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Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • We will unite to re-elect Buhari – Nwosu

    The Imo State governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Uche Nwosu, has dispelled fears that the problems created by the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that led to the defection of aggrieved members will affect President Muhammadu Buhari’s chances.
    He stated  that despite the grievances nursed by the APC members they are still united in the quest to re-elect President Muhammadu Buhari.
    Nwosu said in Owerri on Thursday that his greatest challenge in his governorship bid in Imo state was the problems, he claimed, was created by the APC Chairman, which led to members of the party seeking to actualise their political dreams on different platforms.
    He added however that despite these all the members, including those aggrieved have a common denominator in the re-election of the president.
    The governorship hopeful, who expressed confidence that he will win the March 2 election despite his defection to AA, said that even in his new party, he will do everything humanly possible to ensure that the members vote for Buhari in the election.

    Read Also: Why I attended APC rally, by Nwosu

    He said, “My greatest challenge in this election is the problems created by Adams Oshiomhole in APC. I have a challenge convincing my supports to vote for APC in the presidential election and vote for AA in the governorship. That is a somewhat awkward situation, but my members have understood that the only way to right the wrongs created by the national leadership of the party in the party’s primary election, is to vote for the president on Saturday and to vote for me on March 2.”

    Nwosu said that his ambition was not selfish, but borne out of the desire to serve the people of the state, adding that he did not see any challenge from the other candidates in the governorship race.

  • Call for election boycott in South East won’t work – VON DG

    The Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu has declared that calls for election boycott by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), would not be a threat to Saturday’s general elections.

    Okechukwu spoke in Enugu during a South-East rally for President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The rally was packed by a coalition of Igbo Youth Organizations in support of Buhari’s re-election.

    Okechukwu said: “People who are saying we should not participate in the election are in the fringe.

    Read Also: IPOB and futility of election boycott

    “If we were listening to them, why are the people spending their money, their strength running up and down to become one thing or the other.

    “So, please, we should discountenance the fringe elements, they belong to every society, even in the churches.”

    He urged Ndigbo, especially the youths, to come out and declare their support for Buhari in order to reap the benefits in the future.

    He said: “The youth more than any other cadre, it is their responsibility to recognize that Mr. President is working for them. That’s why the social investment programme is aimed at pulling people out of poverty.

    “Mr. President does not share money, but all the money that comes into the coffers of the Federal Government, he makes sure that they are prudently managed. And the youths should look into what Mr. President is doing because if you don’t have adequate electricity supply in the long run, we cannot develop. If we do not have modern transport system, we cannot develop.

    “What Buhari is doing now, especially in the area of agriculture, is to prepare us for tomorrow.”

    The chairman of the local organizing committee of the event, Mazi Alex Okemiri said Ndigbo stand to benefit so much from Buhari’s re-election.

    “We have settled for President Buhari because it is the shortest way to Igbo presidency. He is als a President that is accessible; so we are calling on all the youths to key into this project,” Okemiri said.

    Also speaking, the President of the Nigeria Youth Organizations, Alhaji Abubakar Abdulahi urged Igbo youths to key into Buhari’s re-election agenda, noting that Buhari remained a man of integrity who had never embezzled resources even as a young military governor.

    “If he did not squander money as a young man, he cannot start doing so at over 70”, he stated.

     

  • Aisha Buhari calls on women to vote massively for APC

    Wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha has called on Nigerian women to support the ruling All progressives Congress (APC) by voting for the party in the forthcoming general election.

    Aisha made the call in Daura on Wednesday when she addressed thousands of youth and women during the round off of door to door presidential campaign ahead of the Feb. 16 poll.

    She described women as vanguards of change and character development.

    “We will by the grace of God continue to initiate policies and programmes geared towards women empowerment,” Aisha said.

    She added that the Buhari led administration had performed creditably towards enhancing the welfare of Nigerian woman especially through the introduction of TraderMoni scheme and many other empowerment programmes.

    She said if her husband is reelected she would continue to execute programmes that would impact positively on the lives of women and children.

    Earlier, Prof. Sadiya Sani assured the wife of the president that women would massively vote for APC in the forthcoming election.

    Read Also: Vote, don’t fight, Aisha Buhari tells Nigerians

    She said the Buhari led administration has performed wonderfully not only for women and youth but the entire nation through its policies on infrastructure, security and the fight against corruption.

    Highlight of the events were drama presentation and musical entertainment by popular Kannywood Actress Fati Niger and her group.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that prior to the event Aisha paid homage on Emir of Daura, Alhaji Farouk Umar in his palace in Daura.

    NAN

     

  • Buhari, not sit-tight President – Oshiomhole

    The National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Adams Oshiomhole, says President Muhammadu Buhari is not a sit-tight President.

    Oshiomhole, who spoke at a news conference in Abuja, said the president needed a second term to consolidate on his achievements and to move Nigeria to the next level.

    “We are committed to free and fair elections and President Buhari is not a sit-tight President,” the APC national chairman said.

    Oshiomhole said what President Buhari was asking for, was a second term in office which was constitutional, saying his desire was to take Nigerians to the next level of infrastructure and economic development.

    “Allowing President Buhari and the APC Government to go for a second term in office, will sustain achievements made so far and take the country to the next level of infrastructure and economic development,” he said.

    The APC national chairman, however, said that as Nigerians would go to the polls on Saturday, they should reflect on certain statements made by Atiku Abubakar, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate during his campaigns.

    Read Also: INEC working for PDP, says Oshiomhole

    This, he said, included Atiku’s statement on privatisation, corruption, trader money and restructuring.

    Oshiomhole recalled that Atiku during one of his campaigns had said that rather than prosecute looters of public treasury, he would pardon them.

    He also recalled that Atiku in one of the statements during his campaigns, said he would privatise the country’s national assets.

    The APC national chairman said this would not be in the interest of the common man.

    He said that the President Buhari-led administration had been able to curtail the Boko Haram menace and other forms of insecurity in some parts of the country.

    “The country and the North-East is much more safer now, compared to the situation in the past,” Oshiomhole said.

    The APC national chairman said that the APC administration even with declining revenue, had devoted much more funds to critical sectors of the country like rail, road and electricity.

    Oshiomhole noted that without spending a fraction of what the PDP spent while it was in power for 16 years, the APC had achieved much more in terms of infrastructure development.

    He assured Nigerians and the international community that the coming elections would be free, credible and fair, adding that it would reflect the wishes of the people.

    He stressed that the APC was opposed to vote buying and would not encourage it in anyway.

    The APC national chairman specifically assured foreign observers of their safety, saying that:” they are our friends and guests; they do not have any reason whatsoever, to be afraid, we see them as partners in progress”.

    He, however, maintained that Nigeria is an independent and sovereign nation and would, therefore, not tolerate undue interference in its internal affairs by international community.

    Oshiomhole urged politicians, the media and the general public to place the nation’s interest above all other interests, before, during and after the elections.

    “We should all work had to uphold the integrity and sovereignty of out nation, as politicians and as media practitioners,let us pray that as we go for these elections,it will be a simple exercise,” he said.

    He debunked insinuations that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was working in favour of the APC.

    The national chairman expressed optimism that the APC would win the elections in a Landslide, adding that the party did not have to rig to win the polls.

    NAN

  • We are not interested in postponement of polls, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) said on Wednesday that the party was fully ready for the Presidential election scheduled for this weekend, dismissing reports that the APC was looking for a postponement of the elections.

    Deputy Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Arc Waziri Bulama said the council had carried its campaign all over the country, saying the campaigns have revealed that Nigerians would prefer go with a tested candidate

    Bulama said the responsibilities of leaders was to deliver good governance, secure the lives of Nigerians, empower Nigerians, secure their properties and create the conditions for opportunities for employment and the economic prosperity.

    He said “The other role of government or leaders is to ensure that they promote justice, they promote rule of law, they promote peace, promote freedom through their actions. So, this is the other aspect of the roles of leaders that most Nigerians don’t focus their minds on. But it is one thing that President Muhammadu Buhari promoted very strongly. Promotion of rule of law, promotion of work of institutions of government without interference, promotion of justice, promotion of fairness.

    Read Also: Polls: Igbo community backs APC

    “These are the things that he had done through words and actions, through personal example; he has promoted those things that would engender confidence in Nigerians to accept that the system is fair. Because you see incumbency places the responsibility on every leader to ensure that there is freedom, there is fairness, there is justice, that all the institutions of government are not exploited for personal interest.

    “We have stood by that strongly and you see there are increasing results that Nigerians are gradually showing confidence in democracy and institutions of government like INEC and actions the Police as well. You see, for instance, under our leadership since 2015 has held 195 off season elections; even governorship plus House of Representatives and others.

    “All stakeholders who participated in these elections has affirmed these elections as qualitatively better under this dispensation than the previous one. That means there is commitment, there is fairness and there is commitment to justice under our government because we are leaders that don’t impose conditions on INEC or the Police.

    “Even in our own party, APC President Muhammadu Buhari and Ahmed Tinubu, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole never imposes a condition you determine who is a party leader or party candidate. So they have the policy of allowing the institutions to work.

    “We have this record and also you see Nigerians have shown greater confidence in democracy because under our leadership Nigerians registered to vote increased from 68.5 million to 84 million. This is a sign of confidence in those in power because votes count under our leadership. That is why all Nigerians come forward to register and you see many people also rushed to collect their voter cards.

    “l want to tell you that base on our works as campaign council, we are ready for elections.”

  • PDP mocks Buhari over ‘failed’ Abuja rally

    The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) has mocked President Muhammadu Buhari over what it described as “scanty attendance” at his campaign rally in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The main opposition party said the event was a parody and further indication to the President and the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) Nigerians have rejected them ahead of Saturday’s presidential election.

    A statement on Wednesday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, also said the scanty attendance at most of President Buhari’s rallies in various parts of the country has further revealed the APC only fabricated figures in its claims that 14.8 of its members voted for the President at the flawed convention.

    The PDP said: “Nigerians can now further see that the figures were concocted by APC leaders to give an impression that President Buhari has massive support across the country, as well as use it as basis to allocate fictitious figures for him in the Presidential election.

    Read Also: INEC debunks allegations of working for PDP

    “President Buhari, who was pelted by Nigerians at his campaign rally in Ogun state on Monday, again slurred at the Abuja rally and, as usual, could not even articulate any meaningful message for his very scanty audience at the Eagle Square in Abuja.

    “The PDP says the failed rallies, should serve as an ample signal to President Buhari and the APC that Nigerians have moved ahead in rallying with the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and no amount of enticement or intimidation can change that resolve.

    “The PDP therefore urge compromised officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and our security agencies to note the tide and extricate themselves from any form of entanglement or pact to rig the elections for President Buhari, as they will be doing so at their own peril”.

  • Kwankwaso, an absentee Senator- Shekarau

    Former Governor of Kano state and senatorial candidate for Kano Central Senatorial District, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau on Wednesday slammed the Senator representing the zone at the National Assembly, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, describing him as an absentee Senator associated with failure.

    Shekarau, during an interactive session with reporters in his house, after rounding off campaign, said he would have defeated Kwankwaso if he had contested against him.

    He also described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Kano Central, Sani Aliyu Madakin Gini, as Kwankwaso’s political stooge who cannot make any impact in the election.

    Shekarau, who frowned at the spate of political violence in the state, accused Kwankwaso of being behind the ugly development and called on security agencies to take immediate action.

    He also dismissed insinuations he has issues to settle with President Muhammadu Buhari as false, insisting they have a cordial and perfect relationship.

    Read Also: EFCC loses bid to transfer Shekarau’s suit

    According to him: “To the best of my knowledge, Kwankwaso was an absentee Senator. For three and half years, I say this with heavy heart, I would loved not to say it but the facts are there, he had not set his foot on Kano soil.

    “There is no record anywhere that within the three and half years, so far as a Senator, he had ever come to consult members of his constituency, in whatever form.

    “So, I think there is nothing on ground to even compete with honestly. I think we are not bothered. It is left to the electorate to find out whether the former Senator has done anything.

    “The current senatorial candidate in PDP is his disciple. And I wonder what is there to sell to the people.

    “So, as for Kwankwaso I would have wished he contested again as a Senator.”

    On his relationship with Buhari, he said: “The issue of whether there is any disquiet between me and Buhari, I am not aware of any.

    “You see, people have their reasons of creating insinuations. I don’t think anybody has heard from Buhari himself that I have problems with him, if you do, please quote him that he said he has problems with Shekarau.

    “To the best of my knowledge, I have never said to anyone that I have problems with President Muhammadu Buhari. If I did, quote me that I have problem with President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “Well, we should allow people to have their perception, their own understanding. We have been the best of people. When we were in ANPP, we interacted together and he left and formed CPC. When we were doing the merger, I was the sole actor in the merger exercise.

    “I will always say boldly and proudly that anybody who writes the history of the formation of APC without my name, that history is incomplete because three of us led the Committee of 89 gentlemen and ladies for seven months to midwife the birth of APC.

    “So, as far as my relationship with Buhari is concerned, it has been cordial, perfect. We formed the APC. When I had cause to leave APC, I didn’t say it was Buhari’s fault or whoever fault.

    “It was on different grounds, and now that I am a senatorial candidate in APC, Buhari is a senior member of APC.

    “I am a member of APC, and we are going to work together as a President by the grace of God and as a Senator.“

  • PT’s Olawepo Hashim maintains online lead over Buhari, Atiku

    Presidential Candidate of the People’s Trust (PT) Mr. Gbenga Olawepo- Hashim, has maintained the lead as most popular candidate online.

    The weekly social media rating of presidential candidates’ engagements on the popular online platform, Facebook, on Tuesday showed he is still leading as the most popular Presidential candidate online, three days to the 2019 Presidential election.

    The latest data collected by an Abuja- based research outfit, Grandplan, showed Olawepo- Hashim was ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    The PT candidate, who first overtook President Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on 10th December 2018, has remained on top with the highest engagements on social media consecutively ever since.

    Going by the data on Tuesday, February 12th, 2019 in Abuja, Olawepo-Hashim recorded Facebook engagements in excess of 63,000 this week while Atiku Abubakar who came behind him, recorded 56,000+.

    Read Also: ‘Buhari doing more with less revenue’

    Buhari is far behind with only 6000+ engagements.

    The statistics also showed presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) Kingsley Moghalu; Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) Fela Durotoye and others were trailing behind.

    Data analysts involved in the polling project said the data on each of the candidates’ were realistic because “Facebook represents the broad spectrum of voters who will vote in the February poll.”

    According to them: “Increasing engagements imply voters’ growing interest in the candidates while a decreasing result reflects voters’ disenchantment.

    “A static return means a candidate is at a crossroads in the campaign.”

    The analysts said in their report that Olawepo-Hashim’s growing engagement rating is a measure of voters’ interest in him as a third force alternative.

    “He is no longer part of the pack of third-party candidates. He has moved ahead to emerge as a real alternative to both Buhari and Atiku. This is a game changer from data perspective,” according to Segun Seriki, the lead analyst for the project.

    “The latest data point to a major upset within the struggle for Nigeria’s presidency, we are making the report available to all the major candidates.

    “Our latest data reflect a major upset in the battle for the Presidency. It is no longer a two- horse race. There is now a third

    force that is overtaking the old alternatives.

    “We are still following the data but for now, Olawepo-Hashim has pulled the impossible to maintain an eight weeks lead over President Buhari and Atiku Abubakar,” he said

  • INEC working for PDP, says Oshiomhole

    … Appeal to Nigerians to Vote Buhari

     

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said on Wednesday that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was working for the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2019 general election.

    Oshiomhole however, added that the governing party will not decent to the level of bringing down state institutions because the APC believes that state institutions should be allowed to perform their functions.

    Responding to questions about alleged collusion between the Electoral Management Body and President Muhammadu Buhari, Oshiomhole alleged that at the moment, two Resident Electoral Commissioners in the South-South have been going about campaigning with the PDP.

    Oshiomhole who asked Nigerians not to return the PDP to power said the pledge by the PDP candidate to float the naira was a receipt to economic woes, adding that Atiku has always been part of wrath facing the nation.

    He also dismissed PDP allegations that the APC was responsible for burning some INEC offices that have recently been engulfed in flame, stressing that he could easily allude to the fact that the PDP burnt the INEC offices because they are afraid of losing elections in those places.

    He said “If anything, this INEC has been very unfair to the APC. But we just discovered that we have a responsibility. The fact that we are a governing party imposes on us a certain level of code that you can’t be seen to rubbish every institution because if we rubbish everything, it would mean that we don’t want election. INEC believe everything the PDP says.

    “As we speak, there are two Resident Electoral Commissioners who are virtually campaigning line by line with the PDP in the south South. INEC, without giving us any explanation and without any concrete evidence went ahead to say we can’t field candidates in Zamfara, thereby seeking to award, without any context and nullify democracy in Zamfara state.

    “Is that the way your friends behave if they are your friends. INEC is working more for the PDP, based on evidence I can show. How can they explain that a court of competent jurisdiction gave orders in Zamfara to say this candidate is eligible to contest election and another high court in Abuja also gave a verdict saying APC did not conclude its primaries but did not give order to INEC.

    Read Also: Oshiomhole warns APC chairmen, secretaries against complacency

    “There is no order issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court of Appeal made a pronouncement on this matter today that there was no order from the court in Abuja, but that there was a concrate order from a Zamfara High Court which upheld the primaries that was conducted in Zamfara.

    “The INEC Chairman has said that when there are two court orders, they will adopt the last judgement. In Zamfara state, the Abuja judgement came first and the Zamfara judgment came last even though it is the same say.

    “More as INEC has said they will always obey the last judgement when it came to the Zamfara issue, they changed the goal post. As media, you have to be careful. When you say people alleged there were meetings and can’t even cite any, it is a disservice. We have been at the receiving end of abuse.

    “There is a candidate in Kano whose nomination we forwarded to INEC, but they changed the nomination and as we speak, we are in court over that. We showed our evidence.

    “Do you remember the confession of the former Deputy Senate President who, on national television and on social media where anything is possible, narrated how President Obasanjo used him and Atiku to rig election, how they wrote results, how they collude with INEC. This same Atiku was in office when Mantu was doing those things.

    “So, if PDP functionaries have enumerated how they use to rig election, how can in all fairness point to President Muhammadu Buhari who has been victim of election rigging three times such that in our legal history it is part precedent that the Supreme Court was persuaded to accept that election where ballot papers had no serial number was OK and not a major infraction.”

    On the allegation by the PDP that the party was responsible for the fire incidences in some INEC offices, Oshiomhole said “does it make sense for any responsible Nigerian, when there is fire incidence either in a private property or a public property, to jump into conclusion from the comfort of your room say that the ruling party must have done it.

    “There is an Igbo proverb that when you see a mad man running naked and he pulled your clothes, you don’t join him in running naked. The PDP choose to run naked and make allegations over everything. They are free to do that. We are more busy and will not join issues.

    “This election is for us and no election can be this easy for us. All we need is one man one vote and we will defeat the PDP. There will be no violence, no fighting. Just the votes which will be counted and we will win.”

    He likened Atiku’s plans to grant amnesty to looters who refund part of their loot to a situation of not putting in place any punitive measure to deter others from towing the same part.

    He said President Buhari was not a sit tight leader, but only exercising his constitutional right to seek a second term in office, saying the President has demonstrated his love for Nigeria with the love of infrastructures he has put in place across the country.

    He told foreign observers that while their presence was appreciated, western leaders should not come and dictate to Nigeria how to carry out their activities, saying “we are not a colony of any western nation”.

    Nigeria, he said is much more than all those seeking to be the President, appealing for a violence-free election which he said will be won by his party without having to resort to any form of rigging or intimidation.

  • Women rally for Buhari in Abuja

    Thousands of women have staged a road show for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The women moved in a colourful motorcade with shouts of ‘Sai Baba, Sai Buhari’ and ‘Support Mr. Integrity’ renting the air.

    The show, which began from the Unity Fountain in Maitama at about 8.00am, took party faithful and loyalists through Kubwa – Zuba- Giri- Gwagwalada – Lugbe

    The procession had a stop-over at the City Gate specifically in Games Village to encourage Nigerians to vote for President Buhari/Osibajo on Saturday.

    It then proceeded to Area One through Central Business District and a second stop over in President Muhammadu Buhari  campaign office before finally moving the train back to unity fountain where participants were entertained with foods and drinks.

    An extensive door- to- door campaign outreach ended the show.

    The initiator chief convener, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, who is the immediate past All Progressives Congress (APC) National Women Leader called on voters to choose Buhari.

    Read Also: Nigerian Traders endorse Buhari

    The National Women Leader of the Presidential Support Committee (PSC), said: “The PMB- led administration deserves another 4 years to continue the good work and also for stabilization or consolidation.

    “The school feeding system for the pupils  is there, the Rail projects, Trader Moni, fighting corruption to standstill, N-Power, amongst other things worthy of mentioning. Time for consolidation has come.

    Minister of Youths and Sports Solomon Dalung joined the women at the unity fountain from the National Campaign Headquarters.

    He was with the Deputy National Director General, of the Presidential Campaign Committee; Okoi Obno Obla , Senior Special Assistant the President on Prosecution; Ambassador  Debora Illiya, Nigerian Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo;  Gen. Garba Audu Dibal and other APC chieftains.

    Fully represented were also all zonal and state coordinators of the Presidential Support Committee (PSC) and some members of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) as well as dignitaries and well- wishers  neighbouring Niger, Plateau, Benue, Nassarawa, Kwara, and Kogi  states.