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Tag: Aminu Tambuwal

  • Saraki’s performance at convention indicates rejection – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) says the poor performance of the Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Election Convention was an indication of his rejection.

    Mr Yekini Nabena, the APC acting National Publicity Secretary stated this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

    He added that Saraki’s poor performance at the convention held in Port Harcourt was a befitting end to Sarki’s ambition.

    “With a miserly 317 votes, behind Aminu Tambuwal’s 693 votes and Atiku Abubakar’s 1,532 votes, the PDP delegates have given clear indication that they are fed up with Saraki’s political style.

    “When a leader cannot be trusted, cannot be relied upon, and cannot keep agreements, the people take due cognizance and records of these actions and respond with their votes at the appropriate time,” he said.

    Nabena wondered how someone who emerged as President of the Senate through conspiracy with members of the opposition party and against the wishes and interests of his own party could be trusted to be elected as the presidential candidate of a party.

    He added that throughout Saraki’s tenure as President of the Senate, it has been one confrontation between the Assembly leadership and the Executive or other arm of government.

    Nabena recalled that the confirmation of executive nominees sent to the Senate for confirmation and the annual national budgets had been delayed unnecessarily.

    “For instance, the supplementary budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2019 General Elections is continually delayed due to Saraki’s selfish political machinations.

    “A selfish Saraki will rather than perform his constitutional legislative functions by ensuring timely consideration and passage of Executive Bills, sabotage the efforts of the Executive in furtherance of his treacherous politics.

    “Having sabotaged the President Muhammadu Buhari government while in the APC, he later showed his true colours by formally joining the opposition PDP.

    Read Also: Bindow for Buhari as Fayose threatens to quit over Atiku

    “However, in doing so, Saraki must do the needful by giving up the Senate President position,” Nabena said.

    He added that Saraki should be a distinguished Senator in name and in deed, saying that he cannot continue to preside over the APC-dominated Senate as a member of the minority PDP.

    “The delegates of the PDP have rejected Saraki as their presidential candidate.

    “Let the Senators also do likewise by rejecting the greedy, deceitful and unreliable President as their leader,” Nabena said.

    He added that a new President of the Senate, free from all allegations of criminality was needed now.

  • Fayose threatens to leave PDP over Atiku’s emergence

    Outgoing Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose on Friday threatened to quit the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over the outcome of the national convention.

    He is believed to be unhappy with the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the PDP presidential flag bearer at the primary held at Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    Fayose, who is the Chairman of the PDP Governor’s Forum, supported Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal at the national convention.

    The Ekiti helmsman alongside his Rivers State counterpart Nyesom Wike rallied support for Tambuwal at the national convention.

    Fayose, in a six-paragraph statement sent to reporters on Monday said he would continue with consultations and watch how events unfold in the umbrella party.

    The statement which the governor personally signed was entitled: “Re: PDP National Convention.”

    The statement read: “We have no regret aligning with Governor Wike to support Governor Tambuwal for the presidential ticket and no apologies either.

    “We kept the party alive and strong when most men became ladies. We never compromised. If any group feels it can do it alone, we will see how far they can go.

    “I may renounce my membership of the party if the need arises.

    “In the main time, myself and others will continue with our consultations while watching the turn of event.

    “We cannot but appreciate leaders that have intervened so far, but this release became necessary to avoid fresh crisis or misrepresentation.”

    It remained unclear why Fayose wants to quit his beloved party as he gave no cogent reason in the statement.

    Read Also: ‘Stop using traditional rulers as fire fighters’

    Fayose had earlier declared interest in the Presidency but later withdrew before the official sale of nomination and expression of interest forms.

    He was also said to be considered as the party’s presidential running at a time but the loss to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the July 14 governorship poll has put a dent on the ambition.

    Fayose joined the PDP before the 2003 governorship poll which he won but had been in and out of the party at various times.

    His supporters joined All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Progressives People’s Alliance (PPA) after his impeachment from office while he had a working agreement with the Action Congress (AC) in the 2009 governorship rerun election.

    Fayose defected to the Labour Party (LP) in 2010 and ran as the Ekiti Central senatorial candidate in the 2011 general elections but lost to Senator Babafemi Ojudu.

    He returned to the PDP in 2012 and ran again as its candidate in the 2014 governorship poll which he won.

    Fayose, at various times, had boasted that he would never leave PDP but his latest threat to quit has been causing ripples since it broke Monday evening

  • Jang congratulates Atiku, pledges total support

    Former Plateau governor, Sen. Jonah Jang, has congratulated Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for picking the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 general elections.

    Jang, who also contested alongside Atiku and 10 others, said in a statement issued on Monday in Jos that the victory was well-deserved and he would support the party’s candidate to win in 2019.

    Our reporter reported that  Atiku polled 1,532 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Aminu Tambuwal, who had 693 votes at the party’s elective convention held in Port- Harcourt.

    Read Also:Bindow embraces Buhari as Atiku’s victory divides Adamawa

    “On behalf of my campaign team and teeming supporters, I hereby congratulate Atiku Abubakar for a deserved victory and accept in totality the outcome of the Primary Elections.

    “As a loyal member and responsible stakeholder of our party, I hereby pledge to support and work for the actualisation of the anticipated Atiku Abubakar presidency; a presidency which I strongly believe will have answers to the multifaceted problems confounding the current occupant of Aso Rock, ” Jang said.

    The former governor urged Atiku to pay special attention to the challenges confronting the people of Middle Belt, particularly the countless killing of innocent citizens by ” faceless” gunmen, when he becomes president.

    He advised the candidate to make the security and welfare of the middle belters his top priority.

    Jang commended the Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee and the Dr Ifeanyi Okowa-led Convention committee for organising a hitch-free and transparent convention.

  • IFAD distributes cash, animal traction to farmers in Sokoto

    The International Fund For Agricultural Development, Climate Adaptation and Agribusiness Support Program IFAD-CASP, on Sunday distributed Cash and Animal Traction to five farmers in Sokoto.

    Presenting the items to the beneficiaries, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto described IFAD as formidable pillar in boosting agriculture and on the other hand, mitigating the level of poverty among the people.

    Tambuwal, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural resources, Alhaji Sani Shuni, commended IFAD for the gesture and solicited for more of such to maintain the tempo.

    “This gesture is one of the cardinal tools of every good administration, as it enhances agriculture and food security among the society.

    “As such we will ensure the system is fully maintained in order to boost our farming activities and increase the level of income among rural dwellers,” Tambuwal said.

    The governor further called on the beneficiaries to judiciously utilise the gesture to achieve the desired goal as it was meant for.

    The  state Program Coordinator,  Alhaji Aminu Dogon-Daji, said that the gesture was in line with IFAD quest to address the level of poverty among the rural people in the country.

    “So IFAD deemed it necessary to come up with the modalities that will help to curtail the situation under N-Agripreneurs programme.

    “As such about 70 people are going to benefit with different types of businesses under the designed programme, out of which five persons were selected from five local governments for Animal Traction.

    Read also: IFAD distributes input to rice, cassava farmers in Ogun

     

    “The selected beneficiaries were also given N70,000 each for the take off and will only pay back 50 per cent of the amount given as it is in IFAD-CASP N-Agripreneurs,” he said.

    Dogon-Daji further restated IFAD commitment towards restoring the lost glories in agricultural sector and assured the sustainability of such programmes to the development of the state and Nigeria as a whole.

    One  of the beneficiaries, Malam Yusuf Abubakar from Illela local government, expressed gratitude to IFAD for the gesture and assured of the good use of it.

    He said before the intervention of IFAD, the beneficiaries were facing a lot of challenges within their environment, as they have no enough farming working tools to care for such challenges.

  • Nigeria needs leader who understands its complexities – Tambuwal

    Sokoto State governor and Presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) Aminu Tambuwal on Saturday said only a candidate that understands the complexities of the country can deliver it from challenges.

    The governor who spoke during a visit to the Lagos State PDP Secretariat, told party members that the country is highly complex to be managed by politician who is not well grounded on developments in the country.

    He added that if he becomes the President next year, the country would be turned around by providing basic necessities for the people.

    According to him, the country could no longer lag behind in the comity of nation, urging the PDP to elect a candidate that would deliver in the dividend of democracy.

    Read Also: 2019: I’ll do a lot of things differently — Tambuwal

    He said: “This time around we must get it right by ensuring that the party field a candidate that can defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019. We must bring someone who can revive the country and must be someone the people can trust.

    ” As former Speaker House of Representatives, what we did still speaks volume. I shall give each and everyone in this country a sense of belonging. That is to say, we will all work for the development of the country.

    “We will all put our head together to restructure the country. We must carry everyone along to achieve unity and development. The party must elect a candidate that can effective combine our strength to win the 2019 election, ” he said.

  • Water-tight security as PDP holds national convention

    Why Tambuwal will be crowned winner by delegates’

    Water-tight security arrangements have been made by the Rivers State Police Command and other security agencies, for Saturday’s national convention of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the peaceful and hitch-free.

    Port Harcourt, the capital of the hitherto volatile Rivers state in the Niger Delta and its environs are being properly policed, considering the large number of PDP members from the 36 states of Nigeria and Abuja, that will be converging on Adokiye Amaesimaka Stadium to elect PDP’s presidential candidate that will challenge President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), during the 2019 election.

    Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), on Friday in a telephone interview, assured all PDP delegates and other persons who would be at the convention that there would be adequate protection of their lives and property, urging them not to entertain any fear.

    Omoni said: “Water-tight security arrangements have been made by the Rivers State Police Command. I can assure you that the national convention of PDP will be seamlessly held and there will be no security breach, in view of the heavy deployment of policemen in the venue of the national convention, hotels, entry and exit points, as well as other strategic points.

    “All the black spots in Port Harcourt and its environs have been identified and are being properly policed. Movements in the day and night, before, during and after the convention will be without any incident.”

    The twelve presidential aspirants who are vying at the convention are Aminu Tambuwal, Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Bukola Saraki, Sule Lamido, Ahmed Makarfi, Attahiru Bafarawa, Ibrahim Dankwambo, Tanimu Turaki, Datti Baba-Ahmed, David Mark and Jonah Jang.

    The Director-General of Tambuwal Campaign Organisation, Mike Omeri, also assured that the Governor of Sokoto State would be crowned winner by the delegates at PDP’s national convention, in view of his capacity, youthfulness, capability, experience and being the most qualified.

    Read Also: Who gets PDP’s ticket?

    Omeri, while addressing a crowded news conference Friday at Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, said: “The accredited delegates will be free to cast their votes without interference, but I can assure you that almost all of them will vote for Gov. Tambuwal, who has never been invited for questioning by any security or anti-graft agency.

    “Gov. Tambuwal is young and he believes in the future of Nigeria. He also believes that Nigeria has passed the stage of potential, but now at the stage of possibilities and fulfilment of dreams. He has a blueprint to transform Nigeria and he always speaks from the heart.”

    The director-general of Tambuwal campaign organisation also gave an assurance that his principal would take Nigeria to the next level and would quickly restructure Nigeria, shortly after his May 29, 2019 inauguration as President.

  • 2019: Tambuwal wants INEC to live above board

    Sokoto state Governor and Presidential aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Aminu Tambuwal, on Monday, in Katsina, charged personnel working for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to live above board and remain unbiased umpire in the 2019 general elections.

    He declared “INEC personnel should understand that all eyes are on them as we prepare for the general elections. They should know that they have family names and integrity to protect’’.

    “They should not do anything that will make people insinuate and doubt the unbiased umpire that they are supposed to be’’.

    “When we form the next federal government, we shall find specific solutions to Nigeria problems and we shall respect human rights.”-

    Tambuwal who was in the state to meet members of the delegate to the fort coming national convention of the party, on his presidential ambition, made the declaration during an interview with journalists shortly after he met the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the party’s state Secretariat.

    The PDP Presidential Aspirant said he believed in strong institutions that will assist in the development of Nigeria.

    Read Also: Tambuwal vows to restore peace, rebuild north east

    Citing various examples of national appointments including those of Federal Fiscal Mobilization Committee, Tambuwal said he will make states to nominate members for such Committee, to further strengthen our institutions.

    The Sokoto state Governor had earlier appealed to PDP members in Katsina state, especially delegates attending the party’s national convention to vote for him and assist him in achieving his presidential ambition.

    He declared “If you assist me to become the President, we know Katsina to be an agrarian state. We would support the state to export your agriculture products and find ready markets for the products’’.

    “I am conversant with Katsina and believe strongly that during our convention, I will score 120 over 120 from the delegates here.”

  • 2019: ‘Fight against destroyers of our destiny’

    …….forces of oppression will be repelled – Saraki

    Akwa Ibom state governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has said that next year’s general elections, particularly the governorship would not be an ordinary electoral contest but a fight between the people and ‘destiny destroyers’.

    Speaking on Sunday at the Uyo Township Stadium on the occasion of the 31st anniversary celebration of the state, Governor Emmanuel, therefore urged Akwa Ibom people to rise up and fight against some highly placed individuals who want to mortgage the destiny of the state.

    Though he was not explicit on who he referred to as ‘destiny destroyers’ the governor said Akwa Ibom was and will remain a People’s Democratic Party(PDP) state which cannot be subdued by the opposition.

    He said no single individual from the state can play God and get away with it, adding that the gathering of ‘lions and bears’ against of the political destiny of the state would be put to naught in next year’s election.

    “Today Akwa Ibom people have come together and the fight before us is Akwa Ibom destiny and we are taking our destiny in our own hands. We will fight for our destiny. All destiny hijackers we tell them Holy Ghost fire.

    Read Also: FA cup: Gov Udom doles out N70m to Akwa Utd

    “All destiny destroyers we tell them Holy Ghost fire. In Akwa Ibom today we have development coming into Mbo, Ibiono to everywhere. There is nothing like Oro, nothing like Ibibio, nothing like Annang; development cuts across everywhere.

    “If you go to Ibaka road people were dancing; a major economic road was abandoned over the years because of ethnic bigotry. Today what are we saying forward ever, backward never. If they like let the lions and the bears come together. Can they eat up our destiny?

    “The same God of yesterday is the same God today and is the same God of tomorrow. Never again can the destiny of Akwa Ibom be taken over one man who has risen up to pretend that he God. Did Goliath succeed?

    “We shall conquer the beast. No man will sell our destiny; no man will mortgage our destiny; no man will rubbish our destiny. On our destiny we stand; our destiny is built on a solid rock and so shall it stand”, Emmanuel said.

    The governor mentioned the renovation and upgrading of general hospitals in Ituk Mbang, Etinan and Ikono as well as attraction of industries such as Toothpick factory, metering assembly plant, fertilizer blending plant and syringe factory among others.

    Speaking earlier the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki assured that the PDP would reclaim power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the federal and state levels.

    Saraki said, “In 2019 the forces of darkness and oppression will repelled across the 36 states of the federation”.

    In attendance at the occasion were the governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, Senator Dino Melaye among other PDP chieftains.

  • 2019: Tambuwal promises to restructure Nigeria if elected president

    A presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal has promised to restructure Nigeria if elected president in 2019.

    He also pledged to evolve scientific measures that would enable the security architecture to meet up the challenges of the 21st century and also  make the education of the youth a top priority of his government.

    This, he said, would create independent spirit in the youth to pursue develop their potential and in turn become employers of labour.

    A statement by his media office said the presidential aspirant unveiled his agenda during a meeting with PDP delegates from the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and the North Central in Abuja to the forthcoming national convention on Thursday.

    He said restructuring of the country was paramount to recreate a sense of unity among the people.

    Tambuwal said: “We are here to meet our delegates from the North Central and kick start our campaign properly. This aspiration is fired and motivated by the spirit of service and the spirit to take back our country and reunite our people. And to reposition our country for it to be properly restructured to the benefit of Nigerians.

    “When you give us the flag and eventually elect me as the president of the country, I will rejig the security architecture of Nigeria, employ manpower that has the capacity to address the security challenges of today, using technology.

    “A situation whereby we don’t employ and deploy technology for the security of Nigeria can no longer be tolerated.

    “Repositioning Nigeria by way of ensuring that all of our children are in schools and get required training so that those that will be employed in blue collar jobs and the others that will go for various private businesses are properly trained. And that is why,  when I was elected as governor of Sokoto state, I identified as key, number one priority the education of the citizens of Sokoto state. And we will apply the same formula in our project of making Nigeria great again and make sure every Nigeria child is properly educated.

    “So that our children can realise their potentials and apply them to their benefit, the benefit of their community and the benefit of Nigeria state. The children of Nigeria have to be educated because it the only way we can avoid reoccurrence of Boko Haram. If you have them out there available to use by miscreants who are enemies of this country, it would be easy for to use to harness and misapply. But as a government, we must come up with deliberate policies to ensuring that no child of Nigeria is out of school and that none of them is without training that he or she can probably use to set up private businesses.

    “The talk about restructuring Nigeria is also about that three arms: securing Nigeria, repositioning Nigeria which of course includes creating wealth and we can only create wealth when you have collaboration between government and the price sector. Government one cannot do it and the private sector alone also cannot do it. There has to be a synergy between the private sector and government for us to create wealth so that every citizens of Nigeria can have a better standard of living.

    “We need to restructure this country, because the country has never been this divided. The country has never been this enmeshed with the kind of current security challenge it has as at today.

    “I believe in restructuring Nigeria. The people of South South are asking for restructuring base on the understanding that oil wealth be properly applied in their respective places. Nothing is wrong with that! Let us judiciously apply the oil wealth and develop this country.

    “And the people of South West are asking for restructuring in terms of physical restructuring of the economy, that is to making sure that every part the country realises its potential and ensure enabling environment for business to grow.

    “While the people of the south east are interested in state creation. And while the in the north the issues are not far away from ensuring that we have better education, more development and all of that.

    “And these are issues we would sit down and find a way to make them a reality. So under my administration, restructuring Nigeria will be given a serious attention and it will be a priority.

    “I will not be that kind of president that will shoot out the ideas of Nigerians.”

    The Acting Chairman of the PDP of FCT, Mr. Ibrahim Biko described Tambuwal as a good product that would market itself.

    On behalf of the delegates, Biko pledged their votes for Tambuwal at the PDP convention.

    He said: “The good product sells itself. This man is not too young to rule. Age is on his side and he is fit to move around and also to articulate on issue and proffer solutions.

    “We in the FCT; we are one and as delegates, we speak in one voice. We don’t have divergent opinions. Our vote is a consolidated vote. We don’t divide our vote. So we are promising you our vote and we will not disappoint you.”

     

  • PDP governors disagree on consensus presidential candidate

    Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have collectively rejected the consensus option for picking the party’s presidential candidate.

    They have insisted that all the 12 presidential aspirants must go through primary election for a winner to emerge.

    The governors however agreed on the choice of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital as venue of its convention where the party’s presidential candidate will emerged. The convention is billed to hold from October 5-6.

    The resolutions were adopted after a marathon meeting of the governors, under the platform of the PDP Governors’ Forum.

    The party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) had earlier canvassed the consensus option and had even resolved to meet the 12 presidential aspirants any time this week to persuade them to agree on consensus.

    But the governors were said to have reasoned that the consensus option could trigger crisis that might throw the party into turbulence and that they wanted the most popular among the aspirants to emerge through the ballot.

    Those in the race for the presidential ticket of the PDP are former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwabo; President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki; former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido; former Governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi; and a former Special Duties Minister, Tanimu Turaki.

    Others are a former President of the Senate, David Mark; a former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; a former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa; a former Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang; and a former senator, Dr. Baba Datti Ahmed.