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Tag: All Progressives Congress

  • APC candidate empowers 3000 youths in Oredo

    Candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Oredo Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Osaigbovo Iyoha, has provided empowerment materials for over 3000 youths.

    Honourable Iyoha who also distributed food items to members of his constituents and the less privilege said the empowerment was to encourage the youths to abandon social vices.

    Iyoha who is the current Chief Whip of the Edo State House of Assembly urged the beneficiaries to ensure continuity of the APC led administration.

    He said the APC has outperformed the 16 years rule of the People’s Democratic Party.

    Read Also: ‘I’m optimistic of APC’s victory in Ogun’

    Iyoha explained to the youths that President Muhammadu Buhari needed a friendly National Assembly to be able to perform at 100 percent capacity.

    According to him, “We all need to send the PDP to the dustbin of history. The PDP needs to be removed from our sub-consciousness by ensuring that you vote the APC.

    “This empowerment is to enable you start on your own. Do not listen to the lies of the PDP. Vote for Buhari and all APC candidates for a successful Nigeria.”

  • Osinbajo, Oshiomhole meet in Aso Rock

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday met behind closed doors with the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The meeting started around 1 pm at the Vice President’s office at the State House, Abuja.

    While the details of the meeting is yet to be disclosed, it may not be unconnected with arrangements for the APC campaign slated for Akwa Ibom State on Friday.

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

  • ‘I’m not privy to ex-commissioner’s defection’

    The leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Epe Division, Lagos State, Alhaji Akanni Seriki, has said that the people of the sub-zone will vote for the ruling party in next year’s elections.

    He denied the allegation that he was instrumental to the defection of former Commissioner for Science and Technology Wale Oluwo to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying he had no contact and interaction with the defector.

    Seriki told reporters in Lagos that he is  not against the choice of Senator Tony Adefuye as the Lagos East APC leader, stressing that he has been discharging his duties as his deputy in the district.

    He said those who claimed that he was down with stroke were agents of division and jealous politicians who lacked the conscience, vision and pedigree, adding that they are serial defectors and “finish and go” politicians.

    Reiterating his loyalty to the party and its leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, he said he will continue to be a progressive politician, unlike serial defectors desperately seeking relevance, following their retracing of steps to the progressive fold.

    Seriki said Oluwo’s exit from the party will not affect the voting pattern in Epe, urging party members to ignore his antics and remain focused and loyal to the APC.

    He said: “Electioneering is an era of rumours and misleading information. I did not ask Wale Oluwo and other few people to join the PDP. I am also not against Adefuye’s leadership. I have not seen Oluwo in the last two years, as it were. How can I ask him to defect? I used to see him on television. He used to dodge me during meetings.

    “Since I joined politics, I have never left the progressive family. I have never been involved on anti-party activities. I am loyal to the party and our leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. As the leader of the progressive platform in Epe Division, I have always delivered. I have no contact or interaction with Wale Oluwo. He does not relate with any of us who is a leader. “

    Seriki said as the undisputed APC leader in Epe, he had been contending with certain divisive forces, whose activities are being closely monitored to prevent damage to the progressive family.

    He lamented that these forces were behind allegations against his leadership in the social media to blackmail him and portray him in bad light.

    Seriki however, said their plot has failed because the majority of party members accepted him as a consistent and loyal leader.

    He stressed: “I am the undisputed leader of the APC in Epe. I played a major role, along with other leaders, in the emergence of the party leadership at the ward and council levels during the party congresses. I contributed immensely to the emergence of the two candidates for the House of Assembly and the candidate for the House of Representatives. All the councillors and chairmen are my followers.

    “As the leader of these progressive forces, how can I ask people to go to the PDP? It does not make sense that I should leave certainty for uncertainty. I am not like the serial defector and ‘finish and go’ politician. I enjoy the trust of the party leadership as a consistent and loyal party man. We have a monitoring group monitoring the activities of divisive elements and nemesis will catch up with them.”

    Seriki reiterated the support of the leaders and people of Epe for the governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, saying that he is fit to succeed Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

    He also assured that they will vote for President Muhammadu Buhari and other candidates of the party in next year’s polls.

    He said following the grievances arising from the primary, reconciliation committees have been set up in the two local government areas and two local council development areas to forge unity and cohesion at the wards and local councils.

    Seriki added: “Epe will vote for APC more than it did in 2015.”

     

  • 2019: Olawepo-Hashim and third force

    In this peace, Hassan Ibrahim describes the presidential candidate of the Peoples Trust (PT), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, as a credible alternative to the flagbearers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Mr. Olawepo-Hashim is a Global Energy Executive and founding Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He is one of the few Nigeria leaders who combine solid business record with strong political background.

    A successful entrepreneur with a 26 years impeccable business history. He is chairman of Oilworld Ltd., operator of OPL 241 in the continental shelf of Nigeria as well as chairman Transnational Energy Limited. He is also chairman of Bresson AS. Limited, owners of the 90mw Magboro Independent Power Producing (IPP) project; amongst many business concerns locally and globally. Gbenga is generally acknowledged as principled and courageous.

    Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim started exhibiting leadership qualities from elementary and secondary school days. There are many instances; In Cherubim and Seraphim College, he was appointed Health Prefect as well as elected President of the Dramatic Society. At the School of Basic Studies, he was elected General Secretary of the Anti-Apartheid Association, Youth Solidarity on Southern Africa. In 1988, he was elected one of the leaders of the very active National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS). He was incarcerated under the Detention of Persons Decree 2 of 1984 (as amended in 1989), as a result of his leadership role in 1989 Anti-SAP protests, and his Pro-Democracy activities. The Amnesty International adopted him Prisoner of conscience for Nigeria in 1989. He was also a notable Pro-Democracy figure in the then Global Pro-Democracy resistance of the late ‘80s and a respected Youth leadership voice from Africa. He played prominent role in the 13th International Festival of Youths and Students in 1989 in Pyong, North Korea.

    In 1990, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim became the National Administrative Secretary of the National Consultative Forum led by the indefatigable patriot and democrat extraordinaire, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Alao Aka Bashorun. The group had in its fold, the technocratic group led by AIhaji Danshida, Tayo Akpata, Philip Asiodu, etc. It also had a political group led by former Zikist activists, such as Chief KoIa Balogun and others like, Chief RBK Okafor, Mahmud Waziri and Alhaji Tanko Yakasai. The group was the first to raise the need for devolution of power and advocated for the convocation of a National conference as a programme of democratization of Nigeria under Military rule.

    Born in Yelwa, Yauri, Kebbi State by a Yoruba mother to a Hausa father. Gbenga spent his early years in New-Bussa, Niger State and was raised in the family of his step-father. A Christian. He attended NEPA Junior Staff School, New Bussa; Cherubim and Seraphim College, Ilorin; School of Basic Studies, Ilorin; University of Lagos and University of Buckingham, United Kingdom, where he obtained a Masters Degree in Global Affairs and was best student in his cohort, securing the Max beloff Prize for Global Affairs, He was also the first student to obtain a distinction in the department course – History of the international Systems.

    In a correspondence to Gbenga on the Max Beloff prize won, the chairman of the International Studies Degree Programmes, M.J.M, Crostie wrote, “It is always pleasant to dwell on success and you should make a point of mentioning the prize in your curriculum vitae because it is this sort of distinction that will set you apart from other candidates.” He has also received training at the International Human Resources Development Centre – Boston Massachuset United States.

    Mentored into partisan politics by the progressive stock of politician led by the duo of Late Chief Solomon Lar and Alhajj Abubakar Rimi, Gbenga had onetime functioned as the National Publicity Secretary of the National Democratic Party, under the joint chairmanship of Ambassador Jolly Tanko Yusuf and Alhaji Yunusa Kaltungo. In 1998, working closely under the supervision of Professor Jerry Gana (Secretary), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim and two other young political leaders; Late Senator Dahiru Ahwesu Khuta (Administration) and Dubem Onyia (Organization), helped in the years of the G-34 initiative for the formation of political parties at the group’s secretariat. Gbenga was responsible for the publicity beat.

    After the election of President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999, in the intervening transitional period, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim served as member/Secretary Youth and Women Development Sub-Committee of the General T.Y. Danjuma Policy Advisory Committee with Late Hajia Laila Dogonyaro as chairman of the Youth and Women Subcommittee.

    In 1999, Gbenga was elected as the first Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the then ruling Party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was a highly influential national officer and became the founding chairman of the Group of 54 NEC members. The group had His Excellency, Dr. Chris Ngige as Secretary and Alhaji Ahmed Gusau, former Minister of Mines, as Deputy Chairman.

    He was known for his commitment to the principle of internal democracy in the party, transparency and good governance. As a national officer, he spoke truth to power then at great risks.

    Speaking of Olawepo-Hashim’s courage, deep patriotism, and selflessness; Late Chief Ojo Maduekwe, former Nigerian Foreign affairs Minister and Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, said at a reception in 2005; “The lives of people like Gbenga should inspire us to speak well of ourselves. Gbenga is an inner driven person, not afraid to stand alone, not afraid to be unpopular, not afraid to hold a view. A man who is inner driven, listens to the music of his own universe, listens to the applause of the spirit inside that have etched out an horizon, which he must conquer and moving in that direction; he takes the lead and others follow. Who can see the horizon with him, of such is the stuff of history, of such is the stuff of greatness.”

    He was appointed in 2003 as a member of the Political Advisory Committee to the President (In the office of the Political Advisor.) A national Bridge-Builder and complete detribalized, charismatic and excellent negotiator. Gbenga’s experience and deep roots in popular organizations and the broad political sphere will be useful in formulating a national consensus for Nigeria and Unity at a time of great division.

    His understanding of political economy and the global architecture of international finance will also be invaluable for an economy that desperately needs growth and development and a people that urgently need prosperity.

    Mr. Olawepo-Hashim has won many recognitions and honours including The Kwame Nkrumah African Leadership Award conferred by the continental student body – All African Student Union, at Accra Ghana in 2003; The Veteran Award-in 2005 by the International Union of Students and World Federation of Democratic Youths, (WFDY). He has also received the 2000 Nigeria Union of Journalists Award for Professional Excellence. He is a fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration.

     

  • Why PDP can’t retain power in Plateau, by ex-SSG

    Former Secretary to Plateau State Government Rufus Bature is the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate in Plateau North Senatorial Zone. In this interview with YUSUFU IDEGU in Jos, the state capital, he says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cannot bounce back in the Northcentral state.

    You were Secretary to Government of Plateau State, but you decided to resign to contest for the Senate. What made you to take such decision?

    I took the decision because I prefer to do what I do best, that is to represent my people, to represent the interests of Plateau North at the Senate. To those who know me, I represent my people at the House of Assembly for eight years. So, I am a trained legislator. Again, as SGP, I work as directed, but as federal legislator I represent my people, take decisions on my own and work closely with my people. As a legislator, I have my zone to work for to whom I’m accountable to. I will have the opportunity to project the problems of my people as a legislator, and that is precisely what my people prefer, they wanted me to serve them as Senator and not as SGP because they know I have the experience and training. That is why my campaign theme is “get involved”. I am like saying, everyone in my zone to get involved in this political movement. It is a collective project, I’m not alone, my people are the motivators.

    The Plateau North senatorial zone that you are aspiring to represent is a PDP stronghold, do you think you are going to make any headway as APC candidate?

    That is true, that as at 2015, PDP was very strong in my senatorial zone, but that was then. Today, a lot of water has passed under the bridge. So,the dominant of PDP is Plateau North no longer exist. The political leadership of Lalong has convinced people of the zone to work for APC in recent times. In spite of the fact that the people were predominantly PDP in 2015, Governor Lalong picked the Secretary to the government from that zone and that is my very self. Then, the governor also gave me free hand to pin-point some people from there for political appointments. The Berom people have enjoyed more political appointments under this APC government than they got from previous administrations. My very self, I have been a politician and a business man. I was elected as member of the State House of Assembly for eight years to represent my people. In this present government I was appointed secretary to the government, but I still remain with my people, I stay in the village with them. I did not show any difference that I am above them politically or financially. So for that I know my people have assured me of their support to be their Senator. And because of these reasons I stated above, a lot of Berom people have moved to join me in APC, majority have said they have no reason to remain in opposition party. Most times I don’t want to blow my trumpet, but let’s wait for 2019, you will see that the Berom today are predominantly APC and no longer PDP as it was in 2015.

    Is it true that your Berom kinsmen are not supporting APC as a result of the lingering crisis in their land?

    Talking of insecurity in my constituency, it started even before Dariye regime in 1999, permeated through the Jang administration and we are still witnessing it. It is not something you can resolve in a day. It has to be a process that will also take sometimes to be completely resolved. That is why I think this present government should be tolerated and be given benefit of doubt since we know this insecurity is an inherited one. There is an ongoing efforts championed by this government to make sure all the IDPs returned to their original homes and be guaranteed adequate security. That process has began, most of the IDPs will return to spend Christmas in their homes, but those whose houses were completely destroyed have to wait till February or March next year to return because the House has to be reconstructed. Then as the IDPs are returning home, a security post will be established at various points in the remote villages to give the people confidence to relax in their homes. A major mobile police unit is been established at Gashish to boost security in these volatile areas. I am a full blooded Berom man for life, If I don’t care about my Berom kinsmen as a leader, who do I care about. I have lost so many loved ones in the crisis, I am also a victim. I want my people to see the genuine in the peace building efforts of the present administration because some of the concrete and practical steps Gov Lalong has taken so far to end crisis in Berom land, no one before him has taken such steps. My people should not listen to opposition politicians who are merely using the crisis to as campaign tools, because what did they do to end the crisis when they were in power. It is not about shouting on the floor of the National Assembly, or about moving motions and grandstanding, how much solution has your shouting at the National Assembly brought to your people all these while. So, I think Berom people should open their eyes and see who is genuinely providing solutions to this insecurity. Where were the National Assembly members when Gov Lalong lobbied Mr. President to approved the estatement of Police Mobile unit in Gashish. I am an insider, I know it. So I can assured my people that Lalong is the solution to the crisis and he should be encouraged to implement his peace plans fully for them.

    It is unfortunate that some people chooses to politicize this crisis, it is really mind boggling to hear people celebrating when innocent people are been killed simply because he has found such development as political campaigns strategy. The death of my people has been a political achievement for some opposition politicians and they are shamelessly using killings of fellow humans to discredit the Lalong administration. And that is why such crops of politicians are not happy when the government is making effort to end the killings because if there is no more killing, they don’t have any thing to use s campaign. While they are doing this, government is busy trying to alleviating the suffering of the IDPs. As I’m talking to you, government has given a timeline for the return of the IDPs to their homes, in fact all IDPs camps in the state will be closed formally before 2019 election commence.

    What is this government doing different from what previous government did, in terms of bringing the crisis to an end?

    The difference in the approaches to the crises stand this government out. For instance, this government is showing serious political will to end the crisis, Gov. Lalong has taken and is still taking practical steps to end this crisis. You will realise that the dialogue processes initiated by this government at the onset, the establishment of Plateau Peace Building Agency as well as the engagement of the youths in mass entrepreneurship training are some of these steps and that led to the relative peace that prevails in the state for the first three years of this government. No other government before now has demonstrated such political will to end these crisis. Today as I’m talking to you, a Mobile Police Unit has been established in Gashish, so that they can respond promptly if there is any attack, this is the first of its kind. Today, high profile people who are suspected to be behind the crisis are been arrested, this very government has passed into law a new law under which such suspects would be tried. The crisis were allowed to prolonged by previous administrations in the states because they treated certain people as sacred cow, reports have indicted some people but government failed to bring them to justice. A lot of criminals have been left unpunished. This government is now bringing such sacred cows to justice. When such crisis merchants are made to face the full wrath of the law, it will serve as deterrent to others. Under this administration, there I’ll be no sacred cows, nobody is above the law as far as this government is concerned and as far this government is determined to end the crisis. So, arrest of sacred cows are been made and that will go a long way in bringing these conflict to an end. The youths that are been used by these crisis merchants because they are idle, government is giving them a life line, so far, closed to 10,000 youths have been trained in entrepreneurship, government has given them starter packs and government is giving them technical Suport for them to remain in business, self-sustain, so that nobody will use them for violence anymore.

    But you know, some people without conscience, who are benefiting from these crises are certainly not happy that the crisis stop, they will want the situation to continue so that they will be in business. Such people were not happy that Governor Lalong brought the crisis to an end for three years. All of a sudden, we found ourselves in crisis again. But this time around they won’t go scot free, this government will bring their business to an end. This government, I can tell you is not ready to play politics with the lives of his people. As a matter of fact, the relative peace we are enjoying now is due to the arrest of one of the crisis merchants.

    You contested and defeated some APC members at the primary. How are you doing to gain their support for the main election?

    I have full respect for those that competed with me because they gave me a very good fight, it wasn’t an easy victory at the primaries. From the level of contest, any of them has the capacity to represent the zone at the senate, so I don’t underrate them at all. I’m seriously lobbying them for us to work together under APC and to promote the ruling party in the state. I’m happy to report that such politicians are more interested in the victory of the APC than their political ambition. And so, they have joined my campaign team, we have expanded my campaign team to accommodate them and all of us have one aim, which is to make sure APC win all elective positions in the state in 2019. I made them to understand that if I was the one that lose at the primaries I will have certainly joined the campaign team of the winer to work for the party because this the party we labored to establish in the state, if not for our efforts, opposition party has never overthrown a sitting government in the history of the state, but we work hard to uprooted PDP from the power they have enjoyed for 16 years. Nobody gave us a chance in 2015, but we did what wed did to make APC a ruling party in the state. Fro my interactions so far with my opponents at the primaries, this is there line of thinking, I’m sure you’ve not heard of any of them decamping to another party, that is because they are not selfish politicians, they are more interested in working for the party than their political aspirations.

    Do you think the goodwill of the people that the APC enjoyed in 2015 is still there, considering the prevailing economic hardship?

    Yes, the goodwill is still there. It has even improve from that point. I say this because of the leadership style the new government introduced in the interest of the people. This government has give sense of belonging to all segments of the state on the consideration that we are all citizens of Plateau state. This government has never used ethnic, religious or political consideration in allocating development project or social amenities to any part of the state. The consideration has been, do the people deserve such social services, if the answer is yes, so be it. But again, we have tried to favor any part of the state that have suffered neglect in the past. Lalong has worked more to unite people of the state irrespective of religion or ethnic differences, so that we all think Plateau and collectively work for Plateau. Before now, Plateau belong to one section of the state and some other sections are treated as second class citizens, but that is no more under this administration.

    Do you think APC government has done enough in Plateau State to deserve the people’s support for another term?

    Yes, as somebody who has served this administration as Secretary to Government for the last three and a half years, I have better knowledge of what this government has done. Sincerely speaking, the APC government is the best thing to have happened to Plateau people, considering where we are coming from. If you have a knowledge of the state that APC took over in 2015, any rational mind will give credit to APC administration and also wish it to continue as long as there is life. In the area of creating jobs opportunities for the youths and in boosting the economy of the state, this administration has received state-owned companies that were abandoned for decades, eg, Plateau Highland Bottling Company, Bokkos Fertilizer Blending Plant, Panyam Fish farm. These are the revived companies that are functioning now in full capacity. Then the famous Jos International Breweries (JIB) and the Jos Ultra-Modern Market have been handed over to private investors to bring them on stream. Even the Barc Farm comprising of 4,000 hectares of land which was sold out by previous administration has been re-purchased for government agricultural projects.

     

  • Emulate Tinubu’s virtues, CLO leader tells Igbo leaders

    IGBO leaders have been urged to emulate the virtues of All Progressives Congress (APC)stalwart Bola Ahmed Tinubu that brought the Yoruba into political limelight in the present democratic dispensation.

    Chairman, Civil Liberties Organisations in Anambra State Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme stated this in Onitsha during the inauguration of the Human Rights Liberty Access and Peace Defenders Foundation (HURIJE) and award presentation.

    He said the Igbos should also borrow a leaf from their Yoruba counterparts, who insisted on integrity, transparency and good governance rather than party affiliations during voting.

    Delivering a paper titled: “Your vote power to enthrone good governance”, Ezekwueme urged the southeast people to be dynamic, tactful and diplomatic in exercising their franchise.

    “Igbo political leaders must emulate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for showing selflessness, courage, consistent, patriotism and political intelligence and sagacity that brought the Yorubas into political limelight.

    “The Igbos must be dynamic, tactful, diplomatic, sagacious and patriotic in exercising their franchise by emulating the Yoruba that always vote for integrity, transparency and good governance not political parties.”

    The CLO leader also asked the Ohaneze Ndigbo leadership to apologise to President Muhammadu Buhari for declining his request to visiting the Southeast during the 2015 presidential electioneering campaign.

    He described the act as political suicide and great disservice to the Igbo on the part of the former leadership of the apex Igbo organisation.

    Regretting the prevalent apathy among eligible voters in the Southeast, Ezekwueme called on those opposed to the forthcoming elections to rescind their decision for the overall interest of the Igbos.

    “It is important to note that the race to all elective positions in the country has begun. We must not only take active part, but ensure every eligible voter not only register but vote with his conscience and conviction,” he said.

    Chairman, Board of Trustees of the human rights group, Dede Uzor A. Uzor, expressed displeasure over decline of good governance and right abuses in South East.

    He said: “We want to state categorically that the governors of the zone have not shown enough political will to provide strong leadership to their respective states.

    “Basic infrastructure such as good roads, water and poverty alleviation has continued to be a mirage. Crimes and criminality are fast returning to the zone.”

    The occasion witnessed award presentations to Deputy Director, Public Relations Nigerian Army, Col. Musa Sagir, Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed and Deputy Commissioner of Police (SCIID) Bassey Essien.

  • 2019: US group stages rally for Sanwo-Olu

    To mobilize, sensitize voters

    Urges voters to vote massively for Sanwo-Olu

    Hundreds of supporters of All Progressives Congress, APC, under the platform of Pathfinders Group USA staged a rally on Wednesday to mobilize voters living in Ifako, Ijaye and Ojokoro areas to vote for the governorship candidate of the party in Lagos, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other candidates of the party in the 2019 general election.

    The rally which kicked off from Excellence Hotel in Ogba took the massive crowd through Ifako-Ijaye APC party secretariat and ended at the party Secretariat in Ojokoro.

    The crowd made up of youths, men, women both young and old wearing branded white T-shirts with embossed photographs of Samwo-Olu and his deputy Obafemi Hamzat and APC flag and logo sang solidarity and songs on mounted speakers on vehicles praising Sanwo-Olu and APC.

    Speaking with the press, President of the Pathfinders Group USA, Alhaji Hakeem Yusuf said, “as a group we are all over Lagos with our campaign activities with banners, posters and what have you.

    Read Also: Lagos Ndigbo confers title on Sanwo-Olu

    “We believe that this rally will be an advantage to mobilize more people and create awareness for Sanwo-Olu, we believe in him, we believe in APC, we believe in Lagos, we believe in Nigeria, it is a party of change that is going to give us the dividends of democracy.

    He expressed confidence that Sanwo-Olu would win “Definately with a wide margin and by mass vote because the people believe in APC, and if you see all the development we have been experiencing here, Sanwo-Olu is continuity in Lagos state, you will understand that there are so many rapid development across the state”, Yusuf said.

    Another member of the group from the US who said Sanwo-Olu is his cousin, Mr. Akin Allen said Ifako-Ijaye and Ojokoro areas “have a large contigent of members of the APC and we want them to come out enmass to vote for Sanwo-Olu, they are already excited, but we know we need more people to come out.

    “There are many registered voters but those who come out on the polling day are usually less, this exercise is to help galvanize and make the excitement for this candidate to really boil over and this would be seen in the result of the election”.

    Talking about what makes Sanwo-Olu the preferred candidate, Allen said, “Sanwi-Olu is a good, God fearing and humble person, he is educated and had been in previous administration, he has a wealth of experience under his belt and he is a cousin of mine”, Allen said.

    Speaking on the impact of the rally, he said, “this event is organised by people in the US, it is to mobilise voters here, our presence will influence our family members here and our neighbourhood; if we did not come out the energy will be at a low level, what we are doing is going to bring voters out.

    “APC has always delivered in Lagos state and if we continue to vote for APC you will see bigger and better things in future, in fact my cousin, Sanwo-Olu will take this state to the next level,” Allen assured.

  • APC candidate hails Osibanjo performance at debate

    Candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Ovia Federal Constituency, Mr. Dennis Idahosa, has hailed performance of Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, at the debate organised by the Nigeria Election Debate Group and the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria.
    Idahosa said Prof. Osibanjo was able to explain to Nigerians how the APC is taking Nigeria out of the doldrums it met it in 2015.
    Speaking in a chat with newsmen after the watching the debate, Idahosa said the debate has won more support for the APC ahead of the election.

    Read Also: Osibanjo vows to make it difficult for ghost workers

    Idahosa who accused Peter Obi of not offering any solution to questions said the debate has made Nigerians understand the antics of the Peoples Democratic Party.
    According to him, “We have seen from the debate that the PDP has nothing to offer Nigerians except to return the country to the hands of looters.
    “There was no where the PDP Vice Presidential candidate stated the party’s plan for the country but rather reeled out lies about the APC performance.”

  • Metele massacre

    Book Haram’s recent resurgence must be checked if Nigeria is to retain the pride of nationhood

    How did what started as a band of confused religious ideologues transform into a modern potent force that could stand up to the Nigerian Army and inflict maximum casualty? The casualty figures from the attack suffered by the Nigerian Army in Metele, 200 kilometres from Maiduguri, Borno State, on November 18, has called attention to what the Federal Government and the military high command have consistently kept from the public over the years.

    One reason former President Goodluck Jonathan was voted out of power in 2015 was his seeming inability to tame the Boko Haram terror group that was growing in confidence, seizing territories, hoisting flags and installing leadership in some parts of the country. Then, General Muhammadu Buhari who was flying the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag was seen as a suitable replacement. By December 2015, the APC government felt bold enough to declare victory in the war, with all territories claimed retrieved and people assured that the enemy had been degraded.

    However, there has been a resurgence by the terror group currently regarded as the deadliest in the world; not only are villages sacked, military formations are overrun with unbelievable ease and casualties keep mounting. This was the build-up to the Metele attack that saw an unprecedented number of our fighters killed. Till date, no one knows accurately how many soldiers were killed by the insurgents. While independent sources claim they were more than a hundred, the army has admitted 23.

    It was serious enough to make the army move the annual Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Conference to Maiduguri, to give the impression that it is up to the task. It was considered such a turning point that President Buhari, first, sent his defence minister to the Republic of Chad, decided to attend the COAS Conference in person, visit the wounded, and then jet off to Chad for deliberations on how to rejuvenate the Multinational Task Force set up with our neighbours to check the insurgents’ advances.

    This is a soul searching moment, one that should not be allowed to be muddled by partisanship. The Metele massacre is evidence that there is a limit to the use of propaganda in prosecuting a war. Living in denial has not helped and it’s time to change tactics and strategies. This much the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, has admitted and committed the leadership to effecting. But, can the current set of military chiefs be entrusted with this onerous task? What happened to the one billion dollars spent by government ostensibly to procure weapons for the war, and controversially approved earlier in the year by the National Assembly? Who is looking into the claim that our men at the battle front are ill-equipped and sometimes armed with obsolete weapons?

    It is shameful that Gen. Buratai could attribute the Metele setback to the deployment of modern surveillance machines by the “degraded” Boko Haram terrorists, aided by foreign mercenaries. Why couldn’t our men in the Nigerian Air Force and the army intercept the drones? How good is the intelligence arm of the armed forces? Are the various arms of the military cooperating and coordinated? It seems we have seen the best of this set of military chiefs and, as we had pointed out in another editorial, they should be changed. It might be suicidal to trust them with effecting the change of strategies needed at this point.

    Only a few days after the Metele disaster, the air force was said to have bombarded the terrorists’ camps in the Lake Chad area. Desirable as this is, it won’t amount to much if we do not boost the morale of the ground troops and procure the right equipment for them. We are not unmindful of the fact that our fighters are unfamiliar with asymmetric warfare, having been trained to confront conventional enemies, but the experience from other parts of the world and the past decade of confronting this deadly group ought to have given them the requisite know-how to record irreversible successes. The Boko Haram War has cost the country so much in men and materials such that excuses are no longer acceptable. The internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in the North East are still bustling with distressed compatriots. The dreams of many children have been cut short and their joy arrested. Women, wives and mothers are not only separated from loved ones but turned to destitute, others ferried away as sex slaves. A country that prides itself as a giant, if not the giant of Africa cannot continue to tolerate this sorry state of affairs.

    Nigeria is not a failed state; it has a standing army, a central authority and is a respected member of the international community. All these must be brought to bear in stopping this shame. Metele is the height of insult to our sovereignty.

  • 2019 and APC’s harvest of souls in Kano

    For the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, Sunday, November 24, 2018 was a day of history. A day that marked a turning point in the fortunes of the party. It was a day when thousands of supporters of former Kano State Governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who chose to remain in the PDP when the former minister rejoined the APC, decided to join him in his new party at a lavish ceremony held at the Sani Abacha Stadium. Tony Akowe was at the stadium to witness what transpired.

    The Sani Abacha Stadium in the Kofar Mata area of Kano metropolis is used to receiving one set of people almost on a weekly basis. This set of people are football fans that besiege the place to support their preferred teams or to watch football matches. But on this particular Sunday, November 24, it played host to a different type of crowd who came not to watch football or any other game of sport, but to join the growing list of APC members in the state.

    They came from all over the 44 local government areas of the state. The event was planned for 2.00pm. But as early as 9.00am, supporters of former Kano State governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, had started converging at the main bowl of the Sani Abacha Stadium in the Kofar Mata area of Kano for what could be described as a harvest of members.  Several associates of the former governor who chose to remain in the PDP when he rejoined the APC, came to pitch their tent with him.

    They had been denied ticket to contest various offices under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the leadership of the party. The decision of the national leadership of the PDP to hand over the party structure in the state to another former governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, had not gone down well with the man they simply call Mallam all over Kano.  Available, but unconfirmed, information have it that while Kwankwaso was given 51 percent stake in the PDP, Shekarau and other leaders were made to share 49 percent.

    A situation that did not go down well with Shekarau.  Conscious of the fact that Shekarau has always had a running battle with Kwankwaso, the leadership of the APC moved in to convince him into returning home. Shekarau was a key member of the merger team that mid-wifed the APC at its inception, but left the party in 2014 when the APC leadership handed over the party machinery to Kwankwaso, who was then serving as the Kano State governor.

    So, when the supporters he left behind in the PDP decided to join him in the APC, it was no doubt a harvest of members. While many trooped into the main bowl of the stadium, others simply stood outside the stadium, waiting for the arrival of the state governor, Dr.  Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and Mallam Shekarau. The arrival of the two and other invited dignitaries created some form of commotion as the crowd broke loose into the main arena, making it difficult for the governor and his guests to come down from their vehicles.

    Security was practically compromised as even the reserved area in the state box was taken over by the crowd who were drumming and dancing to various tunes. The crowd waited patiently as the governor made his way into the state box, with chants of ‘sai Mallam’ and ‘Allahu Akbar’ occasionally rending the air. It was a day of glory for the former Kano State governor and what could be described as a home coming. Even though he had formally joined the APC at a previous rally, he was celebrated by the APC for convincing his supporters to join him.

    The defectors, which included ten former governorship aspirants of the PDP, were led to the event by Dr. Umar Musa Mustapha and Engr. Bello Sani Gwarzo. Chairman of the APC in Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, who apparently was the happiest man at the event, said the decision of the defectors to join the APC was as a result of the achievement of the Buhari government as well as that of the Kano State government, led by Gov. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, pointing out that they were conscious of the fact that Nigeria has returned to economic boom because of the economic agenda of the government.

    He said Nigeria cherish Buhari’s approach to national security and has restored confidence to the fight against insurgency and corruption. He believed that the modest achievement of the president is attracting more people into the party, adding that they were discussing with many more people who are interested in joining the party. Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Ado Dogowa, said the opposition should forget winning Kano State as the state was clearly for the APC.

    Ibrahim Shekarau, who is the arrowhead of the defectors, described the event as a great day in history, especially as one who helped midwife the party. He said: “I am one of the midwives of the APC. In 2014, we had reasons to step aside and now, we have a greater reason to come back into APC. I want to express our gratitude to the national chairman and the executive governor of the state for accepting us back into the party and for standing behind us and I want to assure you of our total commitment to the APC and pray that God, in His wisdom, will grant APC victory in all positions contested for. I want to also assure you of total victory in Kano State.”

    Shekarau who was once demoted from the position of Permanent Secretary to the position of a school principal by Kwankwaso in his first term as governor, but eventually left the service of the state to wrestle power from the PDP in 2003,  said further that “we are happy to be part of APC. It is our sincere prayer that God, in His wisdom, come 2019, will grant APC victory from presidency, governor, senator, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly. Insha Allah, it is going to be a total success.”

    Jigawa State governor, Badaru Abubakar, told the gathering not to allow the PDP return to power in 2019, describing the 16 years of PDP government as wasteful years and years without achievement.  He told them that despite the fall in oil revenue which he said forced countries like Saudi Arabia to cut costs, President Buhari is making serious efforts to move Nigeria forward. He said across the country, serious construction works are ongoing, adding that with an APC government at all levels, the country was on its way to moving to greater height.

    Five million votes for Buhari

    Presenting the defectors to Oshiomhole, Governor Ganduje said: “Today, APC is the greatest party in Nigeria, and in Africa. APC is the only party in Kano State. We have the highest number of party members; our intention is to provide the highest number of votes for APC in Nigeria. If you can recall, we promised President Muhammadu Buhari that we will give him over five million votes. Mr. Chairman, we assure you that APC is united in Kano. Kano is the home of progressives. The late Malam Aminu Kano was a progressive, the late Sabo Barkin Zuwo was a progressive, and the late Abubakar Rimi was a progressive. Now, what do you expect in Kano, if not a progressive government, a progressive administration, a progressive voting pattern? That is why we are ready to give President Buhari over five million votes.”

    Oshiomhole was on hand to receive the defectors along with the National Vice Chairman, North West, Inuwa Abdulkadir.  Although many of the people had left the stadium when he arrived, the former Edo State governor was still able to send the remaining crowd into wild jubilation with his dance steps as he danced round the podium to the Hausa tune being played on the blaring loudspeakers. They became more excited when he decided to address them in Hausa, an exercise he performed excellently to the admiration of the cheering crowd of supporters.

    He assured them that the best was yet to come and that he was going to bring the president to them when campaigns kicked off properly. After his initial address in Hausa, the APC leader also spoke in English, in what would turn out to be his shortest public speech. Oshiomhole said the party was waiting eagerly for the campaign message of the opposition and will respond appropriately, saying Nigeria does not belong to those who have a history of making so much from the system, but cannot show what they have put into it.

    He said even if the APC has not fixed all the problems of the country because it never promised to fix them over night, it is evident that what they could not be done in 16 years cannot possibly be fixed in three and half years, adding that Nigeria must move forward no matter what anybody thinks. He said those who helped destroy must not be allowed to return to power. In his words, those who hate President Buhari are those who made money without efforts, adding that what the president is saying is that we must build a new country which is the essence and content of change where those who work are the ones who should eat.

    He said: “I am happy that my comrades who are the progressives in Kano are united today with a shared commitment to ensure that never again will this country be governed by opportunists. In times like this, people are going to make promises that they will put air conditions on federal roads. But thank God that we have not found any new face. We know their past and we will trace what they have done and ask questions on what they will do differently. I want to appreciate our governor, Governor Ganduje. He has made a mark in the governance of Kano State less than four years and I know that given another four years, he will transform Kano to the highest level.

    “For all of you who have made so much sacrifice to be here today, the only way we can pay back is to ensure that the government continue to work in a manner that will deliver the greatest good to the greatest number of our people. The strength of the APC is the poorest of the poor. President Buhari’s constituency is the army of the poor. Those who hate him are those who made money without efforts and what the president is saying is that we must build a new country which is the essence and content of change where those who work are the ones who should eat.

    “Not a country where those who don’t work make billions of naira just through telephone and they have no business address. President Buhari is determined to put an end to that and as you would expect, people are fighting back. But God is not on their side. As you can see, they rushed to the other house and found out that it is grounded with old “trickiticians”. When you have too many trickiticians in a house, they will end up tricking themselves. They went to Port Harcourt and tricked others out to produce one of them.

    “We are waiting for their message and we will respond appropriately to it because this country must move forward. It does not belong to those who have a history of taking so much out of the system, even as they cannot show what they have put into the system. We haven’t fixed all the problems and we did not promise to fix them over night. What they could not do in 16 years cannot possibly be fixed in three and half years. But I believe that we have shown the most important quality that we need in a leader which is to have a man of honour, a man of integrity and a man you can trust and that man is President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “Whether in America or in Britain, they appreciate him, other African heads of state appreciate him and at home, we the ordinary people appreciate him. But those who made money without work don’t like him and as long as they are concerned, he should not stay one day longer. I want to appeal to our opponents in PDP to stop crying even before the elections take place. When they win, everything is perfect, but when they lose, nothing is right. Nigerians will not forget and if they do, we will remind them that it was PDP under President Olusegun Obasanjo that introduced do or die politics. If you remember, he said that the 2007 election was a do or die for him.”

    As it is, the opposition PDP may regret its decision to cede majority of the party structures in Kano State to Kwankwaso, forcing Shekarau back to the APC. From the Kano rally of Sunday November 24, it is also evident that Governor Ganduje and his team may be coasting home to victory in 2019 in spite of the leaked video alleging him of receiving bribe from a contractor.

    While pouring encomium on Ganduje, Oshiomhole said, “Thank you so much, Your Excellency. You have made a statement. Politics is not about social media where one man can recruit 2000 young men to just be posting fake stories. Politics is on the ground and it is played by real people. When you promised to deliver five million votes I know you will do so because Kano State belongs to President Buhari; and President Muhammadu Buhari belongs to the people of Kano State.

    “I think we have changed the game, and the game can never be the same again. Nigeria can now grow from strength to strength. I want to ask you (Ganduje) to have faith. We shall be victorious at the end.”