The Nation Newspaper

Tag: All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)

  • Buhari prevailed on me not to leave APC – Sen. Tejuoso

    Senator Lanre Tejuoso, on Monday revealed that it was President Muhammadu Buhari who advised him to remain with APC and not quit along with other defector – Senators sometimes ago.

    Tejuoso also advocated for use of direct primary as a best democratic method to select candidates in Ogun State for the next general elections by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District who made this known to reporters in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, while declaring his intention to re- contest for the seat, maintained that he still a member of the party and not a politician that moves around.

    He declared that he would not leave the APC provided that President Muhammadu Buhari also remained with the party.

    According to him, when he quitted the party with some Senators, the President called him that he wants him to stay

    He noted that President’s action and call were  a great honour done to him.

    The medical doctor – turned politician recalled that President Buhari asked him what he (the Senator) wants him to tell the Senator’s monarch father, Osile of Oke-Ona,  Oba Adedapo Tejuoso  who is a close friend of the President, if his son leaves APC.

    He revealed that he has been with President Buhari since his time in All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and they have both lost election together three times, describing him as a mentor and a person whose nobody can contest his integrity.

    Read Also: Buhari again declines assent to Electoral bill

    He disclosed that what happened was just a mere misunderstanding between him and the party at the local level, which, he said, has since been resolved.

    “I cannot leave APC. I will only leave if President Buhari leaves. When the incident happened, Mr. President called me and told me he wants me back in the party. What happened is just a misunderstanding in the local and it has been resolved.

    “You know Ogun state is known in Nigeria to be the first in most things. It has been established that for democracy to thrive and to catch up with that of the developed nations, direct primaries is the answer and since Ogun state is always the first I am sure my governor will surely support it because he always want the best for the state.

    “I am sure he will lead and others will follow and we are going to do direct primaries by God’s grace in Ogun state and I am sure my governor will agree.

    “So that everybody in the party can have their say and choose whoever they want. Anybody who offer themself for election let the people agree that you are competent enough. So let everybody vote.

    “It shouldn’t be a scenario of where few people will just be gathered somewhere and somebody will then tell them what to do. We want a change and that is what our party is preaching.

    “We want direct primaries; we don’t want indirect primaries where some people will owe some people because they are the one who help them achieve the success they have achieved.

    “Some of us are beneficiaries in the past but that shouldn’t continue because we have benefitted from such, there must be a change because we can’t leave this for our children,” Tejuoso said.

  • Oshiomhole vow to reposition APC

    …Orders “Fake Director” out of secretariat

     

     

    The new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on Tuesday told staff of the national secretariat of the party to brace up for the new realities in the party and be ready the changes that will occur in the party in time to come.

    While holding a meeting with the staff of the party, moments after taking over from his predecessor, Comrade Oshiomhole took his first decision, sacking a man that has been parading himself at the secretariat for the past four years as Director of Finance of the party.

    The Nation gathered that at the moment, the party has only two full-fledged Directors and has not employed any Director of Finance since its inception.

    The “fake Director of Finance” identified as Timothy Akojuru was said to have worked with the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) as Director of Finance.

    Before going into a closed door meeting, Oshiomhole has publicly told the workers while taking over that he would improve their welfare and ensure that they were well enumerated, but must work hard to earn whatever they will be paid.

    Read Also:Plateau killing: PDP blames Buahri, APC

    A source who attended the meeting said that the former Labour leader hinted of a possible downsizing of those working in the secretariat as all the staff must have one function or the other to perform.

    The source said that Oshiomhole told the staff that a situation were drivers for example were more than the available vehicles within the secretariat will no longer be allowed, stressing that all those who have no business working in the secretariat will not be allowed to remain.

    The source said when the new chairman asked the “fake Director” what is responsibilities within the secretariat was, he simply said “I’m a director of finance.”

    The source said “Oshiomohle was surprised and quickly asked the Deputy National Chairman, Lawal Shuaibu and the National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni to confirm the statement, but none of them could defend him.

    “Instead, Sen. Shuaibu was said to have asked him where and how he got his appointment letter, but Akojuru could not provide a satisfactory answer. At this point, the new chairman asked him to leave the meeting or he invites police to arrest him”.

    Akojuru was said to have applied for the position of Director of Finance in the secretariat, but has not employed nether was a letter of appointment issued to him, but has remained in the secretariat, reporting for duty on a daily basis.

    The former Edo State Governor was also said to have informed the staff that the secretariat, even though a party secretariat will be administered like every other office, stressing that all staff must henceforth report for duty as early as 8.00am when other offices open for business as the current resumption time of between 9 and 10 am.

    While assuring staff of better welfare, Comrade Oshiomhole also directed the staff to stop loitering around the secretariat during working hours.

    At the time of this report, Oshiomhole was locked in a meeting with members of the National Working Committee and senior staff of the party, with a view to charting the way forward.

  • Senator Datti Baba joins 2019 presidential race

    Kaduna state born politician, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed has joined the 2019 presidential race.

    Confirming the news to the media, Mr Ibrahim Biu, the chairman of the campaign media committee in Abuja on Thursday at the Jabi residence of Baba Ahmed said Senator Datti Baba Ahmed’s (DBA) political journey started when he was first elected in April 2003 to the Federal House of Representatives for the Zaria Federal Constituency, Kaduna State. He ran on the platform of the All Nigeria People’s Party ( ANPP ).

    In the April 2011 elections, Baba-Ahmed polled 366,398 votes in the contest to represent Kaduna North Senatorial district, beating his closest rival, Senator Ahmed Makarfi of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ), the incumbent, who polled 365,043 votes.

    Senator Datti Baba Ahmed is a young and vibrant Nigerian who has all the credentials to move Nigeria to the next level. He is capable of unifying the country and bringing peace to all the regions.

    Datti Baba-Ahmed studied Economics at the prestigious University of Westminister, United Kingdom and at a time when the nation’s economy is on its knees, he comes highly recommended.

    At the age of 41, he had worked for the Security Printing and Minting company in Lagos, obtained two different Masters degrees, a PhD, served as elected Hon. Representative, Distinguished Senator, and established one of the top ranking private university with two other companies employing over 600 people drawn from every state in the country.

    Datti Baba-Ahmed, a thoroughly breed Nigerian with passion for educational advancement has gone further to add other academic value and exposure to his life by obtaining additional educational qualifications at London Business School, Harvard Kennedy and Harvard business school respectively.

    He has a reputation of speaking fearlessly against corruption, bad governance and societal problems. His uncompromising stance against corruption remains an important ingredient needed for a leader that wants to steer the ship of the Nigerian state. This is a man that will favour building institutions over creating strong personalities.

    Senator Datti has also been a proponent of Security, Economy and Education (SEE) programme. His position is that, with the right investment in these critical sectors of the economy, Nigeria will be an inch away from the problems militating against the nation.

    The common yearning in the Nigerian political space is for a fresh face to lead, heralding a departure from the recycling of leaders that Nigeria has always had for decades. The youth who are the majority of Nigerian population, are in desperate need of a leader and a mentor that they can rally behind with their support having been disappointed so many times by the old stock.

    In an era of total distrust for leaders, Nigeria is in dire need of a young, energetic and competent leader with no baggage to run for President in 2019. Senator Datti is 48, a successful scholar and businessman who has what it takes to bring about a re-engineering of the Nigerian economy and create jobs for the army of unemployed youth in the country. He is living proof that Nigeria can still dare to dream of a better future once more.

  • 500 PDP, ANPP members join APC in Ekiti

    500 PDP, ANPP members join APC in Ekiti

    Over 500 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) members on Thursday in Afao Quarters, Ikere-Ekiti joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in support of the governorship ambition of an aspirant, Mr. Kola Alabi.

    The defectors said Alabi has touched the lives of the people of the community through his philanthropic gestures and offers hope for the downtrodden if he becomes governor.

    They also identified APC as a party that has the interest of the people at heart having a better manifesto to transform Ekiti and better the residents’ standard of living.

    Addressing the gathering after moving to APC, Mr. Tope Agbanigo, and former PDP Vice Chairman in Afao Ward described Alabi as a God-sent leader who is tested and competent for the office of governor.

    He explained that Alabi provided scholarship to thousands of students in the ward and Ikere as a whole while also paying electricity bills for the people and provided transformers in the town.

    The ANPP National Secretary, Mr. Ojo Aruleba, who hails from the ward, also defected to the APC at the rally.

    Addressing the gathering, Alabi, has said the party will respect the leadership guide of the APC National Leader of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in selecting a credible candidate that can defeat the PDP in the 2018 governorship poll.

    Alabi, however, clarified that the guide expected from Tinubu is to ensure a conduct of a free, fair and credible primary that will produce a sellable candidate based on the principle of zoning, to inject equity, justice and fair play into Ekiti politics.

    He said: “We believe in Asiwaju Tinubu’s leadership. He worked hard to earn it. But I know that being a leader he will support a popular candidate to fly our party’s flag rather than imposition.”

    Alabi said the party can only win the 2018 governorship elections if the primary is transparent and if zoning is embraced.

  • Ex-Zamfara governor Shinkafi defects to APC

    Ex-Zamfara governor Shinkafi defects to APC

    Alhaji Mamuda Shinkafi, a former Governor of Zamfara on Sunday defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Shinkafi, who became the state governor in 2007 on the platform of All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2008.

    He however lost to the APC in 2011 and had since then remained in the opposition.

    Shinkafi announced his decision to join the APC at a ceremony in Gusau, the state capital.

    According to him, it is the outcome of a long negotiation between me and stakeholders who have faith in me and my leadership qualities.

    He told all his supporters to join him as he strived to make the APC stronger.

    Shinkafi said that after series of meetings with stakeholders, he had sincerely made up his mind to join the APC.

    He also announced that all his former cabinet members, including his former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Mamman Bawa, had joined him in the APC.

    The return of Shinkafi to the APC might be a grand plan by the stakeholders in the state to re-elect him as governor in the 2019 elections.

    Alhaji Muntari Anka, who served as a deputy governor with Shinkafi, also moved to the APC in Anka Local Government constituency a fortnight ago.

     

  • Why my husband became President – Aisha

    Why my husband became President – Aisha

    Wife of Nigerian President, Mrs Aisha Buhari on Tuesday urged Nigerians to emulate her husband’s doggedness by never giving up on their cherished aspirations.

    Mrs Buhari said after several failed attempts, her husband became the nation’s president following his persistence and compassion for the masses.

    The First Lady spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, during the launch of a book titled, “Buhari vs Yar’Adua: Facing the future,” written by Mr Opeyemi Soyombo, a Special Assistant on Media to Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State.

    Mrs Buhari who was represented by Amosun’s wife, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, lauded the author for documenting the legal struggles of Muhammadu Buhari regarding his election petition challenging the victory of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2007.

    She said record keeping or documentation is vital to the life a people or nation, adding that without it history stands the risk being be distorted.

    The President’s wife noted that there are lots of lessons to learn from the life of her husband who contested presidential election for four consecutive times before he eventually won in 2015.

    Aisha said, “there are lots of lessons to learn from the life of President Muhammadu Buhari, most especially his doggedness and compassion for the masses. President Buhari contested presidential election consecutively four times before he eventually won in 2015.

    “His victory has paid off considering his passion to helping the masses and most importantly, the successes recorded in the anti-corruption war of his government.

    “I commend the efforts of the writer for documenting the  Presidential Election suit between the candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and President Umaru Yar’Adua of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2007.

    “This shows that the author has been following with keen interest elections held in the country and the petitions arising from them. In most recent shared views and writings on human and societal development, the investment made on other people gives tremendous yields; thus the facts and authenticity of the book are invaluable.”

    Also speaking at the book launch,  a retired judge of the state high court, Justice Ademola Bakre, expressed worry over Nigeria’s future.

    Bakre lamented the rot in the Nigerian judiciary and warned against interference and undue pressure in the affairs of judges in the country.

    He said the citizens should work out a better Nigeria of their dream, stressing that they must change and desist from demanding a bribe.

    Also, the author who spoke with reporters later said he was motivated to write the 179-page book to cast light on the issues of election rigging with a view to pricking the nation’s conscience to forestall rigging in the future.

    According to Soyombo, Buhari was short-changed in the 2007 presidential election and that the book canvassed measures “ensure that we have credible, free and fair elections and to ensure that the judiciary, either by design or default, would endorse electoral robbery.”

    The book was earlier reviewed by Mr Kayode Oyede of the Department of Public Private Law, Faculty of Law, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos.