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Tag: All Progressives Congress (APC)

  • Cost of contesting election in Nigeria high – Oshiomhole

    Cost of contesting election in Nigeria high – Oshiomhole

    Hajiya Aisatu Oshiomhole, the mother of former Edo Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Tuesday advised politicians to restructure the political scene and reduce the high cost of contesting election.

    Oshiomhole gave the advice in Iyanmo when Edo Deputy Governor, Mr Philip Shaibu, and All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Estako West Local Government Area visited her over her son in-law, Malam Momodu Yakubu’s death.

    She said that to check corruption, which had been identified as a major cause of under-development in the country, only people with great ideas and integrity should be elected into office.

    Oshiomhole said that those who spend so much to get to power, employed every means to recoup the funds spent before thinking about development.

    She also called on the electorate to shun the habit of requesting for money before voting for a candidate, saying that such act made them lose the right to demand for accountability.

    The former governor’s mother congratulated Gov. Godwin Obaseki and his deputy on the recent Supreme Court victory and prayed God to give them the wisdom to continue the development of the state.

    She also used the occasion to extend appreciation to her son, Adams, who ensured that she got the best medical attention when she fell ill recently.

    Earlier, Shaibu had said that the leaders were at Iyamo to commiserate with the mother of the former governor over the demise of her son-In-Law as well as check on her well-being after her long medical vacation.

    He described late Yakubu, who was also the Chief Imam of Iyanmo, near Auchi, as an honest and detribalized leader who always had the interest of his people at heart.

    He urged other party leaders to emulate the late Yakubu in ensuring that they formed a united front to attract development to the area.

  • Kano APC congress: Abdullahi Abbas emerges chairman

    Kano APC congress: Abdullahi Abbas emerges chairman

    Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, the former Acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State has been declared as the elected Chairman, with 14 others emerging as new state leaders of the party.

    The emergence of the new leadership came after the Kano APC delegates conducted a consensus Congress into 15 vacant positions of the party at the Indoor Hall of the Sani Abacha Stadium on Saturday.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new party executives were sworn in by the Attorney-General of the state shortly after the results were announced.

    Prince Nwafor Orzu, the Chairman of the Kano Congress while announcing the results said, “Abdullahi Abbas scored 2,800 to emerge the chairman after some 2,813 delegates cast their votes in accordance with the APC Congress’ Guidelines.”

    NAN also reports that the event was witnessed by Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje, as well as some party leaders including Sen Kabiru Gaya and Sen Barau Jibril-Maliya from Kano North and Kano South senatorial districts respectively.

    Ganduje, who, signed the swearing note alongside the newly elected chairman shortly after the leaders were sworn in noted that the election was meant for 15 vacant positions that needed to be filled.

    He said: “This is not a general party congress but an election to replace key positions that were vacant for sometimes now and we give glory to God for giving us the opportunity to conduct it peacefully without any problem.”

    “I assured you (party members) that APC will continue to remain united in Kano because we are committed to blocking any leakage that may likely create a problem for us.”

    The chairman of the screening committee, Mr Nadu Yahaya explained that “the committee screened 15 candidates into the vacant positions unopposed.

    Based on the mandate given to us by our great party, the APC, we have screened a total number of 15 candidates who were elected to ensure the success of our party in Kano.”

    NAN reports that delegates from the 44 local government areas of the state were at the congress.

  • I am APC member ‘body and spirit’ – Saraki

    I am APC member ‘body and spirit’ – Saraki

    President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said contrary to insinuations, he was a full member of All Progressives Congress (APC) and remained there “body and spirit’’.

    Saraki said at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja that the speculations were part of the mischievous activities against him and urged the public the discountenance them.

    He said that those spreading such information were doing so as propaganda for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Saraki, however, blamed the development on inactivity in the APC, saying that the party’s leadership had failed to focus it properly.

    He, therefore, charged the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party to wake up to its responsibility as it had remained without activities for too long.

    The president of the senate said that the docility in the party was giving room for unfounded allegations against some of its members.

    According to him, if the party had organised regular NEC meetings and other caucus meetings, there would have been enough activities to determine who the true members are.

    “I think there is no APC member that will tell you he is happy with the state of affairs of the party; there is a lot of work that we need to do.

    “The party that hasn’t met for a long time, it’s beyond comprehension and I think that we should all quickly put that in order and start to get NEC, caucus and others going.

    “We need to start early to get the drive in the party back.

    “Luckily, in spite of the lack of meetings here and there, if you go round the 36 states, it is in just few states, not many states, where you may see internal crisis.

    “It’s not that the party, at the grassroots level, had a lot of crisis here and there; it’s just for the administrative aspect and the national executive to provide leadership.’’

    Saraki also said that if there had been meetings of the party, his detractors would have seen how actively involved he was in the party “and will not have any room to spread such lies’’.

    “They are just using that to do a propaganda for PDP. Where are they seeing that I am not in the party in spirit? Where is the spirit they are judging from, where are they seeing the spirit?

    “That is why I am saying that the reason for all that speculation is because the party is docile, because the party is dormant.

    “If the party goes back to what we all know that every month, we hold NEC meeting, you have caucus, they will stop all these `spirit’ and no `spirit’ thing.

    “It is not that they have had a meeting and you didn’t see me, and then, you can say that yes, my spirit is not there.

    “I can’t call a meeting of the party. I have expressed my view and the responsibility of calling a party for a meeting is that of those who we elected as party officials” he explained.

    On the allegation that his emergence as president of the senate was an affront to the party, Saraki said that he had kept the wishes of the party, including zoning of senate president’s position.

    He stated that at the last meeting of the party held over zoning of national offices, the position of president of the senate was zoned to the North-Central.

    “It was after that the party started to do different things, shifting its position.

    “The point I’m making is that that’s over two years ago; two years now, is that the reason why the party cannot hold meetings?

    “My own point is that the executive of the party just needs to wake up and start managing the party.

    “There is no day when I see the party chairman that I don’t tell him, ‘Mr Chairman, we must put the party in focus’.

    “The rules of the party also give you room by which you can call a meeting, but I think we have not got to that point yet.

    “I think we should do it in a smooth manner, but what I want to assure you is that the foundation is still strong. If there were crisis all over the place, that would have been a different matter,” he said.

    Saraki expressed hope that the party would hold its mini-convention as scheduled as delegates had been elected on Saturday.

    “You will see that after the mini-convention, all that speculation of body here, spirit there, would go away,” he said.

  • Anambra guber election: Court refuses to hear motion seeking to stop Nwoye

    Anambra guber election: Court refuses to hear motion seeking to stop Nwoye

    …Reps member urges court to dismiss suit for lacking in jurisdiction

     

    Move to stop Tony Nwoye from participating in the primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the Anambra governorship election failed Wednesday as the sitting vacation judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Yusuf Halilu declined to hear a motion ex-parte filed to that effect.

    The motion ex-parte filed by Okechukwu Ogbonnaya, contained seven prayers, particularly prayer 6, for an order of interim injunction restraining the APC from “from clearing the 1st defendant (Nwoye) to contest or stand for its primary elections for the purposes of selecting the party’s governorship candidate for the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election pending the determination of the motion on notice.

    Although the case was listed in the court’s cause list for yesterday, the judge declined   to hear the applicant’s lawyer, who had sought the hearing of the ex-parte motion on grounds of urgency. The judge said there was no urgency to warrant the hearing of the motion.

    Ogbonnaya listed as defendants, in the suit, Nwoye, Chief    Arthur Eze, Atlas Petroleum International ltd, Oranto Petroleum Ltd, Fidelity Bank Plc, APC and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).  He is challenging, among others, the propriety of the alleged donations by Eze and others, to Nwoye’s governorship ambition.

    Nwoye has however challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the suit, arguing that the subject matter of the suit relates to Anambra governorship election, on which a court in Abuja cannot hear. He asked the court to strike out the case.

    Alternatively, he asked the court to order the plaintiff to put the defendants “on notice of prayers 3, 4, 5, and 7 in the motion ex parte filed on 31st July, 2017 to enable the 1st defendant (Nwoye) to be heard on those prayers as those reliefs are targeted at stifling the exercise of the constitutional right of the 1st defendant to contest for the Anambra State governorship election.”

    In a supporting affidavit, a lawyer in Nwoye’s team, Obinna Onya said the suit has a direct bearing on the Anambra State Governorship election, which has been scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission to hold on 18th November, 2017 and the primary election of the 6th Defendant which by the prescription of the electoral body must be held not later than August, 2017.

    Onya stated that he was informed by the leader of the legal team, Tobechukwu Nweke that the plaintiff lacks the locus standi to institute the case and that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain adjudicate over a pre-primary issue before the conduct of a primary election

    In further attacking the competence of the suit, Onya stated that “The originating summons and the affidavit in support (filed by the plaintiff) failed to disclose any reasonable cause of action

    “This matter being one bordering on criminality was wrongly commenced by originating summons. This matter is a gross abuse of the process of this Court

    “Being that this motion challenges the jurisdiction of this Court, it is just to set the issues of jurisdiction down for hearing and determination before any other step is taken in this matter.

    “Being that prayers 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 in the motion ex parte filed on 31st July, 2017 are targeted at stifling the exercise of the constitutional right of the 1st defendant to contest for the Anambra State Governorship election, it is only just and proper that the Defendants be put on notice of those prayers to enable the 1st defendant to be heard on those prayers,” he said.

  • PDP begins sale of Anambra governorship forms

    PDP begins sale of Anambra governorship forms

    …Slashes cost of forms from N11m to N6m

    The national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party has commenced the sale of interest and nomination forms for aspirants in the Anambra State governorship election billed to hold in November.

    As at Tuesday, only one of the aspirants, Dr. Alex Obidigbo had collected his form.

    Spokesman for the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye announced the reduction of the nomination form for the race from N11 million at which it was sold during the 2015 elections, to N6 million.

    According to him, the crash in price was to allow broader participation in the race by intending aspirants, adding that Nigerians have not lost confidence in the party.

    Adeyeye said that the PDP was working towards winning 30 of the 36 states by 2019.

    The party’s Caretaker Organising Secretary, Dr. Abdul Ningi declared that the PDP had recovered from the shock it received when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and five governor defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) before the 2015 elections.

    Ningi said, “We said one of our cardinal principles is that the party is not a one man party. This party has individuals that left the PDP, beginning with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar.

    “That has been our plight. This party can do without a single individual or groups of individuals. Five of our governors left, we were wounded but not defeated and we are rising from the ashes of those who have left”.

    He added that the 14-month leadership crisis the PDP went through has strengthened rather than weaken the party, as it has provided the opportunity for reflection.

    Continuing, Ningi said, “We are also happy that the crisis has given us the opportunity to look inwards, to look at mistakes, look at where we went wrong and try to make amends.

    “This party has also left it doors open to those who have left to come back because the PDP is their natural turf. A lot of them have discovered that where it matters is this party”.

    The party chief observed that the crisis bedeviling the country today were not there in the 16 years the PDP held power, stressing that Nigerians have now seen the difference.

  • Osinbajo to inaugurate N10bn WACOT Rice Mill in Argungu, Kebbi

    Osinbajo to inaugurate N10bn WACOT Rice Mill in Argungu, Kebbi

    The Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, is to inaugurate the N10 billion WACOT Rice Processing Mill in Argungu, Kebbi, on Tuesday.

    A statement by Alhaji Abubakar Muazu, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, in Birnin Kebbi said that the acting president was expected to arrive in Birnin Kebbi by 2 p.m. and proceed to Argungu for the inauguration.

    Osinbajo would be accompanied by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Chairman of APC Governors Forum, Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo, to Argungu for the programme.

    APC governors, who were in Birnin Kebbi for their meeting, would also be part of the acting president’s entourage that would be in Argungu for the inauguration ceremony.

    After the inauguration, Osinbajo would proceed to the Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival Village to witness an agricultural show tagged “Dalar Shinkafa’’ (Rice Pyramid), organised to showcase the rice production potential of Kebbi.

    Speaking, Alhaji Bashar Aminu, the Chairman of the WACOT Rice Mill Ltd., said that the mill, which had the capacity to produce 400 tonnes of rice per day, would also provide employment for more than 1,000 persons.

    “We have invested N10 billion to put up the rice mill as a multi-national company that has linkages in almost all the West African countries.

    “We also have links with major marketers and manufacturers of agricultural products,’’ he added.

  • Rescue Kaduna chapter, Sen. Sani urges APC leadership

    Rescue Kaduna chapter, Sen. Sani urges APC leadership

    A member of the National Assembly, Sen. Shehu Sani, has called on the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rescue the party’s Kaduna chapter from imminent destruction.

    He made the call while speaking with newsmen on Monday in Abuja, after a closed-door meeting with National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

    Sani, who represents Kaduna Central in the Senate, was in company with some APC members in Kaduna, including Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North) to the meeting with the national chairman.

    He condemned Saturday’s local government elections in the state, saying that it did not hold.

    Sani alleged that the delegates list for the election was doctored and did not follow due process.

    “They sat down in the palace of their gods to write names and send it down here for us to accept; that can never happen,” he said.

    He said that such practice contributed to the problems of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and warned that the APC could go the same way if its leadership failed to address the problem.

    “This was the seed of the destruction of the PDP, where individuals considered themselves as gods and any other person a slave; that will never happen in Kaduna state.

    “We are here to present our case and to appeal to the instrument of leadership of this party to intervene in the Kaduna issue before it becomes too late.

    “We are here to also state it to the party´s national leadership that we are under siege in Kaduna

    “The use of thugs and violence by agents and close associates of the state government is one thing we cannot tolerate,” Sani said.

    He decried the recent raiding of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Kaduna by thugs during a press briefing after the councils’ election, during which journalists were injured.

    He said that such was the trait of the APC, and urged its leadership to should set up an investigation panel to bring the perpetrators of the disturbances.

    The lawmaker alleged that the thugs were acting in concert with the police in the state.

    “If we continue on this part, where one person feels he is a god, I think we are simply repeating the very problem that destroyed the party we ejected out of power,” he said.

    He maintained that there was a need for APC to provide the vehicle for real change for the country to change and tasked members to change the manner they played politics.

    Sani stressed that those who resolved to the use of violence or thugs to liquidate perceived political opponent were on the wrong side of history.

    He said that members of his faction of the party in the state were not agents of violence but were loyal and peaceful.

    He insisted that if the APC must win the 2019 election, it must apart from fulfilling its campaign promises, set an example for discipline, comradeship and a sense of belonging to all members.

    Sani said that what was happening in the party´s leadership in the state was unbecoming and should be addressed before it became late.

    He appealed to those in authority to know that the God that brought the APC to power was still alive and will always listen to the cries of the oppressed and marginalised.

    “We are here in the spirit of that, and we hope that we will get the cooperation of the national party´s leadership to come to the rescue of the party in Kaduna before it is too late,” he said.

  • APC governorship aspirant advocates free, fair primaries

    APC governorship aspirant advocates free, fair primaries

    Mr Donatus Okonkwo, a governorship aspirant in Anambra under the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called for a free and fair governorship primary to rekindle the confidence of the electorate.

    Okonkwo made the call on Wednesday after collecting the expression of interest and nomination forms at the party’s secretariat in Awka.

    According to him, only a hitch-free primary will rekindle the confidence of party faithful and electorate that the party has come to stay in the state.

    Okonkwo reiterated his support for any aspirant that might emerge as the candidate of the party in a free and fair contest.

    “It has always been our word that once the primary is credible, free and fair, we will strongly support whoever wins the primaries.

    “Money will not play any role in the primary; those who bribe their way will be punished by not even going near winning the primaries.”

    He described the attitude of some aspirants, who insist on going to Abuja to collect expression of interest and nomination forms as “a show of shame”.

    According to him, the forms should have been picked in the state since it is the governorship of the state and not that of Abuja.

    “We have a strong party in the state. I am the first person to have insisted that the form should be collected in the state.

    “This is to show that we are ready to serve the people and engage the process,” Okonkwo said.

    He expressed confidence that the party would win the election in the state, but further urged the party’s leadership not to pervert the process by selecting a candidate of their choice.

    In an interview, the state Chairman of APC, Mr Emeka Ibe, said that 12 aspirants had so far picked the nomination and expression of interest forms for the governorship election.

    Ibe, who said a date would soon be fixed for the primary election, gave an assurance that the exercise would be credible.

  • Ondo APC Primary Court Ruling: Democracy at work – Abraham

    Ondo APC Primary Court Ruling: Democracy at work – Abraham

    The first runner-up in the last governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Segun Abraham, Monday hailed the ruling of the Appeal Court that dismissed the application for stay of court’s proceedings filed by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had on Monday dismissed the application for stay of court’s proceedings filed by the governor against his candidature in the last governorship primaries of the party in the state.

    Abraham in a statement in Akure,the state capital signed by the Director General, Abraham Support Group(ASG) Kunle Eko-Davies described the ruling as a “quit notice” to the governor and his supporters.

    It noted that the ruling was a clear sign that democracy is strengthening and more people oriented, stressing that “the ruling is a victory for all members of APC locally and in diaspora most especially the “disenfranchised members in the state.

    According to the statement, “The events leading to the 2015 Ondo state APC primaries is still fresh in our memories. The unilateral act of our party National Chairman to submit the name of Akeredolu as the candidate of the party contrary to the decision of the party’s Appeal Committee and National Working Committee is also fresh in our memories.

    “This is a quit notice to Governor Akeredolu and his members to vacate the state house that was acquired illegally.”

    It however appealed to all members of the ruling party and supporters alike to remain calm and be prayerful, saying it is a family issue that would soon be resolved by courts.

  • Promote nation’s diversity for prosperity, Tinubu urges NASS

    Promote nation’s diversity for prosperity, Tinubu urges NASS

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Sen. Bola Tinubu, has advised federal lawmakers to come up with legislation that would help in promoting the country’s diversity for prosperity.

    Tinubu made the call when the Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu led Senate and House of Representatives Committee on the review of 1999 Constitution on a visit at his residence in Lagos on Saturday.

    The Senators visited him on the sidelines of their annual retreat on the review of the 1999 Constitution in Lagos.

    He commended the legislators for the efforts on ways to properly amend the country’s constitution.

    “I urged you to continue to work for the unity of the nation for our diversity to be meaningful. I promise to be available to render any assistance by providing suggestions and ideas that can foster a greater Nigeria.

    “Do not allow excuses turn you to the house-of-do-nothing.The country is not in a panic mode because of the way you have given effect to the executive constitutional requests,’’ he said.

    Tinubu also urged the legislators to take another look at some of the items in the exclusive federal list, which he described as too loaded.

    According to him, this will pave the way for the practice of true federalism in the country.

    Speaking earlier, Ekweremadu said the visit was to honour Tinubu as a prominent leader and a former Senator. The deputy president of the Senate described him as a man of great expertise in the art of governance and law-making.

    He said the lawmakers would always be ready to learn from his wealth of knowledge.