President Jonathan’s last New Year message
For close to six years, Nigerians were accustomed to listening to the voice of Goodluck Jonathan as he delivered the New Year presidential speech. Unfortunately, the 2015 presidential speech would be the last New Year message Nigerians would hear from the man who became known as GEJ.
Part of his speech read, “In 2015, this administration will continue to lay the foundation for a vibrant economy that attracts significant Foreign Direct Investment and promote policies that ensure economic stability.
“We will ensure stability in the value of the naira by striving to take away speculative behaviours that cause market exchange pressures. We will continue to build and maintain a healthy external reserves position and strengthen fiscal buffers. We will ensure the naira remains strong, and gives foreign investors the clarity and certainty that they need, to guide future investment decisions.
“We will continue to improve our payment systems and strengthen risk-based supervision mechanism for Nigerian banks to ensure overall health and stability of the banking system.”
General election
The elections were first scheduled to be held on 14 February 2015. However, the electoral commission postponed it by six weeks to 28 March, mainly due to the poor distribution of Permanent Voter Cards, and also to curb ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in certain north-eastern states. The government closed its land and sea borders from midnight on 25 March until the end of the polling date. The election was extended to 29 March due to delays and technical problems with the biometric card readers.
Analysts say it was the most expensive election ever to be held on the African continent. Nigeria is the continent’s most populous country, has its largest economy and is its leading oil producer. Opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari won the presidential election by more than 2.5 million votes. Incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat on 31 March, before the results from all 36 states had been announced. The election marked the first time an incumbent president lost re-election in Nigeria. The President-elect was sworn in on May 29, 2015.
Swearing in of President Buhari
On May 29, history was made in Nigeria, as at exactly 10.55AM the new President, Muhammadu Buhari, was sworn in.
The event held at the Eagles Square in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory. Past Nigerian leaders as well as other world leaders converged on the Federal Capital Territory to witness the inauguration.
Moments before this, Prof Yemi Osinbajo was invited to the podium to be sworn-in as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is considered the biggest event to hold in Nigeria in 2015.
In his inaugural speech, President Buhari commended the determination of Nigerians, crediting them for the peaceful elections and successful transition to a new government.
PMB’s first foreign trip
President Muhammadu Buhari on June 3 left the country in what was described as his first official duty. The president left for Niger Republic to hold talks with President Mahamadou Issoufou on security and how to curb the activities of the terrorist group, Boko Haram in the region.
The trip visit was expected considering the president’s declaration to fight insurgency in his inaugural speech. He referred to the fight against Boko Haram as the “most immediate” challenge he wants to deal with.
Emergence of Sarki as Senate president
A few hours to the inauguration of the 8th Senate, intense, high-wire politicking and last-minute pacts sealed the game for emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as the Seventh President of the Senate since 1999.
The Senate Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus had gathered at the Apo mansion residence of former Senate President, David Mark, for a strategic meeting before the D-day. Although disagreements dogged the meeting, it was gathered that the caucus resolved to back Saraki as a bloc but extracted a firm promise that the party would produce the Deputy Senate President.
His emergence was greeted with stiff opposition from his party, the APC.
Bailout for states
President Muhammadu Buhari in July, less than two months after being sworn in, approved the sum of N804.7 billion to assist bankrupt states which have been unable to pay the wages of public workers for several months.
As of mid-June, it was reported that about 10 of the 36 states owed workers’ salaries, some of whom have not been paid for the past 10 months. The combined outstanding wage bills of the broke states was placed at N110 billion. The new fund was expected to boost purchasing power of Nigerians, particularly the average and low-income earners, and to reflate the economy in a period where government revenues have been battered by the global oil crisis, and local fuel scarcity is raising the daily cost of living.
Arrest Of Nnamdi Kanu, Radio Biafra director
Director of pirate radio, Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, was on October 18, reportedly arrested by Nigeria secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS).
Kanu, who is also acclaimed to be the Director of Biafra Television and the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was said to have been arrested in Lagos.
The Deputy Director of Radio Biafra, Uche Mefor, alongside other members of the group, in a marathon broadcast on the pirate radio, alleged that Kanu was arrested in Lagos by the security operatives, as he flew into Nigeria from his base in the UK.
Dasukigate
In what has now become generally known as Dasukigate, President Muhammadu Buhari on November 17, received the interim report of the investigative committee on arms procurement with an order for the arrest of all indicted persons in the arms scam.
This information was contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
According to the statement, the committee which was inaugurated on Aug. 31, was yet to complete its work. But its interim report has unearthed several illicit and fraudulent financial transactions.
It stated that so far the total extra budgetary interventions collated by the committee was N643.8 billion while the foreign currency component was $2.2 billion.
The saga would later lead to the arrest of the founder of Africa Independent Television (AIT), Raymond Dokpesi, former Sokoto state Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, Mr Bafarawa’s son, Sagir, and a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda.
Buhari swears in Ministers
On November 11, President Muhammadu Buhari performed the inauguration ceremony of his ministers-designate in Abuja. He also assigned portfolios to all the 36 Ministers.
This was contrary to speculations that there would some ministers without portfolio.
Some of the ministers and their portfolios included Sen. Chris Ngige (Labour and Employment), Babatunde Fasola( Power, Works and Housing), Chibuike Amaechi( Transportation), Kemi Aeosun(Finance), Lai Mohammed (Information) amongst others.
Meanwhile, president announced himself the substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources while the immediate past Group Managing Director, GMD, Ibe Kachichukwu is now the Minister of State for Pet
Cancellation of election results
Three of the biggest casualties of annulment of election results would probably be , former senate president David Mark, Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike and Taraba State governor, Darius Ishiaku and Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel. For the governors, the supreme court will determine their fate.
Army, Shiite clash in Zaria
On December 12, officers of the Nigerian army and members of movment clashed in Zaria, Kaduna state leaving several people dead.
The Nigerian Army claimed that the Shiite sect’s attack on the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Tukur Buratai, led to the clash between soldiers and members of the group.
Spokesman for the army, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, in a statement referred to the alleged act by the Shiites as an attempt to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff but which he escaped unhurt. The military also described the incident as ‘most unfortunate’.
Spokesman of the group, Ibrahim Usman, however said the incident occurred around the PZ area in city when a convoy of armed soldiers opened fire on the group while they were hoisting their Sect’s flag to usher in the month of Rabi’ul Awal at Husdainiyyah Baqiyyatullah area of the city.
The State government, the military and other agencies are investigating the cause of the clash, but no report has been released. Several arrests have also been made by the police.
Buhari appoints Yakubu new INEC chairman
President Muhammadu Buhari in October appointed Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Five new commissioners representing the five geo-political zones of the country were also appointed.
Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who briefed newsmen after the National Council of State meeting, which held yesterday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, gave the names of the commissioners as: Mrs. Amina Bala Zakari, the immediate past acting INEC Chairman, representing the North-west; Dr. Antonia Taiye Okoosi-Simbile, commissioner representing North-central; and Alhaji Baba Shettima Arfo from Borno as commissioner representing the North-east.
Others are Dr. Mohammed Mustapha Lecky from Edo as commissioner representing the South-south and Prince Soyebi Adedeji Solomon from Ogun State representing the South-west.
Audu’s Death and Kogi politics
The nation was jolted on November 22, 2015, with the death of the former two-time governor of Kogi state and the APC candidate for the 2015 gubernatorial election, Prince Abubakar Audu.
His death almost threw the state in constitutional crisis as lawyers were divied over how the country could proceed with the Kogi State governorship election.
With results from the 21 local councils of the state, Audu with 240,867 votes was on his way to a historic third electoral victory after six attempts as his closest challenger, Governor Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 199,514 votes.
Petrol to sell for N86 per litre from Jan 1
Perhaps the most cheery news to break out in 2015 was the announcement in the reduction of the pump price of petrol by the federal government, from N87 to N86 and N86.50 per litre from NNPC retail outlets and private marketers respectively as announced by the executive secretary of the Petroleum Products Price Regulating Agency, PPPRA, Farouk Ahmed.
Minister of state for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu further added that efforts were on to get the refineries come back on stream to achieve 60 percent production capacity and to supply about 11 million liters of petrol daily.
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