All Progressives Congress Youth League has hailed President Bola Tinubu for elevating Emmanuel Ayodele as minister of Youth Development.
A statement by National President, Olamide Lawal described Ayodele’s elevation as well-deserved.
He lauded his passion for youth empowermen.
“We are glad President Tinubu has chosen one of us to lead the Ministry of Youth. It is a right peg in the right hole,” Lawal said.
The Energy Reforms Advocates of Nigeria and collaboration APC Youth Vanguard for Change, have criticised failure of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to restore the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries despite massive investments.
The groups, at a briefing on Friday, also berated the Mele Kyari-led NNPCL for alleged importation of adulterated fuel.
The refineries’ rehabilitation has been plagued by delays and unfulfilled promises with $1.5 billion approved in 2021 for the Port Harcourt Refinery and an additional $1.4 billion for the Warri and Kaduna refineries.
Kyari has repeatedly assured Nigerians of the refineries’ imminent restoration without any result.
However, the advocates criticised NNPCL’s leadership, questioning the sincerity of its statements and citing concerns over the integrity of rehabilitation contracts.
Dr. Opialu Fabian alleged that certain entities within NNPCL might be intentionally obstructing progress to sustain the lucrative fuel importation business.
He highlighted the devastating impact of the refineries’ failure on Nigerians, who face endless fuel queues, exorbitant prices, and inflated costs of goods and services.
Fabian demanded accountability from NNPCL, emphasizing the need for transparency in contract awarding and execution.
The statement partly reads: “We have chosen this moment to speak on behalf of Nigerians to highlight the ongoing, persistent challenges around the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries.
“These failures, unfortunately, continue to place Africa’s largest oil producer in the ironic position of depending entirely on imported petroleum products for domestic consumption. This dependency has drained our nation’s foreign reserves, inflated fuel prices, and left Nigerians queuing endlessly at filling stations.
“The excuses provided by NNPCL are, unfortunately, repetitive. We have heard, time and again, explanations citing ‘obsolescence’ ‘corrosion’ and the ‘absence of baseline data for structural integrity verification’.
“It’s still fresh in our memory that Mr. Mele Kyari, the NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, announced on March 15 this year that the Port Harcourt refinery would begin production by the end of the month. Sadly, this was yet another unfulfilled promise, as we have not seen any production from the refinery. It begs the question: Are these statements made with sincerity, or are they merely attempts to pacify Nigerians with false hope?
“Today, the energy sector is a critical cornerstone of Nigeria’s prosperity. Our country, rich in crude oil, should be reaping the benefits of this resource through local refining, lower fuel prices, and foreign exchange conservation. Instead, the leadership at NNPCL continues to drain our economy by prioritizing importation, an act that not only places strain on our foreign reserves but also destabilizes our currency.
“We urge the government to reconsider the composition of NNPCL’s leadership. After more than three years of unfulfilled promises and costly mismanagement, it is evident that the current leadership lacks the vision and competence needed to drive Nigeria’s energy sector forward.
“Evidently, the path forward requires a new approach to how contracts are awarded, how funds are managed, and how performance is measured within NNPCL and the refineries.
“Therefore, we must demand that NNPCL provides Nigerians with a detailed account of the current state of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries. This report should include an outline of how funds have been utilized, reasons for the missed deadlines, and a clear, realistic timeline for when Nigerians can expect results.
“In conclusion, this is a critical moment for Nigeria, one that calls for action and resolve. We are no longer willing to stand by and watch as the nation’s potential is squandered by unaccountable leaders and inefficient practice”.
Residents of Agboyi-Ketu held a peaceful rally in support of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates during the weekend to support President Muhammadu Buhari and Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Hon Bayo Osinowo, Hon Rotimi Agunsoye and Hon Tunde Braimoh .
The rally, which was organised by Buhari Youth Organisation (BYO), Lagos State Chapter, and supported by the Executive Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, Mayor Dele Oshinowo, started from the main gate of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA. Here the youths were seen wearing customised T-shirts, marching round Agboyi-Ketu and its environs mobilising people and sharing posters of the candidates to motorists and members of the community.
Speaking at the rally, Oshinowo said the Buhari-led government had shown tenacity in its drive to set Nigeria on the path of economic growth and sustainability. “We are gathered here because of our firm belief in the imperative of ensuring the continuity of the All Progressives Congress at federal and state levels for another four years in office.”
On his part, Mr Femi Ajaikaiye said his decision to support APC candidates is based on the results he has seen so far. “My decision to support APC candidates is based on the results I have seen in all the geo-political zones of the country. When we look across, what we see is the progress that has been made in the short span of four years, albeit in the midst of distractions.”
The residents who trooped out in their numbers commended the Oshinowo administration for a wonderful job.
THE National President of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Youth Vanguard, Comrade Kabir Haruna Alfa, has said the organisation will ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari is re-elected in 2019.
In statement by the group’s National Secretary, Chinedu Mbakwe Obi, Alfa explained that President Buhari deserved another four years to consolidate and finish the work he had started. He appealed to Nigerians, particularly the youths, to vote en masse for the president.
Alfa said the development by Buhari so far was good enough to get him another term.
He said in area of security, a priority in Buhari’s campaign in 2015, the APC government has recorded giant strides. He explained that the parts of Nigeria that were taken over by Boko Haram were retrieved by the government.
The National president explained that when APC came in to power, electricity was pegged at 4000mgwts in 16 years of its rule. But in a little more than three years, the APC government had generated up to 8000mgwts and distribution had improved. He said the introduction of TSA by the government had helped to stop corruption and saved cash that was shared by political elites.
Alfa said under the Buhari administration the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has worked hard to mop most of the looted funds, adding that the economy has to, a large extent, stabilised. He explained that the country’s foreign reserve was $25billion when the government took over, but now it has risen to $48billion, a good sign of economic stability. According to him, food import has reduced and farmers get a good market for their produce.
Ahead of next year State Assembly election in Lagos State, some faithful of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have thanked the party’s leaders and members for ensuring the re-nomination of lawmakers who are discharging their legislative duties excellently as flag-bearers of the ruling party during the just concluded primary elections across the state.
The party’s faithful mainly from Ikorodu division of the state specifically commended the nomination of the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA), and member representing Ikorodu Constituency 1 in the Assembly, Hon. Sanai Oyeniran Bolanle Agunbiade, to seek another term in office during the 2019 general election, on the platform of the ruling party.
While speaking to The Nation in Ikorodu, the APC youth leader in Ikorodu Local Government, Owolabi Jaiyesinmi, said the effectiveness Agunbiade brought to bear on his duties as the representative of the people since he was voted into the House of Assembly, has endeared him to the good people of Ikorodu. According to him, it came as no surprise that he won with such a huge margin.
Jaiyesinmi added that the Majority Leader enjoyed the support of the people of Ikorodu because of the desire of the division to continue to occupy a place of pride in the politics of Lagos State. “By virtue of his being a ranking member of the House, he is the Majority Leader. We cannot afford to lose such plum position, so the idea of sending a fresher to the House didn’t fly among our people,” he said.
While celebrating the nomination of Agunbiade as the party’s House of Assembly candidate for the constituency recently, Wale Amuda, the APC youth leader for Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA), said the lawmaker has touched the lives of the people of the area so much that the people decided to reciprocate his good gesture with another term. “It is a fact that one good term deserves another. Agunbiade deserves to be re-elected,” he said.
The APC youth leader in Igbogbo/Baiyeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA), T.O.D Oyesanya, described the emergence of Agunbiade as the flag-bearer of the party in Ikorodu constituency 1 as the best thing to happen to the division ahead of the 2019 general election. “Ikorodu will lead again. With S.O.B still in the assembly, we will remain a force to reckon with in the politics of Lagos state,” he said.
Ahead of 2019 governorship polls, the youth of Southern Kaduna under the umbrella of Concerned Southern Kaduna APC Youths, on Tuesday disassociated themselves from the endorsement of Senator Shehu Sani, by the youth wing of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU).
Addressing a news conference in Kaduna, the leader of Concerned Southern Kaduna APC Youths, Hon. Manasseh Istifanus, called on people of the region to disregard what he described as, ‘a political charade’, saying, 2019 is still far and cannot be decided now by a group of people who are supposed to be politically neutral who endorse people without due consultations with the grassroots.
Istifanus advised further that people should be allowed to express their political freedom as it is enshrined the constitution of the Federal Republic, stressing that Southern Kaduna is not for one party: “it is also not for one aspirant/candidate”.
According to him, “It is no longer news that the SOKAPU Youth Wing on Sunday 14th May, 2017 held an emergency meeting at BBS Hotel in Barnawa, Kaduna in which the Leadership of the SAKAPU Youth Wing endorsed Sen. Shehu Sani as their gubernatorial candidate come 2019. After the meeting, a communiqué was issued by the Leadership of the SOKAPU Youth Wing”.
“Some statements were made in their communiqué that seek to incite the good people of Southern Kaduna against the APC and the APC led Government in the State.
On behalf of the APC Youths from Southern Kaduna, we wish to state categorically that we dissociate ourselves from that kangaroo endorsement of Sen. Shehu Sani by the Leadership of the SOKAPU Youth and we wish to State some facts clearly”.
“Sen. Shehu Sani is not from Southern Kaduna and he is not representing Southern Kaduna in the National Assembly. He has never identified himself with the people of Southern Kaduna not until recently that he started nursing a political ambition that he started showing solidarity to the people of Southern Kaduna”.
If at all there is a politician who has always identified himself with the people of Southern Kaduna, who is not from the zone, it should have been Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi. So, why did the Leadership of the SOKAPU Youth did not deem it fit to call Sen. Hunkuyi instead? We cannot forget in a hurry the demonization and negative statements that Sen. Shehu Sani made against the people of Southern Kaduna in 2011 after the post-election crisis that rocked the state in that same year”.
“If the Leadership of SOKAPU Youth Wing is really honest with their patriotism for Southern Kaduna, why didn’t they endorse one politician from Southern Kaduna extraction? Or don’t we have politicians that are better than Sen. Shehu Sani? If Sen. Shehu Sani truly loves Southern Kaduna people as it was shown by the SOKAPU Youth, why won’t he pick one person from Southern Kaduna and support his/her political aspiration in 2019 against his personal ambition?
In their communiqué, the SOKAPU Youth Leadership tagged Governor Nasir Elrufai as the “press secretary” of SIECOM which further portrays the partisanship of a Socio cultural group that is supposed to be politically neutral”.
“We therefore distance ourselves from such a political suicide mission,” the concerned youths maintained.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth Alliance has asked Nigerian youths to take advantage of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration to obtain their permanent voters card, which it described as a passport to a secured future.
National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Ugboma Stephen said the permanent voter’s card was an important tool in the hands of the youths in national transformation and appeal to them to come out en masse to register.
Stephen said all members of the party who are yet to register or have misplaced their card or changed address should take advantage of the opportunity in other to “secure the transformation weapon for national development.”
He urged all state coordinators and youths in general to explore every means necessary to support the change agenda of the party, and the fight against corruption and also pray for quick recovery of President Mohammed Buhari.
All Progressives Congress (APC) youths in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area, have been urged to be more dedicated to the party’s leadership.
At a summit organised by APC youths in the council area on Monday, Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Princess Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf said: ‘ This summit is the first of its kind to be organized by the party’s youths in any part of the state. I therefore want to urge youths of this council area to be more committed and dedicated to the party’s leadership for a robust mutually beneficial relationship.’’
She said: ‘’This is amazing, it suits my heart. I want the convener of this summit Mr Shakin Agbayewa, who is the Youth Leader of APC in Ojokoro LCDA and his members to continue this regularly as it would assist the youth to get adequate information for their development. I am committed to the youth of this LCDA and I will make sure they are carried along in the activities of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, that I have promised and I will fulfilled.”
The Sole Administrator of Ojokoro LCDA, Dr. Adeleke Ipaye said: ‘’ This will not end here, we will encourage our youths to continue to set the pace for others to follow.’’
In his address, the Convener of the summit and APC Youth Leader, Comrade Shakin Agbayewa, said: “I am fulfilled, for history will always be kind to me for setting a pace for others who will be coming behind me. Ojokoro LCDA has been in existence since 2003, and this has never been done before.’’
A representative of Ifako/Ijaiye constituency 11 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rasheed Lanre Makinde, who said “I think the local government deserves more from the state for being faithful to our great party, APC, while the youth should maintain their loyalty to our great party in order to take it to the next level.”
Youths of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the aegis of Progressive Youth Leagues (PYL), have accused the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, of betraying their confidence in him.
A statement yesterday by their spokesman Adeleke Abdulhakeem accused the APC chairman of fooling Nigerians with his response to the statement by APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The statement reads: “Last Friday (October 7), the National Chairman of APC, Pa. Oyegun, responded to the allegations levelled against him by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But, sadly after about a fortnight, Pa. Oyegun could not come up with clear, detailed and cogent statements or even accept the fact that he made a grievous mistake. He tried to refute those allegations with his well articulated ‘facts’ but in a truthful sense what he called ‘the facts’ are actually the fallacies.
“Perusing Pa. Oyegun’s response to the allegations levelled against him by Asiwaju, a lot of fabricated and specious statements were uncovered and these have successfully aroused questions that only Pa. Oyegun can entertain.
“Pa Oyegun claimed that he did not use prayer interlude to secretly excuse himself from the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting for the purpose of submitting Rotimi Akeredolu’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the fact is he left the meeting after he vetoed the Appeal Committee’s recommendation. Come to think of it: the primaries took place on September 3. Why did the party wait till September 19 before holding the meeting that ended on September 22, the last day for the submission of the party’s candidate?
“Pa Oyegun even brushed aside brilliant suggestion by the National Youth Leader, Dasuki Jalo, that the party should submit an interim name to INEC, pending the time a political solution would be found to the matter. This singular suggestion by the National Youth Leader would have saved the party from the crisis it is experiencing.
“Pa Oyegun fallaciously said: ‘Voting on the issue became unnecessary and never took place in view of the NWC’s rejection of the Appeal Committee’s report.’ But the Southsouth Vice Chairman Eta Hilliard has relayed the true picture of what transpired in the Ondo primaries by saying in a report: ‘(At) that meeting, there were two reports before the NWC: that of the Appeal Committee was voted on.’
“That Pa. Oyegun claimed that there was no voting during the NWC meeting is a blatant fallacy, because the the last two NWC meetings were clearly recorded and the record shows the contributions of each and every member of the NWC present at the meetings.
“The Southwest National Chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure, also confirmed the statement by Hilliard that the NWC actually voted. The well orchestrated lies by Pa. Oyegun, in a bid to redeem his personality that has been defamed with a lot of anti-party actions and in actions and gross misconducts in the Ondo APC primaries, cannot hold water because we are not fools. That will fall for every cooked-up cheap fallacies.”
The victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the general elections in the Southwest has earned the National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, ECNand the zonal leader, Chief Pius Akinyelure, an applause from the APC National Youth Assembly.
The National Coordinator, Comrade Majeed Yahaya, said that while Nigerians were celebrating the victory of General Muhammadu Buhari, which was made possible by God, the victory of the party in the Southwest is another testimony of the leadership quality of the former governor of Lagos.
In a statement, Yahaya said: “We gave the glory to Almighty God for these victories and the leadership direction Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu has given us. The APC National Youth Assembly wants to congratulate our National Leader for ensuring that we retained our pride in the states APC is holding in the southwest. The victories in the election held on 11 April are landmark achievements. Tinubi is indeed a visionary leader, a core democrat, an ideologist and a strategist, who God has used to accomplish the huge success and victories recorded at the just concluded elections both at federal and state levels. We will forever appreciate you.
He added: “Our appreciation also goes to Chief Akinyelure, whose fatherly experience we would continue to enjoy. His coming on board as the southwest chairman of the APC has been a blessing to the region. We’re also full of joy with the record created by Governor Ajimobi who broken the second term jinx in Oyo State,” Comrade Yahaya said.
Yahaya described the success of APC in the presidential and governorship election as positive things to happen in Nigeria.