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Tag: All Progressives Congress (APC)

  • Defection: No cause for alarm, APC assures members

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) said it respect the right of Nigerians to freely belong to any political association of their choice, saying in spite of the defection which has made the party a minority in the state, there was no cause for alarm.

    APC said it will continue to work hard to reposition the party for greater efficiency.

    Reacting to the defection of some members of the party to the opposition party the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi ask party members across the country to remain calm as the party still have control of about 25 states in the country.

    Read Also:Defections from APC good riddance – Oshiomhole

    The statement reads: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) notes the development in the National Assembly with the defection of some of our members from the Party.

    “In the last couple of weeks our Party leaders have worked to stave off this situation as responsible Party leaders would do. It would appear however that the individuals involved have different considerations beyond the grievances that they were willing to discuss and which our leaders were willing to address.

    “As a truly democratic party, we respect the right of every citizen to political association. Therefore, we urge our members to remain calm as we continue to work hard to position our party strongly for the next general elections.  APC remains in firm control of 25 states of the 36 states of the federation and maintains a clear majority in the federal House of Representatives and state assemblies.

    “We assure members and supporters that our great Party will continue to consolidate on our majority status in the build-up to the 2019 General Elections, even as our government continue to work hard to deliver on our promises to Nigerians.”

  • Nasarawa: PDP Chieftain, supporters defect to APC

    A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State, Mr John Mamman and his supporters have defected to All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    Mamman, a retired Permanent Secretary, made this known on Sunday at a reception organised in his honour by the executives and members of APC, Dari electoral ward of Kokona Local Government Area of the state.

    Mamman, while addressing the large crowd said he had remained a long standing “general’’ of the PDP in the state.

    According to him, he has joined PDP in May 1998 and never considers defecting to any political party since then.

    Mamman, however, said the time had come for him to move away from the PDP, adding that the APC under President Muhammadu Buhari was a better option for him.

    “I choose to join the APC due to the developmental strides of President Muhammadu Buhari and Gov. Tanko Al-Makura, which have direct impacts on the lives of the people,’’ he said.

    The retired Permanent Secretary also said joining the APC would provide him the chance to contribute his quota to the development of the state in particular and the country in general.

    Mamman, while pledging his unalloyed loyalty to the party, said he and his teeming supporters would work for the victory of the party in the forthcoming general elections.

    “I want to assure you that APC family has accepted me and I have also agreed to work for APC in Nigeria, Nasarawa State, Kokona and my ward, Dari electoral ward.

    “First, my desire to join the APC stems from the fantastic record of performance of both President Buhari and Gov. Al-Makura.

    “Second, I have done this due to the fact that I need to contribute my quota to the development of the country, you can only do it from within and if you are outside, you cannot do it.

    “I will work for the APC, God knows that I will work for the APC and I will do it to the best of my ability’’, Mamman said.

    Earlier, Alhaji Abdullahi Odeh, the APC Chairman, Dari electoral ward said the reception was organised in order to welcome an illustrious son to the party.

    “We were overwhelmed with the defection of Mamman’s to the party and this shows a total collapse of the PDP in the ward.

    He, therefore, called on the party supporters in the area to continue to work tirelessly for the victory of the party, especially now that their leader had returned to the party.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the occasion was attended by the state Deputy Governor, Slias Ali Agara, Sen.Abdullahi Adamu, Hon. Ibrahim Abdullahi, Speaker of the State Asembly among others.

  • Osun governorship primaries: SSG withdraws from race

    Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, the Secretary to Osun State Government (SSG), has announced his withdrawal from the primaries of All Progressives Congress (APC) scheduled for Friday at the party’s headquarters in Osogbo.

    Adeoti, in a letter addressed to the Chairman of APC Primaries Committee, Gov. Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara, on Friday, alleged that he was withdrawing because the primaries had been arranged to favour Mr Gboyega Oyetola, the Chief of Staff to Gov. Aregbesola.

    He also said that there was no credible register of members with which free, fair and transparent direct primaries could be conducted.

    “While I am not withdrawing from the governorship race, I have decided not to participate in the July 20, 2019 Direct Primaries of the APC in Osun State for the above stated and other reasons,’’ Adeoti said.

    Read Also:Osun Poll: APC primary election committee meets aspirants, sues for calm

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Adams Oshiomole, the APC National Chairman on Monday, July 16, said the party would adopt the direct primary to pick its candidate for the Osun governorship election.

    “What that means is that every card-carrying member of our party will participate in the process of nominating the flag bearer of the party,’’ Oshiomole said.

    Although, the announcement of direct method for the primary generated reactions among the aspirants, but the Chairman of the election committee, Yari, represented by Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege at a stakeholders meeting on Thursday, promised that the election would be free, fair and transparent.

    NAN further reports that the primaries were held in all the 332 wards across the state.
    The exercise commenced peacefully, but for the late arrival of voting materials.

    NAN correspondents, who monitored the primaries in the Osun West, East and Central Senatorial Districts of the state, report that card-carrying members had lined up at their wards as early as 8.00 am waiting for party officials for accreditation and voting.

    At ward 4, Otun-Olufi, Gbongan in Ayedaade Local Government, party members were seen waiting to be accredited.

    No party officials were seen at the ward to attend to members as 10:30 am.

    Also at Ward 9, Atile AUD primary schools, Ikire in Irewole Local Government, party members were still waiting for party officials for accreditation and voting.

    At ward 4, Union Baptist School, Osogbo, in Osogbo Local Government area, party members were still waiting for party officials for accreditation as at 10:54 am.

    Also in Egbedore Local Government, party members were still waiting for party officials for accreditation and voting.

    Prominent among the 17 aspirants contesting for the party’s ticket are, Mr Lasun Yussuff, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Najeem Salaam, Speaker, State House of Assembly, and Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, Gov. Aregbesola Chief of Staff.

    Others are Sen. Babajide Omoworare, representing Osun East at the Senate, and Mr Saka Layonu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), among others.

  • Ekiti: Don’t disappoint the people, IPAC tells Fayemi

    The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on Monday congratulated Dr Kayode Fayemi on his victory in Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.

    The Chairman of IPAC in the state, Mr Ilesanmi Omolayo, congratulated Fayemi while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Ado-Ekiti.

    He said the victory of Fayemi, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), over his closest rival, Prof. Olushola Eleka of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), reflected the will of the people.

    Read Also:How Ekiti governorship election was won and lost

    Omolayo said that with Fayemi’s election, the people had put their trust in him to better their lots, urging the governor-elect to work to meet their expectations and not disappoint them.

    “We congratulate Dr Fayemi on his election as the new governor of our dear state and wish him all the best.

    “We believe the outcome of the election reflects the will of the people. The people actually spoke.

    “However, we urge Fayemi to see his victory as a call to service to meet the expectations of Ekiti people.

    “We advise him not to betray the trust reposed in him and disappoint them, but to work for the collective interest of everyone in the state”, he said.

    The IPAC chairman also lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he called the credible conduct of the election.

    He said IPAC was pleased with the conduct by INEC and efforts of security agents and other stakeholders to make the election a success.

    Omolayo dismissed complaints in some quarters that the election result was manipulated, describing such as baseless.

    “You see when some people’s expectations in elections are not realised; they tend to say all sorts of things.

    “For the records, the results of the last Saturday election in Ekiti were not manipulated. I can say this, because IPAC monitored the whole process.

    “in fact, I moved from one local government to another on the election day, and I can tell that the whole process was transparent.

    “At the final collation centre, I, as IPAC chairman, was the one that opened all the ballot boxes and everything was sorted out and counted in the presence of everybody.

    “I urge everyone to put politics aside and accept the fact that the election was okay. We should all join hands with the governor-elect to move Ekiti forward,” he said.

  • Ekiti: PDP is irreparably broken, dismantled – Presidency 

    *Ekiti: Fayose’s political career sealed – Presidency 

    *Says Ekiti people have rejected stomach infrastructure

    *Ekiti: Credit goes to Tinubu – Presidency

    With the victory of the Ekiti State Gov-Elect, Kayode Fayemi, in the governorship election in the state at the weekend, the Presidency on Sunday said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is irreparably broken and dismantled with the outcome.

    In an article entitled ‘Fayose: In The End, A High-Powered Nothing’, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said that Fayose’s political career is now sealed for good with the loss by his party.

    According to him, much credit for the victory of Fayemi goes to the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

    He said “The people of the politically significant State of Ekiti have spoken against their Governor, outgoing governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, who told them that the governorship election they just had was a referendum on President Muhammadu Buhari. He said candidates Kayode Fayemi and Olusola Eleka were pawns and that he and President Buhari were the actual contestants.

    “In what observers said was the most intense, and a most angry campaign, the people gave their verdict: Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the one-time governor, declared persona-non-grata is now persona-grata again. President Buhari has won this referendum. The people of the State have sent a clear message. The politics of brinksmanship, assaults, insults, abuses and Robin Hoodism disguised as stomach infrastructure has been rejected in favour of politics of inclusion, development, responsibility and good governance.

    “President Buhari’s war against corruption and insecurity; the message of agric revolution and infrastructure development and fidelity in resource allocation and management have struck a chord with Ekiti voters, who had been lied to and deceived by Governor Fayose. While the opposition continued to rant at him, President Buhari’s uprightness, coupled with incorruptibility and personal integrity, unmatched by any politician in the country has again stood the test of time.

    “The All Progressives Congress (APC) win in Ekiti means that the Party has control over 25 out of the 36 states of the Federation. The party thus becomes the only one in power in the six states of the South-West geopolitical zone.

    “Besides reinforcing the APC’s position as the only standing pole in the political landscape, it is a credit to the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, against whom all manner of ethnic and religious opposition is being mounted by former President Obasanjo and some of the Asiwaju’s sworn enemies in the sub-region.

    “With this, the political landscape of the South-West has been transformed. APC’s regional strength has been strengthened and the Asiwaju will be respected even better. Without losing patience and decorum, the Asiwaju has proved that rivals must reconcile and come to terms or lose everything.

    “This win is equally a huge boost to the APC and its new leadership under Chairman Adams Oshiomole, who got their first baptism of fire in Ekiti. It is, importantly, a big boost to the second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari.” he said

    Speaking on PDP, he said “For the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which came second in the election in a state that they held sway, it is a loss politically and psychologically. The result of the election has proved that PDP is irreparably broken and dismantled. They have nothing to offer to the country and its people. The message from Ekiti is that no state in Nigeria will vote PDP. Never again.

    Read also:  Blackmailing observer groups won’t save Fayose from defeat -Fayemi

    “As for Mr. Fayose and his morbid brand of politics, it is now his time to reconcile himself to the imminent political extinction he faces, his political career sealed for good. Newspapers have mistaken him for a gadfly who creates discomfort for the government at the centre to make it better, but Fayose is a street-type thug. He never fits the role of a gadfly because he thrives on bitter enmity. Opposition does not mean a negative view of everything. Neither does it translate into a licence to abuse your superiors.

    “The winner of the election, Governor Fayemi’s trajectory from a persona-non-grata to a persona-grata again has given a wave of cheer to APC members all over the country. It has given a fresh hope that fake news, lies and propaganda run only short distances, because they have short legs.

    “An old proverb says you can’t beat something with nothing. After all the noise, theatricals and drama, Fayose’s fall came with a thud, not a bang: a high-powered nothing.” he stated

  • Obasanjo counsels Secondus, PDP on how to defeat Buhari, APC in 2019

    … As party apologises to ex – President

     

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday met with the National Working Committee (NWC) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and counselled them on steps to adopt if they hoped to unhorse President Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019.

    Obasanjo who was elected Nigerian President twice from 1999 – 2007  on the platform of PDP,  told the  21 man delegation of the Committee led by PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Walid Jibrin to pay more than passive attention to four issues, he identified, as needed ingredients to bring PDP back to power.

    The Ebora Owu who announced his quitting of partisan politics in the build up to the 2015 Presidential election to become an elder statesman, advised the party to court and embrace “good image, internal discipline, commitment, quality leadership and moral principles.”

    Read Also:I’m worried about youth anger, frustration — Obasanjo

    The early morning meeting at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) at the state capital was at the instance of the NWC of the party which had earlier arrived Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, a day ahead of it.

    The ex – President gave the advice in response to Uche Secondus.

    The Party national leader had earlier, tendered words of apology on behalf the party to Obasanjo for the bad conduct and mistreatment met out to him and also drew  his attention to what he (Secondus) considered as the “distress and prostrate situation of the country today” as well as  the progress report on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the  grand alliance of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) among others.

    These were contained in a release issued in Abeokuta by Obasanjo’s Media aide, Mr. kehinde Akinyemi, shortly after the meeting.

    The release reads: “Chief Obasanjo thanked the delegation for apologising on behalf of the party and made reference to the Lord’s Prayer where we are taught to ask God for forgiveness and to grant forgiveness to others.

    “He further underlined the pitiable situation of Nigeria today and the inexcusable killing and insecurity almost all over the country and the unprecedented division of the country all of which the present government seems to have no credible solution.

    “After deliberations, it was made clear that the MOU for grand alliance is what it says, a grand alliance. It is neither a merger nor absorption of any political party by any political party. It is clearly for the parties who agreed to be members of the alliance to work together to achieve one important common objective at the national level for the election of 2019 and where it is appropriate and necessary members may also form alliance and cooperation at the state level.

    “Chief Obasanjo reiterated to the Committee that the idea of a grand alliance was broached when the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) adopted African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a political party platform. He therefore reaffirmed his belief and support for the grand alliance.

    “Chief Obasanjo, however, advised that the individuality and independence of each political party must be observed and respected by all parties concerned. It is also desirable that in the process of implementing the MOU to achieve the set objective, solidarity and focus on the objective must be maintained.

    “Chief Obasanjo urged that all member political parties must be cautious of fake news, rumours, blackmail, and seeds of discord that may be sown among them from external quarters.

    “He also, reminded the committee that on adoption of ADC as political party of the CNM (Coalition of Nigeria Movement), he had maintained that he will not be a member of any political party but he will make himself available to guide any party that wishes to be so guided and he has offered such guidance to ADC.

    “While he may make himself available to any other party that will require it, service to ADC will be paramount, he equally pointed out to the committee that before their prompting he had put his hands on the ground and there is no looking back.

    “That he will join men and women in the country and if necessary lead them, in retrieving and saving the country from shipwreck.”

    Earlier, the National Chairman of PDP also appealed to the former President not to relent on giving necessary leadership to save the country from the throes of mismanagement and drift towards shipwrecking.

  • Ekiti 2018: 25 political parties adopt Fayemi

    The governorship bid of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has received a boost as he has been adopted by twenty five political parties.

    Citing what they called Fayemi’s “superlative and sparkling credentials” and life-changing policies and projects during his first tenure, the parties pledged to work for his victory at the Saturday poll.

    The parties also praised President Muhammadu Buhari for reducing corruption in the Nigerian society, saying this will help in stabilizing the country economically within the next few years.

    Read Also:Ekiti 2018: Why I want to rule Ekiti again – Fayemi

    Addressing reporters on Wednesday, KOWA Party State Chairman and spokesman of the group, Pastor Ade Ogunkolade, said the decision was arrived at “in the interest of Ekiti

    Some of the parties include Action Alliance (AA), Alliance for Democracy (AD), African Democratic Congress (ADC), National Conscience Party (NCP), All Progressives Congress (APC), Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD), National Action Congress (NAC), among others.

    Ogunkolade said Fayemi was the first governor to introduce free education up to the secondary level in the state unlike now when kindergartens were being mandated to pay taxes even in private schools.

    He said apart from declaring free education for pupils, that Fayemi also created avenues for employments of youths, such as the State Peace Corps, Volunteer Corps, Social Security scheme, among other policies that affected the lives of the masses positively.

    He said: “After careful studies of all these achievements, the CNPP decided to give him all the necessary supports and strongly advise Ekiti people to come out on Saturday ad vote massively for Dr Fayemi to return Ekiti to the golden age of abundance.

    “Ekiti people must not be deceived into another era of anarchy, tyranny oppression, indebtedness and deception”.

    The CNPP condemned Governor Fayose for allegedly incurring a staggering sum of N117 billion as debt as revealed by the Debt Management Office (DMO) without nothing to show for it as achievements.

    “We appeal to the federal government to deploy more policemen to the State to prevent any rigging by the PDP-led government in the state.”

    CNPP appealed to Ekiti electorate to cooperate with security agencies to make the coming election a success.

  • Ekiti 2018: Why I want to rule Ekiti again – Fayemi

    Dr Kayode Fayemi, All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Saturday election in Ekiti, on Tuesday said he wanted to rule the state again to eradicate poverty among the people.

    He stated this at APC’s final rally ahead of the election at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday.

    Fayemi, who was governor of the state from 2011 to 2015, told the crowd that his successor, Gov. Ayodele Fayose impoverished the citizens by not paying salaries and pensions.

    According to him, Fayose deliberately deprived civil servants, teachers and pensioners their eight months’ salaries, pensions and gratuity, because he wanted to punish and make them beg for money on the streets.

    He commended Ekiti people for coming out to welcome President Muhammadu Buhari contrary to the directives of the governor that nobody should come out to welcome the president to the state.

    Read also: I remain Accord candidate, says Aluko

    Fayemi, who resigned as Minister of Solid Mineral and Steel Development to contest the election, appealed to the electorate in the state to come out en masse to vote for him on Saturday.

    “I am so delighted with your determination to defy the unpopular order by Gov. Ayo Fayose that nobody should come out to welcome President Muhammadu Buhari to Ekiti.

    “It is therefore time to send Fayose and his unpopular government out of office.

    “I want you to vote for me on Saturday and show Gov. Fayose that ‎the power of Ekiti people is much greater than his power,” he said.

  • APC faction in Kwara seeks national headquarter recognition

    The factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Kwara, Hon Bashir Bolarinwa has called on the national leadership of the party to recognize his faction as the authentic one the state.

    Bolarinwa made the call on Monday in a press statement issued in Ilorin, copy of which was made available to News men

    He also called on the national leadership of the party to stop dealing with Ishola Balogun Fulani led executive.

    Bolarinwa said his faction has been vindicated as the real APC in Kwara following exist of the Fulani group from the party.

    According to Bolarinwa, the Balogun Fulani faction’s allegiance was to Dr Saraki and sponsor of what he called ‘the contraption called RAPC, saying, “This is injurious to the party”.

    He said that the crisis in the party was precipitated by Dr Bukola Saraki and his cohorts when he defiled the party position on zoning of the senate presidency.

    Sen Saraki, Bolarinwa said went against the position of the party and did everything untoward to clinch the office.

    “While the president and the party remain democratic, Saraki was busy sowing seeds of discord and seeking means of destroying the party. His latest antic was the formation a splinter group,” Bolarinwa added.

    He lamented that since Dr Saraki emerged as the Senate President, he has been attracting odium to the institution of the Senate and Kwara State.

    Read Also: Kwara APC hails Buhari on Saraki’s acquittal

    Bolarinwa added that Sen Saraki has consistently made lives difficult for Nigerians through budget padding and delay in passage of budget.

    “These are practices created by him to slow down government and confer undue benefits on him,” he said.

    Bolarinwa accused the Senate President of pauperizing the people through deliberate under development of Kwara State.

    He challenged Saraki to point to a project or program he initiated that geared towards truly empowering the people for economic sustainability.

    Bolarinwa declared that Sen Saraki and his lackeys were bent on destroying the party and make it unsellable to electorate.

    According to him, the only grouse of the Saraki group was that the Senate President was not given a political waiver in his alleged criminal trials in courts and even those under investigation.

    He added that there was nothing wrong for the Police to carry out their constitutional duty as it related to Offa bank robbery.

    “Any move to turn this dutiful service of Nigeria Police to persecution is not only hypocritical but diversionary aimed at perverting the course of justice,” he said.

    Bolarinwa therefore appealed to the people of the State to keep faith with the party, promising to return the state to the path of prosperity through a functional political party.

  • Show Ekiti projects executed with N25 billion, PDP tells Fayemi

    The Ekiti State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ) has challenged the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is also a former governor of the state, Dr Kayode Fayemi, to show the people of the state the projects he executed with the N25 billion bond he took from the Capital Market during his tenure.

    Throwing the challenge in a statement in Ado-Ekiti Friday, the PDP State Chairman, Chief Gboyega Oguntuase, said rather than executing projects with the loan, Fayemi only put the state into serious debts that would affect the welfare of the people for years to come.

    Oguntuase urged voters in the state to come out in large number next Saturday and vote for the PDP candidate in the poll, Prof Kolapo Olusola, and allow for the continuity of the peace, progress and harmony being enjoyed in the state.

    “Thank God that though they have been denying some many atrocities they committed while in office from 2010 to 2014, there is no way they can deny borrowing N25 billion from the Capital Market. Everybody in the state knows this.

    Unfortunately, they cannot show the people what they spent the money on.
    “In the prospectus published to explain how the loan would be utilised, they listed various projects. Among the projects are a new Governor’s Office, a new Ojaba Market, a flyover, a state pavilion and a new Government House. Where are the projects? The people are asking.

    Read Also: Fayemi condemns holiday for PDP rally

    “The flyover was built in their stomachs. The Governor’s Office never existed. That is after they committed N100 million to scrape a parcel of land near the House of Assembly Complex. For the Ojaba Market, they only erected a giant billboard at the entrance of the palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti.

    “They took the first tranche of the loan, that is N20 billion in 2012 and the second tranche of N5 billion few months to the 2014 governorship election. This is apart from the huge monthly allocations and over N46 billion got from the Excess Crude Oil Account. Ekiti people are asking Fayemi and the APC what they did with the money,” he said.

    The PDP boss noted that the actions and inactions of Fayemi not only led the state into debts, but had mortgaged the state in some ways.
    He explained that the state spends over N1.1 billion monthly to service the debts from its statutory allocations.

    “The monthly deductions have been denying the state revenue that would have been used to pay workers salary, provide more facilities for the people to enjoy and even make provisions for the future of the state and the people,” he noted.

    Oguntuase added that since Fayemi failed when entrusted with the leadership of the state for four years, he should not expect the people of the state to now commit their welfare and future into his hands.