PDP’s oath-taking allegation against Tinubu outlandish.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the
sickening and outlandish claim by the Jonathan
campaign Organization that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed
Tinubu plans to become Vice President through the
back door was designed to divert attention from
the runaway success of the APC presidential
candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, at the
Chatham House in London last Thursday.

In a statement issued in London on Saturday by its
National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
the party said the PDP and the Jonathan
Administration still do not have any answer to
what has now become an epochal moment that has
separated the wheat from the chaff.

”Our presidential candidate’s globally-acclaimed
outing has presented Nigerians, and indeed the
global community, with a choice between a
bumbling, ineffective, incoherent, clueless,
visionless and incompetent President and an
assertive, knowledgeable, dignified, purposeful and
principled President-in-waiting.

”Having failed to discredit that outing with a rented
crowd, some of whom confessed to have been paid
to carry placards they do not even understand, the
PDP and the Jonathan Administration have now
resorted to making nauseating claims that are
totally untrue, absolutely incomprehensible and
nothing but sheer bunkum,” it said.

APC said the claim is the latest in a series of
desperate moves by the PDP and the Jonathan
Administration since the emergence of Gen. Buhari
as the APC presidential candidate, and the clearest
indication yet that they have no answer to the
unstoppable momentum of a man of history.

”They have thrown everything imaginable at Gen.
Buhari, but he has continued to wax stronger and
stronger: They said he was not qualified, that he
was too old, then they fabricated a medical report
of an illness of their own choice, sponsored death
wish adverts against him and instituted a myriad of
court cases to stop him.

”After they failed to stop him, they went after the
election itself, using the PVCs as a tool to launch a
campaign for postponement and, when they realized
that would not work, came up with the bogey of
insecurity in the North-east to force a
postponement of the election, hoping they can buy
enough time to revive their electoral misfortune.

”With everything working against them, they
engaged in a show of shame at The Chatham House
that backfired badly, on the heels of their bare-
faced lies that Gen. Buhari was hospitalized in
London. The preposterous claim of a secret oath –
reminiscent of what they do in their own party – by
the apparently ailing spokesman of the Jonathan
Campaign Organization, Femi Fani-Kayode, is their
latest desperate act,” the party said.

APC said in as much as it has so far refrained from
engaging Fani-Kayode in his game of character
assassination, abuses and irresponsible name
calling, the party is becoming seriously concerned
that he may be caving in under pressure and
reverting to his undignified past of substance
abuse.

The party said it would be a real tragedy if the
obviously-disturbed spokesman of a doomed
presidential campaign will have to be rushed to a
back house in Ghana for therapeutics, hence the
need for his handlers to quickly put him on a leash
before it is too late.

The Certainty Of Jonathan's Victory

With the presidential elections four weeks away, Nigerians are
set for a spectacular déjà vu. The APC, despite the din of its
premature celebrations, is headed for a pasting. The reasons
are obvious. Take the APC hawkers and their ware, to begin
with. An Igbo proverb says that the eye eats before the mouth.
But the leading APC vendors happen to be Alhaji Tinubu and
Chief Obasanjo. Their mention is nothing to do with their
physical appearance. After all, neither created himself. It rather
has everything to do with the ugliness of their politics.

Obasanjo carries on, regardless. But he it was that wiped out
Odi and Zaki Biam with military expeditions, and he also
contrived a futile third term project that set off a hemorrhage
in the nation’s finances. Tinubu, for his unflattering part, is
fronting a campaign against corruption, a topic he has never
referred to in all the verbiage he has deemed fit to harangue
the wary and weary with. How, then, can the duo market a
product from which the masses, who remember, screen their
faces? It was Buhari, the military dictator, who cancelled the
Lagos Metroline Project conceived by Governor Lateef Jakande.
The spiteful action cost Nigeria billions, and continues to cost
Nigerians even greater billions in terms of endless traffic jams
and the daily loss of incalculable man hours. Yet, Alhaji Buhari
has never apologized for that unpatriotic action.

How does one expect this man in whose dictionary the word
compunction does not exist to be the harbinger of change?
Invited to the presidential debate, people hoped Buhari’s
participation would reveal whether or not he has progressed
from the stone-age policy of trade-by-barter (countertrade),
which his junta inflicted on the polity decades ago. He
demurred, citing negative press. People laughed who believe
that he ducked to mask his diffidence. But, where else in the
world would a presidential candidate with pretensions to
seriousness dodge an interlocution with colleagues? Rather,
Buhari headed for London in the teeth of winter, there to
confer with Mr. Tony Blair, a former Prime Minister who
vacated office nearly a decade ago!

Had Buhari’s handlers packaged his UK trip with a modicum of
honesty, some of his less alarming deficits may have been
overlooked. Instead, they posted 2013 pictures of the man in
London, in an untidy effort to deflect charges that he hit the
British capital for health reasons. Not only that, they
excavated pictures taken at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, and
claimed it was Buhari in London granting an interview. It all
brought to mind another of their disingenuous lies – the
posting of the photograph of a mammoth congregation at a
Reinhard Bonnke religious crusade which it named Buhari’s
Kano campaign. Why does the APC believe that Nigerians are
so gullible that they would confuse its penchant for mendacity
with the magic of change?

Despite the raggedness of its product, the APC managed a lot
of traction, it must be acknowledged. How the party contrived
this is not difficult to tell. Using huge sums of money the
source of which it dares not declare, the party engaged
lobbyists in America and Britain who influenced leading
Western publications into dishing out sawdust aimed at
demonizing President Jonathan and discrediting his
administration.

Back in Nigeria, the APC appropriated the social media, using it
to skew polls and promote a façade of Buhari invincibility. In
the wake of the media blitzkrieg, textbook Marxists,
Communists and Socialists around tertiary institutions who
previously speechified students on the fine points of
progressivism, shamelessly lined up behind stationary broom-
wielders with a fake promise of change on their tongue, vowing
to go blindfolded with them into battle! It didn’t occur to the lot
that, in the age of vacuum cleaners, the broom is anachronistic.
It all explains why, without realizing that a lot of these
“revolutionary” characters are actually anticipating another
Yar’Adua-out-Jonathan-in scenario, Buhari claimed victory well
before the first vote was cast! What if he lost, journalists
asked. “I will not answer that question because I cannot lose”,
he responded. But defeat already stares him in the face
because the people have seen through the hypocrisy of the
APC, a party so unpatriotic that it has, so far, contributed
absolutely nothing to the efforts to defeat Boko Haram.

Gallant and youthful Nigerian soldiers, with pluck and
gumption, are dying every day to save the country from the
blight of terrorism. The lines of their widows and the queues of
their orphans are lengthening by the hour. But whereas
Cameroonians, Chadians and Nigeriens are united in their own
countries against Boko Haram, the APC has nothing but
orchestrated blame and censure for the best efforts of our
Commander-in-Chief and our armed forces. That is not the way
to win elections. The APC already danced itself lame while the
music has just started. It since ran out of gas. And the ballot
is still four weeks away.

President Jonathan was asked what will happen if he lost. “I
will hand over power to the victorious candidate” he answered.
That is the real face of democratic change, which is self-
evident in his Transformation Agenda. He will not lose; he has
four more years of selfless service to render to his
appreciative countrymen and women.

By Chuks Iloegbunam.

Northern Christians Leaders Claim To Be Threatened For Dumping President Jonathan For Buhari

A group under the aegis of Northern Christian
Leaders Eagle Eyes Forum (NCLEEF) have alleged
that its leaders have been receiving death threats
since they endorsed the All Progressives Congress,
APC’s, presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the chairman of the Forum, Pastor
Aminchi Habu, who addressed a news conference in
Kaduna on Friday, President Goodluck Jonathan’s
tenure in the past six years has been a huge
disappointment to Nigerians and the Christian
community in particular.

Pastor Habu said it was based on this that the
Christian Forum decided to dump Jonathan and
endorse Buhari who they believe could tackle the
problem of insecurity in the country.

“Our decision to endorse Buhari was informed by
our commitment to build a free, fair and a secular
society where the inheritance should be justice to
all.

“After the endorsement, our members, especially
the chairman of this forum, have continued to
receive threatening phone calls and text messages,
calling us a sell-out group who have abandoned a
Christian candidate in the person of President
Goodluck Jonathan,” Habu said.

Prominent Yoruba people have endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan for re-election.

The Yoruba leaders endorsed the President during a
summit held in Ibadan, Oyo State on Thursday.

The summit which was tagged “The national
conference, 2015 elections and the Yoruba Nation,”
took place at the Premier Hotel, Ibadan where the
presidential candidate of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari
(retd) was rejected.

They claimed Buhari did so many damages to the
zone during his tenure as head of state and that
they were not ready to forgive him.

The summit was organized by the Ondo State
Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, and had many
prominent Yoruba sons and daughters in
attendance, including ; Chief Olu Falae, former
Presidential candidate of the Alliance for
Democracy/ All Peoples Party; Chief Reuben
Fasoranti, Leader, Afenifere; General Adeyinka
Adebayo (retd), leader of the Yoruba Council of
Elders; Senator Femi Okurounmu; Otunba Kunle
Olajide, former Secretary, YCE; Chief Shuaibu
Oyedokun, PDP leader; Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu;
Otunba Gbenga Daniels, former Governor of Ogun
State; Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, former
governor of Oyo State; Mr. Peter Obi, former
Governor of Anambra State; Dr. Doyin Okupe,
Senior Special Assistant (Public Affairs) to
President Jonathan; Otunba Iyiola Omisore; Chief
Richard Akinjide (SAN), former Minister of Justice
and Attorney General of the Federation; and
Senator Lekan Balogun, a PDP chieftain.

Also at the summit were Oloye Jumoke Akinjide,
Minister of State, FCT; Prof. Wale Oladipo, national
secretary of PDP; Mr. Yinka Odumakin, Publicity
Secretary, Afenifere; Senator Teslim Folarin, PDP
governorship candidate in Oyo State; Otunba Gani
Adams, Oodua Peoples Congress national co-
ordinator; Prof. Temitope Alonge, Chief Medical
Director, University College Hospital, some
members of Accord Party and Labour Party among
others.
Governor Mimiko who organized the summit said,
“Today, the Yoruba people have marched out in
their large numbers to their political capital, Ibadan
to discuss and articulate once more, an issue which
for decades, has been considered to be the main
agenda for their race. You will recall that for
several decades, the Yoruba were at the fore front
of the agitation for the convocation of a National
Conference.

“I, therefore, congratulate the Yoruba Nation and
all Nigerians that finally, their dream of coming
together to dialogue how they should be governed
has come to reality.

“Let me salute President Jonathan for his bold and
momentous move as well as his focused leadership
which was demonstrated through his compliance
with the agitations by Nigerians to debate their
collective future. Convening the 2014 National
Conference was
indeed a historic assignment that we are proud of
and as a people, we must do everything possible to
ensure that the Confab recommendations get
implemented.

“The Confab Report when implemented, will create
room for each state to have its own constitution,
its own police force, its own prison service, can
create its own local governments, can build its own
airports, seaports and railways and in addition; in
the economic domain, solid minerals that had been
the exclusive
preserve of the Federal Government since
independence, have now been brought to the
concurrent list.
“States can now create employment and develop at
their own pace. With all that, it liberates
everybody, it opens up the political space.”

30 bodies recovered in Chibok villages after Boko Haram attacks

                               Search is underway in the two villages
At least 30 bodies have been recovered from two communities near Chibok in Borno State where suspected Boko Haram militants attacked Sunday, members of a local vigilante group have said.

Members of the vigilante group said they found 30 corpses from surrounding bushes and Churches in Kwada and Kautikari villages. Search was continuing in the area, they said.

Gunmen stormed Kwada and Kautikari early Sunday burning Churches and shooting worshippers.

The Borno State police spokesperson, Gideon Jubrin, said he was informed of the attack, but said he did not have full details as of Sunday afternoon. Mr. Jubrin said he was yet to contact the district police officer in charge of Chibok.

Residents said the gunmen struck first in Kwada, where they shot worshippers and set fire to at least four Churches, including COCCIN church, EYN church and Deeper Life Bible Church.

“We have so far recovered more than 30 corpses, but we got more of them from the EYN church where the Boko Haram gunmen first attacked in Kwada,” said a vigilante member, who would not want to be quoted for his safety.

The source said the community did not receive protection from the security forces despite calling for help early.

“We are disappointed with the soldiers, when we heard about the attack in Kwada, we raised alarm and informed the soldiers, but instead of going into the town to confront them, they stood from a distance outside the village, under a tree and began to shoot or target.

The gunmen finished with Kwada and proceeded to Kautikari, where they attacked people there until 11:30am when they finally left. We cannot say how many people were killed in Kwada yet,” he said.

Kwada is about 10 kilometres from Chibok, where extremist Boko Haram abducted nearly 300 schoolgirls more than two months ago. Kautikari is about seven kilometres from Chibok.

A resident of Kwada, who identified himself as Mallam Yahi, told journalists that armed men attacked worshippers and burned Churches and houses in Kwada, before heading to Kautikari.

Several residents fled into the bushes to escape the attack, Mr. Yahi said.

A police officer, who lives in Chibok, confirmed that his brother was killed in the attack.

The officer, who asked not to be named as he was not authorized to speak, said he received a telephone call while he was in Church, informing him that his younger brother had been killed in Kwada.

One of the houses destroyed in Kautikari belonged to a special assistant to the Borno State governor, Baba John, a relative of the politician told PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr. John could not be immediately reached.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, although Boko Haram is suspected.

A PREMIUM TIMES reporter who travelled to Chibok in May after the abduction of the schoolgirls, said while he was in the troubled town, suspected Boko Haram militants delivered a letter to Kautikari threatening attacks soon.

It is not clear whether the group made any demand as they are known to do with such threats.
Reports of Sunday’s attack emerged as the raid was ongoing.

Panic-stricken villagers in Chibok had made distress calls to journalists and security operatives in Maiduguri calling for urgent help.

A text message sent by a resident at about 9:30 a.m. read: “Massive attack on Kautikari now. All security agencies should be notified, and call for divine help now.”

An official of the Department of Security Service confirmed the information to PREMIUM TIMES but asked not to be named.

Rebels declare Islamic state in Iraq, Syria

Islamist militant group, ISIS, has said it is establishing a caliphate, or Islamic state, on the territories it controls in Iraq and Syria.

It also proclaimed the group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as caliph and “leader for Muslims everywhere.”

Setting up a caliphate ruled by the strict Islamic law has long been a goal of many jihadists.

Meanwhile, Iraq’s army continued an offensive to retake the northern city of Tikrit from the ISIS-led rebels, the BBC reports.

The city was seized by the insurgents on June 11 as they swept across large parts of northern-western Iraq.

In a separate development, Israel called for the creation of an independent Kurdish state in response to the gain made by the Sunni rebels in Iraq.

ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) announced the establishment of the caliphate in an audio recording posted on the internet.

ISIS also said that from now on it would be known simply as “the Islamic State.”

The BBC says the declaration harks back to the rise of Islam, when the Prophet Muhammad’s followers conquered vast territories in the Middle Ages.

Why we conceded defeat in Ekiti – Oyegun

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie Oyegun, said the party conceded victory to the Peoples Democratic Party in the Ekiti governorship election to prevent the outbreak of violence.

Oyegun, who said this in Benin on Sunday while fielding questions from journalists, also said that contrary to insinuations the Ekiti governorship poll was characterised with lots of irregularities.

He said that it was in view of these irregularities that the party took the decision to challenge the election result in the court.

“It should be noted that we didn’t just concede victory because the election was flawless but we took the decision to avoid violence.

“We did not want anything that will make the people react negatively and violently.

“The party will challenge the trampling on the fundamental human rights of the people before during and after the election,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the APC chairman as saying to journalists.

He urged Nigerians to embrace the APC as the new party with a different agenda to fix Nigeria.
Oyegun said, “We are presenting our party as new, as different, and we have done the studies as people who truly care.

“There is no way we can prove it to you because we have never ruled this country but we can tell you to look at APC-controlled states.

“We are not pretending to be angels, politics is not a seminary nor is it the papacy but what is important is what are you doing with the lives of the people?

“Are you restoring hopes to their lives? Are you making their lives better? If not for themselves, do they believe that the lives of their children will be better?

“Are your policies concentrated on improving their lives? Are the sectors working in the interest of the ordinary Nigerian?

“Do we have power, do we have quality schools, do we have security and do we have jobs?”