Updates: Muhammadu Buhari's Inauguration

May 29, the day of Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration, is considered to be the starting point of change, as the new administration takes over power.

On March 28 the All Progressives Congress politician emerged winner of Nigeria’s presidential election.
Since then, the outgoing government, led by President Goodluck Jonathan, and the incoming government have been preparing for the smooth power transition, which is to take place today.

Numerous national and world leaders are expected to attend the festive ceremony to mark the end of Jonathan’s tenure and office acceptance by Muhammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo, the vice president-elect.

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9:35 John Kerry shaking hands of world leaders on tribunes.

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9:26 Guests are presented with packs containing programme of events, food and N750 MTN recharge card.

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9:23 P-Square looking stylish, as always. Minutes before the performance start… Credits: ‏@JohannesMathews

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9:20 Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe has just arrived at the venue.

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09:10 Chief Olusegun Obasanjo arrives at the Eagles Square!

Olusegun Obasanjo takes his seat. Snapshot from a video

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09:00 South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma also to be president at the ceremony, his office confirmed on Thursday. Despite the warning by the National Association of Nigerian Students.

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8:55 Many honourable guests have already arrived. Yakubu Gowon and Ibrahim Babangida were at the venue around 8:00!

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8:30 Buhari fever Buhari fever catching on really quick with souvenirs.

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08:10 Family members of Buhari and Osinbajo.

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08:05 @MssZeeUsman bombs “first selfie of the day at Eagle Square, with Lai Mohammed, APC Spokesperson”.

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07:50 And some more pics from the venue. Credits: @Karo_Orovboni. Dignitaries arriving.

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07:45 All set for the inauguration at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

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07:30 Users cannot stop discussing the still trending topic… Buhari’s handsome son.  Now they wonder: if “#YusufBuhari going to be part of Buhari cabinet.” Who knows… There he is, the young man in a fair attire.

07:20 Security intensified all around Nigeria as new governors are sworn-in. Lagos police vowed to deploy 1,563 officers in the venue of the inauguration of the state governor-elect, Akinwunmi Ambode, at the Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Onikan.

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07:08 Atiku Abubakar ‏has just posted this message on his twitter account: “Today is one of the greatest days in the history of our nation and democracy, and I’m honored to be alive to see it #ChangeIsHere.” And more: “To every Nigerian who participated in this democratic process, I salute you! You are the strength & compass of his nation!”

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06:55 @4eyedmonk says: “Be that change you want to see in Nigeria. Change is not a person, change is an attitude.” Do you agree with that?

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06:40 JJ. Omojuwa wishes everyone a “Happy Democracy Day! #ChangeIsHere”

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06:20 All set at the Eagle Square, Abuja, for the ceremony. Nigerians are in a wonderful mood, taking to social media to share their thoughts. People are wishing each other a happy Democracy Day and pray for the incoming administration.

@Drammeh85 tweets: “Official #Inauguration of the present elect into presidency. I don’t think I’ve seen #Nigerians so positive, we pray for his success.”

Chido Onumah: President Buhari – Dead end or the rebirth of a nation?

“We can’t continue to search the branches of a sick tree for the cause of its sickness.” – African Proverb

As history unfolds in Nigeria, it does appear that “the more things change the more they remain the same”. As a military dictator, thirty two years ago, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), truncated Nigeria’s Second Republic which was reputed for its scandalous corruption. That intervention lasted twenty months. Today, Buhari will be sworn in as the fourth elected president of Nigeria since the country’s return to civil rule in 1999, replacing a government that was associated with monumental corruption.

The transition from Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (GMB) to President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) has taken thirty years from when he was overthrown in a palace coup in August 1985. The expectations are high for the new president considering how corruption and years of ineffectual leadership have blighted a once promising country. But will anything change? Of course, it depends on the people you ask, where they come from and what interest they represent.

Personally, I don’t think it will be “business as usual”, at least on a private level, for Nigeria’s oldest president. Beyond his foibles – alleged provincialism and antecedent as a military dictator – Buhari is famed for his asceticism. President Buhari, 73 in December, obviously is a man who has seen it all. I agree completely that leadership is important and that Nigeria needs a strong and purposeful leader. Chances are that President Buhari will not toe the line of malevolent accumulation which has been the hallmark of leadership in Nigeria. He can bring this discipline to bear in the way Nigeria is governed in the next four years.

Candidate Buhari campaigned on the track record of integrity and anti-corruption. It is understandable, therefore, if Nigerians expect, and indeed, demand from him an end to the bleeding as far as corruption is concerned. Even though he has promised to draw a line between past malfeasance and the new order, I think there are a few politically exposed persons – both within the new government and the opposition – who ought to stand trial for their egregious financial crimes against the country whether as presidents, governors, ministers, lawmakers or contractors.

Indeed, President Buhari does not need to entangle himself in the debate about whether to probe certain ministers and individuals or not which dominated the political space preceding his inauguration. All he needs to do if he is serious about fighting corruption is to empower and make truly independent the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other state agencies responsible for tackling corruption. That way, he extricates himself from the “politics of fighting corruption”.

But looking at the big picture, is this intervention enough to pull Nigeria back from the brink? Nigeria, like many Facebook relationship updates, is complicated. Buhari rode to power at the behest of some people for whom what took place on Election Day, March 28, was nothing but state capture. The fundamental concerns will be how he navigates the interest of this group, his vision of a “new Nigeria”, the interest of millions of disillusioned and deprived citizens, but more important the lack of existential confidence in the nation Nigeria.
Nigeria is a nightmare. Ours is a country of many internal antagonisms and seemingly irreconcilable contradictions. These contradictions define our daily existence and relationship with one another; the antagonisms manifest in the mad quest for political power by individuals and power blocs within the country and ultimately their attitude to the nation’s resources. Reputed as one of the most corrupt nations in the world, Nigeria offers very little hope for self-fulfillment and survival.

Many have argued, and rightly so, that corruption remains perhaps Nigeria’s biggest problem. The hope, therefore, is that President Buhari, “Mr. Anti-corruption”, can deal with corruption and get the Nigerian state to function. So, why has the Nigerian state been unable to tame corruption and why has the state itself defied many attempts to make it functional? The answer is simple: we can’t have a functional state without a functional nation. Clearly, we can’t witness the rebirth of this nation, and by extension the Nigerian state, without unmaking Nigeria. In unmaking Nigeria, we have to deal with the fundamental fault lines that throw our nation into episodic convulsions and define our attitude to our common patrimony.

So while we bask in the euphoria of “change”, we necessarily have to rethink Nigeria. Nigerians must have this conversation not minding the intimidation, blackmail and threats routinely issued by those for whom this nation is a “perfect union”. There is an undeniable link between national identity and development. As Francis Fukuyama notes in his book, Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy, “Critical to the success of state building is a parallel process of nation building.” This is the missing puzzle in Nigeria’s quest for development.

The deep-seated corruption in Nigeria is fundamentally structural. Therefore, we have to dig a little further if we really want to tame this canker. Here again, I refer to Fukuyama’s seminal work and his assertion that, “Much of what passes for corruption is not simply a matter of greed but rather the by-product of legislators or public officials who feel more obligated to family, tribe, religion or ethnic group than to the national community and therefore divert money in that direction. They are not necessarily immoral people, but their circle of moral obligation is smaller than that of the polity for which they work.”

What I think Fukuyama is saying in essence is that you can’t deal with entrenched corruption as is the case in some parts of the world without first dealing with the crisis of identity or nationhood. There is no better proof of this notion than the nation Nigeria where the resource that ought to serve our collective purpose and need is pillaged because in the end, nobody really owns it.

It is for this reason that our rulers gratuitously stash billions of dollars – money they may never have access to – in foreign bank accounts; it explains why they would buy and invest in choice property – property they many never live in – around the world. It explains why the president of the federal republic can conveniently make a distinction between “stealing and corruption”; why when a governor or a minister is accused of corruption, for example, his or her “people” will rise in defence. They seem to be saying, “We know Minister A or Governor X is a thief, but he or she is our own thief.”

Essentially, the state, and by extension governance in Nigeria, is about how much of the “national cake” our politicians and rulers can appropriate for themselves and their “people,” not about service to the nation because the nation simply does not exist in their moral universe.

Undoubtedly, Nigeria desperately needs a leader to inspire the people, but we must also have a nation for that inspiration to be meaningful. In the end, this will not be about Buhari but about Nigeria. Buhari can definitely make a difference. If he doesn’t succeed, it won’t be for lack of trying. People have to feel ownership of this contraption called Nigeria for things to work.

I am leaving N9.2bn debt behind – Suswam

The outgoing Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, has disclosed that his administration will be leaving a dept profile of N9.2bn behind for the incoming administration of Samuel Ortom.

Suswam disclosed this at the Banquet Hall of the Government House Makurdi after presenting his handover notes to Ortom.

He said, “I am leaving behind a total debt profile of N9.2bn for the incoming administration.”

He said he regrets that he did not take the state to a greater heights after spending eight years as a governor.
“Surely, we did not take Benue State to a greater height but that doesn’t mean that we didn’t do our part as a government,” Suswam declared.

According to Suswam, he had remained a fulfilled man having provided the needed platform for the incoming administration to thrive, appealing to the media to extend the same gesture of goodwill to the incoming administration both in the state and at the federal levels.

As a measure of good faith, Suswam also announced that he had instructed his lawyers to withdraw a lawsuit he earlier instituted against Senator Barnabas Gemade at the election tribunal.

He pleaded with the people of the state to forgive him for some of the decisions he might have taken that were contrary to their wishes.

Kidnappers demand N50m ransom for Jonathan’s cousins

Gunmen who kidnapped Patience Egbeni and Kate Eni, cousins to President Goodluck Jonathan, have allegedly demanded N50 million ransom for their release.

The two women were kidnapped on May 20 at Akipelai, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

According to reports, the gunmen contacted their families five days after their abduction demanding the N50 million ransom to set them free.

However, Police Public Relations Officer, Butswat Asinim, said the victims had not been released, adding that he was not aware of the ransom demand. He also disclosed that security agencies were still making efforts to free them.

Jonathan’s Hometown Awaits Goodluck

Nigeria’s First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan is reportedly unhappy about the decision of the outgoing president to resettle at his country home in Otuoke, Bayelsa state, after he hands over to Muhammadu Buhari.

Seriake Dickson, the Bayelsa state governor, and other top government officials will receive Jonathan at the Government House helipad in Yenagoa.

The outgoing president will be hosted to a civic reception at the Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, before proceeding to his hometown in Otuoke where he will be received by chiefs and his kinsmen.



At the Dame Patience Jonathan Square in Otuoke, a gathering centre for the community, rows of plastic seats settled in a U-shape overlooks an open field that measures 35 by 25 feet.

Women sweep the dusty floors and men add fresh coats of paint on rails and beams.
Some young men outside the square are preparing giant loudspeakers and other musical equipment from a delivery truck.

Bestman Azibola, a member of the Ebele Compound in Otuoke said: “My people are very happy, we want to receive our son, our father, our brother.”

“My people are happy because there are some people they died on the seat, they didn’t go back to their people alive.


“And we want to thank God for one more thing again, because he is somebody that is very patient, very humble, at a time we were even thinking that there will be a problem in the country.”

But not everybody is happy about Jonathan’s homecoming. Belief Egbu, who sells drinks near Jonathan’s home said he was not very glad.

As the path snakes into Otuoke, a small signpost says: ‘Welcome to Otuoke. Home of Goodluck.’
“The man story tire people,” Egbu, a local of Abua/Odua local government in Rivers state said, as he wiped off sweat from his brow.

“As you are sweating now, suppose as you enter here, fan go blow you well. But no light,” Mr. Egbu said as this reporter sat sweating in his shop.



“For two weeks now, no light. They say they are doing the wiring since that time. “At least double express lane, well sound road supposed to lead here. Nothing.”

The town is not only in darkness, it also lacks drinkable water. A three-year-old water scheme by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources is still under creation.

At the residence of the outgoing president in Otuoke, workers are putting concluding touches to the five buildings in the premises.

On Thursday afternoon, May 28, soldiers detained a journalist from The Punch newspaper for taking pictures of the compound. While the residents of Otuoke differed on the expected level of infrastructural development in the community, they were agreed in one factor – the peace in the community. Azibola said that the area had always been a peaceful home for everybody.

He said: “If you watch, two-thirds of the community are strangers. Otuoke is a peace-loving community. We have never recorded a case of fight or war.”

Egbu said that despite his apparent failings, Jonathan’s people would always stand by him. “They may stone him at Yenagoa but not here in Otuoke. No matter what happens, he is one of us,” he added.



Meanwhile, two sources at the presidency in Abuja told Sahara Reporters that Dame Patience has made it clear that she does not want to be a part of her husband pilgrimage back to Bayelsa state.

One of the insiders said: “Dame Patience Jonathan has made it known that she wants to stay in Abuja, not Otuoke or Yenagoa.”

One of the two sources, who is quite close to the outgoing president, said that Jonathan’s post-presidential plans have caused several arguments between the Bayelsa-born president and his wife, who is originally from Rivers state.

He stated: “Patience and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan have been quarrelling over this issue, and Patience has now stubbornly refused to accompany President Jonathan back to Bayelsa.”
The outgoing First Lady reportedly plans to stay put in Abuja as her primary base in order to focus on her real estate business. Dame Patience developed many choice properties and lands in Abuja during the years her husband served as vice president, acting president, and president.

However, global attention shifts to Eagle Square in Abuja where all is set for the inauguration of Nigeria’s fifth democratically elected president, Muhammadu Buhari.

Jonathan’s Days In Power Are Over - Bayo Olupohunda

Today, the clueless, incompetent and “I-don’t-give-a-damn” President Goodluck Jonathan quits power. Yes, Nigerians can now heave a sigh of relief. With his exit, Jonathan has thus joined the growing list of former mediocre Nigerian leaders whose reigns have ensured our country never achieved her potential. Never in their wildest of dreams did Nigerians expect Jonathan to be such a sordid disappointment when they gave him the mandate four years ago. But can you blame them? Did Alexander Pope not write that “hope springs eternal in the human breast”? Unfortunately, the man Nigerians supported massively is just another deceptive politician who had no choice but to concede defeat after being forced out in an election he was beaten hands down.

And that is why Buhari’s inauguration is significant. For Nigerians, it is the end of the ‘Jonathan era’ and, hopefully, the beginning of a new epoch. Since the coming of democracy in 1999, power has traditionally been the exclusive preserve of the ruling party.  But today, the change of power will be of different kind. For the first time in our democratic experience, an opposition president is being sworn in in the sixteen years of the Fourth Republic. It is remarkable as it is momentous.

That an opposition president is riding in a motorcade round the Eagles Square while the incumbent returns quietly to his country home  is the reason why this year’s inauguration will occupy a special place in Nigeria’s political history. Getting to this stage of democracy was never easy: the battle has been long, rough and tough.

While some Nigerians believe this should have happened much earlier, still, it is better late than never. Just when Nigerians despaired that their country was becoming a one-party state, the opposition fought back, and, with the support of the citizens, snatched power from the party that had arrogantly boasted it would rule Nigeria for sixty years. No doubt that the triumph of the opposition has further strengthened our democracy. A situation where one party had dominated the polity and had become a monster would have not been good for our democracy.

The PDP’s arrogance of power led to its fall. Nigerians must be resolved that no political party or leader takes them for granted again. As Buhari rides triumphantly to the presidential villa today, Nigerians hope it is indeed a new beginning. The hopes are high, as are the stakes. Nigerians are looking forward to the next four years, hoping that the country will be governed differently. They want a clear departure from the mediocrity of the Jonathan’s presidency.

And they have every right to hope because they have waited long enough to experience the dividends of democracy. Nigerians are suffering. They have endured sixteen years of rudderless leadership — a situation made worse under the visionless Jonathan-led administration.

What have Nigerians gained from democracy in sixteen years? The answer is debatable. Perhaps maybe we are freer now to express ourselves? But are we better than we were when Jonathan assumed leadership six years ago? Standards of living have become lower. Statistics show that more Nigerians are living in poverty today than they were six years ago. Insecurity, corruption, power outages, unemployment, infrastructure have worsened. Virtually every aspect of our national life has seen no improvement.

A large chunk of the Nigeria’s resources are being shared by the few political elite while the masses are being fed the crumbs. Corruption has become acceptable under the outgoing president’s leadership. The economy has worsened. Insecurity across the country continues to claim lives in thousands. In sixteen years, sectarian violence has claimed lives not seen in war a war situation. The outgoing Jonathan administration often claims that the growth rate means that economy is doing well. But, according to the World Bank statistics, in the five years of the outgoing administration, more Nigerians have fallen into poverty than in any other period in Nigerian history. As Jonathan leaves for Otuoke today, about 110 of the Nigeria’s 170 million population live on the margin of poverty. So which sector recorded any significant achievement under Jonathan? Maybe the much-vaunted agriculture?

As for education, Nigeria still remains one of the few world countries that will not have achieved the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. The seven MDGs goals remain unachieved, despite all the resources expended to make it happen. A ready example is the MDG goal for education. Notwithstanding the amount of resources wasted on widening access to education for boys and girls, Nigeria still has over 10.5 million children out of school. The state of public education across the federation paints a sad picture of how we have fared as a country under this democracy. The conditions in classrooms in public schools are worse than in detention camps.

For these reasons, Nigerians hope that the change being witnessed today would be a real one to transform the country. They have waited, and in waiting, their hopes have been dashed too many times. Today, they look into the future with optimism. But, given that their hopes have been dashed and dreams deferred by previous administrations, this newfound expectance must be tempered with cautious optimism.

Yet, given the reputation of Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerians are looking up to him to change the business as usual practice in Abuja. They are hoping   President-elect Buhari will change the country and set it on the path of greatness — a potential that has eluded the country under the PDP. Can the APC do it?
Indeed, the crises that marked Goodluck Jonathan’s last days in office explained why Nigerians had to reject him at the polls. For the past month, the government appeared to be completely absent. Nigeria seems to be a country running on auto-pilot. For several weeks, Nigeria has been in the throes of a debilitating fuel scarcity. No one knows what is happening. President Jonathan did not hold it an important issue to brief Nigerians about. All we hear are accusations and counter-accusations between the finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy, Dr Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, and the marketers over payment of subsidy claims.

Meanwhile, power supply has dropped to an all-time low. The entire country is in darkness. That the president chose to do nothing and not address Nigerians show his disdain and incompetence. But it is not surprising; the response fits into the character of a president whose catalogue of failures is the cause of his exit today.

We hear our country owes 60 billion dollars. How will the incoming administration meet these obligations? Civil servants in 18 states of the federation have not been paid for several months. Certainly, President Jonathan is leaving behind a nation in crisis — a nation in debt; a nation with broken infrastructure where practically nothing works. Due to his incompetence, he is leaving a country in deep economic and social crisis. He leaves Nigeria more divided more divided than he met it.

As we say goodbye to Jonathan and welcome the Buhari administration, we must never forget the past for we risk making the mistakes that would doom the future of our country. Never again shall this country be ruled by a man like Jonathan whose cluelessness, incompetence and “I-don’t-give-a-damn” response to critical national issues almost ruined Nigeria.

Today Marks A New Beginning For Nigeria - Tinubu

Ahead of Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration today, the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has sent his goodwill message to the incoming president.

Addressing Nigerians, Tinubu noted that today marks a new beginning in the country as Buhari is expected to take over the mantle of leadership from the outgoing president, Goodluck Jonathan.

According to the former governor of Lagos state, today will be recorded in the country’s history as the moment when democrats were finally given an opportunity to participate in Democracy Day.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Gen Muhammadu Buhari

In his words, “The celebrations, prior to this, were false showings; they were the commemoration of wrong. The path we have taken to come to this august moment has not been one of easy victory or swift progress”.

Excerpts from his statement read;

“Today shall be recorded in our history as the moment when democrats have finally been allowed to participate in Democracy Day. The reason for this is the millions of average Nigerians, who voted to make the day a reality. Should any of you wish to see a true hero of democracy, don’t fret. Just look into the nearest mirror.

“Instead, it has been a path hewed by the triumph of resilience over broken promises and fraudulent avowals of representative governance. Reaching this fine moment has been a story told in the cadence of the victory of the common good over arrogant power.

 “The voice of the solitary poor man, no one hears. But the votes of the poor became a potent army, capable of toppling the very citadel of high privilege in order to bring forth national awakening, no less historic and important than the very birth of this nation.

“Today, we shall witness the inauguration of Muhammadu Buhari, a great, honourable and dedicated public servant as our President. This is indeed an inspiring moment, a turning-point in our national direction and the reclamation of our best destiny.

“We shall celebrate this achievement but not in mindless, care-free fashion. The road ahead is still choked with the debris of problems left too long unattended.

“We are well aware of the challenges pitted against our wellbeing. Insecurity, economic decline and corruption, we must fight and fight as if we are going to war not a carnival.
“Most of all, we must fight the temptation of hopelessness, the sense that little good will come out of even the greatest efforts”.

Meanwhile, Tinubu also assured Africans that the Buhari administration will work tirelessly to contribute its quota to the development of the African continent.

Sex is not love, declares Thelma Omone O’khaz

on May 29, 2015   /   in Entertainment, News 12:29 am   /   Comments

Nollywood actress-turned-singer, Thelma Omone O’khaz is not new to controversy.In the recent past, the actress has stirred up controversy where she was accused of bleaching her skin.
She even went ahead to confirm the story with her tweets. Thelma is back again to stir up another controversy. Recently, she declared online that “Sex is not love.”She made this declaration while reacting to a pathetic story posted on Facebook.
Thelma said, “ Somewhere the definition of womanhood changed, too. Ladies, and I use the term loosely, stop spreading your legs for everyman to bit, smooth talking guy that comes along. SEX IS NOT LOVE! Do you agree with her ?

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/sex-is-not-love-declares-thelma-omone-okhaz/#sthash.oTuxJAfG.dpuf

 

Nollywood actress-turned-singer, Thelma Omone O’khaz is not new to controversy.In the recent past, the actress has stirred up controversy where she was accused of bleaching her skin.

She even went ahead to confirm the story with her tweets. Thelma is back again to stir up another controversy. Recently, she declared online that “Sex is not love.”She made this declaration while reacting to a pathetic story posted on Facebook.

Thelma said, “ Somewhere the definition of womanhood changed, too. Ladies, and I use the term loosely, stop spreading your legs for everyman to bit, smooth talking guy that comes along. SEX IS NOT LOVE! Do you agree with her ?

NDLEA ends siege on Kashamu’s house after six days

After six days of laying siege on the residence of Senator-elect, Prince Buruji Kashamu, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, last night vacated the Lekki residence of the embattled chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Kashamu had been restricted to the toilet of his bedroom since the siege began.
Confirming the latest development, Kashamu’s media aide, Austin Oniyokor, said NDLEA operatives have departed, adding that Kashamu was presently attending to his health and would speak to the media after recovering.

Oniyokor thanked the judiciary for their intervention.

“We also salute the judiciary for once again rising to the occasion and proving yet that it is truly the last hope of the common man and the oppressed. We are grateful that the judiciary has again affirmed Prince Buruji Kashamu’s innocence of the charges against him, thus turning for good what was meant for evil.

“Our appreciation also goes to the media, civil society groups, student bodies and all well-meaning Nigerians for their prayers, support and solidarity during the period.

“After attending to his health, Prince Kashamu will address the media, Nigerians and the whole world on his ordeal and the intricate web of political intrigues behind the wicked attempt to abduct him for no just cause using the instrument and machinery of state.”

PDP sycophants held Jonathan hostage for six years – Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia

A former governor of old Bendel State, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, has declared that President Goodluck Jonathan

was held hostage in the course of his six year in office by a cabal of sycophants in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The elder statesman, who made his views known on Wednesday in Benin, the Edo State capital, further noted that for the PDP to return to power, it has to work twice as hard as the ‘determined’ All Progressives Congress, APC.

According to him, “PDP is made up of responsible people in the country, but these responsible people are
people who do not welcome any type of challenge, argument or interference. So, once they took their decision, they didn’t want anyone else to know what led to that decision and nobody should challenge them. Because of that, they held the president hostage all these years.

“Some of his advisers, before they met with Jonathan for certain issues, first met to decide what they were going to tell him, who would speak, who would oppose, while the rest would support it and majority would carry the vote. They would plan it that way before meeting the President. So, Jonathan would have no option than to go ahead and they succeeded in a number of cases and that led to what we have today.

“When the PDP won the first election, it was overwhelming. As a result, they mismanaged their victory and having mismanaged the victory the outcome is defeat. So if they want to win elections in future against a determined party like the APC, they must work twice as hard like they have done in the past. PDP did not put its home in order. Most APC members today were formerly in PDP,” Ogbemudia stated.

BREAKING: Adesina emerges African Development Bank president

Nigeria’s Agriculture Minister, Akinwumi Adesina has emerged president of the African Development Bank.
The pan-African lender made this disclosure via its Twitter account on Thursday.

Adesina will now take over from outgoing bank president, Donald Kaberuka on September 1.

The election was part of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the bank in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

He defeated contenders like Sufian Ahmed, Jaloul Ayed, Kordjé Bedoumra, Cristina Duarte, Samura M. W. Kamara,Thomas Z. Sakala and Birama Boubacar Sidibé to become the 50-year-old body’s eighth leader.
Earlier, President-elect Muhammadu Buhari had requested the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to support the candidacy of Adesina as the body’s president.

Gen. Buhari had communicated his backing of Dr. Adesina’s candidacy to Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, the chairman of ECOWAS, a statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, said.

According to him, Gen. Buhari said his support of Dr. Adesina’s candidacy was not just because he is a Nigerian.

”Dr. Adesina has a proven track record in a career that predates his position as Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development.”

Dr. Adesina is also an agricultural development expert with 24 years of experience in developing and managing successful agricultural Programmes across Africa.

Until his appointment as the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2011, he was the Vice President, Policy and Partnerships Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Additionally, he has held senior leadership positions in a number of agricultural institutions in the world.

Timi Blaze unveils record label

Genius Music’ young and vibrant music producer, Dawodu Oluwadurotimi popularly known as Timi Blaze, has finally unveiled his new independent record label, called Genius Music.   The record label unveiling also coincided with the release of his 15 track debut mixtape tagged ‘Just B4 I Begin’. The mixtape features great music acts in the African music scene.

Timi Blaze

According to the fast-rising rapper cum record label founder, there are too many record labels in the country that are solely for profit with little or no preference for quality music. He however stated that Genius Music is concerned about creating a platform that can help develop upcoming artistes who have real talents and not the junk that characterize the country’s musical landscape.

He further noted that the label has the interest of artistes at heart and not just concerned with profit making.

He said, “The label is set up by an artiste for artistes. We are not biased to signing ready-made superstars, rather we want to discover as many raw talents as we can and providing them with the right sustainable platform to horn their craft and talents regardless of the genre they represent. We shall also be responsible for promoting and distributing their jobs across the world.”

The Genius brand is a consortium of entertainment professionals and music industry stakeholders. It is a subsidiary of the Genius Creative Group, a creative media company based in Lagos, which specializes in music production and events management. ‘Lagos: Fastest Growing City in the World and the Future of Planet Earth’ featuring late Fatai Rolling Dollar. It should be recalled that Duro produced Fatai’s hit ‘Won kere si number.’

In a similar vein, the songs are part of a ten-track album project started in 2009 by Ikujenyo and produced by Gold Records and The New Age Production. Artistes featured on the songs include Nigerian–European singers, Ayinke Martins and Keziah Jones. Meanwhile, the new songs and documentary will be officially unveiled at Bogobiri House, Ikoyi, Lagos, on 5 June, 2015, from7pm to 11pm at an event which marks the concluding two weeks program of Africa Day.

This performance also marks thirty six years of Duro Ikujenyo on stage. His career started as a rhythm pianist with Fela and the Egypt 80 in May 25, 1979.

Genius Music’ young and vibrant music producer, Dawodu Oluwadurotimi popularly known as Timi Blaze, has finally unveiled his new independent record label, called Genius Music.   The record label unveiling also coincided with the release of his 15 track debut mixtape tagged ‘Just B4 I Begin’. The mixtape features great music acts in the African music scene.

Timi Blaze

According to the fast-rising rapper cum record label founder, there are too many record labels in the country that are solely for profit with little or no preference for quality music. He however stated that Genius Music is concerned about creating a platform that can help develop upcoming artistes who have real talents and not the junk that characterize the country’s musical landscape.
He further noted that the label has the interest of artistes at heart and not just concerned with profit making.
He said, “The label is set up by an artiste for artistes. We are not biased to signing ready-made superstars, rather we want to discover as many raw talents as we can and providing them with the right sustainable platform to horn their craft and talents regardless of the genre they represent. We shall also be responsible for promoting and distributing their jobs across the world.”
The Genius brand is a consortium of entertainment professionals and music industry stakeholders. It is a subsidiary of the Genius Creative Group, a creative media company based in Lagos, which specializes in music production and events management. ‘Lagos: Fastest Growing City in the World and the Future of Planet Earth’ featuring late Fatai Rolling Dollar. It should be recalled that Duro produced Fatai’s hit ‘Won kere si number.’
In a similar vein, the songs are part of a ten-track album project started in 2009 by Ikujenyo and produced by Gold Records and The New Age Production. Artistes featured on the songs include Nigerian–European singers, Ayinke Martins and Keziah Jones. Meanwhile, the new songs and documentary will be officially unveiled at Bogobiri House, Ikoyi, Lagos, on 5 June, 2015, from7pm to 11pm at an event which marks the concluding two weeks program of Africa Day.
This performance also marks thirty six years of Duro Ikujenyo on stage. His career started as a rhythm pianist with Fela and the Egypt 80 in May 25, 1979.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/timi-blaze-unveils-record-label/#sthash.RD5Am5Yv.dpuf