Nigerians in the US take to the streets of NY as Buhari lands in US. (Photos)

The Yoruba community in the United States  Monday – took to the streets of New York to showcase their culture along with other black communities. This is coming as President Muhammadu Buhari is currently in New York for the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.. See photos below

A President's 32" TV By Garba Shehu

President Buhari watching Nigeria Cameroon 2018 World Cup qualifier in his home in Daura

When Bayo Omoboriowo, the restless Personal Photographer of President Muhammadu Buhari, barged in on the President requesting to have his picture taken as he watched the match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, it certainly didn’t occur to him that he was opening a window to the world on the facts of life of a man who is singly responsible for the 2015 victory for the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Bayo said to me that it was the best picture of his short professional career.

President Muhammed Buhari has been known to be a disciplined retired military General who lived a simple and austere life devoid of ostentation.  He is not known to have the common vices associated with politics and politicians. He does not smoke or drink alcohol.

He didn’t belong to rich or royal families. He is known to have grown up with an enthusiastic desire to serve and his choice to serve in the army was not, therefore by accident. Even at 74, Muhammadu Buhari is known to enjoy a better health status than people much younger until of course, the recent bout of illness from which he recovered.

I think the reason that Bayo wanted to have that picture was a burning desire in him, and in all of us, to show that the President is well again, and has resumed his normal life.

What a majority of Nigerians saw in that picture was a lot more than that. The many who saw those images and shared them to millions of others on the social media with their comments, is a major revelation of the lifestyles of this spectacular public figure that has changed politics in Nigeria and Africa for good. They gave all sorts of interpretations to the TV set, the TV stand, the curtains, chairs and about every item visible to the eye in those pictures.

The images also had the effect of projecting the popularity of the President in the social media. From our official channels on Facebook, including that of the President, the Special Adviser, Femi Adesina and my own, we had thousands of comments and shares. We equally had a bountiful number of replies, tweets and re-tweets on the tweeter.  More than 80 percent of all these were positive.

I present here to the reader, a few random choices:

Umar Yakubu @Umaryakubu: “This man’s simplicity makes one wonder why we hassle for so much in life”

Musa Garba Bawa @khalamuddeen: “PMB all the way, no shaking 2019 In-Shaa-Allah.  Mal. Garba Shehu continue the good work we are 100% in support. Let Super Eagles win”.

Adamu Kassim @Kasimupro: “Truly this man is a leader.  I will sell my TV to buy something like this”.

Femi Fakolade @femikolade “We brought nothing to this world and we shall go with nothing”.

Badong Joshua @Joshua_badong: “This alone shows how caring and all inclusive leadership style of our President”.

Olademeji @Omoniyi22: “Look at the home of our dear noble PMB, just very simple…God bless you”

Ohalem Charles Bekee @ohakem_b: “Simple”

Thywill Mac Diri @MacDiri: “This TV is 32". This man is a simple pal”.

Chibuzo @ogopans: “I love dis (this) man soo much”

Bayo Lee @triplebayo: “modest sitting room belonging to such a humble man! Well done”

Nuel @nuelinc: “This man is super humble….imagine my President’s set of electronics….love you plenty Sir.”

iamLaBelle @sallyz80: “Can’t remember where or when last I saw this TV stand in any politician’s home. @MBuhari is so simple”

Ezekiel Dan @vandamie: “This President LG TV is LCD not LED let alone Smart TV.  He’s so humble and real.  How I wish he’s not this old”

Ole Gunner Silksjaur @Asaemzii: “I love leaders like u! That’s why I will be voting Raila Odinga to be the 5th President of Kenya.  Change is inevitable this time.  #UhuruVsRaila2."

Sulaiman @Smoosty: “Ur simplicity and humility made me fall for you…Glad to have you as my President.”

Abdulkadir Wanka @abdulkaiwanka: “The same TV stand I usually complain my grandma of using bcos its outdated is wat my President uses…simplicity at its peak.”

Fatima Mohammed @timezglobal: (In posting the lavish parlor of an ex-president) “Who can compare Baba’s sitting room to this? This is absolute humility! May God guide and protect our dear President”

Horay of Ife @shalamsee: “Humility at its peak… this impressed me”

Baba Salami @sola Salami: “Baba still dey use VHS?”

Jamal Bibinu@jamalbab: “I love your simplicity sir! So humble my President, has anyone noticed d TV stand n cushions not the ones in vogue?”

Akhimie Godwin on Facebook: “Look at this selfless man, using an old television set and old furniture. I will always support you because of your modest lifestyle, unlike an average Nigeria(n) politician who will acquire all what they don’t need. Sai Buhari for life!”

Emmanuel Udom: “where on earth do you find a president of the most populous black nation on earth living a moderate life? It can only be Muhammadu Buhari. An answered prayer; that’s what Buhari is, a man of integrity, a man of impeccable character. Sai Buhari for 2019; he deserves it, we’ll prevail on him to continue with the good job he’s doing.”

Nasiru Yola: “the epitome of simplicity… such a decent man will only be abhorred by the ill-informed or the fantastically corrupt… carry on PMB….”

Ijale Timothy: “A born patriotic leader. God give you health to deliver this country beyond 2019.  Love you my ​PRESIDENT.”

Adamu Bashir Njobdi: "If I wish to be a local government chairman, my living room will be far better than for the current president.  May Allah continue to bless and give my president sound health.  #PMB till 2023”.

Odeku Wisdom: “This is really nice.  Enjoy the holiday my president. Sai Baba”

Salihu Abdullahi: “May Allah guide and protect our great leader.”

Abubakar Waziri: “Integrity, very modest house for the current President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  Ex-Military Governor, Ex-GOC, Ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources, Ex-Head of State and C-in-C, Ex-Chairman Petroleum Trust Fund. Integrity speaks for itself.  Please name another individual if you disagree.”

Ahmed T. Abubakar: “A leader with prudence, integrity, fairness and truth worth (trust worthy?) we believe in you”

Ajayi Olulope John Fnimn: “Simplicity and humility everywhere around him.  Focused and patriotic.  No weapons fashioned against you will prosper, Dear President.”

Adamoleken Femi: “God bless the President”

Jafar Umar Wathanafa: “Everyday, this man teaches something about vain life! modesty (a)musing.”

Oga Omoyemi Tilewa: “Just wanna be like this man, the same TV since he entered.”

Dami Ogunloye@Dami4change “This room doesn’t worth mummy Diezani’s kitchen.”


I have two narratives to add to these positive sentiments. One, in the course of the campaign, I remember the then candidate Buhari being ushered into a lavish guest house of a serving Governor. Each of the single seats was as big as a settee or a bed, if you like. President Buhari jocularly commented that the chairs alone have filled up the room: Why this big?

Two, many may recall that when he gave out his daughter in marriage sometime last year, the President ruled out the use of government funds in all of the activities. His reason was that this was a private, family event and should be kept as such. And so it was.

A country struggling with its economy should consider herself lucky with a leader who husbands state resources as prudently as he does his personal resources.

All politicians have their selling points.  For President Muhammadu Buhari, it is his simplicity, honesty, incorruptibility and personal integrity. Let the naysayers dispute!


Garba Shehu is the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Court orders INEC to proceed with Dino's recall process

Senator Dino Melaye

An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Monday dismissed an application filed by a senator, Dino Melaye, against his planned recall.

Mr. Melaye had approached the court in July to challenge a decision of Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to commence a process for his recall, following petitions filed by members of the Kogi West senatorial constituency where the lawmaker represents.

The court had ordered a suspension of the recall process, following Mr. Melaye’s application, but directed on Tuesday that the process should continue, after deciding that the application lacked merit.

The presiding judge, Nnamdi Dimgba, ruled that the electorate whose petition resulted in the recall had a right to request the removal of their senator from office since they are the ones who “gifted the position of the said office” to Mr. Melaye.

“The electorate voted the senator into office, they gifted him the office and they have the right to take back what they gifted.

“It is also important to know that going by the electoral laws, the members of the constituency do not owe the senator any right to inform him of their lack of confidence in him. All they owe is to inform the body, which will inform the senator in a manner deemed appropriate for him to prepare to defend himself,” Mr Dimgba said.

Citing electoral laws of the United States, the judge added that the law does mandate the electorate to exhibit its right of franchise, “only in good fate.”

“The electorate can vote for any reason, good or bad, the same rule applies for a recall process. Electoral constituents can act in a way they deem fit. It is beyond the powers of the court to determine how they (the constituency) can exhibit that right.”

The court also decided that INEC was not under any obligation to inform Mr Melaye of its decision to recall him.

“I do not believe that an agency seeking to recall the senator has a duty to inform him, before commencing the process, these are clear cut procedures. The duty of the commission is to access the petitions and verify that the signatories are authentic.”

Mr. Dimgba said the allegation of fraud and fictitious signatures had already been settled by “the constitutional provision of INEC to verify the signatories.”

“I, therefore, hold that the complaint brought before the court were hasty, premature and presumptuous,” said Mr Dimgba.

He added that the makers of the constitution included the provision for the removal of a senator, despite “inherent dangers.” He said that in developed countries like the United States, such a provision is not included in the constitution so that it could be misused by certain political actors.

Mr. Dimgba noted that “the court only has the powers to interpret the laws as they are.”

According to the judge, Mr Melaye’s allegation of lack of fair hearing cannot be treated in the court because the constitution has already provided an internal process inherent in INEC’s recall procedure for Mr. Melaye to determine whether he would be granted a fair hearing on not.

He added that unless Mr. Melaye exhausts the internal mechanism provided by law, he cannot complain of being denied a fair hearing.

Mr. Dimbga further said that the 188,588 voters who reportedly signed the petitions against the lawmaker were in conformity with the constitutional requirement for over half of the registered 360,100 voters who registered for the election in Kogi-west constituency.

The judge also noted that the recall timetable provided in court had indicated clearly that Mr. Melaye would be given a chance to defend himself during the process.

He added that any further right of hearing, required by Mr. Melaye would be “between himself and his voters whom he has a right to explain himself to.”

‎Justice Dimbga, however, noted that the complaint brought by INEC against Mr Melaye’s motion was invalid, stressing that “the motion was duly filed according to the rules of court.”

He added that although the constitution does not specify that INEC must provide Mr. Melaye with the details of the recall before commencing with the process, it also did not state that it should inform the Senator ‘at all.’

“The defendant, however, informed the senator and rightly so, because it is in conformity with the natural law of justice,” said Mr. Dimgba.

The judge also queried the failure of INEC to include the details of the petition, when it eventually informed Mr. Melaye about the recall, wondering how the electoral body “expects Mr Melaye to defend himself.”

The judge subsequently ordered that a copy of the petition, the signatories to the said petition, as well as the supporters of the recall process be made available to the applicant within two weeks before the next amended date of commencement’ of the recall.

The court decided that the 90-day benchmark for the referendum on Mr. Melaye’s removal from office would continue from Monday, September 11.

Mr. Melaye known for his outspoken nature on and out of the floor of the National Assembly on critical national issues is currently fighting the battle of his life to retain his seat after 188,588 reportedly signed a petition seeking his recall.

He has been known to take on political figures including a national leader of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Bola Tinubun and his state governor, Yahaya Bello.

He was recently enmeshed in a messy academic certificate forgery scandal which put him in an unhealthy spotlight until the authorities of the school concerned, the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, came to his rescue to confirm that he indeed graduated from the institution.

Mr. Melaye has blamed the Kogi State Governor for being behind his present ordeal.

Source: Premium Times