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Tag: National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

  • Oshiomhole should learn how to talk -Okorocha

    Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha has cautioned the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole to apply caution in the way he speaks, especially about the party leaders.

    The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, in response to a statement credited to the National Chairman, said, “we have not read Oshiomhole’s statement but I don’t think any National Chairman of a party can say such a thing. He should be advised on how he speaks. He can’t be attacking the leaders of the party.

    Read Also:Okorocha, Amosun behaving like poor students of history- Oshiomhole

    “Take it from me; a party does not exist in a vacuum. There must be people to run the party. President Muhammadu Buhari has a high pedigree which Nigerians are happy of and Oshiomhole should learn from Mr. President.

    “We have not read it anywhere but we insist that it is not the best way to treat members of the party. Oshiomhole should learn to talk in a way that brings dignity to APC”.

  • My integrity, a big challenge to the PDP – Oshiomhole 

    …Okorocha, Amosun, Yari missing in APC reconciliation committees

     

     

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said Wednesday that recent attacks on his person were aimed at undermining his integrity which he said is a major challenge to the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Oshiomhole who spoke while inaugurating six committee to work as National Peace and reconciliation committee to reconcile aggrieved members the party across the six geopolitical zones said the only integrity the PDP were bringing on board was the integrity of sharing the nation’s resources.

    Read Also:Obasanjo, Oshiomhole, Akpabio storm Jonathan’s book launch

    Three Governors of the party who are having a running battle with the National Chairman of the party, Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Senator Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara state are the only governors of the party who are not in any of the committees.

    The APC Chairman said he had been a victim of people’s anger as a result of the outcome of the party primaries said it was not surprising to see the number of aggrieved persons who felt that the outcome of the primaries should have favored them.

    He said “I have had my own fair share of people, who, out of anger chose to target me as a person. Unfortunately it coincide with what the opposition PDP have always wanted because bringing on board my past reputation is a challenge to the PDP that has no reputation. If they had any, it is a reputation of share the money and these are no longer in the realm of speculations because it has been subject of several litigations across the country.”

    Comrade Oshiomhole explained that the party has a responsibility to placate members of the party who are aggrieved, stressing that party had so much challenge as a result of the growing confidence of the Nigerian people on the party.

    He said: “We want you to help us find in-house solution with a view to finding peace and ensuring internal unity and harmony within the APC family. We have gone through a very crucial stage in the processes leading to the next presidential election, National Assembly, governorship and state houses of assembly elections.

    “From my own records, of the 36 states and the FCT, I believe that we have done extremely well. It is almost impossible for even the most gifted child to score 100 percent in every subject. The more questions you have to answer, the more the chances of missing some of them.

    “Four years ago, around this time, we were in opposition and therefore, the value of our ticket was certainly not near where they are today. More and more women and men of conviction now subscribes to contesting election on our platform.

    “I believe that to our collective credit, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari who is our candidate in the next Presidential election, assisted by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, we have all worked very hard and we have been very well led by Mr. President. As they say, you can never under estimate the power of example.

    “We have not solved the problems of Nigeria, but those with good memories will have no difficulties in comparing the previous 16 years of PDP rules and the past three and half years of APC rule.

    “Our people voted for change because they wanted to change the way the country is managed, they wanted to change the way government and governance is approached, they wanted to eliminate corruption in the process of governance, they wanted to reconcile efforts with reward; they wanted to eliminate a situation where people who work so hard earn very little and those who have no business address are the billionaires.

    “They wanted to address a situation where every week, a Nigerian was buying a private jet when he had no business address. The challenge of changing the reward system that was on ground was obviously not going to be easy.

    “The House if bigger that it was four years ago because those who initially had reservations have since realized that the President meant business and the APC was delivering on the promises that we made.

    “As they say, success has many fathers and failure is an orphan. The fact of these accomplishment which has enlarged the house and brought in more political activists and political leaders who are people of huge electoral value across the states has meant that the internal democratic process which we were obliged under our constitution to go through was getting more intense and competitive with more people showing interest in the affairs of our party.

    “But we are still learning the full import of multi party democracy and of a free and fair election. If it were possible to have angels in politics, and ten of them decide to contest for the office of a governor of a state, nine angels will lose nomination, not because they are less pure, but because only one person will be chosen.

    “Whether that choice is through imposition, consensus, direct or indirect primary, it is obvious from the onset that nine will go without the ticket. This is something we ought to expect and that every democrat should readily appreciate.

    “I am not surprised that inspite of the efforts that we have made, we still have some persons and groups in few states where some people feel about uncomfortable with the outcome and they feel that the system was not just to them.

    “For me, it is not sufficient to rely on the fact that colleagues and I on the NWC, as much as we tried to ensure that the rules were obeyed and ensure that the process was transparent and that we protected everyone, those who the system did not favour are not only questioning the outcome, but appeared quite disappointed with some very bitter and resorting to statements that might be unhelpful as we approach the elections.

    “As Chairman, I have since learnt that once you step out to be the Chairman of even a local Association, you opt to be the dustbin to which everybody empty everything. I have had my own fair share of people, who, out of anger chose to target me as a person.

    “Unfortunately it coincide with what the opposition PDP have always wanted because bringing on board my past reputation is a challenge to the PDP that has no reputation. If they had any, it is a reputation of share the money and these are no longer in the realm of speculations because it has been subject of several litigations across the country.

    “In moving forward, it is not a question of whether we think that we have done everything perfect, but even if the outcome of a perfect exercise makes one person unhappy, as leaders privileged to have been entrusted with the management of our party and ensure there is peace and tranquility within our party, we must, inspite of our conviction that we have done our very best make every effort to identify those who are unhappy and use our in-house huge human resource to try and find in-house solution.

    “From our tradition, I know that seeking peace and finding solution, the quality of people involved also matters. We believe that these committees which include our governors who inspite of their own reservations are at home and at peace with the party and are working hard to ensure that the party win their respective zones, we can call on them to come and help us in this process of peace building and reconciliation.

    “The truth is that when somebody is unhappy, we have a responsibility to make them happy. We also realized that sometimes, women have special gift of persuasion and that is why we have enough women of substance in this committee to help carry out this reconciliation.”

    Responding on behalf of other members of the committee, Borno state Governor, Kashim Shettima who Head the south west committee assured the party leadership that the committee will work hard to reconcile All members and work as a united family to ensure victory for the party in the general election.

    Shettima said “Contestation for power is not a tea party affair, it is common with human nature but the maturity with which these issues were handled depends on the quality of leadership in our system. We have to commend the leadership of the party.

    “We have governors in 23 states and like I said contest is a normal phenomenon in human life. I want assure the leadership and members of the party that we shall try our best to see that we reconciled our aggrieved members. Whatever is our grievances we have a goal and the end is to see that President Muhammadu Buhari wins the forthcoming election.

    “We should ensure that our moves from the present 23 states to control 30 states at the next election and also control the National Assembly. To achieve this however, we have to put our house in order.”

     

  • No cause for alarm, says Oshiomhole 

    …Says 90% APC members happy

     

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, on Monday said that there was no cause for alarm on the speculated moves to remove him from office.

    He was reacting to reports in the social media of plans by some APC governors to storm Abuja towards gathering signatures to remove him from office.

    Read Also:Vote of no confidence claim: Oshiomhole denies aide’s statement

    Speaking with State House correspondents after a delegation of APC politicians from Kwara State met President Muhammadu Buhari, Oshiomhole said that only one or two out of the 23 APC state governors are not happy with him.

    The former Edo State Governor, who said that he is presently having his finest moment, said that nothing less than 90 percent of all APC members are happy with him at the helm of affairs.

    He said that those not happy with him in the party were aggrieved because he insisted on following due process.

    Also speaking, the Kwara State APC Governorship candidate, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, said that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and his camp are no threat to his ambition in 2019.

    According to him, Saraki is history in Kwara politics.

    Details Later…

  • Osun Election: Our deal with Omisore, by Oshiomhole

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said that the party did not offer Senator Iyiola Omisore any financial inducement to gain his support during the rerun election conducted on Thursday, adding that the former Deputy governor never made any demand.

    Oshiomhole also gave reasons why the party disqualified the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Aisha Jummai Alhassan from contesting the governorship elections primary in Taraba state, saying the party was not convinced about the loyalty of the minister to the party.

    Addressing a news conference in Abuja, the former Edo State governor said the party gave Senator Omisore the opportunity to sponsor candidates to contest elections on the APC platform, stressing however that those saying the APC offered him money was out of place.

    He said “I said we had a negotiation and had a deal that has to do with the governance of Osun State. I didn’t go with money and I don’t have money to give to anybody. He didn’t ask and there was no basis for him to ask.

    “The word automatic ticket has meaning. Having regards to the provisions of electoral acts which makes primary mandatory, can you at the same time talk of automatic ticket? Even when I spoke to our National Assembly members, it is not that I don’t know that word exist, but I simply didn’t find it useful and never used it.

    “We agreed that he will have an opportunity for him to contest for a seat on APC platform. Not just for senate or House of Representatives, but also for house of assembly. That is why I said we spoke about the immediate which is the Osun election and going forward.”

    The APC Chairman said further that “Both the APC and the PDP recognizes that we needed to do business with the other minority parties that participated in the election and it wasn’t difficult to understand who to do business with if you want to influence the outcome of the election.

    “It was clear that the SDP was largely in control of those areas. If you want to do a Coalition, you identify the leaders who have influence and enter into negotiation. Why PDP were shouting in the morning, that they were going to challenge the rerun their leader went to Senator Omisore to persuade him to negotiate a possible working arrangement.

    “Recognizing the fact that SDP was critical to this conversation, we decided to also open negotiation with their leadership and I was impressed by his emphasis. He told us that, yes he has lost, but he believe that he can still win if we have a deal that seeks to address the primary purpose of his participation in the process which is the governance of the state and specific policy issues that were of concern to him.

    “We had a robust conversation and reached an agreement which I think is healthy. We didn’t have to negotiate about compensation or about paying money to anyone. The issue was about governance, education and how we can have a working relationship ahead of the general election and in future elections.

    “We were able to strike a deal that has to do with the specific issues that affect the welfare and the well being of the people of Osun State. Whereas Saraki failed to strike a deal with the SDP, we secured a deal with them and now APC, working with the SDP had huge influence in those areas and combining our efforts, it was not strange that at the end, we won.

    “For democracy to flourish, only people who can accept the pain of defeat should participate in an election because there must be a winner and a loser, but for PDP to take the position as if election is only free and fair if they win is not ideal.

    “When they win election in Cross River last month, we did not hear any voice, they won in Taraba, we did not hear any voice, INEC was perfect, but whenever they lost, INEC is colluding. We do not have the rigging no-how.”

    Speaking on why the Minister of a Women Affairs was disqualified, Oshiomhole said “as for the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, she has issues that have to do with party loyalty. Our constitution is clear and it dictates that to contest elections or even hold office in the APC, you must be loyal to the party in every material concern.

    “From all she had said in the past and even her comments and general attitude during the screening, the NWC reviewed everything taken together and we arrived at the conclusion that she does not possess the level of loyalty that the APC requires for her to contest elections on our platform.

    “We made it clear when the defections happened that APC may well benefit from these defections if it helps us to be more critical in terms of who we give platform to contest elections and that there are core values that binds the APC together and they are non-negotiable.

    “The Electoral Act and the APC constitution forbid anyone from being a member of more than one political party at a time. You cannot be a member of APC and be a card carrying member of another party but when you have a situation where it would appear, based on what you know and based on what I know that someone is probably APC in the day time maybe for the purpose of retaining certain offices and they are PDP at heart.

    “Or if they are not PDP at heart, they are actually and simply a follower of a one-man permanent presidential candidate…then we have the right to ask ourselves if these attitudes and qualities are characteristics of an ideal member of an APC.

    “So, those are the reasons. We did not want to have a lengthy explanation to do but she knows why she was disqualified and we know why we denied her the use of our platform.”

    On the Minister of Communication, he said: “He admitted that he did not do the mandatory NYSC as provided for under the law and in his own judgment, his being a member of the House of Assembly in the state and now as a minister of the federal republic that these were enough sacrifices.

    “But for us as a party we know that NYSC is a mandatory scheme. It is not something you may elect to do or abstain from doing and my understanding of the NYSC Act is that no employer of labour is permitted to employ anyone who graduated under 30 years and who did not obtain an exemption for reasons as provided for in the NYSC Act.

    “So, for us, not participating in the NYSC raises very serious moral issue as well as legal issue. After interviewing him, we were convinced that….for our party, there are clear lessons we need to learn from our recent past when people… anyway, we were convinced that if he did not do NYSC, that for us was enough to disqualify him and we had to find the courage to do so.”

    While commending the people of Osun State for keeping faith with the party, Oshiomhole said: “We have seen over the period that the opposition party has always, whenever it is not winning election raise issues of rigging. But I do understand PDP is quick to suggest rigging in any election in which it is not favored by the electorates.

    “The Osun election was substantially free and fair. The fact that some votes were cancelled suggests that something’s went wrong the first day. But that those cancellations were effected by INEC also showed the independent of INEC to make decisions on the spot based on evidence on ground.

    “Reviewing the opinion of genuine monitors, you realize that the fact that it was inconclusive was accepted by both local observers and foreign observers. PDP disagreed with the idea of conducting elections in those places where the elections were cancelled.

    “There have been rerun elections in the past that favored the PDP. A lot of the governors today elected on the PDP platform especially in the south south are beneficiaries of inconclusive and inspite of our reservations, we had to accept those outcome.

    “In the Osun election, nobody can talk of landslide victory. If anyone had access to manipulate those figures, you will not rig election and do so half-heartedly to a point of leading to inconclusive election.”

  • Oshiomhole wants Policemen involved in Clark’s residence prosecuted

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has called for the prosecution of policemen involved in the raids and search of the Abuja residence of elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark.

    In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Simon Egbuebulem, the APC Chairman said that anything short of the prosecution of the affected policemen would be unacceptable.

    Read Also:Raid of Clark’s residence: IG dismisses three Inspectors

    Oshiomhole said “I am shocked to learn about the raid on the Abuja residence of our elder statesman and highly respected South South leader, Chief Edwin Clark by the police, last Tuesday.

    “I am even more baffled and embarrassed that no reason was given for that invasion and from the comments by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotum-Idris, the raid was not authorized by the police hierarchy.

    “Therefore, the IGP has a responsibility not only to detain the policemen involved but to also ensure they are diligently prosecuted in court. Anything short of that will be unacceptable.

    “The police hierarchy must come clean on this matter, and handle the entire issue transparently, including disclosing the names of the officers involved in this unwarranted attack on the person of Chief Clark.

    “I share the pain and embarrassment Chief Clark was subjected to by the said police officers, particularly as no reason have been given for the action. This is one matter the IGP must never sweep under the carpet.

    “It should be further reiterated that no Nigerian would be allowed to be subjected to such recklessness or impunity on the part of those charged to protect them.”

  • Oshiomhole: Saraki will be impeached legally

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said on Friday that the party will work for the impeachment of Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki in accordance with the laws of the land and in accordance with democratic norms across the world and not by thuggery.

    Oshiomhole also said that the only thing the Senate President can do to avoid impeachment will be to take the honourable part and resign his position which he occupied by provision of being a member of the majority party in the senate, adding that there is no way a minority party can rule over majority in the senate.

    Addressing a news conference at the party headquarters in Abuja, the APC chairman said that since becoming the senate President, Senator Saraki has never done anything with the interest of the nation at heart, adding that every action of the Senate President has been dictated by his personal interest.

    Read Also:More pressure on Saraki to quit Senate presidency

    Oshiomhole vowed that apart from having Senator Saraki impeached as senate President, the party will work hard to ensure that he does not return to the senate during the 2019 general election, stressing that the people of Kwara State are fed up with his brand of politics which has not impacted positively on them.

    He accused Senator Saraki of betraying the party to clinch the senate Presidency by entering into an alliance with the opposition party and offering them the position of the deputy Senate President.

    While accusing the Senate President of putting personal interest above national interest, Oshiomhole said that attempt to use the invasion of the National Assembly on Tuesday to portray himself as the conscience of the nation is to insult our collective intelligence as a people.

    Oshiomhole said: “We decided to call for this press conference basically to respond to issues raised by the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki during his press conference.

    “It is important that we respond to some of the issues he canvassed so that the public is not misled into turning villains into heroes and twisting the facts that are not hidden to the Nigerian public. It is important that we help the Nigerian public by refreshing their memories.

    “The senate President raised the issues of the fact that he has always acted not on t basis of his own personal interest, but that he has always acted on the basis of national interest. The truth is that it is doubtful if the senate president has ever acted either in the National, interest or in t interest of his own political party before his defection recently.

    “Without going back to ancient history, it is important to look at how Senator Bukola Saraki became the President of the Senate. He decided, clearly, against the party position to enter into a deal with the opposition PDP and got a faction of the PDP, taking advantage of the provisions of the provision while majority of the APC senators were holding a meeting at the International conference Centre to resolve the issue of leadership of the senate and other principal officers that are expected to be produced by the ruling party with majority senators.

    “By putting his personal interest over and above the interest of the party, he went into alliance with PDP and conceded the position of the position of deputy senate president to the opposition in other to obtain the support of the opposition for him to become the senate President.

    “So, for the first time in our democratic history in Nigeria, we had a situation whereby, whereas the APC had majority of senators, it went on to elect a PDP person as deputy senate President. This action alone portray Senator Saraki for who he is and that his personal interest come before an6 other interest, including the National, interest and that of his politics party.

    “Having went into this unholy alliance with the opposition and mortgage the rights of the ruling party, he appointed opposition senators to Head strategic committees whose activities can affect either for good or for bad, the working of government and the relationship between the government and the legislature by grading away those strategic and sensitive positions.

    “Senator Saraki did that in other to continue to protect himself against the wishes of his party as senate President. That showed that the only thing that was constant in his mind was to cling on to the position of senate president even if it is at the expense of his own party and the country.

    “Even the media has consistently draw attention to how senate Saraki is managing the senate to the extent that questions have been raised as to whose interest the senate was serving.

    “You do not have a partisan politician appreciate that in an election year, every democratic government around the world would do everything possible to ensure that it is seen to be working for the people of the country.

    “Like any other political party in government, Nigerians expected the APC government under President Buhari to do everything possible this year to make up for lost time in terms of budget implementation and addressing critical infrastructures without which sustainable development is impossible.

    “The senate under senator Saraki choose to delay the budget up to the end of the first half of the year and to coincide with the period of the rainy season such that those aspect of infrastructure such as roads cannot be constructed during the rainy season.

    “These were not errors of the Head under his leadership, but clearly designed to frustrate the capacity of the government to address critical infrastructural deficit without which the ordinary man cannot feel the impact of governance.

    “Again on receipt of the budget, the President cried out that it was a clear distortion from the well thought proposal that he submitted to them. He appreciated that while they can make alteration to the budget, he did not expect that it will be completely rewritten as to make far more provisions for recurrent expenditure with very little for capital projects. He said this budget will be difficult to implement.

    “So, when I said he has never put the interest of Nigeria first, I support this statement by reference to the deliberate delay of the budget and deliberate manipulation of the provisions in the budget in a way that will compromise the capacity of the government to address critical infrastructures.

    “It is no longer a secret that as senate President, he tried to conspire with others to create a semblance of division within the ruling party having failed to truncate the convention, when they assembled a handful of people who were neither delegates nor contest for any office at the convention to purport to have formed a political party.

    “There is nothing for me to add to the illegality of this action and the false foundation that Senator Saraki tried to leave than to adopt the well thought out presentation of Femi Falana.”

    He said the actions of the senate President and his utterances did not portray hi. As a man who have the interest of his people at heart, saying “Those things did not portray him as someone who is concerned about sustaining democracy because sustaining democracy also implies absolute commitment to the rule of law.

    “If the rule of law is compromised and Nigeria is reduced to banana republic when it will be survival of the fittest, he is probably not the strongest man in town to cling on to that office. So, each time he takes an action that constitute a breach of the constitution, he is, by his own action undermining the foundation and weakening the fabrics of our democracy.

    “However, upon his illegal defection, which he had to do hurriedly because the number of senators he was playing on their fears that they will not be able to return to the senate.

    He said further that Senator Saraki had planned to reduce the APC to a minority party in the party and compiled a list of 36 senators who were to sign their agreement to defect to the PDP, but was frustrated when some of the senators refused to sign.

    “At a point, he has on his list, about 36 Senators who were about to defect. But consequent upon our election, we took preemptive steps to reassure some of those senators.

    “The first meeting we held after our election was with Senator SARAKI to try and listen to his grievances and this I did in company of the Vice President and he acknowledged that those steps were taken when he was leaving, to listen to what I called negotiable and verifiable grievances.

    “But however, his real grievances are not negotiable which is about ambition, value and his fundamental values and the values of the APC. When he defected, he went to Ilorin to tell the people part of the truth that he was leaving for two reasons.

    “He alleged that Buhari gave out over 200 juicy appointments without allocating some to him and he chooses to speak for the Speaker of the House of Representatives that he was also not given. He lamented that he was not given a share of the so called 200 juicy positions.

    “My question is, giving SARAKI, the Senate President juicy position; does that coincide with the Nigerian project? Or the interest of the people of Kwara State of his Senatorial zone. At no time did he refer to the interest of the people of his constituency or the people of Nigeria.

    “The second reason he gave was that he was being persecuted. That is alleged persecution of his person and not his people. He never pretended that any of these actions had anything, to do with the people of Nigeria, but his person.

    “I think the governor of Kwara State was more explicit in collaborating his claim when he said that he as governor and Saraki as senate President were being link to armed robbery cases. Again, that has nothing to do with the Nigerian project or the Kwara people.

    “What is the truth? Who linked Senator Saraki to armed robbery? Was it the federal government t or arrested armed robbers? It is the armed robbers that alleged that the weapons with which they carried out the operation were procured for them by senate President. This is contained in the police report which is no longer a secret.

    “He has not denied knowledge of these people since some of them were captured in his entourage during his condolence visit. So. If armed robbers linked the name of the senate president, is the APC or the government to blame?

    “A crime that led to the killing of about 35 persons cannot be dismissed with a wave of hand and in any jurisdiction, when your name is linked to such heinous crime, people don’t clap for you. It is the duty of the security agents to investigate and establish whether they are valid or invalid.

    “So, if he was linked to armed robbery, which cannot be an offense of the government or the APC. The best defense I have heard is that the robbers said that he did not ask them to use the weapon for armed robbery.

    “In support of my thesis that Saraki has never acted in the national interest, my final submission is on the way he adjourned the senate. The senate calendar is not a secret to the presiding officer and the calendar that was known was that the senate was going to adjourn on a Thursday.

    “But by Monday night, SARAKI used his guest house, wrote out names of senators with provision for them to sign for senators to decamp from the APC to the PDP, but some of the senators refused to sign. That is what frustrated his calculations to turn the APC to a minority party in the senate. Is it a coincidence that as he was reading the names of defectors in the senate, his counter in the House was also doing same.

    “So, there was coordination for defection day. But happily, the preemptive measure we have taken to address genuine grievances frustrated their number such that from 36, he could not get more than 14 senators to decamp including one that subsequently overcame the manipulation.

    “Between Tuesday and Thursday, the senate was expected to discuss the supplementary budget for INEC. INEC requirement are not things that you buy from the shelf. You have to order them from the manufacturers and so, time is of the essence.

    “But the senate under SARAKI adjourned without considering the matters before it including the budget for INEC. So, if SARAKI adjourned the senate ahead of schedule to resume towards the end of nominations, can that act be said to coincide with national interest.

    “If you decide to frustrate INEC by denying it the funds that it requires, can you be said to be a defender of democracy? If INEC don’t get their funds and therefore are unable to conduct t credible election, will that not lead to further consequences for our democracy?

    “So, I submit that SARAKI, s action were calculated to undermine democracy. Those who fought for democracy y did not do it so that it can be runner at the mercies of a senate president whose interest is clearly at variance with national interest. There was a request for virement which was also not considered.

    “A substantial part of the 2018 budget meant for capital project was supposed to be sourced through loan and under the constitution; you cannot borrow from foreign countries without the express endorsement of the national, assembly. Without those loans, the budget cannot be implemented.

    “While this was pending, Senator SARAKI put his personal interest above his office and chooses to adjourn the senate, leaving these huge national issues unattended to. So, for an officer that behave like that, how he can argue that anything he did was not about himself.

    “Everything he did has never been informed by National interest. There are also allegations of lack of transparency and we have seen Nigerians trying to demystify what they earn. We have an arm that is completely unaccountable because of the way he has presided.

    “Therefore, his attempt to use the incident at the National Assembly on Tuesday to portray himself as the conscience of the nation is to insult our collective intelligence as a people.

    “There is the futile attempt he has made to suggest that the Tuesday’s incidence was an attempt to carry out an illegal impeachment. How can a presiding office arrive at such a conclusion that there was a plan to carry out an illegal impeachment.

    “Until an action takes place, you cannot determine the outcome, if impeachment itself is unlawful, then you can understand where he is coming from. It is lawful to impeach anyone, including the President the Senate and his deputy if the number required to do so is present.

    “So, he cannot preempt that. From their own statement, they claimed to be aware that the Senate Preside t was going to be illegally impeached and so mobilized thugs to the senate. They told the world that they have adjourned till 25th September.

    “But meanwhile, about 15 PDP Senators were in the Senate and imported things that molested two of our members they signed in the senate. D8s you find any APC senator in the senate? If APC senators were not in the senate and it was PDP Senators that were there, what is the basis of the false claim that there was an attempt to carry out an illegal impeachment.

    “In any case, SARAKI is not going to be the first senate president to be impeached and I doubt is he is going to be the last. But definitely, he will be impeached according to law and democratic norms. The only way he can avoid impeachment is for him to do what is honourable.

    “We saw Senator Akpabio who was the PDP leader in the senate. Once he made up his mind to leave the PDP, he wrote to inform the PDP even before his defection that he was resigning.

    “So, Senator SARAKI has demonstrated neither character nor being a man of honour. I told him when we held a meeting that he came to join the APC as a senator and it is on our platform that you became senate president. Once you made up your mind to leave, the honourable thing to do is to resign as senate president.

    “If he does not resign, he will be impeached according to law and not by thuggery or by mob or anything that undemocratic. He cannot sustain a minority rule in the senate and that is what is hunting him in the senate.

    “When I say that the senate president will be impeached, let me emphasis that he will be impeached properly according to law. The constitution is clear how a presiding officer can be impeached and because several impeachment has taken place, we are not about to witness what has not taken place before.

    “We have enough precedent to fall back on. I have looked at the constitution which does not say that an impeachment is illegal. It is done, you cannot arrive at the conclusion that it is unlawful. How can we be accused of planning an illegal impeachment when it has not commenced.

    “If he think that by saying that he will preempt the APC from having him impeached, he is deceiving himself. I think that the time of SARAKI is over, the way he has manipulated the politics of Kwara stat, he failed to understand that the Nigerian project is far mor complicated than being at the mercy of his own dynasty.

    “He will not only be impeached, we will work hard to have him defeated as a senator in his own Senatorial zone come 2019 by the people of Kwara stage who are fed up with Saraki. Go and check the results of the elections that made him a senator and you will find out that the President got more votes from Kwara Central that Saraki got for himself.

    “So, he can’t claim that the vote the APC got from his Senatorial zone was because of him. They were inspite of him and that is why his leaving is of no political consequences as far as electoral issues are concerned. We tried to talk to him, not out of fear, but out of conviction that as a presiding officer, there are rules of engagement and we don’t him to get so emotional as to affect those rules of engagements.”

  • I’ll go any length to restore peace in APC, Says Oshiomhole

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Monday disclosed that he was ready to go any length and reach further understanding with aggrieved members of the party to restore peace within the APC.

    Oshiomhole revealed this during a book launch held in Abuja. The book written by Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim is titled “Poorlitics: The Little Boy from Goniri and The Progressives’ Manifesto”.

    The former Edo State Governor stated that he was willing to ensure peaceful coexistence across the country and ready to promote fairness and justice within the party.

    The party chairman said if there are verifiable claims from those allegedly maltreated or denied justice, peace talks should be a collective efforts.

    His words: “I have been reading in our newspapers like Oshiomhole has been going round, not sleeping, talking to people who are politically aggrieved and so on and so forth. Whether it is allegation, accusation or acknowledgement, I am not too sure.

    Read Also:APC, PDP in war of words over Saraki, Dogara, others

    “We are offering juicy promises according to them and offering all kinds of inducements for people to remain where they are. I said well, if there is any Nigerian who, think I am a coward, I am not capable of fighting, he can ask from out former President, Olusegun Obasanjo with whom we had to wrestle in the village square in Abuja.

    “But the truth is it is better to invest every effort, go any length in the pursuant of peace and understanding. If there are genuine evidences that people have been unfairly treated, it fits into my background that you can’t decree peace; you can only work for peace and peace is a by-product of justice and fairness. So, for all of us, who are committed to peace, we must be seen beyond rhetoric to be committed to fairness and justice.”

    “Whenever we have evidence that anyone have been unfairly treated or denied justice, we have the collective duty to play our part and ensure that the cause of injustice and unfairness is addressed satisfactory so that the foundation for sustainable peace and harmony is laid, not only in our political live but even in our social and economic life.

    “Therefore, I am not ashamed and therefore affirm that I’ll continue as Nigerian who wants peace in Nigeria, as chairman of the governing party to ensure there is peace in my party and as human to ensure there is peace in the world,” Oshiomhole added.

    He applauded the Senator for taking time to publish the book, thus discouraging money politics in the country.

    However, he called the public to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign to check money politics in the 2019 poll.

    According to him, peaceful election is possible in the country for the senator to have contested with low resources and still remain relevant in Yobe politics till date.

    He further canvassed for an extension of tenure for members of the national assembly but discouraged any effort that could promote similar motive in the executive arm of government.

    “It is my hope and prayer that with time, we will have more security of tenure for everyone, particularly in the legislative arm because they will need all the experiences. I can understand the logic of limiting the executive because we don’t want to be on our way to Zimbabwe or another Mugabe in Nigeria.

    “For legislation, I believe the argument for continuity is very valid and I hope that you will continue to be an example of what can be done differently…” he added.

    Personalities present at the event include Secretary to the President, represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Borno State Governor, Shetim Mustapha, former APC Chairman John Oyegun, traditional rulers among other top politicians and government office holders.

    Earlier, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki encouraged politicians to adopt the model of the writer and his political principles.

    He said foremost nationalists such as Alhaji Aminu Kano, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo adopted the same method to have succeeded and became renowned leaders.

    “I have known Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim for many years.  I first met him when I went with my father, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki, to secure land for our bank in Yobe State.  Senator Ibrahim was the Governor then.  He generously provided land for our bank.

    “It is amazing that he has taken his time to develop the concept of Poorlitics, which is a system that allows people, even when they are from a humble background, to succeed in politics by offering practical, development-oriented, progressive political leadership.  This is exactly the same route to success taken by the founding fathers of Nigeria, like

    “It is this same system that forms the basis of the politics of Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim and there is no doubt that he has recorded tremendous success. He has risen from being a very poor peasant boy in his village in Yobe State, to be elected three times as Governor of Yobe State and three times as Senator, with three successful wives. One became a Minister of the Federal Republic; another is a serving Permanent Secretary,” he added.

  • Oshiomhole vow to reposition APC

    …Orders “Fake Director” out of secretariat

     

     

    The new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on Tuesday told staff of the national secretariat of the party to brace up for the new realities in the party and be ready the changes that will occur in the party in time to come.

    While holding a meeting with the staff of the party, moments after taking over from his predecessor, Comrade Oshiomhole took his first decision, sacking a man that has been parading himself at the secretariat for the past four years as Director of Finance of the party.

    The Nation gathered that at the moment, the party has only two full-fledged Directors and has not employed any Director of Finance since its inception.

    The “fake Director of Finance” identified as Timothy Akojuru was said to have worked with the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) as Director of Finance.

    Before going into a closed door meeting, Oshiomhole has publicly told the workers while taking over that he would improve their welfare and ensure that they were well enumerated, but must work hard to earn whatever they will be paid.

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    A source who attended the meeting said that the former Labour leader hinted of a possible downsizing of those working in the secretariat as all the staff must have one function or the other to perform.

    The source said that Oshiomhole told the staff that a situation were drivers for example were more than the available vehicles within the secretariat will no longer be allowed, stressing that all those who have no business working in the secretariat will not be allowed to remain.

    The source said when the new chairman asked the “fake Director” what is responsibilities within the secretariat was, he simply said “I’m a director of finance.”

    The source said “Oshiomohle was surprised and quickly asked the Deputy National Chairman, Lawal Shuaibu and the National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni to confirm the statement, but none of them could defend him.

    “Instead, Sen. Shuaibu was said to have asked him where and how he got his appointment letter, but Akojuru could not provide a satisfactory answer. At this point, the new chairman asked him to leave the meeting or he invites police to arrest him”.

    Akojuru was said to have applied for the position of Director of Finance in the secretariat, but has not employed nether was a letter of appointment issued to him, but has remained in the secretariat, reporting for duty on a daily basis.

    The former Edo State Governor was also said to have informed the staff that the secretariat, even though a party secretariat will be administered like every other office, stressing that all staff must henceforth report for duty as early as 8.00am when other offices open for business as the current resumption time of between 9 and 10 am.

    While assuring staff of better welfare, Comrade Oshiomhole also directed the staff to stop loitering around the secretariat during working hours.

    At the time of this report, Oshiomhole was locked in a meeting with members of the National Working Committee and senior staff of the party, with a view to charting the way forward.

  • Obaseki hails Oshiomhole’s election as APC National Chairman

    …Commends Odigie-Oyegun for purposeful leadership

     

    The Edo Sate Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has hailed the election of his predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Speaking after Oshiomhole was announced the elected National chairman of the APC at the party’s National Convention in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Saturday,  Obaseki noted that “the former governor’s emergence is an acknowledgement of his people-centered  leadership and his commitment to the advancement of the nation.”

    Obaseki who also congratulated other elected officials of the party, said, “We are very proud of Comrade Oshiomhole’s emergence as the National Chairman of our great party, the APC. He is adequately equipped to foster unity and provide a new direction for the party, as we move closer to the general elections in 2019.”

    He saluted the immediate past National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, for providing purposfull leadership that brought the APC to global reckon after defeating the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general elections.

    The Governor described Chief Odigie-Oyegun as a worthy leader with honour.

    “Chief John Odigie-Oyegun’s impressive rise to prominence was the product of a combination of hard work, humility and faith in God.

    “From his humble background, he was taught the inestimable value of hard work, integrity and a good name.

    “In the federal civil service, Chief Odigie-Oyegun distinguished himself and was propelled to the enviable position of a federal permanent secretary.”

    According to Obaseki, “Chief Odigie-Oyegun’s forthrightness, civility and decorousness garnered from his impressive years of service to our great country in the civil service, marked him out for higher national call to serve our country after his retirement from the federal civil service.

    “These sterling qualities earned him the confidence of Edo people, when they turned out in their numbers to entrust him with their mandate as the first Governor of Edo State, in the aborted third Republic, from 1992-1993.

    “As a loyal and dedicated party man, his leadership qualities earned him the position of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and under his leadership, the APC grew into the largest party in Nigeria and displaced the then ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from power at the center, through popular vote in the 2015 presidential election.”

    Recalling the achievements of the former APC National Chairman, Obaseki noted: “In particular, the 2015 presidential elections marked a turning point in the political history of our great country and reset the destinies of over 180 million Nigerians for greatness.

    “It was the first time since the return of democracy in 1999, that an opposition party would obliterate a “behemoth” ruling party.

    “Chief Odigie-Oyegun’s sagacity and wealth of experience helped in stabilising our great party during our most trying moments, when members of the decimated opposition wished us doom.

    “He is passing the baton of leadership of our great party, the APC, after successfully navigating the party out of troubled waters and making it stronger, stable and better prepared for the challenges of the future.

    “Edo State is proud of this illustrious son for his immense contributions to the entrenchment of democracy in this country.

    “History will forever adjudge Chief Odigie-Oyegun a worthy son of Edo State, one who elevated our politics and ushered in a new era of positive change and development for our great party and our country.”

    Oshiomhole’s election at the well attended APC National Convention in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, followed the withdrawal of other aspirants from the chairmanship race.

     

  • My commitment to APC is total, says Oshiomhole

    Former Edo State Governor and one of the top contenders for the office of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said Monday that whether or not he emerge the National Chairman of the APC, he will continue to work hard to ensure that the party retains power.

    Oshiomhole who spoke with newsmen after he was screened by the party’s screening committee said the process leading to the emergence of a new Leadership was more important than the outcome.

    While describing democracy as problematic, the former NLC President said there was still no better way to govern a people who are no children than through democracy, adding that he was confident of emerging victorious at the end of the convention.

    He said: “I am used to contestations and competition and I am a democrat. That was why I did not agree with those who said extend our tenure without election. I think democracy is problematic, but there is no better way to govern a people who are not children who should be spoon fed.

    “In this business, it is not just what you do, not how it is done and who is involved in the doing. It is about participation. I am excited and the people are no strangers.

    Read Also:179 aspirants to vie for APC’s NWC posts, Oshiomhole confident

    “At least, I know one and we have contested against each other before. He rigged me out, I pursued him and I won and retrieved the mandate from him. I went back to seek second term and I won. I defeated him even in his local government. I won 18 over 18, defeating him in his ward, his unit, his local government and Senatorial district.

    “If I was able to defeat him as an ordinary union leader when they dismissed me that I was not a politician while he was already a senator and I was able to defeat him.

    “Now as a man who has had the privilege to preside over the affairs of Nigeria Labour Congress nationwide, a two time Governor, if I have to compete with somebody who was governor for 18 months, I don’t have any problem.

    “As for the others, let me say that in a boxing ring, heavy weights don’t engage feather weight. But serious speaking, I am happy that we are in a democracy and people are free to contest. Quite frankly, the process is much more important than the outcome. I am satisfied not because I will be chairman, but because my party is in power.

    “My commitment is not just for me to be Chairman. As chairman or no chairman, I will continue to work hard to see that our party retain power at the Centre and also run power in many more states and produce many more senators, House of Representative members and more House of Assembly members so that we will have the strength we need to deepen the change and sustain the changes.”

    Speaking on the outcome of his screening, Oshiomhole said “When you write an exam, you try to do your best, trusting that your examiners will find your answers will be good enough to give you a pass or even a distinction. That would only be at their discretion. I would say that I tried my best to speak to the issues which are basically how to move forward.

    “Nobody should seek to lead if you don’t have a level of understanding of what the challenges because you can’t do prescriptions without diagnosis. Fortunately, I have been a founding member.

    “I was one of the governors that participated in the merger meetings when we had to sit for the first time ac ACN governors, CPC Governor, ANPP governor and that of APGA to see how we can move forward.

    “So, I understand the mission and the vision of the APC because we were the founding persons of the party. So, I know what our dream was and the gap between that dream and the current reality. I am also clear as to what we need to do differently so that dream is realized.”

    He however dismissed speculations that he was sponsoring some of those contesting the chairmanship seat saying “I don’t react to speculations. I react to real issues. If they are speculations, they should be allowed to die as speculation.”