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Tag: Adams Oshiomole

  • ‘Buhari’s achievements should earn him a second term’

    …President has fulfilled campaign promises

    Former Chief of Staff to the Imo State Governor, Uche Nwosu, on Monday said that the sterling performance of President Muhammadu Buhari in office has justified his second term ambition.

    Speaking at the background of the flag-off of President Buhari’s second term campaign,  Nwosu, noted that the Preaident has delivered on his campaign promises of fighting corruption, insecurity and diversifying the economy.
    He said that the President from all considerations, deserve a second term to consolidate on the achievements he has recorded during his first term, adding that the country will be better off under another four year of President Buhari’s administration.
    Nwosu enjoined Nigerians to jettison tribal and religious sentiments and support the President for another term, adding that Nigeria has reclaimed its respect among the comity of nations since the last three years that Buhari came on board.
    According to him, “President Muhammadu Buhari has done well in office to earn the support of Nigerians. Take for instance the achievement recorded in the agricultural sector, it is on record today that Nigeria is now a major exporter of rice. This has earned the country trillions of naira. Another area the President has written his name in gold, is the fight against corruption, which had almost destroyed our nation.
    “The case of corruption has gotten to the extent that if you travel abroad and show your passport as a Nigerian, they will treat you as a corrupt person from a corrupt nation but this is no more the case today. Nigerians are now treated with respect across the globe. And on the issue of insecurity,  the President has also restored normalcy in the troubled parts of the country. Before now, Boko Haram was having a field day, it was a story of one bombing today and another tomorrow but this is no more so”.
    The former Chief of Staff also pointed out that President Buhari’s uncommon integrity and honesty stand him out from the crowd contesting for the office of the President.

    Read Also: Buhari, governors meet over minimum wage

    In his words, “Nigerians should support Buhari for who he is, a man of uncommon integrity and honesty. He is a man that does whatever he says and does not believe in saying a thing and doing another. Nigerians should compare him with other persons without any form of bias and they will discover that he is poles ahead of them all in those qualities that define a true leader and democrat”.
    He however appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience with the Buhari’s administration, adding that he is laying the foundation for a strong and virile economy in the overall interest of Nigerians, “a journey of a thousand miles starts with a step, Rome was not built in a day. Those great economies you see today were not built overnight but through good policies and the right investments like what is happening in the agricultural sector will surely make our nation great, it is just a matter of time”.
    Nwosu who is the acclaimed winner of the October 6 governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Imo state, assured that the post primary crisis rocking the APC will not affect the chances of the Preaident in the election.
    He said, “we are United in our support for President Buhari’s reelection. We don’t have anything against the President, he is a man of integrity and is doing everything possible to resolve the crisis emanating from the party’s primary elections, which was mismanaged by the National Chairman,  Adams Oshiomole who was indiscriminately taking people’s mandate and given those who never won elections, like in my case, where he substituted my name, which we will not allow. But all of these does not affect our love and support for President Muhammadu Buhari. We are poised to working for him to return and there is no going back on that”.
    He also pointed out that the President has done well in the Southeast to merit the support of the Igbo, citing the second Niger Bridge, the Onitsha-Enugu road, the Owerri-ABA road, the Owerri-Port Harcourt road, among other projects executed by Buhari’s administration in the zone.

  • I will reclaim my mandate before INEC deadline – Nwosu

    …. No plan to leave APC

    Former Chief of Staff to the Imo state governor, Uche Nwosu, Tuesday,  said that the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Adams Oshiomole, will give him back the party’s governorship ticket before the December 1 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline.
    Nwosu who was accorded a rowdy reception at the Sam Mbakwe Airport  by APC members, stated that he has no doubt that he will fly the party’s ticket in the 2019 governorship election.
    He dismissed as unfounded, reports that he is defecting from the APC to another where he hopes to actualize his ambition.
    According to him, the current  APC  governorship candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, “will not be governor of the state”.
    He stated that, “Uzodinma is a tenant in APC”.
    Nwosu who is laying claim to the governorship ticket of the party in the state, said that the Court will dispense justice in the matter.
    In his words, “I am the lawful governorship candidate of APC in Imo state. Our National Chairman did not respect the  rule of law and the constitution of our party in substituting my name for senator Hope Uzodinma.
    “The records are very  clear. I won the first primary election on October 2.I also won the second primary held on October 6.The records are there.The police, INEC and DSS reports affirmed my victories.
    “It is only for a matter of time.We will get justice in court.my name shall be on the ballot. I shall be announced as the APC governorship candidate in Imo state. Hope Uzodinma won’t be governor.”
    “There is no truth in the rumour that I have dumped APC for Democratic Alternative. I  am still in APC.I am a founding member of the ruling party.I won the ticket of the party and I shall led APC to victory in Imo state in 2019”.

  • INEC list: I am not distracted, says Nwosu

    The winner of the October 6 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Imo State, Uche Nwosu on Saturday said that he is not distracted by the nominal list of governorship candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which did not include his name.

    He insisted that he is not deterred by the exclusion of his name on the provisional list but still undaunted in his ambition to be the next governor of the state.

    Nwosu whose name was substituted by the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomole, said that he still has faith in the judiciary, stating that he will employ all legitimate means to reclaim his mandate as the duly elected APC governorship candidate for Imo state.

    According to him, “My candidacy is not in contention as there are reports from relevant agencies affirming the October 6 primary election which I won, including that of the Police, DSS and INEC. So I am not worried over what is happening now because I know that it will only last for a while and my candidacy will be restored. I have faith in the Court to dispense justice”.

    He continued that the “Oshiomole’s decision not to obey a valid Court Order issued by a Court of competent jurisdiction restraining him and the party from forwarding any name other than my name as the APC governorship candidate will be defined by the Court because I believe in line with the principle of the rule of law,  which stipulates that no person is above the law, no matter how highly placed.

    “I am confident that all the irregularities perpetrated by Oshiomole will be reversed and the will of the members of our great party will prevail”.

    Read Also: Imo: My name has not been dropped – Nwosu

    It will be recalled that INEC in what could be described as a u-turn, displayed the name of Senator Hope Uzodinma as the APC governorship candidate at about 9pm, after it earlier declined to publish the APC candidate as a result of an Order of Court,  which restrained it from doing so.

    Recall that Oshiomole had during a press conference in Abuja, said that the NWC of the party had decided to adopt the cancelled result of the Ahmed Gulak Committee, which produced Uzodinma but which was rejected by the party for not complying with the guidelines for the primary.

    The Gulak Committee was subsequently disbanded and a new Committee led by Ibrahim Agbaboaka, a retired Army General was constituted to conduct a fresh governorship primary, which Nwosu won.

  • Okorocha to Oshiomhole: Prove your integrity

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has called on the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole to uphold the integrity and honesty for which he is known in resolving the controversy surrounding the party’s governorship primary election in the state.

    Oshiomhole had vowed that he will never mortgage his conscience to keep his job.

    But the Imo Governor who noted with dismay that the party is contemplating undemocratic measures in determining the governorship candidate in his State, even after a candidate has been duly elected.

    He enjoined the National Chairman to forward Nwosu’s name as the governorship candidate and jettison sentiments promoted by those that do not mean well for the party.

    Okorocha insisted that Oshiomhole and members of the National Working Committee of the party owe it as an obligation to defend the integrity of the party, which he said distinguishes it from other political parties.

    According to him, Oshiomhole was elected as the National Chairman of the party as a result of his track record of honesty and integrity, which he adduced were and are still his highest selling points.

    In his words, “We elected Oshiomhole because we felt that he is a man of integrity and we are only asking him to uphold that integrity for which we have priced him, he must prove that image which he has cut for himself as Oshiomhole prior to his being elected as the National Chairman, anything short of that will reduce his value completely in this country. He should do the right thing and be simple”.

    The Governor continued that, “I think people are trying to change the narratives, some people are trying to upturn the truth they want to cover the truth by leaving the main to discuss frivolities, the truth remains that a certain Ahmed Gulak with a sinister mission came here and disappeared with result sheet by 4am on the day of proposed election, the NWC of our party disbanded that Committee, despite the fact that eight members of the Committee including the Secretary  stayed back and conducted the election and declared Uche Nwosu winner.

    “Despite the fact that Uche Nwosu won the election, the National Working Committee disbanded that Committee and called for fresh election, this fact is known to everybody and the second election which they came to conduct on October 6, the same Uche Nwosu won. Now how could the man who is supposed to be facing charges of criminal conspiracy turn around and say that the election he disappeared with result sheet is genuine, it makes a mockery of this country.

    Read Also: Oshiomole’s campaign for political revival

    “But one fact remains that President Muhammadu Buhari is known for justice and fairness, that is the image he has and let no one or the party destroy this image which has given us victory and that is why we are here today as APC members. So it is not a question of who is a good or bad loser, the issue is that people are trying to change the narrative to cover the truth, it is diversionary as far as I am concerned.

    “How could you explain it for God’s sake that somebody won in the first election, the results are clear and signed by the members of the Committee, same person won the second election signed by all the members, even when you cancelled the first election and then you have the Police and INEC reports confirming the election and you have a letter from the NWC disbanding that Gulak Committee and you also have a letter from the NWC confirming that Uche Nwosu is the candidate of the party and again you have forms given to him from INEC for his name to be submitted.

    “I don’t understand what is happening but I think this issue of semantics and sentiments being poured cannot cover the truth, the truth is that APC holds it as a point of duty and honour to declare winners of election and anything short of that will not go down well with the people and the history of APC in Nigeria and I beg to disagree with those who try to change the issue from what it is.

    “I mean what can you say to the whole world that Gulak didn’t disappear with result sheets or that election was not cancelled or that Uche Nwosu did not win I don’t just understand what is happening, so people are trying to change the truth but that is not going to work.  APC must remain APC and our party’s NWC holds it as a point of duty to defend the integrity for which APC is known, anything short of that will amount to self-destruction of the party”.

    On the alleged plot against the National Chairman, “I think talking about Oshiomhole’s removal is not an issue, it is not important, we elected Oshiomhole because we felt that he is a man of integrity and we are only asking him to uphold that integrity for which we have priced him, he must that image which he has cut for himself as Oshiomhole prior to his being elected as the National Chairman, anything short of that will reduce his value completely in this country, he should do the right thing and be simple, I mean we are democrats and this is our party, this is APC and the right thing must be done so when people try to change the narrative and to say Governors are bad losers, the governors want to impose people, excuse me, democracy is about the people, if the people have spoken, who are you to change what the people have said.

    “Buhari is a President today because the people spoke and if Buhari can be a President because people spoke, then the party must respect that and allow the voice of the people to prevail in whatever election and avoid sentiments. The campaign they try to put forward is that Uche Nwosu can’t go because he is  Okorocha’s son-in-law and I say to them, has Uche Nwosu gone contrary to any section of the Nigerian constitution, nobody has been able to give an answer to that, nobody has come forward to say that the young man is a criminal or that he is corrupt or does not have capacity.

    “It is not just enough to sit back in Abuja and be talking, they should come to the state to understand the feelings of the people down home, that’s the point am making so my advice to our party, is that our party should sit up and do the right thing and not allow the people get misled.

    “And if you are talking about morals, what is the morality in somebody that joined the party in less than two weeks to be given the number one job by Abuja and not the people, how is he going to win, so I want to advice those behind this to stop forthwith and it is a directive that they should stop forthwith so that this party can enjoy that name that it is known for as a party of justice, equity and fairness if not there is no difference between this party and any other party in Nigeria.

    “Ninety percent of those who have joined APC in the last two months are doing so not because they love APC, they can never go to an election without Federal might and per adventure President Buhari loses this election, the net day they will leave the party, so these set of people are simply called political opportunists who are not with the people but always want to grab victory through the use of gun but I think this has to stop, why should our party promote this and I warn they should stop this”.

    On the likelihood of leaving the party, the Governor noted that, “the option of leaving the party has not come to my mind, APC is my party, in 2011 when this party was called Boko Haram and Islamisation party, where were these people, nobody gave us a chance that APC was going to win the 2015 election, so what makes you think that we are going to leave the party for those that came through the back door and are being given a voice by the National Chairman of our party.

    “All you hear is rumour everywhere that they are backed by the Presidency that Rochas should take one position and leave the other one as if we are sharing groundnut, but I tell them I have met President and he told me he never said to anybody to impose a wrong candidate or to remove the name of anybody and change it with another in whatever guise, I think they want to make Mr. President a liar. So what they are doing is wrong and unacceptable so they should stop”.

  • Anti-Oshiomole protest rocks Imo

    … party Chair under fire over plot to substitute candidates

    Thousands of All Progressives Congress (APC) faithful in Imo State on Monday took to the street to protest the substitution of candidates who won the primary election by the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomole.
    APC leaders who led the protest, knocked Oshiomole for “introducing impunity” in the party.
    According to the protesters who displayed various placards such as, “Oshiomole should respect the will of the people”, ‘we say no to substitution of candidates’, ‘Oshiomole is killing APC’, ‘President Buhari, save our party from Oshiomole’, ‘We insist on the result of October 6 Primary’, among others, accused the party Chairman of turning the party’s ticket into “cash and carry” affair.
    Some of the candidates allegedly substituted by Oshiomole were Hon Kingsley Uju (Ohaji-Egbema-Oguta- Oru West Fed Constituency), Paschal Obi (Ideato South and Ideato North Fed Constituency) and Prof. Nnamdi Obiareri (Imo North Senatorial Zone).
    Vehicular and human movements were crippled on major streets in Owerri, the state capital.
    The Secretary General of the Southeast for Buhari Group, Prince Charles Amadi, stated that Oshiomole’s actions are capable of destroying the chances of the APC in Imo State and in the Southeast.
    According to him, the plot to substitute the names of candidates that won the primary elections is tantamount to destroying the party.
    He urged President Buhari to prevail on Oshiomole and other members of the National Working Committee of the party to adhere to the tenets of internal democracy for which the party is known by implementing the outcome of the Ibrahim Agbabiaka led Primary election without any compromise.

    Read Also: Osun governorship poll, a walk-over for APC – Oshiomole

    Another member of the Buhari’s support group and  former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ugochi Nnanna Okoro, stated that the National Chairman has introduced similar impunity that led to the crash of the People”s Democratic Party (PDP).
    She accused Oshiomole of muscling up the NWC and usurping the functions of the members, alleging that, “Oshiomole has moved the Secretariat of the party to his private residence, where he stays to perpetrate all forms of impunity but we will resist him in Imo State, we will not allow him to destroy the party we fought hard to build. We were called all manner of names because we joined APC and today the same people are being treated as sacred cows by Oshiomole.
    “We are by this protest registering our total displeasure with his style of leadership, especially ththe
    The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Acho Ihim, described the actions of Oshiomole as alien to the APC, warning that going ahead with the planned substitution of the candidates will not be in the interest of the party.
    Speakers after speakers took turn to warn the National Chairman against inciting crisis in the state chapter of the party.
    Meanwhile the State Chairman of the party, Mr. Daniel Nwafor, who was absent at the protest rally, said that he had pleaded with the party members to allow the NWC to look into their grievances without resorting to protest.
    He however appealed to the leadership of the party to look into the matter and urgently address the issues raised by the aggrieved members of the party.
    Nwafor also assured the party members that their grievances will be addressed, ” our National Chairman is a man with listening ears, he will certainly look into the issues raised by the aggrieved members of our party”.

  • Ondo APC members sue Exco over Council Poll

    A faction within the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) in Ondo state,Unity Group(UG) has dragged the executive committee of the party to the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking rejection of list of candidates for December 1, local government poll in the state.

    Joining in the suit as defendants are the Independent National Electoral Commission(ODIEC), Attorney-General/Commissioner for Justice,the state APC Chairman, Ade Adetimehin and National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole.

    ‘The Nation’ learnt that the development was the fall-out of the controversial congress from Ward to National held between May and June 2018.

    During the exercise,some members were allegedly denied access to party forms to participate in the Congresses.

    At a media briefing in Akure, the state capital on Tuesday, the chairman of the group, Idowu Otetubi supported by its Secretary,Gani Muhammed recalled that they held parallel congresses from Ward to State level in all the 203 wards and 18 Local Governments of Ondo State.

    Read Also: Shakarau returns to APC, after four years in PDP

    According to them, they recently produced their executives despite persecution, intimidation and maiming of their members and some reporters at the BTO Hall in Akure where they had the State Congress.

    Otetubi said “After the Congress, we submitted the result to the National level of the Party and copied Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)but unfortunately, the former National Chairman,Chief John Odigie-Oyegun did not allow our list to see the light of the day.

    “We have continued to carry on as a Party Executives that emerged following the party congresses conducted in substantial compliance with the APC Constitution and guidelines.

    He said they had continued to defend the policies of the APC led government at the National Level and continued to mobilize to the party on daily basis.

    The group however commended the new leadership of the party led by Adams Oshiomole for the good job it had been doing.

    It said “We are elated that the NEC had adopted Direct Primary at all levels to nominate candidates for the 2019 general election. We are not unaware of the unpatriotic stand of some of our governors who have been in the forefront of kicking against the most democratic system of nominating candidates.

    “We are not surprised at the stand of those handpicked executives in the states. We know that they are afraid of any direct contest. All they want is to be handpicked as candidates of the party which shall be counter-productive.

    The group which claimed of having 75 percent of APC in Ondo State said it would do everything to resist imposition of unpopular candidates for the 2019 election.

    It said “We are aware of an attempt to conduct Local Government Election in Ondo State. It is very unfortunate that only Aketi’s group had access to the nomination forms as members of our Unity group have also been illegally excluded.

    “We wish to state that the Adetimehin led executive in Ondo State is not competent to submit list of candidates to Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) because it did not emerge in a Congress done in accordance with the party guidelines.

    However, Adetimehin insisted that those calling themselves Unity Group members are not APC members, saying they are acting as spoilers to the ruling party but would not succeed in their mischief.

  • Direct primary, best option for Ondo APC – Boroffice

    A lawmaker representing Ondo North Senatorial District, Prof Ajayi Boroffice has said that adoption of direct primary is the only veritable means to elect party candidates in Ondo State and other All Progressives Congress (APC)- controlled states ahead of 2019 general elections.

    Boroffice in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, (CPS) Kayode Fakuyi, maintained that the adoption of direct primary is a ‘settled matter’.

    According to him, the national leadership of APC, President Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other prominent leaders of the party have declared absolute support for it.

    Boroffice said”As the preparations for primary election rev up, it is necessary to reassure members of the APC in Ondo State that the National leadership of our party ably led by Comrade Adams Oshiomole has adopted direct primary as the only means of electing party candidates in the state.

    “The position of APC on direct primary is clear. It states that direct primary will hold in APC – governed states while indirect primary/delegate primary will hold in states where the state governments are not governed by APC.

    “It should also be noted that President Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other prominent leaders of our party have thrown their weights behind the party on the adoption of direct primary. Therefore, the adoption of direct primary is a settled matter. It is unambiguous. It is uncontroversial. It is clear”.

    The statement pointed out that the report credited to the Vice Chairman of the APC (Southwest) Bankole Oluwajana that, “The method to be adopted will depend on what the leadership of the party in the state wants”, is untrue.

    Read Also: Troops arrest ‘abductors’ in Ondo forest

    “It should be understood that the National leadership of APC with the exclusive responsibility to conduct primary elections across all states in Nigeria has adopted the direct primary.

    “It is neither the business of the zonal structure nor duty of state structures of our party. All party members are aware the constitution of the APC did not empower state chapters to choose or decide method of selecting party flag bearers.

    “Furthermore, the resolution of the National leadership is not subject to discretional amendment or modification by the zonal or state structures of the party”. The statement stressed.

    Boroffice contended that the adoption of direct primary by the APC would deepen democracy and ensure popular participation, saying” the national leadership has empowered all party members in Ondo State with voting powers for the purpose of nominating flag bearers of the APC in the 2019 general elections”.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Science and Technology maintained that  “no individual or group can snatch or hijack such voting powers from members of APC in  the state”.

  • Osinbanjo: APC badly needs Katsina Senatorial bye-election

    The Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbanjo on Thursday disclosed 3 reasons why the All Progressive Congress (APC) must win Saturday’s bye-election for the Katsina North Senatorial district.

    Speaking at Kaingiwa square in front of the Emir palace in Daura during the grand finale of the APC campaign ahead of the poll, Osinbanjo said the APC wants to win the election in order to form a majority in the Senate.

    He said the second reason was to honour the memory of late Senator Mustapha Bukar, the lawmaker who occupied the position before his death on April 4, this year.

    While the third reason, he said was to ensure that the win honoured President Muhammadu Buhari, being the son of the soil and that the election would be taking place at the senatorial zone where he comes from.

    A total of six candidates from same number of political parties are contesting for the position, with Hon. Ahmed Babba Kaita being the APC flag bearer.

    He said “three reasons why we must make sure we vote for our candidate: first, we must have a majority in the Senate. Politics is about numbers. We must vote for him because we want to maintain the majority’’.

    “Secondly, we must honour the memory of late Mustapha Bukar. We should not allow anyone to be there outside our own senator’’.

    “Thirdly, this zone is Buhari’s and a vote for Kaita is a vote for Buhari.”

    He said what the country was currently going through was battle between good and evil, and that evil men trying to bring down Buhari administration would never succeed.

    He called on Nigerians to “vote for the APC in the interest of the common man,” adding that “so long as Buhari ruled the country, Nigeria will only get better and better.”

    Read Also: Osinbanjo, senators, others for prayer for the nation

    He said the current federal government has been up and doing in terms of socio-economic transformation of the country, especially in the area of roads construction.

    “All of these things we are doing when we were earning far less than what was earned when we were not in government,” he said.

    Speaking, the APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, said the Buhari administration had “restored the confidence of the country in the eyes of the international community.”

    Oshiomole, who spoke in Hausa language, said many Nigerians, and himself included, could now confidently go abroad without being embarrassed about the country.

    He said that money belonging to the public was wantonly embezzled in the past, but that under Buhari, Nigerians can sigh a relief that their commonwealth was in safe hands.

    On the Saturday election, he called on voters to “accept monies given them by politicians from other parties,” but “vote for the choice candidate of the APC.”

    The rally had several dignitaries in attendance including the Kano state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, Minister of state for aviation, Hadi Sirika, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

    Others were the water resources minister, Suleiman Adamu, Kaduna state governor, Nasiru El-rufai who was represented by the commissioner of lands, Suleiman Abdulkwari.

    The host governor, Aminu Bello Masari, senators from Katsina, Umar Kurfi (Katsina central), Abu Ibrahim (Katsina south), among others, were also at the event

    Also speaking at the occasion, the state Governor Aminu Bello Masari, said the party will win landslide come Saturday. He appealed to the people to troop out in numbers to vote for APC

  • Defection: Oshiomole’s emergence saved APC from collapse – Okorocha

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has called on stakeholders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to support the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomole as he stabilises  the party.

    The Imo governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press  Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, stated that Oshiomole’s emergence saved APC from implosion.

    He observed that the party would have totally collapsed if the former National Chairman of the party, Odigie Oyegun and the National Working Committee were allowed to pilot the affairs of the party for another one year as proposed with the tenure elongation.

    According to Okorocha, “with the scenarios that have played out within the fold of the APC, at the moment and in less than one month after the National Convention of the Party, it is obvious that the emergence of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as National Chairman has saved the party from an impending catastrophe”.

    “With the unfolding developments in the party, the story would have been very nauseating if there was no National Convention and if Adams Oshiomhole had not emerged as the National Chairman of the Party”.

    “It can also be argued that some of the proponents of tenure elongation were innocently doing so without having an overview of the entire disturbing picture behind the scheming for elongation of tenure. All these defections, as we all could see, were never planned in the past few weeks. The coming of Oshiomhole just forced the cat out of the bag.

    “With the events too, leaders of the party could now see the wisdom in jettisoning the clamour for tenure elongation for the John Oyegun led National Working Committee (SWC) members, and opting for a National Convention to elect new officers. In the circumstance, those who opposed the elongation stuff and insisted on convention should now be commended”.

    Okorocha was also quoted as saying  that, “one could easily imagine what would have been the case if the party had allowed the Oyegun-led SWC to continue and what would have happened at the party’s primaries especially that of Presidency.

    “What is happening in the party now could not have been planned and executed within these few weeks Oshiomhole took over as the National Chairman of the party. Rather, his coming only altered the plan of those who wanted to destroy APC to serve personal interests.

    “When the issue of elongation came up, we heard a lot of stories why some of those behind the undemocratic demand were persistent on that. That, there was an arrangement somewhere to shortchange President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential primary for 2019. And with events of the moment, that claim has got an alibi.

    Read also: 13 APC LG chairmen defect to PDP

    “In other words, Oshiomhole’s coming was timely. He came at the appropriate time. He is on it and will get it right. All we need to do is to support him. APC has come to stay as number one party in the Country and even in Africa. And whatever that is happening in the party now are indices of Party Politics and they have nothing to do with the fortunes of the party either now or in 2019.

    “In 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari will be re-elected by Nigerians. The Party will also have more governors and more legislators elected by the electorate because the records are available to show that we have done well in four years compared with the sixteen years spent by the other party.

    “Adams Oshiomhole has the political will and all it takes to make APC an institution that we shall all be proud of. We know his capacity and that was why we all supported him. He will drive us safely to our destination by the grace of God”.

  • Ekiti: PDP is irreparably broken, dismantled – Presidency 

    *Ekiti: Fayose’s political career sealed – Presidency 

    *Says Ekiti people have rejected stomach infrastructure

    *Ekiti: Credit goes to Tinubu – Presidency

    With the victory of the Ekiti State Gov-Elect, Kayode Fayemi, in the governorship election in the state at the weekend, the Presidency on Sunday said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is irreparably broken and dismantled with the outcome.

    In an article entitled ‘Fayose: In The End, A High-Powered Nothing’, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said that Fayose’s political career is now sealed for good with the loss by his party.

    According to him, much credit for the victory of Fayemi goes to the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

    He said “The people of the politically significant State of Ekiti have spoken against their Governor, outgoing governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, who told them that the governorship election they just had was a referendum on President Muhammadu Buhari. He said candidates Kayode Fayemi and Olusola Eleka were pawns and that he and President Buhari were the actual contestants.

    “In what observers said was the most intense, and a most angry campaign, the people gave their verdict: Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the one-time governor, declared persona-non-grata is now persona-grata again. President Buhari has won this referendum. The people of the State have sent a clear message. The politics of brinksmanship, assaults, insults, abuses and Robin Hoodism disguised as stomach infrastructure has been rejected in favour of politics of inclusion, development, responsibility and good governance.

    “President Buhari’s war against corruption and insecurity; the message of agric revolution and infrastructure development and fidelity in resource allocation and management have struck a chord with Ekiti voters, who had been lied to and deceived by Governor Fayose. While the opposition continued to rant at him, President Buhari’s uprightness, coupled with incorruptibility and personal integrity, unmatched by any politician in the country has again stood the test of time.

    “The All Progressives Congress (APC) win in Ekiti means that the Party has control over 25 out of the 36 states of the Federation. The party thus becomes the only one in power in the six states of the South-West geopolitical zone.

    “Besides reinforcing the APC’s position as the only standing pole in the political landscape, it is a credit to the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, against whom all manner of ethnic and religious opposition is being mounted by former President Obasanjo and some of the Asiwaju’s sworn enemies in the sub-region.

    “With this, the political landscape of the South-West has been transformed. APC’s regional strength has been strengthened and the Asiwaju will be respected even better. Without losing patience and decorum, the Asiwaju has proved that rivals must reconcile and come to terms or lose everything.

    “This win is equally a huge boost to the APC and its new leadership under Chairman Adams Oshiomole, who got their first baptism of fire in Ekiti. It is, importantly, a big boost to the second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari.” he said

    Speaking on PDP, he said “For the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which came second in the election in a state that they held sway, it is a loss politically and psychologically. The result of the election has proved that PDP is irreparably broken and dismantled. They have nothing to offer to the country and its people. The message from Ekiti is that no state in Nigeria will vote PDP. Never again.

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    “As for Mr. Fayose and his morbid brand of politics, it is now his time to reconcile himself to the imminent political extinction he faces, his political career sealed for good. Newspapers have mistaken him for a gadfly who creates discomfort for the government at the centre to make it better, but Fayose is a street-type thug. He never fits the role of a gadfly because he thrives on bitter enmity. Opposition does not mean a negative view of everything. Neither does it translate into a licence to abuse your superiors.

    “The winner of the election, Governor Fayemi’s trajectory from a persona-non-grata to a persona-grata again has given a wave of cheer to APC members all over the country. It has given a fresh hope that fake news, lies and propaganda run only short distances, because they have short legs.

    “An old proverb says you can’t beat something with nothing. After all the noise, theatricals and drama, Fayose’s fall came with a thud, not a bang: a high-powered nothing.” he stated