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Tag: All Progressives Congress (APC)

  • Buhari to attend APC NEC meeting

    President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to attend the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) National Executive Committee ( NEC ) meeting coming up on Tuesday.

    Governors elected on APC platform, members of its Board of Trustee and National Working Committee ( NWC ) members among others, are also expected attend the meeting.

    “It is going to be a routine NEC meeting which is a final leg of the meeting that was held last month.

    “If you recall after the NEC meeting last, month, I told you that two issues were outstanding and that members asked for more time to study those issues.

    “These are the issues of constitutional amendment and the True Federalism committee report.

    “These are the two key items on the agenda for tomorrow’s NEC meeting,“ Bolaji Abdullahi, the APC National Publicity Secretary told newsmen.

    It would be recalled that the APC NEC at its meeting of Feb. 26, extended the tenure of the party`s National Working Committee ( NWC ) and other executive members across all levels by one year starting from June.

    While Chief John Odigie-Oyegun the APC National Chairman said the decision was in good faith, some party members, who were not comfortable with it, had taken the party to court over the issue.

    The APC Forum of non-National Working Committee ( NWC ), had however, said that members who took the party to court out of grievance without exhausting its internal mechanism should be disciplined.

    The forum while reaffirming the position of the party’s NEC to extend the tenure of all its executives, said such  members should be disciplined by the party`s leadership in consonance with its constitution.

    Meanwhile, security has been beefed at the national secretariat of the party in readiness of Tuesday’s meeting.

    NAN

  • Court sacks Abia APC exco led by Hon. Nwankpa

    An Abia high court sitting at Okpuala Ngwa and presided over by Hon Justice C. U. Okoroafor has sacked the state executive members of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) led by Hon Donatus Nwankpa.

    The court order with the suit number NO: HIN/4/2018 was brought before the court by Bar Fabian Okonkwo, Engr Chris Okpechi and Hon Onyebuchi Igodo against APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Hon Donatus Nwankpa and three others.

    The order asked APC, Odigie-Oyegun, Alh. Mai Mala Bunu and Dr Muiz Banire to stop dealing with the Nwankpa and Bar Menyechi Onuoha and other members of the Abia executive committee pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit. 

    The order said, “The first to fourth respondents are restrained from dealing with the factional list of state, LGA and ward delegates sent to the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja by Nwankpa led state Exco in any manner until the substantive suit is determined.

    Speaking with The Nation in Umuahia the new state chairman of the party, Dr Emmanuel Aguzie Ndukwe said that the manner Nwankpa ran the Exco as if it is his personal property and using same for pecuniary means caused the Exco to be suspended.

    Ndukwe accused Nwankpa of running to money bags in the state and collecting money from them in the name of the party and thereafter making leaders against the laid downs rules of the APC.

    He said, “In view of his actions which are against the party, the party met on the 25th of November 2017 and suspended him and later went to court which granted an order restraining the national office of our party and others to stop recognizing him as Abia APC chairman”.

    “By this court order which is in our possession we are now the authentic and recognized Exco of APC in the state until the court order is vacated by a court of competent jurisdiction”.

    On the question about the APC rally held in the state where Nwankpa was recognized as the state chairman, Ndukwe said, “We are a law abiding party even when the national office was deceived to condone illegality which we allowed as we don’t want to be seen as divided house”.

    He said, “However that supposed rally you are talking about was not a rally as to us it never took place, how many national officers were there, to us there was no such rally as it was never in our history that such a rally ever took place in our state”.

    “Before now after our harmonization the two sides were asked to produce officers and Nwankpa’s side brought him as chairman while I came in as secretary and I am supposed to be the engine room of the party but was never allowed to function”.

    “Nwankpa hijacked the part structure and started holding meetings with people who are not members of our party and whose names do not appear on any party register and he has also been holding meetings with ward chairmen of the faction that produced him”.

    “We are going to hold our NEC meeting today (Tuesday) which I will attend as the state chairman and any attempt to stop me from being there as the state chairman will mean contempt of court which is a liable offense”.

    Ndukwe observed that the court order will not divide them rather that it has brought the desired unity which has been lacking, stressing that the court order has given them the impetus to work harder to take over government in the state.

    He noted that since the court judgement on the 8th of March this year, “There has been jubilation within and outside the party as most members have been very uncomfortable with the high handedness of the former chairman”.

  • ‘Edo prudent with debts, proceeds utilised to drive devt’

    The Edo State Government has flayed the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state for making unfounded claims of the state’s debt status, noting that the party was being mischievous with facts.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the state government has been prudent with external borrowings incurred since the All Progressives Congress (APC) came on board and has utilised all the credits judiciously to fund developmental projects.

    Osagie said a significant portion of the debts the state is currently paying off was incurred by the PDP government in the state at the height of its dubious foray into borrowing, for which it got so notorious in squandering, that several multilateral organisations blacklisted the state from their financing facilities.

    According to him, “As at today, Edo state is still paying a N30 billion debt taken from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the development of water infrastructure. There is also a Union Bank loan taken and put in the balance sheet of Edo Line. These are besides several other such borrowings, which officials of the PDP government took privately and converted to state liability. The State Government is still paying all these debts.”

    Osagie said that it was disheartening that an entity that exhibited the most primitive understanding of public finance would then come out to make unfounded claims about the prudent management of the state’s finances by a globally renowned investment banker.

    He said, “The PDP is still raising evil guts to talk about these debts, when in fact, they are the ones who threw the state into the debts. The PDP were so irresponsible in debts and loans that the World Bank placed a ban on Edo State government. These loans were of single digit interest and the moratorium ran into 10 years.”

    He noted that it was not until the APC came into government and reformed the state’s finance, that they were able to access these financing facilities from multilateral organisations.

    Osagie added, “It was during the reign of the PDP that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) pulled out of the state because of the irresponsibility of the government at the time. The PDP lacks the credibility and moral standing to make any comment.

    “They are made up of people who lack the capacity to frugally allocate resources for positive outcomes. Debts at low interest rates are actually good for development and shows the state as viable. It is even better when the debts are used to fund developmental projects.”

    Read Also: Okomu expansion project to create 40,000 jobs in Edo

  • Crisis rock APC NWC

    Crisis rock APC NWC

    The crisis within the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a new dimension Friday when the National Vice Chairman of the party in the South South, Utufam Hilliard Eta said crucial decisions are taken by the leadership in favour of moneybags who are desperate to rubbish the party constitution.

    Eta said the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odiegie-Oyegun and the National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso has turned the party into a play thing for personal enrichment.

    He said: “In my place, we have a saying that when a lizard falls into a ditch, it becomes a play thing for the fowl. The party has now become a play thing between the National Chairman and the National Organizing Secretary. Anybody who has money can procure anything”.

    Addressing newsmen at the party secretariat in Abuja on the lingering crisis in the Cross River state chapter of the party, ETA said the party constitution has been grossly violated by the national leadership of the party in the case of Cross River state.

    He said “For me, I do things according to the law. The NWC has not been invited on any matter concerning Cross Rivers state. Until such is done, I  will present to my colleagues a detail narrative of how this constitution has been violated so that a particular narrative will be instituted or established in Cross Rivers state. Until such a meeting is held I can do nothing.

    “But if you must know, a lot of the National Working Committee members have been complaining about the extra constitutional processes that goes on at the National Secretariat, especially under the watch of Osita Izunazo, the Organising Secretary.”

    He also accused the party’s Deputy National Chairman, South, Engr. Segun Oni of complicity in the matter, adding that what was expected of the party leadership was to have given all the necessary support to the reconciliation committee headed by a former Lagos state Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

    His accusations came days after a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu wrote the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, accusing him of acting based on financial inducements.

    He said: “From all intents and purposes, these issues are orchestrated…you know, the Asiwaju committee was constituted just a few days ago and these issue has been hanging on Cross River state since the appointment of the Minister.

    “The question that you will now ask is how come that immediately after the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu committee was constituted by the president, the National Chairman the Deputy National Chairman, South and the National Organizing Secretary became so much in a hurry, so much interested and so much aggressive in their attempt to have this all-important chairman that they could not have in more than two years. What is the purpose?”

    Speaking further in the crisis in the Cross River chapter, he said; “There was a consensus in the Cross River state chapter that we should have a congress to bring in a substantive chairman since the erstwhile chairman had been appointed as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

    “That was the agreement by the people of Cross River state and based on that, I wrote on behalf of the zone to the National Working Committee NWC to give the zone the authority to conduct a congress to that effect and the NWC said I should liaise with the office of the National Organizing Secretary (headed by Sen. Osita Izunaso) for that purpose.

    “We had set November 28 last year for that congress to happen but unfortunately, a member of the party went to court and got an injunction and served the processes on the party. So, based on the advice of the National Legal Adviser, we were asked to stay action as a party.

    “So in the next NWC meeting when the matter of Cross Rivers came up I was asked to make comments on what happened and why we couldn’t conduct congresses and the resolution of the NWC was that because we were very close to conducting congresses nationwide, that all congresses to fill vacant positions in the country, not just in the state should be set aside and that all the vacant positions would be filled at the same time during the congresses that would be held simultaneously to bring in new executives. That was the resolution of the NWC.

    “I was away and it was a surprise to me to receive a text message on my phone purportedly sent by the party’s Deputy National Chairman, South, Engr. Segun Oni inviting stakeholders of Cross River state to the secretariat ostensibly to discuss the issue of the chairmanship, in direct contrast and contravention to the position of the NWC.

    “I now wrote a letter handing over the matter of Cross River state to the Asiwaju-led reconciliation committee because in my thinking the crisis that engulfed the state chapter needs reconciliation before any congress is conducted.

    “If you read the Electoral Act and the constitution of the party and the nation, they were violated simply because the contrivance by Osita, the Minister of Niger Delta and the National Chairman of the party must come to pass regardless of how many laws are broken.

    “First, for us to have a congress, the constitution says there has to be a 14 days notice given to the jurisdiction where the congress would happen. The notice was given verbally and Osita said the notice was given before November 28.”

    Eta explained that only 109 statutory delegates participated in the purported February 24 congress organized by the party while INEC also refused to attend. According to him, six delegates from each of the 196 wards in the state were also not part of the said congress.

    Read Also: APC chieftain sues Odigie-Oyegun over tenure extension

  • Edo APC receives 10,000 defectors

    Edo APC receives 10,000 defectors

    Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday received a boost by accepting 10,000 defectors from opposition political parties in the state.

    Among the defectors was a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party in Esan West local government area, Mr. Felix Akhabue.

    Akhabue is regarded as the strongman of the PDP in Esan West.

    The defectors announced their membership of the APC at a mega rally to round campaigns ahead of Saturday local elections in the state.

    Minister of Youths and Sports, Barr. Solomon Dalung, said the rally was a requiem for the PDP in the state.

    Governor Godwin Obaseki in his speech promised to deliver 1.2million votes for the APC in next year’s general elections.

    Read Also: Edo APC denounces APCYV

    Details later…..

  • APC NEC extends Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC’s tenure

    APC NEC extends Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC’s tenure

    The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) on Tuesday, extended Chief John Odigie-Oyegun -led National Working Committee’s (NWC) tenure by one year.

    Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi made this known while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the party’s NEC meeting in Abuja and said that the extension was from June, 2018.

    Bello said that the decision was taken in line with the party´s Constitution, and explained that it was to ensure that peace prevailed within the party hierarchy.

    “Considering the time left for the party to conduct all the congresses, we cannot afford to approach general elections with more dispute and crisis.

    “So, relying on Article 13 of our Constitution, which empowers the NEC to carry out the function of the convention, the NEC has decided to extend the tenure of the current NWC,” he said.

    Bello explained that the tenure extension included the party’s other executive committees at various levels.

    He, however, pointed out that the decision would not prevent the party’s non-elective National Convention from holding in July as slated.

    “Let me tell you that this will not stop the convention of the party, but to go into elective congresses is what we are trying to avoid,” he said.

    The national convention usually provides avenue for the party to ratify its policies and programmes, elect or remove members of its NWC and amend its Constitution if need be, among other things.

    The tenure of the current NWC will expire in June.

    Before now, there were issues on whether the committee should continue or be replaced.

    The party has been unable to hold its mandatory bi-annual non-elective convention since 2014 as stipulated in its Constitution.

    Article 25 (A)(i) of the APC Constitution specifically stipulates that the national convention of the party shall be held once in two years at a date, venue and time to be recommended by its NEC.

    NAN

  • APC has stabilised the country – Buhari

    APC has stabilised the country – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja, said the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) -led Federal Government had stabilised Nigeria in spite of obvious challenges.

    He stated this at APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

    “I am happy to report that slowly and steadily, we have managed to stabilise the country and redirect the ship of state.

    “We have restored prudence to the management of resources and confidence in Nigeria.

    “We have stabilised the Naira and increased our foreign reserve from 20 billion dollars to 40 billion dollars. Inflation rate is down.

    “With considerably less resources available to the country, we have improved all the indices towards a stronger economy,” the president said.

    He added that credit should be given to governors of APC-controlled states, chairmen of the party in the states for contributing to stabilising the polity.

    Buhari also commended the Armed Forces, the police and other security agencies for stopping Boko Haram and driving them from their bases.

    He said that though the government was poised to defeat acts of terrorism in the country, it was difficult to completely isolate such act.

    “No country, no matter how well secured can isolate acts of terror as we have seen in the United States, Europe, Asia and here in Africa.

    “We must support our security agencies to safeguard our country so that the job of development as outlined in our manifesto can proceed without too much interruption.

    “We cannot afford to fail in reminding Nigerians where we came from in 2015,’’ he stressed.

    He particularly appreciated the party’s leadership and governors for their stewardship and for steering it to success.

    The president noted that from the party’s resounding electoral victory in 2015, it had won elections in Edo, Kogi and Ondo states and had improved performance in the November, 2017 governorship election in Anambra.

    According to him, the APC has moved from the party in government to the party of the Nigerian people.

    He paid tribute to Nigerians who supported the government in spite of distractions from what he called “proponents of business as usual”.

    Buhari charged APC members not to relax and take things easy because, according to him, elections are looming in the horizon.

    He, therefore, urged the members to get their acts together and to cooperate with the Sen. Bola Tinubu reconciliation team to succeed.

    This, he said, was critical to resolve existing differences among party members in affected states, restore order, manage differences and strengthen the party.

    “It is perhaps inevitable that there will be differences of opinion within the party. If we resolve them, then we can build a genuinely democratic party.

    “But, we must not lose sight of our common purpose as a party to break the mule of Nigerian politics and take the country to new heights,” the president stated.

    While acknowledging that the “face of government has not met the expectations of many within the party”, he said that only a few appreciated the depth of the wrath when APC assumed power.

    He explained that the APC government had spent the last two years trying to bring the country out of the mess it met it.

    Buhari admitted that the stand-off between the Executive and the National Assembly slowed down the process of government within the period.

    He, however, added that efforts were being made to resolve the differences so that the country could move forward.

    Earlier, National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odegie-Oyegun, had thanked the president, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, governors elected on the party´s platform and its leaders for being supportive and available always in spite of challenges.

    He noted that the party had a very tough year ahead, because of the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun coming up in July and September, respectively.

    “These elections are precursors of the national elections. It is therefore necessary that we treat them with great seriousness because they are elections we should do everything to win.

    “They are signals and signposts, indicators of what is to come in 2019. Preparations are also well underway for those elections,” he said.

    He pleaded with party members to do everything possible to minimise stresses and crises within the party and to remain in fighting shape ahead of 2019.

    The chairman reiterated the support of the party´s leadership to the Tinubu reconciliation team.

    NAN

  • NASS, Executive feud slowed down governance process – Buhari

    NASS, Executive feud slowed down governance process – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday blamed the standoff between the Executive and the National Assembly for the failure of government to deliver on its mandate as it has slowed down the process of governance in the country. 

    The President who spoke at the National Executive Committee meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) however said the government was working hard to resolve the differences between the Executive and the National Assembly so that the country can move forward.

    Buhari acknowledge that the government has not met the expectations of many members of the party, but was quick to add that a few Nigerians however appreciate the depth of the wrath in the country when the APC took over government.

    He said: “I must acknowledge that the face of government has not met the expectations of many within our party. But few of us know or appreciated the depth of the wrath when we took office and that we spent the last two years bringing the country out of the mess we met it.

    “Furthermore, the standoff between the executive and the National Assembly slowed down the process of government. We are working hard to resolve the differences so that the country can move forward.

    The President paid tribute to the Nigerian people for massively support the government inspite of what he called distractions from proponents of business as usual.

    He said: “Nevertheless, I am not asking us to relax and take things easy. We all know that elections are looming in the horizon. We must therefore get our acts together. Accordingly, I implore all members of the party to give the Asiwaju committee full cooperation to resolve existing differences among our members in the states affected.

    “It is perhaps inevitable that there will be differences of opinion within the party. If we resolve them, then we can build a genuinely democratic party. But we must not lose sight of our common purpose as a party to break the mule of Nigerian politics and takes the country to new heights. Therefore, we have asked Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lead this process of restoring order, manage differences and strengthen the party.”

    While expressing appreciation to the party leadership at all levels for service to the party, President Buhari said “In particular, I commend the National Chairman for steering the party from success to success. From our resounding election victory in 2015, we have won elections in Edo, Kogi and Ondo as well as the much improved performance in Anambra elections and the party has moved from the party in government to the party of the Nigerian people.

    “Much credit is due for our APC state chairmen for stabilizing the country and to our Armed forces and the police and other security agencies for stopping Boko Haram in the country and driving them from their bases. No country, no matter how well secured can isolate acts of terror as we have seen in the United States, Europe, Asia and here in Africa.

    “We must support our security agencies to safe guard our country so that the job of development as outlined in our manifesto can proceed without too much interruption. We cannot afford to fail in reminding Nigerians where we came from in 2015.

    “I am happy to report that slowly and steadily, we have managed to stabilize the country and redirect the ship of state. We have restored prudence to manage of resources and confidence in Nigeria has been restored.

    “On February 23, Nigeria floated a 12 year and 20 year Eurobond in the international market which were both oversubscribed. The 12 year bond was, within days over subscribed by 332 percent, while the 20 year bond was oversubscribed by 372 percent.

    “We have stabilize the naira and increase our foreign reserve from 20 billion dollars to 40 billion dollars. Inflation rate is down. With considerably less resources available to the country, we have improved all the indices towards a stronger economy.

    “Soon, primaries at the wards, local government, states and the Centre will soon be due. I urge all members to take account of the fact that APC has a history of conducting free and fair primaries whenever consensus about any position is not reached. Regardless of the outcome of the primary processes which is imperative, we should all work together to ensure victory for our party.”

    National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said the party has a tough year ahead of it with the general election as well as governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states and appeal that party members do everything possible to minimize disputations within the party and do everything to ensure that the party is in fighting shape come 2019.

    “We obviously have a very tough year ahead of us. It is year of challenges, multiplicity of activities beginning from the month of April when the processes for replacing officers of the party whose tenure will expire by June, the process of conducting challenging elections in Ekiti in July, in Osun in September.

    “These elections are precursors of the national elections. It is therefore necessary that we treat them with great seriousness because they are elections we should do everything to win. They are signals and signposts, indicators of what is to come in 2019. Preparations are also well underway for those elections.

    “In an atmosphere like that, contests whether at party level or primaries to select candidates for all positions from the House of Assembly members to the exulted position of Mr. President always present challenges.

    “I want to make a passionate appeal that everything be done to minimize the stresses within the party. We must do everything to minimize the disputations within the party and do everything to ensure that we are in fighting shape come 2019.

    “For that reason, I want to say once more that we are fully behind and in support of the initiative taken by Mr. President in setting up a team headed by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to effect such a reconciliation that are necessary within the party.

    “We have had challenges; we have had storms and weathered the storms. We have a government that took over at a very difficult circumstances but today, we can proudly say that the basic foundation of a new Nigeria economy is finally in place.

    “We are not talking now of a foundation that is based on easy money, not a foundation based on crude which for a long time sent all of us to sleep but an economic foundation built on the sweat and labour, resources- material and otherwise, of the Nigerian people. That is the foundation that lasts. The economic indices tell a clear story”.

  • Okorocha joins Imo West Senatorial race

    Okorocha joins Imo West Senatorial race

    …endorses deputy for Imo East Senatorial seat

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, yesterday declared his intention to contest for  the Imo West Senatorial seat in 2019.

    The Imo governor said his participation in the senatorial race will brighten the chances of President Muhammadu Buhari and other candidates of All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in general election in the State. 

    Okorocha who made the disclosure during the inauguration of members of Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC) at Government House Owerri, also endorsed his deputy, Eze Madumere for Imo East Senatorial seat.

    He also restated his earlier endorsement of his Chief of Staff and son in-law,  Chief Uche Nwosu as his successor.

    According to the governor, “if Uche Nwosu will be home for governor,  I will tell the deputy governor to go to Senate.

    “I told you earlier that my interest is the Presidency but since President Buhari will be running in 2019 I decided to put my ambition on hold until he completes his tenure.

    “But I have decided to run for the Imo West Senatorial zones because if I don’t, bad people will take the position “.

    Okorocha added further that, “if my name appears on the ballot paper as contesting for Senate, it will boost APC chances in the State. And many from my Senatorial zone have come to me and said they will not contest if I am interested “.

  • Nasarawa LG polls to hold May 26 – NASIEC

    Nasarawa LG polls to hold May 26 – NASIEC

    The Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission ( NASIEC ) has fixed May 26 for the conduct of local council elections in the state.

    In a statement on Monday in Lafia, Aliyu Muhammad-Dogara, chairman of the commission, said that a comprehensive timetable for the election would soon be published.

    Muhammad-Dogara said that the collection and submission of nomination forms by candidates and political party would be at the state headquarter of NASIEC in Lafia.

    Read Also: Re: Plenty parties, plenty problems

    He added that all political parties would soon be invited for a meeting to ensure a successful poll.

    The last local council election in the state was held in 2014.

    The ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC ) won nine chairmanship seats while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won four seats.

    NAN