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Tag: All Progressives Congress

  • Winning Ekiti poll was therapy for my recovery, says Bamidele

    Former member of the House of Representatives and Director General of Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Opeyemi Bamidele, has said the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the July 14 governorship elections in Ekiti State was the therapy he needed to quickly recover from his bullet wound.

    Bamidele, who was shot at the APC secretariat in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, during a campaign, said his doctors had to allow him do what he wanted on the day of the election because he had consistently told them that winning the election was critical to his recovery.

    The former lawmaker, who is contesting the Ekiti Central senatorial seat, also said it would be assuming too much and underrating the extent of growth of the nation’s democracy if Nigerians had assumed that the recent party primaries would not be greeted with protests and crises.

    He said: “I was in my hospital bed in London while the election was going on. But I participated in it as if I was on the ground, in terms of calling everyone who needed to be called.

    “It was one day my doctors agreed I should be left alone to do whatever would help because they had come to the conclusion that winning the election, like I always told them, would be some form of therapy for me. So, I was virtually in touch with everybody who needed to be in touch with and I knew that it was one election that Ekiti people had looked forward to.”

    Dismissing claims that the party engaged in vote-buying during the election, Bamidele said: “People are talking about vote-buying and I must say that it is still an aspect of our democracy that we all need to work towards defeating.

    “I know and I can tell you that we never sat anywhere to discuss vote-buying as a strategy for winning that election. It is now a question of who was buying votes and from who. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) paid a lot of money to get votes.

    “We have documentary evidence that people got credit alerts on their accounts two days to the election and a day to the election. Some people will tell you that they got N3,000 and N4,000.

    “It was done with so much impunity. It was not just pushing money into people’s hands on Election Day but through bank transactions. If that happens and we have evidence to show, I am not in a position to stand here and say there was nothing like vote-buying.

    “What I can say is that on the side of the APC, it was never our strategy to buy votes from anyone. I cannot imagine Dr. Kayode Fayemi would have sat down with any group to start buying votes. People will always spend money on elections because there are logistics issues that will always cost money.

    “You spend money on publicity and all manner of political communications you need to get across to the people. However, as far as we are concerned, vote-buying was not and would not have been a strategy for winning that election.”

    On the crisis that trailed the APC primaries across the country, Bamidele said such a crisis should be expected, especially considering the fact that there is a high hope of the party winning the general election.

    He said: “It is characteristics of any party that is most likely to win a general election, especially a ruling party. I am sure that if APC had not won the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State, we probably would not have had this number of aspirants showing interest in contesting elections into various offices.

    “In the same vain, if APC was not in power at the centre, you probably would not have these many aspirants across the country showing interest.

    “When the PDP was in control for 16 years and their primaries were rancorous, a lot of people felt it was in their character. The truth is that part of what was responsible for that is still the same thing responsible for some of the skirmishes within the APC.

    “A lot of people see serious prospects and the possibility of winning. So, they are showing interest and are passionate about it. They want to put in everything to win. I believe it also tells where our democracy stands today and the extent of its growth.

    “Let us continue to remind ourselves that where our democracy is today is exactly where it ought to be some 30 or 40 years ago if the military had not taken advantage of the teething problems of the First Republic to terminate our democratic process.

    “After that, we had over there decades of military rule. That is why, in 2018, we are still where we were supposed to be some 30 years ago. But then, we are making progress and Nigerians are becoming wiser by the day. I am confident that as much as possible, we will do everything tht we can to ensure that everyday is better in this democratic experience.

    “The crisis is part of the democratic process. However, in terms of affecting our chances, I want to say that it is much of a problem to the APC as much as it is to the PDP. We have 91 parties today and some of them were even begging people to be their candidates.

    “I think it is a common phenomenon among the major parties. At the end of the day, it will boil down to who is the liberal candidate, the manifesto and strength of character of the candidates.

    “To assume that there won’t be issues like these during the primaries would be assuming too much and overrating the sense of growth of our democracy. We are still grappling with the teething problems. The more our democracy grows, the more it becomes of quality.”

     

  • Group protests ‘stolen’ mandate

    Residents of Eti-Osa and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the weekend  protested what they termed “short-changing of a popular aspirant” in the area.

    Under the aegis of Humble Prince Campaign Organisation, they urged APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene.

    The protesters, led by Chief Rilwan Aleshinloye, said a  House of Representatives member, Jide Akinloye a.k.a. Humble Prince, won the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency primary election on October 4.

    According to Aleshinloye, the returning officer, Dr Tola Kasali and the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who observed the election, affirmed the victory of Akinloye.

    The group urged APC National Working Committee (NWC) to uphold the result signed by Kasali.

    Aleshinloye allayed the fear of the gathering on the outcome of the election.

    “The primary election was conducted in accordance with the party’s guidelines and it was free, fair and credible. We congratulate ourselves and Akinloye on his victory in the election. His experience and contributions to the development of Eti-Osa were major reasons for his victory,” he said.

    Former Eti-Osa East Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Chairman Alhaji Owolabi Yisa appealed to Asiwaju Tinubu to ensure justice is done.

    “Our national leader is a true democrat, a leader who always stands for truth and justice, the hope for the hopeless, on your mandate we stand. We believe he will do justice to the issue at hand. We appeal to our members not to relent in supporting Akinloye, President Muhammadu Buhari, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Assembly members,” he said.

    The group promised President Buhari and Sanwo-Olu three million votes each during next year’s general election.

  • Lagos: A plan matters

    A master plan is special, serious and specific. Its implementation demands a sense of concentrated commitment. The question of a master plan and questions about its implementation were at the centre of the October 2 All Progressives Congress (APC) Lagos governorship primary.

    Indeed, the issue of a master plan determined who lost the primary and who won it. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had 72, 901 votes while Babajide Sanwo-Olu had 970, 851 votes.

    Why was the matter of a master plan so pivotal in the primary? A pillar of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said in an illuminating statement on the eve of the primary: “Roughly 20 years ago, a corps of dedicated and patriotic Lagosians, put aside personal interests and rivalries, to put their minds and best ideas together for the good of the state. Out of this collaborative effort, was born a master plan for economic development that would improve the daily lives of our people. Bestowed on me was the honour of a lifetime when I was elected to be your governor in 1999. My administration faithfully implemented that plan. The government of my immediate successor, Tunde Fashola, also honoured this enlightened plan. Where state government remained true to that blueprint, positive things happened. During my tenure and Governor Fashola’s, Lagos State recorded improvements in all aspects of our collective existence, from public health to public sanitation, from education to social services, from the administration of justice to the cleaning of storm and sewage drains. Businesses, large and small, invested, hired millions of workers and thrived.”

    Tinubu provided an insight into the defining principles of the master plan: “All Lagosians were to fully participate and justly benefit from the social dividends and improvements wrought by this plan. From the common labourer, to business leaders, to professionals and our industrious civil service. We all were to be partners in a monumental but joint enterprise. None was to be alienated. None was to be left out. And none were to be pushed aside. This is especially true for those who contributed so much to our development, whether as a business leader who has invested heavily in Lagos, the homeowner who struggles to pay his fair share of taxes or as someone employed in the hard work of keeping our streets and byways clean so that others may go about their daily tasks unimpeded.”

    It is interesting that Ambode had acknowledged the master plan implementation by his predecessors in a thought-provoking article published last year. Ambode’s words: “I am sharing my thoughts in this article, not necessarily as the Governor of Lagos State but as a Nigerian; a Nigerian who wants to see progress and sustainable growth in our country. I have been lucky to be administering over a state that has been put on the right track by my two predecessors, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN). I do not think I have done anything special except to bring my own style of leadership, my own experience and my vision.” Ambode’s failure in the primary implied that his style of leadership, his experience and vision were out of sync with the master plan he was expected to implement.

    It is noteworthy that in 2017 Lagos was listed among the world’s 100 Resilient Cities (100RC). A project of the U.S.-based Rockefeller Foundation, the 100 Resilient Cities include places in Africa, U.S.A., South America, Europe, Asia and Middle East. According to a report: “President of 100 Resilient Cities, Mr. Michael Berkowitz, said out of the over 1,000 applications received and three rounds of selection process, Lagos was chosen for its innovative leadership, infrastructural strides and influential status not just in Africa but in the world.” The project has its definition of urban resilience, which provided a context for the listing of Lagos: “Resilience is about surviving and thriving, regardless of the challenge.”

    To what degree was this recognition ascribable to implementation of the master plan Tinubu highlighted? To Tinubu’s credit, he had remarked realistically, “I make no pretence that the master plan is perfect. It can always be fine-tuned,” adding, “However, whenever a government departed from this plan without compelling reason, the state and its people have borne the painful consequence of the improper departure.”

    The crux of the matter: “To ignore this blueprint for progress in order to replace it with ad-hoc schemes of a materially inferior quality contravenes the spirit of progressive governance and of our party. Such narrowness of perspective does not bring us closer to our appointed destination; it takes us farther from that destiny. For reasons unknown to me and most Lagosians, we have experienced such deviations from enlightened governance recently.”

    So, Ambode lost the chance for a second term. The lesson is that the importance of master plan implementation and the importance of having a governor who will demonstrate the desired intensity of commitment to the master plan cannot be overemphasised. If respecting the wisdom of the master plan was responsible for the positives of the Tinubu and Fashola administrations, disrespecting the blue print has been a costly adventure for Ambode.

    Tinubu’s decisive endorsement of Sanwo-Olu played up the master plan and his confidence in Sanwo-Olu’s grasp of its supremacy. Tinubu’s words: “I am encouraged by the emergence of a candidate in this primary who has served the state in senior positions in my administration, the Fashola administration and even in the current one. While possessing a wealth of experience and exposure, he is a young man endowed with superlative vision and commitment. Most importantly, he understands the importance of the blueprint for development. He esteems it as a reliable and well-conceived vehicle for the future development of the state. He also knows the value of reaching out and working with others in order to maximise development and provide people the best leadership possible.”

    It is creditable that the development of Lagos since the Tinubu era has been based on a master plan, allegedly downplayed by Ambode. It means that the city’s progress is planned. As Sanwo-Olu prepares for the governorship election, with the advantage of his progressive candidacy, he represents the superiority of planned progress.

     

  • APC to PDP: falsehood can’t stop your defeat in Akwa Ibom

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of resorting to falsehood and propaganda to retain the governorship of Akwa Ibom State.

    Acting National Publicity Secretary Yekini Nabena, in a statement yesterday, said the attempt by the PDP to pin act of violence on the party was wicked.

    Nabena said the APC was aware of series of petitions against leaders of the PDP in the state, especially a former Commissioner in the Udom Emmanuel government.

    The statement said no amount of blackmail and falsehood will stop the PDP government from being chased out of power during the 2019 general elections.

    The statement reads: “In the face of imminent defeat in the forthcoming 2019 governorship and legislative election in Akwa Ibom State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resorted to falsehood and propaganda against All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in the state in its desperation to remain in the reckoning of the Akwa Ibom electorate.

    “We view PDP’s wild and unsubstantiated allegations against former governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, Atuekong Don Etiebet and the 2019 APC governorship candidate, Obong Nsima Ekere as one of the falsehoods and propaganda by the PDP.

    “The PDP alleges that the APC chieftains are planning to foment violence in the state in order to ensure the postponement of the forthcoming elections. The allegation itself is a classic case of the aggressor playing the victim to cover up his misdeeds.

    “Since the issue is security, we may as well expose the PDP and their leaders in Akwa Ibom state for who they are: purveyors of violence. We are aware of several petitions in the office of the Inspector General of Police against the PDP National Legal Adviser, Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem, a former commissioner in Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration.

    “In the petitions, the PDP National Legal Adviser is alleged to have sponsored cultists and militant gangs that have gone out of control in Etim Ekpo, his home local government area and neighbouring Ukanafun. The activities of these cultists have resulted in several deaths in the last three years and displaced many families who now live as displaced persons in Iwukem.

     

  • APC chieftain calls for unity in Ondo

    The All Progressives Congress (APC)lawmaker representating Idanre/Ifedore  constituency in the House of Representatives, Bamidele Baderinwa (White) yesterday observed that the present bickering among supporters of the party in Ondo State may have adverse effect on its fortune in future elections.

    He however,  hailed the efforts of the National Working Committee (NWC) at restructuring the party.

    Baderinwa spoke with reporters after collecting INEC form CF001 confirming him as the candidate of APC for Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency in 2019 general elections.

    The lawmaker who commended the system put in place by the national leadership for the primaries stressed the need for party loyalists to respect party’s constitution, rules and regulations in every conduct.

    He said”I believe in the party supremacy and feel other stakeholders should key into this and work in tandem with laid down rules of the party”.

    “Let all those that have genuine

    interest of the party follow the procedure of the party and align with what the NWC of the party want in the interest of building a virile party that can withstand every political storm”.

    Baderinwa promised to improve on what he had impacted on the people of his constituency if given the opportunity to represent them again.

    He urged all party members to support the change mantra of the APC in order to transform the Nation and rebuild the economy in line with best practices across the world.

    The lawmaker however believed in the performance of the NWC led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu which according to him is in the interest of party members.

    He appealed to party members to start mobilisation and work towards the victory of the APC in the 2019 general elections.

     

  • 2019: Can Ogun APC mend its fences?

    The anxiety thrown up by the ongoing struggle for the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, ahead of the next gubernatorial election, is far from abating as party chieftains and members from the western and eastern senatorial districts continue to queue behind Adekunle Akinlade and Prince Dapo Abiodun, reports Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan

    Ahead of the 2019 general elections, analysts are worried that unless the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State finds a way to resolve the current intra party crisis ripping it apart, the party and its candidates may find it difficult to make good showing at the various elections across the state. Sources within and outside the APC says the current confusion over who the rightful governorship candidate of the party should be is fast tearing Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s party into shreds under his watch.

    Buoyed by Amosun’s unrelenting support for Ogun West Senatorial District in the governorship race, political leaders in the zone, especially within the ruling APC, according to reliable party sources, are determined to do everything humanly possible to ensure that no other person, apart from Hon. Adekunle Abdulkadir Akinlade, their son, who got the endorsement of the governor to fly the APC ticket, emerged as the party’s candidate.

    On the other side of the same state, prominent political leaders, within and outside the ruling party, have lined up behind the aspiration of Prince Dapo Abiodun, the Remo royal blood who got declared as the APC governorship candidate by the National Working Committee after two controversial primary elections in the state. Party stalwarts from Ijebu and Remo zones of the state say they will not agree to any resolution that removes Abiodun’s name from the list of APC governorship candidates.

    Trouble started for the ruling party when the NWC and the state leadership disagreed over the conduct and outcome of the direct primary election carried out to elect the gubernatorial candidate of the APC. While the APC State Executive Committee announced Akinlade as winner, the NWC Electoral Committee said Abiodun emerged winner in the exercise they supervised.

    Expectedly, as the two bodies continued to argue over Akinlade and Abiodun’s fate, Governor Amosun, who never hid his preference for Akinlade as part of his commitment to his pledge to ensure that the Ogun West Senatorial District produces the next governor of the state, has thrown his weight behind the Ogun APC leadership, in insisting that Akinlade be given the ticket to contest the next election.

    Speaking while supervising the rescheduled party primary elections for Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly aspirants at the weekend, the governor decried the tension and uncertainty across the state caused by the disagreement over the governorship ticket. He however assured party members and supporters that Akinlade will be handed the APC ticket at the end of the day.

    “They have told Mr. President all manner of stories, that Amosun has done this or that. Amosun will stand for justice, fairness and the truth. That is why in Ogun State come May 29, 2019, to the glory of God and the benevolence of Almighty God, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade will be the governor of the state. I have told them, if anybody wants to engage in political fight, they should wait for second term. Nobody should push us. We are not fools,” the governor said.

    But within the camp of Abiodun and among political leaders in Ogun East, the governor’s position cannot be said to be generally acceptable. While some of his close aides and associates, like the Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, Yinka Mafe, are ready to go all the way with Amosun, some others are now pandering towards the candidacy of Dapo Abiodun in solidarity with the ‘Ogun East for Governor’ agenda.

    Former state secretary of the defunct Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) and currently a topnotch of the APC in the state, Alhaji Ganiu Olomowewe, while explaining why Amosun should stop his opposition to Abiodun’s candidacy, warned that any alteration in the status quo may spell doom for the APC in the eastern senatorial district during the 2019 general election.

    “The governor should stop carrying on as if Dapo Abiodun is not a member of APC. He cannot continue to say an Ogun East man is not good enough to succeed him and still expect us to support him. We must all learn to accept what we cannot change. Party members have decided at the primary election that it is Abiodun they want. The governor must respect that decision. Any change in the name of the candidate will not be acceptable to us in Ijebu and Remo zones,” he insisted.

    Peace moves

    All hopes of the crisis being resolved are however not lost as The Nation learnt that several efforts are being made by stakeholders to see to the amicable resolution of all the issues at hand. “It is a family matter and I can assure you that our governor is a man of peace who will stop at nothing to ensure that all parties to the misunderstanding are satisfied and adequately catered for in the final resolution,” a close aide of Amosun’s told our reporter.

    The Nation also learnt that several meetings and parleys have been called to discuss the development within and outside the state. While reliable party sources insisted that the issue is yet to be resolved in spite of the publication of Dapo Abiodun’s name by the NWC as the candidate of the APC in Ogun State, some other sources said a middle-way agreement may have been reached ‘at the top’ to lay the matter to rest.

    On Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari met behind closed doors with Amosun. The meeting which is believed to be part of efforts geared towards resolving that crisis in Ogun APC was held inside the President’s office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. It was gathered that Buhari offered to intervene in the matter when it appeared the parties involved were unyielding to previous peace moves by other stakeholders.

    The governor simply told journalists at the end of the meeting that he would be returning with some unnamed persons for another meeting with the President. He was not specific on when the meeting would hold. It was also learnt that Buhari will be meeting with some other people involved in the face-off with a view to facilitating a peaceful resolution of the issue.

    The Nation also learnt that party leaders, including Vice President Yemi Osibajo, have been talking to rival groups in the Ogun State  APC that are disagreeing over the outcome of the national and state assemblies primaries held in the state. “All through this week, meetings were being held here in Abeokuta and even Abuja in search of peace. And we are optimistic of peace at the end of the day,” a party leader said.

    “Last week, the governor met with Vice-President Osinbajo and sources say the development in Ogun State was discussed by the two leaders as they searched for resolutions. Neither Osinbajo nor the governor spoke with State House correspondents who approached them for comments after the meeting, but we are informed that they proffered ways of possibly resolving the logjam,” another party source hinted.

    Also, it was gathered that the state leadership of the party recently convened a meeting of party leaders in Abeokuta to discuss the matter. Sources at the meeting told The Nation that many of the stakeholders at the meeting were concerned about how best the matter can be resolved in such a way that the final outcome will not disturb the winning streak of the APC in the state.

    “We met and discussed. We are all bothered about the turn of things and we are in agreement with Governor Amosun on this matter. We are hoping that the NWC will see reason why they should allow the leadership of the APC in Ogun State to guide them in this matter as it was done in other states. However, we are also very concerned about how the issue is resolved that the party remains one indivisible family ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    “While it is true we seek justice and fairness, we also seek unity and progress of the party. We will not be happy if the outcome of this crisis damages the chances of the APC in Ogun State. That is why we are saying all those beating of drums of war should act like genuine party members and sheath their swords. At the end of the day, we must all rally round the party irrespective of who the candidate is.

    “So, for some people or group of people to be issuing statements that they will not support any other candidate except the one they want now is not good for the party and it must stop. If our leaders examine the facts and decide to change the status quo, we as party faithful must be ready to accept the verdict in the interest of our great party. No sacrifice is too much to make for the party,” he added.

    Agitations continue

    Meanwhile, the Ijebu/Remo Forum, a group within the Ogun State chapter of APC, has urged Amosun and other stakeholders, particularly from Yewa-Awori extraction in the state, to accept Abiodun’s candidacy in the interest of peace and progress.  In a statement issued after their meeting in Sagamu on Tuesday, members of the forum saluted President Buhari, Osinbajo and Oshiomhole, for their efforts towards resolving the dispute in Ogun State APC.

    The statement partly reads, “We appeal to everyone to be sportsmen and to be gallant in the present situation. Our experience has taught us that everyone will have his day. We say to our compatriots from Ogun West, in particular, that despite the intensity of this contest, the Ijebu and Remo people are no enemies of the Yewa and Awori people. Ijebu and Remo people are a people with a deep sense of history, justice and fairness.

    “We seek it for ourselves and seek it for other people. Indeed, from the history of Ogun State to date, we know we are friends and allies. We have, mutually, supported each other before and we believe God that we will do so again in future. On this occasion, we appeal for your restraint and gallantry. Please be assured that the government to be led by Prince Dapo Abiodun will serve your interest and that of all of Ogun State without any discrimination.”

    The statement, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent, was endorsed by its chairman, Aare Olu Dawodu, its secretary, Prince Segun Aderibigbe, Chief Bisi Rodipe, Chief O. B. Okuboyejo, Alhaji Rafiu Songonuga, Prince Adeyemi Adefulu, Bashorun Adebisi Adesanya and Dr. Rasheed Adenusi, among other prominent political and community leaders from across the eastern senatorial district of the state.

  • Lagos East APC to Sanwo-Olu: Give us SSG

    Lagos East All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders yesterday urged the governorship candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to compensate the district with the position of Secretary to Government, if elected in next year’s election.

    The elders, led by Chief Busura Alebiosu, said Sanwo-Olu is spending the remaining term meant for the Lagos East, adding that the district deserves the slot because the governor is from Lagos Central and the deputy is likely to come from the Lagos West.

    A party elder, Senator Tony Adefuye, who spoke on their behalf during the “thank you” visit of the flag bearer to the district, urged him to shun vindictiveness, if he gets to power.

    Although the flag bearer and the party have not officially announced the name of Sanwo-Olu’s running mate, Adefuye asked from the candidate why he was not accompanied by his “deputy.”

    Reminded that the man likely to emerge as the running mate has tentacles in the three districts; his father being from the West, his grandparents from the East and his mother from the Central, the Third Republic senator disagreed, insisting that Lagos East deserved special compensation.

    Adefuye, who congratulated Sanwo-Olu for his victory at the primary, said he will also be congratulated when he wins the February, next year’s poll.

    He added: “This term you are going to spend is a term for the East. You need to compensate us. We in the East voted for you. The votes from us equalled or were more than the votes from the West and Central. Epe voted from their son. This is understandable. Please, don’t forget us when you get in. The governor is from the Central. The deputy governor is from the West. The Secretary to Government must come from the East.”

    Sanwo-Olu stormed the Funplex Resort, along CMD Road, Shangisha venue where party elders and leaders from Ikorodu, Kosofe, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki and Somolu converged. He was accompanied by his campaign manager, Tayo Ayinde, Cardinal James Odunmbaku, Abdullahi Enilolobo, Dr. Tola Kasali, Bayo Ajisebutu, Sesan Daini and Gboyega Akosile.

    Party leaders who received the candidate included former Deputy Governor Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, Second Republic Secretary to Government Olorunfunmi Basorun, former Transport Commissioner Alhaji Lanre Rasak, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Commissioner Muslim Folami, former House of Assembly Speakers Yemi Ikuforiji and Joko Pelumi, former Housing Commissioner Dele Onabokun, former Agriculture Commissioner and Lagos APC Vice Chairman (East) Ashipa Kaoli Olusanya, House of Representative member Prince Rotimi Agunsoye, House of Assembly member Tunde Braimoh, Ajiroba Wale Mogaji, Ademorin Kuye, Abiodun Salam, Yetunde Arobieke, Kafila Ogbara, Goriola Ogbara, Pa Banire, Tunde Temionu, Alabi Macfoy, Yeye Gbadebo, Chief S.A Oyedele, Bode Oyedele, and Sesan Olanrewaju.

    Thanking God for his success at the direct primary, Sanwo-Olu also thanked Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for his support, praying that God should give him long life.

    He apologised profusely to the party faithful for his inability to visit all of them before the shadow poll, citing time constraints and other challenges.

    Sanwo-Olu observed that, despite the omission, the district voted for him en masse at the primary in demonstration of their love and loyalty to the party.

    The former commissioner called for unity and understanding ahead of next year’s polls, urging every member to put the primary behind and face the proposed elections with optimism and enthusiasm.

    He said: “For those who did not vote for me, let us embrace ourselves. APC is a team. We must work together for victory.”

    Reflecting on the competitive primary, Sanwo-Olu advised those aspirants who failed to get party tickets not to see the transient setback as the end of their political career.

    He said: “United we stand, disunited we fall. We need to heal the wound of defeat and give ourselves a sense of belonging. The aggrieved should be pacified. I will like to meet with those aspirants and bring all of them on board.”

    Sanwo-Olu promised to set up an all-inclusive government, adding that extensive consultation and participatory process will be its hallmark.

    He stressed: “Some people don’t need anything; they just want access to the governor to give their views. The members of the party will take ownership of the government. That is the government of the people, by the people and for the people”.

    Urging party members to intensify the door-to-door mobilisation, Sanwo-Olu added: “Tell our members and those who are not our members that a new dawn is imminent and that people should get ready with their PVCs. It is not going to be a campaign of mouth. We should reach out to the poor people at the grassroots in Alimoso, Badagry, Ibeju-Lekki, Kosofe and Mile Two, and let them savour dividends of democracy.

    “If you walk with people, you will walk far. I want to walk far. The greatest dividend is good governance. Around 2005 or 2006, I was described as “sellable.” I am a product you can sell.”

    Ayinde said: “Our in-coming governor of Lagos State has come to say thank you to you. Despite the short time and the fact that he could not go round Lagos State before the primary, you voted for him. He is thanking you for what you are going to do for him in 2019. He appreciates your loyalty and steadfastness to the party. “

    Basorun, a lawyer and retired banker, charged the members to gird their loins, stressing that the battle must be won net year.

    He said: “We are going to the field to work and succeed. Sanwo-Olu has told us what we should do. As from today, let us do away with euphoria. Let us be prepared to work. Let there be unity. I am for Paul, you are for Apollo. That should not happen.”

    Turning to Sanwo-Olu, the party elder said: “You have to be in the party. The state governor don’t attend the state exco of the party. They don’t attend meetings. That is where to get the message and feedback. Find time to attend the state exco meeting.

    “When we were in government, every week, we went to the people, we held meetings. God will guide you. Try to hold a meeting with the APC leaders from the East under the leadership of Chief Alebiosu. Some issues are better discussed at that level.”

    Seriki-Bamu advised Sanwo-Olu not to take any action, based on lies and rumours, adding that these vices are associated with politics. He also advised the flag bearer not to abandon the developmental programmes being implemented in Epe by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

    Seriki-Bamu also urged Sanwo-Olu not to forget the elders and leaders who work for his victory after the election.

    He stressed: “I thank God for you. I also thank Asiwaju Tinubu. When you get there, don’t forget us. Tinubu was accessible. So, try to make yourself accessible. If people work for you and you turn against them, people will not be happy. If anybody says anything to you, don’t act on lies and rumours. Call the person and investigate the allegations. Don’t forget Epe. Don’t abandon the projects going on in Epe.”

  • Obasanjo lobbying US to lift travel ban on Atiku, APC alleges

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo has commenced moves to make the United States government withdraw its alleged travel ban on PDP presidential candidate and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

    In a statement signed by the Acting National Publicity Secretary of APC, Yekini Nabena, the party said it has credible information that Obasanjo has started lobbying the US government to issue Atiku an entry visa.

    The statement reads: “We have come across credible reports that former President Olusegun Obasanjo has made moves to secure United States entry visa for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, whose candidacy he endorsed on Thursday.

    “It is learnt that that the former president, who during and after leaving office insisted on Atiku’s unsuitability to govern Nigeria based on his knowledge of the latter’s extensive corrupt practices while he served as Vice President, is lobbying US authorities to withdraw the ban reportedly placed on Atiku from entering the United States following a 2005 $500,000 bribery scandal that involved Atiku, his fourth wife Jennifer and former United States Congressman, William Jefferson.

    “Recall that the former president while in office had deployed enormous resources of the country on a global dragnet coordinated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in getting Atiku prosecuted for corrupt enrichment and money laundering.

    “A report by the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by Senator Carl Levin reported that Atiku used offshore companies to siphon millions of dollars to his fourth wife in the United States, Jennifer, while still the vice president of Nigeria between 2000 and 2008.

    “The report further stated that then President Bush had on the strength of his report, barred Atiku and other corrupt politically exposed persons from being issued visa to the United States, a reason for which he has been unable to travel to the United States till date.

    “Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s intervention in Alh.Abubakar Atiku’s ban from the United States of America is evidence of Obasanjo’s legendary hypocrisy and self-serving interest in national affairs.”

  • Atiku’s hour cometh?

    In the run up to the 2015 presidential elections, I wrote a column on this space titled ‘Buhari’s hour cometh?’ Everything just appeared to be working in the direction of a predictable victory for the taciturn and aloof General from Daura. Here was a man who had sought the country’s highest position on three previous occasions – 2003, 2007 and 2011 – with nothing to show for it. It did not matter that he was widely admired for his asceticism, frugality and simple outlook on life while enjoying a cult following among the masses of northern Nigeria. For the first time, however, Buhari had a broad based political platform in the emergent All Progressives Congress (APC) that also equipped him to win sufficient support particularly in the South West and middle Belt geo-political zones that enabled him to defeat an incumbent at the centre in the 2015 elections.

    With the emergence of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku as presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), however, it is pertinent to wonder if his much awaited political hour has finally come for the former Customs officer turned mega businessman and politician from Adamawa State. For one, the 12 other aspirants the Turaki defeated in the   PDP intra-party elections appear to have united in support of his candidacy at least for now. That was how other defeated presidential aspirants in the historic APC National Convention of 2014 accepted Buhari’s candidacy, refrained from quitting the party and with some even working assiduously for his victory in the general election. Incidentally, President Goodluck Jonathan who later lost the election had been returned unopposed as PDP presidential candidate at a time when Buhari had to face competitive intra-party contest within the APC.

    Of course, one cannot read too much into such coincidences because the APC, from all indications, appears to have rallied behind Buhari’s candidacy despite the seeming monarchical coronation that characterized his unanimous affirmation as presidential candidate at the APC’s non-elective national convention.  However, it is not out of place to ponder if indeed Atiku’s hour of glory may be at hand given the support he his garnering from unusual quarters. For instance, the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has endorsed Atiku’s presidential bid presumably because of his new found love for restructuring of the polity.  This has long been a cherished desire of the Afenifere leaders.

    In the same vein, Atiku has been aggressively courting South-East, South-South and Middle-Belt political leaders and groups.  Even then, will these zones particularly in the South want to risk electing an Atiku who will most likely have the possibility of spending two terms of eight years in office compared to Buhari, who if he wins next year, will be entitled to only one more constitutional term of four years? I ask this question in the light of the unwritten and informal zoning formula that has characterized political competition especially at the presidential level in this dispensation. Atiku has reportedly promised to spend only one term in office if he emerges as President next year. Do most people believe him? I don’t think so. Yes in picking Mr. Peter Obi from the South East as his runningmate, Atiku has shown that he means business.

    No less significant, is the endorsement that Atiku has received from his former boss and implacable foe – the unforgiving and pugnacious former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo in characterisc exhibition of self –righteousness, claimed to have forgiven Atiku for his many sins because the latter has apologized to him and demonstrated contriteness and mortification for his alleged iniquities. If Obasanjo had all along claimed at diverse fora that his former Deputy had sinned against God and Nigeria, can he now just casually bestow the benediction of forgiveness on the PDP candidate presumably on behalf of God and the rest of us?

    Some analysts have claimed that Obasanjo has only minuscule electoral value. They miss the point.    The former President’s political influence far exceeds his electoral value. This was the pithy point made by Chief Obafemi Awolowo when Chef MKO Abiola quit the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the Second Republic causing seismic political tremors despite his scanty following in the South West at the time.   It is better to have Obasanjo at your ringside when engaging in electoral or political battle. But even then, it is not impossible that he may yet meet his waterloo at the hands of the tactically astute military turned political strategist from Daura.

    Again, the question: ‘Is Atiku’s hour of electoral glorification at hand?’ The eloquent and often prescient convener of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), Pastor Tunde Bakare is seemingly non committal even though clinical in his analysis. In his words: “It is not going to be an Eaglet versus an eagle but an eagle versus eagle: an old eagle versus new eagle and probably both of them old eagles”. Continuing, the fiery cleric surmised “I can’t say Atiku will win or lose. You see, I am not advocating for him. Among all the PDP aspirants, who contested the party’s ticket with him, he is perhaps the most cosmopolitan; he is a Wazobia man… He has been a businessman with business acumen and he has exposure. But you see, that is not what qualifies you to win. A lot comes into play; so, again, I cannot say whether he will win or lose”.

    Ordinarily, in my view the next election ought to be a straight walk over for the ruling APC. No candidate on the platform of the PDP should stand even a tenth of a chance against President Muhammadu Buhari. The havoc wrought by the PDP in its 16 year-rule of the locusts that virtually brought the nation to its knees is still all too fresh in the national consciousness. Unfortunately, the ruling APC has committed too many unforced errors thus making it possible for the PDP to even dream of coming to power again so soon at the centre after the horrendous bleeding of the national treasury that took place under its watch.

    Luckily for the APC, Atiku seems to be couching his political communication in terms of Nigerians wanting the PDP back in power. Nothing could be further from the truth.  To have even a fighting chance of giving Buhari a run for his money, Atiku must, in my view, sell his personal qualities, attributes and achievements while de-emphasizing his mortally damaged party platform.  If he must refer to his party at all, Atiku’s bold message to Nigerians must be one of being committed to supporting the institution of  genuine reforms within the PDP and more meaningfully re-branding the party and enthroning a new and higher moral ethos as well as ethical standards within the party.

    But does Atiku possess the moral integrity and character to project himself as a moral change agent both within the PDP and as leader of Nigeria if elected next year? Most of his adversaries will vehemently answer this question in the negative. For some inexplicable reason, the toga of alleged corruption hung on Atiku has appeared to stick. I find this baffling because to the best of my knowledge, Atiku remains unindicted by any court of law within or outside Nigeria for any acts of corruption. There have been reports of alleged financial infractions in the United States that make it impossible for Atiku to travel to that country. The US government has, however, maintained a studied silence on the matter thus leaving it at the level of unproven and unproductive speculation.

    Against a candidate like Buhari, there is no way Atiku can dodge responding fully to the integrity question. For despite his all too obvious flaws, millions of Nigerians still admire Buhari’s obvious disdain for materialism and ostentation in a clime where the criminal plunder of public resources is the pastime of the political /business elite. However, if Buhari does not move fast to distance himself from some of his closest aides and inner kitchen cabinet who have hidden under the banner of his integrity to commit all manner of atrocities as epitomized, for instance, by the scandalous Rasheed Maina affair, the still unexplained cash haul at Ikoyi, or open defiance of court judgements and violations of the rule of law, for instance, he may unwittingly aid the fruition next year of Atiku’s hour.

    For now, it is my view that Buhari has done well enough, scoring a slightly above average performance to merit re-election next year. If that happens, someone may likely describe Atiku someday as another ‘best President Nigeria never had’! I wish both Buhari and Atiku best of luck. But the next few months will be crucial.

     

     

     

     

  • APC NASS tickets: NWC okays candidates for Ondo

    The suspense and anxiety surrounding the outcome of the National Assembly primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) in Ondo State appear to be over.

    The National Working Committee (NWC) of the party yesterday okayed candidates who will contest the National Assembly election on its platform.

    The intra party exercise of the party had been marred by intrigues, horse trading as well as other factors which created tension within the party in the state. It was gathered that the frosty relationship between Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and the APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole almost led to an outright cancellation of the outcome of the exercise but for the prompt intervention of party leaders on behalf of the governor.

    All the same, the governor was said to have lost some grounds, especially in the senatorial contest as all his preferred choices, but one, were dropped. Those who made the list include the following: Senators Robert Ajayi Borofice(North); Donald Tayo Alasoadura( Central) and Yele Omogunwa(South).

    On the list of approved House of Representatives candidates are former security aide to Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi  while he was governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, Ade Adeogun(Akoko South west/south east); Bunmi Oni (Akoko North West/ North East); Timehin Adelegbe(Ose/Owo); Jimmy Faloye(Akure North/South); Hon. Ola Baderinwa(Idanre/Ifedore); Dr Jibayo Adeyeye(Ondo East/West), Hon. mayo Akinfolarin (Odigbo/Ileoluji Okeigbo);

    Hon Akintoye Albert(Irele/Okitipupa) as well as a top flight journalist, Donald Ojogo(Ilaje/Ese-Odo).

    Our correspondent gathered that the Form CF001 have already been despatched to the Ondo State office of the APC for completion by all affected candidates.