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Tag: African Action Congress

  • Assassins after my life, says AAC’s Awara

    The governorship candidate of African Action Congress (AAC) in Rivers State, Biokpomabo Awara, has raised the alarm on plots to assassinate him.

    Awara, an indigene of coastal Kula-Kalabari in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers state, told our correspondent on phone he was robbed of his well-deserved victory during the March 9 election by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    He accused the officials of collaborating with leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The governorship candidate of AAC, who is being backed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), said: “Information reaching me is that some boys have been dispatched to trail and assassinate me, even in Abuja, since I have refused to give up on my March 9, 2019 mandate.”

    Read Also: Navy arrests three suspects with 416 bags of contraband rice

    Awara maintained that as at the time the collation of results of the polls was suspended by INEC headquarters in Abuja on March 10, he had 281,000 votes as against Wike’s 79,000 votes.

    He also expressed displeasure his agent, Dr. Lawrence Chuku, was prevented on April 2 and 3, from accessing the collation centre inside INEC office on Aba Road, Port Harcourt.

    He alleged the commission’s compromised officials and security personnel allowed Nenye Kocha, who was accused of impersonating AAC, as the party’s collation agent, despite AAC’s protest.

  • Rivers: AAC guber candidate protest alteration of results in Rivers

    Ahead of the planned resumption of collation of results in Rivers state, the Governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) , Engr. Biokpomabo Awara has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of doctoring the governorship and state House of Assembly election in Akuku-Toru local government area of Rivers state in favour of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Awara said in a petition addressed to the Chairman of INEC, dated 22nd March, 2019 in the originally declared result from the polling units, ward and local government collation centre, the AAC clearly won the election in the local government with a large margin.

    Awara objected to what he called alteration of results and outright concoction of results going on in the state and plans to officially announce the concocted results as official results.

    The letter made available to The Nation in Abuja reads “may we by this letter establish and convey our objection to the alteration, and outright concoction of results, and the threat to announce the same as officially declared results from the 9th of March, 2019, Governorship and House of Assembly Election in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, Rivers State.

    Read Also: Rivers: Lulu-Briggs wants Governorship, Assembly polls cancelled

    “Sir, despite the fear of violence sequel to the horror that characterized the Presidential Election that was cancelled, the people came out in hordes to vote, and the election was as successful as it could possibly be.

    “For the first time in a long while, Akuku-Toru LGA experienced a peaceful election. At the end of the election, the results were counted and declared at the various units, wards and eventually collated at the LGA Collation Centre, and subsequently declared by the LGA Returning Officer. The process was recorded and broadcast LIVE at the Collation Centre and reported widely on Social Media.

    “In the originally collated and declared Governorship election result from Akuku-Toru, the AAC scored 57,856 votes while the PDP scored 5,953. The vote difference between the AAC and the PDP was 51,903.

    “The results as declared was accordingly taken to the Rivers State INEC Office and submitted by the Returning Officer.

    “Sir, we have credible reason to believe that the election results from Akuku-Toru LGA has been unilaterally altered by the Returning Officer, Dr Somiari Ikiroma-Owiye who we were reliably informed was invited by senior officials of INEC Rivers State on the 11th of March, 2019, and in cooperation with the PDP strategically altered the results – reducing the votes in favour of the AAC to less than 37,000 and inflating the votes in favour of the PDP in excess of 15,000.

    “Sadly, this was alleged to have been perpetrated in the privacy of his collusion with elements from the PDP and most disappointingly, INEC Rivers State without the presence of our Party agents.

    “We are by this Petition urging you to use your good office to investigate the substance of our fears and institute criminal charges against Dr Somiari Ikiroma-Owiye, and prevent the eventuation of this unacceptable electoral fraud.

    “Also, we urge the INEC to only honour and give effect to the Governorship result that was appropriately collated and declared on the 10th of March, 2019 at the Collation Centre and broadcast LIVE at the Collation Centre and reported widely on social media. Nothing short of this can meet the test of credibility, and be acceptable to us.”

  • Why I defected to PDP, by AAC governorship running mate

    AFRICAN Action Congress (AAC) governorship running mate in Rivers State GAKPO Bomba Yeeh has explained why he defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Announcing his withdrawal from the yet-to-be concluded governorship election, Chief Yeeh said he decided to dump the AAC to join hands with Governor Nyesom Wike to move Rivers State forward.

    Wike, the PDP governorship candidate has the AAC candidate, Biokpomabo Awarato, to contend with for him to retain his seat.

    Awara told reporters in his Port Harcourt home yesterday, said: “After due consultations with my immediate family,  friends and supporters,  I, Chief Akpo Bomba Yeeh,  the governorship running mate of the AAC for the 2019 governorship election, hereby resign my membership of the AAC and announce my defection to the PDP to join hands with Governor Wike to move the state forward.

    “I was the governorship running mate of the AAC in Rivers State up till today (yesterday), 25th March, 2019, when I decided to withdraw my candidature and resign from the party with immediate effect.

    “The  March 9 , governorship election in Rivers State has been lost and won; lost by my party, African Action Congress (AAC) and its candidate, Biokpomabo Awara and undoubtedly and overwhelmingly won by the Governor of Rivers State, the candidate of the PDP,  Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.”

    He noted that despite interference by security agencies, the Rivers people stood their ground and voted for the incumbent.

    Yeeh said: “The collated results further showed that contrary to the claim  of fictitious lead by the AAC/APC alliance,  the PDP overwhelmingly won  all  the elections  in 18 out of the 19 LGAs,  culminating in the declaration and return of the party 26 House of Assembly constituencies by the Constituency Returning Officers.

    “This fact was confirmed on the 13th of March, 2019, when INEC stated, as a matter of fact, that it had in its safe custody collated results for 17 local government areas as well as the declaration of the PDP candidates for 21 state constituencies.

    “The outcome of the elections on March 9, 2019, clearly showed the preference of the people. Even the blind can see and the deaf can hear the echo that Rivers people overwhelmingly voted to stick with Governor Wike for the next four years to encourage him to continue with the good works.”

    The former ACC governorship running mate told reporters that he had been forced to sign an undated letter of resignation to be effective after their expected inauguration.

    He alleged: “I was forced to sign an undated letter of resignation as the geputy governor of Rivers State to pave the way for Rotimi Amaechi to nominate another person as deputy governor.

    “These were slavish conditions for any rational politician worth his name to accept, but I pretended to play along because doing otherwise at that time would have been too dangerous for the safety of my life, given Amaechi’s desperation to remove Wike from office and install his stooge in the person of Engr Awara against all odds.”

    According to him, the Transportation minister, who adopted the ACC, promised to fund the party.

    He stated that the adoption and promise to deliver AAC was with conditions that conferred de facto governance on the minister.

    Chief Yeeh, who outlined the conditions, said: “First, he (Amaechi) must be the one to appoint 90 per cent of all political office holders, including commissioners, special advisers, and chairmen and members of government agencies and parastatals.

    “Second, he must be the one to nominate and produce all the 23 local government area’s chairmen and other principal officers of the councils.

    Read also: Rivers AAC governorship candidate alleges threat to life

    “We, that is, Awara and my humble self, must consult and take instructions from him on all financial, policy and fiscal matters, as well as award and payment of all contracts and other financial transactions upon inauguration as governor and deputy governor of the state.

    “As a practicing Christian, I have come to the conclusion that the actions and desperate attempts by the AAC/APC alliance to rig the governorship and State Assembly elections in Rivers State are both morally and legally wrong, reprehensible and inimical to the collective interest of the people of Rivers State.

    “The Almighty God will not forgive me if I continue to lend my support to Rotimi Amaechi’s perfidy against the democratic rights of the people of Rivers State to freely elect their own leaders.”

    Yeeh stated that he has informed Awara in writing of his withdrawal and resignation from the race and the AAC.

  • Breaking: Amaechi backs AAC guber candidate in Rivers

    The leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State and the South-south zone, Rotimi Amaechi has declared his support for the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Awara Biokpomabo.

    Following this development, Amaechi urged members of APC and supporters of the party in Rivers to massively vote on Saturday for Biokpomabo, a riverine man from Kula-Kalabari in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state.

    The minister of Transportation made this declaration Wednesday morning in Eleme, Eleme LGA of Rivers state, while addressing APC’s members and supporters, ahead of the March 9 polls.

    He noted that although the main opposition APC in Rivers was still in court over the non-inclusion of the party’s standard bearer, Pastor Tonye Cole, an indigene of Abonnema-Kalabari in Akuku-Toru LGA, on the ballot.

    Amaechi stressed that it was pertinent to adopt the candidate of AAC, considering the closeness of the governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    He said: “This morning, the leadership of the party met and agreed that we would work with a party called African Action Congress (AAC), while we are still in court to reclaim our mandate.

    “So, on Saturday (March 9), we will vote for AAC. You must go home and vote for AAC. There should be no excuse not to vote, because there will be security for everybody. You must prepare and make sure you win the governorship election.”

    The transportation minister also enjoined Rivers people to massively vote for the AAC’s candidate, stressing that there were numerous benefits they would derive from the government.

    He said: “The moment the governorship election is won by AAC’s candidate this Saturday and the new governor is inaugurated on May 29, 2019, by June this year; there will be local government’s chairmanship and councillorship elections.

    ‘So, you should all go out and vote and make sure that you are not rigged out.”

    The transportation minister was, however, silent on who APC members in Rivers should vote for in the House of Assembly poll, but an ally of Amaechi, who spoke in confidence, disclosed that AAC did not have candidates for House of Assembly election.

  • Oyo guber: We did not endorse another party, AAC insists

    The African Action Congress, Oyo state Chapter has said it is not part of any endorsement of any other governorship candidate for the March 9, governorship election in the state.

    Rather, the party said it remains focused, committed and determined to bring about a government that is welfarist concern for the people who have been deliberately pauperised by the ruling class since the beginning of the current political dispensation.

    It added that its Governorship candidate, Mr Akinwale Laosun remains the candidate and best option for the people of the state in the coming election.

    Recall that some opposition parties in the state formed a coalition to adopt the governorship candidate of another, while still maintaining their separate party structures.

    The party said making the clarification became imperative on the heels of some people attaching AAC to the coalition of opposition parties as well as to douse the tension and yearnings of the teeming party supporters and stakeholders.

    Speaking through Laosun, the party noted that it can never be part of any coalition as it is obvious that the parties involved are only interested in their selfish gain at the expense of the masses they claimed to be protecting their interest.

    He added that the ruling class have again with the coalition and alliances proved that they are only interested in taking power at all cost and not minding the consequence on the people or even cared about them at all.

    He urged the people of the state to open their eyes to the reality of selfish and self-centred politicians who would rather work for their personal interest and that of their allies, but camouflaging same in the name of the masses.

    The AAC flagbearer enjoined the party supporters in the state to hold on to their firm belief in the party and in his candidature to transform the state in line with the party manifesto, adding that they must mobilise more people to vote and ensure the success of the party, come March 9.

  • Sowore pledges to cut NASS members’ jumbo pay

    Presidential Candidate, African Action Congress (AAC), Mr Omoyele Sowore, on Wednesday, said if elected into office, he would cut the jumbo pay of the National Assembly members.

    Sowore made the pledge at a town hall meeting tagged: ‘’The Candidates” organised by the MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with NTA and DARIA media in Abuja.

    “The issue of some people earning minimum wage and others earning maximum wage where a senator earns N14 million monthly is unacceptable.

    ‘’Do you know that it will take a Nigerian worker earning N30, 000 monthly about 38 years to earn what a senator is earning per month?” he queried.

    Sowore, who described the trend as disheartening, said ‘’our problem in Nigeria is not wealth generation but wealth distribution.’’

    ‘’We will not allow illegality in National Assembly,” he stressed.

    He said his government would not only invest in the education of the young people but provide 5 million jobs for the youth.

    The AAC presidential candidate said the party would employ between 300, 000 and 400, 000 personnel in the security sector so that the country’s security could be strengthened.

    ‘’By this, the police and the army will be able to keep us secured. Also, we will give study allowances to students.

    ‘I believe with our resources, we can support our young people, the elderly, etc,” he said.

    He assured that productivity in the country would be ensured ‘’when we invest in our people.”

    ‘’I am after the knowledge of Nigerians that we can sell to the world, not after cocoa or so. We will build innovative leaders when a university can produce a student that is technologically-inclined.”

    On the insecurity in the country, his running mate, Mr Rabiu Rufai, said the AAC would tackle the problem when people are held accountable for their actions.

    ‘’Nigeria will do better if we don’t condone anybody irrespective of his tribe, religion or region.” he said.(NAN)

  • Revealed: How Sowore sought refuge with DSS

    Investigations by the TheNigerian has revealed that leader of the RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, intentionally baited the Department of State Services (DSS) in order to be taken into custody both as a safety measure and a face saving move.
    If confirmed, it will imply that Sowore, who is the publisher of Sahara Reporters, a news blog, sought refuge with the DSS as an alternative to being arrested in the actual course of the protest or being harassed to refund money by those that financed the protests from abroad.
    The secret police, DSS, arrested Sowore on Saturday on allegations that he was calling for a revolution to forcefully overthrow a democratically elected government. He went on to say that the secret police will be history by Tuesday when the protests tagged “Days of Rage” have bundled the elected government out office. He could be tried for treasonable felony.
    While Sowore’s arrest has triggered criticism from those sympathetic with his cause, a source close to him has revealed that he deliberately antagonised authorities so that he can save face, evade sponsors and also escape the danger of being attacked by his supporters if he called off the protest.
    The source who craved anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue revealed that “Yele (Sowore) had seen these protests as face saving given the disappointing choice Nigerians made during the election by rejecting him. But it soon became clear that the protests were going to be more disappointing than the election result because even the 33,000 people that voted for him in the election won’t turn up to protest.
    “There was no way to back out without losing face. Those that bankrolled the protests will have questions. It was becoming dangerous because he could be attacked,” he explained.
    According to him, Sowore struck on the idea to get taken into custody and possibly arraigned knowing that such development will raise his profile as an activist while diverting attention from the failure of the protests while his absence will be justified by the arrest.
    The protests largely failed on Monday as the police prevented those that have gathered from carrying out their threat of raging through the streets in Lagos.  The police had said it is illegal to use a revolution to overthrow a democratic government. Inclement weather put paid to the prospect of protests in Abuja as a prolonged downpour made it impractical to gather on the streets.
    Sowore remained in custody on Monday and it is unclear when he would be formally charged or arraigned in court for the treasonable felony the DSS has accused him of.
    Other members of his inner cycle have not commented on whether he deliberately sought refuge with the secret police and thereby sabotaging the protests.
    Sowore has a history of run-in with law enforcement agencies having been held recently on allegations of threat to life after an open brawl with another blogger over financial largess from political patrons.

  • Sowore’s party gets INEC nod

    A new political party, the African Action Congress (ACC), has been registered by the electoral commission.

    Its director, Dr. Malcolm Fabiyi, said in a statement: “Our movement’s political platform was announced as one of the newly registered political parties by INEC.”

    He added: “With our own dedicated party platform, we are now able to match up a pace setting movement with a transformative political platform.

    “We call on progressives and youth everywhere to embrace the AAC. Our party is the authentic platform for political transformation in Nigeria.”

    Our party’s slogan will be – Take it Back – Action.”