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Tag: APC

  • Looted funds must be repatriated, Buhari insists

    *Says PDP government wasted Nigerian resources

    *Promises more resources for education

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday assured that his administration will continue to persuade other countries to repatriate stolen funds and assets from Nigerian.

    He made the promise while speaking during the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential campaign at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu State.

    He said, “Whoever is caught, we will persuade the governments to bring back the money and we will invest it in infrastructures.”

    Stressing that handling corruption in Nigeria under democracy is very difficult, he said that he is doing his best under the rule of law.

    Noting that he doesn’t have new promises to make, he said that his administration has honestly made progress with the promises made in 2015.

    Read Also: Buhari condoles APC in Jigawa, Sokoto over loss of supporters

    The President recalled how the People’s Democratic Party wasted the resources that accrued to the nation for sixteen years.

    According to him, more money would have to be devoted to education as one of the best ways to solve the problems of Nigeria.

    He said that his administration has made progress in agriculture as many Nigerians are now eating Nigerian rice, with Nigerian farmers prospering from it.

    The President also pointed out that if roads, railway lines and power are developed, Nigerians will focus on their businesses and won’t even mind who is ruling at the centre.

    “Let us work hard to develop our resources.” he stated

    The National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole said that it was important to give President Buhari another four years in other to continue the good work he started.

    He said that those shouting rigging are the investors of rigging

    Oshiomhole, who noted that Obasanjo is at the forefront of those shouting rigging, said that he has never won any election in the South West part of the country that he came from.

    He said that anybody who believes in Buhari should also vote for other APC candidates in the state.

    Oshiomhole said that it would amount to anti-party activities for anyone to say ‘vote for Mr. President this way and vote for others that way”

    Enugu State, he said, is not the birthright of any political party and that it is already tired of the opposition party.

    The President’s records and achievements, he said, are already speaking in his favour.

    The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, disclosed to the crowd that the government at its next meeting will approve railway project from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, which will also benefit the state.

    He also told them that the fastest route for the South East to rule the country is by voting for another four years for President Buhari, pointing out that Vice President Atiku Abubakar will not leave the stage after four years if voted in as President.

     

  • Galadima’s allegations baseless, says Ezekwesili

    Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, the Presidential Candidate of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN). has described allegation by the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdul-Ganiyu Galadima that she was never really serious about her presidential ambition as baseless.

    In an interview with News Agency of Nigeria, her media aide, Mr Uzoma Ubabukoh, in Lagos, on Thursday, said Galadima’s claim that she was contesting to negotiate to be Minister of Finance was a figment of his imagination.

    Galadima was Ezekwesili’s running-mate until she announced her withdrawal from the race early on Thursday.

    She claimed she withdrew from the race after due consultations with Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora.

    Ezekwesili added that her decision to quit the race was informed by the need to help and build a coalition to stop the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from winning.

    She said neither APC nor PDP could provide the kind of governance needed to reposition the country.

    Few hours after Ezekwesili’s withdrawal from the race, Galadima called a news conference, saying Ezekwesili had not shown the commitment to be President from the beginning.

    He alleged that the former minister was just in the race to negotiate to be Minister of Finance and that she had kept the party in the dark about her real intention.

    Galadima added that the candidate had used the platform of the party to get funds from donors, which she had not spent to show commitment to her ambition.

    The ACPN chairman said having realised that Ezekwesili did not represent the interest of the party, the party was endorsing President Muhammadu Buhari for re-election.

    Reacting to the allegations, Ubabukoh said Galadima’s claims were baseless.

    Read Also:  INEC rejects Ezekwesili’s withdrawal

    He said the candidate’s decision to withdraw from the race was taken to sacrifice her personal interests for the country’s interest.

    “All these allegations are figment of his imagination. They are baseless. The decision to withdraw from the race is in the interest of the nation. It should be the nation first before anything,” Ubabukoh said.

    He said it was curious that Galadima, less than three hours after Ezekwesili’s withdrawal, endorsed Buhari and added that the action showed the ACPN Chairman had long had a personal agenda and never believed in the idea to disrupt the status quo in country.

    Ubabukoh said Ezekwesili would soon address a news conference where she would provide details about her withdrawal from the presidential race.

  • RTEAN orders members to vote APC in Edo

    The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria ( RTEAN ) has asked all its members to vote for all candidates of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State.

    National President of RTEAN, Comrade Osakpamwan Eriyo, gave the order when he played host to the APC candidate for Ovia Federal Constituency, Mr. Dennis Idahosa.

    Comrade Eriyo said next month’s election is to recognise personalities and performance of the candidates.

    Eriyo explained that his support for Idahosa was because he (Idahosa) has been supportive of the cause of the youths and women in his constituency in particular, and the state in general.

    According to him, “I am not just lending my support to this man, Idahosa because of peculiar motive, but because of the I mpact he has made on the lives of the people of his constituent.

    “Without holding any political position, Idahosa has sank boreholes and electrified communities. He had also at various times, paid tuition fees to indigent students in his community.

    “This is the same man who also shared his monthly salary as a commissioner under Oshiomhole, to empower women in his community.

    “Idahosa has my support just like am aware that he has been getting the same overwhelming support from his people.

    “The people will use this election to reward those who have been with them and who they trust can deliver on their needs when the time arises,” he said.

  • Buhari condoles APC in Jigawa, Sokoto over loss of supporters

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the death of his supporters in Jigawa State in an auto accident on their way to attend campaign events.

    Four persons reportedly died and six others were injured in an accident involving party supporters who were going to attend All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign in Jigawa.

    The President, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, also expressed his condolences to the families of two other victims who died in a stampede in Sokoto State.

    He assured that the sacrifices of the deceased will not be in vain.

    Read Also: Buhari sends new National Minimum Wage Bill to NASS

    He said “The death of any party supporter touches me because these were poor Nigerians who made sacrifices to make Nigeria a better country by identifying with my change agenda.

    “I would never forget the sacrifices of these ordinary Nigerians who travelled long distances to attend my presidential campaign rallies.”

    “These ordinary Nigerians were the pillars of our democracy because without them, we, the politicians, become irrelevant.” he said

    Meanwhile, following the unprecedented wave of popularity of the President’s outdoor events, the Presidency has ordered for increased structural integrity testing of all erections and fabrications such as dais, tents, stages, including electrical and other equipment.

  • Court orders arrest of Imo APC Caretaker Committee members

    A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, the Imo state capital, on Thursday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of members of the Adams Oshiomhole- recognised Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State.

    The presiding Judge, Justice M. T Salihu, ordered the Commissioner of Police to arrest members of the Caretaker Committee.

    They are Marcellinus Nlemigbo, Nzekwe Ugochukwu, Lady Love Ineh, Canice Nwachukwu, Josephine Nnorom, Paul Para, Linus Ineoha and Nicholas Osuagwu.

    The Judge said they should be arrested for assaulting a bailiff, Nwawi Ogugua, who came to serve Court proceedings on members of the Committee in their factional office.

    Justice Salihu ordered that all the members of the Committee, excluding one, Enyinnaya Onuegbu, who was the only person in Court, should be arrested and brought before the Court on January 31.

    They are to explain why they should not be committed to prison for attacking an officer of the Court who was carrying out his legitimate duties.

    It will be recalled the bailiff who had gone to serve Court Summons on the Caretaker Committee members was beaten to a pulp by thugs at the instance allegedly at the instance chairman of the Committee.

    Narrating his ordeal, the plaintiff, said that he escaped death by the whiskers after thugs attacked him at the factional APC office, where he went to serve Court Summons on the Caretaker Committee members.

    Read Also: Imo APC expels guber candidate

    He said: “When I got to the office along Okigwe road, the moment I introduced myself and why I was there, some youths were asked to throw me out.

    “It was then that they pounced on me and started beating me like a common criminal. They said they will kill me and nothing will happen”.

    The Suit, No. FHC/OW/CS/01/2019 was instituted by the Imo State APC Chairman, Hon Daniel Nwafor, challenging the dissolution of the elected State Executive by the National leadership of the party with the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, the Inspector General of Police and the nine members of the Committee as respondents.

  • APC enraged over PDP’s N388m U.S. lobbying deal

    The  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is spending about $1,080,000 (about N388million) on its ongoing lobbying in the United States, The Nation has learnt.

    The party is also polishing its image in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom  and other parts of Europe, but the budget remains unknown.

    The U.S. lobbying is believed to have paved the way for the recent visit of the party’s presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar, to Washington DC for talks with some congressmen and groups.

    Former Aviation Minister  Osita Chidoka, however, said the contract was designed to “promote free and fair elections”.

    Chidoka, who was part of Atiku’s delegation to the United States, said the agreement to hire a strategic consulting firm predated the emergence of the party’s presidential candidate.

    But the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the agreement had sinister motives.

    He said blowing N388million on such a venture was “a sign of the recklessness which PDP is noted for”.

    In the agreement between PDP and Ballard Partners, Inc. the party is expected to pay the firm $90,000 per month for 12 months.

    The lobbying is expected to run from September, 2018 to September 20, 2019.

    The agreement was signed by Chidoka (the PDP Special Advisor) and Brian D. Ballard (the President of Ballard Partners, Inc.).

    It reads in part: “This agreement shall become effective in September, 2018 and shall remain effective until September 20, 2019. This agreement shall automatically renew for successive one-year period on the anniversary of the effective date of the agreement unless either party terminates the agreement. Upon renewal, this agreement may be terminated within thirty (30) days written notice by either party.

    ”It shall be the Firm’s duty to consult with the Client and advocate on its behalf those issues the Client deems necessary and appropriate before the US Federal government.

    “Issues and objectives may include, but not be limited to enhancement of U.S. Nigerian relations, strengthening and advancing democratic values and the rule of law in Nigeria, with a special focus in the coming months on maintaining political and security conditions free of intimidation and interference in order to ensure the success and fairness of Nigeria’s national election for president in 2019.

    “It shall further be the Firm’s duty to inform the Client of developments in legislation and policy relevant to the Client’s issues and objectives.

    “It shall be the Client’s duty to provide the Firm the information necessary to best represent the Client. It shall also be the Client’s duty to timely compensate the Firm for its services.”

    The Nation stumbled on a document, which states the terms of the contract and its cost. The PDP will shell out at least $90,000 a month for 12 months.

    The document said: “The Firm shall receive from the Client $90 000 a month, payable in quarterly installments for this agreement, plus the reasonable cost associated with the representation, including but not limited to, necessary registration fees; and travel expenses such as hotel, air fare, car services and meals, excluding cost typically associated with the operation of an office such as overhead, staff, and equipment.

    “The fee shall be paid in quarterly installments of $270,000 with the first installment being due immediately upon execution of this agreement; second installment due on December 21st, 2018; third installment due on 21 March, 2019; fourth installment due on June 21, 2019; and continuing to be due on quarterly basis until the termination of the agreement. The Firm will bill costs quarterly.”

    A PDP source , who spoke in confidence, said:  “Nothing is secret, nothing is untoward in the agreement. The agreement predated the emergence of  Atiku.

    “The engagement of the firm was only about lobbying in the US because we want free and fair elections in February. The All Progressives Congress(APC) did the same thing in 2014.”

    Responding to a question, the source said: “The agreement has nothing to do with the issuance of visa to Atiku and his trip to the United States. We entered into the agreement on September 21, 2019 and we had our primaries on October 7, 2019.

    “As at the time we signed the strategic consulting contract, the PDP did not have any presidential aspirant in mind. We just wanted to be heard by the United States Government and its people.

    “It is not a function of anything to do with Atiku.”

    Asked of the motives behind the agreement, the source said there was nothing sinister.

    “How can anybody sign an agreement to destabilise this country. I don’t want us to keep looking stupid. Everything about the agreement was transparent.”

    When contacted, a former Minister of Aviation, Dr. Osita Chidoka, said: “The agreement was signed before the PDP primaries and it was for the purpose of promoting free and fair elections.”

    Reacting to the hiring of the consultant,  APC National Publicity Secretary Lanre Issa-Onilu said: “The PDP leaders have sinister motives but they cannot succeed. They are paying huge sums of money to engage consultants with the sole intention to deceive those abroad and Nigerians again into submitting our resources by coming back to power.

    “We thank God that all their efforts from the UAE to the UK, the USA and elsewhere in Europe have all ended in disastrous outcome.

    Read also: Minimum wage: TUC shifts battle to National Assembly

    “The free and fair poll is here in Nigeria, not in the US. So, they can deceive themselves but they cannot deceive Nigerians.

    “Spending N388million on public relations and lobbying is very reckless and a sign of recklessness which PDP is noted for. Everything about PDP and its leaders has been driven by recklessness. Their 16-year reign in government was a reckless enterprise. Nigerians should watch out, they are spendthrift.

    “We know the cash is part of the money stolen which this APC government is making efforts to retrieve from them. This is why they think President Buhari should not be re-elected.

    “The February 16 presidential poll is not about who will win; it is about which state will vote more for President Muhammadu Buhari because PDP has technically pulled out of the race.”

  • Umahi vows to probe APC gov candidate

    Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi on Wednesday vowed to probe all federal government road projects executed by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), Senator Sunny Ogbuorji in the state.

    Umahi spoke in Isaka, the Council headquarters of Ivo local government area, during his re-election rally in the area.

    He maintained that Ogbuorji would vomit every kobo he embezzled from the money meant for the projects.

    The governor said all the road projects being executed by Ogbuorji had already failed, nothing that he won’t allow any substandard project to be executed in the state under his watch.

    “I am going to probe all the federal government roads that he (referring to Ogbuorji) is currently doing that have already failed.

    “I will probe all of them and the street light project and I assure you that I will make him vomit every kobo that he has embezzled in those projects,” he stressed.

    Umahi appealed to the people to stop wasting time on the APC guber candidate, as according to him, he had no capacity to withstand him.

    “I don’t waste my time talking about Ogbuorji because I know his capacity. You cannot compare him with this man standing here (referring to himself). We are no match. So, don’t waste your time talking about him.

    “I want him to come and debate with one of my House of Assembly members. That is his qualification.

    ‘’I won’t waste my time on him. I am a divine project. Who was he before we pushed him into politics? So, don’t waste your time on him”.

    He further advised PDP supporters not to attack any person or tear posters/ billboards of candidates of other political parties in the state, saying, there was no need since they are already in charge.

    Umahi, who described Ivo LGA as his second home, announced that work would immediately resume on the Ivo water project.

    Read Also: No division in Southeast PDP – Umahi

    The Governor also said in compliance to the request made by the former Secretary to Government of the federation, Senator Pius Anyim, he would flag-off of the construction of the road leading to His Royal Highness, Agu(3), Eze Moses Ngele of Ishiagu, and Asa road on Monday.

    The governor assured the people of Ivo LGA that he would construct their urban roads in his second tenure in office.

    Former Secretary to Government of the federation, Pius Anyim, stated the governor means well for Ebonyi people considering the qaulity of people flying the PDP flag in the state.

  • APC planning to rig presidential election, says Atiku

    PEOPLE’S Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar yesterday accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of planning to rig the forthcoming general elections.

    The former vice president, who spoke at the PDP Southeast rally in Owerri, the Imo State capital, urged the people to protect their votes by staying back at the polling units after casting their votes.

    He added that except such measures were taken, the APC would manipulate the election.

    He said: “APC is planning to rig the election. Please protect your votes. We have promised to restructure this country. APC is an evil party. They have turned this country as headquarter of poverty.”

    He noted that under the APC, Nigeria has been made poorer.

    “We are going to take over the country in the next election. Immediately after your vote, stay there and protect your vote. We want the economy to start growing again. We want you to vote PDP at all levels. Let nobody deceive you.”

    Atiku went on to describe the APC as an evil party that wants to sink Nigeria, if not stopped.

    Read also: Keyamo: why Nigerians must vote for Buhari

    PDP vice presidential candidate Peter Obi stated that the Southeast will vote for Atiku.

    “He is the one to develop Igboland. He has promised us restructuring. He will revamp the economy of Nigeria. Igbo people will vote Atiku Abubakar,” he said.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki said: “We have come here to see that the entire Southeast zone is part of the making of Atiku as the next president. Let me tell you, he has the capacity to make Nigeria united. I know that Nigerians are not happy the way it is now. Believe me, Atiku will solve the whole problems.”

  • ‘Why Buhari deserves second term’

     

    Former national woman leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Dr. Ramatu Aliyu spoke with some reporters in Lagos on why President Muhammadu Buhari deserves reelection and other issues. MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE was there. Excerpts:

    Can you share your experience from the 2018 National Convention of the APC in which you contested as national woman leader?

    It was a worthwhile experience. I have since put the negatives behind me and decided to focus on the positives. In spite of the challenges, the party came out of it alive and we are getting stronger by the day.

    It doesn’t have to be about me. You win some, you lose some. We have to play politics with maturity. No bitterness and that is how life should be.

    Why did you lose the election?

    There will always be theories for those who do not believe in the power of destiny. I have also heard other theories to the effect that I lost because my Governor was against my return. So how many theories will one react to?

    At the end of the day, my firm belief in the will of the Almighty allows me to be at peace with myself and by extension my party. I remain fully committed to the same goal of ensuring the success of President Muhammadu Buhari, especially with the elections around the corner.

    The concern now is how to put in more efforts for our President to re-emerge in the forthcoming election so that he can continue with the good works.  And we have been mobilising people, not just women before now and we are still going round to strategise.

     What is your assessment of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration in the last three and a half years?

    Very high. When you look at security, economy and anti-corruption which form the tripod upon which we ran a successful campaign in 2015 then you will see why I rate PMB’s government highly. Nobody is saying we are 100 percent, far from that.

    But success is not merely a function of how high you have gone, but also of how low you are coming from. This administration has pulled us out of recession, doused the insecurity in the country, confronted corruption in high and low places and has frontally embarked on a massive infrastructural rejuvenation across the country. We can do more, but already we have so much to be proud of

    Do you think the President stands a better chance ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar?

    Absolutely. With everything PMB has achieved in the past three and half years with even meager resources, a lot of Nigerians can see beyond the propaganda of the PDP. How would they return to power without disparaging the President?

    But we are not distracted by their desperation. PDP and its candidate have nothing to offer Nigeria beyond a return to the dark alleys of corruption and insecurity. Nigeria has moved on for good.

    What is your assessment of the inclusion of women in the present administration?

    I get this question a lot and my answer is generally not too dissimilar on each occasion. We can hardly ever have enough women in government to be honest. Under this APC administration we have women occupying key positions in the cabinet as well as other parastatals.

    READ ALSO: Look beyond 2019, Bakare tells Buhari, Atiku, others

    Of course we’ll keep asking for more but I am proud of the effort of the current government thus far. At least , I can boldly say more women are coming out with boldness , they are ready to serve, eager to make an impact.

    Considering the serious opposition mounted by Atiku, will it be different from what we had in 2015?

    The set circumstances which led to the ouster of a sitting government in 2015 are markedly different from what is obtainable today under this government.

    In 2015, Nigeria was for all intent and purpose in a limbo. Key indices like security, economy and infrastructure were all looking bleak. Nigerians had to come together to effect a change of government.

    Today most of these indices are looking better and things can only get better from here. So Nigerians have no need to go back to our “collective National vomit”.

    We are moving forward and thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari, a role model and a father figure to corrupt free minds.

    How will the APC fare in Kogi State despite the reported government under performance?

    Well, for starters we need to clarify the general elections in Kogi would not include the governorship elections and therefore, the President can be judged by Kogites on his own merit; which we generally agree is stellar.

    Kogites stand a chance to continue to benefit from the numerous interventions and programs of the APC led government like the N-power, Tradermoni, school feeding and bailout funds. So I urge all Kogites to rally behind APC in the overriding interest of our beloved state.

     

  • Obasanjo, an expired politician – Tinubu

    National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Monday called on Nigerians to ignore former President Olusegun Obasanjo, dismissing him as an expired politician.

    Tinubu, who spoke at the All Progressives Congress(APC) rally in Maiduguri, told the teeming supporters: “I can hear the other expired leaders like Obasanjo, ranting and lying. Don’t believe, don’t trust him, he is expired.”

    Tinubu regretted the frequent attacks on the Buhari-led administration by Obasanjo, stressing the current government was cleaning up the mess and rot of the past PDP administrations.

    “When we came on board in 2015, we made promises to all Nigerians that as the sheep of this country, we are going to turn it to the right direction and we have done that.

    “We are sweeping all the cobwebs of the collateral corruption, we are sweeping it away to give Nigerians a new life, new home and a solid foundation; that is what President Buhari is doing and we are 100 per cent with him.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari has been upright, firm and has been steady, focused with a great vision for the betterment and progress of this country.

    “We can recall the rigging in 2003 under Obasanjo, we also knew what happened in 2007 under President Obasanjo.

    “95 percent of you must come out and vote en mass for Buhari because no other president had upheld democratic principles like President Buhari.

    “In 1999, we gave it to him but he cannot remember even one day to recognise MKO’s mandate of June 12. Again, when he came back into power, we ask him for the recognition he failed. Who did it? President Buhari. declared June 12 as Democracy day to honour MKO Abiola,” Tinubu said.

    Read Also: Unprecedented crowd as Buhari campaigns in Borno/ Yobe

    He declared Obasanjo’s attacks were in bad faith, stating “ he could not stop Nigerians from re-electing the president”.

    APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole scored Buhari’s government very high in security, saying all the 24 local government councils under the control of Boko Haram during the last administration have been liberated.

    “No LGA is under the control of the insurgents. You have gained control of the 774 councils.

    ”We still have security challenges but the arrogance, impunity that Nigeria is wallowing in had become a thing of the past,” he declared.

    He added: “Everything that we are in today started in Obasanjo’s regime. Do- or- die politics was Obasanjo’s legacy. Today, the era of impeaching state governors is over.

    “The era of quarrelling with Vice President and fighting in the market place is. The era of withdrawal of Lagos state monthly allocations was the legacy of Obasanjo.“