The Nation Newspaper

Tag: All Progressives Congress (APC)

  • No political gang-up can stop Sanwo-Olu – Lagos APC

    The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday, said its governorship candidate, Mr Jide Sanwo-Olu, would defeat all opponents to win the 2019 election.

    The Assistant Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Mr Abiodun Salami, told our reporters in Lagos.

    He was reacting to a statement by a group of opposition political parties on Friday, which that Sanwo-Olu was not a popular candidate and that he could not win the state in 2019.

    The Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, Mr Taofeek Gani, had recently said Sanwo-Olu was “unprepared and incompetent” and that he would not emerge in 2019.

    Reacting, Salami said no political gang-up could stop Sanwo-Olu as he enjoyed the support of residents to emerge as the next governor of the state.

    He said the governorship candidate was competent and prepared, adding that the people of Lagos state would vote for him to continue the development strides of the APC in the state.

    “Sanwo-Olu will emerge the next governor of Lagos by God’s grace. He is the choice of Lagos residents. He will be voted to continue the development strides of the APC.

    Read Also: Lagos APC to PDP: Sanwo-Olu is prepared

    “How relevant are those parties saying all sorts of things about our candidate. Can they win any ward let alone the entire state.

    “So, we cannot be joining issues with them.We don’t want to make them popular.

    ‘’The party to be is APC. Everybody is here. Sanwoolu will defeat PDP and those parties all together,” he said.

    Salami said the chapter had commenced reconciliation of members owing to the issues in the last primaries in the state.

    He said the essence of the exercise was to strengthen unity in the party, to ensure total rout of PDP and others in 2019.

    NAN

  • INEC list: I am not distracted, says Nwosu

    The winner of the October 6 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Imo State, Uche Nwosu on Saturday said that he is not distracted by the nominal list of governorship candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which did not include his name.

    He insisted that he is not deterred by the exclusion of his name on the provisional list but still undaunted in his ambition to be the next governor of the state.

    Nwosu whose name was substituted by the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomole, said that he still has faith in the judiciary, stating that he will employ all legitimate means to reclaim his mandate as the duly elected APC governorship candidate for Imo state.

    According to him, “My candidacy is not in contention as there are reports from relevant agencies affirming the October 6 primary election which I won, including that of the Police, DSS and INEC. So I am not worried over what is happening now because I know that it will only last for a while and my candidacy will be restored. I have faith in the Court to dispense justice”.

    He continued that the “Oshiomole’s decision not to obey a valid Court Order issued by a Court of competent jurisdiction restraining him and the party from forwarding any name other than my name as the APC governorship candidate will be defined by the Court because I believe in line with the principle of the rule of law,  which stipulates that no person is above the law, no matter how highly placed.

    “I am confident that all the irregularities perpetrated by Oshiomole will be reversed and the will of the members of our great party will prevail”.

    Read Also: Imo: My name has not been dropped – Nwosu

    It will be recalled that INEC in what could be described as a u-turn, displayed the name of Senator Hope Uzodinma as the APC governorship candidate at about 9pm, after it earlier declined to publish the APC candidate as a result of an Order of Court,  which restrained it from doing so.

    Recall that Oshiomole had during a press conference in Abuja, said that the NWC of the party had decided to adopt the cancelled result of the Ahmed Gulak Committee, which produced Uzodinma but which was rejected by the party for not complying with the guidelines for the primary.

    The Gulak Committee was subsequently disbanded and a new Committee led by Ibrahim Agbaboaka, a retired Army General was constituted to conduct a fresh governorship primary, which Nwosu won.

  • APC primaries: Lagos-East puts structure in place for reconciliation

    The All Progressives Congress, APC, stakeholders in Lagos East Senatorial District at the weekend commenced a reconciliation process to heal the wounds created by the last party primaries among members of the party in the district.

    The meeting which was held at the CMD in Shangisha had in attendance the five members of the Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, of the party from the district and other party leaders, all the members of the Lagos state House of Assembly from the district, all the chairmen of local government, party faithfuls and other party loyalist.

    They include: Senator, Anthony Adefuye, Alhaji Akanni Seriki, Chief Lanre Razaq, Omooba Sosanya, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, Hon. Rotimi Abiru, senatorial candidate and member Lagos Assembly, Hon. Bayo Osinowo, Hon. Olusegun Olulade and others,  Hon. Wole Diya (House of Representatives member representing Somolu federal constituency), and Hon. Jimi Benson (House of Representatives member representing Ikorodu federal constituency), the serving senator, Gbenga Ashafa who was said to be away in Port Hacourt sent a representative.

    Speaking on the reconciliation, Razaq said unlike the other two districts, central and west which has since moved on after the heat generated by the primaries the east has not been able to resolve its issues which was the purpose of the stakeholders meeting although the leaders have been meeting.

    Reading from a report of a meeting held by the leaders in the district on 31st May, Razaq said it was agreed that the district should be divided into three zones made up of Epe, Ikorodu and Kosofe zones.

    According to him, “We decided to have a senatorial leader and deputy senatorial leader as well as a district committee. Members would be the Chairman then a zonal leader from Ikorodu and another one from Epe, and Kosofe would be members.”

    Senator Anthony Adeduye was appointed the new Senatorial Leader, while Alhaji Akanni Seriki (Baba Bamu) was appointed as the Deputy Senatorial Leader.

    For Ikorodu, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye is the Vice Chairman, while Omooba Sosanya would be Vice Chairman for Kosofe Zone, while Chief Lanre Rasak is the Vice Chairman for Epe Division.

    “Each vice chairman would chair the meeting in their areas. Also, nobody should break the chain of command in their area,” he said

    He said that the new committee of the district would comprise members of the GAC, serving senator from the district, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, senatorial candidate for 2019, Hon. Sikiru Oshinowo, and the Vice Chairman of the party in the East, Chief Asipa Kaoli.

    Read Also: 2000 PDP supporters joins APC in Edo

    Also speaking, the Deputy Senatorial Leader of Lagos East, Alhaji Sikiru Akanni Seriki (Baba Bamu) thanked Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for all his efforts.

    While also thanking the party’s Senatorial Candidate for Lagos East,  Hon. Sikiru Oshinowo, Alhaji Seriki advised that the party should reward those who are working for the party before talking of those who did not work for the party.

    “We should all go back home, and work amongst our people at the ward levels. Those, who left for Labour Party then regretted it. We pray not to have a repeat of our bad experiences. We should all work for the unity of the party in our local levels,” he said.

    Also speaking the senatorial leader, Adefuye denied the accusations in some quarters that the leaders of the party in the district did not make case for Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s second term.

    He said all efforts the leaders made to meet with the governor when it was discovered there were issues on ground before the issue went out of hand was to no avail “even the governor did not pick our calls”.

    He also stated how he spoke with the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo during Sallah on the issue.

    The Senatorial Leader advised the people of the district not to put anybody that is not a member of the party in sensitive positions, pointing out that politics is about what one can get for his people as a good a leader, adding that one might even be disgraced when he is fighting for his people.

    While thanking his fellow contestants and other party members for his victory Osinowo promised to donate his salary for four years as a senator if elected to the district, saying “if you know how the constituents, our supporters and followers struggled and suffered inside sun and rain to make sure I win this election, you will know that they are worthy to be given more,’’ Osinowo said.

  • Imo: APC missing as INEC publishes list of guber candidates

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Friday failed to publish any name as the governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State as the Commission displays provisional list of governorship candidates for the 2019 general election.

    Read Also:Oshiomhole apologises to Imo Catholic community over Okorocha

    INEC’s refusal to publish any governorship candidate for the APC,  may not be unconnected to a Court Order restraining it from accepting or publishing any name except the name of Uche Nwosu as the authentic governorship candidate.

    It will be recalled that the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomole had forwarded the name of Hope Uzodinma to INEC as the party’s governorship candidate, in defiance of the Court Order, which was also served on him and the party.

    Sixty seven candidates made the provisional list including, former Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives,  Emeka Ihedioha (PDP), Senator Ifeanyi Ararume (APGA), among others.

  • Court insists on hearing suit challenging Akeredolu’s election

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the request by Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to strike out a suit by Olusegun Abraham, challenging his (Akeredolu’s) emergence as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last governorship election in the state.

    The court also rejected Akeredolu’s arguments that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the suit; that the suit relates to issues that are internal to the party: that the suit was inchoate, among others.

    Read Also:Ondo: Akeredolu urged to intervene in Akure North APC crisis

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, in a ruling on Friday, although agreed with Akeredolu that the suit was wrongly commenced, he however refused to strike it out, as requested by the governor.

    Instead, the judge converted the suit, originally commenced by way of Originating Summons, to be heard under the Writ of Summons rules, on the grounds that facts in the case were contentions and would required parties to file pleadings.

    Justice Dimgba, whose ruling was on two notices of objection filed by Akeredolu, APC and the party’s National Chairman, gave parties up to November 30 this year, to file and exchange all pleadings.

    He adjourned to December 6 and 7 for hearing.

    Abraham is, by the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/788/2016, seeking the nullification of the APC’s September 3, 2016 governorship primary, from which Akeredolu emerged as the party’s candidate, on the grounds that it was allegedly manipulated.

     

    Details later….

  • Ekiti APC slams Fayose for supervising ‘decay’ of utilities

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has criticized former Governor Ayo Fayose for allegedly supervising over the decay of public infrastructures during his last tenure.

    Reacting to the latest revelation of neglect of many revenue generating public utilities under Fayose’s watch the party described the regime as a “disaster to Ekiti people.”

    In a statement on Thursday signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ade Ajayi, the Ekiti APC regretted that the PDP government was a waste that never added value to Ekiti People.

    Ajayi lamented that Fayose abandoned all the viable projects of Fayemi that could be boosting the economy of the State for his own white elephant projects which consumed billions of Naira.

    The APC spokesman also lampooned Fayose for allegedly running a “prodigal government” which destroyed the Ekiti heritage and Commonwealth.

    Read Also: Ekiti: Fayose sacked as PDP leader

    This, he said, rendered Ekiti poor and unrecognized in the comity of states and also impoverished its people.

    He lamented the poor and horrible condition of Ikogosi Warm Spring resort, Gossy Water Company, Fountain Hotels, Civic Centre, Ire Burnt Bricks Limited, among others.

    Ajayi wondered why the Fayose led administration could have abandoned projects that could have improved the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to assist the government in paying the salary of workers, improve the Infrastructural development of the state and better the lots of Ekiti people.

    Ajayi also condemned the alleged waste of scarce resources on what he described as white elephant projects that have no impact on the generality of Ekiti people.

    He explained further that Fayose had nothing on ground to show the ecological funds, Paris Club refund cash, Budget Support Fund and monthly allocations for four years.

    He added: “The PDP government constructed bridge that had no beginning and end,no water underneath it and just placed on dry land which has  turned the State and its people to laughing stock.

    “We want to assure Ekiti people that Governor Fayemi has come to give them succour to alleviate the hardship unleashed on them in the last four years.”

  • PDP accuses Buhari of shielding Oshiomhole from investigation

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has described as reprehensible, revelations that President Muhammadu Buhari was shielding the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole from being investigated by the Department of State Service (DSS).

    An online medium, The Cable, had reported that Oshiomhole was on Sunday, arrested by the DSS in Abuja and grilled for about nine hours for alleged involvement in bribery and other corrupt practices.

    A statement Wednesday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the party was privy to the pressure being mounted on the DSS by President Buhari to let the party chair off the hook.

    The opposition party attributed the President’s alleged intervention to fears that the DSS investigation would unearth the complicity of the Presidency and other key APC members in the alleged scam.

    The statement said, “Information available to the PDP reveals that apart from the billions of naira, he allegedly stole from the coffers of Edo State when he was governor.

    “Oshiomhole is facing charges of allegedly collecting billions of naira from some ministers and other APC sources in Adamawa, Rivers, Kano and Imo states to manipulate the 2019 electoral process.

    “This is in addition to allegedly collecting billions of naira from Presidency sources to influence electoral officers, independent observers and certain polling organizations ahead of the 2019 election, part of which was allegedly diverted for personal use of some APC leaders.

    “The PDP had always alerted Nigerians to the corruption allegation burden on the APC Chairman and the continued official cover provided him by the Buhari Presidency, including stalling his investigation and prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged stealing of billions of naira from Edo State coffers.

    “If the Buhari Presidency has nothing to hide; if it is not complicit in the alleged scam, it should allow the DSS and EFCC a free hand to investigate and prosecute his party’s factional chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, particularly now that all issues are laid bare before Nigerians.

    “As long as the DSS and the EFCC are not allowed to put Oshiomhole into the dock, the Buhari Presidency does not have the moral rectitude to speak on corruption.

    “This is especially as the involvement of the DSS shows that the corruption burden of the APC Chairman has already become a security risk to our nation.

    “Finally, the PDP cautions that in no circumstance should the Presidency escort Adams Oshiomhole out of the country, just like it did for the disgraced Buhari’s former Minister of Finance”.

  • We are not aware of Oshiomhole’s arrest by DSS – APC

    The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu has said that the party was not aware of the purported arrest and questioning of its national Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole by the Department of State Services (DSS).

    An online newspaper had reported that the APC chairman was arrested and questioned for an alleged corruption issues arising from the last APC primaries and held for nine hours on Tuesday.

    The report also said the DSS gave Oshiomhole the option of resigning his position as the National Chairman, while he reportedly told them that President Buhari was in picture of all his actions and that he will only resign if the President loses confidence in him.

    Read Also: Oshiomhole, Amosun, Okorocha war of words escalates

    However asked to comment on the development on Wednesday, Isa-Oniru said “We do not have any information on this rumour.  More so, the Chairman is not around in the country to confirm or deny this. As soon as we have any relevant information, you’ll be updated.”

    On where Oshiomhole travelled to, he said “I do not have this information. I do know it’s a scheduled personal trip he could not make last week due to the November 2 deadline for the submission of candidates”.

     

  • Stop politicizing Kalu’s health – APC warns opposition

    The Abia State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned opposition parties in the state to stop politicizing the health challenge of their leader and former governor of the state Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, insisting that he is hale and hearty.

    In a chat the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Benedict Godson stated that anybody can have health challenge, adding that Kalu was never in coma contrary to insinuations making rounds.

    “He wasn’t in coma. I want to correct that impression. He only had a surgery. Anybody can be ill and be rushed to the hospital. He was never in coma, rather he was taken to the hospital.

    “Some of the opposition parties are happy about that information, whether they are the creators of that information, it’s not right. He only went for a surgery in Germany and it was successful. He is strong and healthy. I spoke with him and he would soon be back” he said.

    Comrade Godson who maintained that Kalu is coming to recover the mandate of the people of Abia North as a senator in 2019 said he is in good condition.

    Read Also: Kalu’s alleged N3.2bn fraud: EFCC tells court

    He added that the governorship candidate of the party in the state, Dr. Uche Sampson Ogah is urging Abians to remain calm as he is going to change a lot of things which the people will be happy about when he becomes the governor of the state in 2019.

    He thanked the state chairman of the party, Hon. Donatus Nwamkpa for steering the affairs of the party to greater heights. He said the party will not be distracted by a legal battle it is passing through in the state, adding that the party believes in democracy and will play by it.

    Godson advised Abians to disregard the rumours of Dr. Kalu being in coma, describing it as a total falsehood.

    He also urged the opposition in the state to desist from discussing personalities but politics and how to develop Abia and Nigeria in general for the overall good of the people.

    He thanked Abians for their loyalty and support, maintaining that APC will take over leadership in the state come 2019.

  • Nwosu counters Oshiomole, says I remain APC candidate

    The winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary for Imo State, Uche Nwosu, has described the decision by the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomole to substitute his name with that of Senator Hope Uzodinma as the governorship candidate as a violation of subsisting Court Order and unacceptable.

    Nwosu insisted that he remains the authentic candidate of the party, irrespective of Oshiomole’s announcement that he has forwarded Uzodinma’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s candidate.

    According to Nwosu, his candidacy is secured and cannot be truncated by the National Chairman or any other person, vowing that he will never abandon the mandate given to him by the party members to be their governorship candidate for the 2019 election.

    He expressed disappointment over Oshiomole’s action, adding that his statements and antics did not give hope to young people who hitherto had always looked up to him.

    In his words, “My mandate is still intact, I still remain the candidate of the APC, I am very much shocked with the National Chairman who is speaking from the both sides of his mouth as a man of that age I thought he would have been upright.

    “I am shocked that a man who has attained that age and who we should look up to as our role model has become somebody who many of us can no longer see as a role model again. I am shocked at the attitude of  the National Chairman which does not give hope to young people that mostly look up to him for years”.

    Nwosu however dismissed insinuations that he is defecting from the APC to pursue his ambition in another party, noting that he cannot abandon his mandate for any other party.

    He said, “I will not leave APC, I still remain the authentic candidate of that party, I still have a valid Court Oder restraining the party from submitting any other name and also restraining INEC from accepting any other name other than my name and the matter is in Court, so if they go anywhere and got another Court Order without knowing that there is a subsisting Court Order  that must have been done that in error, so the fact remains that I am the candidate of APC, it is just for a while and I will take up my mandate, I don’t have in mind to leave the mandate I  already have for another party”.

    Nwosu clarified further that, “the insinuation by the National Chairman that my ambition suffered setback because of the ambition of the Governor Rochas Okorocha is not true, my name is Ugwumba Uche Nwosu and not Rochas Okorocha, I am from Nkwerre Local Government Area, while he is from Ideato South LGA, there are two different things, if he has ambition to run for Senate and I have ambition to run for governor, so it doesn’t tally at all.

    “After all Oshiomole’s son is a member of the Edo State House of Assembly, who he nominated and he is the Chairman of the party and he is saying that Okorocha’s Senatorial ambition scuttled my governorship, he is a man that is supposed to  speak rightly and not deceive the people on air. I saw him on the Television when he was talking from both sides of his mouth, it is a pity that APC could have such a man as its National Chairman, I condemn his action and it is not acceptable”.

    Read Also: Anti-Oshiomole protest rocks Imo

    He submitted further that, “the same Ibrahim Agbabiaka Committee that conducted the governorship primary that Oshiomole is referring to as purported, is still the same Committee that conducted the National and State Assembly primaries, so how can you jettison the report of that same Committee”.

    He  urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the National Chairman of the party to order, stressing that his actions, especially as it bothers on the party’s primaries, may affect the victory of the party in 2019.

    Meanwhile Nwosu urged his supporters to remain steadfast, adding that, “we are not deterred, I am still in the race, if  Oshiomole thinks that he is a tin god at the secretariat that he can truncate people’s ambition, then my answer to him is that he is not God, he cannot stop my ambition, he cannot stop a divine mandate, he cannot stop the mandate of the people. I want to assure my teeming supporters that we are on the right course, not even Oshiomole can stop us, we are the right candidate and we will emerge victorious at the end of the day. I am very confident that I will be the next governor of the state in 2019”.