Commonwealth Election Director, Fisher, To Lead Observer Group For February Nigerian Elections

February 6, 2015

Director of Elections, Orrette Fisher is set to lead a Commonwealth Observer Group for presidential and National Assembly elections coming up in Nigeria on February 14 and 28 respectively.

The Commonwealth invited the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) to join the eleven-member team observing the February 14 polls, and Fisher was selected to represent the Commission.

Guyanese Member of Parliament, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine is the other Caricom representative in the observer group.

The Commonwealth says that the group’s mandate is to observe and consider the various factors affecting the credibility of the electoral process as a whole, and to determine in its own judgment whether the elections have been conducted according to the standards for democratic elections to which Nigeria has committed itself.

Fisher, who has notable experience in election observation, and has been director of elections since 2008, says he is looking forward to any lessons that can be garnered from a considerably larger democracy than Jamaicas.’

Nigeria has a population of more than 173 million, with more than 70 million registered electors. [myad]

Osun Governorship Election: Aregbesola Smiles Home With Victory Against Omisore

Greenbarge Reporters

February 6, 2015

The Election Petitions Tribunal, hearing cases arising from the Osun State August 9, 2014 governorship election in the state, has dismissed the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, challenging the victory of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In the judgment, lasting over seven hours, the tribunal dismissed the prayers of the petitioner, alleging malpractices and substantial non-compliance of the poll with the Electoral Act as amended.

The petition was dismissed in a unanimous judgment, which started at 9.10am and concluded by 4.38pm, read by tribunal chairman, Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime. The judgment was read amidst heavy presence of security men at the court premises.

The tribunal held that Aregbesola, who scored 394,684 votes credited to him by INEC, was validly elected and returned as the winner of the poll. Omisore scored 292,747.

Three issues were formulated for determination by the tribunal.

The first issue was whether the tribunal has jurisdiction to hear the petitioner’s petition.

The second issue for determination was whether the election was vitiated by the reason of alleged substantial noncompliance with the Electoral Act and the third issue was whether the first respondent ( Aregbesola) was validly elected and returned as the winner of the poll.

The first issue of jurisdiction, which the first respondent complained against in an application, was resolved against him.

The only issue, which was resolved in favour of the petitioner, which allowed his petition to scale the first hurdle put against it by the first respondent, did not avail him of victory at the end as the tribunal went ahead to expose the weaknesses in the allegations contained in his petition.

On the issue of substantial noncompliance, the tribunal resolved the issue against the petitioner. [myad]

Abati Angry With Economist For Endorsing Buhari, Says It Is Patriotic Nigerians That’ll Re-Elect Jonathan

Greenbarge Reporters

February 6, 2015

Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on media and publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati is angry with Economist International Magazine for not only endorsing the Presidential candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari for the 2015 election but going ahead to vilify the President.
In a statement today in Abuja, Dr. Abati protested against the “magazine’s baseless, jaundiced and rather malicious vilification of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.”
The Presidential spokesman was surprised the Economist Magazine’s “tongue-in-cheek endorsement of General Muhammadu Buhari in the run-up to Nigeria’s general elections.”
He made it clear that President Jonathan still retained the trust and confidence of majority of Nigerians and that the outcome of the Presidential election shortly, will undoubtedly demonstrate.
“We are sure that many Nigerians and other readers of the usually urbane, thoughtful and well-reasoned editorial opinions of the Economist will be shocked that the magazine has taken the very ill-considered decision to throw its weight behind a candidate who, as a former military dictator, curtailed freedom of speech, ordered the kidnapping of opponents and jailing of journalists, and is accused of incitement to violence and grave human rights violations in Nigeria’s current democratic dispensation.”
Dr. Abati accused the Economist of feigning ignorance of President Jonathan’s remarkable achievements as leader of his country in the past six years, saying that Nigerians are fully in acknowledgement of such achievements.
He said that Nigerians, who will actually vote in the country’s forthcoming presidential election, know that President Jonathan has worked very hard to fulfill all the major promises he made to them on assumption of office.
“Nigerians know that President Jonathan has developed our economy and created more jobs. They know that he has given policy support to the real sector of the economy, so that Small and Medium Enterprises can thrive. They know that he has encouraged locally owned enterprises to take advantage of our resources in growing the domestic economy and they also know that he has successfully attracted greater foreign direct investment to the country.
“Unlike the clearly poorly informed and distant authors of the Economist Opinion titled “The Least Awful” appreciative Nigerians are also aware that President Jonathan has worked tirelessly to improve power supply across the nation, rebuild and expand national infrastructure, improve public transportation and provide greater access to quality education for all Nigerian youth.
“They know very well too that President Jonathan has significantly improved healthcare services in the country, revolutionized agriculture, promoted gender equality and women empowerment, and done his very best to stem corruption in government.
Dr. Abati said that contrary to the Economist’s assertions, Nigeria, under President Jonathan, has made very considerable progress, adding that in spite of the significant challenges of terrorism and insurgency the nation faces today, President Jonathan has ensured that Nigeria becomes a more vibrant democracy with free media, an independent judiciary, free, fair and credible elections, and greater respect for human rights.
“The Economist is entitled to its erroneous opinion on who represents the best leadership option for Nigeria in the coming elections, but happily for the country, it is not the magazine’s lead writers, but more knowledgeable and patriotic Nigerians who actually work and live in the country, that will vote and re-elect President Jonathan for a second term in office.
“They will do so, because unlike the Economist’s opinion writers, they understand that a Buhari Presidency will, for their beloved country, represent a stark setback and retrogression from the tremendous ongoing positive transformation of Nigeria under President Jonathan’s leadership.” [myad]

Former Nigeria Leaders At Council Of State Meeting Today In Presidential Villa

Greenbarge Reporters

February 5, 2015

L-R: Former President Shehu Aliyu Shagari; former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari; former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, former head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar at the National Council of State meeting at the National Council of State meeting in the Presidential Aso Villa, Abuja today, Thursday 5^th. [myad]

Council Of State Avoids Definite Date For Election, Asks INEC To Assess And Decide: INEC Meets Tomorrow

Greenbarge Reporters

February 5, 2015

The Nigerian National Council of State rose from about seven-hour meeting at the Presidential Aso Villa today, avoiding a situation where it would dictate to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) whether or not it should hold the general elections as scheduled, on February 14 and 28. This is even as the electoral body has scheduled a meeting with all its Commissioners, the 36 State Electoral Commissioners and that of the nation’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja before taking the final decision.

Briefing newsmen today after the Council of State meeting, attended by President Goodluck Jonathan, former military President, Ibrahim Babangida, former Head of State and Presidential candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, all the governors of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and APC as well as other leaders, governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo state and Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state said that the Council did not tamper much with the February 14 and 28 for the election.

Though governor Okorocha said that INEC had been advised by the council to perform its civic responsibility with regards to this month’s elections even as governor Mimiko said that INEC was advised by the council to embark on consultations with stakeholders and see if it is possible to go ahead with the election or not, it still stands that the electoral body has been thrown the challenge of independently coming up with the final say on this.

Shortly after the Council of State meeting, INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega announced that he would hold a meeting on, Friday, with the national electoral commissioners and another one with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday.
The aim of the two meetings is to enable the INEC chairman to brief the national commissioners on the outcome of the National Council of States meeting and on Saturday hear the situation of things on ground from the Resident Electoral Commissioners before coming out with a clear position on the general elections.
The meeting with the Resident Commissioners will be for an on the spot assessment of the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
According to National Commissioner, so far, only over 45 million PVCS have been distributed. So the meetings will assess everything before a final decision.
It was gathered that there may be a stakeholders’ meeting with political parties on Monday before a final decision is taken. [myad]

A Former Dictator Is A Better Choice Than A Failed President, By Economist magazine’s Editorial

Greenbarge Reporters

February 5, 2015

Sometimes there are no good options. Nigeria goes to the polls on February 14th to elect the next president, who will face problems so large—from rampant corruption to a jihadist insurgency—that they could break the country apart, with dire consequences for Nigerians and the world.
And yet, as Africa’s biggest economy stages its most important election since the restoration of civilian rule in 1999, and perhaps since the civil war four decades ago, Nigerians must pick between the incumbent, Goodluck Jonathan, who has proved an utter failure, and the opposition leader, Muhammadu Buhari, a former military dictator with blood on his hands (see article). The candidates stand as symbols of a broken political system that makes all Nigeria’s problems even more intractable.

In this section

Start with Mr. Jonathan, whose People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has run the country since 1999 and who stumbled into the presidency on the death of his predecessor in 2010. The PDP’s reign has been a sorry one. Mr. Jonathan has shown little willingness to tackle endemic corruption. When the governor of the central bank reported that $20 billion had been stolen, his reward was to be sacked.
Worse, on Mr. Jonathan’s watch much of the north of the country has been in flames. About 18,000 people have died in political violence in recent years, thousands of them in January in several brutal attacks by Boko Haram, a jihadist group that claims to have established its “caliphate” in territory as large as Belgium. Another 1.5m people have fled their homes. The insurgency is far from Mr Jonathan’s southern political heartland and afflicts people more likely to vote for the opposition. He has shown little enthusiasm for tackling it, and even less competence. Quick to offer condolences to France after the attack on Charlie Hedbo, Mr Jonathan waited almost two weeks before speaking up about a Boko Haram attack that killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of his compatriots.
The single bright spot of his rule has been Nigeria’s economy, one of the world’s fastest-growing. Yet that is largely despite the government rather than because of it, and falling oil prices will temper the boom. The prosperity has not been broadly shared: under Mr Jonathan poverty has increased. Nigerians typically die eight years younger than their poorer neighbours in nearby Ghana.

Goodbye Jonathan

Voters have ample cause to send Mr. Jonathan packing. In a country where power has often changed through the barrel of a gun, the opposition All Progressives Congress has a real chance of winning through the ballot box. Yet its candidate, Mr. Buhari, is an ex-general who, three decades ago, came to power in a coup. His rule was nasty, brutish and mercifully short. Declaring a “war against indiscipline”, he ordered whip-wielding soldiers to ensure that Nigerians formed orderly queues. His economics, known as Buharism, was destructive. Instead of letting the currency depreciate in the face of a trade deficit, he tried to fix prices and ban “unnecessary” imports. He expelled 700,000 migrants in the delusion that this would create jobs for Nigerians. He banned political meetings and free speech. He detained thousands, used secret tribunals and executed people for crimes that were not capital offences.
Should a former dictator with such a record be offered another chance? Surprisingly, many Nigerians think he should. One reason is that, in a country where ministers routinely wear wristwatches worth many times their annual salary, Mr Buhari is a sandal-wearing ascetic with a record of fighting corruption. Few nowadays question his commitment to democracy or expect him to turn autocratic: he has repeatedly stood for election and accepted the outcome when he lost. He would probably do a better job of running the country, and in particular of tackling Boko Haram. As a northerner and Muslim, he will have greater legitimacy among villagers whose help he will need to isolate the insurgents. As a military man, he is more likely to win the respect of a demoralised army.
We are relieved not to have a vote in this election. But were we offered one we would—with a heavy heart—choose Mr Buhari. Mr Jonathan risks presiding over Nigeria’s bloody fragmentation. If Mr Buhari can save Nigeria, history might even be kind to him.

[myad]

What Happened To $1.5 Billion US Exim Bank Credit For Nigeria’s Power Sector, APC Asks: Says Jonathan Has Failed On Power

Greenbarge Reporters

February 5, 2015

All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Organisation has asked Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government to tell Nigerians what happened to $1.5 Billion (about N300 Billion) which the US Exim Bank provided for investors in the power sector even as it dismissed President Jonathan promise, four years ago, of improving electricity, as a ruse.
APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said that as at today, the government has not come out to tell the nation about the status of the credit line by US Exim Bank, lamenting: “no one can show exactly where all that money has gone.”
Garba Shehu recalled that while campaigning for the 2011 presidential elections, President Jonathan made a number of promises to Nigerians, including the rehabilitation of all existing power generation, distribution and transmission assets to give a minimum of 6,000mw of electricity; the harnessing of alternative sources of energy such as coal, wind and solar to generate an initial 13,000mw, and the unbundling of PHCN into 18 successor companies.
The APC’s Director regretted that four years after he made those promises, President Jonathan is still making more promises to Nigerians, when he clearly has no intention of fulfilling them the same way he has not fulfilled those regarding power.
He said that, in initial moves craftily aimed at convincing the nation that he was true to his word, the PDP candidate went on to create the Nigeria Bank Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. and undertook an MoU with General Electric mostly to add up to 15 percent in power projects to achieve 10,000mw addition by 2020.
“However, till date, unacceptable lapses are still seen in the power sector,” Shehu said. “All over Nigeria, from Yola to Port Harcourt to Ibadan, Nigerians are complaining about the poor supply of electricity to their offices and homes.”
Garba Shehu said that Nigeria’s current capacity is still under 4400MW, despite the PDP government’s promise to complete all National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) to deliver at least 4,000 MW by 2012.
“As of 2015, NIPP has not met 50 percent of what it said it would achieve by 2012,” Shehu said. “NIPP’s involvement in the power sector requires more transparency and disclosure.”

[myad]

PriceWaterHouse Finds About N300 Billion Missing, Wants NNPC To Refund It

Greenbarge Reporters

February 5, 2015

PriceWaterHouse Coopers, hired by Goodluck Jonathan government to audit the account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has come up with a damning report that more than $1.48 Billion (about N300 Billion) was actually missing.
The accounting Firm, which submitted its report to President Jonathan on Tuesday asked both the NNPC and the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) to refund to the federation account a minimum of $1.48 Billion.
The international audit Firm was last year hired to carry out the exercise following an allegation by the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, that $20bn was not remitted to the Federation Account by the NNPC.
The highlights of the report was released by the Auditor General for the Federation, Mr. Samuel Ukura, in Abuja. President Jonathan, whille receiving the report on Tuesday, ordered the Auditor General to tidy up the report for white paper to be issued on it.
Lamido Sanusi, who is now the Emir of Kano, had written a letter to President Jonathan that $49 Billion was not remitted to the Federation Account by the NNPC, leading to his clash with the President and eventual suspension from office.

[myad]

APC Asks Jonathan Government To Stop The Lies About Railway Rehabilitation

Greenbarge Reporters

February 5, 2015

Minister of transport, Senator Idris Umar

All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Organisation has described claims by President Goodluck Jonathan and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that they have resuscitated Nigerian’s railways which they say has been moribund for over 20 years as a hoax and asked the government to stop the lies.
President Jonathan, said the Director of media and publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Garba Shehu in a statement, has repeatedly stated while campaigning for re-election that he resuscitated the country’s railways which he says had been moribund for over 20 years, but that this has been proved to be one of the many lies of the Jonathan government.
“The Director General of his (Jonathan’s) campaign, Senator Ahmadu Ali, even stretches this moribund hyperbole to 35 years,” Garba Shehu said, adding: “the railway lies just seem to keep tumbling out.”
He noted that among the claims which are parts of the Jonathan government’s lies are the President’s statement during his campaign rallies that his government has rehabilitated and built about 3,500 km of railways.
“They have done no such thing as only about 2,000 kilometres have so far been rehabilitated and less than 250 kilometres of new track has been built.”
Garba Shehu said that the quality of work done on these rehabilitations even left a lot to be desired, “because the government had shown a preference towards issuing contracts to their cronies, regardless of whether they had the essential skills or experience.
“A railway expert advises that the real test of the integrity of the more recently rehabilitated track infrastructure is when the rainy season arrives.”
The APC Presidential campaign spokesman said that the huge railway contracts awarded by the PDP-led Jonathan government do not include most of the railway sidings and passing loops, adding that this has effectively limited the capacity of the lines in terms of the number of trains that can run on them at any time, thus making an unviable rail service even more unviable.
“They also do not say why the railway track rehabilitations which were supposed to take 10 months have taken 4 years and counting.”
Garba Shehu referred to the Jonathan government’s claim that it had commenced work on the Lagos-Calabar coastal railway line as “another big fat lie, and asked: “how can they commence work on a project that has no appropriation? How can they commence construction on a project without a signed contract? Or is a memorandum of understanding now a contract?
“In any case, why is the scope of work being described as Lagos to Calabar, when the Lagos-Ibadan part of the route is in another contract (i.e. the Obasanjo Lagos-Kano contract)? Will he pay twice for Lagos-Ibadan? With the addition of Benin-Onitsha to the coastal line, what is the new cost and how is he going to pay for it all? With more loans while the nation bleeds financially?”
The said that all these lies were simply evidence of an overactive imagination.
“One railway project the President and his media personnel have been silent about is the Abuja Rail Mass Transit. “What Mr. President will not tell the people is how many Nigerians truly benefit from the hundreds of billions purportedly spent on the rehabilitation of rail lines and whether value for money has been achieved. What he will not tell Nigerians, is that it costs about N10, 000 per passenger to produce that Lagos-Kano service, which his railway corporation sells at N1,930 per passenger.
“What he will not tell Nigerians is the number of derailments that have taken place on the Lagos-Kano line as a result of poor quality track work.

[myad]

2015: I Have 60 Reasons Why I Will Not Vote For President Jonathan – Wole Soyinka

Greenbarge Reporters

February 5, 2015

Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has announced that he has sixty reasons why he will not vote for the continuation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s government, emphasising that whoever have any thought that he would vote for Jonathan “must be living in Sambisa forest.”
Professor Soyinka who spoke today at Lagos Black Festival 2015 said: “I will not vote and I will not encourage ‎anyone to vote for the continuation of this government, simply because your colleagues (students) numbering over two hundred, were kidnapped.”
Soyinka told students at the 2015 edition of Vision of the Child (VOTC), a yearly programme inaugurated in 2012 that Chibok girls, kidnapped on 14 April of last year were sent on a mission to acquire an education but ended up being kidnapped.
“And the government of this nation failed to show leadership.‎ So anyone who says after that event that I will vote or cast my vote or encourage anyone to vote for this regime must be living in Sambisa forest,” Soyinka said, referring to a forest in Borno State where the Chibok girls are believed to be held by Boko Haram.
“There has been a failure of leadership. Our children whom you represent today have been betrayed‎.”.
Professor Soyinka regretted that it even took the Jonathan government ten days to even accept that the Chibok girls were missing, adding: “after that dereliction of duty, after that failure of leadership, after that betrayal for our future, for anyone to think or to put words in my mouth suggesting that I will vote or encourage anyone to vote for this regime is a travesty of intelligence.”
Professor Soyinka laughed off those who had claimed on the social media that he ‎was dead, telling journalists at the event that they should not misquote him. If they do, he added, he will rise from the dead to correct them.
The 2015 edition of Vision of the Child has for theme “The Road to Sambisa.”
This year, a total of 250 student participants from 60 primary and secondary schools within Lagos attended the interview. The age bracket for the participants was 9 to 12 years.
Their entries were assessed by a panel of eminent judges comprising teachers, artists, child carers and social workers.
The finalists will be invited on the 7 March to the National Conversation Foundation Park. Lekki, and provided with brush, paint and easel, and will be required to illustrate their literary presentation in the complementary medium painting.
This year, 60 finalists were drawn from 35 schools within Lagos State, said Foluke George‎, Festival Secretary and Programme Manager for the Vision of the Child.

[myad]

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