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Tag: APC

  • ‘Faith and Politics Nigeria’ plays host to Osinbajo today

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential running mate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, will today in Lagos speak on concerns Christians have about getting involved in politics.

    The talk which is scheduled for Landmark Centre, Victoria Island is organised by ‘Faith and Politics Nigeria’ a platform set up by a group of Christian leaders. It starts at 5pm.

    Prof. Osinbajo is a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). He is expected to address issues such as how a person of faith can survive and flourish in the world of politics and the place of faith in governance.

    Others who are to speak at the forum are Leke Alder of Alder Consulting, Pastor Wale Adefarasin of Guiding Light Assembly, Bishop Mike Okonkwo of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, and Mr. Ayo Olowofoyeku, a  PDP House of Representatives candidate in Osun State.

  • Falana faults court decision on Assembly candidate

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) activist lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) and Mr. Bonajo Badejo (SAN), counsel to Hon. Hakeem Masha, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, have faulted the decision of the Federal High Court in Lagos to assume jurisdiction of the originating summons in the suit challenging the propriety or otherwise of the recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Masha as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the April 11 House of Assembly elections for Lagos Island Constituency 1.

    Both counsels had from the outset of the hearing raised objection to the suit filed by Wasiu Sanni-Eshilokun before Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court challenging the recognition of Masha by INEC, claiming he (Eshinlokun) won the primaries.

    The two counsel described the suit as “frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of court processes,” and urged the court to dismiss same for lack of jurisdiction.

    Justice Ibrahim Buba had last week assumed jurisdiction by declaring Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun as the lawful candidate of the APC in the forthcoming State House of Assembly polls after he assumed jurisdiction to hear originating summons in a suit challenging the nullification of his candidacy by the APC National Working Committee.

    Falana and Badejo, however, said Buba erred in law, because the Ibadan division of the same court had only last Monday, declined jurisdiction to hear an originating summons on a similar suit filed by a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Gbade Adeleke, challenging his exclusion as the PDP candidate for the House of Representatives seat for Ibadan North-East and South-East Constituency in Oyo State.

    Justice Buba’s judgment has however, been faulted in the notice and grounds of appeal filed by Hon. Masha’s lawyers, Mr. Bonajo Badejo.

    Badejo stated that the learned trial Judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba erred by declaring Wasiu Sanni as the lawful candidate for ignoring fundamental issues raised by Masha while adjudicating on the matter.

  • Ambode to Nigerians: Vote massively for Buhari

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has called on Nigerians to vote massively for the party’s presidential candidate, General Mohammadu Buhari, in the March 28 poll.

    Warning of dire times ahead if President Goodluck Jonathan is voted back into office, Ambode who spoke at a rally in Agege by the Arewa community called on the electorate to reenact the June 12, 1993 presidential election during which Nigerians eschewed ethnicity and religion to vote for late Chief MKO Abiola.

    The APC governorship candidate also called on Nigerians to rise beyond primordial sentiments as patriots to salvage the nation from an impending doom that a continued Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government portends.

    He said that the success so far recorded by the token mass-oriented responses by the PDP-led federal government shows that with APC in control of the central government, the nation’s future would be very bright.

    The APC candidate added that the opposition of the APC to the Jonathan-led administration forced it to reduce the tariff on electricity, price of petrol and also compelled the government to start listening to Nigerians, who the government has treated with contempt in the past 16 years.

    He said, “What all of these has shown is that the PDP government actually knows what to do, but have deliberately refused to do it, because they had wrongly underestimated the will of the Nigerian people.

  • …APC deplores order

    …APC deplores order

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday strongly objected to the warning by Police Inspector General Suleiman Abba that voters should keep off polling stations after casting their votes in the coming elections.

    The party said the Police was off course and should be ignored by voters.

    The National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in a statement in Lagos that the electorate should rather listen to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, who said the electoral law does not state anywhere that voters cannot or should not wait to watch and ensure that their votes are counted.

    It therefore urged the electorate to stay behind to protect their votes after casting their ballots, as was the case in 2011.

    APC said contrary to the suspicious directive by the IGP, INEC encourages voters to stay behind and watch their votes counted, saying the law expects such voters to stay behind but to conduct themselves in an orderly manner.

    The APC said:  “According to Jega, who appeared on Channels TV on Friday morning, the electoral law says anyone that has no business with the electoral process at the polling booths but desires to monitor events should stay at least some metres away from the polling agents and completely away from the ballot box after casting their votes.

    ‘’The INEC Chairman further clarified that all registered voters have businesses with the process and can therefore not be classified as people that don’t have businesses at polling units.

    ‘’Therefore, the IGP has no constitutional right or powers under the constitution or Police Act to rewrite the electoral law. The role of the police is to maintain law and order or such other assistance as may be sought from the police by INEC,’’ the party said.

    It also asked Nigerians to “ignore the so-called public service announcement concerning the show of force by government security agencies, saying it is part of efforts to intimidate the electorate and pave the way for the PDP to rig the elections.”

    The party also advised the public to ignore the SMS being sent around by the agents of the PDP, asking them to send their names and the last five digits of their VIN (Voter Identification Number) to certain numbers.

    ‘’These and other messages are being sent out by the PDP to steal people’s PVCs, intimidate voters and manipulate the elections. Nigerians should never allow that to happen,’’ the party said.

  • APC petitions police over attack on members

    APC petitions police over attack on members

    The All Progressives Congress in Osun State has petitioned the Commissioner of Police in the state, Abubakar Morafa, over the attacked on its members in Obokun Local Government Area.

    According to the party, some of its members were allegedly shot during its campaigns in the state. The petition signed by APC lawyer, Barrister Abdul Rasaq Adeoye, urged the police to investigate the shooting at Ilase and Ibokun towns where a political campaign organized by the party and attended by thestate governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, was disrupted.

    Speaking, the  APC leader in Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, Mrs Dupe-Ajayi Gbadebo hinted that one of the members of the party who was shot during the attack, Agunbiade Bukola is now  on danger list. “We had set up our podium for the campaign and we moved to the street to welcome the governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, but  the PDP thugs stormed the venue, shot our members and disrupted the event. These thugs were sponsored by a prominent politician in the town who wants to be a senator by all means.

    ”He had earlier issued an ultimatum to our people that anybody that would not vote for him must vacate this town. We need protection and that is why we are calling on the police and other security agencies to do their job”. The politician has however debunked the allegation. He accused APC thugs of using the covering of the governor to unleash violence on PDP members in the area.

  • APC distributes 250,000 Ekitigate DVDs

    APC distributes 250,000 Ekitigate DVDs

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has printed and distributed 250,000 copies of audio and video recordings of details of how the June 21, 2014, election was rigged in favour of Governor Ayodele Fayose.

    Its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said the party took the step to let the world know the truth about the “miracle election,” where a governor with unrivalled sterling performance failed to win a single local government of the 16 councils in the state.

    He said details of corrupt practices by soldiers as contained in the tape lent credence to the inclusion of the military as a defendant in the Ekiti State Election Petitions Tribunal, where a suit is challenging the return of Fayose as the winner of the election.

    In the tape secretly recorded by Army Captain Sagir Koli, the participants in the fraud were discussing operational details and giving instructions on how to help Fayose win the election.

    Koli went on exile after releasing the tape.

    The party said: “Nigerians and indeed decent people of the world will hear of how a brigadier-general was thoroughly disgraced by brigands and lawless individuals in PDP.

    “Nigerians will hear a brigadier- general talking of how he set up “Strike Forces” to be unleashed on APC leaders and supporters to cow them to submission to ensure victory for Fayose.

    “It is a pity and tragedy of our history that a man, who is supposed to be in chains, is the one assuring a serving brigadier-general of promotion if he could help PDP rig the election.

    “Nigerians will hear Fayose and his co-conspirators talking and boasting that the top echelons of the Army were the chief executioners of Ekiti poll fraud.

    “The world will hear Fayose talking about how he collected soft copies of INEC’s sensitive election materials and got them printed to give him victory.”

    The APC spokesman said the revelation by Fayose that he collected soft copies of INEC’s sensitive materials and got them printed had confirmed the party’s claim that photochromic papers were used to fix the election in his favour.

  • PDP can’t win by sharing dollars, says APC

    PDP can’t win by sharing dollars, says APC

    …36 party image makers express concern over Army, police role in elections

    All Progressives Party (APC) state publicity secretaries yesterday expressed concern over the proposed troops deployment for elections by the Federal Government, saying that the security agencies may be used to manipulate the elections.

    The image makers, under the umbrella of the APC Conference of State Publicity Secretaries, also berated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for instigating campaigns of calumny against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, who has insisted on conducting credible elections.

    The PROs, who stormed Lagos for their second summit, complained that the attempt by soldiers to displace the police in the maintenance of law and order during elections is unconstitutional. Lagos State Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Hon. Lateef Raji saluted their loyalty and steadfastness, urging them to sustain the tempo till the elections.

    He said: “This is a critical time for you. But, you now need to inform and educate Nigerians that the dollars being shared by the President and the PDP are the money that should be used to build roads, construct bridges and fix the power sector. You should also resist intimidation by the PDP in your states.”

    The Chairman of the conference, Comrade Joe Igbokwe of Lagos State, noted that anxiety is mounting over the proposed deployment of troops, contrary to Jega’s advice, who has insisted that soldiers should not be on election duty.

    He said the recent revelation about the scandalous rigging of the Ekiti State governorship election have cast doubt over the neutrality and devotion to professionalism by soldiers during elections under the Jonathan regime.

    Igbokwe added: “The army was used in an extensive manner to rig the Ekiti State governorship election, the fact of which is emerging from the scandalous Ekiti rigging tape leak. The Army, DSS and the police were inordinately used in the attempt to rig the Osun governorship election, but that plot failed because of the vigilance and determination of our people.

    “While we insist that the Army and other security forces should not be used to manipulate the election for the PDP, we charge state publicity secretaries to, as a matter of urgency, educate our members and supporters across the country to stand firm and resolute to defeat any attempt to intimidate them during elections. We must refocus energy in using the remaining one week to prepare our people not to give in to intimidation by either the Army or the police or the DSS in their determination to effect change in the elections.”

    Flaying the Presidency and the PDP for campaign of calumny against Jega, Igbokwe said efforts were being made to discredit the umpire because of his refusal to dance to their tunes.

    He described as bizarre and potentially dangerous the use of outlawed organisations and ethnic militias, including the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) to intimidate and terrorise the populace to support the agitation for Jega’s sack.

    Igbokwe said, while MASSOB staged a show of shame in the Southeast, OPC disrupted socio-economic activities in Lagos, molested law abiding citizens and destroyed APC campaign materials along Stadium/Ikorodu Road.

    The Publicity Secretary added: “Jega is being persecuted by the PDP and its acolytes for insisting that a credible election should be held. There is a devilish machination by a desperate failed party to remain in power. The protests and criticisms of Jega are unfounded tactics the PDP wants to use to frustrate Jega and the PDP and manipulate the election in its favour or scuttle it because it is obvious that they cannot win in a free and fair elections.”

    Stressing that the future of Nigeria depends on the elections, Igbokwe said the credibility of the exercise depends on Jega’s leadership of the INEC.

    The Publicity Secretary also said that the monetisation of the electoral process by the Presidency and the PDP will be counter-productive, adding that the sharing of dollars to compromised stakeholders cannot save him from electoral defeat.

    He added: “The President himself has lost confidence in the naira. He is now talking in dollars, euro and pound sterling. He is ready to buy anybody at whatever price to ensure that he remains in power. How many Nigerians will Dr. Jonathan reach with dollars? The dollar sharing is an admission of failure and this regime must be sent out by all means, unless it can reach the 170 million poverty-ridden Nigerians with these dollars.”

  • Buhari’s wife to Patience: Don’t be afraid of jail

    Buhari’s wife to Patience: Don’t be afraid of jail

    Hajia Aishat Buhari, wife of the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari has replied the wife President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs. Patience Jonathan who has been campaigning that General Buhari will jail his political opponents if elected President in the March 28 election, saying Patience Jonathan needs not fear as Nigerians only want a change in the way Nigeria is being run presently.

    Speaking at a mega rally where she interacted with Women in Edo State Thursday, Hajia Buhari said the PDP’s attempt to paint her husband black with the tar of religion is a desperate attempt to hoodwink the people, saying only those who want to loot the treasury campaign with religion which is at variance with politics.

    She said: “each zone of the country has its peculiar problems. For me in this zone, girl-child trafficking should be considered one of our problems, though I know there is unemployment. Unemployment is the major factor that contributes to brain drain and also the girl-child trafficking. General Muhammadu Buhari is a leader who led Nigeria some decades ago and he is coming back now to sanitise the system.

    “For those that are campaigning, saying that he is coming to jail Nigerians, I don’t know what their fear is. But they shouldn’t be afraid, because we are all yearning for change. The insecurity in the country, the very poor healthcare system, lack of education and other basic necessities that people are lacking I believe Nigerians need somebody like General Muhammadu Buhari now.

    “Already, they have painted him black, using religion. I’m happy today that Nigerians realize that they use religion as a cover to loot Nigeria. Any politician who talks to you about religion is a liar, he only wants to loot the treasury and the little resources you ought to enjoy. So say no to politics merging it with religion to deceive the people.

    “I’m here today to let Edo women know that when my husband is elected into office as President, all these will be history. The insecurity, the girl-child trafficking, suffering of the widows in the South East will come to an end. There must be a cultural design that can accommodate the widow. A design that would make the girl-child comfortable wherever she is in this country. She doesn’t have to leave her country to go and prostitute elsewhere, it’s not her portion. Her portion is to have a highly standard and moral society for her to live in. Get married, have children, train them and also mould them to become the future leaders.

    “We are here today to also let you know that the collection of your PVCs is important and don’t ever sell it. It’s like selling your future. If you sell it for N5, 000, you won’t see N5, 000 again until after four years which will be bad. Get your PVC, vote for APC, vote for freedom, vote for a new Nigeria with good security, good education, good healthcare, good roads and all the basic necessities.”

    In his address to the women, Governor Adams Oshiomhole urged them to vote for the APC since the PDP has failed in 16 years to deliver on electricity and other basic infrastructure.

    According to him, the PDP government fleeces even the poor through kerosene sale.

    “In sixteen years, PDP did not provide light, we provide the transformers to the communities but the PDP Federal Government cannot power the lights. They collect fixed charges from the people when there is no fixed light.

    “They say there’s a power reform, however instead of reform, they deform. They advertised to employ people into the Nigeria Immigration Service and use private company to charged the applicant N1, 000 each. The private company collected over N800 million from poor youths and took them to the stadium to conduct an interview, at the end people died. Instead of the Minister in charge to be reprimanded, he was given national honours.

    “You need to understand the issues. Our call for Change and for people to vote for the APC and vote out the PDP is because the PDP has completely failed and deceived the people for 16 years. So they must go home.”

    The people must vote for APC to return Nigeria from darkness to light, from unemployment to employment and from insecurity to security.”

    He flayed some religious leaders who want to polarize the country along religious lines, saying the problems facing the country affect both Christians and Moslems so Nigerians should ignore the attempt to hoodwink them and preach hatred using the religion card.

    In an address of welcome, wife of the state Deputy Governor, Deaconess Endurance Odubu said Nigerians have made up their minds to vote massively for the All Progressives Congress.

    She noted the achievements of Governor Adams Oshiomhole in Edo State and said when voted into power, General Muhammadu Buhari will replicate it at the national level.

    She assured Hajia Aishat Buhari that Edo women will vote massively for the APC.

  • APC Presidential Town Hall Women meeting

    APC Presidential Town Hall Women meeting

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (3rd right), his Rivers State counterpart and Director-General, General Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi (2nd left), All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (4th left), Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode (4th right), APC Women Leader, Chief Kemi Nelson (2nd right), member House of representatives, Hon. Abike Dabiri Erewa (right), wife of former Governor of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi (left) and an 8-Year Old Eniola Benson (middle) who donated her pocket money to General Buhari’s Campaign Fund during the APC Presidential Town Hall Meeting with Women in Lagos, on Thursday, March 19, 2015.
    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (3rd right), his Rivers State counterpart and Director-General, General Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi (2nd left), All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (4th left), Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode (4th right), APC Women Leader, Chief Kemi Nelson (2nd right), member House of representatives, Hon. Abike Dabiri Erewa (right), wife of former Governor of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi (left) and an 8-Year Old Eniola Benson (middle) who donated her pocket money to General Buhari’s Campaign Fund during the APC Presidential Town Hall Meeting with Women in Lagos, on Thursday, March 19, 2015.
  • APC Lagos Central Rally

    APC Lagos Central Rally

    Hon Kazeem Ademola Alimi;Hon Gbolahan Yisawu;Senator Oluremi Tinubu;Hon.Prince Babajide Akinloye;during the APC Rally in Lagos Central Senatotial District,at Tarqwa-Bay,Irv-Victoria Island,Lagos on Thursday PHOTO; Taiwo Okanlawon
    Hon Kazeem Ademola Alimi;Hon Gbolahan Yisawu;Senator Oluremi Tinubu;Hon.Prince Babajide Akinloye;during the APC Rally in Lagos Central Senatorial District,at Tarqwa-Bay, Victoria Island,Lagos on Thursday PHOTO; Taiwo Okanlawon