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  • Wamakko: four Sokoto commissioners to quit PDP for APC

    LEADER of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto State and Chairman of Northern Senators’ Forum (NSF), Aliyu Wamakko, has said at least four serving commissioners in the current Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration in the state will soon join APC.

    Wamakko spoke on Monday at the inauguration of the party’s campaign office at the Unguwar Filin ‘Yan Shanu, Sarkin Adar Ward, in Sokoto North Local Government Area.

    The senator said the names of the potential defectors would soon be unveiled to the people.

    “The hearty development has soared the love, respect and sustained support for the party and its candidates by all strata of people in the state,” he said.

    Read also: Ishola Williams to deliver lecture tomorrow

    Wamakko also said Sokoto State residents were endeared to APC, adding: “They have been trooping into its fold, more especially from the PDP, whose fortunes are fast dwindling with attendant dearth of popularity.”

    On the governorship debate organised by the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the senator said: “It showed that our governorship candidate, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, is not a greenhorn nor is he a politically immature person, as being peddled by some cynics and doubting Thomases.

    “He is fit and capable to hold the office and he will efficiently deliver the needed good governance and democracy dividends to the people of the state.

     

  • ‘APC will review sale of Osogbo Steel Mill, others’

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Osun Central, Dr Ajibola Basiru, has said President Muhammadu Buhari will reverse the sale of Osogbo Steel Rolling Mills and the Nigeria Machine Tools by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

    Basiru told APC supporters at a rally in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, that the sale of some public assets to some individuals by the Obasanjo administration would be reviewed, if the APC is re-elected.

    The senatorial candidate said the Obasanjo government set up the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), chaired by the former Vice-President and current Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    He regretted that the Obasanjo government did not only sell the two firms in Osogbo but also made them idle for several years.

    Basiru noted that if revived, the companies will provide jobs for youths and shore up the state’s economy.

    The immediate past Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice said most of the firms sold in the privatisation programme are not performing, hence the need to review their ownership to enhance productivity.

    He reminded the people that the Buhari administration had taken youths off the streets through its social protection programmes, such as N-Power, Achor Borrower, Tradermoni and others.

    Basiru said no other government had taken empowerment of youths as serious as the Buhari administration.

    The former attorney general assured the people that more beneficiaries would be added in the next phase to take more youths off streets.

    He listed the achievements of the APC administration to include nipping the herdsmen/farmers crisis in the bud, decimating the insurgents and investing heavily on road and rail infrastructure.

     

  • Tinubu: I’m not leaving APC

    National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has said he has no plans to leave the party for any other.

    He said he would remain solidly behind the APC contrary to insinuations by some that he was leaving the party.

    A video where Tinubu, at the APC Presidential Campaign rally in Abeokuta, Ogun State, was seen throwing the party’s flag to National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, to give to the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Prince Dapo Abiodun, had been framed by opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)to mean he was throwing away the party’s flag.

    But in a statement on Tuesday by his Special Adviser, Media, Tunde Rahman, the APC leader denied throwing away the party’s flag as being insinuated by PDP.

    “If you want to fault Asiwaju for anything in this matter, your critique can only be limited to the accuracy of his toss. Any attempt to enlarge the episode beyond this is fiction and mischief writ large,” he clarified in the statement.

    Agreeing that an incident did occur at the Ogun State APC rally, he said it was not the one PDP concocted.

    “The true incident that should be reported and condemned is that people who furtively oppose the party and the president, tried to infiltrate and disrupt this rally.

    “The attack by these operatives was disrespectful of the office of the President and could have potentially harmed the person of the President.

    “With but a few precious days until the election and with its chance of victory running out even faster than the time, the PDP now grasps at the most nonsensical and desperate tactics to salvage its falling enterprise.

    “However, a drowning man cannot toss himself a lifeline. Nor can the PDP succeed in turning the innocuous attempted exchange of a flag between the National Leader and National Chairman into a rift in the APC’s successful campaign.

    “Such antics have no place in our political discourse. The author of these misdeeds should desist before real harm is done.”

    The statement added: “Now to the crux of the opposition’s latest antics. If the issue of the flag has become the hotspot of the PDP campaign, then they are in serious trouble.

    “During that portion of the Ogun rally, the National Chairman and others were looking for a party flag. Asiwaju Tinubu spotted one within his reach.

    “He picked it up and attempted to toss it to chairman Oshiomhole so that the chairman could present it to the party’s gubernatorial candidate Prince Dapo Abiodun.

    “If you want to fault Asiwaju for anything in this matter, your critique can only be limited to the accuracy of his toss. Any attempt to enlarge the episode beyond this is fiction and mischief writ large.

    “As the National Leader, Asiwaju Tinubu is thoroughly faithful and committed to the APC. It is unthinkable that he would leave the party.

    Read Also: Why Lagosians should not vote for Atiku, by Tinubu

    “Moreover, there is no reason for him to do so. He has been hard at work for the victory of the APC and all of its candidates in the upcoming election.

    “Asiwaju understands the bigger picture. He knows what is at stake in this election. Either the nation moves forward along the progressive path of the APC or it will be forced to retreat into the ills of the past created by the PDP.

    “With the nation’s future hanging in the balance, Asiwaju will not allow himself to be deterred by petty mischief”.

    The statement advised those spinning the matter to make better use of their imaginations.

    It emphasised: “Asiwaju is not going anywhere. He remains gidigba (solid) in APC.

    “And after the election, he will be there celebrating the APC’s and this nation’s victory over those who would prevent us our rightful future”.

  • PDP accuses APC of burning INEC offices

    The People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ) said Tuesday that fresh facts available to it have shown that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was responsible for the burning of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices in various parts of the country.

    The main opposition PDP said it already has the details of how the APC mobilised misguided elements in its fold to burn INEC offices and destroy electoral materials and equipment in Plateau, Abia and Anambra states.

    Fire had gutted INEC offices in the three states within one week.

    In a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said, “Our party is also privy to clandestine plots by the APC to burn INEC offices in some other states, so as to paralyse the Commission’s operations in such states, and pave the way for the isolation and postponement of the presidential elections in those states; after which it plans to unleash compromised security agencies to muzzle the shifted polls in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “Having realised that President Buhari has no chance in a credible, free and fair general election, the APC now plots a violent staggering of the polls so as to use security forces to re-enact the same rigging formula it used in the 2018 Ekiti and Osun governorship elections”

    Read Also: Why we arrested PDP spokesman – DSS

    The statement added that in attacking INEC offices and destroying the card readers, the APC was is to cripple the Commission’s use of full benefit of technology that will guarantee a credible biometric voter accreditation.

    “The PDP in very unequivocal terms insists that it will never accept any attempt by the APC to postpone the Presidential election in any state of the federation. The Presidential election must hold in all the states on the 16th of February and President Buhari will be served his defeat certificate.

    “The PDP therefore charges Nigerians to resist the desperation of the APC, for which it has now resorted to burning INEC offices. The party also charges INEC to note that the APC is after it facilities and as such put stronger measures to protect itself from the assaults of this desperate party”.

  • Buhari vows to recover $16bn squandered on power by PDP

    …..President gets Ijaw name as mammoth crowd gather in Bayelsa

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday vowed to recover $16bn allegedly wasted in the power sector by the government of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    “Where is the power? Where is the money?” The President queried saying his administration would go after persons involved in the power deal to recover the money to continue with the ongoing development of infrastructures across the country.

    Buhari spoke at the Oxbow Lake Pavilion, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where mammoth crowd of party faithful gathered for his reelection campaign in the state.

    Party faithful comprising men, women and youths adorned in APC vests and fez caps were seen drumming support for Buhari and chanting Sai Baba.

    The APC presidential candidate with his entourage landed at the Government House heliport and was received by the state Governor, Seriake Dickson, his Deputy, John Jonah, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson and other cabinet members.

    Buhari was also welcomed to the state by the state leader of APC and former Governor of Bayelsa, Chief Timipre Sylva; the Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri, the state Chairman of APC, Jothan Amos and other party leaders.

    Buhari and his team comprising his Campaign Director and former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi and some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) proceeded to the Secretariat of the state Traditional Rulers Council where the candidate spoke to the council headed by the King of Twon Brass, Alfred Diette Spiff.

    The President was giving an Ijaw name, Ebiwari (good house) by the state Chairman of the party, Jothan Amos, who referred to as a symbol of truth to the admiration of the crowd.

    But the President insisted that persons who were involved in squandering the whooping power money would not go scot free.

    Read Also: My husband has passion for the masses – Aisha Buhari

    “You know we are building roads; the railway was virtually killed we are rebuilding it and there was no power, we are bringing power back. The previous government mentioned on their own that they spent 16bn American Dollars for power. But you are better witnessed than myself. Where is the power? Where is the money? We will follow them and eventually God willing we will get them and we will get our money back,” he said.

    The President insisted that the APC administration would continue to take seriously the problems of security, economy, infrastructures and fight against corruption.

    He said: “We are also promising that we will make people who occupy executive positions both in federal and state levels to be accountable to the people. If you could recall when I came in 2015 under our great party, the party articulated three issues which we campaign and were voted on.

    “These are security, economy and fighting corruption. On security, the people of the Northeast are the biggest witnesses of what we achieved because when we came, at least 17 local governments were under Boko Haram. As I speak now none is under them. But they resorted to train the young men and women wrap them up with explosives and ask them to explode it in churches, mosques, market places and in motor parks. That is even rare now.

    “On economy, when we came in we had very high importation of food stocks. We thank God that in the three previous raining seasons we realised bountiful harvest. The government contribution was to make fertilizer and other agricultural inputs available. That took away many able-bodied persons out of unemployment.

    “On fighting corruption, under this system it is very difficult. But I keep mentioning wherever I go that all those who have account to give should prepare to account for it. Those that are indicted were taken before the court and a number of them are in jail and a number of their properties had been taken away to be sold and put in the treasury and continue with infrastructure”.

    The President praised the efforts of the party leaders saying the APC was stronger and that its strength would be tested in the forthcoming elections.

    On his part, Sylva said the APC remained the stronger party in the state and thanked the President for assisting in payment of workers’ salaries through bailouts.

    Sylva said the Ijaw people could be forgiven the last time for not voting President Buhari because their son contested the election against him; they had no more reason not to vote for him in the coming election.

    He further accused the state government of spending N120bn to build an airport in the state without disclosing the identity of the contractor.

    Addressing Buhari on why the people of the state would vote for him, he said: “Mr. President you have also commenced and almost completed a major road in Bayelsa state connecting the community of the former President. You have also commissioned a major water project in Bayelsa, one in Otuoke and another one in Ekeremor, which was done from the Ministry of Agriculture.

    “Bayelsa has many reasons why they should vote for you again. I always say this to Bayelsans, it is as clear as crystal, visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that Mr. President is winning again. I tell my people that apart from the fact that Mr. President has done a lot, we must also vote for Mr. President because that is the winning team.

    “Our father Melford Okilo taught us that our alliance with northern Nigeria must be sustained. And for us as Ijaw people, that is what we have always known for. Let us not make any mistake. I learnt that some people came here to deceive Bayelsans, but we know them for whom they are. We call them ‘People Deceive People’.

    “For Ijaw land to grow, we need a forthright President like President Buhari. Izon means truth and it is our name as a people. We also know that the name Muhammadu Buhar stands for truth. Buhari is a truthful person so he is our natural alliance. That is why we must all vote for President Buhari.

    “He has brought many things to Ijaw land. I stand here as a son of Ijaw land, as a former governor and as a chairman of the Maritime University, which is also a school that was instituted by the President. Ijaw people have no reason not to vote for the President. This time we must vote enmasse”.

    On his part, Lokpobiri asked the President to ensure a level-playing filed in Bayelsa to enable the APC prove its worth in the state accusing the state government of squandering N1.3trn that accrued to the state for seven years.

    He said: “I have the mandate of the Bayelsa people to tell you that Bayelsa doesn’t want to be left of this moving train and winning movement. Right from the days of Melfford Okilo Bayelsans have always known the party that would win. This time around, Bayelsans have already seen that your reelection had already been concluded.

    “The only request we want is for a level-playing field to be provided for Bayelsans to show you that they love you. This state in the past seven years has received N1.3trn. This is excluding local government allocations, bailout funds and loans that run into hundreds of billions of naira.

    “But Bayelsa is still one of the least developed states in the country. Bayelsa is still one of the darkest states in the country. Bayelsa civil servants have suffered the highest level of retrenchment in this country”.

    He asked the President to bring his anti-corruption drive to Bayelsa and make the state government account for the money it received without commensurate development.

  • Scores injure as PDP, APC supporters clash in Ekiti

    * APC Accuses Senate Minority leader of instigating crisis

     

    Supporters of the All Progressives Congress and the People’s Democratic Party on Monday clashed during a campaign rally in Omuo Ekiti, headquarters of Ekiti East Local Government Area, with no fewer than 20 persons sustaining various degrees of injuries.

    The members of the APC were said to be holding a joint rally for the senatorial candidate in Ekiti South District, Prince Dayo Adeyeye and the House of Representatives candidate in Ekiti South Federal Constituency, Hon Femi Bamisile when the suspected PDP thugs invaded the rally and launched attacks on them.

    Those who allegedly carried out the attacks were those loyal to the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Biodun Olujimi and senatorial candidate of the PDP in Ekiti South.

    Some APC supporters, Adeniyi Saliu , Kayode Ojo and Adeniyi Ayo , who were victims of the attack sustained deep cut in the heads, back and stomach, had been referred to Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti for intensive medical care.

    Another 15 others were said to have been wounded during the unexpected attack.

    It was gathered by our reporter that those who committed the crime had fled the town and are now being trailed by the police for possible arrest and prosecution.

    Former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly and an APC House of Representative candidate, Bamisile described the attack as unfortunate and a threat to democracy.

    Bamisile said the desperation of some of the PDP members is nothing but an attempt to subvert democratic consolidation.

    Read Also: APC accuses Amosun of sponsoring attack against Buhari, party leaders

    He, therefore, called on the security agencies in the state to apprehend the perpetrators of the latest ugly development in the area without further delay.

    “APC as a party will not fold arms and watch its members be attacked by members of other political parties, hence the need for a strong warning to troublemakers to retrace their steps and allow peace to reign in the land.

    “Nobody has monopoly of violence, therefore PDP members should be aware of that, and stop provoking peace loving APC members in the state”.

    APC senatorial candidate and former Minister of Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, warned miscreants and political thugs planning violence and mayhem in the build-up to Saturday general elections to be careful or risk being sent to prison.

    Adeyeye while reacting to the sudden wave of political violence and attacks on APC members in Omuo Ekiti said the long arms of law will catch up with political louts that were led by one Sunday Awolusi no matter how fast they run.

    Prince Adeyeye said: “Arresting and prosecuting the suspects will serve as a deterrent to others inclined to political violence. I enjoin the security agencies to be on the red alert to curtail the overbearing influence of these political violence perpetrators.

    “Ekiti is a peaceful state and nobody should turn it into theatre of war in the name of politics”.

     

  • Imo: Uzodinma, Araraume boycott Peace Parley

    …as Nwosu, others sign pact

     

    The governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Hope Uzodinma and that of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Ifeanyi Araraume, Tuesday boycotted the signing of a Peace pact by candidates participating in the general election in Imo State.

    Also absent at the event organised by the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) was a former governor of the State and candidate of the Accord party, Ikedi Ohakim.

    Meanwhile the governorship candidates of the Action Alliance (AA), Uche Nwosu and that of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Emeka Ihedioha, signed the Agreement alongside other candidates including Ikenna Emmanuel of the Change Advocacy Party (CAP), Linus Okorie of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), among others.

    Addressing the candidates shortly before the signing of the Agreement which was witnessed by Security Chiefs, Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), religious leaders and journalists, the State Commissioner of Police, Dasuki Galadanchi, urged the politicians to play by the rules and jettison all forms of violence.

    According to him, the State has witnessed relative peace when compared to other states in the Federation, as a result of the “cooperation and support of the people of the state”.

    He said, “You will agree with me that this hard earned peace and tranquility we enjoy and experience in Imo State should be guarded jealously, thus, we have no other option than to ensure this endures before, during and after the elections”.

    In his brief speech, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Pro. Francis Ezeonu assured that INEC is prepared to conduct credible election that will meet the aspirations of all the parties

    He restated his commitment to provide level playing ground for all the political parties participating in the election, while pleading with the candidates to abide by rules and regulations guiding the election.

  • Breaking: APC loses bid to reverse judgment on Rivers election

    …as Supreme Court strikes out three remaining appeals

     

    The Supreme Court has ended the quest by the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Rivers State to reverse the October 10, 2018 judgment of the High Court of Rivers State, which barred it from holding primaries for the production of candidates for the next general elections.

    A five-man panel of the court, headed by Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour struck out the three remaining appeals filed by the APC, Ojukaye Flag Amachree and Tonye Patrick Cole, on the grounds that they were statute barred, the appeals having been filed outside the time allowed under Section 285(9) and (12) of the Constitution as amended by the 4th Alteration Act.

    Justice Amina Augie, who read the lead ruling, which terminated the appeals, said the appellants, who were not parties to the original suit were not allowed by the Appeal Court in Port-Harcourt, the opportunity to appeal the October 10, 2018 judgment because they filed their appeal out of time.

    Justice Augie said the appeals, which were, this morning, consolidated by the court – SC/81/2019 (another appeal filed by APC), SC/1332/2018 (by Ojukaye Flag-Amchree) and SC/1334/2018 (by Tonye Patrick Cole and others) – are statute barred.

    The judge said the appellants have no leg to stand on, since the main appeal filed by the APC -SC/1333/2018, against the October 10 judgment, had earlier been struck out by the court in the judgment delivered on Tuesday morning by Justice Amiru Sanusi.

    Details shortly….

  • Kwara APC hails Appeal Court judgment

    All Progressives Congress ( APC ) Field Operations Directorate (FOD) of the Presidential Campaign Council in Kwara state has hailed the Appeal Court judgement recognising the Hon Bashir Bolarinwa executives.

    By that judgement, the court also validated the authenticity of the nomination of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq as the Kwara state APC governorship candidate.

    In a statement Deputy Coordinator, Field Operations of the directorate, Kayode Oyin-Zubair said, “the procured judgement couldn’t have stood further judicial tests. We knew from the onset that the whole process was orchestrated to weaken our support base and cause confusion amongst our supporters.

    “The authenticity of Bashir Bolarinwa executive was today affirmed by the appellate court. Earlier today an end was put to the shenanigans of Saraki and his cohorts here and there.

    “We have always held that they can only run, there is no hiding place for them. The judiciary has shown that it couldn’t be bought, though a lower court judge allowed himself to be manipulated for a price.

    “This is another serious low for Bukola Saraki in quick succession after he was shown a red card by the people of Kwara State during the presidential campaign in Ilorin.

    “We congratulate our party leaders, members and teeming supporters across the state for standing with us since the struggle started,” the statement stated.

    Oyin-Zubair therefore, enjoined all members of APC and its supporters in the state to come out enmass this Saturday to vote President Muhammadu Buhari and all APC candidates.

  • Appeal Court upholds Abdulrazaq governorship candidature

    . Sets aside State High judgment

    The Court of Appeals sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital on Tuesday upheld the nomination of the state All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq.

    The court set aside an earlier ruling by the state High Court.

    A Kwara state High Court had last year ruled that the dissolved Ishola Balogun-Fulani executive is the authentic exco, thus nullifying any candidate produced by the Bashir Bolarinwa executives.

    The court also held that state high court lack powers to entertain any suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    In a unanimous judgement on the interlocutory appeals filed by the APC, Justice Hamma Akawu Barka, who read the ruling, said the originating summons by the Balogun-Fulani’s faction was not sealed by the registry and that robs the court of jurisdiction.

    He upheld all the four grounds of appeal filed by the APC and set aside the ruling of the Kwara State High Court which was given on Oct 24th, last year.

    Read Also: Supreme Court rejects PDP’s appeal on Ogun crisis

    It added that the case of the Ishola Balogun-Fulani was defective in all ramifications.

    The court said the nomination of AbdulRazaq by the APC National Working Committee was in order.

    It said a state executive committee of a party is just a branch of its national headquarters and so has no power or right to conduct any primaries to the offices of the president, governor, National Assembly or State Assembly positions.

    By the ruling, the dissolution of the Ishola Balogun-led APC Executive in Kwara State by the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole led National Executive Committee now stands.