Michael Botu's Blog

The Chief Servant Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu the Executive Governor of Niger State had said that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan should be given a second chance as he has a lot to do for Nigeria and Nigerians. The Governpr stated this when the PDP Gubernatorial Campaign train stopped at the  Emir of Kagara, Alhaji Garba Attahiru's Palace in Rafi Local Government Area, stating that  the calls for change was unnecessary.   IT WILL TAKE BUHARI TIME TO LEARN THE RUDIMENTS OF GOVERNANCE: “ The call for change is unnecessary, if someone has stayed long out of office, it will take him another four years to learn if he gets to office before he can finally catch up ,” he said. Aliyu begged the Emir to talk to his people not to desert the PDP but to join them. CHARGE FOR NON - VIOLENCE: The Governor decried the rise in political crisis, saying violence would not solve any problem.   He said that the rate of attacks in the country was alarming,...

I write as a former President of the most corrosive and militant movement in Sub-Sahara Africa. I have watched with great pains the disrespect most misguided and disgruntled elements of our political class have gone awash with inciting statements against Mr. President and indeed the ruling party. Most of the argument advanced bothered on claim of a clueless and weak President. What was mere social media display of hate is now being displayed even before the president’s campaign organization. To the extent where Gen Buhari and indeed the APC directed its supporters in Bauchi and Kastina to stone and molest a Commander in Chief whose humble disposition is the reason for which he was in the first place referred to as weak. May I posit that the President needs stamp his feet down and exercise some constitutional powers in clamping down on persons for felony and treason. An attempt at all by whoever to attack a Nigeria President is a call for war and a threat to the entire...

The Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, on Wednesday said the All Progressives Congress, APC, lacks solutions to Nigeria’s challenges. Mr. Lamido said this at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential rally in Dutse, Jigawa. According to him, no amount of abuse or intimidation from any quarters will deter him from campaigning for the Goodluck Jonathan/Namadi Sambo ticket and other PDP candidates in February 14 and 28 general elections. “I urge (northern) leaders to stand up and say ‘no to this culture of blackmail’ where we have been taken hostages by people who mean nothing for Nigeria,” Mr. Lamido said. “In APC their only necklace is Buhari, their only decoration is Buhari. Remove Buhari from APC that party becomes dead and there is no way Nigeria’s hope will be pinned on a single individual; it does not work. Which means if there is no Buhari, there is no Nigeria. There will be Nigeria after five years, there will be Nigeria after Jonathan, there will be Niger...

BUHARIGATE: What ordinarily would have been a simple clarification had been made complex by the APC and General Mohammadu Buhari. The APC keep insisting this election is not about certificates, conveniently ignoring the fact that the Party opted for the 72 years Old Buhari on the basis of his INTERGRITY. If the old man had DELIBERATELY LIED UNDER OATH ABOUT HIS CERTIFICATES, it puts in jeopardy his claims to Honesty. DISPLAY OF ARROGANCE: The General began his Press conference with contempt for Nigerians “I only consented to address you this morning because of the genuine concern expressed by many supporters and other well-meaning Nigerians that the issue be addressed. Otherwise, I would have dismissed it for what it is—sheer mischief and would not have considered it an issue worth the nation’s while.” He could have as well began with “Fellow Nigerians” The General only consented to address the issue because of Genuine Concern expressed by his Supporters and other ...

"You have freedom of speech but freedom after speech, I cannot guarantee that." ~ Idi Amin Dada Pope Francis missed an opportunity to direct World attention to the Violence that is often associated with Islam. The Pontiff who spoke about the Paris terror attacks while en route to the Philippines on Thursday, defending free speech as not only a fundamental human right but a duty to speak one's mind for the sake of the common good. But he said there were limits. "If my good friend Dr. Gasbarri says a curse word against my mother, he can expect a punch, its normal. You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others." The Vatican had tried to do some damage control by asserting that "His pretend punch aside, Francis by no means said the violent attack on Charlie Hebdo was justified. Quite the opposite: He said such horrific violence in God's name couldn't be justified and was an ...

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is January." ~ Anonymous It was Annie Dillard who said  “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”  We are already past the half way mark of the Month, what have you written so far? As Election Day approaches many are preoccupied making enemies, when you saw the picture of President Goodluck Jonathan in warm embrace with General Buhari, how do you feel? We can actually play Politics without bitterness, when it's Love for Country that propels our Dream to occupy any office in the Land. We Must all eschew bitterness and work together as Brothers and Sisters to build the Nigeria of our Dreams and since a Nation is made up of People, building your personal dream is the first step we need before building our collective dream. So I ask you, you, and you; What is your Dream? I have stated elsewhere ...

Buhari’s self demystification By Abubakar Galadima MORE than any other aspirant to Nigeria’s presidency in recent times, General Muhammadu Buhari has received the most criticism for his brand of politics, his undignified utterances and what many view as desperation. Buhari does not come across as an overly ambitious Nigerian politician but that posturing is just on the surface. Behind that façade that he is in politics for altruistic reasons lies a deep-seated craving for power which has been obvious since his much criticized overthrow of the Shagari presidency in 1983. Not only did his coup plot set the country backwards by several decades, the way he went about exercising his power gave the first revelation of his character as a man whose decision can be biased by extraneous considerations. Since his foray into politics, Buhari has built the essence of his aspiration for the presidency of this country solely on the high ground of moral rectitude. The much you can say of Mu...