NAIJA POLITICAL NEWS!

I haven't done anything political in a while. Mostly because everything that has been going on in Nigeria in the last few weeks have all been negative. But then I realised nothing positive was going on in the politics of many countries. Besides that the 2007 general elections is taking place 14th and 21st respectively and I'll like to keep y'all updated with how things are happening.

Here goes...

Obasanjo relocates to Lagos
President Olusegun Obasanjo relocated to Lagos on Thursday April 12th ahead of the 14th April Governorship elections. Of all the 36 states in the federation, I wonder why he choose to be in Lagos to monitor the election. Newspapers are reporting it's because of his determination to win Lagos State, that has been eluding the PDP since 1999.

Why the work-free days were declared
Also, President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday said the work-free-days were meant to enable Nigerians who may need to travel out of their bases in order to cast their votes to do so. The President added that during the election period, law abiding citizens are advised to avoid night travel and night movement except where absolutely necessary. There was a sudden declaration of public holidays on Thursday and Friday 12th and 13th in Naija. It was too sudden.

Trouble-makers will be dealth with
President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday read the riot acts to those planning to perpetrate violence during the April 14 governorship and state assembly elections as well as the April 21 Presidential and National Assembly polls. He warned them to desist from such acts or have themselves to blame, stressing that the will of the Federal Government to contain such violent acts should not be tested.

Atiku accused of planning to scuttle the elections
The Atiku Campaign Organisation has denied an allegation by the Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Mr. Uba Sani, in which he accused Vice President Atiku Abubakar of planning to scuttle the elections. But the Presidency yesterday advised the Vice President to accept the fact that the game is over for him as far as the presidential race is concerned, adding that it does not in any way feel threatened by him. In a statement yesterday, the Atiku Campaign said ordinarily, it would have dismissed Uba Sani’s allegations as typical of an unsound mind, but for the gravity of the charges."First, we would like to restate that the Vice President is a strong believer in the rule of law and a committed democrat which is why he has so far resorted to the law courts to clear his name of all charges against him. He has pursued his presidential ambition in a peaceful and democratic manner," it stated

Soyinka, others accuse FG of instigating violence
A group of eminent Nigerians, including Nobel laureate and leader of the Democratic Front for a Peoples Federation (DFPF), Professor Wole Soyinka; All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) presidential candidate, Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Michael Orobator of the Ethnic Nationalities Movement (ENM), Professor Kimse Okoko, leader of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Barrister Ledum Mitee of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Action Congress (AC) National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Solomon Asemota, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), have fingered the Federal Government as the architect of the increasing spate of armed attacks across the country. President Olusegun Obasanjo was particularly berated for declaring the polls a do-or-die affair. The group who made the observation in a joint press statement, regretted that the presidency had "become the instrument of insecurity in Nigeria. The group regretted that over 400 billion dollars, which have accrued to the nation since the discovery of crude oil, has inflicted massive poverty, insecurity and misery on the people, adding that the latest importation of a large cache of ammunition by the police, purportedly, to curtail violence during the election has further heightened the tension in the land.

Tension in Ibadan
Palpable tension enveloped Ibadan, Oyo state capital yesterday, barely 48 hours to the governorship and state assembly elections, with some prominent politicians in the state going into hiding. Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Oyo State, Chief Stephen Manya said in Ibadan yesterday said that soldiers would be deployed to the streets of the state capital from today to stem the tide of violent political attacks. In the midst of the confusion, the state governor, Alhaji Rasheed Ladoja and some of his aides allegedly went into hiding while police also combed the farms of some politicians including that of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Ayodele Adigun, in search of arms and ammunition.

US Government threaten Nigeria
The United States has threatened to review its relations with Nigeria and rally its allies to sanction the country should tomorrow’s elections and presidential election scheduled for next week produce an "illegitimate government". The US government, through Senator Russ Feingold, chairman of the Africa Sub-Committee in the United States Congress, lampooned President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Prof Maurice Iwu-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing them of lack of commitment to free and fair elections as well as limiting competition.

Coalition of Presidential candidates
The coalition of the 23 presidential candidates on Thursday in Abuja announced the formation of an anti-rigging committee to checkmate perceived electoral fraud by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in conjunction with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The nine-man committee, headed by Professor Pat Utomi, is to strategise and adopt methods aimed at detecting fraud during the elections and coordinating response by members to resist any attempt to rig the elections and impose unpopular candidates on the nation. The meeting, which resolved to get all the candidates together to forge a common front before April 21, adjourned till next Tuesday, April 17, even as the candidates present alleged that the INEC had perfected plans to return PDP to power. They passed a vote of no confidence on the commission’s ability to organize credible elections.

Explosion in campaign office
The Olusegun Agagu 2007 Campaign office located on Oyemekun Road, Akure, Ondo State capital was yesterday rocked by explosion which occurred at about 3.00pm.The explosion, occurred on the ground floor close to the staircase of the building.

Court directs Inec to allow Ngigi contest
The former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chris Ngige, yesterday won a major legal battle in his quest to contest Saturday's gubernatorial election when a Federal High Court in Abuja reaffirmed its judgment that the planitiff's name should be included in the list of those to contest for election. Inec made no statement in regards to this. I don't think Ngige will contest in tommorrow's election.

Thanks to the Sun and Thisday newspapers for all the information. I've been buying newspapers like a crazy woman in the last few weeks, to keep abreast with what's going on in my country. You'll be getting a lot of political news from now on. What do you guys think about the political happenings in Naija? Let us know!