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Tag: All Progressives Congress (APC)

  • Sen. Tejuoso, others mourn Adeleke

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Sen. Lanre Tejuoso, has described the death of Sen. Isiaka Adeleke on Sunday, as a shock.

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Adeleke, who died at 62, as a result of illness, was a vibrant and charismatic lawmaker, who lived an exemplary life.

    Tejuoso said the deceased contributed immensely to the growth of the National Assembly.

    “It is shocking.  He was the Chairman, Senate Committee on Capital Market and he was active in ensuring that there was no problem in the Capital Market.

    “He organised a summit recently on the Capital Market and it was a success. He was an achiever; we are going to miss him greatly,’’ he said.

    The lawmaker prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest, and the family the fortitude to bear the loss.

    In his reaction, Sen. Abdulfatai  Buhari (APC- Oyo) recalled that the deceased was in good health when the National Assembly adjourned for the Easter break.

    While praying God to accept his soul, the lawmaker said that late Adeleke was a model to other lawmakers, particularly the new ones.

    He said, “it is a sad one; that is life, we come from God and to Him we shall return.

    “He was one of the finest senators and one of the gentlemen I have ever met.

    “He was also easy going, a friend to everybody and he guided some of us who are new in the National Assembly on how to be productive. Unfortunately we will no longer enjoy from his wealth of experience.’’

    The lawmaker pointed out that the demise of the former governor of Osun would create a vacuum in the National Assembly, particularly the Senate.

    “Every lawmaker plays a unique role in ensuring that the legislature contributes meaningfully to the development of the nation.

    “Adeleke equally played his role before his call back to his creator.

    “His death will create a wide gap. He was one of the most senior persons in the senate. He was in the 7th Assembly and he came back to the 8th Assembly.

    “Nigerians will miss him, particularly his constituents. From reports, he died in his constituency, where he went for the Easter holiday to reach out to his people,’’ he said.

    On his part, Sen. Duro Faseyi (PDP-Ekiti), described the late senator as a humble man, who was close to all lawmakers irrespective of party membership.

    “It is a shock to all of us because we left the chamber together and he was hale and hearty. It is really a bad day for us.

    “He was one of those we respect in the chamber, a humble and lovely person. He was nice to everybody. It is a pity we lost him, and his death came at a time Nigeria needed him most,’’ he said.

    Faseyi added that while alive, Adeleke contributed his quota to the progress and development of the country, saying “I am not happy about it at all.’’

    Late Adeleke, serving two-term senator, was first civilian governor of Osun in 1992.

    He became a senator, representing Osun West constituency in 2007 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He lost in 2011 when he sought re-election.

    He was, however, re-elected in 2015, but on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

  • Angry youths attack NTA team at Adeleke’s residence

    Angry youths attack NTA team at Adeleke’s residence

    Angry youths at the residence of the  late Sen. Isiaka Adeleke in Ede  on Sunday attacked Mr Tope Alabi, a  correspondent of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in  Osogbo.

    Adeleke  died in the early hours of Sunday at a private hospital in Osogbo after succumbing to a protracted ailment.

    The late politician popularly called “ Serubawon’’ was aged 62.

    The  NTA reporter, who was  at the residence of the late politician with his cameraman, was attacked by the youths for recording  the  faces of   sympathisers.

    The youths,  who alleged that  the  late senator was poisoned, opposed  video coverage of the event.

    Alabi was assaulted  on the  head  and had to be taken to  Osogbo for treatment while his cameraman escaped to a nearby bush.

    Security  had, however,  been beefed up at the  residence  as family members  and friends awaited  the  burial of the late politician.

    An Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) was stationed very close to Adeleke’s house  while a  police  vehicle was sighted  patrolling the town.

    A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent at  the  residence reports that the corpse of the late senator  was brought to his residence in Ede  at about 1:10pm  from Biket hospital in Osogbo.

    It  was, however,   later taken  to Ladoke Akintola Teaching hospital in Osogbo for autopsy as   family members  insisted on ascertaining the cause of death.

    As  at the time of filing this report, no family member  was willing to speak with  newsmen.

    Meanwhile, the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives  Congress (APC) in Osun,  Mr Kunle Oyatomi, has expressed shock over Adeleke’s death.

    Oyatomi , in a telephone interview with NAN   on Sunday in Osogbo, said the late senator would be greatly missed.

    He described Adeleke as one of the best governors  the state ever had, adding that  he was greatly loved by all.

  • Osun APC mourns Isiaka Adeleke

    Osun APC mourns Isiaka Adeleke

    The Osun chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), has described the death of Sen. Isiaka Adeleke as a great blow to the party.

    Adeleke, a sitting senator and former governor of Osun died in the early hours of April 23.

    Mr Kunle Oyatomi, the party’s Publicity Secretary, spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Osogbo, said the shock was impossible to overcome.

    Oyatomi recalls that the late senator was the first civilian governor of Osun and a two-term senator.

    He said that Adeleke was still vibrant until April 22 night, before his sudden death on the early hours of April 23.

    According to him, the party is momentarily shaken and short of words to respond to this tragic event appropriately.

    “We advise supporters, friends and family members to summon courage and mourn this fallen hero of Nigerian politics.’’

    Oyatomi, however, called on all citizens of the state irrespective of their political affiliation to show solidarity and empathy with the deceased family.

  • Save APC now, Frank begs Buhari, Osinbajo, others

    Save APC now, Frank begs Buhari, Osinbajo, others

    A member of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Timi Frank, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and National Assembly leadership to rescue the party from collapse.

    Other party leaders Frank appealed to in a statement on Friday in Abuja, included Sen. Bola Tinubu and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

    He pleaded with the leaders and other stakeholders to urgently salvage the party.

    Frank was reacting to the postponement of the party`s National Caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings by its National Working Council (NWC).

    The party’s NWC through a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, on Thursday announced the postponement of the meetings citing “unexpected developments“ as a reason.

    It said that new dates for the meetings would be announced in due course.

    Frank, however, blamed the postponement of the meetings on the lack of trust from the party leaders on Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the party’s National Chairman and his leadership style.

    He said the party under its current leadership, was not bringing anything to the table to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration contrary to expectations.

    He said that what the party needed at the moment a national leadership that could consult widely before taking a decision.

  • Ebonyi APC Crisis: Court summons Oyegun, Buni

    Ebonyi APC Crisis: Court summons Oyegun, Buni

    The crisis rocking the Ebonyi state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken another dimension, as the National Chairman of the party and National Secretary, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Hon. Mai Mala Buni respectively have been summoned before Justice A. A Nwaigwe’s High Court sitting in Abakaliki.

    The two leaders of the party are to appear in person to answer questions why they should not be committed to prison for disobeying an order of interlocutory injunction restraining them, their agents and privies from conducting any new congress aimed at electing new executives of the party in Ebonyi state.

    The Nation gathered that the crisis exacerbated when the national chairman was said to have transmitted a letter to the state deputy chairman, Eze Nwachukwu as the state Acting chairman of the party.

    While Nwachukwu claimed that Nwobasi was suspended, the state chairman of the party on his part insisted that he still remained the authentic chairman of the party, describing his deputy as an “impostor”.

    Justice Nwaigwe had on November 6, 2014 restrained the respondent from appointing caretaker committee in place of the executives elected during the ward, Local government and state congresses conducted in the state on November 11, 16 and 29 respectively pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    The counsel to the applicants, Godwin Onwusi noted that the APC National chairman and National Secretary had earlier been served Form 48 which is the notice of consequence of disobedience to court order that may commit the duo to prison if found guilty.

    Onwusi while briefing journalists in Abakaliki noted that he applied to the Court for Order of committal to prison (Form 49) for the respondents to appear before the court and explain why they should not be committed for prison for contempt.

    In the Form 49, he said “Take Notice that pursuant to section 72; order 1X, Rule 13(1) and (2) of the Sheriffs and Civil Processes ACT, CAP S6 LFN updated to 2010 and Order 42 Rule 9 (3)(C) of the Rules of this Honourable Court, the Counsel, on behalf of the applicants, will on the 4th day of May 2017 at the hour of 9 O’clock in the forenoon or soon thereafter, as the business of the court will permit, apply to this Court for an Order of committal to prison of the 1st Respondent/contemnor and the party sought to be committed as agent/privy of the 2nd respondent/contemnor for having disobeyed the order of this court made on the 6th day of November, 2014”.

    “That while the substantive suit was and is still pending in Court, the party sought to be committed as agents/privy signed and issued a letter dated 23rd February, 2017 to one Pastor Nwachukwu Eze appointing him the Acting Chairman of the APC, Ebonyi state, notwithstanding that the order restrained both the respondents and their agents/privies from doing so,” Onwusi maintained.

     

  • PDP supporters tackle Lagos council over stalled PHC renovation

    PDP supporters tackle Lagos council over stalled PHC renovation

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters  in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government area of Lagos on Friday flayed the decision of the council authorities to stop the ongoing rehabilitation of Ewu-Tuntun Primary Health Centre l (PHC) in the area.

    The rehabilitation of the PHC, according to the supporters, was facilitated by Mr Mutiu Shadimu, a PDP member representing Oshodi-Isolo 1 Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

    The party supporters, at a rally held close to the health centre, urged the council authorities led by its Sole Administrator, Mr Adebayo Taiwo, not to use party differences to hinder the people from getting the benefits of democracy.

    Taiwo, the sole administrator, is one of the 57 appointees of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Lagos State Government overseeing affairs in local governments and local council development areas in the state.

    Alhaji Adesina Toriola, who led the rally, appealed to residents of Oshodi-Isolo to prevail on the leadership of the council to change its stance and allow completion of the rehabilitation.

    He also kicked against an alleged attempt to turn the health centre into an event centre.

    “We are having a peaceful rally to let the entire world and this constituency in particular know the order from APC to stop the rehabilitation of this health centre by a PDP house of reps member.

    “During our campaign in 2015, we promised to deliver dividends of democracy and the House of Representatives, through Hon. Mutiu Shadimu, included this project; it is a federal government project.

    “Shadimu visited this area during his campaign and it was in a bad shape without maternity beds, which made the lawmaker to include its rehabilitation in the 2016 budget.

    “The APC in the local government saw the rehabilitation going on in this place and when the work reached about 90 per cent completion, they came to inform us that it is the council property.

    “Democracy is government of all; the PDP House of Representatives member is responsible to all residents, not only its members,’’ he said.

    According to him, Shadimu took up the challenge to make the health centre a better place.

    Toriola said the PDP enjoyed the support of the masses in the constituency, urging the council to stop playing politics with the project.

    When contacted, the sole administrator, who confirmed the order to stop work on the rehabilitation, said the federal lawmaker did not consult with council leadership before carrying out the work.

    Taiwo, who affirmed that some health centres had been abandoned for a while and appreciated the intention of Shadimu, said the PHC had been marked for relocation to a better, spacious and more conducive location.

    “PHC is the property of the local government, and as the head of the council, we are supposed to be aware and give approval. The lawmaker didn’t channel his intention through proper authority.

    “We just got a call that some people are working there and we saw it as a way to score a political point, so we had to stop it because there is a constituted authority and protocol.

    “Meanwhile, this PHC has been marked for relocation to a better, bigger and more conducive place on Ogundele Street, just a stone throw from there, by next month.

    “This one is not conducive again. It is dilapidated. We have set up a mega one. The lawmaker ought to have written to the local government, even at that, approval has to come from the ministry of local government and community affairs.

    “If we were informed, we would have told the lawmaker that the PHC had been moved to a mega one. It doesn’t make economic sense to do anything in the old PHC long abandoned,” Taiwo said.

    The sole administrator said if the council had been properly informed, such funds would have been channelled to other laudable projects for the common good of residents.

    He said that the council had completed renovation and equipping of the new PHC and the one in the council Secretariat which would be inaugurated in May.

    On whether the lawmaker’s rehabilitation work on the PHC would be a waste, Taiwo, said that there were lots of things the government could use the place for.

    Taiwo said it was untrue that the PHC building had been sold to people who wanted to use it as an event centre.

  • APC chieftain wants Buhari to sack incompetent, corrupt appointees

    APC chieftain wants Buhari to sack incompetent, corrupt appointees

    A member of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Timi Frank, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack appointees, including cabinet members, who had brought the Federal Government to disrepute.

    He made the call in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, while reacting to the suspension of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr David Babachir Lawal by the president.

    In the suspension announced in a statement by Mr Femi Adesina, his Media Adviser, on Wednesday in Abuja, Buhari also ordered an investigation into allegations of violations of law and due process against the SGF in the award of contracts.

    Also suspended by the president was the Director-General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ayo Oke.

    Lawal was alleged to have committed the offences as Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on the North-East (PINE).

    Frank said the suspension of the SGF and the NIA boss was long overdue.

    Oke’s suspension followed the recent discovery of a large amount of money in local and foreign currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an apartment on 6, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    The NIA and Oke had claimed that the money belonged to the organisation.

    The President also ordered full-scale investigation into the development.

    Frank had earlier written an open letter to Buhari, demanding openness in the handling of controversial money discovered by the EFCC.

    According to him, the suspension of the NIA boss will boost the confidence of Nigerians in the Federal Government`s fight against corruption in the country.

    He expressed confidence that the three-member committee set up by the president to investigate the matters would come up with a result that would please Nigerians.

    “The president should take more bold steps like this to sack all the incompetent hands in his government.

    “Some of these actions are long overdue; Nigerians want to see a type of action President Zuma took in South Africa.

    “This government must do more to ensure that the act of corruption become a thing of the past in Nigeria by getting to the root of this controversial 49 million dollars,’’ he said.

    Frank advised that anybody found wanting at the end of the investigation should be prosecuted.

  • Ngige donates ambulance, drugs to mission hospital

    Ngige donates ambulance, drugs to mission hospital

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has donated an ambulance, wheelchairs and drugs worth millions of Naira to St. Mary’s Catholic Church Hospital, Alor in Anambra.

    Presenting the items on Wednesday at Alor, Ngige said the gesture was in fulfillment of his promise to the hospital in December 2016.

    The minister, who lauded the Church for their spiritual and material contributions to the people, pledged to continue the support whenever called upon.

    Receiving the items, Rev. Fr. Martin Onukuba, the Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Alor, Idemili South Local Government Area of the state, commended the minister for the gesture.

    “The situation before now was that we were using our private cars to bring patients to hospital; sometimes, we use plastic chairs to take patients into the hospital.

    “The ambulance will solve all these problems and we can now even move anytime of the night without fear on emergencies,” said Onukuba.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister was accompanied by the state executives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as well as some governorship aspirants in the state.

     

  • Defunct CPC members reject Tony Momoh’s appointment

    Defunct CPC members reject Tony Momoh’s appointment

    Members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), one of the legacy parties that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC) Monday described the appointment of the former Chairman of the party, Prince Tony Momoh as an insult to them.

    Reacting to the appointment of Prince Tony Momoh as Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Jos, the defunct CPC members said they were not in agreement with the appointment, pointing out that the appointment was not befitting of the caliber of the former Minister.

    In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on behalf of other defunct CPC members in 17 states of the southern region, National coordinator of Southern Mandate, Comrade Ikonomwan Francis said the appointment “does not befit our former National Chairman of CPC and therefore we reject it in totality.”

    The statement reads: “We, members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the seventeen states of the southern region in Nigeria under the auspices of southern mandate wish to express our dismay over the appointment given to Prince Tony Momoh as the chairman Governing Council of the University of Jos.

    “We want to state categorically that the appointment does not befit our former National Chairman of CPC and therefore we reject it in totality. Prince Tony Momoh today in the ruling APC has gone far, over and above “for himself alone” he should be given an Office or position that can empower his teaming followers and supporters across the country.

    “In fact Mr. President is marginalising the core former CPC members in his appointment. As we speak now, how many of the founding NEC, state chairmen, and leaders of the former CPC are in his appointment?

    “We doubt if there is any. Imagine up till now, the likes of Engr. Buba Galadima, Sule Harmma, Sen. Rufai Hangai and host of others are not in his cabinet today. These are men who made prominent TBO (the Buhari Organization) even all of them that is acclaimed to be CPC members in FEC today are not core CPC members, but they are decampees.

    “We wonder why organizations like NPA, TETFUND, NDDC should be given to strangers who were not there when we were building and labouring? We have worked for Mr. President like an elephant but today we are eating like an ant which negates the saying that a child whose mother is in kitchen cannot be said to be hungry.

    “Even if it is Prince Tony Momoh that made this choice of appointment, it is not acceptable to us as well. We understand his aged but he should have considered that he can no longer take a position for himself alone or are they asking all of us to start seeking admission in the University of Jos? What is in Governing Council of a University?”

    They asked President President Muhammadu Buhari to revisit and ensure that Chief Momoh is given “a viable office we can always run to or he should not accept anyone in the first instance.

    “The truth is that Mr. President is starving those that have labored for him in four consecutive elections. Imagine two years into his administration nothing to show for it, in terms of empowerment to core former CPC members. To say that we are hungry and angry is an understatement. If the way Mr. President is going about the empowerment of members of his party, then Politics is not worth playing.”

     

  • We obeyed party’s directive to remove Ndume – APC senators

    We obeyed party’s directive to remove Ndume – APC senators

    A caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators on Wednesday told the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun that they obeyed the directives from the Party to replace Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume as Senate leader.
    This was disclosed at the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Chief Oyegun while Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, led APC Senators to the closed door meeting.
     
    A source who attended the meeting told The Nation that “the meeting was not as smooth as Chief Oyegun painted it.”
     
    Oyegun had sued for a ceasefire in what he referred to as “the kind of abuse being used on one institution of government or the other.”
     
    He also told reporters that the meeting was “robust and addressed salient issues” affecting the smooth working relationship between the Senate and the executive arm of government.
     
    Findings showed that the Senate caucus blamed the party leadership for the frosty relationship between it and the Presidency.
     
    It was learnt that the caucus pointedly accused the party leadership of “double-standard” in its dealing with the relationship between the two arms of government.
     
    It was also gathered that the removal of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume as the Senate Leader and his subsequent suspension featured prominently at the meeting.
     
    The APC caucus, it was learnt, told Oyegun that he was in a position to defend the removal of Ndume since the caucus merely obeyed party directive to effect leadership change.
     
    The source noted that it was the position of the caucus that “instead of defending the removal of Ndume and replacing him with Senator Ahmed Lawan as directed by the party, what the Caucus has been receiving are unwarranted attacks and attempts to run down the institution of the Senate.”
     
    APC Senators loyal to Saraki, it was learnt, used the opportunity of the meeting to poor out their indignation and frustration against Oyegun.
     
    On the suspension of Ndume, the source said that there may be “no going back” on Ndume’s suspension going by the body language of the majority of the caucus members.