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Tag: Adams Oshiomhole

  • Buhari to senators-elect: avoid pitfalls of Eighth Senate

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) senators-elect got a piece of presidential advice Monday night. President Muhammadu Buhari cautioned them to avoid the pitfall of the outgoing Senate.

    He spoke while hosting the in-coming members of the Red Chamber and some governors to a dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The President regretted some wrong actions and decisions of the Eighth National Assembly.

    He, specifically, recalled the deliberate and persistent delay in passing the annual budget.

    Urging the in-coming Ninth National Assembly to be different, Buhari said doing things right would enable his administration achieve its target of transforming the nation.

    He said: “This is my fifth and last time of standing for an election. For that reason, I’ll like to leave something behind. And what (legacy) I want to leave cannot be successfully done without your support.

    “So, that is why I’m appealing for your support. What happened in the last Senate and so on is regrettable because I still feel it shouldn’t take seven months to pass a budget. You have a very, very serious job ahead of you.

    “What I’m appealing for is that any major decision you are going to take, please reflect more on the country than yourself as a person – what effect will it have on the country.’’

    Promising to work and partner with them after their inauguration on June 8 in promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity, the President thanked the governors and the senators-elect for their support and understanding.

    Speaking with State House reporters, APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole said the event was to unite the new and old senators and to establish a new relationship between the executive and the legislature.

    Oshiomhole said: “The system talks about the separation of powers between the executive and legislature and the two must handshake for things to happen.

    Read also: Buhari, APC chiefs endorse Lawan for Senate President

    “And when you have a President who is determined to drive changes, fundamental changes that will affect our habits, our lifestyle, review the economy, deal with the security situation, fight corruption as fiercely as he is trying to do, he will need a very supportive legislative arm of government.

    “And happily, the Nigerian people have given us the number in the legislative arm of government.

    “All we have agreed today is that we will use these numbers as a functioning whole to determine the leadership of the Senate in a way that we are not going to go to the floor of the Senate and allow the opposition dictate who becomes the Senate president.

    “Because we have a comfortable majority to drive that, what we have to do is to manage that majority.’’

  • Buhari moves to prevent National Assembly hijack

    All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders yesterday moved to prevent the “hijack” of the new National Assembly leadership. They met with would-be lawmakers.

    President Muhammadu Buhari dined with serving APC senators and senators-elect at the New Banquet Hall of the  State House.

    The meeting came on the heels of a similar parley between APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole and House of Representatives members-elect at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.

    At the President’s meeting with the lawmakers were APC leaders, including Lagos, Plateau, Kogi, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kebbi, Zamfara and Osun governors.

    Oshiomhole and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, were also present.

    Although, details of the meeting were unknown,  it is believed to be connected with zoning and selection of the leadership of the Ninth National Assembly.

    Unlike in 2015 when the leadership was hijacked by senators, against the wish of the APC leadership, the ruling party is determined to ensure that its wishes prevail now.

    The dinner, which started around 8pm, was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

    Senators Ahmed Lawan, Ali Ndume and Danjuma Goje have indicated interest in Senate President.

    Also yesterday, Oshiomhole ruled out the possibility of the ruling party sharing legislative powers with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Giving an insight into what to expect from the Ninth National Assembly, the party chair insisted that the mistakes of 2015 would not recur.

    The leadership of the National Assembly was constituted on June 8, 2015 against the directive of the party. Those listed for principal offices were meeting at the State House when the lawmakers elected Dr. Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Ike Ekweremadu of the PDP Deputy Senate President.

    Addressing the Representatives-elect, Oshiomhole said the APC was not prepared to share principal offices and headship of critical committees with the PDP, except for positions reserved for minority members.

    Oshiomhole told the lawmakers that Nigerians have reposed confidence in the APC, giving it overwhelming majority in the House and will use the numerical strength to its advantage.

    According to him, Nigerians have punished 15 out of the 16 senators who defected the APC by not re-electing them.

    He urged the members to collaborate with the government on the implementation of the party’s programmes.

    He said: “The first is the challenge of ensuring that this time around we ensure that we have a leadership of the National Assembly that shares the vision of the executive. Although we speak to separation of power, but there is only one government and unless the various arms pursue the same agenda, it is difficult for the executive to realise its purpose because legislative backing is often required for the executive actions.

    “So, I will expect that you bear in mind that we are one family joined together as shown in our broom, with a share commitment to bail Nigeria out of the condition in which we found it in 2015.

    “And that you have the numbers and we will use those numbers to ensure that we have a leadership that commands the trust and the respect of all the members of the House of Representatives.

    “There will be contestation; that is why we are in democracy, but after the contestation and debate, we have to agree, and once you have agreed, you move forward.

    “We have the numbers to produce the Speaker and we will produce the Speaker who must be a member of the APC. We have the numbers to produce the Deputy Speaker and we will use the numbers to produce the Deputy Speaker, who must be a member of the APC. We have the number and we must use the number to elect a House Leader who must be a member of APC.

    Read also: Buhari receives minimum wage report

    “We have the numbers and we will use the numbers to produce a Chief Whip and a Deputy Whip who must be members of the APC. I think the only position that we are not interested in is the Minority Leader. Let it remain minor in the hands of the minors in the opposition.

    “We will not share power in the House of the Representatives and the leadership must ensure that critical committees that drive government are chaired only by APC members. If the Nigeria people wanted them to be chairmen of committees they would have voted for them.

    “So, all the chairmen of committees, except the one that is statutorily reserved for opposition, which is Public Account, they can have that. So, we would not do the kind of thing that happened the last time in which some APC members as members of the leading party became distance spectators in the management of committees, when PDP had majority of the strategic committees in the House, that will not happen in the next Assembly.

    “We are aware that they believe they can use the divide and rule by sponsoring many people within our ranks to contest for which of the position so that they then become the king maker and in return the person will offer them some chairmanship seats.

    “Honourable members and comrades, I’m sure you are not going to do business with them. We will see them as partners in progress but in democracy, the rule is, and it is a universal rule, majority must have their way but minorities must be allowed to have their say.

    “So, the PDP and other minority can have their say, but working together APC must have its way in legislative agenda, in the leadership of the National Assembly and the leadership of the committees in the National Assembly. I thought we should make this thing clear so that those who may not understand what is happening don’t fall into the trap.”

    Calling on the would-be lawmakers not to allow anybody to divide them, Oshiomhole said his leadership will consult with President Muhammadu Buhari and all the leaders of the APC.

    “We will work out a sensible zoning formula that seeks to carry everybody along and give people chances to demonstrate their capacities and their capabilities. We are working on that,” he said, adding:

    “Somebody told me the opposition party people are already doing something, raising money to bribe people and I said, ‘no, we are anti-corruption, we cannot be corrupted’.

    “If they bring N1 billion to each member, a PDP person will not be Speaker, a PDP person will not be Deputy Speaker, a PDP person will not be Whip, a PDP person will not be Leader and a PDP person will not take any of the committees that are meant for the ruling party. We are determined to achieve that and be rest assured that the party will stand by you.”

    Congratulating the in-coming lawmakers on the electoral victory, the party chairman said: “We are proud that Nigerians in your various constituencies have reposed confidence in the APC.

    “I was looking at the number this morning and I realised that at the level of the House of Representatives, the Nigerian people gave the APC a resounding vote of confidence.

    “Before the election, we had about 190 members. The Nigerian people elected and re-elected 223 members of the House of Representatives on the platform of the APC. This has given us overwhelming majority, almost two-third that we need even if we want to amend the constitution.

    “I like to, on your behalf, thank the Nigerian people for reposing confidence in our party. I would like to say that by the same token, the Nigerian people has reposed less confidence in the major opposition who went into the election with more members and returned with 111 members.

    “It is easy the first time to ask people to give you the benefit of the doubt. But when you have occupied an office for four years, and the people choose to favour your party to the extent to which they have favoured the APC, it is a thing of joy. We are grateful to the Nigerian people for giving us the number we need to carry through our legislative agenda.”

    Alluding to party supremacy, Oshiomhole said: “For us to be able to enjoy our numerical strength in the House of Representatives, we must recognise that we were elected on a party platform.

    “Over the last couple of weeks, I have been invited by INEC to forward names rising from court decisions to the effect that APC has won in a certain constituency even when there is dispute about who is the candidate.

    “I am sure that when you went to vote, you did not see the portrait of any candidate, but the logo of the APC, which is the broom. Something unique about the broom is that when you pick a stick of broom, you can easily break it. But when it is together, as it is in our logo, it will be difficult to break.

    “The essence of that broom is to remind us that when you are together, we share ideas together, make decisions on the basis of inclusion and we carry everybody along, we encourage debate, contestations and agree that at the end of the day, agreement reached are binding on all, then we will be as strong as the broom in our logo.

    “We have called this meeting to remind us that we have a huge task ahead of us. Nigerians have voted the way they did and they expect new vigour and have injected new blood into the House of Representatives and I am sure that you have all come determined to make a difference in the way the National Assembly is run.

    “As people who are active, you are very familiar with the issues that bogged down the National Assembly between 2015 and 2019, arising from a unique concussion and I pray that this time around, we have all learnt a lesson from our immediate past and allow the positive lessons of our immediate past to shape our future.

    “You have been elected at a very challenging time to provide legislative backing for APC agenda and manifesto. Our President, who has been reelected, reminded us that the three critical issues on which we canvassed for votes in 2015 are still valid even now in 2019.

    “The President is doing everything possible to turn the economy around and to ensure that we work and create job led growth and not jobless growth where we celebrate abstract statistics that does not reflect the quality of life of the Nigerian people.

    “We must work hard to rebuild the economy, strengthen the private sector, create job, make the business environment friendly, and expand the capacity of our current investors.

    “If Nigerians consume what we produce, our economy will grow in double digits and that growth will reflect on the quality of lives of our people. What has been missing has been leadership and that President Buhari has brought.

    “We need to sustain and deepen these policies and I sure that some aspects of it will require legislative intervention. We will need to reinvent the manufacturing sector. If we have sensible and sustainable industrial policy in place with appropriate legislative backing to give people the confidence of policy stability, even to cloth half of our population will generate more than ten million jobs in the textile sector alone.

    “There is no reason while Michelin should not return to Nigeria, especially if we have sensible industrial and trade policy that discourages the importation of these items which we were producing before. All these need a collaborative National Assembly.

    “We need to pursue sensible monetary policies and should not price the funds out of the reach of the ordinary person. There must be coherence in all our policies so that we can witness sustainable growth and get our young people busy.

    “President Buhari has a rare opportunity to now think of what legacies to leave behind for Nigerians. He has spoken about corruption and we all know that it is one factor that has destroyed the country.

    “What we owe the Nigerian people is to create an environment for people to work and earn a living and for investors to have decent results for their investment and this also requires legislative action.”

  • Don’t bow to pressure to rig supplementary polls, Group urges Buhari

    Nigerians in diaspora  have urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to bow to pressure from any individual or  political party, encouraging him not to meddle in the conducts of the supplementary polls in some States of the federation.
    The Nigerians in diaspora under the aegis of Concerned Kano Citizens (CKC) said there were alleged  subterranean moves by some powerful individuals within the ranks of the All Progressives Congress to rig the inconclusive governorship election in Kano State.
    The group said the shocking outcome of the governorship election was caused by Governor Abdullahi Umaru Ganduje poor performances and corrupt tendencies that had dogged the APC-led government in Kano State.
    The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Mohammed Yusuf, is leading in the yet to be concluded poll with a margin of 26,513 votes.
    In a letter dated March 15, 2019 and  signed by its Chairperson, Hajia Amina Bambado and Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq from Washington DC, United Stated of America and made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, reminded President Buhari that he would continue to wield enormous influence and in control Kano whether APC wins or not.
    The group added that Kano remain one of the strong political base of Buhari, where he enjoys cut-like followership.
    “Our fear had been that President Muhammadu Buhari will lose more fans in Kano if he deploys federal might to rig the election.
    ” It baffles us that President Buhari and APC could allow governor Ganduje to seek reelection in spite of that video evidence that confirmed how he had been collecting kickbacks running into several millions of dollars from contractors .
    “The leadership of the party in Lagos, led by APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu prevented governor Akinwumi Ambode, who committed lesser offences from going for second term. Why this disparity?
    ” Winning election in Kano could have been easy for APC if the right person was fielded. You could see how they supported President Buhari, this was because of his personality and he will continue to enjoy that support.
    “We have seen how some governors and APC leaders  have been plotting to use Osun strategy in Kano, this will fail. The will of the people should not be allowed to be subverted”, the group insisted.

    Read Also: Why Buhari will get governors’ cooperation —Yari

    The concerned citizens charged President  Buhari to do all within his capacity to  ensure that adequate security is provided to thwart any kind of voter intimidation, vote buying or other manifestation of rigging.
    ” He should also call the APC national  chairman, Com. Adams Oshiomhole to order  and advise him to desist from interfering in Kano’s  politics. We cannot be muzzled  to follow the script of power play aimed at 2023 elections. Let voters  exercise their franchise and vote on the March 23 and whoever wins be declared without delay”.
    The group added: “As concerned Kano citizens, we felt duty bound to call the attention of Mr. President, the International community and all well-meaning Nigerians that any attempt to impose the current government against the wish of the people will not augur well for our democracy and could lead to unwanted development.
    “If Mr. President could sacrifice his integrity on corruption drive for the sake of Ganduje, instead of strengthening it by punishing him, we don’t believe a single loss of life in Kano because of Ganduje is worth it.
    “We humbly demand Mr. President to reciprocate our gesture for being his defenders through thick and thin, to save Kano and our politics in the most trying time of our political history and allow us vote freely for whoever we like”, it said.

  • SGF, Oshiomhole, others prepares for Buhari’s second term Inauguration

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Adams Oshiomhole and other top government functionaries have commenced preparations for the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term by May 29.

    The inter-ministerial Presidential Inauguration Committee was inaugurated on Thursday, after which they began sitting immediately at the SGF conference room.

    Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, the SGF recalled that about four years ago, “the Buhari Administration came on board with the promise of Change built on economy, security and anti-corruption.

    He said the government has since 2015 committed itself to working hard to achieve sustainable economic growth, as well as a secure and corruption free nation.

    He said “preparatory to the inauguration of the new Administration, Mr. President approved the constitution of this Presidential Inter-Ministerial Inauguration Committee (PIC-2019) to plan, organize and execute all approved programmes for the series of activities that would be undertaken”.

    While the SGF would serve as chairman of the committee, other members of the committee includes, Chief of Staff to the President, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Minister of Finance, Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Attorney General & Minister of Justice, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development, Minister of Water Resources, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, National Security Adviser, Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office and Deputy Chief of Staff to the President who will serve as secretary, respectively.

    The Terms of Reference of the committee includes “to plan, organize and execute all approved activities for the 2019 Presidential Inauguration; Co-opt any organization(s)/person(s) relevant towards the successful execution of the programme; document for posterity, all planned activities for the Inauguration; and, carry out any other assignment as may be required towards the successful implementation of the programme.

    “Distinguished Members of the Presidential Inauguration Committee, in the course of the implementation of this assignment, several sub-committees to be headed by Ministers will be constituted.

    “For inclusiveness however, other members would be drawn from, not just the MDAs, but also from the All Progress Congress (our Party), the Presidential Campaign Council, the Buhari Support Organisation as well as Women and Youth Campaign Council. The mandate of these sub-committees will be clearly spelt out to reflect the purpose for which they have been constituted. Ahead of such constitution, I wish to underscore the need for collaboration and synergy amongst sub-committees while planning and executing the approved programmes.

    “Finally, let me remind all members of the importance of this assignment and that no stone should be left unturned to ensure that this 2019 Presidential Inauguration Committee delivers on its mandate. We must therefore deploy our wealth of experience and show unwavering commitment to this exercise”, the SGF stated.

     

  • SGF, Oshiomhole, others prepare for Buhari’s second term inauguration

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Adams Oshiomhole and other top government functionaries have commenced preparations for the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term by May 29.

    The inter-ministerial Presidential Inauguration Committee was inaugurated on Thursday, after which they began sitting immediately at the SGF conference room.

    Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, the SGF recalled that about four years ago, “the Buhari Administration came on board with the promise of Change built on economy, security and anti-corruption.

    He said the government has since 2015 committed itself to working hard to achieve sustainable economic growth, as well as a secure and corruption free nation.

    He said “preparatory to the inauguration of the new Administration, Mr. President approved the constitution of this Presidential Inter-Ministerial Inauguration Committee (PIC-2019) to plan, organize and execute all approved programmes for the series of activities that would be undertaken”.

    While the SGF would serve as chairman of the committee, other members of the committee includes, Chief of Staff to the President, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Minister of Finance, Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Attorney General & Minister of Justice, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development, Minister of Water Resources, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, National Security Adviser, Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office and Deputy Chief of Staff to the President who will serve as secretary, respectively.

    Read Also: Buhari turns down oil spill detection agency Bill

    The Terms of Reference of the committee includes “to plan, organize and execute all approved activities for the 2019 Presidential Inauguration; Co-opt any organization(s)/person(s) relevant towards the successful execution of the programme; document for posterity, all planned activities for the Inauguration; and, carry out any other assignment as may be required towards the successful implementation of the programme.

    “Distinguished Members of the Presidential Inauguration Committee, in the course of the implementation of this assignment, several sub-committees to be headed by Ministers will be constituted.

    “For inclusiveness however, other members would be drawn from, not just the MDAs, but also from the All Progress Congress (our Party), the Presidential Campaign Council, the Buhari Support Organisation as well as Women and Youth Campaign Council. The mandate of these sub-committees will be clearly spelt out to reflect the purpose for which they have been constituted. Ahead of such constitution, I wish to underscore the need for collaboration and synergy amongst sub-committees while planning and executing the approved programmes.

    “Finally, let me remind all members of the importance of this assignment and that no stone should be left unturned to ensure that this 2019 Presidential Inauguration Committee delivers on its mandate. We must therefore deploy our wealth of experience and show unwavering commitment to this exercise”, the SGF stated.

     

  • Oshiomhole gets 48 hours to rescind Okorocha’s suspension

    •Group wants Senate Presidency zoned to Southeast

    The Presidential Support Committee (PSC), Southeast Zone, has given the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) a 48-hour ultimatum to rescind the suspension of Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha.

    The committee, at a news conference jointly addressed by the Director of Inter-Party Affairs Robert Ngwu, National Legal Adviser Ejikeme Ugwu and Director of Political Matters, Comrade Maxwel Okoye, in Owerri, noted that suspending a key stakeholder like Okorocha “did not speak well of the NWC and Oshiomhole”.

    The group consequently threatened to embark on legal and mass action if the NWC did not repeal the suspension.

    The committee also made a case for zoning of the Senate Presidency to the Southeast in view of the support given to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    It noted that “the suspension is an orchestrated agenda to deny the Igbo presidency in 2023, knowing that Okorocha is one of the major contenders”.

    They said: “Okorocha’s suspension came to us as a shock. There is no way a cabal can suspend a major financier of the party. We give the NWC and the National Chairman 48 hours to reverse the suspension or we will resort to legal and mass action against APC leadership.

    “The suspension is aimed at disorganising Igbo ahead of 2023. Oshiomhole cannot wake up and suspend a major financier of the party. We plead with Buhari not to allow some few individuals rubbish his friends because we know that Okorocha is a good friend of the President.”

  • APC will reclaim its stolen votes in A’Ibom, says Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has assured members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom that the party’s votes which were stolen during the February 23 presidential/national Assembly elections would be reclaimed.

    Buhari gave the assurance on Monday in Uyo during a Town hall meeting to appreciate Akwa Ibom electorates for casting their votes for the (APC) party on February 23.

    Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo who represented the President, encouraged the electorates to defend their votes during the Governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    He stated that it was not possible for Senator Godswill Akpabio to have lost the elections, adding that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) robbed him and the party of victory and that all the wrongs that were done during the Presidential and National Assembly elections would be addressed.

    “What happened on the 23rd of February was robbery. The votes of the people were stolen but we are not deterred. The President sent me to thank you today. We are going to make sure that everything that was stolen on the 23rd of February would be restored.

    “It is not possible that Senator Godwill Akpabio lost. We are in no doubt that Senator Akpabio is the elected senator of Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district. I and Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the party have been in the opposition for long and we cannot be defeated anymore.

    Read also: N3.97bn fraud: Court convicts Badeh’s firm

    “Everyone of you should go out to vote on Saturday and defend your votes, we cannot be cheated; not only you but tell your neighbours to vote for Obong Nsima Ekere and all APC candidates. Wait for your votes to be counted. It is the duty of the Federal government to provide security and we will do that. We will recover every one of our votes.

    Also speaking, the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole said the party was not in the state to lament but to thank the people of the state for doing their jobs and voting President Buhari.

    He alleged that INEC colluded with some of the electoral officers to deny the state of its electoral victory on February 23, even though the people voted for the party.

    “We have not come here to brag that our mandate was stolen last week. We have come to thank you that you voted for President Buhari, and all members of the party. You did your job but some armed robbers in INEC stole your votes.

    “You think that those who stole your votes will have peace? We have come to reaffirm our commitment to democracy. We have come to affirm that no robber will go unpunished but when an electoral umpire is corrupt and collude with the opposition, we have the witnesses and we have lawyers to deal with that.

    “On Saturday we are not going to wait for them to steal our votes. We call on Akwa Ibom people to protect their votes. We must maintain our sanity even in this hour of provocation. Those who committed democratic abortion would be brought to book,” he said.

    The APC governorship candidate in the State, Nsima Ekere encouraged the people not to be deterred by the February 23 elections but to go out and vote during the March 9 elections, saying the party is sure of victory.

    He said the people of the state were in need of change and proved it during his campaigns across the 31 local government areas of the state, and assured the President that after March 9 elections, Akwa Ibom state would not be in the opposition but will be reunited with the centre

    He said, “Thank you for what you are doing for APC. The people voted for you, that vote is a revalidation of what the people want. You put Nigeria’s economy back on track.

    “We are here because we have faith in you and Mr President, the opposition and INEC have no choice than to give us back our mandate. Whosoever shall attempt to work against the collective will of Akwa Ibom people, we shall collectively resist.

    “We send a message to the electoral umpire and the other party that they must respect the votes of the people, every vote must count. Akwa Ibom people love APC”.

  • Okorocha accuses Oshiomhole of lawlessness

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has exonerated President Muhammadu Buhari in what he called the “acts of lawlessness perpetrated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole”.

    The governor, who was apparently referring to his suspension and that of his Ogun State counterpart, Ibikunle Amosun, by the APC National Working Committee, noted that “President Buhari is too decent and cannot be part of Mr. Oshiomhole’s appetite for lawlessness, especially in running the affairs of the APC”.

    Okorocha said: “Adams Oshiomhole has done so many strange things with the party and it would be wrong for anybody to think that President Buhari known for his penchant for decency, honesty and forthrightness would be on the same page with the National Chairman.

    “The National Chairman has told the world that he wants to ensure party’s supremacy and he has been doing so to the best of his ability, because from all indications, he has his own idea of party’s supremacy.

    “Oshiomhole’s idea of party’s supremacy could be the purported suspension of two governors on the platform of the party few days after the presidential and National Assembly elections in which the party did well without any contribution from him.

    “The President was voted by Nigerians across the geo-political zones because he has proved to be real and can be trusted. When he said I am fighting corruption, you see it happening. It cannot be the same thing with someone who sold the tickets of the party to the highest bidders.

    “We are yet to see any Nigerian living, who would have defeated President Buhari in that election. He has earned the confidence and trust of most Nigerians, and in states where he lost, you could see traces of wanton manipulation and mutilation of election figures like in the case of Imo.

    “In other words, the President has nothing to do with Oshiomhole’s disdain for the right actions and the chairman’s penchant for lawlessness and total disregard for the party’s constitution.”

  • NASS: I was robbed of victory, says PDP candidate

    Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Edo North senatorial district in the February 23rd National Assembly election, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, has said that he was robbed of victory by National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

    Comrade Oshiomhole hails from the district and defeated the PDP with a wide margin both in the Presidential and National Assembly elections

    Engr. Momoh said Oshiomhole was the brain behind the ‘massive’ deployment of mobile policemen drawn from Mopol 60, lyamho, Oshiomhole’s country home.

    He stated that the deployment of many mobile policemen was to ensure the entire community was barricaded to pave way for the free rein of massive thumb printing of ballot papers by APC members.

    Read Also: Atiku made no demand on Buhari – PDP

    Hon. Momoh who spoke through a press statement signed by the Director General of his campaign organization, Dr Wilson lmogah, condemned what he termed unholy alliance between security agencies and some powerful APC chieftains.

    Momoh said he was robbed of victory due to electoral fraud, voters’ intimidation vote buying and use of security agencies to influence the outcome.

    He also accused the APC candidate, Senator Francis Alimikhena of using soldiers to arrest and detain PDP stalwarts across Weppa Wanno, whilst ballot box stuffing took place in Ugieda, Anwain and Agbede.

     

     

  • Oshiomhole blinded by 2023 ambition, says suspended Okorocha

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has accused the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Adams Oshiomhole of plotting to destroy the party in the Southeast geopolitical zone for his selfish political permutations in 2023.

    The Imo governor, who was responding to his reported expulsion from the APC by the National Working Committee of the party, said that Oshiomhole is blinded by his 2023 ambition and has thrown caution to the wind in pursuing it.

    Okorocha, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, noted: “Adams Oshiomhole was determined right from the outset to destroy APC in the Southeast and unknown to party chieftains from the zone who had genuinely supported his chairmanship.

    “He is playing the politics of 2023 in 2019 and in playing it he has thrown caution to the wind”.

    He went on:  “In all the Southeast states there are crises and all arising from the fraudulent manner he conducted the primaries.

    “In 2015, Governor Okorocha had joined the merger that gave birth to APC at the risk of his second tenure and was called all sorts of unprintable names.

    “Yet, he won the governorship election, delivered 24 out of the 27 members of the House of Assembly for APC, two House of Representatives members and one Senator.

    “In 2019, Oshiomhole felt that such a man should be treated with disdain. He handed over the governorship ticket of the Party to Hope Uzodinma who has never resigned his membership of the PDP on the floor of the Senate like others did and giving all kinds of flimsy excuses.

    “And if Oshiomhole had meant well for APC and Imo people in particular, would he have given the ticket of the Party to a man facing five corruption charges and having travel ban slammed on him, to be the party’s Candidate”.

    He added:  “In the February 23, 2019 Presidential and National Assembly election, Governor Okorocha won in ten, out of the twelve Local Government Areas in Orlu zone to emerge winner for Imo West Senatorial District.

    “He also delivered four House of Representatives Candidates on the platforms of APC and AA respectively, with one Senate Seat and two House of Representatives Seats outstanding.

    “And when the APC members across the nation are still celebrating the success of the party in the Presidential and National Assembly elections, Oshiomhole in his wisdom or lack of it, felt that the best action in the circumstance was to suspend two governors who did well in the election, even when he played safe in 2015 and 2019 in Edo State without any known pressure.

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    “Again, Oshiomhole coming with the purported expulsion this time was only acting out of the fear that God in his infinite Mercy could give Governor Okorocha a role to play in the Senate, in the overall interest of the nation.

    “The truth is that Oshiomhole is only labouring in vain to play his own part of the deal that warranted his giving out the tickets of the party to non-deserving elements like in the case of Imo.

    “Finally, APC especially in the Southeast and in Imo in particular will outlive Oshiomhole.

    “Men like him hardly sleep with their two eyes closed. They always sleep with their eyes open because they have murdered sleep with their actions and inactions.

    “And unfortunately for him the purported expulsion can’t stand because the law has taken care of it even long before now”.