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Tag: PDP

  • PDP Primaries: Those anticipating chaos will be disappointed – David Mark

    Former Senate President and PDP Presidential Aspirant, Senator David Mark on Thursday said that those anticipating chaos and disintegration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would be disappointed as the PDP will emerge stronger and more united after the Presidential Primaries.

    Speaking to newsmen in Minna, Mark said that onlookers are anticipating that a lot of things would go wrong during and after the primaries as some have even gone to the length to predict that the Primaries would be explosive.

    He however said that the aspirants seeking the Presidential ticket of the party have absolute confidence and faith in the Party leadership in providing free, fair, credible and transparent primaries.

    “Nigerians need to stop presuming there will always be problem. It is a presumption on the part of onlookers that there will be chaos and not the participants themselves. Those outside are the ones presuming that it is going to be explosive, it won’t be free and fair but those of us who are the aspirants, have every confidence in the party structure and party hierarchy, that they will organise a very free, fair, credible and transparent primaries.

    Read Also:2019 Presidency: Jonathan backs David Mark

    “So do not bother too much. I think we are over reacting, we are anticipating too much that things will go wrong”, he said.

    The Senator expressed confidence that the winner of the Presidential primaries in PDP will get the support of other aspirants stressing that PDP will come out stronger, bigger and more united after the primaries.

    “PDP will have a very healthy primaries and we have decided that whoever emerges as the Candidate, the rest of us will unite solidly behind him. Whoever wins will get the support of the rest of us. Whatever problem may emerge, we will realize it among ourselves and come out stronger and more united. ”

    Addressing the PDP Delegates at the PDP Secretariat, Mark assured them that he will ensure that PDP does not disintegrate when he becomes President urging them to vote for the best.

  • Nigeria deserves a digital president – Tambuwal

    Governor of Sokoto state and presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has said “Nigeria deserves a digital president, not an analogue leader.”

    Speaking in Jalingo -the Taraba State capital, during a campaign visit to seek support, Tambuwal said the world has become a global village that is fast moving and Nigeria cannot be left behind. “And to meet up, Nigeria needs a true digital leader to showcase the country to the world,” he said.

    The aspirant promised, that if he wins, he will engage the youth in science and technology so as to compete anywhere. “Anywhere you go, you will find Nigerians doing better. The president of Nigeria must not be an economist to improve the economy of the country, but to have the knowledge to appoint the right people.

    “With my knowledge, I know the right people to assemble; I will leverage on the network of knowledge of brothers and sisters to solve Nigeria’s problems. Nigeria needs a president with people that can advise him properly to get quality output.”

    He described his visit to Taraba as homecoming and fulfilling, adding that he has a very long standing relationship with Governor Darius Ishaku, his deputy Haruna Manu and the people of Taraba.

    Read Also: Nigerians in Diaspora seek Buhari’s intervention on voting right

    Tambuwal, a lawyer and former Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, commended his Taraba counterpart (Ishaku) for his infrastructural development and peace efforts in the state, given the scale of herdsmen violence. “Taraba is dear to all of us; it is so highly endowed with diverse people and mineral resources. We must transform it.”

    Deputy Governor, Haruna Manu, who stood for Governor Darius Ishaku, told Tambuwal that “Taraba has been a PDP State since 1999 and still waxing strong.”

    “Taraba will deliver 90 percent votes to you (Tambuwal) at the election, if you get the ticket. If you are looking for a true Nigerian, go for Tambuwal. He is detribalised; he gives a sense of belonging to everyone. Any member who served at the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2015 can attest to that. He has no religious or tribal sentiments.

    “With leaders like Tambuwal, the Nigerian Project shall be realised. If he becomes president he will assemble the best crops of people. The agricultural sector that is to take over oil has not been developed. Insecurity is on the rise and Nigeria needs a leader that can fix these problems,” Manu said.

  • 2019: Buhari assures Nigerians in diaspora

    * Says he will make a difference if he wins

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday told Nigerians living in America that if he wins the 2019 election and spent another four years in office, he will leave some difference in the office.

    He gave the assurance in a meeting with the Nigerian community in the United States of America on the margins of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York.

    In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, the President regretted that the elite allowed Nigeria to be mismanaged for 16 years of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rule, without as much as raising a voice in consternation.

    “They didn’t say a word,” President Buhari declared.

    He added “Under the PTF (Petroleum Trust Fund, of which he was Chairman), we did roads from Lagos to Abuja, to Onitsha, to Port Harcourt. Since then, the roads were not done, between 1999 and 2015, yet the elite did not say a word.

    Read Also: Osun Guber election: Buhari congratulates APC, Oyetola

    “I was called Baba Go Slow. Those who were going fast, where did they get to?

    “In 1983, military officers gathered, and made me Head of State. I packed the politicians into jail, told them they were guilty until they could prove their innocence. We seized what they had looted, but after I myself was put in detention, the politicians were given back what they had looted. How many elite complained about that?

    “Three times I contested elections; three times I went to court after the elections were rigged against me. No justice, but I said ‘God dey.’

    “It was mainly the ordinary people that stood by me. That is why I am always conscious of them. They are my constituency. Even pregnant women on the queue would fall into labour, go to have their babies, and still come back to vote for me. I will keep doing my best for the country.” he said

    The diaspora Nigerians, in their scores, are top flight professionals, drawn from fields like medicine, engineering, sports, the arts, investment, academia, politics, agriculture, transport, education, publishing, and many others.

    Most of them expressed the wish to come back home, and contribute to the change making a headway in Nigeria.

    The President replied them with “You are contributing to this great country (America). If you want to help back home, invest in education in your constituencies. If you educate people, they won’t then accept nonsense from anybody.”

    President Buhari said the administration he leads has by and large kept faith with its three key campaign promises; to secure the country, revive the economy and fight corruption.

    “I’ve tried to do my best since I came,” he stressed, adding: “Security-wise, we are better. Boko Haram still conducts cowardly attacks, but the insurgency is not the same as it used to be. They are terrorists, and have nothing to do with religion.

    “We will continue to deal with them. Ask people in the North-east, especially in Borno State, they will tell you they can sleep with two eyes closed now.” he said

    The parley was put together by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Matters, and the Nigerian professionals were drawn from different parts of the United States and Canada. Representatives of USA chapters of Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation (NIDO).

    They also presented awards to President Buhari in appreciation of his performance, urging him to do more.

  • Osun Rerun: Stop issuing threats, go to court – APC tells PDP

    The APC Campaign Council for the Osun governorship election has advised the PDP to stop issuing threats and take full advantage of the democratic process if it has any grouse with Thursday’s supplementary election result.

    In a statement issued in Osogbo, the Chairman of the Council’s Media Committee, Alhaji Lai Mohammed expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the supplementary election .

    Mohammed who is also the Minister of Information and Culture said with the results, the people had emphatically pitched their tent with the ruling party.

    ”When the PDP led in the main election, which was declared inconclusive, we did not threaten fire and brimstone, neither did we drag the international community into it.

    “We simply went along with the prescribed process. We urge the PDP to emulate this,” he said.

    The chairman congratulated the Governor-elect, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, the outgoing Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the entire APC family for the “well deserved but hard-earned victory”.

    He, also, commended INEC and the security agencies “for a largely peaceful and orderly election, as attested to by local and international observers”

    He called on INEC and the security agencies to ensure that the “PDP thugs, fake observers and vote buyers” who were arrested during the rerun were all brought to justice expeditiously.

    Read Also: Osun: Oyetola will build on Aregbesola’s legacies -APC

    The chairman noted that the biggest winner in the whole election saga is democracy.

    He gave the credit to the people of Osun as well as the ruling APC, which did not hesitate to submit to the democratic process despite the high stakes.

    ”As we said in an earlier statement, the PDP, in its time, would not have given any room for a rerun as it would have hijacked the main election, with its brigandage, rigging and total disdain for the democratic process.

    ”But as a party of change, we believe strongly in the democratic process.

    “We believe in the ability of the relevant institutions to carry out their assigned responsibilities and we believe in the ability of the people to do what is right.

    ”In the end, the good people of Osun did what is right by ensuring the shellacking of the PDP,” he said

    The chairman stressed that the Osun electorates had done the right thing in voting the APC, considering the impressive performance of the party’s led government in the state in the last eight years.

  • Osun poll: It’s a black day for Nigeria, says PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday cried foul over the result of the Osun State supplementary governorship election.

    National Chairman Uche Secondus told reporters that it was a black day for Nigeria, adding that the state was under siege.

    Secondus said: “We the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) have reviewed what has happened, from the distribution of materials to the actual voting in some of the units and wards.

    “We found that Osun is under siege. Therefore, today is a black day for Nigeria. We would think that it is a state or some units, but if you look at what has transpired so far from Ekiti to Osun State, Nigerians are groaning in pains, especially the Osun people.

    “The right of the citizens to be able to come out and vote has been trampled upon and the entire state and the wards and units have been seized by the security agencies who are acting on behalf of All Progressives Congress (APC) to make sure the election was rigged by all means.

    “We are sad that if this is what is going to take place in 2019, then the future of Nigerian democracy is bleak and we are sliding into crisis.

    “If they like,they can call it a hate speech but the fact must be told. On election day, our supporters and the citizens of Osun were weeping for the soul of Nigeria. And for those who are perpetrating this evil, they should watch and wait and see what will happen next.”

    The PDP chairman accused security agencies of protecting one political party in a multi-party state.

    “From what we have witnessed in Osun, it showed clearly that the APC is not ready for election and we are afraid that President Buhari will not handover if he loses election next year,” Secondus said.

    He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the candidate of the PDP, Senator Ademola Adeleke, the winner of the election.

    He called on INEC to cancel election in poling units where he said security agencies allegedly arrested PDP supporters and prevented them from voting.

    PDP Deputy National Chairman (South-West) Dr. Eddy Olafeso accused security agencies of colluding with the APC to disenfranchise PDP supporters.

    Olafeso said: “Specifically in Orolu and Garage Olode and many of the seven units that were supposed to engage in this voting, they took away all our members, seizing their PVCs, inducing the INEC staff with cash they could not refuse.

    “The APC governorship candidate was given a free hand to do whatever he wanted to do while our people were muscled away from the units.

    “They arrested our leaders, especially in Osogbo. Alhaji Diekola is still in custody and Dr. Muyiwa Oladimeji is still in custody. Our people have been harassed and chased like animals away from where they were supposed to carry out their civic duties.”

    South West Zonal PDP Publicity Secretary Ayo Fadaka said the election was “compromised by security agents”.

    “It is disappointing to note that unnecessary leverage has been accorded to the APC as its thugs have unfettered movement and capabilities to perpetrate all lawlessness.”

    “It is terrible to note that journalists and election observers have been harassed and arrested in this election by security agencies; this is absolutely disheartening.

    “We state most unequivocally that the results of this election have been predetermined and, as such, cannot be acceptable to us as a party because it is not free and fair.

    “We must remind the APC Government of President Muhammadu Buhari that we are in a democracy where votes must count and not a dictatorship.”

    In another statement in Osogbo, Osun State PDP Chairman Soji Adagunodo described the election as “open robbery”.

    He added: “Hundreds of people holding PVCs from other polling units were accredited and allowed to vote in Osogbo and Ife South Local Governments. PDP agent in Olode was axed and abducted at about 7am today. Media men and election observers were denied access in several polling units.

    “By the time access was granted to journalists  at about 11am, ballot boxes had been stuffed by the APC agents acting in connivance with INEC officials. It is regrettable that election in seven polling units could not be freely and fairly concluded by the Independent National Electoral commission.”

  • Why PDP is crying foul, by APC

    The APC has faulted the foul cry by the PDP over the outcome of the election as unjustified.

    In a statement by its spokesperson in Osun State Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, the APC said the PDP was “unable to manipulate the result this time around, so they are crying foul.”

    He added: “We have always known and have made ourselves clear before the election that the PDP had made elaborate arrangement to rig the election through the manipulation of the card readers and it was this process that made them got the votes, allocated to them in the first ballot.

    “Nobody expected the PDP to even come second. Most people in Osun had believed that it would be a straight fight between the APC and SDP. But as God would have it, Osun was saved from the vultures.

    “We like Osun people to understand that the run off votes went that way because the PDP was unable to manipulate the card readers this time around and fortunately the police thwarted their plot of buying and trying to use the PVCs of suspecting  voters. That is why some of their leaders were arrested. So the PDP should look for other excuses.”

  • ‘I did not come to Jigawa for campaign’, Saraki tells PDP supporters

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki told supporters of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Dutse on Thursday ahead of the Presidential Primaries that he did not come to Jigawa for any campaign.

    Saraki, also a presidential aspirant under the platform of the PDP said that he came to the state to greet the people of his party to say “Thank You.”

    The Senate Preident was accompanied on the visit by Sen. Dino Meleye (Kogi), Ubale Shitu (Jigawa) and many PDP chieftains across the country.

    Saraki later drove on a convoy to Bamaina, country home of former Jigawa Gov., Alhaji Sule Lamido who is also a presidential aspirant for a closed door meeting.

    Earlier in an address in Jigawa, PDP Chairman, Alhaji Salisu Kuit welcomed Saraki to the state and called on all the PDP Presidential aspirants to cooperate with one another to ensure the success of the party in the upcoming polls. (NAN)

  • Court orders release of PDP chieftain, two others in Osun

    An Osun State High Court in Osogbo yesterday ordered the unconditional and immediate release of Alhaji Fatai Diekola, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and two others.

    Diekola, Alhaji Adekilekun Segun and Alhaji Sikiru Lawal were arrested by the police on Monday, for allegedly inducing voters with money at Alekunwodo in the state capital.

    Justice Olubunmi Ayoola, ruling on the suspects’ application to restrain the police from further detaining them, ordered the release of the trio, pending the determination of the application for the enforcement of their fundamental rights.

    The applicants’ counsel, Mr Bukola Onifade, had earlier moved an application urging the court to restrain the police from further detaining his clients pending the determination of a motion on notice brought before the court.

    The Judge, who granted the prayers of the applicants, ordered their immediate release from custody pending the determination of the motion on notice.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the September 22 election inconclusive and scheduled a rerun for today.

  • Halt plot to sabotage Kogi PDP, youth group warns

    A youth group of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Peoples Democratic Party Youth Frontier, has called on the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and the leadership of the party to halt what they described as plot to sabotage the interest of the party in Kogi state.
    The group in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Austin Okai, on Tuesday it was amazed that the committee sent to screen aspirants for the Kogi east senatorial district primary election could disqualify over 15 aspirants for the office to pave way for the incumbent, Senator Attai Aidoko to emerge as sole candidate.
    Members of PDP Youth Frontier frowned at this move and condemned it in strong terms.
    ” We wish to remind Prince Secondus and members of the National Working Committee that the PDP can’t afford to lose the goodwill it currently enjoys in Kogi state and other parts of the country due to the desires of a few.
    ” We also wish to remind Prince Secondus that he had gone on live national TV on March 26, 2018, to apologise to Nigerians for some of the undemocratic ways that characterized the party when it was in power, an apology that was welcomed by Nigerians and earned the party so much goodwill.
    “We hereby demand that the party leadership arrest this ticking time-bomb and ensure that all aspirants are cleared to test their popularity at the party primary election. The PDP cannot afford a repeat of 2015 when we lost due to insistence of some National Assembly leaders to grant ticket to non-performing incumbents and imposition.
    “The PDP has no tradition of automatic ticket, and no individual or group should be allowed to scuttle the party’s chances in 2019,”, the group stated.

  • Saraki, Kwara guber aspirants meet in Ilorin

    Governorship aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state have held a crucial meeting with Senate President Bukola Saraki.

    Details of the meeting, which took place on Monday night, are still sketchy.

    It was learnt that the national leader of the PDP enjoined the aspirants to conduct their campaigns in the builds up to the primary election in orderly manner.

    The meeting, held behind closed doors at Saraki’s private residence in Ilorin, the state capital, started about 10.20pm.

    It lasted till about 11.02pm with nine aspirants present.

    Former Deputy Governor of the state Chief Joel Ogundeji ,the party’s state chairman, Alhaji Kola Shittu as well as Secretary, Alhaji Rasaq Lawal joined few minutes to the close of the meeting.

    The aspirants who attended the meeting include Dr Ali Ahmad, Honestly Razak Atunwa, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi,Senator Mohammed Sha’aba Lafiagi, Alhaji Ladi Hassan, Hon. Ahman Pategi, Alhaji Saka Isau (SAN), Prof Sulaiman Abubakar and Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Ajia. The only aspirant absent at the meeting was Hon. Zakari Mohammed.

    Addressing reporters at the end of the meeting, Senator Sha’aba Lafiagi said it was convened to ensure peace as a family group, adding that contestants agreed to ensure a transparent race during the primaries.

    The former governor said there was no discussion on consensus but that there was no written undertaking among them since it is all within the same political family.

    Read Also: Fayemi ‘ll do well for Ekiti, says Ogboni Chief

    “The meeting was all about bringing the family together. It is only normal that at a time like this the leader of the family meets with us to keep peace and ensure that all went well.

    “We agree to respect the outcome of the primaries, to ensure that we remain friends after and ensure peace. We will surely accept whoever emerges. The intention is that the contest should be free, fair as much as possible. Whoever emerges we will all line up behind him and we will remain members of the family.

    “I don’t know about consensus, time will tell but for now everyone is preparing to enter the contest but I don’t rule out possibilities of consensus arrangement. Along the line we may consider that as a family. We don’t need to sign an undertaking because as I told you we are members of the same family.”