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Tag: All Progressives Congress (APC)

  • Kogi APC exco splits over Yahaya Bello’s re-election bid

    The Kogi State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has split into two factions over Governor Yahaya Bello’s bid for re-election ahead of the state’s governorship poll billed to hold on November 16.

    The split is coming on the heels of alleged adoption of Governor Bello by the state chapter, a move that is being resisted by a faction led by the State Secretary of the APC, Salam Tom Adejoh.

    Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, Adejoh debunked the alleged endorsement of Governor Bello, saying that the governor’s poor performance should not be rewarded with a second term.

    The State Secretary emphasized that the executive committee members are not in any position to endorse any aspirants, stressing that the party governorship ticket is open to every qualified party member.

    “We did not endorse anyone and we are not planning to. The party’s ticket is open to everyone in the party”, added.

    According to him, the last meeting of the state executive committee, which held on Saturday, did not discuss Bello’s endorsement.

    The party scribed dismissed media reports credited to a faction of the state executive, led by the chapter chairman, purportedly endorsing the governor for a second term.

    Read Also: Kogi APC in need of revival – Members

    Narrating the exco’s last meeting with the governor, Adejoh said, “Our discussion ended at the need for peace so that the party can move forward. He (governor) said he needed a sincere peace and we agreed on terms. There was nothing like endorsement.

    “The terms we agreed on was that our allowances and other packages that we are entitled to would be given to us and we all agreed on these terms.

    “The governor requested for the case in court to be withdrawn. We told him there are some processes to be followed. The issue of withdrawing the case is subject to another negotiation”.

    The executive members had dragged the governor to court over his refusal to pay arrears of their entitlements as party chiefs.

    On the suitability of Governor Bello’s re-election, Adejoh said, “The party has its own criteria on what they want from a candidate. If someone has performed well or is an achiever, it will speak for itself. Yahaya has been far away from us, since then he has not been properly directed.

    On the reported endorsement of the governor by traditional rulers in Kogi State at the presidential villa in Abuja last week, the party secretary said the governorship election is not a traditional affair.

    According to him, the traditional rulers are only entitled to vote at the election but that they are not in the position to decide who will be the APC candidate because they are not delegates.

    Other party chieftains that joined Adejoh at the briefing included the State Organizing Secretary, Alh. Isah Abubakar; Zonal Youth Leader, Noah Akwu; APC Bassa LGA Chairman, Mallam Isiaka Ibrahim among others.

     

  • Cracks in PDP over probe of Senators, Reps

    PLAN by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to probe its members for voting the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the recent election of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President as well as the House of Representatives Speaker and Deputy Speaker is now causing ripples in the opposition party.

    Although the PDP directed its members to back Alhaji  Ali Ndume for Senate President and Umar Bago for House of Reps Speaker, the result of the elections showed that many of the lawmakers ignored  their party’s directive.

    Spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologondiyan, told reporters at the end of the  86th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party that a committee would soon be set up to unravel the roles played by PDP legislators in the election of the leadership of the National Assembly.

    Ologbondiyan’s announcement is now causing disquiet within the party with members taking different positions.

    Earlier during the meeting, the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, had condemned what he called the disloyal attitude of PDP senators and Reps members who defied the directives of the opposition party and voted for Senator Ahmed Lawan and Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila.

    Shortly after Lawan and Gbajabiamila emerged winners the PDP had first said it would not sanction its senators and members of the House of Representatives for not heeding the directive of the party on the candidates to vote for during the election.

    The party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Diran Odeyemi, said, “There is nothing new in what happened and it is not unexpected… There is no reason to sanction anyone and come to think of it, it was an open secret balloting which does not leave room for identifying who voted for or against the party’s directive.”

    Hours to the NASS leadership elections, the PDP had adopted Senator Ali Ndume and Hon. Umar Bago as its choices for Senate President and Speaker respectively. It thereafter directed its members in the upper and lower chambers to vote accordingly. However, many Senators and Reps elected on the platform of the party defied the directives and voted for other candidates.

    In the contest, Senator Lawan garnered 79 votes to beat PDP backed Ndume, who scored 28 votes. Also, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of the APC defeated Senator Ike Ekweramadu of the PDP in the election of the Deputy Senate President, scoring 68 votes to his opponent’s 37 votes. Gbajabiamila floored PDP’s choice, Bago. The results confirmed that many PDP lawmakers gave their votes to the APC backed candidates contrary to PDP’s directives.

    “This is easy to establish because both Ndume and Ekweremadu did not secure the entire 44 votes of the PDP senators. Bago’s total vote scored also fell extremely short of the numbers of members we have in the House of Representatives,” a party source told our correspondent while justifying the decision of the party to investigate the voting pattern of its members, and possibly punish erring members at the end of the investigations.

    He expressed displeasure at what it called the embarrassed by the roles played by some PDP members in the National Assembly during the election. “Their personal interest clashed with party interest, and they failed to do what is expected of them by allowing personal interests to drown that of the party. The party is indeed embarrassed and our leaders have decided to ensure that henceforth, party discipline is taken seriously,” he added.

    Sources told The Nation that many chieftains of the party are opposed to moves  to probe the matter.

    According to very reliable party sources, Secondus’ decision to announce a committee that will probe the voting pattern of the lawmakers is at best a “personal opinion backed by a few aggrieved party leaders who suffered personal losses due to the outcome of the elections.”

    Read Also: Bayelsa poll: PDP holds primary September 3

    A party leader from the southeastern part of the country confided in our correspondent that some PDP governors have expressed their dissatisfaction with the announcement ,and urged the party leadership to put the development behind it and concentrate on providing quality opposition to the ruling APC.

    It was also learnt that many PDP Senators and Reps members have vowed not to appear before the committee if ever constituted.

    “Take for example, the governor of my state who openly endorsed Gbajabiamila when the later visited him; will he allow federal lawmakers from his state to be ridiculed by the committee? A ranking Senator from a South-South state went round with Senator Lawan during the campaign for Senate Presidency, what will the party do about that? The senator has even vowed not to appear before the committee.

    “Aside governors and Senators, many party chieftains were taken by surprise to hear the announcement by Secondus.

    “He didn’t consult widely before saying what he said. Don’t also forget that when he was asked a few days after the election of Lawan and Gbajabiamila if the PDP would punish its members who voted for the duo, he said the party would  not do anything of such. That is exactly his personal opinion.

    “We have it on good authority that the new decision to probe and punish is the idea of one of our governors in the South-south who felt personally insulted by the outcome of the elections. This governor, had also without consulting others, influenced the last minute directive given by Secondus to our legislators to vote Ndume and Bago. They think they own PDP. More shocks await them.”

    The Nation gathered that some PDP governors, senators and other chieftains have formally protested to the National Chairman, expressing their objection to the decision to probe the outcome of the NASS leadership election. It was gathered that many of them warned the national leadership of the party to avoid any action capable of throwing  the party into a fresh crisis while urging it to rescind its decision to investigate ‘a dead issue that is of no significance to the growth of the party.’

  • Federal Cabinet: Imo APC chieftains advise Buhari

    AS the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government continues its search for the right candidates to constitute the much awaited federal cabinet, chieftains of Imo State All Progressives Congress (APC) are currently lobbying for the candidate that would represent the state even as they blame each other for the failure of the party in the last governorship election. Dr. Chuks Osuji, a political scientist, administrator and author, in a statement entitled, “Imo Ministerial Slot: For whom the bell tolls,” made available at the weekend, argues that Madumere seems to be the most likely candidate from Imo State for a ministerial position.

    “All things considered, it is likely that Senator Hope Uzodimma may be asked to submit a list. If he is asked to do so, knowing how the mind of Hope Uzodimma works, he is more than likely to submit a list containing his name, first, Prince Eze Madumere – second, T.O.E Ekechi etc,. Knowing the temperamental chemistry of Adams Oshiomhole, he would not look at that list twice; because, he would weigh so many things in mind. It stands to be reasoned that Sen. Uzodimma was given the governorship ticket which he performed very poorly, coming a distant fourth place position.

    “Secondly, the immediate past minister, Prof. Anthony Anwuka, is from Orlu zone. So there can be no rationale for considering Uzodimma for ministerial position and other concomitant reasons which may not promote the Senator’s aspiration for ministerial appointment. In addition, if one raised the issue that the current Imo governor is from Owerri zone, such argument will be automatically shut down because both Madumere and Governor Ihedioha are not of the same political party,” he said.

    Read Also: Cabinet: APC leaders set criteria for Buhari

    Another APC chieftain in the state, Nze Stanley Onuoha, who made a case for Madumere, also blamed Uzodinma for the party’s failure in the state when he said: “there is no way APC would have succeeded with the level of lack of seriousness on the part of the APC governorship candidate who literarily did not campaign in Okigwe zone. He was not just ready. It was the more you look the less you see. We must look at the leadership of the party for us to move ahead.”

    But Chief Ukachukwu Nwulu, a grassroots leader, would not hear of it that Uzodinma is being blamed by his party members for what happed to APC in the last elections. “Senator Uzodinma tried his best under the situation we found ourselves. It is only fair that he is compensated now by the APC-led federal government,” he said. Hon. Felix Adiele, one of the leaders of APC in Owerri Municipal however believes the blame should instead be on the former governor. “Okorocha in pursuance of his goal of building a political dynasty takes the greater percentage of the blame but our unfortunate candidate, Senator Uzodinma sealed the failure,” he said.

     

  • Edo hands of fellowship

    With barely a year to the next governorship election in Edo State, these are interesting times for political observers with keen interest in the politics of the state.

    With the rumour rife that all is not well between Governor Godwin Obaseki and the former governor of the state and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, every move in the camps of the two politicians is bound to provoke interest.

    Such is the above picture of Obaseki and a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Pastor Osagie-Ize-Iyamu, at the birthday thanksgiving service in honour of Pastor Ize-Iyamu and his wife in Benin City yesterday.

    Considering that the two were bitter foes in the 2016 governorship contest with Obaseki as the candidate of APC and Ize-Iyamu flying the flag of PDP, one cannot but wonder what discussion the two statesmen are so engrossed in that they can hardly afford to bat an eyelid.

    Could they be reviewing the poll? Could they be previewing a possible re-match? Obaseki has said he would seek a second term, but Pastor, as Ize-Iyamu is called by his admirers, is yet to throw his hat in the ring. Will he try a second time? Could they also be reviewing the situation in the state, particularly the crisis rocking the APC in the state?

    Obaseki has said he would not share the state’s money with anybody, a statement interpreted in enlightened quarters as a jab at Oshiomhole, his estranged godfather and former governor of the state. In the 2016 election, Pastor was at the receiving end of Oshiomhole who accused him of fronting for the godfathers that he (Oshiomhole) had retired. Could they have been discussing godfatherism, its relevance in the politics of the state and the merits and demerits of the phenomenon?

    Would Obaseki have visited Pastor two years ago when he was in the good books of the comrade ex-governor? What is this telling us about 2020? Is this a sign that there could be a realignment of forces in the state as we inch towards 2020? Will Pastor queue behind the governor to try and retire the comrade ex-governor from the state’s politics like the latter says he did to those elders the pastor kowtows to? Is he telling Obaseki “l’m coming to retire you and your godfather?”

    The unfolding drama in Edo is indeed interesting.

  • I am for state police, says el-Rufai

    The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai on Friday said he supports the agitation for State Police.

    He said in an under-police country, State Police is imperative.

    He said having chaired the All Progressives Congress (APC) Committee on True Federalism, he said he could not have opposed State Police.

    El-Rufai made the clarifications against the backdrop of disagreement by governors at a meeting of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) on Wednesday in Abuja.

    The governor faulted THE NATION’s report on his position at the NGF meeting.

    A statement by el-Rufai’s Senior Special Assistant  (Media & Publicity), Samuel Aruwan said:  “The attention of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has been drawn to the blatant misrepresentation of his position on state police in a false report published in The Nation newspaper.

    “On Friday, 21 June 2019, The Nation reported that Nigeria’s Governors have reached agreement on state police. In its usual style of attributing its lies to anonymous sources, The Nation alleged that Mallam Nasir El-Rufai expressed opposition to state police during the meeting.

    “This falsehood is incongruous to the publicly articulated position of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai on state police. How can a man who chaired a committee that recommended the adoption of state police in 2017 credibly be alleged to be against it?

    Read Also: El-Rufai creates ministry for security, two new others

    “Even the sheer logic of his own lived experience as governor of a state confronting security challenges suggests a pragmatic embrace of state and community policing.

    “ In an under-policed country crying out for more police officers, new technology and modern paradigms of securing communities, adopting state police is imperative.”

    El-Rufai  said the NGF was looking into the report of the APC Committee on True Federalism.

    The statement added: “Since the submission of the report of the APC Committee on True Federalism, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has been engaged in advocacy for its recommendations.

    “At its last meeting, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) accepted a proposal  to set up a bi-partisan committee of Governors to pursue the implementation of the recommendations of the APC True Federalism committee. But that NGF committee is yet to be set up.”

    The governor condemned some reports of THE NATION on him since during the tenure of ex-President Umaru Yar’Adua.

    The statement added: “The Nation’s comedic reportage of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s lecture to the Bridge Club is still fresh in the memory. The Nation went overboard in its obsequious worship of personality rather than principle.

    “The paper went further to report fiction on the election of the new chair of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. This is a continuation of the paper’s long history of traducing Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

    “ In the Yar’Adua years, The Nation was the major mouthpiece for every lie that some persons wanted to disseminate about El-Rufai.

    “The paper may not take itself seriously as a newspaper any longer, given its wanton propensity to trivialize matters when it is not reporting fiction.

    “ But Mallam Nasir El-Rufai reserves his legal options to seek redress for this deliberate and practised pattern of dressing fables as reportage.”

     

  • APC rejects Edo, Bauchi Assembly inaugurations

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the inauguration of a few members of the Edo and Bauchi states House of Assembly, describing supposed election of principal officers behind closed doors as a joke and an embarrassment to Democratic practices.

    In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the party asked the governors of the two states to issue what it called a proper letter of proclamation for the inauguration of the state assemblies.

    The party disclosed that every elected member of the state assemblies is entitled to participate in the inauguration and election of the principle officers of the state assemblies.

    The statement reads: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) condemns the charade being presented as the inauguration of new State Houses of Assembly in Edo and Bauchi States.

    “We viewed this illegality with shock and disappointment. As a party that has made a commitment to change, we strongly reject any attempt to take recourse to brigandage of the past, when democratic practices were defined by the inordinate whims of people in power. Democracy must be governed by the rule of law.

    “A situation where 11 lawmakers in the 31-member Bauchi State House of Assembly and nine lawmakers in the 24-member Edo State House of Assembly were secretly ‘inaugurated’ and purportedly ‘elect’ principal officers behind closed doors is a joke and an embarrassment.

    “It is an unfortunate reminder of PDP’s queer brand of democracy. Practices like this are unacceptable under APC-led administration. As a party that is committed to higher ideals, we would use all democratic means necessary to ensure the right thing is done.

    Read Also: Buhari yet to discuss ministerial list with us – APC Govs

    “Perhaps the actors in the inauguration sham in Edo and Bauchi States need to be reminded of the recent and widely-commended election of presiding officers in the newly-inaugurated 9th National Assembly. Our party has set new standards in party politics by upstaging the rule of force, while upholding the rule of law.

    “It needs restating that every elected lawmaker has a legitimate right to participate unhindered in the inauguration of the legislative arm in which he belongs. The plot to arm-twist the majority in favour of the minority in the legislative arm died with the defeat of the PDP in 2015.

    “We therefore call on the Governors of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed to urgently do the needful by issuing a proper letter of proclamation to allow for the lawful inauguration of the respective state House of Assembly and subsequent election of presiding officers in a transparent manner.”

  • PDP fixes N20m nomination fee for Kogi, Bayelsa gov polls

    The national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has fixed a N20 million fee for aspirants intending to contest the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.

    The N20 million is exclusive of the mandatory Expression of Interest fee of N1 million for every aspirant.

    Briefing newsmen shortly after the party’s emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Thursday, the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, however clarified that nominations for female aspirants remained free.

    The PDP charged its governorship aspirants in the 2019 elections only N5 million.

    Defending the upward review in nomination fees, Ologbondiyan attributed the development to the rising cost of printing the various electoral materials, high cost of conducting primary elections and other logistics.

    Sale of nomination forms for the two states will commence from June 24 to July 24, 2019; while submission deadline is July 31.

    Screening for aspirants for the election in the two states will come up on August 19, while the screening appeal panel will sit and decide cases on August 21.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed November 16, 2019 for the Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections.

    Speaking during the NEC meeting, the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the June 11 National Assembly leadership election.

    According to him, “PDP as the main opposition party was very uncomfortable that the level of corruption that preceded the emergence of the leadership is capable of undermining the desired robust legislative activities.

    “Having ‘purchased’ the leadership of the parliament, we expect the cabals to now fully take over and dictate the show at the legislature.

    “We have even seen the first sign of what is to come when the APC group in the Senate killed a motion to debate the June 12 speech of the imperial President.

    “Only a conquered parliament with credibility challenge can shy away from discussing a major address of a President just sworn into office, but that is a sign of what is to come when choosing legislative leadership is heavily monetized by a regime that claims to be fighting corruption.

    “The bazar that took place during the election of National Assembly leaders clearly gives a picture of the anti-corruption status and how the APC has become home for looters.

    “Just last week, Nigerians witnessed how some corruption charges involving APC chieftains were withdrawn from the EFCC and handed over to the Attorney General for final dropping”.

    The party chair expressed disappointment with some of PDP members in the National Assembly who openly endorsed the choices of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

    Read Also: PDP says no nation can ignore China

    “Party loyalty demands that you stick to your party at any given situation. When personal interests clash with party interests, personal interests should drown into that of the party, that’s what real democrats are expected to do,” he said.

    Secondus also deplored the security situation in the country, particularly the ravages of the Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast and banditry, kidnapping and other organised crimes in different parts of the country.

    The party chair said, “In the area of security, as you all are very much aware, the threatening security situation in the country is not abating, rather it’s getting worse by the day.

    “In fact, the hopelessness in the security situation is underlined in the recent statement of the military hierarchy early this week trying to blame the soldiers for the continued Boko Haram incursions. This is after they had severally declared the Boko Haram sect to be technically defeated.

    “The killing of soldiers and civilians by Boko Haram terrorists in the North East and the bandits in the North West has continued unabated.

    “A few weeks ago, angry youths in Katsina, the home state of the President, had to dump the bodies of 18 persons killed by the bandits in government house for the government to bury and taste the pain of burying.

    “How else can a people whose government cannot provide basic things like security demonstrate their anger and frustrations.

    The truth remains that under the watch of President Buhari and APC, Nigeria and her citizens have been degraded and people are no longer proud of their country”.

     

     

  • APC state chairmen pass vote of confidence in Oshiomhole

    The State Chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have passed a vote of confidence in the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

    They described what they called “public disparagement of the party’s national chairman as unconscionable distraction borne out of complete misconception of the reforms and specifically, the principle of loyalty to the party.”

    The party’s National Deputy Chairman (North), Senator Lawal Shuaibu, had accused Oshiomhole of running a one-man show, calling on his to step aside.

    Shuaibu alleged that the fortune of the ruling party dipped under the watch of Oshiomhole as the chairmen and therefore no longer fit to lead.

    But, the state chairmen yesterday pledged their support for the former Edo State governor.

    In a communique at the end of a meeting between the state chairmen and the National Working Committee (NWC), the state chapter chairmen said they were opposed to calls on Oshiomhole to resign, restating their  support for the national chairman’ reformatory effort.

    Read Also: Adams Oshiomole: Victim of reactionary forces

    The communique was signed by 20 state chairmen of the party, cutting across the geo-political zones.

    It reads: “That Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole stepped into the saddle in June last year and hit the ground running by embarking on sweeping reforms that centered on party discipline and supremacy. He galvanised and led the NWC with commitment and sharp focus on greater philosophical ideals of rebuilding the party and raising the party another notch.

    “In line with his credo of fairness to leadership and membership of the party, the NWC, under his leadership, ensured a level-play field in the primary elections that largely returned the party to the people (general membership).

    “He led the NWC with a single purpose of dismantling the culture of impunity and imposition of anointed candidates at the expense of the vast majority of party members by some overbearing state governors.

    “Oshiomhole provided leadership that encouraged the APC candidates to go into the 2019 general election with assurance and great hope. Realising the pains and strains that usually accompany reforms and change, we are satisfied with the level of success that our party achieved under the Oshiomhole-inspired reforms.

    ”We are proud with the leadership provided by the national chairman in the recent election of principal officers of the National Assembly, where he ensured the emergence of Senator Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively. You said it will happen and you worked hard to achieve it. Kudos Mr. Chairman.

    “We believe the best is ahead of our party and that all hands must be on deck to ensure that we incrementally build on the solid foundations of reforms that have brought about discipline, party supremacy and put the party directly in the hands of the people

    “Flowing from the above, we consider the public disparagement of our national chairman by anyone or group as unconscionable distraction borne out of complete misconception of the reforms and specifically, the principle of loyalty to the party.

    “We denounce calls on Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to resign; and that, we solidly support Comrade Oshiomhole’s afore-mentioned reformatory effort. We endorse Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s leadership and hereby pass a vote of confidence in him.”

  • ‘Obaseki can’t intimidate us’

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers-elect in Edo State have said Governor Godwin Obaseki cannot intimidate them into picking Assembly leaders of his choice.

    The party’s leadership last weekend zoned the Assembly positions to different senatorial districts, but the actions did not go down well with the 19 lawmakers.

    The lawmakers, who addressed a news conference yesterday, accused Obaseki of attempting to truncate democracy by refusing to send a proclamation letter.

    Washinton Osifo said the governor was usurping the powers of the legislature by refusing to allow the Assembly function. He insisted that the governor, no matter how powerful, could not impose a Speaker or Deputy Speaker on the legislature.

    It was gathered that the lawmakers-elect have made some fresh demands on Obaseki before they will adhere to the party’s zoning arrangement.

    The demands, according to sources, is for the governor to give them the yearly N36 million for constituency projects instead of executing the projects on their behalf; payment of all allowances owed old members, restoration of travelling allowances and other payments stopped by the governor.

    He said: “We urge all well-meaning individuals, including Oba Ewuare II and President Muhammadu Buhari, to prevail on Governor Obaseki to issue the letter of proclamation to enable the Edo State House of Assembly function.

    “We are ready to defend our democracy and the sanctity of the legislature.”

    But Obaseki, who spoke through his Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Paul Ohonbamu, assured the lawmakers that the proclamation letter would soon be sent. He said the party’s intervention in the assembly leadership was to prevent the rancour that characterised the sixth Assembly.

    He said: “They are products of the party and the party is interested in what they do. The party only helped them do what is needful.

    “The governor invited them and told them the intervention is for legislative harmony. Nobody wants to impose leadership on them. The delay is not a threat to democracy.”

    However, state chairman Anselm Ojezua said there would be repercussions if the lawmakers-elect do not comply with the party’s decision.

    According to him, the lawmakers have accepted the party’s zoning arrangement, and it was only left for zonal leaders to consult and come up with recommendations to the party.

    Read Also: You cannot intimidate us, lawmakers-elect tell Obaseki

    On the constituency project funds being demanded, Ojezua said the issue of constituency project was a matter of policy and open to negotiations. He explained that the party has nothing against legitimate claims of the lawmakers-elect.

    He said: “There are legitimate claims. The party has nothing against them making those claims if they are legitimate. I think the governor is open to discussions as long as there is dialogue. They are not threatening anybody; they are just asking for what they believe will enhance service delivery to their constituencies.

    “There is a way we can go about it. If there are projects they are interested in, they can make input into the budget and the state will implement. There is nothing wrong if a lawmaker ensures a project goes to his constituency so that he can have something to show.

    “The party is keeping to its own obligations, and we have taken needed steps. The governor has prerogative to write the proclamation letter. We don’t need to put him under pressure. He knows the importance of the parliament in a democratic system. He will do what is needful.

    “There is nothing like any lawmaker being an Oshiomhole’s or Obaseki’s boy. Obaseki is Oshiomhole’s boy; there can be no other Oshiomhole’s or Obaseki’s boys. If people should give themselves name, it does not make sense to me because all of us are Oshiomhole’s product.”

  • EU report sparks fresh APC, PDP spat over INEC’s server

    The controversy over a server containing the presidential election’s results has refused to go away.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has no such server.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) aligns with INEC at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, which it urged to reject the request by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to access the “server” from which it claimed the results were generated.

    European Union (EU) observers corroborated INEC’s stand in their report, which they released at the weekend.

    To the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, the EU Report has vindicated the ruling APC that the electoral umpire did not generate results from any server. Okechukwu spoke yesterday in Enugu.

    In the report, the EU EOM scored key actors in the elections low – a position the PDP hailed.

    The actors knocked by the EU in the final report on the 2019 poll are: INEC, major political parties and security agencies.

    Okechukwu, who is also a chieftain of the APC, said he was glad to hear the Deputy Chief of the EU Observer Mission, Hannah Roberts, agreeing with the reality of relying on results that were released by INEC.

    Okechukwu said: “Some of us have been vindicated, as our position has been that INEC did not generate the 2019 general elections result from a server.

    “We have maintained that it’s trite in law that one cannot build something out of nothing; accordingly, we agree with EU election observer mission’s denial of knowledge of the existence of the so called server used by INEC to conduct 2019 general elections.”

    According to him, “what amuses one is the paradox in the PDP canvass that in one breath, INEC conducted elections transparently in Adamawa, Bauchi, Imo, Oyo, Zamfara etc, where it won and in another breath, manipulated the results in axis it lost.

    “Methink, it’s wrong to gloss over the truism that President Muhammadu Buhari has a 12 million vote-bank, which had been on display in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 presidential elections.

    “Therefore, Facebook Sever or Twitter Server, the hard fact is that Buhari has cult followership, which is only comparable to that of Malam Aminu Kano or Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sarduna of Sokoto, both of blessed memory, in the North.

    “Nobody can erase this hard fact,’’ he said.

    On the EU report’s pointing out systemic failings seen in the elections, voter apathy and call for fundamental electoral reforms, Okechukwu noted that Buhari had promised a holistic reform of the electoral system.

    He said: “I’m in league with statement emanating from the presidency that Buhari will work with all Nigerian citizens, state institutions, civil society, the media and other experts to make sure that there will be proper electoral reforms.

    “Let me plead with INEC to gradually commence the introduction of e-Voting (Electronic-Voting) in the off cycle state elections, as preparatory ground for full implementation.

    “We must remind ourselves that there was a time when one eminent citizen said that telephone is not for the poor, but today the groundnut hawker in his village has smart phone. We must commence e-voting as a matter of urgent national importance”

    The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP yesterday commended the EU on its final report.

    The party made the commendation in a statement in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, who lauded the union for stating the facts on the elections.

    He said that the fresh revelation in the EU report vindicated the position of PDP on the elections.

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    The statement reads: “Nigerians are still in shock over the revelations by EU of how about 2.8 million votes were deliberately ‘cancelled without sufficient accountability’ and how several returning officers gave no reason for the cancellations.

    The PDP said more shocking was the distortions and “a large discrepancy of 1.66 million more registered voters, as announced by INEC on January 14, compared to those announced by state returning officers during the collation of presidential results.”

    Ologbondiyan alleged that returning officers were unable to reconcile result figures.  He said that the EU report exposed how ballot boxes were compromised, how essential materials were missing, how “voter register was not always ticked as required” and how “manual authentication procedures were not correctly followed”.

    “The report on result forms did not reconcile how result forms were not publicly posted, how “result forms and smart card readers were not packed in tamper-evident envelops as required,” he said.

    “Moreover, the report has further reinforced the confidence of millions of Nigerians in our collective expectation of justice in the quest to retrieve our stolen presidential mandate at the tribunal.

    “The PDP condemns such crime against our nation, in sabotaging the sanctity of our electoral processes to frustrate the choice of Nigerians in a presidential election, must be brought to book and made to face the wrath of the law.”