Former head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), on Thursday picked the All Progressives Congress presidential form at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
The former Nigerian leader officially declared his presidential bid at the Eagles Square, Abuja, on Wednesday.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had earlier in the week picked his form in Abuja.
Details later…
A former military head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), on Wednesday formally declared his intention to vie for the presidency in 2015.
The event which took place at the Eagles Square, Abuja, was attended by All Progressives Congress members across the country.
Prominent among them were – ex-Bayelsa governor, Chief Timipre Silva, former Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party in Kaduna State, Audi Yaro Makama, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Senator Ali Ndume, Senator Magaji Abdullahi, Senator Ibrahim Musa, Senator Anthony Adeyemi, Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande, Senator Sadiq Yar’Adua, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu, Barr. Sharon Ikpeazu, Senator Olorunibe Mamora, Mallam Shehu Sani, Brig. General John Shagaya, Senator Kanti Bello and Senator George Akume.
Also in attendance were – Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Tanko Al Makura ( Nasarawa).
In his opening remarks, the former Nigerian leader said, “I humbly wish to present you, before all Nigerians and before God seeking to be elected as APC presidential candidate.
“Nigeria has never been so polarized by a sinking government. We in APC have resolved to stop them in their track.
“The rest of the world look at Nigeria as a home of corruption, where stealing is not regarded as corruption.”
President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday led the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to thank seven ministers who may resign from the cabinet before Monday, October 20, because of their governorship ambitions.
The outgoing ministers are – Labaran Maku (Information) Senator Musiliu Obanikoro ( Defence) and Samuel Ortom ( Trade and Industry).
Others are – Nyesom Wike ( Education), Emeka Wogu ( Labour), Onyebuchi Chukwu ( Health) and Dairus Ishaku ( Niger Delta).
Wednesday meeting will be the last for those leaving the cabinet for the 2015 governorship race.
Former head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), would formerly declare his intension to contest the 2015 presidential election on Wednesday.
He will bid to win the All Progressives Congress ticket in the party’s primaries slated for December.
Buhari confirmed this in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when he addressed party members who thronged the state House to welcome him to the state.
He was in the state to meet governor Chibuike Amaechi and party leaders as part of his ongoing consultation on the APC primaries.
He said, “I was in Imo State last Saturday, then Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ogbomosho and Ilorin before going back to Abuja and now in Rivers State.
“We are about to go for the primary elections, where all those who are interested in the elective offices from councilor to the Presidency will submit themselves during the primaries. I happen to be one of those seeking the ticket of our great party.
“I intend to make that declaration on Wednesday in Abuja, God willing. That is why I have been going around to see the governors and the leaders of our great party across the country to ask for their understanding and support.”
Buhari commended Amaechi’s leadership style, saying his massive transformation projects had changed the state’s landscape.
The Bauchi State Chapter of Buhari Campaign Organization on Tuesday realised over N6 million on the spot at a sensitization rally to purchase an All Progressive Congress presidential form for former head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).
The Bauchi State Coordinator of The Nigerian Solution Network Group, Dr. Danjuma Dabo, told the over 10,000 audience at the solidarity rally in support of Buhari that the organization would source for fund to buy nomination form and foot campaign bills for the ex-Nigerian leader.
Describing Buhari as honest, committed and patriotic Nigeria, Dabo charged the APC supporters to contribute money for his campaign activities.
Speaking at the rally, Capt. Bala Jibrin (rtd), who was a Guest Speaker, condemned insinuations that Buhari is tribalistic and religiously biased.
Jibrin said Buhari is a “a statesman who refused to associate with those playing tribal or religious politics and has never been involved in the looting of the nation’s treasury even when he had every opportunity to do so.”
As the 2015 general election approaches, a former head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), has urged Nigerians to maintain the existing peace and tranquillity in the country.
Abubakar gave the advice in Gombe on Tuesday.
He said; “The most expensive commodity in Nigeria now is peace. So I appeal to Nigerians as we go into 2015 elections, we should do our best to maintain the peace and tranquillity in this country.
“So I appeal to all because all of us have a role to play in maintaining the peace in this country. So we must approach the elections with all sense of responsibility.”
He reminded politicians that: “election is not a do or die affair. In any competition, there is a winner and when a winner emerges, the loser should please accept and know that there cannot be two winners at the same time.
“After all, in Nigeria, governance is for four years. Before the twinkling of an eye, it will come and go.”
While assessing the nation’s 15 years of democratic rule, Abdulsalami said there is always room for improvement as nation building is a continuous process.
The Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Monday picks presidential nomination at the All Progressives Congress national headquarters in Abuja.
With this development, he became the party’s first presidential aspirant to do so.
Speaking before collecting his form, the ex-vice president urged the APC leadership to give those interested in contesting next-year’s election the opportunity of doing so.
On consensus candidate for the party, Atiku warned against foisting any candidate on the party.
“Actually I thought it was going to be a very quiet process and therefore, we quietly pay and quietly collect our forms. But we have been told that it requires a formal event like this. It is quite understandable because this is a party built on very solid democratic credentials of transparency, equity and justice.
“I therefore feel privileged and honored to be part of this process. I need not let people know my political antecedents as far as the provision of a level playing field for every member of this party is concerned because that is the only thing that will make the difference between us and the so called ruling party.
“Anybody who believes he has a democratic right to exercise should be given that opportunity to exercise that right. It is left to the members of this party and the Nigerian public to make a decision,” he said.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has agreed to an accelerated hearing of a suit seeking to stop President Goodluck Jonathan from participating in next year’s presidential election.
Ruling on the ex parte application argued by plaintiffs’ lawyer, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), Monday, the judge held that the case will be heard on a weekly basis.
Owonikoko had urged the court to fix hearing for “the earliest possible date” in line with the Supreme Court’s practice direction, which directs a quick determination of election-related cases.
Justice Mohammed, though adjourned the matter to November 12, said the order of accelerated hearing will take effect after the mandatory 30 days within which the respondents were to respond to the suit.
The judge, in the alternative, said the order of accelerated hearing could take effect earlier if the respondents are able to respond earlier.
The respondents are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN).
They were not represented at Monday’s proceedings.
The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/662/2014 was filed by Adejumo Mansouru Ajagbe (who claimed to be a member of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State with membership card No: 9424103 and voter’s card: 90f5b23963295789969) and Olatoye Wahab (who claimed to be a member of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State with membership card no: 13951303 and voter’s card: 18767722.)
The plaintiffs seek to restrain INEC and the AGF from allowing President Jonathan participate in the 2015 election on the ground that by the Constitution, the President having contested the presidential election twice, won and taken the oath of office and allegiance twice in respect of the same office, must no longer present himself for election to that office the third time.
The Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday predicted a hitch-free re-election for President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
The governor gave this verdict following what he described as overwhelming endorsement of Jonathan by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Akpabio, who is the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, spoke with State House correspondents after holding a closed-door meeting with President Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said: It is not only that it makes 2015 easier for the PDP. It also makes the political calculation in Nigeria totally free and devoid of violence and unnecessary acrimony and it brings harmony within the politics of the entire nation. Note that it deepens democracy.
“I was asked this question by a member of Congressional Black Caucus in United States two weeks ago, he said why the endorsement and we explained. I said here is a President despite all the distractions, he has remained focused in trying to transform the Nigerian economy and today even under the present circumstances, Nigeria is running the biggest economy in Africa. I didn’t say so, it is the World Bank and the international agencies that said that. What we need to do now is to translate that into job creation for our children and to bring more industries to Nigeria and to attract more investments.
“But of course we cannot rest on our oars, we must work harder to improve the power sector and the impetus in the agricultural sector. So that endorsement for me deepens democracy in every sense of the word and also signals to the world that Nigeria has arrive in terms of democratization. Don’t forget that the PDP is modeled after the democratic party of America that has almost similar practice. When they see a performing President in America they don’t allow him to go for unnecessary primaries and that was what happened with Barack Obama.
“Obama didn’t go through any primaries in the democratic party. And so the governors of Nigeria took a look at the best practices of democracies worldwide and that endorsement came and was rectified by the Board of Trustees and the National Executive Committee of our great party. It is the first time such is happening since 1960 and we congratulate all Nigerians and all stakeholders that took part in that endorsement. And I can assure you that it will allow the President to focus on the main elections and the business of governing the country.”
He, however, maintained that such endorsement was not feasible in Akwa Ibom because of the large number of gubernatorial hopefuls, which made stakeholders to leave the field open for a free and fair primary election to select a PDP governorship candidate in the state.
As the 2015 general elections draw near, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has charged political parties to keep to the laws.
INEC had on Wednesday issued a notice on next year’s general election, confirming that the February scheduled dates for the elections still stand.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, urged all political parties to commit themselves to lawful and peaceful electioneering leading to the 2015 elections.
He stressed that the commission and political parties “must continue to work assiduously together to make our elections free, fair and credible, and to deepen democracy in Nigeria.”
Following the adoption for frequent meeting with all political parties, Jega stated that henceforth, the quarterly meeting of the commission with the leadership of registered political parties will take place on monthly basis.
Jega explained that as the general election draw closer, there was the need to meet on a monthly basis in order to “have a better opportunity to deliberate and resolve all matters relating to preparations, swiftly, as and when due.”