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Tag: Lai Mohammed

  • Pupils’ killings: Visit Yobe now, APC advises Jonathan

    Pupils’ killings: Visit Yobe now, APC advises Jonathan

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has advised President Goodluck Jonathan, as the father of the nation and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, not to be afraid to visit any part of the country for whatever reasons.

    In a statement in Lagos yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party reminded the President that he has not yet visited Yobe State, one month after the killing of many school children in the state, to commiserate with the government and the bereaved families.

    It said the first month of the killings, which is tomorrow, provides another opportunity for the President to visit the state.

    APC said since the President’s planned return from his latest foray abroad on Tuesday coincides with the first month of the killings, he should fly straight to Yobe.

    ‘’As we said in our earlier statement on this issue on March 10th, ‘far from being a mere formality, such a visit will provide great succour to the families of the victims, reassure them and other residents of the state that their government has not abandoned them to their fate, and also serve as a morale booster for our gallant troops who are battling the terrorists, against all odds’,’’ it said.

    APC reminded the President that since the killings, he has hosted a wasteful centennial celebration, travelled across Nigeria to illegally kick-start his campaign for the 2015 elections and journeyed to Namibia, Italy and The Netherlands, in a needless junketing that belies the massive security problems facing the country.

    ‘’Mr. President, charity begins at home. You cannot be engaging in photo-ops abroad when your country is burning,’’ the party said.

    It said President Jonathan’s insensitive junketing and law-breaking campaign rallies across Nigeria best illustrate the old saying ‘’Nero fiddling while Rome burns’’.

    APC advised President Jonathan, as the father of the nation and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian armed forces, not to be afraid to visit any part of the country for whatever reason.

    ‘’In this case, President Jonathan’s pointed avoidance of Yobe, where the death of innocent school children highlights the senseless nature of the Boko Haram insurgency, is a morale booster of sorts to the cowards who murdered those children

    ‘’If however the President has any reason why he does not want to visit the scene of the gruesome murders to commiserate with the bereaved families, he should tell Nigerians who have continued to wonder why he has been avoiding the state,’’ the party said.

  • APC: Roadmap for welfare state

    APC: Roadmap for welfare state

    Since 1999, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been in power. But, the challenges of development have persisted. Can the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), fix Nigeria in 2015? Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the party’s manifesto, which makes it a credible alternative platform.

    For 14 years, the country has been at crossroads. The challenges are overwhelming. The poor economy has led to an illusion of hope. The failed budgets have exposed imprudent management. The atmosphere of insecurity is not investment-driven. The energy crisis has led to a high cost of production and crippled the manufacturing sector. Bad roads are death traps. The rot in the aviation sector, soaring unemployment and corruption are the nation’s albatross. Who will fix the crumbling edifice in 2015?

    The all Progressives Congress (APC) attempted to provide answers to these puzzles last week in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), when it unveiled its manifestos. The 10-point road map, in its leaders’ view, may herald a welfarist state. There is a signal that the ideological culture of the old is about to be re-invented. The highlights of the manifestos include the creation of 20,000 jobs per state, free and qualitative education, better housing plan, improved funding for agriculture, independence for anti-corruption agencies and security. Others are social security for the poor, technological driven industrial estates, allowances for ex-corps members for 12 months and war against corruption.

    To political watchers, the die is cast between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition platform, the APC. The prelude to the battle is the contest of ideas. Many Nigerians have hailed the party’s plans, but, the PDP frowned at it, dismissing it as unrealistic. Its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, described it as a road map to anarchy, adding that it will lead to doom.

    The APC Interim Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that, ahead of the next general elections, the party would approach voters with the road map. He said that the manifestos would halt the cries of despondency, when it is implemented, unlike the Federal Government’s transformation agenda, which has become a disaster, owing to faulty implementation. Mohammed, who described the road map as the outcome of the national need assessment, stressed: “We commissioned a survey on what is wrong with Nigeria; what exactly Nigerians need. unemployment, corruption and insecurity are the major problems confronting Nigeria today. So, the road map is a result of what Nigerians need. He added: “What we have done today is to show that there is a big difference between the PDP and the APC. We are after a new Nigeria. This is a new Nigeria we are creating in which the people will be the beginning and the end of all developmental programmes”.

    Already, some of these manifestos are being implemented in some APC states. In Ekiti State, Governor Kayode Fayemi is implementing a novel social security scheme for the vulnerable aged people. Beneficiaries have acknowledged the programme, which they described as life-prolonging. In Osun State, Governor Rauf Aregbesola is fighting the infrastructure battle. The state has the highest number of towns in the country. Across these towns, roads are being constructed and rehabilitated. In fact, in his first one hundred days in office, the governor created 20, 000 jobs. the provision of employment may have reduced crime in the state. In Lagos State, Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has delivered on his promise to provide affordable housing within the context of the current economic realities. Many road projects are on-going. The light rail project is on course. The state is a huge construction site.

    In Rivers State, the resources of the state are judiciously deployed to developmental projects. The governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has built new schools, rehabilitated many schools, and commissioned new roads. There is no sector that is not touched by the governor, despite the concerted efforts made by his detractors to divert his attention from state business. In Zamfara State, Governor Yari has revolutionalised agriculture and turned it into an income yielding venture. In Kwara State, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed is building on the legacies of former Governor Bukola Saraki. In Oyo State, the urban renewal efforts of Governor Abiola Ajimobi has given Ibadannand other towns a face lift. Even, members of the PDP in Ogun State have applauded the giant strides of the Amosun Administration. In Kano State, Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso has run an accountable government. The dividends of democracy are felt at the grassroots.

    The next stage, said the APC Interim Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, is their replication at the federal level, if the party wins the presidential election. Other leaders, including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, and the 16 APC governors also believe that they are achievable goals. Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Wamakko, who spoke at the presentation of the road map, submitted that it is not a rhetoric, but a blue-print for change. He said, through its effective implementation, the party will restore national dignity.

    His Yobe counterpart, Ibrahim Geidam, berated the PDP for its failure to revive the power sector and reduce insecurity. He said, instead, the party has promoted arrogance of power, impunity and corruption. But, the Yobe governor assured that hope is not lost, if the people vote wisely in the next year’s election. “The legacy of any government is to make its country stronger and better. In the power sector, there was a drop of 924 megawatts of power in 2013 and since then, it has continued to drop. In the last six months, the National Economic Council has not met. Today, there is insecurity in the country, especially in the Northeast. The only solution to the problem of insecurity is the swearing in of an APC government in 2015”, he added.

    The manifestos, according to analysts, underscores the party’s vision for a brighter future. It also reveals strategic planning. Although the party has not revealed its implementation strategies fully, the performance of their governors gives an assurance that there will be good governance, if there is power shift in 2015.

    A political scientist, Boniface Ayodele, lauded the priority given to employment in the road map. He observed that the country has been sitting on a keg of gun powder, judging by the number of jobless graduates. He said that there is a link between unemployment and crime, which government has ignored to the country’s peril. “National conference cannot solve unemployment. The solution is a concrete plan aimed at reviving the power sector and revatalising the manufacturing sub-sector”, he said.

    According to the road map, the creation of 20,000 jobs has implications. The scope is the secondary school leavers, who are to savour technological and vocational training. However, Ayodele said that, there is also the need to tackle under-unemployment. “When graduates now sell recharge cards on the road or when they become road sweepers, that is not employment that can serve as reward for tertiary education. If there is stable power supply, many youths will be able to become creative and productive through sheer handwork, deployment of talents to creative endeavours”, Ayodele added.

    Many stakeholders have applauded the determination of the APC to rid Nigeria of corruption. In the manifestos, the party proposed stiff penalty for graft. This include forfeiture and seizure of assets and inexplicable wealth, reinvigoration of the legal system to prevent delays in corruption trials, a guarantee for the independence of the anti-corruption agencies, and transparent government transactions.

    Since the setting up of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the PDP government has claimed that the anti-corruption battle was on course. The evidence on ground has contradicted this claim. Graft has dented the image of the country in the comity of nation. Last month, the House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, chided President Goodluck Jonathan for condoning corruption. It is an understatement. According to critics, the alleged missing N20 billion oil money is a pointed to the monumental fraud being committed daily by power barons.

    To wipe out corruption, a chieftain of the APC, Mr. Isiaka Adekunle-Ibrahim, said that party leaders should develop the commitment, will and capacity to confront the challenge. He said that public office and money are too tempting, adding that the party should build a culture of discipline and self-control. “The APC government at the centre will only be able to fight corruption, if the leaders live by example. The state governors are doing that already. The money they have as governors are not even enough to implement their developmental projects. So, they can’t afford to embezzle them. If the anti-corruption posture of the governors is carried over to Abuja, then, there will be hope. If the APC President is not corrupt, he will not appoint corrupt ministers. If the leader is clean and he has the ability to insist on probity, all will be well”, Adekunle-Ibrahim added.

    APC’s panacea to insecurity has been public knowledge before the release of the road map. In the past, the APC governors had visited Maiduguri, the Bornu State capital, to give solidarity to their colleague, Ibrahim Kashim, and assess the situation on ground. Many Nigerians believe that the Federal Government has failed to halt terrorism, in spite of the huge money committed to the anti-terror war. Not only have commercial activities been put on hold, many have deserted their towns and villages, owing to the onslaught by the dreadful Boko Haram sect.

    Apart from the menace of Boko Haram, kidnapping is also thriving in other parts of the country. Youths also engage in cyber crime. Others engage in ritual killings. In the Southsouth, militancy has not stopped, despite the amnesty programmes, which gulped a huge sum of money from the federal purse.

    In the APC’s reckoning, peace and security are fundamental to Nigeria’s social and economic wellbeing. It believes that every Nigerian should be safe and free to work in any part of the country, regardless of tribe, ethnicity or religious beliefs. One of the measures canvassed by the party is the restoration of true federalism. If this is done, the party believes that states will have their local police forces that can address the special needs of each community. Therefore, community policing will not be ruled out as it will engender trust in the members of the community that would be served by he peculiar arrangement.

    APC also has good plans for education, the resolution of the ethno-religious conflicts, peaceful co-existence, national healing and girl-child education.

    However, to translate these dreams into reality, the party have some hurdles to cross. The choice of its presidential flag bearer and running mate is a challenge. Before the selection process, its leadership structures have to be firmly established as a properly constituted national congress. The congresses at the wards, local governments and states will herald the national convention.

    Adekunle-Ibrahim said that “eyes are on this great party as it forges ahead to the next election”, adding that party leaders will need to give concessions and build consensus on many issues of importance for the party to survive the onslaught of the ruling party and the Federal Government. The watchword is unity.

    “The APC registration was successful in most parts of the country. The party could have done better in some states. Party management is challenging. There is public goodwill and solidarity, but the party must manage its achievements,” he added.

    Another party member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, advised the party leadership to promote the culture of reconciliation and crisis resolution. “This can be done by opening the channels of communication and avenues for ventilation of grievances”, he advised.

     

     

     

  • APC accuses Fed Govt of secret moves to hike fuel price

    APC accuses Fed Govt of secret moves to hike fuel price

    •Fed Govt insincere with fuel scarcity, says NUPENG

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government of acting out a clandestine script to increase fuel prices.

    It said the nation-wide fuel scarcity may have been induced to make higher fuel prices a fait accompli for Nigerians.

    In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the fact that the scarcity has persisted despite the claims and counter-claims by the government and the oil markers, and the measures purportedly taken by the government to ameliorate the situation, is the clearest indication of official deception.

    “The more fuel trucks the government claims to have sent to major cities to ease the scarcity, the more difficult it is for Nigerians to obtain the product. This is an old trick and Nigerians should not be hoodwinked into believing there will be no increase in fuel prices.

    The only deterrent is to let the government know Nigerians will resist any price hike.

    “The truth is that with the elections approaching, the PDP-led Federal Government is desperately seeking all possible avenues to raise funds for its usual electoral shenanigans, and increasing fuel prices has always been an attractive option to the government, not minding what the impact will be on the same people it has impoverished since 1999,’’ it said.

    APC said the lingering scarcity has already forced many Nigerians to pay as much as 120 Naira per litre of fuel, which is exactly as the FG wants it to be.

    “The next refrain from the government will be that only higher prices will guarantee the availability of the product, and that many marketers are unwilling to import the product because of low profit margin. We urge Nigerians not to swallow this bait,’’ the party said.

    It commended the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for its timely warning against any plan to hike fuel prices, saying the Jonathan Administration’s assurances that fuel prices would not be increased are not worth anything because the government is credibility-deficient.

    “The big deception of 2012, when the government slammed a massive price hike on Nigerians on New Year’s day despite assurances to the contrary, is still too fresh in the memories of Nigerians. The same people who inflicted that pain on Nigerians are still in charge, so no one should trust them,” APC warned.

    The Deputy National Chairman of the Petrol Tankers Drivers (PTD) Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), NNPC, Apata, Ibadan, Comrade Salimon Oladiti, has accused the Federal Government of insincerity on the reason for the fuel scarcity.

    Oladiti said it was a method by the government to increase fuel pump prices.

    The NUPENG spoke yesterday at the Oyo State House of Assembly complex, Secretariat, Ibadan.

    “We in the Labour have been trying our possible best to mount pressure on the Federal Government. Now if you want to buy petrol in Lagos now from private depot, it is N100, whereas they are just sending little quantity to NNPC depot. That is why we are experiencing all this things. What the Minister of Petroleum said about marketers diverting of fuel was a total lie.

    ”How many times will they continue to say that we are the cause of this crisis? When the product is available, did you experience or hear from them that somebody is diverting the fuel, or that somebody is going on leave and all that? All her excuses are nonsense. If someone is not productive, then the President of the day should replace him with somebody that is ready to do the job, rather than playing politics with issues every time.”

    He urged all Nigerians to mount pressure on the Federal Government to give a reasonable explanation on the fuel scarcity.

  • APC denies copying PDP’s manifesto

    APC denies copying PDP’s manifesto

    •Accuses Presidency of voodoo opinion poll

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) said yesterday it has never in any manner copied the manifesto of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), because it is empty.

    It insisted that the recent poll by KA Research Ltd, Africa Division, which gave it a 10 per cent edge over PDP was more authentic than NOI Polls allegedly traced to the Minister of Finance, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo–Iweala.

    APC accused the Presidency and PDP of practising voodoo with doctored opinion poll.

    The party made its position known at a briefing in Abuja by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, preparatory to the launching of its “ROADMAP” tomorrow.

    He said: “You see, we did not copy any manifesto. Honestly, if anybody is going to copy any manifesto, PDP’s manifesto is the worst to be copied. It should be clear to everybody.

    “In fact, when we merged, Nigerians were yearning for merger on a daily basis. We held news conferences. We raised a merger committee. We set up a manifesto committee led by Chief Audu Ogbeh. It was a beautiful piece of work. But you can see that we have even gone a step further with our roadmap.

    “When our manifesto committee was raised, we needed that manifesto to meet Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) requirements to register. What we have is the roadmap, built on what the manifesto committee did. It will be suicidal for any party in Nigeria to copy PDP’s manifesto. I am not even aware if they have any. If they have, it is not even good. Why would anybody copy them?”

    Mohammed said contrary to insinuations, it was the PDP, which was poaching APC members because it was jittery.

    He added: “I listened to the national chairman of the PDP in Ilorin on Monday and he talked about poaching. We never poached. You see, when we started the process last year, we announced to the whole world that the defunct ANPP, the defunct ACN and the defunct CPC would enter into a merger and become one party.

    “We went into the process as prescribed for us by relevant laws and the constitution. That was the first stage. This is why I keep explaining to people that three things happened in Nigeria, which changed the political landscape. The first was on July 31, 2013, the day INEC approved the merger. From that day, the political calculations, the political permutations in the country changed.

    “The second was exactly a month after when seven PDP leaders and their governors walked out of a convention and PDP has not recovered from that. The final was the day the new PDP joined the APC.

    “So what happened was on the one hand via merger, which was perfectly legitimate; then we had an implosion within the PDP. It was that implosion, which led to the walking out of the leaders, which finally led to their coming to join the APC. We did not poach.

    “Now, it is true that probably if there had been no merger, there will be no such platform. Those governors and those PDP senators would have been probably forced to stay in PDP. This is because there would have been no options for them.

    “Come to the ACN, they will say it is a Southwest party. Go to ANPP, they will say it is a northern regional party. Go to this, they will say it is one man party. Now because our own leaders had the foresight of embarking on this merger, despite the cynicism of everybody, by the time the implosion happened, there was a national platform for them. This is what the National Chairman of PDP, Adamu Muazu, is mistaking for poaching. We never poached anywhere.”

    The APC interim National Publicity Secretary said the PDP National Chairman was mistaking defection for poaching.

    Said he: “However, while the law makes it permanently legal, legitimate for a governor, the deputy governor, the president or the vice president to move over from the party upon which he or she is elected to another party, it is not so easy with the legislators.

    “So there is no ceremony if a governor crosses to APC tomorrow. But for a legislator to be able to move, it is expected that there is a faction within your party. Also there are procedures in the House. So, those 44 or 45 senators, who moved from PDP to APC, and the 37 members from the House of Representatives, who moved from PDP to APC were only following all righteousness to inform the House and the Senate President. Obviously, it is because of the faction within the PDP. Even today, I read that Oyinlola said he still remains the authentic National Secretary of the party.

    “So whatever we have done, look at it from the view point of the constitution, from the view point of the law. We have always been law-abiding. They are the ones poaching. We did not poach in any way.”

    On the controversy over opinion poll, Mohammed said APC did not conduct the survey on its own.

    He gave insights into how the poll was conducted and released some indices to show that it was a credible exercise.

    According to him, “for the benefit of the President and his likes who are hard of hearing, let’s give more specifics on the polling company and poll:

    “•The survey has been conducted by KA Research Limited, Africa Division, on behalf of APC Nigeria within the 2015 Pre-Election Polling Programme, between December 9, 2013 and January 12, 2014.

    “•The survey results is based on a Face to Face Nationwide Survey conducted in 36 States + FCT in Nigeria; with sample size of 21.091 interviews; representing 18+ population of Nigeria living in urban and rural settlements.

    “•The survey respondents have been selected using multi-stage random sampling methodology across all Nigerian states; interviewed by experienced and trained local field teams in each state.

    “•The survey results have a margin of sampling error of +/- 0.7 per cent, including design effect.

    “•KA Research Limited (KARL) is a privately-owned international research company, based in Brussels, Belgium and Istanbul, Turkey; operating in more than 60 countries with its own offices, subsidiaries and affiliates in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA Region).

    “•The company specialises in social and political polling; economic and media research in EMEA Region; its clientele includes private, governmental, non-governmental and academic clients, think-tanks; such as World Bank, United Nations, UNICEF, UNDP, Save The Children, USAID, DFID, University of Michigan, University of Maryland, CSIS, Brooking Institutions, National Democratic Institute, ABC News, BBC World Service, NHK Japan, ARD Germany, Deutsche Welle, Radio France International, Coca-Cola and Burger King Corporations; the company is also cooperating and working closely with major global research and consulting companies in EMEA Regions.”

    The APC spokesman said the release of the poll outcome had created confusion in the Presidency.

    He said: “First, the Presidency was confused. They seemed to think the APC conducted this survey itself. No, they got things wrong.

    “Unlike the PDP, we do not conduct surveys ourselves; instead, we commissioned professionals to conduct our polls. We used experts in the field so that the results are accurate and above reproach. In this instance, our poll was conducted by KA Research Limited, Africa Division. It was the largest survey of its kind ever conducted in Nigeria. I understand how this might have been confusing to the Presidency, since the PDP does not use unbiased, professional pollsters.

    “This explains why the results were such a shock to the PDP. The Presidency suggested we were practising some kind of voodoo. It seems the voodoo is coming entirely from the PDP and its survey company.

    “Second, just who is the PDP/Presidency’s polling company? It is a firm named NOI Polls. And just who is this firm? Do those initials ring a bell? The Presidency’s pollster is none other than Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (NOI), the Coordinating Minister herself!

    “And considering she recently lost track of more than $20billion at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), why would anyone trust any number she ever produced?

    “If there’s anyone practising voodoo, it’s NOI polls. And when you ask the Coordinating Minister about her polling company, make sure to also ask her about the money that’s disappeared, and that the people of Nigeria need their money back!

    “So, now that we’ve set the record straight and we know our survey numbers are the correct and credible ones, let’s review those results one more time:

    “When asked, “If the elections were held today, would you vote for Goodluck Jonathan or the candidate of the All Progressives Congress,” the APC candidate held a 10-point b lead over the President. By a margin of 44 per cent to 34 per cent (with 22 per cent undecided), the APC candidate was the clear national choice.

    “When asked, “In general, do you think things in Nigeria are going in a good direction or bad direction,” by a staggering more than two-to-one margin (50 per cent-24 per cent), Nigerians responded that the country was going in a bad direction.

    “When asked, “What issue would you like the President and National Assembly to focus on most,” an overwhelming majority (60 per cent) said job was the dominant issue that the government should address.

    “And then when asked if they found the following statement convincing or not, “Goodluck Jonathan has done nothing to create jobs, and far too many people are still unemployed.” Decisively, 58 per cent of Nigerians found that argument about Jonathan convincing.

    “Finally, when asked if Jonathan was doing a good or bad job fighting corruption, 59 per cent of Nigerians thought Jonathan was a doing a bad job fighting corruption.”

    Asked what the APC had realised from the poll, Mohammed said it was obvious Nigerians were after change.

    He added: “The message is clear: The nation is going in the wrong direction. The country wants change and would not vote to re-elect Jonathan in part because the number one issue to Nigerians is job and the nation believes Jonathan has no credibility on the issue of job creation.

    “Nigerians also believe Jonathan has done an extremely poor job fighting corruption (that he’s actually closed his eyes to corruption) and that the resources that should be invested in job creation, infrastructure and economic development have been stolen and wasted – undermining the nation’s opportunity.

    “We hope the PDP will also come clean on its own survey company; the fact that it is owned by a serving minister whose initials are used to name the company, and the fact that it has been feeding doctored opinion poll to Nigerians.

    “We have chosen to call the opinion polls they conduct on behalf of themselves and for themselves ‘’incestuous’’. We have nothing more to add!”

  • 2015: APC hires Obama’s strategists as PDP plans rallies

    2015: APC hires Obama’s strategists as PDP plans rallies

    CAMPAIGNS for the 2015 elections are yet to open, but parties seem not to be taking chances.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has engaged prominent international political consultants AKPD Message and Media to boost its electoral chances.

    President Goodluck Jonathan and governors of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors are also getting set. They met on Monday night behind closed-door to finetune strategies for zonal rallies to receive defectors and woo new members to the party.In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the Chicago, U.S.-based firm is best known for its lead role in President Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012.

    The party explained that the firm has also worked with key Democratic party candidates throughout the U.S. and has a strong reputation for supporting leading populist movements across the globe.

    “We have been working closely with AKPD Message and Media over the past few months and we shall leverage on the firm’s skill, experience and expertise throughout the upcoming campaign cycle,” APC said.

    “As a party destined to bring change and succour to the long suffering people of Nigeria, the APC is proud and excited to work with one of the foremost exponents of change in the world, especially with their track record of success in political climates akin to ours, notably in Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana. With this strategic partnership, the process of change in Nigeria has already begun and it can’t be stopped,” the party concluded.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Abia State Governor Theodore Orji said it was also part of regular meetings with the President to review other activities of the party.

    According to him, the ongoing consultations between President Jonathan and traditional rulers and other interest groups across the country are expected.

    But he declined to confirm when exactly the President would declare his ambition to contest the 2015 presidential election.

    Orji said: “The meeting was in compliance with what the President promised us, that he will be meeting regularly with PDP governors. He met with us today and we reviewed party activities, especially the rallies that we are going to hold in the states and zonal levels.”

    “The rallies are meant to sensitize people. In Owerri, we are going to receive some people who are coming back to the party. In other states where people are coming back to the party, they will be received formally. We discussed party affairs.”

    On the President’s yet to be declared ambition, he said: “It is the President that knows when to declare. This consultation is what a President should do. A President should consult with his subjects, that is what he is doing. Declaration is not the issue now.”

    “The President will declare when he wants to; he will tell you if he wants to run or not. As of now, what he is doing is to interact with stakeholders and that is the function of the President, to meet with his people,” Orji added.

    The President recently met with the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero; Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu and Oba Babatunde Akran of Badagry.

    At the meeting were Vice President Namadi Sambo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim; PDP Chairman Ahmadu Muazu and his Deputy, Uche Secondus.

    Governors at the meeting included Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Ibrahim Shehu Shema (Katsina), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Theodore Orji (Abia), Mukhtar Ramallan Yero (Kaduna), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Garba Umar (Taraba), Muazu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Saidu Nasamu Dakingari (Kebbi) and Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta),

    The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa, John Jonah and that of Adamawa, Bala James Ngilari were also in attendance.

     

  • PDP dangles dollars to lure back defected federal lawmakers, says APC

    PDP dangles dollars to lure back defected federal lawmakers, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the PDP of using public funds to lure back some of the federal lawmakers who have defected from the ruling party to the APC, condemning what it called political horse trading carried too far.

    In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the PDP, in an unprecedented show of desperation, has rolled out a mouth-watering enticement package that promises $2 million to each Senator who returns to the PDP; $1 million to each member of the House of Representatives, and $10 million to each “leader” who abandons the APC for the PDP.

    It said the price tag for the federal legislators from Rivers State is even higher, at $5 million each.

    But the APC said there was no cause for alarm, as no inducements will stop the change that is in the horizon, because the long-suffering people of Nigeria are ready and eager to vote out the PDP next year.

    The party said the five House of Representatives members who have taken the PDP’s killer bait and returned to the party are nothing but dirty traitors, adding that when they defected to the APC, they were neither forced to do so nor given any incentive beyond the rare opportunity offered them to be a part of the looming change.

    It expressed the hope that the double defectors will declare the blood money they have collected from the PDP to those who voted them into office, and also pretend to be democratic by sharing the money with them.

    “Nigerians can now see why their country has gone broke; why the allocation to states from the Federation Account has continued to dwindle, and why infrastructures have either remained decrepit or non-existent. It is not difficult to imagine the number of boreholes that $10 million can sink, or how far such a huge amount will go in building cottage hospitals and health clinics.

    “Things are bound to get worse in the days ahead because the desperate PDP will, more and more, use public funds to try to change the course of history. We, therefore, urge Nigerians to remain resolute in the face of what will be a wave of inducements never before seen in these climes, because there is no going back on the plan to vote out the PDP next year and save Nigeria from a rapacious and inept leadership,” APC said.

     

  • APC: we’ve exceeded membership target

    APC: we’ve exceeded membership target

    •Party slams PDP for criticising registration

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) said yesterday it has exceeded its membership target because Nigerians see it as a mass movement rather than a mere political party.

    “This explains why we have extended the registration period by two days,” it said.

    The party accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of sponsoring the sabotage of its (APC’s) membership registration in several states.

    It noted that the ruling party’s rush to the media to condemn the registration showed it as a cog in the wheel of democracy.

    In a statement yesterday in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said since one of the ways to truncate democracy was by stifling popular participation, the PDP should be accused of working to truncate Nigeria’s democracy by its campaign of lies against the APC membership registration.

    The party explained that the registration was meant to give “many Nigerians a chance to be part of their country’s democracy.”

    It said the reason the PDP called a hurried media briefing to spew out lies on the registration was because the it saw the handwriting on the wall and became jittery.

    APC said: “The PDP is wrong about its claim that the APC is engaging in phantom registration. The party should know that while anyone can manufacture numbers, no one can manufacture human beings. Therefore, in the fullness of time, any party that gives a fake number of its membership will get its comeuppance.

    “The truth is that within the first three days of our registration, we had met and exceeded the target we set for ourselves. Nigerians have flocked to our party, which they have come to see more as a mass movement than just a political party. This explains why we have extended the registration by two days. The PDP is aware of the acceptability of the APC and has started quivering,” APC said.

    The party said instead of splitting hairs over the phenomenal APC registration, the PDP should launch its membership drive, to know what Nigerians think of it.

    “PDP officials should not just sit in their Abuja offices and make phantom allegations about some party engaging in phantom registration, they should go out there and see for themselves what is going on, and how Nigerians are streaming aboard the train of change that the APC has become,” it said.

    APC also advised the PDP to stop the sabotage of its membership registration by sponsoring attacks on officials and hijacking materials in Abia and Rivers; bribing some fifth columnists to sabotage the process in Delta, and burning “our secretariat in Gombe.”

    The party denied getting any assistance from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or using any material obtained from the commission, “except, of course, if the public spaces we are using for the registration are now being seen by the PDP as INEC property.”

    APC added: “The PDP accused the APC of trying to truncate the country’s democracy simply because the party (APC) is giving Nigerians the opportunity to exercise their right to associate freely. It is now clear to discerning Nigerians that it is the PDP that is truncating our democracy by blocking popular participation and preventing Nigerians from exercising their rights.”

  • Why I joined PDP, by Shekarau

    Why I joined PDP, by Shekarau

    •We wish you well, says APC

    The scramble to take advantage of the defection of prominent members from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to gain momentum among displaced politicians.

    The latest in the attention-chasing adventure occurred yesterday, with former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau declaring for the PDP at the Yar ‘Adua Centre, Abuja.

    Shekarau, who formally announced his decision to join the ruling party, described the APC as a party without a structure.

    Maintaining that the opposition could not be seen or touched, because it had lost its soul, the former Kano governor said he was leaving the APC because the party has become a political fraud.

    In a swift reaction, the APC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said he could only wish Shekarau well in his new marriage to the PDP.

    In a telephone chat with one of our correspondent yesterday, Mohammed simply said: “We wish Shakarau well in his new marriage.”

    Challenging the leadership of the APC to produce the party’s constitution and manifesto, Shekarau boasted that no intimidation, blackmail, or character assassination would change his vision.

    Said he: “Because some people wanted to pocket the party and that was why the constitution of the party had yet to see the light of the day.

    “The soul of the APC is lost. It cannot be touched or seen. APC constitution is a political fraud. There is no management at any level of APC. This is the issue we raised and this is what we challenged.

    “I did all I could do to salvage the APC with no results. I refused to keep quiet in the face of the shenanigan going on in the APC.

    “We cannot see ourselves belonging to a platform where we have been made to pocket others.

    “After six months, no structure was found anywhere; we cannot belong to such, where caricature of management is found. We challenge the leadership of APC to tell us why the constitution and manifesto of the party is not found on the streets of Nigeria.

    “There is nowhere in the constitution of the APC that said X and Y are the leaders of the party.

    “Politics is not only about contesting and winning elections nor is it about getting public offices alone, but a platform to get the people to participate in nation building.

    “As we are stepping into PDP, the party has made some amendments and has looked inward. We are solidly behind the leadership of the party.

    “We will contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.”

    Shekarau said his decision to join the PDP was reached with his supporters .

    Also speaking on the occasion, former Sokoto State Governor Attahiru Bafarawa said he and Shekarau were in the PDP to rebuild the ruling party.

  • APC decries Asari-Dokubo’s call to war

    APC decries Asari-Dokubo’s call to war

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as reckless, irresponsible and condemnable the threat by Mujahedeen Asari-Dokubo that there will be war, if President Goodluck Jonathan is defeated in 2015.

    In a statement yesterday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said despite the attacks by oil militants in the Niger Delta and the insurgency by Boko Haram in some parts of the North, Nigeria had not witnessed a clearer and louder call to war since the country’s civil war ended in 1970.

    It said Nigerians were waiting to see what the SSS, which detained the APC’s Deputy National Secretary Nasir El-Rufai for his warning against election rigging in 2015, would do now that an ally of President Jonathan had threatened the existence of Nigeria, by saying he and his fellow militants would cripple the economy of the country not only in the creeks but also in Nigeria’s territorial waters.

    ‘’What on earth gave Asari-Dokubo the confidence to issue threats against the nation? If he doesn’t care about elections and democracy, how else could his hero, President Jonathan, have come to power? Does he know the meaning of anarchy? Does he think anyone, no matter how big, is more important than his country or bigger than its constitution?

    ‘’When he said President Jonathan ‘must complete the mandatory constitutionally-allowable two terms of eight years’ or the militants will make Nigeria ungovernable, was he aware that even the North that has become his favourite whipping boy did not complete its own eight years before his kinsman became President?

    ‘’It is not Asari-Dokubo’s fault. When we warned against the handing over of the nation’s maritime security to a company owned by an ex-militant in 2012, many thought we were crying wolf where none existed. But the threat by an ex-militant to ensure that no vessel will be allowed to enter the nation’s territorial waters unless President Jonathan is re-elected has shown the dangers inherent in such actions,’’ APC said

    The party wondered why President Jonathan, who said his ambition was not worth anyone’s blood, had neither condemned nor call to order his out-of-control kinsmen like Asari-Dokubo, who speak either on his behalf or for his benefit.

    It said Asari-Dokubo has overstretched his luck by trying to dictate to political parties to field only Southsouth candidates for the Presidency in 2015, wondering what gave him the audacity to make such a careless statement.

    ‘’We, in the APC, will never be cowed by the senseless, emotional outburst of a man, whose sense of decency stretches the size of a coin. We say that Nigeria will survive and thrive, whether or not some people want it. We reiterate the truism that election is the bedrock of democracy, and that anointing of candidates – as Asari-Dokubo would want Nigeria’s political parties to do – is the antithesis of democracy,’’ the party said.

    It said the SSS must act immediately or be damned.

    ‘’There is no better test of the fairness, non-partisanship and professionalism of the SSS than the Asari-Dokubo’s threat of war on his country. If Asari-Dokubo is not above the laws of the land, he must be hauled before the SSS, just as the service did to our deputy national secretary, to explain his statement,’’ APC said.

     

  • APC: our senators didn’t flout directive

    APC: our senators didn’t flout directive

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said its senators did not flout the directive not to cooperate with the Executive until the Presidency restores order in Rivers State.

    The opposition said yesterday’s reports by the media were misleading.

    APC was reacting to insinuations that the participation of its senators in the screening of the Service chiefs was against its directive.

    In a statement yesterday in Lagos by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the reports were borne out of the “misunderstanding of filibustering as a veritable democratic tool to impede legislation by obstructive tactics.”

    It noted that the reports, which implied that the partipation of its senators in the screening of the military chiefs on Monday represented a rejection of the directive, was wrong, because “non-cooperation does not mean non-participation.”

    APC said: “We never directed our members in the National Assembly to boycott the chambers’ sessions, whether it is screening of appointees or plenary. What we said is that they should block Executive Bills. In any case, a senator or a House of Representatives member can only filibuster when he is in attendance. Filibuster does not equate to boycott or non-attendance.”

    The party said it was aware that its members in the Senate would attend the screening, “just as we are sure they will be part of any debate on the issue, and we have no problems with that.”

    It added: “After all, they were elected to attend the National Assembly sessions and participate in its activities. But their contributions will help swing things one way or the other. That is the crux of the matter.”

    APC reiterated the propriety of its directive, which it described as pro-people, democratic and aimed at saving Nigeria.

    The party said the directive had succeeded in dousing the tension in Rivers State, “where those who have been subjected to harassment by hoodlums aided by the police now stage their rallies in peace.”

    It also said its directive would benefit the people and institutions, including the National Assembly, “which the President has tried to undermine by ignoring its resolutions calling for the redeployment of Rivers Police Commissioner Mbu Joseph Mbu.

    APC said: “It was the National Assembly that passed the resolutions on the redeployment of Mbu. Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party (LP) and the Accord, who are now playing to the gallery just to feather their nests and place personal interest above national interest, were part of efforts that culminated in passing the resolutions. But the Presidency ignored the resolutions, a dangerous trend undermining the principle of check and balance in our democratic system.

    “In this respect, the National Assembly should commend our directive, instead of a few exhibitionist legislators rushing to the media to make uninformed comments.

    “As far as we are concerned, we acted rightly in issuing our directive, which is meant to end impunity in Rivers State, save our democracy from descending into anarchy and protect national institutions.”

    Lagos State branch of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday berated the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for condemning the party’s directive to its National Assembly members.

    The party noted that by its condemnation, the Lagos PDP confirmed its ignorance of legislative functions as an accessory to the impunity against Rivers State.

    In a statement yesterday by its Interim Publicity Secretary Joe Igbokwe, the party said: “We are surprised that the PDP and its minions, who have acculturated the arts of lawlessness, corruption and impunity, feel the APC should be obliged to support its criminal acts by condoning its sordid acts.

    “Is the PDP under any impression that APC is bound to support its wilful acts of impunity, corruption and recklessness? Is the PDP under the impression that the APC is under its loins, to drag around as it feels? Is the PDP under the impression that APC is obliged to support its brigandage and wreckage?

    “We must educate PDP members and their enablers that withholding support for presidential bills is the prerogative of our legislators. The legislators can deploy such legislative rights as they deem fit. Our party feels that we can use our legislative prerogative in the most legal and responsible way by stopping impunity, anarchy and lawlessness.

    “We used legal means to target illegal and corrupt acts, and we know that the perpetrators and beneficiaries of corruption and impunity will react the way the PDP and its lickspittles are doing. We know that being a prime beneficiary of lawlessness and impunity, which has been launched in Nigeria since 1999, the Lagos PDP will naturally buy into the scare mongering tactics of the national PDP. The purpose is to protect impunity and illegality and provide a base for the continuation of the ruination of Nigeria.

    “Curiously, we observe that the Lagos PDP and its cache of commissioned PDP agents now crying hoarse at the APC directive, have been throwing sadistic parties and orgies since the sponsored violence started in Rivers. They have been grinning in conspiratorial complicity since the Rivers police commissioner, with support from the Presidency, decided to visit mayhem on the government because Governor Chibuike Amaechi refused to adhere to their dictates.

    “We never recalled any of the wolf criers, who have invaded town because APC decided to use its legislative strength to stop this impunity. What a deliberate hypocrisy!”