This report takes a queue from last week’s double interview with Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN, and Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, on the dangers ahead of the 2011 general elections and the refusal of the National Assembly to send the amended constitution to President Goodluck Jonathan for assent.

Since Friday, January 3, 2003, Atiku Abubakar has not stopped moving against the tide.In some instances, he survived and came out victorious; at other times, he came off worse – but coming out worse might also be comparative and relative, depending on where you stand. For instance, it was his dogged fight against former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s jackboot approach to party leadership that frustrated and led to the expulsion of the former Vice President from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and also made the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to disqualify him, but for which he got a Supreme Court landmark pronouncement that INEC lacked the powers to disqualify a candidate.
But it was the same move against the tide which left Atiku losing the presidential contest of April 2007 with the Appeal and Supreme Courts upholding his defeat at the polls.
Today, Atiku is ‘back’ in PDP and wants to contest the presidential election on the platform of the party.

The runway of Yakubu Gowon Airport, Jos, was, last night, shut to landing and taking off after an Aero Air plane had a burst tyre while landing.

The police in Katsina, yesterday, aborted a rally in support of the ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan in next year’s elections, citing security reasons.

1. Mr. E. E. Esua (Chairman) Federal Electoral Commission (FEC), 1964-1966, crisis was already brewing in the Western Region. Verdict: The environment was primed for chaos.

2. Chief Michael Ani, (Chairman), 1976-1979, first elections after the civil war. He said he was ready and all seemed set. Post presidential election dispute was the major set-back but it was settled by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

The Archbishop of Metropolitan See of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, has told President Goodluck Jonathan to jettison any plan to contest next year’s election. He wants the President to concentrate instead on stabilising the nation.