Breaking: Ministers take oath of office as Buhari assigns portfolios (Full List)

The Nigerian Cabinet members today take the oath of office as President Muhammadu Buhari charges them that they must proceed to work speedily to fulfill the confidence reposed in them.

President Buhari has sworn in all 37 ministers he appointed recently.

Former governors Babatunde Fashola, Rotimi Amaechi, Kayode Fayemi, and 34 others took the oath of office on Wednesday at the presidential villa.

A contaminated statesmanship - By Duro Onabule

We have so diminished value and character in Nigeria, such that no matter the demeanor, all a culprit needs is a band of chorus men if not hypocrites praising instead of rebuking him. The latest is the accolade of purported statesmanship being heaped on outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan despite his desperate conduct in the 2015 presidential elections.

To start with, we must acknowledge the fact that anybody privileged to become the country’s first citizen instantly becomes a statesman but what will determine his merit and indeed his character is what he displays as statesmanship. In short, a statesman may not necessarily have the attributes of statesmanship.

Looking back now, those who tried in the law courts to stop President Jonathan from contesting the 2015 elections, even if against the constitution, were not being fair to ordinary Nigerians. Had the litigants succeeded, Nigerians and the whole world would have been denied the privilege of knowing who really is Jonathan. But the 2015 elections revealed Jonathan’s desperation to retain political power despite his public assurances to the contrary. Is such desperation part of statesmanship?

A convenient excuse was found in the palpable ignorance that Jonathan’s congratulatory message or concession of victory to General Muhammadu Buhari was the first time in Nigeria’s history. Jonathan gesture is indisputably remarkable. But there ends the appreciation. After losing the 1956 west regional general elections to Obafemi Awolowo’s Action Group, his staunch political rival, NCNC’s Nnamdi Azikiwe wrote an open letter of congratulations to Awo.

Then last year after the Ekiti State elections, defeated Governor Kayode Fayemi made a television broadcast to the people and admitted defeat. So what was the big deal about Jonathan’s concession of victory?
Most irritating was the false impression being spread that by his gesture, Jonathan saved Nigeria from political and constitutional crisis. That’s untrue. Instead, Jonathan saved himself from political and constitutional disaster. Did he have any choice? Definitely not after Jonathan saw his ill-planned strategies for staying in power collapse one after another.

Over two years ago, Jonathan flew a kite to nowhere in particular when he assured that despite being the most criticized Nigerian leader in history, he would eventually be the most celebrated. With that part indication that he might not run for second term, it was quite within his constitutional right to change his mind except that Jonathan did not learn from history.

After the assassination of American President John Kennedy in 1963, he was succeeded by Vice-President Lyndon Johnson who then in 1964 (like Jonathan in 2011) contested the presidency but ran into political crisis over the Vietnam war, which he inherited from his deceased predecessor, John Kennedy.

President Lyndon Johnson, unlike Nigeria’s President Jonathan, correctly read the mood of the public and voluntarily decided not to run for second term. That was statesmanship. In contrast, even if Jonathan was not aware that he had become unpopular and could not win the elections, the media in Nigeria and abroad did much to acquaint him with his hopeless position.
In fact, BBC correspondent in Nigeria pitifully asked Jonathan if he thought he could win the election and Jonathan answered confidently. The BBC correspondent further prodded Jonathan why he thought he would win the elections and the Nigerian President said his party, the PDP had a branch in every corner of Nigeria.

Was that a basis for being re-elected for another four years? Actually, Jonathan was relying on a so-called incumbency, completely away from reality of political situation in the country. Such illusion is partly responsible for the hypocrisy that in accepting the result of the elections, Jonathan saved Nigeria from constitutional crisis. Otherwise, why for the second time within five years should Jonathan be remotely at the centre of a political crisis? Last time also, for the sake of Jonathan, Nigerian constitution had to be mutilated for a dubious doctrine of necessity to smuggle Jonathan into the Presidency.

Where was the same doctrine of necessity when three state governors Dambaba Suntai (Taraba) Liyel Imoke (Cross River) and Sullivan Chime (Enugu) were abroad for medical treatment lasting over six months? Why were their deputies not sworn in to replace them?
That aside, in his determination to retain political power, President Jonathan was involved directly and indirectly in acts that were not statesmanlike from the beginning to the end. There was the gentleman’s agreement even confirmed by his major political mentor, former President Olusegun Obasanjo that Jonathan would run for only one term. Quite bad that such an agreement was breached but it was even more dishonourable to have demanded any written agreement to that effect. Such dishonour clearly stained even a merit thereafter for statesmanship.

For encouraging known financial criminals moreso facing trials in law courts to seek safe haven in hurried membership of PDP to the extent of having their cases in courts suspended, withdrawn or poorly prosecuted in an era of widespread corruption in society, President Jonathan does not deserve any accolade for statesmanship.

For a repeat, Jonathan’s eventual acceptance of defeat in the 2015 presidential elections was self-serving to save his neck, left with no choice. The election he conducted was, at every stage never geared towards peaceful change of government. Rather, the plan was to perpetuate himself and his party in office. Yet, nowhere in the world would any government of Jonathan’s administration in the past three years have earned a new mandate.

The determination and vigilance of Nigerians for a new government were unmistakable and freely expressed. In return, Nigerians were provoked and threatened with political pranks capable in the past not only in Nigeria but some other parts of the world of triggering military intervention.

Anyway, was that not exactly the plan? And for that, Jonathan is being pampered for a purported statesmanship? Does statesmanship come that cheaply? Only in Nigeria! President Jonathan (through his henchman Doyin Okupe) both at Abuja and London dared that General Muhammadu Buhari would never administer Nigeria and that if he (Jonathan) lost the elections, he would rather handover to the Armed Forces instead of Buhari. That was after Nigerians would have elected their new President. Till now, Jonathan never denied or disowned Doyin Okupe’s statement.

Is that part of statesmanship? Nigerians stood their ground and sent Jonathan packing. Have we stopped for a moment to consider the anarchy inherent in the threat of Jonathan to ignore election results and plunge the Armed Forces into politics against their will? Armed Forces would be divided on line of action in such unsolicited situation and struggle for survival of the fittest. The nearest example would have been the disturbances in the Armed Forces in July 1966.

Statesmanship for a man who hired indefinite characters as devil’s advocates for postponement of elections for two years? Under what law? Jonathan was credited for dousing political tension. Who created the tension in the first place? That tension could not be separated from the consequences of the conduct of Jonathan’s group during the campaigns. Have we forgotten so soon? The campaign organization, or the utterances of Jonathan’s wife? Was Patience Jonathan the candidate?

Following the example of President Jonathan who said General Buhari could not remember ordinary phone number(s), Patience Jonathan described General Buhari as brain dead. Where in the civilized world do statesmen and their wives employ such low language in pursuit of political power?

Britain holds general elections in three weeks’ time and campaigns are in full swing. There is not tension in that country because of the civilised approach of Prime Minister David Cameron and opposition leader Ed Miliband. Have we heard Mrs. Cameron throughout the campaigns? Did we hear much of Michele Obama during her husband’s campaigns for re-election two years ago?

If ever, the contributions of the wives of the British and American leaders were never personal insults on their husbands’ respective opponents. Culture, good breeding and education are the hallmarks in such situations. Till now, Nigeria’s President Jonathan keeps quiet on his wife’s (mis?)conduct during the campaigns. Any control over the lady? Yet, talks of statesmanship?

Never in Nigeria’s political history had voters been treated to such dirty campaigns and repulsive campaigns expenses as Jonathan’s group displayed during the 2015 elections. Could that ever be part of statesmanship anywhere in the world?

And then the Orubebe affair! A supposed ex-Minister invaded the venue of election results and held INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega hostage with the ultimatum of suspension of further release of the results. Beamed live to the outside world through satellite television, the plan was to terminate the entire election process and throw Nigeria into political constitutional crisis.
Who is Orubebe? Jonathan’s party’s agent. Did he come from nowhere or did he act alone? The stage of the elections results the previous night indicated defeat for President Jonathan. The buck for that political terrorism therefore ended on Jonathan’s table.

To be rewarded with statesmanship?

Most unusually in election periods in Nigeria, former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s peace committee emerged with repeated visits to Aso Rock pleading for peaceful outcome of the elections. Only in Nigeria could such be rewarded with attributes of statesmanship. It is dangerous to elevate gross political misconduct into a rewarding act, or such precedent would be followed by others in the future.
There must not be the remotest idea of Mo Ibrahim’s award to Nigeria for the current political rascality or the prize would have been devalued.

While appreciating General Abdulsalami Abubakar and his peace committee colleagues, there was no way Nigerians could have been denied their choice of a new President. The fact is that Nigeria has a reputation of surviving every leadership no matter how self-assumingly seeming invincible.

Limit for erring politicians
Quite understandably, President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari took his time throughout the campaigns, a posture of modesty which created the wrong impression that he is weak. Now, he is toughening up by acting firmly to stem the outflow of PDP members into APC, dignified as defection.

Very soon, only President Jonathan and few of his colleagues might remain in PDP. What suddenly happened to turn the party into a poison chamber from which everybody is escaping? Jonathan should now be seeing Nigerians for who they are, crass opportunists and traitors without abiding loyalty.

Where were they all along throughout the campaigns to the elections on March 28? Would the dubious elements have abandoned PDP for APC if Goodluck Jonathan had won the elections? General Buhari was therefore correct in his red signal that there is no room in his administration for the fleeing PDP members. In short, a political party has the right to limit its membership to only men and women of integrity and compatibility.

For the past 16 years, Nigerians of Middle-Belt origin claimed they are not core Northerners. Now with the election of General Buhari as the President, the Middle Belt political “asylum seekers” will return home.
General Buhari also said election offenders would be prosecuted. In particular, murderers among the offenders should be treated for their offence and executed if found guilty. The criminals took the lives of innocent fellow citizens mainly for political rivalry.

Now is the time to make the point that the murderers would not go unpunished. If up to five accused were found to have murdered one political rival, the law approves all the five to be executed. In 1953 under colonial era, 12 convicts were executed in Lagos for the murder of one preacher, Alfa Apalara. Also in 1958, many convicts were executed for the political murders that followed the death of Adegoke Adelabu, the popular Ibadan politician in a motor accident.

The law is the law and must be enforced.

Ekiti: God has rejected the Almajiri People's Congress (APC) By Fani-Kayode

The days of fooling the people and winning elections by propaganda, intimidation, lies, threats and coercion are long over.

Once again I offer a hearty congratulations to my friend Ayo Fayose and to the leadership of the Ekiti state PDP on their historic victory in the governorship election that took place in their state yesterday. The people of Ekiti have spoken and their choice MUST be respected by all.

My heart goes out to my brother Kayode Fayemi who clearly lost the election but who remains not only a man of honour but also one of the finest minds in the country. He is certainly one of the most cerebal, disciplined, compassionate and civilsed leaders that the APC has within it's ranks and one of those that gave it some semblence of integrity and credibility.

Gbajabiamila: Nigeria’s election finally matures

The Leader of Opposition, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on Monday declared that the last Saturday’s Ekiti election serves as a turning point in the country’s political history.

Gbajabiamila in a statement he personally signed in Abuja submitted that, “The Ekiti Governorship election of June 21, marks a watershed in our political history. Perhaps for the first time we all witnessed the gallantry and magnanimity of opponents after a keenly fought electoral contest.”

The APC leader in the House of Representatives congratulated the governor-elect, Ayodele Fayose for his victory.

“I congratulate the Governor Elect, the PDP, the Ekiti people and more importantly I congratulate Nigeria and Nigerians for indeed whether we like the outcome of the election or not, sovereignty lies in the hands of the people.”

Gbajabiamila however lamented that it took the country a long time to get it right and said he expected the milestone recorded in Ekiti to be extended to other parts of the country in 2015 without the drafting of military personnel out of the barracks.

A Muslim/Muslim Presidential Disaster for the APC, By Femi Aribisala

"Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad. The APC plan for a Muslim/Muslim ticket in this day and age in Nigeria is nothing short of madness. It will not fly. It will not only be rejected outright by Nigerians, it will tear the APC apart."

Bola Tinubu is standing on the horns of a dilemma. He became the godfather of the APC out of burning personal ambition to seek greener political pastures for himself in Abuja. The APC calculus is to present a Northern presidential and Southern vice-presidential ticket against the PDP’s Jonathan/Sambo ticket in the 2015 presidential election. If that APC vice-presidential candidate is not Tinubu himself, then all bets are off as far as Tinubu is concerned. However, the prospect of a ticket with Tinubu as vice-president is already ensuring that the APC is badly in need of aspirin.

An APC vice-president that is not Tinubu poses grave political danger to Tinubu. It means Tinubu has been sowing for somebody else to reap. If that person happens to be Yoruba, he or she could quickly become a contender for Tinubu’s much-vaunted position as the Asiwaju of South-West politics in Nigeria. That is the reason why Tinubu schemed against Mulikat Akande becoming the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Therefore, all systems are “go.” Tinubu must be APC’s vice-presidential candidate by hook or crook. If not, it is most likely Tinubu will end up by scheming against the APC in the coming presidential election.

Governor Fayemi meets Fayose in a closed door meeting, pledges not to challenge election result

Kayode Fayemi, the out-going governor of Ekiti State, on Monday, said he would not challenge the result of the June 21 governorship election in the state. Mr. Fayemi, who made the disclosure when he received the governor-elect, Ayo Fayose, in his office in Ado Ekiti, said “I will not challenge the result of the election because I am not desperate to remain in office.

“Election must not be seen as a do or die affair,” he said.

Mr. Fayemi said Mr. Fayose’s victory has assisted in “strengthen and deepening’’ democracy, especially in Ekiti State and the country at large. He added that “election by its nature generate tension and hot exchange of words; but to me, once the whole exercise is over, all those involved should take such with calmness and stop all acrimonious.

EKITI 2014: BETWEEN FAYEMI AND FAYOSE AND AGE OF POLITICAL STUPIDITY

In the days of the locusts I knew Kayode Fayemi but I knew not Ayo Fayose. Dr Fayemi anchored Radio Kudirat International, when the lives of his people were in danger but nobody knew about Fayose then.

Dr Fayemi was one of the real men, who stood up to be counted when it mattered most but cowards like Fayose hide in the corners. I blame former President Obasanjo for rigging this violent man to an exalted position of a Governor meant for serious- minded people. For almost three years he was in power, violence, murder, arson, thuggery, corruption, and political rascality took the centre stage.

Ayo Fayose was impeached and disgraced out of office by the Ekiti State House of Assembly. As I write this Ayo Fayose has a murder case in courts. Young and dynamic University graduates trained abroad returned to help their state to grow but Fayose stopped them by ordering that they should be shot.

Ekiti 2014: Nigerian military orders shoot at sight

The Nigerian military has ordered soldiers to shoot “whosoever is caught with any offensive weapons” in the buildup to the June 21 gubernatorial election in Ekiti State. This is as the military announced that it arrested three persons with a truck laden with out-dated election materials on Thursday in the state.

The run-up to the election has been characterised by violent clashes with the major political parties pointing accusing fingers at one another. Matters got to a head last Sunday when mobile police officers shot at the governor of the state, Kayode Fayemi, and his supporters during a rally in the state capital, Ado-Ekiti.

Osun, Ekiti Guber Polls: US Condemns Message Of Violence By Political Parties

The United States Government has condemned what it described as message of violence by some political leaders in Nigeria as the people prepare to vote in the June 21 and August 9 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States respectively.

Also, the guest speaker at the sensitisation workshop for Ekiti State political parties and other stakeholders in 2014 gubernatorial election, Kunle Fagbemi, noted that for democracy to work, everybody must agree to accept the results of a free and fair election, while all contestants are also expected to relate with one another in a good sportsmanship atmosphere.

The US Ambassador to Nigeria,.. reffery Hawkins, in his goodwill message at the workshop said it was worrisome that political leaders were sending the message of ‘rig and roast’ as the elections approach, saying such would not augur well for peaceful conduct of the elections.
According to him, "Rig and roast is not the kind of message Nigerian youths should hear from their leaders."

Aregbesola Re-Election: Oyinlola, Adeleke, Others Set to Join APC by Saturday

Arrangements have been concluded by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State to receive two former governors of the state, Mr. Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Senator Isiaka Adeleke and their supporters into the ruling party in the state next Saturday.

Apart from the two governors, also set to defect are the former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Mufutau Gbadebo Ayinde, state Deputy Chairman of PDP, Dr. Bashiru Salami and other prominent PDP members in the state.