspiracy of service chiefs away as willing partisan collaborators with President Jonathan in the 2015 elections because INEC had scheduled its election long before the February 14 desire for the commencement of the renewed offensive against Boko Haram by the Nigerian military!
The Nigerian service chiefs: Air Chief Marshal Badeh, the Chief of Defense Staff, Major General Minimah, the Chief of Army Staff, Air Marshall Amosun, the Chief of Air Staff did not controvert Sambo Dasuki-a political appointee of President Jonathan. If they have not contravened Sambo Dasuki then they agree with him. Hence the Nigerian service chiefs –Badeh, Minimah, Amosun- are part of the cohort that annulled the February vote.
Speaking of Sambo Dasuki , together with Mr. Ayo Oritsejafor’s company (Ayo Oritsejafor is the president of CAN) he has his hands and fingers full and well embedded in the cloudy and deliberately made fuzzy now aborted cash for arms South African deal.
Nigeria’s money is still with the South Africans. Sambo Dasuki who came out to own the deal in order to save the face of Ayo Oristejafor whose company is questionably involved in the crime has not told us when South Africa will publicly return Nigerian money!
The same Sambo Dasuki who used the power of the Nigerian state to cover a clear crime and illegality in the South African Cash for Arms case which implicated the company of Ayo Oritsejafor –CAN’s president- is the spokesperson of the Goodluck Jonathan/Military coup against the Nigerian people and the February 14 poll.
Though President Jonathan has tried to absolve himself from the February coup against Nigerian people, by claiming that INEC did not consult him, it is obvious that the postponement is at the behest of PDP and Goodluck Jonathan to allow them to campaign more, see if they can claw back some votes in critical constituencies (especially the Western part of the country) and see if they can still win the election. Certainly the president was economical with the truth since he presided over the Council of State meeting few days previous that discussed this same issue!
But, try as President Jonathan may try to dodge, as Commander in Chief, constitutionally President Jonathan sent Sambo Dasuki, his NSA to INEC. Since Sambo Dasuki does not have constitutional responsibility to INEC, it is obvious that Sambo Dasuki only passed the joint decision of the service Chiefs-Badeh, Minimah, Amosun-under the constitutional supervision of President Jonathan to INEC.
All these –especially the treason and dishonor involved- explain why President Jonathan will again use Nigerian military and/or any other means to annul the March elections if the PDP, Goodluck Jonathan and the military read that the flow of the election is not in favor of President Jonathan. The reasons for this are desperation, need to protect previous crimes of some select members of the Nigerian political, economic, religious, military class against the Nigerian people, need to protect extremely dangerous vested economic, political and un-ethical interests, fear of past and future.
Hence, let us systematically detail those who are implicated in this plot that has the potential of another annulment in March. I am doing this so that those who hold contrary view can challenge this claim with rival data. These are verifiable data in the public domain, which help us shed light on the potential and real plot against March elections.
coalition of well funded sectional interests-examples of this are the dangerous clique of Tompolo, Dokubo-asari, boyloaf, the two factions of the OPC (Ganiyu Adams and Frederick Fasehun)looking for oil pipeline security contract, the oil funded Southern Peoples Assembly of Edwin Clark, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Femi Okunronmu.
A faction of the Yoruba group Afenifere (of individuals), which is driven by purely personal economic calculations of its loose members. The Secretary General of this loose faction of few individuals is Mr. Seinde Arogbofa who is a brother to President Goodluck Jonathan’s Chief of Staff-Brigadier-General (rtd) Jones Arogbofa. Mr. Mimiko, present governor of Ondo state and Yinka Odumakin work with this group. Contrary to its desperate but failed attempt to be associated with the populist and social democratic and federalist principles of Obafemi Awolowo perhaps through comically wearing the famous Awolowo cap, individuals in this group are solely motivated by private and personal economic and monetary interests that can be gained from the oil and monetary resources provided by President Jonathan.
The corrupt ministerial and governmental clique driven and coordinated by Oil minister Diezani Alison Madueke. Prominent members include Governors Mimiko and Godswill Akpabio, Buruji Kashamu, Ayo Fayose, Musiliu Obanikoro. The recent cries by Senator Silas Zwingina, and Bode George that it is better to stop Mr. Buhari because Buhari has zero tolerance for corruption betrays this loose group. For many reasons, some of which are open while some reasons are still hidden and will come into the open soon, members of this clique have shown the greatest desperation.
The alliance of the service chiefs and Goodluck Jonathan presidency. Three great moments define this un-holy alliance. First, is the deep involvement of the Nigerian military in the rigging of the last Ekiti elections as documented in the Captain sager Koli’s tape. Second is the blatant use of the high office of the military to blackmail INEC to postpone the February election. Third is the sudden and irrational outburst of the Nigerian military in criticizing Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo. That outburst from the military against Mr. Obasanjo completely betrayed this un-holy alliance because the military outburst was un-ethical, unprofessional and un-called for, yet they made such ridiculous statement against Olusegun Obasanjo! The last moment is the mysterious relationship-which is more of a political relationship than a professional, statesman and nationalistic relationship- between President Jonathan as Commander in Chief and the military with respect to the war against Boko Haram. Part of the mystery is in the number SIX. For SIX years, the Nigerian military was unable to fight Boko Haram. But here is election time, and President is unsure of winning. And Boko Haram and loss of territory to them is an issue. Suddenly, the military woke up and promised to renew the battle against Boko Haram and win in SIX weeks! So what happened? Why did the Nigerian military refuse to engage Boko Haram the way it appears to be doing now for SIX years? Which military is actually doing the fighting against Boko Haram-our military or a foreign military? What is the role of the imported South African mercenaries in this fight against Boko Haram? What are the conditions of engagement of the South African mercenaries in the light of the officially expressed reservation of the South African authorities in Nigerian authority engagement of the South African mercenaries in the war against Boko Haram? What is the implication of engaging the mercenaries on the professional integrity, honor of our military?
Why did we have to engage the South African mercenaries? Will the truth be out? Is the ultimate script which the Nigerian military has been co-opted to advance is that “eh look you do not change a “winning” Commander”! But why did the “Commander”-President Jonathan lose for SIX years? Is the refusal of the “Commander” to fight Boko Haram for SIX years not ultimately political in view of SIX years and SIX weeks? Is this “Commander”-President Jonathan-therefore an honest “Commander?”
These are questions arising from the mysterious prosecution of the war against Boko Haram. They border on professionalism, patriotism, nationalism and basic question of honesty and ethics and their lack in the “Commander” and his political service chiefs, which the service chiefs have to answer. And these go into the heart of the alliance between the service chiefs and President Jonathan. A loss of the election by President Jonathan will put the service chiefs in very difficult situation of open accountability to the Nigerian people with respect to these issues and their roles in failing to fight Boko Haram in SIX years and their sudden role in SIX weeks . They may not want this hence they are willing tools in the hand of President Jonathan. These three moments show the un-holy alliance between President Goodluck Jonathan and the military in using the military to rubbish the election the alliance of the Jonathan presidency and the Ayo Oritsejafor led Christian Association of Nigeria –this alliance includes select members of the Nigerian clergy especially and mostly of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria. It is so bad some Nigerian Pentecostal “Pastors” are invested in this crime against Nigerian people. A clergy Pastor Kallamu Dikwa, openly alleged that the President Goodluck Jonathan gave 7 billion Naira to Ayo Oritsejafor’s CAN to campaign for him. This was allegedly distributed to state chapters of CAN. In a sane country, the so-called security agencies, which annulled the February election will swing into the field, investigate and arrest any so-called Pastor who has collected blood money. But the security agencies themselves are on the oil payroll of President Jonathan, so they are marooned in the sleaze and corruption.
That the upper echelon of the Nigerian military has been compromised, and that such compromise will make them collaborate with the President Jonathan to manipulate the election has a strong foundation in some facts and trend. Some of these facts are as follows.
EkitiGate. : This is Most Lethal Reason Why the Military will attempt to subvert the March election. From scientific point of view the audiotape is true. Its truth is devastating against the honor, dignity, integrity and professionalism of the Nigerian military.
The only way to rescue itself from this shame is to practically and scientifically disproves the audiotape. But the military cannot. Rather the service chiefs had looked the other way praying that the matter will go away. But the country and the people are greater than any of its institution, so this will not go away until it is openly addressed before the Nigerian people because to use the military to rig an election is one of the most treasonable act. To sweep it under the carpet is equally treasonable.
The Sagir Koli Ekitigate audiotape exposed two constituencies– viz military constituency and PDP political constituency. Beside the Ekitigate audiotape, the alliance of forces in i-v above– is too compromised they cannot afford a loss. This explains the desperation of the clique in i-v. For example, Ayo Fayose directly has nothing to do with this election. However, he is a candidate in a vicarious sense because of the Ekitigate. This explains why he is extremely emotional, irrational and desperate bordering sometime on psychological instability.
So, a loss for Mr. Jonathan simply means that the Nigerian people will demand a deeper understanding of the Ekitigate. This explains Ayo Fayose’s desperation and his mobilization of physical and evil non-physical forces to see to the death of Mr. Buhari. Ayo Fayose is already a wreck and it has become that bad for him. Hence for this reason, signs and trend of an APC success will lead to the mobilization of the military to abort it.
Mr. Ayo Oritsejafor the present president of CAN and some known Pastors are not left out of this. From the 2011 polls to the present poll, the Jonathan presidency compromised some clergy. Nigerians should read Pastor Bakare’s testimony and observations on the 2011 elections. The clergymen are compromised through the informal and un-documented side of the Nigerian economy. This informal side of the economy leaks like a damaged oil pipeline. This is a well-known side, which drives every sleaze.
This is the sector that is used to compromise the clergy and the military. The informal side of the economy through which the leakage and compromise of clergymen and women and the military take place is the reason it is disingenuous to ask for physical evidence of the compromise as if that informal sector is physically documented.
Finally, in any plot there are immediate and remote factors. The remote factors are contained in the activities of the cliques in i-v. Members of these cliques will do anything to abort the election including the thoughtless, the illegal and the criminal, which includes toying with the idea of suddenly sacking Mr. Attahiru Jega INEC Chair.
However, given the dishonor, indignity and shame it has brought to the Nigerian military(where a civilian politician threatened a Nigerian General!), the need to cover up the Ekitigate is one of the biggest immediate factors(out of others) that threatens the March elections. In annulling the election, it is obvious that the the top echelon of the military will not be acting out of any patriotic, professional or ethical reason. This highly compromised top echelon will be acting out of pure instinct of survival.
Hence, the Nigerian civil society and the International Community must be on full alert to help the Nigerian people; assist the Nigerian democratic process by joining to resist any of President Jonathan’s attempts to abort the March elections through open, direct or devious means.
Adeolu Ademoyo aaa54@cornell.edu Africana Studies and Research Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. [myad]
Fani-Kayode’s Flurry Of Fictions, By Suraj Oyewale
President Goodluck Jonathan left no one in doubt about the type of campaign he wanted to run when he picked well known loose cannon with no modicum of decency, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, as his campaign spokesperson. Fani-Kayode had earlier styled himself as a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), when he was actually never one, not having being recognized as such by APC leadership when he was in the party, and not on record to have been found worthy of being invited for APC meetings, according to APC spokesperson, Lai Mohammed.
Known for throwing decency to the gutters with toxic Facebook posts, and error-ridden newspaper articles, the Osun State-born law graduate had conducted himself in the last few years in a manner that makes one wonder if the globally respected Cambridge University will ever be proud of such a product. Or how else do you think of someone that goes around writing on the number of women he had slept with as contribution to debates on the legality and morality of “deportation” of destitute of certain origin from Lagos?
It is only in Nigeria that someone of Fani-Kayode’s standing, someone having a money laundering case before the courts, will be appointed by a President as campaign spokesperson. In countries where choices of candidates by citizens are scientific, not based on religious and ethnic sentiments as exploited here, such faux pas is enough to cost candidates elections.
Fani-Kayode has since discharged his duty to type – daily regaling us with tissues of lies to demonize the candidacy of General Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the APC. First, he sold to the media the non-issue of Buhari’s certificate, and even when the Katsina school where General Buhari had his secondary education, released the statement of result of the general and the masterlist issued by Cambridge University which conducted the exam in 1961, he declared it fake. It did not occur to him that Cambridge would have come out to disclaim the result if it never originated from it. How anyone would attribute a fake document to Cambridge – of all paces – in this age, and some gullible Nigerians bought it, is beyond me. In any case, all the misattributions to Cambridge by the PDP, including that Hausa language was not offered in 1961, have already been shredded and dumped into the waste bin where they belonged, with the school’s external assessment body issuing a statement on its website, confirming that they indeed set Hausa language in Northern Nigeria in 1961. I wonder whether the same Cambridge would not have disowned the circulated Buhari’s grades if they never originated from them, which would have been criminal.
Fani-Kayode and his Social Media hirelings have thrown everything – including the kitchen sink – in the direction of the General. They have forged medical reports in the name on a non-existent “Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital” to declare Buhari as having prostate cancer, they have circulated “minutes” of imaginary meetings to say Jega met with Northern elders in Kaduna (in other reports, Dubai) on rigging elections, they have hired commercial protesters to embarrass General Buhari in London. They have paid millions of naira to put up adverts in national dailies in the name of a fictitious “Muslim” group in the South West endorsing Buhari because “they wanted Islamization of the South West”. I have seen SMS messages being circulated by unfortunately educated folks including a chartered accountant friend from the South South, that a vote for Jonathan means four more years of non-payment of annual subscription of OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference) which is in its sixth year now and which means Nigeria will be expunged from OIC when the non-payment reaches ten years – as a reason to vote Jonathan. It does not occur to these vendors of fictions that Jonathan was the first Nigerian president to attend OIC meeting since the country’s return to civil rule. Their fiction factory keeps churning out lies every other day. The country has never gone so low.
Fani-Kayode was yet again at his lying best when he addressed the press few days ago accusing APC of having made their vice presidential candidate, Yemi Osinbajo, to take an oath to resign after six months in office. It is more unfortunate that the press which should have by now been familiar with the wicked fabrications of Fani-Kayode, gave this hogwash an undeserved prominence. This allegation started from some vendors of misinformation on the social media, where some of us that are equally social media-savvy proved beyond reasonable doubt that this was not true; it is therefore very unfortunate that President Jonathan’s official campaign latched on to this beer parlour gist.
I will try and shed light on this for those who have open minds. The first bearer of the disinformation on the social media had made reference to Tunde Bakare’s statement in 2011 that the ACN/CPC last minute alliance collapsed principally because ACN requested for a slot in the ticket, which was fair, as ACN had more national spread than CPC. This being politics, no one would have expected ACN to submit its structure to CPC without a commitment to play a major part in the government. It is like two companies merging and one (ACN) bringing sixty per cent equity, it is only natural that the company will be significantly represented on the board (ticket). While Buhari and Bakare were coming from CPC and the ticket cannot be altered again being few days to election, it is not out of place for ACN to put forward an equitable proposal to have the VP slot when the government comes on board. This is a basic principle of negotiation. That was 2011, and there was no secrecy about it as newspapers reported it and I remember Femi Adesina of Daily Sun also making it the subject of his column the week after. In any case the proposal was not even accepted by Buhari and Bakare, and the alliance collapsed.
Between 2011 and 2015, the two parties, alongside a faction of APGA, ANPP, DPP, and the new PDP, formed the APC. Now, both the old CPC and the ACN have representatives on the ticket with Buhari coming from CPC and Osinbajo coming from ACN. This has automatically ruled out the 2011-type proposed negotiation for alteration in ticket on assumption of office. This is what Fani-Kayode is twisting to further demonise the APC. Any enlightened follower of political developments in Nigeria should know this. In any case, even if Tinubu comes on board along the way (which is only a figment of their imagination), Tinubu is by far a better administrator than Jonathan. I’m not a fan of Tinubu, but I will pick him over Jonathan as President. Between 1999-2007 when Nigeria was afflicted with probably the worst set of non-performing governors in its history, Tinubu stood tall as a decent performer in Lagos – even when the man at the helms in the center withheld the state’s allocations. His political recruitment strategy is also top-notch as those he backed for power, from Aregbesola to Amosun and Ajimobi, are testament to this. I may not be comfortable with his records on anti-graft scale, but I believe we have seen the worst under the current Federal Government. This is by no means a validation of this fabrication, but only playing in their own court.
If General Buhari did not accept this proposal in 2011, there is no way he could have accepted it in 2015, just as Osinbanjo, a pastor like Bakare, would not have accepted the arrangement. The whole thing is just another figment of Fani-Kayode’s warped imagination.
The election is less than four weeks, and I know Fani-Kayode’s fiction machine is still being oiled to produce more between now and the election date, if they ever allow the election to hold. However, some of us will also not stop setting the records straight. The task of extricating Nigeria from these fiction vendors and setting it on the path of progress is the business of every patriotic Nigerian.
Mr. Oyewale, an accountant and blogger, wrote in from in Ajah, Lagos. [myad]