Tag: APC

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed the poor rating of the party’s led administrations since 2015 by former governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido, insisting that the endemic wrongs of the 16-year reign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are still being addressed.

Lamido at the weekend criticised President Bola Tinubu and his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari, alleging that the country and Nigerians are doomed under the APC administrations.

He added that the era of the opposition PDP was better than the Buhari and Tinubu administrations.

Reacting to the former minister of foreign affairs, APC deputy national publicity secretary, Duro Meseko said that but for the corruption and directionless policies that characterised the 16 years of PDP-led administration, the country would have been on the path of prosperity.

The former federal lawmaker from Kogi state dismissed Limido’s assessment of the APC-led administrations, noting that there was no justification for it, adding that Nigeria witnessed wasted 16 years under the reign of the PDP.

According to Meseko: “It is important to remind the former Governor of Jigawa State and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the maladministration and misgovernance of his Party necessitated the electoral decision of Nigerians to sack the PDP and vote in successive elections All Progressives Congress (APC) governments to rescue the country from ruin.

Those who were roundly rejected by Nigerians in 2015 for their grievous crimes of corruption and impunity are still struggling to rise from the dungeon the people had dumped them.

“While Alhaji Sule Lamido paints his concocted picture of the current state of affairs under the APC in comparison with the PDP’s wasted years in government, Nigerians have continued to keep faith with successive APC administrations because we have demonstrated that we are on a rescue mission to entrench national stability, cohesion, economic buoyancy, world-class infrastructure, the reward for hard work and honesty, and the security of our nation.”

Meseko reassured Nigerians that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government has started very strongly in implementing the developmental policies contained in the Renewed Hope agenda for the country.

The policies according to the APC spokesman include “ending the corrupt fuel subsidy regime to free up cash to invest in other critical sectors, curbing the black market-manipulated and multiple foreign exchange rates; revamping the country’s security architecture; updating the National Social Register in preparation for the rollout of planned palliatives and other social interventions programmes.”

Read Also: Kogi: If anything happens to INEC office, hold SDP responsible – APC

He also cited: “the planned consultative new national minimum wage for workers; financial support for Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs); the planned infrastructure support for states to improve living conditions and address critical areas, as well as improve healthcare, educational and transportation infrastructure; and funding student loans to ensure that no Nigerian student has to abandon their studies due to financial constraints.”

Repudiating PDP and the likes of Lamido, the APC leader maintained that the opposition party remains a fraud that should never be trusted to govern this country at any level again.

The governing party then urged all well-meaning Nigerians and stakeholders to endure the initial pressures of some of this government’s programmes and continue to support and trust the process under the capable leadership of President Tinubu.

He maintained: “The successful implementation of these programmes will be for our shared benefits and prosperity.”

Kano state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Abbas has given the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Haruna Isa Dederi, 48 hours to withdraw the allegations that APC leaders are influencing the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Justices of the Court of Appeal to sack Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP.

He threatened that the commissioner risk being dragged before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) and institute legal action against Dederi should he fail to withdraw the defamatory statement.

It will be recalled that last Wednesday, Dederi on the Channels Television programme ‘Sunrise Daily’ made spurious allegations on the Justices of the Appeal Court over the petition against the March 18 victory of Governor Yusuf.

Abbas’s ultimatum and threats were contained in a petition to the Commissioner dated November 23rd titled, “Injurious, malicious and false statement against the judiciary and our party on a live television program and a voice note going round in the social media: Demand for retraction,” and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday.

Abbas said Dederi had gone on national television to “maliciously and falsely allege that the decision of the Tribunal to deliver judgment via Zoom was because of interference”.

He also quoted the Commissioner to have maligned justices of the appellate court by saying; “According to information available to us, there was interference by forces that be. Some people have an interest in this country and can go to any extent to jeopardize things because of their political interest and that was what played out in the judgment”.

In the petition which Abbas copied the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Kano state chairman of the association, pointed out that Dederi made a voice recording in his capacity as the Attorney General of Kano State countering the statement issued by the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal in respect of the clerical error in the judgment.

According to him, “In the said voice note, you made innuendos suggesting that the Justices of the Court of Appeal were indeed compromised.

“From the above statements, it is clear for any discerning mind to infer that you were suggesting influence on the judges by our party leaders, which you know is far from the truth.”

Read Also: APC stakeholders sue for truce between Kalu’s, Onyejeocha’s camps

Abbas then complained that since Dederi’s statements, he has received countless phone calls and text messages from family, friends, colleagues and associates demanding an explanation from him as to whether it was indeed true that the APC influenced the judgment of the Court of Appeal and the Tribunal.

He further said: “I also received various threats including attempts to attack my house in Kano. Your careless words have created so much tension casting aspersion on my person by demeaning my reputation in society.

“Consequent upon the above, I therefore demand that you come forward and mention the names of those who had hands in interfering with the judgment of the two courts. This will go a long way in cleansing the society of corruption. It will also clear my name and protect me against unnecessary attacks your comments have subjected me to. But if you have no proof of the serious allegations you made, I demand that you publicly apologize to me and my party for the embarrassment you caused us.

“As a lawyer, I need not remind you of the provisions of your professional code concerning courts and judges. Your allegations against the judges and justices are very grievous more so if they turn out to be false.

“I, therefore, by this letter, give you an ultimatum of 48 hours to back your allegations against the Judges and Justices that they were influenced to give judgment contrary to the law as you claimed.

“Please note that if you fail to meet my demands as stated above, I shall not hesitate to file a petition against you at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee as well as institute an action for defamation against you in court, and this we shall do without further recourse to you,” Abbas threatened.”

Leaders and stakeholders of the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have called on the Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Rt.Hon.Nkeiruka Onyejeocha to end the ongoing media war between their respective camps.

The APC stakeholders and leaders who were worried about the heat and bad blood the squabble between the two federal government officials have generated among supporters of both camps, urged the Deputy Speaker and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment to ask their supporters to sheath their swords.

The stakeholders, including former Abia Central Senator and ex-pro chancellor, University of Calabar, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, Senator Chris Adighije, former Labour Minister, Emeka Wogu, former Abia Assembly Speaker, Rt.Hon. Azubuike Martins and other party stakeholders reminded the duo of the need to come together and channel their energy to the growth of the party in the state.

A communiqué signed by 20 members of the party stakeholders which was issued at the end of their meeting in Umuahia, the state capital, warned of the dangers and consequences of the ongoing media war between the deputy Speaker House of Representatives and the Labour Minister would have on the party members and image of the party in the state.

The statement reads “The Abia APC stakeholders in a well-attended meeting on the 31st of October, 2023, deliberated on the not too healthy media exchanges between the camps of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who is the leader of the party in the State and Honorable Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Honorable Nkeiruka Onyejeocha and as the conscience of the party pleads for a truce from them as follows:

“That we appreciate and thank Mr. President for finding our son, the Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu fit and worthy to occupy the 6th highest position in our nation.

“That we equally appreciate Honorable Members of the 10th House of Representatives for electing the Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu as their Deputy Speaker.

“That our further appreciation goes to Mr. President for appointing our daughter, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha as a Member of the Federal Executive Council and Minister of State, Labour and Employment.

Read Also: Kano stable as NNPP, APC shelve proposed protests

“That these two leaders of Abia at the national stage at the moment have their jobs cut out for them. While the Deputy Speaker is a presiding officer in the legislative arm of government, the Honorable Minister is a member of the executive arm of government.

“That following from the above, we do not see anything that should breed friction between them and in their activities.

“That we urge both leaders to use their best endeavors to help Mr. President achieve the Renewed Hope agenda of his government in their respective responsibilities.

“That we further urge them to work cooperatively and collaboratively to re-position our great party in Abia State and bring it to winning ways.

“That as the conscience of the party in the State, we urge them to call their foot soldiers to order and refrain from further media engagements against each other but rather leverage on the Stakeholders forum to iron out any misgivings if and whenever it arises.

“That the Stakeholders and or selected leaders therefore will engage the Deputy Speaker and the Honorable Minister as soon as possible in furtherance to achieving a more lasting working relationship and to engender peace and cordiality in Abia APC.

“That the Stakeholders Forum pledges our continued unflinching and undiluted support to the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and APC leader in Abia, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu and the Honorable Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.

“We plead that peace shall henceforth reign. Please sheath your swords, no more media banters.”

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday, November 22, said it was yet to receive the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Appeal Court judgment on the Kano State governorship election.

The national legal adviser of the party, Prof. Abdulkareem Abubakar Kana, disclosed this to newsmen at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja following the confusion surrounding the CTC of the judgment.

The media was awash with the emergence of a CTC of the Appeal Court judgment which was contrary to the widely reported verdict on Tuesday, November 22.

The appellate court last Friday upheld the decision of the petition tribunal sacking Governor Abba Yusuf, but the CTC of the judgment showed that the NNPP candidate’s victory at the poll was affirmed by the appeal court.

Addressing newsmen the APC Legal Adviser said the party is yet to receive the Certified True Copy of the judgement.

Kana stressed that the pronouncement of the court during judgement delivery cannot differ from what is contained in the CTC, stressing that if that happens, it could have been a typographical error.

Dismissing the error the APC Legal Adviser said the needless confusion had been orchestrated primarily because the case is a political matter.

Read Also: UK govt pledges more investments in Nigeria at N-BA 2023 Presidential Cocktail

He said: “Those of us who are lawyers know that typographic errors often occur in certified true copy of court judgement ordinarily wouldn’t have been confusion if it was probably not a political matter because it will not be the first time such typographic mistakes will be seen in judgement and being lawyers we have been used to a situation like this all that is done is to merely correct that mistake. The most important thing is a judgment that was read in open court.

“The merits and other facts of the judgement of the tribunal which was delivered on September 28, the appeal was upheld. And then if you read through the entirety of the judgement from lead justice, my Lord analysed the submissions of different cited cases and the case and arrived at appropriate findings. It gives you an idea of what should be the conclusion. But that’s not all.”

He added: “If you read the concurring judgements by two justices because there are three judges who sat over the appeal. The two justices had explained and clarified their positions. If you’re reading the findings of my Lord Honourable Justice, the judgement of my lord Justice Bitrus Sanga who stated that he has read the judgement of my Lord Justice Aseimo and agreed with him completely.

“And therefore dismissing the appeal for lacking merit that explains what he has read because he said he read the draft copy of the documents and he agrees with my lord, dismissing the appeal for lack of merit, my lord honourable justice.

“My Lord Justice Lateef Ganiyu also read and he also delivered his judgement dismissing the appeal. In other words, there were two concurring judgements out of three, which are even clearer, very clear, making it obvious that the last three lines and the concluding part of the judgement of my Lord the presiding judge whereby an assertion was made on the CTC not as read in open court finding merit in the appeal and awarding one million costs on the respondents, the first respondents instead of the appellant was clearly and an error.

“In a situation like this for us lawyers what we do, is to do a community reading of the entire judgement to see what exactly the finding of the court is. For anyone who reads judgement from page one, all the way to page 72 of the judgements. You will agree that most certainly that assertion will not hold water instead of upholding the judgement of lower court it sets it aside.”

Asked what the party intends to do to address the situation, the Legal Adviser said the party will wait to receive their copy from the court before taking necessary action.

He stated: “As far as my office is concerned, we have not received an official copy of the Certified True Copy of the judgement. But we will write and get a copy.

“If the copy that will be conveyed to us still contains this error, we will take steps eventually. Until the CTC contains that error, which is being bantered around, we will now know what to do next.

I don’t think the explanation needs to come from us. But for us, we can only render our perspective as a party to the entire uproar that is going on. But as to the explanation as to where the error happened in the cause of typing the judgement it is for the court to explain and I’m sure the court will have done that by now by taking necessary measures to issue a fresh CTC concerning an appropriate judgement of the court.

“So for me, I don’t think there is any confusion as it were except for who would prefer that and who will continue to see it as confusing.”

Ahead of the 2027 general election, a former member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has cautioned the party to avoid imposition of candidates for any elective position.

He said the governing party should learn from the mistakes of the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2007 when manipulation of political contests through imposition, vote buying, and rigging were the order of the day.

The former Director General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) said his advice was based on the confidence of many APC leaders that under the leadership of President Tinubu, the potential transformation of the party into a truly progressive party would be achieved.

Read Also: Peter Obi congratulates Davido on 31st birthday

Lukman, who was the immediate past National Vice Chairman (North West) of the party in a statement in Abuja expressed concern that activities of the party in recent times are tilting to a point where almost all APC candidates for 2027 elections might be produced through imposition.

Assessing the activities of the party, Lukman said: “It is almost a return to the old PDP model of party organisation under former President Olusegun Obasanjo with the requirement of 100 percent loyalty. Without any attempt to reopen old wounds, the requirement for 100 percent loyalty was responsible for the graveyard silence internally within the APC when Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was proposed by President Tinubu as national chairman.

“After Dr. Ganduje’s successful emergence, there is also graveyard silence even when Dr. Ganduje continued with the practice of freezing structures of the party. No meetings of organs are taking place almost four months after the emergence of Dr. Ganduje as the APC National Chairman.

“Given such ugly reality, it should only be expected that the culture of manipulating political contests through imposition, vote buying, rigging, etc. would become entrenched in APC.

“Like the case in PDP in 2007, it may grow to the point whereby almost all APC candidates for 2027 elections may be produced through imposition. Unless we want to lie to ourselves, as things are, the culture of manipulating political contests through imposition, vote buying, rigging, etc. in APC has reached the point where PDP was in 2007.”