Babafemi Raji's Retina

Hey family, these are really trying times in our nation. I bumped into this piece on Guardian Online. Enoy! It is probably no longer news to Nigerians that in, what can only be seen as an act of tyrannical desperation, President Muhammadu Buhari has announced an illegal suspension of the Chief Justice of the Federation – Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen. The move which was announced this afternoon is seen by most Nigerians as what it is, a last ditch effort to prevent Justice Onnoghen from empanelling the election petition tribunal judges who are to oversee disputes arising from the conduct of the 2019 general elections. The announcement preceded the hurried swearing of Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed as acting Chief Justice of the Federation. I will speak about the disappointment of Justice Mohammed offering himself up for appointment in this manner on another occasion. In analyzing this move, Nigerians must see the legal and political dimensions to the blatant disrespect for the

Punch Editorial Yesterday, President Muhammadu Buhari surrendered all pretence to the rule of law and constitutional democracy by sacking the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen. Unilaterally and in flagrant violation of the Constitution, he also swore in Tanko Muhammad as the new acting CJN. By this act, the President has precipitated needless confusion in the polity. A shocking action, it will aggravate tension ahead of the general election in February and March. This poses a great peril to our democracy. Though the President defended his action by citing an order from the Code of Conduct Tribunal directing Onnoghen’s suspension, his action is akin to a coup – a judicial coup in this case. In a subtle way, the President has suspended in part an integral part of the judiciary by illegally intimidating its highest symbol and shamefully deposing him. This undemocratic and high-handed approach advertises Buhari as an anarchist in a civil garb. Onnoghen’s travails began lat

A Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have raised the alarm about plot to destabilise the leadership of the National Assembly tomorrow. Briefing journalists about the alleged plot yesterday in Abuja, CUPP spokesman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, disclosed that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has released funds for the plan. He disclosed that the plot would result in the emergence of the Senate leader Ahmed Lawan, as Senate President, while Femi Gbajabiamila would become the Speaker of the House of Representatives. In a related development, the PDP has alerted of moves by the presidency to bribe Senators of the APC extraction to protect President Muhammadu Buhari from imminent parliamentary sanctions for constitutional breaches and gross misconduct. The party said this in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan. He claimed that intelligence available to it showed that the lawmake

Yet again, our dear country is passing through a difficult moment. How we react to this challenge in the following days will determine the fate of our democracy, which has been brought to great peril by this needless crisis engineered by a government that is unwilling to subject its conducts to the requirements of our constitution. Meanwhile, I commend all Nigerians and friends of Nigeria who have expressed outrage over the unlawful removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, an action, which constitutes a flagrant breach of our constitution and a frontal assault on our democracy. I want to note the universal condemnation of this unlawful act by all Nigerians, as well as the international community. I need to state that this latest action by General Muhammadu Buhari falls squarely within the pattern of executive lawlessness that has now been firmly turned into statecraft by the APC government. The serial disregard of court orders, and consequent violation

*SUMMARY OF RESOLUTIONS OF THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION, NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (NEC) MEETING HELD ON MONDAY, 28TH JANUARY 2019 AT THE NBA AUDITORIUM, NBA HOUSE, ABUJA. 1. NBA Condemns in strong terms the Unconstitutional Suspension of the CJN. 2. NEC resolved that Members should boycott all Courts for the next 2 days starting from tomorrow the 29th to 31st of  January, 2019. 3. NEC Ratified the Constitution of a 3 Man Committee (which may be expanded) made up of Former Presidents Olanikpeku, A. B. Mahmood and President Paul Usoro to interface on the issue. 4. NEC adopted and ratified all actions and statements earlier issued by the President on the Prosecution and Suspension of the CJN. Thank you.  Secretary, NBA Yenagoa Branch and Member, National Executive Committee.

Press Statement The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rejects in its entirety, the attempts by President Muhammadu Buhari to foist an illegal Chief Justice on the nation while the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen is still in office. The PDP firmly holds that such impunity cannot stand, as Nigeria is a nation governed by law and not by the whims and caprices of a dictatorial leader. President Buhari wants to ruin our country and we will never allow him. The PDP says Nigerians must reject the incendiary move by President Buhari to forcefully suspend our constitution, annex the judicial arm of government and open the nation up for full-blown totalitarianism to achieve his self-succession bid, having realized that he cannot win in the 2019 general election.  President Buhari’s action in attempting to unilaterally appoint a Chief Justice and foist him on our country is a direct invitation to anarchy, national confusion and a monumental crisis capable of

Press Statement PDP To Buhari: Prosecute Other APC Leaders, Not Only Babachir Lawal The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) charges President Muhammadu Buhari to go beyond the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal and former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and prosecute other leaders of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), who have been openly indicted of corruption. The party says that singling out Babachir Lawal and Ayodele Oke, for prosecution, while providing official cover to numerous other indicted APC leaders and persons close to him, President Buhari has further confirmed that he is indeed partisan and insincere in prosecuting the anti-corruption fight. Moreover, the fact that, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Mr. President had to give his nod before Babachir and Oke could be prosecuted, also goes to further confirm that President Buhari has annexed the system and directly determines wh

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is strategizing to steal ballot boxes during the 2019 elections. Atiku said this at the Polo field in Jos, the Plateau State capital, during the party’s presidential campaign rally this weekend. “My brothers and sisters of Plateau State, I want to promise you, if you vote for PDP, we are going to restore peace and unity in the state,” Atiku added. “We will sit down with leaders of all the communities, religious groups in the state, and make sure that we restore peace and unity in the state. “So that the state will continue to be known as the economic hub of the middle belt. “Secondly, the PDP government will ensure the provision of jobs and business entrepreneurship for those who cannot work.” He added, “I want to appeal to you to vote for PDP, and remain at your polling units after voting so that they do not still your votes; because the

Worried by his successful trip to the United States of America despite several campaigns by the APC and Buharists that he would be arrested in the US, the Nigerian government has said the presidential candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has questions to answer when he returns from his current trip to the United States. Abubakar left Nigeria on Thursday to Washington D.C., the American capital for a US Chamber of Commerce event after staying off the United States for 12 years. Nigeria’s minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, said the decision to question Abubakar is “following fresh evidence that he benefitted from slush funds that led to the collapse of Bank PHB.” “The federal government has paper trail which shows that he benefitted from N156 million,” Mohammed, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents. “It started from an internal memo dated 13 January 2009 asking that a draft in favour of Atiku Abubakar of 15

Buhari can not debate. Buhari can not campaign. Buhari can not sign Electoral law. Buhari can not appear on live TV. Buhari can not produce his certificate. Are you voting for a Ghost President that you may not see, think well before you cast your vote, a mistake of one day, may cause you, your life time opportunity. "NO TO APC, NO TO BUHARI AGAIN"

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, arrived Washington DC on a visit to the United States on Thursday and has already swung into action holding meetings with top U.S officials. Atiku would also be meeting with Nigerians living in Washington DC metropolis and the business community. The PDP presidential candidate is in the company of the Senate president, Bukola Saraki as build up to the Nigerian presidential election continues.

(Short Story ) 1. AS we prepare for the general elections in few weeks time , i want to take my igbo brothers back to  little piece of history. As we prepare to go to the polls i would like to reflect on an event that happened in 1985. 2. IN 1983 the Secretary general of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) DR Edem Kodjo of Togo stepped down prematurely and he was replaced by an alumni of UNN An Igbo man called DR PETER ONU as acting Secretary general. 3. Dr peter Onu  was a Nigerian diplomat and philanthropist. He served as an ambassador to Germany.  He was a very brilliant man who was well respected and became friends to the legendary Dr Julius Mwalimu Nyerere of Tanzania 4. In 1985 it was time for an official secretary general of the OAU and most African leaders who were  very confident in Dr Peter Onu leadership wanted to vote him to become the secretary General Of OAU. What happened Next was very shocking to most African leaders 6. What  happened was captured i

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) says President Muhammadu Buhari’s comments at the Wednesday’s Presidential Town Hall meeting, in Abuja, exposed his proclivities for corruption, as well as his insensitivity to the plight of ordinary Nigerians, particularly those in the North. Nigerians were shocked listening to President Buhari’s defence of the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, over videos showing the governor allegedly receiving bribe from a contractor. Particularly revealing was President Buhari’s contention on whether Governor Ganduje could not have used another person to get the money; a comment, which ostensibly exposes how corruption is being covered in the Buhari Presidency. Nigerians can now see that the Buhari Presidency is a sanctuary of corruption, where officials thrive in using faceless individuals as fronts to fritter trillions of naira and cover their trails, while Nigerians wallow in hunger, acute starvation and unto