Clay Richie

Right from his earliest appointments, Nigerians have complained about President Muhammadu Buhari’s penchant for largely looking the way of the north and his religion in choosing government officials, heads of security agencies and most MDAs without recourse to the principles of equity and federal character.

On Tuesday, the National Judicial Council (NJC) directed both the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen and the acting CJN, Justice Ibrahim Tanko to respond to the petitions against them. Similarly, the petition against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, was referred to the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) for consideration. Those decisions by the NJC should help to clear one strand of what has become a constitutional crisis. But it does not resolve the entire problem.

The recent suspension of Justice Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Judge of Nigeria has raised fundamental issues  that go beyond the government’s claims of fighting corruption and the opposition’s and social activists’  bedlam about the country’s possible descent into fascism. The entire saga has been befuddled by politics such that both the substantive and the procedural aspects of the matter are now matters of contention.

The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government… (Chapter II, Section 14 (2b) of the 1999 Constitution) In the last few days, the constitution has been variously invoked in the public sphere to support arguments. Well, it all depends on the lawyer to whom you prefer to listen as the same provisions of the constitution are sometimes quoted to support positions held by opposite sides. Perhaps, more fundamentally, the constitution should be more frequently cited to remind politicians in and out of power about the “primary purpose of government” as quoted above in this column.

A white man I met at Apo Mechanic Village in Abuja, recently, stood stupefied as near-illiterate young men dismembered his car to work on it. In no time, they replaced a few parts and re-fixed the car. “You mean you don’t use a manual?” he asked.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on Monday, January 28, 2019 announced the long awaited date that it will conduct a referendum for a sovereign state of Biafra on February 16, 2019. The proposed Biafra referendum will take place on the same day Nigerian presidential and national assembly elections are scheduled to hold. The announcement was made by Mr. Emma Powerful – IPOB spokesman and media publicity secretary.

I have chosen to write this letter to Your Excellency for the enviable role that your country plays as champion of Democracy and the Rule of Law. I am also writing you as Nigeria’s international development partner working together to deepen and strengthen our democracy as well as to help in the transformation of our economies and societies for the better.

I find it incredulous that a ruling government that seeks a second term in office and about which doubts have been expressed with regard to its performance, the competence of its officials and the quality of its service delivery would embark on a series of self-immolating adventures that can only further alienate it from the people it seeks to serve. The manner in which the Buhari administration has been summersaulting in the public domain barely three weeks to Nigeria’s 2019 general election is suicidal. It is a wrong time to launch an attack on key institutions of state and the psyche of the average Nigerian.

Except for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, no other Vice President of the country has been very visible and influential. Serving under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a retired army general, as his vice, Atiku pulled enough weight to take the nation’s number two seat well above its perception as a sort of spare tyre. Today, the same Atiku is gunning for the presidency of the country and he has chosen a man whom many see as another person to make the veepee seat a lot more than ceremonial. That man is Peter Obi.

When the news broke on the planned arraignment of embattled Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), the legal community was aghast. Essentially, the shock arose from the well settled position of both trial and appellate courts – including interestingly, the CCT – that being a judicial officer, Onnoghen must first be subjected to ‘orderly room trial’ by the National Judicial Council (NJC) prior to prosecution. However, when the planned arraignment transmuted to “suspension” of Onnoghen by President Muhammadu Buhari and the swearing-in of Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, the shock turned to utter disbelief.

Until President Muhammadu Buhari infamously showed up on Friday to ‘remove’ Walter Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) through the backdoor, an alternate party was on the verge of providing us the biggest talking point of an entire week — for the first time in a long time. Onnoghen’s suspension has no place in any democracy. Let’s not lie about it: the CJN — he still is — has a terrible case to answer.

The present crisis involving the judiciary and the President exposes the depth of lack of institutional knowledge of the underlining principles and practices of constitutional democracy. Although our democracy has lasted for two decades continuously it still shows signs of military dictatorship and civilian autocracy.

People’s mode of expressing displeasure varies. Such mode includes strike, protest or legal action. For Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former Head-of-State and ex-President, his most preferred mode of expressing displeasure is writing letters. In a 4007 words letter titled ‘Points for Concern and Action’, Obasanjo, on 20 January, 2019 leveled grievous allegations of maladministration and misconduct against President Muhammadu Buhari. This letter, coming less than a month to the presidential election, has stirred the hornet’s nest; drawing condemnation and commendation from the pro and anti Buhari factions. This piece sets sight on assessing the veracity of Obasanjo’s allegations and his moral eligibility to write.

Before now, I had mirrored President Muhammadu Buhari's brutal and dictatorial inclinations in several articles from his first and second coming as president in 1983 and 2015 and signposted his government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the coming anarchy! The president did not disappoints his critics, as always.

Before every election in Nigeria, there is always always always something stirring up emotions, inflaming passion and pushing us, as it were, to the precipice. We are never starved of tension. The polity is always sharply and bitterly divided. The suspension of Justice Water Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by President Muhammadu Buhari and the swearing-in of Justice Tanko Ibrahim Muhammad in an acting position is probably the highest tension point as we head into the 2019 general election holding next month. I expect the temperature to keep rising in the weeks ahead. I just hope that at this rate, Nigeria will not catch fire.

The Nigerian political landscape is now fully charged like I predicted on Monday 21/01/19. More intrigues will play out.

Fellow Nigerians, the way events happen at the speed of light, in our dear beloved country Nigeria, is unbelievable. I flew out of Lagos yesterday on a few hours flight to Sierra Leone but within that twinkle of an eye, a monumental development had occurred back home. Thanks to social media, cyberspace was awash and agog with the story of President Muhammadu Buhari literally firing the Chief Justice of the Federation, Honourable Justice, Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen GCON, with automatic alacrity, even though the President claimed that his action was merely a suspension.

The purported suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Honourable Justice Walter Onnoghen, by President Muhammadu Buhari is unequivocally unconstitutional, illegal, immoral and grossly indefensible. What General Buhari has done, putting it mildly, is a brazen coup against democracy.

“Buhari has succeeded in deceiving us the first time and we will be fools to allow ourselves to be deceived the second time. Even when figures, facts and statistics are made clear to Buhari, he keeps repeating what is untrue, either because he cannot understand or for mischief purposes and that places him on the level of a pathological liar. Buhari believes he can get away with impunity and deceit as he seems to have done on many occasions in the past.” Buhari’s…. It is clear from all indications that Buhari is putting into practice the lessons he learned from Abacha. Buhari has intimidated and harassed the private sector, attacked the National Assembly and now unconstitutionally and recklessly attacked and intimidated the Judiciary to cow them to submission… The derailment of Nigerian democracy will be a monumental disaster comparable to the disaster of the Nigerian first military coup…Nigeria must not be allowed to slip off the democratic path nor go into anarchy and ruin”- O...

Is there anyone who still want to argue that Madam BringBackOurGirls, Mr Inspire to Expire and their fellow empty theorists are not political Yahoo-Yahoo characters on an undercover vote-splitting mission for the Aso Rock Cabals?

The Pandora's Box of who is the sick man between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari was opened Sunday night by Garba Shehu, Senior Assistant to President Buhari (Media and Publicity). Shehu’s statement was in response to Obasanjo’s characterization of Buhari as a president who is sick in ”body, mind, and spirit.”

Obasanjo’s recent 16-page letter to Buhari, which sounds more like a state-of-the nation address, has, as expected, dominated the headlines since it was delivered on Sunday, January 20, 2019. Titled, ‘Points for Concern’, the 4,018-word commentary was a bare-knuckled critique of the Buhari government on sundry grounds, including accusations that his government plans to use state institutions to rig the forthcoming elections.

The noise surrounding the recently concluded Presidential debate is so much that attention has shifted from the candidates who partook in it to those who were absent. While PMB claimed tiredness as his excuse for missing the debate, Atiku’s selfish agenda to attack his opponent failed hence the need to leave despite arriving at the venue to avoid being floored. Here, it is safe to say that both candidates do not take us seriously and are only following the trend laid down by their respective predecessors.

Seated on a mat with their needles and threads, weaving embroideries on northern caps in production, the four young men appeared as if they had no care in the world. But the moment they started sharing with me their horrifying stories, it became clear that behind the veneer of that calmness were scars that may never heal.

It is unbelievably true. That APC now a master rigging party in the country’s history has gone nuclear in its 2019 presidential election rigging plan. So determined that it has been moving as high as 300,000 supporters to wherever the party is  holding presidential campaign rallies.

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change” – Albert Einstein Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist. He propounded the theory of evolution which has become a very important, albeit controversial contribution to science. In his theory, he reached a very important conclusion; those species that cannot adapt to change, face extinction. This is the summary of my piece today and it is important to relate it to Nigeria.

Shaka Momodu’s tirades go beyond aggressive journalism. What motivates him is something that stands on the wrong side of the pathological. He seems possessed of some irrational phobia concerning Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Judging from Momodu’s latest article, the old animus he holds against Tinubu for not inviting him to be part of his team should have ebbed by now. Instead, Momodu keeps the fire of hatred burning. He seeks revenge for an insult that never happened. A man has a right to choose the team of his liking. Momodu cannot deprive Tinubu or anyone else of that right. Momodu should get on with life and do something constructive instead of brimming with anger over what might have been.

Why are our politicians like this? Those pushing and campaigning for President Mohammadu Buhari’s second term in office, do they really mean what they are doing or just doing it for the sake of their egoistic interests?

“Former President Obasanjo is a courageous patriot and statesman who tells truth to power when he is convinced leaders are doing wrong” – Muhammadu Buhari, March 4, 2015. “Buhari is sick in the spirit, body and soul. Let’s beg him to go and rest…Let’s give chance to another person” – Olusegun Obasanjo, January 21, 2019.

Some years ago, I was discussing football with a lad who was about eleven (11) years old. After going back and forth on the round-leather game, I ended up asking him, “What foreign club are you supporting?” To which he quickly responded, “I am an Arsenal fan!” I said, “Why are you still supporting Arsenal Football Club (Arsenal FC), seeing that they have not been doing fine in recent times?” With tears in his eyes, he said, “I don’t have anywhere else to go. I am stuck with Arsenal Football Club. This is why I ask my mom to give me house chores to do each time Arsenal is having a football-match, so I do not develop a heart problem.”

Two weeks ago, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar intimated me of his planned trip to America and threw me into an ecstatic state. I kept his confidence and did not discuss the trip with anyone, including my former boss.

Diaspora votes must count in Nigeria. This is my position/opinion. If not because of the dubious nature of the officials in the government of Nigeria, one does not see any reason why Nigerians in Diaspora shouldn’t be voting as done in most countries of the world. Their votes would have been making a great difference, and give them a sense of belonging and participation in the affairs of the nation.

Oby Ezekwesili, Kingsley Moghalu and Fela Durotoye must have woken up on Sunday morning feeling a measure of resentment towards Nigerians. Quite thanklessly for them, these are the same Nigerians whose votes they seek.

The elections are around the corner, and again, the hysteria that usually greets such exercises has rented the air. There has been lots of politicking going on around the country. Political strategists and analysts are at their best-giving situations and scenarios that would shape the outcome of the elections. In all of these, I know for a certain that indeed 2019 is the year of greatness for Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s style on the war against corruption is doing more harm than good to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The beginning of this new year has already seen the APC being dazed with an outrage, and understandably so, because its Presidential Campaign Council for the 2019 General Elections features high-profile politicians facing a myriad of serious corruption charges.

If you are a lover of competitive democracy, you must have been worried by the pronouncements and demeanour of Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of information, on Friday. Lai, speaking in a very bitter tone, told State House correspondents that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), could spend as much time as he wanted in the US but he would be quizzed on his return over his role in the collapse of Bank PHB. He said fresh evidence has linked Atiku to a slush fund from which the former vice-president allegedly benefited N156 million in 2009. This, he said, contributed to the death of the bank, according to his post-mortem report.

It has become pertinent for me to speak about my ongoing visit to the United States of America, where I met and I am still meeting with US administration officials and business leaders.

Fellow Nigerians, this season of jolliness and bonhomie has not been the best of times for the ruling party, APC, and certainly not for its Presidential flagbearer, President Muhammadu Buhari. It may not be unfair to say that this has been one of the worst weeks since the President returned to power on May 29, not May 19, 2015. The President has come under a barrage of social media attacks for series of gaffes on his part in recent time. The first was the interview he granted the Editors of Thisday newspapers and their sister station, the fast rising, Arise News Channel. That amateurish video production was so dire and awful that had it not emanated from the Presidency it would have been condemned immediately as trash. As it is, it seems symptomatic of the malaise currently dogging the President and his team.

I need to first tell off those who allowed Mr. President to attend “the Candidates” last night. It seemed PMB was dead tired and as an effect of this, I doubt if he heard correctly virtually every question asked him by Kadaria Ahmed—the woman—who anchored the  “the Candidates,” town-hall meeting which was aired live on NTA.

It is now quite clear that what happened in Nigeria in 2015 was not a revolution but a scam of historic proportion. To be more specific, it was, as University of Texas professor and PUNCH columnist, Adunni Adelakun, put it, a “tribal victory.” How so?

Dear Sirs, The Vision of a working Government via Waste to Energy. Case Study: Lagos State Population : 22 million

President Muhammadu Buhari has finally ceded Lagos, Nigeria’s economic nerve centre, to the former governor of the state, and the self-proclaimed national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress( APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The message seems to be “do as you wish as long as you get me reelected”. Who says Tinubu, the Jagaban of Borgu, the lion of Bourdillion, the proprietor of Lagos, and the godfather of the president is not winning? He has won several political battles despite experiencing some pushback. He is not gifted at oratory as he pretends to or tries to present himself. As a matter of fact, he is a poor public speaker. At public gatherings, you struggle to make sense of his mostly incoherent mutterings. When he condemns others for one transgression or another against the system, you literally think he is condemning himself for abuse of power, breaking the law, and manipulating and controlling the system with unbecoming impunity.

It is a season of Spartan political campaigns. I am sure you have noticed that “money is not flowing” this season as it did in 2015 when there was a blizzard of dollars. Everyone, who had hoped to make quick money from the campaigns, is gritting his teeth.  But what could be responsible for the “slush money drought”?

This is meant to be a sort of travelogue of my first train ride in Nigeria. I will focus the first part on exactly what happened and the second part on an analysis of what can be done better. I need to say that I am not one of those who are unnecessarily cynical or overly critical. Equally, I am not one of those who are impressed by mediocre performance. I am somewhere in between.

With the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) latching on to the trial of Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen to make all manner of accusations and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) responding in kind, what is going on today is akin to what followed the suspension in 2011 by President Goodluck Jonathan of the then President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami.

There is one huge deficit in the campaigns towards next month’s elections; political parties and their candidates are not definite enough about their plans to improve the condition of the Nigerian people. There are on display several manifestoes stating what politicians promise to do if given the mandate. However, there isn’t much of how the missions would be accomplished.

On the 4th of October 2017, Nigerians woke up to a very shocking letter from the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu. The letter, addressed to President Buhari read in part: “In over one year of Makanti Baru’s tenure as the GMD of NNPC, no contract has been run through the NNPC board”!

With the presidential elections only a few weeks away, the question on the table is: “Can the few people of real value and proven capacity in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign team  still generate enough traction to overturn the looming disaster hanging over the party?” The wobbly trajectory of the campaign, the questionable approach of the presidential candidate, the absence of  any real political mobilization downstream, the flack arising from the choice of a deputy and the apathy of the party’s major stakeholders presents a frightening cocktail of problems. The good media outings by some members of the campaign team, as well as efforts in a few states to create some wind and drive the sails, may not be enough. The states are too few, too unstructured, too unfunded and too un- streamlined to be part of any united national effort.

I once had a taste of political violence during the 2015 Presidential campaigns. In Bauchi, our convoy was stoned. In Katsina, restless youths wielding stones and long sticks threatened to attack us. It didn’t matter that it was a Presidential convoy. But nothing in those two places is comparable to what I experienced in Sagamu, Ogun State on Sunday, January 13.

Permit me to begin this contribution with a few comparisons. Consider the following. Mr. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was elected President of Ghana in 2016. His father Edward Akuffo-Addo, was one of Ghana’s “big six” nationalists and elder-statesmen who led and fought for Ghana’s independence from the British in 1957. He was a former Chief Justice of Ghana and a former ceremonial President of Ghana. He dedicated his life to the liberation and service of Ghana.