The Nation Newspaper

Tag: John Oyegun

  • Oyegun lacks moral right to challenge Oshiomhole – Oyo APC chief

    A prominent leader of the All Progressive Congress ( APC) in Oyo state, and Chairman, National Lottery Commission,  Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle has expressed bewilderment over the statement credited to the former National Chairman of APC, Chief John Oyegun challenging  the fitness and  competence of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to lead the ruling party.

    The statement by Chief Oyegun which has raised lots of concern among APC faithfuls across the country was greeted with mix reactions, leading to the vote of confidence passed by states’ APC chairmen on Oshiomhole last week.

    But, the Oyo state APC stalwart, Alhaji Ibikunle, a former Personal Assistant to the late former governor Lam Adesina  described the statement by the former APC Chairman, Oyegun as very unfortunate , particularly coming from someone,  who has caused incalculable damage to the party.

    The Chairman, National Lottery Commission said first and foremost, Chief John Oyegun  has no moral right to challenge the competence of Oshiomhole.

    He narrated how Chief Oyegun caused the loss of the party in Oyo, saying that due to his poor leadership the party witnessed more defeats in the states, and turned the governors to monsters.

    “The elderly man, Oyegun lacks the moral right to challenge Oshiomhole because he has caused the defeat and misfortunes of the party in many states . The party was grounded before Oshiomhole came, in many states the APC was already destabilized and in a bad shape.

    “Take for instance, Oyo state. We held a congress that was witnessed and observed by all including the National officers but Oyegun changed everything because the governor visited him with some gifts and over the night he made himself unavailable for us to talk to . How can an elderly man like that, doing injustice and still have the moral right to be challenging another person. He lacks moral right to say someone is not fit to lead the party.

    Read Also: Oshiomhole cleaning your mess, APC replies Oyegun

    “The man  loves gifts. An elderly man of his stature must look for the progress of the party first before and above personal gratification. He must take decision based on truth and justice. This governor does not obtain ward congress form for his own ward executive and that is the foundation of the party.  But we obtained form before the expiration date but the governor did not till date. But Oyegun decided to maneuver everything to the advantage of the ones who greased his hands.

    “And the same thing he must have done in other states. And he is the same person that is now challenging Oshiomhole that he is not capable to be the chairman of the party. Let me tell you that Oshiomhole is more capable to lead the party than him because Oshiomhole will always call a spade, a spade.

    “But Oyegun is skillful in  using  diplomacy to say okay be assured justice will be done,  everything will be looked into but overnight after something must have changed hands he will change white to black, how can an elderly person do like that . Am taking Oyo state as an example because I am an active participant, I am affected . And that is the beginning of the failure of our party in Oyo state. He caused it because he worshipped governors and he believed they are the people that determines his life and he was once a governor.

    “He turned the governors to be emperors and monsters . What we know is that party is different from government but Oyegun merged everything. So, Oyegun has no moral right to challenge anybody , not even challenge the capability of Oshiomhole. He should just go and sleep and retire,” he stated.

    Alhaji Ibikunle while calling on the party men and women to rally support for the leadership of Oshiomhole to rebuild and take the party to enviable position , expressed the optimism that APC would regain power in Oyo state in 2023 .

     

  • Breaking: APC suspends former Ekiti Gov Oni

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has suspended the former Ekiti State governor, Segun Oni for alleged involvement in anti-party activities.

    The Ekiti State chapter of the party gave the suspension order in a letter dated 1st May, 2019 and addressed to Oni.

    The letter was signed by the chairman and secretary of Ifaki ward II, Shina Akinloye and Ogunyemi Taiwo respectively and 24 other executive members in the ward.

    The APC executive in Ido /Osi local government,  through its Assistant Financial Secretary and Assistant Organising Secretary, Messrs A. Suleiman and Olanrewaju Olamope, also signed respectively.

    The party earlier summoned the former Deputy Chairman (South) to defend himself within seven days, which elapsed on Wednesday, against allegation levelled by some party members.

    The summon by APC executives in Ifaki 2 was contained in a letter dated April 24, 2019 signed by Ward chairman and Ward Secretary.

    The letter reads: “We the executive members of the APC in Ifaki Ward II, hereby request your presence at the Ilero town hall, Ilogbe , Ifaki Ekiti to clear air about the allegations by members of the APC in your ward.

    “Kindly indicate by informing the APC chairman the convenient time and date to appear before members within the next seven days of the reception of this letter”.

    The letter of invitation was received on Oni’s behalf by one Segun Adetunji on 25th April, 2019.

    The party said it took the action over failure of the party chieftain to appear before the ward executive to clear the allegations.

    The letter reads: ” Subject to Article 21 Subsections I, II and X of the APC constitution 2014 as amended, we undersigned executive members of the APC hereby suspend you indefinitely from our great party, based on your refusal to honour our invitation for investigation and fact finding into the allegation of anti party activities leveled against your person by the members of our party.

    Read Also: Ex-Gov Oni faces suspension from APC

    “We are by the copy of this letter informing both the local government and state working committee of the party for necessary information and action.”

    The Ifaki born politician had challenged Fayemi’s victory at the May 12, 2018 governorship primary in which he came second after he had initially congratulated the winner.

    The ex-governor, in his suit, claimed that Fayemi was not eligible to stand as the APC flag bearer because he did not resign from office as Minister of Mines and Steel Development 30 days before the shadow election.

    Oni also averred in his suit that the White Paper issued by a Judicial Commission of Inquiry raised by former Governor Ayo Fayose indicted Fayemi and barred him from holding public office for ten years.

    Prominent party leaders including the state APC Elders’ Forum begged Oni to withdraw the case after the suit was filed at the Federal High Court but the former governor insisted on pursuing the case to a logical conclusion.

    But the Supreme Court dismissed Oni’s suit for lack of merit, saying Fayemi didn’t breach the law by resigning after the primary.

    Fayemi, in his reaction to the court verdict, extended the olive branch to Oni, with a promise to work with him to move the party forward.

    But some party members were said to have insisted Oni needed to be punished for disrespecting the party by declining the Senatorial ticket and went to court to upturn Fayemi’s victory.

    In his reaction, the former governor, Segun Oni said he was yet to be notified on his suspension from APC.

    “I am not sure. There is a structure in the party. There is a way things are done in the party.

    “The constitution of the party is clear on cases of suspension. it clearly sites circumstances and outlines procedures to be taken to warrant and effect a suspension.

    “If any suspension exists, I need to be notified. And if such circumstances do not exist nor procedures taken in line with the party’s extant laws, then a suspension, invariably does not exist.”

    On his failure to heed the invitation of APC Ifaki Ward as conveyed in a letter dated April 24, the former governor queried the pedigree people behind the said invitation.

    “Who are they? I am not a nobody in the party. So I cannot be expected to honour such a faceless invitation.”

    “Who are they? What is their pedigree? If a group of rascals signed a letter, how can they expect me to give any thought to such? Let those who wrote the letter show face and levy allegations,” Oni said.

     

  • APC Zonal Chair accuses Oyegun of impunity

    The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-South, Utufam Hilliard Eta, on Friday, alleged gross impunity by the National Working Committee (NWC) in the running of the party’s affairs.

    Eta, speaking to reporters at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja accused the national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and the National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, in particular, of treating the party’s constitution with contempt.

    “In my place, we have a saying that when a lizard falls into a ditch, it becomes a plaything for the fowl. The party has now become a plaything between the National Chairman and the National Organizing Secretary,” he said, citing the crisis in the APC in Cross River State.

    His words: “ I do things according to the law. The NWC has not been invited on any matter concerning Cross Rivers state.

    “Until such is done, I will present to my colleagues a detailed narrative of how this constitution has been violated so that a particular narrative will be instituted or established in Cross Rivers state. Until such a meeting is held I can do nothing.

    “But if you must know, a lot of the National Working Committee members have been complaining about the extra-constitutional processes that go on at the National Secretariat, especially under the watch of Osita Izunazo, the Organising Secretary.”

    He also accused the party’s Deputy National Chairman, South, Engr. Segun Oni of complicity in the matter, adding that what was expected of the party leadership was to have given all the necessary support to the reconciliation committee headed by a former Lagos state Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

    “From all intents and purposes, these issues are orchestrated…you know, the Asiwaju committee was constituted just a few days ago and these issue has been hanging on Cross River state since the appointment of the Minister.

    “The question that you will now ask is how come that immediately after the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu committee was constituted by the president, the National Chairman the Deputy National Chairman, South and the National Organizing Secretary became so much in a hurry, so much interested and so much aggressive in their attempt to have this all-important chairman that they could not have in more than two years. What is the purpose?”

    Continuing, Eta said: “There was a consensus in the Cross River state chapter that we should have a congress to bring in a substantive chairman since the erstwhile chairman had been appointed as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

    “That was the agreement by the people of Cross River state and based on that, I wrote on behalf of the zone to the National Working Committee NWC to give the zone the authority to conduct a congress to that effect and the NWC said I should liaise with the office of the National Organizing Secretary (headed by Sen. Osita Izunaso) for that purpose.

    “We had set November 28 last year for that Congress to happen but unfortunately, a member of the party went to court and got an injunction and served the processes on the party. So, based on the advice of the National Legal Adviser, we were asked to stay action as a party.

    “So in the next NWC meeting when the matter of Cross Rivers came up I was asked to make comments on what happened and why we couldn’t conduct congresses and the resolution of the NWC was that because we were very close to conducting congresses nationwide, that all congresses to fill vacant positions in the country, not just in the state should be set aside and that all the vacant positions would be filled at the same time during the congresses that would be held simultaneously to bring in new executives. That was the resolution of the NWC.

    “I was away and it was a surprise to me to receive a text message on my phone purportedly sent by the party’s Deputy National Chairman, South, Engr. Segun Oni inviting stakeholders of Cross River state to the secretariat ostensibly to discuss the issue of the chairmanship, in direct contrast and contravention to the position of the NWC.

    “I now wrote a letter handing over the matter of Cross River state to the Asiwaju-led reconciliation committee because in my thinking the crisis that engulfed the state chapter needs reconciliation before any congress is conducted.

    Read Also: Imo APC seeks expulsion of Okorocha

    “If you read the Electoral Act and the constitution of the party and the nation, they were violated simply because the contrivance by Osita, the Minister of Niger Delta and the National Chairman of the party must come to pass regardless of how many laws are broken.

    “First, for us to have a congress, the constitution says there has to be a 14 days notice given to the jurisdiction where the Congress would happen. The notice was given verbally and Osita said the notice was given before November 28.”

    Eta explained that only 109 statutory delegates participated in the purported February 24 congress organized by the party while INEC also refused to attend. According to him, six delegates from each of the 196 wards in the state were also not part of the said Congress.

  • I will harmonize Ondo APC ahead of 2019 poll – Adetimehin

    The new Chairman, Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC), Ade Adetimehin has said that his utmost priority would be the resolution differences within the party.

    He vowed to consolidate the ruling party ahead of 2019 general elections.

    Adetimehin made the pledge at a reception held in his honour at the party’s secretariat on Thursday in Akure, the state capital after being inaugurated as the chairman of the party by the National chairman Chief John Oyegun last Monday in Abuja.

    According to him, the party cannot afford to go into the 2019 general elections with a divided house.

    The state was one of the states in the country that witnessed crisis following two parallel congresses.

    But Adetimehin, while addressing the party members,assured that aggrieved members who were not pleased with the outcome of the congress would be pacified.

    Adetimehin who said he harbour no grudge with those who worked against him during the congress, thanked governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and his deputy, Agboola Ajayi for their support.

    He said: “My first task is to unite the party. We need unity because we don’t believe in division. We will bring the aggrieved members on board so as to win the forthcoming election.

    Read Also: Lawmaker seeks resolution of Ondo APC crisis

    “I promise the people of the state to serve them very well. I thanked the governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and the deputy, Agboola Ajayi for their support.

    He assured the people of the state of working harmoniously with the present administration in other to attract more developmental projects to the people.

    On the issue of June 12, Adetimehin lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for doing the needful.

    According to him,” I thanked President Buhari for declaring June 12 as Democracy Day in Nigeria. He has done the needful, the previous governments have failed in recognizing the actual day for democracy. June 12 is the best day to celebrate democracy in Nigeria.”

  • NWC to fix new date for Imo APC Congresses – Okorocha

    …as faction holds LG Congress 

     

    Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha, has assured members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party will soon announce new dates for the Ward and Local Government Congress. 

    The Imo governor asked the party supporters not to panic, adding that “with the unfolding scenarios and incontrovertible evidences, Nigerians have seen that the sensitive materials meant for the Ward Congresses of the party in the state were stolen in actual fact and thereby scuttling the exercise”.

    Meanwhile a faction of the party reportedly held Local Government Congresses across the state.

    But Governor Okorocha in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr.  Sam Onwuemeodo, noted that, “the National chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun had also told Nigerians that the Local Government Congresses of the party will be on hold pending the outcome of the report of the Appeal Panel on Imo ward congresses”.

    Read Also: Okorocha gives automatic promotion to Imo workers

    He stressed further that, “and since that public statement by the National Chairman, he has not made any additional statement to that effect or any other statement in the contrary. So, all the rumours being posted on the social media on the conduct of Local Government congress in the state are neither here nor there.

    “The ward and local Government congresses of the party must hold and in open fields and not in hotels, so that people can test their popularity. Action speaks louder than words. Those who think they are popular could not have stolen result sheets and would not have gone into hotels to write non-existent results”.

    The statement continued that “all these deceits will soon come to an and. Governor Okorocha brought APC in the Southeast and nurtured it to this level and he has decided to take the party to the next level. In Imo State he dwarfed all the other Political Parties and won his elections in 2011 and 2015 and he is still Rochas Okorocha. All these noise will soon evaporate and men will be separated from noise makers.

    “APC members in the State are responsible people. Imo people are responsible. And they know these unusual characters. After all the noise, we shall place them where they should be. The governor has refused to be provoked as a leader and as a father, and he will continue to be all that”.

  • Guber aspirant accuses Oyegun, NWC of manipulating ward congress

    A governorship aspirant in Ebonyi state under the All Progressive Congress, APC, Dr Adol Awam Chris on Wednesday said no ward Congress have so far been held in his Ebonyi Local Government Area.

    Mr Awam also raised alarm of plans by some members of the state Working Committee of the party of trying to stage a kangaroo congress in his local government.

    He accused some SWC members of working in conjunction with the John Oyegun led National Working Committee to write fake results and submit same to the National office so as fix delegates who will vote for them at the party’s state and national conventions in a desperate bid to retain their positions.

    This is even as a member of the party Achi Simeon was attacked by some members of another faction of the party on his way to Mr Awam’s meeting.

    Last Saturday’s local government ward congress in Ebonyi was marred with irregularities as two separate factions allegedly held parallel congress in the state.

    The  Eze Nwachukwu led faction which enjoys the support of Oyegun and the NWC had opted for harmonisation among party stakeholders so as to remove rancour and controver.

    However, Mr Nwachukwu on Saturday night confirmed that four local governments including Ebonyi could not harmonise adding that a new date will be fixed for the conduct of the congress for them.

    Also, the Congress committee Chairman had said any local government that fails to harmonise, a new date will be announced for the conduct of their own ward congress.

    “But, yesterday without announcing it or informing us, some members of the party came and said they were coming to conduct congress”, Mr Awam told reporters at the Ugwuachara Primary School.

    He was there to brief his constituents on the latest situation in the party with regards to the ward congress.

    “There was nothing like congress in Ebonyi local government area whether on Saturday, Sunday or even today.  If anybody presents any result at the party secretariat whether in the state or at the national headquarters then it is a doctored result”.

    “On Saturday, the Committee sent to conduct congress said we should harmonise but we were not able to harmonise till now. But we got information from someone that our congress will hold today. But the Chairman did not inform me of this. I called INEC and they said they are not aware”.

    “They said they got later from the party today notifying them of the inability of pour local government to conduct the election. They further told me that we have to give them at least 7 days in line with the electoral law to come and conduct the election”.

    “So how will they conduct the congress for our local government without INEC or Police presence?”, Awa said.

    While calling on the state chapter of the party to allow internal democracy in the party if the party must defeat the ruling People’s Democratic Party(PDP), Mr Awam accused the National Working Committee of the party of orchestrating the crisis, violence and irregularities that characterized the exercises in many states of the federation to remain in power.

    According to him, declaring harmonization in the congresses of the party without going to the field to enable members of the party to freely elect their leaders was undemocratic and unconstitutional

    “We came from the ACN that formed this our great party, APC but the manipulation in the congress shows that they want to completely remove the ACN family from the APC  in the scheme of things as far as Ebonyi state is concerned and we will not agree, I will take it up with to any level they want it”, he said.

    Awam who was a former Chairman of the local government accused a faction of the party in the state of imposing harmonization in the congresses to sideline some leaders of the party and called for what he  described as ‘real congress’ in Ebonyi local government area.

    “As far as Ebonyi local government is concerned, there was no ward congress. A faction of the party cooked result and said congress has been conducted. I have already written to appeal panel and I will follow my petition to ensure that justice is done.

    “I also wrote to the state Chairman of the party and he acknowledged the petition. I drew his mind to the electoral act which states that since the congress did not hold on the announced date, they have to give at least seven days before another one can hold and up till now, he has not told me there would be congress in my local government”, he stated.

    Mr Nwachukwu did not take numerous calls placed to his phone. He also did not reply messages sent to him at press time.

    Also Mr Bolaji Abdulahi, National Publicity Secretary of the party could equally not be reached for comments.

    Meanwhile, Mr Simeon Achi narrated how he was attacked at Udensi roundabout for no other reason than he was supporting Mr Awam.

    Mr Achi who said he was attacked near Udensi roundabout by three men sustained injuries on his face and hand from the attack.

    “I was in a bus coming to this place from town. As we got to Udensi roundabout, someone wanted to drop so I came down to enable the person to alight from the bus. Then these three young men who were in the bus came down and started beating. They told me that they are attacking me because I was supporting Adol Awam. I don’t know their names but I know them by face, they are members of another faction of our party”, the victim said.

  • ‘You cannot govern Imo’, Okorocha blasts Araraume

    ‘You cannot govern Imo’, Okorocha blasts Araraume

     

    The cold war between the Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha and former Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, who is nursing governorship ambition under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has deepened.

    The Imo governor on Tuesday dismissed the former Senator’s ambition as unrealistic, adding that he cannot even win the party primaries, talk less of wining the main governorship election.

    Governor Okorocha in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, said, “I want to say this for the sake of emphasis. Senator Ifeanyi Araraume cannot win the ticket of APC for the 2019 governorship election in the State and can never govern the State. So people should not allow themselves to be deceived”.

    The statement continued that, “In 2007, Araraume won the ticket of PDP and failed the main election. In 2011, he also had the ticket of ACN and came fourth in the election. In 2015, he also failed the PDP Primary. So what magic would he perform in 2019?

    “Again, if he sees himself as a Political force, let him do what Rochas Okorocha did in 2011 by taking the ticket of APGA that was not on ground and won his election by defeating a sitting governor of PDP extraction and in 2015, when he defiled all the PDP onslaughts with Federal might and joined the Merger that gave birth to APC at the risk of his life and his second term bid and also won his election. Let Senator Araraume pick the ticket of any of the parties, contest and win and we will celebrate him. He should not always be working to undo sitting governors to become governor”.

    Read Also: Okorocha advocates closer ties between Igbo traders and Customs

    It added further that, “some of these people were among those calling Rochas, OkoroHausa, Alhaji in Government House and Buhari-Rochas and accusing him of coming to Islamize Igboland and Nigeria in general.

    “Name-dropping has also become old fashioned in Politics. In 2007 and 2011, it was Chief Tony Aninih’s name that was been dropped. Today, they have begun to drop the name of Chief John Oyegun. Powerful Politicians in the real sense of the word do not drop names”.

    The statement which apparently a reaction to the Araraume’s alleged claim that he was not in support of the elongation of the term of office of the APC National Chairman, noted further that, “it is unfortunate that while we have continued to exercise caution and demonstrate apparent decency and discipline in our media outings even as they concern some of the Politicians and governorship aspirants in the State, few of them have always thrown caution to the wind by thinking that the only way they can make impact or make a headway in their Politics and Political pursuits is by embarking on falsehood and sponsoring cheap blackmail against Governor Rochas Okorocha.

    “As a responsible government and as responsible people we do not trade on propaganda, falsehood and blackmail. We do not tell lies. They have sponsored lies against the governor over the outcome of the APC NEC meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 in which the tenure of the National Chairman Chief John Oyegun and others were extended.

    “The governor is the strongest pillar of APC in the South-East and one of the pillars in the Country. And he has remained supportive in all ramifications to the John Oyegun-led National Exco of the Party. And there is no reason anybody should begin to create the impression that Governor Okorocha was against the extension of Chief Oyegun’s tenure.

    “The APC governors who are all members of the APC Governors’ Forum which governor Okorocha heads supported the extension of tenure across the board. And with that, the governors are the greatest beneficiaries of the extension.

    “You may ask where these elements were when the PDP foot soldiers were invading Imo and South-East in general with Soldiers and other Security agents. Rochas made the survival of APC in the South-East possible, having a Senator, three House of Representatives, Majority in the House of Assembly (23 out of 27), and gave President Muhammadu Buhari the highest number of votes in 2015 in the South-East. And APC won that election but the PDP people doctored the whole exercise with the help of Security agencies and INEC then. Time will expose these folks who think that their Political survival lies with blackmail against Okorocha”.

    Meanwhile, the governor has congratulated Oyegun and other members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) of All Progressives Congress, APC over the extension of their tenure by one year.

    The governor also congratulated States, Local Governments and Ward Executives of the party who also benefitted from the extension.

    He noted that “such lofty action would not have been possible without the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, the state governors and key stakeholders in the party who were at the NEC meeting”.

    The governor reminded Chief Oyegun and his team that “by the extension, they have been challenged to do more for the progress and victory of the party at levels”.

    He wished them a successful tenure, and praying that the” good Lord should grant them all they needed to succeed”.

  • Cross River APC congress a sham, says Achigbe

    Cross River APC congress a sham, says Achigbe

    The special congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State to elect a chairman last Saturday has continued to generate controversy as one of the candidates, Dr Mathew Achigbe, has described the exercise as a sham.

    Achigbe, who addressed reporters in Calabar on Monday, rejected the outcome of the Congress, which saw Mr Godwin Etim John, emerge winner with 56 votes.

    He said the said congress, which lacked the participation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and went ahead despite a court injunction, used suspended members of the party for the election against the spirit and in defiance of the party’s constitution.

    “The notice of the congress was short of the prescription of Section 85 (1) of the electoral act (2010 as amended) which stipulates that at least 21 days be given to INEC of the party’s intention to hold its congress, but which in this case no notice was given at all, and for the Cross River State APC less than three days’ notice thus leading to the harried selling, completion and submission of forms up to and until the commencement of the Congress.

    “The Congress defied Article 25(iv) of the APC Constitution which states that at least 14 days’ notice be given to each level of the party of its intention to hold congress but for which no notice was given in the instant case.

    Read Also: Cross River APC crisis deepens

    “That over 980 delegates (five from each ward) of the 196 council wards were disenfranchised from participating in the election of the state party which not only denied them their right to vote but their civic responsibility resulting in the congress being short of the stipulated minimum of a third of the appropriate quorum and very unfair deal to the hundreds of thousands of anxious party members to vote for a credible person in a critical congress.

    “From ordinary logic and proper deduction, there is no iota of doubt that the Congress of the APC purportedly held on the 24th of February, 2018 in Calabar was heavily compromised from conception to execution and should be rendered null and void. Godwin Etim John should therefore be disqualified for not being able to contest by reason of his suspension by the APC and the said suspension not being lifted by appropriate organ of the party and should not be declared winner of the Congress as chairman as this will amount to rape of democracy, a case too many in our ever nascent democracy.”

    Also a chieftain of the APC in the state, Mr Ernets Irek, who also describe the congress as an illegality, said they have lost confidence in the national chairman of the party, John Oyegun.

    “We don’t have any confidence in the national chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun. We have lost confidence in him because he has refused to do the right thing. With 24 states in our kitty, if we are not careful, we may not even have 10 states in the next election. The kind of impunity going on is unheard of. It has become so compromised,” Irek said.

    Chairman of Coalition of APC Support Groups in the state, Comrade Iso Bassey Edim accused some top officials of the party in the state of working with the People’s Democratic Party government to destroy APC ahead of 2019.

    “We’re not happy with what happened on Saturday because we can’t support the legalization of illegality. The constitution is clear on how to conduct party Congress. There was no INEC representation whatsoever. We are made to understand that there’s a sinister plan for those who think they can mortgage APC in the state.

    “Why did they rush into organizing a fire brigade Congress when there’s Congress coming up next month? We’re calling on the National Leader, Bola Tinubu, to come to our rescue because vultures are out to destroy APC. While we want to take over the state from PDP some people are working to destroying the party,” he said.

  • 2018 Budget: Oyegun appeal to Nigerians to be patient with govt

    2018 Budget: Oyegun appeal to Nigerians to be patient with govt

    The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Mr John Oyegun has called on Nigerians to be patient with the present administration while it works to reposition the economy.

    The chairman was reacting to the 2018 Budget Proposal presentation by President Muhammadu Buhari before the Joint Session of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

    He said the Federal Government was doing its best to rebuild an economy that was near collapse before the assumption of office of the present administration.

    While expressing optimism that the 2018 budget would cater to the needs of Nigerians, he said the process of rebuilding an economy often came with some form of hardship.

    Oyegun, however, assured Nigerians that the period of hardship would be over and everyone would be better for it.

    “The 2018 budget proposal presented by President Muhammadu Buhari was well received, we are all happy.

    “The side attraction is that the President has demonstrated his determination to move the country forward.

    Read Also: 2018 Budget: N2.014trillion set aside for debt servicing – Buhari

    “We are rebuilding the nation’s economy. The economy collapsed, oil price collapsed, everything is as if it is starting afresh. It takes time and it creates a lot of hardship

    “We are appealing to Nigerians to be patient because at the end of the day we are going to have a country we will be proud of and an economy that will offer all Nigerians the opportunity to grow.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had, while presenting the 2018 budget proposal, tagged “Budget of Consolidation’’, said the principal objective of the budget would be to reinforce and build on recent accomplishments.

    He said the present government would sustain the reflationary policies of 2016 and 2017 budgets.

    He said the key parameters and assumptions for the 2018 Budget were set out in the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).

    These parameters, he added included an oil price benchmark of 45 dollar per barrel, oil production estimate of 2.3 million barrels per day, including condensates and exchange rate of N305 per dollar for 2018.

    Others according to him are real GDP growth of 3.5 per cent; and inflation rate of 12.4 per cent.

  • Ex Jigawa Senator dumps PDP

    Ex Jigawa Senator dumps PDP

    Alhaji Danladi Sankara, former Senator representing Jigawa Northwest, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) and joined the All Progressives Congress ( APC ).

    Sankara was received by the Jigawa Governor, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru at the Malam Aminu Kano triangle Square on Sunday in Dutse.

    Badaru said that the defection of the former senator was a welcome development to the party in the state.

    The governor said that the APC had caught a big fish, for the entrance of Sankara to APC in view of his pedigree in his former party.

    Badaru recalled that Sankara was one time National Vice chairman, PDP Northwest geo-political zone and Sole Administrator of the party in Sokoto state.

    “With his defection to APC, PDP is completely dead in Jigawa because Sankara is one of the founders of PDP in the country and the person that brought it to jigawa,’’ he said.

    The governor, however, said that the immediate past administration left a contract liability of N92 billion to him but with the help of God and the good people of the state, he overcame the situation.

    He lamented the myriad of problems left by the previous administration of PDP at both state and federal levels which resulted in President Muhammadu Buhari giving out bail outs to states.

    Chief John Oyegun, National chairman of APC who was represented at the ceremony by the chairman of the party in the Northwest, Alhaji Shuaibu Lawal, assured that Sen. Sankara would be treated fairly like other members of the party.

    Earlier, while formally declaring for the party, Sankara said that he was joining the party with 8,905 of his supporters.

    Sankara pledged to work for the unity and progress of the party, to win all elections in the state and at the federal level.

    NAN