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Tag: dump APC

  • Okorocha: I did not dump APC

    • ‘I won’t support candidates with stolen tickets’

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has dismissed allegations he has dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Action Alliance (AA).

    The governor said those with stolen tickets were behind the blackmail. He said he was still in APC, and would continue to work for President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election and other genuine APC candidates.

    A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “An amusing tale has been trending on the social media for days, and those behind it said the governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has announced his defection from APC to AA, to join his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu.

    “Imo people do not support stolen tickets, and that is why those who stole the governorship tickets of their parties cannot fly. They have become stranded and are looking for who to blame for their woes. They know this fact that Imo people do not support anything stolen. That was the reason they dealt with fraudsters in 1997.

    “It was out of frustration that those concerned came up with the story of Governor Okorocha leaving APC for AA, which is not true. With the ill-gotten ticket, they have also seen that the sound of bitter kola in the mouth does not reflect its real taste. They used blackmail and what they know how to do best to get the party’s ticket, and their challenge is how to convince Imo people to vote for them.

    “They told lies to those who do not know them, and got the ticket, but Imo people know them and won’t entertain lies from them. It is interesting that nobody has accused Rochas of non-performance, and nobody has challenged him on his constant claim that he has achieved more than those before him put together. The only blackmail tool they have is the son-in-law issue. And nobody has gone to court to say that a man from Nkwerre cannot be governor because his in-law from Ideato South is governor.

    “Rochas Okorocha does not play hide-and-seek; he has promised that President Muhammadu Buhari and all APC marketable candidates would win because you cannot force Imo people to vote for someone they know cannot govern them.

    “Finally, Rochas Okorocha remains “full-ground” in APC, and he is working hard for the party’s success in the elections. Those entertaining serious fear are those with strange tickets, and they do not blame anybody but themselves. The day of reckoning is here with us. Imo people will ensure one man, one vote.”

     

     

  • Imo Speaker, 18 others dump APC for AA

    •Reiterate support for Buhari

    A GALE of defections yesterday hit the Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with House of Assembly Speaker Acho Ihim and 18 members dumping the ruling party for the Action Alliance (AA).

    But the party’s headquarters in Abuja described the exit of the lawmakers as good riddance to bad rubbish, saying the party would not do the bidding of those engaging in anti-party activities.

    With the defection, AA now controls the majority of the 27-member Assembly with 19 members, while the APC has three members and the PDP none.

    Five APC members were earlier suspended and have not been recalled.

    Addressing plenary, Ihim attributed their decision to join AA to the crisis that followed the APC primaries in the state.

    He said: “After the injustice that was meted to our members by the national chairman of our party, the APC, some of our members went to another party to actualise their ambitions.

    “They wrote me a letter through Ikechukwu Amuka, expressing their intentions and today I want to officially announce that 17 members of the House have officially defected to AA.

    “It is interesting to note that PDP members also moved to AA, Speaker and I have no choice than to join the majority by dumping the APC for AA.”

    The defectors are: Ikechukwu Amuka (Ideato South) Arthur Egwim (Ideato North), Obinna Egwu (Ngor-Okpalla) Chinedu Offor, (Onuimo), Uju Onwudiwe (Njaba), Mike Iheanetu (Aboh Mbaise), Victor Onyewuchi (Owerri West), Ken Agbim (Ahiazu) and  Bruno Okuoha (Wzinihitte).

    They include: Lyod Chukwuemeka (Owerri West), Kennedy Ibe (Obowo), Henry Ezediaro (Oguta), Lugard Osuji (Owerri Municipal) and the Speaker, Acho Ihim (Okigwe).

    The lawmakers, however, reiterated their commitment to the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that he had delivered on his campaign promises and would proved to be an honest leader.

    The House Majority Leader, Lugard Osuji, noted that the APC national chairman robbed the people of the state by hijacking the party structure and handed it over to ….”.

    He said: “Our defection does not affect our support for President Buhari. We are going to work for his re-election. We only left the APC because of the injustice done to us by the National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole.”

  • Abe says he has no plan to dump APC

    •Claims to be preferred choice for Rivers governorship race

    Senator Magnus Abe (Rivers Southeast ) yesterday dismissed speculations that he had left the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He said   not only does he remain an APC member; he is also the preferred choice ahead of the 2019 governorship election in Rivers State.

    Abe, a governorship aspirant on APC platform, and his faction of the party lost out in the recently concluded nomination of candidates for next year’s elections.

    An online report yesterday said he had dumped the APC.

    However, his spokesman, Parry Benson, denied the report, and branded it a pedestrian move to derail the conversation about the preferred choice of the Senator as the governorship candidate of the APC in Rivers State.

    Benson said, “We know that such calculated misinformation in the public domain is coming from the usual quarters to confuse Senator Abe’s supporters, who have remained firm, resolute and insisted on justice, equity, and fair play in Rivers APC.”

    The spokesperson also urged the senator’s teeming supporters and other lovers of democracy to ignore the fake news

    Abe was quoted by Benson as saying: “I am the frontline choice of Rivers APC for 2019 election. That is why so much efforts, resources and energy have been expended on a futile mission to obliterate that reality.

    “The sponsored campaign of hate and calumny is part of the efforts and like every pack of lies; it will collapse in the fullness of time. The report that I, Senator Magnus Abe, have dumped the APC for the PDP is another of such endless and wicked campaigns against me. I remain a member of the APC. I remain committed to the party (APC) and to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “I have been in politics long enough to know that a smear campaign is one of the tools you deploy when your case is weak. So, from the intensity of the smear campaign, discerning political watchers will know that no real case can be made against me.

    “Just as I have said severally, let me re-emphasise that I bought form for governor, on the platform of APC in Rivers State and I am running for the office of governor.”

    However, the APC has already forwarded the name of oil tycoon, Tonye Cole, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its Rivers State governorship candidate.

     

     

  • No plan to dump APC, says Ortom

    •‘Benue killings started before Buhari govt’

    I have no plan to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom said yesterday.

    He said killings in Benue State started before the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He said seeking for justice over the invasion, killing and wanton destruction of property by herdsmen militia is what any good leader ought to do.

    He said he was more concerned with how to tackle the humanitarian crisis with nearly 500,000 displaced persons as a result of the invasion of communities and killing of defenceless people by armed men.

    He also clarified that he had not fallen out of favour with the leader of APC in the state, Senator George Akume.

    Ortom, in astatement through his Chief Press Secretary Terver Akase, Ortom said: “We read a report in a national daily of today which named Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom as one of the All Progressives Congress, APC leaders planning to defect to another political party.

    “The report which is obviously sponsored is not only false but also misleading. Governor Ortom has no intention to leave APC for another party and has not consulted anyone on the matter.

    “The governor enjoys a cordial working relationship with other leaders of the party both at the local, state and national levels and is focused on delivering greater benefits of democracy to his people including tackling the security challenges confronting them and there is no cause to warrant his defection to another party.

    “Governor Ortom’s stand of seeking for justice over the invasion, killing and wanton destruction of property by herdsmen militia is what any good leader ought to do.

    “The governor has already conveyed the appreciation of the State Government to President Muhammadu Buhari for deploying more troops and other security operatives to Benue to end the killings.”

    The governor insisted that the killings in the state predate the APC as a party and the administration of President Buhari.

    The statement added: “It must be noted that the killings predate the APC as a party and the present administration. The governor’s focus is on solving the problem in collaboration with other stakeholders.

    “He wants to see the end of the killings but this can only be done with the support of the Federal Government. Fortunately, the administration of President Buhari has responded positively by sending troops and other security operatives to chase away the armed militia from Benue communities.

    “We view the speculation as the handiwork of detractors who want to take undue advantage of the unfortunate security situation in Benue State and play politics with the blood of the people.”

    Ortom debunked insinuations that he had fallen out of favour with Sen. Akume.

     

     

     

     

  • Araraume to dump APC

    Following the outcome of the maiden meeting of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State, Sunday, former Senator and governorship aspirant, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume may be pursuing his guber ambition in another political party.

    Araraume, who has been locked in fierce battle with the state governor, Rochas Okorocha for declining to support his ambition, it was gathered may formally announce his exit from the APC within the next few days.

    It will be recalled that the former Senator had walked out on the state Chairman of the party, Dr. Hillary Eke and other SEC members during the Sunday meeting, in the company of the APC National Organizing Secretary, Osita Izunaso and Senator representing Imo North, Senator Ben Uwajumogu.

    According to The Nation findings, Araraume had already briefed his inner caucus on his plan to dump the APC, which he alleged has been heavily compromised.

    It was also exclusively gathered that the former Senator was disappointed by the failure of the SEC members join him in staging a walk out during the Sunday meeting at the Concorde hotel.

    Although the source did not disclose the party the aggrieved Senator intend to realize his ambition, our Correspondent gathered that majority of his supporters are holding key positions in the Action Democratic Party (ADP), indicating that it has been the second option for the ex-Senator.

    But when contacted, a senior member of the Araraume campaign organization, Vitalis Ajumbe, described the insinuation as unfounded.

    Ajumbe who is also the Director of Contact and Mobilization in the Araraume campaign organization, said that, “Araraume has no plans to dump APC, the speculation is baseless, those who are peddling the rumour are those who are jittery about his acceptance in the party. They are just trying to distract him but he can never be distracted”.

    Meanwhile, the state Chairman of the party, Hillary Eke had assured all the party members aspiring for various positions in the party of a level playing ground in the primary election, noting that the SEC will not cow to intimidation of any kind but will do the right thing in line with the constitution of the party.

    Ekeh said, “let me assure all our members that we will have a transparent primaries. The votes will be counted and any winner that emerges will get the support of the party”.

     

  • Kwakwanso supporters set to dump APC

    Kwakwanso supporters set to dump APC

    •Say Buhari may lose strongest political base for supporting Ganduje

    Supporters of the immediate past governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, may be on their way to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Their grouse is what they perceive as the tacit support being given to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje against the Senator by the leadership of the party and the Presidency in the ongoing crisis in the state APC.

    Kwankwaso’s supporters accuse Ganduje of betrayal of trust.

    The Nation gathered that the Kwakwansiyya political movement, which is loyal to Kwankwaso, will be meeting anytime from now to decide on its next line of action

    A member of the Kwankwasiyya movement and chieftain of the APC, Alhaji Aminu Dabo, is disappointed that President Muhammadu Buhari and the national leadership of the party are not handling the crisis appropriately.

    He described the state as APC’s and Buhari’s biggest base and warned that by their continued support for Ganduje, the party and the president risk losing Kano.

    He cited the recent cancellation of the former governor’s proposed visit to his constituency by the police.

    The Senate had directed the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to provide security cover to Senator Kwankwaso to visit the state, after the Kano State Police Commissioner, Rabiu Yusuf, cautioned Kwankwaso against visiting his home town for any political activity.

    Dabo accused Ganduje of dragging the Presidency and the national leadership of the party into the crisis.

    Dabo, a former Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority and strong member of the Kwankwasiyya movement said: “Governor Ganduje has suddenly realised that his quarrel with our leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is overwhelming him; that the people of Kano State are not happy with him, and he is becoming very unpopular in the state.

    “He has realised suddenly that the only way for him to survive or to feel protected is to bring the presidency and the national leadership of our party into it. This is going to be very serious and the presidency, especially President Muhammadu Buhari, will pay a very huge political price.

    “The consequence of taking side with Governor Ganjuje in this crisis will be huge; because the people of Kano State are not happy with the governor and what is happening.”

    He reminded President Buhari that Kano State remains his ‘’biggest and strongest’’ political base in the country, giving  him almost two million votes in the 2015 presidential election, adding that the president must be politically correct in relating with all stakeholders involved in the current crisis in Kano APC.’’

    He also berated the police for scuttling ‘‘a mere visit by Senator Kwankwaso to his senatorial district.’’

    He said: “How can you stop a normal visit? If you think you are popular, why not allow other people to do their own activities? How can you stop a serving senator from visiting his senatorial district? This is very unfortunate.”

    He claimed that Ganduje betrayed Kwankwaso’s trust after the Senator ‘‘worked so hard to install the current governor with all the support of his followers.’’

    He added: ‘‘there was nothing personal; Governor Ganduje derailed from the actual concept, ideology and the system of Kwankwasiya group; and all efforts made to let him realise his wrong steps were ignored.

    ‘‘He has been treating us as foreigners; we are now like an opposition within our party. He drove us out of the system and brought entirely new people, which is quite unfortunate.’’