Tag: Dayo Adeyeye

  • Governor’s aides join Adeyeye’s campaign

    Governor’s aides join Adeyeye’s campaign

    Some loyalists of Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose have moved to the camp of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant, Prince Dayo Adeyeye.

    Among those who dumped the governor are: former Commissioner for Public Utilities, Mr. Deji Adesua; former factional House of Assembly Speaker, Dele Olugbemi; and a Special Assistant, Alhaji Musa Kanga.

    They were among thousands of supporters, who welcomed Adeyeye yesterday to his campaign office on Ikere Road, and staged a road show for him.

    Kanga led scores of fellow Hausa PDP members in the state, pledging their loyalty and support for Adeyeye’s governorship ambition.

    Other ethnic nationalities that identified with the aspirant are: the Urhobo, the Idoma and the Igbo.

    Addressing reporters after meeting his supporters, Adeyeye said many prominent party members holding government and party posts would soon join him ahead of the primary.

    The aspirant described the September 6 adoption of Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola as “a huge joke and comedy staged to entertain the people of Ekiti State”.

    The PDP National Caretaker Committee Publicity Secretary described Olusola’s adoption, which was masterminded by Fayose, as an “irresponsible impunity that has no force of the law”.

    He expressed confidence that the national leadership of the party will conduct a free, fair, transparent and credible primary to produce PDP’s flag bearer for the 2018 poll.

    Adeyeye said: “What happened last week at the Government House was a huge joke and an alawada (comedy) in which somebody just decided to entertain the people.

    “That was an irresponsible step to take. This is because if you are a leader, you should be the first person to obey the law and not the first person to break the law. You should not do something that will break the party.”

  • PDP: Makarfi warns against dragging party to court

    PDP: Makarfi warns against dragging party to court

    Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, Chairman, National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has warned PDP members against dragging the party to court.

    Makarfi, who gave the warning on Wednesday in Abuja, while inaugurating caretaker committees for Adamawa and Osun States chapters of the party, declared that members with grievances must exhaust internal mechanisms.

    “It is unfortunate that some people still think that going to court is the best way out, even after the Supreme Court’s judgement on the party’s leadership tussle.

    “The party will take a very hard stand on any member who is in a hurry to go to court without exhausting the avenues available in the party for grievances to be heard and be addressed accordingly.

    “We cannot deny people their fundamental human rights, but the party constitution says that members must exhaust the internal mechanism before seeking external solutions.

    “If you are quick in seeking external solutions, the party will not take it kindly,” Makarfi warned.

    He commended PDP members, especially where caretaker committees were inaugurated, for their “give and take” posture and sacrifice, and assured party faithfuls that their interests would be accommodated at various levels.

    Makarfi advised the newly inaugurated caretaker committees members to carry everybody along, pointing out that PDP was one family.

    “At this stage, it is not one side versus the other side.

    “The only side that is against us is anybody that takes us to court; it is that person or group that is clearly against us,” he said.

    Makarfi, in an interview with newsmen after the inauguration ceremony, decried the politicisation of reports that Nigeria was out of recession.

    “The issue should not be politicised; getting out of recession is when people feel secured and can feed and find jobs.

    “We can only say we are out of recession when there is adequate infrastructure and students do not find it difficult to pay tuition fees.

    “The reality is that, all these complaints are still there. Life is still tough for the poor man. So why should we be  clapping and claiming that we are out of recession?

    “It is not time to clap. We have nothing to clap for. We have a lot to do. That is what PDP intends to correct when we come to power.

    “What we are doing now is to partner with those in power to make sure that the conditions of every Nigerian, especially the ordinary person, is better. We won’t politicise that.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) second quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) report as indicating that the country was out of recession.

    On the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Makarfi called on both parties to make peace and specifically advised the Federal Government to do the needful.

    Similarly, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Dayo Adeyeye, in a statement, said that the figures of growth rate released by NBS, when compared with inflation rate and population growth, showed that there was nothing to celebrate.

    “The report indicated that while the inflation rate was 16.05 per cent, the annual population growth rate was approximately 2.67 per cent per year.

    “With such statistics, it is impossible to escape the conclusion that the recovery of the Nigerian economy is weak, feeble and insufficient to herald the sort of celebration we want to indulge in,” he said.

    Adeyeye reiterated that the nation was at risk of falling into a more protracted recession if strong and bold monetary and fiscal policies were not activated immediately, to sustain the exit from recession.

    He added that there was nothing to celebrate until such economic growth improves the harsh living conditions of ordinary Nigerians.

  • PDP believes in restructuring – Adeyeye

    PDP believes in restructuring – Adeyeye

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in support of restructuring of the country in a manner that will boost the growth, development and prosperity of Nigeria.

    Dayo Adeyeye, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, made the clarification in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.

    Adeyeye said the clarification became necessary following a statement credited to the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Bolaji Ojo-Abdullahi.

    He said that he (Adeyeye) read with amusement the statement written by Ojo-Abdullahi that “PDP has never been and is not interested in restructuring,’’

    He expressed surprise in the sudden interest of the APC in restructuring “after several months of denial by elected and appointed officials that APC did not promise restructuring in its manifesto and during the 2015 campaigns.

    “As the word implies, restructuring is a process of re-arrangement, re-organization or re-formation of the manner or way in which something (in this case governance) is done.

    “As used in the Nigeria political lexicon, restructuring refers to the Modification of the System of governance to guarantee the socio-economic and political growth and development of the Nigerian people.

    “It is imperative to inform Nigerians that our party is not against restructuring of the system of governance in the country in a manner that places Nigeria firmly on the path of growth, development and prosperity,” Adeyeye said.

    The PDP spokesman explained that it was the commitment of his party to constantly seek solutions to the challenges confronting the nation that led it to amend its constitution.

    He added that the party’s constitution was amended to include equitable devolution (decentralization) of power for greater functionality, national integration, rapid economic and social reconstruction.

    “Examples of the amendment can be found in preamble 2(b) and (e), Section 7(b) and (f), and many more provisions of our party constitution.”

    Adeyeye said it was also against the backdrop of the commitment of the party to restructure the system of socio-political governance for better functionality and efficiency that made the party to organise the 2014 national conference.

    “The administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan summoned a National Conference to recommend amendments to the Nigerian Constitution.

    “This conference submitted a report with several proposed amendments to the constitution which the APC led Federal Government has refused to implement more than two years later.

    “In light of the above, we reiterate our support for the restructuring of the system of governance in the country to ensure more functional and efficient governance at all tiers of government.

    “We urge leaders of opinion and leaders of thought around the country to participate in the process in the best interest of our country and its people,” he said,

  • PDP believes in restructuring- Adeyeye

    PDP believes in restructuring- Adeyeye

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in support of restructuring of the country in a manner that will boost the growth, development and prosperity of Nigeria.

    Dayo Adeyeye, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, made the clarification in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.

    Adeyeye said the clarification became necessary following a statement credited to the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Bolaji Ojo-Abdullahi.

    He said that he (Adeyeye) read with amusement the statement written by Ojo-Abdullahi that “PDP has never been and is not interested in restructuring,’’

    He expressed surprise in the sudden interest of the APC in restructuring “after several months of denial by elected and appointed officials that APC did not promise restructuring in its manifesto and during the 2015 campaigns.

    “As the word implies, restructuring is a process of re-arrangement, re-organization or re-formation of the manner or way in which something (in this case governance) is done.

    “As used in the Nigeria political lexicon, restructuring refers to the Modification of the System of governance to guarantee the socio-economic and political growth and development of the Nigerian people.

    “It is imperative to inform Nigerians that our party is not against restructuring of the system of governance in the country in a manner that places Nigeria firmly on the path of growth, development and prosperity,” Adeyeye said.

    The PDP spokesman explained that it was the commitment of his party to constantly seek solutions to the challenges confronting the nation that led it to amend its constitution.

    He added that the party’s constitution was amended to include equitable devolution (decentralization) of power for greater functionality, national integration, rapid economic and social reconstruction.

    “Examples of the amendment can be found in preamble 2(b) and (e), Section 7(b) and (f), and many more provisions of our party constitution.”

    Adeyeye said it was also against the backdrop of the commitment of the party to restructure the system of socio-political governance for better functionality and efficiency that made the party to organise the 2014 national conference.

    “The administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan summoned a National Conference to recommend amendments to the Nigerian Constitution.

    “This conference submitted a report with several proposed amendments to the constitution which the APC led Federal Government has refused to implement more than two years later.

    “In light of the above, we reiterate our support for the restructuring of the system of governance in the country to ensure more functional and efficient governance at all tiers of government.

    “We urge leaders of opinion and leaders of thought around the country to participate in the process in the best interest of our country and its people,” he said, (NAN)

  • Makarfi in auto crash

    Makarfi in auto crash

    The chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, was on Friday involved in a multiple auto accident along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.

    The accident followed the collision of the vehicle the chairman was traveling in with other vehicles.

    A statement issued by the spokesman of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, however said Makarfi and others traveling with him in the vehicle escaped unhurt.

    “However, we are happy to report that fortunately, the distinguished Senator and all other passengers in his vehicle came out unhurt. This is to allay the fears of our party members, teeming supporters and well- wishers who heard of the accident and have been making frantic calls; as well as those who may stumble on half-baked information,” the statement added.

  • Osun bye-election: PDP’s victory evidence of unity, hard work – Makarfi

    Osun bye-election: PDP’s victory evidence of unity, hard work – Makarfi

    The Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP, Ahmed Makarfi, has described the party’s success in Saturday’s Osun West Senatorial bye-election as evidence of unity and hard work among its members.

    Makarfi made the observation in a statement signed by the committee’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Dayo Adeyeye, on Sunday in Abuja.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday declared Mr Ademola Adeleke of the PDP, the winner of the bye-election held in 10 local government areas.

    The winner, who is the younger brother of the late Sen. Isiaka Adeleke, had 97, 480 votes to defeat a former Senator, Mudashiru Hussein of the APC, who had 66, 116 votes.

    Makarfi also said that the victory showed continued acceptance of the PDP.

    “The successful outcome of this election is an evidence of hard work, dedication and the unity of all members of PDP in Osun.

    “They buried their temporary differences in the overall interest of the party and the good people of Osun.

    “We are confident that the PDP remains the party to beat in elections.

    “As we await the judgment of the Supreme Court, we urge all our members to unite in the interest of Nigerian,” he said.

    He also congratulated Adeleke on his victory.

    He also hailed the people of Osun West for voting for Adeleke and for conducting themselves peacefully during the election.

  • PDP condoles Anenih over demise of wife, son

    PDP condoles Anenih over demise of wife, son

    The National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commiserated with former Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, on the death of his wife and son.

    In a condolence​ message by Mr Dayo Adeyeye, National Publicity Secretary of the committee, on Tuesday in Abuja, the party said it was heart-breaking for a man to lose wife and son with short intervals.

    Mrs Patricia Anenih passed on at 74 in London on April 16.

    Anenih’s son, Mr Eugene Anenih, died on Sunday at the age of 51. Both are yet to be buried.

    According to the statement, the party identifies with Anenih’s agony at this trying period.

    It said, “your wife’s untiring support in an extremely busy and action packed political career cannot be overemphasized. Her departure must have left you with so much sorrow.

    “We believe in your capacity to overcome these painful losses. May the Lord grant you and your family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

    “We pray that you will not sorrow again in the remaining days of your life. May the souls of the departed rest with the Lord in perfect peace.”

  • Sheriff has no good intention for PDP – Adeyeye

    Sheriff has no good intention for PDP – Adeyeye

    National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) said National Chairman, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, has no good intentions for the party.

    Publicity Secretary of the committee, Mr Dayo Adeyeye, stated this in a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Speaking at the backdrop of a statement credited to Sheriff on his 2019 presidential ambition, Adeyeye said that all efforts of the national chairman were geared towards his hidden ambition.

    He said that Sheriff was holding PDP to ransom because he wanted to hijack the party and use it for his selfish interest.

    “We had raised the concern that Sheriff was not interested in conducting a national convention that will be in the interest of the party and all members.

    “He was planning a convention that will put his cronies in critical party positions who will then rubber-stamp his candidacy when the time to pick the PDP candidate for 2019 Presidential Election comes.

    “We are worried that some important party leaders also could not see beyond the facade, tagging along with Sheriff as he drags the party through the mud in his bid at achieving his selfish ambition.

    “ We hope perceptible minds in the party can now see why it is extremely dangerous to trust Sheriff with the organization of any convention,’’ he said.

    Adeyeye said that having Sheriff as PDP presidential candidate would be a real delight for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “It is as good as having your sparring partner as your opponent in a major bout.

    “We want to make a serious contention for power in 2019. We don’t want to field a candidate who is the captain of the second team of the ruling party,’’ he said.

    On the allegation that the caretaker committee was already boasting of going to obtain victory on the party’s leadership crisis at the Supreme Court, Adeyeye said it was blackmail from Sheriff’s group.

    According to him, it is rather the Sheriff group that is already blackmailing the Supreme Court on the matter the way they did to the Court of Appeal in the Ondo governorship in 2016.

    “They did the same against the second panel for which the Supreme Court awarded costs of over N20 million against them and their lawyers.

    “They were the ones celebrating that appeal court judgment even before it was given. They said they knew the judgment.

    “Their subtle blackmail of Supreme Court is unbecoming.’’

    Dr Cairo Ojougboh, acting National Deputy Chairman of the party, in a separate news conference also in Abuja, accused the caretaker committee of boasting about the party leadership crisis now before the Supreme Court.

    Ojougboh alleged that the caretaker committee was already boasting that the judgment rejected by the Court of Appeal would be adopted by the Supreme Court.

    “We make bold to say nobody can buy the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court cannot be bought.

    “The PDP has implicit confidence in the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Samuel Onnoghen and his colleagues in the Supreme Court.

    “We, therefore, advice Makarfi and his co-travelers that their wishful judgment which they are parading will remain in the trash can,” Ojougboh said.

    Meanwhile, the PDP members and their leaders in the South-South said they remained committed to the party and the resolutions of the May 21, 2016 national convention in Port Harcourt.

    National Vice Chairman of the party in the zone, Chief Emmanuel Ogidi, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    He said all party members in South-South were under the authority of the National Caretaker Committee headed by Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, which was constituted at the Port Harcourt convention.

    He assured that the loyalty of members to the committee would be sustained until the verdict of the Supreme Court on the appeal before it on the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal.

    The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt had on Feb. 17, 2017, ruled that Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff remained the authentic chairman of the PDP.

    The court also directed that status quo before the national convention in Port Harcourt, which sacked the leadership of the PDP and constituted the caretaker committee, should remain.

    But, a minority judgment by a one of the judges, out of the three justices of the Appeal Court that heard the case, recognised the resolutions and actions taken at the Port Harcourt convention.

    The judge held that as somebody appointed to administer the party for about three months and organise a national convention, Sheriff had by the resolution of the convention, seized to be chairman of the party.

    Ogidi expressed optimism that the final verdict of the court on the issue would vindicate the position of majority of the party’s members, and would uphold the minority judgment at the Appeal Court.

    According to him, the minority judgment captured the crux of the matter and it is the way to go to restore sanctity in the PDP.

    On the merger talks between PDP and some political parties, Ogidi said that it was real but that the merging parties would adopt PDP as their new party.

    According to him, PDP is the brand and cannot be changed. Yes, other parties will merge with us but the name PDP will be retained after the fusion. (NAN)

  • Sheriff to Adeyeye: You are not PDP’s spokesman

    Sheriff to Adeyeye: You are not PDP’s spokesman

    Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has advised Mr Dayo Adeyeye, the Publicity Secretary of the party’s illegal National Caretaker Committee, to stop parading himself as spokesman of the PDP .

    In a statement released by acting Publicity Secretary, Mr Benard Mikko, on Sunday in Abuja, Sheriff said Adeyeye could not speak for the PDP or use its logo and franchise without the authority and permission of the national leadership of the party.

    He condemned what he described as “desperation of Adeyeye”, at a time the efforts of the Peace and Reconciliation Committee of the party under the chairmanship of Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state was ongoing.

    “We appeal to all party faithful, loyal party members and strategic stakeholders to remain calm and committed to the PDP.

    “They should continue to have faith in the Peace and Reconciliation report as the panacea for a united and cohesive party waiting for your mandate to tackle the developmental deficits and other adverse conditions we now face in Nigeria,”Sheriff said.

    Adeyeye, in a statement issued on behalf of the illegal National Caretaker Committee on Saturday had said that the claim of Mikko as a member of PDP National Working Committee (NWC) was also illegal.

    Adeyeye said the claim was contrary to the judgment by the Appeal Court on February 14 which ordered reversal to status quo ante May 21, 2016.

    “The continued parade of Dr Cairo Ojougboh as Deputy National Chairman and Bernard Mikko as Acting National Publicity Secretary of the PDP are acts of impunity and will be challenged in court.

    “It is a known fact that no meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) nor National Executive Committee (NEC) was held to appoint these men nor confirm them in such positions, respectively,” Adeyeye said.(NAN)

  • Makarfi denies receiving N50 million from governors

    The National Caretaker Committee Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has denied allegation that it was collecting N50 million monthly subvention from governors on the party’s platform.

    The committee’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Dayo Adeyeye, made the denial on Monday in Abuja.

    The National Chairman of PDP, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, had at a news conference earlier on Monday in Abuja accused the caretaker committee headed by Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, of collecting money from the governors monthly.

    Sheriff, who was represented at the conference by his deputy, Dr Cairo Ojougbo, also alleged that all organs of the party wanted political solution to its leadership crisis “except the caretaker committee’’.

    According to him, the caretaker committee does not want to let go because of the N50 million it was receiving monthly from the party’s governors.

    But, Adeyeye described the allegation as “a lie, cheap and unintelligent attempt’’ to blackmail the committee members.

    “It is a known fact by all critical stakeholders of the party and even the staff that the National Caretaker Committee has from inception been hamstrung by inadequate finance.

    “This is so much that simple secretariat duties have been a struggle not to talk of payment of staff salary.

    “To pay staff salaries of just N18 Million a month has been a problem for us because the funds are not available,’’ he said.

    Adeyeye added that members of the caretaker committee did not enjoy any remuneration, and that more often, they spent their personal money to meet some of the party’s needs.

    He said that the committee never complained publicly about the paucity of fund because it was an internal matter.

    He said that the governors ruling on the party’s platform were alive for people to verify the truth of their alleged financial support to the committee

    The publicity secretary, however, pointed out that there was nothing wrong or untoward in receiving contributions from the governors or party members in running a party.

    “Our only regret is that these contributions have not been forthcoming as expected, giving the heavy responsibilities placed before us.

    “Weighty responsibility, especially the burden of having to deal with distractions caused by Sheriff and his group are left for us to deal with.

    “Nevertheless, no matter how little, it is better to be funded by our party members than by the All Progressive Congress (APC) as is the case with Sheriff and his cohorts.

    `Cairo should tell us which APC governor, minister or official bought Jeeps for them?

    “Gov. Àyodele Fayose has also made a public allegation that Sheriff has received the sum of one million dollars from the APC to organize a new convention for PDP.

    “Sheriff is yet to publicly refute the allegation,’’ he said.

    On Sheriff’s call on Prof. Jerry Gana-led Strategy Review and Inter-Party Affairs Committee to stop speaking for the party because “it is illegal’’, Adeyeye said that the committee remained legal.

    He urged Gana and his group to continue with their good work aimed at repositioning the party.

    On the status of Ojougboh in PDP National Working Committee (NWC), Adeyeye said Ojougboh parading himself as in that capacity was “an extreme act of impunity’’.

    He said that Ojougboh was neither elected into the position nor appointed by National Executive Council of the party.

    “He was not a member of the NWC that existed prior to May 21, 2016.’’

    On political solutions to the party’s leadership problem, he said that the committee has not rejected it, rather it had accepted the resolutions reached by former President Goodluck Jonathan and the governors.

    “The agreement states clearly that all parties should resign their various positions.

    “It added that our lawyers should therefore meet and draw up an agreement that we can present to the Supreme Court as a voluntary judgement that we have agreed to.

    “These would have provided both political and legal solution to the logjam, but Sheriff rejected it.

    “Sheriff has continued to insist that he would conduct a National Convention but he does not enjoy the trust and confidence of the vast majority of party members,’’ Adeyeye stated.

    He added that if Sheriff truly believed in the unity of the party, he should resign “as the caretaker committee members are also willing to resign, saying, “no scarify is too much for anybody to make’’