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Tag: APC

  • APC suspends BOT member over statement against Bello

    The All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Niger state has suspended one of the Board of Trustees (BOT) members Alhaji Abubakar Magaji over a derogatory statement against Governor Abubakar Bello.

    Magaji is a member of the Board of Trustees in the state and one of the founding fathers who led the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to form APC.

    In a statement by the party’s secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Liman in Minna on Thursday, Magaji was accused of making derogatory statement during a meeting chaired by the Governor on Monday.

    According to the statement, Magaji when speaking asked: ‘Who is Party?’ a question which members termed as embarrassing to the Governor.

    Read Also: Kwara: I’m the APC candidate known to INEC, says AbdulRazaq

    “This derogatory statement in the view of the Party (APC) as embarrassing and has brought it into hatred, contempt, ridicule and disrepute which offends Article 21 (A) (II) of the Party constitution (2014) as amended.”

    The party further stated the State working committee has set up a 5- man committee to investigate the matter and recommend appropriate sanctions.

  • I feared I won’t live long, says Akande

    The former Osun State governor and pioneer chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Abdul-Kareem Adebisi Akande, on Thursday said he had always harbored the fear that he might die young.

    For this reason he said he was always in a hurry to make his accomplishments before he clocked 50 years old.

    Speaking at grand reception organized for him to mark his 80th birthday anniversary in his Ila-Orangun country home, Chief Akande, in a. Once laden with emotion, explained that he exercised the fear that he might not live up to 50 because his mother died when she was 45 years old and father died when he clocked 50.

    According to him, he taught it was hereditary that he would not live long.

    He said: “My father died at age fifty and my mother died at the tender age of forty-five and I thought within me that definitely, I am not going to live long. I therefore tried to achieve much early in life.

    “When I clocked fifty and did not die as expected, I decided to slow down. That is God in action. I also came to know that doing things for humanity is much more rewarding than for oneself. With my colleagues then we formed Ila Charity Club and later Ilupeju Club, from where I knew the complexity of Ila town.”

    Akande advised the politicians to be less concerned about personal issues but rather think of what will benefit the society.

    Read Also: Akande: Mentor, role model at 80

    In his remarks, Osun State governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola described the former governor of Osun as a person that stands out as symbol and model of politics of principle, politics without bitterness, political inclusion and integrity.

    He further described Akande as a great man by any estimation, a compassionate human being, an example of decorum in any circumstances and indeed a principled leader.

    Also speaking, the immediate past governor of Osun, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola described Chief Akande as a father to all, adding that Akande impacted positively on whosoever comes his way.

    He said: “For him, political participation is for the higher goal of improving the condition of man-galvanising the human and material resources of the society for meeting needs and solving problems and in the process bring progress.”

    Aregbesola, who posited that Osun is the most difficult of all the states of the federation to govern, said governance in the state “is not eating bread and butter.”

    According to him, Akande motivated him to come to Osun to be governor, adding that during his tenure he was always guiding him with his wisdom despite “what some element tried to doctor come between us.”

    He described him as one of his political fathers who is. outstanding, truthful, honest and has integrity.

    Also, in his remark, Senator representing Osun Central, Prof. Olusola Adeyeye, referred to Chief Akande as a father to all politicians, describing as a disciplined personality that abhors corruption.

    Dignitaries in attendance at the event, include the Osun State governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, and his wife, Kafayat, the former governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, and wife, Sherifat, the state deputy governor, Gboyega Alabi, former deputy governors of Osun State, Otunba Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, and Senator Christopher Iyiola Omisore, the deputy governor of Ekiti State, Bisi Egbeyemi.

    Others were the Second Republic senator and national leader of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Fasanmi, Minister for Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, senator representing Osun Central, Prof. Sola Adeyeye, Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, art. Hon. Najeem Salam, former Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adejare Bello, the Osun State Chief Judge, Justice Adepele Ojo.

    Among the traditional rulers were the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Adewale Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi, the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Olabomi, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun, the Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Adedotun, and Olufon of Ifon-Orolu, Oba Adekinle Magbagbeola.

  • I’ll pay Niger Delta more attention – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has assured the people of the Niger Delta that his promise to develop the region would continue to receive serious attention.

    President Buhari, who gave the assurance on Thursday at the Warri Township Stadium, during the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign/ mega rally for Delta state, also emphasized that his administration’s fight against corruption would receive more serious steam if re-elected next month.

    President Buhari, who came as the last speaker at the event, which saw a massive turn out of people from different parts of the state, noted that his administration would continue to give attention to issues of security and the economy, noting that security would allow for proper management of the nation, which would eventually give room for a thriving economy.

    “I assure you, the fundamental objectives we have identified and campaigned on in 2015 are still relevant; the country has to be secured to be properly managed and proper management means doing well in the economy. We have a young population, most of them unemployed, this is of great concern.

    “We have turned to agriculture and industry. Massively, God has helped us with raining seasons, especially the last two and we have virtually been able to achieve food security as a nation. A lot of young people have been mobilized and they have gone back to land and they haven’t regretted it.

    “In the fight against corruption, I assure you that all those who have fraudulently enriched themselves when they were entrusted with public funds, we will eventually get them and deal with them. We are doing it, we will continue to do it and I assure you, we will not abuse your trust.

    “I assure you that the programme mentioned here about the development of the Niger Delta will be taken even more seriously. I expect you to please cooperate and vote APC from top to bottom. APC from top to bottom”, the president said.

    Others who spoke at the event assured President Buhari of getting his winning figures from Delta state and the other parts of the Niger Delta region.

    The Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council and Minister of Transportation, in his remark said “don’t sleep on that day because if you sleep PDP will steal the slip and write results as they always do. You said you want to change Okowa, the only way to change Okowa is to go out that day to vote. Vote for Buhari, vote for Ogboru and don’t vote Okowa, that way APC will win”.

    Leader of the Delta Mainstream APC, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, while speaking with journalists at the venue of the event, said the APC would win massively in Delta, saying the “our people are waiting for the elections to come so that we can reciprocate President Buhari’s performance in the state. I can confidently tell you he will score over 80 per cent of the total votes in Delta with this massive turnout in next month’s election. APC has taken over Delta”.

    The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, speaking at the palace of the Ovie of Uvwie, where all Urhobo monarchs received the president reeled out the achievements of the administration in Delta state and other parts of the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

    Immediate past governor of the state, who is also contesting the Delta South Senatorial District’s election on the platform of the APC, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, said: “Mr. President, Delta people have seen what you have done and they are ready to vote you in a second time”.

    The Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, also assured President Buhari would sweep the election in Delta state.

    Read Also: Buhari mourns Oba Adejana of Iworoko-Ekiti

    National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, in his lengthy remark, charged President Buhari to ensure that he follow through till he gets answers to how the $16 billion appropriated by the previous PDP administration was spent and ensure that everyone involved in the mismanagement is punished.

    “Yesterday (Wednesday), I was watching the television, I saw PDP Presidential candidate and a former custom officer (Atiku), he was saying in the likely event that If Nigerians make the mistake of their life to vote for him (Atiku) as president, is telling Nigerians whether they like it or not even if he would die that he will sell oil
    reserves of Delta, Akwa Ibom, Edo states and that he would auction all oil properties of Nigeria whether they (Nigerians) like it or not.

    “If somebody put you on notice that if you vote for him that he is going to sell your family, will you agree? Will you vote for him? When Atiku was the vice president, I was the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress. When they wanted to sell Nigeria Airways, when we told him no, he (Atiku) said he don’t care. He just wanted to sell Nigeria Airways”, Oshiomhole said.

    Also speaking with journalists, the Executive Director (Projects) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), “Delta state and indeed the Niger Delta region has enjoyed a new facelift through the direct efforts of the federal government and through the intervention of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)”.

  • Why I joined APC – Former Kwara deputy speaker

    Malam Mohammed Suka-Baba, a former Deputy Speaker of the Kwara House of Assembly says his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in the interest of his community.

    Suka-Baba said this on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ilorin.

    He explained that President Muhammadu Buhari, had done much for the community.

    Suka-Baba, who hailed from Venra, in Kaiama Local Government Area (LGA) of the state was the deputy speaker in the house from 2003 to 2007.

    According to him, APC remains the only platform through which the aspiration of his people can be met.

    Read Also: Former Kwara deputy speaker, others defect to APC

    “Buhari is doing much for us, the Kishi-Kaiama road is under construction, just last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the construction of Kaiama-Wawa road.

    “These have been the agitation of our people for a long time,” he said.

    He said the community had resolved to work for the re-election of Buhari and other APC candidates in the forthcoming election.

    The former lawmaker stated that his return to the APC was home-coming as he was a founding member of the party.

    Suka-Baba reportedly led hundreds of his supporters to decamp from the PDP to APC in January.

  • MC Oluomo discharged from hospital, travels abroad

    A chieftain of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Musiliu Akinsanya a.k.a MC Oluomo, was on Tuesday night discharged from a Lagos hospital, where he was receiving treatment.

    MC Oluomo was attacked at an All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Ikeja on Jan. 8, and was immediately taken to Eko Hospital, following injuries he sustained.

    A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who visited the Eko Hospital in Ikeja on Wednesday, gathered that MC Oluomo left the hospital on Tuesday night after payment of over N2 million medical bill.

    A very reliable source, who preferred anonymity, told NAN that the NURTW leader may have left for the United States immediately he was discharged from hospital on Tuesday night.

    “He is very fine and has nothing to worry about his health after his treatment at the hospital. Before he finally left on Tuesday night, he was receiving a lot of well-wishers.

    “Sometimes, he moves around and sometimes walks his visitors to the corridor, so he was in a sound health before leaving the hospital.

    Read Also: How NURTW chief, MC Oluomo, was stabbed, by K1 Publicist

    “Few days before he left the hospital, his associates were making arrangements for his trip,’’ the source said.

    NAN also observed that there was no more police presence around the hospital, as the three police vehicles stationed there had been removed.

    The Lagos State Police Command had said it arrested some suspects and also declared wanted another NURTW chieftain over the disruption of the APC rally in Lagos.

    The Command’s spokesperson, CSP Chike Oti, had said that those arrested in connection with the incident were helping the police in their investigation.

  • Tinubu hails Akande at 80

    All Progressives Congress chieftain, Bola Tinubu, says the party might not have recorded quick success without its former Interim Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande.

    In a tribute to congratulate Akande as he clocks 80, Tinubu, also the Co-Chair of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, said Akande was a founding father of the APC and its unprecedented electoral victory in 2015.

    A copy of the tribute was made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos by Tinubu’s Media Officer, Mr Tunde Rahman.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Chief Bisi Akande, a nationalist and a former governor of Osun State, will clock 80 on Jan. 16.

    Tinubu, in a statement issued by his Media Officer, Tunde Rahman, said that Akande was one of the few surviving true associates of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Bola Ige.

    According to him, like Awolowo and Ige, Akande devoted his public life to the ideals and practices that can engender a truly democratic and egalitarian society.

    ”He is a founding father of the APC and its unprecedented electoral victory in 2015.

    ”As the interim chairman of the party, he showed extraordinary adeptness and patience in bridging differences and moulding our new party into a progressive force.

    ”Without him, the APC might never have come into existence and it certainly would not have experienced the quick success it encountered.

    ”He helped lay a solid foundation for the party and did so selflessly and with impartiality and a good word towards all.

    ”Baba is a highly perspective and thoughtful leader. He has proved invaluable in serving humanity and his fatherland,” he said.

    Tinubu described Akande as a principled leader, who possessed profound judgment and a sage’s wisdom as well as a compassionate human being and an example of decorum in any circumstance.

    ”This high principled leader, Bisi Akande, stood as a father figure and mentor to many younger politicians across the country, particularly in the South-West.

    Read Also: No voting with temporary voter card- INEC

    ”Because of his traits as an exemplary leader and mentor, many call him “Baba Omo Keekeke”, meaning the political father of the younger ones who come after him.

    ”He has shown that one can be successful in politics by being kind to all and making concern for the common person and for a just society one’s guiding vision.

    ”He is one of the most humane persons you could meet. To meet him is to like him. To know him is to admire Chief Akande and to be thankful that he is your friend and ally,” he said.

    Tinubu said that Akande gave his best and served his Ila-Orangun hometown, his state, the Yoruba race and the country with commitment and dedication.

    ”He was a stalwart progressive regarding his objections, and proved to have an expert and diligent hand in terms of his administration of the machinery of governance.

    ”He was unwavering in pursuing what he believed was good and desirable for the state.

    ”He governed with a dignity that is rarely found. Yet, he would not flinch from doing what was right even if strong force was arrayed against him,” he said.

  • Former Kwara deputy speaker, others defect to APC

    Thousands of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Kaiama, Kaiama local government area of Kwara state have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    The defectors led by the former deputy speaker of the Kwara state House of Assembly, Hon Mohammed Suka-Baba, formally declared for the APC in Verna ward of Kaiama local government area.

    The defectors openly burnt the membership cards of their former party. H

    Giving reasons for his defection, Suka-baba said his resolve to defect to APC was borne out promptings from his supporters in the area.

    Said he: “As a Fulani man, I am defecting to APC because my people want APC; I want to say I am back as I was a founding member of APC in the state. APC is a progressive party and anybody that wants the
    progress of Kwara state and Nigeria, in general, must join APC.

    “I am not joining APC to create any faction in the party. I still talk to some of them in PDP to join the party of the progressives which APC.

    “I am also assuring that by next week we shall be receiving large number of PDP members from Kwara north who will be joining the APC. I am confident that my coming will more people to join the APC in the entire Kwara state.”

    Receiving the defectors, the state APC Chairman Hon Bashir Bolarinwa said Suka-baba was spurred by the retrogression in his community to decamp to the APC.

    Read Also: Buhari, Osinbajo, others lay wreaths for heroes

    Said he: “Hon Sukababa is leaving the party of darkness to that of light; we are here today because a politician means well for his community is joining the APC. APC is not a party that makes unfulfilled promises.

    “PDP knows that it has lost the forthcoming elections that is why it has resorted to engaging in violence and destruction of our billboards. They have missed it. They will quit Kwara for us come 2019. And that
    will be the end of underdevelopment in the state.”

    Hon Bolarinwa charged the party faithful to remain unprovoked, charging them to vote all the candidates of the party and guide their votes from the marauders on election days.

    “For Saraki to think he has majority in Kwara state would amount to an illusion in grandeur. From Ekiti to Afon and Kiama, it is a morbid tale of infrastructure neglect and deceit. And the gale of defection to APC from the PDP had been tremendous. Nobody can stop or derail the liberation train. Everybody is committed to the liberation of Kwara State. The O to ge train is unstoppable,” he added.

     

  • APC, PDP quarrel over CJN Onnoghen’s trial

    The imminent arraignment of Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has pitted the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The ruling party yesterday took exception to an allegation by the PDP that it (APC) and its candidate in the February 16 presidential election, President Muhammadu Buhari, are behind the CJN’s ordeal.

    PDP spokesman Kola Ologbodiyan accused the President and the APC of being desperate to remove Justice Onnoghen because of the forthcoming elections.

    Ologbodiyan, who spoke for the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO), alleged that the ruling party was on a mission to annex the judiciary.

    But the APC fired back through its Publicity Secretary Lanre Issa-Onilu, accusing the PDP of trying to hoodwink Nigerians into believing that the allegations against the CJN had political motives.

    Issa-Onilu said the interest shown so far by the PDP in the CJN matter since it was brought to the limelight on January 7 had given the party out of having some unholy alliances with the judiciary.

    He said the law should be allowed to run its course.

    The APC spokesman urged Nigerians to caution the opposition party over what it called virulent attacks on the party and institutions of government.

    Nigeria, Issa-Onilu said, is bigger than any political party or any political interest.

    Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, Issa-Onilu also faulted the decision of the CJN not to appear before the CCT to answer charges bordering on false assets declaration preferred against him.

    He alleged that such a decision could have been based on the suggestions of PDP governors from the Southsouth, who after their emergency meeting in Abuja on Sunday, urged the CJN to ignore the court summons.

    The APC, he said, will not be drawn into debating the legality or sponsored conspiracies of the CCT trial because it believes it was an opportunity for the Chief Justice to exonerate himself and prove his innocence in the matter, adding that the issue concerning the CJN should be allowed to follow the due process of law.

    He said the APC believed that democratic and constitutional institutions must be allowed to operate without interference and undue pressure from partisan and sundry interests as being done by the PDP and its cronies.

    He said: “While we would not want to be lured into discussing issues that are presently before the courts and for which any respectable political party hoping to hold positions of responsibility should restrain itself, we regret to suggest that the PDP’s attempt to hoodwink Nigerians into believing that there is a political motive behind the allegation brought against the CJN might itself be indicative of some unholy alliances.

    “The likely affinity existing between the PDP and a section of the judiciary is further accentuated by the nonappearance of Justice Onnoghen before the CCT on Monday (yesterday), in line with the suggestions made by the PDP governors from the Southsouth on Sunday.

    “Are Nigerians expected to see this as a mere coincidence? Is the PDP and their governors acting a script? Haven’t we missed an opportunity to show confidence in an institution headed by the CJN?

    “This becomes more worrisome knowing that the PDP’s campaigns have been receiving a cold shoulder everywhere they have gone to and it has become apparent the party and its presidential candidate are facing imminent defeat in the February 2019 elections and may be searching for some unorthodox means of forcing itself on the Nigerian people.

    “If this were not so, the PDP should, before coming to these distracting conclusions, have taken cognisance of the facts of the allegations made against the CJN and his admission to the facts so stated.

    “The only logical conclusion in the circumstance is that realising the refusal of Nigerians to allow the deception of the PDP con them into returning the party to power, the opposition party has alongside some pliable human rights activists devised a plot to distract the APC and indeed the good people of Nigeria from addressing the very important issues on the APC’s manifesto in the electioneering process.

    “We have also noticed the very dangerous attempt to designate the CJN’s arraignment along ethnic and religious lines thereby trying to heat up the polity by evoking primordial sentiment which would do the country no good. This is an ungodly ploy when we consider that the CJN is an officer of the federation rather than that of any region.

    “We therefore urge all Nigerians of good conscience to caution the PDP as the country is bigger than any political party or the interest it represents, and nothing should stop the country’s steady march into sustainable democratic governance.

    “In our earlier statement on the CJN’s CCT trial, we had noted the PDP’s shocking and innate proclivity to defending cases of corruption anytime it arises. The call by the PDP’s Southsouth governors for the CJN’s boycott of the CCT trial further cements our position. Let it be reiterated that nobody, no matter how highly placed, should be above the laws of the land.

    “We wish to put on record that the virulent attack that has come from the PDP in the wake of the trial of the CJN over alleged false asset declaration is particularly worrisome and suspicious when the PDP has, in fact, called for the removal of virtually all heads of government arms, particularly the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Inspector-General of the Police over frivolous issues.

    “While we will not be drawn into debates on the legality and sponsored conspiracies of the CCT trial, we insist that our democratic and constitutional institutions must be allowed to operate without interference and undue pressure from partisan and sundry interests as being done by the PDP and its cronies.

    “The CCT trial is a legal matter; let the law run its course. The CJN must go through the instrumentalities of the courts, more importantly as an institution he represents. Indeed, this is the true test of our constitution, rule of law and will deepen democracy.

    “Where there are contestations on institutional procedures, we must allow same institutions perform their functions unhindered, autocorrect if necessary and set good precedence on future matters. This is the only way we can build strong and lasting institutions.”

    Read also: Agbakoba, Mahmoud, Akintola: CJN’s non-appearance at CCT in order

    Also in a statement by Ologbondiyan, the PDP berated the President and the APC for, according to him, attempting to blackmail Nigerians who have raised a voice against the arraignment of the CJN before the CCT.

    It accused the ruling party of attempting to subdue and annex the judiciary owing to agitation by Nigerians for the prosecution of the President’s cronies and some APC leaders for alleged corruption.

    The statement reads: “The Buhari Presidency and APC in turning around to fight Nigerians have further exposed their desperation to replace Justice Onnoghen with a pliable CJN, who will execute their plots to use the courts to detain opposition leaders as well as vocal members of the Civil Society during the elections.

    “It is now crystal clear to all Nigerians that apart from failing woefully in all its promises, the APC and its presidential candidate, President Buhari, are beginning to manifest their autocratic attributes.

    “Furthermore, the Buhari Presidency is not only corrupt but has become an asylum for corrupt people. The PPCO therefore challenges the APC and the Buhari Presidency to name one APC member that has been investigated, prosecuted or arraigned before any court of competent jurisdiction in the last three and half years in spite of their humongous corruption.

    “If for anything, President Muhammadu Buhari has encouraged corruption in our nation more than any President that had the privilege of governing our country, Nigeria.

    “It is important to restate that the Buhari Presidency is now a refugee camp for known and well-advertised faces of corruption.”

     

  • CJN Trial: Let the Law take its course – APC

    The All Progressives Congress(APC) has said that the law should take its full course on the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

    Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, APC National Publicity Secretary, stated this at a news conference on Monday in Abuja.

    The CJN was expected to appear before the CCT on a case of Constitutional infraction for false declaration of his assets before assuming office.

    Issa-Onilu maintained that the country’s democratic and constitutional institutions must be allowed to operate without interference and undue pressure from partisan and sundry interests as being done by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its cronies.

    He explained that the CCT trial was a legal matter, adding that the law should be allowed to take its course.

    “The CJN must go through the instrumentalities of the courts, more importantly as an institution he represents. Indeed, this is the true test of our Constitution, rule of law and will deepen democracy.

    “Where there are contestations on institutional procedures, we must allow same institutions to perform their functions unhindered, autocorrect if necessary and set good precedence on future matters.

    Read Also: Atiku to Supporters: Reject APC

    “This is the only way we can build strong and lasting institutions.

    “While we would not want to be lured into discussing issues that are presently before the court and for which any respectable political party hoping to hold positions of responsibility should restrain itself.

    “We regret to suggest that PDP has been attempting to hoodwink Nigerians into believing that there is a political motive behind the charges brought against the CJN’’, he said.

    This, the APC spokesman said, it might itself be indicative of some unholy alliances between the PDP and the judiciary.

    He added that the likely affinity existing between the PDP and a section of the judiciary was further accentuated by the non-appearance of Justice Onnoghen before the CCT.

    Issa-Onilu, however, noted that this was in line with the suggestions made by PDP South South governors on Sunday.

    He wondered if Nigerians expected to see this as a mere coincidence and if the PDP and their governors were acting a script.

    He said this was especially worrisome knowing that the PDP’s campaigns had been receiving a cold shoulder everywhere they had gone to campaign.

    “We have also noticed the very dangerous attempt to designate the CJN’s arraignment along ethnic and religious lines thereby trying to heat up the polity by evoking primordial sentiments which would do the country no good.

    “This is an ungodly ploy when we consider that the CJN is an officer of the federation rather than that of any region.

    “We, therefore, urge Nigerians of good conscience to caution the PDP as the country is bigger than any political party or the interest it represents,”he said.

    Issa-Onilu stressed that nothing should stop the country’s steady march into sustainable democratic governance.

    He noted that the PDP was always defending cases of corruption anytime they arose.

    He said the call by the PDP’s South-South Governors for the CJN’s boycott of the CCT trial further cemented APC’s position.

    Issa-Onilu reiterated that nobody, no matter how highly placed, should be above the laws of the land.

    He said the attack that had come from the PDP in the wake of the trial of the CJN over alleged false asset declaration was particularly worrisome and suspicious.

    This, he said, was especially so when the PDP had in fact called for the removal of virtually all heads of government’s arms, particularly the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Inspector-General of the Police over frivolous issues.

    He said it had become apparent that the PDP and its presidential candidate were facing imminent defeat in the coming elections and might be searching for some unorthodox means of forcing itself on Nigerians.

    “If this were not so, the PDP should, before coming to these distracting conclusions, have taken cognisance of the facts of the allegations made against the CJN and his admission to the facts so stated,”Issa-Onilu said.

  • 2019: Adewale hails Obasanjo, canvasses for Protection of south west votes

    A chieftain and former Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Otunba Segun Adewale, popularly called Aeroland, has hailed the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for his exemplary leadership concerning the State of the Nation.
    Adewale said that Chief Obasanjo’s letter “Point of Concern and Action” came at the right time,  because he has been echoing in the same direction, the need for all stakeholders to be vigilant, and ensure that our nascent democracy is not truncated by those who are hell bent on staying in power at all cost.
    He stressed further that, the biggest threat are those who do not care about our constitution anymore but only care about “Regime Protection”, advising that Nigerians must remain resolute by voting for a candidate that can get the country working again.
    Adewale however reiterated on his earlier call, that South West votes will determine who will emerge as the next President of the country, according to him,  he said both Atiku and Buhari will slug it out in the North, while South South and South East are the area of strength for PDP, but the total number of votes in that area will be complimented by what South West can add.
    He said, PDP must work very hard to secure the bloc votes that the South West will produce. Adewale noted some factors that may militate against this victory, that if wrong people are engaged to coordinate the region, there will be big trouble for the party.
    Adewale made this known to Newsmen at the Muritala Muhammed Airport on his way out of Lagos for a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday Morning.
    According to him, he believes that the chances of the former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is very bright but must ensure that he work with people who truly wants him to emerge at the polls.
    He said for instance in Lagos, a lot of the people running and forming a circle around Alhaji Atiku from the State, have not lifted a finger to add anything to Atiku’s electoral fortune or campaign, adding that many of them lacks the political sagacity to use their influence to affect his electoral fortune.
    It is not a news that Nigerians have rejected APC, their only hope is to rig the election shamelessly, and our party must be ready to prevent it by looking for trusted and capable hands with committed party members who are ready to man or protect all the polling Units and collation centres in the region.

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    PDP have always won convincingly in South West but our polling agents are too porous, the elections are rigged right from polling units to collation centers with  intimidation and forceful declaration of fake result, outright refusal or allowing PDP voters to even vote in some of the polling units.
    He stressed further that the 2019 election is a very peculiar election year in Nigeria’s history, noting that, the campaign emphasis must be on securing votes rather than extensive campaigns or spending too much money and time on the nationwide tour, getting people who can secure our votes in various state should be out paramount task, Adewale Said.
    Adewale said if Atiku truly wants to win convincingly in South West, he must assemble young and smart “Hard Working Team” with proven electoral track record and not the regular old and tired brigades who won’t event step outside their doors on the election day. It is one thing to be a leader and another thing is to be a responsible leader, how do you categorize some of them that on the election day, when our PDP members have issues, the so called leaders won’t do anything while some of them will deliberately switch off their mobile phones.
    He said that the party must take a cue from the recently concluded Ekiti and Osun election, he posited that all hands must be on deck if indeed the party want a resounding victory in 2019. Adewale said that Nigerians will vote for PDP massively, we must play our own role to secured Atiku Victory by looking for a minimum of 100 strong, vibrant and honest people from each ward throughout the South West to man our polling units
    The PDP Chieftain said that, it is obvious that some of the so called leaders from the region are running from pillar to post just to be named State Coordinators but cannot stake their personal finance to kick off campaign but waiting for the “Atiku’s Money”, the same set of people have their strong links and family members benefiting immensely from Buhari’s government, how do we expect such people to work with all their strength to ensure that Atiku emerge from the region?  Adewale asked.
    According to him, both Atiku and Buhari will share Northern votes, South East and South South are for PDP but South West is the battle ground and as such, credible people must be chosen to man all the States in the region. Adewale said that Lagos, out of the about 85m registered voters declared by the INEC, has over 5 million voters spread across the 20 local government and 37 LCDAs created by the State government, it is a peculiar State that needs men who can navigate it despite the structure of the ruling APC.
    I am speaking from experience because I know how APC rig elections recklessly. In 2007 when I first contested, the ruling party got a wind of my popularity, they connived with INEC and removed my party’s logo from Ballot paper. In 2011, I won convincingly same INEC declared a fake result in favor of Olamilekan Yayi.
    They used the same pattern in 2015 when i won in 7 out of 10 Local governments, APC in connivance with INEC delayed results from 3 local governments,  when they knew the summed up of the figures from the 7 LGS where I won, they suddenly released outrageously rigged results from the delayed 3 LGs.
    Evidence of the real results were presented in court, but the presiding judge at that time claimed that the file was stolen from his office and no effort was made to investigate the theft of the sensitive tribunal documents.
    Adewale, said to guide against APC’s planned manipulation of results, serious plans must be put in place by the PDP,  he said it will be difficult to achieve good outing if the party continues to enthrust it’s political plans in the hands of those who are PDP in the morning and APC members at night.