Obanikoro can’t be minister, has dual citizenship – Group

February 23, 2015 by Samson Folarin
 
 

Senator Musiliu Obanikoro

A civil society group, All Nigeria Save Democracy Movement, has kicked against the ministerial nomination of former Peoples Democratic Party Lagos State governorship aspirant, Senator Musliu Obanikoro, by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The group, in a petition to the Senate President, David Mark, through Senators Gbenga Ashafa and Obafemi Ojudu, listed several reasons Obanikoro was not qualified to become a minister, a statement said on Sunday.

According to the group, Obanikoro is of dual citizenship–USA and Nigeria – and going by the provisions of the constitution, he should be disqualified for the post.

It said, “Section 147 (5) of the Constitution, as amended, provides that no person shall be appointed as a minister of the government of the federation unless he is qualified for election as a member of the House of Representatives.

“Section 66 (1) (a) of the Constitution also states that no person shall be qualified for election to the Senate or the House of Representatives if – subject to the provisions of Section 28 of the Constitution, he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship to a country other than Nigeria or, except in such cases as may be prescribed by the National Assembly, has made a declaration of allegiance to such a country.

“These provisions are so clear as to remove any ambiguity as to the spirit and letter of their constitutional/legal implications. By these provisions alone, Musiliu Obanikoro was not even qualified in the first instance to run for the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but managed to manipulate the system to get himself elected into the Senate in 1999, which in itself was fraudulent and criminal. As a matter of fact, his title of senator should be nullified having obtained same fraudulently.”

Obanikoro had on October 15, 2014 resigned his ministerial appointment from the present administration in a bid to contest the governorship primary of the PDP in Lagos, which he lost to his rival, Jimi Agbaje.

After the loss, he was nominated the second time by the President for another ministerial position.

Buhari’ll never be president –Fayose

February 23, 2015 by Kamarudeen Ogundele
  
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Sunday boasted that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), “will never be Nigeria president again.”

The governor also challenged the former Head of State to swear by the Holy Quran that he did not visit the hospital in the United Kingdom last week.

Fayose, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said, “I wish they can see spiritually what I am talking about that Buhari, despite the hullabaloo will never be president. I predicted my return as Ekiti State governor and I am saying it again that Buhari will never rule Nigeria again.

“After President Goodluck Jonathan, there will be a young element in his late 50s from the North that will be Nigerian president. I want to liken this revelation to the story of Elijah and Elisha. I am the Elijah while my followers are Elisha.”

He said he never wished Buhari dead.

He added, “I owe it a duty to Nigeria and its people to expose the antics of the APC cabal whose only interest is to seize power to further selfish interests.

“Without doubt, it is obvious that members of this cabal in the APC is trying so hard to deceive Nigerians on Buhari’s health status. That is the reason they have been using photoshop pictures to defend their lies on Buhari’s UK trip.

“First, they used a March 5, 2013 picture, claiming that Buhari was taking a walk in London on Thursday. Later they came up with another poorly cropped picture of Buhari with former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

“The same people who lied in September 2012 that they received a gold card invitation to attend the Democratic National Convention in the United States of America are behind the dressing of Buhari in the garment of lies and I challenge Buhari to swear by the Holy Quran that he did not visit hospital in the United Kingdom last week.”

But, a group in the Ekiti State has described Fayose as a “political stalker” whose actions should be viewed as a threat to the life of Buhari.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Mr. Segun Dipe, the Action Group operating within the APC in Ekiti, asked Fayose to tender an unreserved apology for having the general on his death-wish list.

Dipe said, “Everyone should put Fayose on notice how his words and deeds have been threatening the life of General Buhari.

“The indecorous governor is bent on seeing the APC presidential candidate dead before the March 28 presidential election because his party is sure of losing the election, and he feels he will stew for it.

“That a Fayose could be hounding Buhari with death threat is quite unwarranted and unfortunate. He has sent spies after our presidential candidate and may soon start toying with the idea of snipers, that is, if he has not already.

“That Fayose is fraudulent, corrupt, inept, indecorous and uncouth is not in doubt. That he is unambiguous in his wish for Buhari’s death is not in doubt either. What is worrisome to us is why the twice-lucky governor should be trailing the General even beyond the shores of Nigeria, to ensure that his wish against him comes to pass.”

Dipe hinted that his group was aware that Fayose in his alleged desperation to see Buhari dead had travelled to UK just about the same time that Buhari travelled and had been trailing the movement of the General abroad.

He said, “He wants to hold on to power by all means possible and he knows that an integrity-driven person like Buhari as president would clip his wings.

“Our group is calling on all well-meaning persons in Nigeria and across the globe to call Fayose to order as his actions and words amount to not only wishing Buhari dead but driving the General to his death. God forbid.

“The group also calls on all sons and daughters of Ekiti who are desirous of rejecting the toga of indecorous and gluttony, which Fayose has brought on them, to come out enmasse and vote General Buhari in as president come March 28, as well as the candidates presented by APC for all the other political positions at the polls.

“A vote for APC is a vote against Fayose’s indecorous ways and PDP’s clueless impunity.”