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Tag: All Progressives Congress (APC)

  • Buhari congratulates Fayemi for winning APC Guber ticket

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated former Governor of Ekiti State and Minister of Mines and Solid Minerals, Kayode Fayemi, for winning the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) ticket to contest the July 14, 2018 governorship elections.

    In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu in Abuja on Sunday, President Buhari commendd all the participants in the keenly contested position, who passionately worked hard to serve the state as governors.

    He urged them to keep upholding the values and philosophy of the party by supporting the APC candidate in the forthcoming elections.

    Read Also: Buhari congratulates APC candidate

    According to the President, Fayemi’s track record in the state as a reformist, with a penchant for building educational infrastructure and promoting the welfare of the ordinary people, will bolster his chances at the forthcoming polls.

    He noted that ”the successful primaries in the state, with more than 30 aspirants, further validate the credentials of the APC on internal democracy, and its preparedness to take the country to another level of development”

    Fayemi defeated other 32 contestants in the poll when he got 941 out of the 2337 votes cast by the delegates during the exercise.

    Another former governor of the state, Segun Oni, who secured 481 votes, came second.

    NAN

     

  • Voting Ends in Ekiti APC Guber Primary

    Voting has ended in the Ekiti State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary.
    Casting of ballots by delegates ended at 4.13 pm.
    Delegates from Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area were the last to exercise their franchise.
    The next exercise to be carried out is sorting which starts any moment from now.
    The Electoral Panel Chairman, Governor Tanko Al-Makura, had just given his remarks.
    There is no delegates inside the hall as they had left save the contestants who are also delegates.

  • We are ready for LG Congresses in Enugu says APC Chairman

    All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Enugu State says it has concluded all arrangements to hold a hitch-free, credible and transparent Local Government Congresses in the state on Saturday.

    The Chairman of APC in Enugu State, Dr Ben Nwoye, told the News men in Enugu on Wednesday that the party executive had got the approval of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) for the exercise.

    Nwoye said that the party had also met with the Commissioner of Police and Divisional Police Officers to detail their personnel to various venues to ensure orderliness.

    “We are ready for the local government congresses on Saturday in the state.

    “We have met other agencies and organisations needed for the exercise and they had given us clearance to go ahead with the exercise.

    “The national officers to supervise the exercise are already in the state as I am speaking with you,’’ he said.

    Read Also: Ekiti APC: Party elders propose direct primary

    According to him, the exercise will be held at the 17 local government offices of the party or any public place the party members feel comfortable with, going with the high numeric strength of APC in local councils in the state.

    Nwoye however, assured that the congresses would be hitch-free, credible and transparent just as the Ward Congresses held on May 5 in the state.

    “APC is a party known for orderliness and transparency, just as we displayed on Saturday, May 5, during the Ward Congresses in the state.

    “The forthcoming Local Government Congresses on Saturday, May 12, will be open, hitch-free, credible and transparent as well,’’ he added.

    NAN

  • Election sequence: Buhari, AGF back suit against NASS

    President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Tuesday told a Federal High Court in Enugu that they were not opposed to the suit, challenging the attempt by the National Assembly to re-order the sequence of the 2019 elections through amendment of Electoral Act.

    The Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Akpata, made the position of both parties known at the hearing of the suit brought before the court by a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Anike Nwoga.

    The suit has the National Assembly and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the 1st and 2nd defendants while President Buhari and AGF are 3rd and 4th respondents respectively.

    Addressing the court presided over by Justice A.M. Liman, Akpata who came to court with a team of lawyers from the Federal Ministry of Justice, explained that by virtue of Section 4 Subsection 8 of the Nigerian constitution, the court has jurisdiction to entertain the matter, adding that the exercise of legislative powers of the National Assembly must be subject to review by the court.

    Citing relevant cases including Habib vs. AGF, AGF vs. ANPP and Attorney General of Bendel State vs. Attorney General of the Federation, Akpata argued that if in the exercise of legislative powers conferred on the National Assembly by the constitution, there is a defect, as to say that a bill is not passed according to the law, the bill is null and void.

    The Solicitor General of the Federation maintained that the Supreme Court could legislate on this issue, which constitutes a limitation to legislative powers.

    On whether the plaintiff (Nwoga) has the locus standi to institute the suit, Akpata made it clear that every citizen of the country has the right of access to justice when there is a breach of the constitution

    He also drew attention of the court to the fact that the affidavit filed by the plaintiff has not been controverted.

    On whether the subject matter is still a life issue, since it may have been overtaken by events, Akpata said, “the case of Amechi vs. Omehia makes it clear that constitutional issue can never be termed an academic exercise.”

    Buttressing his argument with the case of CBN vs. Oladele Amao, he said a declaration could be made even where a matter has been rendered dead, if the issue in question has to do with the constitution.

    Akpata added that the recent decision of the Abuja Federal High Court also looked at the same issues.

    Making submissions earlier, counsel to the plaintiff, Godwin Onwusi, urged the court to grant the five reliefs sought by his client.

    Onwusi asked the court to determine whether the National Assembly has the powers to compel INEC to conduct election in a particular sequence and even if they could, whether they could by law change the timetable already released by the electoral body before the passage of the bill.

    The plaintiff counsel argued that case laws show that the National Assembly do not have such powers, as the powers given to INEC to supervise, conduct and organize elections is not subject to control by either the executive or the legislative arms of government.

    Making his own submission, counsel to INEC, the 2nd respondent, Chineme Onuoma, said the commission was neither opposed or in support of the suit.

    The National Assembly was however not represented in court and did not file any documents.

    After listening to the submissions of the parties in court, Justice Liman reserved judgment for May 18.

    Read Also: Breaking: Court voids NASS attempt to alter election sequence

  • APC chieftain applauds leaders over  successful ward congress

    Mr Tunde Giwa-Daramola, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ), in Ondo state on Tuesday applauded party leaders in the state for a successful ward congress.

    The Akoko North-West constituency House of Representative hopeful told the News men reports that the ward congress was well organised based on consensus and zoning formula.

    The ruling party’s ward congresses were held on May 5 across the country, with reports of irregularities and disruption in some areas.

    Read Also: “Ward congresses in Cross River remain suspended”

    Giwa-Daramola, a retired navy Commander said: “Unlike reports from other states and constituencies where the exercise was disrupted, it was indeed a peaceful event in Akoko.

    “Akoko people conducted themselves peacefully at the congress and the party leaders in the constituency should be commended for their leadership role.’’

    Speaking on other matters, there was the need to ensure the establishment of a Federal University of Education or Agriculture in the area.

    “Establishment of a University in Akoko land is long overdue, one of my mandate is to push for one, in order to bring developmental growth,’’ Giwa-Daramola said.

    NAN

     

  • Urhoghide: Edo APC petitions Police, wants thugs sanctioned

    The Edo State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5 Police Headquarters, over the invasion of Benin Airport by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youths allegedly sponsored by Senator Matthew Urhoghide.

    In a petition through their counsel, C.I. Aiguobarueghian, the APC said that it was condemnable that the PDP youths gained entrance and disrupted peace at the airport despite existing regulations against sponsoring of thugs to the vicinity of any airport in Nigeria.

    According to the letter, “Our client informed and we verily believed it that on the 27th of April, 2018, youths numbering hundreds and led by one Mr. Thaddeus Irabor (PDP State Youth Leader) invaded the Benin Airport awaiting their sponsor, Senator Matthew Urhoghide. Cultural troupes were also on ground singing and dancing strenuously awaiting the “heroic arrival” of their son who had just muted the possibility of impeaching the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, on the floor of the Senate. Whilst the troupes were in a frenzy to outdo each other, the young men contracted by Mr. Thaddeus Irabor indulged in gulping of alcohol and abuse of drugs including the smoking of indian hemp within the precinct of the airport.”

    APC said  it has it on good authority that before the arrival of the Senator, the restive youths demanded for the fees agreed to mobilise them to the airport from the said Mr. Thaddeus Irabor, who told them to await the arrival of the Senator who is coming with the money, noting, “This apparently did not go down well with the now intoxicated hirelings who turned on their principal for failure to meet with their contractual agreement. In the orgy of violence, every prominent figure of the PDP in sight became a ready target. The matter got out of hand when the Senator who purportedly held their money arrived the airport and instead of paying the hoodlums as agreed, he waved them away as ignorant and illiterate. The youths got incensed, chanting Urhoghide Ole! The said Urhoghide had to be cocooned in the VIP Lounge of the airport.”

    Noting that it took the intervention of Governor Godwin Enogheghase Obaseki to whisk the Senator out of the ravaging fawns of his hireling, the party said the State Youth leader of PDP, Mr. Thaddeus Irabor, was not that lucky as his dogs literarily turned on him, adding that the unfortunate and avoidable incident caused workers and travellers alike so much psychological trauma.”

    According to him, “Our client call is to put the matter in perspective as the furtive effort to put the blame on its party is a total non-starter. First how did the APC youths know the clandestine arrangement to welcome the Senator following his ill-fated motion. What is their interest if Matthew Urhoghide is welcomed. There would have been no reason to resort to fighting without provocation. It is not in the character of the APC to throng to the airport.”

    He said the incident was avoidable if the Police had kept to the extant rules banning groups from congregating at airports. “Our client therefore sincerely appeals to you to use your good offices taking into cognizance an extant rule or directive of the Inspector General of Police, issued in November, 2013 by IGP M. D. Abubakar, banning political rallies, parties and gathering in and around the airport. You will recall sir that that order became necessary because there was break down of law and order when the then Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Ameachi, was to receive his guest at the airport in 2013 and there was serious altercations with security personnel.”

    The party continued, “The ban is total across all the airports in Nigeria. Those who invited people to the airport for reception in breach of the above extant rules and the people they used must be promptly brought to book. The said rules also carried dire consequences. This will act as deterrence and forestall future reoccurrence. Those who brought ant- infested firewood to the house should not complain about visit by lizards. In this case they must be made to face the consequences of their actions. The business of security of life is our common responsibility that cannot be sacrificed on the altar of political shenanigan.”

  • Osun spends N30bn on social investment initiatives

    Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of  Osun  on Tuesday said  his administration had spent more than N30 billion on direct social investment programmes in the state.

    The media aide to the governor, Sola Fasure, in a statement on Tuesday in Osogbo, quoted Aregbesola as saying this at the palace of the Elegboro of Ijebu-Jesa in Osun, Oba Moses Agunsoye.

    Aregbesola’s visit to the monarch was in continuation of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) sensitisation tour of the state.

    ” Our government has done so much to make life meaningful and abundant for the citizens just as we have made direct investment on the people to the tune of about N30 billion,’’ the governor said.

    He said the social investment was done through initiatives such as Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme ( O’YES ), Osun School Feeding and Health Programme ( O’MEAL ), Osun Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Programme (O’REAP) and Osun Ambulance services.

    According to Aregbesola, his government has performed creditably well in delivery on its electioneering campaign promises to the people of the state.

    Read Also: Osun indigenes hold Annual General Meeting

    The governor said that his administration, after the expiration of its tenure, would leave behind legacy projects.

    “We are using this tour to remind our people that we have fulfilled at least 70 per cent of our campaign promises and for them to know that they must do everything to ensure that our party remains  in the saddle of leadership,’’ he said.

    In his remarks,   Agunsoye commended the governor for the giant strides recorded in the last seven and a half years.

    The monarch said the present administration had done well in all aspects of governance.

    ” It has therefore become important for us as a people and as citizens of Osun if we truly desire good governance to allow continuity,’’ the monarch said.

    NAN

  • Benin Airport Clash: Edo APC chides Senator Urhoghide

    Chairman of Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Barr. Anslem Ojezua, has taken a swipe at the Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, Senator Mathew Urhoghide, saying his alleged impeachment motion and the furore that greeted his actions are not just condemnable but irresponsible.

    Ojezua, who said this in a chat with journalists in Benin City, said that the Senator’s attempt to point fingers at the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, for his ordeal smacks of ingratitude given that the governor was instrumental to rescuing him from the irate crowd that had stalled his exit from the airport.

    According to him, “It is unfortunate that Urhoghide should suggest that Governor Obaseki was there when the incident happened. It was Obaseki who saved his neck because as at the time we arrived, Obaseki’s aircraft had not touched the ground. The governor met Urhoghide at the airport because the police were keeping him in the building from those who wanted his neck. It was when the governor came that he was able to come out. I think it was unfortunate and a show of ingratitude on his part for him to suggest that the governor was behind his travail. It is typical of PDP for you to do them good and they reward you with bad.”

    Arguing that Urhoghide’s action is in bad faith and antithetical to efforts to curb ravaging insecurity in the country, he said, “A supposed distinguished senator of the Federal Republic went to the floor of the Senate and began to make reckless demands and requests about the presidency over an alleged expenditure that borders on security of our country. This was done in the light of all the killings that is going on. I think that statement was irresponsible. I think it was unfortunate that the Nigerian Senate should even allow such a thing to be discussed.

    “Everybody has been concerned about the killings. We know the limitations of our security forces. Goodluck Jonathan was president when this request was made and it was turned down repeatedly. Now, for once, the American Government has accepted to release to us the equipment that we dearly need to deal with this situation, then a group of people, who claim to be representing people, particularly Urhoghide, who claims to be representing the people of Edo state, is against it. You know how many lives we have lost to supposed herdsmen. We have information that some of these killings are contrived.”

    He continued, “Now, this equipment can assist us in resolving these issues and the Senate is asking for authority. When Obasanjo emptied this same account, where was the Nigerian Senate? How much did Goodluck Jonathan inherit and how much did he leave there? These same people could not say anything. Now, for once, somebody is coming up with something and they are asking questions. The unfortunate thing is that it is emanating from Edo State.

    “I think it is reprehensible and should be condemned. I feel so bad that such a thing should happen, for him to arrive here and for them to say they want to do reception. To receive who? Somebody who has been in the Senate for how long? He comes here every week. So how come they have not been receiving him like this before. Because he made such a scandalous statement at the Senate, some stupid hoodlums went to the airport and you expect that Edo people will just accept it? It will not happen.

    “It is not about APC; it is about the people of Edo state. I am chairman of APC; I was on that same flight with him I didn’t know there was anything going to happen at the airport. If I didn’t know, then I could not have known to provide a response. I think the Police needs to step in because the policy that the Federal Government came up with during Jonathan’s administration that they don’t want people to come to the airport as a crowd has not changed. It has not been reversed. How come nobody has been arrested?”

    On the conduct of the recent ward congress in the state, Ojezua said, “The same way we conducted our primaries into offices in the local government, we adopted the consensus approach. It worked for us then, it worked for us again this time. It was very peaceful.”

  • Breaking: Ekiti APC gets two chairmen

    Scores of All Progressives Congress (APC) members on Monday stormed party secretariat and ‘dissolved’ the state exco led by Chief Jide Awe.

    They installed a new caretaker exco led by Mr. Kayode Egunjobi.

    The irate party members locked the secretariat and occupied it for about two hours before policemen came to prevent breakdown of law and order.

    They said the dissolution of the exco was in line with Article 21 of the party constitution.

    Led by Adeoye Aribasoye, the protesters accused Awe of bungling last Saturday’s primary, mismanagement of party finances and working against conduct of primary.

    Egunjobi promised to restore order to the party.

    But Awe maintained that he remains the chairman.

    He said there are processes for the dissolution of the state exco

    Awe maintained that it was wrong for some people to storm secretariat claiming to sack him and his “validly elected exco.”

    Details later…

    Read Also:Ekiti APC and its inconclusive primary

  • APC stakeholders in Imo want NWC to save party from Okorocha

    Imo, All Progressives Congress ( APC ) Stakeholders Forum has pleaded with the party´s National Working Committee ( NWC ) to intervene in the crisis currently rocking its ranks.

    Mr Oke Ikoro, the Chairman of the forum, made the plea on Wednesday in Abuja when a delegation of the forum visited the NWC.

    According to him, APC in Imo has been appropriated by Gov. Rochas Okorocha who ´´ has completely privatised the party´´ through his activities. Ikoro said there was so much anger, acrimony and bitterness among party members.

    ´´This is why we have come here to lend our grievances to the NWC, we came to express our disappointment on the leadership of Gov. Rochas Okorocha, his activities and the APC under him.

    ´´ We didn´t want to say this with word of mouth but we have put it in writing so that you can have a critical look at it after we had gone,´´ he said.

    Ikoro  said that the stakeholders had to bring the matter to NWC after trying without success to address it at the state level.

    He alleged that some of the governor´s actions in the state were not friendly and were forcing members out of the party rather than bringing membership to the fold.

    Ikoro  said the actions included the demolition of markets and indiscriminate revocation of land titles without due process. He also criticised the governor´s plan to install his son-in-law as the next governor of Imo.

    Ikoro said ´´all we are saying is that due process should be followed and that the state funds should not be wasted.´´

    According to him, people are exiting from the party because of the highhandedness of the governor.

    ´´ We are calling on the party leadership to call the governor to order and to separate the party from him, ´´ he said.

    Ikoro expressed optimism that as the highest organ of the party empowered to bring peace and unity, the matter would be addressed by the NWC.

    Read Also: APC clears Fayemi, Oni, Ojudu, 30 others for Ekiti primaries

    ´´Furthermore, on Saturday, the ward congresses of the party will start and we know that what the governor is planning is to hijack the process,´´ he said.

    He alleged that the governor`s plan was to influence the congress by ensuring that his cronies were put in elective offices.

    He said that the party leadership should intervene to prevent the governor from hijacking the process.

    In his response, the APC National Chairman, Chief Odigie-Oyegun, said there was nothing to celebrate in the report.

    He said that the saving grace was that the stakeholders were all dedicated and did not storm out of the party.

    He said Imo must lead in the South- East to ensure the party´s electoral victory in 2019 and as such the unity of the party was critical to achieve the goal.

    ´´ Some controversies are necessary to bring about unity that will bring victory, together Imo state will be almost a certainty but we will be in deep trouble if we are divided.

    ´´Without any prejudice, I want to assure you that we, on our side, will do everything possible to take up your complaints and reservations.

    ´´We will talk to the other side so that an acceptable compromise and understanding is reached to make it possible for us to work as one party and one political fighting force.

    ´´I am certainly not unaware of the issues; as the party’s national chairman, all these things end up directly or indirectly on my desk, “he said.

    The party chairman added that whatever the rights and the wrongs of both sides were, victory could only come through unity.

    He said that to get unity, there must be justice, adding: “while am insisting on a united fighting force, I also insist that there is justice.’’

    Odigie-Oyegun said that as far as the coming party congresses were concerned, the leadership was determined to ensure free, fair and level playing field for all aspirants in spite of what anyone thought.

    He charged the stakeholders to prove their worth by ensuring that the right things were done and that true reconciliation was achieved in the party in Imo.

    NAN