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Tag: PDP

  • PDP’s counter moves

    THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has not been sleeping either. We gathered that the party has notified all its relevant arms to take necessary actions that would help it counter all the moves being made by APC to remove Saraki and recover the leadership of the National Assembly.

    Confirming this strategy, a PDP lawmaker, Senator Philip Gyunka (PDP Nasarawa North), revealed that the party’s senators are taking turns to sleep over at the National Assembly Complex to prevent possible nocturnal removal of Saraki by their APC colleagues.

    He made the revelation this week in Lafia when he presented his letter of intent to contest for Nasarawa State governorship ticket of PDP in the state.

    According to him, “I woke up this morning from my night shift and I will still be going back to my night shift; that is to say we are keeping vigil.

    “We are rotating the shift among ourselves. As regards what they are saying about impeachment (removal), it is not possible because the international community is aware of their plot.

    “Don’t be discouraged. They will intimidate you as they do to us. Like myself, I don’t know how many times they have been calling me. We didn’t know they have come to truncate democracy. But the Senate President, being a product of PDP, has come to the rescue of the situation. We are keeping watch on their plans.

    “If they want the Senate President removed, which is impossible, they must have two third majorities.

    “They have been attempting and failing. I know they will still make attempts but they will not succeed because I know Nigerians will not allow them to make mockery of the nation’s democracy.

    “If you hear a lawmaker speaking, he is speaking the minds of thousands of people.

    “How then should someone, who was appointed and has neither gone to the rural areas to feel the pulse of the people, nor held town hall meeting be insisting that a man that was duly chosen by his colleagues be removed at all course.

    “Oshiomhole (Adams) should be educated that this is not unionism. This is an issue that has to do with the Constitution and we will not allow him to violate it,” he said.

    Earlier, PDP members of the House of Representatives had also raised the alarm over an alleged plan by APC lawmakers to ‘sneak into the Assembly’ and impeach Saraki at an odd hour in spite of the substituting recess.

    The members, who also said they would keep vigil over the Senate chambers, accused Senators Ali Ndume, Abdullahi Adamu and Ovie Omo-Agege, of leading other APC lawmakers in the alleged plot “to break into the Senate chambers and impeach Saraki.”

    House Deputy Minority Leader, Chukwuka Onyema, who addressed reporters at the National Assembly then, said:

    “Already, some riot policemen have arrived. They will tell us what they are here to do when the Senate is on recess.

    “They want to repeat the Benue incident here, but we are ready to protect democracy,” Onyema said.

    Another counter move already undertaken by PDP to forestall Saraki’s impeachment is resort to court and plans to sponsor motion demanding probe of the last security siege on the National Assembly.

    Two senators, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Isa Hamma Misau and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, came out during the week to reveal plans to sponsor a motion urging the Federal Government to set up a Judicial Commission of Enquiry to probe the invasion of the National Assembly by masked operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    In a joint statement issued in Abuja earlier in the week, the two lawmakers said an open enquiry would enable Nigerians to know what led to the siege and those behind the plot to illegally take over the National Assembly.

     “One of the assignments of the Senate on resumption would be a motion in which the siege on the National Assembly and the rape on democracy would be debated and appropriate resolutions taken on how to redress the situation,” they said, adding, “is it not curious that the Federal Government has not deemed it necessary to constitute a judicial panel to conduct an impartial and public enquiry into the recent siege to the National Assembly, which amounted to a coup against democracy?”

  • PDP having sleepless nights over Buhari’s achievements, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) said on Friday that the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was having sleepless night over the achievements of the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration and has decided to do everything possible to frustrate the government from achieving a credible election in 2019.

    The Acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, said in a statement in Abuja that the PDP is hiding behind the yet to be assented to Electoral Act amendment bill to draw attention away from the refusal of the Senate President to reconvene the National Assembly to consider the budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Nabena said: “The PDP has realised that the 2019 elections has been won and lost. If the election is held today, it is clear that the APC will win by a landslide, judging by visible and landmark achievements recorded by the President Buhari administration.

    “This is an apparent fact that gives the PDP sleepless nights, hence its daily lies and propaganda in its desperate, failed and early campaign to attract non- existent votes.”

    While condemning the refusal to reconvene the National Assembly, the APC said assent to bills in all democratic governments reflects the prudence and discretion of the president in balancing the powers of key constitutional bodies and understanding the concerns of the executive.

    The statement reads: “The PDP attempt to hide under the yet-to-be assented Electoral Act Amendment Bill is an attempt to draw attention away from the treasonable actions of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki who has refused to convene the National Assembly to consider at plenary the crucial 2019 Election Budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “The Electoral Act Amendment Bill passed by the National Assembly is alive and awaiting assent. However, assent to bills in all democratic governments reflects the prudence and discretion of the president in balancing the powers of key constitutional bodies and understanding the concerns of the executive.

    “While we strongly condemn the abuse of office by the Senate President backed by his PDP cohorts in sabotaging the executive, specifically INEC, all well-meaning Nigerians have a duty to speak up and ensure that the National Assembly performs its constitutional role and not serve an individual’s personal interest and sinister ends of the opposition PDP.

    “We call on all Nigerians, civil societies and indeed, the international community to resist the ongoing travesty and legislative rascality being perpetuated by the Senate President and the PDP. The sanctity of our electoral system is being threatened by this orchestrated sabotage and deliberate attempt to weaken INEC as we prepare for general elections in 2019.

    “The National Assembly must be convened immediately.”

    Meanwhile, the Buhari Media Organisation asked the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki to stop holding the country to ransom by immediately reconvening the Senate to deliberate on urgent national issues.

    In a statement signed by the Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, the organisation said it is worrisome that the Senate President has continued to postpone the resumption of the Senate despite several calls by Nigerians for the Senate to reconvene and deliberate on some critical matters such as the INEC budget and approval for foreign loans tied to several critical infrastructure.

    The group said “going by the intransigence of the Senate President to reconvene the Senate, we are left with no other conclusion than to say that in reality Senator Saraki is the one laying siege to the whole country by using his position to undermine the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

  • Court dismisses murder charge against nine PDP members

    An Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Friday dismissed a murder charge preferred against nine members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos.

    Chief Magistrate Alex Komolafe freed them following advice of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), exonerating them of the killing of Apapa Local Government Area PDP Chairman, Adeniyi Aborishade, on July 21.

    The men are: Rotimi Kujore, 44; Fatai Adele, 62; Ismaila Abiola, 50; Amos Fawole, 65; Victoria Falowo, 42; Mukaila Odukoya, 54; Isaac Oropo, 55; Muhammed Babangida, 37; and Ugochukwu Nwoke, 50.

    The magistrate, however, refused to discharge Kehinde Fasasi, 61, the 10th defendant but granted him bail in the sum N400,000.

    They were arraigned by the police on July 25 alongside Moshood Salvador, chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the PDP for alleged conspiracy and unlawful killing.

    The magistrate remanded them in Kirikiri Prison following their not guilty plea and adjourned for the DPP’s advice.

    But Salvador, through his counsel Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), challenged his remand and sought a dismissal of the charge, among others, at the high court.

    When the matter, came up before Justice Obafemi Adamson of the Ikeja High Court on August 14, an Assistant Director of Public Prosecution, Mr Olaitan Soetan, said there was a “development” regarding Salvador’s prayers.

    The judge’s attention was drawn to the DPP’s report to the lower court recommending the defendants’ discharge for want of evidence.

    The report, endorsed by Lagos State Attorney-General, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, advised the police to release the suspects and intensify the hunt for the actual killers.

    It, however, advised the police to charge Fasasi with disorderly conduct contrary to Section 168(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State for causing the fracas that led to the incident

    Pedro affirmed the new state of affairs and told the court that “the matter has been overtaken by circumstances.”

    He urged the court to dismiss the charge.

    Ruling, Justice Adamson freed the defendants based on the DPP’s advice.

    On August 16, a Lagos High Court in Igbosere adjourned till August 23 to hear five more PDP members’ bail application following their remand for Aborishade’s alleged murder.

  • PDP having sleepless nights over Buhari’s achievements – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) said on Friday that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was having sleepless night over the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and doing everything possible to frustrate the government from achieving a credible election in 2019.

    The Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena, said in a statement in Abuja that the PDP is however hiding behind the yet to be signed Electoral Act amendment bill to draw attention away from the refusal of the Senate President to reconvene the National Assembly to consider the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) budget.

    Nabena said: “The PDP has realised that the 2019 elections have been won and lost. If the election is held today, it is clear that the APC will win by a landslide, judging by visible and landmark achievements recorded by President Buhari’s administration.

    “This is an apparent fact that gives the PDP sleepless nights, hence its daily lies and propaganda in its desperate, failed and early campaign to attract non- existent votes.”

    While condemning the refusal of the NASS to reconvene, the APC said assent to Bills in all democratic governments reflects the prudence and discretion of the president in balancing the powers of key constitutional bodies and understanding the concerns of the executive.

    He added: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attempt to hide under the yet-to-be assented Electoral Act Amendment bill is an attempt to draw attention away from the treasonable actions of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who has refused to convene the National Assembly to consider at plenary the crucial 2019 Election Budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “The Electoral Act Amendment Bill passed by the National Assembly is alive and awaiting assent. However, assent to Bills in all democratic governments reflects the prudence and discretion of the president in balancing the powers of key constitutional bodies and understanding the concerns of the executive.

    “While we strongly condemn the abuse of office by the Senate President backed by his PDP cohorts in sabotaging the executive, specifically INEC, all well-meaning Nigerians have a duty to speak up and ensure that the National Assembly performs its constitutional role and not serve an individual’s personal interest and sinister ends of the opposition PDP.”

     

  • Court frees men accused of murdering Apapa PDP chairman

    An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court on Friday discharged nine men charged with the murder of the Apapa local government PDP chairman, Adeniyi Aborisade.

    Delivering a ruling, Chief Magistrate Mr Alex Komolafe, dismissed the murder charges against Rotimi Kujore, 44; Fatai Adele, 62; Ismaila Abiola, 50; Amos Fawole, 65; Victoria Falowo, 42.

    Others include Mukaila Odukoya, 54; Isaac Oropo, 55; Muhammed Babangida, 37; and Ugochukwu Nwoke, 50.

    The accused were arraigned alongside Moshood Salvador, chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who has since been discharged of the crime levelled against him.

    Chief Magistrate Komolafe, in the ruling, held that in view of the advice from the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution, the court exonerated the accused persons.

    Komolafe also ordered that the nine accused be released from Ikoyi Prison.

    The magistrate, however, refused to discharge Kehinde Fasasi, 61, the tenth accused but granted him bail in the sum N400,000.

    The offences contravened Sections 223 and 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

  • Baraje: I’m going back to PDP

    Former leader of the Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC) Abubakar Baraje has said he would return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The former PDP National Chairman said he would formally declare for the party in his ward in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

    Baraje, who addressed reporters at the sideline of the graduation ceremony of the Baraje Centre for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Ilorin, said:

    “If I tell you where I belong now, I am telling you because you asked me, but my formal declaration is coming up in a few days at my own ward. It is being arranged by my people.

    “That means where my leader goes is where I go. I belong to the party that has made me and a party that has given me in-road into the politics of this country.

    “I belong to the PDP and I attended the PDP meeting at Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja some two months ago. There I made a statement that went viral and I think that was very indicative of where I belong. In very few days now you will hear I am in my ward declaring for PDP along with my supporters.”

    On Senate President Bukola Saraki’s presidential ambition, Baraje said: “As a reminder, Senate President Bukola Saraki has been trying his luck on being the president of this country since 2011. He withdrew for the then candidate Goodluck Jonathan. In 2015, he also withdrew for the President Muhammadu Buhari. So for somebody who has been nursing that kind of ambition, is it not right for such person to come forward again?

    “This present president came forward for four times before clinching it. Did anybody ask whether he was right or wrong? Totally, I am in his support. Whatever Nigeria is looking for is in him and what we are looking for is only a candidate that will unite Nigeria.

    “He has the right; the fact that he is the Senate President does not stop him from aspiring to become the president.”

    On the planned removal of Saraki, he said: “I am not a senator, but I am a party leader and a politician. As a politician, you don’t just sit down without educating yourself. I have read the Constitution and whenever, there is any controversy about any issue, I read the Constitution. I have gone through the relevant sections, particularly on the issue of impeachment, and the constitution makes me understand that only the senators can elect and remove their president. The Constitution also stipulates the offences he must commit to warrant removal…”

  • I’m returning to PDP – Baraje

    The former leader of the Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC) Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, said on Thursday he would return to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in few days time.

    Baraje said he would formally declare for PDP alongside few of his supporters in his ward in Ilorin, Kwara State.

    He spoke to journalists during the graduation ceremony of the Baraje Centre for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Ilorin.

    He said: “If I tell you where I belong now, I am telling you because you asked me. But my formal declaration is coming up in few days time at my own ward. It is being arranged by my people.

    “That means where my leader goes is where you will find me. I belong to the party that has made me and a party that has given me in-road into the politics of this country. I belong to the PDP and I have gone to the PDP meeting at Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja two months ago. There I made a statement that went viral and I think that was very indicative of where I belong. In few days now you will hear I am in my ward declaring for PDP along with my supporters.”

    Speaking on Senate President, Bukola Saraki’s presidential ambition, Baraje added: “As a reminder Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has been trying his luck on being the president of this country since 2011. He withdrew for the then candidate Goodluck Jonathan. In 2015, he also withdrew for the present President Muhammadu Buhari. So for somebody who has been nursing that kind of ambition, is it not right for such person to come forward again?

    “This present president came forward for four times before clinching it. Did anybody ask whether he was right or wrong? Totally, I am in his support. Whatever Nigeria is looking for is in him and what we are looking for is only a candidate that will unite Nigeria. Because the current situation in the country, Nigeria is further divided and unless we get a candidate that will unite Nigeria, it is going to be a very serious jeopardy for this country.

     

  • PDP senators ‘keeping vigil at National Assembly over Saraki’

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators are taking turns to sleep over at the National Assembly Complex to prevent a noctunal removal of Senate President Bukola Saraki by their All Progressives Congress (APC) colleagues, a senator said yesterday.

    Senator Philip Gyunka (PDP Nasarawa North) spoke in Lafia, the state capital, yesterday when he presented his letter of intent to contest for Nasarawa State governor, to the leadership of the PDP in the state..

    He said: “I woke up this morning from my night shift and I will still be going back to my night shift. That is to say we are keeping vigil.

    “We are rotating the shift among ourselves. As regards what they are saying about impeachment (removal), it is not possible because the international community is aware of their plot.

    “Don’t be discouraged. They will intimidate you as they do to us. Like myself, I don’t know how many times they have been calling me. We didn’t know they have come to truncate democracy. But the Senate president, being a product of PDP, has come to the rescue of the the situation.

    “We are keeping watch on their plans.

    “If they want the Senate President removed, which is impossible they must have two third majorities.

    “They have been attempting and failing. I know they will still make attempts but they will not succeed because I know Nigerians will not allow them to make mockery of the nation’s democracy.

    “If you hear a lawmaker speaking, he is speaking the minds of thousands of people.

    “How then should someone, who was appointed and has neither gone to the rural areas to feel the pulse of the people, nor held town hall meeting be insisting that a man that was duly chosen by his colleagues be removed at all course.

    “Oshiomhole (Adams) should be educated that this is not unionism. This is an issue that has to do with the Constitution and we will not allow him to violate it,” he said.

    The senator told PDP supporters that he would bring to the office of the governor the heart of a servant who had known hard times, tasted poverty and acquired requisite discipline to govern.

    “I shall bring the benefit of my vast experience as an economist, banker, and a legislator at both the state and federal levels to reform and transform the state.

    “ I will bring a new vision and new direction to governance that will be truly democratic, representative and professional to deliver and redeem the state from its downward descent,” Gyunka said.

    State PDP Chairman Francis Orogu said the state chapter of the party was proud of its representatives at the National Assembly and would encourage them to maintain the tempo of their loyalty to the PDP.

  • Osun poll: APC accuses PDP of planning to use thugs

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it got information that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is planning to use thugs and to rig the September 22 governorship election in Osun State.

    In a statement yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, also accused the PDP of cloning Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) for use in the election.

    He said: “The PDP, on Tuesday, vowed to deploy all means, schemes, shenanigans in all ramifications and magnitude to rig all coming elections, starting from the Osun governorship election.

    “The party also directed its presidential aspirants to move their political machinery into Osun State within this period.

    “When the APC learnt of the shocking disclosure, we initially doubted its veracity and dismissed it as one of the fake news in circulation.”

    APC stressed that PDP’s Tuesday statement was particularly worrisome because it coincided with the situation field report the ruling party received on the opposition’s plans for the Osun governorship election.

    The party added that PDP’s new public rigging plan was a red flag that required urgent probe by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies.

    The statement urged well-meaning Nigerians and civil society organisations to speak out and resist PDP’s plan, which it said threatens the country’s democracy.

    It reminded the PDP that the country’s democracy was maturing, adding that its crude election rigging methods, such as ballot box snatching displayed during last weekend by-election in Kogi State, was no longer accepted in elections.

    APC expressed confidence that Osun State residents would resist PDP’s ploy to take-over the state by force.

    “The people’s will, the people’s vote is supreme. It must be respected and defended, that is democratic, progressive and the right thing,” the statement said.

  • Lagos light rail project dragging too long — PDP

    The Lagos State chapter of the People’s Democratic PartyParty (PDP) has decried what it called the “frequent delays” in the delivery of the state light rail project.

    The Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Mr Taofik Gani, expressed the concern in a statement in Lagos on Wednesday.

    The PDP was reacting to a statement by the state government that the first phase of the project (Blue Line), which commenced in 2008, could only be delivered in 2022.

    The state government had initially promised 2011 and then 2018 as delivery dates for the 27km light rail project running between Marina, Mile 2 and Okokomaiko.

    Mr Kolawole Ojelabi, Director of the Lagos Area Metropolitan Authority (LAMATA) had on Sunday said the shift in date followed a comprehensive review of all the aspects of the project by the state government.

    He explained that the foreign consultants engaged to do the technical and due diligence on the project said detailed work would not finish on it before 2022.

    The PDP, however, said the project had almost become a drain pipe consuming the state ‘s resources endlessly.

    According to Gani, the amount of money spent did not reflect the level of work done so far on the project.

    Gani said it was surprising that Mr Babatunde Fashola, the immediate past governor of the state, now the Minister of Works, could not support the project”s delivery.

    “This project was estimated to end within two years, now it is to end in 2022, that is 12 years after due delivery date.

    “All monies purportedly spent on the project did not reflect in the work done.
    .
    “So many property owners in the axis are still crying for compensation even as government claim total payment of compensatiion.It is a lies.

    “We demand a probe of this project and indeed many other projects suffering the same fate as the rail project,” he said. (NAN)