The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN)

  • Service of songs for Ogunshola’s daughter

    A former Education Minister Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, joined other dignitaries on Wednesday in Lagos to pay tributes to the late Managing Director of Aframero Limited, Mrs Yetunde Oghomienor.

    The event tagged: “Evening of memories” was held at the KFA Event Centre, Lekki, Lagos.

    Mrs. Ezekwesili said she met Yetunde in the build-up to the 2019 elections when she wanted to contest for the presidency under the platform of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN).

    The former minister said: “I am still having a hard time to believe that Yetunde is gone. I knew her when I was compelled to run for the presidency. How can it be that such a brilliant character left us so soon when I began to regale the joy of our friendship?

    “She gave her all to the cause she believed, Yetunde gave her time and her treasure to what she believed in. Everyone that crossed her path has fond memories of her, it doesn’t matter what you thought, and she was ready to fight for what she believed in. Her death is a big blow to me, her death fell like a slice of my skin was cut.”

    Mrs. Oghomienor’s siblings, Kunle, Bolaji and Bayo Ogunshola, also took turns to share the good memories they shared with their sister while she was alive.

    Kunle said: “The Yetunde I knew… she was a fast runner; she was a very curious child who always eavesdropped on our parent and other adults when we were young. She was a very good student; she was playful and was someone who enjoyed life outside the book.

    Read Also: Ezekwesili resigns from ACPN

    “Yetunde was a consistent reader who kept literature books; she was a person of action; she was a powerful intruder; she enjoyed music, clothes, and food. She worked tirelessly to make her view of life real. She lived a full life as a sister, daughter, wife, and mother. I love you, Yetunde goodnight.”

    To Bayo, her sister was someone who was an inspiration to him, adding that it would be difficult to replace her.

    “When I think of Yetunde, one of the inspirations I derive is that she was someone who did things. She was passionate about her children, her family. In the past few years, the main thing she wanted to get for her children was autobiographies of great men. She wanted the best her children; she wanted them to grow by inspiration. I think that is how I remembered her,” Bayo said.

    Also, Bolaji said: “Sisters are not replaceable, I can buy diamond but I can’t buy another sister. Yetunde loved and adored me; she was fun to be with. Even though she was six years older than me, she never slapped me. I’m going to miss her.”

    The husband of the deceased, Leslie Oghomienor, thanked everyone that graced the occasion and for their support for the family during the trying moments

    “My wife was hospitable, kind, very smart, loving and compassionate. She was everything to me, I miss her terribly. She was a good-hearted person, found of taking care of people who could not take care of themselves; she was the best any man could ask for.

    “She was beautiful in and out, she was brilliant in business ideas and always has creative ideas; I will miss you babe, no one to discuss my idea with again. It is truly hard without you, I believe she is still here with us, Yetty lives on.”

    Yetunde’s friends from her primary, secondary and higher institution, as well as her professional colleagues in the corporate world, the staff of her company, Aframero Limited also paid tributes to her.

     

  • ACPN denies endorsing Okowa

    The Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) said on Sunday that it has not endorsed the candidacy of the incumbent governor of Delta state, Ifeanyi Okowa for this weekend’s governorship election.

    National Secretary of the party, Chief Paul Isamade said in a statement in Abuja that the ACPN was committed to winning the governorship election in Delta state and pulling the people of the state out of the backwardness the current PDP government is subjected the people to.

    Chief Isamade who is also the party’s governorship candidate in the state said the people of the state should disregard such insinuation and urged its members across the state to work hard for the success of the party’s governorship candidate in the state.

    The party’s national leadership also threatened to sanction any member of ACPN who defy the directive or seen in anti-party activity in whatever form.

    The statement also urged the public to disregard any publication that includes the name of the party in respect of purported endorsement.

    “Allied Congress Party of Nigeria “ACPN” wish to inform the general public that the party in delta state has not and will not endorse any other candidate in the March 9th governorship election in delta state because the party is contesting the said electrion.

    “The general public should disregard any publication that includes the name of the party in respect of the above subject.  The party also warns all it’s members in the state to work for the success of the party and her candidate only.”

  • ACPN to Ezekwesili: Return our money or face court action

    The Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) has asked the former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili to return of all monies generated during her short stint with the party, threatening to issue an order of mandamus against her.

    National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ganiyu Galadima told a news men in Abuja that the former Minister thought that politics was like the bring back our girls project which she coordinated, adding that the accounts rendered by her to the party was unacceptable and was subsequently rejected.

    Both the party and its presidential candidate have engaged in the war of words following the later’s withdrawal from the race and the subsequent endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari by the party.

    Galadima said Ezekwesili only invested N100, 000 being the money she paid for her expression of interest form instead of N500, 000 which she was supposed to pay, but started sourcing for funds for her presidential campaign even before she joined the party and was given the ticket.

    He said the party “reject in entirety everything she submitted”, telling the former minister that a political party is different from a charity organisation or the #BringBackOurGirls where she belong too.

    “So, we are rejecting everything she submitted in entirety, we wanted to know all the content of the accounts and see the accounts because at the end of the day it is not the presidential candidate that INEC will hold responsible according to the law but the party, and whatever any candidate generated for his or her campaign belong to the party.

    Read Also: Ezekwesili resigns from ACPN

    “We are expecting that she will respond at the appropriate time. But if she doesn’t, we may be compelled to go to court to seek for order of Mandamus.”

    Galadima said from all indications, Ezekwesili does not have capacity to contest a presidential election, adding that ordinary Lapel that the presidential candidate wore on her chest and distributed to members was paid for by the national secretary of the party.

    “For somebody who want to contest for presidency, all you could generate for period of three months was just N43 million and spent everything by herself. She could not even disclose to the party the sources of the fund and how much she was able to generate.

    “We wanted to know the full details of all the accounts she opened because when you look at the statement she made available there are four difference accounts which we didn’t know anything about.

    “Look at the Omoyele Sowore, he publicly disclosed on a national TV recently that his campaign has been able to generate about N99 million for the party. In addition, he has also told the world how this money could be traced.

    “So why is there no transparency in madam Ezekwesili’s project? That is the bone of contention.

    “So, we are rejecting everything she submitted in entirety, we wanted to know all the content of the accounts and see the accounts because at the end of the day it is not the presidential candidate that INEC will hold responsible according to the law but the party, and whatever any candidate generated for his or her campaign belong to the party.

    “We are expecting that she will respond at the appropriate time but if she doesn’t, we may be compelled to go to court to seek for order of Mandamus.”

  • 2019: Ezekwesili promises hope, new nation

    Presidential candidate of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili on Monday said she would give a new direction to the country and put it on the path of progress, if elected.

    Ezekwesili restated the promise while speaking to party faithful and residents during her campaign in Lagos.

    She said the country needed a new direction, promising to make it great by bringing about the needed change.

    “ We will give our country a new direction. We will restore hope. We will disrupt the present narrative of hopelessness and put the country on the path of prosperity.

    “A working Nigeria is a possibility, we will make the country great,“she said.

    The Presidential candidate said she would pursue robust reforms and implement the right policies to revamp the economy.

    She said it was possible for the country to achieve great economic strides of China, promising to implement result-oriented actions to transform the country’s economy.

    Ezekwesili decried the high rate of poverty in the country and its attendant problems.

    The ex-minister promised to lift 80 million Nigerians out of poverty, if elected.

    She said she would support the private sector to create jobs and invest massively in agriculture to  drive development.

    The ACPN candidate said she would diversify the economy and open up critical sectors for increased revenue.

    Ezekwesili described education as the new oil, pledging to invest in human capital to drive the country`s development.

    She also promised to invest in infrastructure and digitalise government for ease of government-people transactions.

    Ezekwesili pledged to run an office of the citizens that would listen and give hope to all Nigerians of different backgrounds.

    She urged Nigerians to trust her with their votes, saying together with the people, she would buld a country of everyone`s dream.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ezekwesili, alongside her running mate, Alhaji Abdul Ganiu Galadima, and supporters, later interracted with traders, transporters, amongst others, on her vision for Nigeria. (NAN)

  • Ezekwesili knocks Atiku’s economic policies

    Unveils manifesto, running mate

     

    Presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) Oby Ezekwesili on Wednesrday rubbished economic policies being bandied about by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.

    Mrs. Ezekwesili said this in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital at the unveiling of her running mate Abdulganiyu Galadima.

    She also laid bare her manifesto if elected as the Nigeria’s next next president of Nigeria.

    The former education minister said that the “PDP is making promises that are not economically sensible. I looked at what PDP candidate is promising, I realise that most of what he is promising don’t make any economic sense. So please do not be deceived.”

    She lamented the current 52-year life expectancy in the country, saying that her administration will improve the status with calculated measures contained in the party’s manifesto.

    The ACPN presidential candidate, who said that the party was determined to rescue Nigeria from myriads of its present challenges, added that the present security situation had made life so cheap in the country.

    Dr. Ezekwesili said that present life expectancy in the country was unacceptable, adding that the nation had what it takes to equal Singapore’s 85 year life expectancy.

    “To achieve this, we have to improve people’s health condition and human security. In a way, everything that we will do to improve business opportunities for everyone, where we were targeting higher productivity and competitiveness of Nigerian economy will lead to improved income level for Nigerians. When you have better income level, you’ll be able to afford basic things of life. We’ll focus on improving our health system. Our health system today discriminates between wealthy and poor. The poor do not have access to quality healthcare. Our ACPN manifesto focuses on universalizing access to national health insurance scheme for Nigerians, and we’re emphasizing on improving maternal and child related issues to ensure that we’re not above Africa average in infant, child and maternal mortality. That will go towards improving life expectancy”, she said.

    Read Also: 2019: I’ll be a better president, says Ezekwesili

    The ACPN presidential candidate, who condemned present security situation in the country, said that primacy of Nigerian life is the epicenter of the ACPN programme.

    “We want to make sure that human capital is the new economy and that education is the new oil. If we’re going to achieve that, we must keep our people alive. This means that everything that has to do with their security will matter to us. We will not be the government that slacks in her responsibility and watches on helplessly while invaders take over our territory and kill our people with no consequences. It will not happen under my time as commander in chief of Armed Forces”, she said.

    The presidential candidate also promised to deploy same intelligence used in the administration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo in tackling challenges in the telecommunication sector then, to now tackle the nation’s power problems.

    She told party members that the party’s manifesto was put together through data review and several analysis and promised to ensure that it is properly followed if Nigerians elect her party into office in 2019.

    Ezekwesili promised to overhaul the nation’s security apparatus and fight corruption in a clean manner.

    “Nigeria was ranked 14th most fragile nation in 2017. That means that any little thing can bring the national down. But we will not allow that; we will work hard to make  Nigeria a strong nation again,” she added.

    She said Nigerian security architecture and systems will be made to work well during our time so that Nigerians will no longer die cheaply,” she said.

    She promised that if voted into office, the ACPN will use workable policies to take at least 80 million Nigerians out of poverty citing the example of China which she said had to take some 700 million of her population out of poverty at a point in time.

    While lamenting the current 52 percent literacy rate in Nigeria, she said her party plans to embark on revolutionising the knowledge industry as the next source of prosperity for Nigeria instead of oil and gas.

  • ACPN suspends Ondo Chair, others over anti-party activities

    The National Secretariat of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) Friday suspended its Chairman in Ondo state, Bosun Omosule, over allegation of corruption and anti-party activities during the last governorship election in the state.

    Also suspended with him are the State Secretary of the party, Oluwaseye Akintoye and the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Alade Adeniyi.

    At a meeting in Akure, the Ondo state capital, with members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, its Deputy National Chairman,Moruf Ogundare, said the decision was based on the recommendation of the five-man committee.

    It was set up to look into the various allegations against the former State Chairman and other two Executive Members.

    Consequently, a five-man Caretaker Committee had been set up to run the affairs of the party in the state.

    The committee is to be headed by Alhaji Bello, while Chief Adedigbo Adeboye , Mr O.Agboola and two others are to serve as members.