The Nation Newspaper

Tag: No rift

  • Akpabio: no rift with Akwa Ibom governor

    Akpabio: no rift with Akwa Ibom governor

    Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio has denied reports of a rift between him and his successor, Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel.

    He described such insinuations as “the handiwork of political jobbers.”

    A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Anietie Ekong, said Akpabio is “satisfied with the performance of Governor Emmanuel.”

    It added that he could not be engaged in a feud with an administration that Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District played a significant role in its emergence.

    “It is obvious that the concerns raised by the senator during the end-of-the-year stakeholders’ meeting organised by the deputy governor that all was not well was misunderstood and political jobbers sought to feast on it.

    “What the senator said was that their house should be put in order so that the votes from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District would be intact for Governor Emmanuel in the next election.

    “Senator Akpabio is satisfied that the areas of concern raised by the stakeholders, which were explained by the governor during the follow-up meeting with  him to the satisfaction of the stakeholders present at the meeting, were receiving the attention of the government,” the statement said.

    Akpabio hailed the governor for working with security agencies to eliminate a notorious militant, Akaninyene Jumbo alias Iso Akpafid, who killed residents of Ukanafun Local Government and its environs and rendered many displaced in the last one year.

    He said with the killing of the hoodlum, peace would return to that part of the senatorial district.

    The statement said Senator Akpabio had pointed out that Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District would stand by Governor Emmanuel and pledged the support of the people towards the re-election of the governor with its over 500,000 votes.

    He cautioned those making inciting statements to create a wedge between the senator and the governor to desist, as they were doing so for their personal benefit.

    The lawmaker sued for peace and advised politicians to desist from politics of hatred and blackmail, which would not augur well for unity.

  • Makarfi: No rift between Jonathan, Dickson

    Makarfi: No rift between Jonathan, Dickson

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Senator Ahmed Makarfi has dismissed the alleged rift between former President Goodluck Jonathan and Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson.

    Makarfi made the clarification yesterday while receiving the party’s Executive Committee members of the Bayelsa chapter of the PDP at the party’s Abuja secretariat.

    Media reports indicated that the alleged rift between Jonathan and Dickson was threatening the stability of the Bayelsa State chapter of the PDP.

    Makarfi told the Bayelsa delegation that he had discussed the alleged rift with Jonathan and that the former President had assured him that the reports were the handiwork of mischief-makers for the purpose of creating crisis in the chapter.

    The party chairman warned the chapter’s leadership against yielding to the antics mischief-makers, who he said, were out to distabilise the party.

    Makarfi said: “Don’t allow yourselves to be fragmented by rumours. Your executive has been ratified by the convention and that is final. There is no need to pander to rumour of an impending sack of your executive.”

    The party chairman, however, admitted that a certain group of people filed a petition against the Bayelsa State Governor and the executive committee of the state chapter, but that he had dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.

    “Immediately the rumour broke out, the former President called me to dismiss that rumour and he said there was no iota of truth in the said petition against the Bayesla executive,” Makarfi said.

    Chairman of the Bayelsa chapter, Mr. Moses Cleopas, described Jonathan as a respected national leader, who is held in high esteem by the people.

    “The governor is our leader in the state and the two of them have been relating well. There is no feud between Jonathan and Dickson. I can confirm that. Some people are just envious of the peace in Bayelsa PDP,” Cleopas said.

  • I have no problem with Oba Akiolu, says Ooni

    I have no problem with Oba Akiolu, says Ooni

    •Monarch lauds tribal harmony in Rivers at 50 

    THE Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has again dismissed alleged faceoff between him and the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu.
    Oba Ogunwusi, who spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt, said he had no problem with Oba Akiolu, stressing that they are brothers and have been close for many years.
    The monarch, who was accompanied to the state by his wife and other palace guards, said: “We did not have a problem. It is being overblown by the media. Like I said, I respect him. I had a relationship with him when I was a prince and when I was an entrepreneur in Lagos. I will continue to respect him.
    “It is very unlikely that you will see a successful Nigerian that has not passed through Lagos. So, give honour to whom honour is due.”
    He congratulated the government and the people of Rivers State for the peaceful relationship with the state’s Yoruba community.
    The Ooni gave his royal blessing to the government and the people.
    Oba Ogunwusi said the peaceful coexistence between the tribes was a sign of unity and brotherhood, which he noted, outlined why Nigerian must live as one.
    He said: “It is to the glory of God that we landed in Port Harcourt to celebrate with the people the 50th anniversary of the state and to celebrate one Nigeria and one country. Our major objective is to continue to foster peace.
    “I am going to meet with the amiable governor; the number one citizen of the state and the good people of Port Harcourt for us to know that we are all one. I also thank God Almighty for making the state very active and still waxing strong.
    “The state is 50 years and by the special grace of God, there will be many more years of prosperity. Another beautiful thing that actually made me very happy is that I saw a lot of Yoruba that came to welcome me.
    “You can see that we are really intertwined in Nigeria. We are living together in peace and harmony. It is the same back in the entire Yoruba Kingdom. We have a lot of people from this side of the world living there. So, we should all continue to live in peace and harmony.”
    On the activities of herdsmen, the Ooni said: “It has to be approached with a lot of caution. You can see that meat is a necessity for us; everybody eats meat because of the protein and fibre content in it.
    “This is a very sensitive thing about our nation and as a result of this, we should apply a lot of caution. If it was properly coordinated across board, we will get the best out of it. The herdsmen are rearing their cows for human beings.”

  • No rift with Tinubu, says Oyegun

    No rift with Tinubu, says Oyegun

    All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun yesterday said he would not resign his appointment based on newspaper reports.

    Party stalwart Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had called for Oyegun‘s resignation over his role in the emergence of Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu as the party’s candidate in the November 26 Ondo State governorship election.

    Tinubu claimed that Odigie-Oyegun over-ruled the decision on the report of a panel, which recommended the conduct of a fresh primary. He called for Odigie-Oyegun’s removal to allow internal democracy return to the party.

    But Odigie-Oyegun said there were procedures to be followed before he could resign.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

    He said: “There is no rift with Asiwaju; we have difference of opinion, difference of perception and I think that is normal. Yes, I agree that the nature of the statement was a bit harsh.

    “The methods of getting rid of a national chairman, if that is what I will call it, are spelt out in the constitution; they don’t take place on the pages of newspapers.

    Asked why the party is not calling a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) on the issue, he said: “It’s proper for them to meet and they will meet at the appropriate time.

    On the allegation that he was behind some youths protesting at APC headquarters against alleged Tinubu’s high handedness, he said: “God forbid; anybody who knows me knows that that is not my style. I’m equally shocked and I’m going to look into it and find out  why and who is behind it.”

    Asked if his smiles with Tinubu at President Muhammadu Buhari’s biography presentation in Abuja on Monday was genuine, he said: “Do they know how far back our association goes? Do they know that we were in the trenches together in the NADECO days? Why can’t people who have mutual respect for each other have different opinions?

    “All we had was difference of opinions; yes it was expressed a bit harshly but that doesn’t remove the basic fact that we have worked together for a very long time,” the chairman said.

    On the Ondo primaries, he said: “What happened is in the report of the chairman of the primaries committee.”

    Asked if he was making a U-turn on the Ondo primary because of the controversy, Odigie-Oyegun said only the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could order a u-turn.

    “It is only INEC that can make a U-turn on Ondo,” he said.

    To Odigie-Oyegun, the Edo State governorship election was hard fought.

    He said: “Two things really; it was more of a referendum first on the performance of the governor; second on the quality of our candidate and, most importantly, given the economic situation, it was an opportunity for us to measure the continued popularity and acceptability of our president.

    “And what it indicated is that by and large, the people of this country still have faith, confidence in the fact that if there is any one man that can fix their situation, it is President Muhammadu Buhari.”

  • Tinubu: no rift with Buhari

    Tinubu: no rift with Buhari

    Purveyors of a rift between the President and All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu were told last night to stop their speculations.

    Tinubu said there was no truth in the speculations of a rift between them, adding that they understand each other.

    Tinubu spoke with State House correspondents after joining representatives of the 13 parties that collaborated with the APC in the general elections to break the Muslim fast with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to him, the APC cannot perform magic and clean up the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) 16 years’ mess in 30 days.

    Stressing that party supremacy must be upheld, Tinubu said the party must have disciplined leadership and followers.

    On the alleged rift with the President, he said: “I have no demand than the party. If you understand what party politics is all about and leadership is all about, it is about loyalty and commitments to the values that leadership believes in.

    “I believe in what the President believes. I respect him and I stand firmly loyal to his course. So, you can go to any length of speculation that you might want. I have not responded to all of that because I understand the President and the President understands me clearly.”

    Asked to comment on the crisis in the National Assembly, Tinubu said: “That is an area I am very cautious of my position and my utterances. I still want to keep my side of interpretation or analysis to me to be able to achieve a resolution of the matter as quickly as possible.

    “I am backing all the President has carefully enumerated and articulated to the party. The party is supreme; the party must have disciplined leadership and followers. The party’s process must be respected because that is the confidence and the trust of the people.”

    The former Lagos State Governor, however, pointed out that conflicts should be expected in every political environment.

    “That is politics. And conflict resolution mechanism will be applied to resolve all problems. So, we are there. There is honour in every struggle, in every competition and there must be honour in victory too.”

    On how prepared the APC is to avoid the mistakes of the PDP, Tinubu said: “We are different. We cannot be PDP; we are APC. We will not repeat their mistakes. We know their mistakes, we know their errors. And we understand what Nigerians want. Nigerians gave this party a mandate because of our manifesto.

    “We are pro-people; we are progressives. We have had a conservative government in the last 16 years. This is a progressives party, just coming barely 30 days. We understand the hope of Nigerians and we respect that hope. We understand the expectation of Nigerians. We believe in that expectation and in our promise of prosperity to come. We will not change that.”

    Speaking inside the Banquet Hall after the breaking of fast,

    Tinubu, who described the APC as the Armoured Personnel Carrier, said that it represented the diversity of Nigeria.

    He thanked President Buhari for the opportunity of breaking fast with him, bringing together people of various backgrounds, regardless of religious affiliations.

    He said: “We believe this diversity will continue to propel us for economic growth under your leadership.

    “This is the first Ramadan after the election. We thank God for cutting down the opponent’s 60 years of fake promises to 16 years.

    “I heard they say we are slow. Yes, we didn’t campaign to be fire fighters, but planners and meticulous one at that. A latrine pit of 16 years can’t be cleaned up in 30 days because the mess is much.

    “Mr. President, you started well, you hit the ground running. You promised Nigerians that you’ll address security and your first meeting to ECOWAS was on security because we cannot fight alone.

    “You have been to other places. If they think it’s a game of ludo, we will say is serious business. If they forgot G7, we will remind them.

    “We have faith in you, Mr. President. We have faith in your capacity and uprightness. I’m here filled up and not fed up.

    “We promise to continue to be with you and support you. No matter what they are saying, we are not re-running the election until four years time.”We pray to God to give us four more years of this month and pray to Him to forgive our misdeeds, and for peace and stability.

    “Mr. President, your hands are on the plough and you will succeed,” he said.

    Buhari urged APC members to drop their differences and their influences both in the party and the country for the party to achieve its campaigns manifestos of addressing security, economy, employment and corruption. “If we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria,” he said.

    President Buhari, who recalled how the party surmounted many obstacles to emerge strong enough to dislodge the PDP, said that it was important for the members to lay aside their differences and unite for the country’s sake.

    He praised Tinubu for his support and words of encouragement.

    He said: “I always like to go down memory lane to show how lucky we are as a political group.

    “At no stage was the decision taken by chance; it was all deliberate. The leaders of the parties felt the only way to wrest power from the PDP was for us to come together. I, in particular, was scared after previous failures of the elections of 2003, 2007 and 2011.

    “We dissolved our various parties to form APC. Then we applied to INEC. For once I was grateful to INEC. We had gone with nine people to INEC to apply and INEC advised us that we needed at least 25 people across the country to form a political party. We were able to go back, raised 35 members across the country and then successfully registered the party. INEC then informed the Federal Government that we had met the requirements, hence we cannot be denied registration. Many doubting Thomases said merger has never succeeded in Nigeria but here we are.

    “I went into this long explanation so that you will appreciate how far we have come and for a society as ours, if we respect the constitution, then all the greed and problems will be a thing of the fast.

    “We should just look at Nigeria as Nigerians, no matter the level you are, lose your influence so that we can help achieve the manifestoe – security, economy, employment and corruption – because if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria. We have to ensure that people we bring forward are those that will move the society forward”. He said

    At the breaking of fast were former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva, Senator Olorunmibe Mamora, APC National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed and Chief Audu Ogbeh.

     

  • ‘No rift between Omirin, Ojudu’

    The Special Adviser on Media to Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker Adewale Omirin, Wole Olujobi, has said there is no rift between Omirin and Senator Babafemi Ojudu.

    In a statement, Olujobi said the report on state media was the figment of the imagination of the persons peddling it.

    The statement said the Speaker never engaged in any deal with anyone; “it is not also true that Ojudu collected money to impeach Governor Ayo Fayose in 2006”.

    “The report found its way to Channels Television website and upon investigation by the station’s management, it was discovered the report was smuggled into the website by government agents.

    “Government agents have put a Channels TV worker in trouble.

    “Omirin is not pursuing any governorship ambition. “Allegation of fighting between Ojudu and Omirin over impeachment fund is non-existent and diversionary. Nigerians are not fools. They know all the constitutional infractions Fayose has committed.”

     

  • No rift between NFF and Keshi — Green

    No rift between NFF and Keshi — Green

    Chairman of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF)’s technical committee Chris Green has poured cold water on rumours making the rounds in Nelspruit, South Africa that there is a rift between the body and the Super Eagles, following a meeting on Saturday.

    Green revealed to SportingLife via a text message from South Africa on Sunday night that: “No, not at all. In truth, he only complained of too much pressure being mounted on him and tried to defend his team saying that it is a young team compared to others and that he needed some time to make the team perfect.

    “Nothing like that o! NFF met with Keshi to review the matches played so far. We brainstormed and noted the mistakes and flaws. We urged him to ensure that the next match be won convincingly. he thanked us and complained bitterly about the referees and promised to adopt better strategies in the next game. We had no issues whatsoever. He is not owed a dime and the team is motivated. The truth is that there is pressure from every angle for the team to get to the quarter finals,” Green wrote in the text message to SportingLife on Sunday night.