Ebonyi House of Assembly members serve Governor impeachment letter

Members of the Ebonyi state house of Assembly this morning served an impeachment notice on the state Governor, Martin Elechi over allegations of gross misconduct, financial impropriety as well as undermining the integrity of the House members. At their plenary session this morning, the acting leader of the House, Hon. Francis Nwifruru read the impeachment notification to his colleagues. More details later.

Pres. Jonathan in Asaba on a two-day visit to Delta State

President Jonathan visiting the Asagba of Asaba in his palace. The Asagba of Asaba presented gifts to Jonathan and endorsed him for second term.

Military recaptures more territories

The Nigeria military has recaptured the towns of Bama in Yobe state, Madagali & Gulag in Adamawa state from Boko Haram. Defence Headquarters took to twitter to announce these new victories.

Jonathan meets soldiers who dislodged Boko Haram

President Goodluck Jonathan made a brief visit to Adamawa State on Thursday to see for himself some of the recaptured towns from Boko Harm in the state. Jonathan was accompanied on the visit by the Service Chiefs including the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Air Staff, the Inspector of General of Police and the National Security Adviser among other military top brass. On arrival at the Yola Airport, Jonathan was flown to Mubi for inspection of the town which was reclaimed from the Boko Haram insurgents after being occupied for almost two months. While in the area, the President and his entourage visited the Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Isah Ahmadu, where they held private talks and sympathized with the people.

Jonathan later visited Michika and Vimtim, the home town of the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief Air Marshall Badeh. Vimtim, Badeh’s home town and Michika the home town of the former Military Governor of Lagos State, Mohammed Buba Marwa and the former governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna were also the strongholds of the Boko Haram before there were retaken by the Military. The President had earlier paid similar visit to parts of Borno State which were recently recaptured from the Boko Haram insurgents

Presidency Plans to Send Jega on Terminal Leave Next Week

The secret moves to remove Professor Attahiru Jega from INEC at all cost is not over after all. The leading opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus in the Senate has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the presidency to send the chairman of INEC on terminal leave next week. According to the leader of the caucus, Senator George Akume, the plan is aimed at ensuring that Jega will be removed to pave way for a more pliant person to take over so that the Presidency can use him to achieve its agenda. “We received information from very, very informed sources, very credible sources, that next week, the chairman of INEC will be served a letter by the office of the Head of Service directing him to proceed on terminal leave. "Whether the letter is from the Head of Service or the presidency, it doesn’t make sense”. Speaking to Senate correspondents in Abuja, Akume, who led other APC senators to a briefing, said that as a political appointee, Jega does not operate under civil service rules. “After bringing the issue of card readers, they are now trying to hang Jega. It won’t work”, the caucus stated, while adding that they will resist any attempt to undermine the credibility of the elections.” The senators said the preparations for elections have gone too far for anyone to want to slow the process down with any unnecessary change

FG passes information on how Children of the rich & affluent in Nigeria are being recruited into ISIS

The Federal government yesterday raised an alarm over the continued radicalization and recruitment of Nigerian youths, especially children of the rich studying abroad, into international terrorist group, ISIS. Speaking at a joint media briefing at the National Information Center in Abuja, the DG of the Center, Mike Omeri said intelligence report indicates that children of the rich and affluent studying abroad are being recruited into ISIS via social media and other other sources.

"At this point, we wish to alert the nation that intelligence report indicates the continued radicalization of our youths through the social media and a variety of other sources. The reports also indicate these youths who are mostly children of the rich and affluent are being recruited into ISIS. We therefore call on parents and guidance especially those whose wards are schooling abroad to closely monitor the activities of these students who may be substitutable to the antics of the promoters of this strange catastrophic ideology" he said

Fire in Aguda surulere, see aftermath

Fire gutted a 2-storey building at Hassan Idowu street in Aguda, Surulere this morning. Eyewitnesses said the fire started from one of the flats and spread. See the aftermath after the cut...

Life is gradually returning to Mubi, Adamawa state

Life is gradually returning to Mubi, Adamawa state after Nigerian troops recaptured the town from Boko Haram. Economic and social activities are beginning to pick up. See more pics after the cut...

Photo credit: Charles Afolabi

Russian TV actor wakes up to find his testicles stolen by organ traffickers

Police in Russia have launched a full scale search for a gang of organ traffickers including a sexy lady and doctor who drugged 30 year old TV Soap actor Dmitry Nikolaev and removed his testicles. According to reports, Dmitry, a married man, met a random young blonde woman who approached him at a bar after he finished a performance at a small Moscow theatre. They both had drinks and afterwards she invited him to a sauna which he agreed to. And there, he lost his testicles..lol. Continue...

At the sauna, the two kissed and had some beer and that was the last he remembered. He said he woke up the next morning at a bus stop, feeling acute pain, with blood on his trousers. His testicles had been cut off. The police believe the lady and her gang intend to sell his testicle at the human organ black market. The actor, now working as a children's animator, was too embarrassed at first to explain what had happened to his wife, but later did. They are now looking for his testicles...

The Audio Tape On Ekiti Election Is Plan A. Plans B, C, & D Are In The Pipeline By Dr. Wumi Akintide

President Jonathan has, up until recently, touted the appointment of Professor Atahiru Jega, as Chairman of INEC as one of his success stories. Most Nigerians, me included, agree that Jega was a good pick, and we all congratulated the President. The President is singing a different tune today and accusing Professor Jega of disloyalty and incompetence. When Jega got his Commission to address the issue of how to end or minimize election rigging by the party in power at the Federal or state levels, Jonathan and the PDP became nervous and they started losing confidence in Jega. Jega and his colleagues at INEC listed no less than 87 gimmicks that the Party at the Center had used in the past to rig elections and he was effectively developing strategies to block the loopholes. That was a no go area for Jonathan and his PDP who began to lose confidence in Jega for doing his job the right way. They feel so threatened by his move that they no longer want to renew his contract. They have found another former Vice Chancellor, a brother of the current Governor of Ondo State to be the man to replace Professor Jega. President Jonathan and the PDP now view Governor Olusegun Mimiko as the MVP or the king pin to help the PDP recapture all of the Southwest since the man has the support of the relic of the Afenifere Group whose current leader, Chief Fasoranti comes from Ondo State. They view Governor Mimiko as a magician who can help them turn water into wine and feed thousands of people with just a loaf of bread in Nigerian politics. They have given Mimiko enough money to woo the Afenifere group back into the PDP but they forget that the Afenifere group is no longer the power brokers it used to be in Yoruba politics in Awolowo era. A faction of the Afenifere led by Ahmed Tinubu and Bisi Akande now control much of the Southwest and the old Afenifere led by Chief Fasoranti are very unhappy about the reality on the ground, and are therefore willing and ready to follow Governor Mimiko into the PDP if the price is right. President Jonathan actually came to Ondo State to sign a memorandum of understanding with Chief Fasoranti with Governor Mimiko as the enabler. Chief Fasoranti immediately endorsed Jonathan but what he probably did not tell Jonathan is that his group is only a negligible faction of the old Afenifere. The bulk of the Yorubas are supporting Buhari and they intend to give Buhari the edge in much of the Southwest. The next election is a do-or-die proposition for Jonathan and the PDP because they have never faced a wave election like the one they currently face in Nigeria. They can tell they are going to lose this election if it is free and fair. They are therefore doing everything to compromise the election even before the first vote is cast. They have plans A, B, C, and D. The plan A was abandoned or modified following the release of the audiotape by Captain Sagir Koli to Sahara Reporters of New York. The audio tape recording clearly revealed how the Ekiti gubernatorial election was rigged in favor of Ayo Fayose, one of the most dangerous politicians of Nigeria today who constantly urge President Jonathan to damn the consequence and to use the powers conferred on him as Commander-in-Chief to rig the election. Ayo Fayose has actually advised Jonathan to order the arrest of Obasanjo, Buhari and individuals like Ahmed Tinubu and other prominent opposition leaders in Nigeria. The same Ayo Fayose and his gang comprising Olusegun Mimiko, Omisore and Musiliu Obanikoro in collusion with the top brass of the Military and the Police are actively assuring Jonathan that nothing will happen because Nigerians are cowards who will not lift a finger once the streets of Nigeria are flooded with soldiers. They would all run for cover. The Director of Military Intelligence, General Tsaro Wiwa and Mr. Dasuki are all working together with Jonathan to thwart the verdict of the people because they have the power to use the security forces as they wish. What they all forget is that God is not with them. That is why their plans begin to leak out in ways they themselves cannot explain. These individuals forget that as they move from their plan A to plan B and to plan C and to plan D that the people are watching them. They forget the proverbial admonition of “Osiun Ado” when he was once advised to stop dangling a dagger in the market place because he might hurt someone in the process. As crazy as “Osiun Ado” was, his only response to the person advising him would surprise all of you. “Not all predictions or premonitions come through” replied “Osiun Ado” He continued his journey thru the Erekesan market at Ado –Ekiti. By the time “Osiun Ado” emerged from the market, not a single soul in the market was injured. “Won le so pe o ma ri be, ko ma ri be” The election riggers are hoping they could get away with their crimes against humanity, but they may not, if what happened on August 16, 1983 following the Omoboriowo rigging of the Ondo State election is anything to go by. President Jonathan and his collaborators think and believe that they have a foolproof strategy to win this election by all means. That is why President Jonathan and his collaborators in the Military and the SSS are trying everything including the “Gbagbo” strategy in Ivory Coast as revealed by Olusegun Obasanjo, a master strategist himself who knows everything about how to rig elections in Nigeria without getting caught. The miracle in Nigeria today is the fact that Olusegun Obasanjo is not in the Jonathan camp. Obasanjo is a one man Battalion in Nigerian politics that God has been using to frustrate the rigging plans of President Jonathan and his collaborators. For once in Nigerian history, Obasanjo is siding with the people of Nigeria to expose a ruthless President and his first lady who are bent on retaining power in Nigeria for another 4 years even if Nigeria breaks up in the process. One can predict that the coming election has the potential to be the bloodiest in Nigerian history if President Jonathan tries to pull a fast one on the people of Nigeria. That is why President Jonathan has dismissed with the wave of the hand the rigging that took place in broad day light at Ado Ekiti. Musiliu Obanikoro confessed in the audio tape he was the emissary of President Jonathan and that he came to Ado Ekiti not to attend a tea party but to carry out the orders of President Jonathan. He arrogantly told Brigadier General Aliyu Momoh to remember that his next promotion depended on his failure or success in that operation. The rigging took place in August 2014 and the revelation came out in January 2015. Captain Koli has had to run out of the country for his own safety. Brigadier Momoh is still keeping his job in the Military. Ayo Fayose is still keeping his job as Ekiti State Governor. Iyiola Omisore still remains one of the PDP leaders in Nigeria and Musiliu Obanikoro’s nomination as minister is awaiting confirmation by the Nigerian Senate as we speak. President Jonathan acts with impunity and he believes he can get away with murder as Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic. Man proposes but god disposes. These individuals think they are God. Sooner or later they would realize that “Khaki no be leather” They have murdered sleep and they shall sleep no more because they are fighting a war they cannot win. Nobody fights God and survives to tell the story. Plan B is to have election postponed for 6 weeks as a first step to cancelling the whole election altogether because there is no way that the Nigerian Military is going to be able to defeat Boko Haram in 6 weeks. Even if they capture or kill Shekau, the Boko Haram leader, that is not going to signify the end of Boko Haram. Osama Bin Laden died more than 3 years ago, but Al Qaeda and their affiliates are spreading all over the world like bush fire in the Harmattan as we speak. It’s all baloney for the Nigerian Military to now believe they can accomplish in 6 weeks what they have not been able to do in 6 years. The Plan B is to try and capture Shekau alive. Force him to say that his main sponsors are Buhari and Obasanjo and some of the leaders of the opposition APC. With that false confession, Jonathan would use the confession as an excuse to arrest and charge Obasanjo, Buhari and many leaders of the opposition for treason. He would try them in a kangaroo court and put them away so that he and the PDP can have their way in the election. All these plans are easier said than done. Some of the plans will develop K leg along the way and before the perpetrators know what they are doing, they would be surprised they could be the first victims of their own evil designs for Nigeria. What they forget is that God is not sleeping. He sees all they are doing and will counter and diffuse them in his own way at his own time and space. The opposition too is not burying its head in the sand. They too have informers and individuals like Captain Koli in the rank and file of the PDP who will blow the whistle on them because the time ordained by God for change in Nigeria has come. God is using individuals like Femi Falana, Keyamo and Omoyele Sowore of Sahara Reporters of New York and many more Nigerians all over the world to do his work. The internet and You Tube, Twitters and Facebook have all come in handy to spread the news around the world in a split second at the press of a button. The whole world has become one global village thru Satellite technology. All these technologies are being used to the advantage of the opposition in Nigeria in a way that renders ineffective the billions of Dollars that President Jonathan is using to suppress and victimize the opposition in Nigeria. The more Jonathan tries to undermine Buhari the more popular the General becomes because his time has come. Individuals like Femi Fani Kayode and Rev Father Ejike Mbaka of the Enugu Parish of the Catholic Church are all being raised up by God to be the mouth organ of Buhari in a way that only God can explain. That President Jonathan would appoint Fani Kayode as the Director of his Campaign tells me loud and clear that God is truly awesome. President Jonathan is fighting a battle he cannot win. There is a big desire and movement for change in Nigeria that nobody can stop now. Jonathan is just in total denial and his collaborators would not let him see the truth for what it is. President Jonathan has been running round bribing all of our men of God and Chief Imams and all traditional rulers across the country including his nemesis the new Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi. He recently held a closed door meeting with the Alaafin of Oyo and has met with the Ooni of Ife. He has met with the Sultan of Sokoto. He should soon be meeting with the Obi of Onitsha, the Obong of Calabar, the Jaja of Opobo and the Amayanabo of Buguma, the Tor Tiv and most of the powerful traditional rulers across the country. He goes to them to donate money to all of them for their endorsement but Jonathan is going to fail because each of these individuals only has one vote and most of them will not vote for him when they get to that polling booth. Most of them cannot sway any of their subjects to vote for Jonathan. At the end, Jonathan and the PDP are going to lose this election because God has forsaken them. They are just too blind to read the hand writing on the wall. Jonathan is doing this so he can justify his victory after he wins by subterfuge but things are not going to work out exactly as he has planned them. So I totally agree with Obasanjo when he says that Jonathan would be disgraced out of office and would live the rest of his life in total regret because he is fighting God by hiding behind the so-called men of God who say they are with him because they need his money. I have a very good idea about their plans C and D but I am keeping it close to my chest right now but I want President Jonathan and the PDP to know that the opposition already know what they are up to and would block them every step of the way. Nothing is hidden under the Sun. The sooner the PDP and Jonathan and their collaborators know that, the better for them. The Igbos and the Yorubas among his supporters have said that Buhari had gone to London for medical check-up because they do not wish him well, but what matters is God’s plan for Buhari. Human beings can say all they want. God has the final say and his conclusion is that Buhari’s time has come and no Jupiter can stop him now. The debate currently going on in Nigeria as to whether or not the Military should be involved in supervising the election is a wrong-headed debate. The real debate should be on whether or not the Nigerian Military, the Police and the Department of State Security, as at present constituted, can be trusted to be neutral umpires for this election because Jonathan has politicized all of them. Their loyalty should be to the State and the People of Nigeria and not to a transient individual who is President today but can be removed tomorrow by the people with their votes in a free and fair election like is done in more civilized countries of the world. A one party dictatorship, however benevolent cannot be good for Democracy. The PDP has had their chances and they have blown them. Now it is time for Nigeria to try the opposition for a change. If for any reason the opposition fails to deliver, Nigerians should reserve the right to send them parking in 4 years. That is the stand of most Nigerians in the north and the south of the country. That is why Jonathan is going to lose and Buhari is going to win this election. Buhari has as much support today in the South like he has in the North. That is why Jonathan is scared to death about a Buhari presidency because Buhari is going to open up the skeletons in his cupboard under the rule of law. It is the right thing to do, and that is why Nigerians, me included are rooting for Buhari I rest my case.

The Upcoming General Elections And Nigeria’s Date With History By Jaye Gaskia

As the forced dates for the rescheduled 2015 general elections rapidly approach, the ominous clouds that have been gathering over our national existence continue to thicken, and darken, potentially threatening a deluge of biblical proportions. The gladiators in the ensuing contestation have continued to dig deeper into their trenches, while more or less blindly undertaking ill-thought, ill-conceived, irrationally strategic and illogically tactical actions. What is disturbing is the emergent lack of a sense of responsibility on the part of those saddled with the duty of ensuring that the Nigerian state fulfills its constitutionally mandated role of ensuring the security and wellbeing of the citizenry. Throughout history irresponsible opposition parties have taken actions that have not only undermined ruling parties, but have also gone ahead to critically undermine the state and the stability of the entire polity and nation. Alas, however in the unfolding process in Nigeria, in this rapidly evolving situation that can be likened to the phenomenon of ‘Dancing naked on the edge of a precipice’; it is the ruling party, the incumbent government, that is misbehaving like a deranged opposition, undermining one after the other, every conceivable institution of the state, and threatening not only the body polity, but also the very corporate existence of the state and nation. For the first time in the history of our country, and in living memory, an incumbent government and a ruling party is engaged in strident, vigorous orchestrated organization and mobilization of public opinion, accusing the electoral institution not only of being irreversibly unprepared, but also of colluding with the opposition to rig the elections in favour of the opposition! Really? The same electoral body forced almost at gunpoint to postpone the elections in accordance with the demands of the ruling party and its presidential campaign organization? And in furtherance of its orchestrated campaign to discredit the outcome of the elections, it has launched a sustained onslaught of personal and institutional abuses on the electoral body; questioning the use of PVCs, casting aspersions on the use of card readers; all of which are measures that potentially have the capacity of reducing the ability to rig elections. So every day, a ruling party and a campaign organization of the incumbent president inundates the populace with a million falsehoods about why PVCs and card readers should not be used, and about the permanent character of the lack of preparedness of INEC. And this is not factoring in the dangerous mobilization of religious sentiments, and the open appeal to adherents of rival religions not to vote for candidates who express religious faith other than theirs. In a manner worthy only of a deranged opposition, the ruling party has promoted advertisements calling on Christians not to vote for the opposition because of the alleged plan of the opposition to Islamize Nigeria, while also cheekily at rallies and behind closed doors urging Muslims to vote only for the ruling party because it is the party of Muslims! Let me be clear about this under the current unfolding situation, the ruling party and the incumbent president along with his campaign organization are emerging as the greatest threats to the survival of the 4th Republic, the greatest obstacle to democratic consolidation, and the greatest danger to the stability, unity and corporate existence of our country. A friend and longtime colleague, with whom together we were one of the major actors in the revival and advancement of the Resource Control struggles of the peoples of the Niger Delta between the last decade of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century, once authored, or co-authored a radical protest compilation titled ‘The Naked Emperor’; a protest literature directed against the rapacious almost fascist dictatorship of Abacha. How apt that title is now to describe the unfolding scenario in our country. Alas, my friend, who launched with the greatest fanfare possible in those dark days, is now one of the most strategic and senior aides to the incumbent emergent emperor, who is not only increasingly becoming nude, but has begun to dance precipitously close to the brink of a gaping abyss! Let me however be clear on the sense of historical urgency of the moment, let me clearly restate my concerns as well as my convictions about this moment in our history; I agree that in the current situation, there is no revolutionary or left leadership in contention; what is worse is that such an alternative is not even in contention much less being a viable alternative or option to the two leprous fingers of the ruling class in contention, that is the PDP and the APC. It is one thing for an option to actively exist, and another for it to be a viable option. The first is the beginning; the second is a qualitative leap forward. I also agree that the absence of such a radical option and alternative, much less a viable one in the political contest is a most manifest indication of the collective failure of left and revolutionary forces, or whatever remains of them, in the country. However, having said this, I refuse to be forced into the unpalatable and thoughtless corner where the choice and options before us are presented in an exclusively bipolar nature: GEJ or GMB; PDP or APC! I refuse to endorse the perception that GMB and APC are somehow the manifest embodiment and representation of the genuine popular change that we require. Nevertheless despite of the above recognition, I refuse to endorse the gross incompetence, grave ineptitude, glaring and fatal mis-governance, powered by untrammeled corruption and treasury looting, of the GEJ presidency as well as 16 years of PDP ruler-ship. I remain convinced that the people have a right to be able to chose; that they have a right to reject failure and incompetence; and that in doing so they well chose the appearance of change where the essence of change is absent. But far more fundamentally, I refuse to endorse, because of the fear of being accused of supporting an opposition I have always disclaimed, the creeping coup, and the vigorously vagrant, orchestrated and manipulative processes aimed at unconstitutionally elongating the tenure of an incumbent against the will of the people; through the truncation of the current democratic order, by a faction of the ruling class cohering around the presidency and the ruling PDP. I understand clearly and regret the absence of a viable revolutionary option; Nevertheless, I also equally clearly understand the revolutionary potential of the current unfolding crisis, underpinned by the unraveling of the ruling class consensus that has hitherto held the present civilian democratic order together since 1999. As a dialectician and revolutionary, I understand that this election given the deepening context, has the potential to trigger a revolutionary crisis regardless of the party that eventually wins. Furthermore, I understand that a fraudulently won victory by the incumbent and ruling party, although will trigger a crisis; nevertheless it has the potential to preserve the illusion in the ‘cheated’ opposition as the bearer and beacon of real change. On the other hand, a victory, acclaimed by a majority of citizens as credible by the opposition can very rapidly engender a crisis of unmet and unrealized expectations, and as a consequence trigger a revolutionary crisis, with the essential and significant difference this time, that the popular illusions in any of the major factions of the ruling class would have been exploded, while unraveling the spurious claim of the opposition as the agent of genuine, radical change. In such a situation and context, a revolutionary option can very rapidly become viable, making a revolutionary outcome more plausible. JAYE GASKIA is National Coordinator of Protest To Power Movement. Follow me on Twitter: @jayegaskia & Interact with me on FaceBook: JAYE GASKIA & TAKE BACK NIGERIA

buhari’s-speech-chatham-house-–-nigeria’s-transition

Permit me to start by thanking Chatham House for the invitation to talk about this important topic at this crucial time. When speaking about Nigeria overseas, I normally prefer to be my country’s public relations and marketing officer, extolling her virtues and hoping to attract investments and tourists. But as we all know, Nigeria is now battling with many challenges, and if I refer to them, I do so only to impress on our friends in the United Kingdom that we are quite aware of our shortcomings and are doing our best to address them. The 2015 general election in Nigeria is generating a lot of interests within and outside the country. This is understandable. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and largest economy, is at a defining moment, a moment that has great implications beyond the democratic project and beyond the borders of my dear country. So let me say upfront that the global interest in Nigeria’s landmark election is not misplaced at all and indeed should be commended; for this is an election that has serious import for the world. I urge the international community to continue to focus on Nigeria at this very critical moment. Given increasing global linkages, it is in our collective interests that the postponed elections should hold on the rescheduled dates; that they should be free and fair; that their outcomes should be respected by all parties; and that any form of extension, under whichever guise, is unconstitutional and will not be tolerated. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War, democracy became the dominant and most preferred system of government across the globe. That global transition has been aptly captured as the triumph of democracy and the ‘most pre-eminent political idea of our time.’ On a personal note, the phased end of the USSR was a turning point for me. It convinced me that change can be brought about without firing a single shot. As you all know, I had been a military head of state in Nigeria for twenty months. We intervened because we were unhappy with the state of affairs in our country. We wanted to arrest the drift. Driven by patriotism, influenced by the prevalence and popularity of such drastic measures all over Africa and elsewhere, we fought our way to power. But the global triumph of democracy has shown that another and a preferable path to change is possible. It is an important lesson I have carried with me since, and a lesson that is not lost on the African continent. In the last two decades, democracy has grown strong roots in Africa. Elections, once so rare, are now so commonplace. As at the time I was a military head of state between 1983 and 1985, only four African countries held regular multi-party elections. But the number of electoral democracies in Africa, according to Freedom House, jumped to 10 in 1992/1993 then to 18 in 1994/1995 and to 24 in 2005/2006. According to the New York Times, 42 of the 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa conducted multi-party elections between 1990 and 2002. The newspaper also reported that between 2000 and 2002, ruling parties in four African countries (Senegal, Mauritius, Ghana and Mali) peacefully handed over power to victorious opposition parties. In addition, the proportion of African countries categorized as not free by Freedom House declined from 59% in 1983 to 35% in 2003. Without doubt, Africa has been part of the current global wave of democratisation. But the growth of democracy on the continent has been uneven. According to Freedom House, the number of electoral democracies in Africa slipped from 24 in 2007/2008 to 19 in 2011/2012; while the percentage of countries categorised as ‘not free’ assuming for the sake of argument that we accept their definition of “free” increased from 35% in 2003 to 41% in 2013. Also, there have been some reversals at different times in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritania and Togo. We can choose to look at the glass of democracy in Africa as either half full or half empty. While you can’t have representative democracy without elections, it is equally important to look at the quality of the elections and to remember that mere elections do not democracy make. It is globally agreed that democracy is not an event, but a journey. And that the destination of that journey is democratic consolidation – that state where democracy has become so rooted and so routine and widely accepted by all actors. With this important destination in mind, it is clear that though many African countries now hold regular elections, very few of them have consolidated the practice of democracy. It is important to also state at this point that just as with elections, a consolidated democracy cannot be an end by itself. I will argue that it is not enough to hold a series of elections or even to peacefully alternate power among parties. It is much more important that the promise of democracy goes beyond just allowing people to freely choose their leaders. It is much more important that democracy should deliver on the promise of choice, of freedoms, of security of lives and property, of transparency and accountability, of rule of law, of good governance and of shared prosperity. It is very important that the promise embedded in the concept of democracy, the promise of a better life for the generality of the people, is not delivered in the breach. Now, let me quickly turn to Nigeria. As you all know, Nigeria’s fourth republic is in its 16th year and this general election will be the fifth in a row. This is a major sign of progress for us, given that our first republic lasted five years and three months, the second republic ended after four years and two months and the third republic was a still-birth. However, longevity is not the only reason why everyone is so interested in this election. The major difference this time around is that for the very first time since transition to civil rule in 1999, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing its stiffest opposition so far from our party the All Progressives Congress (APC). We once had about 50 political parties, but with no real competition. Now Nigeria is transitioning from a dominant party system to a competitive electoral polity, which is a major marker on the road to democratic consolidation. As you know, peaceful alternation of power through competitive elections have happened in Ghana, Senegal, Malawi and Mauritius in recent times. The prospects of democratic consolidation in Africa will be further brightened when that eventually happens in Nigeria. But there are other reasons why Nigerians and the whole world are intensely focussed on this year’s elections, chief of which is that the elections are holding in the shadow of huge security, economic and social uncertainties in Africa’s most populous country and largest economy. On insecurity, there is a genuine cause for worry, both within and outside Nigeria. Apart from the civil war era, at no other time in our history has Nigeria been this insecure. Boko Haram has sadly put Nigeria on the terrorism map, killing more than 13,000 of our nationals, displacing millions internally and externally, and at a time holding on to portions of our territory the size of Belgium. What has been consistently lacking is the required leadership in our battle against insurgency. I, as a retired general and a former head of state, have always known about our soldiers: they are capable, well trained, patriotic, brave and always ready to do their duty in the service of our country. You all can bear witness to the gallant role of our military in Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Darfur and in many other peacekeeping operations in several parts of the world. But in the matter of this insurgency, our soldiers have neither received the necessary support nor the required incentives to tackle this problem. The government has also failed in any effort towards a multi-dimensional response to this problem leading to a situation in which we have now become dependent on our neighbours to come to our rescue. Let me assure you that if I am elected president, the world will have no cause to worry about Nigeria as it has had to recently; that Nigeria will return to its stabilising role in West Africa; and that no inch of Nigerian territory will ever be lost to the enemy because we will pay special attention to the welfare of our soldiers in and out of service, we will give them adequate and modern arms and ammunitions to work with, we will improve intelligence gathering and border controls to choke Boko Haram’s financial and equipment channels, we will be tough on terrorism and tough on its root causes by initiating a comprehensive economic development plan promoting infrastructural development, job creation, agriculture and industry in the affected areas. We will always act on time and not allow problems to irresponsibly fester, and I, Muhammadu Buhari, will always lead from the front and return Nigeria to its leadership role in regional and international efforts to combat terrorism. On the economy, the fall in prices of oil has brought our economic and social stress into full relief. After the rebasing exercise in April 2014, Nigeria overtook South Africa as Africa’s largest economy. Our GDP is now valued at $510 billion and our economy rated 26th in the world. Also on the bright side, inflation has been kept at single digit for a while and our economy has grown at an average of 7% for about a decade. But it is more of paper growth, a growth that, on account of mismanagement, profligacy and corruption, has not translated to human development or shared prosperity. A development economist once said three questions should be asked about a country’s development: one, what is happening to poverty? Two, what is happening to unemployment? And three, what is happening to inequality? The answers to these questions in Nigeria show that the current administration has created two economies in one country, a sorry tale of two nations: one economy for a few who have so much in their tiny island of prosperity; and the other economy for the many who have so little in their vast ocean of misery. Even by official figures, 33.1% of Nigerians live in extreme poverty. That’s at almost 60 million, almost the population of the United Kingdom. There is also the unemployment crisis simmering beneath the surface, ready to explode at the slightest stress, with officially 23.9% of our adult population and almost 60% of our youth unemployed. We also have one of the highest rates of inequalities in the world. With all these, it is not surprising that our performance on most governance and development indicators (like Mo Ibrahim Index on African Governance and UNDP’s Human Development Index.) are unflattering. With fall in the prices of oil, which accounts for more than 70% of government revenues, and lack of savings from more than a decade of oil boom, the poor will be disproportionately impacted. In the face of dwindling revenues, a good place to start the repositioning of Nigeria’s economy is to swiftly tackle two ills that have ballooned under the present administration: waste and corruption. And in doing this, I will, if elected, lead the way, with the force of personal example. On corruption, there will be no confusion as to where I stand. Corruption will have no place and the corrupt will not be appointed into my administration. First and foremost, we will plug the holes in the budgetary process. Revenue producing entities such as NNPC and Customs and Excise will have one set of books only. Their revenues will be publicly disclosed and regularly audited. The institutions of state dedicated to fighting corruption will be given independence and prosecutorial authority without political interference. But I must emphasise that any war waged on corruption should not be misconstrued as settling old scores or a witch-hunt. I’m running for President to lead Nigeria to prosperity and not adversity. In reforming the economy, we will use savings that arise from blocking these leakages and the proceeds recovered from corruption to fund our party’s social investments programmes in education, health, and safety nets such as free school meals for children, emergency public works for unemployed youth and pensions for the elderly. As a progressive party, we must reform our political economy to unleash the pent-up ingenuity and productivity of the Nigerian people thus freeing them from the curse of poverty. We will run a private sector-led economy but maintain an active role for government through strong regulatory oversight and deliberate interventions and incentives to diversify the base of our economy, strengthen productive sectors, improve the productive capacities of our people and create jobs for our teeming youths. In short, we will run a functional economy driven by a worldview that sees growth not as an end by itself, but as a tool to create a society that works for all, rich and poor alike. On March 28, Nigeria has a decision to make. To vote for the continuity of failure or to elect progressive change. I believe the people will choose wisely. In sum, I think that given its strategic importance, Nigeria can trigger a wave of democratic consolidation in Africa. But as a starting point we need to get this critical election right by ensuring that they go ahead, and depriving those who want to scuttle it the benefit of derailing our fledgling democracy. That way, we will all see democracy and democratic consolidation as tools for solving pressing problems in a sustainable way, not as ends in themselves. Prospects for Democratic Consolidation in Africa: Nigeria’s Transition Permit me to close this discussion on a personal note. I have heard and read references to me as a former dictator in many respected British newspapers including the well regarded Economist. Let me say without sounding defensive that dictatorship goes with military rule, though some might be less dictatorial than others. I take responsibility for whatever happened under my watch. I cannot change the past. But I can change the present and the future. So before you is a former military ruler and a converted democrat who is ready to operate under democratic norms and is subjecting himself to the rigours of democratic elections for the fourth time. You may ask: why is he doing this? This is a question I ask myself all the time too. And here is my humble answer: because the work of making Nigeria great is not yet done, because I still believe that change is possible, this time through the ballot, and most importantly, because I still have the capacity and the passion to dream and work for a Nigeria that will be respected again in the comity of nations and that all Nigerians will be proud of. I thank you for listening By Saharareporters!

Photo of the day: When Aminu Tambuwal met President Jonathan

These politicians can like to abuse each other on paper but when they see each other, they are very cordial. The Speaker of the House of Reps Aminu Tambuwal pictured greeting president Jonathan respectfully with a huge smile on his face at the birthday party of Shehu Shagari in Sokoto yesterday.

Diamond Bank introduces fingerprint recognition feature on its mobile app

Leading retail bank, Diamond Bank Plc, has announced that they are the 1st in Africa to launch of a finger print recognition feature on its Diamond Mobile App. The service, an iOS Touch ID, is a fingerprint reader that allow users of the Mobile App an easy and seamless login to their accounts by simply recognizing and identifying their individual fingerprints. Speaking on the new feature, Ayona Trimnell, Divisional Head, Corporate Communications of the Bank stated that the introduction of the unique feature will remove the burden of forgetting or having to remember the user ID and Password for account holders to login for their respective business transactions. “We are pleased to announce the launch of the Touch ID feature on the Diamond Mobile App. This means that Diamond Mobile App users that have iOS devices can now login to their accounts with just their finger prints as an alternative to entering a User ID and Password.” Speaking further, she stated that with the “introduction of this innovative solution to the Nigerian banking space, Diamond Bank once again demonstrates its commitment to be at the forefront in offering technological solutions that make banking an exciting, convenient and secure experience for our customers.” The introduction of the Touch ID Feature on Diamond Mobile App marks the entrance of the service to the Nigerian banking scene. It also consolidates Diamond Bank’s position as an innovative Bank that is progressively changing the face of banking in Nigeria with best-in-class customer-focused solutions. The Touch ID feature on Diamond Mobile App is available on iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6plus, iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 3. Other features on the Diamond Mobile App include funds transfer, bills payment, events ticket purchase, movie tickets purchase, online shopping wallet top-up as well as search, book and payment for both local and international flights. The service is currently available on Apple store and will soon be available on all other app stores.

Anti-Buhari protesters in London

Anti-Buhari protesters have arrived Chattam House to protest against the APC presidential candidate. We were warned to expect it...:-). More photos after the cut...