The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Chairman of the party

  • Buhari thanks Tinubu, Oshiomhole, other Nigerians for victory

    President Muhammadu Buhari around 5.19a.m on Wednesday delivered his acceptance speech at the Campaign Headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Buhari was declared winner of the 2019 Presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the early hours of Wednesday.

    Buhari scored 15,191,847 votes while the People’s Democratic Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar scored 11,262,978.

    At the Campaign Headquarters, Buhari thanked Nigerians generally for electing him for the next four years.

    He specifically commended the National Leader of the APC and Co-chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole.

    Apart from commending the members of the Presidential Campaign Council, he also thanked all those who contributed to his success one way or the other.

    Buhari also commended the International community for their interest in the development of Nigeria.

    The President commended the security agents for their patriotic roles during the election.

    He said “First and foremost, I give thanks to Almighty God Who has spared our lives to witness another victory for Nigerian democracy and victory for our party APC.
    “I thank the millions of Nigerians who voted to re-elect me as your president for the next four years. I am deeply humbled and profoundly grateful to you for judging me worthy of continuing to serve you and for your peaceful conduct.

    “In particular, I would like to thank Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for his masterful leadership as Co-chair of the Campaign Council. I would like to also thank the Party Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, the Director General of the Campaign Council Rotimi Amaechi, all members of the Presidential Campaign Council and other various Support Groups.

    “My grateful thanks to all those who contributed to the logistical expenses of the campaign in such a vast country like Nigeria.

    “I also thank the millions of volunteers, self-appointed overseers, canvassers, agents, escorts and sentries who sacrificed so much of their time and resources to ensure the success of these elections. I do not have the words adequate to thank them.

    “Although Saturday’s elections were relatively peaceful, troublemakers in a handful of states attempted to disrupt an otherwise orderly process. Security agencies will bring to justice all those arrested in the process.

    “I am very sad at the grievous loss of lives during these elections. Security agencies will step up their efforts to protect voters in the forthcoming State elections.

    “I would like to commend our security agencies, as severely overstretched as they are, for handling the difficult task of securing the country during the election period.

    “I will like to make a special appeal to my supporters not to gloat or humiliate the opposition. Victory is enough reward for your efforts.

    “We give thanks also to our Domestic and International observers for contributing to the success of our elections and for their interest in our country and our developing democracy.

    Read also: Buhari’s victory shows Nigerians determined to move forward, says BMO

    “The new Administration will intensify its efforts in Security, Restructuring the Economy and Fighting Corruption. We have laid down the foundation and we are committed to seeing matters to the end. We will strive to strengthen our unity and inclusiveness so that no section or group will feel left behind or left out.

    “I thank you for your support and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria”

    With the him at the campaign council were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu  among other party supporters.
    INEC will officially hand over certificate of returns to President Buhari by 2pm on Wednesday.
  • Crisis rock APC NWC

    Crisis rock APC NWC

    The crisis within the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a new dimension Friday when the National Vice Chairman of the party in the South South, Utufam Hilliard Eta said crucial decisions are taken by the leadership in favour of moneybags who are desperate to rubbish the party constitution.

    Eta said the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odiegie-Oyegun and the National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso has turned the party into a play thing for personal enrichment.

    He said: “In my place, we have a saying that when a lizard falls into a ditch, it becomes a play thing for the fowl. The party has now become a play thing between the National Chairman and the National Organizing Secretary. Anybody who has money can procure anything”.

    Addressing newsmen at the party secretariat in Abuja on the lingering crisis in the Cross River state chapter of the party, ETA said the party constitution has been grossly violated by the national leadership of the party in the case of Cross River state.

    He said “For me, I do things according to the law. The NWC has not been invited on any matter concerning Cross Rivers state. Until such is done, I  will present to my colleagues a detail narrative of how this constitution has been violated so that a particular narrative will be instituted or established in Cross Rivers state. Until such a meeting is held I can do nothing.

    “But if you must know, a lot of the National Working Committee members have been complaining about the extra constitutional processes that goes on at the National Secretariat, especially under the watch of Osita Izunazo, the Organising Secretary.”

    He also accused the party’s Deputy National Chairman, South, Engr. Segun Oni of complicity in the matter, adding that what was expected of the party leadership was to have given all the necessary support to the reconciliation committee headed by a former Lagos state Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

    His accusations came days after a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu wrote the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, accusing him of acting based on financial inducements.

    He said: “From all intents and purposes, these issues are orchestrated…you know, the Asiwaju committee was constituted just a few days ago and these issue has been hanging on Cross River state since the appointment of the Minister.

    “The question that you will now ask is how come that immediately after the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu committee was constituted by the president, the National Chairman the Deputy National Chairman, South and the National Organizing Secretary became so much in a hurry, so much interested and so much aggressive in their attempt to have this all-important chairman that they could not have in more than two years. What is the purpose?”

    Speaking further in the crisis in the Cross River chapter, he said; “There was a consensus in the Cross River state chapter that we should have a congress to bring in a substantive chairman since the erstwhile chairman had been appointed as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

    “That was the agreement by the people of Cross River state and based on that, I wrote on behalf of the zone to the National Working Committee NWC to give the zone the authority to conduct a congress to that effect and the NWC said I should liaise with the office of the National Organizing Secretary (headed by Sen. Osita Izunaso) for that purpose.

    “We had set November 28 last year for that congress to happen but unfortunately, a member of the party went to court and got an injunction and served the processes on the party. So, based on the advice of the National Legal Adviser, we were asked to stay action as a party.

    “So in the next NWC meeting when the matter of Cross Rivers came up I was asked to make comments on what happened and why we couldn’t conduct congresses and the resolution of the NWC was that because we were very close to conducting congresses nationwide, that all congresses to fill vacant positions in the country, not just in the state should be set aside and that all the vacant positions would be filled at the same time during the congresses that would be held simultaneously to bring in new executives. That was the resolution of the NWC.

    “I was away and it was a surprise to me to receive a text message on my phone purportedly sent by the party’s Deputy National Chairman, South, Engr. Segun Oni inviting stakeholders of Cross River state to the secretariat ostensibly to discuss the issue of the chairmanship, in direct contrast and contravention to the position of the NWC.

    “I now wrote a letter handing over the matter of Cross River state to the Asiwaju-led reconciliation committee because in my thinking the crisis that engulfed the state chapter needs reconciliation before any congress is conducted.

    “If you read the Electoral Act and the constitution of the party and the nation, they were violated simply because the contrivance by Osita, the Minister of Niger Delta and the National Chairman of the party must come to pass regardless of how many laws are broken.

    “First, for us to have a congress, the constitution says there has to be a 14 days notice given to the jurisdiction where the congress would happen. The notice was given verbally and Osita said the notice was given before November 28.”

    Eta explained that only 109 statutory delegates participated in the purported February 24 congress organized by the party while INEC also refused to attend. According to him, six delegates from each of the 196 wards in the state were also not part of the said congress.

    Read Also: APC chieftain sues Odigie-Oyegun over tenure extension

  • Makarfi chides Sheriff over attack on Jonathan, Wike

    Makarfi chides Sheriff over attack on Jonathan, Wike

    The Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi has chided the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff for attacking former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

    Sheriff had, at a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, accused Jonathan of collecting N50 million from Wike to organise last week’s stakeholders meeting to reconcile warring factions in the PDP. Sheriff’s deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh addressed the media briefing.

    But at another media briefing in Abuja on Friday, Makarfi said it’s uncharitable for Sheriff and his camp to concoct deliberate falsehood aimed at impugning the character and public perception of the former president.

    In the text of the address read by the spokesman of the Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, the faction said it’s the height of lunacy for Sheriff and Ojougboh to allege that a person of Jonathan’s standing could be induced by anyone to organise a meeting.

    Makarfi said, “These people are pigs in the mud and they have no qualms in dragging decent people into the pit.

    “Our first reaction after reading the concoction put together by Cairo Ojugboh was to ignore him since he is not an officer of the PDP.

    “But ignoring him may send wrong signal to the unsuspecting members of the public and members of our party, hence the need for this clarification.

    “Mr. Ojugboh in recent times has been making series of unfounded and unsubstantiated allegations against major stakeholders of the PDP, especially those people his renegade group believes are seriously against the evil intention of Ali Modu Sheriff to destroy the only main opposition voice in the country, the PDP.

    “However, we are not surprised that Mr. Cairo would hallucinate and found pleasure in castigating Governors Nyesom Wike and Ayodele Fayose of Rivers and Ekiti states at every turn but has never been able to utter a single word of criticism against their paymaster, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) despite its gross ineptitude and maladministration.

    “For the record, the last stakeholders meeting convened and chaired by former President Jonathan, was not sponsored or organised by Governor Wike or Fayose as alleged by Mr. Cairo Ojugboh”.

    According to Makarfi, the need for the meeting was agreed upon at the residence of a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Aliyu Gusau in the presence of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, Professor Wale Oladipo, Senator David Mark, Senator Ahmed Makarfi and Senator Ben Obi

    “Gen. Gusau and Senator Mark were mandated in that meeting to approach the former President to convene an all-inclusive meeting of stakeholders in order to chart a way forward for a lasting peace in the party”, Makarfi added.

    The Caretaker Committee expressed dismay at Sheriff’s penchant for blackmailing every available public institution in the country just to mislead the unsuspecting public.

    Makarfi continued, “Again, we wish to take serious exception to the baseless allegation made by Ojougboh that Governor Wike bribed the Judiciary to get justice in the Rivers State governorship election at the Supreme Court.

    “This is another high point of rascality by the Sheriff renegade group and we have been reliably informed that the latest accusation against the Judiciary is part of their calculated and clandestine plot to blackmail the Justices of the Supreme Court.

    “They did the same to the Justices of the Special Appeal panels during the Ondo State governorship election case when the panel, led by Justice Sankey was falsely accused of collecting over N200 million from former Gov. Olusegun Mimiko in November 2016.

    “We believe the Judiciary and indeed all Nigerians are taking note of the antecedents of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Co. as we urge the Judiciary not to ignore such weighty allegations by this irritant group”.

    The Makarfi camp expressed satisfaction that the ongoing campaign by Sheriff to infiltrate the ranks of party members in the South East and South-South was being spurned by key stakeholders.

    He stated that the PDP is not organising any campaign or rally in any part of the country at the moment and urge members to remain steadfast and continue to ignore any meeting called by Sheriff and his “doomsday naysayers”.

    According to him, there will be no elective national convention of the PDP as announced by Sheriff until the appeal pending before the Supreme Court is decided. Him advised state chapters to ignore any directive from Sheriff regarding the convention.

    He also enjoined stakeholders to ignore the request made by Sheriff for state chapters to submit their lists of delegates on or before the April 27 and his call for the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on May 3.

    The PDP, he said, will announce meetings of the various organs of the party at the appropriate time after due consultation with all stakeholders.

    “For the umpteenth time, we wish to re-iterate that Senator Sheriff and co. are in defiance of the Court of Appeal order of status quo ante May 21, 2016 with self-appointed officers like Cairo Ojugboh.

    “Only three officers are with him and therefore, such NWC is non-existent. As for the deputy officers who shamelessly assumed offices as NWC members on false claim of purported resignation of the substantive officers, their comic action against the party speaks volume”.

    The Makarfi camp called on all organs and key stakeholders in the party nationwide to continue supporting the Caretaker Committee in moving the party forward.

    According to him, the only interest of the Caretaker Committee is the survival of the PDP against the “suffocating influence” of the ruling APC.

     

  • PDP National Caucus endorses move to reconcile members

    PDP National Caucus endorses move to reconcile members

    The extended national caucus of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has endorsed the peace move by the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee to reconcile with the disputed National Chairman of the party, Alhaji  Ali Modu Sheriff and his faction.

    The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing newsmen after the party’s caucus meeting.

    Adeyeye said that the purpose of the meeting was to brief the caucus on the move and get its endorsement.

    The caucus is made up of PDP governors, National Assembly caucus, Board of Trustees and other stakeholders.

    “Members of the caretaker committee are not there on their own, they were appointed by the party and they have to carry the party along in all they are doing.

    “The peace move has been finally endorsed and supported by members of caucus without any dissent voice,” he said.

    Adeyeye, however, said there were no factions in the party but aggrieved members.

    “We don’t have factions in PDP. There are some of our members who are aggrieved.

    “We are making moves to ensure peace in the party,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Makarfi and Sheriff in September expressed determination to settle the party leadership crisis.

    The peace committee is expected to be inaugurated on Monday to reunite the party.

    Commenting on the issue of some elected PDP members who had defected to APC, Adeyeye said that PDP was taking necessary steps to declare their seats vacant.

    “We are taking steps to ensure that we take back the seats from the lawmakers that defected from PDP to APC.

    “There is no factionalisation in PDP, INEC recognises the caretaker committee. All the organs of the party are in one place.

  • APC NWC endorses Obaseki’s candidacy

    APC NWC endorses Obaseki’s candidacy

    …Oyegun calls for unity ahead of September election

    The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday put to rest the controversy surrounding last month’s governorship primary in Edo state when it endorsed the candidacy of Godwin Obaseki as the party’s flag bearer in the September 10 governorship election in the state.

    The party said the declared that even though there were issues raised by some of the aspirants after the conduct of the primary, they were not compelling enough to warrant a cancellation of the primary and called for greater unity within the party to ensure a landslide victory in the election.

    Congratulating Obaseki for his emergence as the party candidate, National chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun called on Party stakeholders to close ranks and support the candidature of Mr. Godwin Obaseki in the lead-up to the forthcoming Edo State Governorship elections.

    He also congratulated the Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari-led seven-member Election Committee for successfully conducting a very transparent, free, fair and credible governorship primaries in Edo State, while thanking the Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele-led three-member Edo State governorship Election Appeal Committee for successfully carrying out its assignment and submitting a report.

    He said “As the Party prepares for the September 10, 2016 governorship election in Edo State, I call on all aspirants, party leaders, stakeholders and teeming members of our great Party to close ranks and unite as a strong political fighting force behind the candidature of Mr. Godwin Obaseki for a landslide victory at the forthcoming Edo State governorship election.

    “The request by the aspirants was that the Edo State APC governorship election primaries should be transparent, free, fair and credible. This, the Party achieved creditably during the primaries. Going forward, we should avoid triumphalist actions and avoid creating new stresses within the Party. We should all seek to reunify the Party to face the September 10, 2016 governorship election.”

    In its report to the National Working Committee, the Appeals Committee said the Edo State 2016 APC Governorship primaries were valid pointing out that while not dismissing the seriousness of the allegations and claims of the Petitioners, the issues raised were not compelling as to warrant the cancellation of the Primary Election.

    The report called on all APC stakeholders in Edo State to put the Party’s interest over and above personal interests in ensuring a speedy and amicable reconciliation and recommended that the leadership of the party should step up diplomacy in trying to reconcile stakeholders in Edo State.

    The Committee also recommended that a high-powered committee be set up by the Party to reach out and mediate between the Edo State Governor, His Excellency, Adams Oshiomhole and all aspirants who participated in the Primary election.

  • PDP Chieftain to Sheriff: shelve your ambition to save PDP

    PDP Chieftain to Sheriff: shelve your ambition to save PDP

    Ahead of the National Convention of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a political analyst and a chieftain of the party, Ebubeagu Ekenulo, has called on the acting National Chairman of the party, Ali Modu Sheriff to discontinue his ambition of becoming the substantive Chairman to save the party from disintegration.

     

    Ebubeagu, who made the call while addressing newsmen in Owerri, the Imo State capital, said that it became imperative for the embattled acting National Chairman to jettison his ambition, following his inability to conduct credible congresses by encouraging internal democracy devoid of impunity and imposition.

     

    According to him, “the best thing that can happen to the PDP now is for Senator Ali-Modu Sheriff to discontinue and stop his jaundiced and inordinate ambition of becoming the substantive national chairman of PDP following his inability to conduct credible congresses, enshrine internal democracy and shun impunity and imposition.

     

    “Ali-Modu Sheriff has proven to be the crown prince of impunity. The acting National Chairman who was recently sacked by the Prof Jerry Gana led concerned stakeholders of the PDP and PDP Elders Forum has woefully failed to reunite the party instead his actions and behaviours have deepened and worsened the crisis in the PDP”.

     

    The embittered activist, continued that “Senator Sheriff as the acting National Chairman of PDP in the past few months has only succeeded in crowning  corruption, impunity and imposition as a way of life in the party instead of taking bold steps to tackle these vices and rejuvenate the party ahead of 2019.

     

    “He has shown no respect for the party’s constitution, congress guidelines and the vigorous efforts of the founding fathers, responsible stakeholders and leaders of the party to return PDP to the people.

     

    “With Senator Sheriff on board as the substantive Chairman PDP can never be returned to the people. He has exhibited the crass ability to run the party as a one man show whereas PDP is too big for anyone to run as a one man show and get away with it”.

     

    He further argued that, “the only reason certain people supported Senator Sheriff to become the acting National chairman of PDP in the first instance was because he is a wealthy man and assumed will run the party with his money whereas nowhere in the world can one man run a party as big as PDP with only money from his pocket”.

     

    Ebubeagu also alleged that, “today, Senator Sheriff is busy collecting money and cars from whoever and in return you can be sure of having the party structure of your LGA or zone in your pocket. Is this the type of National chairman who can be trusted to rebuild the party alongside internal democracy, honesty and integrity?  The answer is no.

     

    “PDP in Anambra and Imo state chapters, as well as other chapters are more polarised today than ever because Senator Sheriff is the new sheriff in town set out to destroy PDP completely.

     

    “While there is a Convention and Congress Committee with Gov Nyesome Wike as the Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff still called some state congress committee chairmen to distort the congresses guidelines with his own directives contrary to laid down guidelines to satisfy the whims and caprices of those he had collected exotic cars and money from.

     

    “More so, how can the National Chairman and Presidential candidate are zoned to one geo political zone in the North? Where has that happened and the party succeeded at the end of the day? If the two exalted positions must be zoned to the North, why not zone it to two different zones in the North than lumping the two in one zone? Who says zoning the two exalted positions to North East is a guarantee to win APC come 2019?

     

    “It will be counterproductive for PDP to over price North East zone and over price Ali Modu Sheriff. Make Ali Modu Sheriff the substantive National Chairman and see at least two PDP Governors defecting to APC shortly after.”