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ROTIMI AJAYI, Abuja, WALE AKINOLA THE Federal Government, yesterday, reversed its sack order on Vice-president Atiku Abubakar, saying he remains the nations number two citizen pending the decision of the Court of Appeal on the case filed by it on the matter. The Presidency reversed the sack order, just as the inference drawn from the statement by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that Atiku had been disqualified from the April presidential poll drew reaction from the vice-president who declared that only the court can stop him from vying in the election. On the Presidencys affirmation that he remained the vice president, he said that the development was evident that governments advisers were confused. The governments position was contained in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by President Olusegun Obasanjos spokesperson, Mrs Oluremi Oyo. Another aide, Mallam Uba Sani, had, last weekend, said the Presidency had declared the vice-presidents seat vacant based on Atikus defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the Action Congress, AC, which presidential ticket he picked penultimate week. Oyos statement yesterday stated that Obasanjo had not authorised the statement by Uba over the vice-presidents status. The statement by the presidential spokesperson read: €œIn view of recent reports and comments in the media on the current status of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the present administration, the Presidency wishes to state as follows: At its last meeting in December 2006, the National Executive Committee of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) decided to regard Alhaji Atiku Abubakars acceptance of his nomination as presidential candidate of the Action Congress as clear evidence of his voluntary abandonment of the PDP and the joint ticket with President Olusegun Obasanjo that made him vice president. €œThe PDP NEC further decided that because of his voluntary desertion of the party, Atiku Abubakar is no longer a member of the PDP. These decisions were subsequently conveyed to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in his capacity as president of Nigeria and leader of the PDP, as well as to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Assembly. Consequent upon these decisions and action, the minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation has asked the Court of Appeal for a legal interpretation of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 in this regard. The Presidency has not authorized any other comment on this matter other than the decisions and action of the PDP and the Attorney-General of the Federation. Atiku fights back on qualification Yesterday, the vice president dismissed the insinuation that he had been barred from contesting the April presidential election as the AC candidate on the grounds of INECs statement that anybody indicted by a government panel for fraud cannot vie in the forthcoming general elections.€œThe impression that the vice president has been banned or disqualified from contesting the presidential election is wrong. The Electoral Act is clear on how to disqualify candidates from the election, the vice presidents spokesperson, Dr. Adeolu Akande, told Sunday Vanguard. The spokesperson pointed out that INEC has no such role as to ban candidates from contesting election. He went on: €œWhat the Electoral Act says is that, after INEC has published the list of candidates preparatory to the general elections as the electoral body has done, any member of the public who believes that any of the candidates does not qualify to stand election according to the 1999 Constitution and the 2006 Electoral Act will swear to affidavit in court calling attention to the grounds of petition. €œThen the candidate will have opportunity to defend himself and the court will decide. It is the court judgement that INEC will apply to disqualify the candidate. If anybody feels that Atiku cannot stand as a candidate in the forthcoming polls, such a person should follow due process. €œThe interpretation that the vice president has been barred by INEC is based on the so-called indictment by President Obasanjos administrative panel. It is common knowledge that the EFCC and the administrative panels reports as well as government gazette on the indictment have been set aside by a competent court of law which the EFCC has acknowledged by appealing to the Court of Appeal. €œUnless a superior court rules otherwise, any attempt to stop the vice president from the forthcoming polls based on the indictment does not arise in law. What we are witnessing is the desperation of the opponents of the vice president who are afraid of his political profile and who are already panicking about the outcome of any election against him. €œWe believe Nigeria is governed by the law and not the whims and caprices of some individuals. The position of the law is clear - there is no EFCC report, there is no administrative panel report, there is no gazette. Those who are basing their expectations that Atiku will not contest the presidential election on the EFCC report, the administrative panel report and gazette are only day-dreaming. They should simply get set to face the vice president at the polls rather than wasting their time. €œIs it not instructive that those who claim Atiku is of no political consequence have now elevated stopping him from contesting to a lifetime ambition? The choice of the next president is that of Nigerians to make and not for any individual or king. We remain committed to defending the right of the people to elect their president. Speaking on the Presidencys reversal of the sack order on the vice president, the spokesperson stated: €œIt is evident that governments counsellors and handlers are confused. Adeolu continued: €œThey have allowed their desperation to stop Atiku from contesting the election to force them into frustration and confusion. Let us hope that this would be the last statement they would issue on the status of the VP. But we have never been in any doubt on Atikus status. Sunday, January 07, 2007 The Vanguard Newspaper
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Written by Administrator
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Name of Party Presidential Candidate Running Mate Action Congress (AC) Atiku Abubakar Dr. Chudi Nwike ANPP Muhammadu Buhari Edwin Ume-Ezeoke AD Chief Adebayo Adefarati Mahmoud Danjuma ADC Prof. Pat Utomi Fresh Dr. Chris Okotie Fela Akinola Binutu ACPN Alhaji Tajudeen Ariori APS Lawrence Famakinde Adedoyin Ayeh Yahaya Daniel APGA Chukwuemeka Odumegu Ojukwu, Ibrahim Gajo BNPP Iheanyi Chukwu Godswill Nnaji Adamu Musa CPP Maxi Okwu Rabiat Yasat PDP Musa Yara dua Goodluck Jonathan PPA Orji Uzor Kalu Maryam Ibrahim Baba NPC Vivian Roli Ijeoma MMN Mojisola Obasanjo Isa Baba Sarki HDP Ambrose Owuru Bello Bako ND Isa Odidi Oluwafolami Akeem Bello NNPP Galjima Baboyi Liman RPN Sunny Joseph Okogwu Larai Umaru NDP Aliyu Habu Fari Joni Icheke. NCP Osagie Obayuwana Yunusa Tanko PRP Sani Mustapha DPP Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa Timothy Uzodinma Nwala NUP Aminu Garbati Abubakar Kingsley Onye-Eze Ibe PMP Arthur Nwankwo
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Written by Administrator
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Again the Southern Kaduna people lost out in the power game in Kaduna state. Like the people of the South South who were agitating to produce Nigeria s president in 2007, agitations by the Southern Kaduna people to produce the governor of Kaduna state next year was dashed as none of their own pick the PDP ticket during its recent governorship primaries.
The Southern Kaduna people naturally feel that it is their turn to produce the governor of the state in 2007. This feeling stemmed from their claim that since the creation of the state, they have not produce the governor..
Kaduna state is a miniature Nigeria . It is seen in the context of North and South. The Northern part being dominated by the Hausa Fulani Muslims while the Southern part is predominately Christians with over 50 different ethnic groups.
The Southern part of the state has always alleged that the Northern part of the state has dominated the states political scene for too long insisting that there should be power shift in the interest of fairness and justice.
Their claimed, political observers agree has some merits when one look at the past and present leadership of the state, especially in a democratic set ups.
For instance, during the First Republic , Alhaji Balarabe Musa from the North was the governor of the state. When Musa was impeached, he was succeeded by Alhaji Abba Musa Rimi also from the Northern part of the state. In 1983, another Alhaji Lawal Kaita, from the North (now in Katsina state) was elected governor.
In the third Republic, Alhaji Dabo Lere was elected governor and since the beginning of this dispensation Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi from the North has been the governor for two terms.
The new dimension to the politics of the state is the insistence by the North that power sharing should be seen in the context of the three senatorial Zones in the state and not in the context of the North South divide. The three senatorial zones include the Northern Zone, the Central Zone and the Southern Zone. The Northern senatorial zone is exempted from the 2007 governorship race because governor Makarfi is from that Zone.
Therefore the governorship contest was zoned to the central and Southern senatorial Zones. However, the south was comfortable with this arrangement. By including the Central senatorial zone, the belief in the south is that the Muslims in the Northern part of the state are just being tactical as the ultimate aim of this arrangement is to give power to one of their Muslim brothers in the Central zone under the guise of power shift.
They argued that the central zone was just for administrative purpose to ensure that the state is at par with other states since the constitution stipulates that three senators should come from each state. Kaduna , they insist must be seen from the Christian/Muslim, South/North perspective.
So it was not surprising when Alhaji Namadi Sambo, an architect and a businessman emerged as the winner of the run off governorship primaries.
Right from the onset, it was obvious that Sambo who is seen by many as a political neophyte and who was dragged into the PDP was the anointed one of governor Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi.
Among the Nine governorship aspirants who contested for the primaries, he was the last to join the race. He joined the race barely a month before the primaries and was supported with state machineries during his short electioneering campaign. Some government officials were seen at his campaign activities.
His emergence as the PDP governorship candidate is said to be causing ripples among top members of the party in the state even as political analysts continued to wonder whether Sambo has the capacity to govern a state like Kaduna .
It was learnt that some prominent members of the party in the state saw the emergence of Sambo as a political disaster.
€œThis man is not a politician, he has never contributed anything for the progress of the party, he much does he know about Kaduna state and its diverse nature, but the powers that be can have their own say, we will see what will happen during election time said an PDP member who is opposed to Sambos candidature and who did not want his name in print.
No wonder as somebody who is a political greenhorn when Sambo addressed his maiden press conference, somebody had to whisper to him the party slogan as salutation to his supporters when it was noticed that he started the event without the usual slogan of the PDP: €œ PDP!!!, Power to the people!
Sambo is a successful businessman and is said to be governor Makarfis close business associate. His company, NALADO Nigeria Limited has benefited from some of the major contracts in the state. For instance, the Zaria Water project and the six stadia contracts worth billions of Naira were awarded to the company.
But one of the major challenges before Sambo is the ongoing rumour about his state of origin. The rumour that has become the talk of the town is that he is from Bauchi state even though he claimed that he is from Zaria . His opponents seem to be making an issue out of this rumour.
The questions that political observers keep on asking is why did Makarfi refuse to support Senator Isaiah Balat, his close political associate who is believed to have been instrumental his becoming governor in 1999 and in 2003.
Because of his relationship with Makarfi, Balat was said to have delivered majority votes from his people from Southern Kaduna for the governor.
He was a steering and transition committee chairman of the Makarfi Campaign Organisation. Balat was also in the fore front in the campaign for Makarfis presidential ambition before he (Makarfi) withdrew from the race.
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A shrewd and polished politician who commands tremendous respect in the PDP at the grassroots, the state and at the national level many people thought that Balat was going to the first governor of Kaduna state from the southern part of the state.
Of all the nine aspirants, he was an early starter in his campaigns.
Analyst are of the view that Makarfis choice of Sambo is to enable him have some influence after he has left office, someone he can easily control, someone who can protect him when he is out of government.
Some top PDP members in the state believe that Makarfi wants to hand over to someone he can easily control, what is being referred to as €œthe Adamawa model. (i.e. a governor who is weak and can easily be controlled and manipulated by a godfather.)
The failure of the southern Kaduna People to come out with their candidate through consensus also affected their chances. Prior to the governorship primaries, the officials of the PDP in the Southern Kaduna Senatorial District met at their headquarters at Kafanchan and unanimously resolved that the Zone had adopted Balat as its consensus candidate for the primaries.
The resolution of the meeting was communicated to all the aspirants from the zone. There were three aspirants from the area They include Senator Isaiah Balat , former minister for works and housing Mr. Garba Charles Madaki and the deputy governor of the state, Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa.
In a letter, titled €œReport on Governorship Aspirants from Southern Kaduna to the chairmen of the stakeholders - The Clergy, Elders Forum, and the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) and signed by the Zonal chairman of the party, Hon. Musa Nikaf the leaders adopted Balat as a consensus candidate.
"The Zonal EXCO has met and after careful examination of the suitability of each candidate, the party EXCO agreed that they are all suitable and could contest. But looking into their political records as it relate to PDP in the state, the following conditions/criteria were assessed:
"They include (a) strength of structure on the ground across the state; (b) consistence in pursuance of aspiration; and (c) financial strength and capacity to push hard.
"The Zonal EXCO collectively resolved that Senator Isaiah Balat be given the chance to fight further on behalf of the Southern Kaduna in the forth coming primary election. We hope that his decision will take us to the promise land" the letter read in part.
This decision was discarded by Madaki and Yakowa who insisted on going ahead in the race.
It was further learnt that the renown clergy and social critic, Rev. Fr. Matthew Hassan Kukak made determined efforts to bring the three aspirants together for a round table discussion for a consensus but his efforts were vain.
However, considering the political scene in the state, the chances of the PDP retaining the governorship race in Kaduna state looks cloudy. The Southern Kaduna people see the emergence of another Hausa Fulani Muslim as the governor of the state again as a betrayal in a state where they are equal stakeholders. For a long time, they have been agitating for powershift to their zone.
With the outcome of the primaries, it is very likely that there may be protest votes against the PDP in the area. Incidentally, the governorship candidates of the ANPP(Senator Ahmed Mukhtar Aruwa) and the Action Congress (AC) Alhaji Musa Bello are all Hausa Fulani Muslims. Other parties are yet to hold their primaries.
According to the President of the Southern Kaduna Youth Vanguard (SOKAYOV) and aspirant to the state House of Assembly on the platform of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) Mr. Mordecai Ibrahim, all hope is not lost
According to him, the Southern Kaduna People are working towards a direction adding that any political party that gives a credible Southern Kaduna man its ticket will have massive support of the people of the area.
€œOur people are working towards one direction, the party is not the problem but the candidate. Any party that presents a credible person from Southern Kaduna as its governorship candidate will have massive support of our people Mr. Ibrahim stated while reacting to the outcome of the PDP governorship primaries in the state.
Also speaking the National President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) a socio cultural and political umbrella of the over 50 ethnic groups in Southern Kaduna, Mr. Abokie Galadima, hinted that a meeting of all political actors in the area would soon be convene to review the political events in the state.
Abokie said the meeting had not been convene because of the ongoing convention of some of the political parties.
The SOKAPU president who declined to make any statement regarding their quest for powershift said their position would be made known when political leaders in the area meet.
From the look of things, the governorship election in Kaduna state come 2007 will be tough. Religious and ethnic sentiments are likely going to come to play just as it happened during the run off election between Balat and Sambo.
During the run off election, a leaflet was circulated among some of the delegates. In the leaflet, there were allegations that Balat had a hand in the Zangon Kataf crisis and that he cannot be trusted with the governorship of the state.
Religious issues are explosive in Kaduna state, which had witnessed its share of ethno religious crisis in the past years.
If religion is brought to fore during the elections it will affect the state negatively. The PDP is certainly not going to have the state on a platter of gold.
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Written by Administrator
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EMMA AZIKEN Abuja
Posted to the Web: Sunday, December 31, 2006
*Electoral Act provision fuels anxiety over elections
THE next presidential election holding as scheduled will be determined by the health of the candidates so far nominated for the election slated for April 21, 2007. A provision in the 2006 Electoral Act stipulates that the election would be postponed should any one of the candidates presented by any of the about fifty political parties die before the scheduled date of the poll.
The provision which was eliciting concern among politicians in Abuja at the weekend was being regarded by some to be a time-bomb planted to frustrate the scheduled exit of President Olusegun Obasanjo after two terms in office on May 29, 2007.
However, Senator David Brigidi, chairman of the Senate ad-hoc Committee that packaged the Electoral Bill in the Senate, defended the provision as reasonable, saying it was meant to ensure that all registered political parties have the opportunity of fielding presidential candidates irrespective of untoward developments against any of their candidates.
Dr. Mohammed Jumare, commissioner in charge of information at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), responding to Sunday Vanguard enquiries on the issue, said the commission was yet to take a stand on the consequences of the death of any of the presidential candidates on the conduct of the election.
He, nevertheless, asserted the determination of the electoral body to give a level playing ground to all parties irrespective of any untoward development meeting any candidate.
The controversial provision in section 37(1) reads thus: €šIf after the time for the delivery of nomination paper and before the commencement of the poll, a nominated candidate dies, the Chief National Electoral Commissioner or the Resident Electoral Commissioner shall, being satisfied of the fact of the death, countermand the poll in which the deceased candidate was to participate and the Commission shall appoint some other convenient date for the election."
Under the guidelines issued by INEC for the conduct of the 2007 elections, parties are supposed to send in their nominations latest by January 29, though they still have opportunities to substitute candidates until February.
Responding to the development, a member of the House of Representatives, who saw it as an attempt to defer the 2007 election and ultimately prolong the life of the Obasanjo administration, expressed concern, calling on all Nigerians to pray for the sustenance of the lives of all the candidates.But, in a telephone comment, weekend, Senator Brigidi said the provision was made to ensure that no political party lost the opportunity to field a candidate as a result of extraneous circumstances.
According to him, INEC is supposed to reschedule the elections to within two weeks of the original date earlier scheduled for the polls. Besides the death of a nominated candidate, INEC would also be able to postpone the scheduled election on account of a local or a national disaster or even cancel the elections should the total votes cast in the polls exceed the number of registered voters.
Section 27(1) which gives the basis of shifting an election on account of an emergency states thus: Where a date has been appointed for the holding of an election, and there is reason to believe that a serious breach of the peace is likely to occur if the election is to proceeded with on that date or it is impossible to conduct the elections as a result of natural disasters or other emergencies, the Commission may postpone the election and shall in respect of the area, or areas concerned, appoint another date the holding of the postponed election.
Section 54 (2) which gives the basis of cancelling an election on account of the number of votes cast states thus: Where the votes cast at an election in any constituency or polling station exceeds the number of registered voters in that constituency or polling station, the election for that constituency or polling station shall be declared null and void by the Commission and another election shall be conducted at a date to be fixed by the Commission.
The Punch Newspapers
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Written by Administrator
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From Martins Oloja, Abuja Bureau Chief
THE presidency which may be seeking to declare Vice President Atiku Abubakar's seat vacant, has again taken more punitive actions against him.
The latest, which came into force on December 22, 2006, involves the redeployment of all the civil servants attached to Abubakar's office to the core public service.
A copy of the letter re-assigning the workers was signed by one Mr. O.G. Abiose on behalf of the Principal Secretary to the President.
The measure came on the heels of Abubakar's insistence that he remains the nation's vice president and would soon return from his vacation in the United States (U.S.) to continue in that capacity.
There were indications at the weekend that the presidency and indeed the Federal Government were disturbed about the insistence of the vice president to return to his office this week.
In the new move, all essential workers who were civil servants posted to the office including those that had always been there were redeployed to the Public Service Office (PSO) in the Office of the Head of Service. The PSO is generally regarded as the morgue of those declared redundant in the public service.
The deployment letter titled: "Redeployment of pool officers in the State House," directed all the affected staff to the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation. The letter read in part: "I am directed to inform you that following the directive of the President and Commander-in-Chief, you have been redeployed, being pool staff of the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, with effect from 22nd December, 2006."
The letter continued: "Please, endeavour to hand over all government property in your custody to the undersigned and report to the Head of Service of the Federation for further posting instruction."
Some of the affected workers reportedly called the vice president in the U.S. to inform him about the development. He was said to have told them to be calm and collected even as he assured them that he would be back in due course.
The four departments affected by the presidential directive are Press, Protocol, Catering and Principal Secretary.
Penultimate Friday, the office of the Vice President was declared vacant by the Presidency. Abubakar was also expelled from his former political platform, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for decamping to the Action Congress (AC). At the AC convention held in Lagos last month, Abubakar emerged its presidential candidate. He is yet to pick a running mate.
The presidency's action is now being challenged in a court in Abuja where both the President and the Vice President are seeking judicial interpretation of Sections 142 to 146 of the 1999 Constitution.
The Presidency upon the prodding of the PDP, said it relied on Section 142 to 146 of the constitution to move against Abubakar.
As the crisis escalates, security agencies have been put on the alert in Abuja, especially on the possible return of the Vice President who at the moment has no functional office.
The Guardian confirmed from sources in the Presidency that there had indeed been a directive to disallow him from going into his office.
There are also speculations that he may be arrested right at the airport on return from the U.S. Already, all the protocol vehicles have been impounded and all the protocol officers withdrawn.
Abubakar confirmed to the Voice of America (VOA) television service at the weekend that he would return to his office on schedule even as he denied that he was running away from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Guardian , Lagos
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