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  • APC clears 12 Lagos aspirants for primaries

    APC clears 12 Lagos aspirants for primaries

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State yesterday cleared 12 aspirants intending to succeed Governor Babatunde Fashola in 2015.

    Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Obafemi Hamzat abruptly cancelled the formal declaration of his governorship aspiration slated to hold today at The Haven, Ikeja.

    A source said Hamzat cancelled his declaration due to the party primaries, which were suddenly rescheduled to begin today.

    The aspirants were certified in Ikoyi for the party primaries, which had been rescheduled to Thursday, following the release of the party’s guidelines.

    At the Ikoyi meeting, the party cleared Hamzat, the Senate Minority Whip, Ganiyu Solomon, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, former Accountant-General Akinwunmi Ambode and former Commissioner for Health Leke Pitan.

    Other aspirants are Tayo Ayinde, former Attorney-General Olasupo Shasore, former Commissioner for Special Duties Tola Kasali and Adetokunbo Wahab, among others.

    The clearance has ruled out the possibility of presenting a consensus candidate.

    The source said the governor “has been supporting Shasore’s governorship aspiration. Shasore has been Fashola’s original candidate from the beginning. But his aspiration has violated the party’s zoning rule, which has been in force since 1999. The same rule was applied in 2007″.

    “The party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu came to power in 1999 from Lagos West and Fashola in 2007 from Lagos Central. It is now the turn of Lagos East senatorial district. It is ironic that Fashola is supporting an aspirant outside the party’s zoning calculation.”

    The source said Ambode remained the frontrunner among the aspirants, noting that he had built strong grassroots support base; well-connected with various professional groups and elicited massive support from youths, tradesmen and artisans.

     

     

  • ‘Tell Nigerians what you found at data centre’

    ‘Tell Nigerians what you found at data centre’

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Department of State Security Services (DSS) to tell Nigerians the result of its investigation into the alleged Permanent Voter Cards’ ( PVCs) cloning, which led to the unlawful invasion of the party’s offices in Lagos.

    Its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, said if no evidence of PVC cloning was found, the DSS should apologise to Nigerians for acting on the basis of faulty intelligence.

    The party said any further delay in telling Nigerians the outcome of the investigations, after almost 10 days, could mean that the DSS was trying to manufacture evidence to support its faulty intelligence.

    The statement reads: ‘Without carrying out any investigation and with no shred of evidence, the DSS gleefully announced to the world that they stormed our data centre because they got information that PVCs were being cloned there.

    ‘’On the basis of this uncorroborated announcement, the PDP categorically accused the APC of cloning PVCs. It is now over a week since the DSS carted away materials and computer servers after ransacking our offices for over two hours. The agency’s experts must have analysed the information in the materials and on the servers.

    ‘’Therefore, we are now asking them to immediately announce their findings to the world. After all, it took them only a few hours after their Gestapo-like invasion of our offices before they issued their baseless allegation of PVC cloning to justify their action.”

    The party said while it had gone to court to seek redress, the DSS needed to tell Nigerians if indeed no evidence of card cloning was found.

    It advised the DSS to always act professionally and fairly in carrying out its duties, rather than taking beer parlour gossips as useful intelligence, adding: ‘’It is this type of faulty intelligence that has been stifling the efforts to deconstruct Boko Haram and facilitate the battle to end the insurgency that is daily killing and maiming innocent Nigerians.

  • Famodun: We ‘ll make Osun APC better’

    Famodun: We ‘ll make Osun APC better’

    Prince Gboyega Famodun recently emerged as the Chairman of the Osun State All Progressives Congress. In his inaugural speech, he unfolded his vision for the chapter and highlighted the challenges that will confront the stakeholders, ahead of next year’s polls. Excerpts

    I want to commence by thanking you all for the confidence reposed in me and the entire executive to steer the affairs of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in our dear state.

    To us, it is both an opportunity and a challenge. It is an opportunity to put our hands on the plough in steering our great party to the next level. It is a challenge because, the task ahead is daunting. It is a pleasant challenge though to sweat and labour for our great party until the APC reaches the Promised Land at all levels. Ours will be a commonwealth, to which everyone contributes and from which everyone benefits. With the support of all of you, we will not labour in vain.

    What we are experiencing in our party in Osun this time is unique in the sense that, for the very first time in the history of any party, all the governors that have ever ruled the state have congregated in the APC. From the first executive governor, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, to our father and former National Chairman of our great party, Chief Bisi Akande, and the immediate past governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and our indefatigable governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, we are blessed as a party with a cream of experienced leaders from whose well of knowledge we will draw in running the affairs of our great party.

    To be sure, political actors from both the progressive and the conservative folds have put resources together to upstage political forces that by their actions only make spurious references to democracy but are indeed undemocratic in their words and deeds. The formation of the APC has once again showed that democrats from different ideological backgrounds are determined to work together to ensure that the electorates are no longer taken for granted by the forces of evil that have held this nation hostage at the federal level since the onset of this Fourth Republic.

    The APC, under our leadership, with the support of all and sundry, is well positioned to continue to mobilize men and women in the onerous task of ensuring that the forces of evil are completely rooted out. Our executive will be proactive, and will not wait until things get out of hand before thinking of what action to take. We understand that the party executives constitute the engine room through which party policies are espoused and promoted. We shall provide the gateway for ensuring people’s continuous confidence in our great party. You have enthroned a leadership that will continue to sell the party to the people until the whole state is taken over. We will pre-occupy ourselves with how to manage our recent success at the polls and translate the recent show of support displayed by the populace to full party membership.

    My distinguished party leaders and members, we are well aware that party leadership is a serious affair. We want to assure you all that we are well tutored in the art of organization and mobilization of men and resources. We are resolved as true democrats to ensure openness, democracy, and a level-playing field within our party. We will defend our party’s position in rain and sunshine, in the open and in the secret. We do not lay claim to monopoly of knowledge. Rather, we are prepared to listen to others and consult other party leaders and members from time to time. We will not be sectional but we will be sensitive to the different backgrounds and orientations of party members. We will build the structures of our party into a functional party machine to meet the challenges of political battles of the present age. I make bold to say without any equivocation that there is room enough for everyman to contribute his views but not enough room for anyone to dominate. However, opinions of our leaders will be sought and respected.

    Great and distinguished party leaders and members, we have a dream-a dream of a party of millions of men ready to lay down their lives to ensure that we are no longer robbed by destroyers but rather ensure that the welfarism and good governance of Governor Aregbesola continue unabated until development becomes irreversible. It goes without saying that our people in the state of Osun are now reaping the dividends of democracy.

    To conclude, this executive will among others be all inclusive and carry everybody along without discrimination to ensure a level-playing field for all aspirants to political offices in our party; enthrone sound organisational structure and accountability within the party; and cooperate with the governor and his team to continue to deliver the dividends of democracy. It would also ensure an open-door policy that will enable all party members access to the secretariat to raise questions, make complaints, offer advices and volunteer; mobilize and raise fund for the running of the party; ensure internal democracy within the party; engage in issue-based discussion and opposition while avoiding politics of bitterness; research and defend the positions of the party wherever the need arises; organize regular training for party workers and candidates; conduct regular opinion polls on party strengths to inform planning and actions and consult with party leaders from time to time as the need arises.

  • Peterside seeks Abe’s, others’ cooperation

    Peterside seeks Abe’s, others’ cooperation

    All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus governorship candidate for the 2015 election in Rivers State, Dakuku Adol Peterside, has urged other chieftains of the party to support him.

    The aspirant promised to always work with them for the progress of the state and the party.

    In a statement yesterday by the Rivers APC Chairman Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, the aspirant stressed that he respected Senator Magnus Abe because he was a brother he held in high esteem.

    Peterside said: “I am grateful to God, to our leader, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and to our great party, the APC, for finding me worthy to be tipped as consensus candidate ahead of our state primary election. I am humbled by their choice and wish to assure that I will always do my best to justify their confidence in me.

    “Those who are trying to sow the seeds of discord between me and my elder brother,  Senator Magnus Abe, have already failed. Distinguished Senator Abe is not only my friend and elder brother but has also been my close ally in most of the strategic planning we have done in the Amaechi political family. So, it is a given that he will be at the centre of our march to the Brick House. I have visited and had brotherly discussions with him. Together we will shame our detractors and claim that which God has destined us to be.”

    On his plan for Rivers State, Peterside said: “We bring a roadmap of wealth anchored on a legacy and foundation of prosperity laid by our leader, Governor Chibuike Amaechi. We all know Governor Amaechi’s legacies in education, health, agriculture and other areas. He has built world-class schools and hospitals in every nook and cranny of the state. His health centres can match any standard hospital found anywhere in the world.

    “In a couple of days, we shall be unveiling our campaign plans and programmes. This is a Rivers Project. It is not about APC. We invite everybody to come on board, join us to move Rivers State to the next level.

    “Rivers people’s support for me is overwhelming. I really appreciate the outpouring of love. I thank all Rivers people. I will not disappoint you. APC members rely on God and I will continue to rely on God. I do not depend on my strength or ability. I will ensure unity in Rivers State. All Rivers people will have roles to play in my administration, when elected as governor by God’s grace. Our doors will be wide open.”

    Reacting to the protest against his nomination by some youths said to be from Ogoniland, Dakuku Peterside said: “I heard that some 150 young men and women were at the Government House, Port Harcourt, three days ago. Ogoni people love me and are very hospitable. I grew up in Ogoni, where I spent over ten years. I still have many childhood friends from Ogoni. The protesters are not Ogoni, but people from other political parties, who want to cause confusion. The opposition parties sponsored the 150 youths to protest. It is nothing to worry about. I was at the forefront of Ogoni struggle in 1990, when the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR) was put in place.

    “Ogoni people are peace-loving and not violent. It was when I was Rivers Commissioner for Works that most of the roads in Bori (traditional headquarters of Ogoniland) were tarred. I will continue to protect Ogoni interests. Distinguished Senator Abe is my brother and friend and we have had useful discussions. APC in Rivers State cannot be in the reverse gear. We will place emphasis on equity, justice and fairness. We will ensure an inclusive government. Everybody will be carried along. I am an Ijaw but I will be the governor of Rivers State. We can together build a greater Rivers State.”

     

     

     

     

     

  • Why Nigerians should vote APC, by Tafida

    Why Nigerians should vote APC, by Tafida

    Sokoto State All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Alhaji Abdullahi Aminu Tafida has called on Nigerians to vote for change in 2015.

    “We have to liberate ourselves from the bondage of failures, insecurity and backwardness,” he said.

    Speaking to reporters in Sokoto,  Tafida, a businessman, said Nigerians should vote for the APC for the change to occur.

    He noted that the North has been thrown into a sorry situation by few selfish persons.

    Tafida added:  “This is the time  to come together and face a common direction  to salvage the country.”

    Commenting on governor Wamakko’s senatorial bid, Tafida described the governor’s aspiration as apt,  in view of his leadership qualities.

    “ He is one politician that has been tested and confirmed to be worthy of making genuine representation in the Senate.

    “ He has made Sokoto state and Nigeria proud especially in recent time of politiking.

    “ Wamakko is united at heart and dependable in trust for leadership and a liberator in the northwest like his colleagues”, he noted.

    He appealed to the people of Sokoto  State to  support  the party, to take  Nigerians out of the woods.

  • Ezea: APC can’t be underrated in Enugu

    Ezea: APC can’t be underrated in Enugu

    Okechukwu Ezea, a lawyer, is a governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State. He spoke on his ambition with TONY AKOWE, shortly after submitting his nomination form at the APC National Secretariat, Abuja.

    Enugu PDP has zoned its governorship ticket to Enugu North where you hail from. Can you beat the PDP candidate, if given the APC ticket?

    I am very much prepared for this battle. I have gone through the battle before and I know that the PDP is not as popular as people claim in Enugu State and in Igboland generally. The problem is that they have always excelled on the platform of not credible elections in our state. The PDP banks on rigging and on writing of results and over time, we have known their gimmicks and we are prepared to match them and we are also relying on the promises made by the INEC that this time around, we are going to have Biometric accreditation and that will enhance the credibility of the elections in terms of reaching out to grassroots. Everybody want change in Enugu state. They want a change from non accountability; they want a change corruption, they also want a change from the suffering of the people. All our youths are not employed, our children school under the Mongo trees, our hospital do not exist and somebody say their is government in Enugu state, there is no government in Enugu for a long time.

    What are those things that you are bringing on board?

    What I am bringing on board is change in every aspect of life. We are introducing free education to the state, we are going to introduce medical care to the aged, children and pregnant women. We are going to bring about policies that will enhance job creation for our young men, because there are many institutions in Enugu state producing thousands of many young men and women who do not get employed, meanwhile PDP government is busy squandering billions of Naira that come to the state. From our last analysis of allocation, Enugu state supposed to have collected about N544 billions in the last eight years and there is nothing to show for it. If you check papers today, they are talking of bad roads in many part of the state.

     How do you intend to finance these projects when you come into office?

    The tragedy of government in Nigeria is that people just sit down on their chairs and wait for federal allocation to come. Governors and the policy makers should wear their thinking cap and begin to talk of how to generate revenue through investment that is regenerative, not tax the people and making the life more difficult for the people by going to impose tax on somebody riding motorcycle, if somebody has money to buy radio you impose tax on it and so on, instead of you to tackle the leakages in the system, stop buying of vehicles and the property for concubines alone, it would bring down the expenses of government and they will have more money to attend to the needs.

    How visible is the APC in Enugu state?

    You cannot underrate the APC in Enugu State. I wnat to you that the propaganda from the state governor that there is no opposition party in Enugu is only on the pages of Newspapers. I personally have ran the opposition party in Enugu state in the last eight years, I contested under the Labour Party (LP) in 2007 and defeated Sullivan Chime, and I have continue to maintain our position that we do accept the policies and practices of the PDP in Enugu state, we are all over the place and our structure is on the ground.

     

  • Ambode ends consultation, pledges open-door policy

    Ambode ends consultation, pledges open-door policy

    AHEAD of the December 4 primaries, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, at the weekend, ended his consultation with relevant stakeholders on his ambition.

    While pledging to operate an open-door policy if voted as governor next year, Ambode also rallied support for the APC at the grassroots and urged party faithful and leaders in all local councils to embark on a house-to-house campaign in order to secure a landslide victory for the party in the 2015 general elections.

    He gave the charge at a meeting in Ikoyi with leaders of Lagos Deserves More Campaign Group after his consultation tour of 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state.

    At the meeting, the governorship aspirant promised to respect diverse views and interests if he emerges as the party’s flag bearer and elected the governor of the state in the next governorship election.

    Ambode, who served as the Auditor-General and Accountant-General of the state between 2001 and 2012, urged the party faithful in the state to team up with him “to take Lagos to the next level.”

    The aspirant promised to be a true example of ‘servant leader’, which he said, should be the hallmark of every elected public official, assuring that he would run an open-door policy that would allow every resident in the state “to make input in the process of decision making.”

  • APC: Rave of the moment in North-West, NorthEast

    APC: Rave of the moment in North-West, NorthEast

     The die is cast. The gubernatorial war will be decided on December 4 when the candidates of the APC in the six geopolitical zones in the country will emerge. In this piece, Managing Editor, Northern Operation, Yusuf Alli and Tony Akowe, x-ray the historic wave-making drive of the APC in the North-West and North-East and how the choice of candidates can make or mar its chances.

    WITH whopping registered voters of 29,064,009, the electoral battle in 2015 is certainly going to be won and lost in the North-West and North-East. While the North-West harbours 18,616,499 voters, the North-East has 10,447,510. For the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the fear of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the two strategic zones is the beginning of wisdom. Since the formation of New PDP and eventual defection of some governors to APC, the opposition has been gaining political mileage in the two geopolitical zones. The icing of the cake was the recent defection of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal to APC in Sokoto State, a development which has created more bandwagon in the North-West. The APC hurricane has also caught up with Kebbi State where interesting developments are unfolding.

    But a major challenge before APC in the two zones in 2015 is the choice of its candidates for elective offices. If the APC gets it right, PDP is doomed in the zones. Of all the offices, the jostle for the governorship ticket is creating ripples with APC leaders adopting tact and diplomacy to avoid crises in the 13 states in the zones. The states are Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Taraba, Gombe, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina and Jigawa. The intrigues in the affected states are as follows:

     

    KADUNA STATE

    In Kaduna, the race for the APC ticket is being keenly contested by five aspirants, two of whom are current members of the House of Representatives. The aspirants in Kaduna include former Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Hon. Mohammed Isa Ashiru representing Kudan/Makarfi in the House of Representatives and Hon. Shamsudeen Ango Abdullahi, representing Sabon Gari in the House. The rest are a former governorship aspirant of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change and former Accountant-General in Kaduna State, Haruna Sa’eed Kajuru and former Student Union President, Salihu Mohammed Lukman. Political watchers in the state however believe that the race for the ticket will be mainly between El-Rufai and Hon. Isa Ashiru given their popularity in the state. El-Rufai’s candidacy is believed to have the strong backing of forces like former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari who was physically present at his formal declaration. Many residents of the state believe he has the capacity to develop the state.

    In what appeared a key strategy, El-Rufai started his consultations for the governorship seat from the home town of the late Governor of Kaduna State, Patrick Yakowa. One of his strongest supporters is Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi who was Senator Makarfi’s Director of Campaign in 1999. Hunkuyi has deep knowledge of the politics of the grassroots  He is also believed to be banking on the support of General Buhari to clinch the party ticket but whether that will give him the governorship seat is yet to be determined.

    Hon. Isa Ashiru is very popular in his northern part of the state. He is believed to have the backing of Senator Makarfi. Even though Makarfi has chosen to remain in the PDP, many believe his soul has since left the party because of the way the party has threatened him, especially under the present government. All his supporters, including Ashiru, have joined the APC where they believe they will be given a voice. Makarfi’s popularity in the southern part of the state is a plus for Ashiru as the zone is known to vote en masse for their choice candidate and it is believed that the former governor still has what it takes to sway votes for his anointed candidate from the area. Most of his supporters in the area have also joined the APC. This makes the battle for the ticket a stiff competition between the two. Another strong contender for the ticket is Haruna Kajuru who lost the 2011 election to late Yakowa. In 2011, he had the backing of a General Buhari who anointed him as the CPC sole candidate for the election. However, it is clear where the support of the APC national leader and presidential aspirant lies this time. Kajuru is from an area geographically referred to as Southern Kaduna. He is the only Southern Kaduna man in the APC race for the governorship ticket, even though he is a Muslim.

    Shamsudeen Ango Abdullahi is a son of a former Presidential Adviser on Food Security and a chieftain of the Northern Elders Forum, Prof.  Ango Abdullahi. A former Commissioner in the state, he is currently a member of the House of a Representatives having been elected in 2011 on the platform of the CPC. Apart from being a former commissioner and a member of the National Assembly, his political antecedents in the state are not known.

    The same goes for Salihu Mohammed Lukman who was the first to declare his intention to contest the election. Full of ideas, he does not have vast record of activities in politics, but has been involved in community service for some time. Lukman had contested the Senatorial race in 2011 on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Though he has the intellectual capacity to govern the state, it seems he does not have the resources to see his campaign through.

     

    KEBBI STATE

    For the first time since 1999, Kebbi State’s political landscape is tilting in favour of the opposition because of attempt by Governor Saidu Dakingari to impose a former co-coordinator of the Counter Terrorism Centre in the Presidency, Gen. Sarki Yaki Bello. The governor is also averse to power shift to Kebbi South. The demand for power shift to the South, which has never produced a governor, is likely to play a key role in the emergence of the next governor. Past governors, Aliero (Kebbi Central) and Dakingari (Kebbi North) were produced by other zones. The people of Kebbi South covering Zuru, Yauri and Argungu might part ways with PDP if it does not concede the slot to them. This explains why APC is in good stead to win the state if it is more tactical in picking its candidate.

    The APC has a crack set of aspirants like ex-Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Samma; Dr. Yahaya Aliyu; Malam Bukhari Bello;  Dr. Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi, Abubakar Atiku Bunu, Abubakar Chika Malami, Ahmed Mohammed Sama, Salihu Isah Nataro, Bala Musa Sakaba, Mohammed Nasir Sala Koko, Sadeeq Sule Iko-Sami, Suleiman Mohammed Argungu, Rtd Col. Inuwa Bawa and Sadiq Yelwa.

    But the list may increase following the revolt in Kebbi State House of Assembly on Thursday which led to the resignation of the Speaker, Habib Musa Jega, his deputy, Mohammed Bena, Majority Leader, Aliyu Muhammad, the Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip and other principal officers. All the officers may defect to APC this week which could lead to rethinking or re-strategizing on governorship candidate by the opposition. So far, the race is still open.

     

    SOKOTO

    The battle is a straightforward one between the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and four other aspirants. The others are Prof. Lawal Bashar, the Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum,  Senator Umaru Dahiru Tambuwal (Sokoto South), Yushua Ahmed Kebbe and Senator Jibriln Bello Gada, who represented Sokoto East from 1999 to 2003 before becoming the nation’s Minister of Culture and Tourism on December 17, 2008. Being interested in his successor, Governor Aliyu Wammako is expected to ‘anoint’ Speaker Aminu Tambuwal for the coveted seat in 2015. Noted as a political games master, Wammako may take advantage of his large following and acceptance to seal the fate of PDP in the caliphate in 2015. With the choice of Tambuwal, Sokoto is returning to the opposition again as it did between 1999 and 2007 when ex-Governor Attahiru Bafarawa was elected on the platform of the All Peoples Party(APP). A less rancorous governorship primary election is anticipated.

     

    KATSINA

    Even the incumbent governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, bears testimony to the fact that the state is a stronghold of the APC. But he has always been lucky to benefit from the crises in the opposition camp during elections. The unresolved row over 2011 governorship primaries led to the loss of Katsina State by the defunct CPC. When the odds were in favour of the APC during the recently-concluded Local Government Elections in the state, the party withdrew its participation. This is a state where the APC enjoys tremendous goodwill but it cannot manage it. In terms of support, a presidential aspirant, ex-Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, is enjoying cult followership in the state. What is required for APC to win the state is to prevail on all aspirants to adopt a give and take attitude.

    The APC aspirants are as follows:  Senator Sadik Yar’Adua, Sada Ilu, Mannir Yakubu, Dr Usman Bugaje and Abdulazeez Musa Yar’Adua (Katsina Central Senatorial District).Those from Funtua Zone are a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari, Abubakar Ismaila Funtua, Senator Abu Ibrahim and a former Deputy Governor, Garba Aminchi. The Daura Zone produces an aspirant, the stormy-petrel Senator Kanti Bello.

    According to findings, Buhari may play a major role in the choice of governorship candidate but it must be with finesse this time around to earn the confidence of all members and stakeholders for whoever emerges as APC candidate.

     

    ZAMFARA

    The adoption of consensus by the APC in Zamfara State to assuage aspirants was a clever move to checkmate the PDP from reclaiming the state. The State Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Sani Gwamna Mayanchi said “only few candidates would go for primaries under the party.”

    With ex-Governor Sani Yerima still in APC, the party will retain its grip on Zamfara State. This explains why Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar has emerged as the only candidate of the APC having enjoyed the Right of First Refusal. Governor Yari Abubakar has to slug it out with any of the PDP’s five aspirants who may emerge as the party’s candidate. Those struggling to unseat the governor are a former governor of the state, Alhaji Aliyu Shinkafi; current members of the House of Representatives, Honourables Bello Mutawalle and Ibrahim Shehu Gusau; Alhaji Bashir Adamu, and Alhaji Sagiru Hamidu, a retired director at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

     

    GOMBE

    The jostle for APC governorship ticket is by the founder of the renowned consulting firm, Afri-Projects Consortium and  former Minister of State in the Ministry of Power and Steel, Alhaji Murtala Aliyu; a former Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Bayero Nafada (who is gunning for the slot for the second time) and Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya.

    Investigation revealed that it might be battle royale between Aliyu and Nafada, who had aspired for the same office under the PDP. But a former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje may call the shots in determining the flag bearer of the party.

     

    BAUCHI

    For the people of Bauchi State, who are disenchanted with the administration of PDP, they are looking forward to the APC government as from 2015. The aspirants  from Bauchi North are a former member of the House of Representatives(2007-2011), Yusuf Maitama Tuggar;  a former 2011 PDP governorship aspirant Engr. Nuhu Gidado,  a former Federal Permanent Secretary, Engr. Sadiq Mahamoud.

    Others from Bauchi South are ex-Minister of Police Affairs, Sen. Ibrahim Yakubu Lame, Barrister Ibrahim Zailani, a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice,  Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar;  Alhaji Mohammed Gambo Umar.

    A source in the state said: “The situation is really dicey now because the party has to choose its candidate between Bauchi North and Bauchi South which had been producing the state governor since 1999.

    “Actually, the people of Bauchi North (Katagum Emirate) have been advocating for power shift because the last governor from the zone was Alh. Tatar Ali, who was a civilian governor from 1979 to 1983. I think APC political dexterity in picking its candidate will determine its fortunes in 2015.”

     

    KANO

    Following realignment of forces by PDP in Kano State, the APC, led by Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, is pushing for consensus and automatic tickets for all its elected leaders in 2015. The governorship aspirants on the platform of APC are Deputy Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; ex-Governor (Sen) Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya; Hon. Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila; and Alh. Usman Alhaji. Given the need for continuity in the state, the Deputy Governor, Ganduje may emerge as the consensus candidate for his ‘loyalty’ to the party and to Kwankwaso.

     

    YOBE

    It is an easy ride for Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, who is fully backed by the political godfather of the state, ex-Governor Bukar Abba Ibrahim. The Right of First Refusal has been conceded to him by the APC stakeholders. Although Engineer Mustapha Maihaja obtained governorship nomination form, he was not allowed to submit it at the National Secretariat of the party because APC had conceded automatic tickets to all its sitting governors.

     

    BORNO

    The same automatic ticket is being enjoyed by Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State. The APC prefers to come together as a united family to fight the PDP in 2015 than allowing its ranks split over 2015 poll.

     

    ADAMAWA

    Those in the governorship race are Sen. Jibrilla Bindo, who won the slot in September;  Abdulaziz Nyako, who is the son of the impeached Governor Murtala Nyako;  Yahaya Mijinyawa, who is a political son of ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar; and ex-DG of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Mamman Tahir. With the control of the party machinery by Atiku, it might be an easy ride for Mijinyawa who was defeated by Bindo in September. Atiku is yet to forgive the political humiliation which Bindo’s victory at the primaries in September caused him.

     

    JIGAWA

    In Jigawa State, three aspirants have emerged to seek the APC governorship ticket. They are Farouk Adamu Aliyu; Hashim Ubale Yusufu, a Pharmacist and Alh. Badaru Abubakar. But the party is working towards agreeing on a consensus candidate to give PDP, which has been controlling the state since 1999, a good fight. Aliyu said: “Due to our concern for the situation of the nation and the poverty among the people in this state, we feel that we should do everything democratic to save our people. That is why we resolved to go on consensus. We hope there will be others to join us later.

    “We had resolved not to go into primaries. I should either step down for Hassim or he will step down for me before the time of the primaries.”

     

    TARABA STATE

    It appears to be an easy ride for Sen. Aisha Alhassan in Taraba State, who is fast emerging as the consensus candidate of the APC for the governorship seat. She has made history as the only woman aspirant of the party. If she gets the ticket, she might be the first female governor in the North.

  • No contest for ticket in Abia, Enugu

    No contest for ticket in Abia, Enugu

    Only a handful of aspirants have indicated interest to contest the governorship in the Southeast states of Abia and Enugu on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Deputy Political Editor, Raymond Mordi, with additional report from Sunny Nwankwo in Aba, profiles the aspirants, looking at their chances. 

    THE forthcoming All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Abia, Enugu and other states in the Southeast promises to be a litmus test for the party’s preparedness to break into a region where it is widely regarded with suspicion.

    Indications are that the APC has a tough job on its hands. With the exception of Abia, which was briefly under the control of Orji Uzor Kalu’s Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA), a regional party that has its roots in the Southeast, the two states have been governed by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since the return to civilian rule in 1999.

    According to political observers, what the APC must do, if it wants to be regarded as a viable alternative to the PDP in the two states, is to come up with credible candidates that could give the ruling party a fight during next year’s election.

    But, going by the developments in the two states so far, the APC has not been proactive. It has allowed the PDP to dictate the pace of the game all along. For instance, the APC chapters in the two states have followed the footsteps of the PDP, by zoning the governorship to Abia South and Nsukka zone in Abia and Enugu respectively.

    In fact, from the perspective of the Southeast Secretary of Campaign for Democracy (CD), Dr. Jerry Chukwuokolo, there is no opposition in the two states. Chukwuokolo, who is based in Enugu, told The Nation that the opposition, particularly in the coal city, is situated right inside the ruling PDP itself. “The opposition in Enugu State is not serious. Most of them go to sleep after every election. We have been seeing posters; they are the only indication that there are other political parties in the state,” he added.

    In Abia specifically, there is no such thing as a contest for the APC ticket. So far, only two members of the APC have shown interest in the party’s ticket. They are: Nyerere Anyim and Nathaniel Ikeocha.

    The PDP’s zoning arrangement has cast a long shadow over the choice of the APC governorship flag bearer in Abia in 2015. Governor Theodore Orji’s insistence that the next governor of the state would come from Abia South has become a rule for all political parties, including the APC. Against this background, the APC has equally zoned the position to Abia South. The party has said categorically that its flag bearer would come from Abia South.

    Besides, the APC governorship primary in the state is taking place at a time the Abia chapter is not united. Last week, there was a court injunction reinstating the executive led by Fabian Nwankwo, even after the national leadership of the party had mediated between the two warring factions in the state. The APC national leadership had carried out harmonization of the executive committee in the state, by asking Donatus Nwamkpa to remain as the state chairman, while some members of the Nwankwo-led team were injected into the team.

     

    Nyerere Anyim

    Anyim is the National Vice Chairman of the APC for the Southeast and one of the few confidants of Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha. Anyim is from Obingwa Local Government, which is within Abia South where the governorship has been zoned.

    A certified accountant, born on January 1, 1961, he is the General Manager of the Rochas Group of Companies, which is owned by the Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha. In 2007 and 2011, Anyim contested the Abia South senatorial election under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), his master’s former party, but lost to Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe. Okorocha is believed to have sponsored his two previous failed attempts to go to the senate.

    By virtue of being the highest-ranking political office holder on the platform of the party, Governor Okorocha is influencial within the party in the region. Observers believe Anyim may get the ticket, based on his long-standing relationship with Okorocha. Indeed, Okorocha told the audience at an APC rally at the Aba Recreation Club, Aba, Abia State, recently that he has worked with Anyim for some time and that he considers him as a good material who can deliver for the APC in Abia. But, people do not see Anyim as a grassroots politician. So, observers say if the party really wants to make an impact; it may not go for someone who does not know the number of political wards in the state.

     

    Nathaniel Ikeocha

    Chief Nathaniel Ikeocha is a practicing lawyer and politician. He is not a new face in Abia politics because he has been in the race for the governorship for some time. Observers however see him as someone who is in the race to fulfil all righteousness. Beyond pasting posters on the streets of the capital, there are no serious indications that he is in the race.

     

    Others:

    There are speculations that Senator Nkechi Nwogu, who represents Abia Central in the upper chamber, may be defecting to the APC to realize her governorship ambition. Nwoagu is at crossroads politically. On the one hand, it has become obvious to her and her supporters that she does not stand any chance of picking the PDP governorship ticket. On the other, her chances of returning to the Senate is diminishing because she comes from the same senatorial district with incumbent Governor Orji who has made it clear that he wants to move to the upper chamber when he leaves office by May next year.

    There are also indications that former two-time Deputy Governor of Abia State, Eric Acho Nwakanma, may also join the race for the APC ticket. Governorship aspirants from the PDP are expected to flock to the APC, the moment the door is shut against them in the ruling party. The APC appears to be the best option of politicians who fall out of favour with the ruling party because it has its tentacles spread across the nation.

     

    Easy ride for APC financier in Enugu

    There is also no stiff contest for the ticket in Enugu. There are two main aspirants gunning for the APC ticket in Enugu State. But, the main arrowhead is Okey Ezea, who has been building the party in the state for quite some time. He is the major financier of the party in Enugu. Ezea is from the Nsukka axis, otherwise known as Enugu North where the APC has equally zoned the ticket. From all indications, Ezea does not have any serious challenger for the ticket.

    Ezea has promised that if elected into government in 2015,  his administration would be inclusive, accountable, democratic to the people. “I’m very much prepared for this battle. I have been in this battle before and I know that PDP is not as popular as people claim in Enugu State and in Igbo land generally, the problem is that they have always excelled on the platform of non credible elections in our state,” Ezea said after submitting his nomination form last week.

    Also, the APC is likely to reap from the crisis rocking the ruling PDP in the state. But, as to whether the APC would give its governorship ticket to would-be defectors from the PDP, is another matter, which remains to be seen.

    For now, the Enugu APC chapter is in a boisterous mood over the crisis in PDP. The party believes the development would work in its favour. Already, its chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye, has alleged that a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who was endorsed by Governor Sullivan Chime as the PDP consensus candidate, is currently seeking another political party with which to realise his gubernatorial ambition.

    “Gburugburu (Ugwuanyi) is looking for another platform,” Nwoye was quoted as saying.

  • Grand encounter in Rivers, Delta

    Grand encounter in Rivers, Delta

    In this report, Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo, takes a look at the aspirants and the factors that will determine the results of the governorship primaries in Rivers and Delta states 

    WITH the selection of Hon. Dakuku Peterside as the consensus governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, the contest over who succeeds Governor Rotimi Amaechi may have begun in earnest

    Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, is presently fighting the biggest battle of his political life.

    A make or mar battle in guile, propaganda and modus operandi being unleashed by the combatants, the ongoing struggle for the soul of Rivers politics would largely determine the shape of political activities in the South-South state for decades to come.

    Arrayed against Amaechi are powerful forces spearheaded by the Presidency boasting foot soldiers including former Minister of State for Education, Nyesome Wike; ex-Deputy Speakers of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche and Austin Opara respectively; a few serving members of the National Assembly, amongst others.

    In the last one year, the governor has had to be watching over his shoulders, while also keeping his ears close to the ground to keep abreast of secret plots being hatched by his political opponents who just can’t wait to see his back out of the Government House before the expiration of his tenure in May 2015.

    But so far, Amaechi has proved adept at warding off the relentless onslaughts from the Abuja forces such as attempts to seize control of the state House of Assembly and the judiciary, in addition to several underhand tactics all aimed at weakening his firm hold of the state.

    The next stage of the battle is the 2015 governorship election, with Amaechi determined to hand over to a loyal political disciple, while the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is also not leaving anything to chance to take over the state come next year.

     

    APC aspirants and the battle for Amaechi’s nod

    Within the ruling All Progressives Progress (APC), the jostling for the 2015 governorship ticket has been restrained and devoid of rancour.

    This development may not be unconnected to the apparent unity in Governor Amaechi’s camp, which sees the Presidency and its allies as its common foes that must be neutralised in the overall political interests of the group.

    However, this has not deterred some of the governor’s political associates from embarking on an underground campaign in their bid to get the party’s nod as the 2015 governorship candidate.

    Initially lined up in the race are the Senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District, Magnus Abe; a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dakuku Peterside, representing Andoni/Opobo Nkoro Federal Constituency and the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Otelemaba Amachree.

    However, Abe and Peterside, for many months, were the frontrunners with many Rivers APC members not sure who amongst the two youthful and likeable politicians would receive the governor’s blessing.

    Sources say the governor was torn between settling for either of the duo as the two men have, over the last two years, remained unflinchingly loyal to him in spite of pressures on them to jump ship.

     

    What next for Abe?

    The choice of Peterside as the APC consensus candidate for Rivers State reportedly received the blessing of another formidable aspirant, Senator Magnus Abe.

    At the final meeting where the decision was arrived at, Abe was conspicuously present and endorsed Peterside as the APC governorship flag bearer. But his supporters are reportedly grumbling and spoiling for a fight with the leadership of Rivers APC.

    To douse tension, Abe issued a statement affirming his total support for the party’s decision, while calling on his supporters to queue behind Peterside.

    From the Ogoni area comprising of four local government areas of Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme, Abe is undoubtedly very popular among his people. His governorship dream was spear-headed by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), the umbrella body at the forefront of the environmental restoration of the Ogoni.

    However, it is not certain how popular Abe is with other ethnic groups like the Kalabaris, Egbemas, Igbanis, among others.

    Only recently, many pressure groups declared their willingness to support the Ogoni quest. These include the Ikwerre-Etche Peoples Forum (IEPU), the Rivers Voice (RV), the Niger Delta Renaissance (NDR), the Council of Orashi Ethnic Nationality (COEN), the Kalabari Stakeholders Forum (KSF) and the Ijaw Justice Forum (IJF).

    Others are the Hausa Community Welfare Association (HCWA), the Opobo Democratic Movement (ODM), the Rivers Youth Mandate (RYM), the Obolo Consultative Forum (OCM), the Kalabari Peoples Assembly, and the Rivers Democratic Congress (RDC).

    In their separate statements issued in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, the groups emphasised that it will be unjust to deprive the people of Rivers South East Senatorial District the opportunity to produce the next governor of the state.

    Abe was a minority leader in Rivers State Assembly, under the All Peoples Party (APP), representing Gokana in Ogoniland before defecting to PDP when Amaechi was the Speaker of the Rivers State House Assembly.

    He was later appointed the Commissioner for Information under the Odili administration and was later appointed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

     

    Riverine/Upland dichotomy at play

    One major issue that would likely dominate the 2015 governorship campaign in Rivers State is the riverine/upland dichotomy.

    Since the advent of democracy in 1999, the state has produced governors from the upland axis in the persons of Peter Odili, Celestine Omehia and Amaechi, a development that has led to agitations by concerned stakeholders for power shift to the riverine area.

    A former minister and member, PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Alabo Graham Douglas, has been at the forefront of this agitation.

    “It is in the best interest of the people and the state and for the sake of God-fearing conscience, equity and justice to ensure that power shifts to the other groups that have never been given the opportunity to govern the state,” he was quoted in an interview recently.

    With former minister, Nyesom Wike, all set to clinch the PDP governorship ticket, there are whispers that many disgruntled members of the party who have openly voiced their opposition to the transfer of power from an Ikwerre man (Amaechi) to another Ikwerre (Wike), may work against the party in the 2015 elections.

     

    An epic battle

    Wike’s optimism of succeeding stems from the voting strength of the Ikwerre axis, which constitutes over 50 percent of the voting population.

    But sources say many Ikwerre indigenes may not back Wike, claiming it would be unfair for the zone to rule the state for 16 uninterrupted years.

    For Peterside, his chance of succeeding Amaechi appears bright, according to sources in the state. Beside his youthfulness and vibrancy, the lawmaker would also be banking on bloc votes from his riverine people and votes from the upland areas due to the influence of the incumbent governor.

    The stage is indeed set for what promises to be an epic battle.

     

    Emerhor, Tilije slug it out in Delta

    Until he passed on last year, Senator Pius Ewherido, was the man to beat for the APC 2015 governorship ticket. But death put paid to that dream.

    Currently in the battle for the APC ticket are wealthy businessman, Olorogun Otega Emerhor and a former banker, Fidelis Tilije. In the last couple of weeks, the two political gladiators have been engaged in a serious lobby of party members in their quest for the governorship ticket.

    Some weeks ago, a group, Delta Central Political Assembly threw its weight behind Tilije’s aspiration.

    In a statement by the chairman and publicity secretary of the group, Evang. Samuel Ovwigho and Chief Philip Gole, the group said having followed the antecedents of Tilije from the time of South South Rainbow Coalition (SSRC), Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Democratic People’s Party (DPP), it has found him worthy to rule the state.

    His opponent, Emerhor is also not sitting idly. Sources say he has received the nod of prominent members of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), which recently stated its desire to back any candidate from the ethnic group.

     

    The zoning controversy

    Strong indications have emerged that the Delta APC would pick its governorship candidate from Delta Central to counter the plan of the rival PDP, which is most likely to field a candidate from the Delta North, which is yet to produce the governor of the state.

    The APC, it was gathered, is banking on the voting strength of the Delta Central to pull the rug off the feet of the PDP during the governorship election.

    The big question, however, is: who wins the APC ticket to square with the eventual candidate of the ruling party in the state?