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Tag: PDP

  • PDP faults Osinbajo on debt profile

    THE People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted Vice President Yemi Osibanjo’s account on the country’s rising debt profile.

    Also, the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCO) said yesterday that the planned sale of some public assets by the Federal Government to fund the 2019 federal budget would amount to fiscal irresponsibility.

    The PDP said the debt has escalated to a frightening proportion under the watch of the present administration.

    Speaking at a public lecture organised by the Sigma Club in Ibadan on Saturday, Osinbajo had stated that the Buhari-led administration inherited a debt of $63 billion and has only borrowed $10 billion since it took office in 2015.

    “The earnings from oil from 2010 to 2014 were the highest recorded in the history of the country. This was a period when the price of oil per barrel sold from $100 to $114”, Osinbajo added.

    But, while addressing a media conference in Abuja yesterday, the PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, accused Osinbajo of deliberate distortion of facts and figures.

    The main opposition party described the vice president’s position as a desperate attempt to divert attention from the “failures” of the administration.

    Ologbondiyan said: “Vice President Osinbajo falsified financial templates to argue that this government has no blame in the accumulation of debts under its watch.

    “It is an incontrovertible fact that the Buhari administration has accumulated more debts than any other administration in the history of our nation.”

    “Our dear Vice President forgot that Nigerians are aware that between 2016 and 2017, under President Buhari, our annual borrowing was about N3.7 trillion as against the N1.04 trillion annual borrowing perimeter between 2008 to 2015. Between 1999 to 2007, the annual borrowing perimeter was as low as N96 billion.

    “To deceive the public and divert attention from the alarming borrowing spree of the Buhari administration, the APC-led Federal Government converted domestic debt borrowed in naira under its watch, to the U.S. dollar so that the very high exchange rate will make the domestic debt look smaller in dollars. This is a deceptive picture because domestic debt was accumulated in naira and not in dollar.”

    In a statement yesterday, he Atiku presidential campaign group said the planned sale, as canvassed by government officials, was capable of ridiculing President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The APCO said, “It will be recalled that on Monday, the 29th of October, 2018, President Buhari accused PDP past leaders of not building public infrastructure, while delivering the 75th Anniversary Business lecture of the Island Club, Lagos.

    “However, some of the assets listed for sale in the policy document of the Buhari administration, were assets built or established under the PDP administrations that governed Nigeria between 1999 and 2007. Some of them were the brain child of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

    “Our question is this: If the PDP did not build infrastructure, as alleged by President Buhari, who built these assets that this administration wants to sell to fund their 2019 budget?”

  • PDP alleges smear campaign against Atiku

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said that there is a renewed smear campaign against its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. It won’t work against the party’s chances in the 2019 elections, it said yesterday.

    The main opposition was responding making what it described as attempts by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to paint Atiku black in the eyes of the electorate ahead of the elections.

    In a statement by the spokesman of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said “these shenanigans” will be of no avail.

    The party said the “woeful performance” of President Muhammadu Buhari in office will remain the referendum for the 2019 presidential election no matter the attempts to use hirelings to change national discuss.

    “It is instructive for the APC to accept the reality that our candidate, Atiku, enjoys the support of Nigerians across the board for his credibility, forthrightness and capacity to deliver”, the statement added.

    Read also: Atiku not sincere on restructuring, says Osinbajo

    It stated further that it’s shameful that instead of channeling the nation’s resources to productive ventures, the APC and the Presidency have remained fixated on Atiku Abubakar, saying that it has become clear that Nigerians can no longer be deceived by “lies and beguilements”.

    The statement continued, “Also, having failed in the attempt to paint and label Atiku as corrupt, the APC has now started creating seemingly independent groups to commence a fresh attack on the personal image of our candidate.

    “The PDP is aware of how two top officials of the APC, two Presidential aides and two APC governors have been detailed to coordinate this agenda against our candidate.

    “Their strategies include using the procured groups and hirelings to release strings of fabrications against our candidate ahead of the elections.

    “The PDP therefore counsels the APC and the Buhari Presidency to get ready to face an imminent electoral indignation and defeat from Nigerians as rewards for their basket of unfulfilled promises and empty scorecards.

    “These desperate plots to divert attention from manifest failures and incompetence in governance will not work”.

  • Buhari lashes PDP again over poor infrastructure

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday that it was sad that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) allowed the country’s infrastructure to rot completely when there were enormous resources at Nigeria’s disposal between 1999 and 2014.

    Speaking while receiving the outgoing British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, in a farewell audience at State House, Abuja, the President said: “Our focus now is on infrastructure; roads, rail, power and others.

    “How I wish we had fixed all those when we had money. What we earned between 1999 and 2014 is on record, but nothing was done to infrastructure.

    “Now, we are doing a lot more, with a lot less resources. And we shall continue to do our best.”

    Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, hailed the outgoing High Commissioner for his warm and pleasant disposition, which has seen him traversing almost the entire country.

    “I always see you all over the place,” the President noted.

    Arkwright, who spent over three years in Nigeria, said he visited 30 of the 36 states and found the people quite enterprising and engaging.

    He added that the British government would be glad to offer a helping hand as required in any part of the country.

    He thanked President Buhari for his support, adding that the relations between Britain and Nigeria have improved tremendously in the past three years.

    Buhari also said yesterday that Nigeria’s democracy is steadily improving with deeper understanding of the culture and tenets among the people and strengthening of the institutions that guarantee free and fair elections.

    The President, who spoke while receiving Governor-General of Canada Julie Payette at the Presidential Villa, said he saw the evolving strength of democracy in the country by contesting for elections three times before winning at the fourth trial in 2015.

    Read also: Buhari towers above Obasanjo, Atiku in integrity, says APC spokesman

    Buhari, in another statement by Adesina, told the Governor General that Nigeria had been learning from the mistakes of those who practiced democracy for a longer period and by looking inward at its own peculiarities.

    “I emphasise free and fair elections at all times,” he said.

    The President said the bilateral relations with Canada would continue to be improved on considering the huge interest of the country in Nigeria and growing economic ties, with many Nigerians schooling and working in the Commonwealth country.

    He said Canada played a brotherly role in helping displaced persons in the Northeast, following Boko Haram insurgency.

    The Governor General said Nigeria and Canada enjoyed a warm and strong partnership that has translated into ease of migration, large trade relations and cultural exchanges.

    Payette, who is an astronaut, said it was important for nations to pool resources together to start exploring the benefits of space in providing solutions to some problems on earth.

    The Governor General noted that the world would achieve more by de-emphasising geographical differences and refocusing its energy on the commonality of humanity.

    She noted that from space, one can only see an earth without borders.

    Rt. Hon. Payette said her visit was about showcasing “youth, innovation and technology”, adding that Canada would like to partner with Nigeria in the ongoing diversification of the economy.

    “We wish you free and credible elections in 2019,” she said.

    Speaking with reporters at the end of the meeting, she stated that the two countries have resolved to deepen bilateral relation in the areas of trade and commerce, education, security, science and space technology advancement.

    Payette, who is accompanied on the visit by eminent Canadians, including government officials, members of parliament and members of the business sector, noted that Nigeria and Canada had been friends and partners for decades.

  • Kashamu: I’m not in litigation with PDP

    The lawmaker representing Ogun East, Senator Buruji Kashamu, has denied involvement in “heavy litigation” with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Kashamu spoke in an October 29 letter addressed to the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus.

    He was reacting to reports quoting PDP’s National Legal Adviser Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, who requested N60 million from the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) as cost of litigation.

    According to Enoidem, “…we are under tremendous litigation attacks by Senator Buruji Kashamu and cohorts”.

    Enoidem reportedly made the request in an October 18 memo to the NWC.

    Kashamu said: “My attention has been drawn to a report on Page 3 of Sunday Punch of October 28 2018, with the above headline in which the National Legal Adviser, Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, was quoted as having requested N60 million from the National Working Committee (NWC) to cover litigation cost.

    “Specifically, the newspaper quoted Enoidem as stating in his October 18, 2018, memo to the NWC: ‘Furthermore, we are under tremendous litigation attacks by Senator Buruji Kashamu and cohorts – same (sic) in Abuja, FCT, Federal High Court, Abeokuta, to the Court of Appeal, Ibadan.’

    “I wish to condemn Enoidem’s unwarranted attack on my person and further wish to deny that I am not in any way attacking our party judicially.

    ‘’For instance, the purported appeal at the Court of Appeal, Ibadan, is at the instance of the party and its lead counsel, Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN), against the valid and subsisting orders of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta. So, how can anyone choose to appeal court orders and turn round to blame me in a suit in which I am not a party?”

    Kashamu said the only suit he filed against the PDP was to challenge his expulsion from the party.

    “The only suit I am involved in with the party is the fundamental human rights suit I filed to challenge my unjustified expulsion from our party. I challenge Enoidem to prove otherwise,” he added.

    The lawmaker blamed the national leadership for taking sides in the intra-party disputes among contending groups in Ogun State.

    He added: “if Enoidem was referring to the other suits filed by the Ogun State PDP executive against the illegal and unjustified actions of the national leadership to side with one of the contending groups within the Ogun State PDP, then it is most unfortunate as these were self-inflicted.

    “The national leadership of the party has no business siding with one group against the other in an intra-party dispute. Rather, it should be an arbiter and unbiased umpire, who would do everything within its powers to amicably resolve the issues.

    “So, if the national leadership of the party decides to take sides and descends into the arena, hiring senior lawyers to defend illegality and impunity on behalf of some dissidents in Ogun State, how can anyone rightly blame me for such? Indeed, the better sense of valour and discretion dictate that if the party wants to save itself of needless litigation cost, it should uphold the Rule of Law and disengage from suits involving state chapters or contending groups within state chapters. The national leadership’s role should be to uphold and not to circumvent it.”

    Kashamu threatened to seek legal redress if the party does not dissociate itself “from the offensive publication and apologise to me within seven days; failure of which I would be left with no other option than to seek redress in court against Enoidem and the party.”

  • PDP’will be back in 2019 – PDP chieftain

  • 2019: IRI seeks to reform campaign strategy of APC, PDP, others

    The American International Republican Institute (IRI) said yesterday that political parties lacked ideology and are being influenced by wealthy individuals, who fund parties and usurp powers of party leaders.

    The institute also said there was the need to  reform the campaign strategies and message base of political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to be centered on issue-based ideology rather than personality-based campaigns.

    IRI Resident Programme Director Sentell Barnes spoke yesterday during a campaign messaging workshop for State House of Assembly candidates in conjunction with USAID, which took place in Abuja.

    The workshop, which comprises of four states’ House of Assembly candidates, including Adamawa, Bauchi, Ebonyi, and Sokoto states, aims at training the candidates on how to address the shortcomings present in the campaigns of political parties and engage the voters in a more progressive route.

    “We are training State House of Assembly candidates from four states starting from Sokoto,” Barnes said in an interview during the workshop.

    “We are working with multiple political parties; we are working with APC, PDP and some others.

    “The four states were states USAID had good governance programmes with. So, what we are trying to do is to attach the political party aspect with the good governance so if we can bridge those gaps and we can see greater results with what the political parties are doing.

    “It’s important to realise that political parties are the people going to government. So, if we imbibe the structures within the political parties, then we enhance the governance that comes from people serving in government.”

    “Our goal is to train them on how to develop policies that they can share when they are out campaigning. What we are trying to do is kind of enhance their ability to run issue-based campaigns.

    “What we are trying to move away from is personality-based politics. We want people to talk about the issues. We want to help candidates to better understand how the whole campaign process works.

  • PDP: his death a monumental loss

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed shock at the news of the demise over one of its founding fathers and a former chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih.

    In a statement last night by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party described Chief Anenih as a great Nigerian, a light bearer, brilliant administrator, fine officer, quintessential nationalist and democratic icon, who made innumerable sacrifices for the unity, stability and development of the nation.

    The PDP said, “Indeed, Chief Anenih, who was known in the political circle as ‘Mr. Fix it’, owing to his ability to find solutions to very knotty political and governance issues, remains a colossus with unparalleled array of legacies which will be celebrated for generations.

    “His roles in ensuring the stability, not only of our great party but also of our nation at large, stood him out as a patriot who dedicated his life to the service of humanity.

    “The PDP is particularly pained that Chief Anenih left the stage at the time the party and the nation needed his wealth of experience the more, especially in our collective quest to restore good governance and democratic ideals in our country.

    “The PDP therefore condoles with the Anenih family, the government and people of Edo state and pray that God will grant the nation the fortitude to bear this monumental loss”.

  • Don’t underrate PDP, Yahaya Bello warns

    *How APC can win 2019 election – Yahaya Bello

    *Buhari, best President to lead Nigeria to greatness

     

    Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Wednesday night warned that the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is not a pushover that should be taken for granted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in next year’s general election.

    He gave the warning when President Muhammadu Buhari hosted youth political appointees to a dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to him, the APC must go out aggressively to market to Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari and the numerous projects of his government in the last three years, if it must remain in power after 2019.

    He said that the issue of perception must be taken seriously by the APC to ensure that no chance is given to the opposition to return to power in 2019.

    The governor also declared that President Buhari remains the best President to lead Nigeria to greatness beyond 2023.

    He said “All that the crooked PDP is offering Nigerians is that corruption is better than incompetence in quote. 2015 was about change, 2019 will be about progress.

    “As members of the APC, we will not deny that our party has a huge task in the 2019 general elections, the election will never be a walk-over, the PDP will not be a push over.

    “And we must take nothing and no one for granted. If we cannot defeat PDP, maybe we should not be influencers or we should not even go to politics.” he said

    He added “President Buhari is a good product we know, but we must go out to sell him to Nigerians. Perception is very critical in times like this. If we fail, God forbid, the ugly narrative of PDP will overtake the land.

    “Our score card is very rich and very rich enough. We must market the incredible accomplishments of Mr. President and of his administration to every voter and in a language he or she understands.

    “If we fail, God forbids, the adverse narrative being put out by the PDP and other propaganda machine will dominate the land and shape perception.

    “If we don’t market our product very well, a tough and progressive victory against a terrorist threat which continues to cost the lives of our brave military and law enforcement agencies will be mistaken for inactions.

    “If we don’t market our product very well, try our political exposed offenders using long extant laws which previous leaders were not willing to deploy against cronies, accomplishments will be mistaken extra-judicial measures and disdain for the rule of law.

    “If we do not put Mr. President’s achievements before our people so that they can sight it themselves, we will be agreeing with the PDP that in fighting corruption which he is offering again, is somehow better than the alleged incompetence of the APC which has accomplished everything I have enumerated above,”.

    Executive Director at the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Jasper Azuatalam, said that most Nigerians were presently disappointed with the President because he has failed to perform the magic they expected.

    He however stressed that it will be the worst things for Nigeria if power slides back to the PDP in 2019.

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    He said “The worst thing we can do to this country Nigeria, is to allow PDP to come back to power in 2019. It is the worst thing we can do to Nigeria.

    “I will likened PDP to a lion that has been put in the cage for a long time. I have interacted with their members and I know how hungry they have become because they don’t see free money as before.

    “If we lose this lion again in 2019, then Nigeria is going to walk more than 1,000 steps backward.

    “Like we always said in those days we lost elections, Mr. President will always get eleven to twelve million votes whether he operates from a party or not. That’s how goodwill we had that time.

    “But that is because a lot of people believed that by Mr. President’s integrity and his anti-corruption, he is going to do magic when he resumes office as President. That in two months, Nigeria will change. They don’t know how it would happen.

    “But the truth is that most of these have been disappointed because they didn’t see the magic. That is why we need to do the real work,” he said.

  • Sylva: l’ve no plans to leave APC

    Former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva has debunked insinuations that he was on his way out of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Sylva in a statement signed by his Media Assistant,  Julius Bokoru, also described as inconsequential, the recent defection of his former Campaign Director, Media and Publicity,  Chief Nathan Egba, to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Bokoru in the statement on Thursday clarified that the reported defection was a sponsored rumour, describing the PDP as a floundering party.

    “Ordinarily, Chief Sylva would have stepped over this most mundane rumour cooked by the basest of minds but for his teeming supporters, members of the All Progressives Congress and the good people of Bayelsa State who this rumour is aimed at

    “Let it be established that Chief Timipre Sylva is firmly of the APC and nurses no plan to leave the party to any other party, least of all the PDP which is floundering and churning in the throes of its last days.

    “Chief Sylva cannot leave the APC, a party he has joined in building, in both state and national, to the very top of political and governmental efficiency”, Bokoru said.

    He attributed the rumour to the agents of the state government saying they kept recycling the report on the social media to achieve some evil intentions.

    He said: “The purported defection of Sylva which they announced through their Facebook hirelings in August had to be recycled in October, just like the ridiculously untrue story of the 48 houses they keep recycling every year.

    “The fact is not lost to Chief Sylva that this latest defection story coincides with the so called defection of a certain Nathan Egba who was neither a member of the APC nor a man with any bit of political relevance.

    “Chief Sylva urges his supporters, members of the APC and the good people of Bayelsa State to remain steadfast as this current darkness will soon give way for light”.

     

  • PDP, APC lose Reps in Kogi, Kaduna

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday lost a member each at the House of Representatives.

    The lawmakers are: Hassan Omale (PDP, Kogi), and Muhammad Soba (APC, Kaduna).

    Omale, who represents Ankpa/Omala/Olamaboro Federal Constituency in Kogi State, told his colleagues that he had left the PDP for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    “I wish to inform the Speaker and other members of the House that I have resigned from the PDP to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) with effect from October 17,” he said.

    The lawmaker conveyed his defection in a letter read by Speaker Yakubu Dogara at plenary in Abuja.

    Soba, who represents Soba Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, announced his departure from the APC.

    He said his next destination would be announced soon.

    Announcing the defections, Dogara cited relevant sections of the constitution to justify the actions of the defectors.

    The Speaker said Soba attributed his action to an alleged injustice he suffered during his party’s primary.