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Tag: LP

  • Plateau LP guber candidate declares support for APC

    Plateau LP guber candidate declares support for APC

    The governorship candidate of Labor Party in Plateau state Ambassador Bagudu Hirse has announced the withdrawal of his candidature from the governorship race.

    Ambas Hirse who announced his withdrawal in the governorship contest during a press conference in Jos Tuesday said, “The decision to withdraw from the contest was taken to allow my teaming supporters to vote the governorship candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Barrister Simon Lalong”

    According to Ambass Hirse, “Each of the three senatorial zone in Plateau state produced a governorship candidate to contest in the April 11 election, but I have decided to step down my ambition and pave way for APC victory in the election.

    “My reason is simple with the victory of APC at the presidential level, it will not be in the interest of Plateau to allow another party to win the governorship other than APC in the state because we can’t afford not to be in the mainstream of national politics.

    “I therefore use this opportunity to inform all my supporters to vote massively for the success of APC in the governorship election so as to put plateau in tune with the federal government of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari from May 29th.

    “Mat I use this opportunity to congratulate the president-elect and the Presidential candidate of APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari for his massive victory at the polls. The president-elect has convinced Nigerians beyond reasonable doubt that he will be magnanimouse in victory.”

  • Parties uncover plot to rig elections

    Parties uncover plot to rig elections

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) yesterday in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, alerted to a plot by a party to rig Saturday’s elections.

    LP governorship candidate, Mr. Edward Nkwegu, alleged that the party uncovered a plan to manipulate the electors on Saturday.

    He said the National Assembly election result  was a sham, as it did not reflect the will of the people.

    “A notable party engaged in the falsification of results and manipulation of the process.

    “We will do our best to ensure that our stolen mandate is retrieved. We have compiled documentary evidence, to be forwarded to the appropriate authorities for action.”

    Nkwegu urged the electorate to be vigilant.

    Said he: “Let no one make a mistake about it. Desperate politicians are not yet through with their game. In addition to the old antics, they will come up with new tricks in their desperation for power.”

    The APGA candidate, Senator Anthony Agno, alleged that the party was aware of a plot by a party to rig on Saturday.

    According to him, APGA remained the instrument of hope for Ebonyi people, as it is the only party in the race, with a well-articulated vision and programme.

    Agno said the party would challenge the results of the National Assembly election, as it was marred by irregularities.

    The state chapter of the APC also said there were plans by a party to rig on Saturday.

    The party’s Chairman, Mr. Ben Nwaobasi, said: “We have received reports that result sheets of the April 11 elections have been sold to the party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”

    He enjoined security agents to investigate the matter, saying it could cause crisis.

  • APC, APGA, LP, PPA reject National Assembly poll in Ebonyi

    Four opposition parties in Ebonyi State yesterday rejected last Saturday’s National Assembly election. They urged its cancellation.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the poll.

    The parties are the All Progressives Congress (APC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party (LP) and Progressives People’s Alliance (PPA).

    The parties, in a statement, accused PDP of colluding with the military and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials to rig the legislative election.

    The statement was signed by the Chairman of APC, Mr. Ben Nwobashi; the Chairman of LP, Comrade Obiya Sebastine; the Chairman of APGA, Comrade Jerry Obasi and the Chairman of PPA, Mr. Stephen Ezeali.

    They said: “The most tragic aspect of the monumental show of shame in Ebonyi during the National Assembly election was that the military was involved in the attack on the civic functions of citizens on the order of the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, who was all over the place panting in desperation over the loss of his boss at the polls.

    “Cases include Izzi, Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Ohaukwu, Ezza North, Ishielu, Ikwo and Ohaozara local governments where elections were not conducted.

    “In Ohazara Local Government, it was difficult to differentiate between thugs, soldiers and INEC officials because all were engaged in a despicable bazaar of vote stealing.”

    The parties urged the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Lawrence Azubuike, accusing him of aiding rigging.

    The Nation learnt that the  parties had begun moves to form an alliance against the PDP for the governorship election.

    The APC governorship candidate, Senator Julius Ucha; his APGA and LP counterparts, Senator Anthony Agbo and Edward Nkwegu, it was gathered, are meeting to perfect plans to defeat PDP in the poll.

    The three standard-bearers reportedly met Governor Martin Elechi yesterday morning.

  • Suspected PDP thugs attack LP supporters in Ebonyi

    One person has been critically injured while many others sustained varying degrees of injuries when supporters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) attacked Labour Party (LP) supporters in Effium Community, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

    In the attack which occurred at Ekpitom village of the community, a Labour Party supporter, Elechi Omeligwe had his head broken with serious matechete cuts on his hands.

    Narrating his ordeal in the hospital bed, Omeligwe  told The Nation that he had alongside other members of the party travelled to the village for a ward campaign rally during which members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, who are alleged supporters of a candidate of the PDP for Ohaukwu North State Constituency attacked them with dangerous weapons.

    He said the thugs, who mounted road blocks with heavy woods to prevent movement of their vehicles also shot sporadically into the air to scare members of the party but when he refused to yield to the intimidation, the hoodlums pounced on him and inflicted machete cuts on his body.

    “Trouble started when we were trying to ensure that our supporters entered the vehicle. The PDP supporters mobilized themselves when they went around disseminating false information that they were holding rally that our supporters should not enter the vehicle.

    “The people I saw include Fidelis Agena, Joseph Aduma and former councilor, Hon. Akpu Onyebuchi. They are members of PDP. They prevented our supporters from entering the bike we went with. They broke my head with a stick; it was   Joseph Aduma who broke my head and threatened that if I insist on conveying my supporters to the venue of the rally that he would shoot me.

  • LP, AP hijacked pensioners’ protest – Oyo government

    The Oyo State government has alleged that a recent protest by a splinter group of pensioners in the state, under the aegis of retired primary school teachers, was sponsored by political opponents.

    Stating that the pensioners’ rank had been infiltrated by the leaders of Accord Party and Labour Party in the state respectively, Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, in a statement said, “This is a season of politics and so we are not surprised. When a group of pensioners say they are not bothered that their pension and gratuity totalling N6.5billion was stolen by government officials and the government of the day then looked the other way while the theft held sway, the details of which are in the public domain and the alleged culprits of this monumental heist are being tried at the moment by the EFCC, then there is more to it than meets the eyes.”

    The state government disclosed that it had entered into an agreement with the parent bodies of the pensioners, namely Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and the National Association of Retired Local Government Primary School Teachers, on the modalities for the settlement of the pension arrears and gratuity in installments consequent upon the theft, but alleged that the pensioners were coerced to reject the offer by their political sponsors.

    “In the so-called communiqué of the pensioners, you will realise that they are a wing of the Accord and Labour Parties respectively. They stated that they rejected the sum of N100million offered them by the Ajimobi government,” the statement said, adding, “No line of the communiqué condemned Adebayo Alao-Akala, under whose watch the N6.5 billion was stolen, nor Ladoja, who has a governmental history of hatred for civil servants and pensioners.

    “It was Ajimobi, who personally held several meetings with them to tell them about the state government’s financial dilemma, especially aftermath of the theft of N6.5 billion of pensioners’ money by some officials during the regime of Adebayo-Akala, and who articulated how he will pay the arrears in the face of dwindling allocation from Abuja that they now have a beef with.”

    The statement said the state government had started to pay the arrears to the retired primary school teachers until their rank was infiltrated by some politicians.

    It said that the Ajimobi administration puts the welfare of retirees on the front burner in the scheme of government’s fiscal policy, which informed the implementation of the 142 per cent pension rise by the administration in 2011.

  • APC, PDP and LP battle for Kwara

    APC, PDP and LP battle for Kwara

    All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are warming up for the governorship election in Kwara State. It is the first exercise in the post-Olusola Saraki era. How will Kwarans vote? Correspondent Adekunle Jimoh beams a searchlight on the parties, the candidates and the issues that will shape the contest.

    The image of the Kwara political kingpin, the late Dr Olusola Saraki, still looms large as the general elections draw near. The Saraki dynasty, as it is fondly called, is now being led by the late politician’s son,  Senator Bukola Saraki.

    The late Saraki was political colossus and godfather to many in Kwara. He was initially touted to be a multi-billionaire until after his demise, when it became apparent that the man  left behind only two houses: one in Lagos and the other one at Ilorin, the state capital.

    This post-humus revelation, further endeared the man to his numerous followers and, perhaps, it could be the most striking factor in the choice of his biological son, Bukola, by his admirers as the new political leader. Many believe that all is well with the dynasty. In addition, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has lived up to expectation. Therefore, he will win a second term.

    However, there are two political blocs in the state: those who believe in the retention of the status quo and those are radically opposed to it.

    Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Saraki are on one side, while the two major opposition parties, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) are the other side.

    Another factor affecting Kwara politics at the moment is the presidential candidate of the two major parties. There are those backing the APC because of its presidential flag bearer, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.  There are also those rooting for the PDP because of President Goodluck Jonathan. The governorship candidates of the PDP and the LP, Senator Simeon Ajibola and Dr Mike Omotosho respectively, are campaigning for the President’s re-election.

    At the governorship level, the pertinent question is, what is the chances of the opposition in the  election?

    Ajibola, a senator for three consecutive terms, emerged as the PDP candidate against all odds. He  defeated other aspirants, including former presidential aide Senator Makanjuola Ajadi; former governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN); ex-sports minister Alhaji Bio Ibrahim; former Federal Character Commission chair Prof. Shauib AbdulRaheem; Senator Gbemisola Saraki and Deacon John Dara, a crony of former Defence Minister Theophilus Danjuma.

    Ajibola’s emergence initially generated bad blood among co-aspirants. But, a reconciliatory meeting convened by the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT) of the party Chief Tony Anenih in Ilorin,  made the aggrieved contestants into burying the hatchet.

    The Chairman of the PDP Chief Iyiola Oyedepo said: “We are one big family and we are happy going into election with this oneness of spirit.” In the same vein, during the inauguration of the Campaign Team, the Minister of National Planning, Olanrewaju Suleiman said that “the PDP is one in Kwara and that we must vote for President Jonathan and our governorship candidate, Senator Ajibola.”

    Despite these assurances, many PDP supporters believe till date that the campaign style of Ajibola does not portray him as “a serious governorship candidate.”

    A source, who pleaded anonymity said: “When you offer him advice, he will not listen. Even when you call him on phone, he doesn’t pick calls. I am sure he has not committed his resources into this project apart from the money allegedly released to him by the Presidency. So, is that person a serious candidate?”

    Another source said that Ajibola could just be an agent “serving as a mole to a political power broker in the state.”

    He added: “From his behaviour, he may just be pretending to be a candidate of the opposition party. But, only time will reveal how he would fare.”

    Dispelling these insinuations, Oyedepo said the PDP poses a serious challenge to the APC, adding that the campaign strategies could never have been the same. “We are serious with our campaigns, which is led by no other person other than Dara. We are working very hard on daily basis and we do these based on the available funds at our disposal.

    The spokesman for the Simeon Ajibola Campaign Organisation (SSACO), Tajudeen Kareem, said its state-wide campaign tour would resume this week, after a brief break necessary to perfect its strategies and tidy up security arrangements.

    Besides, Dara said local government and ward campaign coordinators have been engaged in house-to-house consultation in the last two weeks, taking the PDP message of freedom and prosperity to the grassroots.”

    Dara also said there is no iota of truth in the insinuation that some PDP members are aggrieved because, in line with the PDP flag bearer’s policy, the organisation is running an all-inclusive campaign.

    “We have deliberately taken care of all interests in our party and that is why all our former governorship aspirants are fully involved in the campaign. If you notice, we have an unusually large campaign organisation. This is to ensure that all major stakeholders and all interest groups are carried along,” he explained.

    Many observers even see Omotosho as a more viable alternative. According to Abdulmumeen Onagun, former Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the LP candidate represents “an ideal choice for the type of governor that Kwara needs.”

    Onagun added: “Here is Omotosho, a trained pharmacist, an industrialist per excellence, one who has no godfather, but has the true God as his father. He is young, vibrant and widely travelled. If you look at his manifesto, you will see that he is the right man for the job.”

    Omotosho has touched the lives of many Kwarans with his scholarship schemes. Besides, he has taken his free medical missions to over 50 communities across the state, just as he remains the only governorship candidate in the state with supports for youth development and supports for the aged and people with special needs. He has equally procured over one million cooking stoves for the needs of women across the three Senatorial districts of the state.

    Omotoso said: “I pledge to submit my monthly salary to this noble scheme that shall be implemented with the true sense of service to God and humanity. Our social security scheme will directly affect three categories of people namely: the aged, the pensioners and the handicapped.

    “The government shall be committed to a monthly allowance to elderly ones beyond the age of 70. Kwara shall be the first state in Nigeria in the area of ensuring that those who served the people with the strength of their youth are not subjected to ridicule at old age.

    However, many perceive the governor to the strongest candidate. The impregnability of the Saraki dynasty, which is solidly behind Ahmed, coupled with his numerous achievements in the last four years in office, have put him in a better position to beat his rivals. Analysts say the governor would win on April 11 convincingly.

    Again, people’s desire for a change from the President Jonathan’s years of impunity, insecurity, corruption and misrule and the Buhari bug that has caught the electorate in Kwara is the icing on the cake for Ahmed.

     

  • Assassination attempt on candidate a sham, says LP

    The Labour Party (LP) in Cross River State has described the alleged assassination attempt on the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) southern senatorial district candidate, Mr Gershom Bassey, as a sham.

    State Chairman Mr Austine Ibok, in a statement at the weekend said: “We are reliably informed that during the alleged shooting at Gershom Bassey’s house, a (Police) rifle was taken away from one of his security men. Today, we understand, that rifle was returned after negotiation with one of his aides. The politician, who is also from the same political ward with Bassey, allegedly negotiated with militants, who we are reliably informed, confiscated the rifle. How did PDP identify the gunmen to negotiate with?

    “We demand the PDP and Gershom Bassey to tell the people of Cross River their role in the insecurity of this state.”

    He absolved the LP southern senatorial candidate, Prince Bassey Otu of blame, which he said was alleged in some quarters.

    Senator Otu defected late last year from the PDP to the Labour party.

    He said: “Our attention has been drawn to malicious allegations made in the mass and social media, accusing the Labour Party and indeed our party’s standard bearer, Bassey Otu, of masterminding a recently reported shooting at the residence of the PDP flag bearer Mr. Gershom Bassey.

    “A desperate government can do anything to remain in power; there are allegations of their hiring people for electoral campaign purposes without fulfilling the financial promises”

  • Three dead as thugs attack LP supporters

    Three dead as thugs attack LP supporters

    Three persons have been confirmed dead and several others injured, following attacks on Labour Party (LP) supporters at Amaigbo Ward in Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State by suspected thugs of a popular party.

    One of the deceased was Osu Emegha, while the identities of the other two could not be ascertained.

    A witness, Nkumah Okoro Agha,  told our reporter  that the thugs besieged their meeting, brought out machetes and other weapons and attacked  people.

    He said they cut the deceased’s neck and he later died at Mater Hospital, Afikpo.

    “Over 10 other supporters were injured. Most of them are being treated at Mater Hospital, Afikpo”, Agha added.

    Police spokesman Chris Anyanwu said  he was yet to be briefed. He assured of the command’s readiness to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators.

    Anyanwu urged youths to desist from unleashing mayhem on the supporters of other parties, adding that the matter would be investigated and the case referred to the Police Command in Zone 6, Calabar, Cross River State.

  • LP governorship running mate defects to APC

    The governorship running mate in the Labour Party (LP) in Benue State, Comrade David Ngbede, was among the 2,000 politicians, including those from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who yesterday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) at rallies in Agatu, Apa and Ohimini local governments.

    Speaking in Ugbokpo, Comrade Ngbede and former chairman of Apa and Agatu local governments, Mr. Ameh Udo, said they took the decision to be part of the change movement sweeping across the country.

  • LP to adopt Buhari

    LP to adopt Buhari

    Labour Party (LP) National Chairman Abdukadir Salau has said the party will soon adopt All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

    Salau said the party was considering the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) presidential candidate, Goodluck Jonathan, as the second option.

    But the LP chairman said the party was not in hurry to take any action, adding that even within 48 hours to the presidential election, LP’s leadership would tell its supporters who to vote for.

    Salau told reporters at the weekend in Abuja that the LP and other parties were examining the manifestos of the two major parties in the interest of Nigerians.

    He said: “Other parties will come together, access the situation, to determine which of the two parties promised better life for Nigeria and Nigerians.”

    The LP chairman said the party would also examine which of the two parties promised peace coexistence among Nigerians and which of them “believed that the unity of this country is paramount”.