WHERE IS THE CHANGE? APC Is Drifting Dangerously

Thursday’s nauseating rumpus in the chamber of the House of Reps again brought to the fore questions about the unity and preparedness of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC for governance.

While Nigerians continue to wait with patience as President Muhammadu Buhari comes to grips with the process of governance, not few are amused by the incoherence of the ruling party in getting its majority in the two chambers of the National Assembly to settle down to the process of governance.

Reflective of the disarray in the ruling party, the APC has been unable to come up with its full complement of principal officers in the two chambers of the National Assembly.

This is the longest time since the advent of the Fourth Republic that the National Assembly has not been able to showcase its principal officers.

Even when the Senate came up with its Leader in the person of Senator Ali Ndume from Borno and his deputy, Senator Bala Ibn Nallah from Kebbi, it was another humiliation for the national leadership of the ruling party.

The humiliation was in the sense that the party had insisted on proclaiming the leaders for the two chambers.

While the chaos was ongoing in the House, the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki announced Ndume and Nallah as the leaders presented by the Northeast and Northwest caucuses of the party. The APC caucus in the Senate had earlier zoned the office of the Senate Leader and Deputy Leader to the Northeast and Northwest and in voting among the senators from the two zones, the two names emerged.

However, the party had preferred its poster boy, Senator Ahmad Lawan who vied with Saraki for the senate presidency for the office of Senate Leader, a move that was rejected by Lawan’s own zone who voted Ndume by nine votes to the two votes scored by Lawan.

Besides, the party in a letter to Senator Saraki had also demanded that another loyal senator, Senator George Akume be returned as Deputy Senate Leader and Senator Sola Adeyeye (Southwest) as Chief Whip and Senator Abu Ibrahim (Northwest) be returned as Deputy Chief Whip. The zoning permutation as articulated by the leadership would have meant that the South-South geopolitical zone would be missing in the body of principal officers of the Senate, a fact many senators had pointed out to the national leadership, albeit to no avail.

That was essentially because Akume, who was proposed as deputy leader comes from the same North-Central geopolitical zone as the Senate President.

In the House the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun led leadership had also written requesting the nomination of Femi Gbajabiamila, who lost to Senator Yakubu Dogara in the race for speaker as House Leader.

Like the choice of Akume, the proposal for the election of Gbajabiamila from the Southwest would have meant that the region would have produced two members from the party in the leadership with the North-Central and the Southeast being denied an office.

The inclination has led to suggestions of marginalisation from some sections of the party, particularly from the areas sidelined.

The North-Central caucus in the House led by Rep. Ahman Pategi from Kwara State at a press conference on Wednesday fumed that the party took the decision to name persons to the various positions without consulting them expressing shock in the action of their party which they claimed should not be seen to be preferring individuals or zones over another.

Pategi who was flanked by about 20 other members from the zone said: “We are also amazed by the directive of the party to the leadership of the House to take necessary action on the purported choice by the party, which we see as a clear usurpation of the powers of the zonal caucuses and their members as guaranteed by the constitution and the standing rules of the House of Representatives.

“We, therefore, strongly reject the purported selection by the party which we see as being in conflict with the principle of the federal character as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic.”

“It will be inconsiderate of the party to consider North-East and South-West that had produced the Speaker and Deputy Speaker for other positions. The exclusion of two zones is not acceptable,” he said.

Party members from the Southeast also upbraided the party on its inclinations.

“We can’t stand here and allow the party sweep us out,” said a South East reps member.

But the party is also faced with its own problems; to wit affirming its authority over the legislators who were sponsored on the platform of the party.

It is particularly difficult for the party given that the majority of those stoking the rebellion including Senator Saraki and Speaker Dogara were dissidents of the former ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP who moved into the APC from the PDP after helping to crash their former party.

The two men ironically were helped to office by the PDP which paid back the APC for the insidious effort of the former Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in frustrating the PDP’s zoning arrangement that helped to enthrone the Aminu Tambuwal leadership on the House of Representatives in 2011.

Given the background of how it catalysed the breakup of the PDP in the period leading to the 2015 election, many are surprised that the APC has allowed itself to be boxed into this avoidable corner.

The party’s attempt to stamp its authority has, however, been badly managed with allegations of cronyism and dictatorship in the running of the party.

Many of the nominees preferred by the party as principal officers are known associates of a prominent national leader of the party, a decision some claim would mean locking out those not close to the leader from top positions.

As some members of the APC raised bedlam in what was obviously a pre-planned riot, it was remarkable that a sizeable proportion of those who rallied in support of Speaker Dogara were members of the PDP. The import was that the APC was just like the PDP with Speaker Tambuwal after 2011, pushing the speaker out of the party into the embrace of the opposition party.

Even more dangerous for the party is the fact that a sizeable proportion of those who had been heeding the party’s voice are also coming round to the side of the speaker.

One state caucus after another have come to pledge allegiance Dogara. One of the most telling examples was the case of the Jigawa/Kano delegation who overwhelmingly voted by about 90% against him.

Hon Doguwa told the speaker: “Members of the Kano and Jigawa caucuses did what they did because of the party’s position, but now that you have emerged as the speaker we have nothing but to concur with the will of God and to pledge our loyalty.”

Such pledges of loyalty are not surprising given the speaker’s powers and entrenchment. Many other members are also alleged to be taking turns to pledge loyalty in the light of the fact that the speaker has the final say on what committees the members may belong to.

by Emmanuel Aziken, Vanguard's Political Editor 

Yoruba Actresses Fight Dirty Over Lesbi@nism Secret

The show of shame is still raging. Two Nollywood actresses Biodun Okeowo and Wura Gold are in the middle of a fierce battle to wash their hands off a lesbianism tale and it all depends on who can lie most.

According to the most popular one, Biodun Okeowo she and Wura Gold were close friends until the day she asked her to become her lover. The mother of two said she was forced to distance herself from Wura ever since that day and that was how hell was let loose.

"Wura has been bad mouthing me and saying all sorts of things against me."

Best of Nollywood reached out to them and both ladies pushed the blame on each other.

In her reaction, Biodun said: “...I started to give her space when I started realizing the kind of person she truly was. She told me she wants us to become lovers as in becoming Lesbian partners. I told her I wasn’t interested... And that was it. Wura started going around calling me names. She spoils my name in front of everyone. Recently when I went for ‘TESFIR’ Ramadan Lecture, some people saw me and called me friends with Wura Gold, I told them she is not my friend.

"At least not any more. Liz Dasilva then decided to come in to resolve the cause of the quarrel between us. Liz then called myself and Wura on a conference call and tried talking to us. When I opened up to Liz on the reason Wura is fighting me, Wura started to curse me and my children.”

On her part, Wura Gold said: ”It was Biodun Okeowo that asked me to become her lover and I turned her down. Why would she turn things? People are so funny. You can go ahead and ask the likes of Anita Julius and Liz DaSilva at least they have slept in my house, if there was ever anytime I made such silly advances at any of them,” she said.

- One person is lying and one is saying the truth. That is the irony of life. But the liar knows herself.

APC Warns Wike Against Planned Crackdown on non-indigenes

...Rivers APC says action may boomerang on Rivers indigenes living elsewhere
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has strongly warned the controversial Governor of the State, Chief Nyesom Wike, to abandon his plan to viciously crack down on non-indigenes in the State for their loyalty to the immediate past Governor of the State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and for voting for President Muhammadu Buhari in the March 28 elections.

“The cries of non-indigenes in Rivers State under the umbrella of Endangered Non Indigenes Forum in Rivers State (EINFRS) as contained in their recent SOS to President Muhammadu Buhari have reached our ears. We are deeply distressed by this development and hereby caution Chief Wike to desist from carrying out his threat to sack the non-indigenes from the Rivers State Civil Service or close down their businesses,” 

Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davis Ibiamu Ikanya, said.

Dr. Ikanya in a statement issued on Thursday in Port Harcourt described Wike’s threatened crackdown on the non-indigenes as illegal, unconstitutional and likely to boomerang on Rivers citizens staying and doing business in other parts of the country.

“Wike has always been known for his vindictiveness but expelling non-indigenes from the State Civil Service or closing down their businesses as he once did during his days as Obio-Akpor Local Government Chairman is vendetta taken too far. We expect Wike, as a lawyer, to know that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom of choice and of political association. It would, therefore, amount to setting a bad precedent if he goes ahead to crack down on the non-indigenes for supporting Amaechi and voting for President Buhari as alleged in EINFRS’ petition signed by its Secretary General, Dr. Ndubuisi Nwakadibia,” Dr. Ikanya said.

“The party supports the petition by the Rivers non-indigenes to President Buhari and passionately appeals to Mr. President and the security agencies to call Chief Wike to order before he truncates our nascent democracy,” Dr. Ikanya added.

Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze
SSA on Media and Public Affairs 

to the State Chairman, APC Rivers State. 

Buhari has no answer; APC a corrupt party can’t fight corruption - Balarabe Musa

First civilian Governor of Kaduna State and Presidential candidate of the defunct Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Alhaji Abdulkadiri Balarabe Musa, in his characteristic way of x-raying the government of the country took a swipe on the federal government controlled by the All Progressives
Congress (APC); he declared that APC cannot succeed in the war against corruption because the leaders are corrupt. Musa further said the former President Goodluck Jonathan saved Nigeria in the 2015 General Elections.

He unequivocally stated that the APC spent more money that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 General Elections in winning the President.

The elections have come and gone, what is your perception of the current state of the nation?
Well, first and foremost, it has been mixed feelings since after the elections. Yes, it was good we had the elections otherwise the story would have been different. Nigeria would have been in a terrible situation if the elections did not hold. What saved us was President Goodluck Jonathan who conceded defeat and congratulated Buhari, the winner. But then, the rest of the issues, which is the state of the nation, are still negative in all respects. Nothing has changed; things still remained the same in this country. The 2015 election does not have any promise to Nigerians. If you are one of those Nigerians that rely on wishful thinking, you can say the election has some promises for you but I don’t think so. Take for example the inaugural statement of President Muhammadu Buhari, he said he has not promised to do anything. His speech was too ritualistic, the same words we have been hearing from past leaders, be it civilian or military.

His statement was not qualitative enough to convince Nigerians that something different has come.
He said in his speech “I will improve on education,” So what? Past leaders have told us that before but did they improve the education in the country? The question is how are you going to improve on education? Nigerians need specific road map and targets; I mean qualitative targets like declaring that education from primary to tertiary level is now free not a blanket speech that holds nothing for anybody. I very much doubt it.

Your wish for this country has always been free, fair and credible elections, how will you describe the 2015 general elections?
This is the ridiculous thing that happened and that is why I remain critical. The 2015 elections were actually peaceful if you compare it with other elections yet we recorded deaths and other social disorders.

Nigerians expected worst things than what happened in the 2011 general elections but it didn’t happen because nobody cared about the elections. Only very few Nigerians cared and participated. Out of 70 million registered voters, only 28 million cared to go and vote; and out of the 28 million only 15 million voted for the President; 55 million never cared to go and vote. The level of apathy was very high. It shows that the people did not even care for the elections. Informed Nigerians, especially the media, didn’t take that into account in assessing the real situation but that was what happened. How do you claim free, fair and transparent elections in a situation when out of 70 million registered voters only 15 million actually voted for the President, yet, you claim this is free, fair and transparent election? There was also the deciding role of money power that took place during the elections. It was money power that decided who won the elections.

If you said money played a major role, one would have expected the incumbent to be at an advantage as a sitting President. How did it happen?
Both parties displayed money power during the elections. Both PDP and APC used unimaginable sum of money during the elections. I stand to be corrected; it may interest you that APC used more money than PDP. It was their money that decided the winner. The only thing, I believe and I know it has been proven to be so, is that PDP for strategic reasons decided to withdraw from power and let APC take over and grapple with the problems in the country because PDP has failed woefully to tackle the problems. One of the reasons they decided to let go power was because they know that if PDP had won the elections, Nigeria’s situation today would have been different. That was why instead of venturing into the looming danger, PDP preferred to wait and fight another day. They are already talking of returning in 2019.
When taken into account, the fundamental reality, APC did not really defeat PDP in the 2015 elections. PDP tactically withdrew and merely allowed APC to take over. PDP knows that if they had returned, there would have been massive violence in all the northern states.

Remember what happened in the North during the campaign for 2011 elections. The media is not really educating the people on the true situation of things. Remember the incidents after the 2011 Presidential elections, particularly, in the North West, North East and some parts of North Central, PDP leaders were attacked openly and their property destroyed in large scale. There was an inquiry by the Federal Government and at the end, the Federal Government compensated PDP leaders throughout the North heavily after those who were involved in the anarchy were arrested and investigated. The Federal Government knew who were responsible in organizing that 2011 post-Presidential election violence but nothing happened to those that were arrested, instead they were paid heavy compensation by the PDP government. PDP government couldn’t take any action against the organizers of that violence because they were preparing to hand over power in 2015. They knew that and some of us knew it too.

Before the 2015 elections, it was reported that the group you led split over who to support, Jonathan or Buhari, how did you manage that?
No, there was no split. We had National Executive Committee meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and decided through voting. 26 states voted in favour of the PDP at the Presidency while other voted for APC for the presidency. We also agreed that states’ leaders should decide on whom they will support in their respective states.

Now that Buhari is in charge, do you think he can solve the problems of this country?
No! I don’t think so. No single person can do it in Nigeria without a revolution. It is not just Buhari but anybody. Even I cannot handle the situation without a revolution. When I say a revolution I mean fundamental change. For instance, you have to change the social, economic and political systems controlling all developments in this country and the leadership produced by the system.
From one base to another, self-interest first; to one base on public interest first. You have to bring about that change. You have to change the economic system. In the system now, public interest has been relegated to third. To change it effectively, we have to bring the leadership of the state in the economy to ensure peace, equality, justice and dignity of the human person and progressing even development in the whole country. Is Buhari prepared for that?

Can you effect such change without a revolution? We have a situation where the rich and powerful that are so mindless, selfish and so entrenched that they will oppose everything to bring about this leadership of the state in the economy. 
Take for instance, the present controversy at the National Assembly where members are demanding wardrobe allowance amounting to N9 billion. Wardrobe allowance means clothing allowance for each senator will have over N21 million while House of
Representatives will have over N17 million. When you have leaders like this, produced by a system based on self-interest, how can you change the reality without a revolution because those who are enriching themselves will resist any change and it can be violent. The change we want must be revolutionary in nature. So, the way it is now, Buhari has no answer to Nigeria’s problems.

APC promised Nigerians that they have come to fight and eradicate corruption. Do you think APC can achieve this?
How can you fight corruption with corrupt leadership? It is not possible. You cannot do it because you are also corrupt. They are not free from being corrupt. About 80 per cent of APC and PDP leaders are all before the three anti-corruption agencies, ICPC, EFCC and Code of Conduct. So, you can see that they cannot fight corruption because they are corrupt.
Are you saying that the present APC leadership is corrupt?
Was PDP leadership corrupt? The answer is yes, it was; and 70 to 80% of the APC leadership now came from the PDP. Invariably, what we have today is not APC but PDP one (1) and PDP two (2). Now, APC has the majority in the Senate yet they couldn’t elect APC Senate President without the support of PDP. So, it is clear that they have now started working together.
The APC which defeated PDP yesterday is today working with the PDP and rely on PDP to perform, what do you expect.

Nothing will change without a fundamental change and a fundamental change in this case means revolution, I hope when it comes, it will be peaceful. With this outrageous demand of wardrobe allowance, Nigerians can organise themselves in such a way that National Assembly after they have
passed the law or at the process of passing the law, Nigerians can act within their constitutional right to remove such bad government.
Many people don’t know how this mindless corrupt system came to be in Nigeria. After the election in 1979, that is the Second Republic, members of the National Assembly led by Joseph Wayas, who was the Senate President then, demanded the right to fix their own remunerations. Shehu Shagari, who was the President then, saw the danger in it and he told them that he was against it but the senators insisted.

So, when we had the National Economic Council meeting which was made up of state governors, vice president etc., after the meeting, President Shagari came to us and said he needed our help. He told us that he called for a dinner and the senators refused to attend because they were angry with him
because he refused to allow them to fix their remuneration. So, that is why he needed our help and we told him that we have no alternative but to help him because if he allows them at the federal level, members of the state House of Assembly will do same to us.
In spite of the sharp difference between the parties, especially the NPN and the UPN, we came together for our own common interest to support the President. A committee of governors was formed to advise the President. At the end, we
recommended maximum remuneration for all public officers both politicians and civil servants. We submitted our recommendations to the President which he presented at a press conference but that did not go down well with the National Assembly members as they came up with war against the President and the governors. They threatened to remove the President. They were callous and vicious. At the end, President Shagari allowed them to decide their own remuneration and that was what opened the floodgate of corruption in Nigeria today.
I don’t know whether Buhari was aware of this history because he was not a politician but he needs to be aware of this as a leader. Now, is he going to allow himself to suffer the consequences Shagari suffered as a result of failure to contain the greed
of the members of the National Assembly? We are not just talking the holistic of their remuneration, which is up to 10 items, but we are only talking about one item. Now, should Buhari allow it after knowing that the root of the NPN problem where he could not perform was because he could
not restrain the National Assembly from demanding and getting what they wanted?

Barely one month now, President Buhari has not been able to form the Federal Executive Council, what do you think is responsible to this?
Nobody can be comfortable with the level of arrangement so far, particularly, when I can see the kind of coordination in a negative sense between the center and the state, just as the president could not
constitute his federal executive council, so also the states have not. That means there is a conspiracy otherwise it will not happen like this. It is disappointing, particularly, at the federal level. Buhari is not new in this position. He was military Head of State. Before even being sworn in, he should have known who to appoint as ministers and also announced them within two days after inauguration but this has not happened. Why it has not happened I don’t know but I pray it is not the beginning of
incompetence.

What is the implication of the delay in executive appointments?
The danger in this is that foreign countries will not do business with him, knowing that he has no team. Then, those that decide to deal with him will be taking risk and they know it. Secondly, the country will doubt its direction because even in Nigeria, businessmen will be interested in the ministers they are going to be dealing with but they don’t know. The delay has shown that something is wrong with the leadership.

Former presidential aide Reno Omokri lands US TV deal

Former Special Assistant on New Media to Pres. Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has landed a US TV deal. He will be hosting a Christian program titled ‘Transformations With Reno Omokri: The Measure of Faith'. Contracts for the weekly show which is being shot in California was finalized yesterday June 25th. The show is being produced by the Mind of Christ Christian Center, which was founded by Omokri. A few weeks ago, Reno announced that he's retiring from politics to focus on evangelism.

Nicki Minaj displays her sizzling bod

Nicki Minaj who is currently shooting a music video 'All Eyes On You shared these hot photos on her page. More photos after the cut..

Photos: Vacancy at presidency: couple defraud professor of $38,000

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today arraigned a couple, Prince Alphonsus Mbakwe and his wife, Mrs Florence Mbakwe before Justice Lawal Akapo of the Lagos State High Court on a five-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing.

The couple allegedly defrauded one Professor Uchenna Elike by claiming to help him secure a consultancy job in the Presidency.

One of the EFCC counts read against the couple reads:

“that you Prince Alphonsus Mbakwe between 2010­ and 2014, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, by false pretence and with the intent to defraud ,obtained the sum of Thirty-eight Thousand Four Hundred United States Dollars ($38,400), from Professor Uchenna Elike by falsely representing to the said Professor Uchenna Elike through Mr. Chidiebere Igbokwe and Mrs. Chinwe Igbokwe that vacancy existed in the Presidency, Abuja, for the appointment of Professor Uchnenna Elike as Consultant and that you were in position to influence the said appointment and that the money you obtained from him represented the cost of your logistics, accommodation, flight and facilitation fees for the said appointment, which representation you knew to be false.’’

The couple pleaded not guilty to the charges. In view of their plea, the prosecution counsel, G.C Akaogu prayed the court to fix a date for trial and to remand the accused persons in prison custody.

The Presiding judge, Justice Lawal Akapo ordered that the accused persons be remanded in EFCC custody and adjourned the matter to June 30, 2015 for hearing of the bail application.

Nigerian transgender, Ms Sahhara says 'She's Valid' in new photos

She shared the photos to support the "I am valid" campaign which is a campaign for the recognition of transgenders worldwide. More photos after the cut...

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Taylor Swift & Calvin Harris are new Forbes highest paid couple

Move over Jay Z and Beyoncé there’s a new highest-paid celebrity couple.

Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris’ new romance has earned them the number one spot on Forbes’ list of highest-paid celebrity couples, replacing reigning champs Beyonce and Jay Z down to number two. Collectively, Swift and her DJ boyfriend earned $146 million a year.

According to Forbes, Swift and Harris' highly successful careers, as well as their individual endorsement deals brought about their hefty salary.

Harris, currently doing a Las Vegas residency at Caesar’s Palace, is also the spokesman for Sol Republic and Giorgio Armani.

2nd place are Beyonce and Jay Z with a combined annual salary of $110.5 million

Forbes teased the “world’s highest paid celebrities” as a part of their rollout of the upcoming annual Celebrity 100, which will be published June 29. On this year’s list, Forbes ranked the world’s highest-paid celebrities by annual income only