The Nation Newspaper

Tag: 2019 election

  • 2019: Ezekwesili, Durotoye, Moghalu reel out economic plans

    Three presidential candidates on Saturday clashed on the economy in the televised debate held at the Trans-corp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that they include Oby Ezekwesili of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) and Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).

    Asked how he intended to fix the economy, Moghalu said the country currently lacked an economic philosophy.

    He stated that the country must first decide whether it is practicing a capitalist or socialist ideology.

    “So, my approach to the Nigerian economy is first to focus on reforming the educational system; ensure that our young people have the skills that can make them competitive in the 21st century and the skills that can give them jobs or help them to set up their own jobs.

    “Then we will give them access to finance which my government will do through the creation of N1 trillion venture capital fund which will give equity capital, not loans that will have to be repaid.

    “This is because loans carry interests in Nigeria that is too high or we may not have the collateral to be able to access them.

    “So, we will invest in new businesses that will create millions of jobs within the first four years.

    “Therefore, the approach that we will have is skill, capital and literacy, that is what will fix the Nigerian economy and take it into industrialisation,’’ Moghalu said.

    On his plan for economic diversification especially through building the non-oil sector, Durotoye identified agriculture, housing and infrastructure as the most important sectors that should be focused on.

    He said his government would ensure that it fixed the power sector, roads and provide housing for Nigerians, adding that his plan is to provide 30 million jobs.

    He said the commodity sector needed to be strengthened so that farmers could have their produce promptly cleared.

    On her part, Ezekwesili said her plan is to lift at least 80 million Nigerians out of poverty through improvement in the productivity of majority of Nigerians who “earn less than N700 a day’’.

    To do this, she said her government would evolve policies and programmes targeting people engaged in the services sector which constitutes about 60 per cent of the country’s GDP.(NAN)

  • FG to quiz Atiku

    THE Federal Government is set to quiz the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, over an alleged N156million payment from the defunct Bank PHB. Atiku, according to Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed, allegedly benefitted from the payment that led to the demise of the bank.

    The former vice president is currently on a visit to the USA. But Mohammed said yesterday that “any time Abubakar returns home, he has questions to answer following the fresh evidence that we have that he benefitted from ‘slush funds’ that led to the collapse of the former Bank PHB.” Atiku’s party, the PDP dared the Federal Government to go ahead with its threat to arrest him on the allegation,while the presidential candidate’s spokesman dismissed the N156million claim as a cock and bull story Mohammed said: “The document we have shows that he benefitted to the tune of N156 million from that fund. “The paper which we have here started from an internal memo on the Jan. 13, 2009.” “These are pieces of fresh evidence as to his involvement in the collapse of Bank PHB.

    So we want him to stay as long he wants in the US but as soon he comes back, he has to explain to the electorate and to Nigerians what is his role in the collapse in the former Bank PHB.” The minister said the Federal Government was not losing sleep over Atiku’s US trip,saying: “You can recall that a few weeks ago, I did issue a statement advising the US government not to issue visa to Atiku. “Remember also that in that same press conference, I also stated that it remains the prerogative of the US government to issue visa to anyone it deems fit. “Let me say right away that we are not perturbed one bit that Alhaji Atiku Abukakar was able to secure visa to the US. As a matter of fact, he can go ahead and get the US Green card.That will not save him from imminent defeat in the forthcoming election.

    “I want to remind Abubakar that the elections will be right here in Nigeria and not in the US.” Asked why the fresh allegation against Atiku was coming now, Mohammed said: “Because even though this happened in 2009, and the case on the collapse of BANK PHB has been on, this evidence is fresh. “In any case, there is no statute of limitation on this case. “Like I told you, this is a freshly-uncovered evidence. Whether or not he travelled to the US, we would still have disclosed this evidence.” PDP dares Buhari over threats to arrest Atiku Responding last night to the allegations against Atiku ,the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO) dared government to go ahead and arrest him.

    The spokesman for the organisation,Mr.Kola Ologbondiyan, told reporters that the planned arrest was both laughable and a heinous plot to frame Atiku borne out of fear of his victory in the February 16 presidential election. “It is reprehensible that Mr. President will descend abysmally low to fabricate outright lies and falsehood in a bid to discredit a more qualified and acceptable presidential candidate”, Ologbondiyan said. The PDP campaign spokesman added that Atiku has nothing to do with the alleged issues leading to the collapse of Bank PHB, stressing that the PDP presidential candidate is an honest and hard working Nigerian who has no skeleton of any sort in his cupboard.

    “For emphasis, even the Chairman of President Buhari’s Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay, has since told the world that the Buhari Presidency has searched everywhere and could not find anything incriminating on Atiku Abubakar. “The world already knows that this attempt to mudsling our presidential candidate is coming out of President Buhari’s frustration over Atiku Abubakar’s successful outing in the United States, for which the Buhari Presidency has gone into full hallucination. .”The PPCO, however, counselled the APC to note that Nigerians can see through their lies, fabrications and frustration and that their scheme against Atiku Abubakar is already dead on arrival.

    Read also: Why Atiku travelled to USA —Obi

    “If anything, the PPCO will want President Buhari to open the books and provide explanation for the N9 trillion stolen under his watch as Minister of Petroleum Resources as detailed in the leaked NNPC memo. “Finally, the PPCO states that the PDP presidential candidate, our great party and indeed all Nigerians, who have already reached a national consensus to vote-in Atiku Abubakar as the next President of our country, will not be distracted by this unfounded allegation by the rejected President Buhari and his handlers.” A similar response came from Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr. Phrank Shaibu. Shaibu said the allegation against Atiku was a cock and bull story.

    The allegation,he also said ,stemmed from what he called Atiku’s growing popularity, especially his current trip to the USA. He said the Federal Government having failed to stop Washington from granting visa to Atiku had to devise another strategy to embarrass him. He also said that with or without a trip to the US, the PDP will defeat the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress in next month’s election.

    Said Atiku: “It is disgusting to continue to spin allegations of corruption against me by people who have failed to come forward with a single shred of evidence of my misconduct while in office. “They just suddenly woke up to the reality that their lies about Atiku being corrupt can no longer hold? I challenge the Federal Government to come up with evidence that I benefitted from N156 million slush funds through Claremont Management Services Account on 13th January, 2009 as well as the collapse of Bank PHB as they have alleged. “It is instructive to note that the same Bank PHB is now Keystone Bank, which was said to have been acquired by Buhari’s cronies through AMCON last year.”

  • We have insulated recovered funds, assets from looters – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday assured Nigerians that his administration would not waiver in its fight against corruption and ensuring sanity in public affairs.

    Buhari gave the assurance while addressing a mammoth crowd of supporters at the flag off of his re-election campaign in Kaduna.

    “We have taken measures to ensure that recovered funds and assets are not handed back to those who looted the treasury as was done after my detention when my administration was toppled in the 80s.

    ” What we are doing is to ensure that all recovered assets are sold off and the proceeds lodged into the Single Treasury Account. That way, no one will have the opportunity to appropriate such assets.’

    The President assured that the government would not be cowed to abandon the corruption war.

    “The anti-corruption fight is difficult in the current democratic dispensation, but we will continue to work carefully and steadily until we insulate public funds from looters.”

    He said that the administration has recorded tremendous success in the war against insurgency, restiveness in the Niger Delta and other crimes and would not rest until peace is restored to all parts of the country.

    “I have nothing to say than to remind you of the situation we met this country and the promises we made to you.

    “So the best we can do for our country is to return the APC to power.

    Read also: 2019 Poll: Miyetti Allah endorses Buhari

    “The biggest gift we can give to our country is security and sufficiency and economic prosperity, ” he said.

    Buhari assured Nigerians that the nation’s economy “is recovering and is on track of development.

    “The larger population of the country are youth between the ages of 35 and below, Nigeria has lots of work to do to get you employment and sufficiency. We are determined to do that.”

    According to him, the government has also recorded massive success in the area of agriculture and commended the support of all governors, especially those of Lagos, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano and Jigawa states for the turnaround in rice production.

    “We have stopped spending our foreign reserve to import  rice, there is sufficiency in rice as we now produce it locally.”

    The President expressed confidence that his victory is assured in the state and North West region, and solicited for the support of all to ensure peace and economic development of the country.

    He also promised that his administration, if re-elected in the 2019 general elections, will continue to make life easier for all Nigerians.

    The President then called on the people of Kaduna state to ensure that they vote for all APC candidates to enable the party complete all ongoing developmental projects and programmes across the country.

    He assured the electorate that the APC administration would not betray Nigerians or allow anyone to betray them.

    Earlier, National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, said that the fundamental issues of the campaign were the pronouncements by the PDP presidential candidate to sell the NNPC just as they sold NITEL, NEPA, Nigerian Airways and other government agencies, saying that the people should resist the move by not voting for them.

    He called on the electorate to reject the PDP because it was responsible for the collapse of the biggest textile industries in Kaduna State, sending thousands of people out of job.

    Oshiomole said Kaduna is home to the President and himself, adding  “with what I have seen here today, the APC has already won the general elections.

    “I am therefore calling on you to ensure that you vote for all of the candidates of the APC from top to bottom during the general elections.”

    Earlier, the Director General, APC Presidential Campaign Council, Rotimi Amaechi, urged party supporters to vote the party all through to ensure smooth running of the APC administration.

    “APC will see votes, but I must advise you, PDP has a rigging machinery. You have to do APC SAK without mistake.

    “PDP will be happy if you make mistakes during the polls. President Buhari has lived all his life a hero and you owe him that duty of returning him to power,” Amaechi said. (NAN)

  • ‘Buhari’ll win 95 percent of Southwest votes’

    A group of grassroots farmers, artisans, politicians, non-politicians, traders, religious leaders, community leaders, youths, market men and women from the Southwest have assured not less than 90 or 95 percent of total votes in the region will be for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The group christened ‘Southwest Frontiers For Buhari 2019’ said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has no moral ground to condemn the Buhari’s administration for correcting years of PDP’s misrule.

    Speaking after an executive meeting of the group at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, it noted the less than four years of the APC has proved to the whole world the “misgovernance, misrule and plundering of the nation’s treasury, perpetrated by the PDP in their 16 years of being in power.”

    The group, however, added said another four years for Buhari was required to nail corruption and set the nation on the right path.

    Read Also: Buhari’s visit: Police deploy 1,711 officers in Niger

    Southwest Coordinator of the group Mr. Ayodele Joseph told reporters the Frontier will battle the PDP in the forthcoming elections because of confidence in the efforts of President Buhari.

    He said the group whose membership traverse all political parties and age group are not necessarily politicians or members of any particular political party but those who believe in the integrity and good intentions of Buhari to restore the nation to the path of honour.

    Ayodele appealed to leadership of the ruling APC in the Southwest to cooperate with the group because of the makeup of its members, which he said also included non-card-carrying members of the APC.

    Explaining the strategy to achieve the massive vote for Buhari’s victory, the National Public Relations Officer, Prince Omowunmi Samuel said the group is structured to have coordinators at the state, local government, wards and voting unit levels.

    He said the group with at least 50 members at the unit level has embarked on aggressive door-to-door campaign to enlighten the people on the various efforts of Buhari to ensure its reelection.

  • Atiku confirms arrival in U.S.

    FORMER vice president and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku arrived in the United States (U.S.) yesterday.

    In a post on Twitter, he said: “Just arrived Washington D.C for meeting with U.S. government officials, Nigerians living in D.C metropolis and the business community. -AA”, with a photograph, showing him clutching a bouquet of flowers, along with Senate President Bukola Saraki and a woman.

    But the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, said it was not sure if the former Vice President would be visiting the U.S. any moment soon.

    A source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the embassy was yet to get official information about the former vice president.

    The source said: “Actually, we have not received any information for the embassy but we are just trying to find out whether really he is coming. That is what we are doing right now.

    “They told us he’s coming tonight, today, so, we are trying to find out whether he’s really coming.

    “Mr (Peter) Obi, (Atiku’s running mate), he was to come last week but the event was cancelled.

    “So, we are still trying to see but if you get anything, please just let us know also because they said he’s coming here so that if you’re able to get any updated information, just inform us so that we can prepare vehicles to go to the airport and meet him and all that.

    “For now, we have no information. If I am able to confirm anything, I will get back to you and please, if you too get any confirmation or any update, just get back to me, just call me.

    “As a former vice president, the Embassy is supposed to organise to receive him at the airport and all that, but then we have not received anything in that regards,” the source said.

    According to the report, Obi was billed to be in the U.S. last week and was scheduled to have a New Jersey/New York Townhall meeting but the event was postponed.

    The PDP vice-presidential candidate is now rescheduled for the New/Jersey/New York USA Town Hall Meeting at Robert Treat Best Western Hotel, New Jersey on Monday, January 21.

    The clarification from the embassy came as online reports said Atiku had either landed in the U.S. or had taken off from Nigeria to address the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today, from 2:30pm to 4pm local time.

    He was scheduled to be in Ogun State yesterday but the event was cancelled, it said.

    Atiku was said to have been issued last December a U.S. visa for the first time in 13 years. The visa was reportedly facilitated by his former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo, a former foe turned endorser.

    Read also: INEC clears Buhari, Atiku, Ezekwesili, Okotie, others

    But reports said Atiku sensed the visa could be a trap by the Americans and thus asked for a guarantee from the US government that he would not be arrested over a case of money laundering for which there were reports of a sealed indictment by the U.S. Justice Department.

    In another case, former Congressman William Jefferson was jailed for 13 years for accepting a bribe from an investor, Lori Mody, who was wearing a wire. Jefferson told the investor that he would need to give then Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar $500,000 “as a motivating factor” to make sure the company obtained contracts for iGate and Mody’s company in Nigeria.

     

  • I’m the only one that can fix Nigeria, says Ezekwesili

    Presidential candidate of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria ( ACPN ), Prof Obiageli Ezekwesili on Thursday said she is eminently qualified to lead Nigeria to the Promised Land.

    She lamented Nigeria has over the years lack quality leadership that can take the country to where it ought to be in the comity of nations.

    Addressing a group of artisans, youths, students, people with disabilities and some market women at popular Arewa House, Kaduna, the former Education Minister said she was the only candidate with the capacity and competency to deliver the country from its complex problems.

    She said: “We have lacked quality leadership in Nigeria. It doesn’t matter that all those that have governed us are men. It doesn’t make any difference in quality of life of Nigerian persons.

    “I am that candidate with competence and capacity to solve the complex problems that seem to have eluded us for so long.

    Read Also: 2019: Ezekwesili promises hope, new nation

    “We cannot afford to have many more millions of Nigerians to join more than 87 million that are already poor.

    “Therefore, anyone who is thinking of me being a woman has not come in term with other Nigerians I have interacted with in the course of our campaign. They have always saying Oby is the candidate we can trust.”

    She added: “When you are tired of mediocrity, the only person you can think of is Oby Ezekwesili, who is offering herself to lead.

    “The reason is simple. I have always been known in this society as one who has a strong voice for the fact that Nigeria can be better than it is now.

    “Nigeria has no reason to be a failure and that is why I am running in this election.”

    Asked if she was not happy with the current government because she was not given political appointment, she said: “I rejected to be a minister many times since I was a minister in this country. I don’t need to be a minister.

    “What I need is that this society must be mobilised immediately to see how we can come out of the whole failure and incompetence they have thrown us into.”

  • 2019: Group promises Buhari 10 million votes

    A pro-Buhari support group, the Coalition of Buhari/Osinbajo Movement (COBOM), has promised to deliver 10 million votes for the President in the upcoming general elections.

    Major General Garba Audu, a COBOM grand patron, said this during the group’s inauguration in Abuja on Thursday.

    “This coalition has brought in youths from all 774 local government areas,” he said in an interview.

    “This coalition has almost 10 million members and these are die-hard Buhari supporters, they have their PVCs and will give him 10 million votes come February.”

    Also speaking at the occasion, Esekpe Augustine, the National Coordinator, COBOM, praised the current administration on the basis of integrity and affirmative action, outlining the achievements made so far.

    “For the first time in Nigeria, we are seeing governors being prosecuted and jailed, roads are being improved, and there is no state in Nigeria where good work is not being done.

    “There have been instances of road contracts being awarded, yet not being fulfilled. But now, in the present administration, you cannot collect a contract in Nigeria without executing it.

    “We may not yet have reached where we are going, but we are on the charted path. The mess on ground is so much but we are beginning to see some positive results in the power sector, in agriculture, particularly rice and wheat production.

    “We should expect better things in this second tenure in various areas, in security, in agriculture, infrastructure, we will have more development.”

    According to the group’s fact sheet titled ‘Doing More for Less,’ the Buhari administration has injected N3.2 trillion for capital projects in nearly three budget cycles, the largest allocation in history.

    Read Also: I’ll pay Niger Delta more attention – Buhari

    “President Buhari will not only be reelected, but it is assured that he will fulfil every single promise he has made,” the National Coordinator stated in an interview.

    “The future is in the hands of our countrymen. There are some people who have stolen this nation to death. We are dead, but now we have a little resurgence of hope.

    “The future belongs to the youth. I implore the youth not to run around politicians and publicity, but to take their destiny in their hands by assessing what has been done, where we have come and where we are now.

    “We have a government who tells us the truth; a president arrowhead who is not an armed robber, or wanted anywhere, whether in Uganda or the USA. I implore the youth to stick with the man of integrity.”

  • Breaking: INEC releases final list of candidates for 2019 general elections

    The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has released the final list of presidential, governorship, senatorial and House of Representatives candidates for the general elections slated for February and March, 2019.

    Those whose names do not make the list will not contest for elective positions.

    See List Below:

     

    FINAL LIST OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

     


    See the complete list here 

     

    FINAL LIST OF SENATORIAL CANDIDATES

    See the complete list here

     

    FINAL LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

    See complete list here

  • It won’t be first time, if I lose February Polls – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday night said that it will not be the first time for him to lose elections if he loses the February Presidential election.

    The President made the remark while answering questions on whether he will accept the results of the forthcoming election if he loses.

    He spoke during a live programme tagged ‘The Cadidates’ debate for the 2019 general elections in Abuja.
    But he noted that it was impossible for him to lose.

    He stressed that he tried it three times earlier to be President but was unsuccessful until the introduction of electronic system and the Card Reader by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    According to him, it sounded impossible for him to lose the election because of the great reception he has continued to receive across the country during his reelection campaigns.

    Read also: How Atiku blocked restructuring as VP, by Osinbajo

    On whether he will quit office if he is defeated in the election, Buhari said, “it won’t be the first time I will lose election,”.

    “I tried 2003 and I was in court for 13 months, 2007. I was in court for 18 months in 2011 and went up to the Supreme Court. I sat down and said God Dey. For the fourth time, God and technology helped me.”

    According to him his administration is following a tedious way in fighting corruption, as it is carefully crosschecking the books and records.

    He pointed out that there are instances where contracts were awarded to companies and individuals without the work done.
    Speaking on whether he was getting frustrated by the slow pace of the fight against corruption, Buhari said “I can’t afford to get frustrated.”.

    He also spoke on why he has decided not to react on the bribery allegations against the governor of Kano State Abdullahi Ganduje.

    “I am completely overwhelmed by the Ganduje case. I decided not to talk about it because the State Assembly has taken it up,” he said.

  • 2019 ELECTIONS: PDP GOVERNOR URGES ELECTORATES TO PREPARE TO DEFEND THEIR VOTES

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state has urged the electorates to be prepared to defend their votes. The governor made the call on Thursday, January 9, at the well-attended campaign rallies of the PDP in two local government areas in the state. Thousands of party supporters thronged the venues of the rallies in solidarity with Governor Okowa.

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state has urged the electorates to be prepared to defend their votes in the 2019 general elections.

    The governor made the call at the campaign rallies of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Warri South, Uvwie and Okpe local government areas of the state held at the Warri Township Stadium, Effurun and Orerokpe respectively.

    The governor also expressed confidence that the PDP will have a landslide victory in the general elections, reports Legit.ng

    Specifically, at Orerokpe, Governor Okowa said, “At all the places visited, Deltans are coming out in their large number because they are confident this government is their own.

    “I am confident that all of you who are at the rally ground have your permanent voter’s card, but records show that there are still people who are yet to collect their PVCs, visit them at home, escort them to collect their PVCs because we don’t want to lose any vote.”

    “During the elections, for every unit, don’t leave after voting, remain, send delegations to accompany the electoral officers to the ward, the local government headquarters and to the state headquarters, don’t give them room to rig because, you can see that the opposition is not engaging in campaign because they are aware that they cannot win in a free and fair contest.”

    While listing some of the projects he has executed in the areas, the governor stated that if his administration could do so much in four years, another four years would transform Delta state.

    He thanked the people for collaborating with his administration to deliver dividends of democracy in practical terms.

    “We have the youths, women, and elders on our side, so, we are not afraid of going into the elections; Deltans love good things, we have agreed on the principles of rotation and it is cementing the bond of unity in our state,” the governor said at the Warri Township Stadium.

    On his part, chairman of the campaign council, Professor Sam Oyovbaire said: “I testify that Governor Okowa has performed; ask yourself what the opposition has done in Delta state, they have only brought hunger; when they meet you, ask them if they have contributed any little thing to the development of Delta.

    “Governor Okowa is working very hard and the results of his hard work are visible for all to see; our governor has delivered first class dividends of democracy, he will complete his second term in office.”

    Also speaking, former minister of defence, Dr Roland Orisejafor, said at the rally in Warri that, “the crowd you are seeing here is clear evidence of the performance of the governor; we are going to protect our votes, we are voting for stability, we are voting for continuity, we are voting for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for president, Dr. Okowa as our governor.”

    “We don’t have lazy youths in Delta state; the federal government is an embarrassment to Nigeria, security is in shambles, the economy is in a problem, Nigerians are hungry, we must get it right with our votes.”

    Others who spoke at the rallies stated that the performance of Governor

    Okowa has endeared the PDP to Deltans.