The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • Saboteurs won’t be allowed to lead 9th National Assembly, says Presidency

    The Presidency on Wednesday disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari and his government will not allow the emergence of saboteurs in the leadership of the ninth National Assembly (NASS).

    This was disclosed by a senior aide to the President on a condition of anonymity.

    According to him, the President will ensure that only persons selected by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) emerge as President of the Senate and other presiding officers of both the red and green chambers.

    Even as he declared the President has no preferred candidates for the position of the principal officer of the parliament, he said that he is ready and willing to support the decision of the leadership of the party in line with worked out zoning arrangements.

    He said the presidency had never had it smooth with the relationship that existed between it and the leadership of the 8th National Assembly and will therefore not sit to fold its arms while another set of unfriendly characters emerge in the next dispensation.

    Read Also: Senate Presidency: Ex-governors plot upset

    He said: “Be rest assured that the President will not micro-manage the process electing the National Assembly leadership but he will not allow the lawlessness that happened in 2015 to repeat itself.

    “The President will allow the decision of the party to remain supreme. Once the party zones the positions, he will give maximum support to it.

    “It is not like before, now, the decision of the party is supreme. You see what has happened to the two governors. In the past, this won’t have been possible.

    “What I can tell you is that the President doesn’t have any preferred candidates,” he said.

    At the beginning of the eight parliament, both Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had emerged against the arrangement of the APC leadership.

     

  • Abiodun lock downs Ogun as Osinbajo, Osoba campaign for APC

    Prince Dapo Abiodun, the All Progressives Congress(APC) governorship candidate locked down Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital on Wednesday as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Governor and leader of the party in the state, Chief Segun Osoba, and Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola joined him in a final push to ensure his victory on Saturday.

    Osinbajo, Osoba, Abiodun, Adeola and enthusiastic thousands of party members and supporters marched on Ake area of Abeokuta, in unison, chorusing repeatedly they will vote for Abiodun and other APC candidates.

    They also expressed confidence the APC governorship candidate and others going to the state House of Assembly will win landslide.

    Osinbajo, who addressed the mammoth crowd, said just as they voted for him and President Muhammadu Buhari and other APC candidates to emerge winners during the Presidential and National Assembly elections, they should also come out en masse  to cast their votes in bloc for Dapo Abiodun and APC state House of Assembly candidates.

    Read Also: Ogun forum canvasses support for Isiaka

    The Vice – President assured them the Saturday’s election will be peaceful as the Federal Government had made adequate arrangement for security agents to provide effective security to lives and properties during and after the poll in the state.

    The APC leaders also used the occasion to receive a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the state, Hon. Kayode Amusan and former Speaker of the state House of Assembly and Senatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress(ADC) for Ogun Central, Titi Oseni – Gomez into the fold of APC.

    The duo had just defected to APC with thousands if their supporters to help push for the victory of Dapo Abiodun.

  • Kaduna: People with Disabilities pray for peaceful elections

    Ahead of Gubernatorial elections, the Association of Person Living with Disabilities in Kaduna State on Wednesday in Kaduna, offered special prayers for lasting peace during and after the elections.

    The convener, Malam Abdullahi Samaila, said participants in the prayer session came from the 23 local government area of the state.

    According to him, people with disabilities suffer the most whenever caught up in violence, hence their decision to seek God’s intervention to avert any crisis during the elections on Saturday.

    Samaila expressed concern over the religious toga the campaign for the governorship seat in the state has taken, saying it is recipe for violence.

    Read Also: 66 dead in fresh Kaduna crisis

    He blamed the situation on desperate politicians and religious leaders, stressing that people should be allowed to vote based on their convictions in tune with democratic principle.

    “We must remember that Nigeria is our home, we must join hands and pray hard for God to keep this nation united,” he added.

    He congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory and urged him to initiate programmes that would benefit people with disabilities, including giving employment to their children who graduated from tertiary institutions.

    Samaila expressed satisfaction over the commitment by Nigerian journalists toward peaceful conduct of 2019 general elections.

    “The media has really educated, enlighten, informed and sensitized the public ahead of the the elections and after.”

    NAN

  • I will do more in second term, Buhari vows

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday pledged to work harder to consolidate on providing security, improving the economy, creating jobs, fighting corruption and upgrading infrastructure in the country.

    He spoke at the State House, Abuja while receiving the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), on a courtesy visit.

    The President also promised not to let Nigerians down.

    Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said: “This is my last lap. I will try and work even harder than I have done. I assure you that I will not let you down. I pray that my best will be good enough.”

    The President, who thanked members of the ACF for their consistent and dogged support, said he remained appreciative of their goodwill.

    He said “I’m very appreciative of this visit, especially when I have seen some of my seniors, some of my colleagues and a couple of my juniors, among the team. This reminds me of the good old days when we were in the military.

    “Actually, nobody drop from the sky. For Arewa Consultative Forum to identify with me, having come from this geo-political zone, I’m very much appreciative of this.

    “I’m very please with the address of the chairman who reminded me of the undertaken we made basically on the three important things my party campaigned on and succeeded.

    Read Also: LCCI advises Buhari on economy, others

    Speaking on behalf of the ACF, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mallam Adamu Fika, said the organisation had visited to congratulate President Buhari on his re-election.

    Recalling some strategic projects important to the North and the country as a whole abandoned up until 2015 such as the Baro Dry Port and Mambilla Hydro Power station, Mallam Fika said “It is pleasing to note that since then, the Baro Dry Port has been commissioned, while some other projects have been reactivated and are now being implemented.

    “We pray that those organs of government charged with the responsibility for the implementation will double their efforts to ensure that these projects are executed fully to their logical conclusion within reasonable time,” he said.

  • Cross River APC crisis: Stakeholders seek Buhari, Tinubu intervention

    Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Cross Rivers State, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Leader of the party to step into the crisis rocking the APC in the state and stop it from snowballing into something else.

    The party leaders also asked the National Working Committee to immediately cancel what it called an illegal Congress conducted by the former Deputy National Chairman, South, Engr. Segun Oni which they said disenfranchised over 90 percent of delegates.

    A letter signed by the Chairman, Ikom Local Government and Area Council Caucus, Barrister Odey Oyama said the Congress fell short of the laws of the party and should be cancelled.

    Oyama said leaders of the party must wade into the crisis with a view to ushering in lasting peace, adding that the disenfranchisement of 980 delegates aggravated the party crisis in the state and therefore required urgent attention.

    Oyama stated, “By copy of this letter to the BOT chairman, the Chairman, Ikom Local Government and Area Council Caucus, Barrister Odey said the Congress fell short of the law and should be cancelled. By copy of this letter, we are notifying President Muhammadu Buhari, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,  as well as His Excellency (Senator) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (the Party Leader) of the crisis in Cross River State Chapter of APC and to emphasise that it requires urgent attention in order to prevent a multiplicity of actions.”

    Oyama, said only 94  delegates including a woman “were rather deliberately handpicked to participate in the state Congress”, adding that the disenfranchisement of 980 legitimate delegates (i.e. about 91℅ of the total number of legitimate delegates that ought to have participated at the Congress is perverse.

    “Therefore, in order to avoid the perpetuation of such gross impunity in APC, the BOT and/or the NWC has an inherent jurisdiction to set aside the congress that has been done in abuse of the APC  Constitution.

    “Hence it is our prayer that the BOT and/or the NWC should evoke its prerogative and inherent jurisdiction to discountenance the state congress of Saturday, February 24, 2018 that held in Calabar.

    “She Engr. Segun Oni’s Congress Committee lacked jurisdiction in excluding 91 per cent of constitutionally recognised delegates from participating in the state Congress. The prescribed procedures for conducting such a congress were not properly complied with and the event did not occur in consideration of the universal domain stipulated in the APC Constitution.

    “An assembly of co-conspirators who wanted to appoint a handpicked person as state Chairman of the party in total disrespect of the Constitution of APC and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is a situation that has the potential of creating a very serious crisis in Cross River state chapter of APC, the letter said.

    In another letter, Oyama is seeking proper construction, interpretation and administration of the APC Constitution, adding that the state Congress which held in Calabar on February 24, 2018 was in breach of the party’s Constitution as “it did not give at least 14 days notice to eligible members to attend.”

    He said the decision to hold the congress was taken at the National Secretariat Abuja on February 19, 2018, he stated that the congress held on February 24 indicating that only a 4-day notice was given to the members against the letters of the party Constitution.

    He said the party also flouted the statutory notice it was supposed to give to the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

  • PDP candidate escapes assassination in Ondo

    Barely four days to the House of Assembly and House of Representatives supplementary elections in Ondo State, the leading opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over incessant attacks on its members by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Chairman of the party in the state Clement Faboyede, said one of the Assembly’s candidates of the party in Idanre,Festus Akingbesote narrowly escaped death Tuesday when hoodlums suspected to be APC supporters attacked him when he went to an undisclosed hospital to check some members of the party admitted after previous attacks.

    He lamented that the state government led by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and APC had resorted to attacks on the opposition.

    Besides, he alleged that Ekiti and Osun states governors, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Gboyega Oyetola, were meddling in the state politics, which prompted violence prompting all manners of violence ahead of the Saturday polls.

    Faboyede recalled that some PDP members were attacked by APC thugs in Idanre Local Government Area while two casualties are currently receiving treatment in one of the hospitals in the community.

    He said; “We want to intimate the whole world of what is happening in Ondo State now. We are crying for Save Our Soul in the state. Ondo State PDP and the generality of Ondo State inhabitants, have witnessed a lot of violence.

    Read Also: Court nullifies Kano PDP governorship primaries

    “It is an open secret that the APC government, APC party and members have resorted to violence, intimidation and harassment of PDP members across the length and breadth of the state.

    “Everybody is moving around with fear and anxiety. The state that has hitherto been peaceful, that was rated as one of the most peaceful states in the country, the people are panicky of being attacked.”

    “On Monday, it took the combined team of soldiers and mobile policemen to dislodge APC thugs in Idanre, the hometown of APC state Chairman of the state. For four hours, they laid siege in the town with cutlasses and guns in Idanre community.

    “And Tuesday, attacks were on and about two of our people are in the hospital now. This call for concern as this has been the scenario: the community has been declared a war zone as APC thugs are harassing and intimidating the people.

    “They know they can’t win that election, especially that of Idanre, so they want to cause mayhem in that place. We want to say election is not war; election should be very peaceful and people should be allowed to whosoever they want.”

    “We are calling on our good people in Nigeria to please appeal to our governor and APC to that people of Ondo State can live in peace and exercise their franchise so that they can vote whoever they want to vote for.”

    Faboyede, who lauded security agencies for their impartiality and professionalism in the last election, urged them to be proactive and neutral in their dealings with the parties. He appealed to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be neutral too.

    He urged President Muhammadu Buhari and other Nigerians to prevail on the leadership of the ruling party in the state, stressing that that they should guarantee the peace and security of its members ahead of the poll.

    APC spokesman, Alexandra’s Kalejaye could not be reached for comments on the development.

  • Buhari’s re-election will of God – Monarchs

    The National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) on Tuesday said that only God gives power to whoever He wills.

    It also declared that the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari is the will of God for the progress and development of the country.

    The Chairman of the Council and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar spoke on behalf of the Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, when he led members of the Council on a congratulatory visit to President Buhari.

    The Council urged those who lost the 2019 Presidential election to accept the will of God and support President Buhari, to move the country forward.

    He said: “The National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria is here to felicitate with you on your re-election as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We join all Nigerians and the International community in praying and wishing you very big success in your tenure.

    “As traditional rulers, we are not only custodians of our people’s cultures, values and traditions but also the custodians of the religious beliefs and conscience of our people. We are therefore, fully aware that it is only God almighty who owns power and authority and who bestows this on whom He will, when He wills and how He wills.

    Read Also: Kashamu our son, say Remo monarchs

    “Therefore your election as President for a second tenure should be seen as what God has destined and no one could have changed that.

    “This result is the will of the almighty God and therefore we call on all to give you maximum support for the achievement of peace, development and progress of our dear nation.”

    The Sultan also charged President Buhari to continue to exhibit the characters of justice and fairness as he leads the country.

    He noted that the traditional institution as an enduring cultural heritage of its people would continue to serve as the bedrock of any administration in power.

    “This Council strives to ensure a peaceful, strong, united and developed Nigeria. It is for this reason that the Council resolved to continue to give maximum support to government at all levels, for the achievement of all visionary and people oriented policies, programmes and projects for the overall wellbeing of Nigerians, while at the same time maintaining its unwavering stance on  the Rule of Law  and practice of democracy,” he said.

    He pledged the support of traditional rulers for President Buhari’s three cardinal areas of focus, fighting corruption, revamping the economy and improving security.

    Responding, President Buhari sought for more understanding and support from the royal fathers.

    The President, who thanked God for an opportunity to serve the nation for another four years, re-stated his believe in Nigeria’s multi-cultural population and the continued existence of Nigeria as an indivisible entity.

    “I am very happy that you have come to congratulate me for coming to my second and final term of office. I believe in this system, such a multi-racial, multi-national and multi-cultural country like Nigeria, a country with more than 250, 000 cultures,” he said.

    The President said that traditional rulers have a big role to play in securing the country, because of their unique role in the society.

    “I realise that really if you want the security of the country, which is very important to us and one of our three main areas of focus. As traditional rulers, you know everybody in your constituencies and you know which family has hardened criminals and which family has respectable people so there is no way any government at any level can survive creditably without your support. This is the honest fact whether people accept it or not.

    “So we always depend on you because you know the weaknesses of our system and the society. We certainly need your cooperation on day to day basis to make sure that we consolidate on what we promised the whole country,” the President stated.

    Co-Chairman of the Council, the Ooni of Ife, His impearl majesty; Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi said traditional rulers across the country have resolved to work very closely with the government.

    He thanked President Buhari for his willingness to work with the traditional institution, because of his believe in taking Nigeria to another level.

    The Delegation comprised of paramount rulers and Chairmen of the various State Traditional Councils in Nigeria.

  • Stop attacking Buhari, take rest at 82, Alake advises Obasanjo

    The Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Aremu Gbadebo, on Tuesday advised former President Olusegun Obasanjo to desist from his ceaseless attacks on President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The monarch gave the advice in his goodwill message to mark the 82nd birthday anniversary of Obasanjo at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta.

    Gbadebo, who noted that Obasanjo had been ‘‘a warrior’’ all his life, urged him to rest, fight less and rather take a position of a consultant at his new age.

    ‘‘At 82 years, I think you should keep your sword more rather than use it always,’’ he said.

    Gbadebo, who served as a military officer during the military administration of Muhammadu Buhari between 1984 and 1985, said he had always told Obasanjo to leave his boss (Buhari) alone.

    Read Also: Obasanjo keeps mum over Buhari’s reelection

    Obasanjo, who responded to goodwill messages from friends, family members and well- wishers at the programme, responded by saying that the issues between him and Buhari were not personal.

    According to the elder statesman, governance is not a family affair, adding that democracy involves criticisms and consideration of all sides to an issue.

    ‘‘There is nothing personal between President Buhari and I.

    ‘‘In a democracy, you can criticise a policy, a government or a leader because democracy is not a family affair.

    ‘‘If it is my brother that is occupying the leadership role and he is not doing what I believe he should do, he must be criticised and that is what democracy is all about.

    ‘‘I have been in that position longer than any Nigerian will ever be there.

    ‘‘So if I say anybody in government in Nigeria is not doing well, let that government prove that it is doing well,’’ he said.

    Former Minister of Home Affairs of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Mangosuthu Buthelezi, delivered a lecture entitled: ‘‘Colonialism, Apartheid, Freedom and South Africa Rising.’’

    Buthelezi, in the lecture, identified corruption as the biggest challenge facing the African continent.

    He expressed concerns that South Africa currently ranked so poorly on the Corruption Perceptions Index of the Transparency International.

    The former South-African Minister attributed the development to ‘‘the mistakes we have made, allowing resources to be consumed by greed and abuse.’’

    Buthelezi, who noted that only six countries in the African Union had ranked above 50 on the corruption index, stressed that ‘‘corruption is pervasive throughout the region.

    ‘‘This is difficult to hear and perhaps, it stirs our anger. We must, however, accept the facts and fix them.

    ‘‘When we consider countries like Seychelles and Botswana who have become paragons of excellence, we need to ask what they did to achieve this.

    ‘‘We know that Botswana, for instance, reinforced its legal and institutional frameworks and made resources available specifically to fight corruption.

    ‘‘There are measures we can take and we must take them.

    “If we can overcome these challenges in Africa, we will open the possibilities for growth, development and social justice that were the dreams of my generation,’’ he said. (NAN)

  • Accord adopts APC in Oyo

    The Accord Party in Oyo State on Tuesday agreed to work for the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s governorship and assembly polls.

    This alliance, according to the hierarchy of the party, was facilitated by Senator Soji Akanbi representing Oyo South senatorial district.

    He reunited with the APC from the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) after a high powered meeting with the Vice President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other APC stalwarts after the presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Read Also: Photos: Buhari, Atiku sign peace accord in Abuja

    Over 350 members, party leaders and representatives of the Accord Party from all 33 local government areas of Oyo State converged on the Mauve 23 Event Centre in Ring Road, Ibadan to finalise terms of support for the ruling party.

    Akanbi told the Accord members that his return to help the APC’s recovery process was hinged on recent reconciliation efforts of the APC national leaders.

    He lauded the virtues of President Muhammadu Buhari and emphasized the need to ensure Oyo state aligns with the ruling party to further bring development to the state.

    “We are here to cement a relationship that will bring massive development to the state because the ruling party leadership has a mandate to win in Oyo State.

    “We recognize that we only can win together and that is why we are calling on fellow progressive minded people to join the winning side.

    “I enjoin you all to align with the APC to win the gubernatorial elections in the state and ensure progressive change in the interest of the masses,” he stated.

    The chairman of the Accord in Oyo State, Engr. Muda Ogunsola, lauded the senator for placing the masses’ interest first.

    He explained his party’s decision to support the APC in Saturday’s governorship election has been well accepted by all stakeholders in the party.

    He informed the national hierarchy of the party had granted the go ahead for the state chapter to assist the APC to realize its mandate in the governorship elections.

    This marks a major sign of recovery for the party that suffered a shock defeat in the hands of the main opposition party, PDP in the Presidential election held on Feb 23.

    The APC in the state also surrendered the Oyo South senatorial seat and all four federal constituencies in the district to the PDP.

    APC’s poor showing in Ibadan metropolis, which affected their overall performance, is largely blamed on the internal crisis that forced Senator Akanbi to seek re-election on the platform of the ADC after Governor Abiola Ajimobi claimed the party’s ticket from the incumbent.