The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kola Ologbondiyan

  • PDP hails court’s validation of Kashamu’s expulsion

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed an Abuja Federal High Court’s verdict upholding the expulsion of Senator Buruji Kashamu from the main opposition party.

    A statement on Thursday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan said the verdict has vindicated the party’s position that Kashamu isn’t the Ogun State governorship candidate of the  PDP for the 2019 elections.

    The party said the verdict has reinforced the its recognition of a member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Ladi Adebutu as the authentic candidate PDP governorship candidate for Ogun State.

    The state net said, “Given his expulsion from the PDP in July this year, Senator Buruji lost his membership of our party and as such, did not partake in any of our nomination processes; did not purchase the PDP governorship nomination form and did not participate in any way whatsoever in our Ogun state governorship primaries, yet he had continued to cause confusion and parade himself as PDP candidate.

    Read Also: PDP kicks as EFCC holds Okupe over ONSA funds

    “The PDP invites Nigerians, the people of Ogun state and particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take copious note of the judgment of the court, in suit no: FCT/HC/0303/2017, which today, December 13, 2018 affirmed the powers of the PDP, as provided in her constitution, to discipline and punish any member who contravenes any of the provisions of its constitution.

    “By this judgment, it is clear that Senator Buruji Kashamu is not a member of the PDP, and cannot, under any circumstance whatsoever, claim to be the governorship candidate of the PDP in Ogun state, moreso, when he never participated in any of our nomination processes.

    “While hailing the judgment as victory for democracy, the PDP charges INEC to copiously take note of the development and reflect such in every issue regarding the conduct of governorship election in Ogun state.

    “Finally, the PDP commends the people of Ogun state for standing steadfast with its governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, who is already coasting to victory in the 2019 polls”.

  • PDP faults plan to create polling centres in Chad, Niger

    …Accuses INEC, Buhari of plots to rig election

     

    The People’s Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO), has condemned plans by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to create polling centres in Chad and Niger Republic.

    INEC had announced plans to create polling centres in the two neighbouring countries with the view to enabling thousands of Nigerian refugees taking shelter in the two countries to vote in the 2019 elections.

    Read Also:PDP accuses EFCC of witch-hunt

    Most of the refugees are persons displaced by the Boko Haram insurgents from their homes in towns and villages in Northeastern Nigeria.

    But the PDP has declared the proposed polling centres in the two countries as illegal, accusing Presidency and the INEC of plots to rig the 2019 general elections.

    In a statement Thursday by the spokesman of the PDP Campaign Organisation, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party protested the plan to create polling centres outside the shores of Nigeria.

    Ologbondiyan said it’s a total violation of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), inexcusably criminal and exposes part of the plot to corrupt the electoral system and massively rig for President Buhari.

    The statement said, “President Buhari, INEC and all Nigerians know that there are no provisions for Diaspora voting under our system.

    “By the extant laws guiding elections in Nigeria, it is very clear who is eligible to vote, as well as the centers statutorily designated for elections. There is no provision for any special arrangement whatsoever.

    “It is therefore reprehensible that President Buhari, in his desperation to rig the elections, is now trying to hide under the guise of making special provision for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) outside the country, to illegally create rigging centers outside our country and import contrived figures into the election results.

    “This clandestine arrangement further validates the alarm earlier raised by the PDP, in April this year, of INEC’s plot to secretly create 30,000 illegal polling centers in some remote areas, through which they plan to allocate millions of votes to President Buhari and the APC.

    “Nigerians can now see that the APC and its candidate are not committed to peaceful, credible, free and fair election. Having realised that there is no way he can win in a peaceful and credible election, Mr. President is now seeking means to enmesh the 2019 elections in constitutional crisis, public confusion and trigger an imminent violence that is capable of derailing our entire democratic process.

    “Moreover, by seeking to open polling units outside the country, the Buhari administration has now agreed that it does not have full control of Nigerian territory and cannot provide security for Nigerians to freely participate in the elections.

    “If President Buhari is in any way inclined towards diaspora voting, he should send an appropriate bill to the National Assembly for approval to accommodate not only Nigerians in Chad and Niger Republic, but also those in other sub-Sahara countries as well as Europe, America and other parts of the world, who have been agitating for Diaspora voting.

    “Finally, the PPCO cautions the Buhari Presidency and INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, not to set our country on fire by engaging in provocative actions in desperation to rig the 2019 Presidential election for President Buhari.”

  • PDP: In character and integrity, Buhari is no match for Atiku

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) has replied the All Progressives Congress (APC) stating that President Muhammadu Buhari isn’t a match for its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in character, integrity, competence and public acceptance.

    The PPCO noted that the APC, in raising the issue of personal character of candidates in its statement, has unwittingly sunk President Buhari’s campaign by opening a flank that ultimately exposes him to public opprobrium.

    Read Also:‘Nigeria still very corrupt despite Buhari’s anti-corruption war’

    A statement Monday by the spokesman for the PDP campaign, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the PDP is committed to issue-based campaign and finding solutions to the myriad of problems the “incompetent, divisive and extremely corrupt” Buhari administration has plunged the nation into.

    However, the party maintained that it would not hesitate to take on the APC, any time, any day on issues of personal character and integrity, which it said; President Buhari was in clear deficit before Atiku Abubakar.

    The statement said, “It is on record that nothing incriminatory has ever been found on Atiku Abubakar, despite being the most investigated politician in our country, particularly by the Buhari Presidency; but can such be said of President Buhari, who has been jittery over Atiku Abubakar’s soaring popularity and acceptance across the board, ahead of the 2019 general election.

    “In the interim, between President Buhari and Atiku Abubakar, Nigerians know the leader, who is bugged by integrity issues and under whose watch our Presidency became “fantastically corrupt”, with issues of certificate forgery and allegations of sundry frauds in which family members and close relatives are being mentioned.

    “Nigerians are aware of the leader under whose direct watch, over N11 trillion has been stolen from our petroleum sector and billons of naira frittered away from our National Health Insurance Fund (NHIS) and other revenue agencies in the last three and half years.

    “They are aware of the leader, who has reneged in all his campaign promises; who stays aloof always to the plights of the people and only parades as pro-poor, just to win their votes.

    “On the issue of achievement, the whole world knows the Nigerian leader whose corrupt administration plunged our nation into economic recession and who cannot point to any development project he initiated and completed in any part of the country or any personal contribution he has made to the development of our nation, either in office or as a private citizen.

    “Since the APC has raised the issue of character, it should be ready to face the debate when the heat is on”.

  • PDP condemns EFCC’s invasion of Atiku’s sons residence

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) has condemned Saturday’s raid on the Abuja residence of two sons of the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had raided the residence of Aliyu and Mustapha Abukakar early Saturday morning, an action the PDP described as vicious, outrageous, dirty and reprehensible.

    A statement Monday by the spokesman for the PDP Campaign, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the operatives of the EFCC unleashed violence on the home of Atiku’s sons while the young men were away.

    Tye statement said, “The invasion of Aliyu and Mustapha Abubakar’s home, even in their absence, allegedly in search of imaginary cache of foreign currency, has further exposed how depraved the Buhari Presidency has descended in the desperate plot to harm, traumatize and malign the character of our presidential candidate and his family, having realised that Nigerians have aligned behind him as the next President of our country.

    “It is indeed appalling that the Buhari Presidency can now go as low as engaging in wicked politics of chasing after family members of a presidential candidate, who are neither government officials, government contractors nor involved in any underhand dealings, but young students pursuing their legitimate personal educational careers without ill will to anybody.

    “While nothing incriminating was found in the apartment, the PPCO has been made aware of how the squad, said to be acting on ‘orders from above’ ransacked the house and destroyed valuables belonging to Atiku’s children and we demand an explanation from the leadership of the EFCC.

    Read Also: 2019: Group advises Atiku

    “The PPCO completely rejects the wicked politics that the APC and the Buhari Presidency are importing into our polity. We hereby urge all Nigerians, particularly the youths, to rise in condemnation of these vicious acts.

    “Only last month, a special security squad of army, police and paramilitary agencies was unleashed to physically harass our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, at the Abuja airport, upon his return from Dubai

    “Similarly, last week, all transactions in bank accounts belonging to PDP Vice Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, his wife, his family members and their businesses were stopped by agencies of the Buhari Presidency on account of imaginary investigation.

    “Nigerians are already aware of how opposition leaders and others perceived to be averse to the President Buhari’s re-election bid, on account of his woeful performance in office, are being blackmailed and framed up with spurious charges.

    “President Buhari should note that, as an opposition presidential candidate from 2003 to 2015, none of his children or family members were in anyway attacked or victimized by the government in power. He should stop importing such vicious underhand tactics into our political hemisphere.

    “Finally, the PPCO counsels the APC and the Buhari Presidency to come to terms with the fact that Nigerians have moved beyond them and that no amount of intimidation, harassment or attack on our candidates, leaders and their families will stop Nigerians from voting them out of office, come 2019 and electing our candidate, Atiku Abubakar”.

  • Electoral Act: PDP campaign urges N/Assembly to override Buhari

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) has charged the National Assembly to save the nation’s democracy by immediately overriding President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sign the amendment of the Electoral Act.

    The PDP Campaign said this legislative action has become imperative as the President’s decision was a calculated attempt to hold the nation to ransom.

    In a statement on Friday signed by the spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said the President’s action was capable of injecting crisis into the electoral process and ultimately scuttle the conduct of the 2019 general elections. The opposition party insisted that the President was avoiding free and fair contest.

    The statement said, “President Buhari’s repeated refusal to sign amendments passed to check rigging in the election, raises issues of his sincerity of purpose and has the capacity to trigger political unrest and violence, which can, in turn, truncate our hard-earned democracy.

    “The PPCO invites Nigerians to note that this is the fourth time President Buhari is withholding assent on the amendment, without any cogent reason following his rejection by Nigerians.

    Read Also: PDP aspirant calls for fresh primaries

    “Nigerians can recall how the Buhari Presidency plotted to plunge the 2019 elections into a needless controversy by delaying the submission of the election budget to the National Assembly, presenting it at the time the legislators were commencing their annual vacation and asking for virement of funds already approved for development projects, instead of sending a fresh supplementary budget for the election.

    “It is unfortunate that Mr. President, in his desperation to hold on to power, has resorted to taking steps that are capable of destabilizing our nation, just because the people are resolute in voting him out of office democratically.

    “It is also instructive to note that President Buhari is mortally afraid of the amendments because they essentially checked the All Progressives Congress (APC) rigging plans, including the use of underage and alien voters, vote-buying, alteration of results and manipulation of voter register; for which the APC and the Buhari Presidency have been boasting of winning the 2019 elections.

    “While urging the National Assembly to save our democracy and forestall an imminent electoral crisis, the PPCO also charges all political parties, other critical stakeholders and Nigerians in general, to rise in the interest of our nation and demand the entrenching of rules and processes that will guarantee the conduct of free, fair and credible elections, as nothing short of that would be accepted”.

  • PDP disowns presidential campaign ‘timetable’

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has disowned what it described as a phony presidential campaign timetable currently circulating in some traditional and social media platforms.

    Spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Tuesday, said the PDP has not released any timetable or timeline for its presidential campaign.

    Read Also:PDP urges National Assembly to probe killing of soldiers

    Calling on its members and supporters to disregard the fake timetable, the party said the presidential campaign council would soon come up with the authentic timetable.

    The statement said, “The fabricators of the post even went further to allocate venues and dates for zonal rallies, which they claimed to have emanated from the PDP Presidential Campaign Council.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP clarifies that it has not yet released any timetable or timelines for our presidential campaigns. Similarly, our party has not yet allotted any dates or venues for our campaigns.

    “The leadership of the PDP therefore urges all our members and supporters across board to completely disregard the said timetable on the social media, as it did not emanate from the PDP.

    “The PDP Presidential Campaign Council led by His Excellency, Senator Bukola Saraki, will soon make public the authentic timetable for our presidential campaign and such information will have the full seal of our party and disseminated through PDP official handles.”

     

  • PDP kicks as Defence Minister inscribes DHQ logo on APC campaign materials

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Minister of Defence, Mansur Muhammad Dan-Ali, of diverting funds meant for military equipment and welfare of soldiers fighting insurgency in the Northeast, to produce partisan materials for All Progressives Congress (APC) re-election campaign.

    The PDP’s reaction is coming as campaign materials, including electronic momenta book produced by the Minister, surfaced in Abuja on Monday.

    In a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP flayed Dan-Ali for ascribing credit to himself and the APC for the campaign materials while Nigerian soldiers suffer neglect in the war front.

    The main opposition party said that the placing of APC logo alongside that of the Ministry of Defence on the momenta, confirmed its position that the Buhari Presidency has compromised the nation’s defence architecture for Mr. President’s re-election project.

    The statement said, “Our party considers it insensitive and a gross impunity for the Minister of Defence to be engaging in patronizing soverniers for President Buhari at a time when our soldiers are being killed in their numbers.

    “It is also instructive to note that President Muhammadu Buhari, as Mr. Integrity, has not reprimanded the Minister, ostensibly, given that the diversion of public funds for his re-election campaign is now a policy of the APC and the Buhari Presidency.

    Read Also: PDP urges Buhari to sign amended Electoral Act

    “Nigerians can now see how the Buhari Presidency and the APC have turned the Ministry of Defence into their Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) to fund their re-election, at the detriment of our citizens who are being daily attacked by insurgents and marauders in various parts of our country.

    “There  is a fixation in the Buhari Presidency on winning the 2019 elections at all cost even at the expense of the lives of Nigerians”.

    The party noted that with the revelation, the APC has proven to be a soulless mob, which has no interest in the good of the nation, but desperate to hang onto power by all means.

    It called for an open investigation into the handling of military funds to unravel those benefitting from the alleged racket, especially given allegation that some persons close to the President are being used as conduits to fritter public funds for the President’s re-election and their wasteful lifestyles.

  • You can’t sway S/East with false promises, PDP tells Buhari

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told President Muhammadu Buhari that with the 2019 elections around the corner, he cannot sway the people of the Southeast with fake promises and false performance claims.
    The party accused the President of attempting to lure the South-East geo-political zone into supporting his second term, saying however, that the people have resolved not to follow any leader who can not deliver on his promises.

    In a statement on Thursday, spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been jittery.

    According to the main opposition party, the Southeast and other geo-political zones across board have expressed an overwhelming acceptance of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, due to his “proven competence, respect for equity and all-inclusiveness in governance”.

    The party said, “Instead of accepting his failure, which is manifest to all, President Buhari, who is reputed for not fulfilling campaign promises, is busy making a fresh list of fake promises to Nigerians.

    “In this desperation, Mr. President fails to understand that the people of the South East, just like other Nigerians, are too sophisticated to fall for gimmicks, false promises and ethnic politics, and as such cannot be swayed from their resolve to rally with Atiku Abubakar to rescue our nation from the shackles of misrule.

    “Nigerians have since seen through President Buhari’s bouquet of failures and fake promises, which in any case, cannot heal the wounds of marginalization, nepotism, inequity, disregard for federal character principle and harsh economic policies, including obnoxious foreign exchange regulations and heavy taxations of his administration, which are killing businesses and plunging families into extreme poverty.

    Read Also: 2019: PDP accuses APC of unholy alliance with police

    “Nigerians, including those in the South East, know that President Buhari does not keep promises. They know that he has not fulfilled any of the promises he made during the 2015 campaign. As such, they cannot fall to the same old trick ahead of the 2019 general election.

    “Moreover, President Buhari is yet to apologize to the Southeast and other geo-political zones over his administration’s indictment for human rights violations, extra-judicial killings, illegal arrests, arbitrary detention, torture and reported disappearances, as detailed in the reports by the United States Department of State, Amnesty International (AI) and Transparency International (TI).

    “Instead of clutching on straws and seeking to beguile Nigerians with fake promises, blame game and false performance indices, President Buhari should come to terms with the fact that there is no way Nigerians can change their minds about voting in Atiku Abubakar as his inevitable replacement come February, 2019”.

    Shortly after a meeting with Southeast governors at the presidential villa on Wednesday, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, had told newsmen that the Southeast stood a chance of getting the presidency in 2023 if they support President Buhari in the 2019 election.

  • Jonathan pillar of democracy, says PDP

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has described former President Goodluck Jonathan as a pillar of contemporary Nigeria democracy.

    The party, in tributes to the ex-President on the occasion of his 61st birthday, said his patriotism and personal sacrifices ensured the unity, stability and corporate existence of the nation, particularly given the circumstances of the 2015 general elections.

    Jonathan and his PDP had lost to President Muhammadu Buhari who contested under on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 elections.

    A statement Tuesday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Dr. Jonathan remained a true Nigerian leader, whose administration was known, not only for good governance and landmark development projects across the nation, but also for the entrenchment of democratic values, rule of law, equity and justice, respect for separation of powers and constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens as well as engendering harmonious coexistence of all interests in the country.

    “In all, President Jonathan amply demonstrated that the true essence of leadership and statesmanship is the application of the virtues, opportunities and authority therein for the good of others rather than self, and for that our party and indeed Nigerians celebrate him.

    “The PDP therefore joins family members, associates and well-wishers at large in celebrating Dr. Jonathan as he attains this milestone and prays that God will continue to keep him in good health and sound mind as he gives himself to the service of our dear fatherland,” the statement added.

  • PDP knocks Buhari over alleged plagiarism of ‘Next Level’ logo

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has knocked President Muhammadu Buhari over what it described as “plagiarism” of the logo of the President’s presidential campaign document, “Next Level”.

    The Buhari presidential campaign has come under severe attacks in the social media over similarities in the “Next Level” logo, which originally belonged to the Rex Institute in the United States.

    Joining the fray, the PDP, in a statement yesterday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the Buhari Presidency has again disgraced the nation by stealing the Rex Institute’s logo and mantra as the President’s 2019 campaign mantra and presenting it to Nigerians as their idea and creation.

    The party said the revelation has further confirmed that the Buhari Presidency lacked integrity as a “fraud syndicate” that thrives on deception, lies, false performance claims, certificate forgery, corruption while always trying to take credit for the achievements of others.

    The statement said, “This shameful plagiarism by the Buhari Presidency has further sunk him into self-inflicted public opprobrium, from which he has not recovered since the demonstration by Nigerians, that he does not have his acclaimed WAEC certificate and had to procure an attestation, which Nigerians also discovered to be a forged document.

    “The PDP is however not surprised that President Buhari, in his desperation, can go as low as patronising plagiarism and false credit claims, since it is clear that he lacks the competence to initiate and articulate an original blue print for leadership; the reason our nation has been in dire strait in the last three and half years.

    “A perusal of President Buhari’s 2019 campaign document reveals that apart from the stolen logo and mantra, the document is replete with false claims, spurious projections and unsubstantiated figures in the bid to again beguile Nigerians ahead of the elections”

    The main opposition party also said that President Buhari has over time shown that he cannot be trusted, adding that he leads the most corrupt administration in the history of the nation.

    The PDP charged the President to immediately show remorse, apologise to Nigerians and prepare to accept defeat as the people are not ready to vote for any leader that has demonstrated a proclivity for falsehood, forgery and incompetence in governance”.