"MY FIRST DIRECT ENCOUNTER WITH ELECTION RIGGING IN NIGERIA IN 1983"

My first paid job in Nigeria as a teenager after graduating from high school was to work as a polling clerk in the Nigeria's 1983 elections that was coordinated by the then electoral body, the FEDECO. I saw for the first time in my life as a young high school leaver how massive electoral frauds were carried out in favor of the then NPN federal government through the bribing of those electoral officials by the heavily corrupt NPN politicians. The personal intimidation and threats of the FEDECO polls workers who refused to fall in line by the Nigerian Police men that were officially assigned to maintain law and order during voting were visible everywhere. The NPN polling agents that represented those politicians that were running for those elective offices worked hand-in-hand with the police to do their dirty job. That election did not reflect the majority will of the Nigerian voters. Actual voting did not take place in Nigeria in 1983. I knew then as a teenager that Nigeria was practicing a sham electoral process and a pseudo-democracy. That experience was my first direct encounter with those corrupt politicians and with the election rigging in Nigeria. The ordinary Nigerians knew at that time that something drastic was about to happen in Nigeria except the corrupt politicians and their cronies who thought that all ws well with them. We woke up four months later on December 31, 1983 to the military martial music on the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) in Lagos announcing the overthrow of the government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. There were celebrations and jubilations all over Nigeria. That coup was welcome by Nigerians. There were no single reported or recorded demonstration against this military takeover in Nigeria in 1983. ‪#‎EntryFromMyPersonalDiaryOnNigerianElection‬ 

"THE 7 REASONS THAT JUSTIFIED THE NIGERIA'S MILITARY COUP OF 1983"

(i). Alhaji Shehu Shagari swept back into power in his reelection in 1983 that was tagged Verdict 83. That election was not free, fair, credible and transparent, but was marred with massive electoral frauds and the suppression of the opposition political parties and their supporters at the polls. (ii). Nigeria's national economy was in a terrible mess. The oil boom of the 1970s had ended. The Nigeria's huge external debt stood at $14 billion and was no longer sustainable at the price that the Nigeria's oil sold for at that time. (iii). The menace of the official corruption had reached the highest government levels and was widespread. (iv). Acute food shortages were visible across Nigeria. (v). Nigeria was facing chronic unemployment and coupled with over 2 million illegal immigrants from the West African states that were living and working in Nigeria illegally. (vi). The health and the educational services across Nigeria were collapsing. Hospitals across Nigeria became mere consulting clinics. Teachers in many states were not paid their monthly salaries for many months. Many trade unions in Nigeria were on job boycott for months to press for better wages and benefits. (vii). Nigeria at that time was bedeviled by tribal animosity that threatened the unity of Nigeria and the peaceful coexistence of her ethnic nationalities.

The approach that the then reelected government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari took to address these national crises by announcing austerity measures and forcefully expelling the 2 million illegal immigrants from Nigeria did not solve any of these national problems. Nigeria in 1983 was at the crossroad of her existence, her democracy was already destroyed by the politicians with official corruption and election rigging. The tens of millions of ordinary Nigerians were suffering, helpless and powerless to change the situation they faced. Their votes did not count in the reelection of those politicians in 1983. The politicians had divided Nigerians using electoral rigging, politics of ethnicity and religion. Nigeria was at her final breaking point as a nation. The signs were loud and clear enough for any reasonable Nigerians to see. The Nigerian military came in on December 31, 1983 to save Nigeria from her self-induced miseries and ultimate collapse as a nation. The military government then appointed General Muhammadu Buhari to lead that government as the Nigeria's Head of State.

"NIGERIA'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2015:NAIRA POWER VERSUS PEOPLE'S POWER"

These two candidates who are vying in the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria are using different political and campaign strategies to raise money and to reach the Nigerian voters who will determine their fate in that election that is slated for next year. The incumbent President Jonathan Goodluck relies on the Nigeria's tax payer money that came from the federal agencies and the PDP state governorsas well as the huge monetary donations from the handful of his moneybags friends and business beneficiaries of his government economic policies, who are the major players in the oil, gas, telecommunication, banking and power sectors of Nigeria. These handful of Nigerians raised N21.27 billion ($117 million) so far for this President's reelection in 2015.

On the other hand, General Muhammadu Buhari has so far raised N54 million ($300,000) for his presidential campaign by depending solely on the meagre donations from the ordinary Nigerians into his Buhari Support Organisations (BSO) that has 475,796 coordinators and a total membership in the region of 8,492, 226 across the country. President Jonathan Goodluck is fighting for his reelection with the tens of billions of Naira in his campaign coffers and General Muhammadu Buhari is fighting to defeat this incumbent President with the support and votes from the millions of army of volunteers across Nigeria. President Jonathan Goodluck believes in the Naira power to win his reelection and General Muhammadu Buhari believes in the people's power to win this election. Will the 67 million electorates of Nigeria vote for the Naira power or the people's power on February 14, 2015? Only time and future events will surely tell.‪#‎NairaPowerVersusPeoplePower

IS GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI OF NIGERIAN AN ILLITERATE AS CLAIMED BY THE PDP? - DR. HASSAN

I was shocked to read a press statement from Wadata Plaza issued by a so called Professor Wale Oladipo, secretary of the PDP, saying that General Muhammadu Buhari is a semi illiterate jackboot. It is no wonder that our education system has fallen so low, else how can one explain a professor making such a statement? How did Wale Oladipo become a professor to start with? It is quite astonishing that he can say this. The professor doesn’t seem to understand the basic rudiments of learning and what it means for one to be literate or not.

Buhari attended the best military schools in the world. In case the professor doesn’t know, Buhari graduated as a military officer (Lieutenant) in Royal Military Academy, Aldeshot UK. He attended the Defense College India.  Col Buhari attended the US Army War College Carlisle in Pennsylvania from 1979 -1980 and earned his command as a Brigadier General. The respected General Collin Powel attended the same school in 1976 to become Brigadier General. Some of Buhari’s classmates include General Beltson, General Thomas P Carney, General Bill Matz, General David E.K. Cooper etc. all of them are alive and can be reached and they will give glowing tributes of the man, Buhari, they know as their classmate.

Anyone interested in verifying Buhari’s academic credentials can write the school instead of reading jargon from a deranged Wadata Plaza Professor of Politics of Destruction Party (PDP). I have checked Google Scholar hoping that Prof. Wale Oladipo’s name and publications will show up and nothing is showing up, that says a lot about him as a Professor than Buhari as a retired decorated General who served his country so well and has not claimed any scholarship.

The curriculum at the U.S. Army War College earns one a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies and that is what Buhari has. For somebody to claim that a graduate of such a prestigious school is semi-illiterate, means something is very wrong with that person’s brain. By all academic and military standards, Buhari’s   education is superb and the best any general can get in the world. Therefore, for Wale Oladipo to claim Buhari is semi-illiterate speaks volumes about his understanding of what education is even all about. The unlearned professor thinks education is about earning paper degrees only, and even if it was the case, Buhari has them from the most respected military institutions in the world.

General Muhammadu Buhari has the kind of military strategic education and experience to deal a decisive blow on Boko Haram and end the insecurity challenges facing Nigeria. Buhari is the only army officer with the opportunity to command 3 out of 4 Nigeria’s army divisions as a GOC.

In 1983, when rebels from Chad took over our land, seizing more than 19 villages (much like what the Boko Haram is doing now), Major General Buhari led a successful operation as the GOC to push back the Chadian rebels and reclaim our territory.

In 1984, when the Maitatsine sect decided to declare war on Nigeria like what Boko Haram is doing now, Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari wasted no time in crushing them. Boko Haram is a descendant of the Maitatsine sect with the same extremist ideology and anti-western education philosophy. It is surely President Buhari that will be able to handle them: eliminating these terrorists when he comes to power like he did before. Muhammadu Buhari as a captain fought in the Congo Civil War and won the Congo Medal. He was there during our civil war to bring peace and keep Nigeria one. That is true patriot: a man that gave his life to another country not only his fatherland.

Since the goons in Wadata Plaza have started the literacy debate, it is very appropriate to ask them that they produce Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s Ph.D thesis and publications in renowned journals. Goodluck’s speeches, attitude, and interviews with international media don’t portray him as a Ph.D holder. His past interview with Christiane Amanpour was quite embarrassing; he couldn’t even make eye contact with her. Nigerians are eager to read his thesis and publications.

In conclusion, it is obvious to all Nigerians that the PDP government and its illiterate professor are only interested in playing dirty politics with the  lives and properties of Nigerians. Nigerians now need Buhari, a man with international military education and experience, a seasoned administrator with zero tolerance for corruption to end this insecurity, bring prosperity, and place Nigeria at the seat it deserves in the comity of nations - From newsrescue.com

"TWO DIFFERENT VISIONS FOR NIGERIA IN 2015"

The ways that the two candidates in the Nigeria's presidential election of 2015 are raising their campaign money shows clearly that they have different visions for Nigeria and they will be representing two groups of Nigerians in their governments if they are elected next year. President Jonathan Goodluck has demonstrated to Nigerians that the tens of millions of ordinary Nigerians are not important to him, his reelection and his future administration or government. The estimate N21.27 billion or $117 million for this President reelection funds came mainly from the corporate Nigeria, state owned corporations, PDP state governors, the richest Nigerians and multinational corporations who are the main beneficiaries from the economic policies of this President for the last six years and through the dirty oil subsidy deal, oil bloc allocation, privatization of the oil and power sectors, oil theft or bunkering, import duty waiver, over-invoicing of imports, tax evasion, money laundering, official corruption and the monopoly of the telecommunication sector.

In the case of General Muhammadu Buhari, his campaign will be financed by the tens of millions of ordinary Nigerians through their meagre donations as low as N100 or $5.5 per person. The way and the manner that this General Muhammadu Buhari is generating his campaign funds show that his proposed government or administration if elected next year with have economic policies in place that will redistribute the Nigeria's wealth, close the income inequality, reduce the national poverty rate and open the economic opportunities to the ordinary Nigerians. The Nigerian voters are now presented by two distinct, different and competing visions for their one country. I hope that every eligible Nigerian voter will make a well informed decision on February 14, 2015 at the polls and will also vote for his or her own self interest and future in Nigeria. I am also hoping that this government of President Jonathan Goodluck, the INEC and the Nigerian security forces and her state agencies that are in charge of this election will allow every registered Nigerian voter to vote freely in an election that should be of international standard, credible, fair, transparent, free and all-inclusive" ‪#‎TwoDifferentVisionsForNigeriaIn2015‬ 

"THE REELECTION OF PRESIDENT JONATHAN GOODLUCK OF NIGERIA IN 2015 IS A DAUNTING TASK"

The easy reelection of President Jonathan Goodluck of Nigeria back to the Aso Rock villa in 2015 in a free, fair, transparent, credible and all-inclusive election is a daunting task. The year 2011 when this man was new on the national political stage of Nigeria and he promised Nigerians heaven on earth if he was elected into power is now very different from the year 2014. Time and events of the last four years in the governance of Nigeria under the watch of this man have both shaped and defined his presidency clearly to the Nigerian voters. The electorates that will be voting in 2015 are now in a better position in the year 2014 than in the year 2011 to make a well informed political decision with their votes.
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This President is running for his reelection with a political party, the PDP that is no longer the same party that he won his presidency with in 2011. The PDP has lost the speaker of the House of Representatives, five state governors, several members of the national and state assemblies and party leaders at national, state and local levels mainly to the opposition party, the APC. The political landscape in 2011 is now totally different from that of 2014 when this President ran against many smaller political parties and very weak opposition. Today, this President will be running against the united opposition parties, the APC that now has national spread and massive support base across Nigeria. The failure of this President in his war against Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East region of Nigeria despite the yearly billions of dollar that are allocated for the defense of Nigeria, the international scandal that surrounded the kidnapping of the over 200 school girls at Chibok and the daily bombings of innocent Nigerians that have now claimed 15,000 souls are huge political baggages into the 2015 election that this President can never sweep under the carpet.

The recent global drop in the price of oil that has resulted in the quick declining of the Nigeria's economy and the rapid collapse of the Naira are part of the legacies of this President for his reelection in 2015. This President has also failed to address the double-digit youth unemployment rate and the provision of electricity for Nigerians as he promised in 2011. The government has failed woefully to address the issue of official corruption in Nigeria and has been clouded with many financial scandals, such as, the missing $20 billion oil money, the billion of dollar in the Malibu oil deal, allegations of corruption against the members of this President's executive council as well as top public officials in his government. The truth is that Nigeria today is now worse than the Nigeria that was handed over in 2011 to this President to govern. Finally, the most important question that every Nigerian voter must answer before they cast their votes in 2015 is this:Are Nigerians truly better off today than in 2011? Nigerian voters may answer this question on February 14, 2015 #FailedPresidencyOfJonathanGoodluckOfNigeria - 

"THE TEN REASONS WHY THE NIGERIAN NAIRA WILL CONTINUE TO DEPRECIATE AGAINST THE DOLLAR"

Firstly, the value of the Nigerian Naira is based on the global demand and the supply of the goods and services that Nigeria has to offer to the world. Secondly, the only product that the global market buys from Nigeria is her oil. Thirdly, the drop in the global price of this oil is an indication that Nigeria's oil is now less in demand. Fourthly, the decision to devalue the Nigerian Naira by 8% recently has not safe the Naira and has failed to prevent the rapid fall of the Naira against the American dollar. Fifthly, the periodical method of using the Nigeria's foreign reserves to support the Naira is not the answer and is not working. Sixthly, the Naira will continue to fall and the Nigeria's foreign reserves will also continue to be depleted. Seventhly, another major reason why the Naira will continue to crash is because the Nigeria's economy is almost 100% import oriented. Eighthly, all the basic things that Nigerians need and use are all imported. Ninthly, the importers need the American dollar to import those goods and services from the international markets to Nigeria. Tenthly, more Naira is now chasing fewer American dollar in the banks and the black market of Nigeria.

How then can Nigeria safe her economy and the Naira? Firstly, the government should allow the Naira to fall freely without supporting it until it founds its own level in the hands of the economic forces of demand and supply. Secondly, Nigeria must now diversify her national economy from the oil export into an economy than depends on taxation, agriculture, manufacturing, international tourism, solid mineral prospecting and export based. Thirdly, Nigeria must cut down the cost of governance that consumes about 30% of the annual federal budget to about 15%. Lastly, the leakages in the national economy must be stopped immediately, such as, official corruption, resource wastage and mismanagement, oil theft, money laundering, over-invoicing of imports, tax loopholes that corporations and wealthy Nigerians use to escape payment of their taxes and the shady import duty waivers ‪#‎HowToSafeTheNigerianNaira‬ 

"THE REASONS WHY AMERICAN JURY SYSTEM IS FAILING TO DELIVER TRUE JUSTICE"

The use of the grand jury in the America's judiciary system did not indict the white police officer, Darren Wilson over the killing of the unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown in Ferguson last week. The similar type of jury also failed to indict the white police officer, Daniel Pantaleo who choked Eric Garner to his death in New York city. The jury system in America will never give the true justice that the affected families of these dead men and most Americans are looking for in many of these cases for four main reasons. Firstly, the grand jury operates in secret. The evidences that are normally put before the jury by the local district prosecutors are not made public. The local prosecutor solely guides the entire operation of the grand jury.

Secondly, the local district attorney decides what charges to be brought or not to be brought before the grand jury, which in the final analysis will determine the final outcome or decision of the grand jury. Thirdly, there is a big conflict of political interest between the local police departments and the local district prosecutors across United States. The local police departments across America work hand-in-hand with the local district prosecutors as law enforcement partners in the prosecution of all the local civil and criminal cases in their jurisdictions. The police provides the local prosecutors with those evidences that they need to successfully prosecute all the local cases in their jurisdictions. 

The office of the local district prosecutor is an elective position in many states across America. Most of the elections of these local district prosecutors in America are normally supported and sponsored by the local police unions and fraternities. Lastly, It is almost impossible for a local district prosecutor to bring up charges before a jury that will indict a police officer in his or her district. It is like a case of a house that is divided against itself. The only hope for true justice will be from an outside intervention like the United States Department of Justice that has no conflict of interest‪#‎NoJusticeNoPeace‬