Earlier on Saturday night, fresh fighting was recorded in the Oyo State capital between supporters of both politicians. One person was reportedly gunned down at the New Gbagi area of the Oyo State capital by gun-wielding supporters of the Oyo State deputy governor.

A detachment of mobile policemen was deployed to the troubled spot at Iwo Road area to forestall renewed fighting among the warring political supporters. At exactly 9.36am, an ALGON jeep dropped another batch of stern-looking anti-riot policemen at Iwo/Ibadan junction of the Iwo Road Interchange while a batch of plain-clothed securitymen armed with sophisticated guns patrolled Abayomi bus-stop on the popular Iwo Road in the city.

Military authorities in Ondo State have also deployed troops at strategic areas of the state capital to forestall further violence. More than 50 fully armed soldiers from the 33 Artillery Brigade were seen in military vehicles with registration numbers NA 192B01 and NA71B01.

At the PDP’s zonal rally in Akure on Saturday, four persons were reportedly killed while several others suffered injuries when supporters of the deputy governor clashed with the governor’s sympathisers after Alao-Akala had been endorsed as the party’s gubernatorial candidate for Oyo State in the forthcoming elections.

Eye witnesses of the Ibadan clash narrated how the hoodlums, armed with guns and machetes, stormed the busy Iwo Road Interchange and unleashed a fresh round of mayhem after news filtered in that Alao-Akala had been presented the party’s flag.

Their arrival, which the eye-witnesses said was announced by sporadic shootings, forced commuters, motorists and traders to abandon their wares and scamper to safety. The suspected hoodlums were said to have inflicted injuries on supporters and sympathizers of the state governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja.
In the process, many were said to have received machete cuts while an unidentified person was said to have been gunned down at New Gbagi International Market area.

An eye-witness, Mr. Akeem Azeez told Daily Sun that a young man, with a deep cut on his head, was brought to Ti Oluwa Ni private hospital along Iwo Road during the mayhem. He was said to have been soaked in his own blood. Many traders and passersby, who had earlier sought refuge at the hospital, had to flee on sighting the victim of the clash.

A middle aged woman, who said she was coming from Ilesha when she was caught up in the trouble, also told Daily Sun that the gun-wielding hoodlums ordered all of them in the commuter vehicle that brought them from Ilesha to start shouting ‘Akala Ni Joo’, ‘Akala for 2007’, before they could be allowed to pass. That was after the hoodlums had allegedly checked all their faces and ascertained that they were not supporters of Ladoja who followed him to Akure for the rally.

Governor Ladoja has, however, condemned the violence that greeted the PDP rally at Akure, wondering why some people believed in the power of violence in the game of politicking.
The governor, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Prince Ade Adekanmbi, also debunked a media report that Ladoja held a meeting with Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in Abuja during his last visit to Aso Rock.

"The governor never met with the Vice-President nor had any appointment with him on Thursday. He was on a normal routine visit to the Presidency and had some chat with top officials of the Presidency", Adekanmbi stated, urging the people of the state to remain calm and peaceful and insisting that Ladoja remained the only credible candidate to deliver Oyo State to the PDP.

The Ondo State police Command, however, said on Sunday that it had arrested two people in connection with the fracas, while arms and ammunition were also recovered from them.
Evidence of the violent clash still abound at the time of filing this report as broken bottles and other dangerous weapons employed by the hoodlums littered the main entrance to the stadium.
The Police, however, said they had impounded some vehicles belonging to the Oyo State government over the mayhem.

A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Adeniran Aremu said: "It was reliably gathered that on 3rd of February 2007 outside the Ondo State Sports Complex where the PDP rally was held, some miscreants apparently from Oyo State attempted to disrupt the rally and thereby resorted to the use of dangerous weapons.

Police moved in swiftly and arrested two of them in whose possession were found 30 rounds of ammunition. Also a vehicle with registration Pilot 1 Oyo was found with four rifles and thereby was impounded. The driver of the vehicle escaped. Meanwhile, police investigation is still in progress to identify the barons of the offences committed."

President of the NBA, Chief Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) made the call weekend in Abuja at a press conference organised by the association.

The NBA position coincided with a similar concern expressed by a member of the House of Representatives, Professor Sola Adeyeye, who also demanded the immediate prosecution of Adedibu to guarrantee that the April election would not be rigged to favour the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The alleged dicovery of the voters registration machines in Adedibu’s house had triggered a public outrage as prominent groups and individuals want the old man arrest and prosecuted.
But since the incident, the police and INEC have been accusing each other of lacking the liver to bring the strong man of Ibadan politics to book.

Last week, Oyo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Jonathan Johnson had claimed that his men could not arrest Adedibu because INEC was preventing the police from prosecuting the suspects in the case.
He alleged that the electoral body did not include Adedibu’s name among the six suspects.
But INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alhaji Isyaku Maigoro said it was not the responsibility of the Commission to arrest any suspect, adding that it was the security agents’.
However, while the buck passing and footdraging continues, Agbakoba said there was no reason why Adedibu should not be in police cell by now.

Describing the act as criminal, the NBA boss lamented:
"I wonder what the police is doing. The chairman of the Economic Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu is always speaking forcefully about corruption. Now that this issue has come up, every body is footdraging."

Agbakoba, however noted, that his association was legally hamstrung to arrest or initiate criminal proceedings against Adedibu, adding that not having coercive powers, it can only speak out.”
The NBA which expressed concerned over the credibility of the on-going electoral process disclosed that it has volunteered 20,000 lawyers for election duties as part of its contribution to ensure free and fair polls.
Adeyeye’s call came barely twenty four hours after Ribadu took Alhaji Adedibu and Alao-Akala to the cleaners at a public function in Ibadan.

But the professor from Osun Stateinsisted that refusal to prosecute Adedibu was a danger signal of what to come during the general elections. Therefore, he socilited the support of the media, civil society groups and the NBA to monitor elections, particularly in Okuku, the home town of Osun state Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
Professor Adeyeye regretted that intead of arresting Adedibu and charge him to court, the police and INEC were trading blames.

“Which democracy are we talking about? Adedibu’s son is a candidate for the Senate under PDP and voters registration is taking place in his father's house. What will be the outcome of such election? This is why the Inspector General of Police, the Attorney- General of the Federation, Oyo state governor and his State Attorney -General should not waste time to pick this man and charge him to court," he argued.
Only by so doing, he continued, would Nigerians and the world take seriously the pledge by President Obasanjo that the April general elections would be free and fair.
To allow one man like Adedibu to point a finger at the law, he said, questions the independence of INEC.

A royal mother, a humanitarian, artiste, evangelist, unionist (the first lady to rule as president of University of Port Harcourt’s Students Union), an educationist and indeed, a worthy golfer of note, Lady Spiff has every reason to celebrate.

Born to a family of seven in Isoko, Delta State, this woman of substance had to fight poverty and deprivation through her early years. It was such a life grown horrid beyond any nightmare. To cap it all, she even risked not being educated at all. Such was the height of poverty she endured.

Years of pain would see her through secondary school. She was just 17. At that point in life, she like any other being in her teens, would have caved in to illusions, but she took hers further. She dared to dream tall dreams, so tall you could pack those dreams of the Biblical Joseph aside.

Come through into her dreams. Lady Spiff wanted Law as profession. She’s already one. She wanted to own a company, today she has three. She wanted to marry a tall man. Well, she ended up marrying a giant in another ardent golfer, King Diete-Spiff. She wanted two kids, she now has three… Jessica, Jason and Alfred jnr. She wanted to live in a choice house and drive a jeep. Now she lives in a house that is as big as a Cathedral and has a fleet of cars, mostly jeeps. All these she accomplished before she turned 40. All, she accomplished while moving through rocky paths.

Catch a glimpse, this lady once did menial jobs in construction sites so that she could help herself to university education. Talk of willpower, hard work and sheer courage, and you can always be a member of her Fans Club. Isn’t that cute?
Lady Spiff has been married for 13 years. Her husband is ahead of her with a whole of 14 years. In spite of this, she has never referred to her husband as ‘daddy’.

“We are just friends,” Lady Spiff said of her husband. “And it’s a lot easy for me because my husband is so humble. We share great things together. For instance, he is devoted to the game of golf and I am also committed to the game. But these days, I do a lot of Evangelism work. I want to clean up as many souls as I can, all for Christ.”

Let’s celebrate this woman, who for years ruled as president of Nigeria Ladies Golfers Union.

NEXT WEEK; Golf People will give you a glimpse into the new book, “Dare To Dream” by Lady Spiff.

Although the agenda of the closed-door meeting was not disclosed, sources said it dwelt extensively on the "political situation in Nigeria."

Those who attended the meeting include senior State Department officials, senior advisers to President George Bush, congressional leaders and some officials of the Homeland Security Department.

Dr. Kalu, who arrived Washington unannounced from the United Kingdom described the talks as "fruitful and a meeting with friends."

Daily Sun gathered that Dr. Kalu is also scheduled to meet with a congressional bipartisan group on Nigeria as well as brief the influential Council on Foreign Relations. Sources said the deepening interest on Gov. Kalu’s presidential candidacy follows Washington's concern about the religious leanings of candidates of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Action Congress (AC) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). This follows the release of another dire prediction by United States intelligence agencies that "terror organizations might view Nigeria as an attractive alternative if a northern Muslim emerges as the next president of the country."

The prediction was contained in the latest National Intelligence Estimate, which says: "Nigerian election will be determined on religious and ethnic sentiments and a Muslim president could be an unintended magnet for terrorists." The document also stated that large-scale corruption and poverty would continue for the next 15 years, unless the nation elects a president who has both "administrative and political experience and a private sector-driven policy."

Administration officials said Gov. Kalu met some of the criteria they expect the next leader of Nigeria to possess. "He has been a successful businessman, a two-term governor, a democrat, who spoke out against the excesses of the ruling party even before the vice-president's face-off with President Olusegun Obasanjo," they said of Kalu.

White House sources said that Kalu's Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) was the face of the opposition in Nigeria because the governor has remained consistent in his criticism of government policies, even in the face of intimidation and loss of his businesses.

Administration officials also said that the interest in Gov. Kalu was not an interference in the internal affairs of a close ally, but Washington's effort to ensure that Nigeria "picks the best person for the job."
It was gathered that Gov. Kalu was one of five Nigerians whose names were forwarded to Abuja by the United States government after a request by the Federal Government last year, for suggestions on those "capable of moving the nation forward in the face of serious challenges."

When contacted, Gov. Kalu described his visit to the United States as "the last push in his campaign ahead of the crucial April election," adding: "I have been invited by several other important organizations and the Nigerian community to continue the discussion of how a PPA administration would, within a few months in power, restore Nigeria greatness by improving power supply and employment for most of our youths."

Gov. Kalu also plans to visit France and Germany on the invitation of their governments.

Daily Sun gathered that unknown persons broke into the Personnel Department of the National Assembly, located in the annex wing of the complex on Friday morning, ransacked and stole vital documents.

Investigation revealed that the staff welfare section of the personnel department was broken into and items removed from the office of the acting director of personnel management, Mohammed Suleiman.

Head of the Sergeant-at-Arms, the security arm constitutionally empowered to ensure security at the National Assembly complex, Colonel Emeka Okere (retd), who confirmed this, said: "It was shocking the way the whole office was turned upside down. It was as if the people who invaded the office had a field day. Most sensitive files were ripped open, but we are yet to ascertain what documents they stole."
Col. Okere confirmed that the laptop of the acting director and some of his personal effects were lost in the raid.

He, however, said that thorough investigation had been launched to get to the root of the matter as his department suspected that some workers must have colluded with outsiders to loot the office.
"We are not taking the matter lightly. We have launched a full-scale investigation to arrest those behind the burglary.

I can assure you that anybody linked with it will be made to face the law," Okere said.
He said that four staff from his department who were on duty when the incident occurred are being detained for interrogation, adding that other complementary agents have done the same thing, since the security of the National Assembly was a joint effort of all the security agencies.

Recently, security devices to screen visitors were installed at entrance of the National Assembly, while the number of Sergeants-at Arms was increased with the redeployment of over 200 staff from the Accounts Department.

It said that data collected from its own parallel census, conducted during the NPC’s headcount in the state last March, had shown that the state has a population of 17,552,942 people.

The state also called for a recount of the people in the state and announced that it had concluded plans to write formally to the National Assembly on its position. It has decided, furthermore, to appear before the Census Tribunal to defend the results of its parallel census.

Governor Bola Tinubu made these announcements at the public presentation of a report titled, “Errors, Miscalculations and Omissions: The Falsification of the Lagos Census Figures,” produced by the state’s Ministry of Science and Technology.

The event, which took place at the MUSON Centre, Lagos, was witnessed by stakeholders from the different sectors of the economy.

Gov. Tinubu said it was a shame that Nigerians still lacked accurate and reliable data for planning and public administration in the 21st century, adding that the Federal Government could afford a total re-counting exercise.

He said, “We can afford a re-count throughout the country; we want a re-count in Lagos State.

“This is the height of corruption: falsifying census figures just to please some people. No amount of adjustment done to the [provisional] figures can make them right.

“The [provisional] figure is totally rejected. We have enough support and funding from the United Nations and the European Union. So let’s have a re-count.”

Family sources put Onokpasa‘s age at 72 years before his tragic end.

Onokpasa was murdered at his residence in Agbarho, Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state at 9pm on the fateful day.

The police were yet to ascertain the circumstances leading to his death as at press time on Sunday.

Findings by our correspondent revealed that a seven-man gang scaled the fence of the residence of the deceased located along Onokopasa Street in Agbarho.

They thereafter found their way into the apartment and made desperate request to see the deceased from members of his family.

Oblivious of the mission of the unwanted guests, Onokpasa reportedly came out of his living room and gave himself up to the gang.

It was gathered that the leader of the gang later explained to Onokpasa that the group was hired to eliminate him and that they were in his house to carry out the assignment.

A source said the gang shunned entreaties by Onokpasa to offer them money and other valuable property to spare his life.

He was subsequently shot at close range.

It was gathered that members of the gang later fled the scene while Onokpasa was rushed to Agbarho General Hospital for possible medical attention to safe his life.

However, he died on the way to the hospital.

The Commissioner of Police, State Command, Mr. Udom Ekpoudom, confirmed the report, adding that Onokpasa was assassinated.

Ekpoudom, however, said that investigation into the incident had begun, adding that Onokpasa‘s killers would be brought to justice.

A source in Abuja, who spoke in confidence with one of our correspondents, said INEC was seeking legal advice on whether to disqualify Abubakar or not.

The Peoples Democratic Party had petitioned the commission, asking it to disqualify Abubakar from the April 21 presidential poll.

The party based its petition on the alleged indictment of the vice-president by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and an Administrative Panel of Inquiry over the management of the funds of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund.

But when Abubakar appeared before the electoral body on January 23, 2007 for the verification of his credentials, he submitted a counter-petition asking INEC to disregard the petition of PDP.

He urged the electoral commission to clear him for the presidential election.

The Chairman of the commission, Prof Maurice Iwu, however, said that INEC would release a report on the outcome of the exercise on February 5, 2007.

A source in the commission, however, told one of our correspondents on Sunday that the report of the verification was not ready.

He said INEC was in a dilemma over what to do with Abubakar and was seeking independent legal opinion on the matter.

The source said, ”I can confirm to you that the result of the verification is not ready. We are still considering the petitions against some candidates.

“You know the PDP wrote a petition against the vice-president. We are yet to take a decision on the petition. Apart from asking our legal unit to give us advice on the matter, we are also seeking advice from legal experts outside the commission.

”We do not want to be arbitrary in whatever decision we eventually take. We want to be sure that whatever we do is constitutional.”

When contacted on Sunday, INEC‘s National Commissioner in charge of Political Party Monitoring, Dr. Ishmael Igbani, confirmed that the commission was yet to take a decision on the vice-president.

He also said the report of the verification was not ready.

He said, ”We are yet to take a decision on the petitions we received against the vice-president and some other candidates.

“For us to take a final decision, all the national commissioners must be present. But for now, some of them have travelled abroad. I just came back from South Africa too.

“But I am sure we will meet this week. Once we take a decision, we will pass our report to the political parties.”

Despite INEC’s legal dilemma over his fate, the vice-president on Sunday said that incumbency factor was not a threat to his presidential ambition.

Abubakar, who spoke at a breakfast session with journalists in Kano State Government House, said if the April poll was free and fair, the ruling PDP could be defeated.

He said, ”Please, gentlemen of the Press, remove this from your head. I told you one of the main objectives of this alliance is to work together to enlighten Nigerians to protect their votes and to stop the PDP from stealing their votes.

“Mobilise Nigerians; don‘t ever believe in your mind that an incumbent government cannot lose elections. I have on many occasions informed you on how lesser African countries have changed governments.

“Our immediate neighbour here is Benin Republic. The president of the country, Mathew Kerekou, was in power for almost 30 years – from military to a democratically elected president.

“He had all the instruments of power and incumbency. He lost not even to a political party but to an independent candidate who had no political platform. He lost an election to that candidate.

“I gave an example of Ghana. You know Rawlings was in power for almost 20 years and as powerful as Rawlings was, he lost to an opposition, which is today in power in Ghana.

“Please for God‘s sake, if Benin can do it, Ghana can do it, Senegal can do it, Zambia can do it, Mali can do it.

“Konare, who is today the chairman of the AU Commission, also lost an election to an opposition party in Mali. Now for God‘s sake, what should stop us from doing so in Nigeria?

“Didn‘t you throw out former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and bring in Mallam Shekarau here (in Kano)? Kwankwaso belonged to a ruling party. He had the police; he had the SSS; he had everybody to support him.”

He accused the Federal Government of mismanaging the funds earmarked for projects, saying that an AC-controlled Federal Government would do things differently.

He said, ”In the first four years of this administration, it had been said that this administration had awarded contracts for road construction and so on and so forth, more than N300b.

“Up till today, this construction has not been completed. Not a single road that I am aware of did either the President or anyone else go to inaugurate. Where is this money?

“It is the belief of the AC that they can provide a better alternative by making sure that projects are conceived and implemented within budgetary provisions and within appropriated years.”

He blamed President Olusegun Obasanjo for the epileptic power supply in the country.

He added that the President ignored his advice that the nation should build captive power stations in order to address outage in the country.

“He said, ”For eight years now, we have been battling with the issue of power. Let me tell you a story. In the year 2000, I went to the President and said, ‘Look, Mr. President, we have so many sources of energy in this country. We have hydro, we have thermal, we have coal, name it, and all these are sources of power. In every part of the country, power has been provided by nature. Why can‘t we build captive power stations?’

“He asked, ‘What do you mean by captive stations?‘ I said, ‘Meaning that you go to a location like Kano area, we have so many rivers, and we have so many waters. You can build a medium-size power plant that can generate maybe 25 to 30 mega- watts which will give Kano all the power it needs.

“Then you move to another parts of the country. If it is coal they have, you use it to build another power station.‘ I gave him the example of President Ramos of Philippines.”

“The president said, ‘Well, I will look into that.‘ But the minister said, ‘Eh, you know if we rehabilitate NEPA and the existing power stations, we will have light.‘ I said if we rehabilitated the stations, what we were going to have would not guarantee because these power stations were so old that they would not last us two years before they broke down again.

“We pumped in $500m in rehabilitating those power stations. Exactly two years after, they all collapsed. It wasn‘t until last year that he said, ‘VP, why didn‘t you force me to implement this plan you told me?

“I said, ‘Mr. President, how can I force you? I am only an adviser.’

“We now came back to the same issue of trying to build captive power stations. But again, we made a tactical error there. All the power stations that we are now currently building are based on gas.

“What happens if the militants blow up all the gas lines? Which means there will also be no power? Instead of us to diversify the power generating system, we have now concentrated all the seven power stations we are building in the gas supplying areas where there is no stability of gas.”

Abubakar accused the PDP of bastardising our democracy and dragging the nation into a one-party state.

He, therefore, urged Nigerians to vote out the PDP.

He said, ”Allowing the ruling party to win elections again will amount to institutionalising dictatorship and one party rule in this country and is a recipe for chaos. It is a recipe for instability, and it is a recipe for underdevelopment. We can‘t afford to do that. Now, how do we do it?

“That is why we initiated the alliance talk.”

He said, ”The alliance talk is not about one man stepping down for the other. The alliance objectives are three. Unfortunately, the media has continued to narrow it down to one person stepping down for the other.

“Let me tell you three main objectives why we went into alliance, not only ANPP/AC but other parties. One is to make sure that the forth-coming elections are free, fair and credible.

“The second objective is to make sure that those who are in government now who do not want to go by institutionalising one party system, one-party rule, one-party dictatorship are forced to go by the wishes of the people.

“The third, how then do we make sure that we create an environment at the various levels of elections whether at the state Assembly; at the National Assembly; at the governorship and presidential levels; how we can harmonise or support consensus candidates so that we beat the ruling party.

”So, if you are talking about only the third aspect, the third objective, without achieving the first two objectives, the third one is not even realisable. Just don‘t talk about it, and forget it.”

Okere told our correspondent on the phone that the cameras were mounted as part of measures to upgrade security at the National Assembly in a bid to forestall breaches.

Since terrorism was not restricted to certain parts of the world, he said that there was the need to watch people, especially visitors to the National Assembly.

”We can‘t say we are immune to terrorist activities when we know that the best thing to do is to prevent such activities,” he said.

He said that the cameras where not used to spy on the activities of the lawmakers but to prevent unlawful persons from entering or carrying out any activity that may cause a breach of security and peace at the Assembly.

According to him, the cameras were connected to a central monitor where dedicated staff were assigned to watch movements of people within the complex.

He drew attention to the new security arrangement at the gate of the Assembly, saying that even vehicles coming into the complex were being screened before they were allowed in.

But the spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Abike Dabiri, said that the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly would investigate the matter.

Dabiri said that the House would officially react to the matter on Tuesday, noting that there was a possibility that the cameras had also been installed in the House.

She confirmed that bugging devices were deployed in the National Assembly during the debate on the constitution amendment bill, which among other things, sought to extend the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The former chief justice spoke in Abuja at the weekend at a valedictory dinner held in his honour by the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute.

Belgore maintained that the judiciary was one arm of government that had retained its respect, dignity and honour in the face of the political situation in the country.

He observed that the judiciary and all judicial institutions in the country must be strengthened and well funded for the nation to make meaningful progress.

Speaking earlier, the chairman of the occasion, Dr. and Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki, said that though Justice Belgore spent a brief period as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, his tenure was remarkable and memorable.

He stated that the contributions of Belgore to the development of law and the sustenance of democracy would remain unforgettable in the history of the country.

The governor explained that Belgore‘s high sense of humility and commitment to work and pursuit of excellence were some of the virtues worthy of emulation for the young generation.

The Administrator of NJI, Justice Timothy Adepoju Oyeyipo, who read the citation of Belgore, described him as an enigma and indefatigable judge who spent most of his life to ensure that the judiciary was taken to greater heights.

He said the great achievements of Justice Belgore in the judiciary would be remembered by those in the legal profession.

Others who also spoke glowingly of Belgore were the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Lawal Gummi, the Vice- Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor Nuhu Yakub; NJI Director of Studies, Mrs. Phoebe Ayua; Delta State Chief Judge, Roseline Bozimo; NJI Secretary, Alhaji Rilwan Aikawa; and Justice Nasir Mamman (retd)

The vice president made the accusation at an interactive session with journalists in Kano yesterday after flagging off his presidential campaign in the state early on Saturday.
Similarly, he blamed President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration of voting and committing over N300 billion for roads construction across the country, yet no single road has even been completed or commissioned by the president.
Alhaji Abubakar reaffirmed that politicians must agree to unite to confront and stop the ruling party, the PDP from continuing in office for the country to develop.
He said: “Allowing the ruling party PDP to continue will tantamount to allowing one party system in the country as well as perpetration of dictatorship“.
The vice president who is also the presidential flag-bearer of the Action Congress (AC), explained that the most important thing to Nigerians is the survival of democracy which is being threatened.
According to him, the Action Congress would do differently from what the present administration is doing in terms of developmental policies.
He added that AC has an affirmative policy for women empowerment where the women-folk would reconcile priority attention for the development of their potentials.
The presidential candidate while commenting on incumbency factoring on the forthcoming elections, said Nigerians should not hold the belief that the ruling party cannot be uprooted of power.
He maintained that if it can happen in other African countries like Benin, Senegal and Ghana, Nigeria should not be an exception, adding that in Kano, an opposition party has dethroned the ruling party in 2003 and in 2007 Nigerians will emerge victorious.
He therefore advised Nigerians to work towards defending the country’s young democracy from scuttling it.
Meanwhile, the vice president has urged the press to ensure sufficient support for the nascent democracy through objective reporting and enlightening the Nigerians on national issues.
On AC/ANPP alliance, Alhaji Abubakar stated that the main objective of it, is three-fold namely, to ensure the elections are free, fair and credible; ensure that in government others do not want to be forced to leave and how to create environment at union’s levels of election to harmonise support of consensus candidate.
In a welcome address, the state governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau who spoke through the information commissioner, congratulated Vice President Atiku Abubakar for a hitch-free launching and wished him all the best