Obasanjo writes Gen. Buhari a letter

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has written the President elect, Gen Buhari a letter. In the letter, Chief Obasanjo charged Gen. Buhari to embark on reforming all of Nigeria's national institutions, particularly the military. The full text of the letter below...

I hasten to congratulate you on your success and victory in the Presidential Elections of March 28, 2015. Your success and victory after three previous unsuccessful attempts must be great object lessons for you and for all politicians, particularly in Nigeria. For me, the totality of 2015 elections hold many lessons for our democracy and democratisation process, which are both maturing. On this occasion, the system has been unnecessarily overheated before and particularly during the campaigns when emphasis was more on trivialities and hate, divisive, undignifying and disrespectful statements and comments rather than on pressing issues requiring attention.I know that in victory, you will be magnanimous to start binding the wounds and bitterness occasioned by the campaign and the evil disciples.

With so much harm already done to many national institutions including the military, which proudly nurtured you and me, you will have a lot to do on institution reform, education, healthcare, economy, security, infrastructure, power, youth employment, agribusiness, oil and gas, external affairs, cohesiveness of our nation and ridding our land of corruption.

Your varied and wide experience will undoubtedly stand you in good stead. I am also sure that there are men and women of goodwill, character and virtue across the board that you can mobilise to join hands with you in the reform, repairs and redirection that will be imperative to put Nigeria back on the fast lane of good governance, unity, cohesiveness, development and progress.

Once again, I felicitate with you and wish you well.

Patience Jonathan calls on Nigerian women to support Mrs Buhari

First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan has called on all Nigerian women to show support to the incoming first lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari. In a congratulatory message signed by her media aide, Ayo Adewuyi, Mrs Jonathan wished Mrs Buhari well in her new task as First Lady of Nigeria...

“The First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan (Mama Peace) has congratulated the wife of the President elect, Hajia Aisha Buhari on the election of her husband, Gen Muhammadu Buhari. The First Lady appeals to the Nigerian women to work with Hajia Aisha Buhari and give her the maximun support to make her succeed in her new assignment. The First Lady (Mama Peace) wishes her well in her new task.” the message read in part

Doctor tells Kim K she'll need to have "uterus removed" if she has another baby

Kim Kardashian got a shocking news from her fertility doctor - that she will need to have her uterus removed if she has another baby. In a preview clip from an upcoming episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kim told the camera;

"I’m trying to get a hold of Kanye, because I just came from my fertility doctor and they need me to go into surgery to clear out something in my uterus,” she told the cameras.She later gets hold of Kanye and shares the shocking news with hi. What she told Kanye after the cut



"When you have your baby, this will be your last one, because the problem is your placenta grew on your uterus, so when you have another baby, your placenta will go right to that hole and then we’ll have a team of doctors waiting right there, to remove your uterus and put you into emergency surgery right there because you can’t bleed too much,” Kim tells her husband.

Kim later told the camera that the news left her in tears because it was “a little too much” after the revealed all the worst case scenarios: “I was crying” she said

5 New Senators To Watch Out For

Even though the presidential election was the order of the day on the 28th of March 2015, Nigerians also elected their representatives at the federal level all over the nation.

We bring you the profiles of five new senators that will surely be a force to be reckoned with in the upper chamber.

1. Ben Murray-Bruce: With the election of Bruce into the Nigerian state, the Niger Delta region has finally found an eloquent voice to tell its story, its challenges and indeed its history. Armed with a degree in Marketing and Business at the University of Southern Carolina, Bruce, who is a former director general of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), now has a national platform to promote his ideas which are usually revolutionary. Bruce will represent the Bayelsa East Senatorial District in Bayelsa state. 

2. Uche Ekwenife: Honourable Uche Ekwenife is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing Anocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia Federal Constituency in Anambra state. A two term member of the lower house, Ekwenife’s elevation to the upper chamber is a good omen for Anambra politics. She is an experienced lawmaker whose achievements are well documented. A vocal and highly intelligent politician, Ekwenife is the true definition of that saying, “What a man can do, a woman can do better”. She will represent the Anambra Central Senatorial District in the Senate.

Uche Ekwenife

3. Rabiu Kwankwaso: Kwankwaso is one man that has seen it all in the Nigerian political firmament. Bold, strong-willed and a dogged fighter, the Kano state governor’s experience will be useful to the upper chamber as he comes into the legislative house with valuable experience as former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, eight years’ experience as a two-term governor of the most populated state in the Northern region, Kano, and four years’ experience as Nigeria’s minister of defence. Fifty-eight-year old Kwankwaso will represent Kano Central Senatorial District in the Senate.

Rabiu Kwankwaso

4. Dino Melaye: A very popular politician especially among Nigerian youths, because of his active presence on social media, Melaye revived his battered image as a House of Representatives member, when he aligned with the progressives and started giving the outgoing Goodluck Jonathan presidency a tough time. Always at the forefront of organising protests against unfavourable government policies, he defeated the incumbent senator, Smart Adeyemi to emerge as the senator to represent the people of Kogi West Senatorial District in the Senate.

Dino Melaye

5. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko: It is not for nothing that the Sokoto state governor was honoured as the Man Of The Year 2014 by the The Sun newspaper. Wamakko’s presence in the Senate will be well received by political analysts as the 62-year-old former deputy governor of his home state, is heading to the red chamber armed with decades of experience in the civil service and government. His performance in office in the last eight years no doubt paved the way for his smooth entry to the Senate to represent Sokoto Central Senatorial District.

Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko

Acceptance Statement by Gen. Buhari, President-Elect of Nigeria

Acceptance Statement by Gen. Buhari, President-Elect of Nigeria

Gen. Buhari's acceptance speech below...

I am immensely grateful to God for this day and for this hour. I feel truly honoured and humbled that the Nigerian people have so clearly chosen me to lead them. The official announcement from INEC was the moment the vast majority of Nigerians had hoped and been waiting for. Today, history has been made, and change has finally come. Your votes have changed our national destiny for the good of all Nigerians.

INEC has announced that I, Muhammadu Buhari, shall be your next president. My team and I shall faithfully serve you. There shall no longer be a ruling party again: APC will be your governing party. We shall faithfully serve you. We shall never rule over the people as if they were subservient to government.

Our long night has passed and the daylight of new democratic governance has broken across theland. This therefore is not a victory for one man or even one party. It is a victory for Nigeria andfor all Nigerians. Millions of you have worked for this day. So many have risked life andlivelihood; and others have died that we may witness this moment.


And it is with a very heavy heart that I report many deaths and injuries amidst the jubilations yesterday.We send our sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives; and wishspeedy recovery to those who suffered injuries. I appeal to all our supporters to celebrate thisvictory with prayers and reflection instead of wild jubilation.


May the souls of those who died rest in peace. Let us take a moment of silence to honour all of thosewhose sacrifices have brought us to this fine and historic hour. As the results of the election haveshown, their labor has not been and will never be in vain. Democracy and the rule of law will be re-established in the land.


Let us put the past, especially the recent past, behind us. We must forget our old battles andpast grievances—and learn to forge ahead. I assure you that our government is one that will listen toand embrace all.


I pledge myself and our in-coming administration to just and principled governance. There shall be nobias against or favouritism for any Nigerian based on ethnicity, religion, region, gender or socialstatus. I pledge myself and the government to the rule of law, in which none shall be so above thelaw that they are not subject to its dictates, and none shall be so below it that they are not availed of its protection.


You shall be able to go to bed knowing that you are safe and that your constitutional rights remain insafe hands. You shall be able to voice your opinion without fear of reprisal or victimisation. Mylove and concern for this nation and what I desire for it extends to all, even to those who do not likeus or our politics. You are all my people and I shall treat everyone of you as my own. I shallwork for those who voted for me as well as those who voted against me and even for those who didnot vote at all. We all live under one name as one nation: we are all Nigerians.


Some unfortunate issues about my eligibility have been raised during the campaign. I wish tostate that through devotion to this nation, everything I have learned and done has been to enable me to make the best possible contribution to public life. If I had judged myself incapable of governing Iwould never have sought to impose myself on it. I have served in various capacities and have alwaysput in my best.


But despite the rancour of the elections, I extend a hand of friendship and conciliation to PresidentJonathan and his team. I hereby wish to state that I harbour no ill will against anyone.


Let me state clearly that President Jonathan has nothing to fear from me. Although we may notagree on the methods of governing the nation, he is a great Nigerian and still our president. Hedeserves our support and permanent respect by virtue of the office he has held. This is how anhonourable nation treats its servants and conducts its affairs; and this is how Nigeria should be.


I look forward to meeting with President Jonathan in the days to come to discuss how our teams canmake the transition of administrations as efficient as possible.


Here, I want to thank my party for selecting me as its candidate. I thank our party leaders andmembers for the steadfast contributions they made to bring our dream to fruition. I thank INEC, thepolice and all other government agencies for performing their tasks in a proper manner and forrefusing to be induced to undermine the election and the democratic process.


I also wish to thank religious Leaders, traditional leaders, the media, labor unions, Civil Societyorganisations, organised private sector, youths and students for their roles in this election.




I give special thanks to President Obama and his timely intervention and support for peacefuland credible elections in Nigeria and for sending Secretary John Kerry and other United Statesofficials. The European Union - especially the United Kingdom, France, Germany and other nationsthat were actively involved in ensuring the success of this election are equally appreciated. Mysincere thanks to the United Nations Secretary General Mr Ban-Ki Moon. The Commonwealth, China,India and other Asian and Gulf states are also hereby appreciated. Finally our brothers in theAfrican Union and ECOWAS have truly and clearly shown and demonstrate theircommitment to our democratisation process. Former Presidents John Kuffour, Amos Sawyer, Bakili Muluzi and his team are well appreciated. I must also add my appreciation for therole played by civil societies, national and International observers, other world leaders in ensuringthat Nigeria holds free and fair elections.


I assure all foreign governments that Nigeria will become a more forceful and constructiveplayer in the global fight against terrorism and in other matters of collective concern, such as thefight against drugs, climate change, financial fraud, communicable diseases and other issuesrequiring global response. I want to assure our fellow African nations that Nigeria will nowstand as a more constructive partner in advancing the matters of concern to our continent, particularly with regard to economic development and eradication of poverty.




Former head of state and president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, General Yakubu Gowon, Alh. ShehuShagari, General Ibrahim Babangida, Chief Ernest Shonekan and General Abdulsalami Abubakardeserve commendations for their statesmanship and words of caution and counsel for peace duringthe tense moments of this electoral period.


Most of all, I thank the people of Nigeria for reposing their confidence in me at this trying moment.Our nation wrestles many challenges including insecurity, corruption, economic decline. I pledge togive you my best in tackling these problems.


The good people of Nigeria, your obligation does not end with casting your ballot. I seek your voiceand input as we tackle these problems. This will not be a government democratic only in form. Itwill be a government democratic in substance and in how it interacts with its own people.


No doubt, this nation has suffered greatly in the recent past, and its staying power has beentested to its limits by crises, chief among which is insurgency of the Boko Haram. There isno doubt that in tackling the insurgency we have a tough and urgent job to do. But I assure youthat Boko Haram will soon know the strength of our collective will and commitment to rid this nationof terror, and bring back peace and normalcy to all the affected areas. We shall spare no effort untilwe defeat terrorism.


Furthermore, we shall strongly battle another form of evil that is even worse than terrorism—the evil ofcorruption. Corruption attacks and seeks to destroy our national institutions and character.By misdirecting into selfish hands funds intended for the public purpose, corruption distorts theeconomy and worsens income inequality. It creates a class of unjustly-enriched people.


Such an illegal yet powerful force soon comes to undermine democracy because its conspirators haveamassed so much money that they believe they can buy government. We shall end this threatto our economic development and democratic survival. I repeat that corruption will not betolerated by this administration; and it shall no longer be allowed to stand as if it is a respectedmonument in this nation.


I ask you to join me in resolving these and the other challenges we face. Along the way, therewill be victories but there may also be setbacks. Mistakes will be made. But we shall nevertake you for granted; so, be rest assured that our errors will be those of compassion andcommitment not of wilful neglect and indifference.


We shall correct that which does not work and improve that which does. We shall not stop,stand or idle. We shall, if necessary crawl, walk and run to do the job you have elected us to do.


I realise that the expectation of our people today is as high as their commitment to change hasbeen strong and their belief in us unshaken. While we pledge to begin doing our best without delay,we would like to appeal to them to appreciate the gravity of our situation, so that we become morerealistic in our expectations.


We will govern for you and in your interests. Your vote was not wasted. This is not the first time Nigerianshave cast their votes for us, and this is not the first time they have been counted; but this is the firsttime that the votes have been allowed to count. With the help of God, we pledge to do our utmost tobring forth the Nigeria you seek.


Thank you for your patience and attention.
General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR
President-Elect,
Federal Republic of Nigeria

Fire outbreak at Murtala Muhammed International Airport

A fire outbreak has been reported at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Occupants of the airport are currently said to be running to safety as the fire rages on.

The cause of the fire is yet unknown. Details will be provided as the news unfolds.

See pictures

Femi Fani-Kayode releases statement about the presidential election

Femi Fani-Kayode releases statement about the presidential election

Text of a press conference addressed by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Director Media and Publicity Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Organisation on April 1, 2015. Read below...

Ladies and gentlemen of the media,

We have come here today to express our gratitude to the Nigerian people for the overwhelming support that we received over the last few weeks when it comes to the issue of the Presidential election.

We fought a virile, strong, aggressive and very effective campaign on behalf of our candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan and we put the case to the Nigerian people as to why we believe that he ought to have been elected as President for a second term.

We are very proud of the efforts of our President and of our party and we are also very proud of the efforts of every single one of those who participated in the Presidential Campaign Organisation. As a Directorate we could not have asked for anything more in terms of support and encouragement from our colleagues and comrades within the party and the Campaign Organisation. I am personally very proud of my team, every single one of them; my Assistant Directors, my officers, my advisory team and every single one of those that joined hands to help us to state our case and to sell our candidate to the Nigerian people.

It has however come to a point that we must tell the world and the Nigerian people about how we feel about the outcome of the election. What we will say here  today is basically to reiterate and to reflect the words of our leader and President, President Goodluck Jonathan. We start by saying that we commend and we congratulate General Muammadu Buhari for winning this election. We also wish to commend our President, President Goodluck Jonathan, for having the courage to concede that he has lost the election at the earliest moment and also for being able to stand up and rise above party politics and being able to speak like a statesman.

We therefore urge the Nigerian people and our teeming supporters to stand firm and continue to support the democratic process and continue to agitate for a better Nigeria. We urge them to continue to support our party the PDP as best as they can even though we lost this election. We ask them to co-operate with the incoming government and to remember that we are first and foremost Nigerians before anything else.

On the day of the election when I went to vote at Ile-Ife, I held a press conference in which I told the people that more than anything else that we should try our very best to keep the peace in this country and to keep the country moving forward. I also reminded them that in every election there will always be a winner and a loser. It is a mark of our humanity and it is also symptomatic of the type of people that we are and who we are that when the time comes we can say we fought a good fight but we lost.

And having lost, it does not mean that it is the end to the world, it just means that we need to re-group, re-organise ourselves and begin the process all over again because another elections will come in a few years time.  And that is where we are today. We have conceded that we have lost. We acknowledge the fact that we fought a good fight. We do not have any fears about the future. We did the right thing during the campaign. We have no regrets about our candidate or the way in which we conducted our campaign and we will live to fight another day

Finally let me commend all our colleagues on the other side for also standing up for what they believed in. There wasabsolutely nothing personal as regards this Directorate or myself. I had nothing personal against anybody. I was simply doing my job for which I have no regrets and I wish them well and I sincerely hope that they will take Nigeria to a level that we can all be proud of.

May God grant each and everyone of us peace. May He watch over our nation. May He guide our President for the next two months whilst he is still in power and thereafter and may He guide and lead the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, in the herculean task that lies ahead for him. My prayer is that he brings our nation together, heals the wounds and that he builds the bridges in terms of religion, ethnicity and region that he needs to build in order for us to make Nigeria a better place and to ensure that Nigeria becomes a great country that she is destined to be.

I want to end this message by thanking our colleagues in the press for always responding to us so quickly and for always  being ready to hear our message and for putting it out there. Also those on the social media, both friend and foe, we thank you for your efforts. We thank our foes because they kept us on our toes and we thank our friends because they encouraged us and gave us hope.

May God grant you all peace and joy and  may you live long and prosper. 

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Pres. Obama praises President Jonathan for conceding defeat

US President Barack Obama has praised President Jonathan for conceding defeat in the recently held presidential election. In a statement released today, President Obama said President Jonathan through his action placed Nigeria's interest first. The full statement below... 

The last few days have shown the world the strength of Nigeria’s commitment to democratic principles. By turning out in large numbers and sometimes waiting all day to cast their votes, Nigerians came together to decide the future of their country peacefully. I commend President Goodluck Jonathan and President-Elect Muhammadu Buhari for their public commitments to non-violence throughout the campaign. President Jonathan has placed his country’s interests first by conceding the election and congratulating President-Elect Buhari on his victory.
I look forward to working with President Jonathan throughout the remainder of his term, and I thank him for his many years of service and his statesmanlike conduct at this critical juncture. I urge President-Elect Buhari and President Jonathan to repeat their calls to their supporters to continue to respect the election outcomes, focus on unifying the country, and together lead Nigeria through a peaceful transition. Nigeria’s Independent National Election Commission (INEC) and its Chairman, Attahiru Jega, deserve special recognition for what independent international observers have deemed a largely peaceful and orderly vote.
I commend INEC for its extensive efforts to increase the credibility and transparency of the electoral process. Looking ahead to the gubernatorial elections on April 11, it is imperative that national attention turn to ensuring isolated logistical challenges are overcome and peace is protected, even in the most hotly contested races. On behalf of the American people, I extend congratulations to the people of Nigeria and to President-Elect Buhari and look forward to continuing to work with the newly-elected government on our many shared priorities.

Obasanjo congratulates Buhari, asks him to be magnanimous in victory

Obasanjo congratulates Buhari, asks him to be magnanimous in victory

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has congratulated Gen Buhari on his victory today. In a message released this evening, Chief Obasanjo asked the President-in-waiting to be magnanimous in victory and also fight corruption when he assumes office. 

"With so much harm already done to many national institutions including the military, which proudly nurtured you and me, you will have a lot to do on institution reform – education, healthcare, economy, security, infrastructure, power, youth employment, agri-business, oil and gas, external affairs, cohesiveness of our nation and ridding our land of corruption.
Your varied and wide experience will undoubtedly stand you in good stead. is blessed with men and women of goodwill, character and virtue across the board that you can mobilise to join hands with you in the reform, repairs and re-direction that will be imperative to put Nigeria back on the fast lane of good governance, unity, cohesiveness, development and progress. For me, the totality of 2015 elections hold many lessons for our democracy and democratisation process, which are both maturing. On this occasion, the system has been unnecessarily overheated before and particularly during the campaigns when emphasis was more on trivialities and hate, divisive, undignifying and disrespectful statements and comments rather than on pressing issues requiring attention. I know that in victory, you will be magnanimous to start binding the wounds and bitterness occasioned by the campaign and the evil disciples ” the statement read

With Buhari’s victory, I’ll surely go on exile – Chief Bode George   

Following the emergency of Gen Buhari as the new President of Nigeria, former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Bode George says he may be going on exile.

"What will I be doing here? I can decide to go and live anywhere. Look at everyone surrounding him (Buhari). So, I am not joking about it, what will I be doing here? At 70, what will I be doing here? All we have been doing to restructure the country has been lost. We have been trying to ensure balance in the polity but all that has gone. What else will I be doing here?” he told Vanguard