Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Nigeria: Electoral body allays fears over registration in some areas

Following the hues and cries over possible de-listing of Registration Areas (RAs) in Ojila, in Ibaji local government area and Odolu in Igalamela/Odolu local government area of Kogi State, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has allayed such fears.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Kogi State, Olusegun Agbaje disclosed this yesterday saying the Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs for the two RAs which could not be conducted during the exercise across the state between 25th and 28th May 2014 are ready for distribution from 2nd to 4th January, 2015.

He said, “The distribution of PVCs in Ojila and Odolu RAs commences from 2nd to 4th January 2015 between 8am and 4 pm and Continuous Voter Registration, CVR exercise in Ojila and Odolu RAs takes place from 2nd to 7th January, 2015 between 8am and 4 pm.” Agbaje explained INEC’s inability to carry out PVCs distribution and CVR exercise in Ojila in Ibaji and Odolu in Igalamela/Odolu RAs.

-Leadership

Nigeria: Electoral body releases names of 2015 presidential election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the names of the 11 presidential candidates and their running mates who will contest the 2015 general elections.

This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman in Abuja.

The statement noted that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) submitted the names of President Goodluck Jonathan and his Vice, Namadi Sambo.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) submitted the names of Muhammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo as presidential and vice presidential candidates respectively.

Others, the statement stated, were Oluremi Sonaiya and Saidu Bobboi for Kowa Party, Ambrose Albert and Haruna Shaba for Hope Democratic Party.

Also in the list were Ganiyu Galadima and Balarabe Ahmed for Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Rafiu Salau and Clinton Cliff Akuchie for Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Godson Okoye and Alhaji Haruna Adamu for United Democratic Party (UDP).

Mani Ibrahim Ahmad and Obianuju Murphy-Uzohue for African Democratic Congress, while Martin Onovo and Ibrahim Mohammed for National Conscience Party (NCP).

Others are Tunde Anifowoshe-Kelani and Paul Ishaka Ofomile for Action Alliance and Chekwas Okorie and Bello Umar for United Progressive Party.

Out of the 11 presidential candidates, only Jonathan and Buhari contested in the last election held in 2011.

-(NAN)

Nigeria: Presidential hopeful urges Nigerians to pray for peace

Mr Godson Okoye, the Presidential Candidate of United Democratic Party (UDP), has urged Nigerians to pray for peace and better Nigeria as they celebrate the commencement of 2015.

Okoye, who is also the National Chairman of the party, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

He also urged the citizens to pray that God should ensure that only candidates who believe in the development of the country emerge winners in 2015 general elections.

Okoye, a lawyer, said for the country to develop, people with genuine interests who have their investments and family members in Nigeria must be elected at various elective positions.

“The holy book says, `for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’

“Where you have your children and your investment is where your heart is. We need people who are committed to the development of the country.

“By the time the people that believe in Nigeria rule, Nigeria will become the great country it is destined to be,’’ he said.

He also advised politicians to place the country’s interest above their personal interests as they continue their electioneering activities ahead of the 2015 general elections.

Okoye said that national interest and peace of the country should be permanent and sacrosanct in the hearts of politicians irrespective of their political parties.

According to him, this is because the country is bigger than any individual and his or personal interest.

“It is not about who win but about the interest of Nigeria.

“It only when there is Nigeria that you can say you want to be president, governor of a state or senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“If there is no Federal Republic of Nigeria, how do you achieve your interest? Will you become the senator of the kindred you acquired or belong to?

“So, national interest should be sacrosanct and be respected at all times,’’ Okoye said.

(NAN)

Nigeria: Know timetable and schedule of activities 2015 polls

By Premium Times

INEC_2015_elections_timetable

INEC Timetable for General Elections 2015
INEC Timetable for General Elections 2015

Nigeria: 33 governorship candidates, 70 for senate in 2015 elections-LP

Mr Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, the National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), said 33 governorship and 70 senatorial candidates nationwide would run for the 2015 general elections under the party.

Abdulsalam disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said that the number of governorship and senatorial candidates coming out from the party was a huge success compared to the 2011 general elections.

According to him, the candidates emerged from Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers, Ebonyi, Lagos, Ogun, Anambra, Deltal, Abia, Ondo and Osun.

He said that all the particulars of successful candidates had been forwarded to the INEC for verifications.

He however advised the NLC and TUC to give more attention to the interest of Nigerian workers, especially on some pressing issues that needed to be resolved urgently.

He advised the two unions not to interfere on political issues of the labour party; adding that the party was not formed by NLC or TUC, the public must be aware of this.

NAN recalls that Mr Salisu Muhammad, the Chairman, National Caretaker Committee of LP warned politicians to refrain from getting nomination forms from the factional LP which was not recognised by the NLC.

-News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Nigeria: EC will not recognise parallel primaries

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the weekend made it clear that it would not recognise parallel primaries by any political party.
The Commission pointedly declared that only names of candidates signed by the national chairmen and secretaries of political parties would be accepted.
The Commission has similarly resolved to impose a N500,000 fine on any political party that presents candidate(s) with false information.
INEC has equally ruled out extension for any party that failed to meet the December 18 and 25, 2014 deadline for the submission of candidates for next year's general elections.
The INEC guidelines for the 2015 elections specifically fixed the deadline for submission of candidates for presidential and National Assembly elections at December 18, while that of governorship and state Assembly elections is December 26.
According to the information on the INEC's website, "parties are requested to ensure that the candidates they intend to sponsor at the elections are available with the originals of all their credentials at the respective venues for the exercise in case they are required.
"The attention of parties and their candidates is also drawn to section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2006 which disqualifies any candidate who provides false information in his/her affidavit (Form CF 001) from contesting elections.
"Furthermore, a political party which presents such a candidate is guilty of an offence and is liable to a fine up to N500,000", it stated.
The Commission also explained that the publication of names of candidates for various positions was being done at the constituency levels.
According to the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Kayode Idowu, the commission was already " displaying the particulars of candidates for claims and objection at the constituency level as required by law".
Idowu pointed out that for the presidential position whose constituency is Nigeria "we are displaying it in all INEC offices nation wide.
"For all other positions we are displaying that for all the states relevant. It has been on display."
On the issue of parallel primaries, he stated that INEC was not aware of anything of such.
His words, "The law makes it clear for the procedures for conduct of primaries. Political parties shall nominate candidate which INEC will have no cause to reject.
"Only the candidates presented by national chairmen and national secretaries of parties will be recognised by INEC.
"INEC has record of the officials of party executives so INEC knows who is an executive. People who we don't have records on cannot invite us and we go to monitor their primaries".
Idowu however stated that only a court ruling will make the commission to reject a candidate by a party.
He said, "Of course, if a court rules that a candidate nominated by a party must not be accepted, if that happens, we will accept the law."

-Daily Times (NG)

Nigeria: T.B. Joshua predicts impending doom ahead of 2015 elections

Popular televangelist and the founder of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Temitope Balogun Joshua made some startling revelations concerning Nigeria’s situation come 2015.

In March 2014, Prophet T.B. Joshua granted a rare interview to a reporter from Nigeria’s New Telegraph where he talked about the current insecurity situation in Nigeria and the upcoming 2015 presidential elections.

In the interview, the popular televangelist made some startling revelations concerning Nigeria’s situation, sounding a note of warning to old politicians to make way for fresh faces to appear in politics in order to avert disaster in the country

Prophet Joshua also gave assurance that Nigeria is on a rough path which will eventually lead to greatness in the end.

Read excerpts from the interview:

There are so many troubles in Nigeria today – problems of insecurity, threats to national unity, political manoeuvring by rival political parties. What are your comments concerning these troubled times in the country?

It is a normal thing for a country that has a bright future, God’s promise. A bright future always attracts persecution, condemnation and enemies who realise that the future is bright – you see a lot of pressure and threats. The country is on the path to greatness; it will compete with any Western nation in the future and the Western nations know that Nigeria is going to be a giant. That is why there support in these trying times is needed. There is no country that has not passed through this.

All the countries that have become great today all passed through turbulence that nearly consumed them. How we manage the situation matters. If we don’t manage it well, we will not witness the greatness. It is not that the greatness would not come but that would not be for our generation. The greatness will still come but for the coming generation.

With the turbulence being experienced in some states of the federation and the election around the corner next year, how do you think this will play out?

Elections will not happen in some states because of the frequent attacks. This could affect between three to four states. The states would be a no-go area due to violence and elections would not take place in those states unless we move closer to God. We must intensify our prayers. This is what God has showed me and you can imagine what would happen if elections don’t hold in those states. It would have a great implication for our democracy.

How should we manage it?

We should not allow the politicians to politicise all the areas of our lives. For example if you want to enjoy anything, you have to be part of their party. For example, unless you are part of their party, you cannot benefit from things that should be available to you as a citizen. Look at electricity, health etc – they have politicised everything. Religion has been politicised. Even Christianity has been politicised. They go to church; the pulpit is where they campaign now.

Now they go to churches and mosques to bomb them. These are people in church who had gone to pray for themselves. Must everybody become a politician? How we handle the situation at hand now matters. If the situation is not well managed, we will find ourselves postponing the great Nigeria. In other words, we would not witness it but it would be witnessed by our children.

Don’t let us politicise every area of our lives. Let us carefully play our politics with keen decency because 2015 matters in the history of Nigeria. It is either we cross the bridge successfully or it collapses. A good Nigerian that wants this greatness should be able to pay whatever proper price that is needed to be paid to make this dream of a great Nigeria possible. If your being in politics will make this greatness come, then join. From now to 2015 is a very important period in the history of Nigeria and if we don’t manage the situation well, our democracy would be rubbished.

What do you mean by ‘our democracy would be rubbished’?

A situation where there would be lawlessness in the sense that the law would not be capable of guiding us because of the pros (for) and cons (against) as contained in the law. That would now take so much time which would lead Nigeria to a discussion table. Where would you and I be at that time?

What can you say about APC and PDP?

In body we can call it APC and PDP but in spirit, they are one and the same thing. I am yet to see the difference. I am looking forward to seeing the difference.

With the situation in the country today and the agitation on 2015, what advice do you have for politicians not to create more tension in the polity and what is the way out?

The advice – many of us need to leave politics while many others need to join in order to inject fresh blood. The people that need to leave politics are not the common people. This is in order to avert the disaster that could rubbish our democracy.

-360nobs

Monday, December 29, 2014

Nigeria: Parties who miss submission deadline to lose slots – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has started publication of the names of candidates for 2015 general elections.

To this end, the electoral umpire has declared that parties that fail to submit names of their candidates on the set deadlines should forget fielding candidates for such positions.

The publication of the names by INEC is done at the constituency level for all candidates.


The commission insists parallel primaries are not recognised, stressing that only names of candidates signed by the national chairman and secretary of political parties would be accepted.

INEC guidelines for the 2015 elections show that while the deadline for submission of candidates for presidential and National Assembly elections is December 18, submission of names for governorship and state houses of assembly elections is December 25.

The presidential and National Assembly elections are billed for February 14, 2015, while governorship and state houses of assembly elections are scheduled for February 28, 2015.

Clarifying the electoral body’s position, Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Prof. Atahiru Mega, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that any political party that failed to meet the deadline for submission of candidates’ names to the commission automatically loses the right to present a candidate(s).


“December 25, 2014 was the closing date for submission and any political party that has not submitted a name is not fielding a candidate by implication,” he said, adding that the commission is already “displaying the particulars of candidates for claims and objection at the constituency level as required by law.”

Idowu noted that for the presidential position, whose constituency is Nigeria, “we are displaying it in all INEC offices nationwide.”

“For all other positions, we are displaying that for all the states relevant. It has been on display.”

On parallel candidature, Idowu said, “INEC is concerned, but INEC is not aware of parallel primaries. It has no place in law. The law makes it clear the procedures for conduct of primaries. Political parties shall nominate candidates which INEC will have no cause to reject.”

He reiterated that only the candidates presented by national chairmen and national secretaries of political parties would be recognised.

“INEC has records of the officials of party executives, so INEC knows who is an executive. People who we don’t have records on cannot invite us and we go to monitor their primaries,” he said.

Idowu however noted that only a court ruling can cause the commission to reject a candidate by a party.

“Of course, if a court rules that a candidate nominated by a party must not be accepted, if that happens, we will accept the law.”

Meanwhile, the commission has disclosed that it will setup a committee for the verification of legislative houses candidates (national/state assembly verification/clearance committee).

The committee will visit states between January 4 and 14, 2015, to verify the personal particulars of the candidates.

 Jonathan visits IBB, says “I needed to see my father to know how he is feeling”
The presidential/governorship verification/clearance committee will conduct verification for candidates at the commission’s headquarters, Abuja, from January 16 through 18, 2015.
-Daily Post

Zambia: Ruling PF already celebrating apparent Jan 20 victory

The certainty of who will win the forthcoming Presidential By-election has become very clear with 107 MPS endorsing the candidature of PF President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

The MPS are now expected to go into the countryside and embark on a vigorous campaign that might secure the win in the 107 constituencies out of 150 Constituencies in Zambia.

The 26 MPS are drawn from the 35 MPS from MMD.

The MPS mostly drawn from constituencies with Zambia's biggest voting population have provided the clear swing that Edgar Lungu needed. The MMD MPS are expected to deliver Eastern Province as a solid block.

With the apparent support from elder statesman and former President Rupiah Bwezani Banda, Edgar Lungu appears to secure the win through this added support from the 26 MPS.

Despite massive resources allegedly given to him by a suspected mining group from South Africa, UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema's countrywide campaign might turn out to be fruitless exercise.

With only 27 MPS the UPND campaign is expected to be foiled and fizzle out to negligible corner influence by the rampaging 107 MPS all being deployed into the constituencies to raise the support of Edgar Lungu.

-Zambia Reports

Nigeria: Electoral body's budget falls short of N31 Billion

The federal government's 2015 budget proposal submitted to the National Assembly last week by the finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has allocated the sum of N62 billion to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the election year.

Although the amount allocated to the electoral body for the 2015 fiscal year represented N17 billion increase from the last year's N45 billion envelope budget allocation, next year's figure has fell short of what the commission demanded for conduct of hitch-free polls.

INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega had at a stakeholders session organised by the Senate Committee on INEC last December, said the commission would need a whopping N93 billion to organise elections devoid of hitches and irregularities in 2015.

He told the senators that Nigeria had spent about $8 per voter in the 2011 elections, adding that fell below that of Ghana's $10-12 per voter. He stressed the commission's desire to bring down the amount to $7.9 per each voter during the 2015 election.

"We project that for the 2015 elections, this would come further down by almost $1-from $8.8 in 2011 to $7.9, representing almost a 10 percent drop. This compares favourably with some other African countries. However, we are anxious about getting all our funding requirements being met well in advance of the 2015 general elections."

But a copy of the commission's budget estimate for the election year, obtained by Daily Trust, revealed the federal government allocated N62 billion to the commission, which would largely be used for the execution of the elections.

The N62 billion, based on the budget estimate, is representing both the recurrent and capital expenditures of the commission for the year.

-Daily Trust

Nigeria: Electoral body redeploys 37 electoral commissioners

Ahead of the 2015 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has redeployed its Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

Breakdown of the new postings shows that the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuemeka Onukaogu has been posted to Enugu State; Mr Mike Igini, Cross River REC is now in charge of Edo State; Niger State REC, Dr Emmanuel Onucheyo has been redeployed to Kwara State while a former REC in Delta State, Dr Gabriel Ada has been moved to Imo State.

Other RECs and their new states are as follows: Baba Abba Yusuf – Adamawa; Prof. Tukur Sa’ad – Bauchi; Ahmad Makama – Taraba; Selina Omagha Oko – Abia; Edwin Offor Nwatarali – Anambra; Sadiq Abubakar Musa – Sokoto, Jibrin Ibrahim Zarewa – Kebbi; Hussaini Ahmed Mahuta – Kaduna; Abubakar Umar Wara – Zamfara and Rufus Akeju – Oyo.


Others are Umar Danyaya – Nasarawa; Timothy Ibitoye – Ogun; Barito Lenusikpugi Kphagih – Bayelsa; Haliru Tambawel – Jigawa; Kassim Gana Geidam- Gombe; Ibrahim Bagobiri Marafa – Katsina; Aniedi Ikoiwak – Delta; Habu Zarma – Yobe; Akin Orebiyi – Lagos and Hussaini Halilu Pai – Kogi.

The rest are Kwanga Godwin Mbatsavbee – Plateau; Sylvester Okey Ezeani – Cross River; Lawrence Azubuike – Ebonyi; Sam Olugbadebo Olumekun – Ekiti; Minkaila Abdullahi – Kano; Austin Okogie – Akwa Ibom; Segun Agbaje – Ondo; Nasir Ayilara – Niger; Istifanus Dafwang – Benue; Gesila Khan – Rivers; Samuel Madaki – Borno and Jacob Jatau – FCT.

The redeployment which was conveyed in a letter marked INEC/SEC/402/ VOLIII/312 and addressed to the officials directed them all RECs directed them to conclude all handing and taking over formalities by Wednesday, December 31, 2014.

-Daily Post

Nigeria: Names of presidential candidates for 2015 Elections released

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, at the weekend released the list of presidential candidates for the 2015 elections.

According to the list, only 13 political parties would field presidential candidates in the 2015 presidential elections.

The parties and their candidates are the People Democratic Party, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan; the All Progressives Congress, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.); Action Alliance, Tunde Anifowose-Kelani; Kowa Party, Prof. Oluremi Sonaiya; United Progressives Party; Chief Chekwas Okorie; and National Conscience Party, Chief Martin Onovo.

Others are African Democratic Congress, Dr. Ibrahim Nani; United Democratic Party, Godson Okoye; Alliance for Democracy, Rafiu Salau; Peoples Party of Nigeria, Kelvin Alagoa; Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, Alhaji Ganiyu Oseni; African Peoples Alliance, Alhaji Adebayo Ayeni; and Hope Democratic Party, Ambrose Owuru.

The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said: “We have complied with the law; we have published the list of all the presidential candidates in all the states of the Federation. For other elective offices, the lists will be published in their constituencies and senatorial districts as applicable”.

The commission further enjoined Nigerians to screen the particulars of the candidates and raise issues if they think any candidate should be disqualified.

INEC said: “The personal particulars are displayed in all the state and local government offices of the commission in the constituencies of the candidates.

“Any person who has reasonable grounds to believe that any information given by any candidate is false or that the candidate is not qualified or is disqualified from contesting the elections should notify the commission in writing within seven days of this publication”.


Zambia: Stakeholders to monitor printing of ballot papers

The spokesman for the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says representatives from political parties and representatives from civil society and faith-based groups will travel to South Africa on Sunday to monitor the printing of the ballot papers for next month’s presidential by-election.

Chris Akufuna said an advance team of officials from the ECZ left Zambia to South Africa last week to prepare for Sunday's visit.

Some opposition groups expressed concern that the delegation includes officials from the Drug Enforcement Commission and other security agencies.

They say the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) will use the security agencies to rig next month’s vote to maintain the party in power.

Akufuna denied that charge and said security agencies have been involved in monitoring the printing of the ballot papers in 2006 and in the last general election in 2011.

“We have worked with them before in terms of the Zambia police, the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Drug Enforcement Commission. They have been part of the process observing the whole printing process,” said Akufuna. “So it’s nothing suspicious about them being included, but of course some stakeholders would say, why include them. They have been part of it from the past.”

He said the invitation of the political parties and others to observe the printing of the ballot papers is part of ECZ measures to ensure the election is transparent, free fair and credible.

“We are involving the stakeholders from the beginning as a way of building confidence in the process and as a demonstration that the commission has nothing to hide,” said Akufuna.

He said the political parties will receive, inspect and verify the shipment of the ballot papers from South Africa when they arrive in Zambia before they are distributed nationwide for the vote.

“Even as we distribute them from Lusaka now to the respective districts, we will as much as possible involve them,” said Akufuna.

Prospective Zambian voters are scheduled to vote next month to choose a new leader following the death of President Michael Sata.


Attached audio: Peter Clottey's interview with Chris Akufuna, spokesman for the Electoral Commission of Zambia



SOURCE: VOANews

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Zambia: Two candidates withdraw from presidential race

Former Nigeria's external affairs minister, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has written to President Goodluck Jonathan and General Mohammed Buhari (rtd), requesting the two presidential candidates in the forthcoming general elections to meet and sign a memorandum of undertaking that they would control their respective supporters after the elections.

In a letter addressed to the two presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) respectively, Akinyemi recounted how former national security adviser (NSA), the late General Andrew Azazi, had met him on the eve of the 2011 polls to seek his counsel on the state of the nation, but ignored it after all.

He said, "The certainty of violence after the 2015 elections is higher than it was in 2011. If President Jonathan wins, the North would erupt into violence as it did in 2011. If General Buhari wins, the Niger Delta will erupt into violence. I don't believe that we need rocket science to make this prediction.

"There are states and movements out there, African and non-African, which do not mean well for the Nigerian state, which wish Nigeria to dissolve into a theatre of bloodshed, gore and instability. They will succeed if we continue the politics of making enemies of ourselves and friends of our enemies".

He recalled that he had warned the late Azazi, who had come to his office in Lagos, of the impending massive scale post-election violence which claimed many lives and property after the said elections.

He added that the conflict-control measures he suggested to Azazi were missing in the wake of the violence because the federal government did not act on his warning.

Akinyemi said, "Shortly after his appointment as NSA, General Andrew Azazi, at his own request, met with me in my office in Lagos to discuss the state of the nation. It was on the eve of the 2011 elections.

"I told the General that I was not worried about the conduct of the elections or about the outcome which I expected President Jonathan to win. What really worried me, I told the General, was the management of the violence that would ensue after the elections.

"I was sure that there would be violence on a massive scale and I made some suggestions to him about how I thought the violence could be contained. My suggestions were not acted upon. The elections occurred, President Jonathan won and all hell broke loose. Missing were the conflict-control measures which I had discussed with General Azazi."

He warned that the country was back to the same crossroads as in 2011, adding that with "this very notorious prediction from United States semi-official sources that the world is expecting a cataclysmic meltdown of the Nigerian nation come 2015", the impending 2015 post-election violence would be more precarious and dangerous than the last time.

Akinyemi noted that even though most Nigerians had expressed resentment at the prediction, there were still some Nigerians who are indifferent to it.

He stated: "The violence of 2015 is going to be horrendous and worse than the one of 2011 for the simple reason that the illegal massive importation of weapons into the country has reached such alarming proportions that I really wonder which is better armed, the militias on one hand or the official armed forces on the other hand.

"For the avoidance of doubt, I am not imputing the illegal importation of arms to any particular zone. Some years ago, some Iranians were arrested for bringing in a shipload of weapons into Lagos harbour. They were tried and jailed and then smuggled out of the country.

"Some months ago, sophisticated weapons were discovered buried in the basement of a Kano house. All these have now fallen below the radar. These are the ones we know about. How many do we not know about?"



Requesting Jonathan and Buhari to meet and sign an undertaking, Akinyemi said, "The first step forward is for the two presidential candidates to meet and sign a memorandum of undertaking that will commit both to a civil and peaceful campaign, devoid of threats; a commitment to preach peaceful elections to their supporters; a commitment to control their supporters after the elections. Supporters of whoever loses should be entitled to peaceful protests but not to violent protests."

The former external affairs minister appealed to former Nigerian leaders, religious heads and royal fathers in the country, who he described as Council of Wisemen, to wade into the matter and save the country from chaos.

Akinyemi said these eminent Nigerians are to assist in managing the post-election conflicts by facilitating the pre-election MOU between Jinathan and Buhari.

He listed two former heads of state, General Yakubu Gowon and General Abubakar Abdulsalaam; the Sultan, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III; Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II; Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha; Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade; Oba of Benin, Omo N'oba Erediauwa; Chief Emeka Anyaoku; CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and Pastor Enoch Adeboye.

Boko Haram attacks gov's hometown in Yobe

Suspected Boko Haram militants yesterday attacked Gaidam local government area of Yobe State.

Details of the attack were sketchy by press time but gunshots persisted in the town, a resident said.

Gaidam is 185 kilometres from Damaturu, the headquarters of Yobe State, and hometown of Yobe State governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam.

A resident who escaped the attack told our correspondent on phone that the attackers stormed the town around 6:12 pm and unleashed terror the residents

"We got prior information since last week that Boko Haram would attack our town but no measure was taken by the security forces in the area. That's how I escaped into the bush with my two wives and four my sons, but as we speak, there are gunshots going on," he said

Another resident who escaped from Gaidam, MustaphaKyari, said that many people, including women and children, had fled to the nearby bushes and others to Mino village of Niger Republic, Gashua local government area and Garin Gafa, 45 kilometres away from Gaidam local government.

When contacted, the state commissioner of police, Mr. Marcus Danladi, confirmed the attack, but said he was yet to get full details.

"As I as am talking to you now, I cannot tell you the number of casualties and the palaces torched by Boko Haram. What I can tell you is that we have sent our men to join up with the military," Danladi said.

Gombe gov escapes death in Kashere

The Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Dankwanbo narrowly escaped death during an attempted assassination last week, when he visited Kashere town.

According to the publicity secretary of the Gombe Youth Development Forum, Hashiru who spoke to LEADERSHIP on telephone, the governor and his convoy came under attack when he visited the palace of the Kashere traditional ruler during which suspected thugs in the town started throwing dangerous objects at the governor's vehicle.

"What happened on Thursday was simply a case of assassination attempt on his Excellency, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo. The governor decided to visit the palace of the emir to pay homage, but our convoy was attacked by Kalare thugs near the roundabout right in front of the Police station.

"The vehicle I was travelling in was the one that was first attacked because we were in front of the governor's car, but they did not spare the governor's vehicle and threw all sorts of objects at it. They destroyed the side glass where he was seated," Hashiru said.

The Gombe Youth Forum accused a former governor of sending political thugs, known as "Kalare Boys" to assassinate Dankwambo when he visited Kashere town to visit the federal university there.

The group said it was reacting to a statement by the All Progressives Congress (APC) spokesman, Alh Lai Mohammed, who accused Dankwambo of clamping down on APC members...

-Leadership

Nigeria: Post election violence in 2015 - 'Jonathan, Buhari must sign bond'

Former Nigeria's external affairs minister, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has written to President Goodluck Jonathan and General Mohammed Buhari (rtd), requesting the two presidential candidates in the forthcoming general elections to meet and sign a memorandum of undertaking that they would control their respective supporters after the elections.

In a letter addressed to the two presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) respectively, Akinyemi recounted how former national security adviser (NSA), the late General Andrew Azazi, had met him on the eve of the 2011 polls to seek his counsel on the state of the nation, but ignored it after all.

He said, "The certainty of violence after the 2015 elections is higher than it was in 2011. If President Jonathan wins, the North would erupt into violence as it did in 2011. If General Buhari wins, the Niger Delta will erupt into violence. I don't believe that we need rocket science to make this prediction.

"There are states and movements out there, African and non-African, which do not mean well for the Nigerian state, which wish Nigeria to dissolve into a theatre of bloodshed, gore and instability. They will succeed if we continue the politics of making enemies of ourselves and friends of our enemies".

He recalled that he had warned the late Azazi, who had come to his office in Lagos, of the impending massive scale post-election violence which claimed many lives and property after the said elections.

He added that the conflict-control measures he suggested to Azazi were missing in the wake of the violence because the federal government did not act on his warning.

Akinyemi said, "Shortly after his appointment as NSA, General Andrew Azazi, at his own request, met with me in my office in Lagos to discuss the state of the nation. It was on the eve of the 2011 elections.

"I told the General that I was not worried about the conduct of the elections or about the outcome which I expected President Jonathan to win. What really worried me, I told the General, was the management of the violence that would ensue after the elections.

"I was sure that there would be violence on a massive scale and I made some suggestions to him about how I thought the violence could be contained. My suggestions were not acted upon. The elections occurred, President Jonathan won and all hell broke loose. Missing were the conflict-control measures which I had discussed with General Azazi."

He warned that the country was back to the same crossroads as in 2011, adding that with "this very notorious prediction from United States semi-official sources that the world is expecting a cataclysmic meltdown of the Nigerian nation come 2015", the impending 2015 post-election violence would be more precarious and dangerous than the last time.

Akinyemi noted that even though most Nigerians had expressed resentment at the prediction, there were still some Nigerians who are indifferent to it.

He stated: "The violence of 2015 is going to be horrendous and worse than the one of 2011 for the simple reason that the illegal massive importation of weapons into the country has reached such alarming proportions that I really wonder which is better armed, the militias on one hand or the official armed forces on the other hand.

"For the avoidance of doubt, I am not imputing the illegal importation of arms to any particular zone. Some years ago, some Iranians were arrested for bringing in a shipload of weapons into Lagos harbour. They were tried and jailed and then smuggled out of the country.

"Some months ago, sophisticated weapons were discovered buried in the basement of a Kano house. All these have now fallen below the radar. These are the ones we know about. How many do we not know about?"



Requesting Jonathan and Buhari to meet and sign an undertaking, Akinyemi said, "The first step forward is for the two presidential candidates to meet and sign a memorandum of undertaking that will commit both to a civil and peaceful campaign, devoid of threats; a commitment to preach peaceful elections to their supporters; a commitment to control their supporters after the elections. Supporters of whoever loses should be entitled to peaceful protests but not to violent protests."

The former external affairs minister appealed to former Nigerian leaders, religious heads and royal fathers in the country, who he described as Council of Wisemen, to wade into the matter and save the country from chaos.

Akinyemi said these eminent Nigerians are to assist in managing the post-election conflicts by facilitating the pre-election MOU between Jinathan and Buhari.

He listed two former heads of state, General Yakubu Gowon and General Abubakar Abdulsalaam; the Sultan, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III; Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II; Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha; Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade; Oba of Benin, Omo N'oba Erediauwa; Chief Emeka Anyaoku; CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and Pastor Enoch Adeboye.

Boko Haram attacks gov's hometown in Yobe

Suspected Boko Haram militants yesterday attacked Gaidam local government area of Yobe State.

Details of the attack were sketchy by press time but gunshots persisted in the town, a resident said.

Gaidam is 185 kilometres from Damaturu, the headquarters of Yobe State, and hometown of Yobe State governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam.

A resident who escaped the attack told our correspondent on phone that the attackers stormed the town around 6:12 pm and unleashed terror the residents

"We got prior information since last week that Boko Haram would attack our town but no measure was taken by the security forces in the area. That's how I escaped into the bush with my two wives and four my sons, but as we speak, there are gunshots going on," he said

Another resident who escaped from Gaidam, MustaphaKyari, said that many people, including women and children, had fled to the nearby bushes and others to Mino village of Niger Republic, Gashua local government area and Garin Gafa, 45 kilometres away from Gaidam local government.

When contacted, the state commissioner of police, Mr. Marcus Danladi, confirmed the attack, but said he was yet to get full details.

"As I as am talking to you now, I cannot tell you the number of casualties and the palaces torched by Boko Haram. What I can tell you is that we have sent our men to join up with the military," Danladi said.

Gombe gov escapes death in Kashere

The Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Dankwanbo narrowly escaped death during an attempted assassination last week, when he visited Kashere town.

According to the publicity secretary of the Gombe Youth Development Forum, Hashiru who spoke to LEADERSHIP on telephone, the governor and his convoy came under attack when he visited the palace of the Kashere traditional ruler during which suspected thugs in the town started throwing dangerous objects at the governor's vehicle.

"What happened on Thursday was simply a case of assassination attempt on his Excellency, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo. The governor decided to visit the palace of the emir to pay homage, but our convoy was attacked by Kalare thugs near the roundabout right in front of the Police station.

"The vehicle I was travelling in was the one that was first attacked because we were in front of the governor's car, but they did not spare the governor's vehicle and threw all sorts of objects at it. They destroyed the side glass where he was seated," Hashiru said.

The Gombe Youth Forum accused a former governor of sending political thugs, known as "Kalare Boys" to assassinate Dankwambo when he visited Kashere town to visit the federal university there.

The group said it was reacting to a statement by the All Progressives Congress (APC) spokesman, Alh Lai Mohammed, who accused Dankwambo of clamping down on APC members...

-Leadership

Tunisia: US congratulates Tunisia on successful polls

On behalf of the government and people of the United States, I would like to congratulate President-elect Beji Caid Essebsi on his victory and the Tunisian people on the successful completion of their process to elect a new government under the constitution adopted last January. Tunisia has provided a shining example to the region and the world of what can be achieved through dedication to democracy, consensus, and an inclusive political process. I would also like to offer my congratulations to the Independent Election Commission, which successfully managed a very complex and challenging process this year to democratically elect a parliament and president.

Tunisia’s achievements this year lay the groundwork for a more stable, prosperous, and democratic future for the country. I look forward to working with President-elect Caid Essebsi and Tunisia’s new parliament and government to strengthen and expand our countries’ enduring friendship and strategic partnership. The United States will continue to support Tunisia as it joins the ranks of the world’s democracies, and we call on other members of the international community to do the same.

- US State portal

Tunisia: Candidate refuses to admit defeat in runoff

Moncef Marzouki has refused to admit defeat in Tunisia's first free presidential election after exit polls suggested Beji Caid Essebsi had won.

The caretaker president, a former exile, said his rival's declaration of victory was "undemocratic".

Mr Essebsi, 88, has urged all Tunisians to "work together" for stability.

Critics say his success marks the return of a discredited establishment, as he served under deposed President Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali.

Mr Ben Ali was ousted in 2011 after the Arab Spring revolution that triggered uprisings across the region.

Mr Essebsi was also in the cabinet of Tunisia's first post-independence leader, Habib Bourguiba.

Official results are not expected until Monday evening. One exit poll gave Mr Essebsi 55.5%, with several others showing similar figures.

The election marks the last stage of Tunisia's move to democracy, after the revolution.

Analysis: Naveena Kottoor, BBC News, Tunis
Moncef Marzouki's response to Beji Caid Essebsi declaration of victory perhaps sounded rather indignant. But Tunisia's incumbent president clarified on Sunday he would accept the official results once they had been announced by the election authorities.

Observers who were deployed across the country in their thousands have not raised serious concerns so far. Should that change, there are legal systems in place for either candidate if they wish to challenge the result.

And while this election is an historic achievement, it is important to remember that the new democratically elected president will be less powerful than his predecessors. The experience of dictatorship is still fresh in the minds of many Tunisians and the founding fathers of the new Tunisia made sure the new president would not have similar powers.

It is the first time Tunisians have been able vote freely for their president since independence from France in 1956.

Mr Marzouki, a 67-year-old human rights activist forced into exile by the Ben Ali government, said the election was too early to call.

"The announcement of victory is undemocratic and we should wait if we want to be a state that respects the rule of law," he told supporters.

"What I want to tell you is that we are victorious, we are victorious, we are victorious. Tunisia has won and you have won. You have won for Tunisia, for democracy and for human rights."

'Martyrs of Tunisia'
Mr Marzouki has been interim president since 2011 and is more popular in the conservative, poorer south.

He was thought likely to attract support from the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, which has played a key role in Tunisian politics since the Arab Spring but did not field a candidate.

Mr Essebsi appeared on television after polls closed on Sunday, saying: "I dedicate my victory to the martyrs of Tunisia."

"I thank Marzouki, and now we should work together without excluding anyone," he added.

line
Beji Caid Essebsi addresses supporters following Tunisia's presidential election
Beji Caid Essebsi
88-year-old lawyer and politician
Studied law in Paris
Interior minister under Habib Bourguiba, Tunisia's first president after independence
Speaker of parliament under ousted President Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali
Interim prime minister in 2011 after the uprising
Founder of secular-leaning Nidaa Tounes party in 2014
Supported by Tunisian General Labour Union and some business groups
line
Supporters danced and let off fireworks outside the headquarters of Mr Essebsi's secular-leaning Nidaa Tounes party.

Mr Essebsi led in the first round of voting last month with 39% of the vote. Mr Marzouki polled 33%.

He is popular in the wealthy, coastal regions, and based his appeal to voters on stability and experience.

-BBC

Tunisia: Essebsi, 88, wins first free presidential vote

 Veteran Tunisian politician Beji Caid Essebsi won the country's first free presidential election, in the final step of a transition to democracy after an uprising that ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.

Essebsi beat rival and incumbent Moncef Marzouki with 55.68 percent of the vote against 44.32 percent in Sunday's run-off ballot between the two men, according the results released on Monday by the electoral authorities.

A former official under Ben Ali, Essebsi recast himself as a technocrat. His secular party Nidaa Tounes - Call for Tunisia - profited from a backlash against the post-revolt Islamist government, which many voters blamed for turmoil after 2011.

Outside the Nidaa Tounes headquarters in the capital Tunis, several hundred jubilant supporters took to the streets to celebrate, waving Tunisia's red and white national flag, singing and honking car horns.

"We succeeded in part of our struggle," Essebsi supporter Aya Khiari said. "These elections were just one round, but the battle to build Tunisia just started."

Marzouki made no immediate statement, but his campaign's official Facebook page said Essebsi's rival had congratulated him on the victory.

Just after results were announced, protesters set fire to a Nidaa Tounes party office in Tataouine in southern Tunisia. Rioting also broke out in another southern town, Hamma, with police firing teargas to disperse hundreds of youths who burned tyres to demonstrate against the return of Ben Ali's old guard.

  Critics of Essebsi, an 88-year-old former parliamentary speaker under Ben Ali, see his return as a setback for the 2011 uprising that ousted the veteran ruler and put the North African country on the road to full democracy, with a new constitution and free parliamentary and presidential elections.

The Tunisian uprising also inspired the Arab Spring revolts across North Africa and the Middle East.

U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry congratulated Essebsi on his victory and Tunisia on its conclusion of the first presidential election under the new constitution, according to statements.

"Tunisia has provided a shining example to the region and the world of what can be achieved through dedication to democracy, consensus, and an inclusive political process," Kerry said.

OLD GUARD RETURN

Compromise has been important in Tunisian politics. Essebsi's Nidaa Tounes reached a deal with the Islamist Ennahda party to overcome a political crisis triggered by the murder of two secular leaders last year.

As frontrunner, Essebsi dismissed critics who said victory for him would mark a return of the old guard. He distanced himself from the corruption and abuses of Ben Ali's era, and argued that he was the technocrat Tunisia needed following three messy years of an Islamist-led coalition government.

Marzouki, who had sought refuge in France during the Ben Ali era, painted a potential Essebsi presidency as a reverse for the "Jasmine Revolution" that forced the former autocrat to flee into exile. But many tied Marzouki to the Ennahda government.

Accepting former regime officials - known as the "Remnants" by their critics - back into politics had been one of the compromises that helped restore calm and keep Tunisia's often unsteady transition to democracy on track.

Victory for Essebsi consolidates his secular Nidaa Tounes party's position after it won the most seats in October's parliamentary election, beating out Islamist party Ennahda.

Essebsi's party will now have to decide on a prime minister and form a new government in coalition with smaller parties in the parliament before tackling Tunisia's low-level Islamist militancy and politically sensitive economic reforms.

Ennahda holds the second largest number of seats in congress and it and leftist Popular Front movement are still strong movements that will prove tough opponents in negotiations over policy in parliament.

-Reuters

Tunisia: President-elect says Tunisia has 'turned page on dictatorship'

Tunisia's new leader Beji Caid Essebsi said the country has turned the page on dictatorship after a presidential vote that European observers hailed on Tuesday as "credible and transparent".

But outgoing president Moncef Marzouki, who lost the election, said he was creating a new movement to prevent the North African nation sliding back into authoritarian rule after the victory by the veteran politician.

Essebsi, an 88-year-old who served under previous Tunisian regimes, was on Monday declared the winner of a vote seen as a landmark for the birthplace of the Arab Spring.

His election rounded off Tunisia's transition to democracy and has won praise from Western leaders including US President Barack Obama.

European Union observers reported on Tuesday that Tunisians had voted "for the first time in a credible and transparent presidential election".

The head of the EU mission, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, said however that "private television channels had clearly favoured the candidate Essebsi".

That was in line with complaints from Marzouki during an often bitter and divisive campaign that has raised concerns that Essebsi's victory marks the return of Tunisia's old guard.

But Essebsi, an anti-Islamist lawyer, insisted Tunisia would not turn back history.

- Call for calm -

View galleryAnti-Islamist Beji Caid Essebsi, named as the winner …
Anti-Islamist Beji Caid Essebsi, named as the winner in Tunisia's first free presidential electi …
"I am for completely turning the page on the past, we must go beyond the past and look to the future," he said in a nationally televised interview late on Monday.

Marzouki, a long-exiled 69-year-old former rights activist, has conceded defeat and called for calm after hundreds of his supporters clashed with police on Sunday and Monday.

On national television late Monday, Marzouki urged supporters to respect the result and return to their homes "in the name of national unity".

"These are the rules of the democratic process," he said.

However, on Tuesday he implied that Tunisia could yet see the return of dictatorship.

"I announce here the launch of the citizens' movement," he told a crowd of supporters from the balcony of his campaign headquarters.

He called on "democrats" to unite to "prevent the return of dictatorship" four years after the revolution of January 2011.

"We are again at a crossroads," Marzouki said.

View galleryA young supporter of newly-elected President Beji Caid …
A young supporter of newly-elected President Beji Caid Essebsi celebrates his victory on December 22 …
"This movement aims to prevent the return of dictatorship, because unfortunately there are some extremists among these people who seek a return to the past, and this is a danger for Tunisia.

"Dirty money and biased media cannot change the course of history," he said.

Essebsi is now expected to begin forming a government, after his Nidaa Tounes party won parliamentary polls in October.

The moderately Islamist Ennahda party, which was in power after the revolution and installed Marzouki as president, came second in the general election and has not ruled out joining in a governing coalition.

The presidential vote -- the first time Tunisians have freely elected their head of state since independence in 1956 -- was seen as a milestone for the country that sparked the Arab Spring with the 2011 ouster of longtime strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The revolution that began in Tunisia spread to many parts of the Arab world, with mass protests in Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen.

In every country except Tunisia the revolution was followed by violent turmoil or, as in Syria's case, a devastating civil war.

Obama hailed the election as "a vital step toward the completion of Tunisia's momentous transition to democracy".

President Francois Hollande of France, Tunisia's former colonial ruler, praised Tunisians for their "determination, sense of responsibility and spirit of compromise".

The next government will face major challenges.

Tunisia's economy is struggling to recover from the upheaval of the revolution and there are fears that widespread joblessness will cause social unrest.

A nascent jihadist threat has also emerged, with militant groups long suppressed under Ben Ali carrying out attacks including the killings of two anti-Islamist politicians.

Tunisian newspapers also underlined the difficulties ahead, with daily La Presse saying the new leader must deal with "a massive debt, weak growth, high unemployment, deteriorating competitiveness and highly threatened security".

Le Temps hailed Tunisia for emerging "victorious from a gruelling and painful ordeal", adding that voters had not given Essebsi a "blank cheque" to do as he pleases.

-AFP

Tunisia: Calm returns after post-election riots

Tunisia's Interior Ministry says calm has returned to the country after riots broke out in several cities following the country's presidential elections.

Mohammed Ali Aroui, the ministry spokesman, said Tuesday the situation was now stable after policemen used teargas to disperse angry protesters.

Demonstrations erupted in the cities of Gabes, Tataouine, Douz and the Tunis suburb of Kram after old regime symbol Beji Caid Essebsi won the presidential elections.

Sunday's elections marked the end of the democratic transition that began with the revolution in 2011 that overthrew dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Police stations and the headquarters for Essebsi's party were attacked.

Outgoing president Moncef Marzouki, who lost the election, appealed for calm and respect for the democratic process.
-AP

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Tunisia: Security tightened at polls following armed attack

Security measures were tightened at Tunisia's polling stations on Sunday following a dawn attack in the central province of Kairouan that left one assailant dead and one solider wounded.
A man armed with a hunting rifle and three others reportedly attacked soldiers guarding ballot papers in the province's town of Haffouz for the country's presidential vote being held on Sunday.
The soldiers shot and killed the man and captured the three others, according to Defence Ministry spokesman Belhassan Oueslati.
Oueslati said he did not believe that militants, who had called for a boycott of Sunday's landmark election runoff and threatened to target the political establishment, were behind the attack.
"Generally, the terrorists don't use hunting rifles," he said.
After the incident, security authorities deployed some 100,000 troops to polling stations, with a focus on the country's western provinces.
At least 20 security units were deployed around five polling stations in the central city of Sidi Bouzid, an Anadolu Agency correspondent reported.
Similar deployments took place in the various cities and towns across the country, according to several AA correspondents.
Tunisia's Independent High Authority for Elections on Sunday delayed the opening of around 100 polling stations in the country's western regions until 10am (9am GMT), citing security reasons.
In an Internet video posted Wednesday, militants claimed the 2013 murder of two secular politicians, Mohamed Brahmi and Chokri Belaid, that plunged Tunisia into crisis, warning of more killings of politicians and security forces.

-Reuters

Tunisia: Troops kill gunman in polling station attack

One gunman was killed by Tunisian troops and three others arrested after they attacked a voting station late on Saturday, hours before polls opened for a presidential run-off, a defence ministry official said on Sunday.
The gunmen opened fire from a car on a polling station in the central Kairouan governate, and troops shot back in response, the official said, without giving any more details.

Security forces have been on high alert over a threat from Islamist militants to disrupt Sunday's presidential second round which marks the last step in Tunisia's transition to full democracy after the 2011 uprising against Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali.
-Reuters

Tunisia: Voting enderway in historic presidential run-off

Tunisians voted on Sunday in a presidential run-off election that completes the country's transition to full democracy nearly four years after an uprising which ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali.
With a new progressive constitution and a full parliament elected in October, Tunisia is hailed as an example of democratic change for a region still struggling with the aftermath of the 2011 Arab Spring revolts.
The North African nation avoided the bitter post-revolt divisions troubling Libya and Egypt, but Sunday's election is between a former Ben Ali official and the incumbent who claims to defend the legacy of the 2011 revolution.
Frontrunner Beji Caid Essebsi, a former parliament speaker under Ben Ali, won 39 percent of votes in the first round of voting in November with current president Moncef Marzouki taking 33 percent of the ballots.
Polling opened at 8 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) with a heavy security presence at voting stations around the capital Tunis.
Official preliminary results were not expected until Monday.
Overnight one gunman was killed and three arrested after they opened fire on a polling station in the central Kairouan governorate, a defence ministry official said.
Essebsi, 88, dismisses critics who say he would mark a return of the old regime stalwarts. He says he is the technocrat Tunisia needs after three messy years of the Islamist-led coalition government that followed the revolt.
Marzouki, 69, is a former activist during the Ben Ali era who has painted an Essebsi presidency as a setback for the "Jasmine Revolution" that forced the former leader to flee into exile.
"The revolution has to continue. Tunisia is a leader in democracy in the Arab world, but the return of the old regime could put an end to that model," Marzouki said voting in the coastal town of Sousse.
Yet many Tunisians tie Marzouki’s own presidency to the Islamist party's government and the mistakes opponents said it made in controlling influence of hardline Islamists in one of the Arab world's most secular countries.
"I am voting for a more liberal and open future, to put an end to these last three years. I wouldn't miss this historic opportunity," said Monia Ben Slimen, voting for Essebsi at a Tunis polling station.
DEAL-MAKING POLITICS
Compromise has been important in Tunisian politics. Essebsi's Nidaa Tounes party managed to reach a deal with Islamist Ennahda to overcome a crisis triggered by the murder of two secular leaders last year.
Ennahda eventually stepped down at the start of this year to make way for a technocrat transitional cabinet until elections. But the Islamists remain a powerful force after winning the second largest number of seats in the new parliament.
Essebsi appeals to the more secular, liberal sections of Tunisian society, while analysts expect Marzouki to draw on support from more conservative rural areas, and from members of Ennahda, which did not field a presidential candidate.
The presidency post holds only limited powers over national defence and foreign policy. In Tunisia, the parliament, led by Essebsi's Nidaa Tounes party which won the most seats, will be key to selecting a new prime minister to lead the government.

Ennahda and the leftwing Popular Front movement, both well-organised, would be powerful opponents to Nidaa Tounes in the parliament, making more compromise deals likely. Whoever wins, Tunisia's new government must tackle the threat posed by Islamist militants as well as potentially politically sensitive economic reforms in a country where many are still worried about jobs and the high cost of living.
-Reuters

Friday, December 19, 2014

Zambia: Court stops expulsion of acting president

THE Ndola High Court has granted acting President Guy Scott an injunction restraining the Patriotic Front (PF) from suspending or expelling him from the party as doing so will result in contempt of court.

An order of ex parte injunction granted to Dr Scott through his lawyer Ivan Mulenga states that PF secretary general Davis Chama is restrained from removing the acting President from his position as party Vice-President.

High Court Judge Anessi Bobo said the PF has been stopped from taking any actions that are adverse to Dr Scott’s position as party Vice-President and a member of the party.

She also directed the PF to withdraw the letter of removal of Dr Scott as party Vice-President dated December 16, 2014 and restore his position until determination of the case or further order by the court.

And in a penal notice, Justice Bobo said failure to obey the injunction shall result in contempt of court and thereby liability to committal to prison.

The matter will be heard next Monday.

And Mr Chama said the injunction obtained by Dr Scott shall be defended by a team of the party’s capable lawyers.
“I would like to inform you that as the ruling Patriotic Front, we have been informed that Dr Guy Scott has obtained an injunction restraining the PF from removing him from the position of Vice-President,” he said.

Mr Chama also said Edgar Lungu will tomorrow file his nomination papers as the PF’s preferred and duly-elected candidate for the January 20 presidential election.

-Zambia Daily Mail

Nigeria: Politicians, stakeholders frustrate credible elections – INEC Boss

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, on Thursday blamed stakeholders, especially politicians, for frustrating the desire of Nigerians to have free, fair and credible elections in the country.

Jega made the remark in a keynote address at a one-day workshop on “Securing the 2015 Elections’’, organised for Command Commissioners of Police by the UNDP in collaboration with the police.

He said the frustration had gone to the extent that many Nigerians doubted whether democracy was worth it.

“Nigerians have aspired for democracy; they have aspired for free, fair and credible elections for the deepening and consolidation of democracy.

“But this aspiration has been continuously frustrated to the extent that one can say that many Nigerians have been wondering about whether democracy is worth it.

“Regrettably, the series of elections that we have had, the choice of the voters has in most cases been truncated.

“This is either by actions or inactions of the electoral commission or by the very aggressive and fraudulent conduct of participants in the electoral process,’’ he said.

According to him, in some other cases, the frustration comes from the actions or inactions of security agencies, who are supposed to secure the electoral process.

The INEC chairman, therefore, called on all stakeholders to do what was expected of them to ensure free, fair and credible elections in 2015.

He described the police as an important stakeholder and urged the force to collaborate more with the commission to ensure that the forthcoming elections were devoid of crisis.

He, however, commended them, saying they had improved in their performance so far, but added that they needed to do more to secure the 2015 elections.

According to him, at least three unarmed policemen and other security personnel are needed to man each polling station during election to give voters confidence to exercise their franchise.

Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba, assured that the police would provide adequate security for the election.

“The task of providing adequate security during the electoral process is one of the most daunting challenges confronting security agencies today.

“The Nigeria Police, being the lead agency will, with the cooperation and assistance of sister agencies, do everything that can be done to secure the electoral officers, materials and voters,” Abba said.

-Daily Post

Zambia: Ruling party in turmoil ahead of 2015 polls

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs Harry Kalaba has dismissed claims by acting President Guy Scott that the Patriotic Front (PF) wants to use public funds for campaigns for the forthcoming presidential election.
Mr Kalaba said the party has received and continues to receive financial support from local well-wishers contrary to Dr Scott’s claims that it intends to use public funds for campaigns.

He said this in an interview in Lusaka yesterday in reaction to Dr Scott’s statement that he will not be blackmailed into allowing the illegal use of government resources for partisan interests.
This was after 14 Cabinet ministers passed a vote of no confidence in Dr Scott and further called on him to resign from his position for allegedly endangering the peace and security of the country.

But Mr Kalaba said the PF is in government to protect the abuse of public funds and that the party has enough friends and well-wishers, who are rendering support towards the campaigns.
“Dr Scott is just shooting in the dark. We are not using public funds to campaign for the forthcoming election,” Mr Kalaba said.

He said Dr Scott’s claims are baseless and unfounded and that the people of Zambia should take the claims as a mere fabrication of the truth.

And Mr Kalaba said the 14 Cabinet ministers will work within the boundaries of the law to remove Dr Scott from his position as acting President.

He said Dr Scott should just resign on moral grounds for putting the peace and security of the nation at risk.

“Dr Scott has read our cards very well, which have interrogated his conscience. His real morality will question him if he continues to act as republican President,” Mr Kalaba said.

He was reacting to Dr Scott’s refusal to step down from his position.
On Wednesday, 14 Cabinet ministers called on Dr Scott to relinquish his position for allegedly posing a threat to national security.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Nigeria: President’s region is insignificant - Catholic Bishop

Outspoken Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, on Wednesday asserted that the region where the President comes should be of no significance, even as he noted that Gen. Muhammad Buhari’s presidency would not bring about a new bureaucracy or spell end to the Almajiri syndrome in the North within one term.

He however expressed optimism that the country would remain intact despite the fears being nursed by many Nigerians, adding that he had not seen anything that would warrant Nigeria breaking up in 2015.

Kukah, who made his position known while addressing journalists ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Sokoto Diocese billed to hold on December 19 in Sokoto, assured that the 2015 elections would come and go like others with Nigeria emerging stronger in contravention of apprehensions expressed in some quarters.

The Bishop pointed out that God had not spoken to anybody about the future of Nigeria, stressing that the desired change could only be attained if Nigerians decide to change their attitude.


Hear him, “God has not spoken to anybody about the future of Nigeria. Today is the tomorrow you dreamt about and if we want 2015 election to be successful it will start from today. So, I see no reason why Nigeria will just break up.”

Daily Post

Nigeria: Elections will go on in troubled North-east - Military

The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Wednesday assured that elections would hold in the troubled areas of the North East in 2015.

According to him, the nation is winning the war against the Boko Haram sect, saying that Nigeri¬ans should have faith in the military.

Marshall Badeh spoke with State House Correspondents after President Goodluck Jonathan met with security chiefs at the Presidential Villa.
The President had earlier met with the security chiefs on Tuesday.
The Chief of Defence Staff said the meeting was to brief the President about the current security situation in the country.

“You are aware of the security situation in the country, the President thought it fit to call us this morning to brief him about the current situation of things. We have told the President exactly where we are and our future plans. As you know, we can’t talk about our future plans here, that will mean us telling the enemy what we are doing,” the four star general said.

On the fake Boko Haram members arrested by the State Security Service and his earlier ceasefire order, Badeh said it was better not to discuss such matter as the DSS was on it.

“It is better not to discuss those things. SSS is on it, they are doing their own investigation. They did a briefing yesterday and they have told you exactly what they are doing. It is better we leave the SSS to handle that one,”


-Leadership Newspaper

Nigeria: Boko Haram could ruin Nigeria's 2015 presidential polls

Nigerian election officials say more than a million voters in the country's besieged northeast may not be able to cast ballots in the presidential elections scheduled for February — a pivotal vote that observers say already has the potential for violence.

Nigeria's 2010 Electoral Act says citizens can only vote in the constituency where they are registered, meaning people displaced by the ongoing conflict with the Sunni extremist group Boko Haram will not be able to cast ballots without a change in federal law.

"Unless the act is amended, the IDP (internally displaced person) issue could expose the election to legal challenges by the losing party," Kayode Idowu, spokesperson for the Independent National Electoral Commission, said Monday.

Nigeria's National Assembly, which could rewrite the law, will not meet again until January, only a month before the vote. The election is expected to be the closest contest since Nigeria ended military rule in 1999.

Several of Nigeria's largest opposition parties consolidated into the All Progressives Congress in 2013, setting the stage for a two-horse race that pits former military leader Muhammadu Buhari against incumbent Goodluck Jonathan of the People's Democratic Party. Buhari, a Muslim, was chosen last week by the APC in a primary election. On Wednesday, Buhari added Yemi Osinbajo — a lawyer and Christian pastor from Nigeria's south — to his ticket as the APC's vice-presidential candidate. Jonathan, who is from the Niger Delta region, is Christian.

Three northern states — Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe — are currently under a state of emergency due to fighting with Boko Haram, which has battled government forces and targeted civilians since 2009. The Nigerian government announced a ceasefire agreement with Boko Haram in October, but militant leader Abubakar Shekau denied the existence of a truce the following month. Human Rights Watch estimates that Boko Haram killed more than 2,000 civilians in just the first six months of 2014.

Militant attacks have increased during the state of emergency, and some members of the opposition have suggested that Jonathan has prolonged taking decisive action in the northeast in order to make it more difficult for predominantly APC voters to cast their ballots.

Omolade Adunbi, a professor of African studies at the University of Michigan, said a combination of government incompetence and apathy for the north is likely to blame for the situation.

"Jonathan didn't take the fight against Boko Haram seriously because the area was controlled by the opposition party, but as it turns out things are not working the way he wanted to, particularly with the Chibook girls," Abundi told VICE News, referring to more than 200 young women who were kidnapped by Boko Haram in April. Most of the girls are still missing, and the mass abduction has affected Jonathan's popularity.

Many residents in the area under the state of emergency have fled to Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and surrounding areas. Even for those who haven't fled, it's unclear how safe the polls would be, and the disarray caused by disrupted polling could result in a legal crisis. In order to be elected president, a candidate must win 25 percent of the votes in at least two-thirds of Nigeria's 36 states.

The National Assembly has also yet to take up proposed amendments to the Electoral Act that would establish a system for dealing with violent or non-violent electoral offenses. In a November report, the International Crisis Group said it was not clear that those provisions would be passed "in time to have a meaningful impact on the polls."

With so much unresolved only two months prior to the vote, distrust of the government in Abuja is growing among many Nigerians and exacerbating splits between the largely Muslim north and predominantly Christian south.

"The country is more polarized than we've seen it in many years," Nnamdi Obasi, a Nigeria analyst at the International Crisis Group, told VICE News. "There are tensions along regional and religious lines. Add that to the fact that you have only two political parties contesting for the big prize, and all of this in a very volatile security environment, it suggests that the election could have a high risk of violence around it."

Jonathan's power base is Nigeria's Delta region, home to the country's vast petroleum reserves. Obasi said it appears both sides in the contest might only be satisfied with victory.

"People in the Delta cannot contemplate Jonathan not winning, and in the far north they cannot contemplate Jonathan continuing for the next four years," he said. "Whichever way the election goes, you can expect turbulence immediately after."

In 2011, Jonathan defeated Buhari, who was then running as a candidate for the Congress for Progressive Change. The outcome was followed by outbursts of violence in northern states that killed at least 800 people, according to Human Rights Watch. Obisi said the bloodshed could be repeated in 2015 if Buhari loses again.

Regardless of the outcome, the winner of Nigeria's 2015 election will inherit a budget bludgeoned by oil prices that have plummeted by nearly half since June. The government in Abuja relies on oil sales for roughly 70 percent of its income.

"If Buhari wins, you can expect to see him become highly unpopular within a few months if the price of oil continues to slide," Adunbi said. "He's not going to be able to find enough resources to function."

Nigeria said Wednesday that it would have to trim its anticipated 2015 budget by 8 percent, a move that would likely strain state services and cut the wages of civil servants. Those sharp retrenchments are based on global oil prices of $65 a barrel, $7 higher more than the going rate Wednesday.

Members of Nigeria's two largest oil workers unions went on strike this week, demanding the government pass a bill overhauling the industry. Though observers point out the move comes at a time of high leverage directly before the election, disruptions of the oil sector could loom large in the event of a Buhari win.

"Former militant leaders that we spoke with are threatening that if Jonathan loses, then first of all they would cripple the oil industry and then disrupt the flow of oil into the northern parts of the country," Obasi said.

But Jonathan's support in the Delta is by no means universally guaranteed. Abundi says that while Jonathan established a patronage system — not unique to Nigeria or Africa — to keep former Delta rebel leaders by his side, the population of the region lacks access to sufficient infrastructure, a shortcoming that many lay squarely at Jonathan's feet.

Abundi said the notion that the election will splinter the country along regional and religious lines does a disservice to voters. Not only did Buhari, the Muslim candidate, choose a Christian as his running mate, Jonathan's current vice-president is a Muslim from the north. Muslims also hold a number of high-ranking positions in the military under Jonathan, including the spot of Defense Minister.


"When we think about the north-south divide we take a lot of things for granted, that individuals do not have the capacity to think about what the future holds for them," Adunbi said. "None of the regions are monolithic."

-Vice News