“It is because we are the ruling party, we don’t want to be unruly because if we were the opposition, we would make a lot of noise and say a lot of things.”

These were the words of the national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adamu Muázu when he played host a delegation of Africa Union Election Observers, led by AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, in his office at Wadata House in Wuse Zone 5.

Muázu said that the party had made its observations and complaints to the Independent National Electoral Commission which he said have been on the threshold of disenfranchising 23 million Nigerians even as the INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega told the world that he is ready for elections.

“We are saying that he is not ready, 23 million out of the 68 million registered voters, by his personal submission in the Council of State that was held last week to review the preparedness or otherwise of INEC to conduct the election. Twenty three million PVCs were either produced and not distributed or not produced at all.

“This must be highlighted and made known to the world. Your report must be very explicit to explain what has happened. He is lying.

“We must not have 100 per cent as the threshold for distribution and collection but 23 million out of 68 million eligible voters or 34 per cent as the INEC Chairman himself confirmed is unacceptable by any standard.”

Adamu Mu’azu insisted that PDP welcome the use of Electronic Management Tool for the 2015 elections but that the country is not ready to be used as a guinea pig. He said that INEC must ensure a successful test-run before approving it for use in the elections.

The team leader, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi said they were impressed to see that there was no street fighting or protest trailing the postponement of the elections from February 14 and 28 to March 28 and April 11, adding that it was a sign of maturity of Nigerians and the depth of democratic practice in the country.

Dr. Abdullahi, who was a former Commissioner in Mu’azu’s cabinet when he was governor of Bauchi State between 1999 and 2007, was accompanied on the visit by five members of the AU observer mission to monitor the March 28 elections. [myad]

Former Nigerian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said that in spite of the problems currently bedeviling Nigeria, the country’s future is “rosy” and bright, but with a proviso “under the leadership of a strong President.”

He noted that the country faced similar problems in the past, including the civil war but came out stronger, adding: “God will see Nigeria through. Nigeria will emerge successfully and move up and forward”

Speaking at the launching of his book, My Watch, in London, Obasanjo, who was reported to have endorsed the candidacy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate for the March 28 election, General Muhammadu Buhari, insisted that what he desired for Nigeria is a strong president.

“Well, whatever you get in the paper and in the press, please yourself,” he said to guests at the event, who wanted to confirm the reported endorsement.

“What I said, I maintain that I will say it again and I will do it. When the time comes for me to vote, I will consider the track record of all the candidates that are contesting and I will assess and based on my own assessment for who I believe have the best track record to perform the job of the Nigerian President, then he will have my vote. If anybody should know what the job of the Nigerian President requires, I should know.”

Obasanjo made it clear that it is insulting and ridiculous to question the academic credentials of Generald Buhari, saying that when he joined the army in 1958, it was mandatory that one must have WASC or GCE before enlisting in the armed forces.

He said the requirements were the same when General Buhari joined the army in 1961, and that even if Buhari did not have the required qualifications then, he had gone through the staff college which is equivalent to a first degree and the US War College which is equivalent to a master’s degree.

“If anybody thinks that I’m illiterate or uneducated after attending many military institutions in the UK, India and the US, they should read my books”, he said, and urged those engaged in Buhari’s qualification debacle to “focus on real issues and stop degenerating into trivialities.”

The book launch which was attended by mainly Nigerians in Diaspora, was anchored by Richard Dowden of the Royal African Society, London, and Zeinab Badawi, a renowned television broadcaster. [myad]

All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Organization has commended the Nigeria armed forces for the reassurance they gave that they would be faithfully committed to its traditional and professional role rather than being exposed to undue partisanship.
The Director of Media and Publicity of the APCP Campaign Organisation, Garba Shehu, said in a statement in Abuja that the opposition party is happy with the assurance by the Defence Spokesman, Brigadier General Christopher Olukolade that the armed forces would stick to their constitutional and professional roles of protecting the territorial integrity of Nigeria rather than being diverted in this mission to partisanship.
According Garba Shehu, the reassurance by the army could not have come at a better time, adding that a politically neutral armed force is a prerequisite for free and fair elections.
He assured that APC presidential campaign holds Nigeria’s armed forces in the highest esteem, and that as long as they and other security services stick to their professional roles, they might retain public respect like every other armed forces around the world.
The campaign organisation’s spokesman also assured that the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency would be committed to improving the welfare of the armed forces more effectively for them to discharge their professional and constitutional duties. [myad]

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation has raised the alarm on a plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to simulate attacks on some of its own leaders with a view to accusing the PDP of being responsible for the attacks.
The Campaign Organisation, in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, said: “it has been brought to our attention that a section of the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has now perfected plans to simulate violent
attacks on members of their own party and then point fingers at supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP for such attacks in order to portray us as being violent.
“As diabolical as this plan appears to be, it should come as no surprise to the Nigerian people given the antecedents of the APC.”
Fani-Kayode alleged that APC’s stock-in-trade and its hallmark is to engage in cheap propaganda and blackmail and to indulge in the most hideous form of violence, adding that the recent torching of some of the branded buses of PDP by the APC in Jos was not surprised..
“Again the attacks on the convoy of our candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, whilst he was campaigning in Katsina, Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa and Kaduna States were all carried out by members of the APC and the supporters and disciples of General Muhammadu Buhari.
“As an example of their sheer deceit and chicanery, there is a video of the burning of our campaign buses all over social media. This video footage showed a group of hoodlums offering songs of praise to General Muhammadu Buhari and chanting war songs whilst they indulged in a gruesome and unrestrained orgy of violence. Yet the APC still attempted to deceive Nigerians by claiming that the burning of the buses was carried out by members of the PDP in Plateau State.
“The fact of the matter is that our party was not embroiled in any violent intra-party fracas in Plateau state.”
Fani-Kayode said that PDP leaders and members in Plateau State have demonstrated the highest level of decorum and civility even in the face of sponsored violence in the state.
“It would be recalled that a serving senator (Gyang Dantong) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria lost his life in one of such sponsored acts of violence by the agents of darkness who have serially supported amnesty for terrorists.  It is self-evident that those who burnt our buses in Plateau State were supporters of the APC and not members of our party.
“Yet rather than accept full responsibility for these attacks the APC quickly linked the attack on the residence of their party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, to the PDP, insinuating that there were more attacks to come.
“It has now come to our knowledge that a section of the leadership of the APC is perfecting plans to sponsor a series of simulated attacks on some key members of their own party.
“Their objective is to carry out the simulated attacks and then go public by linking supporters of our candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, to such attacks.  This is an irresponsible and dangerous path to tread and we hereby serve notice to the leaders of the APC not to play with such dangerous fire. If they insist on doing so their plan will backfire in a way that they cannot possibly comprehend and it will have far-reaching and tumultuous consequences for the fortunes of their party.”
Fani-Kayode said however that APC’s attempt at poisoning the political environment and fouling up the political space will not work. [myad]