The Nation Newspaper

Tag: All People’s Congress

  • Celebrating ‘king of the farm’

    The Igbo in Isolo, Lagos has held its New Yam Festival at Okota. The event attracted both Igbo and non-Igbo, and many members of the All Peoples Congress (APC) .

    The New Year festival held by Igbo of Isolo, Lagos was unique in many ways. It had the touch of modernity, Christianity and politics.

    The event, which held penultimate Saturday, drew guests from within and outside Isolo to Okota, the venue. Many of them strolled in. But not so the Eze Igbo of Isolo, Dr Ajagu Nworgu, who he came with an entourage. He was heralded by a male dancer accompanied by drummers. His stylistic steps, which responded to the rhythm of the music without a song, were a beautiful sight to behold, especially as he danced his heart out. There was a reason for this

    Chairman of the occasion, High Chief Cletus Okeke, who described the day as great, explained that the event had three objectives: to thank God for the Eze, who recovered from a long illness, for the Igbo in Isolo for 2018 and for the good yields in the new year.

    Okeke said the event was organised by the Eze Igbo and his council of chiefs, in conjunction with the Igbo Speaking Community, Isolo branch.

    Eze Nworgu explained that the new yam festival was an old tradition among the Ibo, adding that they cherished it. When reminded that many Igbo in Lagos had no farm and so there was no need for the event, he said it did not matter as the event afforded them the opportunity to give thanks to God.

    Specifically, he said he should thank God for healing him. He was hospitalised, he said, at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for over a year, adding that many people had given up on him.

    Chief Okeke, however, claimed to have a farm with a large barn of yam.

    The Igbo Speaking Community, Isolo Branch Chairman, Chief Joshua U. M. Kalu, said they used the opportunity provided by the feast “to keep our wives and children abreast of our cultures and tradition as it is practised in our various communities’’. He added: ‘’We also use the Iri-ji festival to foster unity among the Igbo.’’ He noted that ‘’yam as king of the farm is the mainstay of the family’’.

    The highlight of the event was the cutting of the yam. Three big tubers of roast yam were placed on a table with some ugba to garnish them. Eze Nworgu, surrounded by his counterparts from parts of Lagos and some members of his cabinet, offered Christian prayers, raised a knife and cut the yam. Others also cut. Later the yams were cut into pieces, passed round for all to eat.

    Wife of the state House of Assembly member Mrs Roseline Idimogu and the Divisional Police Officer Isolo CPS Francis were among personalities who attended the event. Mrs Idimogu urged all to vote for her husband who is returning to the House while the DPO asked them to attend the stakeholders meeting regularly to proffer solution to the security problems in the area.

     

  • Bamidele returns from United States after medical treatment

    …Says APC victory in governorship election will be icing of the cake.

    Stalwart of All Peoples Congress (APC) Opeyemi Bamidele on Thursday returned from the United States after his medical treatment.

    He said he was grateful to God for saving his life after the stray bullets that hit him in the build up to Ekiti State governorship election.

    Bamidele said he was not only excited over the victory of governor elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, but that people of the state will have a better deal.

    He , however, said the victory of APC in the forthcoming Osun State governorship election will be the icing of the cake for the ruling party.

    Speaking on arrival at the international wing of the Lagos Airport, Bamidele said he was grateful to political associates, friends and associates that paid for and facilitated his trip for treatment abroad after the unfortunate incident in Ekiti.

    Bamidele in a few days, he will address the nation to share his thoughts on the achievements of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration

    Besides, the victory of the APC in Ekiti, Bamidele said re-electing the party in Osun will pave the way for the journey ahead for the 2019 presidential election.

    Bamidele said: “I am happy to be back home, and I want to express gratitude to God and my family, friends and associates that have shown love to me during the period of my trial after the unfortunate incident.

    “I am very grateful to the people of Nigeria and Lagos State for the love they have shown , even the sons and daughters of Ekiti State, they have all be wonderful.

    “What is important today is to give glory to God, and to thank all the people that God used to pay for my hospital bills, to fly me out of Nigeria, visit me in London and the United States and to ensure that get the best rest and treatment.

    “I am happy I am back on my feet, I did not come back on any wheel chair, I am happy I did not come back on a stretcher, glory to God. For me, it is a new season, it is a new beginning.”

    He went on: “Well before the 2019 election, we have one major election ahead of us, which is the governorship election in Osun State. By the grace of God, APC will be re- elected in Osun State.

    Read Also: Death rumour about me inhuman, says Bamidele

    APC, being re- elected back in Osun State will be the icing of the cake to the victory that God gave us in Ekiti State. From then, we can face 2019.

    “For me, it is a very straight turf, it is a clear vision, and the understanding all of us must have is that President Buhari may not have done, what he did in the last few years if not for corruption fighting back, most of the things, we are seeing in the country now is organized response by who felt Buhari administration has not allowed them to do what we have known them for in this country.

    ” Nigerians need to be resolute in their bid to re- elect Buhari at the centre in 2019.It will be the new beginning of all the things , he has done in the last years, and Nigerians will be happy for it.”

    On his thoughts on the re- election of Fayemi , he said : ” I was part of the election campaign of Fayemi as the director general of the support campaign group,despite tghe unfortunate incident, i continue to campaign for him in my sick hospital bed.

    “Ultimately, I am grateful to God and the people of Ekiti State for giving the APC victory. I have no doubt that Dr Fayemi of today different. Most of the fear that people had should be a thing of the past, Ekiti people are in for a new deal, a better deal under the administration of Fayemi and the APC.

    “The success story continues.”

    On speculations that he was gunning for the Senate seat in the state, Bamidele said he has always left everything in God’s hands.

    He said: “In my life and political career, I have always left everything in God’s hands. Within the next few days, I will address the nation on the things that God is calling me to do , as the next step of my political journey.”

     

  • Ekiti 2018: Ignore Fayose’s antics, he is a clown, says Adeyeye

    A chieftain of the All Peoples Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has advised the people of the state to ignore, what he described as the latest antics of the state Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose.

    Fayose had  claimed that he was attacked by some armed security agents at the state Government House on Wednesday.

    Speaking through the Director of Publicity, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM), Niyi Ojo, in a statement on Wednesday, Adeyeye, said Fayose has always been a “clownish dramatist.”

    Adeyeye said Fayose’s latest “stunt” was aimed at creating a diversion for the people of the state, while covering up his nefarious activities, which are aimed at rigging Saturday’s governorship election.

    The statement reads in part; “Fayose has always been a dramatist. He has always been acting drama. Ekiti people should ignore him and remain resolute in their determination to throw him out of office and out of Ekiti State completely, on July 14.”

    The former Minister of State for Works, congratulated the people of the state for their impressive turnout on Tuesday for the party’s mega rally and the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Read Also: EKITI 2018: Fayose teargassed, says I was slapped by policeman

    He also implored the youths of the state, especially students of higher institutions, not to involve themselves in the Governor’s schemes to rig Saturday’s election, adding that it could turn awry for them and knowing the governor, he would deny them, when they are arrested and incarcerated .

    ”I congratulate the people of the state for their massive turn out on Tuesday for the visit of President Muhammdu Buhari  to the state APC’s mega rally and other VIPs who came too. This was despite all the devilish plans of the tyrannical state governor to prevent and disrupt the rally.

    ”I admire their courage and determination to weed out the Pharaoh of Ekiti state through the polls on Saturday.

    ”There are reports that some of our youths are been misguided by the despot at the state House, to engage them in disrupting the democratic process.

    “These have dire consequences and the character in the government house has been known in the past to betray those who did his bidding in the past and get caught. Be wise, don’t be used for devilish plots, which are anti-democratic”. Adeyeye  warned.

     

     

  • Voters in Sierra Leone go to polls for presidential run-off

    Voters in Sierra Leone flocked to the polls on Saturday to elect new president in a hotly contested run-off vote between opposition leader Julius Maada Bio and ruling party candidate Samura Kamara.

    Bio, of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) won a razor-thin victory in the first round of voting on March 7 with 43.3 per cent, while his rival Kamara received 42.7 per cent.

    Kamara, 67, the candidate of the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) promised continuity and economic recovery, while Bio pledged to end corruption and offer free education.

    A run-off election was set for March 31 as no candidate reached the 55 per cent of votes needed to win outright.

    Meanwhile, some 3.18 million Sierra Leoneans are eligible to vote.

    President Ernest Bai Koroma is leaving office after serving two five-year terms, the constitutional limit, but inundated with claims of corruption and mismanagement from the opposition.

    Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown was calm on Saturday, with few cars on the road and police outside polling stations to prevent any disruptions.

    “All we need is just peaceful elections and I hope in the name of God, everything is going to be calm and fine today so that we can go on with our normal activities,” Yainkain Kargbo, a trader and mother of four, said.

    According to her, the people of Sierra Leone are tired of waiting for the election to be over.

    Diamond-rich but poverty-stricken Sierra Leone was ravaged by years of brutal civil war in the 1990s, only to be hit hard by the deadly ebola virus in 2014.