Yar’adua bribed ex-Niger Delta with amnesty to allow oil flow to North - Asari Dokubo

Leader of the Ijaw Youth Council, Mr. Asari Dokubo, has condemned the amnesty granted to the ex-Niger Delta militants by the late president, Umaru Yar’adua.

Asari Dokubo

According to him, this was a bribe to allow oil flow from the Niger Delta region to the North. He said that was the reason he rejected the offer.

Dokubo, who gave the clarification during the 2015 MASSOB day celebration, held in Owerri, Imo State, also faulted the national conference organised by the Federal Government, insisting that the exercise did not represent the views of the Niger Delta region that is yearning for a referendum.

“It only represented the views of the rest of the country. Let us be allowed to have a referendum. We have the right to hold a referendum on where we want to go,” he argued.

He described MASSOB and his group as partners in progress who are moving in the same direction to arrive at a common destination as one people and nation.

Dokubo, who faulted the last general elections in the country, decried the pace of growth and development of the nation over the years, noting that there should be massive infrastructural provision to stimulate the economy with conscious and unpolluted efforts to bring about industrial growth and job creation.

Meanwhile, members of MASSOB had a confrontation with the police at the Assumpta Roundabout while riding in convoy to the state capital for the celebration.

An eyewitness account had it that the police who had stationed their vehicles at the popular Control Post, Owerri, asked the MASSOB members to retreat but they refused and were teargassed by the police.

It was said that MASSOB members, who were numbered over 500, had hauled stones at the police, who shot in the air to scare them away.

Meanwhile, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Austin Evbakvbokun, while confirming the incident, said that the police halted the movement of the MASSOB members to the state capital because they do not have a permit for such gathering.

He added that the group conducted itself in a disorderly manner, carrying insignias, which were not of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, thus necessitating the prompt action of his men to stop them.

Yar’adua bribed ex-Niger Delta with amnesty to allow oil flow to North - Asari Dokubo

Appointments: Buhari keeps Nigerians guessing 48 hours after

In what appears to be a clear departure from the past, President Muhammadu Buhari has kept Nigerians guessing with respect to the appointment of key positions like the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the media and his publicity team.

Unlike his predecessors and most state governors, Buhari had yet to announce the names and designations of those he has picked to perform these and other functions on Saturday.

The various statements issued from the Office of the President at the Presidential Villa on Saturday were signed by Mr. Garba Shehu, the erstwhile Director of Media and Publicity of the now defunct All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council.

Shehu told one of our correspondents on Saturday that the presidential campaign media team had continued to work for Buhari pending the official appointment of his spokespersons. “It is the same campaign team,” he said.

When probed on whether Buhari would be addressing the country soon to declare his next course of action, he said the President had said all he had to say in his inaugural ceremony and gala speeches.

Buhari, who succeeded Goodluck Jonathan, was sworn in as President on Friday.

Buhari had in a recent interview with a national daily revealed that he would depart from the norm in his approach to putting together his team.

Specifically, he said, “I am going to quote myself because I heard in one of the interviews that I said the type of people I am supposed to appoint like the cabinet and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Service Chiefs, will be different.

“Definitely my approach is going to be different from what we had under the PDP where governors nominated ministers.

“I have been around long enough to know the people that I can approach for things like that. Deliberately, we will look for competent people, dedicated and experienced to head ministries.”

While reacting to a list of ministers and advisers being circulated on the Internet, Buhari said at the time he had not written anything on paper for anybody to see.

However, there were news reports that governors submitted lists of their nominees for appointment into Buhari’s cabinet.

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha who is also the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum was reported to have confirmed to journalists that he submitted a list of three persons.

There have also been reports listing former Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, his former Ekiti State counterpart, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi as some of those to be appointed as ministers.

Another report had named the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Femi Adesina as the possible choice as Special Adviser on Media.

Leaders of the party, the All Progressives Congress, were also not willing to comment on the President’s actions, noting that Buhari had transited from being the President-elect to President.

An APC leader who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “You will agree with me that things have changed. Buhari is now the President and what you are asking me to comment on is not a party matter any longer. It is his prerogative as President to make an announcement when he chooses.”

A member of the Buhari campaign team, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, also said, “Muhammadu Buhari is not a man you can push. I am sure he will make an announcement soon. He is a man who is prepared to hit the ground running, just exercise a little bit of patience.”

Also speaking on the issue, another member of the team, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin said, “What I think we need to do is to allow the new President – it is not that his mind is not made up on who he wants.

“It is a big decision to pick a person out of the whole pack to speak for him and present him for who he is and what he is.

“To be able to make an announcement of who is going to be Chief of Staff, National Security Adviser and so on, I think it will not be long. Allow him a few hours, may be a day or two, we will all have a clearer idea.”

In his inaugural speech, the President warned political forces or anyone who thought he would be answerable to him in the next four years, saying he belonged to nobody. “Having just a few minutes ago sworn on the Holy Book, I intend to keep my oath and serve as President to all Nigerians. I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody,” he said.

He allayed the fears by some suspected past corrupt leaders who might view Buhari’s presidency as coming to victimise them.

The President reassured such persons that their fears were unfounded, adding that he had opted to put the past behind him.

He said, “A few people have privately voiced their fears that on coming back to office, I shall go after them. These fears are groundless. There will be no paying off old scores. The past is prologue.”

Meanwhile, most of the newly elected and re-elected state governors who were sworn in on Friday have yet to begin work, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.

While some of them have appointed few aides to work with, others have yet to do so. It was also learnt that lobbyists have begun moves for cabinet appointments.

In Kwara State, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, who is now in his second term, had shortly after his inauguration, appointed three new officials and reappointed three former government appointees.

The new appointees are Head of Service, Zarah Umar; Chief of Staff, Babatunde Abdulwahab; Senior Special Assistant, Government House, Ibrahim Adeyemi; and Special Assistant Domestic, Segun Abifari.

The reappointed officials are Isiaka Gold, who was reappointed as Secretary to the State Government; Dr. Muyideen Akorede as Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity; and Abdulwahab Oba, Chief Press Secretary.

The governor, who listed several capital projects to be executed during his second term, urged residents of the state to tighten their belts as the government would embark on more Internally Generated Revenue-driven and cost-saving measures.

The new governor of Cross River State, Senator Ben Ayade, who succeeded Liyel Imoke, was still ruling the state from his private residence within the State Housing Estate in Calabar as of Saturday.

It was, however, observed that there was a flurry of activities at the official residence of the governor.

Imoke did not return to the lodge after the 2012 rerun of the governorship election in the state.

But Ayade is expected to move into his official residence on Monday, a Government House source told one of our correspondents.

Although there was no change or renewal of government in Osun State on Friday, SUNDAY PUNCH observed that most of the commissioners and special advisers of the dissolved Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s former cabinet were still found around the Government House.

The ministries in the state are being managed by permanent secretaries since the governor’s second inauguration on November 27, 2014. Our correspondents observed that contractors working on several projects in the state are no longer on site.

Moreover, expectations have heightened in Plateau State, barely 48 hours after Governor Simon Lalong assumed office. As of Saturday, the new governor had yet to make appointments into key offices, especially his principal aides.

A leader of the APC in Plateau, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, disclosed to SUNDAY PUNCH that some party members were unsettled due to disagreement over key appointments.

Former Director of Press and Publicity, Lalong/Tyoden Campaign Organisation, Mr. Festus Fuanter, however, said there was no cause for worry as the governor wanted to consult widely and ensure that all interests were taken care of.

He noted that things would begin to take shape, “in the next few days.”

In Oyo State, where Governor Abiola Ajimobi was re-elected to become the first two-term governor in the state, intense lobbying has started since the governor announced that his new cabinet would be smaller and based on performance.

Ajimobi had dissolved his cabinet on the eve of his inauguration.

A source said some of the commissioners and aides, who failed to canvass enough votes for Ajimobi in their wards and Local Government Areas, had been calling the Chairman of the APC in Oyo State, Mr. Akin Oke, to speak to the governor on their behalf.

Ajimobi had vacated the State House for his Oluyole home in Ibadan before the election and he is expected to move back to his official residence soon.

Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State has moved to the Government House, it was learnt. The official residence is now wearing a now look, while offices within the premises now have the official portrait of the governor.

It was also observed that the governor’s lodge, presidential lodge, as well as the offices of the governor and his deputy where the flags of the Peoples Democratic Party were hoisted had been replaced with that of the APC.

In Imo State, re-elected Governor Rochas Okorocha has launched a new pattern to reap in IGR for the state.

The governor, who had abolished any form of levy in his first term in office, had instructed the Environment Transformation Committee to enforce collection of levies.

Okorocha, in his maiden press briefing on the second lap of his administration, urged the people of Imo to prepare for sacrifices, noting that it was not going to be business as usual.

As of the time of filing this report on Saturday evening, the governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has yet to announce any appointment into his new government.

Our correspondent gathered that the new governor is still consulting, and will name his appointees soon.

Feelers in the state chapter of the PDP indicated that former Governor Sullivan Chime and the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, are likely to make key inputs in the composition of the incoming state executive council, as well as other appointments.

A source in the PDP said a picture of the new administration would emerge within the week.

The new Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, upon his assumption of office, has said he would streamline government operations in the state to reduce the cost of governance.

The governor, who met with the body of permanent secretaries in the state public service on Saturday, said although new offices would be created, efforts would also be made to attract more investments to the state.

The governor said he would be residing at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, adding that he would be available at his desk from 8am daily.

Ambode said he expected all public servants to also be at their desks by 8am.

“The state civil service will drive the change and the continuity which we intend to put in place in the next four years,” he said.

Appointments: Buhari keeps Nigerians guessing 48 hours after

Buhari, Osinbajo refuse to declare asset publicly

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have declared their assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau as required by the Constitution but failed to make the contents public.

General Buhari

The head of Buhari’s media team, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Saturday, said the President and the Vice President submitted their assets declaration forms separately on Thursday.

Shehu added that the CCB, through its Chairman, Sam Saba, on Friday acknowledged the receipt of the forms.

He gave Buhari’s declaration identity number as “President: 000001/2015.”

Shehu, however, did not disclose the contents of the assets declaration forms.

“By declaring their assets, President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo may have not only fulfilled the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution, but also fulfilled the first of their many campaign promises.

“While seeking election into the highest office in the land, the President had promised Nigerians that he would publicly declare his assets as soon as he took over government,” he wrote.

The Nigerian Constitution states in Chapter VI Section 140 that a person elected to the Office of the President shall not begin to perform the functions of that office until he has declared his assets and liabilities as prescribed in the Constitution.

Though the president’s aide believes the declaration was in fulfillment of Buhari’s campaign promises, analysts claim the President has not done anything spectacular because the contents were not made public.

In February this year, while campaigning Buhari had said that he would publicly declare his assets and liabilities, if voted into power.

Buhari stated this in a document. The document highlighted what Buhari would do in his first 100 days if he assumed power on May 29.

He said he would encourage political appointees in his administration to also declare their assets publicly.

Had the new president kept to his words he will be the country’s second president to publicly declare his assets.

Reacting to the news of the asset declaration by Buhari and Osinbajo to the Code of Conduct Bureau, the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the PDP was not ready to engage the All Progressives Congress-led government on asset declaration by the two most important persons in the country or any other issue.

Metuh said, “No comment for now. These are early days. At the moment, we wish them well.”

The late President, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, also from Katsina State as Buhari, was the first and the only Nigeria’s President to have publicly declared his assets when he assumed office.

This action forced his then deputy, Jonathan, to also make his assets declaration forms available to the public.

However, since he assumed office as the substantive President, Jonathan had refused to make the forms available to the public, saying that he did that when he was serving as deputy to Yar’Adua.

But Buhari, in the document titled, ‘I pledge to Nigeria’ had also said that all his political appointees would only earn salaries and allowances as prescribed by the Revenue and Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission.

He said, “I pledge to publicly declare my assets and liabilities, encourage all my appointees publicly declare their assets and liabilities as a pre-condition for appointment. All political appointees will only earn the salaries and allowances determined by the RMFAC. I pledge, as Commander-in-Chief, to lead from the front and not behind in the comfort and security of Aso Rock, to boost the morale of fighting forces and the generality of all Nigerians.”

Meanwhile, about 48hours after they took their oaths of office, President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have yet to move into the Presidential Villa, Abuja, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.

Investigation by our correspondent on Saturday showed that the duo only attended the events held in the Villa on Friday and returned to town.

While Buhari was suspected to have returned to the Defence House, the official residence of the President-elect, which he started using shortly after he won the March 28 presidential election, Osinbajo might have returned to his private residence.

Immediately after they were inaugurated as President and Vice President at the Eagle Square on Friday, Buhari and Osinbajo moved to the Presidential Villa for a state luncheon organised in honour of world leaders who attended the inauguration.

They left and later returned in the evening for the inauguration gala night held inside the villa’s old Banquet Hall.

“The President and the Vice President have yet to move into the State House. I learnt that the President returned to Defence House on Friday,” a source said.

Buhari, Osinbajo refuse to declare asset publicly

I Didn"t Think Bayelsa People Will Welcome Me - Jonathan

The immediate past President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, Friday, said he had been worried about the kind of reception he would receive in his home state, Bayelsa.

President Jonathan

Speaking at a civic reception in his honour, in Yenagoa, Mr. Jonathan said he would dedicate the remaining part of his life to peace building across the country.

“I thank all of you here and my brothers and sisters outside who cannot come in because of the size of the hall,” Mr. Jonathan told a capacity crowd at the Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre.

“Sometimes when you are exposed to some high offices and you finish serving, you are even afraid of going back home. Because in one way or the other you will feel that you did not satisfy the people.

“Sometimes at the late hour it dawns on you that you could have done that, you could have done that, you failed to do this you, failed to do that.

“Sometimes you begin to fear whether the people that came to receive you, will they curse you, will they hoot at you?”

Mr. Jonathan said he had wanted to come back to a private visit but the state governor insisted it must be a celebration.

“I really don’t have anything to say. The only thing I can do is to thank all Bayelsans, all Ijaw people, all people from the South South, and indeed all Nigerians for giving me the privilege,” he said.

“Sometimes when I step back, I used to say that probably if I had stayed back in Bayelsa I’d have been more useful to the people. But vacating the seat here gave the opportunity for others and they have done wonderfully well.

“So this period from 1999 till date, my people Bayelsans and Nigerians have given me rare opportunity to serve. First as governor of the state, vice president and president of the country.”

Mr. Jonathan recalled how his political journey started when the former Bayelsa State governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, invited him to join his campaign team.

“I joined the campaign not because I was interested in any elective office,” he said.

“What drove me into joining Alamieyeseigha team was that those of us from very small communities, we always have problems and sometimes we have to go to government. I said that probably if I work with him, and probably he wins election, I will know some of the people who will be in government.”

He further spoke of his belief that the new administration will work with all Nigerians to make better the lives of the people.

“I’m indeed happy that one of the statements the president made was that he does not belong to any clique, that he belongs to Nigerians. I congratulate him for that bold statement.”

I Didn"t Think Bayelsa People Will Welcome Me - Jonathan

Self Exiled Nyako Returns To Nigeria After Buhari Sworn-In

A former governor of Adamawa state, Murtala Nyako, who was impeached by the state Assembly for gross financial fraud, has returned to Nigeria from a self-imposed exile.

Governor Nyako

Mr. Nyako and his deputy, Bala Ngilari, were impeached by the Assembly under Speaker Ahmadu Fintiri.

Shortly after his removal, Mr. Nyako fled Nigeria amid speculation​s​ he was to be arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Mr. Nyako’s supporters believed the impeachment was orchestrated by the Presidency as it came shortly after the governor wrote a scathing letter accusing former President Goodluck Jonathan of carrying out genocide against the people of the north east.

The former governor left Nigeria for Germany, then England, where he had been since July 2014.

Although his deputy, Mr. Ngilari, succeeded ​in upturnimg his impeachment in court, Mr. Nyako was not so lucky as a Federal High Court sitting in Yola last week dismissed his suit challenging his ouster.

Mr. Nyako returned to Nigeria Saturday afternoon and was received by friends and associates at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja. Some of those who received the former governor were​ Senators Binta Garba, Abdullahi Adamu and Danjuma Goje.

Mr. Nyako played a prominent role in the emergence of the new governor of Adamawa ​S​tate, Umaru Jibrilla.

He directed his supporters who formed the majority of the membership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Adamawa State to vote for Mr. Jibrilla in the two primary elections held in the state; first during the bye election (before it was cancelled by the court), and in the run-up to the 2015 election.

After his victory in the April 11 election, Governor Jibrilla said he remained loyal to Mr. Nyako. To prove his loyalty, he appointed three core loyalists of Mr. Nyako as part of the five appointments he made shortly after he was sworn in Friday.

Mr. Jibrilla announced the appointment of Umar Bindir as the Secretary to the government, SSG, Abdulrahman Jimeta, as Chief of Staff, Abdullahi Bakari as Principal Private Secretary, and Ahmed Mahmood as the Director of Protocol, while Yohanna Mathias was appointed as the Chief press Secretary.

Self Exiled Nyako Returns To Nigeria After Buhari Sworn-In

Wike kick-starts looting master plan – APC Alleges

The All Progressives Congress, APC says it is shocked that “accidental caretaker” governor of Rivers State, Barr. Nyesom Wike has confirmed the fears of many a Rivers person by jump-starting his well-planned looting spree of the funds of Rivers State by verbally awarding a multi-billion Naira pot-hole contract to Julius Berger Ltd. without due process.

Nyesom Wike

‘Indeed the days of the locust are here’, Rivers APC said in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone

“After being controversially sworn-in yesterday, Nyesom Wike made series of questionable pronouncements and appointments without any pretensions to following due process. One of the pronouncements was the curious award and flag-off of a No Pot-hole project which he awarded a few minutes after being sworn in on the same podium.

“The questions now being asked are already many. “When was the process of award of that contract conducted? Was Nyesom Wike in a position to process the award of such a contract as a governor-elect? When and how was the tendering process carried out? Indeed, there are more questions than answers.

“The truth is that Wike’s cavalier antecedents when it comes to harvesting and cornering public money for himself is legendary and he is ever so ready to excel in the act this time around especially knowing full well that his delusionary claim to being governor of Rivers State is for a short period. He very well knows that he is an accidental governor whose illegal stay in Government House, Port Harcourt is only but for a few months. That is perhaps why he has earnestly embarked on his familiar behaviour for which he is so notorious.

“It is important to remind Barr. Nyesom Wike that the immunity he thinks he will enjoy as governor will be swept aside along with the position of governor he acquired with the priceless and invaluable blood of innocent Rivers people and Nigerians by the time the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal winds up. In his case, justice will be quick, unwinding and decisive as he will be made to account for whatever he did as a protem governor and the humongous corruption he perpetrated at Federal Ministry of Education as Minister of State and later Minister under President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan”.

Wike kick-starts looting master plan – APC Alleges

Akwa Ibom State Has No Legitimate Governor, What Buhari Needs To Do Urgently, By Inibehe Effiong

On Friday May 29, 2015, Nigeria recorded another historic milestone in her march towards democratic consolidation and political maturity following the successful and momentous transition from a democratically elected dispensation to another democratically elected dispensation both at the Federal and State levels’, except in the few States that elections did not take place.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio

As the entire country is currently engulfed in flames of joy and rejuvenation of hope for a better nation birthed by the inauguration of General Muhammadu Buhari as the President and Commander- in -Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and new State Governors, Akwa Ibom State stands out as a State without a legitimate transition of government.

Mr. Udom Emmanuel, a stooge of former governor Godswill Akpabio that was mischievously and violently foisted on the people of the State in what was clearly a state sponsored terror against innocent and powerless electorates of Akwa Ibom State during the massively rigged, internationally and locally condemned and bloody April 11, 2015 gubernatorial election in the State has subscribed to the oath of office of governor which he was never elected into by the people of the State.

Admittedly, rigging was not limited to Akwa Ibom State during the last general elections. However, the point has to be made that in the case of Akwa Ibom State, what took place was not an ordinary rigging but state sponsored terror perpetuated by former governor Godswill Akpabio in connivance with the highly compromised Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the State, Mr. Austin Okojie and the overtly partisan State Police Commissioner, Mr. Gabriel Achong.

Determined to exercise my franchise and to have a first hand experience of the elections, I travelled all the way from Lagos State to Akwa Ibom State during the April 11 gubernatorial elections in the hope that our people will be allowed to freely vote for whoever they choose to govern them. Therefore, the opinion expressed here should be viewed as a testimony of someone who was actively involved in the electioneering process.

Like never before, thugs, touts and criminals armed to the teeth with sophisticated weapons in military and police uniforms went about from one polling booth to the other shooting, molesting, intimidating and killing voters and carting away election materials without any modicum of resistance. This terror was not isolated but replicated in most parts of the State.

How does one explain the fact that as at 10pm on the day of the election when collation of results should have been ongoing as expected, the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom State situated along Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo was locked, inaccessible and deserted? The video evidencing this is available on YouTube for all to see.

How does one explain the fact that Austin Okojie, the REC for Akwa Ibom State could not declare results for the House of Assembly elections in the State several days after the election? What excuse can be offered for the non issuance of certificates of return to the supposed winners of the House of Assembly elections until 25 days after the polls when Section 75 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) states that certificates of return shall be issued within 7 days of polls?

Apparently, after declaring shambolic figures to please his benefactor; Godswill Akpabio, the REC was unable to reconcile and allocate figures for the House of Assembly elections which were held the same day with the governorship election. This resulted in a stalemate.

Is there any morally sensible or legally tenable explanation for the very huge disparity between the total number of persons accredited and the so called votes declared by the INEC for the gubernatorial election in Akwa Ibom State?

Official documents obtained from the INEC headquarters in Abuja shows that only 437, 128 persons were accredited by Card Readers to vote during the April 11 governorship elections in Akwa Ibom State and Guideline issued by INEC in Abuja and signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Augusta C. Ogakwu on 2nd April, 2015 stated that only Cards Readers would be used for 2015 governorship elections in the country and that elections should be rescheduled in places where the Card Readers failed. There was no single case of rescheduled election in Akwa Ibom State, which implies that the Card Readers worked perfectly.

Is there any morally sensible or legally tenable explanation for the very huge disparity between the total number of persons accredited and the so called votes declared by the INEC for the gubernatorial election in Akwa Ibom State and where on earth did the corrupt REC get the voodoo 996, 128 votes that he arbitrarily allocated to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Udom Emmanuel who is now parading himself as the new governor of Akwa Ibom State?

Why should the REC, who ordinarily should be an unbiased umpire, refuse to comply with the valid orders of the Governorship Election Tribunal in Akwa Ibom State directing INEC to give the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Obong Umana Okon Umana who had filed petition challenging the outcome of the election, access to all materials used the election for inspection and forensic analysis? Is Austin Okojie above the laws of this country?

How come that the State Police Command led by Gabriel Achong and the REC, Austin Okojie have been allowing the duo of Mr. Uwemedimoh Nwoko, immediate past Attorney General and Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem Esq., the immediate past Commissioner for Special Duties in the State to continually enter the INEC headquarters with retinue of thugs to disrupt the inspection of election materials as ordered by the Tribunal?

Nigerians deserve to know why the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega has maintained stoic silence on Akwa Ibom State election debacle. How come that despite these serial and documented infractions by the REC there has been no acknowledgement or disciplinary actions by the INEC Chairman?

Given this state of affairs, is it right to accept and address Udom Emmanuel as the “elected governor” of Akwa Ibom State? Are we to accord respect to an office that is being occupied illegitimately by a product of impunity, criminality and gross electoral malfeasance? Even if we are to address Udom Emmanuel as a “governor” for the sake of officialdom and legalism, will it be wrong to equally refer to him as an impostor?

No nation has ever prospered through impunity, lawlessness and corruption. Nigeria has been through the precipice of leadership failure, bad governance and political shenanigans as exemplified by the Jonathan’s regime which has now come to an inglorious end.

The only way those of us, especially from the so-called minority regions, who risked our lives and rejected ethnically and religiously contrived idiosyncrasies which were skewed towards undermining the electoral credentials of President Buhari will be vindicated is if our new president actually does things differently. The whole idea of change presupposes that things will be done differently.

Therefore, it is my humble, strong and considered view that Akwa Ibom State offers President Buhari an opportunity to make a decisive statement; that the days of lawlessness and impunity are over. President Buhari needs to muster the political will to order the immediate arrest and prosecution of Austin Okojie, the Akwa Ibom REC who believes that he is above the laws of this country. Also, characters like Gabriel Achong should be shown the way out of the Police Force if the current administration’s reform agenda must succeed.

The fact that someone like Achong, who I have had a personal and terrifying encounter with, rose through the ranks to become a Police Commissioner is a testament to the level of decay in the Police Force.

Apart from holding Akpabio accountable for the hundreds of billions of naira that accrued to Akwa Ibom State from May 29, 2007 to May 29, 2015 which he dissipated thoughtlessly, we also expect Buhari to use Akpabio to set an example that it is a crime to use violence to rig elections. The blood of innocent Nigerians wasted under Akpabio through politically motivated assassinations must be probed into and we deserve to know who murdered those persons.

As at today, there is no legitimate governor in Akwa Ibom State, the impostor that is presently occupying the governor’s office will not stay long. We rest our hope for justice on the Judiciary. Sooner than later, a fresh election that will truly reflect the wishes of Akwa Ibom people will be held under the leadership of President Buhari.

Inibehe Effiong is the Convener of the Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (COHRD).

Email: inibehe.effiong@gmail.com

Akwa Ibom State Has No Legitimate Governor, What Buhari Needs To Do Urgently, By Inibehe Effiong