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Tag: All Progressives Congress (APC)

  • APC members insist on zoning in Osun

    Some members of All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of Osun Continuity Movement Friday in Osogbo, staged a peaceful rally over zoning of the governorship ticket.

    The  group,according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) , insisted that APC must zone the September  22 governorship election ticket to Osun West Senatorial District.

    Spokesman for the group, Mr Miftah Saheed, told journalists that for the sake of fairness, equity and justice, the zone should be allowed to produce the next governor.

    Saheed said that going by the history of governance in the state, Osun Central has governed the state for more than 11 years, while Osun East spent eight years in governance.

    Read Also:Court nullifies Imo APC ward congresses

    He said that Osun West Senatorial District spent only 22 months in governing the state.

    “It is worthy of note that Osun West Senatorial District remains the only zone that had not produced a governor since the return of democratic rule in 1999.

    “The zone must be supported to produce the next governor. We have competent candidate that can do the job,’’ Saheed said.

    The party members, who carried placards with various inscriptions, marched from Freedom Park to the party’s secretariat.

    Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: “No cheating’’, “West is okay’’, “We must encourage equal political stability’’, “Rotational leadership’’, “Affirmation Action’’, among others.

    Twenty-nine  aspirants on the platform of APC have  so far expressed their intention to contest the party’s primary ahead of the gubernatorial election.

  • Osun 2018: APC members insist on zoning of governorship ticket

    Some members of All Progressives Congress ( APC ) under the aegis of Osun Continuity Movement on Friday in Oshogbo staged a peaceful rally in Osogbo over zoning of the governorship ticket.

    The News men reports that the group insisted that APC must zone the Sept. 22 governorship election ticket to Osun West Senatorial District in the state.

    The spokesman for the group, Mr Miftah Saheed, told journalists that for the sake of fairness, equity and justice, the zone should be allowed to produce the next governor.

    According to Saheed, going by the history of governance in the state, Osun Central had governed the state for more than 11 years, while Osun East spent eight years in governance.

    He said that Osun West Senatorial District spent only 22 months in governing the state.

    “It is worthy of note that Osun West Senatorial District remains the only zone that had not produced a governor since the return of democratic rule in 1999.

    Read Also: Court nullifies Imo APC ward congresses

    “The zone must be supported to produce the next governor. We have competent candidate that can do the job,’’ Saheed said.

    He said that if APC failed to pick its candidate from the west, any other political party that picked its candidate from the west would be supported by the people of the zone.

    As a result of the agitation, the party’s primary slated for Saturday had been postponed.

    The party members, who carried placards with various inscriptions, marched from Freedom Park to the party’s secretariat.

    Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: “No cheating’’, “West is okay’’, “We must encourage equal political stability’’, “Rotational leadership’’, “Affirmation Action’’, among others.

    The news men reports that 29 aspirants on the platform of APC had so far expressed their intention to contest the party’s primary ahead of the gubernatorial election.

  • Breaking: Court nullifies Imo APC Ward, LG Congresses

    …orders fresh congress

     

    A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, the Imo State capital Thursday nullified the Ward and Local Government Congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State.

    The presiding Judge, Justice Lewis Allagoa, in his ruling that lasted for about two hours, held that APC Ward and Local Government Congresses were never held in the state in the first place.

    He therefore ordered the party to conduct fresh Ward congresses in the state in line with the guidelines of the party, “they should go back and conduct fresh Congresses in accordance with the constitutions of the party; they should be responsible and save our democracy.

    Read Also:Imo APC Ward Congress characterized by confusion, controversies – INEC

    The Judge in his ruling observed that The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which is the body mandated by the Electoral Act to supervise primaries and Congresses of political parties in their report attached as exhibit by the Plaintiffs, affirmed that APC Congresses were not held in the state.

    Justice Allagoa in his ruling dismissed the argument of Counsel to the Defendants that the Plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to challenge the conduct of the Ward Congresses in the state.

    He ruled that the Plaintiffs having established the fact that they are members of the party and Ward Chairmen have the locus standi to challenge the outcome of the Ward Congresses.

    Justice Allagoa in also dismissed the argument by Counsel to the second and eight defendant, Kelvin Nwufor (SAN) that the Plaintiffs did not get leave of Court to serve the defendants outside the jurisdiction of the Court, stating that the Federal High has one jurisdiction.

    He therefore granted the Plaintiffs’ prayers that the Court declare as null and void results purported to have emanated from APC Ward Congress in the state as the Congress never held across the state.

    The Plaintiffs who are APC Ward Chairmen in the Originating Summon in the Suit with Suit No FHC/OW/CS/69/2018 had prayed the Court among other reliefs to issue an Order of injunction restraining the defendants by themselves, agents, or privies from announcing or declaring or making reference to non-existing results of the ward congress purportedly claimed to have been released by them as results of the inconclusive ward congress.”

    The defendants in the Suit include the immediate past APC National Organizing Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, the State Chairman of the party, Chief Hilary Eke, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and others.

  • Buhari, Yari, Badaru, Bagudu meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met with some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    Read Also:My successors dare not return stolen assets to looters – Buhari

    They are Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru and Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.

    The closed door meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

     

    Details later…

  • Ekiti: Court dismisses suit seeking to bar Fayemi

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Bwari, Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to bar the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Kayode Fayemi from participating in the Ekiti Governorship election.

    Justice O. A. Musa, in a judgment on Tuesday,  dismissed the suit by the Action People’s Party (APP) on the ground that it was without merit.

    Read Also:INEC chief to Fayose: Fayemi didn’t hire us to rig

    The plaintiff had argued among others, that Fayemi’s indictment by a commission of inquiry set up by the state government to probe his administration, and the white paper issued by the state based on the indictment, disqualified Fayemi from holding public office by virtue of Section 182(1)(i) of the Constitution.

    Justice Musa quashed Fayemi’s purported indictment by commission of inquiry and the white paper on the grounds that the ‎process leading to the report and white paper was tainted with bias as Fayemi was not accorded fair hearing.

    The judge noted that Section 182(1)(i) of the Constitution, on which the suit was based, was no longer in existence having been deleted by the National Assembly through the first alteration of the Constitution in 2011.

    Justice Musa who who answered the two questions posed by the plaintiff in the negative, refused all its prayers and declared the Fayemi was eligible to contest the next Governorship election and that the APC was at liberty, under the law to field him as its candidate.

    Details later…

  • Saraki’s CoS dumps APC, says party shouldn’t be trusted in 2019 

    Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmad on Monday dumped All Progressives Congress (APC), saying that, the party should not be trusted to rule beyond 2019.

    Baba-Ahmed who is also a one-time INEC Secretary however clarified that his decision to dump APC has nothing to do with his principal, Senator Bukola Saraki.

    He disclosed this while addressing   journalists in Kaduna on Monday, saying that he had already sent his resignation letter to the party chairman of his ward.

    Saraki’s aide described his decision to exit APC as a difficult one to make, adding that, he took the decision after due consultation with members of his Akida faction of APC in Kaduna.

    Read Also:Lagos APC commiserates with tanker explosion victims

    He explained that, he was not leaving APC to join another party, but that APC government has underperformed in the country.

    According to him, “this statement is to inform the public of my resignation from APC. I have sent a formal letter to this effect to chairman of my ward.

    “This has been a very difficult decision, to leave a party I helped to form and made my humble contributions to put in power.

    “After three years, however, I need to say that the APC has grossly under-performed and has forfeited any claim to my loyalty and continue membership.

    “I do not believe in all conscience, that it should be trusted and encouraged to continue to govern our great country beyond 2019.

    “I am not leaving to join another party. This is my decision and mine alone. It has nothing to do with the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

    “It’s a decision taken after due consultations with Akida Group, a group that has predated my appointment as Chief of Staff to the President of the Senate.

    “I will remain active in politics, as this is the main avenue for salvaging our nation from rising insecurity, poverty and divisions,” he said.

    Dr. Baba-Ahmed was one time chairman of CPC and Interim Chairman of APC in Kaduna state.

    He was later appointed as Chief of state to Senate President.

  • My detention was dirty politics, says Abaribe

    The Senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe has said that his arrest and detention by the Department of State Services (DSS) was part of the “dirty politics” being played by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Abaribe, who was at the national secretariat of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday, observed that the entire National Assembly was under siege, adding that members are being hunted by the executive arm.

    Saying that the 2019 election will be a decisive factor for governance in the country, the senator warned that the actions and inactions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will have effect on whether Nigeria will continue to exist after the elections.

    The Senator was released on Tuesday after spending five days in DSS detention.

    Read Also:Abaribe gets bail, says lawyer

    According to him, the government will always find a reason to detain its political foes as a result of loss of confidence among the Nigerian people.

    Abaribe said, “All that they are doing now is nothing but intimidation and trying to make sure those strong voices and voices that are saying that enough is enough, they will like to silence.

    “The National Assembly, of which I am a very proud member, is now besieged. Yesterday it was the Senate President sponsoring armed robbers, the other day, it was Dino Melaye sponsoring some gun runners, the other day it was Shehu Sani sponsoring murderers.

    “Today, my own is sponsoring terrorism. And so everybody should get ready. They will find something that they will hang on your head”.

    The lawmaker thanked the leadership of the PDP for the support he received during his ordeal.

    “Where we are today in Nigeria, I can only make one recommendation to Nigerians. And that recommendation is: get your PVCs ready because we have to vote out this government.

    “There is no other way we can do it because as you can see, this government is descending into tyranny.

    “And when I was arrested and I was taken to my house for it to be searched, in the warrant of arrest for the search of my house, what they said was that I was a sponsor of terrorism.

    “And I wanted to know subsequently how I would sponsor terrorism and they put there in bracket that I was aiding and sponsoring a proscribed organisation ‘IPOB’.

    “And so, everybody in Nigeria knows that I signed the bail bond for Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB. And if signing the bail bond means that I am now a sponsor of IPOB, what it means also is that every Nigerian should be ready.

    “And so, I believe that when people are challenged and confronted historically at defining moments for the nation like we have today, they will rise up to expectation”.

  • Oshiomhole fails to resume as new APC chairman

    The new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole failed to resume at the national secretariat of the party on Monday as promised by him during his inauguration on Sunday evening.

    However, a few of the National Working Committee members elected alongside Oshiomhole reported to the secretariat briefly apparently to inspect their offices.

    One of those who reported to the national secretariat at about mid-day was the newly elected National Organising Secretary, Barrister Emma Ibediro who came to the secretariat with his supporters and went straight to the office of the Organising Secretary where they prayed before taking pictures in the office with the supporters.

    Ibediro who was sponsored for the position of National Organising Secretary by Imo state Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha defeated the former occupant of the office, Senator Osita Izunaso in a keenly contested battle that saw tempers rise during the convention.

    Read Also:Oshiomhole’s resumption shifted as staff waits anxiously

    The newly elected National Youth Leader, Abubakar Shuaib also reported to the secretariat and stayed briefly before leaving.

    The Nation gathered that the resumption of Comrade Oshiomhole was shifted at the request of the former National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, who pleaded that he needed a little more time to tidy up his hand over notes.

    Comrade Oshiomhole had promised to resume at the national secretariat as early as 8.00am on Monday, but it was gathered that he may now resume on Tuesday.

    A source within the party told The Nation that “Oshiomhole is anxious to resume. But the hand over note is not ready yet. The former chairman pleaded that he be given till the end of today to finalise the hand over note. So, Oshiomhole will not be coming to the Secretariat today again. He will be here tomorrow when the hand over would be done”.

    When The Nation visited the APC national secretariat, staff were seen in high expectations awaiting the arrival of Comrade Oshiomhole, with many of them hanging around the secretariat in groups discussing the outcome of the convention.

    Those of them whose principals were not re-elected were seen clearing their desk in readiness for the arrival of the new occupants of the offices.

    Anxious journalists who reported to the secretariat in anticipation of Comrade Oshiomhole’s resumption left disappointed after waiting for several hours without any concrete information as to when the new national chairman was reporting to the secretariat.
    Campaign posters that littered the Secretariat before the election has disappeared, while congratulatory banners have taken over.

    It was however gathered that Comrade Oshiomhole held a closed door meeting with some APC governors at his residence in readiness for the task ahead.

    Comrade Oshiomhole was elected unopposed as the new national chairman of the APC at its national convention at the Eagle Square in Abuja on Saturday and Sunday.

  • APC National Convention: Delegates defy rain

    Delegates to the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Convention on Saturday in Abuja defied rainfall, which began early in the day, to throng Eagle Square, venue of the convention.

    Also on duty in spite of the rain were Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) officials deployed in strategic locations for traffic sanity and safety around the venue.

    The officials diverted traffic from Ralph Soheinde Street at Federal Ministry of Finance to Goodluck Jonathan Expressway and other routes to take heavy traffic away from the convention venue.

    READ ALSO:APC National Convention: Oshiomhole, delegates arrive Eagle square

    NAN reports vendors of various products also had visible presence in the convention vicinity, taking advantage of the crowd of delegates and their supporters to make brisk business.

    Prominent among the vendors were those selling food, snacks, soft drinks, mobile telephone appliances and APC items.

    The venue of the convention was adorned with white, blue, red and green colours of the APC and was also decorated with the party’s flag.

    The environment was replete with posters of contestants for various positions in the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, some carried round by their supporters.

    No fewer than 6, 800 delegates are expected from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory to be in attendance at the convention.

  • APC National Convention: Oshiomhole, delegates arrive Eagle square

    Former Edo state governor and chairmanship candidate of the All progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has arrived Eagles square  in Abuja, venue of the party’s national convention.

    Before his arrival, some delegates and key party officials arrived the venue of the convention.

    Read also:APC convention: NSCDC, VIO deploy 2,400 personnel

    Amongst those that arrived early was Senator Ovie Omo-Agege. The minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi arrived the venue at about 11:40 am.

    There is heavy security presence in and around the venue.