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Tag: 2019 election

  • ‘2019 election not for the chicken-hearted’

    Presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Sule Lamido has said the 2019 election is not for chicken-hearted politicians.

    Lamido called on Nigerians to be courageous to wrestle power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to set the country right again.

    The former Jigawa State governor spoke in Benin City, Edo State, when he visited delegates to solicit their support ahead of the delegates’ congress.

    According to him, the 15.3 million figure given by National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, as registered members of the APC, was meant to condition the minds of Nigerians.

    Lamido accused President Muhammadu Buhari of using poverty to impoverish Nigerians and then turning it into a weapon to rig the election through vote-buying.

    He said: “APC is a government of lies, corruption, insecurity, dividing families, and Nigerians. They have demoralised us and turned our poverty into their weapon, and tried to condition us to vote for APC through vote-buying in 2019; we must stop them.

    “The journey in 2019 is not for the chicken-hearted, but courageous ones.”

  • Nigeria needs a digital president, says Saraki

    Presidential aspirant, Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday said that Nigeria needs a “digital” President that is abreast with the new world social order.

    Saraki, who visited Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State Wednesday to seek support for his presidential ambition, said Nigeria desires a dynamic leadership that is private sector inclusive.

    “I am in Cross River to solicit delegates’ support in the forthcoming presidential primaries of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). I have the intellectual ability and capacity to rule Nigeria and that is why I am soliciting the support of all Nigeria to achieve this aim,” he said

    Governor Ben Ayade commended Saraki for coming out to seek for the office of the President, adding that he has the capacity to lead Nigeria to a greater heights.

    Read Also: I’ll stand by consensus candidate – Kwankwaso

    He raised alarm over the increasing number of Cameroonian refugees into the state due to the current crisis in Cameroon over the demand for Ambazonia Republic.

    Ayade told Saraki that Cross River was currently facing security challenges with the discovery of 27 illegal routes used by the Cameroonians to gain access into the state.

  • I’ll stand by consensus candidate – Kwankwaso

    A Presidential Aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso has said that he would stand by any consensus candidate agreed upon by the party.

    Addressing his mammoth crowd of supporters in Minna on Wednesday, Kwankwaso said he believed that any decision taken by the party would be the best for the party.

    He however did not state if he was going to step down for any of the other candidates “if there is need for consensus, I will accept the decision. I will stand by any amicable resolution on the process of who will emerge as the flagbearer of the party. ”

    The Presidential Aspirant explained that he joined the PDP to change the change especially as the change they sought in 2015 did not materialize.

    “We sought for change in 2015 but the change we brought in 2015 was a mistake that is why we want to change the change because the change brought along hunger, killings, under development, poverty and unemployment. ”

    Read Also: My aspiration has nothing to do with Tinubu – Sanwo-Olu

    He then pledged that if elected, he would address and stop the killings, kidnapping and poverty in the land.

    Kwankwaso urged the PDP to accept the kwankwasiya supporters with open arms and create a open space for them to participate actively in the party.

    He told his supporters to be law abiding before, during and after the elections assuring them that he will not disappoint them when elected as the President.

  • Nigeria cannot progress under its current structure – Saraki

    The Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said that Nigeria cannot make reasonable progress under its current political structure.

    He said the present political structure does not allow the country to move forward.

    Saraki stated this during his presidential campaign visit to Abia at the Peoples Democratic Party state secretariat in Umuahia the State capital.

    He promised to restructure Nigeria to enable each state to be economically viable if elected president 2019.

    Saraki who also paid a visit to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, with other seven Senators at the Government House, said Ikpeazu has through his land mark achievements shown the people of Abia the importance of having a leader with vision and capacity to deliver and noted that It is time we had a Nigeria that represents all of us, a Nigeria that believes in equity and justice

    In a remark Governor Okezie Ikpeazu said that Nigeria requires a leader with requisite experience like Saraki who has served in the position as governor of Kwara State and now Senate President adding that Dr Saraki has the capacity to give Nigerians the needed hope.

    Ikpeazu said that its time for Nigerians to be careful and throw away all kinds of sentiments that are primordial to our immediate needs and unity of Nigerians.

  • Sokoto assembly APC lawmakers donate form to Guber aspirant

    THE twelve All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers of the Sokoto State House of Assembly on Friday purchased and donated the governorship nomination and expression form to a frontline and one of the hot contenders of the party’s Governorship ticket, Hon.Farouk Malami Yabo.

    The form was picked for the aspirant in the afternoon in Abuja.

    The lawmakers gesture is coming two days after the state chapter of the party resolved at its meeting to adopt the Indirect method of primaries.

    Similarly, the move seem to be a clear signal that the aspirant may have garnered for himself the unshaken support of the legislators to sail through at the upcoming primaries.

    Read Also: Group buys nomination form for Niger governor

    Yabo is said to be one of the three contenders believed to be eyeing the state number one seat ahead of the 2019 polls.

    However, others believed to be jostling for the position within the party include sitting Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto and former Minister of Transport/ Youths and Sport, Yusuf Suleiman who recently defected to the party.

    Accordingly, Yabo is coming from same Southern senatorial zone with Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal while Suleiman and Aliyu Sokoto are from the Eastern and Central zones respectively.

  • 2019: Rivers APC adopts indirect primaries

    Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State have adopted indirect primary for the choice of candidates for 2019 general elections.

    The stakeholders, on Thursday at the State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting, suggested the three options: direct, indirect and consensus, in line with APC’s constitution, which was put to vote, with indirect primary recording 106 votes, consensus with three votes and direct primary having just one vote.

    Read Also: 2019 polls: I’m waiting to see my challenger, says Ishaku

    The SEC meeting, which was presided over by Rivers Chairman of the party, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, was also attended by other members of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party; Senator Andrew Uchendu (Rivers East); and the Deputy National Secretary of APC, Chief Victor Giadom, an indigene of Bera-Ogoni in Gokana LGA of Rivers state; among other chieftains of the party.

  • 2019: PDP will sweep polls in Kwara – Gov. Ahmed

    Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara has expressed confidence that Peoples Democratic party (PDP) will sweep the polls in the state in 2019 with the calibre of members of the State Working Committee of the party.

    Ahmed said this at Government House, Ilorin, on Monday when he received members of the newly inaugurated committee in his office.

    Read Also:Saraki heads 85-member PDP’s Osun campaign council

    “With the timber and calibre of the people that make up the party executive, the victory of the party is guaranteed in 2019 elections.”

    Ahmed, who saluted the maturity displayed in handling the harmonisation process, tasked the new executive to work hard in ensuring the entrenchment of good governance in the state.

    He added that peaceful atmosphere that greeted the harmonisation process further confirmed the politics of all-inclusiveness the party structure was known for.

    The governor allayed the fears of all members over that no one would be marginalized.

    He also enjoined all members to close ranks and cooperate in ensuring that the PDP won the next election in the state.

    Earlier, in his remarks, the party Chairman, Chief Kola Shittu, told the governor that the purpose of the visit was to familiarize themselves with the governor as the party leader in the state.

    He explained that the new executive had continued to work assiduously in the harmonisation of members since its inauguration, saying that all groups were duly carried along.

    Shittu used the opportunity to urge other members yet to join the party to come forward, assuring them that no one would be marginalised.

  • 2019 general elections will be violence-free – Kalu

    Chief Orji Kalu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Abia has predicted that the 2019 general elections would be violence-free across the country.

    Kalu made the prediction on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Umuahia, the Abia Capital.

    He said: “There was no violence in 2015 in spite the general fear and predictions before the polls, so there will be no violence in 2019.

    “The elections will be peaceful here in Abia and across the whole Federation.”

    He said that the ruling-APC government of President Muhammadu Buhari would stop at nothing to ensure hitch-free election.

    “The elections will not be marred by violence. APC-led government will leave no stone unturned to protect the nation democracy.’’

    He said that the pressure of electioneering usually heated up the polity and described the development as natural and often precedent to general elections anywhere in the world.

    According to the ex-governor, such heat being experienced should not be mistaken as a sign of imminent violence.

    “Even in the U.S., the polity is presently heating up ahead of the midterm elections coming up on Nov. 6,’’ he said.

    Kalu, who is a senatorial aspirant for Abia North, took exception to the recent destruction of billboards and posters belonging to political office seekers in the area.

    He blamed the act on desperate politicians and their thugs, saying that people should not make politics a do-or-die affair.

    Read Also: Osun 2018: APC has laid good foundation – Tinubu

    “People should see politics as a game, if you win, you rejoice but if you lose you take it in the spirit of sportsmanship. It should not be a do-or-die affair.’’

    On the recent defections across different party lines by some prominent politicians in the country, Kalu said that the actions were intended to satisfy personal interest and “not in the interest of the people.’’

    “Those politicians that are defecting are doing so for their selfish interest because they felt that they would not get the ticket from their former parties.’’

    He attributed the trend to the lack of ideology among the nation’s political class, saying that politicians should learn to play politics of ideology.

    “You saw that when I left the Peoples Democratic Party I did not return rather, I joined APC because it meets my expectations and that is where all Nigerians of note are sitting.’’

    Kalu said that he was determined to bring the Southeast geo-political zone into the mainstream of the nation’s politics.

    “I am currently working hard day and night to ensure that APC wins the governorship and National Assembly positions in all the states in the zone.

    “My ambition is to make sure that I bring the South-east to sit where other Nigerians are sitting and we must achieve it in 2019.’’

    Kalu reiterated his earlier position that APC would have a landslide victory in the zone in 2019.

    He said APC would score at least, 75 per cent votes in Abia and 51 per cent in the other states in the zone.

  • 2019 Elections: NASS finally approves N143bn

    – Removes funds for media, monitoring and Grassroots enlightenment

     

    The National Assembly joint committee on the Independence National Electoral Commission on Thursday gave a harmonized final figure on the budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

    The joint committee after considering the initial request of N143,512,529,455.00, by the INEC approved the sum of N143,312,256,955,13 for the first tranche of the 2019 general election.

    A total of N200,272,500.00 was removed from Media production and airing of of election jingles, Conduct of training for continuous voters registration officials.

    Others left out by the lawmakers are: Monitoring of the 2019 general election for regulatory compliance and local government Grassroots Enlightenment forums and outreach activities.

    The chairman of the joint committee Senator Suleiman Nazif who was at the briefing with his House of Representatives counterpart Hon. Aisha Dukku in a press briefing yesterday said the request would be forwarded to the leadership of the National Assembly and the appropriation committees for further impute.

    His words:

    “The joint committee considered the request by Mr. president for the first component of the election budget of N143,512,529,455.00 to be vired under the 2018 budget due to reasons of financial constraints established in the Presidential communication to the National Assembly, while the second component of N45, 695, 015,438.00 is expected to be funded by 2019 budget, also as requested by Mr.President.

    ” Importantly, both the request of Mr. president and INEC submission to the committee marked the total package for the 2019 general election at N189,207,544,893.00.

    “Therefore the committee remains available at all times to consider any further request from the presidency for the second component of the N45, 695, 015,438.00 for the general election .

    Read Also: Buhari departs for China Friday to attend FOCAC

    “Subsequently,after signifying a reduction of N200,272, 500.00. These reductions covers item nos 64,74,125and 167 respectively. Therefore , the received figure of M143,312,256,955,13 as reached is the recommendation of the of the Joint committee that will be forwarded to both the leadership and appropriation committee. For further legislative consideration.

    “In furtherance, the committee is suggesting to the leadership of the National Assembly and the committee on Appropriation to source the funding of this budget through virement from other service-wide vote under the special intervention programme, ( Recurrent ) to ease consideration to avoid increase in the size of the 2018 expenditure framework.”

    The lawmaker said all contentious issues on the INEC budget has been resolved.

    “Nigerians can be rest assured INEC is effectively positioned to provide for Nigerians free, fair, and credible election devoid of unnecessary contentions and hitches.“

  • 2019: INEC to re-design polling units to curb vote buying

    Mr Mustapha Lecky, the South South Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the commission would redesign the structures of all polling units to curb vote buying during the 2019 general election.

    Lecky disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Auchi, in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo, on Monday.

    Read Also:NASS joint committee meets again over INEC 2019 budget

    “We are taking measures to ensure that it would be difficult for political parties and their candidates to buy votes.

    “We are going to re-design our polling area in such a way that people cannot exhibit their ballot and show it to people in order to collect money.

    “So those kind of structural re-design of the polling area is what we are going to do,” he said.

    Lecky urged the media to expose political parties and candidates found engaging in vote buying during the election, to enable INEC prosecute the culprits.

    “We need the media to help us reveal those who are buying votes and call them to order.

    “We are not yet apprehending them, that is the work of the police, but we can provide information to prosecute them; the needed investigation will be done by the police,” he said.

    On the establishment of more polling units, Lecky said the INEC would create additional polling units after the elections as doing so now would be misinterpreted by politicians.

    He said however that the commission would decongest polling units and create voting points close to the original polling unit.

    “Unfortunately, we are not going to create them before the 2019 election because it is very political.

    “Even before we start to gather information so that we can take a decision, people are already saying that INEC has created 30,000 polling units and distributed some to some parts of the country to the detriment of other parts of the country, so it becomes very political.

    “We don’t want to have that as part of our burden ahead of 2019 election.

    “I am sure after the 2019 election there will be sanity, we will then take time to study all the things we have collated and go about the issue of creating more polling units, but not before 2019 election.

    “We can decongest a polling unit and create a voting points not far away from the mother polling units, that is much we can do, but actual polling unit would be after the election,” he said.

    The INEC national commissioner appealed to the National Assembly to pass the commission’s budget to enable it access funds for the conduct of the general election.

    “We are praying that the National Assembly will have a change of heart and go ahead and pass the budget as quickly as possible, because we are running at a critical stage now.

    “We need the funds to be able to do what we need to do, we are now in August and it will be September very soon and we don’t have a budget that is a serious matter.

    “Nigerians should go ahead and help us appeal to National Assembly to do the best they can to pass the budget so that we can have funds to run,” he said.