Nigerian Times

Nationwide strike over removal of fuel subsidy shuts down Nigeria. Nigerians rally against the removal of fuel subsidy on petrol at the popular Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota, Lagos.Photo Credit: Nairaland . In spite of the spate of terrorist attacks by the dreaded Boko Haram Islamic Jihad group and other unidentified elements of the lunatic fringe on rampage in the middle belt and northern states, the nationwide strike to protest the undemocratic removal of the fuel subsidy on petrol has shutdown all commercial activities in Nigeria, except for neighbourhood convenience stores and canteens where the people could buy foods and drinks to feed and stay the course of the strike action. Prof. Pat Utomi among protesters on the street at Falomo roundabout in Ikoyi, Lagos. Photo Credit: Nairaland . The organized labour unions, Nigerian Bar Association, human rights bodies, student unions, both academic and non-academic staff unions and other coalitions called Occupy Nigeria led the vanguard of ...

Captain Idris Wada, the newly elected Governor Kogi State, Nigeria. Kogi: The People Have Spoken! ~ By Ibrahim Usman. ‘The voice of the people is the voice of God’, that adage is from the Greek; the civilization which gave us democracy as we know it today, and the statement was speaking in defense of the principle which accords absolute respect to the decision of the people of a nation in choosing their own leaders for themselves. No more the time of imposition of emperors and kings upon a hapless citizenry, no more the passage of the mantle of leadership from one son to th~ e other within a royal dynasty, with absolute disregard to the will of the people. In this era, it is what the people want that matters and nothing more! That is why it is called democracy: government of the people, for the people and by the people. Where the will of the man on the street is not represented, it becomes an aberration! The people of the Kogi state have gone to the polls to demonstrate their absolute ...

The current scandal rocking the judiciary caused by the face-off between Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysious Kastina- Alu and President, Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami is only exposing the political pettiness of the ruling class in Nigeria. The judicial fiasco has pitched the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against the main opposition party the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) over their political stakes in the dispute. The excuse given by President Goodluck Jonathan on his appointment of Justice Dalhatu Adamu as Acting President for the Court of Appeal following the suspension of Isa Ayo Salami by the National Judicial Commission (NJC) is dumb. "What the President has done is to prevent a vacuum and the law provided for that," said Dr. Reuben Abati, President Goodluck Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity. What a dumb excuse. The President should have waited for the resumption of the National Assembly before appointing Justice Dalh...

Chief Ikedi Ohakim, Governor of Imo State Imo Gubernatorial Polls: Governor Ohakim Beyond Electorates Redemption Written By Njamanze Fidel The governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim without mincing words has made himself unlikable to majority of Imo people by his untoward actions and inactions. Since the inception of his administration in 2007, I have tried to restrain myself from constructively pointing out my grouse with him hoping that he will turn over a new leaf but all to no avail. The fact is he has earned for himself the notoriety of being a political deceiver of the highest order. A point in view was when he purportedly deceived Mr. President; Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that he has started rehabilitating the road that runs from Nkwala (one of the prominent weekly markets in Ngor-Opkala LGA), Eziama, Ntu, Umuohie, Umuneke (where the council secretariat is located) and Ngwuru. This road forms a T-junction to Owerri, Okpala and Owerri Nta road apart from numerous junctions alo...

Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim Ohakim’s Empowerment Application Form (Per Ward): A Real or False Bait? Written By Njamanze Fidel As the count down to the Imo state governorship and State House of Assembly elections draw close some political parties have come forward with mouth-watering promises so as to gain overwhelmingly the votes of the electorates. This move is to reelect the incumbent governor, state house assembly members or to vote them out and usher in a new governor, house assembly members from opposition political parties in Imo State. One of such political campaign promise is the Empowerment Application Form (per ward) that is being circulated across the 27 local government Areas in Imo state which is given to prospective electorates by the People's Democratic Party’s house to house campaigners with the aim of getting their votes on the 26 of April 2011. I do know that Imo people have not forgotten so soon what transpired when the Ikedi Ohakim’s administrati...

The causes and consequences of the recent post election violence in Nigeria The incessant ethnic, religious and political attacks on lives and properties in many states in Nigeria are caused by the appalling intellectual and political ignorance among majority of Nigerians. If the terrorists unleashing their grievances on both their perceived enemies and innocent people have been educated and informed on the sanctity of human life, the values and virtues of peace and stability for mutual benefit of all the citizens, they would not have committed the terrifying and horrifying atrocities in their own regions and other places they have attacked. The ruling political class is guilty of exploiting the ignorance of the poor majority in their power struggle and once they have secured their own families and properties, they no longer care about the fate of the victims of their political battles. • They have misappropriated the public funds for health care and abandoned the broken down public he...

In all contests, there will be winners and losers, no matter whose ox is gored. What makes any leader great is not only the feat of a victory, but the courage to overcome the agony of defeat. Those who ignore an ill wind should be ready for the whirlwind. I said the issues of these elections are corruption, security and energy, but the political aspirants thought their ego was all that matters. Where is the joy of victory in the house of anarchy? I said these primitive natives are not ready for democracy. How can you practice Democracy, when you violate her virtues? Goodbye to all that, but I know that without President Goodluck Jonathan and his kith and kin across the Niger, the People's Democratic Party(PDP) would have lost woefully. And after him, who is next? There cannot be trust where there is no truth and there cannot be peace where there is no justice. Those who do not want peace will end up in pieces. When all have been said and done, we would be gone, but the echoes of...

My people must be jubilating in the village square. But I do not join in the celebration of hypocrites, sycophants, opportunists and tribal bigots. I have already congratulated Prof. Attahiru Jega, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the excellent conduct of the presidential election in Nigeria held on Saturday April 16, 2011. It is the freest and fairest and most credible presidential election in the political history of Nigeria since 1960 to date. And Jega is totally innocent of the outcome of the presidential election. But that does not mean the winner President Goodluck Jonathan is innocent. The corrupt People's Democratic Party (PDP) has won again and I am not surprised, because the majority of the members and voters are corrupt and narrow minded, and have voted for the perpetuation of corruption, nepotism and tribalism. They are afraid of being prosecuted for their cri...

President Goodluck Jonathan and his running mate Vice President Namadi Sambo A campaign group canvassing for voters to support President Goodluck Jonathan offered bribe via text message to the Publisher/Editor of Nigerians Report to vote for their presidential candidate and ask others to vote for him. But he rejected their bribe. Many people are being offered different forms of bribe in cash and kind to vote for Mr. Goodluck Jonathan in the presidential election on Saturday April 16, 2011. Some were offered recharge cards of N500 to N1, 500 to vote for him. The corrupt and desperate ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) is using political bribery to compel Nigerian voters to vote for their presidential candidate. The corrupt PDP has billions of dollars to use to bribe millions of voters to vote for President Goodluck Jonathan and political bribery is a criminal offense and an electoral malpractice that is another form of rigging an election. The Sahara Reporters exposed the poli...

Three great things make a great leader. DIGNITY. INTEGRITY and PROBITY. And Mr. Goodluck E.A. Jonathan, the incumbent President of Nigeria has been found wanting in these three great things. In a civilized nation, GEAJ and other corrupt leaders of the ruling party would have been prosecuted for electoral malpractices as the courts have indicted them for such crimes as rigging the elections in 2003 and 2007. But in an uncivilized banana republic like the present Nigeria, they are the heroes of the people and they are front runners for the highest public office. This is the tragedy of most underdeveloped nations where corrupt rulers can hoodwink the people and manipulate the electorate to win election by all means and at all costs with impunity. And they soon turn the masses at their mercy into their political zombies. This is your tragedy and not mine. You are just pathetic characters in the drama of life and interesting subjects for my books. Majority of Nigerians are intellectual illi...

A voter casting his vote. Photo Credit. Capacity4Development Vote to end 12 years of Corruption and Maladministration in Nigeria Twelve years of the corruption and maladministration of the ruling party have left the majority of the citizens poorer and powerless with the nightmares of incessant political assassinations, extrajudicial killings, ethnic and religious riots, terrorist attacks and systemic collapse of government administration jeopardizing public health care, public education and economic security of the poor majority in Nigeria. We had botched National Assembly Elections on Saturday April 2, and there were glaring electoral lapses. Then the elections were rescheduled and the first round of the elections was held last Saturday April 9, 2011. There were critical issues of violence and many cases of malpractices. But before we could read the reports of the total results, the incumbent President of Nigeria, Mr. Goodluck Jonathan of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) rus...

Prof. Wole Soyinka The following is the final verdict of Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka on the ruling People’s Democratic Party of Nigeria on the coming April elections. Only 4 sets of people can vote for the PDP: (1) those who are intellectually blind. (2) those who are blinded by ethnicity (3) those who are blinded by corruption and therefore afraid of the unknown, should power change hands; and finally (4) those who are suffering from a combination of the above terminal sicknesses"

President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, GCON Is President Goodluck Jonathan the last hope of the PDP? The ruling People’s Democratic Party is being destabilized by both internal and external forces of discord. Attacks from disgruntled political spoilers in the party have left deep cracks in her walls as many of the losers in the controversial primaries have decamped to different opposition parties and those who have chosen to remain may not prove to be formidable in the forthcoming make or break elections in April and the Opposition is pouring more fuel in the flames of wrath engulfing the PDP. The PDP has become so unpopular among the masses that the party is spending millions of naira to rent crowds for political rallies and pay for constant rotation of adverts in the print and electronic news media and also desperately using both lawful and unlawful measures to overcome the Opposition. The horrors of incessant ethno-religious conflicts, assassinations, kidnappings, armed ro...

CPC seems to be the only prepared and ready to rule political party with a determined and tested patriot who can lead the people in the nation building of a New Nigeria in the leadership of Africa among other nations in the 21st century. The controversies and disputes trailing the various primaries of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Opposition, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have shown the electorate that the difference between the corrupt PDP and the hypocritical ACN can be compared to wolves in the wild and the wolves in sheep clothing in the ranch. The only political parties we can give the benefit of the doubt are significantly the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) of the indefatigable presidential candidate Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), the financially challenged Labour Party and other political parties led by notable Nigerian patriots from the academia and industry of the intelligentsia. President Goodluck Jonathan is a puppet of his Machiavellia...

THE NIGER DELTA PALAVER The ruling People's Democratic Party(PDP)is wasting time setting up kangaroo Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission where the former governor Dr. Peter Odili has been telling lies in defence of the PDP, the most corrupt and notorious political party in Africa. It has been a comedy of errors so far. The rogue gallery is a mockery of democracy and the rule of law. The Niger Delta Summit is going to be another opportunity for the misappropriation of our revenue allocations by the political contractors in power and cannot bring the chief perpetrators of the Niger Delta crisis to book. The Niger Delta crisis can be solved within one month if we have a fearless revolutionary leader like Jerry Rawlings of Ghana to sack the PDP and commence the arrest and trial of all the top dogs and pigs who have acquired illegal oil blocks they shared among themselves since 1979 to date. The plutocratic oligarchy has been in power since 1979 when the retired General Ol...

I have read Reuben Abati's "Disasters, Crocodile Tears And The Next Tragedy" and I wish that every literate person in Nigeria will sit down and read it and meditate on it. Then look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself the question of how much your life is worth as a Nigerian. How much are you worth to Nigeria? How much have you done to separate yourself from the dogs and pigs in Nigeria? Who Are the Dogs and Who Are the Pigs? The dogs and pigs are those who have no scruples and would careless to do anything to belong to the Joneses. They have no dignity and no integrity. They will say anything and do anything to ape the Joneses. Only Nigerian fools will boast of living in mansions while they cannot boast of good and safe roads. Only Nigerian fools will boast of going to Nigerian universities when they cannot boast of any Nigerian university among the top 30 universities in Africa! Only Nigerian fools will boast of the Nigerian parodies of American TV reality shows...

Mr. Steve Mufson, I have already posted the following commentary in my response to your article on Nigerian Militant Speaks Out on Oil . The critical issues I have raised should be addressed in your reaction to the e-mails from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). I am right here in the Niger Delta and my families stretch from Opobo to Buguma to Ikot Amba to Abia. I am on locations in Bonny and Port Harcourt. So, I can tell the truth from my eye-witness accounts. I have addressed the Niger Delta crisis on the BBC and on the Nigerian Times International Forum and Nigerian Times blog. See: Nigerian Times: SHELL, ASARI DOKUBO AND THE NIGER DELTA CRISIS I support the just cause of MEND, but what has the leaders of MEND done with the millions of dollars they have made from illegal oil bunkering and ransoms from the foreign oil workers they kidnapped and released? Most of the leaders of these so called militant groups are partners in crime with the oligarchy of the ru...

Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole In a historic judgment on Thursday March 20, 2007, The Chairman of the Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal, Justice Peter Umeadi, ruled that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole , the gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress political party scored 166,577 votes against 129,057 for Professor Oserheimen Osunbor, the gubernatorial candidate of the incumbent People's Democratic Party, therefore Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was the actual winner of the 2007 April gubernatorial election in Edo state. Justice Umeadi said: "The First Petitioner, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, is hereby declared the elected Governor of Edo State of Nigeria; he is the candidate who has scored the highest number of valid votes cast during the April 14, 2007 governorship election in the state, and has satisfied the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and the provisions of Sections 40 and 147 (2) of the Electoral Act 2006.” "The election of Senator (Prof.) Oserhei...

Alhaji Umaru Yar' Adua Gen. Muhammadu Buhari The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja, Tuesday, dismissed the petition of former military ruler, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari, because he could not prove his case against the election of "President" Umaru Yar'Adua in the April 2007 presidential poll in Nigeria. Observers expect the same tribual to pass a similar judgment on the petition of the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who has already vowed to accept the ruling of the tribunal. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal may have the brains to pass judgment on the petitions against the disputed election of "President" Umaru Yar’Adua, but will not have the balls to annul the election. The fact cannot be denied, that the April polls in 2007 were not free and fair . Therefore, the electios should be nullified . If the local election petitions tribunals, because of electoral irregularities and fraud, have annulle...

Nigerian Senate President, David Mark, has been sacked by the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi, Benue State in Nigeria. The tribunal annulled the April 21, 2007 election of David Mark on Saturday, February 23, 2008. More details . The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was abused and misused by the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) to rig the local and national elections held in April, 2007. Many voters were disenfranchised as the PDP employed thugs to intimidate the supporters of the opposition parties and over 700 people were killed in the political clashes of the tragic April polls. I have refused to accept the presidential election of President Umaru Yar' Adua, because it has no electoral legitimacy. President Umaru Yar'Adua has commenced electoral reforms without any judicial inquiry into the death of those who were killed during the last elections in April 2007, and without any legal Review Commission. The disgraced Senate President, D...