The Nation Newspaper

Tag: All Progressives Congress (APC)

  • NASS leadership: APC must avoid mistakes of 2015, says Nabena

    A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena has asked the leadership of the party to avoid the mistakes of 2015 National Assembly by putting in place an effective zoning and selection arrangement that will produce the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives.

    Nabena said in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja that the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party were already strategizing on how to hijack the leadership of the National Assembly, warning that the APC leadership must not allow this to happen.

    Nabena who is the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC asked President Muhammadu Buhari to play a lead role in the APC’s internal selection arrangement for the leadership of the incoming 9th National Assembly.

    He said “The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has lost the presidential election and they have now adopted a plan B from their infamous Dubai strategy meeting to hijack the incoming National Assembly leadership by repeating their heinous coup in the previous Assembly.

    “The All Progressives Congress (APC) must prevent a repeat of a situation where despite our overwhelming majority in the outgoing 8th Senate and House of Representatives, the National Assembly leadership was hijacked by saboteurs and their opposition PDP collaborators.

    Read Also: APC claims all NASS seats in Niger

    “Nigerians will recall how the outgoing 8th National Assembly under Bukola Saraki sabotaged the present administration in pursuit of selfish political interest of the PDP. But for the principled, focussed and dogged governance of President Muhammadu Buhari, many of the unprecedented developmental achievements recorded would have been completely sabotaged.

    “The National Assembly is a strategic arm of government to achieve the Change Agenda for the country. I call on the Party’s leadership to urgently set out mechanisms for the zoning/selection of our preferred principal officers who will join the President Buhari administration in implementing our Change Agenda.

    “Aside being President, Muhammadu Buhari is a respected father figure among party members and supporters. His direct involvement and views will be very important as the Party works around the zoning/selection arrangement.”

     

  • 2019: APC express dismay over poll outcome in Kogi West

    allege PDP of rigging

     

    The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Kogi West senatorial district has alleged the state chapter of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of rigging last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly election in the area.

    The party after a review of the exercise, in which the PDP and a fringe political party won the Senate and House of Representatives seats, across the Kogi West Senatorial district, vowed to rectify what it described as an anomaly.

    The APC won in the other two senatorial districts; Kogi East and Kogi Central

    The review document released on Saturday in Lokoja, the state capital, and signed by the Alhaji Isah Taufiq, Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Kogi State chapter, expressed their “agony” over the poll outcome.

    “We note with dismay, the uninspiring performance from the senatorial polls results from Kogi West. We however promise to brace up and take a firm decision to correct the anomalies of the past in the next coming State Assembly election.

    Read Also: Akala to supporters: join me in APC

    “We discovered that was massive rigging by PDP in our area. We must demonstrate the agony and frustration we bear over leadership failures in Kogi West. We therefore tender unreserved apology to the governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello over the last presidential and National Assembly Elections.

    “We are meeting to restrategize on making sure we come victorious in the upcoming elections. We also apologize to our colleagues from the other senatorial districts particularly the Chief of Staff, Hon. Edward Onoja for the unfounded allegations against his person.

    “On a final note, having tendered apology to all concerned, we call on all APC members in the state, all stakeholders and all political appointees, to desist from passing blames and abuses across board against each  other. We are to be in unity and not display our ignorance in the public any further,” it read.

     

  • INEC ordered supplementary election unnecessary, says Timi Frank

    A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Comrade Timi Frank has said that the supplementary elections ordered by the Independent National Electoral Commission was unnecessary since the commission has already declared a winner of the Presidential election and issue a certificate of return.

    In a statement made available to newsmen, Frank said the supplementary election ordered by INEC was an indirect way of covering up it’s inadequacies as seen in the last elections which he said was manipulated in favour of the APC.

    Frank cautioned Nigerians not to be fooled by INEC to conduct a supplementary presidential elections in some parts of the country where elections didn’t hold, describing the exercise as a mere charade and a cheap blackmail by the electoral body trying assiduously to hoodwink Nigerians into being part of a larger game plan of legalising its doctored results in the event of a judicial decision at the tribunal.

    Frank said the INEC boss, having realised his gaffe in handling the just concluded presidential polls, which he stated was marred by unprecedented widespread disenfranchisement by way of violence, deliberate voter suppression, intimidation and threats of Resident Electoral Commissioners by security forces, “is trying everything possible to save his neck from the gravity of the available evidences as witnessed in this monumental sham called elections.”

    He said further that having realised the determination of the opposition in proceeding to the courts for redress, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, “who is now obviously jittery is suddenly desperate in conducting supplementary presidential elections at a time when he had earlier refused after his attention was sought by the PDP agent at the national collation centre.

    “This sudden rigmarole in retracing his step can at best be described as ‘medicine after death’ having already issues a certificate of return to the purported winner of the February 23rd elections.”

    He said the INEC Chairman need to answer some silient questions such as, “whose purpose will a supplementary elections serve, when a certificate of return has been duly issued? Is the total population of the areas where the supplementary elections will hold greater than the margin of 3,928,869 illegally awarded the ruling party as recorded by INEC?

    “Why the sudden haste in organizing a supplementary presidential election, when INEC and its election observers have adjudge the elections to be free, fair and credible.

    “Which observers will INEC depend on to supervise these supplementary elections? Why should Nigerians trust the INEC chairman with their safety and fairness when they’re already aware of the daylight robbery and connivance with the ruling party last Saturday?

    Read Also: INEC says it has no issues with Abia North’s result

    He said the INEC chairman must be reminded that Nigerians may not be as foolish and gullible as assumed by the ruling party and its collaborators in the commission.

    He said the decision of the PDP candidate to proceed to the tribunal for redress of his stolen mandate is within his rights and as such, any talk of a supplementary elections may be dead on arrival,  as the INEC chairman must accept culpability and responsibilities for his actions and inactions when the time of reckoning beckons.

    “The INEC chairman disregarded all calls from stakeholders to be liberal in his judgement by halting the announcement of a winner given to the gravity of intimidation and widespread military takeover of its states collation centres, but instead proceeded with proclaiming a winner without recourse to fairness and equity.

    “Having announced a winner therefore, it will be right to assume that INEC has complied with the electoral act and may not necessarily need any supplementary elections as that action may be fruitless ab initio.

    “It is rather unfortunate that the international elections observers and monitors who had a mandate in reporting irregularities and other electoral malpractices as in the norm worldwide, were instead cowed and coerced into adjudging the elections as free, fair and credible at a time when local observers had dismissed the credibility of the elections owing to widespread intimidation / manipulations and military brutality in opposition strongholds leading to the death of innocent Nigerians. In summary Nigerians across board have come to the conclusions, that this was the worst elections ever in the history of their return to democracy.

    “I would like to commend the PDP Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on his resolve to reclaiming his mandate at the tribunal, as only the will of God will prevail in the affairs of men. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is the wish of the people and that wish will stand in due course. The cabal and it’s collaborators will realize that nothing can stop destiny when it’s TIME has come.”

  • When you obey God, it will be easy to obey government – Hon Omiyale

    “To Obey God is better than sacrifice”, this was the theme at the 25th Synod of the Methodist Church Nigeria, which took place at the Hoase’s Memorial Methodist Cathedral,  Yaba, Lagos, where the Executive Chairman of Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Hon. Kayode Omiyale was the Special guest of honour.

     

    Omiyale, who was accompanied to the event with his adorable wife Kemi, urged the people to obey God’s instructions rather than resort to self help by engaging in one sacrifice or the other. He mentioned several individuals in the Bible that obeyed instructions and the benefits that followed. He did not also forget to mention those that disobeyed God in the Bible and the consequences of their actions. Omiyale said,” when you obey God, it will be easy to obey Government” because ‘next to God is Government’.

    Read Also: Akala to supporters: join me in APC

     

    He commended the Church for promoting peace in the society especially the Archbishop and the Bishop of the Arch Diocese of Mainland The Most Rev. Obafemi Adeleye, Lay President Sir Bolaji Onabadejo, the Synod Secretary very Rev. Johnson Sunday and the Premate of the Methodist Church His Eminence Dr.Samue lC.K. Uche.

     

    Omiyale enlightened the residents on the re- introduction of PSP. The Executive Chairman of Yaba LCDA Hon. Kayode Adejare Omiyale has informed the citizens that PSPs have been re- introduced to cart away our refuse rather than the Visionscape policy.

     

    Speaking during the Stakeholder’s consultative meeting to involve the residents in the policy  shift. Omiyale said, the only permanent thing in life is change’ hence, Visionscape that was introduced to replace the PSP seemed not to meet the yearnings of the people of Lagos State. Let me use this opportunity to appreciate the Market leaders, Community Development Associations and stakeholders .

     

    “The rainy season is here, let us be up and doing, let the drains flow unhindered in order to avoid flooding “.

    Our environment is a product of our actions.,if we are clement to our environment, the environment will be favourable to us. Omiyale thanked the members of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) led by the HOD CLI, Sanitarian Olawale Yisau Abdullahi of the Primary Health care Board, the Yaba Environmental Sanitation Corps, Hon Gbadebo Akerele, Hon Alade Grillo and other notable APC leaders.

     

  • Gov poll: Accord will partner with APC to win Rivers, says Nalado

    The National Chairman of Accord Party, Hon. Muhammad Nalado on yesterday said the All Progressives Congress (APC) is working with his party to ensure that its candidate wins the forthcoming governorship election in Rivers State.

    He said Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs remains the authentic nominated gubernatorial candidate of the party in the forthcoming governorship election in Rivers State on March 9, 2019.

    Nalado refuted claims by the former Rivers State Chairman of Accord, Precious Baridoo that Accord has endorsed the River State Governor, Nyesom Wike as the party’s governorship candidate.  Nalado said Baridoo should desist from parading himself and the party’s governorship candidate.

    Nalado spoke in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the party’s development in Rivers State.

    He said the court verdict in favour of Baridoo to contest the governorship election in Rivers State on the platform of Accord would not stand adding that the party had appealed the case, hence the status quo remained.

    Nalado: “The APC is actually working with Accord in Rivers State to ensure that our candidate wins the governorship election. If you remember, we signed a pact in Abuja with the APC to support them where they have candidate while they will support us where they do not have candidates.

    “The Party never at any time submitted his name or particulars to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as our candidate. The party dully submitted the name of Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs as its candidate. We affirm that Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs remains our validly nominated candidate.

    “We therefore urge our members and the general public in Rivers State to go out en-mass and vote for our candidate Chief (Barn) Dumo Lulu-Briggs on the 9th of March, 2019 as the only recognized candidate of our great party, Accord.”

    Meanwhile, the governorship candidate of Accord Party in Rivers State, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, has disclosed that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State who is also the PDP governorship candidate for the state is desperate to be sole governorship candidate in Rivers, in view of his poor performance and failure to deliver real dividends of democracy to people of the state.

    Lulu-Briggs, who until September 28, 2018, was a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stated this yesterday in Port Harcourt, at a news conference to react to Thursday’s judgment of the Federal High Court in the Rivers capital, presided over by Justice E.A. Obile, which directed that his name be replaced by the plaintiff, Mr. Precious Baridoo, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that he ( Lulu-Briggs) was not the duly-nominated governorship candidate of Accord Party.

    Wike, through Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, who doubles as the Director of Information and Communications of Rivers PDP Campaign Council, had earlier denied causing confusion in APC, Accord Party and other political parties, claiming that his “impressive” performance across Rivers 23 council areas would earn him re-election.

    Lulu-Briggs said: “We state in very strong terms, that we are aware that this case (by Baridoo) is another dubious shenanigan by Wike, who is afraid to go into any legitimate contest in the forthcoming Rivers State governorship election and he is doing everything possible, including sponsoring court cases against strong opponents, in order to achieve his primitive ambition to contest the 2019 governorship election against himself alone.

    “Wike’s connection in this dubious act is buttressed by the fact that Baridoo’s counsel, Wori N. Wori Esq, is from the law firm of Emmanuel Aguma, SAN, the deceased immediate past Attorney-General to Wike.

    “Baridoo got elected as Rivers Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), months after his purported nomination as Accord Party’s governorship candidate, a position known to be occupied only by the cronies of the governor.

    “We are at a loss to fathom how Baridoo, who claims to have resigned as Rivers State Accord Party’s chairman to contest the October 4, 2018 governorship primaries could be elected a month after (in November 2018), as the State Chairman of IPAC, a position reserved only for party chairmen.

  • Akala agrees to work for party ahead of polls

    A former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, is working for the All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of next week’s governorship election, and wants his supporters across the state to join him in his latest move.

    Akala was, until yesterday, the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the state.

    He, however, confirmed last night, that, he has agreed to work for the emergence of APC’s Adebayo Adelabu as the next governor of the state.

    Speaking to reporters at his Ibadan residence, Akala said: “I remain in ADP and all our candidates for the House of Assembly seats will stand in the March 9 elections, on the platform of the ADP, with my full support but I will work for the victory of Bayo Adelabu.”

    He explained that his alliance with APC was based on the party’s belief that the ADP could perform optimally, and maintain a strong grassroots network not only in Ogbomoso but also in Ibadan, Ibarapa, Oke-Ogun and Oyo.

    He said: ”Our core values and philosophies as indicated in our ADP manifesto, ‘Rescue Mission Agenda’ has been adopted by Bayo Adelabu with the Presidency as witness. I have, therefore, as a candidate of ADP, accepted to support Adelabu of APC for victory and therefore form a coalition government.

    “My solemn gratitude goes to our members, state and national leaders of the ADP, for the ample opportunity given to me to lead and fly the flag of the party. Though my decision is a very tough one, it is for the progress of Oyo State.”

    Alao-Akala said his decision following the outcome of the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections was based on the outcome of some incidents.

    “It is widely known, that, I initiated alliance talks with the main opposition parties in Oyo State vis-a-vis my great party, the Action Democratic Party (ADP), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) with my boss, the former governor of Oyo State and Osi Olubadan, Senator Rashid Adewolu Ladoja as mediator.

    “Meanwhile, during the alliance process, I received an emergency call from the Presidency. In the meeting with Presidency, I was prevailed upon to work for APC. My response was that I should be given 48 hours to consult with my people, the opposition parties’ alliance committee as well as the teeming members, leaders and the stakeholders of my great party, ADP.

    “On resumption of the alliance meeting, my boss, (High Chief Rashid Adewolu Ladoja), told me point blank in the presence of other governorship candidates, that I was not in consideration for governorship due to my place of birth – Ogbomoso. According to him, ‘We need an Ibadan man to slug it out with another Ibadan man, which is Bayo Adelabu.’ With the statement, my geographical place of birth is the only crime I committed.

    “Since I’ve been unfairly and technically booted out of the alliance talks, I consulted with my party stakeholders and supporters whose support have brought me this far. Having realised that my 2019 governorship agenda cannot be realised in isolation based on the present situation, the only option remaining for me is to form an alliance with Mr. Bayo Adelabu of APC.

    “I, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, the Oyo State 2019 Action Democratic Party (ADP), have decided to form an alliance with the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adebayo Adekola Adelabu, ahead of the March 9 Governorship and State House of Assembly Elections in the state. However, all the ADP candidates for the House of Assembly seats will go to the elections with my maximum support.”

    Earlier, yesterday, Akala’s spokesman, Wale Ohu, issued a statement saying: ”After a careful consideration of the results of the last Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections and in furtherance of the development, progress and peace of Oyo State, far-reaching decisions have to be taken and actualised.

    “The ADP, after holding series of high level consultations across Oyo State after the last general elections, has come to the conclusion that the sanctity, integrity and progress of Oyo State cannot and must not be compromised.

    “We have felt the pulse of the people whose support has brought us this far: it is important that we dance when they play the tunes.

    “We have given deep thought to the future of this state and have realised, that, not much can be realised in isolation, hence the need to team up with the party that puts the interest of the masses on top of its priority list.

    “Looking at the results of the last elections, we have realised the need to restrategise and ensure that Oyo State is not left out in the cold.

    “To this effect, the Oyo State ADP and the Akala Campaign Organisation, hereby, call on all our members, teeming supporters and well-wishers across the state to come on board in this move towards positioning our state for better national interest.”

    Akala defected to the APC last year, only to join ADP, a few months back.

    However, the anti-APC coalition is set to resume talks today as yesterday’s meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Social Democratic Party(SDP) lasted barely 90 minutes, after which representatives of the parties agreed to resume their discussions today on what they termed ‘government of unity.’

  • I’m committed to Sanwoolu’s victory, says Ambode

    LAGOS State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has denied a newspaper report alleging that he was working with the agents of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded presidential election. Rather, he said, he is busy working for the election of the Lagos State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Babajide Sanwoolu Sanwoolu.

    A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Habib Aruna, noted that the report published in The Nation newspaper attempted to hold Governor Ambode responsible for the alleged activities of Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi because the latter supported the governor’s ambition for re-election during the primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in October 2018. He said that having publicly declared his acceptance of the decision of the decision of the party on the party’s governorship primaries, he would never take any action to undermine the prospects of the party in the ongoing elections.

    The statement reads: “The attention of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has been drawn to a report in today’s edition of The Nation newspaper, Friday March 1, 2019. “Specifically, the contentious report, which was published on the newspaper’s front page without any by-line, insinuated that Governor Ambode might be working with an opposition party through a former member of the Lagos State Executive Council and Commissioner for Energy & Mineral Resources, Mr. Wale Oluwo. “The report also attempted to hold the Governor responsible for the alleged activities of Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi because he supported the governor’s gubernatorial ambition during the primaries of the All Progressives Congress in October 2018.

    “The governor wishes to make it abundantly clear that, having declared publicly his acceptance of the decision of the party on the primaries, he has not and will never take any action to undermine the prospects of the party in the on-going elections. “It is human to aspire, and the capacity of each individual to manage the negative outcomes of a legitimate aspiration differs. But that should never be the basis to link His Excellency to whatever action of certain individuals who might have shared his vision in the past but have proceeded to pursue their own interests as adults and citizens without any influence from or recourse to the governor.

    “Governor Ambode’s decision to stand by the party that has given him the platform to serve Lagosians meritoriously is based on the principle of justice, responsibility and loyalty. “He has everything to gain from the victory of the party’s candidate Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the Governor of Lagos State on March 9, 2019, and he looks forward to handing over the affairs of the state to the candidate of the APC come May 29th. “It is therefore disturbing, unfair and sad that a respected  medium such as The Nation, which enjoys the goodwill of members of our party and is appropriately positioned to verify the falsehood of these fictitious and sponsored hatchet job chose not to observe the journalistic dictum of “if in doubt, leave out” in the breach.

    “In this circumstance, His Excellency hereby makes use of his right to a rejoinder and demands an apology for the unjustifiable aspersions cast on his person by wrongly presenting him to right thinking members of the public as a disloyal saboteur trying to frustrate his party’s campaign and electoral victory. Nothing can be further from the truth. “Governor Ambode has consistently appealed to those who sympathise with him that the best way to express solidarity is to vote for the candidates of the All Progressives Congress on Saturday March 9, 2019 in order to ensure that his own legacy is preserved and the gains of the past four years are improved upon  “As we move towards next Saturday’s important election, Governor Ambode urges Lagosians and party faithful not to allow fifth columnists pretending to be overzealous crusaders frustrate our onerous efforts to take Lagos State to the next level.

    “The governor says as he did in the run-up to last Saturday’s presidential poll, he will leave no stone unturned and spare no effort in ensuring that the party’s flag-bearer in the governorship election, Mr. SanwoOlu and all the 40 APC candidates in the House of Assembly poll are duly elected on Saturday March 9.

  • Akala back in APC

    A former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, is working for the All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of next week’s governorship election, and wants his supporters across the state to join him in his latest move.

    Akala was, until yesterday, the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the state.

    He, however, confirmed last night, that, he has agreed to work for the emergence of APC’s Adebayo Adelabu as the next governor of the state.

    Speaking to reporters at his Ibadan residence, Akala said: “I remain in ADP and all our candidates for the House of Assembly seats will stand in the March 9 elections, on the platform of the ADP, with my full support but I will work for the victory of Bayo Adelabu.”

    He explained that his alliance with APC was based on the party’s belief that the ADP could perform optimally, and maintain a strong grassroots network not only in Ogbomoso but also in Ibadan, Ibarapa, Oke-Ogun and Oyo.

    He said: ”Our core values and philosophies as indicated in our ADP manifesto, ‘Rescue Mission Agenda’ has been adopted by Bayo Adelabu with the Presidency as witness. I have, therefore, as a candidate of ADP, accepted to support Adelabu of APC for victory and therefore form a coalition government.

    “My solemn gratitude goes to our members, state and national leaders of the ADP, for the ample opportunity given to me to lead and fly the flag of the party. Though my decision is a very tough one, it is for the progress of Oyo State.”

    Alao-Akala said his decision following the outcome of the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections was based on the outcome of some incidents.

    “It is widely known, that, I initiated alliance talks with the main opposition parties in Oyo State vis-a-vis my great party, the Action Democratic Party (ADP), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) with my boss, the former governor of Oyo State and Osi Olubadan, Senator Rashid Adewolu Ladoja as mediator.

    “Meanwhile, during the alliance process, I received an emergency call from the Presidency. In the meeting with Presidency, I was prevailed upon to work for APC. My response was that I should be given 48 hours to consult with my people, the opposition parties’ alliance committee as well as the teeming members, leaders and the stakeholders of my great party, ADP.

    “On resumption of the alliance meeting, my boss, (High Chief Rashid Adewolu Ladoja), told me point blank in the presence of other governorship candidates, that I was not in consideration for governorship due to my place of birth – Ogbomoso. According to him, ‘We need an Ibadan man to slug it out with another Ibadan man, which is Bayo Adelabu.’ With the statement, my geographical place of birth is the only crime I committed.

    “Since I’ve been unfairly and technically booted out of the alliance talks, I consulted with my party stakeholders and supporters whose support have brought me this far. Having realised that my 2019 governorship agenda cannot be realised in isolation based on the present situation, the only option remaining for me is to form an alliance with Mr. Bayo Adelabu of APC.

    “I, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, the Oyo State 2019 Action Democratic Party (ADP), have decided to form an alliance with the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adebayo Adekola Adelabu, ahead of the March 9 Governorship and State House of Assembly Elections in the state. However, all the ADP candidates for the House of Assembly seats will go to the elections with my maximum support.”

    Earlier, yesterday, Akala’s spokesman, Wale Ohu, issued a statement saying: ”After a careful consideration of the results of the last Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections and in furtherance of the development, progress and peace of Oyo State, far-reaching decisions have to be taken and actualised.

    “The ADP, after holding series of high level consultations across Oyo State after the last general elections, has come to the conclusion that the sanctity, integrity and progress of Oyo State cannot and must not be compromised.

    “We have felt the pulse of the people whose support has brought us this far: it is important that we dance when they play the tunes.

    “We have given deep thought to the future of this state and have realised, that, not much can be realised in isolation, hence the need to team up with the party that puts the interest of the masses on top of its priority list.

    “Looking at the results of the last elections, we have realised the need to restrategise and ensure that Oyo State is not left out in the cold.

    “To this effect, the Oyo State ADP and the Akala Campaign Organisation, hereby, call on all our members, teeming supporters and well wishers across the state to come on board in this move towards positioning our state for better national interest.”

    Akala defected to the APC last year, only to join ADP, a few months back.

    However, the anti-APC coalition is set to resume talks today as yesterday’s meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Social Democratic Party(SDP) lasted barely 90 minutes, after which representatives of the parties agreed to resume their discussions today on what they termed ‘government of unity.’

  • Lagos APC: Afikuyomi not our member

    The Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday disowned Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, saying that the former legislator is no more a member of the party.

    The party said Afikuyomi is now a member of the Accord Party, lamenting his past anti-party activities. APC chided the former legislator and commissioner for his clandestine activities calculated at undermining the ruling party, stressing that he has been promoting opposition politicians ahead of next week’s governorship election in Lagos State.

    Lagos State APC Publicity Secretary Comrade Joe Igbokwe said in a statement that the chapter was weary of Afikuyomi’s activities and his pretensions. He maintained that the former chieftain has been promoting the cause of the Accord Party, adding that the behaviour is inimical to APC’s interests.

    Afikuyomi has been at the centre of many controversies as a former commissioner and party chieftain charged with the responsibility of supervising local government chairmanship and councillorship primaries in Lagos State. His alleged mishandling of the selection process provoked an uproar, leading to his manhandling at the venue of the shadow poll by aggrieved aspirants. Party sources also said that Afikuyomi has also gravitated towards the opposition in its grand design to undermine APC’s effort during the governorship poll. Igbokwe said: “While we believe it is within the rights of Afikuyomi to work for any interests that suit his fancy, we feel obliged to warn faithful and loyal APC members that Afikuyomi is not one of us, contrary to the impression he gives to unsuspecting party members.

    “While we don’t grudge Afikuyomi his rights to choose and work for any platform or candidate of his choice, we warn him to desist from claiming to be a member of our great party and proudly own up to the interest of whomever he is working for. We know Afikuyomi as a member of Accord Party and the Lagos State EXCO of APC does not know him as one of us as we are aware he has left our party for Accord Party.” He added: “We, therefore, alert members of our party and anyone dealing with Afikuyomi to clearly know that he is not a member of APC. We want this notice to be spread among our members in every nook and cranny of Lagos so as to guard against being misled by Afikuyomi and those he is working for. “While Lagos APC salutes Lagosians for their impregnable fidelity to APC, we want them to look for impostors and fifth columnists who have promised their masters that they will assist their doomed campaigns and interests by sowing confusion in APC.

    “This disclaimer on Afikuyomi is an effort to dispel such damned efforts. We urge Lagosians to stick firmly with an APC that has served them so well in Lagos and which had gotten a pan-Nigerian renewal of mandate to give the country continued good, honest and fruitful governance for the next four years.” Shell faces prosecution in Holland over Nigeria’s OPL 245 deal Amsterdam- Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell seems to be in trouble with the law in Holland after Dutch prosecutors said they have uncovered ‘prosecutable offenses’ in their  investigation of the company’s  acquisition of Nigerian offshore oilfield OPL 245 in 2011.

    Italy’s Eni and Shell bought the OPL (Oil Prospecting License) 245 offshore field for about $1.3 billion from Malabu Oil and Gas Limited owned by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Dan Etete, in a deal that spawned one of the oil industry’s largest corruption scandals. Of that amount, almost $1.1 billion is believed to represent bribes paid to a London bank account that ended up going to various Nigerian politicians, including Etete.

    “Based on the investigations still underway, the prosecutor has determined that actions which can be prosecuted criminally took place,” said Valentine Hoen, a spokeswoman for the Dutch public prosecutor’s office. Shell itself confirmed that it had “been informed by the Dutch Public Prosecutor’s Office that they are nearing the conclusion of their investigation and are preparing to prosecute Royal Dutch Shell plc for criminal charges directly or indirectly related to the 2011 settlement of disputes over Oil Prospecting License 245 (OPL 245) in Nigeria.” Shell is already facing trial in Italy along with Eni over the matter. Italian magistrates suspect the two oil groups used bribes to obtain rights to OPL245, estimated to hold nine billion barrels of crude, for $1.3 billion. Last December,an Italian judge, Giusy Barbara, found that Eni and Royal Dutch Shell were fully aware that their  purchase of the OPL would result in corrupt payments to Nigerian politicians and officials.

    The Milan judge made the comment in her written reasons for the September conviction of a Nigerian, Emeka Obi and Italian  Gianluca Di Nardo, both middlemen in the OPL 245 deal, for corruption. They were jailed for four years. “The management of oil companies Eni and Shell … were fully aware of the fact that part of the $1.092 billion paid would have been used to compensate Nigerian public officials who had a role in this matter and who were circling their prey like hungry sharks,” Barbara said in her reasoning. “It was not mere connivance, but a conscious adhesion to a predatory project damaging the Nigerian state,” she added. She also said money was given to some Eni managers.

  • Suspension of Amosun, Okorocha, will not affect our victory – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) says the suspension of governors Rochas Okorocha and IbIkunle Amosun of Imo and Ogun respectively, will not affect the party’s victory in the March 9, Governorship and State House of Assembly election.

    Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the APC National Publicity Secretary, gave the assurance while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the development on Friday in Abuja.

    NAN recalls that the APC National Working Committee (NWC) at its Friday meeting, suspended Okorocha and Amosun, alongside the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON) Osita Okechukwu and the Minister of Niger Delta Usani Usani.

    “As to the effect it will have in the coming Governorship and State House of Assembly elections, the real negative effect will come when we allow our members who are in position of influence to undermine our candidates.

    “We need to get it clear to every member who supports such actions that the party is watching them, and similar fate may befall them,” Issa-Onilu said.

    He added that the suspension of the governors would not have come to the public as a surprise following their anti party activities over a period of time.

    He recalled that the two governors had been sponsoring candidates against those recognised by the party.

    This, he said, had been ongoing and so the party had to follow the right procedures; taking steps to first get them to see reason why they needed to retract their steps.

    NAN recalls that in Ogun, Amosun is said to be backing AbdulKadir Akinlade, the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) against APC’s Prince Dapo Abiodun.

    In Imo, Okorocha is supporting his son-in-law Uche Nwosu, the candidate of the Action Alliance, against Senator Hope Uzodinma, the APC candidate.

    “They occupy the position they are in today, courtesy of the ticket given to them by this party, to now use that opportunity to work against the interest of the party, you do not expect the party to look the other way.

    “More so when you realise that APC is a party of discipline that has come to establish the fact that to deepen democracy, you must subject everybody to the rule of law, and that there must be equality for all before the law,” he said.

    Issa-Onilu stressed that as far as the APC was concerned, no matter what position an individual held, the party would not give him any leverage when he flaunted the rules or the Constitution of the party.

    He added that the party’s leadership had at a point, issued queries to the two governors and cautioned them against their anti party activities.

    He recalled that when the APC presidential campaign train was led by President Muhammadu Buhari to Ogun, they were thoroughly embarrassed by a different party.

    Issa-Onilu said this was done with the support of the governor, who he said, brought in certain elements who were not APC members to the campaign venue to create problems.

    “This actually embarrassed our President, but we thought at that period, we were facing the Presidential and National Assembly Election and that it was not the appropriate time for us to do anything that might be destructive to our course, so we waited,” he said.

    He added that though there was a window for the governors to show remorse and act appropriately to convince the party’s leadership that they would play by the rules, they never did.

    He said rather Okorocha and Amosun came out openly to endorse their choice candidates against the party’s candidates.

    “Which ever way you look at it, that is anti-party activity, it is beyond the limit, and tolerating such, will mean that our change mantra is just a mantra without meaning,” the APC spokesman said.

    He further explained that the VON DG was suspended also, because of his anti party activities in the recent past, which he said had been documented.

    The APC spokesman said that Okechukwu had also engaged in actions that undermined the party’s performance in Enugu, his home state.

    He also explained that the Minister of Niger Delta was also found to have committed the same offence as the others.

    He maintained that it would be injurious for the party to allow such actions to continue, adding that the suspension still stood.

    He, however, said that the duration of their suspension would be determined by the time the report of the investigative committee on the matter was submitted to the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

    “I have forwarded the report to NEC, recommending their expulsion, the limit of the powers of the party’s NWC is to suspend; it does not have the power to expel.

    “It is only NEC that can take that action, so we have exercised what the Constitution of the party allows us to do, the report of our investigation will be put in place and passed on to NEC for further action,” he said.

    He added that the APC NWC had also decided to issue a query to Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State for anti party activities, adding that the party already had video evidence against him.

    NAN reports that Akeredolu had earlier been accused by the Ondo Mandate Group, an APC support group, of working against the party and the presidency.

    On the Minister of Communications Adebayo Shittu, Issa-Onilu said the party had noted his comments, but had not seen him working against the party.

    He said the minister had his grievance and had the right to express same within the law, but added that the APC, for now, did not have any evidence that Shittu was involved in any anti-party activity. (NAN)