…The matter is that simple; the government of Nigeria, faced with stiff opposition to its planned withdrawal of the only subsidy it grants the people, resorts to cheap blackmail to coerce their will.

IT is a very instructive observation by some concerned Nigerians that, when the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) failed to force its way politically within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Ciroma branch of the proverbial “Kaduna mafia” was unable to gain the type of foothold it had within the NPN after its struggle with Shehu Shagari in 1979, in 2011, all hell was let loose. When efforts by a few ‘born to rule’’ individuals, to warehouse the office of the president failed, anarchy in the guise of Boko Haram became the next choice.

ON October, 4, 2011, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan sent the 2012-2015 medium-term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) and the 2012 Fiscal Strategy paper (FSP) to the Nigerian senate and intimated his plans to begin withdrawal of fuel subsidy with effect from the 2012 fiscal year-January 2012.

…AS an exception, it is not favoured but simply accomodated. However, before it can be accomodated, INEC must show by cogent and verifiable reasons why staggered elections must be accommodated.

THE reason the tribunal cited section 27 of the electoral Act 2010 in its judgment is simply because the intendment of the National Assembly in passing this section of the Act was necessary in the determination of the petition filed by PDP.