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  • Inaugurating Buhari on June 12 cannot confer legitimacy on ‘rigged election’, says PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday took a swipe on President Muhammadu Buhari the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) for moving major events of the President’s inauguration from May 29 to June 12.

    The PDP said the President and his party should not think that the move can confer any form of legitimacy on the outcome of the ‘rigged’ 2019 presidential election.

    A statement by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, also said that inviting world leaders to the inauguration cannot confer international recognition on a “stolen mandate”

    “It is clear that the Buhari Presidency and the APC, being tormented by the guilt of violating our electoral processes, can no longer boldly approach the oath book on May 29, due to the burden of illegitimacy and now seeks refuge in the sanctity of June 12, our Democracy Day.

    “The Buhari Presidency and the APC from our recent history have demonstrated that they are totally averse to democracy.

    “They should, therefore, steer clear of our Democracy Day, having violated all our democratic ethos in manipulating the presidential election and upturning the mandate of the people; the same injustice which Chief MKO Abiola, the symbol of June 12, fought and died for,” the statement said.

    Read also: Presidency to PDP: Stop your smear campaign against Judiciary

    Stating that Chief Abiola stood and died for democracy, the PDP said attempt to schedule any event related to the outcome of the 2019 presidential election on June 12 would be an open desecration of the sanctity of the Democracy Day and a direct assault to the sensibilities of Nigerians.

    It described the government’s move as absurd and desperation to overshadow the import of the nation’s Democracy Day and stifle the quest by Nigerians to vent their anger against alleged democratic violations by the administration in the last four years.

    The opposition party cautioned the government against what it described as alleged plot to seize Democracy Day, saying such cannot erase the litany of violations, including human rights abuses, assault on democratic institutions, particularly the Legislature and the Judiciary; clamp down on opposition figures, clipping of the media, extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and illegal detention of citizens, and the rigging of the 2019 presidential election.

    “The PDP wants the Buhari Presidency and the APC to understand that what is paramount to majority of Nigerians now is the retrieval of the stolen mandate, which they freely gave to Atiku Abubakar, at the tribunal so that our nation can enjoy the values of freedom, justice, fairness and equity embedded in our constitutional democracy,” the statement added.

  • Presidency to PDP: Stop your smear campaign against Judiciary

    The Presidency yesterday warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to stop dragging the presidency into what it called the party’s sponsored media smear campaign against the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa.

    Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity in a statement in Abuja described reports claiming that an agency of the government, the Department of State Services (DSS) had indicted Bulkachuwa of corruption were the latest of this sponsored campaign.

    The presidential aide noted that the campaign was aimed at causing disaffection between the Executive and the Judiciary, the two arms of government that had operated smoothly under the present dispensation.

    His words:”While the PDP and its candidates are free to exercise their right to challenge the results of the 2019 presidential election, it is unacceptable to drag the name of the President or other organs of the executive branch into the campaign of character assassination against the President of the Court of Appeal.

    Read also: Rivers SARS commander replies PDP: Your agent was a cultist, murdered by his friends not police

    “The DSS doesn’t conduct its duties in the manner so described and you can’t use a fake security report to drag the presidency into a smear campaign against the President of the Court of Appeal.

    “Attacking judges because the outcomes of cases don’t favour you and keeping quiet when the verdict is in your favour smacks of insincerity, double standard and mischief.

    “Intimidating and impugning the character of judges in order to force them to bow to blackmail is against the spirit of an independent judiciary,” he said.

    Shehu recalled that   the PDP praised the verdict of the Osun gubernatorial election tribunal because it favoured it , but began singing a different tune after the tide turned against it at the Court of Appeal.

    He said: “We cannot keep changing the definition of an independent judiciary to suit our political convenience and bias without ultimately creating chaos in the system.

    “If the PDP continues to blackmail and smear judges with fake news stories, we will ultimately find ourselves dealing with a situation where judges may be afraid to handle cases, thereby creating delays in the dispensation of justice.”

    The presidential aide maintained that if the presidency had any influence on election petition tribunals, APC candidates would not have lost a single case before the courts.

     

  • Adeleke, PDP to challenge verdict at Supreme Court

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to challenge yesterday’s verdict of the Court of Appeal that upheld the election of Mr. Gboyega Oyetola as governor of Osun State.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Oyetola, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the election.

    But the Election Petition Tribunal nullified Oyetola’s election and declared Senator Ademola Adeleke of the PDP winner of the poll, consequent upon which Oyetola challenged the tribunal’s ruling at the appellate court.

    The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, upturned the tribunal’s ruling and affirmed Oyetola’s election in a majority of four justices to one.

    Reacting to the ruling, in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said Adeleke and the PDP will challenge the judgment.

    The party said: “It’s not in any way shaken by the judgment of the Court of Appeal, but rather stands with Nigerians in the confidence that justice and respect for the will of the people of Osun state will definitely prevail at the apex court.”

    It insisted that the will of the people, which it claimed was given to Senator Adeleke by the people of Osun, will not be allowed to be taken away.

    The PDP noted that the fact the Court of Appeal had a split judgment indicated that justice was not fully served at the appellate court.

    Read also: Jubilation in Osun over Oyetola’s court victory

    It said: “It is instructive to state that the Court of Appeal did not contest or invalidate the fact that Senator Adeleke won the election but only cited technicalities and speculations to arrive at its decision.

    “The PDP has also noted that the Court of Appeal failed to act on the full and substantial import of the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to produce the ballot papers and record of accreditation to disprove our position that INEC altered results and subverted the will of the people of Osun State.

    “Our party and candidate are therefore confident that the Supreme Court will look at the merit of the matter and ensure that justice is served.”

    Senator Adeleke vowed to challenge the verdict before the Supreme Court.

    He said, in a statement, that he was disappointed by the judgment, which reversed the judgment of the election tribunals, which upheld the petition he and his party filed against the outcome of the election.

    Adeleke, representing Osun West Senatorial District, said: “I received with dissatisfaction the judgement of the Court of Appeal on the ruling of the election petition tribunal which had duly returned me as the validly elected governor of Osun state.

    “I have subsequently instructed my counsel to prepare for an appeal against today’s judgement at the Supreme Court immediately.

    “Today’s judgement relied on weak technical foundation.The substantive issue which formed the basis of the lower tribunal judgement was relegated to the background.

    “We are reviewing the full ruling and action has already commenced to appeal the judgement and ensure the eventual retrieval of the stolen mandate.

    “To the good people of Osun state, don’t be downcast. The struggle for good governance and retrieval of People’s mandate cannot be truncated by any flawed judgement.

    “We are taking the legal battle further to the topmost court in the land. I am confident the apex court will upturn today’s unsustainable ruling.

    “To all members of PDP in Osun State and my campaign Organisation, the struggle is now at the most critical stage.

    “We cannot waiver nor slow down. We must forge ahead in high spirit until final victory is attained. In this endeavour, I promise to provide the leadership as the genuine governorship mandate holder in Osun state.

    “My good people of Osun state, I know the pain and suffering you are passing through. The move to reclaim your mandate is still very much alive despite the jaundiced ruling of today.

    “We will not abandon the mandate you freely conferred on us. We will deploy all legal means to retrieve the stolen mandate. I appreciate the massive support from home and abroad. We shall triumph at last.”

  • PDP faults Buhari over ‘kidnapping as business’ comment

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari for his comment that anger, frustration and disenchantment among the youth were responsible for the escalation of kidnapping, abduction and other crimes in the country.

    In a statement yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, by its spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said the President’s comment was a direct admission of his failure in governance.

    The party said the comment also confirmed that President Buhari was aware that Nigerian youths did not vote for him in the February 23 presidential election.

    The statement said: “This self-confession by Mr. President is equally an admission that he has no solutions, and points to the ugly situation that would continue to confront the nation, if the stolen presidential mandate is not retrieved in the courts.

    “Is it not appalling that at a time when other world leaders are leading their youths to constructive and productive ventures and developing their nations, Nigerian youths are being pushed into situations of anger, frustration and recourse to criminality?

    “Under President Buhari, our national economy has continued to slide; over 30 million Nigerians have lost their jobs and basic means of livelihood; businesses have continued to shut down; the cost of essential goods and services has persistently soared, while the purchasing power of citizens has worsened.

    “It is more disheartening that instead of finding solutions, Mr. President resorted to rhetoric and begging the question to the extent of describing criminality as a new occupation and a business.”

    The main opposition said Nigerians were shocked at President Buhari’s “insensitivity” to the victims of bloodlettings, kidnapping, banditry and other acts of violence in the country.

    The party considered the President’s joke, where he quipped that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu’s weight loss was an indication that the police chief was effectively tackling insecurity in the land.

    “It is most heart-breaking that at the time President Buhari was making a joke on the security situation, bandits were having a field day in communities in Zamfara State, where they reportedly killed over 50 Nigerians, while many more compatriots are still (being) held hostage by kidnappers in forests in various parts of our country.

    “Such attitude to governance, especially on issues that have to do with the lives of Nigerians, is completely unacceptable and must be condemned by all,” the statement added.

     

  • UPDATED: PDP alleges plot to poison Adeleke as police arrest senator

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over alleged plots to poison Senator Ademola Adeleke.

    According to the main opposition party, Senator Adeleke was arrested and detained by the police Monday evening, in what the PDP described as total disregard for the extant order of the Federal High Court.

    At a media conference in Abuja Monday night, spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, described the senator’s arrest and detention as highly provocative, an invitation to anarchy and recipe for a very serious crisis not only in Osun but also in the judiciary and the nation as a whole.

    The statement said, “The arrest and detention of Senator Adeleke is a direct act of violence against our laws, the institution of the judiciary and the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    “This is part of the grand plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to coerce Senator Adeleke to relinquish the mandate that was freely given to him by the people of Osun state, which was further established by the election petition tribunal.

    “The plot is to drag Senator Adeleke before an ostensibly compromised magistrate court, over the same issues of alleged forged school testimonial that is already before the Federal High Court, with a view to using such corridor to secure a stampeded trial and hurried conviction, and put him out of circulation, over trump-up charges.

    “The heinous calculation by the APC is to ensure that Senator Adeleke is not free to be sworn in as governor of Osun state as they know he will surely obtain justice and retrieve his stolen mandate at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

    Read also: PDP to police, APC: leave Senator Adeleke alone

    “The police arrested Senator Ademola on the guise of an invitation despite the direct orders of the Federal High Court, restraining it or its agents from arresting and detaining him on account of statement of result and testimonial duly issued by the Ede Muslim Grammar School, Ede, pending the determination of the originating summons pending in the court.

    “Senator Adeleke, as a law-abiding citizen, honoured an invitation by the police only for him to be arrested and detained in a dingy facility in Maitama, in direct affront to the order of the Federal High Court.

    “The PDP holds that any arraignment of Senator Adeleke in a magistrate court, for a matter that is already being heard by the Federal High Court, is a calculated plot to cause crisis in the judicial system, enmesh the matter in unnecessary controversy as a pathway to truncate the course of justice in his matter.

    “The PDP, therefore, demands forthwith, the immediate and unconditional release of Senator Adeleke by the police.

    “This demand is predicated on fears already in the public space that there are plots by certain elements to poison him in detention.

    “The PDP, therefore, cautions those playing the script of the APC with regard to Senator Adeleke to retrace their steps and allow the people of Osun state to move ahead with their preferred governor. Nothing, not even these heinous plots, will subvert this reality”.

  • Discordant tunes in Bayelsa PDP over poll

    As Bayelsa State warms up for the November 2 governorship election, key leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are torn apart by their antagonistic positions on succession. Correspondent MIKE ODIEGWU writes on the politics of nomination in the ruling party.

    The November 2 governorship election in Bayelsa State will be a battle between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). The PDP, however, is in a vantage position. Since 1999, PDP has been occupying the Creek Haven, a sobriquet for the Bayelsa State Government House.

    The PDP prides itself as an Ijaw party. But, the last election threatened its dominance. The APC made and in-road into the PDP enclave, winning former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Bayelsa East Senatorial District and two seats in the House of Representatives.

    APC also won three seats in the House of Assembly. But, the PDP has vowed to reclaim its lost seats at the tribunal, describing the victory of the APC as stolen mandates. But, to win the forthcoming governorship election, the PDP needs to overcome its internal squabbles.

     

    Dickson and Jonathan at war:

    The two contending kingmakers in Bayelsa PDP are former President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Seriake Dickson. The former president played an incontrovertible role in th emergence of Dickson in 2012. Observers, however, believe that Jonathan’s support for Dickson was not borne out of his love for him, but propelled by his belief that Dickson had the required war chest to wrestle power from former Governor Timipre Sylva.

    Their relationship went sour, shortly after Dickson’s emergence. Dr. Jonathan allowed forces from his office, backed by his wife, Patience, to  persecute the governor. People watched Dickson as he battled presidential forces, who were bent on frustrating him with a plot to impeach him and stop him from completing his first term.

    The governor survived the shenanigans of his detractors. In fact, it is believed that if Jonathan had succeeded in securing a second term, Dickson would not have completed his first term.

    The defeat of Jonathan by President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) halted the war against Dickson. It, however, deepened the cold war between Jonathan and Dickson. It whittled down the influence of Jonathan in Bayelsa PDP, following the belief that Jonathan wasted a grand opportunity to develop the state.

    Indeed, Dickson cornered the PDP structures. The last general elections tightened the governor’s grip on the PDP. All the candidates that emerged victorious from the National Assembly and House of Assembly elections came from his camp. The governor was said to have carefully selected persons loyal to him to contest the elections.

    Though some party leaders criticised him for not allowing aspirants loyal to Jonathan to win the PDP primary, Dickson remained unruffled, believing that his survival after leaving office depended on the disposition of incumbent office holders in the state. The governor was also said to have acted in preparation for the forthcoming governorship election.

    Out of the 24 seats in the House of Assembly, Dickson installed 20 lawmakers. The APC won three seats while elections in Brass Constituency 1 is pending. Also, out of the three senatorial seats, Dickson’s candidates; Mr. Lawrence Ewrujakpor and Douye Diri, warn in Bayelsa West and Central. PDP lost Jonathan’s Bayelsa East to the candidate of the APC, Degi Eremienyo Wagara.

    In the House of Representatives, the governor got three of the five seats. He lost Brass-Nembe and Southern Ijaw constituencies to the candidates of the APC, Isreal Sunny-Goli and Preye Oseke respectively. But, his candidates won in Ekeremor-Sagabama, Fred Agbedi; Yenagoa-Kolokuma, Stephen Azaiki and Ogbia Federal Constituency, Fred Obua.

    Having secured most of the elective offices for his loyalists and with the backing of PDP leadership, it is believed that Dickson, not Jonathan, has the yam and the knife to decide who flies the flag of the party in the governorship election.

    But, Dickson knows that the battle to completely stop Jonathan’s influence in choosing the PDP pair for the election will not be a tea party. Already, most of the big names indicating interests the ticket have strong ties with the former President. They also possess the political muscles to operate from the camp of Jonathan to frustrate Dickson’s ambitions.

    The former President recently indicated that he remained an active leader of the party. When reports made the rounds that he had quit the PDP and announced his retirement from active politics, Jonathan debunked it through his Media Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze. The media aide said the report, which went viral on social media, was borne out of mischief.

    He said: “Our attention has been drawn to a fake story published by an unknown website, alleging that former President Dr Goodluck Jonathan has quit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    “Obviously,  this is a fabrication  borne out of mischief.

    “For the avoidance of doubt,  Dr. Jonathan has no reason at this time to resign his membership of PDP,  the party under which platform he became Deputy Governor,  Governor,  Vice-President and President.”

    Sources said that Jonathan and his wife, Patience, would work through Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and the National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, to deliver his anointed candidate as a flag bearer of the PDP.

    But, others in the party insisted that with the kind of grip Dickson has on the PDP structure, any attempt by the national leadership to work with Jonathan, instead of Dickson, would portend danger to the PDP.

     

    Zoning:

    Zoning is one of the factors that will be considered in selecting the PDP flag bearer. The Bayelsa Central comprising Yenagoa, Southern Ijaw and Kolokuma-Opokuma local government areas has presented the strongest case.

    In the district, Yenagoa and Kolokuma-Opokuma have yet to produce the governor since 1999. Southern Ijaw ruled the state from May 29, 1999 to December 9, 2005 through the late Chief Diepreye Alamieyeiseigha.

    Though Yenagoa once produced  Deputy Governor Werinipre Seibarugu, it is yet to produce a governor despite being the capital of the state. Kolokuma-Opokuma is the most politically-disadvantaged local government area following its perceived political weakness especially for having the least voter population. So, it has nether produced a deputy nor a governor.

    Pundits, however, say nothing stops Dickson and the PDP from giving Ogbia, Jonathan’s Local Government Area, the party’s governorship flag as a political masterstroke to calm the frayed nerves of the former President, secure his support  and promote unity in the party.

    Besides, Ogbia only had a short stint at the governorship in the past. Jonathan only completed the tenure of the late Alamieyeiseigha and he was immediately elevated to the position of the Vice-President. Nembe and Brass local government areas in the same East District with Ogbia are not making any strong case for the PDP flag. Nembe still occupies the deputy governorship seat while Brass occupied the position through former Governor Timipre Sylva, who is now the leader of the APC in Bayelsa.

    In the West, Sagabama is the most politically blessed local council. Dickson, the first candidate heading for a successful completion of his second term as a governor of Bayelsa, hails from the council. The entire West, including Ekeremor Local Government Area, has also enjoyed appreciable development under Dickson more than any other senatorial district. With Dickson rounding off his second term from the district, Ekeremor lacks the moral rectitude to make case for the PDP ticket.

    Undoubtedly, most vocal people in PDP are clamouring for the Central District. While some want the ticket of PDP to go to Yenagoa, others are agitating for Southern Ijaw while the rest are standing on Kolokuma-Opokuma agenda.

    With the reviewed voters register, Yenagoa has overtaken Southern Ijaw which hitherto was termed the Kano of Bayelsa in terms of voter population. While Yenagoa has 201,977 voters, Southern Ijaw now has  165,449.

    Kolokuma-Opokuma has the least voter population of 52, 780 in the entire state. Others are Ogbia 109,966, Ekeremor 125, 189; Nembe 92,717; Sagbama 109,460 and Brass 67,894. Therefore, voter population may determine which local government area the PDP ticket will be zoned to in a preferred senatorial district.

     

    Who flies the PDP flag?

    Many prominent politicians have indicated interest. Some of them have strong ties with former President Jonathan.

     

    Keniebi Okoko:

    He is the son of a prominent scholar, Prof. Kimse Okoko. His name stands out among other aspirants in the PDP largely because of his philanthropic activities. Keniebi has always identified with the plight of the people of the state through his Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Keniebi Okoko Foundation.

    Keniebi has always tried to support the government by addressing some challenges in the state such as humanitarian problems caused by flood and other natural disasters.

    Keniebi, who hails from Gbarain-Ekpetiama, Yenagoa, in the Central District, which has presented the strongest case on zoning. Yenagoa also had the highest concentration of voter population compared to other local government areas in the state.

    He a young, highly educated and exposed businessman with a degree in Political Science from Carlton University and second degree in Economics. He is known to have kept faith with the PDP, unlike some party junketers.

    Okoko said: “Bayelsa as a whole needs to focus on education. Mental poverty is worse than financial poverty. If a mind is not developed and equipped, a man cannot give what he does not have.

     

    Timi Alaibe:

    The Principal as he is fondly called has become a recurrent decimal at the buildup of each governorship election in Bayelsa. Alaibe, who hails from Kolokuma-Opokuma, the local government area with the least voter population was a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    Alaibe has always nursed the ambition to govern Bayelsa. It is believed that his ambition drove him into making some choices that had negatively affected his chances of emerging as a candidate at each election.

    Alaibe within the period had jumped from the PDP to the Labour Party back to the PDP. He also left for the APC and later returned to the PDP. He reasons that the expiration of Dickson’s second term presents him the clearest opportunity to clinch the party ticket.

    His ambition to fly the flag of the APC in the last election was frustrated by former Governor Timipre Sylva, who perceived him as an interloper with a desire to harvest where he failed to cultivate. But Alaibe’s return to the PDP last year seems to have altered the political calculation in the party.

    Despite his obvious missteps, Alaibe remains relevant in the state polity.

     

    Reuben Okoya:

    A US-trained architect, Okoya showed his commitment for development when he was appointed the Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) by former President Jonathan. As a philanthropist, Okoya has always identified with humanitarian crises in the state.

    During the last floods, he visited camps of displaced persons and donated money as well as relief materials to them. After evaluating other aspirants, a group, Campaign for Development and Democracy in Bayelsa (CDDB) coordinated by a university don, Dr. Konrad Welson, settled for Okoya. He said: “Okoya is our undisputed choice for the 2019 Bayelsa governorship race”.

     

    Senator Emmanuel Paulker:

    The 63-year-old graduate of Biochemisrty at the University of Port Harcourt once served as the Commissioner for Lands and Housing under the administration of the late Diepreye Alamieyeiseigha. Paulker, who hails from Yenagoa has been in the Senate since 2007. Though he appears to be the most taciturn senator, he is said to have served in many committees and to have influenced some powerful decisions at the Senate underground. Paulker tried to wrestle the ticket of the PDP from Dickson in 2015 but was disqualified by the party. He is reportedly ready for a comeback.

     

    Dr. Godknows Igali:

    Igali has held many public offices. The 59-year-old public administrator was an ambassador to some Scandinavian countries. Igali, who holds Ph.D in political science and international studies with two degrees in history and international law, hails from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

    Igali is a close friend to former President Jonathan. He received a national honour in 2005 of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON). After serving as the Secretary to Government, he was appointed in 2010 as the Federal Permanent Secretary for Water Resources. He was later redeployed to the Federal Ministry of Power by Jonathan.

    Igali has been close to Dickson and has written many articles to support projects and programmes of the governor’s Restoration Government. He is also present in most state government functions.

     

    Joshua Macaiver:

    A former ex-militant leader and the first to renounce militancy in 2008, Macaiver took everybody by surprise when he indicated interest. He was appointed by Dickson as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. He was the first to set up a campaign office along the Isaac Boroh Expressway, Yenagoa.

    Others who are also eyeing the ticket are former Deputy Governor Peremobowei Ebebi; former member of the House of Assembly, Stephen Ereboh; Bayelsa founding father, Bekes Etifa; a member representing Sagabama-Ekeremor in the House of Representatives, Fred Agbedi, and a nuclear scientist, Franklin Osaisai.

     

    Dickson’s preference:

    The fear in the PDP is the body language of Dickson. The governor is seen as the most strategic, deft and thorough politician in the state. Having weathered the storms, Dickson intends to sustain his grip in Bayelsa politics.

    The governor knows that his succession plan is crucial in determining his survival and relevance after his tenure. Those who have the ears of the governor said he would not concede the ticket to anyone outside his Restoration Cabinet.

    In fact, it was gathered that security reports sealed the fate of some of outsiders jostling for the ticket. It was learnt that a few of them are indebted to banks and other commercial institutions in their private businesses and if any of such persons wins the ticket and governor, he will transfer the debt burden to the state.

  • PDP to police, APC: leave Senator Adeleke alone

    THE People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged a fresh plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to use some elements in the police to hound and incarcerate its candidate in the 2018 Osun State governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke, in the bid to browbeat him to relinquish his mandate.

    The PDP claimed to have new information of how the APC, having seen that there is no way it can stop Senator Adeleke at the courts, now seeks to forcefully hound him into a police station, where he will be incarcerated and put out of circulation before the determination of the matters in court.

    Adeleke and the PDP are challenging the victory of the APC candidate, Governor Gboyega Oyetola, in court.

    A statement yesterday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said apart from executing the alleged script,  some elements in the police have no other reason for continuously hounding Senator Adeleke, as he is already in court for the frivolous allegations preferred against him.

    The statement said: “If they truly want Senator Adeleke for any new issue connected with the charges for which he is already in court, it should present such before the court instead of resorting to bullying.

    “Nigerians will recall that the PDP had earlier alerted of threats to Senator Adeleke’s life. These threats have not only continued unabated but have heightened with this renewed hounding by these elements in the police, who are being used by the APC.

    “Our party cautions that Nigerians are not ready to accept any excuse from anybody should Senator Adeleke suddenly becomes a victim of accidental discharge, sudden disappearance or failed health. They know whom to hold responsible.”

  • PDP to Police, APC: Leave Senator Adeleke alone

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged a fresh plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to use some elements in the Police to hound and incarcerate our its candidate in the 2018 Osun State governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke, in the bid to browbeat him to relinquish his mandate.

    The PDP claimed to have new information of how the APC, having seen that there is no way it can stop Senator Adeleke at the courts, now seeks to forcefully hound him into a police station where he will be incarcerated and put out of circulation before the determination of the matters in court.

    Adeleke and the PDP are challenging the victory of the APC candidate, Governor Gboyega Oyetola in court.

    A statement Sunday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said apart from executing the alleged script,  some elements in the police have no other reason for continuously hounding Senator Adeleke, as he is already in court for all the frivolous allegations preferred against him.

    The statement said, “If they truly want Senator Adeleke for any new issue connected with the charges for which he is already in court, it should present such before the court instead of resorting to bullying.

    “Nigerians will recall that the PDP had earlier alerted of threats to Senator Adeleke’s life. These threats have not only continued unabated but have heightened with this renewed hounding by these elements in the police, who are being used by the APC.

    “Our party cautions that Nigerians are not ready to accept any excuse from anybody should Senator Adeleke suddenly becomes a victim of accidental discharge, sudden disappearance or failed health. They know whom to hold responsible.

    “The APC should end this siege on Senator Adeleke and accept the fact that he has the mandate of the people of Osun state as their governor and no form of machination will subvert this reality.

    “The PDP, therefore, charges the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed to rein-in his men on issues related to Senator Adeleke’s determination to retrieve his governorship mandate, which was stolen by the APC”.

  • Ogunlewe dumps PDP, joins APC

    A chieftain of the PDP, Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe, said on Friday that he was set to dump the opposition party for the ruling APC.

    Ogunlewe, a former Minister of Works, confirmed the development in an interview with a political correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    He was reacting to the recent defection of his son, Moyosore from the PDP to the APC.

    Moyosore contested for a place in the Lagos State House of Assembly on the platform of the PDP but lost and soon after, announced his resignation from the PDP.

    He has been attending APC meetings in his area with other APC chieftains, including Bayo Osinowo, a member of the state assembly and senator-elect for the Lagos East Senatorial District.

    Ogunlewe told NAN that his lawyer son had indeed, defected to the APC and that he would be joining him within the next 30 days.

    He said his decision to dump the PDP was because the party was rudderless and that it had been perpetually enmeshed in crisis.

    Ogunlewe said he saw no future in the PDP and that nobody should expect a politician of his stature to stay in a house where some leaders were only after their selfish interests.

    The former minister said that issues arising from the governorship elections exposed the fact that some people were only after money and not the progress of the PDP in Lagos State.

    ”Yes, I am set to leave. My son is already there and he is expecting me to join him. I am leaving in the next 30 days.

    ”You see, for now, there is no chairman in PDP. We don’t have leaders and you don’t expect me to stay in a party that is not stable and with people that lack focus.

    ”Look at what happened in the last elections. The supposed chairman of the PDP in the state asked members to vote for the opposition for whatever reason.

    “Is that a party? Should I remain with people like these?

    ”What these people care about is only their selfish interests and not the interest of the party. I am giving the party 30 days’ notice, after which I will leave.

    ”I am tired of a party running into one problem or the other and I tell you, these people can never change.”

    The former minister said that he was also joining APC because he was convinced that the party would zone the presidency to the South West in 2023, apart from being a better organised party.

    Ogunlewe said he would not want to be left out of any arrangement to give the region the presidency in 2023.

    He said he would be leaving the PDP with his teeming supporters, promising to add value to the APC.

    NAN

  • PDP urges President to tackle insecurity

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to end his “private visit” abroad and immediately return home to face the worsening security situation in the country.

    The party said it was unacceptable for the President to “practically abandon” his responsibilities as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to pursue unexplained private matters in foreign lands while bandits, marauders and insurgents maimed, kidnapped and killed innocent residents.

    In a statement yesterday, the party’s spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan said the President’s inattention had emboldened insurgents and bandits to continue to over-run communities, unleash mayhem and bloodletting on residents of Borno, Zamfara, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Taraba, Kaduna, Benue, Kogi and other states, including Mr. President’s home state, Katsina.

    The statement said while President Buhari went abroad, bandits were pillaging communities in Katsina State, killing several persons and abducting the District Head of his hometown, Daura, Musa Umar; the father-in-law of Mr. President’s security aide.

    Read also: Return home to face security challenges, PDP tells Buhari

    The PDP said: “Within this period, marauders invaded communities in Adamawa and killed no fewer than 26 innocent Nigerians; many more have been killed in Borno, Taraba, Benue and Zamfara states, where bandits also reportedly attacked Government Girls Secondary School at Moriki and kidnapped some schoolgirls.

    “While the Buhari administration remains virtually nonchalant, kidnappers have taken over many of our major highways, with hundreds of compatriots held in captivity in forests on the Kaduna-Abuja, Taraba-Katsina-Ala and other highways in the country.

    “It is clear that President Buhari has not demonstrated required capacity to control the security situation and now resorts to cheap escapism, particularly in the face of allegations in the public space that certain individuals around his administration are benefitting from the situation.”

    It added: “The PDP, therefore, calls on President Buhari to immediately return home and use the remaining part of his tenure to seek help instead of wandering abroad under the guise of private visits.”