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  • Why we demand Senate president, by North Central APC

    Why we demand Senate president, by North Central APC

    THE All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) leaders in the Northcentral  have called on the party’s national leadership to cede the position of the Senate President in the Eighth National Assembly to the area.

    Its state chairmen, in a communique in Abuja, said the call has become necessary as a reward for the performance of the zone in the 2015 elections, which contributed to the party’s overall victory.

    They insisted that the Northcentral, being a vulnerable zone, its success and victory should not be taken for granted.

    The APC leaders noted that it would only be just and equitable for the position of the Senate President to be allotted to the Northcentral.

    The communique reads in part: “Following our party’s overwhelming victory at the National Assembly polls, it is clear that our party will form the majority in the forthcoming 8th Assembly.

    “Therefore, in due course, the Senate President will be chosen from one of our distinguished senators.

    “Consequently, at a meeting of chairmen of the Northcentral Zone held on April 15, 2015, we deliberated at length on the issue of Senate Presidency and after series of analysis, consultation and exhaustive deliberations, we made the following observations:

    “Record shows that the Northcentral, historically being a PDP zone generally tends to vote for PDP at the national level.

    “We further observed the followings facts among others, that the block vote of the Northcentral, which is over 2.4 million, is same as Southwest. The Northcentral delivered 13 senators same as Northeast.

    “The Northcentral also delivered 100 per cent state governors as Northwest compared to the Northeast with only four governors.

     “It is our strong belief that these efforts and performances need to be rewarded since our role was pivotal to our party’s success at the national level.

    “It was expected that the Northwest and Northeast would largely vote APC. However, it was crucial that the Northcentral should also deliver its votes for our party to succeed. It was on this, we believe, that contributed in no small measure to our party’s victory.

    “It must be noted that since 1999, the Northcentral Zone, even under the PDP, has been taking third position and with our recent performance, we equally believe the zone should have the same third position.

    “It would be recalled that our campaign in the North was not easy as issue of religion, ethnicity and tribalism was propped up and despite all these challenges, we went out to deliver for our party.

    “The argument that Northcentral is always in third position has to do with PDP to be precise. Therefore, if the zone had performed and delivered under the APC, we believe we should be adequately rewarded as it was being done under the PDP.”

    Also ahead of the inauguration of the 8th Senate, senators from Kano and Zamfara states are jostling for the post of Senate Leader.

    Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (Cross River Central) occupied the position in the outgoing 7th Senate.

    With the emergence of the APC as the majority party in the Senate, ranking senators from Kano and Zamfara states are already positioning themselves to occupy the exalted position of Senate Leader.

    The APC, with 60 seats in the 8th Senate, is expected to zone the slot of the Senate President to either the Northcentral geo-political zone or the Northeast.

    The Northwest geo-political zone, where the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, hails from is also expected to produce the candidate to fill the position of Senate Leader.

    Findings showed that some ranking senators have started lobbying their colleagues to support them in their bid to clinch the positions.

    The Northwest zone is said to be laying claim to the slot on the strength that the zone produced the highest number of senators during the March 28 National Assembly election.

    The Northwest zone has 20 senators to its credit all on the platform of the APC.

    Of the 20 senators, eight are ranking as some have been elected to the chamber at least twice while others will cross to the Senate from the House of Representatives.

    Findings also showed that senators from Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano and Zamfara states have been meeting to decide, which state will produce the Senate Leader.

    Five states of the Northwest – Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara – returned six ranking senators.

    They are Senators Kabiru Gaya (Kano), Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Abu Ibrahim (Katsina), Ahmed Ru’fai Sani (Zamfara), Kabir Marafa (Zamfara), and Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto).

    Senators-elect Bala Ibn Na’Allah and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano State Governor) also have the ranking advantage, having been elected into the House of Representatives at different times.

    The implication of the ranking rule, which gives preference to senators, who have been elected more than once into the chamber, means that top contenders for the Senate Leader position are: Senators Sani, Marafa, Gaya and Adamu Aliero.

    Senator Sani who had been elected into the Senate three times in a row, has the most legislative experience from the zone.

    Sani has been a principal officer since 2007. In his first term, he was elected Minority Whip and in 2011, became the Deputy Minority Leader.

    Findings showed that the closest contender to him is Gaya, who was a principal officer in 2007.

    Gaya was Deputy Minority Whip.

  • APC plotting to deplete our ranks, says PDP

    APC plotting to deplete our ranks, says PDP

    THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged plot by the All Progressive Congress (APC) to deplete its ranks, using the party’s disgruntled members.

    At a news conference in Abuja yesterday shortly after its National Working Committee meeting, its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, however, vowed that the party would resist such “plot”.

    “The NWC has noted some divisive comments and statements by certain elements within the party, who are being enticed by extraneous factors and other parties to cause disharmony in our ranks”, Metuh said.

    According to him, “while cautioning against such comments, we urge our members with genuine grievances to direct them through the appropriate channels within our party in line with the provisions of the PDP constitution.

    “We are aware that some elements within our party have been co- opted by the APC to destabilise our party in the aftermath of the outcome of the results of the 2015 general elections.

    “While some have defected to the APC, others have been asked to stay behind to be used to execute the plot, but the NWC will not allow this to happen.

    “We reassure all our members that the NWC has put a machinery in place to reengineer and refocus our great party in keeping with our collective determination to consolidate our support base in all states of the federation with a view to regaining power at the centre in the next four years since it is obvious that the APC lacks what it takes to effectively lead our dear nation”.

    He said the NWC had summoned emergency meetings  next week with its stakeholders.

  • APGA, APC: cancel Abia governorship poll

    APGA, APC: cancel Abia governorship poll

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the governorship results in three councils – Obingwa, Osisioma and Isiala Ngwa North.

    Returning Officer Prof Benjamin Ozumba had cancelled results of the three councils, alleging malpractices and violence.

    Speaking with reporters in Umuahia, Umeh said the Returning officer, who earlier cancelled the results, was allegedly prevailed upon by top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members to rescind his decision.

    Umeh wondered how Ozumba could generate 82, 240 votes when the same council gave President Goodluck Jonathan only 16,000 votes.

    He said results from the three councils should be cancelled.

    In the same vein, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for the cancellation of the elections over alleged electoral fraud.

    APC asked INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, to investigate the alleged role of the PDP, APGA and INEC officials in the alleged malpractices.

    The party’s candidate, Chief Anyim Nyerere, made the call in Umuahia.

    Nyerere decried the high rate of ballot box snatching, shooting and other forms of violence.

  • APC cautions against rigging

    APC cautions against rigging

    The Southeast Zone of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned the military and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against rigging the rescheduled Imo governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    Briefing reporters in Enugu, Chairman of the APC, Dr. Ben Nwoye said they would resist attempts to manipulate the outcome of the rescheduled elections.

    Nwoye said anyone, including INEC officials and soldiers, who attempt to manipulate the results of the elections would be prosecuted when the APC takes over the leadership of the country.

    He hinted that once the APC takes over, legal process would begin to work, warning those with the intention of carrying out impunity that from May 29, impunity would seize to exist.

  • APC actualises Awo, MKO dreams , says ex-aide Akerele

    APC actualises Awo, MKO dreams , says ex-aide Akerele

    FORMER political assistant to the late Bashorun MKO Abiola and veteran journalist, Lisa Olu Akerele, has described the victory of All Progressives Congress(APC) candidates across the nation as the actualization of the dreams of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and Abiola.

    In a congratulatory message to the leadership of the APC, Akerele said the party’s victory was “the triumph of progressives over reactionary forces,” giving kudos to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for leading a worthy battle on the side of history.

    He noted that if the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) had won in Lagos State, for instance, “the state would have been dragged down an inglorious path of infamy as the PDP lacked the depth to sustain the level of development the state had already attained under Tinubu and incumbent governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.”

    He said that if Chief Jimi Agbaje of PDP had won Chief Akinwunmi Ambode of APC, it would have amounted to a dent on Tinubu’s progressive credentials in view of the desperate last moves by President Goodluck Jonathan to rubbish Tinubu in Lagos for leading the crusade to sack him from Aso Rock.

    He praised “Lagosians for shunning the lorry loads of Naira notes Jonathan delivered to Lagos a couple of days before the governorship elections, noting that their choice was the triumph of progress over evil.”

    Akerele argued that it was Awolowo’s dream to forge a united progressive front for Nigeria, but this was truncated by reactionarists who had no plan for the growth of the country.

    He said Abiola realised the Awolowo dream by winning the June 12, 1993 elections squarely across ethnic and religious divides all over the nation, “but he was prevented from assuming the mantle of leadership by those who never wished Nigeria well.”

    Akerele said the push led by Tinubu had galvanized the progressives across the country into a united front, which led to the emergence of Gen. Mohammadu Buhari as the president-elect of Nigeria.

    He praised Tinubu’s tenacity of purpose in the struggle, maintaining that Ambode’s victory was a further vote of confidence in both Fashola and his predecessor.

     

     

    He pointed out that Ambode had a gruelling task of ensuring that the standards set by Tinubu and Fashola were maintained in the years ahead, adding that the governor-elect will have no excuses for failing in view of the fact that he has the advantage of working with a progressive at the centre unlike his predecessors.

    The media consultant advised Lagosians to team up with Ambode to ensure he had a successful tenure.

  • APC: verdict leaves moral questions unanswered

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has said the Supreme Court verdict left moral questions unanswered.

    APC’s Publicity Secretary Taiwo Olatubosun, in a statement, said although the party had accepted the verdict, he said there were moral issues arising from the judgment.

    He noted that what flew from that judgment was that citizens can lie with ease under oath and get away with it.

    “As at the time Fayose filled his form at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and lied he had never been indicted by any panel, no judgment had been delivered to reverse his impeachment until yesterday’s Supreme Court verdict.

    “This implies that it is profitable to lie and cheat as the end will always justify the means,” Olatunbosun explained.

    “We had expected that the judgment will serve as a deterrent to the like of Mr. Fayose, who believes in impunity and extra-judicial method of doing things.  We are shocked that a man, who did not allow a case of eligibility against him to be heard till today at the State High Court after assaulting judges and desecrating the Judiciary would come out clean at the topmost temple of justice.

    “We know the law is an ass but we had expected that those who trampled on it will have their comeuppance but this was not to be.

    “We accept the judgment of the Supreme Court as a law abiding party although the moral questions it raised have refused to go.

    “We call on our party members to be law abiding and not to despair. The present wind of change, which is blowing across the country, will soon be felt in Ekiti as there will be an end to impunity, brigandage and gangsterism.

    “This is the time for our party members to come together and strengthen our resolve to rescue Ekiti from its present abyss under the iron grip of a dictator.”

     

  • ‘We’ll dislodge APC from Edo in 2016’

    Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it will, dislodge the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the state, next year

    The opposition said the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly elections showed that it remained a viable alternative for good governance ahead of the 2016 governorship election.

    PDP State Chairman Dan Orbih told reporters yesterday in Benin, the state capital, that the actual race for a change in Edo Government House had begun.

    Orbih noted that the election of two senators, five House of Representatives members and three House of Assembly lawmakers on the platform of the PDP was a reflection of the people’s confidence in the party to checkmate the ruling party.

    The PDP chairman said the people expected a vibrant and focused legislature devoid of political sentiments.

    He urged the lawmakers to think more about the interest of Edo residents instead of the party’s interest.

    Orbih said: “This state belongs to all of us. We have a responsibility, as a political party, to be answerable to our people, to point out the ills of Adams Oshiomhole’s government. I promise Edo people that we are never going to relent in our effort in this regard.”

    “Democracy cannot survive when you don’t have an informed alternative or an opposition party that will always come to speak for the people. Of course, the APC-controlled state government recorded some victories in the House of Assembly election. That has not taken anything away from the fact that the politics of our state is now fairly balanced: there is no one dominant party.

    “Why we can boast of having majority of the people that will represent the people of Edo State at the National Assembly, for tactical reasons, it is also good that they (APC) should have some good representation at the House of Assembly.

    “So, the governor is having a good majority in the House of Assembly and will have no excuse whatsoever to give Edo people for his failure.”

     

  • APC actualises Awo, MKO dreams , says ex-aide Akerele

    FORmer political assistant to the late Bashorun MKO Abiola and veteran journalist, Lisa Olu Akerele, has described the victory of All Progressives Congress(APC) candidates across the nation as the actualization of the dreams of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and Abiola.

    In a congratulatory message to the leadership of the APC, Akerele said the party’s victory was “the triumph of progressives over reactionary forces,” giving kudos to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for leading a worthy battle on the side of history.

    He noted that if the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) had won in Lagos State, for instance, “the state would have been dragged down an inglorious path of infamy as the PDP lacked the depth to sustain the level of development the state had already attained under Tinubu and incumbent governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.”

    He said that if Chief Jimi Agbaje of PDP had won Chief Akinwunmi Ambode of APC, it would have amounted to a dent on Tinubu’s progressive credentials in view of the desperate last moves by President Goodluck Jonathan to rubbish Tinubu in Lagos for leading the crusade to sack him from Aso Rock.

    He praised “Lagosians for shunning the lorry loads of Naira notes Jonathan delivered to Lagos a couple of days before the governorship elections, noting that their choice was the triumph of progress over evil.”

    Akerele argued that it was Awolowo’s dream to forge a united progressive front for Nigeria, but this was truncated by reactionarists who had no plan for the growth of the country.

    He said Abiola realised the Awolowo dream by winning the June 12, 1993 elections squarely across ethnic and religious divides all over the nation, “but he was prevented from assuming the mantle of leadership by those who never wished Nigeria well.”

    Akerele said the push led by Tinubu had galvanized the progressives across the country into a united front, which led to the emergence of Gen. Mohammadu Buhari as the president-elect of Nigeria.

    He praised Tinubu’s tenacity of purpose in the struggle, maintaining that Ambode’s victory was a further vote of confidence in both Fashola and his predecessor.

    He pointed out that Ambode had a gruelling task of ensuring that the standards set by Tinubu and Fashola were maintained in the years ahead, adding that the governor-elect will have no excuses for failing in view of the fact that he has the advantage of working with a progressive at the centre unlike his predecessors.

    The media consultant advised Lagosians to team up with Ambode to ensure he had a successful tenure.

     

  • ‘APC set to unseat PDP in Bayelsa’

    A chieftain of Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Godwin Sidi, has said the party will unseat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration in next year’s governorship election.

    Sidi said APC would present an unbeatable candidate to defeat the PDP in Bayelsa State.

    The APC chieftain hailed the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; President-elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and the National Working Committee (NWC) for sending the PDP Presidency out of the Aso Rock Villa.

    He said the party’s strength in Bayelsa State should not be judged by the outcome of the House of Assembly election results.

    According to him, the polls were marred by irregularities.

    Sidi said next year’s governorship election would be different because it would be conducted under a new Nigerian order with the rule of law as a national etho.

    The APC chieftain said the April 11 Assembly elections were manipulated by the PDP-led state government.

    He alleged that the government used security operatives to intimidate and harass opposition candidates and their supporters.

    Sidi said: “In 2016, the new Nigerian order must have taken place. The rule of law will reign supreme, unlike what is in vogue under the PDP, where all critical institutions, including the security agencies, have been compromised.

    “Under the incoming government, the police, the Army and other institutions will only restrict themselves to their constitutional roles. This is why we are confident that APC will unseat this unpopular government of the PDP in Bayelsa State in 2016.”

    The APC chieftain stressed that as from next year, INEC and its officials would no longer allow themselves to be induced and manipulated by the government.

    He said: “We are not happy that we won in some places but were rigged out through electoral fraud. We know that the governorship election will be different.

    “We want to thank the people of Bayelsa State for their commitment to the party and change.”

    Sidi said APC remained focused, adding that it would not succumb to any plot to use security agencies to silence its members.

    The APC chieftain urged party faithful to be law-abiding, adding that security agencies would no longer intimidate them.

     

  • APC Scandinavia congratulates Nigerians

    APC Scandinavia congratulates Nigerians

    The All Progressive Congress (APC) chapter in Scandinavia has congratulated Lagosians and fellow Nigerians on the success of the peaceful elections process which has drawn global commendations.

    Speaking in a statement, Ayoola Lawal, the group coordinator said it was a wise decision for Nigerians to have voted the All Progressive Congress (APC) at the just concluded 2015 general elections.

    According to the group, APC has proven to be the only political party with the sincere intention to bring the changes Nigerians desired.

    “Nigeria has faced a lot in the hands of the out-going administration, which has made corrupt practices the order of the day.

    “It is even sad that the institutions set up to fight financial and economic crimes have become clueless or better put toothless watchdogs of our economy.

    “The time is set and it is now for tremendous changes to come for the collective good of the country and the citizenry,” he said.

    The group commended the spirit of sportsmanship among the out-going Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) politicians with which they conceded defeat when it was obvious the result was not in their favour.

    Lawal further pleaded with politicians from the South-Southern and South-Eastern region of the country to imbibe the good spirit of sportsmanship by conceding to whoever the people voted.

    “It is very important that our politicians from the east and south remember that global observers have begun to make good commendations concerning the elections. Then they should make sure their actions do not mar the entire process,” Lawal said.

    He further pleaded with aggrieved parties to seek redress from the appropriate quarters.