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Tag: APC

  • APC’s directive on executive bills in order

    APC’s directive on executive bills in order

    SIR: I am amused by the rash of reactions that have greeted the decision of the National Executive Committee of the APC directing its members in the National Assembly to block Executive Bills or the confirmation of presidential appointees if the impunity in Rivers State is not addressed by the President.

    I am particularly miffed at the emotional outbursts of some politicians and social activists who are carrying on as if the APC had committed blasphemy against the gods. No doubt, most of these negative comments came from PDP members and other apologists of President Jonathan, who are uncomfortable that for the first time since 1999, we have a political party that can be genuinely referred to as a government-in-waiting and one that is strong enough to challenge the dying behemoth called the PDP.

    How else can one explain the attempt of these critics to equate a simple, routine, and universally-accepted legislative tactic to sedition or a call to arms? It appears the PDP and the President’s men

    have concluded that the only way to keep the APC at bay is by demonizing it either as a religious or a separatist party or portraying it as anti-people, even when these are not the case.

    They probably think that by doing so, they will succeed in swaying some voters from a particular section of the country to their side. Similarly unfortunate is the decision of these critics to take the APC statement out of context.

    The impression being created is that APC has chosen to stall the wheel of governance by abusing its numerical strength in the House of Representatives to fight the PDP-led Executive.

    This cannot be farther from the truth. The party clearly established a basis for its decision, which is that after exhausting all avenues to make the President do the right thing in Rivers State without success, it has no other option than to ask its members in the National Assembly to use legitimate and democratic means to force the Executive to do the right thing.

    To the enlightened and objective mind, what APC has done is perfectly in line with legislative practice. In the United States of America, it is common place for either the Republicans or the Democrats to oppose Executive Bills including budgets and appointments of key officers of

    State, including military chiefs. Recent examples are the Obamacare and the shutdown of government for weeks last October over spending limits by the Federal Government.

    Political parties are expected to take a position on any matter that is before the legislature for consideration. That is why there are party caucuses in the legislature. APC could have given the directive to its caucuses in both Chambers of the National Assembly if it had any ulterior motives. By making the directive public, the surprise element has been removed.

    Therefore, the only reasonable conclusion is to see the directive as a means of getting the President to see the danger in allowing the Rivers debacle to fester. Already, this directive has started to yield results. I watched, with satisfaction, on Channel Television on Saturday night how members of the Save Rivers Movement were able to stage a peaceful rally, after the Inspector General of

    Police apparently directed the police in the state to provide protection for the rally.

    A similar rally by the SRM in the past would have been broken up by hired goons armed with guns and machetes, and protected by Mbu’s police. Who says the APC’s tactic has not worked?

    What I expect now is for the friends of President Jonathan to advise him to call Messrs. Mbu and Wike to order and restore normalcy to Rivers State. I don’t see what is difficult in doing so.

    •Williams Adeleye

    Ikeja, Lagos

  • APC: our senators didn’t flout directive

    APC: our senators didn’t flout directive

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said its senators did not flout the directive not to cooperate with the Executive until the Presidency restores order in Rivers State.

    The opposition said yesterday’s reports by the media were misleading.

    APC was reacting to insinuations that the participation of its senators in the screening of the Service chiefs was against its directive.

    In a statement yesterday in Lagos by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the reports were borne out of the “misunderstanding of filibustering as a veritable democratic tool to impede legislation by obstructive tactics.”

    It noted that the reports, which implied that the partipation of its senators in the screening of the military chiefs on Monday represented a rejection of the directive, was wrong, because “non-cooperation does not mean non-participation.”

    APC said: “We never directed our members in the National Assembly to boycott the chambers’ sessions, whether it is screening of appointees or plenary. What we said is that they should block Executive Bills. In any case, a senator or a House of Representatives member can only filibuster when he is in attendance. Filibuster does not equate to boycott or non-attendance.”

    The party said it was aware that its members in the Senate would attend the screening, “just as we are sure they will be part of any debate on the issue, and we have no problems with that.”

    It added: “After all, they were elected to attend the National Assembly sessions and participate in its activities. But their contributions will help swing things one way or the other. That is the crux of the matter.”

    APC reiterated the propriety of its directive, which it described as pro-people, democratic and aimed at saving Nigeria.

    The party said the directive had succeeded in dousing the tension in Rivers State, “where those who have been subjected to harassment by hoodlums aided by the police now stage their rallies in peace.”

    It also said its directive would benefit the people and institutions, including the National Assembly, “which the President has tried to undermine by ignoring its resolutions calling for the redeployment of Rivers Police Commissioner Mbu Joseph Mbu.

    APC said: “It was the National Assembly that passed the resolutions on the redeployment of Mbu. Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party (LP) and the Accord, who are now playing to the gallery just to feather their nests and place personal interest above national interest, were part of efforts that culminated in passing the resolutions. But the Presidency ignored the resolutions, a dangerous trend undermining the principle of check and balance in our democratic system.

    “In this respect, the National Assembly should commend our directive, instead of a few exhibitionist legislators rushing to the media to make uninformed comments.

    “As far as we are concerned, we acted rightly in issuing our directive, which is meant to end impunity in Rivers State, save our democracy from descending into anarchy and protect national institutions.”

    Lagos State branch of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday berated the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for condemning the party’s directive to its National Assembly members.

    The party noted that by its condemnation, the Lagos PDP confirmed its ignorance of legislative functions as an accessory to the impunity against Rivers State.

    In a statement yesterday by its Interim Publicity Secretary Joe Igbokwe, the party said: “We are surprised that the PDP and its minions, who have acculturated the arts of lawlessness, corruption and impunity, feel the APC should be obliged to support its criminal acts by condoning its sordid acts.

    “Is the PDP under any impression that APC is bound to support its wilful acts of impunity, corruption and recklessness? Is the PDP under the impression that the APC is under its loins, to drag around as it feels? Is the PDP under the impression that APC is obliged to support its brigandage and wreckage?

    “We must educate PDP members and their enablers that withholding support for presidential bills is the prerogative of our legislators. The legislators can deploy such legislative rights as they deem fit. Our party feels that we can use our legislative prerogative in the most legal and responsible way by stopping impunity, anarchy and lawlessness.

    “We used legal means to target illegal and corrupt acts, and we know that the perpetrators and beneficiaries of corruption and impunity will react the way the PDP and its lickspittles are doing. We know that being a prime beneficiary of lawlessness and impunity, which has been launched in Nigeria since 1999, the Lagos PDP will naturally buy into the scare mongering tactics of the national PDP. The purpose is to protect impunity and illegality and provide a base for the continuation of the ruination of Nigeria.

    “Curiously, we observe that the Lagos PDP and its cache of commissioned PDP agents now crying hoarse at the APC directive, have been throwing sadistic parties and orgies since the sponsored violence started in Rivers. They have been grinning in conspiratorial complicity since the Rivers police commissioner, with support from the Presidency, decided to visit mayhem on the government because Governor Chibuike Amaechi refused to adhere to their dictates.

    “We never recalled any of the wolf criers, who have invaded town because APC decided to use its legislative strength to stop this impunity. What a deliberate hypocrisy!”

  • 2,210 PDP, Accord members defect to Oyo APC

    2,210 PDP, Accord members defect to Oyo APC

    Two thousand, two hundred and ten members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Accord in Ibadan North East Local Government Area of Oyo State defected yesterday to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The defectors from the PDP were 1,290 and the Accord 920. Those from the PDP were led by Mr. Ibrahim Arulogun. Alhaji Gani Sanusi led those from the Accord.

    They were received into the APC by the Caretaker Chairman of Ibadan North East, Alhaji Abiodun Alatise; and party chieftains, including Dr. Busari Adebisi and Alhaji B.A.O. Oladeji, in Oja-Igbo, Ibadan.

    Alatise said the defection was proof that the Governor Abiola Ajimobi administration was “performing.”

    He assured the defectors that they would not regret joining the APC.

    Alatise urged APC members to be united, adding that the defectors should be given a level-playing field.

    Urging the people to support Ajimobi, he said: “The governor has performed above expectation and we should support him next year to ensure continuity.”

    Adebisi and Oladeji warned members against forming factions, saying: “The party is one. There should be no splinter group because this will not promote unity. We should hold the party together so that it can be stronger.”

  • Abaribe: no defection letter before Senate

    Abaribe: no defection letter before Senate

    The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Enyinnaya Abaribe, yesterday denied the presentation of a defection letter by to the Senate.

    It was learnt that 22 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators are planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Abaribe told reporters in Abuja that the process for defection in the Senate was clear.

    He said any letter exchanged between the Senate president and any senator was considered a private affair.

    The senator said since lawmakers were elected on individual basis, any of them who wanted to defect writes to the Senate personally.

    Abaribe said: “The Senate, officially, is not aware of any letter about senators defecting because any letter that comes to the Senate will be read on the floor.

    “So, if some senators write personal letters to the Senate President, that is strictly personal between them and the Senate President. They have not written letters for reading on the floor of the Senate.

    “The same way you are aware of what is going on is the same manner we are aware of it through the newspapers. I have had cause to say this before that the process for anybody to move from one party to another is in the Constitution. The process is open and clear. It’s not something that can be misunderstood.

    “Don’t forget that every senator did an election on his own. There wasn’t a joint election.

    “Therefore, senators can’t write a joint letter to the Senate President about defection. It must be individual, and every person who has to leave, for whatever reason, will have to state his reason and do it personally. Until we see that, we assume that nobody is ready to go anywhere else.”

  • We didn’t breach party’s order, says Ojudu

    We didn’t breach party’s order, says Ojudu

    A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Senate, Babafemi Ojudu, has said the party’s senators did not flout their party’s directive to block legislative matters from the Executive.

    He said APC senators’ participation in the screening of the Service chiefs was not tantamount to flouting their party’s directive.

    In a statement yesterday in Abuja, Ojudu explained that the party did not say its members in the National Assembly should not attend the screening but to protest, if things were not done constitutionally.

    The senator quoted the APC Interim Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in yesterday’s edition of a newspaper, saying: “People don’t seem to understand our directive. It is not for them to boycott but to frustrate the process, if the right things are not done. If they don’t attend, how will our voice be heard?”

    Ojudu said the APC leadership in the Senate also directed the legislators to push the issue of neutrality of the military in the coming elections.

    The senator said the discipline in the APC would not allow its lawmakers to flout the party’s directives.

    He added that APC would always act in the interest of Nigerians.

     

  • Jonathan isn’t serious about Boko Haram war, says Nda-Isaiah

    Jonathan isn’t serious about Boko Haram war, says Nda-Isaiah

    Leadership publisher Sam Nda-Isaiah said yesterday that President Goodluck Jonathan is lukewarm in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency.

    He said this is because the insurgents are operating in an area (the Northeast) where “he thinks he cannot win election.”

    Nda-Isaiah spoke during a visit to The Nation headquarters in Lagos.

    A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Niger State-born publisher has been linked with the 2015 presidential race. But he said yesterday it was not yet time to speak on his ambition.

    Nda was received by the newspaper’s management team at the boardroom where he also fielded some questions.

    He said: “Jonathan does not want to fight Boko Haram because it is not in an area he thinks he can win election.

    “Fighting Boko Haram is simple. There are equipment that can show where the elements are and we can afford them and track these peoples’ hideouts.

    “Why have they not been able to jail a single person? Tell me one known name they have caught? It is obvious these persons are not Nigerians because no Nigerian will want to go and bomb a market when he is not sure if his relative will be there.

    “So, if many of them are from Chad and Niger Republic, how come they so easily operate in Nigeria? It is clear that they do not want to stop it,” he said.

    Nda-Isaiah hopedthat the APC will win the 2015 Presidential election adding: “it is time for big dreams.”

    He decried the amount of money the country has spent on the power sector without commensurate generation of electricity.

    “The amount spent on power is enough to give us 20,000 megawatts. We are still talking about 4,000 megawatts, when South Africa is improving on its 40,000 megawatts.

    “Nigeria is too divided and this division is caused by the leadership. Good leadership is achievable and possible and it depends on whether we want it or not.”

     

  • INEC’s timetable is Presidency’s script, says Kwankwaso

    INEC’s timetable is Presidency’s script, says Kwankwaso

    ‘APC will win because Nigerians are tired of PDP’

    Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has criticised the 2015 poll timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC). It is suspicious, he said yesterday.

    To him, by putting presidential election first, INEC is acting the script of an agenda by the Presidency.

    He urged the National Assembly to reverse the poll order to prevent a “bandwagon effect”.

    Kwankwaso, who spoke with some reporters in Abuja, predicted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would win the 2015 poll because Nigerians are tired of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said there is so much anger in the land such that PDP cannot make it in 2015.

    Said the governor: “I think it is one of the things that we know. We know the President has been praying to have his election first. He tried that during the last election in 2011 and the National Assembly refused to allow his election to come first; they put it second. The order in 2011 was National Assembly first, presidential, governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

    “Now, I don’t know how they influenced the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) to put his election and National Assembly election first and then two weeks after, they do House of Assembly and governorship elections. I think the presidential election should come last. That has been the correct thing; you deal from the bottom; you don’t start from the air.

    “But if you have structure on the ground, at least you have structure. And the way they are going about it, especially going by the utterances of those that are always visiting their dining tables and sitting rooms, I think there may be some agenda.

    “If you hear what many people from their side are talking about, it is like they are threatening everybody. And with that, they want to go to the presidential election first, I think that is a big mistake. I think that should be reversed. The National Assembly must look at that.

    “You don’t just sit down and put their election because that is what they want. What criteria did they use? How and why are you starting with the presidential election? I think that is giving a lot of concerns about the activities of INEC. People are really concerned and I think INEC people should be concerned also. It is very easy here in Abuja to sit down and take decision and whether you like it or not, you have to take it.”

    Asked if he is suspecting a likely bandwagon effect, if the presidential election comes first, Kwankwaso said: “I think that is what they are angling for; that is what they are planning.

    “You see, the bandwagon is not the only issue; the other issue is that they want to intimidate people; if you don’t vote for me, I will do this, I will do that. That is what they want to do; we all know the tricks; we have been in the game long before many of them. They want to use intimidation.

    “I don’t think anybody on that side is really serious and believing that they will win elections under free and fair atmosphere. I think it is about INEC, it is about security agencies, intimidation; it is about money.”

    Responding to a question, Kwankwaso expressed confidence that the APC would win the 2015 general elections because Nigerians want change.

    He said: “It is very easy, very simple. You have to understand that in politics, there is what you call fatigue.

    “When we say fatigue in politics (this game), we mean if a party is elected one, two, three in elections, fatigue is beginning to build. Now, this party is elected four times. You cannot do that in Britain, you cannot do that in America; you cannot do that in any civilised society. Four times and you are still looking for fifth time and yourself third term. You cannot win, you cannot. People want change.

    “That is why the Americans decided to say that after two terms, just go. They say you are good but just go; let us try a bad one. Otherwise, Bill Clinton would have been President today, they still like him. They said ‘Clinton, you did very well, but just go, let us try a bad one and see, we will appreciate you more. That is fatigue.

    “Even in Britain, the same story. I was in Britain when Margaret Thatcher came; she had first term, second term and third term; they had to sack her. They said, ‘Madam you did well in Falkland, you are Iron Lady, but you are not the only one. Please, go; let us get someone else. The same thing they did to Tony Blair. That is fatigue. It is not like they did something extra-ordinarily wrong, but people within the party felt they were not the only ones.

    “That fatigue is showing on PDP. Worse is their activities; they are not doing well. That is the issue. They are not Clinton; they are not Obama or even Margaret Thatcher. The insecurity is worsening the situation. So, the insecurity and economic issues are there, Nigerians are unhappy.”

    The governor insisted that Nigerians are angry and they are seeking a drastic change in 2015.

    He said there was no basis for the invitation of a former Minister of FCT, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai by the State Security Service(SSS).

    Kwankwaso added: “I was surprised. I haven’t heard what el-Rufai said, but I heard him on BBC and if going by what he said on BBC is correct, I don’t see why the SSS should be looking for him.

    “I don’t know what el-Rufai said, but the fact remains that people are really angry. They should know, people are angry. And it is not only in Kano State, or in the Northwest or in the North; it is across the country. You see, I always advise my friends who are talking about this North, South, Muslim, Christian, and all these dichotomies.

    “You see, the fact of the matter is that people are angry either in Rivers or Bayelsa, Delta, Kano or Sokoto. In other words, from Kano to Calabar to Kebbi, people are angry. Things are not happening.”

    “Now from what I know if you are talking of being President for eight years in this country, President Jonathan is not qualified but I am not a lawyer and I am not taking it from the angle of law. Others would do that. But for us who are politicians, we will take it from the angle of public opinion. Third term is not acceptable in this country.

    “Term limit must be respected … but across the country. Look, I was governor in 1999 – 2003 in Kano. Eight years after that was 2011 I came back. So many people come to me and say go to court. In fact, many other people are interested in gong to court on my behalf to Supreme Court to get interpretation because in their opinion I still have a chance of contesting election again in 2015, depending on the pronouncement of the Supreme Court. But, you see, the fact of the matter is, whether good or bad, you are not a Lord, you have to keep on moving. Life is dynamic. I have been in Kano system, especially in the then PDP, from 1998 to 2011 when I contested election and up till now. And before then I was also in other parties, especially during DPN I nominated the party and I think to a large extent in the country in terms of who became governor in those states. So, you have to keep on. You can’t say that I was governor four years now because I was outside for eight years now I want to do another two terms. To me, that is sad talk. To me, that is extending otime limit and that has never been accepted anywhere. In politics what is permanent is change and we have to accept change. Life is dynamic.

    “One of the major reasons I left the party is the non-appreciation of the mood of the people. Nigerian people are looking for change and probably this was why APC decided to say “APC”, they say “Change”.

    “That change is very crucial. It is very important. People want change in this country. There are so many things that are going wrong and worst is that those who should listen are finding it difficult to even listen, to understand, to have the capacity to appreciate the circumstances, the situation that we are in. And that is a huge problem and whoever comes out to advise them, they will send their aides to go and say they should be taken to psychiatric hospital.

    While in the actual sense, it is their principals that should be taken to psychiatric hospitals. Because you have to know when you are strong. You have to know when you are weak. Many of us…I worked for them in PDP in 1999. I did in 2003. I did in 2007. I also did in 2011. Many of us who are the pillars of the party are either out of it completely or are sitting on the fence or are warming up to cross the border because nobody would want to stay under a decking that is collapsing. The decking there is collapsing.

    “We are the pillars of PDP, whether they like it or not and it is now that they will begin to see the facts of the matter.

    “The new chairman of the PDP, I am sure, can do nothing. There is absolutely nothing he can do but I know he really loves the job, just like Tukur, who actually wanted the job and he may want to be saying things, some from the bottom of his heart and many of them from the mouth. But the fact of the matter is that they know that Nigeria deserves a better leadership in 2015.

    Even when we were there in PDP, people were saying the party will rule for 60 years. It is not 60. It is 16 years. Ogbulafor was saying 60. Every chairman was saying 60. It is not 60; it is 16 years. It is only that you did not hear them well. In 2015, they should go.

    “You see in APC now, I think everybody has learnt a lesson. Everybody. All of us – our leaders, ourselves and our supporters. Everybody is feeling the pinch. So, what we are saying is, ‘this party is very important- whether they are doing good or bad”.

  • Why SSS is after me, by El-Rufai

    Why SSS is after me, by El-Rufai

    •Ex-FCT minister at security agency’s office

    All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy National Secretary Nasir El-Rufai, has said State Security Services (SSS) operatives are after him because he sued them for unlawful detention in Awka, during last November’s Anambra State governorship election.

    The SSS invited the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister to clarify his comment that there would be violence if the 2015 elections are rigged.

    Party officials and reporters stormed his home in Asokoro District of Abuja yesterday, at 8am, to see the loquacious politician.

    Clad in a white kaftan and a black cap, the former minister returned to his home at 8.17am.

    Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi drove into the premises.

    After El-Rufai addressed reporters at 8.50am, Amaechi drove him in a grey BMW Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with registration No. (Plateau) AH358LGT. On the passenger seat was Senator Chris Ngige.

    Other sympathisers and party faithful drove behind them to the SSS headquarters in Maitama.

    At the SSS headquarters, only El-Rufai, his wife, lawyer and Ameachi were allowed into the inner office. Curious reporters watched from the opposite end of the street.

    At 9.58am, SSS operatives ordered the reporters to leave the vicinity “in their interest”. Some left. Others waited.

    El-Rufai said his sin was that he demanded that elections be free and fair.

    According to him, his persecution by the SSS is all about the 2015 elections.

    The former minister said there was nothing wrong or new about his comment because the nation’s history is replete with post-election violence.

    Citing instances of post-election violence, the APC chieftain recalled that there were crises after the 1964, 1983, 1993 and 2011 elections.

    El-Rufai said the Federal Government planned to silence whoever opposes the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) plans to rig next year.

    The former minister stressed that he would speak out until elections are free and fair.

    He said: “I think it’s because I sued the SSS for detaining me unlawfully in Awka during the governorship poll. I think that is the main reason. Of course, I think they have found other reasons because there is nothing I said that history has not shown.

    “I said the election should be free and fair. If they are not free and fair, there is likely going to be violence. These are certain facts; at least four times in history – in 1964, 1983, 1993 and 2011. So, what is strange about that? Any person who doesn’t know these does not know history or he is just ignoring history.

    “This is all about 2015. This is just to intimidate and silence the opposition against crying out that the elections are likely to be rigged by the PDP. I will continue to speak and they can continue to arrest me until we get free and fair elections in Nigeria.”

    El-Rufai said he declined arrest at the weekend since the SSS had no warrant.

    The former minister explained that his lawyer, yesterday, notified him that security operatives were in possession of a warrant of arrest.

    According to him, the SSS has no power to force him into their office since the constitution empowers him to make a statement.

    Describing his invitation as an embarrassment, the former minister added that “embarrassment is part of life.”

    El-Rufai noted that whoever contravenes the law must face the consequences.

    “I believe the SSS has no power to compel me to go to their office because of the statement I have a right under the constitution to make.

    “Look, embarrassment is part of life. It does not matter; embarrassment is part of life. All I want to say is that whoever violates the law or does anything against the constitution should face the consequences. We will pursue our rights in court and in the court of public opinion.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Amaechi said the APC directed him to escort el-Rufai to the SSS office.

    Asked whether the persecution of the former minister was about next year’s elections, the governor said the PDP would not willingly cede power to the opposition.

    Ameachi explained that the ruling party would rather resort to fighting the opposition with intimidating institutions, including the SSS.

    On the political crisis in Rivers State, the governor said he was grateful to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) for giving the people the freedom to hold rallies.

    He said the police chief had acknowledged the abnormality in the state and deployed an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) and a Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) in the state.

    Amaechi said all he wanted was for the parties to abide by the law.

    He said: “I am not involved. I am just directed by the party to escort Mallam el-Rufai to the place. But you know you don’t expect that the government or the PDP will willingly cede power. They will fight with all means. This is one of the institutions they will use to fight anybody who will take power from them.

    “We didn’t say things are getting to normal. We said for the first time, we should thank the Inspector-General of Police for allowing us the freedom to hold rallies without an abuse. We thank him for that; not the Commissioner of Police.

    “That’s because I heard there was an AIG and a DIG for them to send. That means it is abnormal. It means they have acknowledged that the Commissioner of Police is not good. For them to send the DIG and a DIG… the implication is that things are abnormal.

    “Unfortunately, I was not born to be intimidated. So, they better leave the intimidation and let’s do the right thing.”

    The governor left the SSS headquarters before noon while Ngige left at 1.50pm.

     

  • Amaechi, Ikimi to resolve Bayelsa APC crisis

    Amaechi, Ikimi to resolve Bayelsa APC crisis

    The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has directed Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and former Minister of External Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi, to resolve the crisis in the Bayelsa State chapter of the party.

    It was learnt that Amaechi and Ikimi were asked to meet the warring factions and end the crisis.

    Loyalists of former Governor Timipre Sylva, who joined the party from the dissolved new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), have been at loggerheads with the founding members of the APC.

    Following the crisis, Governor Seriake Dickson appealed to the national leadership of the party to intervene.

    It was learnt that the interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, asked Ikimi and Amaechi, leaders of the party in the Southsouth, to intervene.

    Sylva’s former security adviser, Chief Richard Kpodo, who has been laying claims to the chairmanship of the party, confirmed the development.

    He said: “Amaechi and Ikimi are leaders in this zone and they have been mandated by our national leadership to intervene.”

    Kpodo urged them to prevent the escalation of the crisis.

    Former youth leader of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr. Miriki Ebikibina, also confirmed the development, saying APC was committed to internal democracy.

    “What the party is doing is to ensure that there is internal democracy at the state and national levels,” he added.

     

  • APC directs Amaechi, Ikimi to resolve Bayelsa crisis

    APC directs Amaechi, Ikimi to resolve Bayelsa crisis

    The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has directed Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and former Minister of External Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi, to resolve the crisis in the Bayelsa State chapter of the party.

    It was learnt that Amaechi and Ikimi were asked to meet the warring factions and end the crisis.

    Loyalists of former Governor Timipre Sylva, who joined the party from the dissolved new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), have been at loggerheads with the founding members of the APC.

    Following the crisis, Governor Seriake Dickson appealed to the national leadership of the party to intervene.

    It was learnt that the interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, asked Ikimi and Amaechi, leaders of the party in the Southsouth, to intervene.

    Sylva’s former security adviser, Chief Richard Kpodo, who has been laying claims to the chairmanship of the party, confirmed the development.

    He said: “Amaechi and Ikimi are leaders in this zone and they have been mandated by our national leadership to intervene.”

    Kpodo urged them to prevent the escalation of the crisis.

    Former youth leader of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr. Miriki Ebikibina, also confirmed the development, saying APC was committed to internal democracy.

    “What the party is doing is to ensure that there is internal democracy at the state and national levels,” he added.