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Tag: All Progressives Congress

APC holds ‘make or mar’ NEC meeting

The much talked about National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is scheduled to hold on Tuesday at the party National secretariat with President Muhammadu Buhari in attendance.

The meeting is the third meeting of the body since the inauguration of the APC led federal government with the last meeting taking place in March 2016 against the mandatory quarterly meeting.

The NEC meeting has been postponed on two previous occasioned after invitations had been sent out, but as at the time of this report, security details were seen putting finishing touches to security Arrangement around the APC secretariat.

Ahead of the meeting, the National Working Committee were said to have held a meeting with state Chairmen of the party on Sunday apparently to drum up support with a view to averting the alleged plot to unseat the chairman.

Women leaders of the party were also seen a meeting with the National Women Leander ahead of the meeting at the party secretariat probably to agree on a common position to be presented to the meeting.

Those who are statutorily expected at the NEC meeting include President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Suleiman Yusuf Lasun, members of the National Working Committee and their deputies, Leader of the Physically challenged, Zonal Secretaries, zonal organizing secretaries, zonal women leaders and State Chairmen.

Others include State Governors who are members of the party, Majority Leader, party Whips and their Deputies in both the Senate and House of Representatives, two serving Senators from each of her six geopolitical zone, three members of the House of Representatives from the six geopolitical zone, six ex-officio members and Serving Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Secretary of the Board of Trustees.

However, since the inception of the party, it has not inaugurated its Board of Trustees, while the last NEC meeting mandated a review of the party constitution to change the name of the BOT to Elders Council with a view to trimming down the membership to what it termed manageable size.

Article 25 (B) of the party constitution states that the National Executive Committee shall meet every quarter and or at any time decided by the National, Chairman or at the request made in writing by at least two third of the members of the National, Executive Committee provided that not less than 14 days notice is given for the meeting to be summoned.

The quorum for the meeting, according to the APC constitution shall be one-third of its members.

The meeting may deliberate on the crisis in various states of the federation with a view to rectifying or upturning the suspension of some members of the party such as National Legal Adviser, Muiz Banire, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Timi Frank, Senator Shehu Sani, Chairman of APC In Bayelsa state among others.

The Nation learnt that at a recent meeting of the National Working Committee and state governors, the governors present expressed concern over the absence of south-west governors and their apathy to the party meeting, suggesting that something is done to placate them.

The governors were said to have also expressed concern about the absence of most of the governors from the north from the meeting.

It is also expected to consider the recommendation of the National Working Committee to merge the non-elective convention with the elective convention in view of the expiration of the tenure of the Oyegun led leadership in April 2018.

The National Working Committee is reported to have suggested that in view of the financial situation of the party and the closeness of the two conventions, both be merged and held between February and April 2018.

The poor state of the party’s finances, complains of marginalization especially from key members of the party and supporters as well as the direction of the party ahead of the 2019 elections is expected to top the agenda of the party.

State governors of the party are said to be complaining that they are not being carried along in the running of the country by the President, especially when it comes to making appointments from their states.

Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong who spoke the mind of the governors at a recent outing in Abuja said the government is making appointments from their states without seeking their input, adding that those who do not have the capacity to defend the actions of the President have been the ones benefiting from the federal government to appointments.

The governor said the government must be made aware that things are not working the way they should, saying “If things are wrong they are wrong, if they are right they are right. But it requires very courageous people to come out and say these thongs are wrong or they are right.

“Let the Mr. President be aware that this is the time to do it because even as governors we are also complaining in our various state, we are saying it. We complained in our states that we sit down and we hear appointment made and then people start asking you as the governor where is this man coming from?

“But when we turn right and turn left, we don’t know where such a person is coming from. Many people have complained. I’m sure governors have complained that we should be able to know who and who will Protect Mr. President and his administration.

“When I heard that BSO is coming back again, I said is it not too late because if you allow people to grumble too much, you will see a fight in several states and some of them are for a just course.

“Somebody suffered for the party, the person is not rewarded and you wake up to see another man who even fought you, the man who made you to lose your job is now being appointed and the one who suffered is sitting down.
Sometimes he will be looking for tears to cry and the tears will not be there because they are dry.

“Like our chairman said to me, it is not too late. This is the time to start because this is the time you will hear a lot of things coming. People who have not serve will come back and say I had served this way, I had served that way but the records are there. The records can not tell lie. If it is true that they served this way, they served that way let the record.”

October 30, 2017
‘APC vindicated by Babachir’s sack’

The All Progressives Congress (APC) said on Monday that the sack of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. Babachir Lawal has vindicated the party position.

National Publicity Secretary of the party said while reacting g to the sack of Lawal said the President has done the needful.

Abdullahi said: “A few days ago when the President directed the dismissal of Abdulrasheed Maina, some people say that is right but what about the suspended SGF, BD Lawal but we as a party said look, the President is the only person who has all the information. All of us can inly has one side of the story or the other.

“But the President by the virtue of the position he occupies is the only one who has all the information and he would do what is necessary at the right time, now we have been vindicated and it shows that the President has not in anyway waiver his commitment not to tolerate corruption at any level no matter who is involve,” the APC spokesman stated.

Related: ‘Handover Babachir, Oke to EFCC, ICPC’

Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti Corruption, Prof Itse Sagay said the sack of the suspended SGF was long over due, while describing the appointment of Boss Mustapha as his replacement as a positive development.

Sagay said: “I think there has been a consensus on this and that was overdue. There has been too much delay. Although I will like to put a caveat that government usually have a lot more information than the rest of us as the delay might have discretionary due to the information they had. I was patient and I definitely endorse the final decision that has been taken.

“Boss Mustapha has a very long history of political activities and my impression on him is that, apart from being a lawyer with a very good reputation in terms of integrity, he has always been a consistent person in whatever course he pursues. So, I think that we should ok at it as a positive development.”

October 30, 2017
Tinubu declines to speak on Buhari’s re-election

The National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Monday declined to speak on the current clamour for President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election.

Tinubu was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja for a closed-door meeting

Asked if he agrees with different groups and individuals calling on Buhari to seek re-election in 2019, Tinubu said: “Don’t discuss that one with me.”

October 30, 2017
Ex-Jigawa Senator dumps PDP

Alhaji Danladi Sankara, former Senator representing Jigawa Northwest, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Sankara was received by the Jigawa Governor, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru at the Malam Aminu Kano triangle Square on Sunday in Dutse.

Badaru said that the defection of the former senator was a welcome development to the party in the state.

The governor said that the APC had caught a big fish, for the entrance of Sankara to APC in view of his pedigree in his former party.

Badaru recalled that Sankara was one time National Vice chairman, PDP Northwest geo-political zone and Sole Administrator of the party in Sokoto state.

“With his defection to APC, PDP is completely dead in Jigawa because Sankara is one of the founders of PDP in the country and the person that brought it to jigawa,’’ he said.

The governor, however, said that the immediate past administration left a contract liability of N92 billion to him but with the help of God and the good people of the state, he overcame the situation.

He lamented the myriad of problems left by the previous administration of PDP at both state and federal levels which resulted in President Muhammadu Buhari giving out bail outs to states.

Chief John Oyegun, National chairman of APC who was represented at the ceremony by the chairman of the party in the Northwest, Alhaji Shuaibu Lawal, assured that Sen. Sankara would be treated fairly like other members of the party.

Earlier, while formally declaring for the party, Sankara said that he was joining the party with 8,905 of his supporters.

Sankara pledged to work for the unity and progress of the party, to win all elections in the state and at the federal level. (NAN)

October 29, 2017
In search of APC’s next National chair
If the plans work, former governor of Edo State, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, will displace Chief John Odigie Oyegun as the chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Doubters and quibbler can now be content that Oshiomhole might soon be saddled with the responsibility of piloting the affairs of the ruling party in Nigeria.

The repulsive news broke last weekend that Mr. Oshiomhole is currently favoured by 17 APC Governors in a plot to remove Odigie Oyegun as the APC national chairman. In the report, a source was quoted thus: “Ahead of the NEC meeting of APC next week, there is tension in the party. About 17 of the 24 governors are unhappy with the national chairman. They are plotting to withdraw their support for him, unless he carries all of them along”.

The Governors are reportedly angry, that Oyegun has been running the party with only 7 of their colleagues. The news posits that the dissatisfied governors are expected to table their grievances at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on October 31 and pass a vote of no confidence in Oyegun.

The report went ahead to say that the Governors are believed to have spoken to President Muhammadu Buhari on their decision to reject Oyegun’s leadership, while Oyegun’s supporters have fingered former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s backers as part of the plot.

It also hinted that the 17 governors believe that Oyegun is romancing their 7 colleagues because the APC National Chairman is of the opinion that they are close to the President. Those purportedly on the side of Chief Oyegun are Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna); Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano); Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi); Rochas Okorocha (Imo); Solomon Lalong (Plateau); Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Samuel Ortom (Benue).

The report also quoted an APC NEC member thus: “…the issues the 17 governors are raising are part of the conspiracy against the National Chairman. “And what you are likely to see is the direction where things will go at the NEC session. As regards Oyegun’s preference for some governors, I do not think it is true. If the chairman has personal relationship with some governors, I think it is by virtue of their position or performance”.

Interestingly, Oyegun and Oshiomhole are both from Edo State and are former governor of the state. While Chief Oyegun retired as a Federal Permanent Secretary, Mr. Oshiomhole had his days at the helm of affairs of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. However, there are lot of questions begging for answers as Oyegun’s four-year of APC leadership draw to a close.

Nigerians would like to know whether Oyegun demonstrated desire leadership at the saddle all through the four-year as the chairman of the APC? Has there been stability in the party and the polity? Was there conscious effort by Chief Oyegun at developing party policy that will differentiate the APC from the PDP in the eyes of the general public? You’re wont to ask also, what might Oshiomhole bring aboard the leadership of APC, different to what Chief Oyegun has been offering the ruling party presently? Is Oshiomhole ambition about fulfilling all righteousness? What is Oshiomhole’s contribution to the APC before now?

The problem with political party development in Nigeria arises from the ruling elite unwritten rule/law that whoever is the president or governor, even local government chairman automatically becomes the leader of the political party in their domain. This primitive and/or backward-looking winner-takes-all disposition is the albatross of political party growth in the country’s democratic evolution. Political parties which ought to be vehicles for formulating and propagating national economic development has been reduced to mere praise singing platforms for elected government officials, regardless of their woeful performance in office. This, apart from Oyegun’s personal weaknesses, may have accounted for Oyegun’s languid performance in the last four-year.

Looking at Chief Oyegun’s past as the first executive governor of Edo State for less than two years, it is evidence he demonstrated copious leadership endowment by ensuring that everyone, including non-indigene of the state benefited from his free education program. Accountability and astute leadership wre enthroned. Ditto every other aspects of governance. Edo would have been better for it but for the rude military incursion that brought the administration to abrupt end.

The story of the APC as a political party would not be complete without the previous alliance between the defunct ACN and CPC. In 2011 when Acton Congrass of Nigeria, ACN, and the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, made futile efforts at merging into an alliance, Mr. Oshiomhole was the first to truncate that alliance by preventing President Muhammadu Buhari to enter Edo State to campaign for his (Oshiomhole’s) reelection bid in 2012.

The same Oshiomhole is currently clowning as President Buhari’s man Friday! Oshiomhole, against the ethics of political party development, canvassed vigorously for President Goodluck election in 2011, while Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was a candidate in Oshiomhole’s political party.

Mr. Oshiomhole has been laying claims to President Muhammadu Buhari’s presidency, even though the APC lost the 2015 Presidential election in the state. Before we forget, the Peoples Democratic Party won the 2015 presidential election with 52% of total vote cast in Edo State.

Before Mr. President would consider Oshiomhole for any Federal appointment or before the so-called 17 friendly governors would support Chief Oyegun’s replacement with Oshiomhole, it will please Edo people for an inquest to be conducted on the fiv-star hospital that was commissioned by Buhari 12 months ago. The Benin Central Hospital has remained under lock and key, without equipment and personnel.
- Ikhide, a Public Affairs Analyst, writes from Lagos.
October 27, 2017
Maina’s reinstatement embarrassing to FG – APC

The All Progressives Congress says reinstatement of Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, into the Federal Civil Service was an embarrassment to the Federal Government.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated this while speaking with newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that the development was unacceptable and also embarrassing to the party.

Maina was said to have been dismissed from the Federal Civil Service for abandoning his duty post and evading arrest for his involvement in the looting of pension funds to the tune of N100 billion.

“We are all shocked like any other person. It is almost unbelievable that such a thing can happen.

“However, we are all delighted that President Muhammadu Buhari has taken very decisive punitive action against those that are involved.

“We are also delighted that he has ordered full scale investigation into the circumstances that led to this individual to be reinstated into the public office,’’ he said.

Abudullahi said that the APC believed that those that were part or found to be part of the development would face appropriate consequences.

He, however, debunked insinuations that the president was shielding the suspended Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal and the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr Ayo Oke, over corruption investigation.

The APC spokesman expressed confidence that the president would do what was necessary and right under the situations in the best interest of the nation.

“Action will definitely be taken on them. I think we should just be kind and wait for the president to take action on that before we come to the conclusion that he has not acted,’’ he said. (NAN)

October 24, 2017
‘Okowa perpetuating monumental fraud in Delta’

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and spokesperson for the APC Delta state Leaders Council, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh has accused Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa of perpetuating monumental fraud in the state and usurping the powers of the state House of Assembly to appropriate funds for government expenditure.

Ojougboh told newsmen in his office in Abuja that the governor has been running the state like a private enterprise since he assumed office in 2015 and challenged the governor and his team to show the world a copy of the 2016 and 2017 appropriation act approved by the state House of Assembly.

He also accused the governor of unilaterally increase the governor’s approval limit from N50 million limit enjoyed by the Ibori and Uduagham government to N250 million without consultation with the State Executive Council.

Ojougboh who was Deputy National Chairman to the Ali Modu Sherrif faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the governor has also failed to present the budget of the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission to the State Assembly for approval for the past two years and also failing to account for the Paris Club refund.

“We want to use this opportunity to explain to Deltans how the ongoing fraud in Delta State was structured. During the tenures of His Excellencies, James Onanefe Ibori and Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, the expenditure approval limits for Governors were Fifty Million Naira (N50, 000, 000).

“On the 17th August 2015 immediately after inception, the Delta Government issued a circular without seeking the approval of the state Exco jerking up the Governors approval threshold from N50 Million to N250 Million. The Governor also immediately increased the threshold of the ministerial and State tender boards, but barred them from exercising their power in paragraph two after the said circular:

“The reviews presented above pertain only to the costs of projects in view. All other extant supportive processes for procurement will continue to apply. This includes, for instance, the requirement for MDAs to obtain the prior approval of His Excellency, the Governor, before applying the instrumentality of Ministerial Tender Boards to projects that come within their scope. Similarly, the practice of obtaining the prior approval of the State EXCO for projects in category C will continue to apply.”

Related: ‘Okowa running State without budget’

He said further that “the impact of this fraudulent increase in approval threshold is not lost to Deltans. The Governor then proceeded armed with this “dangerous weapon of mass destruction” to initiate the greatest fraud ever seen in the history of Nigeria.

“For the 2016 and 2017 fiscal years, he did not present budget details for the state budget and DESOPADEC budget. The government has failed since the 4th October 2017 till date to produce the state and DESOPADEC budgets for 2016 and 2017.

“The government then went for the bailout funds. Delta State Government has received N76 billion till date. The government also passed the hangover loan from the previous administrations to the Federal Government as bonds, so there are no liabilities to this present administration on previous loans.

“In the process, the Paris Club refund of N20 billion was paid to the Government. This again disappeared, not accounted for the list. Delta State is one of the lucky states that receives enormous monthly allocations, eg, the State received N14 billion for the month of September 2017 which was the highest in the federation. Internally generated revenue brings an additional of N10 billion monthly.

“Looking at the above, one can see that Delta State has no business with poverty and since the inception of the present Government, Delta has received N840 billion in allocation, loans, IGR and grants.

“The truth of the matter is that apart from a questionable monthly wage bill of N4 billion and with unpaid salaries and pension of up to 24 months, the government has completely mismanaged, misappropriated, misapplied and looted the state dry.

“With the approval threshold of N250 Million, the Government uses only four (4) memos to syphon one billion with criminal and malignant impunity.

“Truth they say is stranger than fiction, only yesterday the Commissioner for Finance posited that 2203 political office holders are paid N330 million naira, this again is not true. Each earns N250,000 and common sense shows that the monthly wage is N550 million. Is there any truth in this Government?

“It has, therefore, become necessary to call the attention of the public to the motion on the floor of the house where the Governor was purported to present 2018 budget when he had not presented the 2016 and 2017 State and DESOPDEC budgets.

“The practice is that as soon as a budget is presented to the house, the Speaker causes the budget breakdown to be circulated to all members. The standing Committees of the house becomes Sub-committees of the Committees of Finance and Appropriation. The various Sub-committees submit their report to the Appropriation Committee and collate them into the appropriation report.

“We challenge any member to present a copy of the 2016, 2017 State and DESOPADEC budgets. We also encourage members of the house to obtain copies of the 2018 budget and return to their constituencies to discuss the budget.

“The Delta State APC is very worried about the unfortunate destructive fraud pervading our state and hereby call on Mr President to act on our earlier letter to investigate this fraud and the Traditional Rulers and Clergy in Delta State to intervene to stop the bleeding of the State, otherwise, the consequences will be grave.

“The APC implore Deltans to note the sorry state of our cities and the complete darkness now enveloping the previously well-lit cities of Asaba and Warri. Poverty yawns in Delta State.

“We again call on the State House of Assembly to stand up to be counted. The State House of Assembly should suspend the sales of Delta line and investigate the criminal handover of our commonwealth to private individuals in Government. For us Deltans, change has come to the state and the APC is waiting to change the course of history and bring development to Delta.”

October 24, 2017
Jonathan’s government most corrupt in Nigerian history – Buhari support group

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has continued to come under heavy attack from supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari over his comment that the Buhari government and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) came to power based on lies and propaganda.

Ones of the President’s support groups, the Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) yesterday reminded the former President that he ran the most corrupt government in the history of the country and has nothing concrete except monumental looting of public resources to show for his six years rule.

In a statement signed by the Chairman, Hon. Austin Braimoh, and Secretary, Chief Cassidy Madueke and made available to The Nation in Abuja, the group said it was unbecoming for the former President to paint the Buhari in bad light when Nigerians overwhelmingly rejected his government during the 2015 elections for alleged incompetence and running a government without a clear cut direction.

The statement reads in part: “to us, it was uncharitable for the former President to refer to APC as running a government of “lies and propaganda”, while at the same time attempting to impress Nigerians that he ran a faultless government with time tested achievements.

“It is unbecoming of former President Jonathan to speak of President Buhari’s government in bad light, even when majority of Nigerians home and abroad believed he ran the worst and most corrupt government ever.

“We submit that the former President should always remember that Nigerians rejected him overwhelmingly during the 2015 Presidential election on the alleged incompetent and directionless government he ran, all through, a reason he should avoid being brazenly judgemental.

“Indeed, the former President ought to be in the dock by now, answering charges on a welter of proven allegations bothering on phenomenal corruption, ineptitude, utter lack of focus and vision, all which combined to make Nigeria a pariah state under him.

“Former President Jonathan cannot claim to be a saint at this point in time when indeed, huge amounts of stolen funds running into trillions of Naira were recovered from men and women, who served in his government, including the former First Lady.

“Nigerians still remember vividly that looting of treasury was an art under the past government of Jonathan, while terrorism gained momentum uncontrollably as government officials under his watch pilfered from monies earmarked to fight terrorism without remorse

“No one is in doubt that Nigeria fell into the abyss under the Jonathan administration with a completely wreaked economy, which eventually gave way to a gripping recession that took ingenuity and wisdom from Present Buhari’s government to resolve.

“The Jonathan’s administration almost nailed the future of Nigeria, dealing a fatal blow on the system with a fraudulently contrived privatization agenda, in which only his cronies and henchmen were, mostly beneficiaries.

“In clearing the rot in the power sector, President Buhari did a rescue operation, which lifted power generation from an all time low of 2, 633MW by 2015 to 7,001MW now.

“To us, Nigerians are grateful that the achievements of the President Buhari administration, in a period of just two years, has surpassed those of the entire 6 years of the Goodluck Jonathan era.”

“We, therefore, allude to the ability of President Buhari to infuse a sense of transparency probity and accountability in the management of the national economy which has helped to curb looting, return stability to the Foreign Exchange Market while external reserve has continue to be on the sharp rise.

“It is also gratifying for Nigerians that the policy of diversification of economy has revived the agricultural sector, leaving farmers to smile to the banks amid the prospects of growth of agro-allied industries in Nigeria

“In all, we, as a group, give kudos to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the recoveries of monies and properties from Jonathan’s alleged group of mother looters, appealing to the anti-graft agency not to relent efforts in ensuring the prosecution of those found culpable”.

October 22, 2017
Adamawa APC endorse Buhari, Bindow for second term

Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa on Saturday passed vote of confidence on President Muhammadu Buhari and Gov. Muhammadu Bindow, urging them to go for second term in 2019.

The stakeholders made the call at a meeting attended by party elders, members of National Assembly, State Assembly, elected council chairmen and party executives from all levels in the state.

According to them, the progress recorded in the fight against insurgency, corruption and infrastructural development at the state and national levels were laudable.

Addressing the meeting on behalf of the state government, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abba-Jimeta said Adamawa Government is interested in seeing that Buhari contested for second time in office to fully deliver on his transformation programmes.

“As far as Adamawa is concern, Buhari and Osinbajo are our candidates for 2019.

“The standard practice worldwide is for a performing president to serve his two-term in office.”

Abba-Jimeta, who noted the representation of people from Adamawa in Buhari government, urged Buhari to look into the panel report on suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr David Babacir and reinstate him if he is not found wanting.

Abba-Jimeta lamented what he described as desperate moves by some APC members in the state to create problem between the state government and the Federal Government just to score cheap point.

He said the state APC government has been working in line with the party manifesto and has so far delivered in areas of infrastructure, healthcare, education and agriculture.

Sen. Binta Masi, Rep. Abdulrahman Shuaibu and Adamawa Assembly Deputy Speaker, Mr Emmanuel Tsamdu, who spoke on behalf of Senators, House of Representatives members and Adamawa Assembly members, said they were okay with the resolutions at the stakeholders meeting and would work towards its actualization.

October 21, 2017
BREAKING: Retire quietly or we open the Pandora box – VON DG to Jonathan

Director General of the Voice of Nigeria and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ostia Okechukwu has asked former President Goodluck Jonathan to quietly retire to any part of the country of his choice and stop challenging the APC and the Buhari government to a public debate, threatening to open the pandora box on the former president.

Okechukwu told The Nation in a telephone interview that the former President cannot challenge the current government to any public debate because his government failed the nation, leaving major infrastructure to decay, while public funds were freely diverted.

He challenges the former President to show the nation any project that he was able to complete during his six-year in office as President, adding that even the development he did at the nation’s airport was not commensurate with the money voted for such projects.

Related Post: Jonathan accuses APC of lying, non-performance

Okechukwu who was reacting to a statement by the former President that the APC won the 2015 election using lies and propaganda and challenging the party to a public debate in its achievement in office said “Mr President was very clear that the man left almost an empty treasury, consequent unpinned which we have a huge infrastructure deficit.

The world knows that almost all infrastructure that Jonathan inherited went bad. We are challenging him to show us one project he completed.

Goodluck Jonathan

Is it the Green Field refineries. He told us on May 13, 2010, that he is going g to build three greenfield refineries at $23 billion. The contract was awarded to the Chinese under Public Private Partnership. One was to be located in Bayelsa, one in Lagos and the other in Kogi state.

“We challenge him to show us the three greenfield refineries or tell us where the money he voted for the project is. I am talking at a time when our Excess Crude Account was in the excess of short $17 billion. The Chinese came back and told him they were going to contribute about 80 percent of the three greenfield refineries. We have not seen any of them.

Also Read: Obasanjo, Yar’ Adua, Jonathan, Buhari accidental leaders – Na’Abba

“If we had seen the three greenfield refineries which he publicly announced, the billions we lost in the importation of refined petroleum products and the gross unemployment engendered by the looting of that fund would have been avoided and that is what we are talking about.

“Before and during his regime, there was money voted for the cleaning of Ogoni environment that was degraded by oil spill. It is The Buhari regime that started that project now. Did Jonathan do anything there, did he complete the East/West road? That is a road that covers the nerve Centre of the Niger Delta where he comes from.

“If there is any project that he promised to implement that he has done, he should tell us. Don’t forget that the average price then was about $100 per barrel. I don’t see how he can be calling for a public debate because I am talking of just one region.

President Muhammadu Buhari

“Even the development he did in the Nigerian Airports, is it commensurate with the amount of money voted or the amount of money borrowed? He said he did this or that. Is it commensurate with the amount of money voted?

“If I am in his shoes, I should retire back to the village or any city of my choice and keep my cool because if he talks of a debate, we will bring out what happened during his time.

“The fact that his wife was coming to claim $15 million saying it was out of her handwork borne out of being the First Lady and a Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa state. Is it that other Nigerians are not working hard to be worth $15 million. So, let us not go into Jonathan ‘s matter.

“We are not talking of Dizeani who was Minister of Petroleum under his government who failed to do anything to develop the Niger Delta, rather resorted to an illegal accumulation of wealth. I have great respect for him as a former President and being gracious enough to accept his defeat. But if he wants to open the vault, then we can go back and open the pandora box for him. So, let us leave it at that.”

APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi could not be reached for the party’s official reaction as at the time of this report, but he was quoted as saying that the former President may have been misquoted.

Bolaji was quoted as saying “I doubt that President Jonathan actually said these words you have reported because he would be exposing himself to reactions that would not be edifying of his status as a statesman by so doing. Secondly, I know the former President to be of even temperament.

“Only a few days ago, I read that he was counselling his party on the choice of Chairman and Publicity Secretary. Statements like these wouldn’t represent an example of the kind of attitude he was canvassing. But if he truly said that I will say with due respect that he may need to commission a more dispassionate study of how and why APC won the 2015 Presidential elections.

“To say that APC won the election simply by deceiving the people would be too simplistic and may even be interpreted as an insult to the millions of Nigerians that voted the APC into power.”

October 20, 2017