POLL PROJECTS PRESIDENT JONATHAN’S VICTORY IN MARCH 28 ELECTION

With days to the 2015 presidential poll, Kevin, Charlyn and Kimberly Associates, a United Kingdom (UK)-based research and political risk consultancy firm has projected that incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will win the March 28 poll with a margin of 13 percent probability ratings.
A statement issued by its Vice President (VP) for Africa and Middle East, Mr. OC. Vince which was made available to journalists in Abuja on Friday, said it used both the ‘monkey survey’ and ‘political risk index’ to forecast the Nigerian election which culminated in projecting a Jonathan’s win. He however explained that the firm had no partisan interest in the outcome of the nationwide survey, adding that the election would be left for Nigerians to decide.

LAST MINUTE MOVES: JONATHAN WOOS CIROMA, NORTHERN ELDERS; VISITS KANO TODAY

Apparently bu oyed up by his political manoeuvrings which had led to a major division between some Yoruba leaders and other stakeholders, President Goodluck Jonathan who is also the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has now moved to the north with the aim of whittling down opposition from some core northerners to his re-election on March 28.
The South West geopolitical zone which had earlier appeared impregnable was split weekend over whether to vote for Jonathan or the presidential candidate of the main opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd, in the March 28 presidential polls after the seeming siege the President laid in the South West. .
Divided into two groups, the leaders held parallel summits in Ibadan and Lagos Thursday and took divergent positions on what the Yoruba should do in forthcoming elections.
While those at the Ibadan gathering were mostly for Buhari, the Lagos group rooted for Jonathan.
In the same vein, Jonathan has begun to woo some of his die-hard critics and other stakeholders from the north in the last couple of days.

OLUBADAN DENIES ENDORSING BUHARI

The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana, has denied media reports that he endorsed the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Major General Muhammadu Buhari.
A prominent member of the Olubadan-in-Council, Chief Eddy Oyewole, had told the Yoruba Assembly summit held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday, that he had the authority of the Olubadan to direct “the sons and daughters of Ibadan to vote for Buhari.”
But in a rebuttal contained in a press release signed by his personal assistant, Chief Isiaka Akinpelu and made available to newsmen on Friday, Oba Odulana described the reported endorsement as “false and misleading” outright.

APC DOES NOT BELIEVE IN CHANGE —IKIMI

Chief Tom Ikimi, former National Chairman of the defunct National Republican Convention and at one time one of the leading figures in the formation of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), now a chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), bares his mind on different national issues, especially why he thinks the APC does not believe in the change it has consistently mouthed and why President Goodluck Jonathan deserves a second term. Excerpts:
NIGERIA has never been this on the edge, the way it was in 1993. Never has the country been so politically divided along ethnic and religious lines. How did we get to this frightening state?
Following the overthrow of the Shehu Shagari government in 1983 by General Muhamadu Buhari, we had ten long years of military rule before the annulled June 12 election. The build-up to that election, contested by two popular national political parties, the NRC and SDP, saw three Northern candidates- General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, and Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi, among others, summarily disqualified and taken into detention.

APC THREATENS TO SUE FANI-KAYODE OVER AL QAEDA, ISIS CLAIM

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation has threatened to sue President Goodluck Jonathan campaign spokesperson, Femi Fani-Kayode, for claiming that the APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, is getting funding for his election campaign from terrorist groups, such as the outlawed Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda and ISIS. 
In a statement released in Abuja on Saturday, the organisation accused Mr. Fani-Kayode of perpetuating religious politics, and gave him one week to retract his defamatory comments or face the law.
“Never before in Nigeria’s history has the issue of religion been applied to such sinister purposes as we have seen during the years of President Jonathan’s government,” said Garba Shehu, Director of Media and Publicity of the APC presidential campaign organisation. “When all fails, they whip out the religious card.”

FANI- KAYODE ASKS BUHARI TO EXPLAIN LEVEL OF FUNDING FROM HAMAS, ISIS, ISIL, AL QAEDA

ABUJA- AHEAD of the Presidential and general elections slated for March 28 and April 11 respectively, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, PDPPCO yesterday alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC set up its own radio station called Radio APC or Radio Chanji to use it as a vehicle to announce false results after the Presidential polls.
The PDP also challenged the APC Presidential Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, retd to apologise to the people of the South West rather than go to them for votes because of how he humiliated the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo by raiding and ransacking his home.
Addressing Journalists in Abuja yesterday, Director, Media and Publicity of PDPPCO, Chief Femi Fani- Kayode reiterated the call for the arrest of the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, retd and the National leader of the opposition party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu over the existence of what he described as an illegal radio station called “APC Radio or ” Radio Chanji”.

SHOCKER AS ATTAH, ETIEBET FINALLY MOVE AGAINST JONATHAN

In what appears to be a tactical move to ditch President Goodluck Jonathan, two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Victor Attah and Don Etiebet have declared for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State.
The duo made the switch during a rally held by the Campaign Organisation of the APC governorship candidate, Umana Okon Umana held at the Ibibio Park Grounds in Uyo, on Saturday.
At the APC rally, Attah and Etiebet respectively, raised the hands of Umana, stating that they were no longer interested in the PDP as they had found an alternative in the opposition party.

MY GOVT ’LL BE CORRUPTION-FREE —BUHARI

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), on Saturday, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to tackle corruption headlong, if elected in next Saturday’s election, saying nobody would be allowed to steal or be frivolous with money, no matter how highly placed in the society.
He made this known in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, during the grand finale of the rally organised by the North-Central zone of the party.
General Buhari, who lampooned the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), particularly on its oil and aviation sectors, said that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was using the two sectors, like others, to siphon public funds.

APC LEADERS SHARE POWER, GIVE OBJ THREE MINISTERIAL SLOTS

LEADERS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were involved in marathon meetings throughout last week in Abuja in what was described as “last minute confidence-building exercise.”
Strategic leaders of the party had arrived Abuja on Monday and remained in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) till Saturday morning when some of them headed for Lafia, Nasarawa State for the grand finale of the presidential campaign rally in the North-Central state.
Sources told Sunday Tribune that as part of confidence-building aimed at ensuring that stakeholders go into the election with a sense of belonging, each of the leaders was told what he is likely to get in the event the APC wins the presidential election on 28 March.
It was gathered that though some discussions on power sharing had actually taken place before now, the exercise of last week was aimed at rebuilding confidence in the party and firming up a zoning arrangement.

ABURI ACCORD: YOU LIED, OJUKWU’S ASSOCIATES TELL GOWON

Associates of ex- Biafran leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, yesterday lashed out at a former head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, for saying that the departed Ikemba Nnewi misinformed Nigerians on the 1968 Aburi Accord.
The three associates, who fought with Ojukwu on the Biafran side during the civil war are Col. Emmanuel Nwobosi (retd); Col. Joe Achuzia (retd); and Col. Ben Gbulie (retd).
In separate reactions on the telephone, they dismissed Gowon’s comments as “untrue.” Gowon, who made the comments at a book launch in honour of President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja, said Ojukwu returned to Nigeria from Aburi, Ghana and told Nigerians a wrong version of events that transpired at the parley. Gowon said he could not return immediately because he was down with fever.