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Tag: NWC

  • ‘APC risks not fielding governorship candidate in Zamfara’

    A gubernatorial aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Kabiru Marafa of Zamfara State on Friday warned that the party risks not fielding a candidate in the 2019 election if it fails to conduct credible party primary in the state.

    The APC National Working Committee (NWC) had on Thursday cancelled the Zamfara governorship primary election in the state.

    The APC had said that the cancellation followed election malpractices, including snatching of electoral materials.

    But speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Marafa warned that the primary elections must be conducted before Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline on Sunday or risked disqualification.

    He said “Well, it is not about me now I think it is about APC generally, whether APC has a chance or not because once it is blocked by 12.00 a.m. (on Sunday) APC will have nowhere to go to,’’

    Stressing that he was in the Villa to update President Buhari on the failed APC governorship primary election in Zamfara State, he alleged that the state governor, Abdulaziz Yari, had lost the support of people of the state.

    Read Also: Ondo: PDP nullifies Owo/Ose primary election

    He described as “illegal and irresponsible’’ the action of the governor after the announcement of the cancellation of the primary by the Prof. Abubakar Faki-led APC Zamfara Governorship Primaries Committee.

    “The chairman of the APC Zamfara Governorship Primaries Committee witnessed the violence, he saw what happened after several days of meeting and he cancelled the election.

    ‘Even when the results started trickling in the governor was nowhere to be found.

    “But the governor came on air to say that he is the chief security officer of the state. So, as far as he is concerned the elections are going to continue on Thursday and he is going to collate the results.

    “This is quite illegal and quite irresponsible with due respect. So that is capable of turning the state upside down,’’ he said.

    Dismissing the allegation of political thuggery being leveled against him by some state government officials, Marafa alleged that Yari and his supporters were trying to sabotage APC’s interest in Zamfara State.

    Meanwhile, the former Zamfara State Governor and a stalwart of the party in the state, Senator Ahmed Yerima also met behind closed doors with President Buhari on Friday.

  • Boroffice wins Ondo North Senatorial ticket

    The senator representing Ondo North senatorial district, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice on Thursday won the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC)as the candidate of the party for the 2019 general election.

    Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), monitored the primary election in Ondo North senatorial district.

    Out of the 66,200 voters that were accredited for the exercise, Boroffice gathered 64,300 votes from the 72 wards in the senatorial district. Boroffice was the sole contestant in the election.

    In the summary result sheet signed by the Chairman of APC Primary Election Committee in Ondo State, Mr Abuh Andrew, the committee declared, “This is to certify that: Robert Ajayi Boroffice having scored the highest number of votes cast is hereby declared Winner.

    Boroffice called for peace within APC’s family in the state.

    Read Also: Tension in Edo APC over primaries

    At a news conference in his home town,Oka-Akoko,the chairman,Senate Committee on Science&Technology pleaded that stakeholders should come together to build APC for the betterment of all and sundry.

    According to him,the disruption of peace within the ruling party in theme state would be conter-productive.

    He said” the National Working Committee (NWC) set up a screening committee to screen all aspirants to determine their eligibility,stressing that he made himself available for the exercise by purchasing nomination form to seek the senatorial ticket”.

    The Asiwaju of Akoko said he had remain loyal to the party at all times and even turned down a principal office in the senate because of being against zoning policy of the party when the 8th assembly was inaugurated.

    Boroffice expressed his continued loyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari and other national leaders if the party.

  • APC clear National Secretary, 23 others for 2019 governorship poll

    The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) has affirmed the nomination of the party’s National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni and 23 others as governorship candidates of the party for the 2019 governorship election across the country.

    Also cleared to fly the party flag are Lagos state flag bearer, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Kaduna state Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, Kano state Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Plateau state Governor, Simon Lalong, Bauchi state Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, Kebbi state Governor, Abubakar Bagudu and Katsina state Governor, Aminu Bello MASARI.

    Others are Jigawa stage Governor, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Niger state Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, Sokoto state deputy governor, Ahmed Aliyu, Prof. Babagana Umara-Zulum (Borno), Abubakar Sule (Nasarawa), Emmanuel JIme (Benue), Tonye Cole (Rivers), Uche Ogah (Abia), Nsima Ebere (Akwa Ibom), Adebayo Adelabu (Oyo), Fapo Abiodun (Ogun), Great Ogboru (Delta), Senator John Owan Enoh (Cross River), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Senator Sunny Ogboji (Ebonyi) and Sani Abubakar Danladi (Taraba).

    Read Also: FG committed to promoting Social Security — Ngige

    Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena said in a statement that the clearance followed the adoption of the report of the various electoral committee sent to conduct the primaries in the various states.

    The governorship primaries for Enugu, Kwara and Adamawa states have not been conducted, while the party has cancelled the primary in Zamfara and Imo states due to irregularities.

    The NWC also approved the report of the pane, that conducted the governorship primary in Ogun State which declared Dapo Abiodun as the candidate of the party.

  • Protests in Ondo over clearance of Senatorial candidates

    Protests in the three senatorial districts of Ondo state over the clearance of the incumbent senators in the three districts to retain their seats at the National Assembly beyond 2019 have remained persistent.

    The clearance was carried out by the National Working Committee, (NWC) of the ruling party on Tuesday.

    The aggrieved party supporters said the imposition could spell doom on the party ahead of the 2019 elections.

    Leader of the protesters in Akure,the state capital who is the APC Youth leader,Babalayo Olutayo criticised the national leadership of the party for not creating a level-play ground for all aspirants.

    Babalayo said “we are saying no to imposition, we are saying no to automatic ticket to any aspirants, there must be a room for everybody to accommodate. We don’t want criminality and impunity in our party, we ask for change and this is not the change we asked for.

    “When Adams Oshiomhole took the leadership from John-Odigwe Oyegun,we thought everything will change for good but things has gone to unbearable condition.

    “Oshiomhole has not really helped us. if you go to the APC constitution, article 20 states clearly that party primary must go either direct, indirect and consensus, there is no room for automatic ticket in our constitution and we want to know how the leadership came about the automatic ticket.

    Read Also: 2018 PDP Convention: Wike welcomes delegates

    Also,some of the aspirants including the Incumbent Senator representing Ondo Central, Tayo Alasoadura who is one of the beneficiaries of the automatic ticket said the NWC erred in screening them to become candidates of the party for senatorial contest ahead of 2019.

    However,Senator Boroffice maintained that he did not get the ticket through backdoor but because of his loyalty to the party.

    According to him,he had in the past won many elections and still have his supporters solidly behind him.

    Governor Akeredolu was said to have visited Abuja in connection with the crisis over the automatic ticket.

    Observers noted that Akeredolu was supporting Dr Tunji Abayomi for the North District,Lucky Ayedatiwa for the South District and equally have Senator Tayo Alasoadura in his good book to retain his position in the central.

  • Lagos guber primaries: NWC cancels election, says it did not hold

    ***says primaries holds anytime from now
    ***Lagos chair says election held, credible
    ***women supporters of Ambode says no election in Shomou/Bariga

     

    The All Progressives Congress, APC, National Working Committee, NWC, Governorship Primaries Panel for Lagos has cancelled the primaries that was held across the state on Tuesday saying election did not hold.

    Chairman of the panel, Mr. Clement Ebri in company of other members of the panel disclosed this while addressing journalists at Protea Hotel on Tuesday on its preparation for the election. He addressed the press at 4.30p.m.

    According to him, the panel members only completed the sorting out of the materials for the election around 4p.m on Tuesday because the information requested from the two parties to the election were not supplied until around 3.30p.m.

    And that they are ready to move to the field to commence the election as they just finished sorting out the material because the Lagos chairman of the party only supplied important documents the panel requested for only an before the press briefing.

    He said the panel held meeting with representatives of the two contestants by 8a.m. on Tuesday where they were asked to submit some important information and documents to enable the panel do proper planning which were only submitted fully by chairman of the party, Alhaji Tunde Balogun about an hour before the briefing.

    Due to the political tension in the state, we have decided to be very careful and methodical with the process. As party men, peace is more important to us than victory. We are interested in the process that will be celebrated by both parties.

    “And that is what we have done. We are ready to go to the field and execute this. And we aim to do it in a clinical version because Lagos is very important to us and it is the flagship for the party.

    “In the next few minutes I will contact the national headquarters and inform them that we are done with the preparatory process. It takes a lot of work for the main show to take place.

    “We are ready to give the state the most credible election. We will contact the national headquarters on the timing for the release of materials. It is not our fault that this exercise took this long. In some states, primary were moved to Thursday.

    “We were waiting for the party chairman to provide certain information that will enable us post people to the wards. We have two aspirants and we needed to be fair to both parties. The information we demanded for came in about an hour ago. And we had to struggle this period to balance the equation.

    “Now that we are ready, we will contact the national headquarters on the situation and the right time would be announced.

    “We have five persons from the local organising committee and four for each ward. They will all go out to ensure the primary is conducted. We all understand the terrain in the state especially as it concerns the traffic situation. So, the materials are available now and ready for deployment.

    “The national secretariat advised us to use ballot papers and we came into Lagos with thousands of them. But during the stakeholders meeting, it became obvious that the state chapter of the party wasn’t ready for such primary. They claimed that there was no time to educate the members and others. And based on the submission made at the stakeholders meeting, some changes were made.

    “And we were advised to conduct the open ballot in a manner that would be objective to all parties. And that is one of the adjustment we made to accommodate views of the stakeholders. For us, the stage is set and the primary should commence any moment from now.

    “We had a section with representatives of both aspirants here at about 8 am. And we asked that they bring names of their representatives that would be used for the exercise. But the names didn’t arrive early from both parties.

    “We will contact the national headquarter as to the timing and release of the election materials; the materials are here, they are in impeccable condition and we can not do anything outside what we were instructed to do by the national headquarter, we are ready, the state is set, election resume anytime from now,” Ebri said.

    Addressing journalists earlier at the same venue, Lagos state chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Tunde Balogun said the governorship primary election that took place through out the state yesterday was free, fair and devoid of violence and therefore credible.

    He said the agents of the two parties were all present at the different wards where the election took place and that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and election observers also witnessed the election at the different venues.

    “The election took place simultaneously in all the 245 wards. Some of our members were visible in the local governments, for example our national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was at Ikeja, his own ward.

    “He took part in the election and we saw the results. The results have been signed by the agents of the two aspirants. Those result were credible because the INEC too were there and they all signed. We were all witnesses to the conduct of the election. There were no violence, no chaos, it was free , fair and transparent. That’s what I am saying.”

    Asked whether any member of the NWC panel members were there, he said ‘’What I know is that I did not go round the wards. The venue I went to I saw some observers apart from the agents and INEC. They were publicly conducted, constitutionally done and I think we will leave the rest for the people and the press . That is why we have to wait for the committee charged with the responsibility to announce the results. We are not to announce the results.

    Responding to the question on whether he was satisfied, he said: ‘’ I surely am satisfied for the fact that the conduct of the election were seamless, free, no chaos, no violence and people conducted themselves well.

    Read Also: Imo primaries: APC disbands Gulak panel – Oshiomhole

    Some APC women from Shomolu/Bariga who stormed the Protea Hotel on Tuesday complained that they were not allowed to vote in their wards because they are known supporters of Governor Ambode.

    Speaking on behalf of the women who chartered taxis to the place, Oluwabunmi Adegbola from Ward J in Shomolu/Bariga accused the local government chairman and their representative at the state House of Assembly of using armed thugs to harrass known Ambode supporters, threatening to kill them and not allowing them to vote.

    “There was no election in Shomolu/Bariga, there was no accreditation and no voting, they were going about with thugs wielding dangerous weapons and threatening that they will kill us that are known supporters of Ambode, there were even gun shots,” she alleged.

  • Direct Primary: ‘APC’s decision should go beyond individual interests’

    The lawmaker representing Idanre /Ifedore federal constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of All Progressives Congress APC in Ondo State, Bamidele Baderinwa at the weekend emphasized the need to let party supremacy be above personal interests in the Nation’s democracy.

    Baderinwa spoke with reporters after collecting expression of interest and nomination forms to re-contest the House of Representatives seat in 2019.

    The representatives member who commended the system put in place by the National leadership of the party towards the 2019 general elections, stressed the need for party loyalists to respect party’s constitution, rules and regulations in every conduct.

    He said “I believe in the party supremacy and feel other stakeholders should key into this and work in tandem with laid down rules of the party”.

    “Let all those that have genuine interest of the party follow the procedure of the party and align with what the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party want in the interest of building a virile party that can withstand every political storm”.

    Read Also: Katsina disburses N1, 727b to schools

    Baderinwa promised to improve on what he had impacted on the people of his constituency if given the opportunity to represent them again.

    He urged all party members to support the change mantra of the APC in order to transform the Nation and rebuild the economy in line with best practices across the world.

    The lawmaker expressed optimism in the National leadership’s resolve to use direct method for the conduct of primary elections in the interest of party members and fair play.

    The also urged party members to start mobilization and work towards the victory of the APC in the 2019 general elections.

  • Delta APC adopts direct primaries to pick candidates

    The State Working Committee (SWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta state has adopted direct primaries as the means through which all candidates for the 2019 elections will emerge.

    The party’s SWC, led by party chairman, Chief Cyril Ogodo, adopted the resolution on Thursday in Asaba, the state capital, during an expanded State Executive Committee meeting.

    The meeting, which was attended by members of the SWC, 25 LGA chairmen, secretaries, youth leaders and the about 270 ward chairmen, also commended President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as well as other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) for making the choice of the direct primaries.

    The party, in a communique issued and signed by the state party Chairman Chief Cyril Ogodo, Secretary Barr Silas Buowe, members of SWC and over 300 others resolved as followed:

    “Arising from an expanded State Executive Committee meeting of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Delta State Chapter led by Chief Cyril Abeye Ogodo, held on the 6th day of September 2018, the following resolutions were reached.

    “To commend His Excellency, Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomohle – National Chairman and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of our great Party on their recent decision to entrench internal democracy in the Party through the approval for the use of direct primaries in choosing our flag bearers.

    Read Also: Group picks nomination form for ex-Oyo Governor, Akala

    “To commend the President and the Commander – in Chief – of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic – Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) for repositioning Nigeria to greatness. The Delta State APC is excited like many other Nigerians across the nation that Mr President’s leadership style has rekindled our hope in democracy.

    “That the Delta state APC hereby adopts and affirms the use of direct primaries for choosing all our flag bearers.

    “The above decision affirms our party’s disposition and desire to make our elections in 2019 and beyond truly reflect the will of the people as there cannot be democracy without the people’s participation”, the communiqué said

  • Katsina APC adopts Buhari, Masari, indirect primaries

    The Katsina state branch of the All Progressive Congress, APC, on Thursday adopted both President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Aminu Bello Masari as sole candidates for both the Presidential and Governorship elections  in 2019 at federal and state levels respectively.

    The party at the state level also adopted indirect primaries to select candidates to contest the various positions next year’s election.

    This decision is however seen by some stakeholders as contrary to the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which approved direct primaries ahead of 2019 general election

    Governor Aminu Bello Masari who announced the decisions shortly after the end of an emergency meeting of party stalwart and, APC stakeholders in the state, including the state Deputy Governor, Alh. Mannir Yakubu, at a town hall meeting said the indirect primaries is the most convenient option available to the state, as it reduces cost, logistics and addresses any security challenges that might arise.

    He said ’’indirect primaries is the most ideal for us as it is rancor free, less expensive, and addresses logistics and security challenges. Although opponents of the indirect primaries argue that it encourages corruption which I quiet admit, but it still remains the best option, within the time limit available to us’’

    Also speaking, the state Chairman of the Party, Alhaji Shitu Shitu referred to the resolution of the party after its NEC’s meeting, which gave states the leverage to adapt to a system that is unique to them, adding the katsina state chapter had complied with it.

    He said the “states were given three options—direct voting, indirect (delegate) system and consensus voting.

    “It is based on that we in Katsina have decided to come together as critical stakeholders to endorse the option we have chosen today and it is unanimously agreed”.

    Read Also: 2019: Sokoto PDP commences registration of members

    Meanwhile a gubernatorial aspirant in the party, Alhaji Isa Funtua has protested the adoption of indirect primaries for the coming elections and threatened to petition the national leadership of the party

    The Press Secretary to the governorship aspirant, Abdullahi Usman Tumburukai, told The nation in an exclusive telephone chat that his boss, who has already obtained his nomination form, prefers the direct primaries as outlined by the national working committee of the party recently, and will oppose anything on the contrary.

    He said ’’we are not scared about Masari; we are looking beyond him in our march to victory come 2019’’

  • 2019 : Ebonyi APC to pick candidates through consensus

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi says it will pick candidates for the 2019 general elections through consensus, as the approach “best suits the state’s peculiarities.’’

    This was the resolution reached after an emergency State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting, held on Wednesday night in Abakaliki, with APC leaders, including past members of the national and state assemblies in attendance.

    Chairman of APC in Ebonyi, Chief Eze Nwachukwu, who addressed stakeholders, said the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had given the state chapters the latitude to choose among consensus, indirect or direct primaries to conduct their primaries.

    “We are here today following a directive from our national secretariat, which has mandated all state chapters of the party to meet and adopt the mode of party primaries suitable for them in line with their own preponderance peculiarities.

    “We are going to report back to the national secretariat on whatever system or method we decide to adopt in this very crucial meeting,” he said.

    Nwachukwu explained that the security challenges in the state and alleged sponsored attacks on party faithful by rival political thugs would not allow the party to go for direct primaries.

    He added that the party would not be able to grapple with the challenges posed by direct primaries, even though it gives equal opportunity to all registered and card carrying party members to participate in selecting flag bearers.

    Members at the meeting, in a unanimous decision, voted in favour of consensus method as first option for the selection of party’s flag bearers for all elective positions in the 2019 general elections.

    They also voted to adopt indirect primaries where consensus arrangement failed to produce consensus candidate.

  • ‘We’ll resist attempts aimed at disrupting peace in APC’

    The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All  Progressives Congress (APC) says it will resist any attempt to disrupt the current peace and harmony prevailing in the party after the defection of some its members.

    The party made this known in a statement issued by Mr Yekini Nabena, its National Publicity Secretary in Abuja on Sunday.

    Nabena said the attention of the APC NWC has been drawn to an illegal meeting scheduled to hold at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja by some members of the party’s organs.

    He said the meeting was to fault decisions made by the NWC followed by the National Executive Committee (NEC) as regards the mode of the party’s primary elections.

    “We want to state clearly that the meeting which has been fixed for 2 p.m is illegal and an attempt to puncture the sincere efforts being made by the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led NWC to reposition our party ahead of the 2019 general elections and to ensure unity, equity and justice in the party,” he said.

    The APC spokesman added that the outcome of such meeting which was already known would be a nullity, and admonished the party’s members to disregard the meeting in its interest.
    Nabena further added that it was illegal to call such meeting outside the purview of the constituted authority.
    He, however, said that the identities of those plotting such meeting had been known, stressing that unless they desist from such, they would be dealt with in line with the party’s constitution at the appropriate time.

    “The NWC will resist any attempt to disrupt the current peace and harmony prevailing in our great party after the exit of some members of our party.

    “We urge any member who is not satisfied with the decisions of the party to utilise channels provided by the party’s constitution to air their views,” he said.

    He maintained that the APC remain focused in delivering good governance to Nigerians and to win the 2019 general elections, adding that it would not be intimidated by the antics of a few in ensuring its success.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APC NEC at its Sixth meeting, resolved that primary elections into all elective offices shall be by direct primaries.

    It believed that direct primaries would among others, ensure fairness, create a level playing ground for contestants, eliminate corrupt tendencies usually associated with the delegates system and ultimately ensure full participation of party members at all levels.

    The NEC said though the party’s constitution provides for indirect election and consensus, the use of indirect primaries is conditional and dependent on logistic impediments, peculiarities and need of a given state that makes it unable to use direct primaries.

    It further resolved that State Executive Committee (SEC) shall in consultation with aspirants and other critical stakeholders of the party in a given state, forward for the consideration and approval by the NWC, if indirect primaries is to be adopted. (NAN)