Part One

North is determined to stop Jonathan

 “There is a direct correlation between moves by President Jonathan to contest the elections contrary to
every promise made privately and publicly. If President Jonathan wants to be on the firing line with the
North, he is invited to join in the fight and of course, he would be dealt with the way opponents are dealt
with” – Dr. Junaid Mohammed (The Guardian 21/6/2010)

 Nigeria on the Brink

 “The 2011 elections in Nigeria, scheduled for January 22, pose a threat to the stability of the United
States’ most important partner in West Africa. The end of a power-sharing arrangement between the
Muslim North and the Christian South, as now seems likely, could lead to postelection sectarian violence,
paralysis of the executive branch, and even a coup” – John Campbell (Foreign Affairs 9/9/2010)

 MEND Statement

 “Abuja is symbolic as the seat of power that held the people of the Niger Delta captive for 50 years and
this was an opportunistic attack because it was an opportunity to highlight the injustice in the presence of
world leaders who were beginning to get the false impression all was well” – Jomo Gbomo, MEND
spokesperson (Daily Trust 7/10/2010)

 President Jonathan on MEND Statement

“We know those behind the attack and the persons sponsoring them; they are terrorists not MEND. The
name of MEND that operates in Niger Delta was only used. I grew up in the Niger Delta so nobody can
claim to know Niger Delta than myself, because I am from Niger Delta” —President Goodluck Jonathan
(Daily Trust 7/10/2010)

 Abuja Blasts: Okah implicates President Jonathan

 "On Saturday morning, just a day after the attack, a very close associate of President Jonathan called
me and explained to me that there had been a bombing in Nigeria and that President Jonathan wanted
me to reach out to the group, Mend, and get them to retract the earlier statement they had issued
claiming the attacks.

 They wanted to blame the attacks on northerners who are trying to fight against him [Jonathan] to come
back as president and if this was done, I was not going to have any problems with the South African
government.
"I declined to do this and a few hours later I was arrested. It was based on their belief that I was going to
do that that Jonathan issued a statement saying that Mend did not carry out the attack" - ” Henry Okah
(Al-Jazeera 5/10/2010).

 Northern Political Leaders ask Jonathan to Resign

 “We would like to state, for the umpteenth time, that President Goodluck Jonathan's desperation to be
President again in 2011 can only take Nigeria back to the dark days of President Olusegun Obasanjo's
Third Term with all its attendant instability and the wasting of innocent civilians’ lives.

Now that the President has proven that he is incapable of leading the nation justly and fairly and that he is
desperate enough to want to hang mass murder around the neck of unnamed Northerners to achieve his
second term, we as citizens of this country have totally lost confidence in his leadership and hereby call
on him to immediately resign.

If he fails to do so by the end of the week, we call on the National Assembly to commence impeachment
proceedings against him with immediate effect. We state, without any equivocation that, as Northerners
and as citizens of this country, we no longer feel safe and secure under his leadership” – Northern
Political Leaders Forum (Sahara Reporters 5/10/2010).

 Running out of Luck

 “What we are witnessing tempts comparisons with late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua whose joint
tenure Jonathan is serving out. Although the man was infirm, slow and hardly at work for any reasonable
length of time, we did not record this rapid rate of general descent under him. Under Yar’Adua, we never
had this sense of polarization within the party.

We never had this deliberate and mischievous division of the country along sectarian lines. We never saw
this North-South divide. Yar’Adua approached the matter of the Niger Delta from a multi-pronged
perspective: security enforcement, compassion, structured engagement and programmed development.
Sadly, he did not live long to see this approach to fruition” - Chidi Amuta (Thisday 6/10.2010).

 It’s idiotic to link me with Abuja blasts

 “It is idiotic for anyone to associate me with such a dastardly act. I fought war to keep this country one. I
know how it is; I don’t want anybody to go through what I went through, I am still carrying the shrapnel up
till today” – Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (The Sun 7/10/2010)

 Wild Goose Chase: Jonathan knows he can’t be President

 “I don’t want to become President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but if I say that there is justice and
fairness, I must also see that justice and fairness is also given to the other zones. I cannot be looking only
at my own side and say I want to get it off. At the end of the day, it is in my good interest that Nigeria
remains united. I was born into one united, prosperous Nigeria that has the ability to attain higher height
and that is my dream. My dream is not to have a disintegrated Nigeria.

 There is no time in the history of Nigeria, in my 59 years of existence have I noticed so much polarization
of the nation as we have it today only because of the greed of a few people because of the refusal of a
set of persons to actually honour agreement. At the end of the day, which part of the country will trust the
other part when we deliberately run away from agreement that has been reached? Trust will not hold
again” –– Raymond Dokpesi (The Sun 12/10/2010).
Part Two

Jonathan has not seen crisis yet. And it will start earlier than many will ever suspect for if prayers are not
offered to save the nation and if Jonathan does not toy with the security of life and property, an inter-
ethnic massive blood-letting may be unleashed as early as before the end of this year.

Once that blood-letting begins, it will lead to even more bloodshed as it will spread uncontrollably, and will
end up jeopardizing Nigerian democracy as we know it, because another with a heart of a lion will rise up
and impose control and sweep the present era away.
The crisis will consume politicians and corrupt Nigerians like nothing that has ever happened in Nigeria
before. It will be a massive flood, uncontrollable, and it will lead to a massive cleansing of the polity. There
will be no place to hide for those who are at the forefront of power and corruption now.

What I see is an unmitigated calamity on Nigeria, if it is not averted with prayers. And yes, Jonathan must
listen to God and rule himself out of the 2011 election now while he still has the time and the initiative for
soon God will take both from him.

The way out is for Jonathan to listen and respect the gentleman agreement within PDP and respect the
internal principle of zoning.”
Primate Olabayo, Daily Sun September 21, 2010

We passed the warning through our contacts in the SSS informing them we planned to carry out a
symbolic attack during the ceremony. As it was not intended to kill, there would be no projectiles inside
the cars. We asked them to keep the public away from cars after they hear the first explosion which would
not be as powerful as the remaining (one).

The Director-General, of the SSS tried to make contacts with those they believed could help stop the plan
from going ahead because they admitted that they had no response for that sort of attack. Okah also tried
to persuade us to abort the attack. He said that he was contacted by the SSS to intervene. We explained
to him that the attack was symbolic and it was not intended to cause any casualties.

We were surprised that the security agencies ignored our forewarning and treated it with levity. We had to
give another warning again on the day of the attack after our operatives informed us they had
successfully breached security

.Jomo Gbomo, MEND Spokesman

For months now they have been lying to everybody that everybody is so pleased with Jonathan that he is
going to bring peace to the region, which is entirely false. This attack now was actually going to be a great
smear on his aspiration. They just needed the group to retract that statement which was why I was
contacted. But I declined to make any such move.

You don’t just give people an amnesty and ask them to forget about the reason why they are fighting.
Every one of us is fighting for something and if what we are fighting for is not addressed, it ushers
problem in the area. You understand. It is not about Jonathan being president or about an amnesty being
given.

I mean, why will you steal my land and you give me an amnesty and then you expect me not to continue
fighting you? Why would that happen? With Yar’adua it was much better. He had a good understanding of
the problem. And regardless of the fact that he was from the North, he was making good attempt at
addressing these problems.

But with Jonathan it is entirely a different story. He doesn’t know what the problems are and is also being
teleguided by other people, you know, who are giving him very bad advice

Henry Okah on Al-Jazeera TV

“But let me also use this opportunity to reassure Nigerians that what happened had nothing to do with the
Niger Delta. People just used the name of MEND to camouflage criminality and terrorism. This is similar
to the commercial kidnapping taking place in the South and South East, especially. People kidnap for
money.

They are not struggling for anybody, they are not representing anybody’s interest. And the release,
purported to be from MEND, attributing it to lack of attention to the Niger Delta is not tenable, because
this is the first time somebody from the Niger Delta has opportunity to be President for about four months.

Goodluck Jonathan, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

"There was a lapse somewhere whether we like it or not and no one has disputed that government was
given prior information of about four to five days about the impending disaster and yet nothing was done.
In situations like this, which has to do with human lives, you do not need more than 24 hours to remedy
an impending situation.

The British Intelligence Unit and others had warned on the impending disaster and the reaction should
have been instant because such information is vital and much time is not needed to put things and well-
trained outfits should have reacted swiftly,"
Ibrahim Babangida, former Military President of Nigeria

“Instead of some of the elders who are vicariously responsible for the frustration of many of our youths to
be sober, they are desperately trying to milk this national tragedy for political gains. While the security
agencies are busy trying to unearth the details of the natural tragedy, the provocative comments of some
of our yester-years men, laced with demeaning ethnic chauvinism, suggest that they do not mind if
Nigeria explodes if they don’t acquire power at all cost in the 2011 primaries and general elections”

Dalhatu Tafida, Director-General Jonathan-Sambo Presidential Campaign

The Abuja car bomb incidents of October 1 had not occurred when this article was conceived. However,
the incident summarizes the nation’s debacle. Nigerian security services are striving in the face of
unending challenges caused by compounded political and socio-economic incongruities which surface
and linger as the Nigerian polity ages or matures.

Only those who know will appreciate the effort and gallantry of our security services on that occasion.
They could not stop all the bombs but they prevented the assailants from striking their main objective; the
Eagle Square. Their effort not only saved Nigeria from the calamity of mass carnage at the over-packed
venue, but also burnished Nigeria’s integrity as a country that can defend its interests in the face of
indefinable odds.

Terrorism is an asymmetric challenge which even the most developed and sophisticated countries have
difficulties in coping with. One can only imagine a situation where the perpetrators achieved their aim by
disrupting the display at Eagle Square or causing the event to be cancelled because of the well-
advertised threat.

Aliyu Gusau, former National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan

Prior to the detonation of the two vehicle-improvised explosive devices on 1 October 2010 in Abuja, two
vehicles, namely a Honda and a Mazda 626, were purchased in Lagos on the instruction of the accused
by persons complicit in the crime. On the instructions of the accused, the said vehicles were conveyed to
Port Harcourt, where the boots of the vehicles were loaded with dynamite, which were packed in sacks
and wired with timers.

At 11h 00 am, on 1 October 2010, a vehicle borne improvised explosive device was detonated along
Shehu Shagari Way, a public bridge road near a prominent hotel in Abuja. The Honda was used in this
first explosion, which resulted in the death of one person and severe injuries to many other persons.
Approximately 10 to 15 minutes after the first explosion, a second vehicle borne improvised explosive
device was detonated about 100 metres away, near the Wuse Market. The Mazda 626 was utilised in the
second explosion, which resulted in the death of 11 persons and severe injuries to many other persons.

Noel Graeme Zeeman, Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, South African Police Service
Part Three

“It was a mistake for the North to have gone into the arrangement of trying to get a consensus candidate.

We never contemplated that the committee would choose Atiku. Babangida is my choice because I
believe in Allah, he is the one that I believe, can do things that will lead us to success.

But as I said, when someone was assigned to be an arbiter and they did what supposed not to be the
case, then what is mine in that?”

Senator Kanti Bello, BBC Hausa Service 23/11/10

“We as the youth want to make our position clear that such contribution by the wise men will do no good
to the country. The selection of Atiku by the wise men negates the principle of true and genuine
democracy.

“Sectionalizing the issue of Nigerian presidency is undemocratic, unfair and unjust and because the
Nigerian Constitution has given every Nigerian the right to aspire to any office in the country.

We believe that this decision by the Ciroma_led wise men will not be in the interest of the North and they
are not speaking for the North.”

Rilwan Abdullahi, National Vice Chairman of the PDP Youth Vanguard, Vanguard 24/11/10

“I am opposed to the cancer of zoning of political offices; I would rather urge Nigerians to work towards
uniting the country rather than tearing it along sectional lines.

I am not a PDP member, neither do I subscribe to the principles of zoning as they are arguing in PDP, I
want a united Nigeria, I do not  want a sectional Nigeria.”

Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Lagos State Governor, Thisday 24/11/10

“Atiku’s emergence as consensus candidate for the PDP does not translate to a northern candidate.”

Even as PDP members, their committee is limited to a clique and do not reflect the choice of all PDP
members in the North. Atiku is not a popular personality that has the Northern acceptance.

Soon, we will be meeting to make a choice on the presidential aspirant we’ll endorse, irrespective of
ethnic or party lines.”

Yerima Shettima, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, Vanguard 24/11/10

“We are a diverse people who recognised early in our history that national unity, fairness and equity
require that we share positions of power among our diverse peoples.

That is what we call zoning/rotation of public offices. That was why, in the First Republic, Dr Nnamdi
Azikiwe, from the South was ceremonial president, Tafawa Balewa from the North, the Prime Minister
and other key positions went to people from various ethnic and religious groups.

“We maintained that tradition under military rule and through all civilian administrations. Zoning and
rotation have never been perfect, but we have always recognised their importance for the peace, unity,
fairness and justice in this country.”

Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria and NPLF Consensus Candidate, Nigerian
Tribune 24/11/10

“In between the Adamu Ciroma committee on the one hand, and the aspirants on the other, there is a
fundamental lesson which the Nigerian people, over time, will appreciate much more than now.
Democracy can only be sustained and flourish under the principles of justice, rule of law, equity, and
determination, particularly on the part of leadership to respect, adhere and advance the framework of
upholding the constitution not only of the country, but also of various institutions such as the constitution
of the Peoples’ Democratic Party.

In a pointed remark aimed at the argument that Jonathan has violated the PDP’s zoning mechanism by
choosing to run in the next election, the IBB Campaign said, “You cannot breach the rules and
regulations of the Party and yet pretend to foster the rules and regulations of Nigeria. Human conduct is a
logical system and not merely of opportunism; more so under a regime of democracy and constitutional
government.”

Raymond Dokpesi, former D-G of the defunct IBB Presidential Campaign Organization, Sahara
Reporters 24/11/10

“While congratulating Atiku, I also applaud the magnanimity of Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Aliyu
Gusau as well as Bukola Saraki for the maturity and good sense they have shown in this respect.

“These three leaders have proved that they are not desperate and are true believers. I hope they would
jealously safeguard their new status as men of honour. They must not allow any sycophant and enemies
in disguise to lead them astray by suggesting that they can continue to pursue their presidential ambitions
in another party.
As for my brother Bukola, your age is an advantage and, as we say in Hausa, ‘the future is brighter than
the past’. So keep looking and you will soon find,” -

  Ibrahim
Tofa, former presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican
Convention, Daiy Trust 24/11/10
Part Four

"I have two messages. The first is that if the PDP refuses to reform itself, it stands the chance of
becoming irreverent. The second is for those in the executive arm of government, "Those who make
peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable” (Frantz Fanon)

Atiku Abubakar, PDP Presidential Aspirant (Thisday, 15/12/2010)

"Jettisoning this arrangement (zoning), regardless of the excuse that is being bandied around, endangers
not only the prospects of orderly transition in the country, but also its progress towards evolving into a
single individual nation. Any attempt to disrupt this arrangement therefore portends ominous prospects to
the electoral fortunes of the party, but more seriously endangers political transition in the nation

Ibrahim Babangida (Thisday, 15/12/2010)

“We have our hunches, we have our leads. The modus operandi is also leading us to some directions.
We pray we get to the proper destination in terms of investigations, but I can assure you that we are
investigating. I don’t think Boko Haram would go and bomb a busy market place.

Honestly, my own estimation of this is that it is political. Explosives have been introduced for the first time.
When you understand, you know that the problem on the Plateau is more political than religious. When
the dust settles, the people will know that this is not religious.”

Commissioner of Police Akano (Vanguard, 26/12/2010)

“Some weeks ago, three people at different times and locations were caught making bombs. One of them
cut his arm. Some people are behind them, when you look at them, they are not people who can even
afford any money to buy the materials for making theses bombs. As the Chief Security Officer of the state
nobody has told me the confessions they have made because they would have revealed those who sent
them.

They have been quiet until these people have succeeded in making the bombs and killing people. I have
heard from the people and what has happened is another disaster. You can see at Angwa Rukuba how
the youths are agitated. Let the Federal Government bring the whole weight of security here on the
Plateau and unearth all these people behind the crises in this state. Anytime these things happen, the
police will quickly move these special people to Abuja.”

Governor Jonah Jang (Next Newspaper, 28/12/2010)

“May peace and blessings continue to be upon the last messenger who waged jihad, the best of it. O
nations of the world be informed that verily the attacks in Suldaniyya (Jos) and Borno on the eve of
Christmas were carried out by us, to start avenging the atrocities committed against Muslims in those
areas, and the country in general. Therefore, we will continue with our attacks on ‘disbelievers’ and their
allies and all those who help them, until Allah’s deen triumph by his grace and will.”

Jama’atu Ahlus-Sunnah Lidda’Awati Wal Jihad (Punch News Paper, 28/12/2010)

"To be honest, I don't think the government is paying enough attention to the security in this country. If
you look at my manifesto, security is the first issue I intend to tackle if elected as the president of this
country."

Atiku Abubakar, PDP Presidential Aspirant (Thisday, 1/1/2011)

"What grievance or purpose can justify killing and maiming innocent people and especially at a festive
period? Like the Jos bombings before it, this cowardly act, a practice alien to our shores, has clearly been
perpetrated by very sick minds.

But they would fail in their intent. All Nigerians must remain vigilant and be involved in the effort to
safeguard the country's unity, peace and development. We must frustrate the plans of those who are bent
on aborting our progress and the gains so far made in the march of our democracy".

Goodluck/Sambo Camppaign Organization (Thisday, 1/1/2011)

"This is deliberate act to create an impression as if there is no security in Nigeria. That is not true and
government will not tolerate that. It is unfortunate that those evil people want to create problem between
soldiers and civilians and between Muslims and Christians, warning that government will not allow them
achieve their devilish aim.

These may be their motives, but we should not allow that to overwhelm us. We know that the perpetrators
are here living in our midst, as they are not from moon, but government must definitely get them, we must
fish them out."

Adetokunbo Kayode, Minister of Defense (Thisday, 1/1/2011)

“The act from all I see, as a politician and as the Chief Security of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is
to cause fear and confusion so that the territory and the country will be ungovernable. The act is evil and
an act of cowardice, and I urge those behind it to fear God because He does not sleep and for them to
think they could instill fear, suspicion, suspense and absolute chaos they will not be there God is with us”.
Senator Bala Mohammed (Nigerian Compass, 2/1/2011)

“When you look at the world where this type of tragedy is going on, it means Nigeria will be ranked with
countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and the rest. Now, every public gathering is a target of bombing. The
situation should be arrested in time, and we hope that the government and the security outfits are up to
the task. One of the possible insinuations is that the bombing is aimed at ensuring that the 2011 election
should not take place. With the insecurity that we see now, it could be a reason to stop the election.”

Balarabe Musa (Nigerian Compass, 2/1/2011)

“The preliminary analysis of the explosives so far used in Nigeria, the one used in the 1st October
explosion has the same characteristics with the ones that happened in Port Harcourt, Warri and some
parts of the Niger Delta, it has been classified.

The one that happened yesterday, from preliminary analysis, is identical with the ones that happened in
Jos. So, there are two routes. As long as the security operatives know the two routes, we will get to where
these things are coming from. God will help us as a nation that we will get to the root of this matter.”

President Goodluck Jonathan (Nigerian Compass, 2/1/2011)

"Our attention has been drawn to the unfounded and sensational news item on Al Jazeera television,
claiming that Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has blamed the fundamentalist group, Boko
Haram, for the bomb blast which occurred in Abuja yesterday. This is an outright lie. Nowhere, and at no
time has the President held any particular group responsible for the attack."

Ima Niboro, Presidential Spokesman (Leadership Newspaper, 2/1/2011)

"We cannot but ask: Is anyone still in charge of Nigeria or have we surrendered the country to anarchists?
Is the government still able to meet its first obligation to the people, which is to ensure their welfare and
security? For how long can we continue like this, allowing innocent men, women and children to be killed
and maimed by end-gamers who are becoming more and more emboldened by the day as the
government continues to bumble and waffle?"

Lai Mohammed, National Publicity Secretary Action Congress of Nigeria (Daily Trust, 3/1/2011)

"It exposes the weakness in the system if private persons and former leaders who are enjoying their
retirement are being linked to acts of terrorism or bombings. We all should agree that there is failure in
governance rather than passing the buck, or finding very idiotic and flimsy reasons to label some
distinguished persons as being responsible for such failures.
Having identified the problems, it will now dawn on us to collectively put our heads together to find
appropriate solutions, bearing in mind that these criminals live amongst us. Government has a greater
responsibility to jumpstart the process of rallying everybody together.

We must redirect our effort as well as doubling our energies. Policing is a collective responsibility hence it
will serve more useful purpose if government decides to create a synergy between it and the populace to
make the intelligence gathering aspect of security more encompassing."

Prince Kassim Afegbua, Spokesman to Ibrahim Babangida (Vanguard, 3/1/2011)

“President Jonathan is taking advantage of national grief to hang the responsibility for the terrorist
incidents on the necks of main political rivals such as Atiku Abubakar. It is unhelpful neither to the security
agencies nor for national security for President Jonathan to jump the gun of investigations and seek to
make political gains out of an uncomfortable incident that has caused grief to many Nigerians,"

Atiku Campaign Organization (Daily Trust, 4/1/2011)