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Tag: Atiku Abubakar

  • PT’s Olawepo Hashim maintains online lead over Buhari, Atiku

    Presidential Candidate of the People’s Trust (PT) Mr. Gbenga Olawepo- Hashim, has maintained the lead as most popular candidate online.

    The weekly social media rating of presidential candidates’ engagements on the popular online platform, Facebook, on Tuesday showed he is still leading as the most popular Presidential candidate online, three days to the 2019 Presidential election.

    The latest data collected by an Abuja- based research outfit, Grandplan, showed Olawepo- Hashim was ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    The PT candidate, who first overtook President Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on 10th December 2018, has remained on top with the highest engagements on social media consecutively ever since.

    Going by the data on Tuesday, February 12th, 2019 in Abuja, Olawepo-Hashim recorded Facebook engagements in excess of 63,000 this week while Atiku Abubakar who came behind him, recorded 56,000+.

    Read Also: ‘Buhari doing more with less revenue’

    Buhari is far behind with only 6000+ engagements.

    The statistics also showed presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) Kingsley Moghalu; Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) Fela Durotoye and others were trailing behind.

    Data analysts involved in the polling project said the data on each of the candidates’ were realistic because “Facebook represents the broad spectrum of voters who will vote in the February poll.”

    According to them: “Increasing engagements imply voters’ growing interest in the candidates while a decreasing result reflects voters’ disenchantment.

    “A static return means a candidate is at a crossroads in the campaign.”

    The analysts said in their report that Olawepo-Hashim’s growing engagement rating is a measure of voters’ interest in him as a third force alternative.

    “He is no longer part of the pack of third-party candidates. He has moved ahead to emerge as a real alternative to both Buhari and Atiku. This is a game changer from data perspective,” according to Segun Seriki, the lead analyst for the project.

    “The latest data point to a major upset within the struggle for Nigeria’s presidency, we are making the report available to all the major candidates.

    “Our latest data reflect a major upset in the battle for the Presidency. It is no longer a two- horse race. There is now a third

    force that is overtaking the old alternatives.

    “We are still following the data but for now, Olawepo-Hashim has pulled the impossible to maintain an eight weeks lead over President Buhari and Atiku Abubakar,” he said

  • INEC working for PDP, says Oshiomhole

    … Appeal to Nigerians to Vote Buhari

     

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said on Wednesday that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was working for the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2019 general election.

    Oshiomhole however, added that the governing party will not decent to the level of bringing down state institutions because the APC believes that state institutions should be allowed to perform their functions.

    Responding to questions about alleged collusion between the Electoral Management Body and President Muhammadu Buhari, Oshiomhole alleged that at the moment, two Resident Electoral Commissioners in the South-South have been going about campaigning with the PDP.

    Oshiomhole who asked Nigerians not to return the PDP to power said the pledge by the PDP candidate to float the naira was a receipt to economic woes, adding that Atiku has always been part of wrath facing the nation.

    He also dismissed PDP allegations that the APC was responsible for burning some INEC offices that have recently been engulfed in flame, stressing that he could easily allude to the fact that the PDP burnt the INEC offices because they are afraid of losing elections in those places.

    He said “If anything, this INEC has been very unfair to the APC. But we just discovered that we have a responsibility. The fact that we are a governing party imposes on us a certain level of code that you can’t be seen to rubbish every institution because if we rubbish everything, it would mean that we don’t want election. INEC believe everything the PDP says.

    “As we speak, there are two Resident Electoral Commissioners who are virtually campaigning line by line with the PDP in the south South. INEC, without giving us any explanation and without any concrete evidence went ahead to say we can’t field candidates in Zamfara, thereby seeking to award, without any context and nullify democracy in Zamfara state.

    “Is that the way your friends behave if they are your friends. INEC is working more for the PDP, based on evidence I can show. How can they explain that a court of competent jurisdiction gave orders in Zamfara to say this candidate is eligible to contest election and another high court in Abuja also gave a verdict saying APC did not conclude its primaries but did not give order to INEC.

    Read Also: Oshiomhole warns APC chairmen, secretaries against complacency

    “There is no order issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court of Appeal made a pronouncement on this matter today that there was no order from the court in Abuja, but that there was a concrate order from a Zamfara High Court which upheld the primaries that was conducted in Zamfara.

    “The INEC Chairman has said that when there are two court orders, they will adopt the last judgement. In Zamfara state, the Abuja judgement came first and the Zamfara judgment came last even though it is the same say.

    “More as INEC has said they will always obey the last judgement when it came to the Zamfara issue, they changed the goal post. As media, you have to be careful. When you say people alleged there were meetings and can’t even cite any, it is a disservice. We have been at the receiving end of abuse.

    “There is a candidate in Kano whose nomination we forwarded to INEC, but they changed the nomination and as we speak, we are in court over that. We showed our evidence.

    “Do you remember the confession of the former Deputy Senate President who, on national television and on social media where anything is possible, narrated how President Obasanjo used him and Atiku to rig election, how they wrote results, how they collude with INEC. This same Atiku was in office when Mantu was doing those things.

    “So, if PDP functionaries have enumerated how they use to rig election, how can in all fairness point to President Muhammadu Buhari who has been victim of election rigging three times such that in our legal history it is part precedent that the Supreme Court was persuaded to accept that election where ballot papers had no serial number was OK and not a major infraction.”

    On the allegation by the PDP that the party was responsible for the fire incidences in some INEC offices, Oshiomhole said “does it make sense for any responsible Nigerian, when there is fire incidence either in a private property or a public property, to jump into conclusion from the comfort of your room say that the ruling party must have done it.

    “There is an Igbo proverb that when you see a mad man running naked and he pulled your clothes, you don’t join him in running naked. The PDP choose to run naked and make allegations over everything. They are free to do that. We are more busy and will not join issues.

    “This election is for us and no election can be this easy for us. All we need is one man one vote and we will defeat the PDP. There will be no violence, no fighting. Just the votes which will be counted and we will win.”

    He likened Atiku’s plans to grant amnesty to looters who refund part of their loot to a situation of not putting in place any punitive measure to deter others from towing the same part.

    He said President Buhari was not a sit tight leader, but only exercising his constitutional right to seek a second term in office, saying the President has demonstrated his love for Nigeria with the love of infrastructures he has put in place across the country.

    He told foreign observers that while their presence was appreciated, western leaders should not come and dictate to Nigeria how to carry out their activities, saying “we are not a colony of any western nation”.

    Nigeria, he said is much more than all those seeking to be the President, appealing for a violence-free election which he said will be won by his party without having to resort to any form of rigging or intimidation.

  • PDP to deploy 40 million members to monitor polls

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said that it will deploy 40 million of its members across the federation to monitor Saturday’s presidential election.

    Also, the party said it has put in place a state-of-art Parallel Voting Tabulation (PVT) system for the same purpose.

    This was disclosed at a media briefing in Abuja Wednesday by one of the party’s campaign spokespersons and chairman of the Strategy Committee of the PDP Presidential Campaign, Mr Osita Chidoka.

    Accordingly to Chidoka, the PVT is a scientifically proven, best practice technique, to hold election authorities accountable, particularly when there is lack of trust, and the results are highly contested.

    Commenting on the decision of the party to engage the technology, Chidoka said, “The PVT is a tool that will assure that PDP partisans accept the results of the election, and that the country remains peaceful and respectful of its differences. We are aware that other PVTs will be conducted by civil society.

    “Our methodology accounts for several different scenarios to ensure continued collation of the results in the event of any disruptions with collation process.

    “Hard copies of the signed voter tally provided to all party agents by the NEC officers, will be transported to the central command centre should future disputes need to be reconciled”.

    Also in place, according to Chidoka, is a national network of fully equipped Situation Rooms and call centres. The centres will be fed a reporting system for the PVT through the wards, to the district headquarters, to the states, up to the national tally centre.

    Read Also: PDP accuses APC of burning INEC offices

    He further stated that the system has redundancies built at all levels, in the event of internet or comms shutdown or failure or any other eventualities.

    “The scope of the effort is historic for Nigeria, and it will provide us with statistical certainty to accept or challenge the declared results”, Chidoka added.

    As part of the measures put in place to safeguard the party’s votes, the spokesman said the PDP will be deploying an unprecedented number of trained party agents to each of the 176,000 polling units across the country.

    The agents are said to have been trained in the electoral process, with the understand of their rights to be present, and fully equipped with data and SMS technologies.

    Chidoka said they will be transmitting the results as certified by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) officers at the polling units in real-time.

    “The PDP has pivoted from recruiting first-time polling agents to recruiting high quality, educated individuals whose maturity and experience will help them manage and mitigate against challenges on election day.

    “Systems tests, and dry runs are being conducted to ensure our system is secure and fully integrated, from the polling unit all the way through to the party leadership”, Chidoka added.

    The main opposition party also said it has launched a nation-wide hotline for members of the public to report violence and electoral malpractices, with a multiple line inbound call centre linked to a single hotline number 097000551.

    According to Chidoka, the call centre will be able to identify issues to escalate serious concerns to both the party headquarters and other relevant authorities as appropriate.

    The party is also targeting voter bloc of 18 to 25 years of age, many of who are first time voters, with a set of 12 easy-to-follow guidelines already communicated to voters.

    Similarly, an interactive artificial intelligence message will be sent by the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar as his final campaign message imploring people to come out and vote.

    The PDP said it has studied the All Progressives Congress (APC) “playbook” from the Osun governorship election, alleging attempts at voter suppression, including interference and intimidation of voters, journalists, and civil society observers.

    Chidoka continued, “Most alarmingly, the security services were deployed to discourage voter turnout in opposition strong-holds.
    The PDP is concerned that the Osun playbook could be deployed again by the government, especially in the states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Delta, Kaduna, Kano, and Rivers.

    “In response to Osun and other incidents of electoral malpractice, and in ensuring a free and fair election in Nigeria, the PDP has adopted international best practices including; establishing a robust elections results management system and our wide array of intelligence collectors and patriotic public servants who are resolute in defending the Constitution and the integrity of our electoral process.

    “We exhort all Nigerians, whoever they wish to support, to come to the polls this Saturday and cast their vote with confidence.

    “Nigerian voters should go to the polls this Saturday in record numbers, confident that the electoral process will be upheld based on our laws and our constitution.

    “We are pleased with the signing of The National Peace Accord today and look forward to all parties honoring our shared commitment.

    “We are also confident that our election officials and security services will do their duty in accordance with their oaths and obligations.

    “Particularly, we call on the Inspector General of Police whose wide international experience places him with a historic burden to ensure that security agencies strictly abide by the election code of conduct and rules of engagement.

    “Never in Nigerian electoral history has a candidate been so prepared to win the election and get Nigeria working again, as Atiku Abubakar.

    “Likewise, no Nigerian political party has been so prepared to help ensure that the will of the people will prevail through peaceful, free and fair elections.

    “The PDP is presenting some examples of our efforts, to give the Nigerian people the confidence that their vote, as expressed at the ballot box, will prevail”.

  • Atiku promises to make Lagos Africa’s industrial hub

    PEOPLE’S Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar yesterday promised to revive the country’s ailing economy and make Lagos the commercial capital of Africa.

    Address a cheering crowd at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, venue of the PDP presidential rally, Atiku said as a Lagos boy, he passed through the hustle and bustle of the Centre of Excellence.

    The PDP candidate added he had never reneged on any promise, noting he would restructure the country and ensure true federalism.

    A vote for him, he said, is a vote for job security and end to unemployment.

    “I am not like the All Progressive Congress (APC) that makes empty promises. I promise Nigerians that I will restructure the country; I will do it.

    “I promise to create jobs, I will do it. Today, the country is writhing in insecurity. Initially, insecurity was limited to the Northeast, but had spread to the Northwest and Northcentral.

    “I promise to reverse all these trends. I promise to work with the National Assembly, protect the judiciary and respect the rule of law, if I become the President.

    “You also saw for yourself when President Muhammadu Buhari came to Lagos, all the trailers disappeared on the Ojuelegba and Apapa bridges, but immediately he left, they come back. It means the traffic issue in Lagos can be addressed.”

    PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus said the party was sure of victory on Saturday. He noted that the trend of the PDP rallies across the country was favourable.

    “Today, we are in the Centre of Excellence and commercial nerve of Nigeria. You saw what happened in Kano, Katsina, the Northwest, Northcentral and Southwest. Everywhere PDP campaigns, the whole place was shut down.

    “The man the PDP is putting forward is competent and can do the job. He will bring his full ability to rescue the country. Our financial and business climate will boom again.”

    Senate President Bukola Saraki said a vote for Atiku is a vote for better economy and better life. He noted that when Atiku is given the mandate on Saturday, the country would start a new journey for progress.

    He said the PDP candidate had the capacity to revamp the economy and hence, create massive jobs for citizens.

    Saraki claimed that the APC government had brought sufferings to the country, urging Lagos residents to reject the ruling party at the polls.

    Atiku’s running mate Peter Obi said the PDP was the best bet for the country’s progress and the citizens’ well-being.

    He urged Nigerians to cast their votes for the party on February 16 and March 2 “for a better Nigeria”.

    Agbaje, in his speech, said the PDP and Atiku had solutions to all the problems bedevilling the country.

    He said it was time Lagos State freed itself from what he called the political hegemony of people with vested interests and embrace a government that truly cares.

    He said if elected, he would deliver service and provides the real governance that residents deserved.

    Director-General, Atiku Campaign Organisation Gbenga Daniel said some Yoruba, who had been in the forefront of restructuring have backed out.

    He noted that Atiku was committed to ensure the country was made better, noting that it would start manifesting immediately he was elected.

    The Lagos PDP candidates contesting for the various offices were presented with the flag of the party at the campaign.

    Some hoodlums attempted to disrupt the rally.  A fight broke out among a group of miscreants, who found their way into the arena.

    The incident, which happened at about 1.50pm, saw the miscreants throwing punches and chairs at each other. It was not immediately clear what caused the fight.

    Those around the place fled, as policemen chased the hoodlums around the premises.

    It happened when flags were being presented to candidates for National Assembly positions.

    This was despite the heavy security presence as everyone was body searched before being allowed into the TBS before the event began.

    However, some boys were seen smoking within TBS, while drink sellers were allowed to sell assorted alcohol.

    Also present at the event are former PDP Deputy National Chairman Chief Olabode George; Atiku’s wife, Titi; former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose; Ogun State PDP governorship candidate Ladi Adebutu and former Kogi State Governor Idris Wada.

    Other are former Minister of State Defence Erelu Olusola Obada, PDP chieftain Doyin Okupe, former Majority Leader House of Representatives Mulikat Adeola, Senator Ben Bruce, Southwest Vice Chairman PDP Eddy Olafeso, Oba Olateru Olagbegi, Lagos PDP Chieftain Adedeji Doherty, former Minister of Integration and Cooperation in Africa Abimbola Ogunkelu, among others.

  • False alarm won’t help you, PDP replies Lai Mohammed

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said no amount of fabrications, false alarm and blackmail by the All Progressives Congress (APC) can sway Nigerians or help their plots to rig the 2019 presidential election.

    Responding to allegation the Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed the PDP was planning to disrupt the general elections, the opposition party said it was a fresh attempt by the government to use its chief propagandist to level false allegations.

    In a statement on Tuesday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said the attempt has failed because Nigerians already know those plotting to scuttle the elections by inciting violence and issuing death threats against others.

    The PDP said: “What has Lai Mohammed to say to President Muhammadu Buhari, who in Zamfara state on Sunday, urged his supporters to get ready to fight and unleash violence on other Nigerians?

    “What has Lai Mohammed to say to the threat by his party’s chieftain and governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el-Rufai, who declared that members of the global democratic institution working for peaceful election in our country will return to their countries in body bags?

    “Lai Mohammed has nothing to say to the Director General of the Buhari Campaign Organization, Rotimi Amaechi, who raised a war chant and threatened Nigerians at the APC presidential rally in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

    Read also: Middle Belt leaders restate support for PT’s Olawepo-Hashim

    “It is clear to all that violence, death threats and plot to disrupt the elections have become an official policy of the Buhari Campaign Organization, having realised that President Buhari has no chance in the February 16 presidential election.

    “Nigerians are all aware that the PDP is ready and working hard for this election.

    “The people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has been traversing the nooks and crannies of our country campaigning and receiving overwhelming support by Nigerians, across the board, who have already reached a consensus to elect him as the next President of our country.”

  • I will fulfill all promises – Atiku

    The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday said he would fulfill all his electoral promises to Nigerians if elected.

    He gave the assurance in Lagos while speaking at the party’s presidential rally.

    The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki; Atiku‘s running -mate, Mr Peter Obi; the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, were some of the prominent personalities at the rally.

    Former governor of Ekiti, Mr Ayo Fayose; former Ogun governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; Sen. Ben-Bruce, a former presidential spokesman, Chief Doyin Okupe; were also at the rally.

    Atiku and his entourage were welcome to the state by a former Deputy-National Chairman of PDP, Chief Olabode George and the party’s governorship candidate, Mr Jimi Agbaje and a mammoth crowd of party faithful.

    Atiku emphasized that he would not renege on his promise to restructure the country to fast track development.

    The PDP candidate said he would fulfil his promise to revamp the economy and create jobs.

    He said the spate of killings and other security challenges in the country was disturbing, promising to tackle the problem head-on.

    Atiku urged Nigerians to reject the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the party had failed the people in all its electoral promises.

    “When I say I am going to do something, I am going to do it; I am not like APC that will promise something but will not fulfil them.

    “I promised Nigerians that I am going to restructure the country, I am going to do it.

    “I promised Nigerians I am going to create jobs, I have been creating jobs and I will create more jobs for you.

    “The APC promised to create jobs, but we have been losing jobs, we have the largest unemployment case in our history.

    “APC said they were going to improve security; we had security challenges only in the North East; today, we have insecurity in the North West, North Central, they have failed Nigerians.

    “They said they were going to revamp the economy, today, we are the headquarters of poverty in the world.

    “I promise you, I am going to reverse all these when I am elected”, he said.

    Atiku said Lagos residents deserved a better deal than they were currently getting from the APC government.

    The PDP said the problem of traffic and other problems were surmountable with the ideal government in place.

    He said he could vouch for the credibility, passion and capacity of Agbaje to move the state forward .

    Atiku urged Nigerians and Lagos residents to vote PDP from top to bottom for good governance.

    In his speech, Obi said the PDP was the best bet for the progress of the country and the well-being of citizens.

    He urged all Nigerians to cast their votes for the party on Feb. 16 and March 2 “for a better Nigeria “.

    Speaking, Saraki said a vote for Atiku was a vote for a better and a prosperous Nigeria .

    Read Also: I am the author of restructuring – Atiku

    He said the PDP candidate had the capacity to revamp the economy and hence, create massive jobs for citizens.

    Saraki claimed the APC government had brought sufferings to the country, urging Lagos residents to reject the ruling party at the polls.

    “When you vote for Atiku Abubakar, you vote for a better economy, when you vote for a better economy, you vote for jobs, and when you vote for jobs for the youth,you vote for prosperity and a better Nigeria.

    “I urge Nigerians, particularly Lagos residents, to end the sufferings in the country by rejecting the APC and voting for Atiku,” he said.

    Agbaje, in his speech, said the PDP and Atiku had solutions to all the problems bedevilling the country.

    He said it was time Lagos freed itself from what he called the political hegemony of people with vested interests, and embrace a government that truly cares.

    He said if elected, he would deliver service and provide the real governance that residents deserved.

     

    NAN

     

  • FG uncovers fresh plans by PDP to scuttle poll

    … PDP plots to orchestrate crisis, FG alleges

     

    Barely few days to the general elections, the Federal Government on Tuesday alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is planning to orchestrate a crisis and trigger a sense of panic among the populace.

    It said the plot is in furtherance of their plan to discredit the election and cause a constitutional crisis.

    It, however, urged international community to ignore plot to discredit the Saturday poll before it is conducted.

    The government, which made the claims in a statement in Abuja by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed, said PDP bigwigs, including its presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, his running mate Peter Obi, PDP Governors and others, are planning a world press conference in order to level frivolous and unfounded allegations against the government.

    The statement said: “With just a few days to the Presidential and National Assembly elections, the Federal Government has alerted the nation to the last-minute desperate plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to orchestrate a crisis and trigger a sense of panic among the populace, in furtherance of their plan to discredit the election and cause a constitutional crisis.

    “The plot confirms the alarm raised by the Federal Government on Jan. 21st and Feb. 3rd 2019 that the PDP is planning to scuttle the election and, where that fails, discredit it.

    “In the days ahead, PDP bigwigs, including its presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, his running mate Peter Obi, PDP Governors and others, are planning a world press conference in order to level frivolous and unfounded allegations against the federal government and the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

    Read Also: Buhari vows to recover $16bn squandered on power by PDP

    The statement gave insights into the plot by the opposition including alleged connivance with the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) by the Presidency.

    The statement added: “Part of the false allegations they plan to make is that the Presidency, in connivance with the APC, is planning to force the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to announce presidential election results that are favourable to the government in power, on the basis of the false premise that the APC’s intelligence team is worried that the ruling party would lose the elections.

    “The PDP bigwigs also plan to use their world press conference to further disparage the Buhari Administration as well as the ruling APC, with a view to painting an unfavourable image of both  Nigerians and the international community also to put the government on the defensive in the run-up to the polls.

    The Minister said the “PDP’s last joker is a two-hour live press conference to be addressed by the PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan, on Feb. 14th, the last day of electioneering campaign, to chronicle all their concocted allegations and lies against the ruling government, cast aspersion on government and ruling party officials and throw innuendos here and there.

    The statement added: ”As electioneering campaign winds down, the PDP has realized that it cannot possibly win free, fair and credible polls. It has thus resorted to engaging in red herring, hauling insults and abuses at Federal Government and ruling party officials and making outlandish allegations with a view to creating a sense of panic and crisis.

    ”The truth is that President Muhammadu Buhari, a man respected globally for his integrity, has continuously assured that the elections will be free, fair, credible and peaceful. He has warmly welcomed observers, both local and foreign., because he has nothing to hide, and because he is sure that the achievements of his Administration will win him re-election.

    Mohammed urged international community to ignore plot to discredit the Saturday poll.

    ”We are therefore calling on all Nigerians and the international community to disregard any attempt to scuttle or discredit the polls.

    “We urge observers to keep an open mind. There is no cause for alarm, except in the warped imagination of the PDP, which has entered the panic mode and is already ruing the loss of another general election even before it has been held,” he said.

  • Group faults Atiku’s endorsement by Ohanaeze Ndigbo

    A pro-Eastern Nigeria action group, “Awake and Defend Action Movement” (ADAM) has faulted the endorsement of the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar by the leadership of Apex Igbo Socio-Cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

    ADAM is an umbrella body of pressure groups within the old Eastern region of Nigeria with the purpose of providing a formidable alternative youth for the protection of lives and property of every indigene of old Eastern Nigeria.

    Recall that Nnia Nwodo’s led Ohanaeze and other four socio-cultural groups including Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Northern Elder’s Forum (NEF), Afenifere and Middle Belt Forum (MBF) in a meeting at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja adopted Atiku as their consensus candidate fortnight ago.

    But ADAM in a communiqué signed by its acting chairman, Ndubuisi Igwekani-Agu Biafra and the South-South leader of the group (Chief James Ekpo), which was issued to journalists at the end of a crucial meeting of the body in Aba, Abia State, stated that it was wrong for the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to endorse Atiku and any other person as a consensus presidential candidate of the Igbo extraction.

    Read Also: Why Atiku is good for Nigeria

    The group, while noting that the action of Nwodo may cause bad blood among Igbos political class maintained that Ohanaeze is not a political group and therefore must limit its influence to issues that concern Igbo cultural, social and traditional advancement in order to avoid division and acrimony among Igbo sons and daughters who are members of various political party interests.

    Sharing contrary opinion on the sit-at-home directives by the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ahead of the 2019 general elections, ADAM however called on all Easterners including youths to actively participate in the election by voting for people that not only have the interest of the people at heart, but have the capacity to attract development and democratic dividends to the people.

    ADAM who stated that they were miffed with the level of underdevelopment in the Eastern region, stated that their support for the call for the restructuring of the country with states and regions managing and controlling their natural mineral resources, said that the era of reckless spending of public resources is over.

    “ADAM will ensure that our people demand transparency and accountability from every elected public officer in Eastern Nigeria. We will mobilize the entire youth in Eastern to deal with any elected officer who fails in his/her duties to account to the people.

    “Henceforth, we are monitoring some Igbo political contractors who rush to their pay master in the North and other parts of Nigeria to collect evil money to destabilize our people. Henceforth, we will monitor and expose them to bring sanity and peace to our land.”

    The group which expressed its worries over the level of insecurity in the country called on its citizens that have retired from active service in the military and other security agencies to come together to hold a security summit in order to address the security challenges that the Old Eastern region is facing.

    “Now, concerning the youths in Eastern Nigeria, we have noticed the exponential increase in kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, yahoo yahoo, gambling, prostitution, child-trafficking, and all manner of violent extremism just to get rich overnight. We hereby warn that it will not be business as usual. We have set up a security watch to coordinate with security agents to expose all manner of evil activities perpetuated by youths in whatever disguise.”

    The group which believes in oneness of Nigeria against the breakaway campaign of the Nnmadi Kanu led IPOB said “Concerning the State of Biafra, ADAM believes that Biafra is a state of the mind where every citizen of Biafra in any other self-interest. We are Igbos of the Indigenous People of Biafra living in Nigeria. We are Igbos of the Indigenous People of Biafra and ready to remain in Nigeria if the country is properly restructured to accommodate all nationalities in a peaceful co-existence with other nationalities.”

     

  • TBS agog for Atiku

    Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos is agog for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s rally.

    The candidate is yet to be at the venue, his wife Dr. Titi Abubakar and other notable chieftains of the party are already there.

    The party has presented its candidates contesting various offices like the Lagos State House of Assembly up to the Senate the party’s flags.

    The Lagos State governorship candidate Jimi Agbaje will be presented his flag later. Notable Fuji musician Saheed Osupa is presently thrilling the crowd with in a live performance.

  • Stop the desperation for power, APC campaign council tells Atiku

    The APC Presidential Campaign Council has told the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar to stop being desperate about winning Saturday’s Presidential election.

    In a statement signed by spokesman of the Council, Festus Keyamo, the APC campaign council told the former Vice President to always bear in mind that God is the one who gives power.

    Keyamo who was reacting to a statement credited to Atiku in Port Harcourt alleging that President Buhari called for violence while campaigning in Zamfara accused the PDP candidate of planting seeds of misinformation in the mind of Nigerians.

    He said: “Typical of the PDP and Atiku’s Campaign team, they have continued in their favourite pastime of peddling falsehood, scaremongering and misinformation.

    “This time, the candidate of the main opposition himself, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, sensing a comprehensive defeat this Saturday and out of frustration, threw caution to the wind in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday, February 11, 2019, when he alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari called for violence when he campaigned in Zamfara State.

    “Nothing can be farther from the truth. The Hausa word the President used in Zamfara, which has been taken out of context, is “fitna”. Incidentally all our Hausa language scholars have said the word means different things: it means distress, trial, affliction or temptation. It can also be used to describe rebellion or uprising.

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    “In this case, President Buhari was actually weighing in on the joke told very often of recent in the North that due to the rice boom, farmers have embarked on pilgrimage and the marrying of more wives.

    “So, what the President meant was actually a joke deliberately taken out of context: he simply told the crowd to ensure they eat very well because of the rice boom before they can contemplate giving in to those temptations.

    “Even in some private meetings with our campaign team, the President has always commented on this joke. Sadly, out of desperation, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has decided to peddle falsehood.

    “We urge Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to realize that it is God Almighty that gives power and takes power. He should not use his palpable desperation to return to power (in order to sell Nigeria to his “friends” and to make them rich) to set this nation ablaze by outright falsehood.”