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Tag: atiku

  • Pastor Bakare congratulates Atiku for winning PDP presidential ticket

    The Convener of Save Nigeria Group (SNG), Pastor Tunde Bakare on Sunday congratulated Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on his emergence as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate.

    According to Bakare, Atiku’s victory would make the 2019 election keen and interesting.

    Bakare, Senior Pastor, Latter Rain Assembly, spoke to newsmen in Ikeja after making a speech on Nigeria’s 58th Independence in his church.

    Atiku, a former Vice-President, was declared winner at his party’s convention in Port-Harcourt early Sunday.

    He polled 1,532 votes to defeat his closest rival, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State (693 votes) and Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, among others at the convention that started on Saturday.

    Bakare said the emergence of Atiku was a welcome development as it meant that the battle for the presidency would be a tough contest between him and President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The SNG convener said both the president, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Abubakar were equal match and it was Nigerians who would decide between the two.

    “I congratulate him (Abubakar), he makes the issue in 2019 more robust.

    “It is not going to be an eaglet versus an eagle but an eagle versus eagle: an old eagle versus new eagle and probably both of them old eagles.

    “I wish president Muhammadu Buhari the best in 2019.

    “He has the power of incumbency and he will do his best to win the election, but Atiku is not going to take No for an answer when the two forces collide in the election,” he said.

    Bakare said Abubakar, just like Buhari, had the experience, the exposure and the acceptance expected of the country’s president.

    He, however, pointed out that having those qualities alone would not translate into the victory for him, as the electorate would decide the parameters on which to elect the next president.

    “I can’t say Atiku will win or lose. You see, I am not advocating for him. Among all the aspirants who contested the PDP’s ticket with him, he is perhaps the most cosmopolitan,he is a Wazobia man.

    “He was Vice-President for eight years, and he inherited something from late Yaradua that he had held on to so effectively.

    “He has been a businessman with a business acumen and he has the exposure.

    “But you see, that is not what qualifies you to win. A lot comes into play, so again, I can not say whether he will win or lose,” he said.

    Bakare said for the PDP to win the 2019 elections, they would need to demonstrate to the electorate that they were a regenerated party and “show repentance for the years of the locust they engineered”.

    He added that the opposition party had to convince Nigerians that they would not return to corruption, which he said was the way of life during its rule, to win the confidence of the electorate.

    On the chances of APC, Bakare said though the government was trying its best, there was the need for them to do much more to win the next election.

    He said the country was facing a lot of challenges which the government needed to offer solutions to, in order to fast track pace of development.

    The cleric said that performance and policies, and not necessarily incumbency factor, would guarantee victory for the APC in 2019.

    The SNG Convener said his comments about the Buhari’s administration from the beginning, should not be interpreted to mean he was attacking the government, but he was just raising issues needing attention.

    “I didn’t take any swipe at the administration of President Buhari.

    “What I have always said is that despite the acclaimed progress in the country, Nigerians are not feeling the impact in their homes.

    “That does not mean the government is not working. Look at the groanings of the people, the government still has to do a lot more before the 2019 elections.

    “They have to work harder to assure Nigerians that they are really up to the task of listening to their yearnings and aspirations.

    “The purpose of government is the welfare and security of people.Take that from the equation, then governance means nothing,” he said.

    He said the emergence of many political parties was good for democracy and freedom.

    Bakare, however, said many of the parties were pretenders and they would need to “rise above the cacophony of noise” they were making to make impact in the elections.

    The SNG Convener said he had a presidential ambition but would not contest against President Buhari.

    Bakare, who did not say the year he would contest, however, said he would be the one to succeed the president.

    In his speech on the Independence titled “The Road to 2019: Quo Basis Nigeria’, Bakare said Nigeria had the potential to be great with the right leadership and positive attitude of followers.

    He said 2019 presented another opportunity for citizens to realise the destiny of the country by participating in the process and voting right.

    Bakare urged citizens to vote according to their conscience and elect leaders that mean well for the country. (NAN)

  • Atiku wins PDP presidential ticket

    Former Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku has emerged the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He polled 1532 votes to defeat other aspirants at the national convention of the party held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    Votes of other aspirants are as follows:

    TAMBUWAL 693

    BUKOLA SARAKI 317

    RABIU KWANKWASO 158

    Senator David Mark – 35 Votes

    Senator Jonah Jang – 19 Votes

    TURAKI 65

    SULE LAMIDO 96

    ATAHIRU BAFARAWA 48

    Dankwabo 111

    MARKAFI 74

    DATTI AHMED 5

     

  • PDP govs split over support for Tambuwal, Atiku, Saraki

    •Senate President targets NASS members •Gusau moves to save party from crisis, meets aspirants

    State governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  were pulling in different directions last night on the  party’s  presidential choice  as delegates prepared to commence voting at the Port Harcourt national convention.

    Intense horse-trading by the party’s 13 presidential aspirants pervaded the city ahead of voting, and for the last time, the 13 aspirants jostling for the PDP ticket rejected pressure to consider adopting a consensus candidate.

    Two of them -Senator Ahmed Makarfi and Kabiru Tanimu Turaki – dismissed speculations that they had stepped them.

    The Nation gathered authoritatively that some of the governors were rooting for Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State.

    Delegates from Cross Rivers, River, Ekiti and Edo States were particularly enthusiastic about him.

    Those from Benue, home state of Senator David Mark, said they would cast their votes for the immediate past senate president.

    But they said that in the event that he reconsiders his interest in the race, they would cast their lot with whoever he directs them to support.

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was unrelenting in his campaign and continued to meet with as many delegates as possible ahead of voting.

    Governor Ibrahim Dankwabo of Gombe State, according to sources, was reaching out to his fellow governors to back his aspiration on account of his loyalty to the party during its trying period.

    The governor reminded them that he remained the only PDP governor in the North when others had left.

    Worried by the tension sparked in the party by the primary, a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Aliyu Gusau held a closed door session yesterday with Atiku and 11 other aspirants.

    He pleaded with them to place the survival of PDP above any personal interest.

    He also asked the aspirants to be magnanimous in victory and defeat.

    Multiple sources told The Nation that PDP governors turned down  suggestion by one of them, Nyesom Wike (Rivers) to agree on a presidential candidate.

    All the aspirants insisted on going ahead to try their luck through the ballot.

    Gusau and other founding fathers of PDP were said to be concerned about stability in the party after the National Convention.

    A presidential aspirant said: “Gen. Gusau only advised us to avoid rancour during the convention by subjecting ourselves to a free and fair process.

    “He asked us to keep the party united irrespective of the outcome of the contest for the presidential ticket of the party.

    “It was a moral suasion session and we have all decided to go into the race.”

    On the suggestion for a consensus candidate allegedly promoted by Wike, one of the governors said: “As part of the horse-trading, one of us was pushing for an agreement on  a candidate but we all rebuffed the suggestion.

    “We knew the mindset of the governor, we did not allow him to ambush us. We told him to leave all the aspirants to slug it out.”

    It’s satanic to say I’m stepping down for Saraki, says Turaki

    One of the aspirants, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (a former Minister of Special Duties) denied stepping down for Senate President Bukola Saraki.

    His campaign organization dismissed a speculation that he was withdrawing from the race as spurious, misguided and satanic.

    “Let it be known loud and clear: Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN),  has not stepped down, has no intention to step down and will never step down for any other aspirant, not in the least, the birds of passage in the PDP,” the campaign organization said in a statement.

    It added:”It is sad that such a cruel impression was being created at the eleventh hour of the party’s national convention by unscrupulous personalities and their ilk who are showing a desperation never known to the party in recent times.

    “Turaki has so far run a decent campaign which even the party’s National Organizing Secretary, Colonel Akobundu acknowledged publicly when his Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms were returned to the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.

    “It was this decency that propelled Turaki to refer to his co-aspirant and Senate President, Bukola Saraki as his brother who shared (?) the same edifying values and passion for Nigeria’s greatness with him when Turaki went on his consultation to Kwara State.

    His position was borne out of Turaki’s close relationship with Bukola’s late father, “Okoye” Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki.

    “It was this honest and innocent remark to honour  a respected late leader that was now being dubiously manipulated again (this is the second or third time) by discredited people to undermine Turaki.

    “Turaki remains the aspirant to beat, that probably accounted for why arrows are being fired against his aspiration.

    “Luckily, his integrity, credibility, knowledge, intellectual experience, competence and dynamism had never been questioned.

    “These are the attributes that had made former Nigerian leaders- Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to acknowledge Turaki’s capacity to hold the office which they once held, more so in this era of knowledge-driven governance.

    “Besides, elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark and the leaders of the Afenifere and the Middle Belt Forum never hid their admiration for Turaki when he was invited to address them.

    “In fact, there were open endorsements by some governors and most of the state executive committees, elders and delegates visited by Turaki’s campaign team in the course of his nationwide consultations.

    “In spite of his service and loyalty to the party, Turaki has been humble enough unlike his detractors not to campaign against those who once tried to destroy the soul of PDP.

    “May be there is wisdom after all in the position of some of the resilient members who later became Presidential Aspirants that those who once tried to destroy the party should not be allowed to harvest where they did not sow to the extent of trying to destroy the common ‘farm’ ( the PDP).

    They have argued that rewarding disloyalty or perfidy may turn out to be the party’s ‘Achilles Heels’. Time will certainly tell.”

    Makarfi too

    In a separate statement, Senator Ahmed Makarfi said there was no iota of truth in a speculation that he was pulling out of the race.

    He said there was no such thing and declared that he was sure of carrying the day.

    Sen. Makarfi in the statement signed by his media aide, Murktar Sirajo, urged delegates at the convention to ignore the propaganda and remain focussed.

    He said : “Our attention has been drawn to some disingenuous propaganda to the effect that Senator Ahmed Makarfi is stepping down from the PDP presidential nomination race at the ongoing convention in Port Harcourt.

    “We wish to make very clear that not only is Senator Makarfi very much in the race, he is also doing very  well and expects, at the end of the day, to get the nod of majority of the delegates to fly party’s flag in forthcoming elections.

    “Delegates and the general public are advised to ignore this vile rumour and remain focussed.”

     

  • Atiku: To get Nigeria working again, we must defeat APC

    former Vice President Atiku Abubakar  said yesterday that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in next year’s elections  to make Nigeria work again.

    Addressing delegates to the PDP national convention in Port Harcourt, Atiku who was one of those seeking the party’s presidential ticket, described the 2019 election as one of the most important in the history of the country.

    He said: “The economy has slowed bringing hardship across Nigeria, increasing hunger and poverty, farmers struggle, businesses close, and jobs are lost. All the while, our government has become less transparent and deaf to the voices of Nigerians.

    “It is time we get Nigeria working again. We need jobs, wealth creation for farmers and across the agriculture sector, along with security for every Nigerian so they may prosper.

    “This is why I ask for your support in seeking the PDP ticket. You are aware of my government service and just as importantly my long work in business helping develop the economy, creating jobs in agriculture, healthcare, and education.

    “Upon election, I will work with you the delegates of the PDP and every Nigerian in each state to restructure and build the local infrastructures needed to grow the economy, create jobs and bring wealth to every Nigerian.

    “With your support, together, we can truly get Nigeria working again.”

     

  • I’ve moved 45,000 families out of poverty- Atiku

    Atiku Abubakar, former Vice-President and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, says he has moved 45, 000 families out of poverty.

    Atiku made this known at a Presidential Nomination Media Chat, organised by the United Nigeria Group (UNG) in Abuja.

    He said that the feat was achieved through a micro-finance bank he established, adding that he also instructed the bank to give 80 per cent of its loans to women “in the belief that empowerment is the best way to bring a family out of poverty’’.

    “I have owned one of the most successful micro-finance banks in this country, I am working with people from Bangladesh because they are best when it comes to micro finance system.

    “And what is the best way to move a family out of poverty? This is to empower the woman. Because of this, I directed the bank to give 80 per cent of their loan to women.

    “They have been implementing that policy and today we are one of the most successful micro-finance banks in Nigeria because women repay, take more, look after their families.

    “I am a product of a woman because I lost my father at a very tender age and my mother was doing all kinds of business to look after me and became what I am today.

    “So honestly, the best policy to move family out of poverty is to empower women.

    “If you do that you will see how fast you will get out of poverty, particularly now that Nigeria has been decimated as the capital of poverty in the world, we need to engage our women to turn it round for good.”

    Atiku emphasised the need to bring investors into the country to absorb graduates in addition to training them to be self-reliant, saying he plans to employ about 12 million Nigerian youths under this arrangement.

    On restructuring, he said that the best the best way to develop the country’s six geo-political zones was to give more powers and resources to these zones.

    He stressed the need to restructure the polity, saying “unless it is restructured with more power and resources given the geo-political zones, there is likely not to be much difference.

    “If you concentrate all the powers in the Federal Government just like we are seeing now, then you are going to stifle growth and initiative.”

    The former vice-president speaking on why he wanted to be elected as president said that Nigeria needed a leadership that with the experience and capacity to create jobs and unite the country.

    “Our most challenging issue in the country today is the issue of unemployment and creation of jobs, unity in the country and states.”

    He said that the country also needed leader that would boost the country ‘s economic growth above its population growth.

    “Any country that its economic growth is below its population is in a danger, and that is the danger that is facing our country today.

    “So anybody who can come and lift up our economy to a level where our GDP growth will surpass our population growth, I think is the leader, we should at this time support to take Nigeria out of this crisis. And that is what I stand for.

    “I believe I am more suitable to handle all these as a retired civil servant who worked 20 years in the federal bureaucracy and as a politician I served successfully for 8 years as the vice-president.”

    Atiku said that while he was vice president, he chaired the economic team that brought so many innovations that led to the creation of jobs, creation of wealth and prosperity, relative peace and stability

    He added that his experience in the private sector as a farmer, an investor also gave him the advantage over some of his contemporaries.

    Atiku said that if he was able to get PDP presidential ticket and win the election he would work with all aspirants contending with him.

    “I believe it will not be a problem for me bringing them together to participate with me in government and also in whatever capacity they feel they can support the government.

    “Government is such a very big deal in Nigeria even though my dream is that by the time I leave office government will be smaller.”

    Atiku also said he was going to work with the National Assembly to achieve required amendments of laws to achieve fundamental issues such as restructuring, economic growth, diversification, unity and security among others.(NAN)

  • PDP ticket: How Tambuwal, Atiku, Saraki others stand

    With the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) a few days away, signs are beginning to emerge about the chances of the 12 aspirants locked in the race for the ticket.

    The front runners appear to be Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Senate President Bukola Saraki.

    Also in the race are Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Alhaji Sule Lamido, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, Alhaji Kabiru Turaki (SAN), Senator David Mark, Senator Jonah Jang and Dr. Datti Baba Ahmed.

    Atiku Abubakar

    Atiku who has assembled a formidable campaign team,  looks strong in the Northeast where he hails from, and the Southwest from where he picked the Director General of his campaign organization, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, a former governor of Ogun State.

    Also supporting him from the Southwest is Chief Olabode George.

    Coordinating his presidential campaign is business mogul, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu. Others in the train are ex-governors, Idris Wada (Kogi), James Ibori (Delta), a former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Maina Waziri; members of the PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, including Professor A.B.C Nwosu, Senator Stella Omu, Vincent Ogbulafor and Chief Tom Ikimi.

    Others are former Imo State governor, Achike Udenwa, former Katsina State governor Ibrahim Shema; Colonel Bala Mande (rtd), Senator Ben Murray Bruce, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, Chief Raymond Dokpesi; ex-ministers between 1999 and 2007; PDP stalwarts in the North-East,  South-East, South-South; ex-DG NOA, Mike Omeri, Dr. Auwalu Anwar and Dr. Baraka Umar from Kano State.

    The dust raised by his campaign organization about Port Harcourt hosting the national convention may however work against him.

    Bukola Saraki

    Dr. Saraki enjoys the support of Senate Deputy President Ike Ekweremadu who is from Enugu State.

    He also has the backing of a good number of senators and members of the House of Representatives from his native Northcentral, Southeast and Southwest.

    Gov Abdulfatahi Ahmed of Kwara State, ex-Gov Babangida Aliyu (Niger); some serving governors and  ex-Minister of Power, Mohammed Wakil are also  among his main supporters.

    Saraki’s recent appointment as the National Leader of PDP has added value to his quest.

    Tanimu Turaki

    The ex-Minister of Special Duties, though from   the Northwest has made in inroad into the Southsouth, Southeast and Southwest.

    He counts among his main supporters, associates of ex-President Ibrahim Babangida, strategists of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan,  political associates of ex-VP Namadi Sambo, loyalists of ex-NSA Aliyu Gusau,  former associates of ex-VP Atiku Abubakar, three former military administrators including Col. Habibu Shuaibu who was until recently the Chief of Staff to Gen. Babangida,  Forum of Ex-Ministers, ex-governors Boni Haruna and Ibrahim Idris (Adamawa and Kogi); ex-Chief of Army Staff, Ishaya Bamaiyi, political associates of Chief Tony Anenih, including former Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen.

    Aminu Tambuwal

    Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal may split votes coming from the Northwest with ex-Governor Bafarawa, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso; Sule Lamido and Kabiru Turaki. He is being backed by Governor  Nyesom Wike and five other governors;  two top northern Emirs; a few associates of ex-President Babangida; Gov. Samuel Ortom, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Senators, Reps, Dr. Okey Ikechukwu,  and  his long standing friend, Governor Nyesom  Wike of Rivers State.

    Party sources said a good number of delegates from the Southsouth and Southeast could vote for him.

    Tambuwal can count on the support of Emeka Ihedioha who was deputy speaker of the House of Reps under him (Tambuwal).

    Ibrahim Dankwambo

    He has only Atiku to contend with for votes from the Northeast.

    Some votes from the Southwest may go his way by virtue of his friendship with Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State.

    Some other PDP governors  may also support him.

    David Mark

    The former Senate president may be looking up to Senators, Reps and other delegates from Northcentral for votes as well as support from Middle Belt leaders like Gen. T. Y. Danjuma. It is believed that Mark is in the race to negotiate a better deal for the Middle Belt.

     Rabiu Kwankwaso

    The former Kano State governor is strongly suspected to be favoured for the ticket by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo under whom he served as Minister.

    Some   Senators, Reps, and governors could also rally in his support.

    David Jang

    His votes are likely to come from the Northcentral, especially his native Plateau State.

    Sule Lamido

    The ex-Jigawa State governor  is  being backed by some associates of ex-President Obasanjo; ex-Minister of Justice, Musa Elayo; PDP leaders in the Northwest, some former governors and  ex-ministers. His trial alongside his sons may have hindered his influence in the party.

    Ahmed Makarfi

    The former Interim National Chairman of PDP is highly respected in the camps of former Nigerian leaders and wields influence among PDP governors who want the pact with him honoured.

    He is also loved by party leaders and delegates for restoring the glory of the party during its most turbulent period. Some PDP leaders from the Northwest, Southsouth and Southeast may vote for him.

    Attahiru Bafarawa

    The main backers of the  ex-governor of Sokoto State  are some  PDP leaders in the Northwest, and ex-NSA  Sambo Dasuki.

    Datti Baba Ahmed

    He has some Senators, Reps, and royal fathers in the North as backers.

    The aspirants are intensifying their campaigns across the country having received the breakdown of delegates per state.

    “We are all doing our calculations on how and where the votes will come from,” one of the aspirants said.

    The aspirant explained that the intrigues on vote-seeking made him and his colleagues  allow Governor Nyesom Wike have his way at the National Executive Committee meeting of PDP on Friday on Port Harcourt as the venue of the National Convention.

    “We allowed the sleeping dog to lie after Wike apologized for threatening to bring down the party,” he said.

    “Some of us did not confront Wike because he had introduced ethnic sentiments into venue issue and rejecting Port Harcourt might prove suicidal to our ambition.

    “But for the first time, we put Wike on the spot and it was a signal that he cannot try nonsense in Port Harcourt. The PDP is greater than him and the 2019 project of the party cannot be toyed with.”

    Five factors are likely to determine who carries the day.

    These are:

    *The influence of PDP governors

    *Ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Goodluck Jonathan, ex-Chief of Army Staff, Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, ex-National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau  all of whom have the ears of those who matter in the party

    *A huge war chest

    *Micro-zoning at the National Convention if there is any stalemate

    *External factors especially the interest of some foreign countries and forces

    A presidential aspirant said: “whether these leaders are in partisan politics or not, we have all been reaching out to them for assistance on our aspirations. Some of us have made more than two or three shuttles to these leaders.

    “And we have embarked on consultative trips to these leaders because a few of them came out openly to make a strong case for a new government to replace the APC administration in 2019.

    “Definitely,  Obasanjo, Babangida, Gusau, Jonathan and a few business moguls might advise the party appropriately.”

    Investigation also revealed that the PDP governors hold the ace in determining the party’s presidential flag bearer.

    According to a top PDP source, the governors control a large  number of delegates from their states.

    “The emergence of the PDP candidate depends on the disposition of the governors and strategic party leaders,” the source added.

    One of the PDP governors who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said: “None of the aspirants is willing to step down or allow the consensus option to be adopted. They have all rejected consensus. “Even PDP governors are also divided because of what is at stake in 2019. What we have resolved is to leave the fate of the aspirants to the delegates to decide. By creating a level-playing field and leaving the race open, the governors felt they won’t be accused of bias.

    “I am quite sure that by the time we get to the National Convention in Port Harcourt, the horse-trading might take a different dimension because vested interests will now inter-play.

    Responding to a question, the governor said: “The choice of PDP governorship candidate is not what a governor can determine, no matter how influential he is.

    “PDP is the biggest party in Africa, it has many players behind-the-scene than what you are seeing. You have witnessed how one of us was rattled on the convention venue. This has confirmed that no one is in charge of this party.

    “All the governors have interest in some aspirants but because we are polarized, we have kept our choices to ourselves.

    “What each governor is doing is to consolidate the block votes from his state for a good bargain. No governor will underrate presidential influence, we all want to play a key role in the choice of our candidate for post-2019 politics/ power game.”

    The PDP Constitution says: “There shall be a National Convention of the party which shall consist of (a) the National Chairman of the party, who shall be the Chairman of the Convention and other members of the National Executive Committee

    1. b) the President and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who are members of the party

    (c ) members of the National Assembly, who are members of the party

    (d) State governors and Deputy Governors, who are members of the party;

    (e) all gubernatorial candidates of the party, who shall be automatic delegates to the Convention

    (f) members of the State Houses of Assembly, who are members of the party;

    (g) members of the Board of Trustees

    (h) members of the Zonal Working Committee and state party chairmen and secretaries, including  those of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

    (i) State Women and Youth leaders, including  those of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

    (j) one national delegate from each Local Government Area to be elected at the Local Government Area Congress for the purpose

    (k) all elected local government council chairmen, who are members of the party

    (l) former members of the National Working Committee who are still members of the party and

    9) former Deputy Presidents of the Senate and former Deputy Speakers of the House of Representatives who are still in the party.

    It was also gathered that  foreign missions in the country have set up desks for the  monitoring of the  PDP primaries.

    A diplomat said: “Democracy is about choice, our country is more interested in who gets the PDP presidential ticket than the APC which is predictable.

    “Nearly all the embassies have taken keen interest in the development in PDP than APC. We are monitoring events and some of us already have teams in Port Harcourt.”

     

  • Police arrest man for threatening Atiku, family

    The police headquarters in Abuja, the nation’s capital, yesterday paraded a 43-year-old man for allegedly threatening former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to either withdraw from next year’s presidential race or have his plane blown up mid-air.

    Police spokesman Jimoh Moshood, an Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), said Augustus Akpan allegedly used a stolen phone to threaten a wife and daughters of the former Vice President with rape.

    Akpan, who hails from Edemaya village in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, was reportedly arrested while fleeing to Lagos.

    He was also said to have extorted huge sums of Nigerian money and foreign currencies from unnamed high profile citizens with false claims of being an operative of the United States of America’s (U.S.A’s) Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

    Moshood also said the suspect, who speaks fluent English, Ibibio, Russian and Portuguese languages, will remain in their custody until investigations are concluded and he is arraigned in court.

    He added: “On the receipt of a complaint of threat and intimidation from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 43-year-old Augustus Akpan was trailed and eventually arrested by the IGP Intelligence Response Team.

    “Akpan was arrested at the toll plaza on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Lagos State while he was on the run to escape arrest. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime and admitted that he resorted to the threat and intimidation when efforts to extort money from the former Vice President were unsuccessful.

    “The suspect also admitted in his confessional statement that he is a professional fraudster and not working for any party. He said his mention that ‘Let Buhari run against your against your PDP members’ in his threat message to the former Vice President was merely to divert attention.

    “The suspect is fluent in English, Ibibio, Russian and Portuguese languages. The phone and the subscriber identification module (SIM) card he used for the threat and intimidation were recovered from him and were discovered to have been stolen from a lady who identified him as the person who robbed her few months back.

    “Akpan further confessed that he had threatened, defrauded and extorted huge sum of Nigerian money and foreign currency from so many prominent personalities and their families while posing as an FBI and CIA agent.”

  • I’ll resolve Tiv-Fulani crisis, says Atiku

    A PEOPLE’S Democratic Party (PDP) presidential contender, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, said if elected in the 2019 presidential election, Tiv-Fulani crisis would be resolved easily.

    Atiku, who holds the highest Tiv  chieftaincy of the Zege- mule- U- Tiv (Tiv’s Big Shelter),  attributed the crisis between the Tiv and Fulani to “sponsored misunderstanding”.

    Atiku spoke  when he visited the Tor Sankera, Chief Abu King Shuluwa, in his Makurdi home.

    Atiku said: “It’s very easy because traditionally, the Fulani and the Tiv have coexisted peacefully over hundreds of years.

    “And I believe that what is happening of recent could be attributed to some kind of sponsored misunderstanding between them.

    “As we have always done, anytime we have conflict between the Fulani and the Tiv, we have always sat down to resolve those misunderstandings and conflicts.

    “And even as Zege- mule- U- Tiv (Tiv’s Big Shelter), in the past, I have spearheaded resolutions of such conflicts when I was in office as vice president.

    “So, it is normal for even brothers or people in the same family to have misunderstanding, but the most important thing is their ability to resolve those misunderstanding or conflict.”

    Asked if he would be ready to work with whoever emerges the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku assured that all other aspirants would work with the presidential candidate provided the party conducts credible, free and fair elections at the primaries.

    “Well, I believe whoever emerges the party’s candidate at the end of the day will also enjoy the support of others provided the party conducts credible, free and fair elections at the primaries,” he said.

    Shuluwa, who is Atiku’s longtime friend, said the Tiv people did not have any issue with the Fulani.

    He, however, stressed that the Fulani attacking and killing the Tiv people were not the Fulani from Nigeria.

    “The Fulani that you see fighting the Tiv people are not the Fulani that we know and I have always said this.

    “We don’t know where these Fulani come from. The Fulani, who are indigenes of Nigeria, can never fight a Tiv man.

    “As time goes on, all our differences will be healed up. We will make sure that the Fulani that are non-Nigerians don’t come into this land.

    “That one I can assure everybody. But we have nothing against the Fulani generally,” Shuluwa said.

  • Stance on restructuring not a political gimmick, says Atiku

    Former vice president Abubakar Atiku has restated his commitment to restructuring Nigeria if elected President in 2019, declaring that his stance on the matter was not a political gimmick.
    “I am truly committed to restructuring Nigeria because I believe that its future depends on leaders’ ability to confront the concerns of the people,” he said.
    Atiku, who is seeking the PDP ticket to contest the 2019 presidential polls, spoke in Makurdi, when he met with the party’s delegates to the National Convention slated to hold Oct. 6.
    “Most segments of the country keep talking about restructuring. We cannot run away from that. We must confront it and tackle it,” he said.
    According to him, section 7 (2) of the APC constitution provides for restructuring, fiscal federalism and the rest.
    “But, the APC have refused to talk about it because President Buhari doesn’t believe in it. But it is there in their constitution,” he claimed.
    Atiku, who decried major concerns like insecurity, poverty and hunger, said that he had gone round the country and had found that there was “total dissatisfaction” with the current government.
    “There is nothing to cheer about the economy. Our unity is precarious and our security is deplorable.
    “Everybody in the country, the farmers, businessmen and students, appear  dissatisfied with the current government.
    “That is why those of us who have gone round and have felt the pulse of the people are calling for a change in 2019,” he said.
    In his remarks, Benue PDP chairman, John Ngbede, assured Atiku that Benue delegates would vote for a credible candidate who would support national unity and move Nigeria forward. (NAN)

  • Atiku promises to take Nigeria to higher level

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday in Lafia, promised to take Nigeria to a higher level if elected president in 2019.

    Atiku, who is a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, stated this while addressing the Nasarawa State Working Committee and delegates of PDP.

    According to him, insecurity, poverty, and hunger are some of the factors militating against the progress of Nigeria.

    Atiku said that it was improper to describe Nigerian youths as  lazy people who only needed free money.

    According to him, available records have proved Nigerian youths to be excellent sportsmen and women, astute businessmen and women,  among other things.

    Read Also: Atiku raises the alarm over alleged threat to life

     

    “If elected President of Nigeria , I will restructure Nigeria by empowering the youths, eradicate hunger and poverty, as well as fight insecurity,” he stated.

    The former vice president also promised to develop all states sharing boundaries with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    This, according to him, is because most of the people working in FCT reside in communities located in the neighbouring states.

    He called on the delegates to vote for him given his experience, high net-worth and resourcefulness.

    Responding, Francis Orugu, the Nasarawa State PDP Chairman, commended Atiku for the visit.

    He promised that delegates from the state would vote for a credible aspirant that would be able to represent the party in the 2019 presidential election.