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Tag: PDP

  • PDP cautions FG on cattle ranches

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the Federal Government to exercise caution in its plan to establish cattle ranches in some parts of the country.

    Declaring that the country is presently in perilous times, the party urged the government to hold enough consultations on the issue, to avoid escalation of the same problems it claims to be addressing.

    The PDP observed that the situation has already generated discordant tunes and acrimony among major stakeholders, groups and states across the country, particularly on issues of funding and land ownership.

    Addressing a news conference in Abuja on Thursday, spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the party was particularly worried by the lack of adequate consultations by the federal government resulting in the disagreements that have trailed the plan, especially along ethnic divides.

    It urged the government to get its acts together and follow all due processes, as stipulated by the laws and the 1999 Constitution (as amended), in order to eliminate the disagreements generated by the policy.

    The party said the nation has witnessed enough disagreements, violence and bloodletting, as such all measures must be put in place to avert fresh crisis.

    The PDP restated its accusation of clampdown on opposition leaders and perceived opponents of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    It alerted Nigerians and the international community to what it described as the antics of those it described as “enemies of our democratic process and adversaries of our unity and harmonious living as a nation.”

    Ologbondiyan said: “Today, our dear nation, Nigeria, has finally fallen into a perilous time! There are fears and trepidation everywhere. The safety, personal freedom and wellbeing of Nigerians, particularly, opposition members are no longer guaranteed.

    “The All Progressives Congress (APC), having realized that they stand no chance in the 2019 general elections, are now deploying all wicked machinations to cause confusion, heighten political tension, hounding and arresting opposition leaders, making spurious allegations and attacking influential Nigerians, including former heads of state, all to instill fear in the polity.

    “Having failed in their corruption smear campaign against the PDP and many notable Nigerians, the APC and the Presidency cabal have now devised a devious machination to rope in, frame up, implicate and ultimately incarcerate marked opposition leaders and other dissenting voices over fabricated security charges.

    “Part of this design, as already exposed by the Special Adviser to President Buhari, Mr. Femi Adesina, on Arise TV, is to link such opposition leaders and dissenting voices with the widespread killings in various parts of the country, while forgetting that President Buhari had earlier blamed the attacks on invaders from Late Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya, while his Director General of State Security Services (DG.SSS) blamed it on herdsmen from neighbouring countries.”

     

     

  • Buhari lacks capacity to implement 2018 budget – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has viewed President Muhammadu Buhari’s submission that the 2018 budget would be “near un-implementable” as a clear admission that the President lacks the capacity and competence to run a development-oriented economy as desired by Nigerians.

    According to the party, Nigerians and the business community worldwide were stunned by the President’s assertion while signing the budget.

    A statement issued on Wednesday by the spokesman of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said President Buhari exhibited unpardonable ignorance of the dynamics of international best practices in macro-economic management, adding that it was an indication that the economy was in very bad hands.

    The statement said: “President Buhari, in picking holes on items that would directly impact on economic productivity, infrastructural advancement, rural development as well as those that would provide urgent palliatives to the plights of Nigerians, showed his aversion to developmental economy as well as insensitivity to the welfare of our citizens.

    “In fact, President Buhari, in his comments on the budget has further de-marketed our economy before international investors, thereby worsening our woes as a nation.

    “How on earth can a President, if indeed he loves the people, quarrel over budgetary items seeking to cushion the biting effects of the economic recession, particularly for the poor, who are the direct victims of the harsh policies of his incompetent administration?

    “Furthermore, President Buhari’s resort to blaming the National Assembly for his inability to exert himself as a leader and ensure smooth implementation of the budget, further shows that he cares little about the actual needs of the people, having holed himself in the comfort, security and pleasures of the Presidential Villa.”

    The PDP urged the National Assembly to ensure strict implementation of the 2018 budget.

  • PDP will return to power in 2019, by Jonathan, Atiku

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday expressed optimism that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would return to power in 2019.

    They said the party is getting stronger.

    They spoke with journalists when the ex-President hosted Atiku at his home in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    On PDP chances in 2019, Jonathan said in a statement issued by his spokesman, Ilechukwu Eze, that the party is better poised to win next year’s presidential election.

    He said: “Yes, we had some issues in 2015. But as you know politics is a very dynamic business. I believe PDP is coming back and getting stronger.

    “Even though we are in the opposition with fewer governors, PDP is still the strongest and largest party in the country.”

    Jonathan said he was pleased that the former Vice President who came to Bayelsa to commission State Government projects paid him a visit.

    The ex-President said he had enjoyed a long relationship with Atiku, beginning from his time as Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.

    Atiku insisted that only the PDP has the strength and structure to win the presidential election in 2019.

    He said: “It is actually the PDP that has the strength and structure to get back to Aso Rock. There is no other party that has the structure and strength like the PDP. Without PDP, APC should not have been in Aso Rock.”

     

     

  • PDP’ll regain power in 2019 – Ex PDP Gov

  • U.S.-based woman declares for presidency under PDP

    A U.S.-based woman, Princess Oyenike Oyedele Roberts, has declared for the presidency of Nigeria on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 presidential election.

    Nike Roberts, as she is called, while addressing supporters in New York, also dissociated herself from corruption, vowing never to accept any donation from corrupt Nigerians to fund her campaign.

    She said her aspiration was built on five-cardinal plans: Uninterrupted power supply, quality healthcare for all, creation of one million jobs annually, quality affordable education and security of lives and property.

    The PDP presidential aspirant, whose campaign slogan is ‘Hope 2019’, is the Vice Chair of Nigerian-American Public Affairs Committee and the President, Association of African Media Practitioners in the U.S.

    She blamed the problems of Nigeria on what she termed the current faulty structure, saying the Nigerian president in the next political dispensation must have the will to restructure the country to realise its potential.

    Notwithstanding the allegation of corruption levelled against PDP when it was in power, she urged Nigerians to trust her integrity as she had not been tainted by any act of corruption having not held political positions.

    Roberts said PDP was poised for a major shift ahead of 2019, claiming it was the party to beat and a viable platform because it had national appeal and spread.

    “Our political system is driven by money and that’s why we have the kind of leadership. The system should be driven by meritocracy – what you know to do, how to do it and the will to do it.

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    “That is what should drive people; it’s not how much money you have or how much money you can invest in a person that you can control at the end of the day.

    “That’s what gave rise to the God-fatherism notion that it is who you know that gets you to the top. That system has continued for so long.

    “But I’m seeing a new breed of leaders coming; a change that’s going to cause a shift in how we do politics in Nigeria. We don’t allow meritocracy to rule; we allow money to rule,” she said.

    She called for more determination in the fight against corruption so as to secure notable convictions with commensurate consequences through the executive, legislative and Judicial commitments.

    The Osun-born presidential aspirant, in her 50s, said at the centre of her heart is the security of lives and property, saying: “We must secure the borders to prevent illegal infiltration and activities”.

    “As a matter of urgency, the National Identity system must be concluded in order to account for every individual in the national database.

    “This will put face to crime and assist law enforcement agencies to deliver efficient services. I will also move for the professionalism of law enforcement agencies through inter-agency cooperation and improve their welfare.”

    She said apart from creating at least one million jobs annually, there would be an urgent review of the minimum wage to living wage to match current trends as well as a relief package for the extremely poor.

    The politician said she would advocate for an expansion of the health insurance scheme to include all citizens while there would be incentives to encourage regular health checks.

    Roberts promised to allocate minimum of 15 per cent of the annual budget to education as well as the total overhaul of the system to allow for early instruction in science, mathematics, engineering and technology.

    She said: “There must be continuous training and certification for teachers and instructors at all levels. The public school infrastructure must be upgraded as a matter of urgency”.

    The politician pledged to overhaul the power infrastructure and tackle the ineffective model of operations to increase power generation to at least 20,000 megawatts using renewable sources to support the fossil sources.

    Roberts said she had support base in all the 774 Local Government Areas and expressed confidence in the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct credible poll in 2019.

    Nike Roberts attended Reagan Memorial Baptist Girls’ Secondary School, Lagos(1975-81) before leaving for the United Kingdom to study hotel management in Oxford. According to her website, www.nikeroberts.org, Nike returned to Nigeria to work in the hospitality industry by developing her own brand of lunch delivery services to corporate clients, and event catering.

    She later left for the US where she attended Gwinnett Technical College in Georgia.

    She then started the first multi-cultural television station in Atlanta area, which showcases the experience of Africans in Diaspora. She also produced and hosted her own talk show.

    Nike has degrees in Office Administration & Technology, Information Security, and Technical communications.

  • Fayemi is the reason Ekiti is under financial burden – PDP

    Ekiti State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Gboyega Oguntuase, has alleged that the debts incurred by the Kayode Fayemi administration from 2010 to 2014 had so far cost the state N35.34billion.

    The PDP claimed that the N35.3 billion was used in the servicing of debts, and deductions from statutory allocations from October 2014 till date.

    But the former Governor and immediate past Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Fayemi has swiftly denied the allegation, describing it as a deliberate falsehood, sponsored by Gov. Ayo Fayose to smear his image as well as cover up the failure of his government to deliver on his electoral promises.

    Fayemi who reacted through the Media Director of his Campaign Organization, Wole Olujobi, said the campaign of lies was a sign of frustrations from the Fayose camp.

    Fayemi said Fayose and his party decided to embark on character assassination because of his rising political profile and the imminence of the PDP candidate’s rejection at the coming gubernatorial poll.

    ” It is ridiculous that Fayose and his aides can still be peddling inaccurate debt figures after the Debt Management Office(DMO) had published the debts taken by Fayose himself alone, in the last three years which has amounted to N56billion, even though he swore and lied many times that he never borrowed a kobo.

    ” We admit that Fayemi borrowed N25b to be defrayed within three years and records are there at the DMO that Fayemi paid back N14.5billion of the debts, leaving the balance of only N10.5billion before he left office on Oct. 16, 2014.

    ” If the official debt figures are as stated above, how then did they come about spending N35.34billion to service an outstanding debt of N10.5billion”? Fayemi queried.

    NAN reports that the state PDP boss had in a statement issued in Ado Ekiti, raised the alarm that by calculation, the N35.34billion sum already paid to service debt allegedly incurred by Fayemi, meant that the state was servicing the debts at an average of N1.1billion monthly.

    He added that it also means about 40 percent of the state’s allocation was being deducted from source monthly.

    The PDP Chairman claimed that documents from the DMO and the Federal Ministry of Finance, agencies in charge of the debts and statutory allocations, revealed that the debts were incurred under several headings.

    He added that between October and December 2014, the state’s allocations had N1.71billion deducted to service the debts.

    “In 2015, the sum of N7.85billion was deducted from our allocations. In 2016, it was N11.30billion, in 2017, it was N12.12billion and from January to May this year, the sum of N4.94billion had been deducted.

    ” While we have paid off the commercial agriculture credit scheme, we are yet to pay off others and some will run till 2036

    ” The implications of this are many. If we had such a huge sum, we wouldn’t be owing workers’ salaries and more welfare programmes and projects would have been executed by the Fayose administration

    “The debts are under these headings: Contractual obligations, fertiliser, foreign loans, bonds, commercial agriculture credit scheme, water projects, restructuring of bank loans, excess crude loan among others.

    ” For instance, under contractual obligations is the vehicles and buses they purchased for traditional rulers and various groups that they did not pay a kobo before they left office.

    ” Under commercial agriculture credit scheme is their YCAD programme that failed woefully, they also took money for the rehabilitation of water scheme and the money they borrowed for Ero Dam rehabilitation just went down the drain

    “We all know the N25billion they borrowed from the Capital Market to finance some projects, but where are the projects? They never built any Governor’s Office. They did not build a new Oja Oba Market, they did not complete their Event centre. Even the state pavilion was not fully completed,”

    “Fayemi is the reason Ekiti State is under financial burden. He plunged the state into debts and can’t point to any tangible project he executed while in office. His administration also got the highest revenues from the Federation Account in the history of the state,” he claimed”.

    Oguntuase who asked the electorate not to vote for Fayemi in the coming poll, said members of the public could get the details of the debts on the websites of the DMO and the Federal Ministry of Finance and in their offices. (NAN)

  • Fayemi harassing our members with federal sars, says pdp

    •’It’s not true’

    The Ekiti State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has accused the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi of harassing its members with operatives of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS).

    The party alleged that a team of FSARS had arrived the state from Lagos to arrest some PDP members including the Chairman of Oye Local Government, Mr. Sunday Alonge and PDP Chairman in Oye LGA, Mr. Sunday Ojo, on what it described as “trumped-up charges.”

    The party in a statement released yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jackson Adebayo, alleged that the FSARS men “who are armed to the teeth” paraded the nooks and crannies of Oye LGA in two vans in search of Alonge and Ojo.

    Adebayo claimed that Fayemi had alleged that the duo were involved in the destruction of his billboard in Oye town two weeks ago during the campaign visit of the PDP candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.

    The PDP spokesman said: “Fayemi and his party members became jittery and devastated seeing the overwhelming popularity of PDP in his local government area where he was defeated four years ago, hence his resolve to silence some PDP chieftains who he perceived would be mobilising to ensure he fails again.

    “Two white Hilux vans full of men of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad have started the manhunt for Hon Sunday Alonge and Mr Ojo Sunday since Tuesday while harassing other members of PDP shown them by Dr  Fayemi’s agents who follow them around.

    “We have raised this alarm recently that out of desperation, the APC candidate will result to brigandage, blackmail and violence immediately he sees failure staring at him in the coming election.

    “We advise the Police especially those that might have been contacted by Dr Kayode Fayemi to always be wary of any report he and his party may be churning to them because he and his party are more comfortable with concocted lies, blackmail, propaganda and violence.

    “We want to equally say that the police should be very vigilant because APC have a culture of false accusations especially when they want to perpetrate same crimes, its APC that will raise alarm and go ahead to act the act.

    But, the Kayode Fayemi campaign Organisation denied the allegation, saying it’s not true.

    A statement by Wole Olujobi, Director of Media said: ”There is nothing like that. We don’t believe in intimidation. It is not part of our political culture in APC. What you are hearing from Fayose’s men is part of his propaganda stunts to have undeserved public sympathy through blackmail.

    You would have read an expose in a report of how Fayose planned to blackmail APC, Dr Kayode Fayemi and his wife. This is part of the scheme and so we are not surprised that Fayose is in his familiar terrain of reckless lies.

    But note that there are many of his supporters  with criminal records that Fayose harbours in the Government House that ought to be arrested to face alleged murder and sundry charges. They are still in the Government House under his protection.

    There is no evidence that they have been arrested. If their imminent arrest is what is forcing this false alarm, we are not surprised because that is how Fayose operates.

     

  • 2019: ‘PDP will not choose its candidate on sentiment’

    Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom spoke to reporters in Lagos on a wide range of issues, including his achievements in the last three years, Ekiti governorship election and the preparations of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 governorship election. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU was there.

    How would you assess the performance of your administration in the last three years?

    So far, I can say that we have done well. I will give myself an ‘A’, if I am to rate myself. We have done very, very well as an opposition political party leading a state that has no Federal Government presence; not even a kilometre of road. As the largest oil-producing state, there is not even a depot owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Akwa Ibom State. The corporation doesn’t even have a kiosk as an office in the state and you can’t point to anything to show that the Federal Government has interest in Akwa Ibom, which is an oil producing state.

    There are series of coalition talks aimed at strengthening the opposition and unseating the ruling APC-led Federal Government in next year’s general elections. In your view, how feasible is the idea?

    Most of the things going on now are human tactical approaches to what people think can give them an edge in the election. But, at the end of the day, what matters most is result. Everyone is hoping to carry the day in 2019, so any tactical approach that you think will give you the result is what you are going to employ. And, let me say something, no two elections have ever been the same and will never be. So, the 2019 elections will be completely different from that of 2015. So, if somebody thinks that there is a formula to it, it might not necessarily be. Above all, no matter what anyone does, it is God who determines who gets power, as all power on planet earth belong to Him and He gives it to whoever He wishes. There are situations where people have ruled without anyone casting the ballot for them; what coalition would you call that? So, I believe that these things are just human approaches to actually see what result they can get.

    You said that there is not even a kilometre of road constructed by the Federal Government in Akwa Ibom State. Could that be as a result of party differences?

    It did not start today and it is not because of party differences.

    What could have been the reason?

    I cannot explain and I stand to be corrected, if there is any. Even the so-called federal roads that we have spent money to reconstruct, we are still waiting for reimbursement of the funds that we spent. Even at that, the Federal Inland Revenue Service is telling us to pay tax on money that I am still being owed.

    How would you respond to the Water Resources Bill, which seeks to establish a regulatory framework for the country’s water resources?

    I am completely against it, because it is counter development. It also violates the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Take for example, my area, the whole life of our people is on water and the constitution does not separate the land from water. So, how can you now say water on the surface and water beneath? What happens to those of us who we live on water, survive on water and do everything on water? Does it mean that those that have land, live on land and do everything on land, their governors have control, while governors of riverrine areas where the peoples’ entire life is on water should not control anything. Is that not a violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? So, it is a total rejection not just by me, but by the entire people of the Southsouth and Southeast of this country and we just want to believe that at this time that our democracy is still fragile, we should put in things that will make the country stronger and not those that can call so many things to question. Let’s do things that can move us forward and not backward. Such a bill can take us several thousand miles backwards. Believe me, we reject it in its entirety, because it is against the constitution and it is an indirect way of saying that we are not Nigerians, because everything about our life in the Niger Delta is on water.

    Is there anything that the governors of the Southsouth are doing to ensure that this bill is not passed by the National Assembly?

    We have a chairman of the governors of the Southsouth and to be fair to him, he has been speaking on the issue, so I don’t want to make any comment that would be contrary to the statement he has made.

    What is your relationship with your predecessor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who is alleged to have claimed that some key officials of your government loyal to him were sacked due to the perceived rift between you and him?

    Let me ask the question: Which key official have you ever heard was sacked? If I run the government and there was no key official that has been sacked, then the alleged claim is a big surprise to me. No official has been sacked from government. I am not aware of any, because the highest official through appointment is commissioner and no commissioner has been sacked. At times people misinterpret certain things. You know that it takes two to be in love and it also takes two to fight. So, in this case, I will give you a straight answer; there is no rift, because the second party is not available. You don’t play a football match when you don’t have an opponent.

    You have a big task in Ekiti State as the head of the PDP governorship campaign committee. What are you doing to ensure that your party retains the state, because there is likely to be a clash of powerful forces?

    The role of my committee is simple and straight forward; our voting units are not in Ekiti, so we are not going to vote during the election. But, because two good heads are better one, what we are doing is see how we can mobilize the people at the grassroots, because election is about numbers and allowing the people to make their choice. That is why we are appealing to the media to help us to emphasize the imperative of the authorities allowing for a free, fair and credible election. At the end of the day, once the election is free, fair and credible, whoever wins, everybody goes home rejoicing. It is only when the poll is not seen to be free and fair that there will be issues. Our appeal is that every election in this country, not only in Ekiti, let’s try and ensure that it is free, fair and credible. It is not only in Nigeria; even in the so-called developed democracies, there are certain states you call blue states and red states, while there are those referred to as battleground states.

    Take our area for example; it is a blue area, because the only development the people know had been done by the PDP. So, what new ideas are you going to bring that have not been implemented and people have seen the result? On the other hand, there are areas that are pure red states and areas that are battlegrounds. So, a state like Ekiti that has always been a blue state, you should just expect the PDP’s victory in a free and fair election. Members of my committee are not going to vote in Ekiti, as we will not even be on ground on election day; but what we are doing is to see what the PDP in the state has as its penetration strategy and contribute ideas to strengthen it. That is why we are about 40 in the committee and all PDP governors are members. We want to bring to bear the different experiences we had in our respective elections, so that the best come out.

    You mentioned that Akwa Ibom is a blue state, but given what transpired during the recent congresses of the APC, it seems that leaders of the party in your state have shelved their differences probably to give the PDP a run for its money in the 2019 elections. Are you not threatened by this development?

    Let me tell you something. There is a difference between the APC in Lagos State and the APC in Abuja, and also the APC in Akwa Ibom State. Personally, I don’t mention names of political parties, but because you mentioned a name, that is why I am doing so, though I don’t know whether the name you mentioned is a political party or whether it is Armoured Personnel Carrier, if I may borrow your words. Look at what happened on May 29 in Akwa Ibom State. Does it a show a state where you have another political party? I want to say it clearly that the PDP in my state is like a religion. I told people three years ago that if someone is coming to conduct praise and worship in a church in Akwa Ibom State and happens to make the mistake to say PDP, people will answer. Akwa Ibom is purely 100 per cent a PDP state and it is a state that the people have seen development done by the party. So, what colour of another political party are you bringing to the people of the state and what will the party do new for them? On May 29, the people came out in their numbers to say this is where we belong. Where have you seen such a thing before? Mind you, Akwa Ibom is 99.99 per cent Christians and if these people from all the 31 local government areas, led by the former National President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Prelate Emeritus of the Methodist Church worldwide, have come out to say that there is no vacancy in the governorship office until 2023 and that it is Udom Emmanuel they want, which other political party are you mentioning?

    What did you do to deserve this kind of endorsement?

    I will answer you the other way round. What would you have expected from me as a governor, which I have not done? What that means is that whatever my people have expected from me as a governor, I have done and that was why they have endorsed me for a second term.

    There are so many aspirants eyeing the PDP presidential ticket for the 2019 elections and it seems the governors have theirs, while the founding fathers of the party also have theirs. How does the party intend to harmonise these interests?

    Is there anything new with that? The answer is no. If there are no aspirants at the national level, where else will you have people indicating interest? The constitution is clear that as far as you are eligible to contest, you can indicate interest. Different people aspire for different positions, but at the end of the day it is the will of the people that will prevail. And no matter the number of people aspiring for the ticket, what matters is that we must have a candidate as a political party. If people don’t aspire, it means that the party is not alive. So, the number of people aspiring on the platform of the PDP shows the strength of the party and I welcome more to join. In fact, let’s have more than 100 aspirants, but like I said, at the end of the day, the will of the people will prevail when we go for the convention.

    What is your take on the issue of campaign fund for the 2015 elections, which some chieftains of the PDP are being prosecuted for, although some people are asking about that of the ruling body, which is not being questioned?

    We thank you for providing an answer. What else do you want me to answer? But, let me tell you something which you don’t know. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, so if you hold power, you can do whatever you want to do. This thing we call power, I don’t want it to sound like a tautology, but as the name implies, anything called power can shock; it can bring light; it can burn; it can do something else. So, depending on who holds power and how he wants to play with it. What do you define as money laundering? If I contest election right now and I try to buy face-caps and I buy them from you; what offence have you committed? I think it’s something that we might not be able to answer totally right now, but the future should be able to provide answers to some of these questions.

    How prepared is your party ahead of 2019 general elections, to ensure that you win the presidential polls?

    We can only do one thing; we will make sure that we have a credible candidate. You see, anywhere in any developed nation of the world, election at that level is won and lost based on the economic policy you put on the table, because any nation that is strong economically would be strong democratically too.

    That is why democracy is wobbling in Africa, because the economy is not strong. So, whoever can come with a strong economic policy that we know can drive the economy of this country, certainly that is the person the PDP should actually put forward to be its candidate. I know politics is also about popularity, but believe me, at the national level, it is not just on the point of popularity alone, because popularity at times could be out of sentiment. If you think Udom Emmanuel is popular or I can stand somewhere in Gombe and people would clap for me, how many people in Gombe had actually had personal interaction with me and how many of them actually know me? I think Nigerians can decipher and put it straight who would govern this country, and who among those aspiring has deep knowledge of the economy. Again, the person must trend. I think you know what I mean by trend. You know those who are in that category. The person must trend; he must have adequate understanding of the economic issue that can make an impact. I am from the private sector, I know how I feel for somebody who was holding hundreds of millions of naira investment and of no offence of his nor has he done anything wrong, even with that investment in his hand, he has lost more than 50 per cent value of his investment. These are things we need to look at, because the country is bigger than an individual.

    So, whoever wants to contest, I am not contesting, Southsouth is not contesting for president; almost all the major political parties say the presidency goes to the North. It is a total agreement, because if brother chop and another brother chop, e no good but the PDP will win, because if you check Nigeria today, every single thing you can call development was done by the party. Mention GSM, it is PDP. So, technological revolution was brought to Nigeria by the PDP.

  • 2019: Makarfi to vie for PDP’s presidential ticket

    Former Kaduna State Governor and immediate past National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi has declared his intention to contest for Nigeria’s presidency under the platform of the PDP.
    Makarfi  expressed optimism that his party will wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying that APC has been working for the PDP by refusing to govern well.
    Makarfi who made the disclosure in an interview with journalists in Kaduna on Sunday said he has consulted widely and arrived at a conclusion that is was okay for him to contest for the Presidency.
    “I have been consulting across the country since I left as the chairman of the party. It is just consultations and not endorsement. But it gives you an opportunity to feel the pulse and it will tell whether to go forward or not to go forward. The consultations have been quite positive and I believe it is fair enough to come to the conclusion that one should join other equally capable party men and women who have shown interest in seeking the party’s nomination for the 2019 presidential election.
    “At this stage, it is to seek for the party’s nomination. The successful nominees will become the candidate that will stand for the election. But first thing first. If ones party does not put him forward, you can’t say you are contesting for presidency yet. At this stage, I have come to the conclusion that it is okay, based on the consultations that I have had.”
    The two term Governor and two term Senator from Kaduna State said he knows governance and has what its takes to govern Nigeria, after successfully governing a complex state like Kaduna for eight years.
    “I have known governance for sometimes at state level. I served Kaduna for three years as commissioner for finance and economic planning. I came in from the private sector. I have private sector experience, especially banking. I governed this complex state for eight years. I have legislative experience, having been in the senate for a two term of eight years. I got a bonanza when the party leadership fell on my laps, to know about managing political party.
    “If you cannot manage your party, even if you are elected, you will have problems governing. If you can’t manage the legislature and build cordial relationship such that key legislations that can take this country forward are passed, then governance becomes complex for you. If you cannot manage complex society such as kaduna, which is a mini nigeria, you cannot manage Nigeria. God has so designed that one has passed through all these processes.
    “These, to me, are advantages but of course it does not mean that it is a forgone conclusion. Somebody who may have not prepared himself in governance at all may find himself in government but the country will pay a price for that. I believe I have these advantages.
    “Managing complex security issues is not new to me. Managing complex people of societies is not new to me. If you look at it from that perspective, I am prepared for the job. I served as the Governor of Kaduna state where I was able to mobilise the citizens of Kaduna state, irrespective of where they came from in Nigeria, earned their confidence and they worked with me and supported me and we were able to restore normalcy that people thought was impossible.
    “If I am nominated and eventually gets elected, my philosophy will not be to go after opposition. It is to see how I will work with the opposition in any area for the good of all of us while maintaining our independent political opinion over any matter. That is how you can bring Nigerians together. And that is when people will not even have any need to cross carpet. If I get nominated and get elected and I find somebody in APC who can help me do what I want to do, I will look for you without demanding that you join the PDP. I will leave you to make that decision on your own, that is the kind of politics that I want to see happening in Nigeria.” He said.
    Speaking on the chances of his party, Makarfi said, the crisis rocking the ruling party is an advantage for his party, adding that the PDP need to thank APC for refusing to govern well and mismanaging its internal crises.
    According to him, “We must also thank the APC for working for us because they have been working for us. They have refused to govern well, they have been fighting each other. They are many things for which we can thank them. There is no way the executive and the legislature can work again as one . The is no way the party can be cohesive again. There are elements in government fighting each other and there is nobody to call them to order. We should not expend our energy when somebody is working for us.
    Makarfi however gave Buhari’s government a thumbs-up on the fight against insurgency, but said the successes recorded would have been overwhelming if the institutions of the government had work together.
    On the fight against corruption, the PDP Presidential aspirant said the fight was selective against the opposition. He however warned that the institutions of government should not be used to fight political opposition, as that will spell doom for the country.

  • ‘PDP can’t bounce back in Oyo’

    Former Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He spoke with Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU on his ambition, the recent controversial congress of the party, the agitation for power shift by the people of Oke-Ogun, and the chances of the party in next year’s general elections.

    What are issues or factors that will shape next year’s governorship election in Oyo State?

    It has to do with the people of Oyo State. The people of Oyo know the type of person they want to vote for. I don’t think that my party will like to gamble. They should be able to present an acceptable candidate to the electorate. They will like to vote for somebody that they know, not somebody that will be introduced to them by somebody else. It is better to have a known person to go for the election. It is about personality, not about party. The election in 2019 is crucial. You have to present your self well. You have to have a good personality and be acceptable to the people.

    What are the qualities you expect from the person that will succeed Governor Abiola Ajimobi next year?

    I have told you what is very important. Apart from the constitutional requirements, I have told you what is required. People will to vote for personality, not necessarily party.

    It is being said that you are going to throw your hat into the race again. Why do you want to return to the Agodi Government House?

    There have been calls on me to run. They have seen my performance while in office. If you have tasted a soup before, perhaps, you will want to have it again. There are constitutional provisions. I still have the constitutional right of contesting again. There have been calls on me. I am considering the calls. I will soon come up with my decision. I told them to allow me to do some consultations. You don’t take decisions without consultations. Very soon, you will hear from me on that particular issue.

    Is zoning likely to play a role in the selection of the governorship candidate?

    I don’t think there will be any zoning. Somebody who is also aspiring to be governor of Oyo State said in an interview in your paper that there is no zoning. So, there will be no zoning. We just want a good man to lead Oyo State. That’s all.

    What is your assessment of the recent APC state congress in Oyo?

    It was okay. Politics is about conflict resolution. You need to make sure that you solve problems in politics as they arise. We are talking to the aggrieved. The governor is doing his best by inviting everybody on board. I know the governor will soon see what he can do to persuade them to know that united we stand and divided we fall. So, if we are united, the opposition will not be able to get anything in 2019.  Crises and division are very dangerous. So, we are appealing to the aggrieved that they should come and let’s reason together and talk. Politics is just like that. In politics, you will always see people who are aggrieved. We have to talk and resolve it.

    Are the aggrieved chieftains now responding to the reconciliation?

    They are responding. They have started. We will resolve every issue and move forward as a united family.

    You came to the APC from the PDP. What is your assessment of the struggle for power now by the APC and the PDP in Oyo State?

    I am telling you that the APC is on ground. We are going to win. The PDP has no chance. We just have to sit together, talk together and understand one another. We know one another. We know people to talk to. PDP can’t have any chance any longer. Unfortunately for them, I have left them. I was the soul of the PDP in Oyo State. You can ask anybody. I was the soul of the PDP in Oyo State. Since I left the PDP, The PDP has never been the same again. It was a painful decision for me to leave the PDP. That’s why I said the PDP will not be the same again in Oyo State. They are battling with the constitution of their exco. Only today, they published in The Nigerian Tribune that they have harmonised their exco. They can’t win the election. APC will win. Our president, Muhammadu Buhari, will also secure a second term.

    Why did you leave the PDP, where you enjoyed so much relevance….?

    One thing is this: I told you it was a painful decision for me to leave. I couldn’t stand the impunity again. They were behaving as if you are nobody. Then, you have to prove to them that you are somebody. If your interest is not being protected, then, you leave for another place. That’s why I left. When they were engaged in a lot of impunities and they thing they could go away with it, I had to leave. The PDP is not the only party in Nigeria.

    The people of Oke-Ogun are clamouring for zoning. Zoning is not in the constitution of your party. How do you see their agitation for power shift?

    Everybody have the constitutional power to agitate for anything in democracy. I told you that politics is about interest. The agitators want to be part of what is going on in Oyo State. A lot of indigenes of Oke-Ogun have shown their intention to contest for governor in 2019. It is their constitutional right. They have the right and freedom of association, assembly and expression.

    There are many people in the race for governor in Oyo APC. Would that not result into chaos?

    There were so many people in the race in Ekiti. Only a person was chosen as the candidate. Most of them were qualified. So, in Oyo, many people want to be governor. When the time comes, we will choose a candidate that will make us win. There were so many aspirants in Ekiti before a candidate emerged. That is what will happen too.

    How can the strife and rancour that marred the Ekiti exercise be averted?

    We will avoid it. That is why we have started now. We still have some months to prepare. But, what is important is that we should first of all get the party right. Let’s have a very strong party. Restructure and nurture the party. Reposition the party. We need to build the party and take it to a more enviable level. After that, things will work. We will continue to engage in talks. That’s why they say politicians talk too much. We will continue to hold meetings upon meetings to resolve issues. When we get to the bridge, we shall cross it.

    What are the selling points of the Oyo APC? What are you going to tell the electorate that will make them to vote for your party in next year’s elections?

    Governor Abiola Ajimobi has done a lot. He has a lot of achievements to showcase to people as what he has done. He has a lot of accomplishments. He has done a lot of projects. Has done many things to contribute to ‘life more abundant’ in Oyo State. So, we will showcase all these. If you add to achievements of Governor Ajimobi to mine, we will have a lot to tell our people. I know what I have done for the people of Oyo State. So, when we join the two together, we will have a lot of things to tell them. The records are there.

    Outgoing governors used to have anointed candidates. Are you one?

    With due rest to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, any out-going governor who is interested in installing a successor should not use the word ‘anointed.’ It connotes that you can do it alone. People have to be carried along. With due respect to Governor Ajimobi, I don’t think he has an anointed candidate. You need to carry along a lot of people. People should not be seen as candidates of somebody. In politics, you don’t portray yourself as the candidate of a particular person so that you don’t miss a whole thing. What is happening is that, as time goes on, we will all sit down. It is not possible for a particular person to anoint. Anointing a candidate will not work in Oyo State. It has to be through consensus. A consensus candidate is better. Everybody will support a consensus candidate.

    Is it not confounding to you that while the APC is still the ruling party in Oyo State, you are losing a by-election in Ibarapa?

    It is one of those things. We have seen where we got it wrong. We are addressing the issues.  Some people are aggrieved. There is a lot of in-fighting. Some people decided to work against the party. If they didn’t work against the party, the PDP cannot win. But, they worked against the party by supporting the candidate of another party. We just open our doors for enemies to come in. but, we have realised the mistake. We will correct it. It won’t happen during the general elections. We will move ahead.

    People are saying that during the nominations for next year’s poll, a big crisis will break out between you and the governor….

    There will be no crisis. We are grown up people. We will put the prophets of doom to shame. If there is conflict in our party, we will always resolve it. The party is more important than the individual ambitions of members. We will apply maturity to whatever we do. We are adults and senior people in this business of politics. We will not fight.

    As your party prepares for election in Ekiti, how would you advise the chapter there?

    They should carry all the chieftains along. You should secure the commitments of aspirants who contested with the candidate, possibly through writing. They should be given opportunity to participate in the campaigns and in the government after winning the election. Nobody should be sidelined. You should carry everybody along. We should watch the movement of our opponent there, who has the power of incumbency. If we are really united, I don’t think we have problem in Ekiti. Unity should be the watchword. Everybody should be brought on board. The candidate should commit the aspirants in writing that this is how we will go about it. It is like people going for hunting. When people are going for hunting, somebody can bring a club for killing small rats. Some will come with their hunting dogs. Some will come with double barrel for killing elephants. When the chips are down, you gather the animals you killed during the hunting expedition, you know that somebody who brought gun is entitled to a big part of the elephant. Those who also brought cutlass to kill rats will have from the share of the elephant too, but you will first consider those who brought gun and cartridges to kill big animals. Going for an election is like going for a hunting expedition. After winning, you allow those who contributed to victory to be part of the government.

    Your party is preparing for a national convention. What are your expectations?

    We will have a successful convention. We have started by putting things right. There will be a lot of politicking before the exercise. The high command of the party is making preparations. I forsee a rancour-free convention.

    How can your party ensure amicable or cordial relations between the Presidency and the Nationl Assembly?

    The party got it wrong from the beginning. They got it wrong from the beginning. Look at our brother, Comrade Adams Oshiomole and how he is moving. He has not become the chairman, but he has started consultations with the National Assembly caucus of the party. Our national chairman has never done that. With due respect to him, he disconnected himself from the National Assembly. He shouldn’t have done that. He has allowed a lot of things to happen between the executive and the legislature. If don’t talk to me, I won’t know your intention towards me. I will try to defend myself first. That is what the national Assembly is doing against the executive. The party is supposed to be in charge. They are not in charge. You don’t talk to them. They feel they are not wanted. It is like O-Y-O, you are on your own. They will misbehave. But, our incoming chairman, by the grace of God, will solve the problem. He has not become the chairman. But, he has visited the APC National Assembly caucus. The party caucus is important. There must be caucus before caucus. You have to lobby. In the United States where we copied our political system, they lobby. Before the executive takes anything to the National Assembly, they would have discussed it at the party caucus. You can’t just rely on just normal correspondence or mere transmission of letters to the National Assembly. The party caucus would have discussed it and there will be party supremacy. The party should have ratified it before any correspondence between the executive and the legislature. The president may be busy. But, the party and the liaison officers to the Senate and the House of Representatives should actively work together.  That’s why there is a logjam. How can the president of a ruling party with the majority in the National Assembly send something to them and they say no. Why? It is because there is gulf. We should return to party caucus. The foundation has been faulty. That is why we are having problems.

    What do you expect President Buhari to focus on in this last lap of his first term?

    Security, security and security. The president should please, for God’s sake, fund the Nigerian police. Funding of the police is very important. Police is a civil organisation. If the police is well trained and well funded, there will be security. With what is happening now, with soldiers all over the place, we will soon be having civil-military conflict. Let the president establish more police stations. Instead of establishing military posts here and there, what we need are more police units. Recruit more police personnel, train them and fund them. I am emphasizing training. In those days, before you were promoted, you had to go for course.  You can’t get promotion without going on course. If there is no training, they will not be prepared for the work. The role of the police is to tackle insurgency. But, are they properly trained? We were trained. In those days, when you heard about mobile police, you shivered. They were called ‘kill and go.’ Do you how where we started failing. Gozer is where the training used to take place. Boko Haram captured the place. No tool to fight Boko Haram. Let’s fund the police. Soldiers will not be there forever. Police will be there forever. Build police stations in those areas liberated by the army.

    The president is trying in other areas. But, he should develop the police, train the police and fund the police. I am not talking about this because I am a former police officer. If our police are well trained and well equipped. I know they will perform. If you interview  people at the United Nations, they will tell you that our policemen were the best in peace-keeping. The police should not promote any policeman who has not gone on course.

    What is the chance of President Buhari in next year’s elections?

    There is nobody who can beat President Buhari as at today. Snot in the PDP. I am a politics and I know this country very well. There nobody yet who can beat Buhari. I have not seen any. May be, as time goes on, there can be other candidates. But, today, there is none. He will get more votes than he got the last time. I don’t see anything that has changed. The opposition is not preparing yet. I don’t see anybody who can beat him now. In politics, some politicians have political value. Others have electoral value. Fortunately, Buhari has the two; political value and electoral value. If the election holds tomorrow, Buhari will win.