‘Nigeria, U.S. may head for diplomatic showdown over APC’s consultants’
THE frosty diplomatic relations between the United States (U.S.) and Nigeria may be further worsened by claims that consultants to All Progressives Congress (APC) are associates of President Barack Obama.
The Jonathan administration, according to a minister who spoke with TheCable yesterday, is poised to protest ‘strongly’ against White House’s ‘meddling’ in the Nigerian elections, which it believes, is influenced by AKPD Media and Messages, the firm handling APC’s political strategy in the U.S.
The political consulting firm was co-founded by David Axelrod, an Obama confidant, who was a chief campaign adviser to Obama during the campaign for the presidency in 2008 and was later appointed senior adviser to the president.
In 2011, Axelrod left government and became the senior strategist for Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012.
The minister told TheCable that the Jonathan administration would raise concerns with the Obama administration over its ‘hostile’ attitude to the Nigerian president and its obvious endorsement of the APC candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.
John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, had issued a strong-worded statement on Sunday condemning the postponement of the general election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and warning against further delays.
Unconfirmed reports say that Kerry, on a recent visit to Nigeria, had asked Jonathan why he did not fire Sambo Dasuki, a retired colonel and National Security Adviser, for suggesting in London on January 22 that the 2015 elections should be postponed because of the fiasco over 30 million uncollected biometric voter’s cards.
Also, in a report in the Washington Free Beacon, an online newspaper, AKPD was accused of lying that it had stopped working for the APC. AKPD once said it stopped working for the APC since March 2014, but that its e-mail exchanges with senior party members and advisers since then “show that contrary to the firm’s claims, AKPD has quietly continued to perform political work on Buhari’s behalf as he fights to unseat current President Goodluck Jonathan.”
Isaac Baker, AKPD spokesman, had told the Washington Times last year that the firm worked with the APC from December 2013 to March 2014 “to form a new political opposition party and create a platform in advance of their first national convention. We were no longer working with the APC when the Boko Haram kidnapping of the young girls took place.”
However, he was said to have admitted on Monday that the firm worked again with the APC in December 2014.
“AKPD worked with APC from December 2013 to March 2014, at which point our contract ended. Nine months later, in December 2014, the APC re-hired AKPD for a 3-week engagement to help the party in organising announcement events,” Baker told the Free Beacon in an e-mail.
“That was our only involvement with the party since we completed work in March. That project is now complete and we have no ongoing relationship with them,” he said.
But Free Beacon says the internal e-mails sent between APC advisers over the past several months and obtained by the newspaper confirm that the work with AKPD continued after March 2014. Kerry met with Jonathan where he reportedly warned against polls’ shift.
“The meeting went well and the report well received. Governor Rotimi Amaechi will meet with the AKPD team tomorrow to discuss the facilitation of the event but no dates fixed yet,” APC member Olubunmi Adetunmbi is reported to have written in one September 23 e-mail to Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Ekiti State.
AKPD’s work is again mentioned in a separate chain of e-mails sent between Buhari’s running mate, Yemi Osinbajo and adviser, Fayemi.
“I also think the AKPD surveys also clearly showed that the South-West is the battle ground for this election,” Osinbajo writes in a discussion about boosting election turnouts for the APC.
A third e-mail chain from January 21 shows APC leader, Nasir El-Rufai, discussing an “October 2014 AKPD poll” that he hoped to disseminate to “the team”, the newspaper reported.
Lai Mohammed, APC’s spokesman, told TheCable yesterday that the fact that AKPD is APC’s consultant “is in the public domain”, another U.S. firm, Levick, led by former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s confidant, Lanny Davis, currently works for the Jonathan administration after signing a consultancy deal with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in 2014.
• Culled from thecable.ng
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42 Comments
u.s is destroying a fake nation as they do in ukraine
Nigerians be careful who you trust. The people who said our country will disintegrate this year were already sponsoring an opposition for your government in 2013 when our opposition leader was talking about baboons soaking.
So what are you saying?
They did not read that. Tell them, please. They love you so much they predicted years ago and planted their agents everywhere to cause it to happen.
APC is prepared to sell Nigeria just to occupy Aso Rock. Nigerians, shine your eyes!!!
God of heavens will not allow Injustice in the land
Loser see your miserable life now. Where had your Buhari and Yoruba hatred got you? NOO WHERE. LOL
All hands on deck now to vote for the April Elections. This is a time to voted with our anger and make sure that we have at least 21 state governors come 11th of April. Everybody in Rivers state. Lagos State should leave every thing they are doing and march on to the polling both on Saturday 11th of April or a protest vote. We will for ever be educated on the need to vote and let our voices be heard. 2019 pdp
Nigerians should be careful of Any Nigerian political party that are dinning with America. There is no peace in the world today because the whole world now know who there enemy is, and that enemy is not relenting, they continued to force that nation to the world.
American want to help built the country economic but GEJ must go before they offer assistance. USA knows about Nigeria and your President more than any Nigerians. Who built your President,s cars, phone, plane, etc? It is USA and his allied countries. Obama want Nigeria to succeed as an example of one successful black nation. But, they way GEJ running the country, it is hopeless and frustrating to many Europe countries and USA.
before you talk about your America, please go back to school first.
Tbt…na wa o! We all av freedom of speach…must we always showcase our African nature? He just spoke out his mind without referring to any 1 in particular…why do u now av 2attack him directly….sighs!!!!
But America is been doing business with Nigeria for ages and are aware of how backward Nigeria has been for years.Do u think America want Nigeria to be stable?the more unstable Nigeria is,the more its good for America to do their dodgy business with corrupt Nigerian politicians .that’s their intreste.so far,they did business with Nigeria’s worst regime which was that of Babangida and Obasenjo.Those Two ex presidents are the reason Nigeria is in darkness today.if Buhari wins the election,Nigeria technically would have been sold to America.They will rule Nigeria from America and Buhari will have no say unless he is got a deputy like Idiagbon who will call the short on his behalf but where is such man in Nigeria political arena today?none.U cant rule a country with common sense only without proper educational background as education will give u an administrative and managerial knowledge.this is what all our ex president lacked.Nigeria is far too giant to be ruled by uneducated person or a joke in this new world of magical developements.Jonathan is the best President Nigeria ever had but i am still complaining that he is not authoritative enough.maybe becouse he uses his mind more than his mouth.In a nut shell,Nigeria needs an intelectual with morals and authoritative leader.a leader like Obama.we have them plenty in Nigeria and outside Nigeria.a leader who is got shame that corruption,lack of social amenities and infrastructure must not be part of his administration and will aim for good name after his regime.
Well said, brother. Nigeria needs someone like Putin of Russia. Fair and firm and extremely patriotic. Someone who can read between lines, someone who is aware of world views and takes no nonsense from any man or country. I know that if Jonathan returns he will do better. Too much rule of law and human right, freedom of speech in Nigeria. Wole Soyinka claims that there is cabal that keeps Jonathan from things. It is better Nigerians than foreigners/foreign country
How did you know the kind of phone brand the president his using! when did Mercedes benz turn to America car, You will remain a slave.
I do not need to know where they are made but as long as it not in made in Nigeria, they open like 7-eleven. If American can listen to German Leader cell phone conversation what do you think about common Jona. I go do this and that, na Shakara. Beside Buhari, all of them have homes and money in USA bank. They are fooling you people. USA will just Freeze all their asset all over the world.
Has usa been able to solve its own problem?As they were not able to succeed in Isreali election so will they in Nigeria
Obviously you do not know the relationship of USA and Israel. Without USA relationship with Israel, the country would not exist today. Nigeria is not Israel and can never be. The country is govern by patriot not militants, alcoholics and semi-illiterate like Fayose
You must be very naïve, ignorant gullible. I guess you too much “big Mac”. You think America cares a jut about you. Even the blacks in Americans in their country don’t have a life is you an African..LoL. Yes, that is business you go out there in market and buy what you want
Nigeria has been corrupt b4 you were born and will always be. GED has tried and Buhari just have to continue and build Nigeria as he can be. USA should not be a condition to Nigeria moving forward. History will judge Jonathan well. We have a long way to go. Let’s all work towards building Nigeria.
The American government have shown much de-taste to this present administration by firstly not rendering military help to us, now their political consultant now works or have been working with the opposition party. Whether for good or bad, we the Nigerians have seen what this administration is building and we would stand and support rather than pull down the government.#GEJ4Naija
No decent government will want anything to do with a rogue, corrupt gang of thieves such as GEJ’s government. Dont blame the US.
And Tinubu is a Saint, right?
I thought you are wiser than your foolish colleagues, but it appears your own foolishness has no boundary
Not a saint but very very smart.
Bosso, you are an ass .
Kiss that ass little boy faggot
US UNDER OBAMA SHOULD GO TO HELL
THIS AMERICAN GOVT. HAS UNDERMINED OUR INTERESTS AND REVERSED ALL THE GAINS OF THE JF KENNEDY AND BILL CLINTON’S YEARS
STEVE DAPO SHOGBOLA,
LAGOS, NIGERIA
These are words of a fo0lish man as old as you are Dapo Shogbola. This raw and barbaric outburst is unbecoming of an old man like you.
Consultancy does not mean they are privy to any classified information,PDP using President Clinton former advisers, and APC using former advisers of President Obama, l do not see no big deal here,they do nt have voters Nigerian card,so PDP stop crying and let APC defeat u at the polls the Nigerian Presidential polls as Nigerians want on March 28th,2015. Mr. Nigerian President om May 29th,2015 is Gen. Muhammadu Buhari GCFR.
It is a common practice in the whole world that seasoned consultants in various fields of human endeavour can be hired to to work for quality sake, why is PDP crying when they know they also hire bill clinton’s former confidant to do the same work for them,is there any law that bares expatriates from working in Nigeria or for Nigerians?,Please we should always scrutinize our publications before they are rolled out to the public,Besides Nigeria cannot have a show down with US because our government lack integrity and esteem,our leaders has turn Nigeria to a begging nation,No beggar can stand face -to-face with his alms giver for confrontation. Shame to Nigeria where individual are richer than nations and they still go round the world to beg for aids!!!CORRUPTION HAS KILLED NIGERIA.
Thanks for your well worded and intelligent message to those Jonathan fools. They are crying babies whining over non-issue matters. Nigeria has long lost its respect and integrity worldwide because of unabated corruption. Mr. Jonathan has been the leader for a while and it looks like he doesn’t know what he is doing..As a true Nigerian you have to vote him out and give another person a chance. If this next person doesn’t perform to the expectations of the people throw him out too.That’s our civil duty as the citizens and we should stop injecting ethnic and party sentiments into our way thinking.
So what if the consultant of APC was a client of Obama. GEJ had the opportunity to write his name on gold but failed to do that due to his being the most clueless leader on earth
Nice one…………what a joke!
The Winning ways of the Gentle Giant GEJ
Without UK, US and SA support in Arms,
The War Against Terror is won and Lost in Sambiza Evil Forest
With US and US Training in Strategy
GEJ is winning Nigerian’s hearts in Saturday Election
Away with the meddlesomeness of UK and US
Who will wake this Jona up from his slumber. It’s already daytime and the market doors are open.
APC is free to employ anyone to work for them. But the leader of the free world should have known better than that. This is why the whole world is turning to and respecting Putin of Russia and the China. They don’t meddle in any country internal affairs. But for the mere fact that American’s business is war so they have to go through the whole world trying to set war business through different NGO to ferment trouble. Regime change through the barrel of the gun or through sanction or through other means by giving a bad press about the country. Why do Africans like China? Their products could be inferior but it is business, they don’t impose their will on you or interfere in your internal affair of your country. They want to put puppet Government in ASO ROCK so that they could rule Africa from there.. You see why Buhari had to lunch his APC “All People Confidence” in London. Nigeria has changed. APC had had this ambition for years, they have their tv station and radio station for propaganda and their fiction writers called journalists in place. Nigerians can see through and vote against stooges. Jonathan is better than Buhari. We don’t want a “born again democrat” because a tiger can never change its stripes.
The relevant question is: Why did the Israelis able to overcome foreign intervention in their domestic elections,
but Nigerians were unable to overcome foreign intervention in their domestic presidential elections? To be specific,
why did the Israeli PM able to mobilize against foreign meddling in his reelection, but the Nigerian President was
not able to overcome foreign meddling in his reelection?
V.good question Joseph!
The U.S. government never associates with any corrupt,inept and ineffective government like that of Jonathan,in the first place
The US government under President Obama showed in many ways their distaste for President Goodluck’s government. They were unhappy with him for approving the Anti Gay bill among many discrepancies which authorizes a 14 years jail terms for any convicted gay practitioner. How could they dictate to us what law, particularly a satanic practice as Gay (Anal sex between males etc) to endorse? The US government thinks they would dominate the world policy forever. They better ask the Romans how they lost it to the rest of the world. God is watching President Obama. You that was given a rare opportunity to serve the most powerful nation in the world, is now endorsing anti Christ practices. The world should ask President Obama’s government why they refused to sell military hardwares to President Goodluck’s government to fight Boko Haram. The forces that were after Jonathan were numerous, and it includes the UK, United States of America and many proxy enemies of Nigeria that are within. It is rather unfortunate that some educated Nigerians couldn’t see the game plan from the onset. President Jonathan obviously knew more than we knew about the US and the UK’s involvement in his exit, hence he easily conceded: “The New World Order” is their end game plan.Any world leader that resist their instruction never survive their onslaught. Ask Saddam Hussein,Gaddafi, Hugo Chavez, Noriega of Panama, Fidel Castro of Cuba, Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, Mugabe, Dominic Strauss Khan, Gorbachev of Russia and now President Putin of Russia is next.
Putin is too strong for them. America and Britain can not do a darm shit to Russia.
Any reasonable government.will have nothing to do with jonathan.amd his robbery gangs ruling nigeria. You can quote me on that.
We will review and take appropriate action.