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Tag: Kwara State

  • Kwara: I’m the APC candidate known to INEC, says AbdulRazaq

    Kwara state All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Thursday said he is the authentic candidate of the party in the state.

    He pointed out the dismissal of the Ishola Balogun-Fulani from the peace accord signing ceremony has put to rest rumour concerning who the real candidate of the party is.

    AbdulRazaq said this at the APC stakeholders’ meeting in Ilorin, the state capital.

    He said: “Balogun-Fulani came to the peace accord but he was sent away.

    “This reaffirms our position that we are the true members of the APC. The other ones are just doing the bidding of their masters in the PDP.”

    “The whole world now knows who the authentic candidate is. We are the only one known to the INEC as that event shows.”

    He also announced the appointment of three director-generals to coordinate his campaign.

    “We have decided to do things differently by appointing three DGs, each representing each of the senatorial districts.

    “We hereby announce Ambassador Yahaya Seriki as the DG for Kwara Central,” according to AbdulRazaq.

    He said the remaining DGs will be unveiled at the stakeholders’ meetings in their zones.

    He called on party members and leaders to work as one team to wrestle power from the PDP, praising the Kwara people for the massive acceptance of his aspiration and messages.

    “Our campaigns have been peaceful and our people have bought into our O To Ge movement.

    “The response of our opponents has been to attack our rallies. But we will not fall for their bait. We will not derail because we are bonafides of Kwara,” AbdulRazaq added.

  • INEC recognises Abdulrazaq as Kwara APC gov candidate

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday expressed worries over the spate of political violence in Kwara state.

    INEC added the recent political violent attacks in Ilorin, the state capital were disturbing and worrisome.

    The state INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Garba Attahiru said this at the signing of a peace accord by political parties organised by the commission.

    Attahiru added that the commission registered 1.4 million voters in the state, adding 1.1 million had collected their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs).

    The INEC boss assured of the preparedness of the commission to conduct free, fair and credible election in the state.

    He said that the “Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is in existence as result of political parties. No INEC without political parties and I urge all political parties to talk to their supporters to follow rules and regulations of the game.

    “It is God that gives power and power is for service delivery to the people. We should desist from campaign of calumny and engage in issue based campaigns.”

    Speaking at the event, the Commissioner of police Bashir Makama said the command had arrested some unidentified number of political thugs in connection with the recent attacks in the state.

    Read Also: INEC to engage 14, 000 adhoc staff

    He added those arrested would soon be charged to court

    Makama also threatened to arrest political parties’ leaders whose members are found to be fomenting trouble in the state.

    No fewer than 23 representatives of the political parties eventually appended their signatures to the peace accord.

    Two factions initially showed up for the All Progressives Congress (APC) but the court-recognised Ishola Balogun-Fulani faction eventually left even before the commencement of the programme.

    This left the National Working Committee-recognised Bashir Bolarinwa to sign the accord on behalf of the APC.

    The exclusion of the Balogun-Fulani faction from the important exercise appears to have rested the rumour the INEC will recognise its candidates in the coming polls in Kwara, thereby confirming AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the governorship candidate of the party especially that his candidature did not form a part of the issues decided in the court case by the Balogun-Fulani faction.

    Balogun-Fulani is a known follower of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his decision to remain in the APC had long been called an attempt to destabilise the opposition.

  • Ahmed bans street rallies, processions over violence

    Kwara state Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed on Tuesday banned street rallies and processions over political violence in the last few days.

    He vowed the full weight of the law will be brought to bear on perpetrators of the violence the state witnessed recently.

    The governor added his administration would not allow the state to slide back to the dark era of fear and violence.

    The governor said this in Ilorin, the state capital during a state wide radio broadcast.

    He said: “As an additional security measure, political street rallies and processions are hereby banned across the state.

    ”Only political rallies in designated areas and with prior notification to the state police command will be allowed henceforth.

    “No individual, group or political party will be allowed to disrupt the harmony that defines us as a people.

    “As you are aware, political campaigns have commenced ahead of the general elections.

    “In keeping with the tradition in our state, these campaigns were expected to be robust but peaceful.

    “Unfortunately, what we have witnessed instead is an increasing resort to criminality as a result of heightened political activities, with a consequent threat to law and order.

    “Anyone found to have either contributed to the recent violence or apprehended for involvement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, no matter their status, background or political affiliation.”

    The governor went on: “Kwara state’s peace, security and harmony cannot and will not be sacrificed for the ambition of any individual or political party.

    “Yesterday, I chaired an emergency state security council meeting and charged the police and other security agencies to deploy all lawful measures to secure lives and property in the state.

    “Following assurances by these security agencies, I urge all our people to go about their lawful activities without fear for their safety.

    “Our security agencies are capable and ready to forestall any further recurrence of such ugly incident.

    “As your governor, I assure you that no effort will be spared by my government to protect the lives and property of all law-abiding residents of the state.

    Read Also: Ahmed decries destruction of parties’ billboards

    I also urge you to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities, movements and developments to the security agencies for prompt action.

    “In this regard, I have approved the establishment of a Joint Military Task Force comprising the police, army, navy, airforce, Department Of State Security, Civil Defence and the National Drug law enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    “This body is tasked with providing an extra layer of security and preventing a recurrence of the political violence witnessed in the last couple of days.

    ‘The state police command is hereby authorized to ensure full compliance.

    “Political parties and their supporters are also charged to campaign and solicit votes in a lawful manner and refrain from deploying divisive and inciting rhetoric or instigating violence against real or perceived opponents.

    “Thuggery, vandalism, intimidation and other forms of criminality will neither be allowed no condoned in any part of the state.

    “Those who aspire to political leadership must conduct themselves in peaceful and lawful manner while prioritizing the safety of those they seek to lead.

    “I urge you to remain calm as your security and safety will continue to be protected and guaranteed by the security agencies.”

     

  • Kwara police deny threat to Saraki’s life

     

    Kwara state police command on Saturday described alleged threat to the life of the Senate President Bukola Saraki as untrue.

    The command also dismissed allegation of threat to any of Senator Saraki’s family members life as well as supporters by members of the command.

    In a statement, state Commissioner of police, Mr Bashir Makama said that

    Senator Bukola Saraki being the number three citizen of the country is held in high esteem by the command.

    He added that he had also been enjoying every security privileges entitled to his office and person.

    Read Also: 2019 election is not about me, says Saraki

    Makama explained that the command as of right has provided a level playing ground for all registered political parties in the state.

    The statement maintained that since the commencement of political activities , suspects arrested for politically motivated crimes and offences from any political party were investigated and prosecuted.

    The statement noted that the Senate President or any of his supporters had never reported any case to any police station in the state of threat to his life, family or any of his supporters.

    He assured the people of Kwara state of the determination of the command to ensure adequate security of their lives and property at all times.

     

  • Saraki alleges threat to life, fingers APC thugs, Police

    Senate President Bukola Saraki is alleging threat to his life and those of his family in Ilorin, Kwara State.

    He accused thugs allegedly sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the police as the brains behind the alleged move to eliminate him and his family.

    Addressing reporters in Abuja yesterday, Saraki  who doubles as  the Director General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation claimed that on Thursday, APC thugs “shielded by policemen went to my family quarters in Agbaji in Ilorin, and vandalized houses, shops and inflicted wounds with matchetes  on three people.”

    He said: “All these destructions took place in the presence of policemen who came with them but watched without any care, as the APC thugs and supporters unleashed violence on our people.

    “For me, personally, I believe the decision to attack people and properties in my family ancestral compound is a direct affront and attack on my person.

    “And whatever signal these APC elements with support from the police believe they are sending is definitely sinister, uncivilized and unfortunate.”

    The Senate President said the police continued to show undisguised hostility toward him and his supporters in the state.

    The former Kwara State Governor said reports of the attacks were filed in relevant police stations in Ilorin, but expressed doubts that anything tangible and constructive would come out of the reports.

    He stated further that as part of the plot, the police, under the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, on Thursday, commenced the transfer of Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) out of Kwara State.

    Saraki called on Nigerians and the entire world to hold the IGP responsible should anything untoward happen to him and members of his family.

    “While the police are free to take decisions on the deployment of their personnel, we found the postings in Kwara State strange and more than a mere coincidence,” he said.

    “It should also be noted that IGP has posted three different Commissioners of Police to Kwara State in the last six months. In fact, the previous and current Commissioner of Police in the state got strict instructions from the IGP not to relate or engage with the Senate President”, Saraki added.

    According to him, the usual practice has been that the Commissioner of Police personally ensures the security of the Senate President whenever he visits his home state.

    He said all his predecessors in office were accorded that security cover whenever they visited their home states and that he also enjoyed it in his first year in office from 2015 to 2016.

    Saraki expressed apprehension over his personal safety as the ward to ward electioneering campaign is about to begin across the state.

    Said he, “We need to make it clear to the entire world that now that ward to ward campaign is about to begin in the state and I am set to participate in that grassroots campaign, as I have always done, nobody is sure what instructions Mr. Idris has given to the police command in the state.

    “Thus, the entire world should hold the IGP responsible if anything untoward happens to members of my family and myself”.

    Deploring the role of the IGP in the entire plot, Saraki continued, “Do not forget that before now, this same IGP has tried several tricks to implicate me in some criminal charges.

    “First, he arrested some cultists and was about to compel them to claim they worked for me. We exposed the trick early enough and the media also pointed out holes in his story. He quickly withdrew that.

    “Later, he went on to the Offa robbery case and politicized the investigation in order to rope me. In the process of forcing suspects to implicate me, the principal suspect died in their custody.”

  • 2019 election is not about me, says Saraki

    The Senate President Bukola Saraki on Tuesday said the 2019 election in the state is about the preservation of Kwara state culture and tradition.

    He added that the election is not he as the senate president nor the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Senator Saraki added that the people of Kwara state would resist plans by some desperate politicians and their local collaborators to annex the state to the south-west.

    He said Kwara belongs to Kwarans and all efforts by seasonal politicians to hand it over to their Lagos and Abuja paymasters shall be frustrated.

    The Senate President spoke at Bode Saadu, headquarters of Moro local government area, in Kwara north during the official flag off of the campaign of the PDP.

    Saraki added: “This election is not about me or our governorship candidate, Razak Atunwa. It’s about this state, our tradition. Time will tell about whatever we do today. We go back to PDP because we need a government that will care for our people, gives jobs to our people. We should not vote a candidate whose DG said’ he does not care, he does not know.”

    Earlier, Governor Abdufatah Ahmed said: “We are flagging off our campaign to usher in another PDP government. You can all see hunger, poverty in the last three years of APC government. We want to bring in PDP to change the narrative. We shall usher in PDP government in Nigeria and Kwara.

    The state chairman of the PDP, Hon. Kola Shittu said only PDP government will be beneficial to the people of the state and Nigerians in general.

    “PDP government will provide jobs for our youths. Many people have decamped to PDP because of our leaders’ sincerity and welfarism programmes,” he added.

    Read Also: APC cautions supporters against anti-party activities

    In his opening remarks, the Director General of PDP campaign council in the state, Prof Abubakar Sulaiman described APC as a deceitful party which does not mean well for the people of Kwara state.

    He added that: “Kwara election is between the real stakeholders and pretenders and those with territorial expansionist ambition. Kwara belongs to the north and we should not allow them to take the state to the south west. The APC has nothing to offer the state, they only have deception. We should vote for Atiku. Kwara should not vote for ‘ ghosts’ because” we don’t know those paradigm themselves as gubernatorial candidate now. They have never contributed anything to the development of the state “.
    Atunwa promised to run a government of welfarism if elected as the state’s next governor.

    He lamented that “the APC led federal government denied Kwara youths job placements. Our government shall provide jobs for them. Women will be empowered.

  • Amaechi: 2019 fight between rich, poor in Kwara

    Director General Buhari/Osibajo Campaign Organisation Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi on Friday revealed that the 2019 elections in Kwara and by extension Nigeria are between the rich and the poor.

    Amaechi added that the rich and thieves have ganged-up against the All Progressives Congress (APC) -led administration.

    Amaechi, who is the Transportation Minister, said this in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital at the inauguration of APC ward canvassers ahead of 2019 general elections in the state.

    He said: “We are gathered here today to peacefully take over power from the rich and hand over to the poor. That is what APC stands for. We join the poor to say we must take power from the rich. We join the poor to say ‘enough is enough.’

    “The elite and the thieves have ganged-up against APC. But they don’t have the power because they don’t have the number. The number is with the poor and the poor must rise to vote on that day. Take

    “This election is between the rich and the poor. Now the poor have realized that they are tired. If at the end of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government we had $58 billion, where is the money now? How much did state governments collect? How much did the Federal Government collect? What did they do with the money?

    “When I was a student at the University of Port Harcourt I predicted that one day the poor will rise. It will get to a point when the poor will begin to eat big men. What you are seeing in Kwara is a modern Tunisia. It was a poor man that started the Arab Spring in Tunisia. Today Kwara is leading the revolution to change Nigeria. Power must
    return to the poor. One problem we all have is that even we the poor are being deceived by them.

    “Big men are in all the parties o! The difference between other parties and ours is that the big men in our party are all progressives. Other parties don’t care, they want to even collect what the poor is eating from them.”

    Earlier, Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the gathering was a demonstration of the people’s resolve to rescue the state from “those who have held it by the jugular, those who have pauperized our people, the pathologically-dishonest ones who govern by deceit.”

    Read Also: FG to assist erosion, flood-prone communities

    Alhaji Mohammed, who is the leader of APC in the state added that: “We are inaugurating an army of well recruited, tested and trusted canvassers, who will go from house to house in each of the 1,872 polling units to tell our people why they must vote for President Muhammadu Buhari and all the candidates of APC right here in Kwara State in the 2019 general elections.

    “Gathered here today are 1,872 canvassers representing the 18,720 canvassers. That is one canvasser per each polling unit across the 193 wards in Kwara State. We are also inaugurating today 193 ward co-ordinators, 193 ward secretaries, 193 ward women leaders and 193 ward youth leaders.

    “These canvassers will be our victory army, the army that will dismantle the gargantuan edifice of corruption and mis-governance that has held our dear state down for too long. This unprecedented move is our most potent weapon against the enemies of the state and the oppressors of the people.” He urged the APC candidates in the state not to entertain any fear against the backdrop of the recent Kwara state High Court judgement recognizing the dissolved Balogun-Fulani-led executives of APC.

    Said he: “Please permit me to use this forum to assure all candidates elected on the platform of our great party: our governorship, NationalAssembly and House of Assembly candidates that the recent court judgment in respect of the state executive council of the party has not affected the validity of their candidature. They remain the authentic candidates of our great party and should go about their campaigns without any fear of being disqualified.

    “While we have gone ahead to appeal this judgment, our candidates should not be distracted by the antics of the desperate opposition in Kwara State. I have read the judgement. The suit was not properly constituted. None of the candidates was joined as a party and therefore the judgement cannot be binding on any of them. It is an elementary principle of law that a judgment cannot be binding on a person who was not a party to the suit, just as a person who is not a party to a suit cannot benefit from the judgement. Do not panic. Do
    not be distracted.”

    The minister also used the forum to reel out once again the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s achievements in the last three and half years.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari has delivered on his promise to revamp the economy, secure our country and fight corruption. This has made the work of our canvassers much easier because they know exactly what to tell the people.

    “No government in the history of Nigeria has achieved this feat. Even our detractors acknowledge this, though the lust for power often beclouds their sense of judgement.”

  • Ahmed frowns at destruction of political parties billboards

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has described as unfortunate and unacceptable, the vandalization of billboards belonging to political parties and their candidates in the state by unknown persons.

    The new state Commissioner of police Bashir Manama had last week vowed not condone destruction of political parties billboards ahead of 2019 general elections in the state.

    Governor Ahmed, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Dr Muyideen Akorede, denounced the action and warned political parties, their candidates and supporters to desist from such actions in the interest of peace and harmonious coexistence that Kwara State is renowned for.

    He urged political parties and their candidates to campaign for votes in the forthcoming general elections on the basis on their ideas and plans for the electorate rather than deploying force, violent rhetoric or otherwise taking the law into their hands.

    Read Also: Ahmed presents staff of office to 19 monarchs

    The governor said only the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria(APCON) and the Kwara State Signage and Advertising Agency (KWASAA) are authorized by law to either approve or remove outdoor advertising for non-compliance with existing regulations. He, therefore, stressed that the police and other law enforcement agencies in the state have been advised to arrest and prosecute anyone either violating the law on outdoor advertising or illegally destroying billboards.

    He reiterated his call on the people of Kwara state to exercise their franchise freely without fear or favour in the 2019 elections and desist from any actions capable of creating crises, violence or otherwise disrupting the polls.

    The governor said it is the responsibility of all concerned to ensure that Kwara State maintains its reputation for rancour-free campaigns and elections.

  • Kwara ex-councillors protest against non payment of entitlements

    Former councillors in Kwara state have protested against non payment of their entitlements by the state government.

    The ex-councillors who are members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state also threatened to dump the party should the state government fail to settle their severance packages.

    The councillors served between 2013 and 2016 across 16 Local Government Areas of the state.

    The affected PDP members include 166 councillors, 80 supervisory councillors 16 secretaries and 16 vice chairmen.

    Spokesman of the group Bisi Oloyede told The Nation that the concerned members had taken several steps to resolve the issue amicably without success.

    Oloyede noted that Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed had promised several times to address the problems but all to no avail.

    “The Senate President, Bukola Saraki who is also the leader of the party has equally promised to find lasting solution to this problem, but yet unresolved,” he added.

    The aggrieved ex- councillors regretted their unalloyed loyalty to both the party and Senate President, threatening to go to any length if their issues are not quickly addressed.

    Read Also: Kwara APC reports judge to NJC

    He warned that if no step is taking to address the issue,  they may be forced to take drastic actions against the wish of the party.

    He urged the government to do the needful by paying all their entitlements within the shortest reasonable period of time to retain their membership in the party.

    “We built PDP structure together.  We love our party and the dynasty,  but unfortunately we are disappointed  for their negligence on our issues,” he said.

     

  • Kwara Assembly passes N157.8b 2019 budget into law

    The Kwara State House of Assembly has passed N157.8 billion 2019 budget for the state into law.

    This is 0.19 percent higher than N157. 5 billion presented by the state Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to the House on December 6th.

    The capital expenditure of the 2019 budget is now N79.6 billion against N79. 8 billion proposed by the governor, representing 50.44 percent of the total budget.

    The recurrent expenditure is now N71.1 billion as against N70.7 billion representing 49.56 percent of the total budget.

    The house, allocated N1.2 billion as one percent of the state Consolidated Revenue Fund, for the State Health Insurance Agency.

    Read Also: Kwara 2019: APC and the search for a running mate

    The aim is to ensure accessible qualitative healthcare delivery to the people of the state.
    Speaking after the passage of the budget, the Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad, while directing the Clerk of the House, Hajia Halimat Jumai Kperogi, to prepare a clean copy for the governor’s assent, praised members and staff for providing the platform in moving the state forward.

    Dr. Ahmad explained that, with the passage of the budget, the House had demonstrated its commitment and high sense of patriotism.

    He however expressed displeasure of non funding of the audit unit by the state government.

    He pointed out that the eighth legislature under his watch, had been consistent in allocating fund for the audit department for accountability and transparency in governance.