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Tag: AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq

  • 37 political parties support AbdulRazaq, others in Kwara

    No fewer than 37 political parties in Kwara State yesterday  declared their support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for Saturday’s election.

    The parties, under the umbrella of Kwara Like-Minds Political Parties (KLPP), equally threw their weight behind the APC House of Assembly candidates at the polls.

    Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, spokesperson of the parties Prince Oladele Sunday directed their members to vote en masse for APC candidates during Saturday’s polls.

    Sunday said: “We are at a critical stage in our country, but most especially our dear state is already in political labour room and KLPP has joined hands with APC and other stakeholders in taking a successful delivery of a liberated Kwara.

    “Today is not meant for an unending discussion, but to let the whole world know that when the Kwarans are dying slowly in the hands of political tyrant, KLPP showed up. When Kwarans are groaning and gnashing their teeth under the bad governance in the state, posterity will be fair to us that KLPP showed up.

    “Finally, the members of KLPP hereby instruct our numerous members and appeal to the teeming voters in the state to come out en masse on March 9th to vote for all APC candidates. Let us all ‘show up’ so that we can all move from ‘o to gee’ to ‘o to pe.’”

    The state APC Chairman Bashir Bolarinwa said: “The forthcoming governorship and House of Assembly elections are equally important to APC. It is important to us as party and the people of Kwara State.

    “I want to say here that out of 55 political parties that are functional in the state, today above 35 have openly declared to identify with us. What that simply means is that all of them as members of these political parties are directing their members and appealing to the people of Kwara State to vote on Saturday for the governorship candidate of our party.

    “Further to that, all the 24 House of Assembly candidates of APC will on Saturday be candidates of their parties as well.”

    Also yesterday, a former member of the Kwara State House of Assembly Chief Wole Oke has said the victory of APC candidates in Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections will guarantee total freedom for Kwara people.

    Oke, who is the Jagunmolu of Shao, Moro Local Government Area, added that the current euphoria of the presidential and National Assembly elections victory should not blindfold the people into believing that all is well.

    He, therefore, urged Kwarans to come out and vote massively for the APC governorship candidate and all the House of Assembly candidates on March 9th.

    He said: “We can be partakers and active participants in the management of the patrimony and commonwealth of the state only if we vote massively for the APC candidates in the elections; this remains the only breaking away from the practice and tradition of the 16 years in the governance of our dear state.”

  • Campaign organisation dissociates Abdul Razaq from report

    THE Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation has debunked “a concocted report” circulating in the social media in respect of alleged “structural arrangements in the Ilorin Emirate Traditional Council”.

    A statement signed by Mr. Tajudeen Kareem for the campaign organisation of the Kwara State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate said the alleged interview was a mere fallacy and the views of an individual.

    The statement reads: “We respect the rights of individuals to ventilate their views, opinions and political preferences. We, however, strongly deny that the views expressed in the above instance represent the position of our party, the APC, or its gubernatorial candidate.

    “The interview, in its entity, does not reflect the vision or the policy thrust of the party.

    “In fact, the interviewee, Sheikh Abdulrahim Aduragba, is neither a card-carrying member of the Kwara APC nor sponsored to herald the agenda of the governorship hopeful. Our flagbearer is a bona fide indigene of Ilorin Emirate, who is well-grounded in the tradition and culture of the people.

    Read also: INEC: 63 card readers missing in Bayelsa

    The tradition of the people of the Ilorin Emirate is well-documented and unambiguous and cannot be contested by anybody.

    “We here recall the historical roles played by the patriarch of the Abdulrazaq family, lawyer A.G.F. Abdulrazaq, SAN, in ensuring that Ilorin emirate holds its pre-eminent position in Northern region.

    “Every student of history understands the role Alhaji A.G.F. Abdulrazaq played in 1955 to convince the Willink Commission that Ilorin belonged to the Northern region. This eventually earned him the highly respected chieftaincy title of Mutawalen of Ilorin, making him one of the trusted hands of the emir of Ilorin during the reign of the late 9th Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr.) Zulukanaini Muhammadu Gambari, CFR.

    “We, therefore, find it ludicrous that anyone will seek to manipulate or change the history and culture of the people of Ilorin, given the unambiguous history and its relevance to the current traditional arrangement.

    “We urge all Kwarans to discountenance the content of the said interview as part of the antics of drowning and frustrated politicians on their way out of reckoning.

  • AbdulRazaq: we’ll run transparent govt in Kwara

    Kwara State All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has promised to run a transparent and people-focused government, if elected on Saturday.

    AbdulRazaq, who spoke during campaign stops in Ilorin South and Ilorin East local government areas., said: “The challenge is huge and we need to get down to work immediately. They have run out of ideas. Our focus will be to tackle unemployment, security and fixing the problem of poor infrastructure in our schools and so on.

    “We won’t divert your fund. We will serve your interest and restore our community values.  Let’s chase them with our votes. We will rebuild our schools and the infrastructure.

    “Our people cannot afford to give Senate President Bukola Saraki the fifth term he is seeking. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate,  Razaq Atunwa, is not the one contesting. We have seen how Abdulfattah Ahmed couldn’t do anything, except with the blessings of his boss. Now, Saraki is trying to impose his stooge on our people. This has to stop.”

    Cheered by thousands of party supporters and community folks, AbdulRazaq was accompanied on the campaign tour by the Senator-elect for Kwara Central Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe; House of Representatives member-elect AbdulGaniyu Olododo; and other top party chieftains.

    The APC candidate added: “They are not campaigning. And each time they come out, it is clear that it is Bukola Saraki who is seeking to rule Kwara through the backdoor. He is looking for fifth term. This will not happen in our state again,”

    Oloriegbe, for his part, called on Kwarans to vote for the APC governorship candidate and House of Assembly candidates to complete the liberation cycle in the state.

    He urged electoral officers and security agents to stick to their professional duties while the electoral processes last.

    But, no fewer than 15 serving Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) councillors in Kwara yesterday, defected to the APC, ahead of Saturday’s elections.

    The defectors, who were drawn from five of the state’s 16 local government areas, said they defected to APC in the interest of the masses.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that they were elected on the platform of PDP in November 2017.

    Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Suleiman Taoheed, representing Ajanaku Ward in Moro Local Government Area, explained that the PDP administration in Kwara had failed.

    They revealed that more serving councillors would join APC before Saturday.

    Receiving the defectors, Dr. Alimi Abdulrasaq, an APC stalwart and brother to the governorship flag bearer, said they would not regret their decision.

    Abdulrasaq noted that his brother, when elected, would ensure that local governments have full autonomy, and draw government closer to the people at the grassroots.

    He urged them to mobilise electorate to vote Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq and all APC state assembly candidates in the elections.

    The defected councillors are: Adam Tsado, (Edu), Ogundele Segun, (Isin), James Kayode, (Ilorin East), Aremu Jamiu, (Moro), Olorunrinu Suleiman, (Ilorin South)

    Others are: Omolara Sanni, (Isin), Adebayo Olatayo, (Isin) Saheed Abdulwasiu, (Isin) Saheed Musbau, (Isin) Adeyemi Oladele, (Isin) Suleiman Taoheed, (Isin), Ishola Seunayo, (Isin) among others.

     

     

     

  • Again, Abdulrazaq floors Balogun-Fulani

    The Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital has struck out a suit filed by the expelled Ishola Balogun-Fulani led All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara.

    Balogun-Fulani’s exco had approached the court seeking to nullify the nomination of Kwara APC governorship candidate AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

    Balogun-Fulani had asked the court to enforce December 19th, 2018 judgment of the Kwara State High Court which had purportedly proclaimed him the authentic chairman of the party.

    But the Appeal Court had in a judgment on February 12 set aside the ruling of the state high court, holding that the court below lacked the jurisdiction to hear the Balogun-Fulani’s case in the first instance.

    In that judgment, the Appeal Court also upheld the nomination of AbdulRazaq, affirming that only the National Working Committee of the APC has the powers to nominate candidates for elections.

    But in an argument before the Federal court counsel to Balogun-Fulani, Wahab Bamidele had urged the court to adjourn the matter until their appeal at the Supreme Court is decided. Counsel to AbdulRazaq, Jimoh Lawal, objected, urging the court to strike out the case for want of jurisdiction.

    Delivering his judgment on Friday, Justice Babagana Ashigar of the Federal High Court said the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain a suit previously heard and decided by a court of coordinate jurisdiction.

    Justice Ashigar also said the court could not hear a suit bordering on a judgment of the court of coordinate jurisdiction.

    Read Also: PDP calls for cancellation election in Kwara

    “Since the Kwara State High Court knew that it would not have jurisdiction over INEC it shouldn’t have assumed jurisdiction over the matter,” the judge further held.

    He also held that since the same matter is already before the  Supreme Court, there was no way the Federal High Court could hear it again whichever way it is decided by the apex court.

    The court therefore struck out the case, refusing to grant any of the reliefs sought by Balogun-Fulani.

  • Abdulrazaq to repeal law granting pensions to ex-governors, deputies

    Governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Thursday promised to repeal the law granting pensions to former governors and their deputies.

    This according to him would free up resources for the masses if elected into office.

    He urged the people to vote for him and all the APC candidates for the House of Assembly in the March 9 elections in Kwara.

    “We need to change some terrible laws. We’ll repeal that obnoxious pension law when we get to office,” AbdulRazaq said during his campaign stop at Omu Aran in Kwara South and again in Pategi in Kwara
    North.

    “It’s a privilege to become a governor of a state. It is dubious for anyone to become governor and then earn a pension more than people who served the state for their entire lives. We can’t take that anymore. But we need enough lawmakers to push through the repeal of the offensive law.”

    The Kwara state pension law for former governors and their deputies has continued to raise eyebrows, with the masses and civil servants often decrying it as unjust and a rip off to the state.

    Speaking at the rally, AbdulRazaq also said his administration will invest in security, local economy and youth empowerment in a bid to stamp out thuggery and bring government closer to the grassroots.

    “We need to work seriously. We need to revamp the economy of Kwara State. We need to bring jobs to our people. We need to address security issues. Instead of funding police, they arm thugs. We will help the police by offering assistance they need to secure our communities,” he added.

    He also vowed to join the efforts to grant full autonomy to the local government areas, insisting that is the only way to grow the local economy and halt the unhealthy exodus of people to the cities.

    AbdulRazaq is on a fresh round of campaign tours of all the senatorial districts of the state, beginning with the Kwara South on Tuesday and Wednesday and Pategi in the northern axis of the state.

  • I’ll not discriminate against anyone – APC candidate

    The Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Party (APC) in Kwara, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has promised that his administration would not discriminate against anybody if elected as governor on March 9.

    AbdulRazaq made the promise on Wednesday at Ajase-Ipo in Irepodun local government during the continuation of his governorship campaign tour of Kwara South.

    “Our government won’t discriminate against any section of Kwara. We’ll share jobs and appointments fairly,” he told the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo.

    He appealed to the people of the state to give him a chance to serve them.

    AbdulRazaq said his administration would open up the rural areas for development to boost investments in agriculture, agro-processing factories, provide employment for the youths and halt rural-urban migration.

    He also pledged to rebuild public schools and hospitals, strengthen entrepreneurship and small -scale businesses in a bid to boost internally- generated revenues.

    AbdulRazaq pledged to accord utmost respect to the traditional institutions and ensure that local government areas are allowed to serve the grassroots.

    “But to do this, we urge you to vote for APC. We don’t want to be in the opposition in Kwara.

    “We have a lot of great programmes for our people. Importantly, we won’t disrespect our traditional institutions. We will honour our royal fathers.

    “We’ve had enough of bad governance and the bleeding of public resources.

    “Let’s try something new and different. Our opponents have run out of ideas. We will bring development.

    “We will take special interest in the security of lives and properties. At the moment, there is hardly any functional bank from Ekiti to Offa.

    “Where there’s no banking institution, development will be hard whether you are into sawmilling or agriculture,” AbdulRazaq said. (NAN)

  • APC sure of victory, says Abdulrazaq

    The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Saturday said the party is confident of winning all the elections in the state as “voters have fully brought into our message”.

    AbdulRazaq told reporters in Ilorin at his Idi Igba family house all the party’s candidates would win by a landslide because the people of Kwara “are totally fed up with the current status quo.”

    “So far so good,” he began.

    “The turnout has been good and we definitely are sure of victory,” he said minutes before he cast his ballot at the Open Space polling unit 004 of Adewole Ward.

    AbdulRazaq commended the security agencies and the electoral body for the jobs done so far, adding however that “it is too early to give full comments on the conduct of the elections”.

    He expressed concerns about reports of incomplete or mixed up ballot papers in parts of Ilorin metropolis, calling on the electoral body to quickly address the concerns.

    Abdulrazaq enjoined all Kwarans to be calm as their wish of a new Kwara would soon become a reality.

    “We call on our people to be patient and orderly. Once you get to the polling units before 2pm, you will be allowed to cast your vote. We urge our people to remain calm,” he said.

    He explained that the Otoge revolution has swept across the state and “all people must do is to be cool headed and upright to the end.

    “We are on a mission to rebuild from the scratch and victory is assured by God’s grace.”

  • Thugs attack Osinbajo’s convoy in Ilorin

    Political thugs suspected to have sympathies for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday allegedly attacked the convoy of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

    The attack is said to have culminated in life-threatening gunshots, which left at least two supporters of the APC injured.

    Many others allegedly got seriously injured while running for their lives.

    But a police source revealed the incident, which happened around Isale-Koko, Ilorin suburb, occurred when the Vice President’s convoy had left the area.

    When contacted, spokesperson of the state police command Ajayi Okasanmi could not confirm the incident.

    Reacting on the development APC governorship candidate in the state Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq condemned “the brazen attack today in Ilorin on the convoy of the Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo by armed PDP thugs.”

    In a statement by his media aide, Rafiu Ajakaye, Abdulrazaq said: “The vice president was at Isale Aluko suburb of Ilorin on a door-to-door campaign when some dare-devil gunmen opened fire at his convoy which included thousands of APC members and supporters.

    “In what is a reminiscence of the Offa robbery, this attack is the height of recklessness on the part of these street urchins who have long been empowered and armed by the discredited dynasty to terrorise our community and anyone who has contrary views to their amala politics.

    Read Also: I have not resigned, says Osinbajo

    “Coming just a day after two of our supporters were killed in Ojoku in the convoy of our senatorial candidate Architect Lola Ashiru, this is becoming too much and the madness must stop.

    “Going into an election with these thugs clearly on the loose is an existential threat not just to all of us challenging the misrule in our state but to the entire people of the state and their properties.

    “We call for immediate arrest and prosecution of these thugs. We also demand investigations to reveal those who gave the orders for these deadly attacks.

    “We call for all measures to be taken to ensure safety of lives and properties and sanctity of the ballot box in Kwara and beyond.

    “No one’s political interest should be at the expense of human lives and their properties.

    “We insist that a political contest is a contest of ideas and no one must be allowed to cow or kill others in the process.”

  • Breaking: Appeal Court sacks Balogun-Fulani’s Kwara APC executives

    . Affirms Bolarinwa as authentic Kwara APC chair
    . Balogun-Fulani dissatisfied with judgement

    Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital on Tuesday sacked the Hon Ishola Balogun-Fulani faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    The court thereafter affirmed the authenticity of the Hon Bashir Bolarinwa-led APC executives in the state.

    A Kwara state High Court had December 19th last year ruled that the dissolved Ishola Balogun-Fulani executive is the authentic exco of the APC in the state.

    The lower court thus nullified any candidate produced by the Bashir Bolarinwa executives for the forthcoming elections.

    Dissatisfied by the judgement of the lower court, the APC (appellant) approached the appellate court for redress.

    The appellants’ grounds of appeal are that “the claimants cannot join the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the state High court because INEC is a Federal Government agency; the amendment of
    their originating summons was brought in bad faith.

    “They brought issues that were not in existence as at the time of filing the suit originally. Even though the lower court has discretion, but its discretion must be exercised judicially and judiciously which was not done in this circumstance.”

    The appellate court in an interlocutory judgement it delivered last week upheld the nomination of AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the state APC governorship candidate.

    Reading his judgement on the main appeal Justice Ibrahim Salauwa set aside the judgement of the lower court and upheld the Bashir Bolainwa-led executives.

    He added there would be no reason to deliver a judgement on the same matter with the same parties after the interlocutory judgement of last week.

    Justice Salauwa added that it “would amount to share fruitless academic exercise which the courts are not meant for.”

    Reacting to the judgement, counsel to Hon Bolarinwa, Kamaldeen Gambari said that “what transpired is the affirmation of the interlocutory judgement which this court delivered sometime last week.

    “It said the originating process of Ishola Balogun-Fulani is incurably defective. The state High Court has no jurisdiction to go ahead in the matter.”

    APC counsel, Lawal Jimoh said that the judgement “has laid to rest all the controversies about the judgement of the Kwara state High Court delivered December 19th last year. It nullified the total judgement.

    The issue of Hon Ishola Balogun-Fulani parading himself as the APC chairman has been laid to rest.

    “This judgement further solidifies that primaries of APC held in October last year in the state. There is no controversy at all. As of today the APC in Kwara state can go and sleep when it comes to the issue of factionalisation of the party or not.

    “The court by that judgement affirmed the authenticity of Hon Bashir Bolarinwa-led executives of APC in the state and of course all the candidates that emerged from the primaries that were held by the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC in October 2018 remain valid.”

    Counsel to Ishola Balogun-Fulani, Abdulazeez Ibrahim expressed his dissatisfaction with the judgement. Ibrahim added that “the judgement is a simple one, because the issues were trashed at the interlocutory stage. That is supposed not to be the case. The decision in the interlocutory appeal has determined even the main appeal that was delivered today.

    “So we are not satisfied about that judgement. And we have appealed against the interlocutory judgement delivered last week. So we are going to appeal against the judgement just delivered today again.”

  • PDP planning to unleash violence in Kwara – Abdulrazaq

    All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Kwara state, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has alleged attempts by the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to unleash violence on the opposition.

    He, therefore, urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to focus attention on the state.

    In a statement in Ilorin, the state capital, AbdulRazaq commended the ICC for its latest message warning against violence in the coming polls.

    “We welcome the latest appeal and warnings by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the upcoming Nigerian elections,” AbdulRazaq said in a statement, adding that there is need to pay attention to
    political development in the state.

    “We believe elections should not be a do or die affair but should be about selling one’s ideas to the electorate in an atmosphere devoid of violence or threat of same or intimidation.

    Read Also; PDP not committed to peaceaccord, says BMO

    “We have reasons to call on the ICC to especially turn its radar on Kwara State where the discredited political dynasty has consistently used violence to suppress opposition. The recent rise in political
    violence, including attacks on my person and supporters and unabated destruction of our billboards, is instructive.

    “We therefore invite the ICC to monitor the processes leading to the elections in Kwara state. My supporters and I hereby formally pledge peaceful campaign and conduct before, during and after the elections.

    We urge the people of Kwara to shun violence in all forms and discourage our youths from violence or anything that could disturb public peace.”