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Tag: PDP

  • N22tr debt: Buhari has wrecked Nigeria – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said on Wednesday President Muhammadu Buhari’s poor understanding of current global economic dynamics and his cover of humongous corruption have completely wrecked the nation and directly responsible for the accumulated N22 trillion national debt burden.

    The party said if President Buhari had allowed competent hands to manage the nation’s economy, and stopped providing official cover for corruption, the nation would not have been in the current embarrassing economic situation.

    A statement by the spokesman of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said since President Buhari assumed office and took control of the economy, his administration has not been able to articulate any germane policy to sustain, let alone, grow the economy.

    The party said instead, the government resorted to borrowing, while allowing cronies and All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders to fritter away trillions of naira earned by the nation in the last three years.

    The statement said: “Why would the Buhari administration not accumulate debts when it has continued to cover up corrupt practices under its watch, including the alleged stealing of N9 trillion, through underhand oil contracts in the NNPC and Ministry of Petroleum Resources as well as the alleged illegal lifting of crude oil worth N1.1 trillion by 18 unregistered companies to service APC interests, among others?

    “Moreover, the Buhari Presidency has refused to explain the whereabouts of trillions of naira unremitted oil revenue, resulting in the deadlock at the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).

    “If these monies were properly accounted for and utilized, Nigeria will not be in this dire economic situation which has brought hunger and starvation on Nigerians and rendered millions of compatriots jobless, while President Buhari and his officials live in affluence.

    “The PDP recalls various red flags by international agencies, including Transparency International and the World Bank on the poor management of our economy.

    “Besides, the Presidency has been concealing the fact that Petroleum sector under President Buhari has been inducted into the FOI Hall of Shame by Media Rights Agenda (MRA) following government’s relentless secrecy and violation of rules in the sector.

    “We invite Nigerians to note that since President Buhari intensified his re-election bid, there have been huge dearth in investment inflow, further depreciation of the naira and a dangerous slide in the capital market, all signposting that our nation will continue to face perilous time as long as President Buhari is on the saddle with his array of persons with doubtful credentials as ministers and special advisers.

    “The PDP therefore urges President Buhari to take responsibility for the escalated debt, stop offering excuses and get ready to accept defeat and quit the stage in 2019, so that more competent Nigerians can revamp our economy on the platform of the repositioned PDP.”

  • PDP has no plan to change name, says Lamido

    A presidential aspirant in Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Sule Lamido, has said the party has no plan to change its name.

    He said PDP was not a chameleon that would change its name to suit the desire of those who wanted to join it.

    Speaking in Minna while addressing the proposed delegates to next month’s national convention of the party, Lamido said anyone not satisfied with the party’s name could leave.

    There has been agitation for a change of name and logo by the parties in the coalition, which teamed up with the PDP to wrest power from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Lamido said: “PDP remains the only party with well-defined ideology. Between 1999 and now, other parties have changed their names in the quest to wrest power from the PDP. Of the parties, only the PDP has retained its name.”

    He said the destruction caused by the APC government had set the country back by 10 years, adding that security situation across the country had degenerated.

    The former Jigawa State governor said APC was in panic because the brains in the party had defected to PDP and they no longer had the capacity to convince Nigerians.

    “Defection occurs when there is injustice and impunity. Impunity and injustice made people to leave PDP then. Those who left are now coming back. When they left us, we were able to manage it, we were able to conduct ourselves in a very dignified way because we are leaders.

    “What goes round comes round. It is now time for the APC to experience same and they are panicking because they have no capacity. When we faced same in 2014, we were very cool, calm and collected and were able to cheer the party despite our losses.

    “The APC are panicking because those defecting are the brains behind the party. They are finished that is why they are panicking,” he said.

    Speaking on the PDP loss in the by-elections in Bauchi, Katsina and Kogi states last week, Lamido said the loss was not PDP’s loss, but Nigeria’s loss.

    “It is Nigeria that lost because of the impunity, injustice and corruption that pervaded the election.”

  • PDP rejects APC’s allegation of plan to attack senators

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s claims of a planned attack its senators.

    The PDP said the ruling party was smarting from its failed attempt to remove Senate President Bukola Saraki.

    The opposition said the ruling party had come to its wits end in its desperate plot to illegally remove Saraki and his deputy Ike Ekweremadu hence the “spurious” allegation.

    A statement by PDP spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan, said it was sheer hallucination for the APC to link it with any attempt to attack anybody, not the least, senators.

    “Equally derisory is the APC’s claims that it is in talks with some PDP senators to get a two thirds vote to impeach the Senate presiding officers when it is public knowledge that all PDP senators are loyal to their party and had already pledged their loyalty to the presiding officers that they elected by themselves.

    “It is therefore foolhardiness for the leadership of the APC, to contemplate a capacity to impeach the presiding officers of the National Assembly whereas they are neither senators nor members of the House of Representatives.

    “It is also funny that rather than lobby senators and members on their party position, if they have any, the APC leadership toed the path of brigandage, claiming to have powers to upturn or upstage the leadership that it did not ab-initio bring into existence.

    “It is necessary to impress it on the APC that Nigerians, in attracting a democratic lifestyle, have since abandoned the garrison command leadership approach of any Nigerian, no matter how highly placed.

    “Therefore, it is too late in the day for the APC to attempt to deploy underhand tactics that are strange to democratic norms to remove a duly elected Senate leadership”, the PDP added.

  • We’ll match APC in election rigging – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vowed on Tuesday to march the All Progressives Congress (APC) in election rigging in future elections, starting with the September 22 governorship election in Osun State.

    In a statement issued by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party also vowed to dismantle the APC’s “rigging machinery” henceforth.

    The PDP said it has become manifest to Nigerians and other political parties that the APC is only interested in brazen rigging of elections.

    The party added that it would contend with the APC, “head to head, means to means, scheme to scheme, shenanigan for shenanigan, in all ramifications and magnitude,” to discomfit the ruling party in all coming elections in the country.

    The party said it has thoroughly reviewed all infractions, barefaced suppression, unleashing of violence and unabashed use of security forces and compromised electoral officers to rig elections against the PDP since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office.

    It vowed to never again allow the APC and its Federal Government to continue using foul means to usurp power as it has done in the past and asking the PDP to go to court thereafter.

    The statement said: “The PDP has particularly reviewed the rigging of Edo State governorship election in 2016, the blatant rigging of the July 14, 2018 Ekiti State governorship election and the last Saturday’s federal constituency bye-elections in Bauchi, Katsina and Kogi States.

    “The review showed that the PDP won in all the elections but was viciously manipulated out by the APC- controlled Federal Government through the instrumentality of violence against PDP agents and supporters, vote buying, use of thugs, ballot snatching, harassment, arrests, maiming and even killing of PDP supporters in addition to the use of compromised electoral officers to cancel votes belonging to the PDP, alter results from polling centers and then return APC candidates as winners.

    “Furthermore, the PDP takes very strong consideration of the open boasts and chest-thumping by officials of the Buhari Presidency and the APC, particularly on their rigging of the Ekiti governorship and the federal bye-elections in Bauchi, Katsina and Kogi States, where APC thugs were allowed to freely use weapons against PDP supporters.

    “This is in addition to the unholy convergence of APC governors and security goons in constituencies where elections are held to supervise the free distribution of funds to buy votes, bribe electoral officers and openly intimidate the people.”

     

     

  • We lost last Anambra election to hunger – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) in Anambra State on Tuesday, attributed its failure to clinch power in the November governorship election in the state to vote buying.

    The State Chairman of the party, Mr Ndubuisi Nwobu made the disclosure in a chat with our correspondents at the party’s Secretariat at Udoka Housing Estate, Awka.

    He said the PDP lost to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) due to what he called mass hunger and other irregularities.

    “In these days when vote buying has become the order of the day, One’s victory is dependent on how deep his pocket is. That is not to say the candidate is not popular.

    “But because hunger is in the land, people sell their birthrights for a plate of porage on the election day. But immediately after the election, it looks like a scale feel off from their eyes and they start regretting,” he said.

    Nwobu however said the ugly trend which, according to him was prevalent among the youths, could be salvaged.

    “People say there is no remedy to the ugly trend, but I’m one of those who believe vote buying which the adults have also joined can be checkmated.

    “INEC should provide a secluded voting centres so people won’t have opportunity to show others who they voted for.

    “Voters should not be allowed to enter the polling booths with their cell phones, because they use the phones to snap their ballot papers which they show those who will pay them later,” he said.

    Nwobu further disclosed that the party has put necessary arrangements in motion for its congresses and primaries ahead of next year’s general elections.

    He said he would address a meeting of stakeholders of the party later in the day(Tuesday) to intimate members of the arrangements.

    Describing the crises rocking the party as normal in any progressive organizations, the party helmsman assured that his leadership in the state had given a direction to the party, assuring that the PDP would win majority seats in the National Assembly and the state’s house of Assembly.

  • PDP won’t change name – Lamido

    A presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Sule Lamido, declared on Tuesday that the party has no intention to change its name to satisfy those seeking its membership.

    He said the PDP is not a chameleon that would change its identity to suit those planning to join the party.

    Speaking in Minna, Niger State, while addressing proposed delegates to next month national convention of the party, Lamido declared that anyone that is not satisfied with the party’s present name could leave the party.

    He said: “The PDP remains the only party with well- defined ideology. Between 1999 and now all the other political parties have changed their names in the quest to wrestle power from the PDP. Out of all political parties, only the PDP had retained its name.”

    Lamido said the destruction caused by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government had set Nigeria back by 10 years, adding that security situations across the country had degenerated in alarming rate.

    The former Governor of Jigawa State said the APC is in a panic mode because all the brains in the party had defected and longer have the capacity to convince Nigerians.

    “Defection occurred when there is injustice and impunity. The impunity and injustice made people to leave PDP then. Those who left are now coming back. When they left us, we were able to manage it, we were able to conduct ourselves in a very dignified way because we are leaders.

    “What goes round comes around, it is now time for the APC to experience same and they are panicking because they have no capacity. When we faced same in 2014, we were very cool, calm and collected and were able to lead the party despite our losses.”

     

     

  • ‘Akpabio still a member of PDP’

    The Senator representing the Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Gershom Bassey, on Tuesday said Senator Godswill Akpabio, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in an elaborate ceremony in Akwa Ibom State, was still a PDP member on the floor of the hallowed chambers.

    Speaking with reporters in Calabar today, Senator Bassey however stated that the defection issue of the former Akwa Ibom governor was not a big deal.

    He said, “He has not defected on the floor of the Senate. His defection is outside the Senate. For now he has not carpet crossed in the Senate. So he has done nothing illegal or wrong for now. In the Senate he is still in the PDP. We have not seen his letter. He letter has not been read on the floor and his seat is still in the PDP fold. So as far as we know he is still a PDP man. Until he tells us in the chambers then we would cross that bridge.”

    Also commenting on issues about the the reconvening of the National Assembly, Bassey said there was never an official notice to that effect.

    “The news media may have gotten ahead of itself in announcing and reconvening because there was no official notice to that effect. Normally when the National Assembly reconvenes it is the clerk of the NASS that sends out the notice. That is the rightful person. I am sure there was no such information from his office. So I think that the media having listened to a press conference by I think by one of the House of Reps men. But if you listen carefully to that press conference he didn’t say anything definite but I think the media just took it that it was definite. There was no plan and there has never been any plan to reconvene. What they did after the meeting of the leadership last week was that they were going to consider it. There was no commitment towards any particular date for reconvening,” he said.

    He also condemned the recent taking over the National Assembly by men of the Department of State Services.

    “I have condemned the invasion of the NASS. It is absolutely unacceptable. It is a coup against our democracy and that is the way we see it. I have called for a comprehensive independent enquiry into the incident. We have to get to the root of it. It is not enough to fire the DSS boss. I have seen the DSS man as a highly professional person. Anytime he has come to the NASS he has always been extremely professional in his presentations. So I don’t think that man would just wake up on his own and act like that. Someone must have given him instructions. So we need to get to the bottom of it. Or he was misled, one of the two, but we have to get to the bottom of it,” the Senator said.

  • 2019: 500 PDP members defects to APC in Jigawa

    OVER 500 members of People Democratic Party ( PDP ) have defected to All Progressive Congress (APC) in Roni local government of Jigawa state.

    The decampee were received on Tuesday by the state APC chairman Alhaji Ado Sani Kiri who was represented by the party caucus Alhaji Abdullahi H Gumel welcome the the new members and promise to treat them like any other party member.

    According to him, in APC there is no difference between new member and old member, what is matter is how committed and obedient you are to the party and it’s manifesto.

    Also speaking at the gathering, an aspirant for the seat of member representing Kazaur/Roni/Yankwashi/ Guiwa federal constituency Alhaji Kabiru Muhammed Roni commended the courage and wisdom exhibited by the defectors for dumping the party that does not mean well to them and the country.

    Read Also: ‘PDP returnees are prodigal sons’

    Alhaji Kabiru who is the key player in woing the defectors in to APC promise to carry the new members along, work with them hands in hands for the victory of the party in the state and nation at large.

    Speaking on behalf of the decampee who came from across. Seven political wards of Roni local government‎, Malam Isa Naradi said, they dumped PDP for APC in recognition of exemplary leadership demonstrated by governor Muhammadu Badaru in the state. And also to support the candidature of Alhaji Kabiru muhemmed who they described as a man of integrity and trust worthy.

  • Former Envoy, Ibeto Apologises to PDP

    ….Submits Letter of Intent

    Former Nigeria High Commissioner to South Africa, Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibeto has apologised to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  for defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
    According to him, the leadership of the party then was not honest to the members and because they felt cheated, they decided to shift base.
    Ibeto who made the apology while submitting his letter of intent to run for Governorship under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the State secretariat in Minna, Niger state, “we were cheated, that was why we left”.
    He said that he will do only one term to give credence to the zoning formula put in place by the founders of the PDP in the state in 1998.
     “I will do only one term to give credence to the zoning formula put in place by the founders of the PDP in the state in 1998. And by the grace of God, in 2023, the governorship will go to zone A”.
    The former Envoy who was the Deputy Governor for eight years during the administration of Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu stressed on the need to adhere to the zoning policy stating that it would bring peace to the state.
    “Anyone who wants to truncate the zoning arrangement wants to destroy the state; the arrangement was put in place to give all parts of the state the spirit of belonging”.
    He promised to work “with those on the ground”, adding that “I will not import people from Kaduna and other states to assist in administering the state.
    In his remarks, the state PDP chairman, Alhaji Tanko Beji assured all new and old members of the party of equal opportunities in the run up of the state Party’s conventio stating that all aspirants would be given equal treatment.

  • PDP tasks INEC over PVCs ‘found’ in Daura’s home

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the alleged discovery of thousands of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in the home of the sacked Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura.

    The party also said the alleged discovery was an indictment on INEC and has placed a huge doubt over its integrity and capacity to conduct free and fair elections in the country.

    In a statement issued on Monday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP called on the National Assembly to immediately commence investigation into the matter, with the view to establishing the veracity or otherwise of the allegation.

    “The PDP notes that since the news of the sordid discovery broke, neither the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, nor any other officer of the Commission, had offered any explanation to Nigerians, a development that suggests the Commission’s complicity in the allegation,” the party said.

    The PDP urged the INEC chairman to stop playing the ostrich, come out clean and inform Nigerians how thousands of electoral materials as sensitive as PVCs, under his watch, found their way into Daura’s home.