Nigeria Goes To The Polls Amid Boko Haram Threat

Nigerians have begun registering before polls in the most hotly contested campaign since the end of military rule.

The election has already been postponed once - for six weeks. 

Officials, encouraged by the military, said they were worried about security concerns caused by the terror group Boko Haram.

It was a move frowned on by international observers and heavily criticised by the main opposition candidate who saw it as a tactic by the ruling party to gain more time and more votes.

The presidential contest is a mainly two-horse race with the former military ruler General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive party (APC) attempting to unseat the incumbent Goodluck Jonathan from the People's Democratic Party.

The two rivals have been neck and neck for months now - and the outcome is too close to call for most analysts.

Voting is due to start in the afternoon once registered voters' biometric identity cards have been checked using handheld devices.

Mr Jonathan was forced to wait 30 minutes while the readers failed to identify his fingerprint. 

"I appeal to all Nigerians to be patient no matter the pains it takes as long as if as a nation we can conduct free and fair elections that the whole world will accept," he said afterwards.

The closeness has led to increased tension due to fears of election violence - and the two main contenders have signed two peace agreements urging their supporters to refrain from trouble and vote peacefully.

During the past six weeks, the ruling government instigated an offensive against Boko Haram routing it from many areas it had seized.

The day before elections, the army claimed it had recaptured the town of Gwoza where the terror group had its headquarters just across the border from Cameroon.

Reports suggested the 219 kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls may have been taken there as "wives" for the fighters.

But so far, there's been little information, other than the snippets given by the military, about what they found in the town or the girls' whereabouts.

President Jonathan had promised he would rid Nigeria of Boko Haram in the six weeks before the delayed polls were held - leading to criticism from much of the population about why he hadn't tackled the problem more seriously over the past six years when the extremist group has been bombing, killing and kidnapping - mainly in the Muslim north.

Kano in the north of the country has the highest number of voters in Nigeria and has a mainly Muslim population. It has also been the target of Boko Haram attacks.

In the days leading up to the polls, Kano's minority non-Muslim residents have been seen fleeing the state for fear they may be the focus of any post-election unrest.

Vigilante groups operate outside the area's mosques, wielding machetes and sticks. But the volunteers insist they are simply there to try to deter any Boko Haram activities.

"We don't like Boko Haram," one told me. "They come here and bomb and blast us and we don't like that in this country. We want peace and unity."

In the last election, in 2011, (again between the same two main contenders) election violence led to an estimated 800 deaths with the opposition decrying the result and insisting it was due to large-scale ballot-rigging.

Everyone will be holding their breath as millions of Nigerians in Africa's most populous country cast their ballots.

IBB Condemns Documentary On former Military Generals

Former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, yesterday described as callous and wicked the attempt by promoters of President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid to undermine the military institution by

General Babangida, who spoke while referring to an alleged one- hour documentary aired by Silverbird Television on Tuesday night; March 24, 2015 in a statement issued by his media office in Minna, the Niger State capital, said President Jonathan’s campaign handlers were out to demonize and stigmatize former military leaders and cast aspersions on them in order to malign their

reputation.embarking on mudslinging campaigns against former presidents and leaders of military background.

‘Documentary demeaned OBJ, Abacha, Buhari, Abubakar, myself’

He said the documentary “deliberately impugned the integrity of Generals Olusegun Obasanjo, Muhammadu Buhari, my humble self; Ibrahim Babangida, late Sani Abacha, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and T.Y Danjuma; all of whom have had the privilege of presiding over the affairs of this great country at various levels. It is either that those promoting the hate documentary are intellectually delinquent or they suffer memory loss; or a combination of both.”

“Apart from promoting hate campaign, which clearly undermines the modest contributions of these former presidents, the commentaries in the documentary against the former presidents leave a sour taste in the mouth,” he said.

According to the statement “In clear attempts to whip up support for President Goodluck Jonathan, certain persons, groups and individuals have embarked on several campaigns of calumny against former military Heads of State and presidents who have had the opportunity to govern this country.

“Of particular reference is a one-hour documentary aired on Silverbird Television on Tuesday night; 24th March, 2015 that deliberately impugned the integrity of Generals Olusegun Obasanjo, Muhammadu Buhari, my humble self; Ibrahim Babangida, late Sani Abacha, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and T.Y Danjuma; all of whom have had the privilege of presiding over the affairs of this great country at various levels. It is either that those promoting the hate documentary are intellectually deliquent or they suffer memory loss; or a combination of both.

“I have my very strong reservations about the contents and thematic focus of the said documentary. Apart from promoting hate campaign which clearly undermines the modest contributions of these former presidents, the commentaries in the documentary against the former presidents leave a sour taste in the mouth.

“Nobody is stopping anyone from campaigning for their preferred candidates contesting various positions in the elections, but to do that at the expense of the reputation, contributions, patriotism, loyalty and sacrifice of former presidents to the Nigerian state is, to say the least, immature.

“For record purposes, and without sounding immodest, the idea of a PDP that has now become the “largest party in Africa” started in my home, here in Minna. With the support of my fellow colleagues, we prepared the way for this democratic process that has now led us to where we are presently. We built the democratic infrastructure.

“Those who are parading themselves as democrats today, all participated in military governments. As a deliberate principle of remaining unsung, or blowing my own trumpet, I have elected over the years to maintain dignified silence on so many issues concerning Nigeria while I cultivate my access to each sitting President to pass across my advice in whatever form.

“It is on record and this is incontrovertible that the government I ran paraded some of the best brains this country can be proud of. I still remain eternally grateful to those wonderful brains who participated in our government to fashion a new roadmap for re-engineering the country.

…Lauds policies made by military

“Some of our policies have remained unsurpassed till date and most of what the country enjoys today was a creation of the Military. From primary healthcare to good roads, DFRRI, Better Life for Rural Women, housing, river basin authorities, MAMSER, new airports, agricultural development and other economic infrastructure, to mention but a few, were platforms where our interventions were felt.

“We achieved that much with very slim resources. If we had the several billions of dollars that are flying around today, we would have turned Nigeria to the Dubai of Africa.

“The military is an institution that is so dear to my heart. It is an institution that nurtured my growing up and my achievements in life. I am not only sold to the military institution and by extension the Nigerian state, I am betrothed to it.

“As a profession, retirees are bound to participate in politics and democracy as an all-inclusive process, same way that Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers, Nurses, and Civil Servants get involved in it. It is the reason why I ventured into politics in 2003 before I quit in 2010. It is the same reason why General Obasanjo participated and got elected; and now General Buhari.

“It is therefore very curious that promoters of President Goodluck Jonathan’s aspiration would attempt to demonize and stigmatize former military leaders and cast aspersions on them in order to malign their reputation. This is very unfair.

Praises military over Boko Haram

“Fact is; the military fought a civil war to keep this country together. What I suffer today is a consequence of the injuries I sustained during the Nigeria Civil War. I am not sure there is any patriotism that is more than that. Some of us were prepared to die for the country.

“The military is presently combating the dreaded Boko Haram sect to restore Nigeria’s territorial integrity. What law under a democracy forbids retired military personnel from participating in politics and presenting themselves for election?

“Over 90 percent of American Presidents have military background. Leadership training is better grounded in the military than any other profession. And the military parades some of the best brains in any country, including Nigeria. In fact, some of my military students that I tutored have Doctorate Degrees.

“It is therefore callous, wicked, out-of-sync, cynical and a show of crass ignorance for anyone to undermine the military institution by embarking on mudslinging campaigns against former presidents and leaders of military background.

While those campaigners are pointing their accusing fingers at us, they forget to recall that the present Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization is actually a retired Military Officer.

“It is this form of demonization and stigmatization that often compels us to exhibit espirit de corps amongst ourselves in support of our military institution and colleagues when the stakes are high. As disciplined military officers, we are patriotic Nigerians and must be treated with utmost respect and decorum.”

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/03/jonathans-men-out-to-demonize-ex-military-leaders-ibb/#sthash.oFualUem.dpuf

International research firm favours Buhari to win March 28 election

A study conducted by an internationally reputed political risk research and consulting firm, Eurasia Group, has favoured presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), to win the March 28 presidential election against its earlier estimation.

A statement issued on Saturday by the group’s Practice Head in Africa, Philippe de Pontet, noted that although it had earlier expected President Goodluck Jonathan to narrowly win the presidential election, a number of factors had since changed thus swinging the pendulum towards the direction of Buhari.

Eurasia, which analysed the electoral chances of the two leading candidates in the March 28 poll, said, “We change our election forecast from a narrow win for incumbent Goodluck Jonathan to a victory for opposition leader, Muhamadu Buhari (60% probability). The electoral map is tilting towards Buhari in the swing regions of the southwest and middle belt, while high turnout in his core northern base will offset Jonathan’s
advantage in the Niger Delta.“While a Buhari administration’s reliance on technocratic, business-oriented senior officials will lead to constructive policy initiatives, we keep our long-term trajectory at neutral given the downside risks to oil production and policy

implementation challenges. Buhari edges ahead. We had long viewed Goodluck Jonathan as a favorite to win reelection, but a number of factors now lead us to believe the edge has swung in Buhari’s favor.”

It said, “our expectation of a narrow Jonathan win was predicated on several factors that are losing some salience late in the campaign. Chief among them is the incumbency and financial advantages of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). While this still helps Jonathan, its impact is blunted by the intensity of support for Buhari, lackluster grassroots campaigning by the PDP, and new anti-rigging measures by the electoral commission.

•  Tinubu is Jonathan’s main headache – Fayemi

“New permanent voting cards and card readers will sharply reduce the level of rigging seen in 2011, when Jonathan beat Buhari in a landslide. Equally important are the enthusiasm gap between the candidates and widespread desire for change. Tepid support for Jonathan, even within his own party, means there is no guarantee that patronage will translate into votes,” it noted.

7 money moves for the 5 years before retirement

What you do in the five or 10 years before you retire can make a major difference in the quality of your life in retirement. No matter how much you have saved and prepared, you will still need to tick items off your retirement planning checklist. Here are seven last-minute retirement maneuvers that can change everything for the better.

1. Take advantage of your last chance to improve your retirement portfolio. If you feel for any reason that your retirement portfolio will be inadequate for the retirement you hope to have -- or if you would like a little bit extra -- now is the time to make it happen. You probably have fewer expenses now, especially if your children are done with college and your mortgage is paid in full, which means you have more money to save. The money that was going to these major expenses can be redirected into retirement savings.

2. Make sure you arrive at retirement debt-free. Debt payments represent a direct reduction in retirement income . If you have outstanding balances on credit cards, installment loans, car loans and even your mortgage, make it a priority to get them paid off in the next few years. Paying down debt is one of the most cost effective maneuvers you can make at this point.

3. Look for other ways to trim your living expenses. Take a look at any expenses you have for products or services that you probably won't need when you retire and start to eliminate them. You can pick just one or two expenses per year, and by the time you retire you'll have taken a chunk out of your living expenses.

4. Plan to reduce the risk in your portfolio. Shifting your entire portfolio to interest generating assets isn't practical with today's low rates. But you can begin reducing risk by shifting assets into income producing equities, such as high dividend yielding stocks and real estate investment trusts. The dividend returns on REITs are a lot higher than interest on fixed income investments and also a bit higher than the dividends typically being paid on stocks.

5. Start working on a post-retirement career or business. If you are concerned about outliving your money, and don't think that paying off debt or reducing living expenses will completely remedy the problem, you should consider developing a post-retirement career or business. That income can also help to insulate you in the event that the stock market takes a dive shortly after you retire, and give your portfolio time to recover from the decline.

6. Plan to delay your retirement by a year or two. If you can delay your retirement by just a couple of years, you can make a major improvement in your overall retirement outlook. Delaying retirement allows you to contribute more money to your retirement plan, will give you more time for your portfolio to accumulate additional investment earnings and you can delay making withdrawals from your retirement savings. In addition, your Social Security benefits will increase by anywhere between 5 and 8 percent for each year that you delay retirement between ages 62 and 70.

7. Make getting and staying healthy a lifestyle. Many people begin to develop chronic health-related conditions in their 50s. Not only will these conditions interfere with your ability to enjoy life, but they can also cost you in the form of a reduced ability to earn extra money, and even more directly in the form of higher medical expenses.

If you don't feel that your retirement is quite where you want it to be, take advantage of the last few years before you retire to make the kinds of maneuvers that can change everything for the better.

KIDNEY DISEASE PREVENTION

PREVENTION

1 in 3 American adults is at risk for kidney disease. What puts you at risk for kidney disease? Major risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of kidney failure and being age 60 or older.

Kidney disease often has no symptoms, and it can go undetected until very advanced. But a simple urine test can tell you if you have kidney disease. Remember, it's important to get tested because early detection and treatment can slow or prevent the progression of kidney disease.

2 Simple Tests To Check For Kidney Disease

Urine Test

You could help save your kidneys with a simple urine test. Ask your doctor about Albumin Creatinine Ratio (ACR)which estimates the amount of a type of protein, albumin, that is in your urine.

Blood Test

The Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) tells how well your kidneys are working to remove wastes from your blood. It is the best way to check kidney function. Over 90 is good, 60-89 should be monitored, less than 60 for 3 months indicates kidney disease.

Major Risk Factors Include

Diabetes

High Blood Pressure

Age 60 and older

Attend a free KEEP Healthy Screening near you

Kidney Basics

• Your Kidneys: Do You Know These Facts?
• Why Are the Kidneys So Important?
• What is Chronic Kidney Disease?
• Six-Steps to Healthier Kidneys
• How To Communicate With Your Healthcare Team
• Track Your GFR and Albuminuria Numbers

Other Risk Factors

• Minorities and Kidney Disease
• Contrast Dye and the Kidneys
• Which Drugs are Harmful to your Kidneys?
• Overuse of Pain Medicines (Analgesics)

KEEP Healthy

The NKF offers free kidney health checks in communities across the country. Find one near you.

Prevention Tips

• Quit Smoking
• Alcohol and Your Kidneys
• Lose Weight if You're Overweight or Obese
• Follow a Healthy Diet
• Lower Salt in Your Diet
• Understanding Food Labels
• Exercise
• 
  

10 Signs You May Have Kidney Disease

More than 26 million American adults are living with kidney disease. Most don't know it -- Over 90 percent of people with signs of kidney disease are unaware of it. March is National Kidney Month, and one of the best ways to observe this health awareness month is by getting tested if you're at risk for kidney disease. Major risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of kidney failure and being age 60 or older.

While the only way to know for sure if you have kidney disease is to get tested, there are a number of physical signs. Sometimes people attribute these physical symptoms of kidney disease to other conditions. This is because those with kidney disease tend not to experience symptoms until the very late stages, when the kidneys are failing or when there are large amounts of protein in the urine.

Here are 10 possible signs you may have kidney disease:

1. You're more tired, have less energy or are having trouble concentrating. A severe decrease in kidney function can lead to a buildup of toxins and impurities in the blood. This can cause you to feel tired, weak and can make it hard to concentrate. Another complication of kidney disease is anemia, which can also cause weakness and fatigue.
2. You're having trouble sleeping. When the kidneys aren't filtering properly, toxins stay in the blood rather than leaving the body through the urine. This can make it difficult to sleep. There is also a link between obesity and chronic kidney disease, and sleep apnea is more common in those with chronic kidney disease.
3. You have dry and itchy skin. Healthy kidneys do many important jobs. They remove wastes and extra fluid from your body, help make red blood cells, keep bones strong and work to maintain the right amount of minerals in your blood. Dry and itchy skin can be a sign of the mineral and bone disease that often accompanies advanced kidney disease, when the kidneys are no longer able to keep the right balance of minerals and nutrients in the blood.
4. You feel the need to urinate more often. If you feel the need to urinate more often, especially at night, this can be a sign of kidney disease. When the kidneys' filters are damaged, it can cause an increase in the urge to urinate. Frequent urination can also be a sign of a urinary infection or enlarged prostate in men.
5. You see blood in your urine. Healthy kidneys typically keep blood cells in the body when filtering wastes from the blood to create urine. However, when the kidneys have been damaged, these blood cells can start to "leak" out into the urine. In addition to signaling kidney disease, blood in the urine can be indicative of tumors, kidney stones or an infection.
6. Your urine is foamy. Excessive bubbles in the urine -- especially ones that require you to flush several times before they go away -- indicate protein in the urine. This foam may look like the foam you see when scrambling eggs, as the common protein found in urine, albumin, is the same protein as in eggs.
7. You're experiencing persistent puffiness around your eyes. Protein in the urine is an early sign that the kidneys' filters have been damaged, allowing protein to leak into the urine. This puffiness around your eyes can be due to the fact that your kidneys are leaking a large amount of protein in the urine, rather than keeping it in the body.
8. Your ankles and feet are swollen. Decreased kidney function can lead to sodium retention, causing swelling in your feet and ankles. Swelling in the lower extremities can also be a sign of heart disease, liver disease and chronic leg vein problems.
9. You have a poor appetite. This is a very general symptom, but a buildup of toxins resulting from reduced kidney function can be one of the causes.
10. Your muscles are cramping. Electrolyte imbalances and cramping can be caused by impaired kidney function. For example, low calcium levels and poorly controlled phosphorus may contribute to muscle cramping.

Be sure to mention any symptoms you're experiencing to your healthcare practitioner. Request simple urine (ACR) and blood (eGFR) tests for kidney disease if you're at risk. For more information about protecting the kidneys and detecting kidney disease, visit the National Kidney Foundation at www.kidney.org.

Distractions Must Not Deter Us, Jega Tells RECs

Two weeks to the 2015 general elections, scheduled for March 28th and April 11th, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, on Wednesday charged his Resident Electoral Commissioner (RECs) to be steadfast in the face of distractions as the Commission will settle for nothing but the best elections.

The INEC chairman, who spoke at a meeting with the RECs, held at the Commission’s headquarters, demanded focus and resilience in the face of those distractions. He described the meeting as an opportunity to examine closely whether there were still gaps in the commission’s preparations that needed to be taken care of within the next two weeks to keep on adding value to the elections.“

We need to do everything possible to make sure that the elections scheduled for March 28th and April 11th are indeed substantially much better than those we conducted in 2011 and the subsequent bye-elections in some states”, he declared. Professor Jega called for continued engagement with stakeholders in order to meet the aspirations of Nigerians.

He said: “We need to continue to engage all stakeholders, to inform them, provide information, enlighten them and carry them along, because the contribution and support of everybody is necessary for having the best elections that Nigerians want”. The INEC boss reiterated the need for all hands to be on deck, and again urged contestants and parties to play by the rules and abide by the peace accord, which was signed at different levels.

“Everybody has a role to play in ensuring free, fair, and credible and peaceful elections,” he declared. “In particular, we want to urge candidates and political parties to contribute and engage in the process, within the legal framework and in the context and code of conduct which they have all signed”. He reassured that Nigerians that the members of the commission were all doing their best, and expressed the confidence that will be good enough to meet the aspirations of Nigerians in terms of free fair and credible elections.

Nigeria Faces Post-Election Gloom: Treasury Emptied, Oil Marketers Owed N450b, Mass Retrenchment Looms

A disaffected insider within President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration as well as several banking executives have said that  Nigeria faces a deep economic crisis and massive social gloom after the 2015 general elections. Speaking from different perspectives, the sources said President Jonathan had virtually vacuumed the Nigerian treasury to serve his re-election campaign, leaving Nigerian banks in dire straits and many states on the verge of failing to pay salaries this month.

“The truth is that Mr. President has almost emptied the treasury, and some of us close to him are even beginning to get worried about what will happen after the election,” said the political insider.

The bankers echoed the sentiment. “The reason the naira has taken such a dramatic plunge over the last three or so months is that politicians moped up the hard currency for elections,” said one banker. “I have never seen anything on this scale, where politicians snatch up every hard currency in sight, whether dollar, Euro or pound sterling,” he added. Asked who was primarily responsible for the situation, the banker said he would not engage in partisanship. “All I know is that this country is now in a frightening economic position—and all these politicians running up and down to retain or take power have created the situation,” he asserted.

But another banker was not shy in pointing a finger at Mr. Jonathan. “The president has been indifferent to the economic crisis caused by the ongoing campaigns. And the reason he is indifferent is that he is the major culprit,” said the executive. He added that the distribution of largesse by Mr. Jonathan had now become “one of the few lucrative businesses in Nigeria.”

The bankers said massive layoffs were inevitable in the banking and other sectors of the Nigerian economy. They said numerous companies that depended on imported machinery or other components sourced from abroad were bleeding cash. “Many Nigerian companies are experiencing severe cash flow problems. Many of them are defaulting on long and short-term loan repayments. So the banks are suffering heavily as well,” one banker told SaharaReporters.

Two of the bankers disclosed that the banking industry would have laid off thousands of workers, but that officials of the Jonathan administration pressured them to wait until after the elections. “It will take a long time before banks recover from the current shocks in the system. There’s no bank strong enough not to retrench staff,” one said.

The stress in the banking sector, with the prospective job losses, will be compounded by massive retrenchment in the civil service at the Federal and state levels, one source predicted. Our source inside the Presidency revealed that Mr. Jonathan plans to follow former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s style by removing fuel subsidies as one of his first economic acts. “The truth is that it’s a must that fuel subsidy has to go because the money is not there to continue [paying for] them,” he said.

As part of an arrangement to receive slush funds from oil marketers, Mr. Jonathan and Ms. Alison-Madueke allowed numerous marketers to make fraudulent claims and get paid for importation they never made. That criminal collusion has put Nigeria in a situation where the oil marketers are being owed N450 billion. “Nigeria will have to deal with this and other debts from fraudulently inflated invoices once the elections are over,” one banker said.

The scam also helped create a recent fuel scarcity in the country. As the fuel situation threatened to become a politically costly crisis, Mr. Jonathan asked the oil marketers to offload fuel they had been “round-tripping” in order to collect unearned subsidy payments.

Bankers agreed that the government would find it extremely difficult to pay that debt after the election without rolling back or eliminating subsidies altogether. In recent months, oil marketers as well as operators of the privatized power sector received massive financial handouts from the Jonathan administration. In turn, they donated billions of naira to Mr. Jonathan’s re-election campaign.

President Jonathan has gone on a dollar-spraying spree since the general elections were postponed by six weeks. Our sources disclosed that the president had doled out more than $200 million, using generous cash gifts to entice various traditional rulers, politicians and activists, especially those in the southwest and parts of the north, to endorse him.

Several sources said much of the president’s campaign cash is from shady oil deals brokered by Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke. The massive theft of Nigeria’s crude oil remains an open scandal, and one of the richest sources of funds for the campaigns. Last September, Al Jazeera reported that the theft of Nigeria’s crude oil was at its highest rate in years, adding that several hundred thousand barrels of crude are stolen each day.

The continuing crisis of crude oil thefts has persisted despite the Jonathan administration’s security contract to Global West Specialist Agency, a company owned by Government Ekpemukpolo (popularly called Tompolo). The contract to Mr. Tompolo’s company was for the supply of 20 patrol vessels to enable Nigeria’s military authorities to better secure the coastline and stem oil theft. Mr. Tompolo’s firm was also engaged as a consultant to prevent crude oil heists.

The rating firm of Standard & Poors yesterday said that the Nigerian economy faced a clear and present danger. Nigeria’s external reserves have been significantly depleted in the past year, said a banker, adding that many state governments were already looking for loans to pay workers’ salaries.

Tinubu, Aregbesola, Osinbajo attack PDP at Lagos APC rally

Thousands of members and supporters of the All Progressives Congress, on Saturday, held a ‘one-million-man march’ in Lagos for the March 28 and April 11 elections.

The march began at Maryland in Ikeja, the city’s capital, at 8.20am.
The train moved from Maryland through Ikorodu Road to Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere.
Those who led the march included former Governor of Lagos State and national leader of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu; Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola; Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji; APC governorship candidate in Lagos, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; and APC candidate for Lagos-Central Senatorial District, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Others present included Senator Gbenga Ashafa and Mr. Dele Adeleke, among others.
Governor Aregbesola, in his speech said President Goodluck Jonathan has brought misery and bad luck to Nigeria.
Dressed in white jumpsuit and a pair of trainers to match, the Osun state governor sang that President Jonathan would be sent packing come March 28 at the presidential poll.
Addressing the gathering at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos State, after the one-million-man march, Aregbesola who spoke in the Yoruba language compared Jonathan to the Biblical Jonah in the Bible who brought misery to the mariners in the ship he boarded before he was thrown overboard.
“That is the Biblical Jonah. The Nigerian Jonah is President Goodluck Jonathan. Jonathan was named Goodluck because his father thought he would bring blessing and prosperity to the land. God gave him the privilege but he has failed to do the work God asked him to do. What did the mariners do to Jonah?
“They threw him into the sea. We’re not going to throw Jonathan into the sea. We are going to use our votes to carry him back to his village, Otuoke. We have to vote right; we have to vote for change. We must vote for the APC. Jonathan cannot continue to rule Nigeria. He has brought bad luck to the country. His name has changed from Goodluck to bad luck,” Aregbesola said.
Speaking earlier, a national leader of the APC and former governor of Lagos, Bola Tinubu, stated that the march was a march for change in the country’s leadership.
Tinubu said, “We are marching for common sense revolution. I thank you all for marching for change. By now we would have had change in government but the Federal Government changed the elections date. This is March, we’ll march for Buhari and Osinbajo. We started this walk together.”
In his address, the APC vice presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo called on the audience to vote out Jonathan. According to him, instead of prosperity, Jonathan and the PDP have brought poverty on Nigerians.
“May we not have PDP in Nigerian government again. May we not have PDP again in Aso Villa. May PDP not take away our fortune and our future. Vote for change come March 28 and April 11,” Osinbajo said.
The Lagos State governorship candidate of the APC, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, expressed appreciation for the party’s supporters for taking part in the walk and criticised the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government for the six-week postponement of elections.

3 FACTORS CRACKING AND BREAKING NIGERIA!!!

Jonathan now meeting Yes, right in our own eyes, our country is cracking and breaking!

Yet the scoundrels and looters want the system to continue. Worse still, they want the unpatriotic citizens at the helm of affairs to continue in office. Thanks be to God that these status-quo foolhardy are in the minority, yeah, they are few in numbers but they have garnered our collective wealth.

First, the Niger Delta militants are threatening to fight and break away if Jonathan loses the election and they are now holding their nocturnal meetings right in the open; yet the president Mr Jonathan and his government are silent. Silence most often means consent. I hope the government is not the fifth hand in these open taunt by Asari Dokubo and Government Tompolo because I have waited for action from the federal government in vain. The president has not for once come out openly as an individual to condemn these looters that claim to be Nigerians by mouth and not by mind. Yes, a search on Asari Dokubo shows that he has become a multi-billionaire under this era of Jonathan but has refused to invest a dime in Nigeria; even he built his houses (so many of them) in Benin Republic. He also established schools and colleges in that country. All he does is get the money from Nigerian government and carry to Benin Republic, so that he will not lose anything if Nigeria goes in flames. He has primary, secondary schools and universities in Benin Republic. Niger Delta militants who threatens to go to war if GEJ is not re-elected

Second, Boko Haram is fighting hard to create caliphate around the North eastern Nigeria. If not for their ambition of carving some areas in Cameroon and Chad with it, their might have been a fait accompli. We are eagerly waiting for the six weeks period to see the promise by our government to have done the burial ceremony of the dreaded sect. Nigeria needs to be reclaimed from these ruthless cannibals. I pray this administration is serious about it which is doubtful because seriousness is alien to Mr Jonathan’s administration.
Third, MASSOB (Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra) has gathered serious momentum under this administration and it seems nobody is worried to call them to a round table discussion or better show any concern. This movement clamouring for the independence of the Igbo and having their own country called Biafra, has gone further than what the first republic Biafra did that led to the civil war. It is better these issues are resolved civilly now through dialogue than to leave them till too late for amicable solution. Please we do not want another war. I wonder how Mr Jonathan sleeps at night without doing any visible thing on this or does he think it is a joke? MASSOB has its currency now, they even spend it among themselves. They have their own national flag and anthem. They have created their own vehicle plate numbers and registration and even their own inland revenue office (taxation). Their leader even declared recently that Mr Jonathan was referring and endorsing them during his speech in January last when he said that we have a new nation now. Although I, personally do not believe that was what the president meant, but his overt non-chalice and silence over this cogent national issue gives call for concern. If as his co-travellers and supporters want us to believe that Jonathan is a good man for that position, it is plainly either he is naïve, unpatriotic or incompetent.
And it is a dangerous thing to allow incompetence to continue in office in the face of so many competent men and women out of about 170million people. If you are patriotic enough to see Nigeria overcome her problems, then we need to change this incompetence. Use your vote to change things for better. We all need to sit down with trust and discuss mutually and not be fooled with a political national conference that will not see the light of the day at the end. Vote for change. Yes change Jonathan and I bet almost all his loud supporters will sing a different tune promptly. Nigeria shall be great again but with your decision to be on the side of the truth. Jonathan is not competent, period. Nigeria is breaking, vote to save her.

Mu’azu Finally Breaks Silence, SEE WHAT He Has Been Planning For Jonathan

The National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, has said he is doing his best to make sure that President Goodluck Jonathan wins the March 28 Presidential election.

Mu’azu is being criticised for not doing enough to sell the candidature of the President in the North where he hails from.
Apart from not embarking on campaign different from the ones organised by the party’s Presidential Campaign Council in the states, he is also being criticised for allegedly not speaking against the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
Like Mu’azu, Buhari is from the northern part of the country.
The former governor of Bauchi State, however, insisted that he had been working for the re-election of the President, adding that he had been doing this in conjunction with the party’s Presidential Campaign Council.
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Tony Amadi, Mu’azu also said there was no need for him to embark on any private campaign apart from the one organised by the party.
Amadi, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, said, “He is working with the presidential campaign’s directorate. He doesn’t need to organise his own campaign.
“He is also doing a lot of work to reconcile warring factions of the party in his state. He doesn’t rattle around unlike others. He also doesn’t go about with retinue of journalists to do his job.
“The chairman is fully committed to the re-election of the President and he has been working well for this.”
Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, said that as one of the founding fathers of the PDP, “Mu’azu has continued to add immense value with his mature and decent approach to issues in keeping with the tradition and vision of our great party.”
He said this disposition had continued to attract support across board for President Jonathan.
The party’s spokesperson added that it was incontrovertible that the national chairman of the party had been at the forefront of presidential campaign train and that “he enjoys an excellent working relationship with President Jonathan, as exhibited in their bond at rallies, visits and meetings with stakeholders across the country.
Metuh said, “Whereas we recognise the zeal and enthusiasm of some of our supporters who are repaying the opposition in their own stock, our national chairman, as the face of the PDP, has remained restrained despite numerous unwarranted provocations, a stance which does not in any way detract from his commitment to the campaigns but reinforces our values and dedication to unity, peace and stability of our dear nation.
“This exemplary style of politics played a significant role in reducing the tension in the polity ahead of the elections and has also endeared our party to a majority of Nigerians and key stakeholders in the electoral process.
“It is to the credit of the National Chairman that his leadership stabilised our party at its critical moment and successfully achieved unity among our leaders and members while strengthening the confidence of Nigerians in the PDP as the only vehicle to deliver democracy dividends to them.”

Fashola Spits Fire On PDP ||Shows Jonathan, What Governance Is All About

The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, says his administration and the All Progressives Congress have been delivering on electoral promises made to Lagosians.

The governor added that the same could not be said of the Peoples Democratic Party-controlled Federal Government, which had not been able to fulfil many of its promises, including the construction of the Second Niger Bridge.
Fashola spoke during the inauguration of the 2.18 kilometres Glover Road in the Ikoyi area of Lagos.
He noted that the inauguration was the fulfillment of the promise made during the inauguration of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, where he promised to upgrade some roads in Ikoyi.
He added that Glover Road was the first to be upgraded.
He said, “Other roads being upgraded by the government in Ikoyi include First Avenue and Ikoyi Club, among others.
“But the Federal Government has not been able to deliver on its promises. When our administration built the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge which is a masterpiece, the opposition party said it was too expensive.
“We used the same contractor they have been using to achieve result. We used Julius Berger to build that bridge while the Federal Government, with the same contractor, has not been able to build the Second Niger Bridge.”
Fashola observed that if the road was well maintained, it would last for between 30 and 50 years.
It was observed that the road had integrated pedestrian and bicycle lanes.
Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Kadri Hamzat said the bicycle lane was government’s attempt at tackling climate change while also ensuring that residents could make lifestyle changes that would further enhance their health status.
He said the use of bicycle would reduce carbon emission just as it would help keep the body in shape.

Osinbajo On Motorcade Campaigning

2015, How Buhari Shut Abuja Down: See More Pictures Of Osinbajo On Motorcade Campaigning Powerfully AS Heavy, Excited, Passionate Crowd Dragging, Pulling And Hailing Him

APC Vice presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on motorcade , with supporters during his visit to Abaji Area council in Abuja

APC Vice presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on motorcade , with supporters during his visit to Abaji Area council in Abuja

APC Vice presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on motorcade , with supporters during his visit to Abaji Area council in Abuja

Vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Yemi Osinbajo,

APC Vice presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on motorcade , with supporters during his visit to Abaji Area council in Abuja