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[Video + Tweets]: Buhari's Message Of Hope, A 'Nigerian To Nigerian Talk'

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<b>General Muhammadu Buhari recorded a video message to young Nigerians this morning before setting out for the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.</b></div>
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He also tweeted his messages of hope to Nigerians as he headed for the take-off of his Presidential campaign rally in Rivers State.</div>
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The tweets and video are reproduced below:<br />
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Good morning, my friends. Before we kick off our rallies in Port Harcourt this morning, let us talk, Nigerian to Nigerian - GMB<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552370396578971648">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Many of you believe something is wrong with Nigeria. Some of you have given up. You think this country can not be good; cannot get better.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552370741283663873">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
And so you forgive politicians for stealing and for mediocrity – because you say to yourselves, "they are all thieves, they are all selfish"<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552371052660400128">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
"and nothing will change." But is that really true? It is not.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552371179672309760">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Many people ask me: why am I running for office again? And I ask them – "What has changed since I began this mission?"<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552371533461876738">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Can you honestly, truly say to yourself that our country has changed for the better? Are our children safe when they go to school?<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552371731865014272">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Are our parents safe when we leave them at home? Is the naira in your bank account of greater value today than it was four years ago?<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552371830804475904">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
People accuse me of many things. But one thing they never accuse me of is corruption. They never accuse me of mediocrity, or of lying.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552372054079852544">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
I have led this country and I have a record. We were not perfect, but we were effective; we solved problems, and we made Nigerians proud.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552372257109331968">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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In our government, we fought corruption, we stabilised the naira, and we shut down insurgencies. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThingsMustChange?src=hash">#ThingsMustChange</a><br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552372567852736512">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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We shouldn't forget so soon that there was Maitatsine ravaging the north east and we dealt with it. We also overran the Chadian rebels.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552372912083456000">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
We rebuilt industries, Nigerians queued up and treated each other with respect; Nigerians took pride in our reputation for discipline.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552373096418910208">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
The world admired us. We were proud to be Nigerians. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThingsMustChange?src=hash">#ThingsMustChange</a><br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552373370822881281">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Because they can't attack our record, they accuse me falsely of ethnic jingoism; they accuse me falsely of religious fundamentalism.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552373583813836800">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Because they cannot attack our record, they accuse us falsely of calling for election violence - when we have only insisted on peace.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552374013113409537">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Even as Head of State, we never imposed Sha’riah. All my running mates have been either Igbo or Yoruba and always Christian.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552374811415310336">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
I have and will continue to condemn those who burn God's places of worship, be they churches or mosques and wish God's judgment upon them.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552374983125921792">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
As your President, their punishment won't stop there, we will also ensure Boko Haram and other such elements, are found, are arrested<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552375364803395584">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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and face the full wrath of the law as punishment for their crimes against our country. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThingsMustChange?src=hash">#ThingsMustChange</a><br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552375453315764224">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
So don’t let anyone blind you with fear so they can continue to plunder our resources, and keep you away from our common wealth.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552375983219941377">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
How can 219 girls be missing in our country, and our leader appears incapable of action? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThingsMustChange?src=hash">#ThingsMustChange</a><br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552376362242424832">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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How can 12 young people die because they were looking for jobs in Abuja and justice is not met? Several corruption scandals unsolved.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552376817634783232">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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How can we allow the cowards of Boko Haram take over any part of this country - a sovereign state? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThingsMustChange?src=hash">#ThingsMustChange</a><br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552377081519439873">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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What is going on here? In this our country? In a country that belongs to all of us? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThingsMustChange?src=hash">#ThingsMustChange</a><br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552377297719021568">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
My dear friends, this is very important to note: It doesn’t matter if you are Igbo, Yoruba, Ijaw, Hausa, Idoma, Efik, Ekwere, Urhobo, Igala<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552377651034599425">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
And, no, it does not matter if you are Christian, Muslim, animist or atheist: we need a new direction under a new leadership.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552377909391159296">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
This is why I am running for the office of the president of Nigeria. This is my promise. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThingsMustChange?src=hash">#ThingsMustChange</a><br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552378081177272320">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
This is my promise: We will work hard and fast for you. Our children will go to school and they will return safe.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552378247808552960">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Corruption will be a thing of the past and we will ensure that wealth goes around our citizens in an equitable manner.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552378450754158594">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Government will conduct itself in a disciplined and responsible manner; we will identify problems and fix them. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThingsMustChange?src=hash">#ThingsMustChange</a><br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552378695781195776">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
The task ahead will be challenging and daunting, but it is surmountable. This is what leadership is about. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThingsMustChange?src=hash">#ThingsMustChange</a><br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552379067694329857">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
My only desire is to prove to you that Nigeria can truly work. Allow me prove to you that in your lifetime, you can be proud of this country<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552379400919220224">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Let me make you this promise today: We will protect your children. We will protect your wealth. We will make this country work again.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552379744852123648">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Thank you and God keep us all. Vote APC. Vote <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Change?src=hash">#Change</a>.<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552380367194562560">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
I am Muhammadu Buhari, and I am running for President to change this country, for good. - GMB<br />
— Muhammadu Buhari (@ThisIsBuhari) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsBuhari/status/552380519359721473">January 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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[Video + Tweets]: Buhari's Message Of Hope, A 'Nigerian To Nigerian Talk'

General Muhammadu Buhari recorded a video message to young Nigerians this morning before setting out for the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State. He also tweeted his …

06 Jan 2015

We're Unmoved By Bankole's Rumored Defection to SDP - Ogun PDP

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfAtCz5_OdEf9UtsvrrDFQZQfU0Ccl4MZjZWuNpWZA5BLXBW_DVPXbD8xYXrY1ZpmI-yPPjAd8FVAP6t3dK58EmNQT5RfA0TAOxoJMH7AIqdozG8JNCaP9Ai8kcJ41_WDIKBSwWfE6W0/s1600/Dimeji-bankole+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfAtCz5_OdEf9UtsvrrDFQZQfU0Ccl4MZjZWuNpWZA5BLXBW_DVPXbD8xYXrY1ZpmI-yPPjAd8FVAP6t3dK58EmNQT5RfA0TAOxoJMH7AIqdozG8JNCaP9Ai8kcJ41_WDIKBSwWfE6W0/s1600/Dimeji-bankole+(1).jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday said it is not bothered by the defection of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), saying the defection poses no threat to the electoral fortune of the party in the forthcoming elections.</b></div>
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PDP added that <b>Bankole</b> who boycotted the governorship primaries conducted by the party in the State no longer commands electoral values that could ensure victory for anybody or political party at the poll.</div>
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The state Chairman of the PDP, <b>Bayo Dayo</b>, who made this known in <b>Abeokuta</b>, the State capital, while fielding questions from reporters during the inauguration of the state’s 35-man Governorship Campaign Committee at the party secretariat, dismissed Bankole as a paper weight politician.</div>
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According to <b><a href="http://thenationonlineng.net/new/pdp-unmoved-bankoles-defection-sdp/">The Nation</a></b>, he said: <i>“I always say the truth. I heard it (Bankole's defection) last night and I can tell you as I have said earlier, it’s a free world, everybody has the right to be associated with any group that he wishes. But if that is done, you will then know and the people in Abuja will know who is on the ground.</i></div>
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<i>“Bankole contested the position of House of Representatives in one local government when he was in office as the Speaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and lost.</i></div>
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<i>“Let him now contest in 20 local government areas and let us see the outcome. I challenge them to the fact that come February 14, you will all see the result of whatever arrangement that is going on.</i></div>
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<i>“Some people, when they live in glass houses, they will not know that there are other people looking at them.</i></div>
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<i>“Let him contest under any platform and people in Abuja will know whether he is actually on ground or not. That is all I have to say. We cannot force everybody to stay in PDP. Our prayer is that the more people that are going out, more people that are more than them should be coming to the party. And with that, we are going to win the election come February 14 by the grace of God.”</i></div>

We're Unmoved By Bankole's Rumored Defection to SDP - Ogun PDP

The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday said it is not bothered by the defection of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, to the Social Democ…

06 Jan 2015

[Photo News]: APC Holds Presidential Rally In Port-Harcourt

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<b>The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential hopeful, General Muhammadu Buhari, has again decried the level of insurgency and unemployment in the country.</b></div>
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Speaking during the flag-off of the APC presidential campaign at the Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, General Buhari urged Nigerians to vote in a government that would be able to eradicate insecurity and economic hardship in the country.</div>
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He said, “The fundamental issues facing this country is insecurity and the problem of economy which is being made worse by corruption. I assure you that we are going to finally assemble a competent team of Nigerians to efficiently manage this country.</div>
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“I am appealing to you, the damage that has been done to this country is great. The level of unemployment, the level of insecurity is intolerable. The damage has been done, it will take time, patience and support from you to ensure that we succeed.”</div>
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General Buhari also commended the Director-General of his campaign organisation and also Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, for already doing a good job.</div>
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“I did not close my eyes and pick anybody. We came through processes recognised by our great party and he earned it. I thank him very much for accepting me because it is a lot of hard work with a lot of sacrifices,” he said.</div>
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He added that the way he had mobilised supporters for the lunch of the APC campaign was an indication that the party made the right choice in making Amaechi the head of the campaign organisation.</div>
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Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State, who have defected to the All Progressives Congress, were also officially presented to the party’s leadership.</div>
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The campaign was attended by top members of the APC and other party supporters.</div>
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[Photo News]: APC Holds Presidential Rally In Port-Harcourt

The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential hopeful, General Muhammadu Buhari, has again decried the level of insurgency and unemployment in the country. Speaking during the flag-off of the APC …

06 Jan 2015

Change Your Agenda Not Your Dressing, PDP Tells Buhari

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDhvl5J6tuusch1_itC_v8VZLTkT3Qql2JzAZeeR-TnPkW6sAtMPm7DQ-UUbXD9p42w6hn5-l62MkeP1XXUnSAFORCqXPf9e_VPqtAgtwOx7cQrYPLnzepu-Blzjhcrl3nQ3xjvFqYytA/s1600/BuhariFam8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDhvl5J6tuusch1_itC_v8VZLTkT3Qql2JzAZeeR-TnPkW6sAtMPm7DQ-UUbXD9p42w6hn5-l62MkeP1XXUnSAFORCqXPf9e_VPqtAgtwOx7cQrYPLnzepu-Blzjhcrl3nQ3xjvFqYytA/s1600/BuhariFam8.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) to frontally confront the issues facing the nation instead of changing his dressing as a way of deceiving Nigerians.</b></div>
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The party in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh also flayed the APC over what the ruling party claimed to be plans to propagate an imaginary opinion poll showing Buhari in better position to win the presidential election.</div>
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The PDP in the statement said “the APC’s so called ‘change agenda’ should be based on issues and not on change of dressing and religious gathering”.</div>
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“This election is not about political window-dressing and dramatizing.</div>
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”What will count is record of performance and antecedents, which President Jonathan stands taller than General Buhari.</div>
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“It is therefore not surprising that the APC and its Presidential candidate will resort to organizing a kangaroo opinion rating in a failed attempt to cover up their inadequacies and manipulate public perception in their favour.</div>
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This APC phantom poll has been designed in such a way to make the Nigerian public believe that 75 percent of the voting population is in support of General Buhari ahead the February 14 Presidential election.</div>
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”Our findings reveal that the APC leaders are already intensifying effort to compromise some section of the media so as to ensure that the poll packaged by its foreign consultants is widely publicized.</div>
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”Part of the strategy is a disguised mobile phone balloting application being circulated by the APC, whereby a curious click elicits a thank-you message from them and automatically register the unsuspecting phone user as having voted in support of General Buhari.</div>
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We are indeed shocked at the level the APC and its presidential candidate have sunk in their desperation for power. We hereby urge Nigerians, particularly the media to be wary of this plot to deceive the public and truncate our democratic process.</div>
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”Our final advice to the APC is that they should focus on real campaign and stop playing to the gallery. Lies, no matter how much embellished can never take the place of truth and nothing built on falsehood stands.</div>
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”This election is not about fake figures and falsehood. It is about the choice of the citizens. Nigerians have since made up their minds to continue identifying with their performing President and no amount of propaganda and misrepresentation by the APC can change this.</div>
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<b>Source: <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/01/pdp-buhari-change-agenda-not-dressing/#sthash.47m4NoLM.dpuf">Vanguard</a></b></div>

Change Your Agenda Not Your Dressing, PDP Tells Buhari

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) to frontally confront the issues facing the nation instead o…

06 Jan 2015

C'est Fini! Niger-Delta Militant Group, MEND Declares Support For Buhari

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<b>The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, on Tuesday threw its weight behind the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muhammadu Buhari, at the same time, launching a scorching attack on President Goodluck Jonathan.</b></div>
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In a three-page statement signed by a spokesperson, <b>Jomo Gbomo</b>, <b>MEND</b> said it endorsed and fully support <b>Mr. Buhari</b>, after careful consideration of the state of the nation.</div>
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The group said the decision to support the <b>APC</b> presidential candidate stems from the pathetic level the Jonathan administration has brought the country.</div>
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The group said the president does not deserve to be given a second term at the <b>Aso Villa</b> immediately his tenure expires because of his continuous and blatant disregard for the people who voted him into office.</div>
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“This is a president that told Nigerians to their faces that he does not ‘give a damn’ when asked to declare his assets. A requirement that is constitutional on assuming the office of the President,” wrote Mr. Gbomo.</div>
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“President Jonathan, since assuming office, has setup countless committees but none of the reports has ever been implemented. From the <b>Nuhu Ribadu report</b> to the <b>KPMG</b> and <b>Fuel Subsidy</b> reports, just to mention a few.</div>
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“How can Nigerians expect a highly corrupt person like <b>Goodluck Jonathan</b> to fight corruption when he believes that stealing is not corruption, as he shamelessly told the nation?</div>
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“He has proven beyond all reasonable doubt, his inability to tackle corruption or prosecute a single government official in his six (6) years in office.”</div>
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According to him, MEND finds Mr. Jonathan’s recent plan to fight corruption “laughable”, saying it not only smacked of ignorance but also shows how stupid the president thinks Nigerians are.</div>
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“A president that had six years to tackle corruption but choose to shield corrupt government officials and also partake in looting the nation’s resources, MEND argued, lacks the temerity to say his has a plan to fight corruption,” the group said.</div>
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“We re-state our disregard and lack of confidence in President Goodluck Jonathan. Rather than address the perennial issues in the country responsible for his administrations failures, he is concentrating government funds in a campaign of misinformation intended to hoodwink Nigerians who, unfortunately for him, are now wiser and smarter than he is.</div>
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“Goodluck Jonathan’s actions, utterances and arrogance prove that he is totally disconnected with the situation facing the ordinary Nigerian and completely out of touch with reality,” MEND indicated.</div>
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MEND, with roots in the oil-rich Niger Delta, stood as the face of a militant struggle against the Nigerian government for years, launching attacks on oil installations, and confronting government forces.</div>
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The violence largely ended after the government offered amnesty to fighters in the region who said they were pushing for greater share of oil and gas resources in the region, although the government said the claim was a mere cover for criminality.</div>
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To date, MEND has not formally accepted the amnesty offer.</div>
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The group blames Mr. Jonathan for the arrest, prosecution and imprisonment of its leader, Henry Okar, by the South African government. Mr. Okar is serving a 24-year term in South Africa.</div>
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The militant group commended Mr. Buhari for planning to scrap the office of the First Lady if elected president, saying that apart from serving as the conduit for plunder, the office is irrelevant, fraudulent and unconstitutional.</div>
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Mr. Gbomo noted how <b>Mrs. Jonathan</b> narrowly escaped being charged to court for attempting to launder stolen money to the United Kingdom, barely a few months after the husband was sworn in as president.</div>
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He said a former Governor of Delta State, <b>James Ibori</b>, failed to escape the long hands of the law and was arrested, prosecuted and jailed in the UK for the same offence Mrs. Jonathan got a reprieve.</div>
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Mr. Gbomo lampooned Mrs. Jonathan for her initial criticism of the <b>#BringBackOurGirls</b> campaigners and accused both the president and the Peoples Democratic Party,<b> PDP</b>, for continuously exploiting national tragedies for political gains.</div>
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He said the party and the government twisted the Boko Haram insurgency for political gains while also exploiting regional and religious sentiments as strategy to cover up their failure to rein in the bloody group.</div>
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MEND said the Niger Delta region has experienced excruciating poverty since Mr. Jonathan, an indigene of the area, became Nigeria’s president.</div>
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While multinational oil firms have continuously exposed the region to worst levels of pollution and environmental degradation, MEND said the president has failed to openly condemn such criminal acts or sanction irresponsible oil firms.</div>
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It accused corrupt government officials and those it described as “pot-bellied generals” as well as the military Joint Task Force and the Nigerian Navy for aiding the multi-billion dollar oil theft in the Niger Delta region.</div>
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The group said the once respected Nigerian Army has been reduced to a ragtag army by the Boko Haram insurgents, stating <i>“It can only take a bold and courageous man like General Muhammadu Buhari to tackle the insecurity and oil theft plaguing the nation.”</i></div>
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“The Niger Delta region has the Ministry of the Niger Delta, the Niger Delta Development Commission, <b>NDDC</b>, the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP and the largest percentage in oil revenue allocation, yet the region has nothing to show for all these due to a very corrupt government and systems in place.</div>
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“We are confident that a General Muhammadu Buhari presidency would probe these agencies and divert all stolen revenue back to the development of the region and Nigeria as a whole,” Mr. Gbomo stated.</div>
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<b>Source: <a href="http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/174345-mend-endorses-buhari-accuses-president-jonathan-failing-nigeria.html">Premium Times</a></b></div>

C'est Fini! Niger-Delta Militant Group, MEND Declares Support For Buhari

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, on Tuesday threw its weight behind the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muhammadu Buhari, at the same time, la…

06 Jan 2015

Buhari: No One Can Accuse Me Of Corruption, Lying

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdka4X-G3XRpnf5exfOuco4YeHZqI0PBsVHWGyxc_pjrZ9Qal1rDkLBjQhgjrqVw9OFLN_-dD3IJ-KXt7f8s8ftOa6qOg7FeSIv3-5-0ezGtWGySH1tChUJ9PfvVRUCRE33oQT4ueDtFI/s1600/BuhariFam64.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdka4X-G3XRpnf5exfOuco4YeHZqI0PBsVHWGyxc_pjrZ9Qal1rDkLBjQhgjrqVw9OFLN_-dD3IJ-KXt7f8s8ftOa6qOg7FeSIv3-5-0ezGtWGySH1tChUJ9PfvVRUCRE33oQT4ueDtFI/s1600/BuhariFam64.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says he has been accused of many things, but not corruption, mediocrity and lying.</b></div>
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In a series of tweets on his Twitter handle @ThisIsBuhari on Tuesday, Buhari averred that he “fought corruption, stabilised the naira and shutdown insurgencies” when he was a military head of state.</div>
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“People accuse me of many things. But one thing they never accuse me of is corruption. They never accuse me of mediocrity, or of lying,” he said.</div>
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“I have led this country and I have a record. We were not perfect, but we were effective; we solved problems, and we made Nigerians proud. We rebuilt industries; Nigerians queued up and treated one another with respect; Nigerians took pride in our reputation for discipline.”</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.thecable.ng/buhari-no-one-can-accuse-corruption-%E2%80%A6">TheCable</a></b> reports that Buhari said because his traducers could not attack his records, they accuse him falsely of being a fundamentalist.</div>
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“Because they cannot attack our record, they accuse me falsely of ethnic jingoism; they accuse me falsely of religious fundamentalism,” he said.</div>
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“Even as Head of State, we never imposed Sha’riah. All my running mates have been either Igbo or Yoruba and always Christian.”</div>
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The APC presidential candidate, who is giving his fourth shot at the presidency, condemned Boko Haram and promised to end its reign of terror.</div>
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“I have and will continue to condemn those who burn God’s places of worship, be they churches or mosques and wish God’s judgment upon them.</div>
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“As your president, their punishment will not stop there; we will also ensure Boko Haram and other such elements, are found, are arrested. And, no, it does not matter if you are Christian, Muslim, animist or atheist: we need a new direction under a new leadership.”</div>
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While restating his reason for running for the office of the president, he said: “Corruption will be a thing of the past and we will ensure that wealth goes around our citizens in an equitable manner.</div>
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“Government will conduct itself in a disciplined and responsible manner; we will identify problems and fix them.</div>
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“Let me make you this promise today: We will protect your children. We will protect your wealth. We will make this country work again.”</div>

Buhari: No One Can Accuse Me Of Corruption, Lying

Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says he has been accused of many things, but not corruption, mediocrity and lying. In a series of tweets on his Twitte…

06 Jan 2015

A Season For Changing Our Minds - By Tolu Ogunlesi

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<b>George Bernard Shaw it was who said: “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” An apocryphal quote attributed to the economist John Maynard Keynes echoes Shaw: “When the facts change, I change my mind.”</b></div>
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Generally, in the build-up to elections in Nigeria, plenty of mind-changing happens. Politicians switch allegiances, switch godfathers, switch parties; citizens change their minds about the candidates clamoring for their votes. That’s what today’s column will be about.</div>
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Take one of the most dramatic cases; that of Femi Fani-Kayode. In February 2014 he declared, in an interview, that President Jonathan was not “man enough” to tackle Boko Haram. He also threw up the super-fascinating ‘five-presidents’ theory: <i>“The country has five presidents, and they are Mrs. Patience Jonathan, Mrs Alison-Madueke, Mrs. Stella Oduah, Mrs Okonjo-Iweala and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. All these five presidents control the nation, but the most powerful of them is Mrs Jonathan.”</i></div>
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Fani-Kayode added a killer-blow: <i>“Jonathan has disappointed Nigerians in all sectors of the economy and if he should be allowed to continue in office, this country is heading for serious disaster.”</i> Today, barely one year later, Mr. Fani-Kayode is in charge of “media and publicity” for the President’s re-election campaign.</div>
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There are also those who have changed their minds about General Muhammadu Buhari, the APC presidential candidate. In October 2010, as preparations for the 2011 elections intensified, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai’s media office released a statement on his behalf in which General Mohammadu Buhari was described as “perpetually unelectable” for reasons ranging from highhandedness to his intolerance for dissenting views. That statement also said that <i>“El-rufai believes that it is time for a new generation of leaders with new thinking and wholesome democratic attitude to move our nation forward.”</i></div>
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It took only a few months for el-Rufai to change his mind. To his credit he came out to acknowledge that a change of mind had taken place, and he took the pains to give reasons for “[dropping] his objection” to Buhari: first, the choice of Tunde Bakare as Buhari’s running mate, and second, “Buhari’s message of inclusion and teamwork.”</div>
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I do not think anyone should be attacked for changing their mind about a candidate, as long as they are willing to, one, acknowledge that indeed they have had cause to change their mind (instead of trying to argue about being originally ‘misquoted’, as Nigerian politicians like to do), and two, to make an argument as to why the ‘u-turn’ has taken place. On that note I am eager to hear why Fani-Kayode no longer thinks that a Jonathan re-election will lead Nigeria into the abyss. Perhaps he has explained that, and I have missed it. I’d be grateful if anyone can point it out to me. I have the feeling that if Fani-Kayode can eloquently explain why he’s had the dramatic change of mind, he might be able to win new supporters for his new principal.</div>
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Just as we’ve had people who have changed from dislike to support (for Jonathan and Buhari), we’ve also had people shifting in the reverse direction. At least I can say that for Jonathan – because I am one of them (more on that below). I know several people who enthusiastically voted for Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 (many of them under the umbrella of the ‘We Voted Jonathan, not PDP’ Movement) but today vow that ‘never again!’ Many of them in fact now wholeheartedly regret that 2011 vote.</div>
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<b>What I must admit I haven’t yet found are people who once liked Buhari, but no longer do; who voted for him in 2011 but have decided to not vote for him in 2015.</b> If there’s any such person I’d be willing to hear from them. I must of course acknowledge that Jonathan is, on the basis of his being the incumbent President, far more likely than Buhari to be the one who has lost supporters between 2011 and now. That is the curse of success. Ask Barack Obama. Indeed, if Buhari does win the presidential elections next month, you can bet that by 2019 there will be a slew of voters who will have grown disillusioned with him, and will be clamoring for change. It is the nature of politics.</div>
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I’ll end with a personal narrative on this theme of changing one’s mind. I wasn’t in the country during the 2011 presidential elections, and so did not vote. But had I voted it’s very likely I would have voted for Goodluck Jonathan. I was genuinely excited by his personal story, and how he seemed to represent a new generation of Nigerian politician (an outsider; a non-participant in any of the earlier phases of Nigerian politics; a man cut from cloth that was neither military khaki nor the agbada or babanriga or two-piece suit of their prominent civilian collaborators).</div>
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Once it became clear that a group of powerful persons within and outside the Yar’Adua kitchen cabinet were making moves to prevent a simple transfer of power to the then Vice President Jonathan, I joined a group of my friends on protest marches in Lagos and Abuja, under the joint auspices of the ‘<b>Save Nigeria Group</b>’ and ‘<b>Enough Is Enough Nigeria</b>’. For the Abuja trip we bought our flight tickets and paid for our own accommodation; at that time there was no <b>Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria</b> (TAN), or any of those more-money-than-sense agglomerations of sycophancy, to foot any pro-Jonathan bills.</div>
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In August 2010, impressed by how Nigerians passionately took to liking President Jonathan’s Facebook page, I described him in a newspaper column as a “breath of fresh air”. (That phrase would go on to be appropriated by the president’s people as campaign mantra). I recall that by the end of 2010 President Jonathan had become the second-most-liked Head of State on Facebook, after Barack Obama. Indeed, in those early days, it all seemed so Obama-esque, and many like me fell headlong for it.</div>
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In a series of articles I wrote in my column for the now-out-of-print <b>NEXT</b> newspaper, I tried to put that excitement into words. In <b>‘From Canoe-Carver’s Son to Commander-in-Chief’</b>, published in April 2011, just after he won the presidential elections, I recalled my ‘breath of fresh air’ line, and built on it: <i>“Today, I will stretch my claim further, and declare that Mr Jonathan is potentially a breath of fresh air to the way presidential leadership is conducted in Africa. I think we are looking at the man destined to, not only tackle long-standing problems like power supply and poverty, but also bring far-reaching reform to Africa’s largest and most messed-up political party, the PDP.”</i> I pointed to what I thought were the qualities that stood him out: <i>“an endearing calmness, a modesty that is rare with Nigeria’s ‘Big Men’, and a seemingly sincere desire to engage with the people he’s ruling.”</i></div>
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But I was also clearheaded enough to see that the excitement that surrounded Jonathan was bound up more in potential than in any existing record of his. As at the time he became President there was no real record to speak of; his entire political career until then consisted of more than six years as a maltreated Deputy Governor, one-and-half years as Governor (finishing someone else’s term), and three years as a sidelined Vice President. Nothing spectacular. What I saw was a huge possibility for future transformational leadership from a man I expected would have the good sense to realise the import of what fate was offering him, almost unconditionally, on a platter of gold.</div>
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In <b>‘Goodluck, Goodwill and Goodsense’</b>, published on April 19, 2010, while he was acting President, I said: “Luck is not enough. Luck might put you in the presidential palace, but it will neither keep you there nor endear you to the people you govern. Luck will not secure a favourable verdict from posterity.” I ended that piece with these words: <i>“Yesterday you were Goodluck Jonathan. Today you are Goodwill Jonathan. Now you must strive to be Goodsense Jonathan, in whose hands the destiny of a nation lies.”</i></div>
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Five years later I am more than convinced that, even after taking into consideration all of his achievements – and there are acheievements, no doubt, which I will talk about in a future column – Goodluck Jonathan has let Nigeria down a lot more than he has ‘transformed’ it. In that coming column I will explain why I think so. For today it is enough to say that I have since changed my mind about the man I considered “a breath of fresh air” four years ago.</div>
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<b>Follow me on Twitter: @toluogunlesi</b><br />
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<b>Source: <a href="http://blogs.premiumtimesng.com/?p=166498">Premium Times</a></b>

A Season For Changing Our Minds - By Tolu Ogunlesi

George Bernard Shaw it was who said: “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” An apocryphal quote attributed to the economist John Mayn…

06 Jan 2015

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A Season For Changing Our Minds - By Tolu Ogunlesi

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