North rejects election postponement

 

Prominent northern groups and individuals on Friday opposed calls for the postponement of the forthcoming general elections while they also vowed to resist any attempt by the Federal Government to sack Professor Attahiru Jega as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

In separate interviews with Ashiwaju,org those who spoke lambasted the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly led by Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, for seeking the postponement of the polls.

They also condemned the Assembly’s call for the sacking and arrest of Jega for allegedly conniving with northern leaders to rig President Goodluck Jonathan out of office.

The SNPA, at a press conference on Thursday, threatened that elections would not hold in the southern part of the country should the commission decide to go ahead with the exercise as scheduled.

Inside story: Brains behind poll shift

 

Pressure mounted by President Goodluck Jonathan’s loyalists and service chiefs on the Independent National Electoral Commission led to the postponement of the 2015 general elections Ashiwaju,org has learnt

The polls were billed for February 14 (presidential and National Assembly) and February 28 (governorship and House of Assembly).

Jonathan, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, is contesting against retired Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress and 12 other candidates at the presidential poll.

Those who pushed for the postponement, despite the opposition from the All Progressives Congress and many Nigerians, include the Presidency; the Peoples Democratic Party Jonathan’s loyalists; the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki; the Chiefs of Defence, Army, Naval and Air Staff, among others.

Two weeks ago, Dasuki, while speaking at a forum at the Chatham House in London, asked INEC to postpone the elections, saying the shift would allow for proper preparations and distribution of PVCs by the electoral body.

Ekwunife is not electable,says ex NBA boss.

Former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA), Onitsha branch, Obele Chuka, has described the candidate of the People's Democratic Party(PDP) for Anambra central senatorial district,Mrs Uche Ekwunife, as an opportunist who has no interests of the people at heart.
Chuka who spoke with the New Telegraph in Awka said since the Mbadinuju administration, Ekwunife had been hoodwinking the people of the state and making fortunes from their commonwealth,noting however that the Anambra voters had become wiser this time and would pay the PDP candidate back in her own coins.

How Governor Dickson was booed during Jonathan’s rally in Bayelsa

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa was humiliated Thursday at the Samson Siasia stadium at the Yenagoa venue of the presidential campaign rally.
The governor almost received the treatment meted out to former Governor Timipre Sylva, who was stoned with sachet water at the same venue some years ago, but for the proactive move of the security agencies, who ensured that sachet water, often used as missiles by the crowd, was not allowed into the venue.
The crowd at the capacity-filled stadium had enthusiastically received Mr. Jonathan amidst singing and dancing. But the joyful atmosphere was fouled when the president tried to urge them to cooperate with Mr. Dickson
Due to repeated threats by some youth groups barring the president’s wife, Patience, from attending the rally, security operatives were on their toes to block any attack on the First Lady.
As the president made the call of support for Mr. Dickson, the crowd responded with loud shouts of No! No! No!.

WATCH : How Brig. General Momoh Was Bullied By Obanikoro, Fayose, And Omisore To Rig Ekiti Election In 2014--Sahara Reporters Media

 

Brig. General Momoh and Capt. Koli Sahara Reporters Media Obanikoro, Fayose, Omisore, and Brig. General Momoh succeeded in rigging the Ekiti State election with victory in all the 16 LGAs. These feat in Ekiti really inspired the crew as they went with euphoria to do the same in Osun State. In preparation of the plans, they confirmed the posting of the the army commander, (Brig. general AA Momoh) and task him to prepare for Osun State election (remember that Osun State is not part of 32 Artillery Brigade Area of his operations) but they ordered the Nigerian Army Construction Engineers Commander, Brigadier General Adeyemi to proceed for 3 weeks on compulsory leave until after the election just to pave way for General Momoh to repeat the same dirty work that he has done for them in Ekiti State.

Presidency May Subsitute JEGA For Mimiko To Conduct General Election

Having successfully triumphed in its bid to secure a later date for the 2015 general elections originally scheduled for February 14 and 28 respectively, it has emerged that the presidency's next move is strategising on how to show Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission the door, before the March 28 and April Election

President Jonathan and his closest associates it was gathered have been desperate to postpone the elections to enable them re-strategize in the face of imminent pointers that Mr. Jonathan and his party, the PDP were on the verge of losing the election to the opposition APC Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari with a wide margin should the election proceed as planned under Jega who had reportedly repeatedly turned down several invitations to go and see President Jonathan at Aso Rock.

Polls: My dilemma on Jonathan, Buhari – Okogie

ANTHONY Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie was born on June 16, 1936 to the royal family of Uromi in Edo State. His father was Esan and his mother Yoruba. Okogie was ordained as a Catholic priest on December 11, 1966. He was drafted into the Nigerian Army, and served there as a chaplain during the civil war. In 1971, he was ordained titular Bishop of Mascula and Auxiliary of Oyo, and, in 1973, named Archbishop.
From 1994 to 2000, Okogie headed the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria and was the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN. He was proclaimed a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II on October 21, 2003. He was one of the cardinal electors in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI and in the 2013 papal conclave which elected Pope Francis.

EXPOSED: Judge Paid N2billion To Disqualify Buhari; Plot Thickens to Blackmail Jega Into Resigning

After succeeding in securing poll postponement, PDP has begun its next move to ensure that the presidential candidate of APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, does not emerge as the winner of the election.
After the postponement announcement, PDP was quick to applaud the decision while APC fumed. Millions of Nigerians sneered, even as people around the world took the news of postponement as a shock too difficult to believe. But close watchers of Nigeria’s political trend believe the success of this first move is critical to the next move to ensure Buhari is not allowed to contest the election.
Sources confirmed that it was not the security issue that was the problem in driving the election postponement agenda, it was Buhari that PDP leaders do not want. They also feared Jega is too independent and difficult to rally into the PDP scheme that will ensure that Jonathan succeeds in the plot and so he must also go.

Postponement of Elections in Nigeria: Press Statement By John Kerry

Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
February 7, 2015
The United States is deeply disappointed by the decision to postpone Nigeria’s presidential election, which had been scheduled for February 14.
Political interference with the Independent National Electoral Commission is unacceptable, and it is critical that the government not use security concerns as a pretext for impeding the democratic process. The international community will be watching closely as the Nigerian government prepares for elections on the newly scheduled dates. The United States underscores the importance of ensuring that there are no further delays.

Read Full text of Prof Jega’s statement on election postponement

 

STATEMENT ON THE TIMETABLE FOR 2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS BY THE CHAIRMAN, INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC), PROFESSOR ATTAHIRU M. JEGA, AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON FEBRUARY 07th, 2015.
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction