Welcome To Joe Daniel's Blog

Nigeria’s Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Saturday distanced himself from a group known as ‘Osinbajo Volunteers’, which has started campaigning for his election as President in 2019. The group is currently recruiting volunteers for the project. Although Osinbajo’s activities are published on its website, the group admitted that the Vice-President was unaware of their campaign. “Note that Osinbajo did not endorse this volunteer group. We have never met him. “We are strong believers in the fact that he is the right ruler for Nigeria and must create a people’s volunteer base for him,” a statement on the site read. However, Osinbajo’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Laolu Akande, has tweeted: “please disregard this website created by faceless people for mischievous purposes. It has absolutely nothing to do with the vice president.”

There are reports that former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, and the Senator representing Ogun-East Senatorial District, Buruji Kashamu, met a few days ago, to strategize on ways to stop the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, from installing a successor in the next Governorship election in the State. However, three sources claimed that Buruji Kashamu was at Obasanjo’s Hill Top mansion in Abeokuta, Ogun State, four days ago, on the former President’s invitation. Kashamu was accompanied to the meeting by two of his Associates, who were not allowed into the meeting with Obasanjo. “We were shocked to the bone when we saw Prince Buruji Kashamu being ushered into Baba’s residence, because here is the same Kashamu that he (Obasanjo) accused of being a drug baron, and wanted in the US. The source also claimed: “Baba said that he will not rest until he humiliated Fayose, who has been running his mouth like tap water.” “It was later that we heard that his (Buruji) coming to see ...

Governors in the south-eastern part of Nigeria are reportedly meeting the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu in Enugu. We learnt that the meeting, which is holding inside the Enugu Government House, also has His Royal Highness, Eze Israel Okwu Kanu, the father of the IPOB leader, in attendance. The Sun listed the government at the meeting to include: Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who is the host. Others include Dave Umahi of Ebonyi; the deputy governor of Anambra state and Dr Nkem Okeke. It was learnt that Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo and Dr Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia were being awaited. Details of the meeting were sketchy at the time of this report, but Emmanuel Uzor, the chief press secretary to Governor Umahi confirmed it adding that one of the major issues for discussion is the call by IPOB for residents to boycott the forthcoming Anambra election. The election holds on  November 18.

John Oyegun, national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was alleged to have been offered a whopping sum of N150M to dissolve the APC structure in Kogi state. The allegation was raised by the vice chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Kogi West, Chief Gbenga Ashagun, according to Daily Post. Ashagun said Kogi state governor Yahya Bello offered the Oyegun the said sum to dissolve APC structure in Kogi state on Tuesday during the National Working committee Meeting of the party. According to him, the development was a negation of the recommendation of Chief Tony Momoh-led committee which called for reconciliation between the Audu/Faleke faction and the Yahaya Bello led faction. He said: “It was observed that the National Chairman of the APC, Mr John Oyegun may have been offered a Greek gift amounting to the sum of 150 million naira to be disbursed among the high-ranking members of the APC NWC in the party secretariat, Abuja.” “Going by the abov...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the Acting-President, Yemi Osinbajo, is unable to carry out all the functions of the President in spite of fulfilling the conditions of section 145 of the 1999 Constitution which bestows on him the full powers of the President. It could be recalled that Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, had told Nigerians that his principal left the country on May 7th, 2017 to undergo further medical check-up in London, UK, and subsequently transmitted letters to both chambers of the National Assembly for Osinbajo to act as president pending his return. However, in a terse statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Dayo Adeyeye, the PDP claimed that the absence of the President was hampering governance as the Acting-President was unable to fully perform the role of the President. It further demands that the true state of President Buhari’s health challenges be publicly made kno...

Though  President Muhammadu Buhari has not officially declined to run for a second term in office, his long absence and health challenges may have prompted an early search for his successor in 2019 by the nation’s power brokers and kingmakers. Nigeria’s political gladiators have virtually concluded that Buhari who is expected back in the country soon, all the other things being equal, may have lost interest in a second term. He has been away in London on medical vacation since May. As a result, the political terrain has been busy with consultations, meetings, alignments and realignments, more often away from public view and knowledge. Central to all of these is the Hilltop home of former military president, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida in Minna, Niger state, which has hosted a number of such consultations and meetings. One of such is a meeting between former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and Gen. Babangida as well as an ex-National Security Adviser, General Aliyu G...

The former vice president noted that any party that stifles the freedom of its members cannot provide freedom for the country. A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar, has described his party as undemocratic in the way its leaders carry out their activities. We learnt that Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president, lamented the alleged refusal of the party to organise statutory meetings for the organs of the party. The Sun reports the former vice president, who spoke at the second Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) annual conference 2017 on internal democracy, complained about the alleged lack of internal democracy in the APC and other parties. Atiku said:“The issue of internal democracy in our political parties has been with us for a long time, indeed since the restoration of civilian rule in 1999. “In long-established democracies those statements would seem trite. But I recognise that our democracy is young, and our parties are also ...

Nollywood Actor Yul Edochie who had earlier declared his interest to run for Anambra Governorship election come November 18 2017 has released his vision & plans for Anambra state if elected as Governor. Read Below… My vision is to make Anambra state THE LAST BUS STOP for investment, tourism and opportunities. A state where dreams come true, where people assist one another to progress. An Anambra where everyone is happy. My mission is to create equal opportunities for every Anambra indigene, create a conducive state for everyone to live in and invest in, eradicate poverty completely and make Anambra state the best part of the world to live in. Truly THE LAST BUS STOP!!!

Gabriel Oche Amanyi  popularly known as  Terry G  or  Akpako Master  has declared his intention to run for Governor/Deputy Governor of Benue State. Terry G, took to his Instagram page to reveal his ambition and upload his campaign poster. He, however, did not disclose the political party he intends to use as a platform. In his word,  “MY PEOPLE,THE TIME IS NOW. POWER BELONGS TO THE YOUTHS,SAY NO TO OLD CARGOS…VOTE TERRY G FOR GOVERNOR/DEPUTY OF BENUE STATE ,I WILL MAKE YOU PROUD..WHEN I SAY LEGALIZE YOU SAY GINJAH..”

Online media newspapers  Sahara Reporter made a news flash about the new development, concerning PDP and its Presidential issues, on the tweet which read; “FLASH: @OfficialPDPNig party quietly settles for @atiku as Presidential candidate and @GovAyoFayose as VP, at least for now

Former president, Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo has verbally bitten into his successor, Goodluck Jonathan over his failure to heed advice. OBJ, while speaking at the launch of ‘Making Africa Work’, a book he co-authored, blasted Jonathan over his failed promises to Nigerians, especially the promise of generating 40,000 MegaWatts of electricity. When asked why implementation of Ideas has been a major issue in Nigeria, Obasanjo had this to say; “The problem with governments is that they don’t want to engage in continuity.A government will be sworn in and the next thing you hear is ‘we are the first to, we will be the first to’ do this and that. So I do ask myself, what do these ones want to do that hasn’t been done.Before I left government, I formed a team and sent them to different parts of the world to understudy development of countries doing well. They came back, gave their report and we formed National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS). We also had St...

 The national secretariat of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has stepped into the emerging controversy trailing the non-elective congress held in Bayelsa State.  An appeal panel headed by Elder Onuoha Udeka is being sent to Bayelsa to resolve all issues arising from the congress.  This is even as plans are underway to expel the suspended chairman of the party, Chief Tiwei Orunimighe, from the party for anti-party activities.  Investigations revealed that contrary to comments credited to Orunimighe and the Secretary of the electoral panel from Abuja, Mrs. Mildred Ezoh, that the party held a peaceful congress with voice votes to elect 24 delegates from the eight local government areas, the authentic list had been prepared by party elders after it harmonised all positions to avoid unnecessary bickering.  Findings indicated that Orunimighe who got wind of the party elders meeting at Hoil Suites Hotel, Yenagoa stormed the venue but was prevailed upo...

A group, the Anambra Young Professionals, on Tuesday, disowned one Chukwudi    Okongwu who allegedly issued a press release on behalf of the group, calling for the    disqualification of Sen. Andy Uba from the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries for the Anambra governorship election. The group said this in a statement it issued in Awka, Anambra State signed by Dr. Okey Onwughalu and Mr. Samuel Nnadozie. “It has come to our notice that one Chukwudi Okongwu issued a press release in our group’s name where he unilaterally called for the disqualification of Senator Andy Uba from contesting the primary election of the All Progressives Congress for the November 18 elections. This Chukwudi Okongwu in that statement alleged that Uba was not qualified to govern Anambra for a number of petty reasons which smacks of portraying AYPF as a group of hirelings and gangsters rather than as professionals that we are. “ AYPF as a body of professionals wish to state ...

The  Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has condemned former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s claim that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has betrayed Nigerians by the National Assembly throwing out restructuring and devolution of powers to states.  Okechukwu who made the condemnation at the weekend at his hometown, Eke in Enugu State said the words by the former vice president were too harsh on their party, urging him and other well-meaning Nigerians to rather join President Muhammadu Buhari in restructuring infrastructure deficit in the country. The VON DG recalled that the former ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), did not restructure the infrastructure deficit during the 16 years it held sway, saying that the APC which has only been in power for two years should be given more time. Atiku had questioned the ruling APC for voting against restructuring at the National Assembly contrary to the party’s manifes...