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Tag: All Progressives Congress (APC)

  • Why Wike still hates Buhari, Amaechi – Rivers APC

    Why Wike still hates Buhari, Amaechi – Rivers APC

    *President was never under pressure to declare state of emergency in Rivers, insists APC

    The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) has revealed that Governor Nyesom Wike still hates President Muhammadu Buhari and Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, for masterminding the ouster from office in 2015 of the then President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ).

    It also insisted that President Buhari was never under pressure to declare a state of emergency in Rivers, as alleged by Wike.

    Rivers APC, through Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the Senior Special Assistant on Media/Public Affairs Consultant to Rivers State Chairman, Chief Davies Ikanya, stated these yesterday in Port Harcourt.

    Rivers governor, while receiving Anglican Bishops of Niger Delta Province at the Government House, Port Harcourt over the weekend, alleged that President Buhari was under intense pressure from leaders of the APC to declare a state of emergency in Rivers.

    The main opposition party in Rivers ( APC ) said: “Wike’s hatred for President Buhari and Amaechi is legendary, since the two APC leaders masterminded the ouster from office of his ATM, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, under whose watch our common patrimony was looted with impunity.

    Because of this, he is ever ready to use any forum to castigate, insult and malign these two great leaders, not minding the dire consequences.

    “President Buhari never complained to Wike of any pressure to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State. We are shocked that Wike could bring the exalted office of the governor to odium, in such a reckless manner, to ascribe to President Buhari something he never said.

    “To the best of our knowledge, the three issues that Wike discussed with President Buhari were Ogoni clean-up, the Nkpogu Junction (Port Harcourt) incident with Amaechi, where attempt was made on the life of the Transportation Minister and the detention of Wike’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) for one week.

    “Nobody is interested in declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, not minding the abysmal failure of Wike to ensure protection of the lives and property of the people of Rivers State.

    “We urge Wike not only to call himself to order, but to formally apologise to President Buhari for ascribing words he never uttered to him, to score cheap publicity, always associated with him.”

    Rivers APC also stated that the Neighborhood Watch about being established by Wike’s government would be used to cause more mayhem in Rivers state, to boast his chances during the 2019 governorship election, declaring that the Rivers governor stood no chance in any election, without violence.

    The main opposition party reassured the peace-loving people of Rivers state and other Nigerians that not minding the abysmal failure of Wike in governance, the Federal Government would always protect lives and property in the Niger Delta state.

  • Planned recall of Kwara legislator will not succeed, says APC

    Planned recall of Kwara legislator will not succeed, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Kwara state has described the recent move to recall a member of the state House of Assembly, Hassan Oyeleke as amateurish.

    Alhaji Oyeleke is representing Eesa/Shaawo/Igodun constituency of Offa, at the state House of Assembly.

    Some politicians from Offa, Offa local government area of the state early this week threatened to initiate the recall of the legislator alleging poor representation.

    Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the state capital Spokesperson of Kwara South APC,  Chief John Ogundiran said “we wish to state that we not only have  in Hassan Oyeleke but also want to submit that he is committed to scaling all heights, fathom all depths and traverse all horizons to ensure the people of his constituency enjoy the deserved dividends of democracy and he cannot and would not be distracted by the actions of a few misguided elements who considered it necessary to devalue an important provision of the constitution.

    Chief Ogundiran added the the legislator “enjoys the confidence and the support of the traditional rulers, religious leaders, party leaders, the youths and the other stakeholders. “

    Said he: “It is therefore irksome that some amateurish politicians have in recent times begun to set dangerous precedents by turning the constitution into a mere book of riddles and jokes, their actions and inactions is tantamount to doing violence to the sanctity of a very far-reaching and sensitive provision of the constitution by seeking to invoke it freely without any assignable reason, sadly they have sort of accorded the mentioned provision of the constitution a ‘beer parlour’ matter status.

    “We deem it important to use this opportunity to call on the lovers of democracy across the nation to find a way of stopping the ugly trend aimed at subjecting the institution of democracy to ridicule. We are of the opinion that members of the public would help in no small measure in getting the dangerous developments discouraged by readily disregarding the ranting of such nature from those who having obviously woken up from the wrong side of the bed would simply resort to toying with the important provision of the constitution.

    “We read with dismay, the purported recall process initiated by some politicians against the lawmaker, copies of the recall petition were also widely circulated in the social media by the proponents  in furtherance of the  execution of the mischievous plot to  subject the personality of the lawmaker to public ridicule.  In parenthesis, it is important to mention here that the recall process was  actually a case of the ‘the hands of Esau and the voice of Jacob’ we had it on good authority that  it was the brainchild of a veteran senatorial candidate who still bellyaches  for being made to record just 9000 votes in Offa and losing to the incumbent in the 2015 election, he has also found a willing ally in a National Assembly member who currently entertains fear of unknown over possible second term in the Federal lower house.”

    He asked “is there any reasonability or tenable reasons for seeking the recall of Hassan Oyeleke?  Nothing could be farther from the truth; we submit with great respect that reasons for such does not in any way exist.    It is an indubitable fact that Hassan Oyeleke has emerged a shining light from the Offa axis, having under his sleeves the records of being the first indigene of the great city of Offa to hold the position of the Majority Leader of the Kwara state House of Assembly and his performance has not in any way fell short of expectations.

    “He has indeed remained a source of pride to the great people of Offa.  The primary duty of a legislator is to make laws and get the interests of the constituents protected through the initiation of bills and motions.”

  • ‎APC: Only court can stop Fayemi

    ‎APC: Only court can stop Fayemi

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has described Monday’s White Paper indicting former Governor Kayode Fayemi as “a demonstration of executive recklessness by Governor Ayo Fayose.”

    The party stressed that neither Fayose nor his government has any power to bar Fayemi or any other individual from holding public office.

    Fayose had set up a judicial commission of enquiry to probe Fayemi’s administration notably to unravel how Fayemi allegedly embezzled N852m SUBEB cash loan obtained from Access Bank.

    Fayemi kicked against the composition of the panel in court, sitting partisanship of members who were allegedly PDP members and some civil servants that served under Fayose’s authority, which made their membership suspect to a fair hearing.

    The Access Bank appeared before the panel to exonerate Fayemi, explaining that Fayemi never stole that but that it (the bank) took back the loan to its vault when the state government failed to firm up agreement on loan repayment.

    Nevertheless, the panel turned in its verdict holding Fayemi culpable and, subsequently, Fayose raised a panel to come up with a White Paper, which yesterday banned Fayemi and his Commissioner of Finance, Dapo Kolawole, from holding public offices for 10 years.

    But in a reaction by the Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party described both the panel and White Paper as a kangaroo stunt to nail Fayemi, saying the verdict would not stand in the face of illegality that went into the exercise.

    Olatunbosun argued that the Supreme Court has since settled it in law that only courts of law can stop any aspirant/candidate from running for any political office and not any administrative or judicial panel.

    Olatunbosun said: “All Nigerians know that Fayose is recklessly lawless and cannot survive in societies where the law works.

    “His so-called White Paper is not only laughable but also a disgrace to all Ekiti people home and abroad with the way that Fayose has taken ignorance, vendetta and debauchery to a ridiculous level because we knew all along that this is what Fayose wanted to do.

    “We had expected his Attorney General, if he knows his onions, to have advised him that only a competent court of law can bar Nigerians from holding public office under the Nigerian Constitution.

    “A situation where Fayose assembled PDP members and pliable civil servants as a panel with a strict directive to indict Fayemi at all costs and thereafter issue a White Paper banning him from holding public office cannot hold water in a society where the law works.

    “With the way he is conducting himself desperately to stop Fayemi from holding public office, we are convinced that Fayose is seriously going through a political haemorrhage  and therefore his resorting to political desperation and unconstitutional means to nail our leader and a serving Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by any means possible.

    “Neither Fayose nor Ekiti State Government has the power to bar or prevent Dr Fayemi or any other citizen from holding public office but a competent court of law. Such wishful thinking cannot stand judicial scrutiny and we advert Fayose and his pitiable undertakers to read the Supreme Court judgment and Atiku Abubakar in similar matter.”

    APC spokesman said that by his “so-called White Paper that cannot over-rule the Supreme Court judgment as a precedent, Fayose has demonstrated recklessness, lawlessness and display of executive rascality arising from his ignorance of the law, constitution and total disregard for the rule of law”.

    He added: “It is now glaring that despite Fayose’s empty boasts daily that Dr. Fayemi is a paperweight politician who is not popular at home , the governor’s latest action has proved that the reverse is the case, as this barbaric action to halt the political career of a shining Ekiti star has shown that Fayemi is in league of  nightmare Fayose has to contend with.

    “It is an irony that Fayose who is supposed to be banned from holding public office because of the plethora of criminal  and financial misappropriation cases hanging on his neck is the one unilaterally banning somebody who held public office as governor without any blemish and is currently holding that of a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and has performed excellently well as shown by the ‘Award of Public Excellence’ trophy bestowed on him by credible corporate organisations.

    “We expect someone occupying such an exalted position of a governor like Fayose to be properly briefed and educated on the limitations of his powers as the head of the executive arm of government primarily to formulate policy and implement laws rather than interpreting the law and worst still, assuming the position of a judge in a matter involving him as a party.

    “We are not going to lose any sleep over a biased political report by a panel of PDP members set up by a PDP governor for the purpose of framing up our leader as a way of settling political scores.

    “This is executive recklessness and political rascality taken too far by Fayose and his kangaroo panel. We wonder where he got the power to bar a leading member of the opposition in a democracy.

    “We wish to assure our party members and the good people of Ekiti State that the so-called White Paper recommendation by Fayose’s kangaroo panel is not worth more than the paper on which it is written and this shall be challenged in a court of law and we are confident that this shall be quashed because there is no legal precedent or basis for it in the history of our country.

    “We also plead with Nigerians to bear with Ekiti people in this moment of our governor’s lawlessness that has negative implication for the integrity of Ekiti people in choosing their leader.

    “We also wish to remind Fayose that his immunity will expire in October and must be prepared to resume trials on his many criminal cases, including those pending in various courts.”

  • Days of hardship will soon be over – Oyegun to Nigerians

    Days of hardship will soon be over – Oyegun to Nigerians

    The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), chief John-Odigie Oyegun has assured Nigerians that the days of hardship is coming to an end.

    Oyegun stated this on Tuesday at the Umuahia Township Stadium during a mega rally organized in Abia State by the leadership of the party in the state.

    Oyegun while admitting that there is hunger in the country, promised Abians and Nigerians in general that President Buhari is having sleepless nights thinking about how he can improve the economy and better the lots of Nigerians.

    The APC chairman who expressed joy that the APC led government at the federal level since it took over power from the PDP is returning the country to the path of economic growth through various economic and developmental policies that the present government has initiated.

    According to Oyegun, President Buhari has been able to remain unshaken and resolute in delivering the dividend of democracy to Nigerians despite the criticisms from the PDP that he accused of ruining the economy of the country in their 16years of governance of the country.

    Lamenting that Nigeria was among the few African countries without railway system, Oyegun stated that he was happy that the President has changed the narrative with the massive standard gauge railway system being built by the incumbent administration to connect other parts of the country.

    The APC national chairman who was overwhelmed with the support the party has been able to receive in the state and the mammoth crowd that attended the event promised to relay to the president the message from the people of Abia State urging him (Buhari) to run for a second term.

    In his remarks, the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha thanked Abians for accepting to embrace the message of change being preached by the party and expressed optimism that the party come 2019 would produce governors in Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi States respectively.

    Okorocha who asked Igbos to be careful not to make the mistake they (Igbos) made in 2015, urged them to shun regional politics if they must be in the mainstream and benefit from it.

    Earlier in his opening speech, the chairman of the party, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa recalled how difficult it was for the party to find its footing at the formative stage in the state, but stated that the population and array of political bigwigs in the party show that the members of the State Working Committee have been able to do their work perfectly.

    Nwankpa stated that they were not going to relax on their oasis, but to work harder in ensuring that the party produces the next governor of the state in 2019.

    Speaking on behalf of the people that were received into the party, a governorship aspirant of the PDP in 2015, Dr. Sampson Uche Ogah urged the southeasterners to ensure that they throw their weights behind the Buhari’s administration and reelection in 2019, stating that APC is the party to beat in 2019 in the state.

  • 2018 Poll: ‘Ekiti people need someone with compassion’

    2018 Poll: ‘Ekiti people need someone with compassion’

    An Ekiti State Gubernatorial Aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Engr. Kayode Ojo, has observed that the state has the potentials of creating its wealth and reduce total dependence on the allocations from the Federal Government before being able to grow its infrastructure.

    The Oil and Gas mogul made this known in a recent conversation with newsmen in Lagos, lamenting that Ekiti state, unlike many other states, is yet to discover its potentials not to talk of exploring it to create wealth for the people.

    Promising to focus on the industrial strength of the State and the people to drive its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Ojo noted that the state of infrastructure in the state is pitiful but can be better.

    The Ikoro-Ekiti-born entrepreneur said: “We should be working on how to move from being a rural state to an urban state where the about 136 towns and villages can boast of consistent power supply. To achieve this, all that we need is just 20megawatt of power. Unfortunately, what you see right now is darkness everywhere.

    “The good people of Ekiti State are yearning for something fresh, someone without political baggage, somebody who comes in from the private sector with experience in developing people and an entrepreneur that knows how to turn one Naira to two Naira.

    “They want someone who has an antecedent in controlling several people to achieve a set goal, especially in the engineering sector where projects process takes long and you must deliver the project successfully, they want a person that has signed out cheques worth several millions. These are signs that such a person will not be moved by the money in government coffers and can control external influences.

    According to the young politician and mentor to many, the state might be disadvantaged location wise but cannot fold its arms and continue to watch without doing anything to better the situation.

    He praised Lagos State government for the feat achieved in drawing a budget of over N1trillion for 2018 fiscal year, noting that it is a record. “No state in Nigeria has achieved that feat. It’s because Lagos State is ready to generate enough revenue.Kayode Ojo

    “So Ekiti State too has what it takes to stand tall among other States in Nigeria. But we need commitment buckled with experience. And what do I mean by experience, I mean we need somebody who has been able to turn N1 to N2. That’s the kind of leadership we need in Ekiti State, so that we can tap into what we have and use them to generate more revenue to develop the State.

    He observed that the water produced by the state in partnership with UAC Nigeria Plc, Gossy Water could fetch the state more than the few millions it does right now, “only if it could be repackaged and rebranded. That table water has been like that almost since 2001 when it was established. Between then and now, how many times has Coca-Cola rebranded? So why is Gossy’s case like it is?” he pointed.

    Ojo confirmed UAC’s claim that GOSSY is the only Natural Spring Water that passes through countless layers of rock from the aquifer of the Ikogosi Natural Springs in Ikogosi, Ekiti State which acts as a filter before it passes through micron filters, without chemical treatment or additives to enhance the quality or formation, saying that it is in better position as against some others packaged under unhealthy conditions.

    “Nothing stops Ekiti from transporting the water to neighbouring states, especially Lagos with the large market. Our goal should be that Gossy is delivered to every five Star Hotel in town. It is regrettable that even within the state you can’t find it in the hotels. How much more outside the state.

    “Currently, the investment fetches the government about 250million annually but can be expanded to become a N5billion investment. If you look at Ekiti today, everybody has seen that what PDP came to do in Ekiti is more or less what we call ‘419’. They had no vision, their major promise was ‘stomach infrastructure’. But if you look at the people’s stomachs now, they are still as flat as they were in 2014.

    “So, majority of the people now understand that their lives cannot get better with just stomach infrastructure. They understand that their lives will only get better when there is opportunity for them to work, to earn money and use the money to support their families.

    “If you look at APC states, you’ll see appreciable progress. I’m not saying everything is perfect, but you’ll see development of the people and the state. Everyone can see that APC governments grow the people.

    “I have the track record, I have succeeded in the private sector, so, working for the people won’t be an issue. I have a successful engineering outfit that deals in all the equipment required for road construction and another one abroad that produces oil and gas specialized products. So, when I said Ekiti has the potentials to do far better than it is doing right now, you would understand that I have what it takes to fulfill these promises to Ekiti people.

    “Well, we’ve seen people come in from the private sector and disappoint in government, but what is missing in them is compassion. I have always said that if we do not have someone with compassion, who is his brother’s keeper, we won’t get governance right.

    “My life is not about me. It’s about others. That’s how it has always been and that’s why I’m in this race. I’ve looked in the eyes of ordinary people on the streets of Ekiti, and I feel for them; I know that their lives can be better.

    “All we need is a person that knows how to utilise resources, how to make sure that the funds that come in are not just consumed. We can’t continue to consume and consume, we must produce our way out of poverty.

    “What I am saying is that the people of Ekiti can entrust their futures and that of their children to me for the next four years. The state needs someone with compassion and across the state, and the people of Ekiti can testify that I have always shown compassion.

  • Ex-Enugu APC Guber Candidate, Ezea, Salutes Nigerians

    Ex-Enugu APC Guber Candidate, Ezea, Salutes Nigerians

    Former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress  (APC) in Enugu State,  Mr. Oke Ezea, has saluted the people of Enugu State and Nigerians for making it to the new year, 2018, urging them to rededicate themselves to God.

    In his New Year Message personally signed by him, he urged Nigerians to be grateful to the Almighty God for sparing their lives and asked all to keep faith with the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration noting that he would deliver on all his promises especially in building infrastructure, tackling corruption and ensuring security of lives and property especially in the Boko Haram ravaged North-east.
    Ezea urged his followers in the state to be more committed in the new year and be United promising that the party is strategically working to ensure victory in 2019 and provide dividends of democracy to all of them especially in the state.
    The statement read in parts:”I want to use the opportunity of the New Year to felicitate with President Buhari and the good people of Enugu State for the grace to witness a new year. I wish to urge all of you to keep faith with the government and to rededicate yourselves to God and  your civic responsibilities.
    “I urge all my supporters in Enugu State never to give up but to be optimistic that dividends of democracy will continue to reach them even as they prepare for the 2019 elections.
  • Nigeria must regain its pride in food exportation – Buhari

    Nigeria must regain its pride in food exportation – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja reiterated Federal Government’s determination to continually review and strengthen ongoing reforms in the agriculture sector “until Nigeria regains its pride of place as food exporting country.”

    The president said this when he received a delegation of All Progressives Congress ( APC ) from Kebbi, led by the state Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu in the Presidential Villa.

    He added that the country’s rice import bill had dropped significantly, noting, however, that “beyond self-sufficiency, Nigeria must strive to become net exporter of food commodities.

    “We are not doing badly in the agriculture sector: Nigerians and indeed the world, are beginning to appreciate our efforts. We will work harder until we start exporting food.

    “We are happy that rice and beans importation into the country have gone down by over 90 per cent, and everyone can see how productive states like Kebbi turned out to be and states like Lagos, Ogun and Ebonyi are following the example.”

    The President said Kaduna, Katsina, Kano and Sokoto states had already reported remarkable turn-around in the agriculture sector, with more youths taking interest in entrepreneurship.

    Buhari, who disagreed with the astronomical food import bill presented by the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) from the inception of the administration, pointed out that it was later discovered to be “fraudulent practices’’ by some elite to deplete the foreign reserves.

    He said “when I was told that the CBN had no savings after the windfall of selling oil for more than 100 dollars per barrel for many years and production was 2.1 billion barrels per day, I did not believe them.

    “I did not believe them because majority of Nigerians cannot afford imported food; they rely on what is locally grown. It turned out that 50 per cent of the export bills were fraudulent, courtesy of the Nigerian elite.

    “Unfortunately, we will not know all that happened because the elite worked in collusion with institutions in developed countries like insurance firms, shipping companies and other financial outfits, to perpetuate the fraud.”

    On security, President Buhari said the return of farmers to their farm lands in the North East, with glaring results of high yields, was a testimony to the relative peace that had been achieved.

    He assured that more would be done to check the mayhem of suicide attacks.

    The President said his administration would put in more effort to reposition the education and health sectors to compete with other global institutions.

    While introducing the delegation, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, commended government’s policies toward reviving the agriculture sector.

    The Kebbi Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, said “the state government and the APC family was pleased with the performance of Federal Government in securing the country, reviving the economy and fighting corruption.”

    Bagudu and members of the delegation, which included former Governor of the state, Alhaji Usman Dakingari and other former PDP stalwarts, prayed for the quick recovery of the President’s son, Yusuf Buhari who was involved in a bike accident.

    NAN

  • Katsina to recruit 5,000 NCE holders

    Katsina to recruit 5,000 NCE holders

    The Katsina State Government is to recruit 5,000 holders of National Certificate of Education (NCE) under its programme tagged ‘S-Power’ to shore up its teaching staff in primary schools.

    Katsina Governor, Aminu Masari made the disclosure on Thursday in Rimi at a rally to receive some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who defected to All Progressives Congress ( APC ).

    Masari said the programme, which is similar to that of the Federal Government’s ‘N-Power programme’, was aimed at reducing unemployment especially among the teeming unemployed youths.

    He said the programme was part of the administration’s determination to fight unemployment and reduce poverty in the state.

    According to him, the NCE holders will be posted to teach in primary schools to improve the development of education in the state.

    On the rally, the governor said that he was highly impressed by the high turnout of the party supporters.

    Masari described the defectors as notable politicians and urged them to be loyal to the party’s leadership and principles.

    The state Chairman of APC, Alhaji Shitu S. Shitu said that Masari’s leadership style had attracted many people to the party.

    He said that the state government had executed projects in the 359 wards across the state.

    One of the defectors, Bilyaminu Rimi, assured that they would uphold the unity, progress and social interaction of the party.

    He promised to ensure that APC emerged victorious during the forthcoming general elections in 2019.

    NAN

  • 1,500 PDP members defect to APC

    1,500 PDP members defect to APC

    No fewer than 1500 members of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State on Friday defected to the All Progressives Congress ( APC ).

    The defectors were received by Mr Olusola Sokunle, representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency I at the Lagos State House of Assembly and the APC Chairman in the LGA, Alhaji Olamide Kasali.

    Sokunle, who was elected into the Assembly on the platform of PDP, had in February, alongside six other lawmakers, defected to the ruling party on the floor of the House.

    The lawmakers had cited the performance of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode and the leadership style of the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, as reasons for their defection.

    The new defectors were led by a PDP chieftain in the council, Mr Fola Mosaku, and four councillorship candidates of the party in the July 22 council polls in the state.

    Sokunle, receiving them, said: “APC is a party to belong to, where our political aspirations can be achieved. So, endeavour to frequently attend political meetings in your wards.

    ” Let us thank Governor Ambode for giving Oshodi a facelift. More projects are still on the way.

    ” The door is still open for other interested PDP members to join us.”

    Read also: PDP  to sanction promoters of ‘Fresh PDP’, says spokesman

    He said that the APC-led government had performed beyond expectations, with various development projects executed in different parts of the state.

    Also welcoming the defectors, Kasali assured them that APC would ensure their interests were protected.

    The party chairman said that the party would soon begin its membership registration in the wards.

    He urged all new and old members to go to their various wards for registration immediately the exercise commences.

    Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Mosaku said: “We dumped the PDP for APC because of the performance of our Honourable Sokunle.

    “We are also motivated by the performance of APC government in Lagos; we will not make any u-turn back to the PDP.

    “Four councillorship candidates in the last local government election and I are leading other members of PDP to APC today.

    “We are joining APC permanently,” Mosaku said.

    Mr Ayodeji Ogungbayibi, one of the defectors, who was a councillorship candidate in the July council poll in Mafoluku Ward, said the PDP was not functioning in the state again.

    NAN

  • PDP rep protests intimidation by PDP caucus over defection

    PDP rep protests intimidation by PDP caucus over defection

    Cracks appeared in the caucus of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives Tuesday as a negative emerging trend in support or otherwise of motions or bills  along political party or ethnic lines in the House of Representatives was vehemently condemned by a member of the caucus.

    Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma (PDP, Edo) protested being intimidated by his colleagues in the PDP caucus for opting not to join a walk out over the defection of a PDP member to All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Agbonayinma at a press briefing said his colleagues promised to defeat (negative)  his motion on Digital Switch Over (DSO) for refusing to join the caucus’ walkout over Nnenna Igbokwe  (Imo), who decamped from PDP to APC.

    The lawmaker said the behaviour of his PDP colleagues was unfair and contrary to the feeling of togetherness with which members have always voted on motion and bills, irrespective of party affiliations.

    Saying that the national interest has always been an overriding factor on the floor of the Green chamber, Agbonayinma regretted that it was jettisoned by his own caucus when his bill on the DSO was introduced.

    He expressed disappointment that his reason for not joining the walkout was not acceptable to his colleagues.

    He said: “I did not join the walk out and it was because I have a motion of urgent public importance to move.

    “For Speaker Yakubu Dogara to allow the motion to be moved showed the national importance of the motion because it is against the rule to move such motions and debate it same day.

    “I’m disappointed because I was promised by my caucus that my motion will be defeated if I don’t join the walkout and it was defeated.

    “For the love of Nigeria, we don’t have to be partisan when issues of national importance are on ground and it is such a surprise and disappointment because they used to stand by me but partisan politics played out today.

    “With what happned today, are we setting a precedence on passage of motions based on partisanship?

    “The fact of Tuesday action by the PDP caucus is that it is a conspiracy not against me but against the people of Nigeria.

    “We should not forget that it is our duty to help President Buhari to succeed in his fight against corruption and moving this country forward because if he succeeds, Nigeria succeeds.

    “What can be more important than for us standing by the resolution of the House that the Federal government should comply with the recommendations of the White paper on it.

    “That the Information Minister should not commission the Kwara Switchover because one of the signal distributors supplied obsolete equipment.

    “The company was paid N1.7b but what do we have on ground? Outdated equipment that cannot offer what is required for the switchover.

    “The same company was also not registered which means that the country is losing millions over its non-registration”.

    The aggrieved lawmaker opined that rather push members out of the party, the PDP caucus should encourage people to stay back.

    “Today I’m a PDP member but should not push me out, they should encourage people to stay, they should not ridicule me.

    “That someone decamped doesn’t mean we should be enemies but my feelings about what happened on the floor is that  individuals are the problems of this country and not the parties and we need to move above that for the love of this country,” he added.