In furtherance of efforts by the Rivers State Government to recover government property from officials of the immediate past administration in the state, security agents and government house officials on Thursday took possession of a government vehicle from the home of the former spokesperson for the Amaechi administration, Mrs Ibim Semenitari.
The security operatives carried out the operation at the home of Mrs Semenitari located at Ernest Ikoli Street, Old GRA Port Harcourt.
The operatives recovered a Lexus Armoured Vehicle from the residence. Another Range Rover vehicle is said to have been in possession of the former Information Commissioner.
It would be recalled that top officials of the outgone Rotimi Amaechi administration carted away several government property and vehicles prior to May 29.
Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has since assured the people of Rivers State that all government property illegally carted away before his inauguration will be recovered and those found to be involved in the illegal act will be brought to justice.
President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday took his re-election campaign to Daura, the home town of his major contender, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), with a vow to wield the big stick against those behind the news that his government was planning an Interim National Government.
President Goodluck Jonathan
He restated his position that the nation’s general elections would on March 28 and April 11 as scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Jonathan spoke when he paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Faruk Umar.
He was accompanied on the visit by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Adamu Muazu; members of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation; top government functionaries and prominent northern leaders.
Jonathan said he should not be accused of haunting people once he decides to deal decisively with those spreading the news of ING after he had made his position known that such move was treasonable.
He said, “Let me use this opportunity to make a statement again because sometimes I read in the papers of people talking about interim government.
“Even yesterday (Friday), some people were making pronouncements that some people are planning interim government.
“And I will say that anybody who is planning or who is linked to anything that has to do with interim government must be dealt with according to the law. It is treasonable and government will not allow it.
“So, if people are arrested and being prosecuted, people should not say government is haunting people.
“There is no reason why people should talk about interim government that is not known to our constitution. It is treasonable and I will advise Nigerians to keep away from it.”
Noting that elections must hold as scheduled, the President said, “Elections are coming on March 28 as scheduled by INEC and on April 11 for governors and state assemblies as scheduled by INEC.
“Nigerians should prepare to go and vote for those we believe that can run the affairs of the country at the state level and the federal level”.
Jonathan took time to highlight his administration’s achievements in the last four years in the areas of education, transport and health among others to the traditional ruler.
He said he was ready to do more if re-elected on March 28.
On his part, the Emir thanked the President for the visit and told him to always count on his support and counsel.
He urged Jonathan to ensure there is peace throughout the country during the forthcoming national elections.
The royal father and his council of chiefs offered prayer for the president.
Governor of Plateau State, Jonah David Jang said he has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court over skewed distribution of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to his state, and warned INEC not to destroy the hard earned democracy.
PVC voters card
Speaking with newsmen in Jos, Jang, who was expressed disappointment with the poor distribution of the card in his state and other parts of the country, noted that the issue has started generating controversy among political parties, especially between the ruling party and the main opposition party.
“If these elections were held on the 14th of February, can we sincerely say INEC was ready? There are several areas in Plateau State that have not received their PVC; not that these PVCs are in Abuja, but based on what I have been told, they have not been printed.
“What is the guarantee that these PVCs would get to Nigeria before 8th of March deadline for collection? Honestly, we appreciated Prof. Attahiru Jega when he conducted the 2011 elections, but whether some people are sabotaging him and he is not aware of this, only God in heaven knows.
“But when these PVCs came to Jos North, one section got theirs and other did not, in Jos south the same thing happened, and indeed other places,” he added.
Jang, who said he has gone to court to compel INEC to allow usage of Temporary Voters Cards (TVCs) if the commission is unable to provide the PVCs, added that he would announce to the people of his state to go to their respective polling centres with their TVCs if the commission is unable to provide their PVCs before the March 8 deadline date for collection.
While charging all the political parties to mount more pressure on INEC to do the right thing and expedite action on the provision of the cards, the Governor advised them to stop playing unnecessary politics with the issue.
A cross section of Jos residents that spoke with THISDAY equally expressed dissatisfaction with the PVC distribution in the state. A resident, Mr Clinton Garuba, said, “I have repeatedly gone for my card for over five times now, and all they kept telling me was that my card was ready but they can’t find it; only God knows what that means.”
Buhari has lost credibility over certificate forgery
By Ehi Ekhator, Naija Center News
Hajia Mujahidat Daba Dokubo-Asari, a wife of the popular Niger Delta activitist, Dokubo Asari has said that the major political opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC) stands for violence.
APC data Centre
Hajia Mujahidat, who always express her opinion on her Facebook page said apart from attacking President Goodluck Jonathan campaign team, the APC from its inception is violent.
She also said the supporters on Facebook are as their leaders because they attack anyone who post contrary to the topic they want, adding that they result to insult instead of commenting.
She said “APC as a party is a violent party apart from the attacks on presidential campaign convoy of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the ruling PDP , the party from inception is violent.
Dokubo said APC leaders from national level to state level, preach violence and are quick to accuse the PDP that they are about to be attacked
“Their leaders preaches nothing but violent from Buhari to all his supporters in the national and state level ,and they are the ones that will quickly attack, point fingers at the opposition ruling party that they have been attacked or about to be attacked.
“Their supporters on the social media are very violent when any topic is posted and it does not suit them, instead of commenting on that topic they result to insult everybody that does not toe their line of violence, APC wants power by force not through the ballot box .
“Let’s digress a bit, apart Buhari in APC is there any other person? no even Buhari has lost his credibility with this forgery of WAEC result so I do not see any credible person in APC as a party Nigerians would want to vote for come February 14th .Please if you want peace and still want a one Nigeria vote PDP , APC is a Boko Haram party don’t vote Boko Haram party.” She said.
LAGOS — All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) has said that no right thinking Nigerian would vote President Goodluck Jonathan again to power, affirming it would mean a sustenance of all that is presently wrong with the country.
Buhari
The APC presidential candidate in a statement posted on his facebook page last night flayed supporters of the present administration of spreading a message of fear which he said was only because of their support of the very things that degrade the country.
The assertion came as the Buhari Campaign Organisation, BCO, yesterday pledged to present strong arguments why Buhari should become the country’s next president.
A statement by the newly appointed Director of Media, Dele Alake, said the combination of Buhari’s sterling military career and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo’s legal expertise would serve as an antidote to the insecurity and disorder now confronting the polity.
Gen. Buhari in his comment on facebook said:
“Those who are afraid of the change we seek are the people destroying our country and stunting its progress. They are the same people who spent four years in power without improving our electricity by a single megawatt, the same people who spent four years downgrading high-level corruption to common stealing, the same people who spent four years watching over terrorists desecrating our territorial sovereignty, the same people who spent four years without laying the critical infrastructure for sustainable growth and job creation; those same people are now asking you for four more years.”
“No right thinking Nigerian would wish that our next four years look like the last four. Change has to come, and it begins with you getting registered and spreading our message of change and hope, from sibling to sibling, family to family, neighbourhood to neighbourhood; in our schools, in our market places, in every community, and in every gathering.”
The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party is contemplating fielding President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole candidate for the 2015 presidential primaries, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.
President Jonathan
The thinking within the top echelon of the party is that the party would emulate the United States democracy where the right of first refusal is usually given to the President.
Already, some members of the National Working Committee of the party were said to have favoured the arrangement, which would see Jonathan emerge as the sole candidate of the party.
According to the timetable for 2015 elections released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, conduct of parties’ primaries will commence on October 2, 2014 and end on December 11, 2014.
The Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, had at a dinner for the party members in Abuja in May 2013 advocated automatic ticket for the President and governors, who had performed.
He had said, “I do not see anything wrong, if the PDP considers automatic tickets for the President and its governors who have performed well and are seeking for a second term.
“It is my view that with the outstanding performance of President Jonathan in the areas of power, rail and water transportation, road construction, aviation reforms, education, agriculture, job creation, etc., the party should not find it difficult in granting him the opportunity to serve a second term, if he so desires.”
A PDP chieftain, who asked not to be named, told Saturday PUNCH during the week that the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mua’zu, had been holding secret meetings with some stakeholders to ensure that Jonathan emerges as the consensus candidate of the party.
A PDP chieftain said, “Mua’zu will soon put a committee in place to prevail on presidential aspirants on the party’s platform from the North to wait till 2019, when Jonathan’s planned second term tenure would have ended.
“Mua’zu wants Jonathan to emerge as the party’s consensus candidate so that a Northerner can be elected President in 2019 to spend two terms.
“Though the President has not declared his intention to seek re-election, his body language is indicating that he will soon seek Nigerians’ mandate for second term in office.
“Even with the way some groups have been mobilising support for him, one is convinced that Jonathan will soon emerge as the PDP consensus candidate.”
However, some of the NWC members were said to have argued that there was nothing wrong in allowing other aspirants to pick forms, which, they said would give a resemblance of transparency in the process.
Apart from this, it was also gathered that the NWC members said throwing the process open would bring money into the purse of the party.
When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, told one of our correspondents that the party had not decided on the matter.
He also said it would be wrong to assume what the party would do until it calls for nomination.
He said, “How do we know if the President will be the sole candidate when we have not called for nomination?
“We will call for nomination and anyone who picks the form will be free to contest. For now, we cannot say who will be the aspirants.”
Efforts to seek reactions of the President’s Senior Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufai Alkali, did not succeed as calls to his mobile telephone did not go through.
But the Chairman, Mobilisation and Organisation Committee, South-West of the PDP, Mr. Buruji Kashamu, said the party would not impose any consensus presidential candidate on the people.
