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Tag: All Progressive Congress

  • Wike, Okowa mobilizing thugs for Edo PDP, says APC

    The ruling All Progressive Congress in Edo State has raised the alarm over the mobilization of thugs from Bayelsa, Delta and River States by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

    It said the thugs were being recruited to cause mayhem, anarchy and bloodshed before and during next Saturday’s general elections.

    A statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of the Edo APC, Mr. Chris Azebamwan, accused the PDP of plotting to adopt the Venezualan model of of crisis resolution.

    Azebamwan who called on security agencies to proactive and alert said intelligence made available to the party was disturbing owing to the cache of police uniforms and large quantity of machetes in the consignment.

    He said the PDP had embarked on hate propaganda and spurios allegations to discredit the entire electoral process in its desperation to regain power.

    Read Also: Wike alleges plot to implicate 200 federal judges

    According to the statement, “For the PDP, the election is a do or die but for us it is an integrity test for the main contender.

    “It is an avenue for Nigerians to align with the drive to stamp out corruption from our political culture. The PDP must not be given the platform to resume their nefarious activities and the looting of our common heritage.

    Reacting, spokesman for Edo PDP, Mr. Chris Nehikhare denied the allegation saying it was the Edo Government planning to import thugs and cause mayhem during the elections.

    According to Nehikhare, “That is laungahble. Why would we be involving thugs when the election is ours to win. Edo poeple are with us. We are enjoying their support”.

  • Ganduje promises to welcome back Kwankwaso to APC if…

    Kano state Governor Abdullahi Ganduje on Friday promised to gladly welcome back his predecessor and political rival, Senator Rab’u Musa Kwankwaso should he decides to return to the All Progressive Congress (APC) after the elections.

    He spoke on Friday while receiving Alhaji Ibrahim Na-Kaduna, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Yalwa Ward in Dala Local Government where Ali Sani Madakin Gini, PDP’s Kano Central Senatorial candidate hails from.

    The governor said: “In APC, we take all as human beings. We treat them with all manner of dignity and respect.

    “That is why we are doing our best to woo new entrants into our fold. Even him (Kwankwaso) we wanted him to come and rejoin our party.

    “When he was planning to come back, he came with a condition that we must support his candidate for the presidency.

    “We told him point-blank that as far as we are concerned there is no vacancy in the Villa.

    “We made him understand vividly clear that we could not support any other candidature apart from that of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

    Read also: Atiku promises to revive Calabar deep sea port

    Ganduje added: “Kwankwaso was only busy doing what he thought were ways to get to President Muhammadu Buhari to tell him that he wanted to stage a comeback.

    “But when he saw the handwriting on the wall clearly, he retreated. This is so because we told our President not to take any serious action and not to even entertain him, until after the general elections.

    “If we accept him before elections, he could beat his chest at the end of it and boast that he made the victory possible.

    “We now said let him rejoin when election is over. That is after the victory come calling.”

    Ganduje explained: “This effort of rescuing Kwankwasiyya followers, which is tagged ‘Operation Tsamar Nama’ is designed to, specifically, help those followers understand the true picture of the predicament they are in. So we are welcoming you for this giant step you have just taken.”

    Na-Kaduna, who was presented to Ganduje by member of Kano representing Dala local Government Area in the House of Assembly, Babangida Yakudima, lamented how Kwankwaso has been insensitive to the plight of his followers.

    According to him: “Kwankwaso is only interested in putting his followers to many troubles and political crises.

    “When such things happen, before you know it, he takes to his heel. How can such a person be a leader?”

    He added: “At a point in time, the North Central Senatorial candidate in PDP, Madakin Gini, had wanted to run away from the Kwankwasiyya group.

    “Plans were on top gear, but all of a sudden, we just heard that he made a U-turn. That he is still with Kwankwaso.”

  • Buhari’s Mega Rally: Lagos restricts movement in 18 major routes

    Ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign visit to Lagos on Saturday, the State government in conjunction with the Transport sub-Committee of the All Progressive Congress Presidential Campaign on Wednesday said vehicular movement would be restricted around Surulere axis.

    It advised market women, residents and transporters to stay away from the axis on Saturday.

    Chairman, Sub-Committee on Transportation for the campaign, former Minister of State for Defense, Mr Demola Seriki stated this at a Travel Advisory press briefing he addressed at the Secretariat, Alausa on Wednesday.

    The committee also disclosed that over 500 officials of the Lagos Traffic Management Authority, 150 Federal Road Safety Corps officials and other police and Department of the State Security, DSS, personnel are expected to manage the traffic and security in Lagos during the presidential campaign.

    To reduce and manage vehicular movement into the state and especially in the axis, the FRSC has also banned movement of trucks and tankers into the state between Friday and Saturday.

    At the rally, the Transport sub-Committee said that over 100,000 people are expected at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, venue of the mega rally.

    Areas to be affected are: National Stadium and Teslim Balogun Stadia, Funsho Williams Avenue, Surulere, Lawanson/Itire Road/Tejuosho Road, Apapa Road Costain, Abebe Village/Eric Moore Road, Eko Bridge/Apongbon,  Marina Road, Ikorodu Road, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Old Toll Gate/Third Mainland Bridge/Obalende, International Airport Road, Oshodi-Oworonshoki Expressway,Agege Motor Road, Jibowu, Yaba-Muritala Mohammed Way Iddo/Otto, Herbert Macaulay Way – Adekunle, Ijora Olopa/Ijora

    Briefing journalists on the planned traffic diversion and other logistics put in place to ensure a hitch-free presidential campaign rally, Seriki appealed to Lagosians to stay off Surulere axis on Saturday.

    Seriki, who was in company of other members of te committe like the state’s Commissioner for Transportation, Ladi Lawanson,  the  General Manager of LASTMA, Wale Musa, the state FRSC sector Commander, Hygenius Omeje and other stakeholders in the state, said that the roads would be shut between 10 am to 6pm.

    Read Also: Lagos on the march again

    He said: “The visit, billed for Saturday, February 9, 2019 will afford the President opportunity to meet with the people and address them directly about his plans and programmes for them if re-elected into office in the forthcoming general elections. As is usual, especially at this time when elections are in the air, coupled with the fact that the President has a large following across the land whose throng to the venue of the campaign visit at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, will expectedly affect the traffic situation in the metropolis.

    “In the light of this, we have, in collaboration with all the concerned and necessary agencies of government, designed a programme to ensure free flow of traffic while the visited lasts. Accordingly, this Travel Advisory is hereby issued to advise members of the public on alternative routes to ensure that all those who will not be at the venue of the campaign do not get stuck in traffic on the following routes that will be affected”

    He added that the traffic will therefore either be closed or diverted on the 18 major routes.

    “Alaka (by Lanre Shittu Motors) on the service lane inwards stadium will be closed to traffic and vehicles diverted to the stadium bridge on the main carriage way. Shitta inwards Stadium and Stadium inwards Shitta will be closed to traffic and vehicles diverted to Adeniran Ogunsanya Street or Akerele Extension. Traffic from Baracks to Stadium on Funsho Williams Avenue will be diverted to Stadium Bridge on the main carriage way to Alaka,” Seriki said.

    Also speaking, the General Manager, LASTMA, Mr Wale Musa said that 500 officials of the agency would be deployed to manage traffic on the day while the FRSC boss, Omeje said that trucks and tankers had been warned to stay away from Lagos from Friday to Saturday.

    Asked what alternative routes were made for the trucks coming into Lagos from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Omeje said that the FRSC had discussed with the various unions on parking outside Lagos, saying most of the truck had been informed to make use of Ogere and other places along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

    “Alaka (by Lanre Shittu Motors) on the service lane inwards stadium will be closed to traffic and vehicles diverted to the stadium bridge on the main carriage way. Shitta inwards Stadium and Stadium inwards Shitta will be closed to traffic and vehicles diverted to Adeniran Ogunsanya Street or Akerele Extension. Traffic from Baracks to Stadium on Funsho Williams Avenue will be diverted to Stadium Bridge on the main carriage way to Alaka.

  • 2019: INEC maintains stance on Rivers APC

    …Says it has no candidates for elections

    Four days after the Appeal Court judgement, the Independent National Electoral Commission  (INEC) has maintained that Rivers state All Progressive Congress (APC) has no candidates for the forthcoming general elections.

    This is as the commission announced that both sensitive and non-sensitive materials for the elections have been dispatched to the states in readiness for the polls.

    INEC had fixed 16th February and 2nd March 2019 for the National and states elections. While the Presidential and National Assembly elections comes up on the 16th f February, the governorship, state assembly and FCT council polls comes up two weeks later.

    An Appeal court sitting in Port-Harcourt, presided over by Justice Ali Gumel, granted a stay on Justice Kolawole Omotoso’s judgment on the fielding of candidates by APC in Rovers. Thus, the party expected the commission to restore the names of its candidates removed as a result of the internal crisis within the party in the state.

    But Barrister Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Voter Education and Publicity said that the commission had taken a position.

    Okoye who spoke yesterday at in Abuja at an interactive meeting with journalists revealed that the position of the commission has not changed in respect of Rivers state All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates for the National Assembly and governorship elections.

    He, however, stressed that if there is a change in the situation of things the commission will meet to review its stand.

    He said “What the commission has done is that the commission has taken a position in relation to the issue of Rivers. If anything changes we will meet as a commission and also take a decision.

    “But we have taken a decision relating to the issue of Rivers and if anything changes before we take our final decision, the commission will meet and also take a decision but we have not taken any other decision and we have not repealed our position on the issue of Rivers.”

    On the preparedness of INEC ahead of the forthcoming general elections, Okoye disclosed that the commission has commenced the deployment of sensitive materials and non-sensitive materials to states ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

    Sensitive materials are the ballot papers, result sheets and the rest. According to INEC, while non-sensitive materials were being delivered to local government offices of the commission, the sensitive materials were lodged in the Central Bank vaults in the states.

    while non-sensitive materials were being delivered to local government offices of the commission, the sensitive materials were lodged in the Central Bank vaults in the states.

    He further stated that some local governments have already received delivery of non-sensitive materials such as mats, mattress, amongst others preparatory to next week’s presidential election.

    He stated, “The sensitive materials and other non-sensitive materials, sleeping mats, Dunlops and so on. Some of these ones have gone to the various local governments. The generating sets that would be used in the various registration areas have also been delivered to them. The generating sets that will be used at the local governments have been delivered to them and then touch lights that will be used by the presiding officers on election day has also been delivered to the various local governments.

    “Based on that, we have asked the resident electoral commissioners to beef up security at the various Local Government offices because some of these offices have started receiving the non-sensitive materials for the conduct of the elections.

    “Secondly the Central Bank of Nigeria in the various states have started sensitive materials for the conduct of these elections. These sensitive materials includes ballot papers and result sheets. Elections are just some few days away and if we have not started receiving the sensitive materials into the vault of the central bank, that means we are not a serious commission”.

    “So these materials are being delivered on daily basis to the various Central Bank in the various states of the federation. So we are gradually getting ready for the conduct of the elections.”

    Okoye who also spoke on the burnt PVCs in Abia state said the commission would look at the possibility of printing a new ones for those affected.

    Besides, INEC has directed its offices in the states to beef up security.

    He said, “I think the Nigerian people ought to express some level of outrage at what happened in Abia state.

    “As a commission, we thought that the era of burning the Local Governments offices or offices of the commission’s had come to an end. We did not know that some will attempt to go burn local government offices of the INEC.

    “The Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) as I pointed out have been asked to beef up security at their various local government offices to prevent this type of thing from happening again.

    “We have also asked the REC for Abia state to liaise with the various security agencies and bring the perpetrators of this particular act to book. We cannot anybody or any individual or group to intimidate the commission into doing what is not right.

    “We feel this particular act is an act meant to instill some level of fear into the minds of some of the young persons that have been recruited to conduct this particular election.

    “We are not going to be intimidated by this type of act rather we will be emboldened to do what is right. So those who went to burn the office of the INEC wouldn’t have achieved anything because the commission will continue to follow throw with its processes and procedures as we move towards 2019 elections.

    “The REC has been asked to compile the names and list of all the burnt PVCs and forward to the commissions’ headquarters. If it is possible within the available time to reprint those PVCs that were burnt, the commission will reprint those PVCs and find a way of making sure that the people who own these PVCs and who are ready to collect the PVCs do come forward and collect them.

    “We want to reiterate the fact that we are not going to distribute PVCs by proxy. The owners of the PVCs must collect them in person and any individual or group found to be distributing PVCs through proxy will be arrested and prosecuted.

    Okoye who also spoke on the grievances expressed by the Road Transport Employers Association (RTEAN) for being left out in the signing of the memorandum of understanding for the lifting of personnel and materials on election days, said INEC would not sign MoU with a transport union in crisis.

    “What INEC signed with the various transport unions is MOU. The RECs and the various electoral officers in the various states have also entered into a memo of understanding with the local unions and also with the transporters themselves, the owners of these vehicles.

    “The Independent Electoral Commission will not enter into any MoU with any union that is in crisis because we don’t want to inherit crisis in any union.

    “So we are entering to MOU with unions that have no challenges and we also entering into  MoU with the various transporters, those who are going to provide the vehicles on the election day.”

  • Zamfara: APC not eligible to field candidates – INEC insists

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has again maintained its stand that the All Progressive Congress (APC), Zamfara is not eligible to filed candidates in forthcoming general elections.

    The decision was reached after reviewing the two conflicting judgement on the issue.  In the last one week, there have been two different court pronouncements on Zamafara, while a High Court

    in Zamafara favored the inclusion of the party, an Abuja High Court ruled in favour of the commission omitting the party from the contesting.

    INEC had excluded the party due to its failure to conduct its primaries within the time lag.

    The commission finally rolled out names of all the candidates to participate in the general elections excluding candidates from Zamfara APC.

    In a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and  Voter Education, Festus Okoye stated that after considering both rulings, INEC has decided to maintain its earlier position that the party is not eligible to filed candidates for the 2019 polls.

    He supported this position with section 87 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

    The statement reads: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) met today, 30th January 2019 and, among other things, approved the final list of candidates for the Governorship, State Assembly and FCT Area Council elections scheduled to hold on 2nd March 2019. On the whole, there are 1,066 candidates for the Governorship elections, 14,583 for the State Assembly elections and 806 for the FCT Area Council elections broken down into 105 Chairmanship candidates and 701 Councillorship candidates.

    “The Commission reviewed the situation concerning the All Progressives Congress (APC) fielding candidates for the Governorship and State Assembly elections in Zamfara State.

    Commission noted that there are two court judgements on the matter – one from a State High Court in Gusau and the other from a Federal High Court in Abuja. The former judgement clearly said that the APC conducted primaries in Zamfara State, contrary to the position of the Commission. On the other hand, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the party did not conduct valid primaries and therefore is ineligible to field candidates for the elections.

    “The Commission would like to reaffirm its commitment to obeying all court judgements, even when it disagrees with them. However, these are clearly two contradictory judgements delivered by two courts of coordinate jurisdiction on the same day.

    “Consequently, the Commission has decided to maintain its original position that the party in question did not conduct primaries and, therefore, in line with Section 87 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), is not eligible to field candidates for the National Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly elections in Zamfara State.

    “Commission also reviewed various aspects of its preparedness for the 2019 general elections and expressed satisfaction with the overall preparations for the elections. A meeting with all the Resident Electoral Commissioners will take place next week to further review the state of preparedness of each State.”

  • APC Presidential rally: Police pledges peaceful exercise in Kano

    The Kano Police Command has assured residents of peaceful conduct of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential rally slated for Thursday Jan. 31 in the state.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abdullahi Haruna, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Monday.

    Haruna said that the command has put in place adequate security measures to ensure that the event was conducted peacefully.

    He said adequate personnel had also been posted to strategic locations and different places across the state to ensure security mapping.

    Although it has not been officially confirmed but the news about the President coming to Kano on Thursday is widely circulated.

    Read also: AD condemns destruction of posters, flags in Lagos

    “We will deploy our men across the state before, during and after the presidential rally under a conducive atmosphere.

    “Our men are fully prepared for the President Muhammadu Buhari‘s visit to ensure peaceful rally and enhance security in the state”

    Haruna explained that the police will be working in synergy with other security agencies to ensure that the event is hitch-free.

    NAN reports that President Buhari and other Chieftains of the party are expected to attend the rally in the state.(NAN)

  • Get your PVCs: Alimosho residents told

    Chairman All Progressive Congress, APC, Alimosho Ayinde Enilolobo has urged residents of of Alimosho to get their PVCs as he encouraged them to vote the candidate of the party.

    Enilolobo spoke during the grand finale campaign at Egbe Idimu on Friday.

    Also informing those present that over 20,000 residents have gotten their PVC’s he said they are also going round to mobilize the electorate to get their voter’s card.

    He expressed his satisfaction with the party as he noted that without the party’s aid there wouldn’t have been any infrastructural development in the country.

    Speaking at the event, the candidate representing Alimosho Federal Constituency 02, Kehinde Joseph, implored Lagosians most especially the people of Alimosho to cast their votes for the gubernatorial, senatorial, presidential and other candidates of the party.

    He said the local government leads by example in all activities and expressed appreciation for the large turnout experienced at the event.

    He promised to take Alimosho to next level stating that members of the constituency won’t be disappointed.

    He however assured Lagosians that the residents of Alimosho will come out en masse to cast their votes for the All progressives Congress, APC Candidate.

     

  • Desperate season

    For sympathizers of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), the joke is on the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), AlhajiAtiku Abubakar, over his recent visit to the United States of America. While the PDP is thumbing her chest that her candidate has broken the travel-to-US jinx, her opponents are querying why a former vice president will require a diplomatic cover from the senate president, Senator BukolaSaraki, to enter the US?

    Some have even argued that the former vice president had to quickly depart the US before relevant agencies in that country could secure a warrant to go after him for alleged past misdeeds linking one of his wives, for which an American congressman was jailed years ago. But the Atiku supporters are celebrating the trip as a major diplomatic coup, considering that APC had advised the US consulate in Nigeria not to issue a visa to Atiku.

    If the report is true, then it is embarrassing that the presidential candidate of the PDP would need a diplomatic cover as an aide to the senate president, BukolaSaraki, to enter the US. As a former vice president of an important country like Nigeria, the US consulate ordinarily should extend diplomatic courtesies to Atiku, and more importantly as a top contender for the presidency, they should be glad that he wants to visit. If that didn’t happen and he had to turn an aide of senate president to enter US, then something is seriously wrong.

    So, instead of celebrating the embarrassing development, PDP sympathizers should be asking their candidate to explain the anomaly. What has he done that he needed to become an aide of his own aide to enter US? After all, as the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Saraki is an aide of the presidential candidate of PDP. Is it a matter of a master who washes the feet of his servants as a gesture of humility, like Jesus Christ did to his apostles, or is it an act of desperation on the part of Atiku?

    Interestingly, the spokesperson of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo SAN, has raised posers for the Atiku handlers. The one that reverberates most, is why should Atiku travel to America and not conduct one press conference to sell the country he wants to govern? Again, why did the presidential candidate fail to meet with top government officials and businessmen to discussareas of collaboration should he win the presidency? The party also reminded the PDP the sore mark that the relationship between their candidate and the jailed American congressman William Jefferson represents.

    No doubt, Atiku’s past deals will continue to haunt his campaign. This will be so even when one of his foremost tormentors, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has strangely backtracked and endorsed him for the 2019 presidential election. In his books, Obasanjo had described Atiku as gravely too corrupt to be trusted with the presidency of Nigeria. It may be appropriate to ask, what has changed to make Obasanjo a new disciple for Atiku’s presidency?

    The APC sympathizers argue that Obasanjo’s beef against President Muhammadu Buhari is because he refused to grant him a favour. Something he feels entitled to, because he supported him to win the presidency against the then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. While President Buhari has kept mute as to why the former president would turn around to support Atiku he earlier forswear against just to get him out of office, there seems to be something personal about the disagreement. Perhaps it is time for the two statesmen to come clean about the cause of the disagreement.

    Implacable as always, Obasanjo is now comparing Buhari to former military dictator Sani Abacha. Except that these are desperate times, such comparison should not hold any water. Not only that Abacha ruled as a dictator, he had Obasanjo and many others clamped into jail for daring to hold a different agenda from his own. Presently, Femi Fani-Kayode and other internet warriors are making a daily meal of abusing the president and churning out outright lies, without any fear of harassment from the government.

    Furthermore, the president has not shown the kind of desperation that even Obasanjo showed when he gunned for re-election. Both in words and action the president and his party have not shown desperation, like the PDP while in power. While the campaigns are going on, the president has not been traversing the country sharing dollars like President Jonathan did in 2015. Back then, all manner of groups sprang up and positioned themselves to get a share of the dollar rain, and many did.

    No doubt, many Nigerians are justifiably offended the way President Buhari gives top jobs to persons from a section of the country, but conversely he has brought some measure of sanity to the manner public officials threat public resources. The foremost testing time for restraint is the election period. If despite Buhari’s determination to win a second term, he has not opened the tap of public resources as his campaign funds, perhaps Nigeria needs another term for the Buhari persona to tame the greatest challenge of our era, corruption.

    Those who argue that nepotism is a form of corruption do have a point. But between sharing amongst themselves and their cronies our common patrimony as the PDP gleefully engaged in for 16 years and the weakness of surrounding his presidency with his kinsmen as President Buhari has perfected in the past three years and half years, I believe majority would prefer the much lesser evil. Even in that anomaly the Buhari presidency has delivered more value for money in its infrastructural renewal drive.

    Perhaps the closest to desperate action one can attribute to the Buhari presidency is the unfortunate entanglement of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen in asset declaration misadventure. For those who are genuinely suspicious, the timing of the indictment is very troubling. But can that detract from the substance of the charges raised against the CJN? This column fought vehemently for the confirmation of Justice Onnoghen as the CJN in 2016, as a counterpoise to the nepotism of the Buhari presidency. But the recent indictment is turning to a monumental tragedy with the CJN allegedly admitting guilt.

    Since the matter is in the Code of Conduct Tribunal and other courts, it is prejudicial to delve into the substantial issues here. My hope is that our public officials will learn from the tragedy that has befallen our judiciary. As a senior member of the bar, I feel pained like Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that our noble profession has become an object of ridicule because of corruption. I earnestly wish the case against the CJN can quickly be brought to a closure in the overall interest of our country.

  • Buhari campaign train arrives Maiduguri

    The President Muhammadu Buhari campaign train on Monday arrived Maiduguri in continuation of its re-election campaign activities.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Buhari landed at about 10:30am at the Nigerian Air Force wing of the Maiduguri International Airport.

    He was received by Mr Adams Oshiomole, the Chairman, All Progressive Congress (APC); National Security Adviser, Maj. -Gen. (rtd), Babagana Monguno and the Minister of State Works, Alhaji Baba Shehuri.

    Read Also: Buhari, Obasanjo clash over election fraud alert

    Other dignitaries that received the president are Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno, members of the national and state House of Assembly and other party leaders.

    The president is expected to address a gathering of party supporters at the Ramat Square in Maiduguri, to drum up support for his re-election bid.

    Hundreds of party supporters displaying posters and singing solidarity songs throng the streets of the metropolis to welcome the president.

    NAN reports that the Borno State Government had declared Monday public holiday to enable the residents welcome the president.

  • ‘Why Wike is afraid of Lulu-Briggs’

    Amidst debate on the possibility of the All Progressive Congress (APC) missing out on the Rivers state governorship contest in March, The Accord Party (AP) in Rivers state is facing legal hurdles after a claimant to the party’s ticket for the March guber election dragged it to court. In this interview, Dason Nemieboka, spokesperson to Dumo Lulu-Briggs, says the intra-party crisis is being sponsored by those afraid of the political weight of Lulu-Briggs. Excerpts.

    What is your feeling on the legal action against Briggs’ candidacy? Sincerely, we would have ignored this completely if we were operating in a different clime. However, with the Nigerian politician, you know that there can be an attempt to blindfold even God. Our preliminary findings and the inconsistency of the claimant points to the fact that he is serving an interest beyond his comprehension. If and when we are duly served the court processes, we shall respond adequately. However, I am certain that the only beneficiary of this distractive tactics would be the judiciary and the press.

    Both the claimant and his paymasters would discover that these distractive blocks thrown at Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs will become building blocks and steps to victory.

    The truth is that, the sponsors would be shocked that their very effort at distracting the focused Accord Party and her credible governorship candidate would be the reason why even their members, including commissioners, would flood the Accord party soon.

    Chief Lulu Briggs is focused on his work. He is disturbed that Rivers people would continue to tolerate bad leadership until May 28. He is disturbed that the people would live under selfish rulers for the period but not whether the judiciary would stoop to be used by accidental powerful men. He has never doubted the courage and integrity of the courts, he knows that once a judge looks into the case he would throw it out and award cost against the plaintiff, for attempting to manipulate the law to get what he doesn’t deserve. Our judges are wise.

    Why then is your principal dodging service of court papers as being alleged by the claimant?

    That is laughable. Chief Dumo is clearly the most accessible governorship candidate in Rivers State. We are not going to apply dirty tricks because flooring the incumbent on March 2nd is a rather simple task. Anyone who claims that he couldn’t serve processes is economical with the truth. I think that is the agenda create false impressions in an attempt to mislead voters.

    We know what they are up to and we shall shock them. I think rather than ask a man who is sacrificing to liberate us, we should ask our political tormentors why they are attempting to block the only true challenger they have Their tormentors are those who have vowed to arrest massive development in Rivers State, those who spend hundreds of billions of our commonwealth without recourse to any budget. Those who rule by spreading fear and insecurity, instead of curbing it.

    They are those who forced themselves on Rivers people and are now worried that God has sent a man to deliver, liberate and stimulate blessings. It is clear that they are afraid of any fair contest. They fear that the dwindling public image can’t secure electoral victory. They are afraid of Dumo Lulu Briggs’ towering personality, hence the attempt to get him out of the race by the back door. Governor Wike clearly dreads a contest against Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs.

     Why do you think your is considered a threat when they are countless others?

    Do not tell me about scores of political parties or candidates, for us in Rivers State the choice is between going in one accord which is the new and better order, and continuing in the dark days of primitive rulership. Accord is the fastest growing party in Rivers State. The candidate is the most popular and most loved politician in the state and other parties are losing members daily to Accord. So why won’t a desperate party attempt to stop Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs and the Accord party in Rivers State, where a governor would build a motor park and invite angels to commission.

    Rivers people seek an exposed and compassionate leader who knows the people. They want Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs and so Governor Wike knows that he will be an ex-governor as long as Dumo is on the ballot. DLB as they call him is creating jobs even as a private citizen, he is reducing poverty, and he is educating indigent students in the LGAs. He plans to develop multiple streams of income for the state; tourism, agriculture and industrialization would be the highpoints of the incoming administration. We are worried that Rivers State has the highest rate of unemployment and the current administration is sitting pretty playing politics and seeking to pull down the credible contenders.