The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Oyegun

  • APC aspirants to sign undertaking to implement manifesto—Oyegun

    APC aspirants to sign undertaking to implement manifesto—Oyegun

    All aspirants seeking the tickets of  the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of next year’s elections are to sign an undertaking to faithfully implement the party’s manifesto,if elected.

    The undertaking will form part of the screening of the aspirants, National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said yesterday  in Abuja, while receiving  the presidential nomination form of  Governor Rabiu  Kwankwaso of Kano State at the APC  national secretariat.

    The manifesto,Odigie-Oyegun said,is people-oriented and must be implemented faithfully by those fielded in the elections.

    He said: “We have a manifesto which we are going to commit them to faithfully implement. As a matter of fact, for the first time, there will be an undertaking to be signed by all aspirants at your screening to faithfully implement the manifesto of the party. That manifesto is people-oriented.”.

    He described the five presidential aspirants of the APC as capable hands any of whom,he said,  “will beat the PDP candidate.”

    Of Kwankwaso,he said: “We are getting our form from somebody with tremendous experience. The APC is very proud of you.

    “We have been monitoring your movement and your utterances and I want to commend you for being a party builder, a consensus builder and for carrying the touch of the party throughout the length and breadth of this nation.

    ” People look at you, people hear you, people are endeared to you and begin to develop love for the APC where ever you have appeared.

    “I am very glad at the decorum that all our aspirants have shown in pursuit of their efforts to become the official candidate of the APC. I thank you because until now, apart from a few minor slips, you have all had a beautiful  campaign.”

    He  said that Nigeria is currently going through  challenging  and difficult times, but pledged that the APC “ is going to provide this nation with a steady, experienced and capable leader that can lead this nation out of the woods and take these challenges seriously.”

    Speaking after submitting his  nomination form, Governor Kwankwaso said that the leadership of the nation must be prepared to deliver  free, fair and transparent elections which will be acceptable to all Nigerians and the international community.

    He was  confident  that if he got the APC ticket more than half of   PDP members would   vote for him.

    He said the party is strong enough across the country .

    “In Kano, for example, we have constituencies where you have as many as 16 aspirants and that is a clear indication of the popularity of the party because there are parties that are begging people to come and collect forms,” he said.

    “We have seen it in some states where the PDP is begging some people to come and collect the forms for free. Our forms are not free, but people are struggling to get them because APC forms are like gold.

    “We are aware that so many people have seen the light and are joining the progressives today. So, you can be rest assured that we are going to win many of the states in addition to the centre. We are going to work even harder to make sure that I clinch the ticket of the party which I believe will be in the interest of the APC and this country.

    “With my candidature, you can be rest assured that more than half of PDP members will vote for me during the general election because many of them  are my friends and they wanted to cross over to the APC, but for very obvious reasons, especially because of blackmail and intimidation, they are finding it extremely difficult to leave that party. We are happy that they are still there and we will meet with them during the  election.”

  • Tambuwal, Oyegun in closed-door meeting

    Tambuwal, Oyegun in closed-door meeting

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) , Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, met behind closed doors for about 30 minutes on Wednesday, probably to discuss moves to impeach him by the Peoples Democratic Party.

    Sources close to the party said the meeting may be part of strategies to scuttle the impeachment moves.

    Tambuwal arrived the party secretariat at about 1.00pm in a self driven car and immediately went to the office of the APC national chairman where they met behind closed doors alongside the party’s Deputy National Chairman, North, Senator Lawal Shuaibu.

    The Speaker, who arrived the secretariat in the absence of the national chairman, waited inside the office of the Deputy Chairman until the chairman arrived the secretariat.

    The source said the meeting was unconnected with the recent events at the National Assembly, especially the moves by the PDP to ensure that he is impeached and how to counter such moves when the House reconvened.

    However, Tambuwal refused to comment on the reason for the meeting, but rather turned the interaction with journalists who ambushed him into a joke.
    Asked about his comment on the events at the House, he said “Are you not tired of hearing from me? I am tired of speaking o. No, no, it is not a meeting. It is just a nominal meeting.
    The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, however said the Speaker was at liberty to meet with the national chairman of the party anytime he feels like.

  • Abuja quakes as Buhari, Oyegun, Amaechi protest

    Abuja quakes as Buhari, Oyegun, Amaechi protest

    Oni, Onu, Oyinlola, El-Rufai, others lead Salvation Rally

    All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders yesterday took to the streets their case against the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration.

    Some of the party’s leading lights, including Chiarman John Odigie-Oyegun, led a “Salvation Rally” in Abuja, accusing President Jonathan of using the Boko Haram insurgency as a joker to win election.

    The party said there was  no limit to the length the President  had not gone in his “obsession” for re-election.

    It accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of working in concert with the Presidential Villa to corrupt the system and disenfranchise voters in APC-controlled states.

    APC queried why the Permanent Voters Cards collection and the continuous registration in 12 states were a fiasco.

    It  challenged the government and INEC to explain why the PVC collection was muddled up in Lagos, Kano Rivers, Niger, Ogun, Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara and  all APC strongholds

    The APC said it was becoming obvious that President Goodluck Jonathan might be unable to organise a free and fair election next February.

    The party said the President was also planning to use the extension of the emergency rule not to conduct the 2015 poll in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

    It protested against the inadequate funding of the Federation Account to, in the party’s view, starve APC-controlled states of funds.

    Besides the rally, the APC chieftains defied old age and apparatchik of office to march around Abuja metropolis to draw the attention of the government and Nigerians to the insurgency in the Northeast.

    Odigie-Oyegun, in an address to open the Salvation Rally at the Eagle Square in Abuja, said the party had tabled four demands which the President must address immediately.

    He said the rally was a demonstration of its lack of confidence in Jonathan’s administration.

    Odigie-Oyegun said: “We are here today as a practical demonstration of our lack of confidence in the ability or willingness of President Goodluck Jonathan to organise a free and fair election come February 2015.

    “President Goodluck Jonathan is so desperate to win re-election that it will now appear that there is a secret understanding that our security forces should turn a blind eye to the Boko Haram Insurgency so that the insurgents can occupy as much territory as possible and make elections impossible in these areas, knowing full well these are APC strongholds.

    “Otherwise, how does one explain that local hunters carrying dane guns and amulets are capable of dislodging the dreaded Boko Haram while our once proud army, which has distinguished itself in and out of the country, has failed?

    We daily hear idle talks that the President needs to declare total war on Boko Haram.

    “ Pray, what has the Jonathan government been doing since the moment the state of emergency was declared the very first time? Or is the President saying that he declared and renewed the state of emergency only to cage the civil populace so that the insurgents can have a free rein?”

    Odigie-Oyegun said the party suspected that Boko Haram insurgency was being used to promote Jonathan’s re-election bid.

    To APC, the extension of the emergency rule may be the President’s ploy not to conduct the 2015 poll in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

    He added: “Without doubt, the war against Boko Haram has become a tool for self enrichment and a tool to disenfranchise Nigerians who are perceived not likely to vote for President Jonathan’s re-election.

    “Everything points to the fact that President Jonathan’s handling of the Boko Haram insurgency is aimed at one thing and one thing only: disenfranchisement of persons who are perceived not to be in support of his re-election, especially in the North-Eastern part of the country.

    “Is it not curious that Mubi was captured without one shot being fired by the insurgents or one single casualty on the part of Federal troops?”

    “As a matter of fact, we have it on good authority that as soon as President Goodluck Jonathan obtains the green light from the National Assembly, there will be no elections in the North-Eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. By this singular act, some five million Nigerians will be disenfranchised, making Jonathan’s re-election a foregone conclusion.”

    Odigie-Oyegun accused Jonathan of being obsessed with re-election by using every issue, including abduction of 219 Chibok girls, as pawns.

    He said: “There is no limit to the length Jonathan has not gone in his obsession for re-election, using the kidnapped Chibok girls as pawns on his political chessboard. On the 17th of October, he cruelly played on the emotions and sensibilities of all Nigerians, especially the families, relations and associates of the kidnapped girls, when he asked his Chief of Defence staff to falsely announce that Boko Haram has agreed to a ceasefire and that the release of the kidnapped Chibok girls was just a matter of days.

    “ Of course, President Jonathan and his cohorts knew this to be false but he needed to deceive Nigerians so as to prepare their minds for his eventual declaration for re-election.”

    He tabled the party’s four demands which Jonathan must address.

    They are:

    •an end to the raging insurgency that is daily killing and maiming our compatriots,

    •an end to the impunity that permeates the Jonathan Administration;

    •an end to the massive corruption that has left our compatriots impoverished in the midst of plenty; and

    •an unambiguous effort to ensure that that 2015 elections will be free and fair.

    The APC National Chairman wrote off the recent distribution of Permanent Voters Cards by INEC and declared the exercise as a deliberate plot to  corrupt the system to disenfranchise voters in APC-controlled states.

    He said: “As you must all be aware, the recent exercise by INEC of collection of Permanent Voters Cards and continuous registration in 12 states of the Federation was a fiasco. The official explanation from the Independent National Electoral Commission is to blame it all on computer error.But we know this is a lie.

    “The truth of the matter is that the ICT unit of INEC, which is working hands in gloves with the Presidential villa, deliberately corrupted the system in order to disenfranchise voters in APC controlled states.

    “How else do you explain the fact this same exercise, which had gone fairly well in 24 other states – mostly PDP states – is now a fiasco in Lagos, Kano Rivers, Niger, Ogun, Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara all APC strongholds and with the highest number of registered voters?

    “In the aforementioned states, millions of voters have been disenfranchised because the system was deliberately corrupted to wipe out their names from the voters register. Even those who were able to vote in 2011 could no longer find their names on the register.

    “Zero units are now to be found more in APC-controlled states or strongholds. The PDP, realising the overwhelming support and followership which APC enjoys in the above mentioned states, has deliberately decided to use the ICT department of INEC to rig the 2015 general elections at source by disenfranchising millions of the opposition party’s supporters.”

    Odigie-Oyegun said APC was joining issues with Jonathan on the poor funding of the Federation Account, which was meant to starve APC states of funds.

    He said: “President Goodluck Jonathan, embarrassed by the runaway success of APC controlled states, has in the last two years embarked on a wicked scheme to create disaffection among the electorate in APC-controlled states by not funding the Federation Account adequately.

    “While this may appear a general problem affecting all states, he has secretly and unconstitutionally being funding PDP controlled states. Not too long ago he dashed all PDP controlled states N2 billion each. Not only does this affect the letter and spirit of our constitution, it also portrays him as the President of the PDP and not that of Nigeria.

    “Although oil has been selling at well over USD108 against the benchmark of USD78, President Jonathan had been funding the Federation Account only between 60-70%. What is his official explanation for this? He claims it is as a result of massive crude oil theft that he has been unable to fund the Federation Account adequately!

    “The truth of the matter is that since the countrywide protest on the subsidy oil scam of 2012 and the embarrassing revelations by the House of Representatives panel, this government has now resorted to stealing from source.

    “How can we be losing steadily on daily basis over months the same quantity, 700,000 barrels of crude? It is this stealing of crude at source that has made it impossible for the govern to adequately fund the Federation Account, and which has led to poverty and unemployment.

    “Is it not baffling that up till today no serious individual or significant organisation has been apprehended for stealing 700,000 barrels of crude everyday! It is nothing but authority stealing-apologies to Fela Anikulpo-Kuti.

    “Only a few days ago, President Jonathan’s administration declared austerity measures. Given the difference between the selling price of our crude in the international market of an average of 108 dollars and the bench mark price of 78 dollars in the last three years, the government should today have close to fifty billion dollars (US$50 billion) in Excess Crude Account.

    “But as a result of corruption and arbitrary manipulation of the account, today the government has declared that there is just three billion dollars (US$3 billion) in this account.”

    The APC National Chairman said political developments in Osun, Edo, Ekiti had pointed to the fact that Jonathan might not allow a free and fair poll in 2015.

    He asked the international community to have keen interest in the process leading to the next General elections.

    He said: “Another pointer that President Jonathan will not allow a free and fair election in 2015 is the reckless use of the police and the military in past elections in Ekiti and Osun states. The extensive use of firearms by PDP thugs in Edo State in collusion with the police to vandalise the Edo State House of Assembly residential quarters, and the police humiliating treatment of Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi are few examples of acts of impunity of this government.

    In Edo State, the police continue to disobey the orders of both the High Court and the Court of Appeal. In Ekiti State the police looked the other way when judges were being beaten and only two days ago in the same Ekiti under the protection of the police, democratically-elected principal officers of the state House of Assembly were sacked by six out of the 26 elected members.

    “The Nigeria Police Force has today become the armed wing of the PDP and they cannot be trusted under President Jonathan to be unbiased umpire in the February 2015 elections.

    “To the international community, we say it is not just enough to rush to declare any election free and fair on election day. We say election is a process, hence they must show interest in all the pre-election events leading up to the election day.

    “In the end, everyone must work together to ensure that the will of the people prevails, that no one who is eligible to vote is disenfranchised, and that every vote must not just be counted, it must count!”

    Odigie-Oyegun said the salvation rally was the beginning of the occupation of Abuja by the party unless the situation in the country improves.

    He said: “What you are seeing here today, which is the first stage of the occupation of Abuja, is just a warning shot.

    “If we do not see any discernible change of attitude on the part of the government, then we will move to the next stage on the list of actions that our party intends to take to stop the rot being perpetuated by the PDP-led Federal Government

    “We are, therefore, using this opportunity to alert Nigerians and the international community to what is undoubtedly a set of carefully-set booby traps on the path to free and fair elections next year.

    “To Nigerians who are desirous of a positive change, we say eternal vigilance is the price of freedom, and we call on them to join us to say NO to impunity, NO to corruption, NO to scorched-earth politics and NO to do or die politics.”

    The APC National Chairman later led some leaders and members of the party in a protest march around Abuja to press home their concerns and demands.

    Some of those at the Salvation Rally are: Former Head of State and presidential aspirant  Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; Governor Rotimi Amaechi; ex-governors Ogbonnaya Onu, Segun Oni(Deputy National Chairman for South),  Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; ex-FCT Minister, Nasir El-Rufai; Deputy National Chairman(North) Sen. Lawal Shuaibu; National Secretary Mai Mala Buni; the National Organising Secretary Osita Izunaso;  presidential aspirant Sam Nda-Isaiah, a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Umaru Dembo,  National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed and Suleiman Hunkuyi, among others.

  • Jonathan has abandoned Nigerians, says APC

    Jonathan has abandoned Nigerians, says APC

    All Progressives Congress(APC) Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun yesterday said President Goodluck Jonathan has abandoned Nigerians and cannot lay claim to a re-election ticket.

    He dismissed Jonathan’s speech at Tuesday’s  declaration as empty and full of voodoo statistics.

    He asked Nigerians not to give PDP which had savaged the nation for 15 years another opportunity to “finish off” Nigeria.

    He said if given the chance, APC will rebuild Nigeria and reclaim all seized territories from Boko Haram insurgents.

    Oyegun, who made the submissions on the state of the nation at a briefing in Abuja, said the APC will make history in the next few months by defeating the ruling party.

    He insisted that APC will conduct the affairs of the nation “differently and better than the PDP.”

    He listed the party’s priorities as follows:Uniting Nigerians; openness and transparency; upholding the Rule of Law; defence of the territorial integrity of the nation:motivate and  equip the Armed Forces; true federalism; to rebuild and expand infrastructure; investment in human capital among others.

    He said: “The 2015 election will be decided on the character and leadership qualities of the Nigerian President. The Commander-in-Chief should also be “Consoler-in-Chief” bringing comfort and succor to our people in time of grief and distress.

    “You heard two days ago President Jonathan saying that good leaders do not walk away from the people, sadly though the statement is true, our President who wants another four years does not show evidence of sympathy for hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens who are now Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a result of the occupation of their land by Boko Haram.

    “He brings no relief or comfort to those living under the reign of terror. About 50 young Nigerian School Children were killed and several others injured in Potiskum just a few days before the extravaganza show of his declaration.

    “Yet we do not hear of a Presidential visit to the families of the victims, a pattern that has become usual. Our President lives in his comfort zone, content to utter words, and ‘minutes of silence’ that have no meaning to the victims.

     ”The President has abandoned the Nigerian people. We should end the journey with President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and elect a leader who will be part of our lives and lead with courage and empathy.”

    Oyegun also said Jonathan has nothing new to offer since he could not fix the epileptic power sector and address the insecurity nationwide.

    He said the President’s declaration speech was full of voodoo statistics and excuses for failure.

    He added: “ Two days ago, you heard President Goodluck Jonathan announce himself as the candidate of the PDP and asked Nigerians for another four years as President. You heard a lot of claims, misrepresentations and voodoo statistics, none of which can stand the barest scrutiny. Disregard them!

    “You heard excuses for failure to fix basic infrastructure, arrest unprecedented levels of corruption and halt the march of terrorists daily inching nearer all of us. You heard promises that sound familiar because you have heard them all before since his six (6) years as President.

    “Do not give the party that has savaged Nigeria in the last 16 years an opportunity to finally finish off our dear nation. The PDP cannot deliver on any of the same promises it has failed to honour in over a decade and a half in power.”

    The APC National Chiarman assured that  the party will do things differently if elected into power in 2015.

    He said the party was aware that the battle to dislodge PDP from power will be tough but it is relying on the votes of Nigerians who are already frustrated with Jonathan’s administration.

    He said: “In a few months, our great party will make history. It will defeat an incumbent administration at the federal level, and secure most of the governorships and federal and state legislatures.

    “It will then proceed to change the way our nation is governed, by restoring the valued requirements of governance, which are rooted in supremacy of the law, integrity and competence of leaders, and compassion and fairness in the treatment of the people.

     ” Our party stands united and confident in its ability to lead Nigeria to a new beginning. I call on all Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora to embrace our vision of a great nation that works for all of its citizens; a nation that guarantees security for all its people; and a nation able to generate and allocate its resources in the just and equitable manner intended by God who so graciously blessed us with so much.

     ”We are under no illusions about the magnitude of the task our party will be called to embark upon. It will be a massive challenge. But we draw strength and inspiration from the knowledge that the overwhelming majority of Nigerians recognize that a continuing PDP administration cannot guarantee Nigerians a future of prosperity, dignity and peace.

    “We, in the APC, are in touch with the sentiments, aspirations and concerns of our people. To those who are now living and dying in occupied parts of our nation; to those who are displaced and living in refugee camps because their homeland is occupied by terrorists, to those who are in fear of the imminent occupation of their homeland by savage elements, we say help is on the way and positive change is near.

     ”Our party will chart a new course of recovery and regeneration for our nation. We will set very high standards of respect for the rule of law, such that our nation will never again experience the unprecedented scale of impunity that has been the central feature of this PDP led administration.”

    Oyegun, who pledged to make the briefing regular, pleaded with Nigerians to give APC the opportunity to effect changes in the country from 2015.

    He said: “To all Nigerians, I say, our party, the APC, will change Nigeria for good. We have the men and women who can do this because they passionately believe in Nigeria and are aggrieved by the 16 years of wasted opportunities under the PDP. “We have developed the ideas and strategies to achieve this. We have the faith and confidence that this can be done in short order.

    “We are resolved never to give up on Nigeria, or to abandon the imperatives of ensuring that the democratic process translates into better lives and opportunities for the present generation and a solid foundation to build an even better life for future generations.

    “The only people who will fear, or resist, the type of change we represent and promise, are the tiny blood sucking minority who benefit from Nigeria’s current social and economic degradation.

    “It is with a sense of deep patriotism that we in the APC appeal to Nigerians to join us, because we need to work together to make Nigeria the great country it should be.

    “I want to call on all Nigerians to work with us, support us and vote for our candidates in the forthcoming elections. APC governments at all levels will be your governments, and we assure you that you will feel the difference in the very first few months of our administration at all levels.

     ”We assure our brother African nations who agonize over the decline in Nigeria’s leadership that our nation will rise again and give Africa the exemplary leadership it deserves. We assure the International Community particularly, our friends, that the APC treasures their friendship and treasures their concern for our nation.

    “ We assure them all that we will rebuild our capacities to operate at the global level as a responsible and responsive pillar of global governance, a beacon of hope for all mankind.”

    While advising Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voters Cards, Oyegun asked the international community to be vigilant on 2015 poll.

    He said APC is determined to respect the integrity of the electoral process.

    He said: “I therefore appeal to all Nigerians to endeavour to collect their Permanent Voters Cards, and use them to vote out the PDP and vote in the brighter, safer and more prosperous future, which the APC represents. I call on INEC, the security agencies and other institutions of government to discharge their responsibilities courageously, fairly and firmly. Their prime responsibility is to the nation.

    “I appeal to the international community to remain vigilant and continue to work with all Nigerians to ensure that the 2015 elections are credible. On our part, we remain committed to respecting the integrity of the electoral process, and we will discourage its subversion and will resist vigorously the use of violence, official or otherwise, to prevent the triumph of the will of the people.”

     Oyegun gave insights into what the APC will offer the nation although the details will soon be unfolded to Nigerians.

    He said: “Once in office, our party will govern with openness and transparency, and every kobo belonging to the public will be judiciously utilized and meticulously accounted for. We will call corruption by its name and fight it with the vehemence it deserves. We will restore the faith of the public in the necessity for leaders to live honestly and lead with vision, competence and compassion.

      ”An APC Federal administration will unite all Nigerians by eliminating policies and sentiments such as religion and ethnicity which the PDP has deliberately exploited to divide the nation. We will restore the faith and confidence of Nigerians in each other, and ensure that no Nigerian anywhere suffers any disadvantage on account of his or her religious affiliation or ethnic origin. We will uphold the rule of law and protect the human rights of all our citizens.

     ”The defense of the territorial integrity of our fatherland and the protection of the lives and property of all who live within our borders shall be a non-negotiable priority of an APC Federal Government.

    “We will reclaim every inch of Nigerian territory, and liberate fellow citizens who, under the current dispensation, are resigned to life as captured and conquered citizens.

    “Our armed forces will be massively motivated and given the necessary manpower and materials to enable them perform their sacred duty of protecting our country. Our people will be mobilized to support and honour our men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line to ensure that we are all protected.”

    The APC chairman condemned the Nigeria Police and the Department of the State Security Service for withdrawing the security details of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.

    He also faulted the recent release to Capital Oil Ltd all its assets hitherto lawfully acquired by AMCON because the proprietor of the company is one of the coordinators of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria(TAN) which is at the forefront of Jonathan’s reelection campaign.

    He said:”We will ask Nigerians to vote for genuine and enduring change; change in the manner young Nigerians see their future; change in the attitude of leaders, from oppressive and arrogant leadership, to leadership anchored on respect for rule of law, fear of God and deep commitment to the service of the people; and change from a life of insecurity and daily threats to our lives and property to a life of maximum security and peace.

     “We see this impunity on display in the administration’s tyrannical reaction to the exercise of the right of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to change his party.

    “The Police arrogated to itself the power of the judiciary to interpret the Constitution and withdrew the security details of the Speaker. The illegal and high-handed action by the Police in removing the security details of a sitting Speaker of the House of Representatives has attracted strong and widespread condemnation from within and outside Nigeria.

    “The Department of Security Services, a service which was hitherto insulated from partisan politics have also been directed and has similarly withdrawn its operatives from the Speaker.

     ”We see another manifestation of the PDP administration’s fondness for impunity and its disturbing tendency to cuddle corruption, in the recent release to Capital Oil Ltd all its assets hitherto lawfully acquired by AMCON as a result of its said involvement in the fuel subsidy scam.

    “It is not a secret that the proprietor of Capital Oil is the coordinator or convener of the widely derided Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) that is at the forefront of the obscene and doomed campaign for the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan. A great nation like Nigeria should not be run with such crass disdain for decency, common sense and the rule of law.”

    Party leaders at the session were the Deputy National Chairman( North), Senator Lawal Shuaibu; the Deputy National Chairman (South), Engr. Segun Oni; the National Secretary of APC, Mai Mala Buni; the National Publicity Secretary, Alh. Lai Mohammed; National Treasurer, Alh. Bala Mohammed Gwagwawa; the National Vice Chairman(South-South), Prince Hilliard Etagbo Eta.

  • Oyegun to PDP: stop using federal might

    Oyegun to PDP: stop using federal might

    THE National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has warned the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government to desist from using its powers to disrupt next year’s general elections

    Oyegun spoke yesterday when a Fact-Finding team from  Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to Nigeria, led by former Ghanaian President, John Kufour, visited him in Abuja.

    He said the APC was concerned about what he described as the country’s alleged unnecessary charged political atmosphere, adding that “attempts to destabilise states, such as Edo and Rivers states” were signs of what to expect in the February polls.

    He explained that the coming together of the opposition parties to form the APC had made the ruling PDP jittery, resulting in a charged political space, with the manner the government was allegedly wielding security and economic powers.

    He also expressed fear of a possible militarisation of the electoral process as the case in Ekiti and Osun states as well as the attempt to announce fake election results in Osun State.

     “Our prayer is that they don’t try to replicate that at the national level,” he added.

     He said: “We have a party in power that has been there for about 16 years. Naturally, given the reality of a growing opposition movement, they have become jittery for the first time in our recent democratic process.

    “It has resulted in an unnecessary charging of the political space. This has manifested itself in the near brutality, which they have wielded all the powers available to the national government in terms of security agencies, in terms of economic power and the rest of them.

    “So, the atmosphere is already naturally charged and we could see this displayed in Ekiti State and they tried to display it in Osun State. We saw the attempt in Nasarawa State and the attempt in Adamawa was successful. You can see it being displayed in the destabilisation of states like Edo and Rivers states – the efforts to determine the results of the elections before the elections themselves by creating a reality on the ground.

    “Fortunately, we have been able to put a stop to their rampaging lawlessness in these states. But that has already prepared our minds as to what is going to happen in February 2015”.

    Oyegun told the delegation that the APC was formed based on the yearning of the Nigerians, because impunity was becoming the order of the day.

    He said: “We are very happy that the sub-region is interested in the welfare of democracy in Nigeria and has dispatched somebody of no less status of the former President of Ghana.

    “Really, what we are trying to do is to politically, and in a democratic sense, ensure that the voting population are made aware that power truly belong to them and that they can hire as they wish and fire when they so wish. That is the basic reason for the APC.

    “The party itself is a response to the national cry because our polity was developing in a manner that impunity became the order of the day. The government that was not performing manages to get rewarded with increased votes and increase in the number of states they control, increase in the number of National Assembly or parliamentary seats.

    “It became clear to all well-Nigerians, particularly the key opposition parties, that we either respond to the aspiration and wishes of the Nigerian people or we in the opposition will become much an enemy of the state and enemy of progress like the party that is messing up the nation.”

    He also explained that since APC’s formation, Nigerians have heaved a sigh of relief “and the prayer has been very loud and clear that we should get it right as a party to remedy the national situation.”

    The party chairman added that fortunately, the APC has stopped alleged PDP’s lawlessness in states.

    “We are hoping that INEC will do their best. Good as the chairman is, he does not know the reality of what is on ground under him. Our prayer as far as INEC is concerned is that they use card readers in the election so that we can be sure of the process. It is a no go area and a must that card reader has to be used.

    “The PDP is doing everything within its power to convince the world that we are not ready for it. But if countries like Ghana, India and the rest of them are able to deploy this technology, I cannot see why we cannot use it in Nigeria,” he noted.

    He told the visitors to impress it upon the PDP to be prepared to accept the result of the 2015 elections, saying: “When a party that has been in power for a long time see defeat in February, how are they likely to react?”

    The APC chairman said the party members were already preparing themselves for the inevitable.

    He urged the delegation to tell the ruling party to be ready to accept the result that would be the outcome of the process of a free and fair election or go to court if defeated.

    “You can see already the level of impunity because they are already campaigning. INEC issues a letter about a month ago when they were on the last leg of their national campaign to say that it was illegal for parties to directly or indirectly engage in campaign. Outside that, they have done nothing to enforce the law.

    “We went to the media and they try to refuse our advert. We noticed that when we use NTA to cover our events live, when things get too hot and critical, miraculously, the audio becomes dull in spite of the fact that we paid heavily for it for the benefit of Nigerians. These things are already going on and we are not getting equality in terms of the media. Sometimes, we are told to modify things even when it shouldn’t be the case.”

    Oyegun also worried about the $9.3 million and the $5 million initially seized in South Africa, “when Nigeria could buy arms in the open market.”

    “We know there was a plan to buy arms, but the question is, who was the arms meant for and for what purpose?” he queried.

    Kufour said that the team had been in the country since last Tuesday and had met with various stakeholders.

    He said: “Yesterday (Wednesday), we tried to gain audience with you, but we saw that you were so busy.

    “Today, we are privileged to be in your presence and to hear from you, your innermost feelings tone prospects for successful elections next year”.

  • Oyegun celebrates birthday with thanksgiving

    Oyegun celebrates birthday with thanksgiving

    THE National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Chief John Oyegun, yesterday, narrated how God used former Governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, to save him from getting involved in a motor accident in Niger State.

    Chief Oyegun said two of his aides were still recuperating at the hospital. Oyegun disclosed this in Benin City at a special thanksgiving mass, organised to celebrate his 75th birthday.

    He said he was to travel by road to Niger State to attend the campaign rally for the Niger East senatorial election, but was stopped by Senator Saraki. According to him, “I am celebrating God’s goodness in my life.

    God has been so good to me. As I was going with my entourage to Minna to campaign, Saraki called that I should join him on a flight when we get to Ilorin. “My car was later involved in an accident. God prevented me from going on the road. My orderlies are still in the hospital.

    ” Speaking at a reception for the birthday celebration, Oyegun said the APC would win the Niger East senatorial election and go ahead to retake Adamawa State in the forthcoming governorship election. Chief Oyegun urged APC members to join hands and fight together until victory is achieved in 2015. Speaking at the event, the Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, thanked Oyegun for standing with him during the Osun State gubernatorial election and urged him to repeat the same feat at next year’s general elections.

    Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, stated that the APC, under the leadership of Oyegun, would become the ruling party of Africa’s most populous country. The Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha, described Oyegun as the political John the Baptist that would bring change to the country.

  • Oyegun, governors for Aregbesola’s award nite

    Oyegun, governors for Aregbesola’s award nite

    National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress  (APC) Chief  John Odigie-Oyegun is to lead other prominent members of the party to Osogbo, the Osun State  capital to witness the investiture of Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as National Chronicle’s Man of the Year  2013.

    The event will hold at the prestigious Wocdif Event Centre on August 4. According to the Publisher/ Editor in-Chief of the newspaper, Timothy Okojie-Ave, 15 APC governors are expected at the event.

    The event will be chaired by front line industrialist, Samson Makinwa.

    Other recipients are Senator Gbenga Kaka as the Best Senator for 2013; and Director-General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, Lagos State, Dr. Gloria Elemo as Best Director-General for 2013. President, Kesington Adebunkola Foundation (KAF), Sir Kesington Adebutu will receive Life time achievement award.

  • Ekiti election was a warning sign, says Oyegun

    The National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Chief John Odie- Oyegun, has stated that the outcome of the Ekiti governorship election was a warning sign to the party.

    Oyegun, however, said the APC has also demonstrated the kind of politics it wants in the country.

    He spoke while addressing journalist at the Benin Airport during his visit to Edo State yesterday.

    At the state government house where he paid a courtesy visit on Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Oyegun urged the party leadership to work towards reconciliation of aggrieved members.

    He said Edo should be leading the example for other states to bring total harmony to the party.

    According to him: “We are in the eye of the storms. The whole world expects a lot from Edo. It is my hope that we are able to build the kind of movement others will be jealous of.

    “The process of total reconciliation within the party has commenced. The healing process is underway.”

    He praised Oshiomhole for the courage to be neutral when two persons from the state contested for the chairmanship position of the paper.

    The APC’s helmsman said he has tried to ameliorate issues that arose from the convention.

    Oshiomhole said the state would work with Chief Tom Ikimi, adding that people must be ready to make sacrifices for peace.

     

  • Emergence of APC good for Nigeria’s democracy – Oyegun

    Emergence of APC good for Nigeria’s democracy – Oyegun

    Former governor of Edo, Chief Odigie Oyegun has said that Nigeria’s democracy is growing because the country has managed to improve the condition for a genuine democracy.

    He said the emergence of All Progressives Party (APC) has presented the people with a genuine choice.

    Oyegun stated this on Tuesday while fielding questions from journalists in Benin.

    He however noted that in spite of the progress made, much still needed to be done for Nigerians to enjoy full benefit of democracy.

    According to the former governor, “Though Nigerians can now choose between parties of equal strength, we still need free and fair elections so that the right to choice is not mortgage.

    “This is still lacking judging from recent elections in Delta and Anambra states. Elections conducted in these states tell us in clear terms that we have a long way to go in terms of free and fair election.”

    Oyegun said free and fair elections are basic and fundamental; otherwise, the politic can’t survive.

    On the defection of some People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governors to the APC, Oyegun said, “The PDP provided the platform for them to defect.”

    He said if not for the fact that the aggrieved governors and some members of the ruling party had an alternative; they would have remained in the PDP.

    “The fact that they have a strong vibrant and reliable alternative and the growing discontent; we would not have had the opportunity of welcoming this people to our fold,” he added.

    On the two governors who backed out of the defection plan at the last minute, Oyegun attributed it to the peculiar political environment in which the governors operate.

    According to him, “This is because people have their different level of courage, tolerance and consideration of timing of what they will do and what they will not do.

    “What we have are those who are determined, courageous and bold that Nigeria truly needs a change.”

  • Oyegun urges APC youths to insist on free, fair elections

    Oyegun urges APC youths to insist on free, fair elections

    Ahead of the 2015 general elections, former Edo State Governor, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, has advised the All Progressive Congress (APC) youths under the auspices of All Progressives Youth Forum (APYF) to insist on free and fair elections.

    Speaking at the forum organised by the youths in Abuja, the former governor told the youths to desist from being used illegitimately. He however stressed that they must be ready to make sacrifices in order to get their rights.

    He asked the youths to always hold the nation accountable for the commnwealth of the federation.

    “Every kobo of the nation is your right. If you are not ready, you must be prepared,” he said.

    Oyegun who asked the youths to be their brothers’ keepers also admonished them to caution their contemporaries whenever they are wrong.

    Earlier, the former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Hassan Lawal, had advised the youths to be civil, especially in their language.

    Meanwhile, APFY President, Barrister Ismaheel Ahmed, who responded to APC plan to register 150 members, demanded that the youths should constitute 90% of the total membership.

    He said that the registration should be conducted in the manner the party has already planned it.

    On their parts, he said, “we the youth forum are going to the nooks and crannies of this country to whisper into their ears and get them to register.”

    He pleaded that since APC women are given free fund for contesting elections, the youth should get at least 50% reduction for nomination form in order to encourage them to participate actively in politics.