Mosque Bombed, Blast Kills Four in Maiduguri, Nigeria

Five days after a number of bombs targeted Christian churches, the ugly spectre switched to a mosque with an explosion killing four in Maiduguri after Friday prayers.

The incident happened as Muslim faithful left a mosque after Friday prayers, the military and residents said.

The blast comes after a series of Christmas attacks blamed on Islamist sect Boko Haram killed at least 42 people, most of them outside a Catholic church near the capital Abuja, and raised fears of reprisals from Christians.

"There was a loud blast near the mosque just after the Friday prayers as people were trooping out of the mosque," one resident said. "Everybody scampered to safety, leading to a stampede."

Another resident, Mohammed Bukar, reported four dead and others wounded.

"There was confusion following the blast," he said. "When the dust settled, I saw four dead people being loaded into a vehicle along with some wounded in the blast."

A spokesman for a military task force in the region confirmed the blast but could not immediately provide details.

"It's true there was a blast near Monday market while people were leaving the mosque. We don't have details yet," said Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Mohammed.

However, in a BBC interview, Nigerian army spokesman, Brig Gen Isa blamed the Islamist group, Boko Haram.

Boko Haram has carried out scores of attacks in Nigeria, most of them in the northeast. The group's targets in that region have included Muslim leaders.

Thousands have fled Maiduguri fearing further attacks by Boko Haram and heavy-handed military raids, with soldiers accused of killing civilians and burning their homes after bomb blasts.

Christian leaders have expressed mounting frustration over the Nigerian authorities' inability to stop attacks that have killed hundreds of people this year.

They have said they will be forced to defend themselves if the authorities do not address the problem.

Amid the mounting concerns over reprisals, a bomb was thrown into an Arabic school on Tuesday in Delta state in southern Nigeria, wounding six children and an adult.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south.

Violence had been raging even in the days before the Christmas bombings, especially in the north-eastern cities of Damaturu, Potiskum and Maiduguri.

Another attack hit the northeast on Wednesday night, when gunmen opened fire and threw explosives at a hotel and open-air bar in the city of Gombe, wounding 15 people, the hotel manager said.

The motive for that attack was not clear, though Boko Haram has often targeted bars.

In Damaturu last week, suspected members of Boko Haram carried out attacks followed by a military crackdown that led to clashes. A rights group and police source said up to 100 people were feared dead in the violence.

An emergency official has said an estimated 90,000 people have been displaced in Damaturu.

PEACE DO NOT ELUDE US IN NIGERIA.....

Peace:where have you gone to ?
Are you hidden in the sea,rocks or
the deserts.
You must be in some place were the
eye of men have not thought of.
Oh dear peace, men honestly desire
to have thee,but you have chosen a
life of solitude because your seekers
are hypocrites,back-stabbers and
greedy sons of Judas.

Oh thou peace you have shown
intense desire and remained
optimistic every now and then when
men shows a willingness to cooperate
with you.But it breaks your heart
and you shed tears uncontrollably
when their desires to coperate is
quenched by their selfishness.
They confess thee with their mouth
and deny your existence with their
actions and then question your
committiment even when it is clear
you are ready.

Oh dear peace please I ask of
thee,don't give up on men-it is not
entirely their making,human nature
is unsteady,spiced with intrigues and
dressed up in suspence,you never
know what to expect from their
trickery nature.
Men are conditioned to change and
so dear peace I plead that you take
the lessons of patience and quietly
follow this serpents with ease.
Please dear peace I pray thee never
to abandon us,let grace and
patience never run dry in your
domain...

Give Nigerians the strength to recognise
and embrace you in your beauty
and purity so that they will feel the
warm glow of your wonderful
nature.....
Amen...... 
PEACE TO NIGERIA & NIGERIANS AT LARGE.....


 
Nigerians Please Let's Live in Peace and Harmony.......

Muslim clerics are not competent to speak on behalf of the Nigerian Muslims – Boko Haram

IMAM Abu Muhammad Shekau, the leader of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnati Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, also known as Boko Haram, yesterday said Muslim clerics under the umbrella of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) are not competent to speak on behalf of the Nigerian Muslims.

Shekau in a statement which was made available to newsmen yesterday wondered why the clerics and Muslim leaders will speak when Christians were attacked on Christmas day but refused to take similar action when many Muslims were surrounded and killed in a mosque in Jos during Sallah celebration in September 2011.

Shekau said the Muslim leaders “are on their own” adding that the condemnation of the Christmas blasts does not represent the true feeling of Nigerian Muslims.

Quite interesting.....The question now who are they really fighting for and who is qualified to speak in terms of Islamic affairs in Nigeria?

Societal hardship frustrates Nigerian youth to commit suicide.....

Diano Ovie Richy

A 31 Years old Nigerian Youth, Mr. Diano Ovie Richy, that lives in Warri, Delata State, Nigeria (according to his facebook page) committed suicide around Christmas day. 

He  wrote his post mortem  on his facebook wall on Christmas day, December 25 2011..... “My xmas gift 2 u all is d news of my death. By d time u are reading this story i should ve being dead somewhere. Pple say i should get a job, save b4 achieving my enterpreneural dream. How do get a good job i can save from without my B sc result dat delsu has wickedly refused 2 issue me. I ve had failure in all aspect of life. I invested 10yrs for a Bsc yet Umukoro, Oboreh n Odirin ate it up. Any biz i run always fail usually due 2 DUEX EX MACHINE.

Some say i need deliverance cos day say am cursed. Last month getting married was aborted though am an expecting father. I hate God 4 allowing d demons 2 continuously destroying my hardwork. @ this point i want 2 appreciate some pple. Mudiaga my elder bro, Pawon & Nehi my only true friends 4 always understanding me. Lastly my Unborn child ( omoovie ).
Please show my unborn child Omoovie when born in 2012 some love, kindness n favour in anyway u can. I took the best decision cos i don’t want to see my child suffer 4 me not 2 b tempted 2 take other persons’ life. Did u say am a coward? 9ja, what a pple dwelling there. What are u doing 2 help that person that is stil alive?”

This is the link to Mr. Diano Ovie Richy’s facebook wall: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002518509589&sk=wall

"Rest in peace bro may God forgive you and grant you eternal rest amen"

Man of the Year 2011

As 2011 draws to a close, it seems appropriate to look back in anger or approval at some of the people who have, individually or as part of groups, made the past l2 months better or worse in various ways and in various parts of the world.

Several commentators of all nationalities have concluded that the Man Of The Year award should, without a shadow of doubt, go to Mohamed Bouazizi, the 26 year-old Tunisian street vendor and fruit seller whose desperation-driven self-immolation sparked off widespread riots and led to the Arab Spring.

*Mohamed Bouazizi

Having said more than once on this page that it is preferable (in my opinion) to die on your feet than to live on your knees, I totally agree with pundits who say that Bouazizi is a hero and major catalyst who deserves maximum recognition.

So, yes, it is tragic that the young man killed himself. And I really wish that he hadn’t, given that his religion regards suicide as a sin and that most clouds have silver linings, even if these silver linings aren’t immediately visible.

It is entirely possible that Bouazizi’s existence would have greatly improved over time if he had gritted his teeth and soldiered on. But there is no use crying over spilled milk, especially since his action has had such a positive impact.

Bouazizi was emotionally disorientated by the trials and tribulations he had endured and could not see any light at the end of the tunnel; and despair is extremely hard to shake off and the bottom line is that his decision to dramatically exit from circumstances he found intolerable has not been in vain.

By dying, he gave life with a capital L to a movement that will go down in history as epoch-changing.  Thanks to Bouazizi, the dormant fury of millions of oppressed North African and Middle Eastern citizens was awakened. Thanks to him, three dictators were unceremoniously thrown out of their presidential palaces. Thanks to him, other klepto psychos – Bashar Al-Assad of Syria, for example – can no longer sit comfortably on their thrones and are battling for survival.

A Tunisian square has been named after Mohamed Bouazizi. A postage stamp has been issued in Mohamed Bouazizi’s honour. Mohamed Bouazizi has been posthumously awarded the Sakharov Prize. We will never forget his name.

May he be forgiven for extinguishing the life God gave him. May he rest in peace and continue to inspire those who need to fight tyrants and thieves.

JUDICIAL FAUX PAS: THE RETURN OF HON. JUSTICE AYO SALAMI-AN INVERSION OF THE JUDICIAL TRAJECTORY

JUDICIAL FAUX PAS: THE RETURN OF HON. JUSTICE AYO SALAMI-AN INVERSION OF THE JUDICIAL TRAJECTORY.....

Justice Ayo Salami....Suspended Court of Appeal President

When the PDP and Jonathan found out that Justice Salami was not a pliable judge that could be tele-guided to do the wishes of PDP, they knew that there was an impending danager.At first, PDP wanted the case at the Presidential Election Tribunal (PET) thrown out because it was submitted on Sunday-it was quite laughable that PDP could make such submission on weighty case like that with such lame excuse. The Justice Salami led panel wasted no time in reminding the PDP and INEC that based on a Supreme Court ruling in the past, it was impossible to throw out a case based on frivolous technicality, and insisted that the case should be heard on its merit. The PDP and Jonathan, reeling from such judicial slap, went back to their bag of mischief. They told Justice Salami not to allow CPC access to the biometric database for forensic scrutiny; they posited that such access would be ‘a threat to National Security’. Justice Salami could not understand why access to biometric database would amount to threat to national security, he could not grasps what the link between access to biometric data had to do with national security ( except the PDP meant that the forensic scrutiny would have exposed the fraud of the 2011 elections to the rest of the world would be a threat to national security).Justice Salami wasted no time in putting PDP and Jonathan where they belong by ordering UNFETTERED access to all election matters, biometric database and registers in the presence of INEC and PDP forensic experts.

When the order for CPC to have unfettered access to the biometric database was give on the 24th May 2011, PDP/Jonathan and INEC become jittery .PDP and Jonathan were jittery because a forensic scrutiny of the bailout papers as requested by CPC would have exposed the fraud, and shamed them before the world- the forensic analysis would have shown incontrovertibly the fraud and rigging that took place during the election, and not even the most corrupt judge would have ruled otherwise.Jega and INEC became jittery because Jega had squandered the over N100B that was allocated and lied to us that there was a biometric database when there was none. He knew that his fraud and lies would become glaring to the world and he would be prosecuted and sent to jail.PDP and INEC , knowing that they had a common agenda(to cover up fraud and lies) colluded together and worked as a team in castrating the case. They knew that with Hon Justice Salami as the head of the Presidential Election Tribunal, they would lose the case and be disgraced. They had to work together.PDP reached out to their corrupt Ally in the person of Former Chief Justice of Nigeria Aloysius Katsina-Alu, his mission was to ensure that the mudsling case he had with Salami was given accelerated hearing .Before anyone could say anything, a highly compromised NJC found Salami of guilty of ‘nothing but disrespect to the CJN’ and ordered that he apologize to Katsina-Alu. Since Salami did nothing wrong, he refused to apologized. PDP and Jonathan saw this as an opportunity to effect the removal of Salami since that was the only option left for them. The NJC, in contempt of Court went ahead to suspend Justice Salami, and President Jonathan moved with the speed of light to accept the suspension and appointed an acting President of the Court of Appeal despite nationwide outcry and admonishment from the Bar.In total disregard to the Courts and the feeling of Nigerians, Salami suspension stood because evil men were at the helm of judicial matter

After the removal of Salami, the stage was set, the Theatre of the Absurd was convened, and a coven of vultures made to seat over a sacred altar, sacrilege and abomination were perpetrated and a cloud of darkness drew over the judicial cloud. The newly constituted Presidential Election Tribunal swung into action immediately, and did not hide their intention from the outset. On September 7th, 2011, the very foundation of the Nigerian Judiciary was displaced, as a masterstroke judicial heresy was committed. Learned and elderly judges sat with wigs on their heads, committed unpardonable legal apostasy, which put the nation’s judiciary in ‘inverted reverse gear’. The newly constituted Presidential Election Tribunal made a mockery of itself when it reversed and contradicted itself on an order it gave on the 24th of May 2011 for CPC to have UNFETTERED access to the biometric database. The new Chairman of the PET, robed in shame and dishonor, led other members PET to ‘dance naked’ before the Nigeria public, when it said UNFETTERED access did not mean access to INEC biometric database. This singular decision castrated the case and gave legitimacy to daylight robbery, hamstrung the ability of CPC to prove its case and laid a deadly precedent in Nigeria Judiciary chronicle. It did not need commonsense, or a grasp of law to know that such warps and twisted decision could only have been taken at gun-point or ‘Ghana-must-Go point’- in this case the later was probably the true point. . The honour of the entire judiciary system was sacrificed on the altar of ‘gift’ ,and the reverberation of that decision will transcend many generations ,if not reversered.That singular decision made conducting elections a colossal waste of money, since the ‘biggest rigger’ will always carry the day. The judgment of the September 7th was a landmark judgment, but in the negative, because, it emasculated the prosecutor, took away the only means of proving electoral fraud .The judgment needs to be revisited if we are serious about having elections that are credible.

At the Supreme Court, the case could not be proven, since the case was already castrated by the Judges at the Presidential Election Tribunal, made ‘dead on arrival’. The Seven Justices of the Supreme Court also towed the part of the PET, refused to subject the case to any further rigorous legal scrutiny, or at best we can say that they made judgment based on the case presented before them. The Supreme Court made rulings in favour of Jonathan and PDP.

Now that Jonathan and the PDP has been able to compromise and destroy the judiciary, eroding the remaining honour of the Courts in his bid to hold on to a disputed mandate, having gotten the final node from the Supreme Court, the stage is now set for the re-instatement of one of the few lions in the judiciary, on Justice Ayo Salami; all what they wanted to achieved has been done, and there is no further legal threat to Jonathan, hence, Hon Justice Salami who was from the beginning an impartial and disinterested party in the case can be called to return as the President of the Court of Appeal. The show of shame and judicial horror will take place in the coming days.Jonathan, PDP has achieved their aim, and Salami does not look like a threat anymore, therefore, he can return to his seat. This comic of an action will further erode the little honour left of the Courts, whittle down the powers of the judiciary in public domain, and send the wrong signals to the people. Hon. Justice Salami can now come back as PCA, this would be sold to us as a peace deal ‘brokered’ by the NJC, NBA and some senior/retired members of the Bar and Bench. This is a charade, and the façade of diplomacy which it would be enveloped in shown be rejected. An injury has been inflicted on the whole legal system, deeply lacerated and still bleeding, a cosmetic dressing would not heal the torn out tissues .The re-instatement of Salami, though good on its own merit because Justice Salami was never guilty, shows that our judiciary is still an appendage of the executive, lacks autonomy and cannot arbitrate impartially in electoral judicial cases nor posses the capacity to dispense justice

For us Nigerians, it is a big low in the history of justice, it shows there is a thick cloud of brass over our judiciary system. It is not about Buhari or CPC, it is about the independence of our Courts, which has been highly compromised by PDP. Unless, people of goodwill and foresight rise and challenge the status quo of judiciary recklessness, we are heading for doom. The Judiciary is supposed to be the gauge by which acceptable behaviours are measure, it should be a scale of equity, where everyone can come for measurement, but, in Nigeria it is not so but a diametric opposite. We should be ashamed of the Nigerian Judiciary for it is incapable of delivery justice when a case involves the Executive, and this is wrong

The happenings in the Nigeria political scene are quite discouraging and disturbing, Suffice to note, that withdrawing into our shell and re-evaluating things may be a good option. There are so many evil men in power and they labour to ensure that things do not work , the Nigerian Systems is corrupt by design and people enjoy the status quo of corruption and would fight every attempt at changing things. Let it be noted, that if things go the way the Jonathan administration is driving the Country, we may all wake up one day to find out that we are bankrupt, without any external reserves but with colossal debt and that our oil is fully depleted. It should also be noted that the government of Jonathan lack the capacity to fight corruption or do things right, this is evidence by available facts on ground, owing to the fact that they live by the very essence of corruption.




I will leave you with the words of Tennessee Ernie Ford "you cant cheat the public for long".........

SAPELE BOMB BLAST: A REPRISAL ATTACK – EGBESU FRATERNITY(NIGER DELTA

Sapele bomb explosion December 10

SAPELE BOMB BLAST: A REPRISAL ATTACK – EGBESU FRATERNITY(NIGER DELTA 
A Niger Delta militant group, the Egbesu Mightier Fraternity, has claimed responsibility for the explosion in an Arabic and Quaranic school in Sapele, Delta State, which injured seven people yesterday. The Ijaw militant group, which threatened more explosions, said in a statement that the incident was a reaction to continued Boko Haram killings in the North, climaxed last Sunday with the death of 50 worshippers in a Catholic church in Madalla, Niger State.

The statement, which indicated it was jointly signed by the group’s ‘Revolutionary Council,’ said, ‘The Boko Haram killing will no longer be accepted and we are ready to equally kill any Muslim we see in southern Nigeria. We gave this warning since October this year that if Boko Haram will not stop killing any southerner, we will also kill until they (Boko Haram) feel uncomfortable before we will stop killing; because no part of this country is constitutionally empowered to kill any Nigerian.

Navy captain arrested over vessel’s escape

A Navy Captain (names withheld)  has been arrested over the escape of a vessel M.T.Beaver, arrested earlier this month for carrying stolen crude oil.

The captain, it was gathered,  also doubles as   a maritime guard cammander of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.

He has been in detention  since December 3.

It was gathered that  the captain was directed to arrest the vessel, a directive he complied with and handed over the crew and vessel to NIMASA officials.  NIMASA’s management, however, refuted the claim, saying the maritime agency did not have the power to detain any arrested vessel.

It was learnt that after the arrest and detention of the vessel, it mysteriously disappeared from where it was berted.

Story by Godwin Oritse.

Nigeria Christians 'to defend churches from Boko Haram'

Nigerian Christians will have "no other option" but to defend themselves if attacks by Islamist militants continue, a coalition of churches has said.

Muslim leaders have said there is no conflict between Islam and Christianity

The Christian Association of Nigeria said the Boko Haram group had declared war with its recent violence.

More than 40 people were killed in attacks on churches across the country on Christmas Day.

Since then, some 90,000 people have fled their homes amid clashes between Boko Haram and police in Damaturu.

Earlier on Wednesday, six children and an adult were injured when a homemade bomb was thrown into an Islamic school in southern Delta state.

A police spokesman said the bomb had been thrown from a moving car - it was not clear who was behind the attack, which has raised fears of retaliatory vigilante strikes.

'Declaration of war'

"The consensus is that the Christian community nationwide will be left with no other option than to respond appropriately if there are any further attacks on our members, churches and property," said the leader of the Nigerian Christian Association of Nigeria, a group of Pentecostal churches.

Continue reading the main story

Boko Haram: Timeline of terror

• 2002: Founded
• 2009: Hundreds killed when Maiduguri police stations stormed
• 2009: Boko Haram leader Mohammed Yusuf captured by army, handed to police, later found dead
• Sep 2010: Freed hundreds of prisoners from Maiduguri jail
• Dec 2010: Bombed Jos, killing 80; blamed for New Year's Eve attack on Abuja barracks
• 2010-2011: Dozens killed in Maiduguri shootings
• Nov 2011: Co-ordinated bomb and gun attacks in Yobe and Borno states
• Dec 2011: Series of bomb attacks on Christmas Day kills dozens

• In pictures: Nigeria church attacks
• Why can't Nigeria defeat Boko Haram?

Ayo Oritsejafor was speaking at the St Theresa Church outside the capital, Abuja, where 35 people died in the Christmas Day bombings, the AFP news agency reports.

He said the attacks were "considered as a declaration of war on Christians and Nigeria as an entity," and that while he did not want to encourage acts of revenge, "Christians should protect themselves... in any way they can".

Mr Oritsejafor said the lack of response by Muslim leaders was an "abdication of their responsibilities", and that the Christian community was also "fast losing confidence in government's ability to protect our rights".

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who is a Christian, has held urgent meetings with Muslim and Christian leaders in an attempt to restore calm.

On Tuesday, Nigeria's main Muslim cleric, the Sultan of Sokoto, denounced the Christmas Day attacks and called for calm.

"I want to assure all Nigerians that there is no conflict between Muslims and Christians, between Islam and Christianity," said Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar.

But the BBC's Africa correspondent Karen Allen says the continent's most populous nation faces the spectre of sectarian violence between the largely Muslim north and Christian south.

Boko Haram, which is believed to have links to al-Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for the Christmas Day attacks.

Last week, its militants were involved in heavy gun battles with government troops in the north-eastern city of Damaturu.

A state emergency management official said the clashes had displaced 90,000 people and that the entire district of Pompomari had been emptied as residents fled.

Boko Haram, which means "Western education is forbidden", wants the imposition of strict Sharia law in Nigeria.

The group carried out an August 2011 suicide attack on the UN headquarters in Abuja, in which more than 20 people were killed.

It was also responsible for a string of bomb blasts in Jos on Christmas Eve 2010.

Disguised Christian man attempts to set Church ablaze

Hafiz Ringim....IGP

A middle aged man (names withheld) from Edo State, disguised in kaftan and turban, has been arrested while attempting to set ablaze a Church in Yenagoa the Bayelsa State capital, Daily Trust gathered yesterday.

Correspondence gathered that the young man, who hails from Edo State was dressed in kaftans and wore a Turban attempted to set ablaze the Redeemed Christian Church along Nicheon Road Yenagoa.

A senior official of the State Security Service (SSS) in Yenagoa confirmed the attempt to attack the Church but said the suspect has nothing to do with the radical Boko Haram sect as he was a Christian from Edo State.

“There is nothing like bombing of a Church in Bayelsa State. What actually happened was that a man was arrested while attempting to burn down a Church. The man is said to have confessed to the Church of being an armed robber and the Church promised to rehabilitate him and paid his house rent for two years.

“When his rent expired, he (the man) when back to the Church demanding for additional House rent and the Church said they only promised to pay his rent for two years for him to find a job and be on his own.

“So the man decided to go back to the Church, attempted to burn down the Church yesterday (Tuesday evening) and was arrested. We have handed him over to the police. If you want any other information, you can contact the Police,” the official said.

The Bayelsa State police command when contacted, denied knowledge of the incident saying it did not receive any report or suspect in connection with attempt to burn down a Church.

“I have been on duty throughout the Christmas period. Nothing like that happened. Other reporters have called and I told them the same. I am not aware of any report of a suspect handed over to us,” the State Police Spokesman, Eguaveon Emokpae said.

Kelly Handsome and Crew involved in ghastly motor accident....

Kelly handsome receiving treatment

Side view of the car

Kelechi Ogbona Orji, who is well known as Kelly Handsome, was involved in a bad auto accident on December 24.

The accident occurred, as we learnt, while the maga don pay crooner was on his way to his home state, Imo State, with his crew members. They were later rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

No serious casualty was recorded in the auto crash, as Kelly Handsome and his crew men only had minor bruises on their bodies. 

In the spirit of the season of Christmas, the rapper Kelly Handsome was not in good terms with MI in which it got to the extent of both artiste doing diss tracks for each other, MI has sent in a get well soon message to his one time rival.

MI took to his twitter account and tweeted “apparently, Kelly Handsome was involved in a car accident. I wish you [a] speedy recovery and hope none was seriously injured.”

In a response to this tweet, Kelly Handsome responded this way, “apparently I am alive. Thanks.”

Kelly Handsome and his crew members are presently responding to treatment.

Friends

From view

Wishing you guys speedy recovery....Thank God no live was lost.

Mixed reactions trails Supreme Court affirmation of Jonathan's victory at the Presidential Polls.

This came as mixed reactions trailed the verdict with President Jonathan and House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal advising Buhari to accept the verdict in good faith and join hands with the government to develop the country as supporters of the ruling party embarked on victory dance in Abuja.

Among those, who spoke on the ruling yesterday were  Professor Itse Sagay (SAN), Mr. Bamidele Aturu, Wale Ogunade, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and  Society for Rule of  Law in Nigeria (SRLN).

I leave justice to God – Buhari

Responding to the verdict, Buhari said he had resolved to leave the issue of justice in the hands of God Almighty, alleging that “the decision of the Supreme Court is politically motivated and has little judicial content.”

Accept verdict in good faith – Jonathan

Meantime, President Jonathan has applauded the judgment and urged Buhari to accept the verdict in good faith.
According to a press statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Rueben Abati, the President said the ruling appended a final seal of approval on his victory “already acknowledged by the vast majority of ordinary Nigerians, political parties and the international community.”

He commended Buhari for availing himself of the country’s legal and judicial system in expressing his reservations about the conduct of the elections. “Now that, that process has run its full course, President Jonathan hopes that General Buhari and his party will accept the ruling of the esteemed Judges of the Supreme Court in good faith and join hands with him and other well-meaning Nigerians to build a united, stronger and prosperous nation that present and future generations of Nigerians can be proud of.

“He expects that General Buhari will continue to contribute positively to national development and also mobilize his supporters across the country to join in the process of national reconciliation and national renaissance.

It’s victory for democracy – Tambuwal

In like manner, House of Representatives Speaker urged Buhari and the CPC to join the government in bringing about much needed development in the country.

Tambuwal who spoke through his new spokesman, Imam Imam, also congratulated President Jonathan on his victory at the Supreme Court, saying the judgement reaffirmed the decision Nigerians in electing Jonathan at the polls.

“Now that the matter has been decided by the Supreme Court, all Nigerians must put aside partisanship and rally behind the President in his quest to move the country to the next level,” the Speaker said. He urged the opposition parties to see the judgement as victory for democracy.

PDP: It is a thorough verdict

Relatedly, the ruling  PDP, which congratulated President Jonathan, his Vice, Namadi Sambo and the panel of jurists that sat through the case, said it was a thorough verdict. The party spoke through its National Publicity Secretary, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali.

“The judgement of the Supreme Court brings to a close a tortuous process of litigation, which we felt was unnecessary in the first place. We however wish to congratulate the learned jurists for a thorough verdict which will no doubt strengthen the faith of the common man in the judiciary. We wish to appeal to those who lost out to now join hands with President Goodluck Jonathan as he focuses on the enormous task of national transformation, beginning with fixing our faltering economy and provision of security for the protection of lives and property.

The time for elections and litigation is now over. What should now be our collective goal is the stability and growth of our dear country. We therefore call on all Nigerians to set aside political, social, religious and ethnic differences and unite for the sake of the current and future generations,” it said.

Victory dance for Jonathan

Elated with the ruling, prominent members of the PDP and  supporters of President Jonathan embarked on victory dance shortly after the judgment.

For the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) led by Alhaji Kawu Baraje, the ruling had vindicated its position that most Nigerians voted for the candidate of the their party.

It’s victory for rule of law – Oni

On his part, former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Olusegun Oni, who also congratulated President Jonathan, Vice President Sambo, the PDP and all Nigerians over the Supreme Court judgment, described the verdict as a victory for rule of law.

Oni, who reacted to the judgment through his Media Aide, Mr. Lere Olayinka, said:  “Once again, the court of law has vindicated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which declared our great party, the PDP as the winner of the presidential election in line with the mandate freely and willingly given by Nigerians. It is victory for democracy, victory for rule of law, victory for Nigerians who voted massively for President Jonathan, and most importantly the truth which will always be constant.”

A/Court made it impossible for Buhari to prove his case – Prof Sagay

Speaking on the ruling, Professor  Sagay in a telephone chat with Vanguard, blamed the Court of Appeal for mixing up Buhari’s case.

His words: “I have not read the judgement neither do I know the reason given by the Supreme Court. What I have to say is that the Court of Appeal had already neutralized Buhari’s case by refusing Buhari’s lawyers access to electoral materials for forensic examination.

There is a provision in the Electoral Act, which empowers the petitioners and his lawyers to do that. What happened was that Justice Ayo Salami actually set up a panel that actually approved the examination of those materials, when they removed him (Salami), the new panel that took over, reversed the decision. As a result, they were not able to examine the ballot papers to ensure that there were cases of multiple voting and all sorts of irregularities.

“So, the Court of Appeal made it impossible for Buhari to prove his case. What was presented to the Supreme Court was a situation in which there was an unprovable case. The only thing I would add is that if I were  in the Supreme Court, I would have sent the case back to the Court of Appeal with the order that they should be given access to electoral materials. That is the only way you can discover all the fraud and irregularities that were being complained about. I put the whole fault on the Court of Appeal.”

….Aturu, Ogunade concur

Messers Bamidele Aturu and Wale Ogunade also blamed the appellate court for the Supreme Court decision.
Aturu observed that, “the Supreme Court cannot manufacture evidence but the seven-man panel should have re-visited the decision of the Appeal Court which denied the CPC the right to examine the electoral materials. For the CPC to be denied access to the materials based on technicalities, is a great injustice and I think we need to review our laws to ensure that people are given the right to electoral justice.”

To Ogunade, the judgment was the climax of the intrigues and politics that had been rocking the judiciary, which culminated in the reconstitution of the Appeal Court judges.

“The case was lost immediately Appeal Court denied the CPC the right to examine the electoral materials. Once the evidence is not allowed in a matter, then you cannot expect to get a favourable result because you will be operating from a disadvantageous position,” he stated.

SRLN hails judgment

However, an Abuja-based Non Governmental Organisation; the Society for Rule of  Law in Nigeria (SRLN) saw the verdict  as a sign that “the temple of justice in Nigeria is restoring itself back to public confidence.”
In a statement issued by its Coordinator, Comrade Chima Ubeku, the group said: “It has been reaffirmed that nobody anywhere in this country will give judgment by placing the burden of proof on the Respondents against he who asserts. We wish to congratulate the top echelon of the Nigeria judiciary on this judgment, which will erase any doubt in future about who has the burden to proof between the petitioner and the respondent, especially in election cases.

“As against the Salamic Judicial Authority, which placed the burden of proof on the respondents, and on which basis judgments were entered in favour of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on Ekiti and Osun States governorship cases, now the Supreme Court has once again affirmed that it is ‘he who asserts that must proof..’ We are therefore happy that the judiciary is being restored to how it used to be and we congratulate Nigerians for this development.”