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Tag: Oshiomhole

  • Defections from APC good riddance – Oshiomhole

    The National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, said on Tuesday the defection of some senators and members of the House of Representatives from the APC was better for the ruling party.

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

    According to him, the defectors do not believe in the ideals of the APC.

    Oshiomhole said he would like to build a solid party which is not just a vehicle for acquiring political office or personal gain.

    He said the defectors have no electoral value, adding that Buhari scored more votes than them in their own constituencies in the last general election.

    On the siege at the homes of Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, the APC chairman said it was a security matter that he could not comment on.

  • I’ll go any length to achieve peace in APC, says Oshiomhole

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole yesterday said he will go to any length to persuade aggrieved party members not to dump the party.

    But, he was categorical that rapprochement aimed at pacifying aggrieved party members plotting to leave  should not be taken as an act of cowardice on the part of APC leadership.

    He spoke at a book presentation in honour of Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim in Abuja.

    Oshiomhole emphasised that the last-minute rapprochement was all about working for peace and engendering justice and fairness for those who deserved it.

    He added that the political move to mend fences should not be taken that the party was jittery in anyway.

    The party chairman said far from having sleepless nights as being insinuated in some quarters, he is only working to ensure peace in the party since peace cannot be decreed.

    Oshiomhole said: “Throughout the weekend and up till today (yesterday), many of the national dailies reported different stories with the impression that I have not been sleeping within the last one week as a result of alleged midnight meetings with aggrieved party members, who they say I have been begging not to leave the party.

    “In some of the reports, insinuations even went as far as saying that I made juicy offers to the aggrieved party members to stop them from cross carpeting.

    “While I will not be too direct in reacting to such reports here, I will only say though I have been meeting aggrieved party members over whatever injustice they felt the party or some chieftains of the party had done to them, but I have not been having sleepless nights as being reported and also not in any way jittery.

    “Rapprochement move as far as I am concerned , is not an act of cowardice but a desirous endeavour in making peace since you can’t decree peace but only work for it .

    “So, in a nutshell, I am not ashamed of doing that as Chairman of a great party and to those rapprochement moves are being directed to, we want them to appreciate that we are more or less trying to prevent them from making blunder of dumping palm wine for kain kain,” he said .

    Oshiomhole noted that the rapprochement manoeuvers were necessary, especially when stability of the country cannot be completely divested from stability of political parties.

    Those running the affairs of the country, he said, got to power through political parties.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki, who chaired the occasion, hailed Ibrahim for chronicling his experience in politics since 1991 in the book, titled: “Poorlitics”.

    Saraki noted that Ibrahim’s brand of politics centred on the people at all times.

    He said it was the same brand of politics that Ibrahim adopted to secure the mandate of Yobe people to govern them three times and even representing them in the Senate for the third time.

    He said it was a similar brand of politics that propelled the political legacy and structure left behind by his father, the late Senator Olusola Saraki.

    He said: “Senator Ibrahim’s brand of politics as vividly captured in this book titled: “Poorlitics”, is not different from the model of politics my late father, Senator Abubakar Olusola Saraki bequeathed to us in Kwara State.

    “It is an all-time form of politics anchored on engaging the people at all times in knowing their problems and aspirations and assisting them in confronting their challenges in and out of election years unlike others who are fond of embarking on three and half years of sabbatical leave after elections only to rush back six months to new elections and yet expecting to get positive results.”

    The book presentation was also attended by Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima, senators and House of Representatives members.

  • Ngige: APC won’t hesitate to expel erring ministers – Oshiomhole

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, on Monday warned that the party would not hesitate to suspend or expel any minister who disobeyed President Muhammadu Buhari’s directives.

    He was reacting to the delay by the Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige, to inaugurate the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Funds (NSITF)

    Ngige was said to have refused to inaugurate the board due to alleged fraud of over N40 billion by previous board.

    But speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Oshiomhole said: “If the minister refuse we will suspend him from the party. You know we must return to internal discipline. For me it is the height of mischief for any minister. You cannot purport to be honourable minister and you act dishonourably and nobody is greater than the party.

    “And if the President condones disrespect for his office, I will not condone disrespect for the party. And when we expel the minister we will prevail on the President that he can’t keep in his cabinet people who have neither respect for his own decisions nor have respect for the party without which they would not have been ministers.

    “There are no independent candidate in our system, nobody. I emphasis no minister is above the party and they have taken undue advantage of the President’s fatherly disposition.

    “Now, it is the same green pen that made them minister that appointed these boards that they are refusing to swear in. And it is absolutely illegal for a minister in a democracy to prey the powers of the board because the laws establishing those institutions are clear, that the boards have procedures to follow.

    “So, when a minister sits in his office to appropriate the powers of the board in a democracy, not in a dictatorship, award contract that didn’t go through boards, those are clearing abuse of office for which they are liable.

    “I am convinced that what they are doing is not with the endorsement of Mr. President. Over the period they have tried to drop the President’s name but I tell them it is the same authority that appointed these people.

    “So, we are informing them that it is either they comply with the President’s instructions or they comply with the party’s position or they go and administer outside the government.”

     

     

  • Buhari, Oshiomhole welcome PDP defectors

    President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, at the weekend in Akwa Ibom State welcomed 5,000 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defectors to the party.

    The defection took place at a mega rally held at Ikot Ekpene Township Stadium to endorse President Buhari for a second term as well as the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Obong Nsima Ekere, for governor.

    The people of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, who turned out en masse for the rally, asked Ekere to resign to contest next year’s governorship election.

    Buhari, the special guest of honour and APC National Chairman Comrade Adams Oshiomhole joined other chieftains, including Atuekong Don Etiebet (National Trustee), Senator John Udoedehe and Senator Aloysius Etok to receive the defectors.

    The President, represented by his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, listed the achievements of the APC administration at the centre.

    He said: “These interventions in power, anti-corruption war, infrastructure, human capital development and social welfare schemes will serve as reference points for the return of the President in 2019.”

    Enang, who read the presidential message, assured the APC supporters that the Federal Government was committed to addressing the ills plaguing the Niger Delta, with commitment of funds into federal agencies to develop the region.

    He said besides statutory allocations to the NDDC, the Buhari administration had approved N30 billion to settle outstanding bills owed contractors, to accelerate the pace and speed of development of the region in line with the mandate of the commission.

    Enang said the Federal Government, apparently worried about the huge debt profile of states, had empowered governors with billions of bailout funds to offset civil servants’ salaries and emoluments.

    He hailed the organisers for the endorsement and praised Oshiomhole for working hard since he assumed duty as the national chairman to unite aggrieved members.

    “The move has put the ruling party in a good stead to win the elections next year.”

    Oshiomhole, represented by the National Chairman, Southsouth, Ntufam Hilliard Etta, said it was time for stakeholders to join forces in the task of returning APC to the centre and breaking new grounds in 2019.

    He urged the defectors to make sure the President is re-elected and ensure APC’s success in Akwa Ibom and other states.

    Atuekong Don Etiebet, former Minister of Petroleum, listed impunity, corruption, unemployment and political gangsterism as constituting the major sins of the erstwhile ruling party.

    He enjoined the people to “be ready to rise up against such brazen rule of force” to ensure the present administration was returned in 2019 to correct the negative precedents of the PDP.

     

     

     

  • Buhari, Oshiomhole upset R-APC defection plan

    Overtures by President Muhammadu Buhari and All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to influential leaders of the Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC) may have stalled the planned mass defection of members of the group, at least for now.

    Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and four APC governors met on Thursday with Senate President Bukola Saraki on the grievances of the group while Oshiomhole has also met individually with the likes of Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara,Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and ex-Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwakwaso, as well as the  APC caucus in the National Assembly with a view to dousing the defection fire.

    Sources in R-APC told The Nation that the peace talks of the last few days have succeeded in slowing down their defection plan.

    “The defection of our members was to be in batches. We have started as you can see, with some party leaders in some states as well as prominent aides and associates of our leaders announcing their resignation from the APC in the past weeks,” one of the sources said on Thursday, just before the president’s meeting with Saraki.

    Feelers from the meeting indicated that the president urged the aggrieved APC chieftains not to dump the ruling party.

    The R-APC sources added: “Several meeting were held these past days to review and fine tune the processes outlined for others to move as agreed.

    “If everything works out as planned, some members of the National Assembly will announce their defection this week. They will be joined by some party officials in some states as well as other prominent leaders of the ruling party across the states of the federation.”

    With Buhari and Osinbajo at Thursday’s meeting were Governors Abdul’Aziz Yari of Zamfara, Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), and Aminu Masari (Katsina).

    The meeting took place a day after the Senate President and some governors met with the national chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus. The governors were Abdufatah Ahmed of Kwara, Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Samuel Ortom of Benue, and Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State.

    Emerging from his meeting with Ortom, Oshiomhole said that the ruling party would not allow Governor Ortom defect to the PDP. He said the national leadership of APC would do everything possible to ensure that peace returns to the Benue State chapter and that Governor Ortom remains in the party.

    Also pushing for a halt in the defection plot of the aggrieved APC chieftains is a committee of APC elders in Sokoto State.

    The elders who are working on the reconciliation initiative launched by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu some weeks back met separately with Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and his predecessor, Senator Aliyu Wammako, during the week.

    Sources said the thrust of the meeting was the need to convince the governor to jettison his alleged plan to leave the APC ahead of the 2019 general election.

    Speaking to our correspondent yesterday, an R-APC chieftain in Kwara State said there are strong indications that the planned defection process may be put on hold in the face of what he described as ‘ongoing reappraisals.’ He added that a meeting of the leadership of the group may hold early this week to determine the next line of action following certain unforeseen developments.

    “We are likely to halt some of our plans for now. It is true the R-APC was to take some very crucial steps this week but due to the need for us as a group to re-appraise some of the things we have done before now, we may suspend some of the immediate things we planned to do, especially in the coming week. But I can assure you that it is not true that we have back tracked on our decision to leave APC. We will still leave the party.”

    Another R-APC source said: “we are waiting eagerly to know if anything has changed. There are talks about a deal being worked out between the leadership of the ruling party and some of our leaders.

    “We don’t know how true this is yet. But what I can tell you now is that the decision of President Buhari to reach out to Saraki is unsettling the R-APC and the silence of the Senate President after the meeting is not helping the situation.

    “In Kwara here, all we hear are rumours. Just yesterday, we heard that some of our members in the National Assembly who were to announce their defection from the APC during the week have been told to hold on.

    “Party leaders were also summoned to a meeting in Ilorin on Saturday and we hear the discussion was on what the R-APC should demand from the presidency and the APC. There are so many things flying around as we speak. Until the leaders speak, we are uncertain of what next,” our source said.

     

  • Obasanjo looking for third term by other means, says Oshiomhole

    Recent activities of former president Olusegun Obasanjo are nothing short of a plot by him to use other means to get the  third term that Nigerians have already denied him, National Chairman of the  All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, said  yesterday.

    Although Oshiomhole mentioned no name, he spoke  of “that old man who is going round as an organising secretary recruiting people, looking for tired players to continue with a third-term agenda which Nigerians have rejected.”

    He was apparently referring to the comments made by Obasanjo at the Wednesday conference  of the Northern Elders Forum, Afenifere, Ohanaeze and Pan Niger Delta Forum  where he launched a fresh scathing attack on President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Oshiomhole did not spare the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which he dismissed as more factionalized  now than it was four years ago.

    He said the party would not be a threat to the APC in next year’s elections.

    He spoke  to State House correspondents after a meeting with Buhari.

    Asked about threats of mass defection from the  APC, Oshiomole  said: “I think it is something you should ask the PDP. They are the ones who have suffered huge, huge mass defections, even of the so-called founding fathers.

    “I mean, in those good old days, people like Professor Jerry Gana will tell us, we are the founding fathers. People like President Obasanjo will tell us, you know I was the first President.

    “All of these people are gone. I think the media need to get more engaged and scrutinize us, those of us who are political players when we speak from both sides of the mouth or we are turning the story upside down.

    “Just a few months back, you know that a good section, after their convention, people like (Professor Tunde) Adeniran, Professor Jerry Gana and a host of others who can be said to be founding fathers of that party, they left to form what they call the SDP or the ADC or both. So, they broke out and then it dawned  on them that even together we defeated them just four years ago, and now further factionalized, what can they do.

    “And they just want to capture power for the sake of power. So they say, even though we have already broken the house, can we for the sake of power come together? Does it make sense? In the morning, you broke away from the  PDP to the SDP and then to the ADC.

    “By whatever form they come in, Nigerians have spoken. They are not going to return to the era where Central Bank , NNPC, security money is shared to people based on the PDP philosophy, ‘share the money’.

    “We won’t do that. If they have forgotten,it is quite easy for robbers to forget the robbery they just did, but it is not easy for the victim of the rubbery to forget.”

    Speaking on the victory of his party in Ekiti last weekend, Oshiomhole said: “I think the people of Ekiti State, having recalled the good days of Dr. Fayemi, comparing them to the level they were reduced to by the present government, voted wisely for change and for Fayemi to complete his unfinished business.

    “For us, we are very happy and we trust that Ekiti people would be happy for the decision they have taken. On my part, of course, it is a personal sense of victory because this was the first outing of the party under my leadership.

    “The last time, after our convention in 2014, we had an election in Ekiti and we lost. This time, we won, so I think, as they say, morning shows the day. I believe it was a good outing.”

    He said that the challenge is now for the Ekiti governor-elect to do what he has to do to ensure that the people of Ekiti recover and rise from the lost ground they witnessed due to the poor governance they got from the current PDP government in the state.

  • Obasanjo looking for third term through other means – Oshiomhole

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, said on Friday the recent activities of former President Olusegun Obasanjo are part of plots to use other means to get the third term that Nigerians earlier rejected for him.

    According to him, Nigerians have decided not to return to the era where the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) security money was shared to people based on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s philosophy of “share the money.”

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

    The PDP, he said, is now more factionized than four years ago and would not be a threat to APC in the 2019 elections.

    Answering question on the threat of mass defection from his party, Oshiomhole said: “I think it is something you should ask the PDP. They are the ones who have suffered huge, huge mass defection even of the so called founding fathers. I mean, in those good old days, people like Prof. Jerry Gana will tell us, we are the founding fathers. People like President Obasanjo will tell us, you know I was the first President.

    “All of these people are gone. I think the media need to get more engaged and scrutinize us, those of us who are political players. When we speak from both sides of the mouth or we are turning the story upside down.

    “Just few months back, you know that a good section after their convention, people like Oyederan, Prof. Jerry Gana and a host of others who can be said to be founding fathers of that party, left to form what they call SDP or ADC or both. So, they broke out and then when it dawn on them that even together we defeated them just four years ago, and now further factionalised, what can they do.

    “And they just want to capture power for the sake of power. So they say, even though we have already broken the house, can we for the sake of power come together. Does it make sense? In the morning, you broke away from PDP to SDP and then to ADC.

    “And there is no better proof than that old man who is going round as an organising secretary recruiting people, looking for tired players to continue with a third term agenda which Nigerians had rejected.

    “By whatever form they come in, Nigerians have spoken. They are not going to return to the era where Central Bank and NNPC security money is shared to people based on PDP philosophy ‘share the money’.

    “We won’t do that, if they have forgotten. It is quite easy for robbers to forget easily the robbery they just did but it is not easy for the victim of the robbery to forget.”

     

     

  • Oshiomhole: only those who lack honour ’ll defect to PDP

    Ortom hopeful of crisis resolution

    House caucus holds talks

    PARTY chiefs moved yesterday to stem the likely tide of defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole met in Abuja with Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom who claimed that the party had issued him a red card.

    Ortom was, in fact, one of the governors believed to be set for a return to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    To Oshiomhole, those who will defect from the APC to the PDP lack honour.

    On Wednesday, PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus and some of the leaders and governors of the opposition party met with Senate President Bukola Saraki and three APC governors in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, to perfect the defection plot.

    The governors are: Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) and Samuel Ortom (Benue).

    Ortom told reporters yesterday after meeting Oshiomhole that he had not defected.

    The APC chairman  described the governor as a man of honour who would not defect from APC to the PDP, which he left three-and-a-half years ago.

    The Benue APC chapter also denied issuing the governor a red card – as he had claimed.

    The House of Representatives APC Caucus also went into an emergency session on the defection plan of some of its members. House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila said there was no cause for alarm.

    Ortom, speaking after meeting with Oshiomhole at the APC secretariat, said: “It was the Benue APC that gave me a red card not the National APC and I thought that it was enough to make myself available out of the pitch, but the leadership of the party told me that the decision of the party leadership at the national level is superior to that of any individual or group of people and I think that is good enough.

    “They have spoken to him (Akume), they have also spoken to me and the state stakeholders are going to be spoken to and that’s where we are; we have not concluded the matter,  it’s an ongoing process. I always stand for peace, and I always want peace to prevail, that’s what I stand for. I appreciate the intervention of the party’s leadership and I hope that we will be able to resolve the matter of differences.”

    Ortom added: “I’m here at the APC Secretariat as a member of the party and still flying the flag of APC in the state. I only said I was given ‘red card’ but, have been corrected by the national secretariat.”

    Oshiomhole said only those without honour would leave the APC for the PDP.

    He noted that there could, however, be legitimate legal issues and disagreements in some state chapters of the party.

    He said: “Senator Akume is a very respected leader of the party, a former governor and a current senator; he will recognise the need for peace and we have what it takes to make peace.

    “In Benue, we are going for a win-win solution; Governor Ortom is not going anywhere. He is a very prominent member of our party, and we appreciate his leadership in Benue. We will do everything possible to help those who have issues to have those issues resolved.

    “The people’s Democratic Party (PDP) that is hovering round must know that it is only people without honour who will vomit in the morning and convert it to lunch in the afternoon. People like Ortom can’t leave PDP three and half years ago with his eyes open and two three years later because of some tension, he’s thinking of returning.

    “He is a man of honor and he knows that once you move one step forward, you will want to take the second step to consolidate the first step; that’s the way to go. Be assured that PDP can go and do whatever they want to do, but it won’t change the situation, the minds of those who are convinced in building the future.

    “And in Benue, I am sure that Governor Ortom and Senator Akume will be happy; much more importantly the great people of Benue will be happy, not just our party members because they want to consolidate on the work and not to return to a broken vehicle.”

    Yesterday in Makurdi, the Director of Publicity of APC in the state, Mr Peterhot Apeh, denied that the party had issued a red card to Ortom.

    “We wish to state categorically that the Benue State chapter of the APC has not at any point given a red card to Governor Samuel Ortom or any other member of the party.

    “Rather, the party at its last state Congress in Makurdi endorsed the governor, and leader of the party in the state, Senator George Akume for another term in office.

    “The endorsement of the governor and leader of the party was meant to further unite the party in the state.

    “And provide a stable political atmosphere for the governor as well as the leader of the party to deliver better dividends of democracy to the people of the state.’’

    “In return for the endorsement by the state chapter of the party, we demand from the governor improved welfare for the people of the state,’’ Apeh said.

    According to him, these demands have become necessary due to several interventions by the Federal Government in form of bailouts, Paris Club refund and budgetary support.

    He said that in spite of these and the huge borrowings by Ortom, the state had salary arrears.

    “These include unpaid pensions of retired civil servants, huge deficits of basic infrastructure and porous security situation bedeviling the state.

    “We demand explanations on the handling of affairs, especially issues bothering on security in the state.

    “We are grossly embarrassed that these issues raised with the governor in confidence for the purpose of repositioning governance to improve the lot of Benue people have been juxtaposed and treated unclad without regard to the code of secrecy.’’

    The emergency meeting of the House of Representatives APC Caucus convened at the instance of the House Leader, according to a source, was to prevent the touted defection of some members.

    A planned mass defection was slated to take place yesterday, a source said, but was shifted till next week.

    The meeting, which took place in meeting room 236 in the new House of Reps building, ran between 3.30pm and 5:20pm.

    Speaker Yakubu Dogara was absent, although he presided over plenary yesterday. Deputy Speaker Yussuff Lasun was away in Osun State for today’s governorship primary election.

    Gbajabiamila declined to give an insight into the agenda of the meeting. When reporters confronted him with the planned mass defection, Gbajabiamila said: “I don’t dwell on rumours,  I dwell on reality. Let that reality come first. There is no fire on the mountain, not at all.”

    On the possibility of APC turning into a minority party, with the threatened defection of more than half of the caucus, Gbajabiamila said:  “Where did you find that out from? Let them go first. Talk is cheap.”

    When asked if as the Majority Leader of the House he was not afraid that his party was moving into minority status ,he said: “I am not scared at all.”

    It was learnt that the Caucus reached a consensus on the second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari in a bid to make a statement of commitment.

    Many of the caucus members opined that it was necessary to meet the President on the issue before coming to a definite opinion, in spite of the fact that they were committed APC members.

    Members from Kwara, Oyo and Benue states were not at the meeting – apparently because of the tense situation in their states.

     

  • ‘Oshiomhole should save Taraba APC from collapse’

    All Progressives Congress (APC) member in Taraba State have urged the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to intervene in the crisis rocking the party and save it from self- destruction ahead of next year’s general elections.

    The stakeholders under the aegis of Taraba APC Neutral Group (TANEG) said Oshiomhole must reconcile the two factions in the state to give them a sense of belonging.

    The chairman of the group, Aliyu Madaki Babagida, told reporters in Abuja that the friction between the group loyal to the Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan and the Integrity Group has put many of them in confusion as they are in the dark as to which faction they should submit to ahead of party primaries.

    He said: “We want Oshiomhole to intervene and reconcile all the factions before we go into the primaries. Presently, we don’t know which executive to align with. We are confused and those of us who are interested in contesting elections next year are in the dark as to what they should do.

    “All stakeholders of the party in the state wants unity. But to achieve that unity, they must be prepared to make sacrifice. But unfortunately, none of the two groups wants to back down. Mama Taraba is saying that she has invested in the party and will not allow anyone to take it from her. Those in the Integrity group are also holding on to their stand.

    “What we want is a strong APC that will be able to defeat the PDP in next year’s election. We don’t want any of the groups to leave the APC”.

    Babangida said the situation in the party led t9 their resolve “to seek the intervention of the National Chairman to rescue the party from this un-necessary havoc and split because if it is allows to widen up, it won’t arguer well for the party especially as we are approaching electioneering year.

    He said: “Our decision to take up this matter were informed by series of petitions, complaints of aggrieved party members and potential aspirants, that it appear they will be marginalise and all-inclusive umbrella may not be extended to anyone who did not belong to any of those splinter camp group.

    “TANEG is realistic and honest enough not to assume that the whole of the APC members in Taraba State belongs to one and same political ideology, but believes in the spirit of alignment and re-alignment in smelting common goals and objectives, which is to oust PDP in power in the state for Good Governance.

    “To achieve these common objectives is for our party in this state to put its house in order and avoid any suspicion capable of splitting the party which could reduced its strength.

    Babangida added: “Our group believes in free, fair and all-inclusive leadership that will be neutral to any bonified member of APO in Taraba. Therefore we will welcomes any move to have one solidify APC in Taraba. We are against any division.

    “In the meantime, we urge the splinter groups within Taraba APC to come together and mend any crack for stronger formidable party.

    “We seek the intervention of our National Chairman to use his position as the leader of the party who believes in the spirit of unity to rescue Taraba APC from the unnecessary split we are witnessing today. Indeed we have faith in our amiable Chairman His Excellency Comrade Adams Oshiomole.”

  • APC chieftain appeals to Buhari, Oshiomhole to curb money politics

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Jigawa State, Alhaji Muritala Abubakar, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari, the newly elected National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to help uphold the democratic norms and principles of the party.

    Abubakar, who is the chairman of APC Internal Democracy Advocates (APC – IDA), in a statement called on the top leaders of the party to whittle down the negative effects of money in the selection and election of candidates, saying “We are at the brink where principled internal democracy is consistently sacrificed for money, by inducing the delegates so as to become the flag bearer of our party.”

    The group urged Oshiomhole to think of a more credible alternative to adopt in nominating candidates for election, saying the party’s constitution is flexible, as it provides different options like direct primary, where all card carrying and registered members of the party in a particular ward, local government or state will be involved in electing the most popular person.

    Abubakar added, “Our group is not oblivious of the fact that the direct means of election might be cumbersome but it will bring sanity, integrity and ensure transparency for the right and popular aspirant to emerge as candidate.”