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Tag: All Progressives Congress (APC)

  • 2019: Ekiti APC gets consensus Assembly candidates

    …Minority Leader, Afuye, four women among flag bearers

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State is now set for the House of Assembly election on March 2 with emergence of consensus candidates for the state parliament.

    Ekiti APC leaders and members have adopted the candidates by consensus to fly the party’s flag at the State Assembly election.

    A party leader who spoke on condition of anonymity said the party constitution allows for emergence of consensus candidates.

    The Assembly flag bearers were adopted on the basis of loyalty to the party, pedigree, previous experience, gender and religious balancing and political factors of their constituencies.

    The source said: “The adoption of Assembly candidates by Ekiti APC was aimed at ensuring that loyal party members make it to House of Assembly and others interested but who are not lucky are not allowed to waste time, money, resources and energy.”

    Only two of the 26 candidates adopted by Ekiti APC have previous legislative experience.

    They are the former Majority Leader, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye (Ikere 1) and the current Minority Leader, Mr. Gboyega Aribisogan (Ikole 1) who has been given the ticket to seek a re-election.

    Afuye also served as Commissioner for Information and Intergovernmental Affairs and Integration.

    Four of the candidates are women; they are former Commissioner for Labour and Human Capital Development, Mrs. Bunmi Adelugba (Emure); former Special Assistant on Media to Deputy Governor, Mrs. Yemisi Ayokunle (Ekiti Southwest 1); former Special Assistant to Deputy Governor, Mrs. Kemi Balogun (Ado 2) and former Personal Assistant to Deputy Governor, Princess Teju Okuyiga (Gbonyin).

    Also adopted as consensus candidates are former Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Research and Documentation, Mr. Hakeem Jamiu (Irepodun/Ifelodun 2); former Permanent Secretary, Government House and Protocol, Mr. Akin Oso (Ido/Osi 2); former Chairman, Ekiti East Local Government, Mr. Lateef Akanle (Ekiti East 2) and former Caretaker Chairman, Ekiti West Local Government, Mr. Tajudeen Akingbolu (Ekiti West 1).

    Others are Mr. Oluwatoyin Lucas (Ado 1), Mr. Babatunde Lawrence (Ikere 2), Mr. Reuben Awoyemi (Oye 1), Mr. Yemi Osuntuyi (Oye 2), Mr. Adeoye Aribasoye (Ikole 2), Mr. Abiodun Fawekun (Ido/Osi 1) and Mr. Adejuwa Adegbuyi (Ekiti East 2).

    The rest are Mr. Johnson Adeoye (Ekiti West 2), Mr. Olatunji (Ekiti Southwest 2), Mr. Adeyemi Ajibade (Moba 1), Mr. Michael Arubu (Moba 2), Mr. Dele Ajayi (Ise/Orun), Mr. Tope Ogunleye (Ilejemeje), Mr. Ademola Ojo (Ijero) and Mr. Femi Akindele (Irepodun/Ifelodun 2)

    The APC House of Assembly primary, where the candidates will be formally affirmed by party delegates, will hold on October 2.

    House of Assembly election will be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nationwide on March 2, 2019.

  • Team Osinowo-Pepper prepares for APC direct primary 

    A frontline Senatorial aspirant for Lagos East, Bayo Osinowo is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the October 2, 2018 direct primary.
    The Bayo Osinowo Campaign Organization better known as ‘Team Pepper’ is however consolidating on its senatorial wide visits and meetings, to ensure that the aspirant wins the prime Lagos East Senatorial District ticket.
    Several meetings held across the sixteen local governments today, making up the district, were well-attended by party adherents, where the ideals of Osinowo was again sold to members.
    The Director General of the campaign organization,Primate Charles Odugbesi said the meetings were convened to further woo party members ahead of the primary.

    Read also: APC ward chairmen endorse Sanwo-Olu

    He described the the direct primary option adopted by the party as the best, adding that it has widened the scope of participation of party members, unlike previous arrangement (indirect primary) where the choice of electing candidates were determined by a few.
    “Every political period comes with a new approach, in the past years, political parties are structured to elect their various candidates through delegate system, but as change is constant, we are now  witnessing a new approach.
    “Hence, we must work in conformity with the new strategy to woo party members, so that an  all-embracing victory will be achieved,” the DG said.

  • PDP goes to court over Osun election

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said it’s going to court to challenge the inconclusive verdict passed on last Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the election, following the cancellation of the service in some local government areas.

    But in a statement on Monday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party insisted that the election was concluded and results announced in all polling and the collation centers.

    According the PDP, that signified the lawful conclusion of the election, thus removing INEC’s powers to declare the election inconclusive.

    The statement said, “Our electoral law is clear that once an election result is declared, INEC is bound to return a winner. INEC, in trying to play the card of the defeated All Progressives Congress (APC), contravened the law by refusing to announce a return, even when the declared results have thrown up a winner.

    “Section 69 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) states that inter-alia “in an election to the office of the President or governor whether or not contested and in any contested election to any other elective office, the result shall be ascertained by counting the votes cast for each candidate and subject to the provisions of sections 133, 134 and 179 of the constitution, the candidate that receives the highest number of votes shall be declared elected by the appropriate Returning Officer”.

    Read Also: ‘PDP’s call for result selfish’

    “Concurrently, Section 179 (2), (a) (b) of the constitution directly prescribes that “a candidate for an election to the office of Governor of a State shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being two or more candidates – (a) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and (b) he has not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the State.

    “INEC’s action in declaring a concluded election as inconclusive is therefore an annulment, totally duplicitous, constitutionally illegal, ultra-vires and as such null and void”.

    The PDP called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the Osun State Governorship Election Returning Officer, Prof. Joseph Fuwape, for “succumbing to the pressure of the APC” and declaring a decided election as inconclusive.

    “We demand that INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu immediately summon the courage to do the needful by declaring our candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, as winner.

    “It is completely ludicrous, that INEC and the APC are now attempting to divert the narrative from the substance of the election by making outlandish allegations against the PDP and lobbying Civil Society Organizations and Electoral Observers to validate their illegality.

    “Moreover, even if the Osun governorship election is conducted over and over again, the PDP will still win as the people of the state have chosen the PDP and its candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

    “Nevertheless, we insist that the September 22, 2018 election, under our laws, is conclusive and our candidate must be declared winner”

  • Group accuses Yahaya Bello of imposing Adeyemi on Kogi West

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Vanguard in Kogi West Senatorial District has warned against the imposition of Senator Smart Adeyemi as candidate of the party by the stage Governor, Yahaya Bello saying such an action will be a receipt for defeat in the general election.

    In a letter to the National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole dated 19th September 2018 and signed by convened of the group, Comrade Ayo Alonge said Senator Adeyemi does not have what it takes to win the Senatorial district saying the Senator lost the last election on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) because he was imposed on the people.

    Read Also:Bello: Kogi second most peaceful

    Alonge said it has information that Gov. Yahaya Bello has perfected plots to arbitrarily foist on them, Senator Smart Adeyemi to fly the party’s flag in next year’s senatorial election.

    The letter entitled: “Fairness, Equity and Transparency, Panacea for Disastrous Electoral Outing For APC In Kogi West” said despite its insistence on “a level playing ground for all aspirants on equity and fairness in a free, transparent and credible primary election that will produce our party’s candidate for the Senate”, the governor has concluded his plans to impose Senator Adeyemi on the party.

    The group said part of the plot to impose Adeyemi on APC faithful in the zone was to tilt the congresses in his favour, saying “the congresses of the party that produced delegates to vote in the indirect primaries were fundamentally flawed and compromised because names were written, compiled and affirmed by Bello’s appointees.”

    They alleged that “the Kogi state APC chairman accompanied by party chairmen of seven local government areas in Kogi West, the Speaker of the State Assembly and the State Security Adviser purchased the nomination and expression of interest forms and delivered to Senator Smart Adeyemi at his Maitama residence.”

    They also alleged that “in flagrant abuse of party guidelines, the forms were submitted on Monday 17, 2018 when submission closed officially on Wednesday, 12th September 2018.”

    It alleged that printing of fake ballot papers have been contracted by Gov Bello for the primaries while arrangements have been concluded with some party officials at the headquarters to divert authentic ballot papers to Kogi State Government House to manipulate the process.

    They also alleged that the state government purchased forms for some aspirants in Yagba Federal Constituency to break their ranks in a mischievous divide and rule tactics and warned against looming crisis in the party “if the despotic activities of Gov Yahaya Bello are not curtailed”.

    The group said it had protested the open and undemocratic endorsement of Senator Adeyemi by Bello saying that it was against the existing rotation arrangement in the Senatorial District and reminded the APC national chairman that the PDP had lost the zone in 2015 when it imposed Adeyemi on the people, adding that “the futile bid created a lot of confusion in an arrangement that is still with us.

    The group further alleged that “coercion, intimidation and harassment is now the order of the day all in a desperate bid to manipulate the process to skew the primaries in favour of an aspirant.”

    It also called for the deployment of persons of proven integrity to conduct the party primaries in Kogi West, calling for the utilisation of numbered ballot papers with security features to expose and render unusable the already printed fake ballot papers meant to be used.

  • APC shift presidential primary again, now holds Sept. 28

    For the second time in less than 24 hours, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has again shifted its presidential primary to Friday, September 28 to avoid a clash with the rerun election in Osun State.

    The party had on Sunday night announced a shift of the primary earlier scheduled for Tuesday, September 25, 2018 to Thursday, September 27, 2018 apparently to pave the way for President Muhammadu Buhari to be part of the primaries which will be conducted through direct primary.

    Read Also:PDP vote buying mechanism, a threat to democracy says APC

    The President who is the sole presidential aspirant of the party is expected to address the General Assembly of the United Nations on September 25.

    In a two-paragraph statement, the Acting National Publicity Secretary said the shift is to allow all registered members across the country to participate in the primary.

    “In view of the Osun State Governorship rerun election which has been scheduled for Thursday, September 27th, 2018, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) has now rescheduled the presidential primary election to Friday, September 28th, 2018.

    “This is to avoid a clash in dates with the Osun State Governorship rerun election and enable all registered Party members in all thirty-six states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) participate in the exercise”

  • Oyetola denies rift with Aregbesola

    The Osun State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola, has denied any rift between him and the state governor,  Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, over last Saturday’s election.

    In a statement on Monday by the Director-General of the IleriOluwa  Campaign Organization, Hon. Ajibola Famurewa, the governorship candidate described as irrational the insinuations in some quarters that there was a rift between Oyetola and Aregbesola, saying those peddling the rumour are “detractors out to create disaffection within the APC camp ahead of Thursday’s governorship rerun.”

    He also described Aregbesola as the driver of the “governorship project,” saying he is a model of good governance and responsible leadership.

    Read Also: I vouch for Oyetola’s competence – Aregbesola

    Oyetola, who advised the people to ignore the rumour, commended the people of the state for turning out well and for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner during the last Saturday’s governorship election.

    Asking the people to resist provocation from the opposition who he said are desperate, Oyetola advised the people not to give the detractors any room to truncate the relative peace in the state.

    Oyetola said the people of the state had demonstrated a high level of democratic culture in the most keenly-contested election in Nigeria.

    According to him: “The Oyetola Campaign Organization commends the steadfastness of the people despite the commoditization of votes by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). We are aware of the votes buying and selling strategy of the PDP. We are proud that the people are resisting the provocation and temptation to sell their conscience.

    “We appeal to the people to be vigilant and ready to jealously guard their votes on Thursday as the PDP have commenced massive commoditization of peoples mandate through massive purchase of voter cards.”

     

     

     

  • Oshiomhole: We’ll reward lawmakers who stood by our party

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said that it will be ungodly for the party to deny lawmakers who stood by the party during its trying period return ticket.

    Oshiomhole also said the party will not give its ticket to those he described as political opportunists who are seeking political power for selfish reasons, adding that the party has learnt its lesson the hard way by giving ticket to “bread and butter politicians”

    A statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Simon Ebegbulem quote Oshiomhole as telling members of the party’s screening committee that some of the lawmakers have kept faith with the party despite intimidation’s they have gone through.

    Oshiomhole said the present National Working Committee has been struggling to tackle issues arising from the last congresses of the party which he described as fraudulent, pointing out that the party will correct the mistakes of the past and confront the opposition come 2019.

    He said: “In many of the states we had challenges arising from the way congresses were conducted. Many of them were quite fraudulent and that has been the challenge we have been trying to resolve since we came. Screening of aspirants is not a formality that is why we tried to search for men and women of integrity who cannot be compromised.

    “We do not want to field opportunists who are simply seeking a political vehicle for some selfish purposes. What has happened in recent past is enough for us to begin to look at the character of those who are seeking office on the APC platform.

    “People who have the intellectual capacity to articulate issues on the basis of which laws and bills are considered and those who have capacity to carry out oversight functions to ensure that Nigerians get value for money. And to constructively engage the executive without in the process forgetting that there is only one government.

    “If before now, we have taken for granted the powers of the National Assembly, how those powers can be used for National goals and how it can also be misused to undermine National progress, the current situation we are facing here, where two principal officers have chosen to put their personal interest over and above the national interest.

    “Refusing to consider budget meant for physical infrastructure. Budget meant to re-order the way our budget is executed, to move money away from consumption which recurrent expenditure represents to capital projects which will benefit our people.

    “And even refusing to approve money meant for the body charged with the responsibility of conducting elections in 2019. For us as a party we have chosen to learn from the positive lessons from this development so that we do not repeat those mistakes by selecting people who as far as human capacity is we can assess and predict that if elected they will remain faithful not only to our party but more importantly to the Nigerian nation.

    “If we have disagreement, it will not be about juicy appointment, it will be about appropriate policies, it will be about how governance is impacting positively on the lives of Nigerians. It will not be about who is getting what, politics of sharing”.

    Oshiomhole noted that “as we speak, I am proud that we have 57 senators who have refused to be induced or misled or otherwise manipulated into moving to other parties or reward for juicy positions.

    They have decided to remain in our party even with all the intimidation they have suffered. It will be ungodly for us as a party not to reward those who believe in the party and the government of the day led by President Muhammadu Buhari. We will try as much as we can to have stability in the National Assembly”.

  • ‘I believe in Buhari’s change agenda’

    Dispels rumours of being a mole

     

    The governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kwara State, Hon. Mashood Mustapha on Monday declared his total support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s change agenda.

    The ex-special to Senate President Bukola Saraki on parliamentary affairs dispelled the rumour making the round that he an agent of Saraki in APC.

    The governorship aspirant said this in Ilorin, the state capital when he formally declared his intention to contest the 2019 governorship election in the state.

    He added that if elected, he would consolidate on the efforts of the Federal Government in sustaining and adding value to the development Nigeria is currently enjoying.

    “I reiterate my unwavering loyalty to President Buhari, the good people of Kwara state, the national and state leadership of the APC. I however, want to implore the leadership of our party to give room for internal democracy within our party. Every aspirant should be given a level playing ground so as to achieve a rancor free primary election.

    “Whoever emerges as the party’s flag bearer should bear in mind that there is no victor or vanquished; we have a common goal and we must unite to make our goal a reality,” he said.

    Said he: “I want to use this opportunity to address the rumour of me being a mole in APC. When I first heard that allegation I waved it off thinking it will fade out when my party members see my efforts and commitment to the party. Ironically, some elements within and outside our party have seen that as an opportunity to dent my image owing to the fact that I have an unblemished record asides my past relationship with the Senate President.

    Read Also: 2019: ‘Buhari is our strongest selling point’

    “It is on record that virtually all politicians in the state have had one form of relationship or the other with the Saraki’s until political differences tear them apart. Mine is not an exception. I worked

    Senator Saraki right from when he became the governor of the state up till when he became the Senate President, but I had to quit after all efforts to allow for internal democracy failed and I could no longer cope with the way he imposes his decision on others. I have a mind of my own and I cannot be a puppet to anyone.

    “For those who say I am a mole to Senator Saraki in APC, I want you to search your hearts deeply and ask yourselves if a mole bears the kind of persecution I suffered in hands of the Sarakites. I also want you to sincerely ask yourselves if a mole can openly criticize the policies of the incumbent government of the state and also take a position when some opportunists attempted to exhume our defunct nPDP platform to derail the president and his administration through the formation of illegal and irresponsible Reformed APC.”

  • PDP vote buying mechanism, a threat to democracy says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) said on Monday asked security agents and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to check what it described as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) vote buying machineries already deployed ahead of rerun election scheduled for Thursday.

    Acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena said in a statement that the outcome of the Osun election confirmed the threats by the PDP to deploy all means, Scheme, shenanigans in all ramifications to rig all the elections beginning from the Osun election.

    Read Also:Osun: APC, PDP trade words

    It said that the vote buying mechanics deployed by the PDP during the Osun election is a threat to democracy and current efforts t9 ensure the sanctity of the nation’s elections.

    While asking the people of Osun to resist any of such attempts, the APC wondered why the main opposition is raising questions about the inconclusive nature of the Osun election when they failed to do same in previous elections, especially the governorship election in Kogi State.

    The APC said: “The aftermath of Saturday’s inconclusive Osun State Governorship election has confirmed the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) vow to deploy all “means, schemes, shenanigans in all ramification and magnitude” to rig all coming elections, starting from the Osun State Governorship election.

    “It is now clear that the vote-buying template introduced by the PDP and brazenly deployed in the Osun inconclusive election is an urgent threat to our democracy and current efforts to ensure the sanctity of our elections.

    “While the PDP and its paid proxies where accusing other political parties of irregularities during Saturday’s inconclusive elections, the Party was busy perpetuating its vote-buying scheme as exposed in several leaked videos showing PDP agents buying votes for its candidate, Sen. Ademola Adeleke particularly in Ede local councils of Osun State.

    “The PDP’s now public rigging method particularly vote-buying and dissemination of diversionary fake news must be checked particularly as we go into the INEC-ordered Osun governorship rerun.

    “We also call on the electorate, civil society organisations and relevant stakeholders to speak out and resist the PDP’s retrogressive plans which threaten our democracy.

    “Again, while the PDP attempts to misinform the public on the rationale for declaring the Osun Governorship election inconclusive, they should be reminded that in 2015, the late Abubakar Audu of Kogi State was leading by 240, 867 votes to PDP 199,514 votes, the margin of 41,353 favoured the APC but it was declared inconclusive.

    “INEC ordered a rerun because 49,953 cancelled votes were higher than the 41,353 despite the fact that APC was leading with a wide margin. At the time, the PDP did not protest rather prepared and waited for the rerun date.

    “The PDP cannot be supportive of decisions only when it seemingly favours them. There are electoral precedents, guidelines and laws which are binding on all.

    “Finally, we reiterate our confidence that the Osun electorate will resist the PDP’s deployment to take over the state by force. The people’s will; the people’s vote is supreme. It must be respected and defended. That is democratic, progressive and the right thing.”

  • Ex-presidential aide seeks dissolution of APC factions in Enugu

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Dennis Aghanya, has called on the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to dissolve the two factions in Enugu State.

    Aghanya, a former media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari between 2009 and 2011 and Pioneer National Publicity Secretary of the defunct CPC, gave the advice in a letter to the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, on Monday.

    He said in the letter made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Enugu that the situation was threatening the fortunes of the party in the state.

    “The situation is currently threatening the fortunes of the party to the detriment of efforts by serious candidates who are investing time and finance to ensure victory for themselves and President Muhammadu  Buhari at the forthcoming 2019 general elections.

    “I suggest that the National Working Committee of the APC should as a matter of urgency dissolve the two factions led by Okey Ogbodo and Ben Nwoye respectively.

    “The NWC should set up a caretaker committee to be composed of neutral persons, possibly from neighbouring states in the South East to conduct primaries for aspirants at all levels, using Direct Primary method.

    Read Also: Ogun APC: Aspirant urges members to insist on direct primary

    “The caretaker committee should go further to conduct a fresh congress for the party after the primaries so that the party can go out in pursuant of votes as a united family.’’

    According to him, ignoring this advice will amount to deliberately weakening the party to the advantage of the incumbent in Enugu State.

    He said that it would also amount to deliberately sabotaging Buhari from making inroad into the South East.

    “These are all assumptions and can only be proved wrong if only the right thing is done by the national leadership of the party now.

    “Just few days ago the acting national publicity of the APC announced that party members should go to their states and use their temporary party cards to collect their original membership cards.

    “My question now is which faction these members will go to collect their membership cards from?’’

    He said that 99 per cent assertions that“a thing cannot be done is just the unwillingness to do it’’.

    “It does not take anything to dissolve these two factions and set up a caretaker committee to reunite the APC family in Enugu State,’’ he said.