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Tag: former Edo State Governor

  • Osun Election: Our deal with Omisore, by Oshiomhole

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said that the party did not offer Senator Iyiola Omisore any financial inducement to gain his support during the rerun election conducted on Thursday, adding that the former Deputy governor never made any demand.

    Oshiomhole also gave reasons why the party disqualified the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Aisha Jummai Alhassan from contesting the governorship elections primary in Taraba state, saying the party was not convinced about the loyalty of the minister to the party.

    Addressing a news conference in Abuja, the former Edo State governor said the party gave Senator Omisore the opportunity to sponsor candidates to contest elections on the APC platform, stressing however that those saying the APC offered him money was out of place.

    He said “I said we had a negotiation and had a deal that has to do with the governance of Osun State. I didn’t go with money and I don’t have money to give to anybody. He didn’t ask and there was no basis for him to ask.

    “The word automatic ticket has meaning. Having regards to the provisions of electoral acts which makes primary mandatory, can you at the same time talk of automatic ticket? Even when I spoke to our National Assembly members, it is not that I don’t know that word exist, but I simply didn’t find it useful and never used it.

    “We agreed that he will have an opportunity for him to contest for a seat on APC platform. Not just for senate or House of Representatives, but also for house of assembly. That is why I said we spoke about the immediate which is the Osun election and going forward.”

    The APC Chairman said further that “Both the APC and the PDP recognizes that we needed to do business with the other minority parties that participated in the election and it wasn’t difficult to understand who to do business with if you want to influence the outcome of the election.

    “It was clear that the SDP was largely in control of those areas. If you want to do a Coalition, you identify the leaders who have influence and enter into negotiation. Why PDP were shouting in the morning, that they were going to challenge the rerun their leader went to Senator Omisore to persuade him to negotiate a possible working arrangement.

    “Recognizing the fact that SDP was critical to this conversation, we decided to also open negotiation with their leadership and I was impressed by his emphasis. He told us that, yes he has lost, but he believe that he can still win if we have a deal that seeks to address the primary purpose of his participation in the process which is the governance of the state and specific policy issues that were of concern to him.

    “We had a robust conversation and reached an agreement which I think is healthy. We didn’t have to negotiate about compensation or about paying money to anyone. The issue was about governance, education and how we can have a working relationship ahead of the general election and in future elections.

    “We were able to strike a deal that has to do with the specific issues that affect the welfare and the well being of the people of Osun State. Whereas Saraki failed to strike a deal with the SDP, we secured a deal with them and now APC, working with the SDP had huge influence in those areas and combining our efforts, it was not strange that at the end, we won.

    “For democracy to flourish, only people who can accept the pain of defeat should participate in an election because there must be a winner and a loser, but for PDP to take the position as if election is only free and fair if they win is not ideal.

    “When they win election in Cross River last month, we did not hear any voice, they won in Taraba, we did not hear any voice, INEC was perfect, but whenever they lost, INEC is colluding. We do not have the rigging no-how.”

    Speaking on why the Minister of a Women Affairs was disqualified, Oshiomhole said “as for the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, she has issues that have to do with party loyalty. Our constitution is clear and it dictates that to contest elections or even hold office in the APC, you must be loyal to the party in every material concern.

    “From all she had said in the past and even her comments and general attitude during the screening, the NWC reviewed everything taken together and we arrived at the conclusion that she does not possess the level of loyalty that the APC requires for her to contest elections on our platform.

    “We made it clear when the defections happened that APC may well benefit from these defections if it helps us to be more critical in terms of who we give platform to contest elections and that there are core values that binds the APC together and they are non-negotiable.

    “The Electoral Act and the APC constitution forbid anyone from being a member of more than one political party at a time. You cannot be a member of APC and be a card carrying member of another party but when you have a situation where it would appear, based on what you know and based on what I know that someone is probably APC in the day time maybe for the purpose of retaining certain offices and they are PDP at heart.

    “Or if they are not PDP at heart, they are actually and simply a follower of a one-man permanent presidential candidate…then we have the right to ask ourselves if these attitudes and qualities are characteristics of an ideal member of an APC.

    “So, those are the reasons. We did not want to have a lengthy explanation to do but she knows why she was disqualified and we know why we denied her the use of our platform.”

    On the Minister of Communication, he said: “He admitted that he did not do the mandatory NYSC as provided for under the law and in his own judgment, his being a member of the House of Assembly in the state and now as a minister of the federal republic that these were enough sacrifices.

    “But for us as a party we know that NYSC is a mandatory scheme. It is not something you may elect to do or abstain from doing and my understanding of the NYSC Act is that no employer of labour is permitted to employ anyone who graduated under 30 years and who did not obtain an exemption for reasons as provided for in the NYSC Act.

    “So, for us, not participating in the NYSC raises very serious moral issue as well as legal issue. After interviewing him, we were convinced that….for our party, there are clear lessons we need to learn from our recent past when people… anyway, we were convinced that if he did not do NYSC, that for us was enough to disqualify him and we had to find the courage to do so.”

    While commending the people of Osun State for keeping faith with the party, Oshiomhole said: “We have seen over the period that the opposition party has always, whenever it is not winning election raise issues of rigging. But I do understand PDP is quick to suggest rigging in any election in which it is not favored by the electorates.

    “The Osun election was substantially free and fair. The fact that some votes were cancelled suggests that something’s went wrong the first day. But that those cancellations were effected by INEC also showed the independent of INEC to make decisions on the spot based on evidence on ground.

    “Reviewing the opinion of genuine monitors, you realize that the fact that it was inconclusive was accepted by both local observers and foreign observers. PDP disagreed with the idea of conducting elections in those places where the elections were cancelled.

    “There have been rerun elections in the past that favored the PDP. A lot of the governors today elected on the PDP platform especially in the south south are beneficiaries of inconclusive and inspite of our reservations, we had to accept those outcome.

    “In the Osun election, nobody can talk of landslide victory. If anyone had access to manipulate those figures, you will not rig election and do so half-heartedly to a point of leading to inconclusive election.”

  • APC Convention: Nwosu urges S/East delegates to vote Oshiomhole

    …says he will steer party out of crisis

     

    Ahead of the Saturday National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Chief of Staff to the Imo State governor and frontline governorship aspirant under the party, Chief Uche Nwosu, has enjoined APC delegates from the Southeast to support former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole for the National Chairman.

    Nwosu who briefed journalists in Owerri, the Imo State capital, noted that Oshiomhole’s emergence as the National Chairman of the party will usher in a strong, focused and transparent leadership that will steer the party out of imminent crisis.

    The Chief of Staff also advised Southeast APC stakeholders to avoid politics of bitterness and acrimony and file behind the Imo governor, Rochas Okorocha as the leader of the party in the zone so as to forge a common front and speak with one voice in the convention.

    He said, “It is very obvious that our party is grappling with internal crisis and what we need now is a strong leadership that can resolve all issues in the interest of the party. It is also very obvious that some of the members of the outgoing National Working Committee had put selfish interests above the party interest. That is why we should all rally round Oshiomhole who has the experience and strength of character to return the party to the people”.

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    Nwosu continued that, “I am convinced that his emergence will also best prepare the party for the 2019 election, which is just a couple of months away. We are aware that opposition parties are waiting to see the outcome of the Convention and if we fail to get it right, we may be giving them the chance they have been waiting for”.

    According to him, “some self-styled politicians are working to undermine the leadership and position of the party in the zone for selfish reasons, noting that most of them are actually working against the best interest of the party. So it is imperative that we identify our genuine leaders and obey their directive to save our party because the so called leaders are waiting for the party to fail in the zone so that they will return to the parties they defected from”.

    Nwosu who passed a Vote of Confidence on governor Okorocha and former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, assured that despite the current challenges in the party in the zone, the party will ensure landslide victory for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

    He said, “Let me state with all confidence that President Buhari will win with a wide margin in the Southeast in 2019, this is because our people have seen tangible achievements recorded by his administration in the zone in the last three years.

    Some of these landmark projects include the second Niger Bridge, which has been an object for politics for many decades, the Onitsha/Enugu road, Enugu Port Harcourt road and the International Cargo Airport in Owerri, among others, were executed in the Southeast by the Buhari’s administration in just three years, while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has nothing to point at in the zone for 16 years it was in power”.

  • My commitment to APC is total, says Oshiomhole

    Former Edo State Governor and one of the top contenders for the office of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said Monday that whether or not he emerge the National Chairman of the APC, he will continue to work hard to ensure that the party retains power.

    Oshiomhole who spoke with newsmen after he was screened by the party’s screening committee said the process leading to the emergence of a new Leadership was more important than the outcome.

    While describing democracy as problematic, the former NLC President said there was still no better way to govern a people who are no children than through democracy, adding that he was confident of emerging victorious at the end of the convention.

    He said: “I am used to contestations and competition and I am a democrat. That was why I did not agree with those who said extend our tenure without election. I think democracy is problematic, but there is no better way to govern a people who are not children who should be spoon fed.

    “In this business, it is not just what you do, not how it is done and who is involved in the doing. It is about participation. I am excited and the people are no strangers.

    Read Also:179 aspirants to vie for APC’s NWC posts, Oshiomhole confident

    “At least, I know one and we have contested against each other before. He rigged me out, I pursued him and I won and retrieved the mandate from him. I went back to seek second term and I won. I defeated him even in his local government. I won 18 over 18, defeating him in his ward, his unit, his local government and Senatorial district.

    “If I was able to defeat him as an ordinary union leader when they dismissed me that I was not a politician while he was already a senator and I was able to defeat him.

    “Now as a man who has had the privilege to preside over the affairs of Nigeria Labour Congress nationwide, a two time Governor, if I have to compete with somebody who was governor for 18 months, I don’t have any problem.

    “As for the others, let me say that in a boxing ring, heavy weights don’t engage feather weight. But serious speaking, I am happy that we are in a democracy and people are free to contest. Quite frankly, the process is much more important than the outcome. I am satisfied not because I will be chairman, but because my party is in power.

    “My commitment is not just for me to be Chairman. As chairman or no chairman, I will continue to work hard to see that our party retain power at the Centre and also run power in many more states and produce many more senators, House of Representative members and more House of Assembly members so that we will have the strength we need to deepen the change and sustain the changes.”

    Speaking on the outcome of his screening, Oshiomhole said “When you write an exam, you try to do your best, trusting that your examiners will find your answers will be good enough to give you a pass or even a distinction. That would only be at their discretion. I would say that I tried my best to speak to the issues which are basically how to move forward.

    “Nobody should seek to lead if you don’t have a level of understanding of what the challenges because you can’t do prescriptions without diagnosis. Fortunately, I have been a founding member.

    “I was one of the governors that participated in the merger meetings when we had to sit for the first time ac ACN governors, CPC Governor, ANPP governor and that of APGA to see how we can move forward.

    “So, I understand the mission and the vision of the APC because we were the founding persons of the party. So, I know what our dream was and the gap between that dream and the current reality. I am also clear as to what we need to do differently so that dream is realized.”

    He however dismissed speculations that he was sponsoring some of those contesting the chairmanship seat saying “I don’t react to speculations. I react to real issues. If they are speculations, they should be allowed to die as speculation.”

  • Cross River group backs Oshiomhole for APC national chairman

    A group known as the Cross River Initiative For Oshiomhole, has declared their support for the National Chairmanship ambition of former Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
    Coordinator of the group in the state, Chief Samuel Okon, who addressed reporters in Calabar, said that they believed that Oshiomole has all it takes to make move the party forward and ensure that the party wins the 2019 general elections.
    “The Cross River Initiative for Oshiomhole is not pretending about their support for the ambition of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to take charge of the affairs of the APC at the national level.
    “We know he has all the credentials to lead the APC, and achieve a lot for the party across the country the same way he did when he was National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and Governor of Edo State for two terms. So, you can see that he is a national figure who has been accepted across the country country already, and I am sure that President Muhammadu Buhari support for Oshiomhole is founded on that, and that shows that we are on the right track.
    “Based on his track record as a good organizer of men and resources, we are very confident that Oshiomhole will be able to provide the enabling environment to place the APC on a sound footing before the 2019 polls, and in future,” Okon said.
    Okon also stated that the support of the group for Oshiomhole was as a result of the need to stabilize the APC and ensure that peace prevailed in the party across Nigeria.
    “Oshiomhole remains a mobilizer and unifying factor not just in the country but the entire nation whose potentials must be utilized,” he said.
    The coordinator, therefore urged all the delegates from Cross River State, that will participate in the upcoming National Convention of the Party to cast their votes for the former Edo State governor.
  • Oshiomhole calls for diversification of oil, gas industry

    Oshiomhole calls for diversification of oil, gas industry

    The former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomole on Thursday called for the diversification of the oil and gas sector of the nation’s economy.

    Oshiomhole made the call at the ongoing 5th Triennial National Delegates Conference of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in Abuja.

    The theme of the conference is: “Emerging Trends in the Oil and Gas Industry and its Impacts on Labour Movement in Nigeria.’’

    Oshiomhole, represented by Mr Isa Aremu, the Vice President, Industrial Global-All, said that with the crash in the global oil prices, there was need for governments to look elsewhere in generating revenue for its economy.

    According to him, the Federal Government has been talking about diversification of the economy in the areas of agriculture, solid mineral, among others but not in the oil and gas industry.

    “In spite of the challenges taking place in this sector, the oil and gas industry matters more than ever before and there is no way you can talk of diversification without the oil and gas sector.

    “As a matter of fact, no diversification can take place in agriculture, in solid minerals without the necessary available resources that is still accruable form the oil and gas sector.

    “It is obvious, 40 per cent of the national employment comes from the sector not only that, 95 per cent of the foreign exchange earning of Nigeria comes from oil and gas.

    “16 per cent of our GDP also comes from this sector, with 37 billion reserved crude oil as well as 183 cubic feet of gas,’’ he said.

    Oshiomhole added that the country’s gas reserve was close to 30 per cent of the entire world gas reserve.

    “It is clear that the future shows that Nigeria is not just oil producing country but increasingly we are also gas producing country. ”

    He said that the real diversification must start from the petroleum industry before any other sector.

    On crude oil, he said that Nigeria was only exporting crude without adding value to it.

    “We are not adding value the way we should but there are close to 112 derivates from the crude oil.

    “There are a lot of downstream and upstream that we can generate in a way to revive the industry,” he added.

    He, however, decried the way the major operators in the oil and gas industries were shifting the burden on the working people due to the collapse of prices of the crude oil by downsizing, among others.

    He said that it was time for the company operators to respect the collative bargaining they entered in order to put an end to the arbitrary sacking of workers.

    He also called for a joint revival of the industry, urging them not to compromise on the need for minimum labour standard, especially with respect for decent work.

    The former governor urged the union to use the opportunity provided by the conference to deliberate on issues that would move the industry forward.

    Mr Francis Johnson, PENGASSAN’s president said the union supported government’s initiative to bring in investors to revamp the refineries in the area of funding and expertise.

    Johnson, however, said that the union demanded an access to the Federal Government, investors memorandum of understanding for the three refineries – Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna.

    “We called on government to ensure immediate rehabilitation of obsolete equipment in the plants and to ensure that unions are carried along in all stages of the process,” he said.

    He said the union was not in support of the recent amendment of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Act as it would be inimical to the growth of the organisation and the country.

    The PENGASSAN president, while commending the senate on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), called on them to ensure that the remaining part of the original bill was  passed to ensure optimal benefits.

    He also called on delegates to vote for dedicated candidates with proven track records during the conference and to stand together for the purpose of achieving collective goals of the union.