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Tag: Kola Ologbondiyan

  • Presidential Election: Nigerians looking up to Judiciary for justice

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) says that Nigerians are looking up to the judiciary to do justice in the Presidential Election Tribunal.

    The party National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan said this when he received a coalition of young professionals at PDP National Secretariat in Abuja on Friday

    He said that the general expectation was that the judiciary, as the last hope of the common man, would be courageous in its judgement.

    Ologbondiyan said that the expectation was that the judiciary would be dauntless in addressing the substance of the petition by the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    Read Also: Crisis rocks Kogi PDP

    “As a party, we have made a solid case before the panel. Our candidate had also presented his case supported by credible evidence,” he said.

    Ologbondiyan urged Nigerians not to lose faith in the country and its democracy.

    “We must keep hope alive believing that the judiciary will consider the substance of the matter and the evidence before it,” he said.

    The convener of the coalition, Abubakar Magaji, was quoted  as commending the leadership of the party for effectively mobilising Nigerians in the 2019 general elections

    NAN

     

  • Olakunrin: Nigeria, a killing field under Buhari, PDP laments

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned  the gruesome killing of Mrs Funke Olakunrin, daughter of elder statesman, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, by yet -to- be apprehended gunmen.

    In a statement Saturday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party also lamented what it described as the unpardonable lethargy in apprehending Olakunrin’s killers since she was killed on Friday.

    The PDP said it’s heartrending that under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the nation has become a killing field and large funeral palour with insurgents, bandits and assassins having a field day waylaying and killing innocent compatriots, especially those making very useful contributions to the development of the nation.

    The statement said, “Our party is worried that security agencies are rather engaging in debates over the identity of the killers and hurriedly pointing to a case of abduction even before any extensive investigation has been carried out on the horrific and dastardly act.

    “The party bewails that the killing of Funke Olakunrin marks yet another national loss occasioned by the failure of the Buhari administration to secure the nation beyond lip service, a development that has emboldened marauders in our country.

    Read Also: PDP cautions on fuel price hike

    “The PDP posits that Funke Olakunrin must not die in vain. Our dear nation must not continue to lose her finest and brightest in the hands of bandits. Our party therefore charges the authorities to go beyond condolence messages from Abuja and take concrete steps to apprehend Funke Olakunrin’s killers, as well as ensure security of lives in our nation.

    “The PDP, while condoling Pa Fasoranti, charges the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, to take immediate and decisive steps, beyond the lip service of the Buhari administration, to track down the killers without further delay and make them face the full wrath of the law, no matter who they are”.

  • PDP knocks INEC, group over server

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) knocked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for allegedly sponsoring an “amorphous” group to support the denial by the Commission of existence of a central server.

    The group, under the aegis of Forum of Presidential Candidates of the 2019 Elections and National Party Chairmen, had, at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, hailed the denial by INEC of the existence of the server.

    Recall that the presidential election petition tribunal had on Monday, rejected the request by the candidate of the PDP in the February 23 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar and the PDP to allow them access to INEC server.

    But in a statement Tuesday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the main opposition party said its investigation revealed that the group was hurriedly “conjured” by the leadership of INEC and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    According to Ologbondiyan, the main objective of the group was  to assist INEC in distorting facts and making misrepresentations on a matter that are already subjudice.

    This, the spokesman added, was an attempt to help clean up INEC’s blunders on the existence of the server, sway judicial pronouncements and influence public opinion on extant matters in court.

    Read Also: PDP, Atiku lose battle to access INEC’s server

    The statement said, “The PDP invites Nigerians to note that the press release by this nebulous group emerged after INEC’s several blunders while the Presidency has already admitted that the claim by the PDP and millions of Nigerians that INEC had a server wherein it stored results of the 2019 elections, constitutes the fulcrum of contention in the Presidential election.

    “Nigerians are already aware of the existence of the server, which was duly budgeted for, set up in various INEC offices and in which data from the elections, including results, were stored. Moreover, the ruling of the Court of Appeal preventing the PDP from inspecting the server does not in any way obviate the existence of the said server.

    “Furthermore, PDP counsels that instead of engaging in this unnecessary media trial, INEC should have listed its nebulous group as witness in the election tribunal.

    “We also challenge INEC to confront the indictment contained in the reports of the European Union and other international agencies which showed evidence that the 2019 general elections were marred by irregularities and violation of rules by the Commission.

    “It is therefore unfortunate that at a time when the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, ought to be apologizing to Nigerians for the failure of the commission he leads to conduct a credible, free and fair election, a mass electoral failure consequent upon which the nation has over 766 election cases across the country, his commission is now contracting faceless groups to launder its sinking image and pass a confidence vote on Yakubu.

    “The PDP therefore counsels INEC to own up to its failures put an end to its consistent denials on the existence of the server as justice will be served at the end of the day”.

  • PDP demands apology over allegations

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded an apology from the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for allegedly misleading the nation and heating up the polity.

    The main opposition said the minister levelled unfounded security breach allegations against it and its presidential candidate in the February 23 election, Atiku Abubakar.

    A statement yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, by PDP spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan said the minister’s doublespeak exposed the fact that he, acting for the Federal Government, only conjured up claims to create the impression that the PDP and Atiku had set security breaches against the President’s inauguration.

    Describing Mohammed’s allegations as phantoms, the PDP accused the minister of desperation to secure acceptance from Nigerians for the Buhari administration.

    The statement said: “Moreover, the minister’s claims that he relied on certain alarms fell flat as no agency in the country had ever accused the PDP, as a political party, or our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of ‘doing everything possible to sabotage the Buhari administration, generally overheat the polity and make Nigeria seemingly ungovernable’ as claimed by Lai Mohammed.

    Read Also: We never expelled Akpabio – PDP

    “We also have fears that Alhaji Lai Mohammed could have made those wild claims in a bid to pave the way to frame, harass, arrest and detain some opposition figures on trump-up charges.

    “Such antics have failed as Nigerians have seen through them and are resolute, behind Atiku Abubakar, in the determination to retrieve his mandate in the court…

    “By his fabricated claims, the Information Minister only succeeded in further de-marketing our dear nation in the international arena, causing more damage to investors’ confidence in our system and exposing this administration as purveyor of fake news.

    “The PDP, therefore, invites Alhaji Mohammed to apologise to the nation and desist from such acts of incitement.”

     

  • PDP accuses Tinubu of attacking party

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of hauling insults at it to curry political relevance.

    The main opposition party also faulted Tinubu’s recent visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Saudi Arabia where the party alleged that the APC leader hauled invectives and diatribes against the PDP

    In a statement Tuesday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said through his actions Tinubu has further demonstrated that he has nothing to offer towards the development of the nation.

    “It is atrocious that at the time other leaders are in the Holy Land offering prayers and supplications for our nation, Asiwaju Tinubu is in Mecca for photo-ops, playing dirty politics and hauling insults at other Nigerians just to curry relevance before President Buhari,” the statement said.

    Read Also: We never expelled Akpabio – PDP

    The party further noted nothing but sheer hypocrisy would push Asiwaju Tinubu to engage in “unholy praises of a failed administration” in desperation.

    The statement said: “This is the same Asiwaju Tinubu, who, in January 2018, at the 15th Annual Daily Trust Dialogue, berated the Buhari administration for its nepotism, incompetence, corrupt oil subsidy regime; blaming it for the high-level poverty in our country and counseled Nigerians to be guided by their conscience in electing leaders in the 2019 general elections.

    “Asiwaju, in criticising the Buhari administration, held rightly that too much political and economic power resides in the hands of too few.

    “This result in a society described by too much of unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, too little food, yet too much poverty.

    “He then added correctly that under President Buhari, “rather than becoming a joyous nation, Nigeria has become a cruel playground where the fears and concerns of the average person get exploited but their interests never get promoted.”

    “The PDP therefore lambasted Asiwaju Tinubu for making allusion to its determination with Nigerians to retrieve Atiku Abubakar’s stolen Presidential mandate at the court, adding that no amount of blackmail can detract from this resolve.”

  • You are jittery, PDP tells APC, Buhari

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop their “unnecessary fabrications, smear campaign” and prepare to face the opposition’s legal team at the Presidential Election Tribunal.

    Responding to a petition by the spokesman for the President’s campaign, Mr. Festus Keyamo, the PDP said Buhari is overweighed by the burden of “illegitimacy”, following overwhelming evidence before the tribunal that he “stole” the presidential mandate.

    In an email exchange with our correspondent Monday night, the spokesman for the PDP, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, described the allegation as “a lame one”.

    Ologbondiyan described it as an attempt at blackmailing the tribunal by engaging in clear acts of subjudice.

    The party spokesman said the facts and issues touching on the INEC server were already within the public domain.

    Read also: Buhari moves to prevent National Assembly hijack

    Ologbondiyan continued: “By resorting to shadow-boxing outside the tribunal, President Buhari and the APC have shown that they have no defence to present to the court against PDP’s submission that they stole our mandate.

    “It is even more appalling that Festus Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a member of Buhari’s legal team, who should know better, would engage in this act of subjudice designed to distort facts already known to Nigerians, that our presidential candidate and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, clearly won the February 23 presidential election.

    “Since it has become clear that President Buhari has no defence to present to the court, we counsel him to save the nation further stress by surrendering our mandate, which was freely given by majority of Nigerians to Atiku Abubakar.”

  • Abba Yusuf won Kano rerun, PDP insists

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that its candidate, Abba K. Yusuf, won the Kano state governorship election, saying any declaration that does not reflect such cannot stand.

    The main opposition party said the whole world knows the PDP and its candidate, Abba Yusuf, won the Kano state governorship election since March 9, 2019, having fulfilled the constitutional requirement of securing the highest number of votes and the statutory 25 percent in two-thirds of the state.

    A statement on Sunday night by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the governorship supplementary election in Kano was a national disgrace and a mere figure allocating exercise by compromised INEC officials.

    According to Ologbondiyan, INEC collaborated with “power drunk” politicians in the All Progressives Congress (APC) to award results to the APC candidate.

    The party cautioned INEC against any attempt to import contrived figures from the “illegitimate” March 23 “charade”, saying doing so would be a clear recipe for anarchy and serious crisis in the state.

    “The people of Kano state have a long history of firm resistance against corrupt and oppressive forces. Their will must therefore not be stretched in this election.

    “The Kano people have abundantly expressed their rejection of the corrupt and incompetent government of Abdullahi Ganduje and his party, the APC, and no amount of machination can cow or force them to abandon their resolve for a new governor in Abba Yusuf,” the statement added.

  • Kano rerun: PDP condemns attack on agents, members

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned attacks on its agents and members by thugs at the ongoing supplementary governorship election in Kano State.

    The party made the condemnation in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Saturday in Abuja.

    It alleged that the hoodlums embarked on rampage, invading polling units where they were attacking PDP members and supporters with dangerous weapons, chasing them away from the polling units and preventing them from voting.

    READ ALSO: Kano rerun: PDP, APC bicker over violence

    It alleged that in Gama ward, evidence abounds of how the thugs attacked and unleashed terror on PDP members during which four of PDP members where feared killed and many more injured.

    The party called on PDP formation in the state to immediately activate legitimate defence mechanism to protect its members and supporters in the state.

    “Furthermore, the PDP has taken stock of all the aggression in Kano and will use all legitimate means to ensure that all those who perpetuated violence against our members are lawfully tracked down and brought to book,” the party said.

    NAN

  • PDP rejects order stopping final collation of Bauchi election result

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected a court order stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from resuming collation of result of Bauchi state governorship election.

    The party stated this in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan on Tuesday in Abuja.

    A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday barred INEC from resuming collation and announcement of the election result.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo issued the order following an ex parte application filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Gov. Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi state.

    Ologbondiyan described the order as part of the plot by the APC and “some compromised elements” in INEC to escalate crisis and derail the country’s electoral process.

    “The power to collate, suspend collation and or to reverse such decision based on obvious circumstances as the case in Bauchi is clearly within the domain of INEC.

    “Until collation is completed and results declared, no one can question the constitutional powers of the electoral body- INEC, in that regard,” he said.

    Ologbondiyan cautioned that if what it described as desperate underhand measure to halt electoral processes is not checked, the country’s hard-earned democracy would fail.

    “Our party should not be pushed into a situation in which we will have no option than to allow our members to seek similar exparte orders to halt statutory processes at various levels.

    “It is clear that collation of result is part of the electoral process and that INEC cannot act on a purported exparte order to jettison its independence and halt the collation of results, which is a key component of its statutory electoral duty.

    “Section 87 (10) of the Electoral Act is unambiguous in its prescription that “nothing in this section shall empower the courts to stop the holding of primaries or general election or the processes thereof under this Act pending the determination of a suit,” he said.

    Ologbondiyan urged INEC to be properly guided by the law in that regard.

    “Nigerians have elected the PDP in Bauchi state and nothing can change this reality,” he said.

  • We ‘ll defeat APC in all supplementary elections – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has boasted that it’s going to defeat the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship supplementary elections coming up in five states next Saturday.

    In a statement last night by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the main opposition party said that violence and manipulations by planned by the APC ahead of the polls will be resisted by the people and summarily come to naught.

    The PDP said it’s ludicrous that the APC could seek to play the victim when all material facts have established that it militarized, perpetuated violence and unleashed mayhem on Nigerians  in the elections so far held.

    The main opposition party recalled that even the recent US States Department’s Bureau reports showed that state apparatus of power was used for intimidation and electoral violence to favour the government.

    It said it’s undeterred in its “imminent victory” in the March 23 supplementary elections.

    The statement said, “In Benue, it is clear that the people have rejected the APC as clearly demonstrated even in the Presidential election. Benue state has always been home to the PDP.

    “It is incontestable that our party has the largest genuine followership in all the units, wards and local government areas of the state and as such does not need any underhand measure to secure victory in any election in the state. Our winning lead of 81,000 votes were validly delivered at the polling units and that reality will humiliate the APC as it cannot be subverted.

    “Similarly, Rivers state is an impregnable home to the PDP since 1999. The results of all the elections held in Rivers, including the state House of Assembly, showed that the PDP is in control of the state.

    “Moreover, in Rivers, the APC is a vicious interloper, which has been perpetuating violence and killings as a means to subvert and  truncate the electoral process since it has no candidate in the election.

    “In Kano, the people of the state are known to be incorruptible and had always detested leaders who are corrupt and incompetent. They have always elected governors that are acceptable to the ordinary people.

    “The corruption and incompetence of the Ganduje administration is therefore distasteful to the people and that is why they have collectively rejected the APC and rally with the PDP. All the shenanigans by the APC and compromised INEC officials in Kano will therefore be unachievable.

    “In Bauchi, the PDP has already been elected and this reality cannot be altered by the APC. INEC had already established that the APC compromised its official to declare Tafawa Balewa LGA as inconclusive and had restored the votes that were stolen by the APC. It   is imperative for APC to accept the fact that its bunch of broom has become famished.

    “In Sokoto, the people have given us the mandate. The constitution provides for simple majority of votes. The declared results show that our candidate clearly won and that is why our candidate has been mandated to go to the court to seek interpretation of the section of the constitution that deals with the declaration of results.

    “In Adamawa state, the APC is merely hallucinating and seeking ways to subvert the process. Its despicable resort to using a person who did not participate in the election to seek to use the courts to ambush the election is disgraceful.
    However, INEC had since declared that it cannot be stopped from going ahead with the supplementary election where our party is already in good stead to coast to victory”.