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Tag: All Progressives Congress

  • PDP exposes INEC’s ‘rigging’ plans

    The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has alerted of alleged fresh plots by the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rig the 2019 general elections in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    According to the main opposition party, INEC has been taking directives from the Buhari Presidency and the APC on how to manipulate the electoral process at various levels.

    Addressing newsmen in Abuja Monday, spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, accused the electoral body of having collected a list of people that will serve as electoral officials, including ad-hoc staff and returning officers at the polling units, from APC state governors and candidates, across the federation.

    Stating that the directive was handed to INEC by the Presidency, the PDP claimed to be privy to how the lists were populated with APC members and agents of the APC candidates, after clearance by the APC leaders in various states.

    Ologbondiyan said, “The PDP vehemently rejects this wicked plot by the Buhari Presidency, which is tailored to ensure institutional manipulation of the electoral process, including accreditation, voting and collation of results at the polling units, which is the base of the elections.

    Read Also: We’re ready for polls, INEC reassures

    “The PDP holds that by following the directive of the APC in such dubious rigging scheme, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, has violated section 29 (1) of the Electoral Act (as amended) and shows that he is in clear deficit of the required political will to conduct a credible, free and fair election.

    “This is especially in the light of the boasting by agents of the Buhari Presidency and the APC to give the INEC chairman what they describe as the ‘Onnoghen treatment, and frame him, if he fails to comply with their rigging plans”.

    The PDP demanded of INEC to, within 48 hours, publish the list of all officials and ad hoc staff that will play any form of role in the election at all levels for verification by stakeholders.

    The party insisted that any delay or refusal by INEC to publish the list with 48 hours would be a clear acceptance that it has been compromised by the APC and this could lead to a very serious crisis with very dire consequences, as the PDP will never allow anybody to rig it out in the election.

    “The PDP wants Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to note that the fate of our nation lies in his hands. It is left to him to decide whether he would end as a national hero or as a villain.

    “Furthermore, the PDP calls on the international community to place the INEC Chairman, Directors and Commissioners in INEC responsible for this election on their watch list and proceed to impose travel ban on them as well as hold them directly responsible should there be any form of rigging in the February 16, 2019 Presidential elections.

    “Finally, the PDP directs all its members, teeming supporters and all well-meaning Nigerians across the nation to get ready to vote out President Buhari and protect their votes with all the energy available to them in the defence of our democracy and freedom as a people.

    “If President Buhari believes he is popular, he should make himself available for a free, fair, transparent and credible election. Anything short of this is completely unacceptable to Nigerians.

    “This is because Nigerians have already reached a consensus to vote out the incompetence, hunger, nepotism, pretense and manifest lies which the Buhari President truly represents”.

  • No rift over campaign funding, says PDP

    The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has denied rift among its leaders over the handling of campaign funds, describing media reports on the alleged rift as laughable, infantile and diversionary.

    A statement Monday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, accused unnamed agents of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) of having sponsored the said report.

    The party said for the APC and agents of the Buhari campaign to descend to the level of fabricating stories to create a non-existent scenario, showed that the APC and the Buhari Presidency have finally come to their wits end and are now suffering a pre-defeat trauma.

    The statement said, “The PDP is aware that the Buhari Presidency and the APC have become so frustrated over their dwindled electoral fortune in the face of the soaring popularity of the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar that they are now attempting to inject crisis into the PDP campaign in order to divert public attention from their own failures and rejection.

    “For President Buhari’s information, the Atiku Abubakar campaign is owned and driven by the Nigerian public and will never have the kind of rifts that have been ravaging the APC campaign, where their leaders, including their National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, went on the run from security agencies over allegations of siphoning funds from aspirants and candidates.

    Read Also: PDP to Buhari: You can’t rig this election

    “Unlike the Buhari Campaign Organization, which is practically a den of looters and sanctuary of persons indicted for corruption, which have been running its campaigns with looted funds, the Atiku Presidential campaign have been running a transparent and people-driven campaign, anchored on the volunteered support of overwhelming majority of Nigerians”.

    The main opposition party counseled President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC to note that their resort to smear campaign will not help their cause.

    Nigerians, the PDP said, would never be distracted from their collective resolve to vote in Atiku Abubakar as the next President.

    The party restated its confidence in Atiku’s proven capacity and will to return the country to the path of national cohesion and economic prosperity.

  • Thieves break into APC secretariat, two arrested

    Suspected thieves have broken into National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) and stolen some of the split air conditioners at the secretariat.

    Available information has it that the thieves gained access into the secretariat from the back after cutting the security wires.

    The two persons said to have been arrested in connection with the incident were said to have gained access to the secretariat around 2.30am.

    One of the police officers on duty was said to have heard a strange noise in the compound and decided to check through the back of the building and found one of the thieves kneeling down apparently to escape the prying eyes.

    Thinking it was one of his colleagues, the officer was said to have called out his name and decides to move closer when there was no answer, only to discover that it was a strange person busy removing the airconditioners.

    The police also discovered that the robbers had already removed one of the air condition and place it on top of the fence for easy transfer to their waiting vehicle while he was in the process of removing the second one.

    Another person was said to have been arrested across the fence after others had already taken to their heels.

    As this time of filing this report, available information has it that two of the robbers are currently in Wuse 2 police station explaining their involvement in the attack.

    The party was yet to react to the development.

    Details later…

  • Vote Buhari in appreciation, says APC chieftain

    All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Lucy Ajayi has urged  traders to vote President Muhammadu Buhari in appreciation of the efforts to better their lives.

    Ajayi, who spoke during a rally at Mile 12 market, Lagos, said the President was concerned about the future of the ordinary people.

    She added that voting Buhari and other APC candidates was an assurance for a secured country, noting the commonwealth was safe under him.

    She said the choice of Mile 12 market for the rally was because Lagosians depend on it for food coming from different parts of the country, stressing the rally would enable Nigerians to know about the impact of government’ Trader Moni.

    She said: “We are here to tell the people of Kosofe Federal Constituency to ensure they vote the APC across board. Since APC took over the presidency the people welfare dominate the agenda.

    “We must prevent a situation where we return back to the era when government took the ordinary people for granted. We are urging you to get your PVC to prevent them. Kosofe people will come out enmass to vote the APC.”

    The APC chieftain added that the turnout of people during rallies indicates that the party would defeat the opposition with wide margin.

    “We don’t need to tell anybody how the election will go. This is not a rented crowd, besides we don’t have the money to rent any crowd. They are simply volunteers who believe in the APC.

    “A good number of them have their PVC because we devoted the time to move from house to house on the importance of PVC and I can assure that they will vote our party.”

  • Women, youth stage rally for Buhari’s reelection in Kwara

    Scores of All Progressives Congress (APC) women and youth recently staged a peaceful rally in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital in support of President Muhammadu Buhari’s reelection.

    The rally started around 9.30 am around the popular Post Office Round about in the metropolis and ended at the campaign office of a former APC governorship aspirant Isiak Kawu Modibbo in Sango area.

    The procession affected human and vehicular traffic on the popular Muritala Mohammed way, as vehicles were forced to move at snail pace.

    The rally was organised by Making A Different (MAD) for Kwara and Kawu Modibbo Group.

    In his remark at the event, the state APC Chairman Hon Bashir Bolarinwa urged aggrieved members of the party to forget their grievances and work for the success of the party at polls.

    Represented by his vice chairman Abdullahi Samari said “don’t sell your permanent voters’ cards to them. Your PVC is your power. If they bring money collect the money. After all it is our money. But don’t vote them.”

    Hon Bolarinwa urged other aspirants of the party to emulate the gesture of Isiak Kawu Modibbo.

    Speaking on behalf of the groups, wife of Mallam Modibbo Saadat said: “We are here today to mobilise youth and women in support of President Muhammadu Buhari is doing. He has been doing a great job in the country and we need to show people what he has been doing.

    “The crowd that accompanied us from Post Office to this place is amazing. It is an assurance that Kwarans are ready for the reelection of President Buhari.

    “We are also using this medium to empower some of our members. Kwara State is different from other states. We have been suffering for so long. People need to be empowered, that is why we are giving out some items to some people today.

    “We resolved to show our members a specimen of what a voter’s card looks like so that they know how. In other words, we are embarking on voters’ education, so that they know how to vote on election.

    “Kwarans are ready. We don’t need any message for them and it has started. We will not stop until election days.”

    A youth leader, Abdulkarim Popoola, said the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice Prof Yemi Osinbajo is guaranteed.

    “We are here to congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari for his walking over in the forthcoming presidential election; because we are very sure that in Kwara state we are going to deliver for the state for him,” Popoola said.

    “We are also assuring the whole world that President Buhari is coming back again. Four plus for is equaled to eight. That is the reason we organised this rally.”

  • Onnoghen: we’ve nothing to do with court action – Senate APC caucus

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senate caucus on Monday dissociated itself from the Senate court action seeking the Supreme Court interpretation of the suspension of Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen.

    This is contained in a statement by the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan.

    The Senate on Monday went to the Supreme Court to seek interpretation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s suspension of Onnoghen without recourse to the Senate.

    The Upper Chamber also asked the apex court to consider whether the suspension of Onnoghen by President Buhari was not usurpation of the powers of the Senate.

    Read also: Onnoghen’s suspension not signal to dictatorship – FG

    The Senate specifically asked the Supreme Court to determine whether President Buhari acted within the provision of the constitution in his suspension of the CJN and whether the action of the President does amount to usurpation of the powers of the Senate as provided for in Section 292 of the constitution.

    But Lawan said that it has come to the Senate APC caucus that the Senate has approached the Supreme Court for the interpretation of the suspension of the Justice Onnoghen by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

    He added: “For the records, the Senate never met to take such resolution and at no time mandated anyone to approach the Supreme Court on this matter on its behalf.

    “Consequently, the Senate APC caucus dissociates itself from the request for the legal interpretation of the suspension.”

  • Okowa is not a listening governor – Uduaghan

    The immediate past governor of Delta State and the All Progressives Congress, APC, Delta South Senatorial candidate, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan has said he left the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, as his successor, Senator Arthur lfeanyi Okowa is not a listening governor.

    Uduaghan made this statement at Koko, Warri North local government area of Delta state when the APC governorship candidate, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru campaign train visited Koko.

    He noted that a man of his caliber cannot be in a place and he will not be listen to, stressing that Chief Great Ogboru has shown that he is a friend of the Itsekiri people, that is why he is teaming up with Ogboru anVote overhead bridges”. The Senator also stressed that it was Buhari’s administration that worked hard to ensure that the pension of DSC workers was paid as well as put in motion, the resuscitation of the steel plant.

    While Charging Itsekiri and Ijaw people to vote for APC at all levels, Uduaghan noted that President Muhammadu Buhari within few months of their request that the Warri Seaport be revitalize, the president completed the dredging of Excravos river which has been a major challenge to big vessels coming to Warri port.

    Uduaghan while referring to Ogboru as the incoming Governor of the state said; “Excellency, I know  when you get to Government House, you will listen to me because some people in the state failed to listen to me and I am too big to be in a place where they won’t listen to me.

    “By your actions so far, you have shown that you a friend of the Itsekiri people, those who think they can do without us, we leave them to God, we begged that the remaining 5km Koko road dualization be completed, but nobody listened to our plea.

    “President Buhari has listened when we made case for the dredging of Excravos river, today the contract for the dredging of Warri seaport and Koko port have been awarded and work gone far.

    “The Koko Forshore contract awarded to someone in the state ruling PDP through NDDC was abandoned it until PMB came, now work have began, though in a slow pace.

    Read Also: Uduaghan calls for NSC’s return

    Uduaghan while bemusing on the Okowa government scrapping the payment of WAEC fees for Delta students, said that he was sad recently when he saw Church raise offering to pay WAEC for 5 students whose parents could not afford to pay.

    The former Governor, who initiated the Programme known as ‘Edumarshal’ to get poor children out of the streets, said “our children must be in school and the ‘Edumarshal’ Programme must be continued by our incoming Governor Chief Great Ogboru because I am very passionate about education.

    “So when you come in March 2nd, this should be one major focus area for you.”

    The Delta State Governorship Candidate of All Progress Congress (APC) Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru assured Deltans that his administration will give Local Government Councils all money accrue to them to speed off the desired development at the grassroots.

    Chief Ogboru gave this assurance when the Delta State APC Campaign Organization visited Koko and Oghara the headquarters of Warri North and Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state.

    He said; “The days of sharing Local Government council money is over. Once i emerge the Governor, Local Government money shall be given directly for the development of the Councils.

    “The Council its Chairman and others shall be given their money to develop their Councils”

    He added; “My job as Governor of Delta State is to distribute the state resources equitably and provide infrastructural development across the state. We are also going to give light because when there is light people who are hiding under darkness will run away”.

    “Sometimes ago we always win the elections, but been cheated, but our time have come. The time has come to move the state forward. The time to liberated our state has come.”

  • PDP loses 3000 members to APC in Akoko-Edo

    About 3000 members of the opposition People’s Democratic Party in Akoko-Edo local government area of Edo State have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

    The former PDP members led by one Leo Fadaka joined the APC at the flag-off of the party’s campaign at Igarra, headquarters of Akoko-Edo LG.

    Fadaka said they were joining the APC because of the good work of President Mohammadu Buhari.

    According to him, “We have seen development and politics is about development. The PDP could not offer anything.”

    Chief of Staff to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Mr. Taiwo Akerele, said the people of Akoko-Edo local government area would vote “massively” for the APC because of the performances of the current administration.

    Akerele said the turnout and subsequent defection of PDP members were an appreciation of what the APC and Obaseki led administration is doing for the people.

    Read Also: APC on rescue mission in Benue

    His words, “Mr Governor and the APC as a party has been transforming Akoko-Edo within a very short time. Mr Governor promised that when he is voted into office he is going support the transformation of Akoko-Edo and within two years he has been able to achieve that. The job is not complete, it is an on-going process but you can see the crowd, the turnout of at the rally is a message that there is no room for opposition in Akoko-Edo because every ward in the local government has been affected either in terms of road, hospitals, schools in terms of recruitment into the civil service.

    “We are sending a very strong message to the opposition to leave Akoko-Edo alone. It is a one party local government and we are supporting the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari, we are supporting the election of our three senators, House of Representative members and of course the House of Assembly members under the banner of APC and Akoko-Edo people have sent a very strong message.

    “We are moving from ward to ward, unit to unit essentially showing our record. It is a choice between performance and non-performance. PDP has been in the state, they governed before and now APC is governing so we are going to campaign on the basis of our record and performance and we are challenging PDP to also come out with their record so that the people can choose between a performing party and a previously empowered party that did not perform.”

  • Atiku’s endorsement: Nwodo rigged Ohaneze constitution – VON DG

    The Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON) and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), on Sunday accused the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, John Nnia Nwodo (jnr.) of rigging the constitution of Ohaneze in his purported endorsement of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and running mate, Mr. Peter Obi.

    Okechukwu who is an ardent supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari, said Nwodo deliberately sidelined the General Assembly, which is the Supreme Organ of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, going by Article 10, subsection VI of Ohaneze’s constitution.

    The VON DG was reacting to the controversial endorsement of Atiku/Obi ticket of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last week and the attendant fury and outrage of Governor Wily Obiano, Ken Nnamani, Chris Ngige, Geofrey Onyeama and a host of other prominent Igbo leaders.

    Fielding questions with journalists in Enugu, Okechukwu said the outrage of Igbo leaders over the endorsement, was justified, as the collective interest of Ndigbo nationwide was atrophied.

    He maintained that Nwodo acted arbitrarily in “Rambo” style and utterly circumvented Ohanaeze constitution in endorsing Atiku/Obi PDP ticket.

    According to him, Ime Obi could have first drawn a checklist of Igbo Charter of demands and hand over to the two leading contenders -Buhari and Atiku. Thrreafter convene General Assembly meeting to decide, but this was not done.

    “The tremendous respect one has for our elder brother, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo worldwide perished when reports crept in on Thursday 24 January, 2019, on how he regrettably rigged the Constitution of Ohaneze and by extension Ndigbo worldwide by recklessly endorsing Atiku/Obi ticket.

    “Going through his communiqué the first question is where is the collective search, the critical and dispassionate appraisal in Nwodo’s endorsement, when in Rambo Style he deliberately sidelined the General Assembly, which going by Article 10, subsection vi of the Ohaneze Constitution is the Supreme Organ of Ohaneze Ndigbo?”

    Whether there is anything wrong in endorsing Atiku/Obi especially when Ohaneze particularly noted in its communiqué that Ndigbo must seize the opportunity that a major political party (PDP) nominated their son Peter Obi as Vice Presidential candidate, which has given Ndigbo an opportunity for inclusivity, Okechukwu said:

    “Yes it was wrong and near idiotic as Governor Obiano alluded to hurriedly endorse Atiku/Obi when main variables and indicators are not critically and dispassionately considered? One Ime Obi could had first drawn a checklist of Igbo Charter of demands and hand over to the two leading contenders -Buhari and Atiku – and secondly convene General Assembly meeting to decide. This was not done, so why the hurry?”

    Reminded that Ime Obi shall be responsible for rapid response in Ohaneze matters, the APC chieftain questioned: “is there emergency in 2019 presidential election which was fixed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, especially when Nwodo mischievously fixed the Ime Obi in a very important date when our foremost elder statesman, the great Zik was being immortalized by Mr President?”

    On the excuse that Nwodo was not privy to APC’s program and therefore should be excused, Okechukwu said it was the idiotic angle Governor Wily Obiano alluded to, as the governors and other eminent Igbos  like Chris Ngige pleaded with him to shift the date of Imeobi, but he refused.

    “Methinks it is sheer mischief for Nwodo not only to refuse to shift the date, but when he agreed to shift time from 4pm to 7pm, only for his Kangaroo Ime Obi to hurriedly finish the meeting before 7pm. This is what angered many who arrived for the meeting shortly before 7pm.

    “Confronted with the second point Ohaneze raised why Atiku/Obi ticket was endorsed, which is, “That the presidential candidate of PDP Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has made an avowed commitment to restructuring of the federation and reconfirmed same during his recent visit to the United States in his meetings with high level US officials”, Okechukwu retorted,

    “Atiku’s position on restructuring is at best opaque and candidly is not as robust as Nwodo’s Ohaneze is propagating. No person or group of persons can amend or alter the 1999 Constitution of the Republic of Nigeria without 2/3 of the members of the National Assembly and 2/3 of the State Houses of Assembly. What we have is a rigid Constitution.

    “In sum my position is that it is more politically correct to endorse Buhari if a non-partisan Ohaneze is to endorse any candidate. I therefore commend South East Governors for their collective resolve to support President Buhari, for his re-election is the surest and quickest route to Nigeria president of Igbo extraction in 2023. Ndigbo’s vote in 2019 for Buhari will simulate a concrete alliance with Buhari’s 10-12 million Vote Bank in the North,” he added.

  • Osinowo promises more federal presence in Lagos East

    The All Progressives Congress, APC, Senatorial candidate for Lagos East senatorial district, Hon. Bayo Osinowo has promised to bring more federal presence and dividends of democracy to the zone if elected in next month’s election.

    Osinowo, popularly called ‘Pepperito’ gave the assurance while addressing his people at a “critical” town hall meeting organised for him by ‘Team Pepper Mobilisation Committee for Kosofe stakeholders’, tagged ‘Pepperito Meets Kosofe Stakeholders’, which held at CMD Magodo, Lagos.

    Osinowo said the people’s needs would be pursued with all vigour if he emerged the winner of the poll to represent the Lagos East at the Senate.

    He said the town hall meeting with critical stakeholders in Kosofe and environs was to feel their pulse ahead of the Feb. 16 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    According to him, the meeting had become very imperative so as to know where the shoes pinches the people of the area.

    “My interest is to help humanity more at the senate and I want to assure everyone of dividends of democracy. I will not disappoint your trust in me,” the candidate vowed.”

    In attendance were party leaders and members, artisans, youths groups, market men and women, traditional and religious leaders among others.

    Read Also: ‘Lagos is better under APC’

    He said the Town Hall meeting was to feel the pulse and the needs of the people of the district again before proceeding to represent them at the senate, saying such meeting would  be replicated in Ikorodu, Ibeju-Lekki, Somolu and Epe.

    Osinowo commended the National Leader of the party, Sen. Bola Tinubu for his role and other progressive leaders, saying Lagos and the entire Yoruba states had been known as progressives since the days of MKO Abiola.

    “APC has been moved from mud, it is now rebrand. We appeal to all CDAs CDCs, students, youths, market men and women to keep supporting the progressives. Without you, we are nothing and cannot achieve anything. Please open your eye when casting your votes and when votes are being counted.”

    He urged the people to vote rightly to reduce the number of void votes during elections.

    According to him, the use of town hall campaign strategy is to further get closer to the people and to know their priority needs.

    Chairman, Tactical Committee of Hon. Bayo Osinowo Campaign Organisation, Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade said that Osinowo had helped a lot of people at the state level, saying that his aspiration for Senate would bring lot of fortune to the people.

    He said people must be engaged in representative government. “Hon. Bayo Osinowo has really served Lagos State. He is competent,” Agunbiade said.

    Earlier, Osinowo and other APC candidates paid a courtesy to the palace of the Oloworo of Oworo, Oba Saliu Oloruntoyin for royal supports and blessings.

    Various groups and physically challenged people wearing campaign clothes, vests, aprons and caps with various inscriptions like “PMB/PYO”, “Big Daddy for LSHA”, “Team Pepper for Senate”, “Sanwo-Olu for Governor”, “ROT” were in attendance.