Timi Alaibe Withdraws From The APC Governorship Primary In Bayelsa

Timi Alaibe Withdraws From The APC Governorship Primary In Bayelsa

Read a statement released by him below....

It is with all nostalgia that I recall the zeal, enthusiasm and hope with which thousands of Bayelsans made a statement in the direction of change in August, 2015. I can also vividly recall a mental replay of the occasion wherein a qualitative representation of the leadership of our great party, the All Progressives Congress ( APC) ushered in respected leaders and members from their then party, Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) .

That singular event has been phenomenal just as its true meaning and direction have all exuded confidence, unity of purpose, cohesion, collectivism and courage. That day undoubtedly marked the beginning of a people's journey from hopelessness and quandary as enunciated by the accidental PDP-led ‎government in Bayelsa state to that of quality leadership that an APC government will represent.

As one of such leaders who took that historic decision, I thought of giving a further bite to my burning desire to extricate the state from‎ abysmal leadership failure. Therefore, my aspiration to be governor after series of consultations was to rekindle our collective hope and lift the state beyond its current state of decay under the PDP.

Regardless, I am not oblivious of the fundamental fact that we all need a virile, united, cohesive and collaborative APC to bring about our desires to fruition. Not only do we need this, APC deserves every sacrifice, including personal interests, to arrive at the envisaged destination come February, 2016.

This is more so that both as individual leaders and as a party, the need to avoid the a situation of crisis that the PDP might inadvertently reap from cannot be over emphasised.

As a result, having carefully examined the circumstances that have trailed the Governorship primaries of our great party in Bayelsa state, I have come to the conclusion that pushing my Governorship ambition beyond this point carries alongside it some collateral consequences.

Succinctly, two options are available to me. Whereas I am confident that I have the required support of my admirers and supporters‎ as well as the needed backing of Bayelsans to govern them, the hurdles set on the way of this noble project are seemingly tempestuous and capable of overheating the APC in Bayelsa.

In another vein, the virtuous path to take is that virtuous one in which personal interest are sacrificed for the common good,whether for the APC or the state in general. This is the path I chose in the light of the prevailing circumstances. I therefore withdraw from the governorship primary contest.

This decision is taken in the interest of our party especially as we face the task of the common challenge‎ of unseating the PDP in the state come December 5.

I thank you all and God bless.
Signed:
Ndutimi Alaibe

SEE FULL LIST FOR THE HEADIES 2015 NOMINEES

The Headies 2015 nominees list is out .See below

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Photos: President Buhari arrives Abuja from the U.S

President Buhari this afternoon arrived Abuja from New York where he attended the 70th UN General Assembly. More photos after the cut...

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The 17-year-old student apparently climbed to the top of a building in Vologda, Russia, with a companion one evening last week with the intention of creating a photo of himself dangling off the towering structure.
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Although several bushes below the rooftop cushioned the boy's fall, he suffered extensive and severe injuries.

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Well, he turned himself in to the police at the Ipaja Police Division on Thursday and has since been reportedly transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba, for further investigation.

 

PUNCH Metro learnt that Nelson walked into the police station to report himself on Thursday and allegedly confessed to the crime.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joe Offor, confirmed the arrest.

He said:

“The man has been arrested. He actually handed over himself to the police at Ipaja, who took him to the SCID, Yaba. He has also confessed to the crime.”

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Ojo Emmanuel, who was arrested over the weekend for allegedly writing against Gov. Amosu's wife on Facebook was granted bail today at the Magistrate court in Isabo Abeokuta but was surprising not released.

After meeting the bail requirements as at 4:00pm today the Judge of the State Magistrate court suddenly refused to sign the bail bond of Mr. Ojo Emmanuel. We received news that the sudden turn of event is as a result of an order from Governor Amosun. Ojo has been taken to prison instead of his home. Against the pronouncement made this afternoon."

A man in handcuffs for writing something on Facebook? C'mon people. This is a democracy! You should sue for defamation not putting people in handcuffs like criminals.

Lawmaker Condemns Police Incarceration of Online Blogger After Bail

A member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Adekoya Adesegun Abdel-Majid (MHR), representing Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Ogun Waterside Federal Constituency has condemned in strong terms the continuous incarceration of an online blogger and Ogun state citizen, Ojo Emmanuel Adediran after bail by the Nigeria Police Force. 

The lawmaker in a statement issued on Tuesday stated that the harassment and withholding of Ojo contravenes the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended and a direct infringement on his fundamental human rights. 

"As a law-abiding citizen and one who holds the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria sacrosanct, I believe an accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and there are provisions for the protection of the fundamental human rights of the citizens. In this case particular, I hold the view that the right of the young man who is being hounded to the court and paraded handcuffed is totally unacceptable and a breach of his right to dignity."

"I equally frowned at the manner of his arrest without first investigating the substance of his allegation; the police claimed to have only started investigation after he has been arrested. This is alien to the Nigerian law and Freedom of Expression and human dignity as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution"

"It is however odious to read further reports that despite meeting the stringent bail conditions as graciously granted by the trial Magistrate on Tuesday, 29th day of September, 2015, the governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, using his power as the state Chief Executive Officer opposed the release of Ojo Emmanuel. This, I condemn in clear terms as reckless and excessive use of state power, calculated at destroying the career of enterprising young men in the state."

"I think the law is vast enough to accommodate redress in the case of any constitutional breach against any individual, the governor and his wife inclusive, and strong arm tactics from the vantage position of executive power should be discouraged lest our democracy is threatened by despots masquerading as democrats. "

"Senator Ibikunle Amosun should allow the law to take its course and not resort to bending same to suit his whims and caprices against imaginary, real and perceived enemies and position. It is not for the sake of reading that Freedom of Expression was enshrined in the constitution but to protect against the arbitrariness and executive recklessness of potential despots.

Ojo Emmanuel Adediran has same rights and privileges just as Mr. Ibikunle Amosun and Mrs. Funso Aamosun, and the law cannot hold the hand of the young man for the delight of the Ogun State Governor."

The lawmaker thereby call on the Inspector General of Police to evoke his power in fulfillment of his avowed policy of protecting the human rights of every citizens of Nigeria against abuse and arbitrariness of power mongers to safe this promising young man against the strong arm tactic of the Ogun State Governor. 

"Ojo Emmanuel deserves the protection of the law and his continued incarceration could not be said to be in good taste. This has the potential of making mockery of the Change mantra of the President Moohammadu Buhari-led administration. " He said.

Why I married 18 year old Adamawa princess - Emir of Kano

Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II has responded to criticisms following his marriage to 18 year old Sa'adatu Barkindo-Musdafa last week. In a private email sent to select people which has leaked to many social media platforms, he explained why he decided to marry Sa'adatu. Read below

"I am sure NC members all have their views and have kept quiet out of (appropriate) deference to our right to make our individual choice. Obviously I do not need to explain anything to anyone in a purely personal matter but a few points are worthy of note:

1. The lady in question is 18 and thererfore legally of age to marry under all laws and certainly inder Muslim law

2. She is proceeding for her undergraduate education in the UK in january. She had an A in computer science in her O levels and plans to get a degree in computer science

3 each and everyone of my wives is a university graduate and some have worked and fhen stopped and in each case the choice was purely theirs

4. It is a tradition in Kano that emirs and princes in choosing wives consider issues beyond the individual. The family is in every sense a social unit. My predecessor was married to princesses from Ilorin, Katsina and Somoto

5 The relationship between the late Lamido of Adamawa Aliyu Musdafa the father of the current Lamido is well known. Lamido Aliyu was the first emir turbanned after emir Sanusi I and they remained close until Sanusi’s death. 

6. My own relationship with the current Lamido dates back to 1981 when he was Ciroma and commissioner for works. By the way the Lamido and I are not illiterates we know what we are doing and he does have a PhD in Engineering

7. My own mother was married in Adamawa and lived there for more than two decades and I have eight younger brothers and sisters from there

8 it is therefore natural that if I choose to marry from another kingdom Adamawa would be the first choice for me and I am extremely happy to strengthen these ling historical bonds

9. The young lady in question gave her free consent and even after the contract the wedding will not happen for a few years. By then she may be 21. If she freely consents to this I do not know on what moral grounds anyone has a grouse. She is an adult, she gave her consent, her education is not being in anyway interrupted. 

10. The real issue is that people do not accept cultural difference. And you can see it in the approach to these issues. I am supposed to be urbane and western educated. Yes but i am not european. I am a northern Nigerian Fulani Muslim brought up in a setting exactly like the one my children are being brought up in. 

If you read this and it improves your understanding of this issue that is fine. If it does not justvremember it us not your life, it is not your daughter and you are not my wife therefore it is not your business. 

I obviously cannot stoop to the level of responding publicly to these kinds of articles. I have always been an advocate of girls marrying after maturing. I personally like the minimum age of 18 even though i understand those who say 16 is fine and indeed this is the law in most so calked @advanced@ countries. 

Is this something that I expect a european or western trained or feminist mind to appreciate or endorse? Not at all. But has any american been bothered about my views on men marrying men or women marrying women which frankly I find primitive and bestial? No and my views do not matter. These are cultural issues. 

Even in Nigeria I have heard all this stuff as in Pius article about “north” and northerners. Again it is a failure to respect difference. There are parts if this country where parents expect their daughters to live with their boyfriends for years and actually get pregnant before they marry. It has become culture. We do not have that in the north and if your daughter gets pregnant before marriage she brings nothing but shame to the name. But we do not issue condemnations. We agree that this is how they choose to live. And i can give many other examples. 

When people use the term libido they do themselves injustice. First of all it shows how they view women and marriage. Women are nothing but the object of sexual desire. Marriage is nothing but sexual gratification. Well I am sorry but in my tradition it is not. Beauty and attraction rank third after religion and lineage in the choice of a wife. They see an 18 year old young lady. I see a princess of noble birth whose mother is also a princess, and who has been brought up in a good muslim home. This is the kind of woman that is prepared for hiving birth to princes and bringing them up for the role expected of them in society. 

Martiage is both social and political. Expanding the links of kano which have already been established by my predecessors through inter marriage with katsina, sokoto, ilorin, katagum, ningi, bauchi etc to adamawa is an important and signifant step and this is obvious to anyone with a sense of how royal families work and Ibn Khaldun’s sociological concept of Asabiyyah. When the emir of Kano marries it has to be something beyond what he oersonally desires to what is appropriate for that position and the expectations of the people he represents. You dont just pick up any girl on the street. And by the way for thise who shout libido sex is cheap and available everywhere in all shapes and sizes and all colours if that is what they want. And all ages too. Martiage is a very different proposition. The mother of your children has to be something other than, ot at least much more than a mere object of sexual fantasy. But if you do not know that you need to buy yourself a brain. 

I have daughters. And they know they can only marry from certain backgrounds. I always prefer family. When my daughter wanted to marry mouftah baba ahmed’s son and she asked me, knowing my views on family, i told her mouftah is family. And this is not about me and mouftah or me an hakeem or nafiu. No. It goes back to Baba Ahmed and Emirs Sanusi and Bayero. And the same rule applies to my sons. And it applied to me as well. 

It is I am sure very strange that I should even bother to comment on this. But it would be hypocritical for me to just keep quiet so long as these things are being posted and commented upon explicitly or in a snide manner. There was no secrecy in the marriage fatiha. The date was fixed and it was to be done in the central mosque after friday prayers. The day before we had a tragedy in Saudi Arabia and decided the fatiha must be very low key as a mark of respect for the dead. All traditional rulers in adamawa were there, as were governors and commissioners, members of my own emirate council and adamawa people. There is nothing here to hide or be apologetic about. 

The emirs of adamawa have shown love to my parents and grandparents and it is a sign of my appreciation of their love that i marry their daughter. This is the highest statement of friendship and loyalty on both sides. 

Again if you understand this this is fine. If you do not buy yourself a brain, A la Pius. 

In any event this is my one and final and only comment on this. And I am making it out of respect for NC members.”

MSII “