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Tag: PDP

  • PDP urges lawmakers to override Buhari’s veto on amendment bill

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the National Assembly to override President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto of the Electoral Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill without further delay.

    The bill automatically becomes law if two-thirds of members of the two legislative houses vote against the President’s veto if he failed to assent to it within a given period.

    In a statement yesterday by the spokesman of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said the President’s veto on the bill did not come as a surprise. It added that Buhari’s commitment to a free and fair 2019 election was mere lip service.

    The statement said, “It is now manifestly clear to Nigerians that all the reasons adduced by President Buhari for withholding his assent in the past were lame excuses.

    “The clerical and drafting arguments put forward by President Buhari could not in anyway outweigh the importance of amendments meant to engender a free, fair, credible and transparent elections in 2019.

    “The PDP therefore charges the National Assembly to stand with Nigerians in the overall quest for credible elections by immediately overriding President Buhari on the bill”.

  • PDP will deliver Kwara in 2019, says Ahmed

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed is confident the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will win elections in the state.

    The governor, who spoke yesterday at the Government House in Ilorin when the Central Working Committee visited his office, said “with the type of people in the executive, the victory of the party is guaranteed”.

    Ahmed, who hailed the maturity displayed in handling the harmonisation process, urged the executive to entrench good governance.

    According to him, the peaceful atmosphere, which greeted the harmonisation process, further confirmed the politics of all-inclusiveness the party structure is known for.

    He allayed fears of members, saying no one will be marginalised, and urged them to work together to ensure the party wins the election in 2019.

    Chairman Kola Shittu said they were in the Government House to familiarise themselves with the governor as party leaders.

    He explained that the new executive has continued to work in harmonisation of members since its inauguration.

  • Kano PDP rejects dissolution of its executive committee

    The Peoples Democratic Party in Kano state, has rejected in totality the purported dissolution of the state executive committee by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

    Mr Sarki Labaran, a chieftain of the party declared the stand of party stakeholders while addressing hundreds of supporters who converged on the state Headquarters of the party on Monday in Kano.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Labaran spoke on behalf of the executive committee members of the party who were also present at occasion.

    He said it was unfortunate that the PDP National Working Committee took the decision despite the court order retraining it from taking the action.

    “The Peoples Democratic Party in Kano state has rejected the dissolution of the state executive committee as the action was a complete violation of the court order which was issued on Aug. 28.

    He wondered why the National Working Committee of the party took the decision knowing fully well that the state party leaders were elected to serve a four year tenure.

    “The state party leadership including its elders and all other stakeholders have condemned the action in its entirety and will not accept the injustice,” he said.

    He accused former governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso who defected to PDP from APC of trying to have full control of the party in the state for his selfish interest.

    “The party has been doing very well before Kwankwaso and others joined the party. He want to cause problem to the party,” he said.

    Also speaking at the occasion, former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Alhaji Gambo Sallau challenged the National leadership of the party to come out and explain reasons behind the dissolution of the state executive committee of the party.

    NAN reports that the occasion was attended by various party stakeholders including state Deputy chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim KT, Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Musa Danbirni as well as gubernatorial aspirants, among others.

    NAN recalls that a Kano State High Court presided over by Justice N S. Umar, had on Aug. 28, restrained the National and state leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from restructuring Kano state chapter of the party.

    However, despite the court order, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP on Friday dissolved the Kano State Executive Committee of the party under Sen Mas’ud El-Jibril Doguwa.

    The NWC of the party announced the dissolution of the Kano Executive committee in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan on Friday in Abuja.
    No reason was also given for the action which had generated a lot of controversy and plunged the party into crisis. (NAN)

  • Kano PDP rejects dissolution of state exco

    The Kano State Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), on Monday  rejected the dissolution of the executive of the party.

    Addressing party members at the state secretariat along Maiduguri road on behalf of gubernatorial aspirants, Engr Sarki Labaran said the action of the national headquarters of the party is illegal and cannot stand.

    The other aspirants are Malam Salihu Sagir Takai and  Sadik Aminu Wali

    Labaran frowned at the manner the former Governor of the state, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has been conducting himself since he rejoined the party, accusing him of causing disaffection in the once peaceful party.

    The former Commissioner during the tenure of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau stated that national body contradicted itself by the dissolution, noting that since the state executive elected members of the National Working Committee , the NWC should also be dissolved.

    Read Also: Kaduna Speaker declares to run for House of Reps

    Labaran who wondered why such action should be taken by the national executive of the party, noted that the tenure of the  party executive has not expired and they were not found wanting in anyway that would warrant the dissolution.

    The State Deputy Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ibrahim KT who equally spoke at the solidarity rally, also frowned at the sudden dissolution, saying “we are not in support of such dissolution. We are in support of the Masaud El-jibrin Doguwa led leadership of the party in the state.”

    “We cannot allow somebody to come and hijack the party in which we suffered to build and we will not agree for the dissolution of the 484 wards”.

    Meanwhile, the State Chairman of the party Doguwa in an interview said that he remains the chairman as he has not been informed of the said dissolution.

    “ Nobody has the power to unilaterally dissolve our exco, this cannot stand and will never stand, because its unconstitutional”

    On the court order restraining the national headquarters of the party from dissolving the state exco, Doguwa said “the court action wasn’t instituted by my exco, some loyal party members whom I’m in support of approached the court.”

    Among the top echelons of the party that attended the gathering were, Bashir I Bashir, Faruk Iya, Alhaji Yahaya Bogobiri.

    The elders of the party include, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, Ambassador Aminu Wali and Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo.

  • ‘PDP zoning VP to S/West, S/East will spell doom for party’

    Youth wing of the socio-cultutal group, Ohaneze Ndigbo on Monday condemned alleged plots by the People’s Democracy Party, PDP, to zone the Vice Presidential candidate to either the South-West or South-East.

    The youths warned that such move will spell doom for the party in the South East in next year’s general election vowing that it would be forced into dumping the party and channeling it’s support to any other party.

    Read Also:Crisis rocks PDP over automatic tickets for N/Assembly members

    Ohaneze Youths in a statement by its Deputy President General, Comrade Obinna Achuonye, and spokesman, Alex Osaka described the plot as barbaric and one which it will diligently oppose.

    “The attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has been drawn to a malicious report and nefarious plot that PDP had concluded plans to zone the Vice Presidency to South West or South-South over the South East quest to occupy the position in 2019.

    “This clandestine plot is barbaric, satanic and will never see the light of the day if it happens to be a reality. OYC insists that The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Uche Secondus should clarify this allegation immediately before Ndigbo especially the Youths take their destiny in our own hands.

    “We wish to remind the originators of this malicious plot against Ndigbo, that Ndigbo had paid their price in PDP since 1999, its morally wrong to return the Vice Presidency to either South West or South-South, after the two political zones had occupied the highest office of the Presidents in 1999 in the person of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and in 2010 in Dr Goodluck Jonathan, leaving Southeast out in the cold.”

    The youth group also described claims that South-East has the least number of voters as a complete falsehood.

    “Those claiming that South-East had the least voters registered should remember that Igbos are everywhere in Nigeria and from our records, In 19 Northern States, we have 12.5million votes and 5Million votes in the South West, and how can you compare South-East with only 5 States with South-West and South-South that had 6 States each?”

    The group urged the PDP to name one of the Governors from the South East as its Vice Presidential candidate.

    “It is also not true that South-East Governors are not interested in funding the party.  Have these Governors not been funding the party in their various states?

    “PDP should name one of these Governors the Vice Presidential candidate and see the massive support they will get across Nigeria.

    “If PDP will pick a newly elected Governor of Adamawa, Atiku Abubakar in 1999 as Vice Presidential candidate to Obasanjo, and also named a newly elected Governor of Bayelsa then in the person of Dr Goodluck Jonathan as the running mate to late Musa Yar’adua, then a sitting Governor of Kaduna to Nnamadi Sambo to Former President Jonathan as his Vice president, then PDP should also pick one the South East Governors as the Vice Presidential candidate in 2019”

    The group while urging the PDP leadership to urgently make clarifications on this issue to put the unease in the zone to rest, warned that its patience should not be taken for foolishness.

    “OYC warns and cautions those fifth columnists in PDP plotting to see PDP into extinction after 2019, never to take the patience of Ndigbo as foolishness and should not push Ndigbo to take political decision that will bury PDP in 2019.

    “OYC led by Isiguzoro will not hesitate to join forces with other Progressives to sink PDP if our sacrifices since 1999 should not be respected. The leadership of PDP should clarify these position before it’s too late,” the group said.

     

     

  • 2019: PDP eyes Northwest as party sets to dump Atiku, Saraki

    •Senate president says quest not a betrayal of ex-VP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have to pick its presidential flag bearer in next year’s election from the Northwest geo political zone, The Nation gathered yesterday.

    With over 18 million eligible voters as at last February, the zone has the largest voting population in the country.

    It is followed by the Southwest with over 14million voters.

    The Nation gathered that the main opposition party is taking notice of the situation and may settle for one of its presidential aspirants from the zone at its convention next month to slug it out with the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 2019 poll.

    Buhari is on course to emerge as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate later this month.

    Presidential aspirants of the PDP from the Northwest are Senator Ahmed Maikarfi, Alhaji Sule Lamido, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, former Special Duties Minister Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, former Kano State governor Ibrahim Shekarau, former Sokoto State governor Attahiru Bafarawa and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.

    The implication is that the likes of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from Adamawa in the Northeast and Senate president Bukola Saraki from Kwara State in the Northcentral stand a little or no chance of getting the PDP ticket.

    Party source said yesterday that Saraki in particular may be facing formidable hurdles already from the PDP and the Northwest geo political in his bid to fly the party’s flag in next year’s presidential election.

    Saraki formally declared his presidential aspiration in Abuja on Thursday, citing pressure from Nigerian youths.

    However, party source told The Nation yesterday that the former Kwara State governor has a long chain of barriers to be broken to achieve his ambition.

    One of such is the suggestion by some PDP members   that the party’s presidential candidate has to come from the Northwest zone for the PDP to stand a good chance of defeating President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Buhari is from Daura, Katsina State in the Northwest.

    He commands a cult followership not only in the zone but across the northern region.

    Pressure is mounting on the PDP leadership to narrow down its ticket to the Northwest as it is the only way to compete with Buhari.

    Kwankwaso from Kano State in the Northwest is one of the leading advocates for the PDP presidential candidate coming from the Northwest.

    Kwankwaso’s view is shared by many in the party.

    Their argument is that the only way to whittle down the votes of the APC and its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, in the zone is for the PDP to pick a candidate from the same zone.

    Several interest groups from the zone are now promoting the view point in the party.

    Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday shortly after obtaining his nomination documents, Kwankwaso said: “everyone knows that the bulk of the votes come from the Northwest and it would not be wrong for anyone to suggest that the PDP candidate should come from that zone.

    “You all saw from the last general election in 2015 the number of votes from Kano alone. So it’s just normal to expect the candidate to emerge from the Northwest. That is the only way to defeat them (APC). But this is my opinion because everybody has their different opinions”.

    Another formidable obstacle to Saraki’s aspiration is the perceived disposition of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike who is seen by many as the de facto leader of the PDP.

    Wike, chief backer of the incumbent national chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, is said to be the number one supporter of Tambuwal’s presidential ambition.

    It is understood that there is an agreement between him and Tambuwal that he will be the Sokoto State governor’s running mate in the presidential race if he gets the ticket.

    Wike’s disposition on the PDP presidential ticket is suspected to have informed Secondus’ hurried exit from the venue of Saraki’s formal declaration for the presidency in Abuja on Thursday.

    Secondus had led other members of the national executive committee of the PDP to the event, at the invitation of the organisers unaware that Saraki had a different agenda.

    It was gathered that neither Secondus nor the organisers of the event had the slightest inkling that Saraki was going to take advantage of the forum to declare his aspiration.

    Apparently rattled by Saraki’s ambush, the organisers were forced to issue a disclaimer the following day, expressing their disappointment and embarrassment at the action of the Senate President.

    Meanwhile, the Senate president is continuing his consultations with socio-political and interest groups across the country.

    One of his aides who does not want to be named said yesterday that he met with the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) headed by Chief Edwin Clark, the Yoruba group – Afenifere -and a group of northern elders led by Prof Ango Abdullahi during the week.

    He, however, did not venture comments on the outcome of the consultations, saying Saraki only briefed the groups and explained his decision to join the race.

    “You don’t expect it (consultation) to be a one-off thing because you are required to lay all your cards on the table through sustained consultation over time”, the aide added.

    My presidential ambition not a betrayal of Atiku, says Saraki

    Responding to questions yesterday on Saraki’s ambition, his chief spokesman, Yusuph Olaniyonu dismissed speculations that Saraki betrayed former vice president Atiku Abubakar by joining the presidential race.

    “No aspirant’s presidential quest is a betrayal of any others”, the office of the Senate President, Senator Olusola Saraki has said.

    Some of Atiku’s supporters had expressed surprised that Senator Saraki is challenging Atiku who once helped to mobilize support for him to become Senate President.

    He asserted that such assumptions are wrong, unjustifiable and baseless.

    “Betrayal? How? Was there an agreement that ‘you will support me for this, I will support you for that?” Olaniyonu retorted yesterday when he met The Nation.

    He added: “were they not in different political parties before?

    “We know that some people have an agenda in all this; they have an agenda on everything concerning Senator Saraki and there is no point responding to whatever misinformation they wish to spread.

    “There is no betrayal whatsoever between the two eminent citizens.

    “Are Governor Tambuwal and Senator Saraki not even much closer than the relationship between the former Vice President and the Senate President?

    “Governor Tambuwal and Senator Saraki are more of brothers but as true democrats, the two of them are in this race and they do not have any problem with one another over it; whoever wins the presidential ticket would get the support of the other,” he said.

    According to the Senate President’s spokesman, all PDP presidential aspirants, including Senator Saraki are now working out an arrangement to ensure a rancour-free process.

    “The agreement that they are working on now is such that whoever wins the PDP presidential primaries, all of them will rally to support whoever wins.

    “In fact, what all of the PDP presidential aspirants are concentrating on is that they will all work together and ensure that there is an open, free and fair presidential primaries.

    “They are trying to ensure that the process is very free and fair for all and that whoever emerges will not be a source of bitterness because the outcome would have been the result of a genuine process.

    “PDP presidential aspirants are working together to ensure that all of them forge a united front and that there will be no reason for the ruling party to see any of them as a potential ally.

     

     

    “They are working for a credible process and all of them are going to support the eventual winner.”

     

  • Enugu: PDP still in firm control

    THE count down to 2019 General Elections in Enugu State is heating up with the battle line drawn between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). For now, the PDP, which is in power in the state, has huge advantage over the APC.

    This is despite the fact that many political godfathers in the state, who were hitherto in PDP, have defected to the APC. These include the former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, the former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, the immediate past governor of Enugu state, Sullivan Chime and recently a former gubernatorial aspirant, Senator Ayogu Eze.

    But Enugu State electorates are not impressed with the defections of these big men to the ruling APC. Nothing has changed in the voting pattern of the people who since 1999 have become used to PDP. They see these godfathers as saboteurs who have lost their relevance politically.

    Moreso, the popularity of the incumbent governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, is so intoxicating among the people that it will be an uphill task for any candidate of another party to upstage him. Ugwuanyi is acceptable not only to the common man on the street but he is as well in the good books of the bigwigs who have defected to the APC. It has been observed that the governor is always in constant and cordial contact with them. And all have endorsed him for second term in office. If anything is the contrary, it will mean Ugwuanyi defecting to the APC himself.

    Because of the cordial relationship existing between the governor and the defectors, a political analyst in the state described the bigwig defectors as “APC in the day and PDP in the night”. That the godfathers’ defection to APC did not add any value to the party was made clear during the last November Local Government Election in the state in which they were roundly defeated in their immediate wards.

    That can be attributed to their reluctance to come out and campaign openly for the APC. The campaign was left for the Ben Nwoye-led executive to execute. With personalities like the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, and the biggest financier of the party in the state, Onyemuche Nnamani, Nwoye strode the nook and crannies of the state campaigning for votes. But their effort could not make much impact because of the reluctance of the godfathers to join the campaign train.

    As it is now, with the firm grip of Governor Ugwuanyi on the people, it seems not possible for any other party to penetrate Enugu State. And for the APC to make inroad in the state and win National Assembly seats, the godfathers must show interest and be active in the affairs of the party. The Ben Nwoye group or any other group of the party in the state must receive the active participation of the godfathers to succeed.

  • PDP faults Buhari on illegal migrants

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted the position of President Muhammadu Buhari on the fate of Nigerians who embark on illegal migration to Europe.

    Buhari was reported to have told the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, that Nigerians caught up in their attempt to illegally enter Europe are on their own.

    A statement yesterday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the statement exposed the president as an insensitive leader, who cares less about the plights of his compatriots.

    The party said: “The PDP notes that such statements by our president against Nigerians fuel violent attacks and inhuman treatment being meted out against our citizens abroad, including those with legitimate documents and engaged in lawful activities.

    “Is it not disturbing to Mr President that reports by Nigerian Immigration Services showed that many more Nigerians have been trapped in detention and slave camps in various parts of the world?

    “Also, is it not an act of gross leadership failure that, in his outburst against Nigerians, President Buhari admitted that they left in search of “greener pastures”, yet he could not articulate any solution to mitigate the suffering his administration has unleashed on our nation in the last three years?

    “Mr. President knows he is the cause of the problem, yet he has no words of assurances for suffering Nigerians. Instead, he has continued to worsen the situation with unsavory statements against our nation and her citizens whenever he is before an international audience.

    “If President Buhari is not condemning our youths as lazy and lovers of freebies, he is disparaging our women as inconsequential or demarketing our nation to investors as corrupt.”

  • 2019: Tambuwal hopeful on emerging as PDP presidential flag bearer

    Sokoto State Governor and a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has expressed optimism on emerging as his party’s flag bearer for the 2019 polls.

    Tambuwal who said he is  the most credible and favoured, spoke on his chances while responding to questions from newsmen in Sokoto.

    ” I am confident that the PDP presidential ticket will favour me God’s willing.”

    Tambuwal who picked his nomination form few days ago, is vying for the presidency on his party’s platform along 11 others, including former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi among other big names.

    According to Tambuwal who noted with emphasis that going by his antecedent, PDP delegates would find in him suitable candidate to fly it’s presidential flag.

    In the same vein, the governor who is a PDP new convert stated that his mission of  joining the race for presidency was to serve Nigeria, adding that” I have all it takes to be the president of the country.”

    He continued: ” My vision is to  have a well secured, buoyant and very stable polity in Nigeria.”

    Tambuwal hitherto, explained that his experience as governor would further strengthen his capacity to advance the course of educational development for the benefit of the youths in the country.

    ” With my level of experience in the state which is one of the educationally disadvantaged, will no doubt assist in chatting a way forward for the sector’s prosperity and youth development,” he explained.

    The presidential aspirant who noted that the world was knowledge driven, added that” developing human capital would be key in driving the economy with emphasis on Nigerian youths and women who deserve attention.”

     ” As governor, I have since my assumption, been making adequate provision of the state budgetary allocation to the education sector in addition to the promulgation of enabling laws to facilitate the development of education in the state.”

    On whether he will quit PDP if he fails to emerge as it’s flag bearer, Tambuwal said no, assuring that he would remain and work along with others for it’s victory.

  • 2019: Support groups purchase PDP presidential nomination form for Atiku

    The support groups of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Friday purchased for him the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms for the 2019 presidential election.

    The group led by Princess Adekemi-Adesanya Eboda, National President and Global Coordinator for Women and Youth Support for Atiku (WAYS) presented the forms to Abubakar at his campaign office in Abuja.

    The coordinator said they resolved to tax themselves to raise the funds for the forms as expression of their commitment to support Atiku in his presidential bid.

    Eboda said that Nigerians, especially women were looking up to Abubakar to rescue the country.

    “I speak the voice of millions of mothers in Nigeria who bear the brunt of the gale of jobs losses in the country.

    “I speak on behalf of women of this country urging you to rescue Nigeria from this current bad situation.

    “To show you that we are solidly behind you, we have chosen to purchase your nomination form and expression of interest form from the PDP to contest for president in 2019 and we shall give you all of our support,” she said.

    A leader of one of the groups, Mr Edwin Adai on behalf of all the groups, presented the forms to Abubakar.

    Abubakar, who was emotional during the remarks, said that Eboda succeeded in making him to weep because her remarks reflected the situations of the country.

    “This is because she aptly described the challenges every Nigerian is facing in this country today and she believed honestly and sincerely from the bottom of her heart that I could be an instrument to addressing those challenges’’.

    He commended the decision of the groups for buying him the forms saying that it was the first time in his political career that his supporters would show him such love.

    “I have been in politics for the past three decades and in those three decades I have only been on the ballot for the presidential election only once and that was in 2007.

    “But not once in those three decades have I received this much love from the people as you have done today by choosing to purchase nomination forms on my behalf.

    “By this action, there is a pact between you and me that we are going to do this work together.

    “Just as you gathered here together, we shall enter the race for the PDP nomination together and together also into the general election.

    “And by the grace of God and through your hard work, I believe that we are going to win together”, Abubakar said.(NAN)