The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PDP

  • Ikimi loses ground as 1,000 kinsmen dump PDP

    OVER 1000 members of the Peoples Democra-tic Party PDP in Igueben Local Government Area including the former Local Government Transition Committee Chairman, Hon. Tom Adodo, have thrown their support for the administration of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as they formally dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress, APC in the state.

    Igueben is hometown of PDP chieftain, Chief Tom Ikimi.

    Addressing the governor and chieftains of the APC at Government House yesterday, Elder Tom Adodo, former Transition Committee Chairman, said, “Today, many of us that are here are from Ward 1 to 10 in Igueben Local Government. We are here to pledge and affirm our support to the Comrade Governor because it is only a foolish man that will not see the developmental strides of the governor in Edo State in the past six years.

    “For so many years, PDP administration brought decay to our infrastructures, we have seen decay even in our moral lives and for the six years and three months of the Comrade Governor, we have seen transformation in Edo State and so we are here to pledge our loyalty to the government that have done so much for the people of Edo State.”

    In his remarks, Governor Oshiomhole said: “I am delighted and overwhelmed with joy seeing the crowd of supporters here today. Just like the last speaker expressed surprise at the Igueben-Ugoneki road which connects Igueben Local Government with Uhumwode Local Government, you can see the way our state is connected from one local government area to another and with that road, it has become shorter to get to Igueben. Many roads connecting Igueben have been fixed and there are more roads to be done.”

  • Ignore opposition propaganda, PDP chieftain counsels voters

    A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olasoji Adagunodo- Oluwatukesi, has expressed optimism that President Goodluck Jonathan would win the March 28 presidential election.

    He also counselled Nigerians to ignore the propaganda of the opposition, which he accused of fanning the embers of ethnic and religious sentiments in its desperation for power

    Adagunodo-Oluwatukesi, who spoke in Ibadan, the state capital, pointed out that the leaders of some opposition parties have employed all forms of destructive propaganda to mislead the public in their quest to gain power at all cost.

    The former Deputy Chief Whip in the Osun State House of Assembly added that despite the deceit against PDP, Jonathan would emerge victorious in the coming election.

    He advised voters to ensure that they return President Jonathan for a second term, stressing that the war against insurgency would be won in the next few weeks.

  • PDP, Imoke and the rumble in the north

    PDP, Imoke and the rumble in the north

    Is Hon. Rose Oko dead? If she is not dead, then where is she? Is she seriously ill as being rumoured? If yes, then what exactly is ailing her? Is her ailment impairing her participation in the electioneering process? Indeed, was it her illness that prevented her presence all through the internal nomination process of the PDP? If she was not present, how was it possible for her to emerge victorious in the party primaries? Is her continuous absence injurious to the chances of the PDP in the forthcoming senatorial elections in the Cross River North Senatorial District? If yes, what has and is the party in the state doing to forestall any such mishap? Or is Oko so popular that she can re-enact the Theodore Orji miracle in Cross River State? Must Oko’s name be on the ballot even in controversy so rife and fatal? So many questions.

    Without a shred of doubt, Cross River State is set to witness one of its most contested general elections in its history. It may not rank in scale to the elections of 1999 where the spoils of office where shared almost equally in the House of Assembly between the then APP and PDP. The excitement in the air is not borne of the same situation. Then, the two parties where relatively new. The dramatis persona even where popular, had to contend with defining and evolving the template to sell their parties and even themselves. Even then, the apathy of the people towards the 1999 elections also helped in no small measure to whittle the field, making it relatively easier for political office seekers to score the bulls-eye.

    A lot has changed since then. PDP, through the tenure of Donald Duke to Imoke, had deliberately or otherwise, emerged as the only cock to crow. In 2011, they captured 24 House of Assembly seats out of 25; five House of Representatives seats and all the senatorial seats, including the much coveted Governor’s Lodge.

    Even though the Action Congress (AC), as it was known then, was new, it was clear that it was to be a taproot for the alternate voice. Today, the AC with a string of other parties has metamorphosed into the All Progressive Congress (APC). Whereas it may not have been clear to the uninitiated, the truth was always there that upheaval in the national space was to take its toil in the states and vice versa. The more the APC waxed strong at the national, the more flak the PDP took both at the centre and in the states.

    But it didn’t have to be so if the party had insisted on doing the right thing both at the centre and in the states. Senator Victor NdomaEgba finger-points the new strength of opposition coming from short-changed PDP members. “We must go right back to the fundamentals and bring back aggrieved members back to the fold “.

    It is almost impossible to bring back Dr. Julius Okpotu to the PDP. Okpotu, a PDP decampee, is the Labour Party candidate for the Northern Senatorial District. He served as commissioner in the state planning commission and also in the state executive council. Okpotu jumped ship after suffering deprivations flowing from his intention to contest the gubernatorial seat in the state under PDP. Senator Bassey Otu, a serving PDP senator, cross carpeted to the LP when his ambition was also truncated ostensibly on the directives of Governor Imoke. Indeed, there are more of such PDP decampees battling their former ‘family members’ on many fronts, on different platforms.

    Of significance however is the case of the northern senatorial district where Okpotu is set to do battle with the mythical Rose Oko. The questions on how Oko had been winning primaries and general elections even as recent as 2011 are legion. But the din this time may signal not only hernuncdimitis but even that of the PDP. That is why the jury is out on Oko.

    Johnson Agba Johnson of the Northern Senatorial District elders said recently, “We have come to a stage where we all have to speak up. In 2011 election, when Dr. Oko won PDP primaries into the House of Representatives for Ogoja/Yala, she was on sick bed and later won in the general elections; last December again, she still won from sick bed against all protestations from party members. But the problem is not winning by proxy, but the outright impunity by the party leadership and the fate of our daughter who is critically ill and is receiving treatment abroad. She has been absent in all party rallies and meetings held so far in the northern district, thereby creating room for rumour mongers. We demand that the party produces her within the next 24 hours or that she be replaced by another candidate as the constitution gives room for such in the case of death or if a candidate is incapacitated.”

    On his part, Comrade Emmanuel AgbeAbeng is concerned that other parties have made political gain from not only the processes that threw up Oko but also her rumoured death. “Recently, we heard rumour that madam had died and those are some concerns which the opposition is exploiting very well to ensure we don’t win the pending elections in the zone. So, it is high time the party leadership came up with alternatives rather than playing hide and seek game with us” he said.

    Abeng didn’t stop there.”Oko’s case is not how candidates emerge in this modern democracy. Therefore, we insist the party write to INEC explaining our peculiar situation and the circumstances so that she should be replaced on health grounds as anything short of that would not be acceptable by the voters in the zone,” he added.

    Indeed, imposition of candidates from the leadership of the PDP in Cross River may sound the death knell for the party in the forthcoming elections. A significant population of contestants across party divides is former PDP members. This is primarily because primaries where skewed against them in all or most cases by the powers that be. But in all of that, the rumble in the Northern Senatorial District catches the eye in its sheer audacity, where brazen impudence is being made to smell like a Rose.

    The irony of the situation is that the north boasts of an array of notable and tested politicians on the platform of the PDP, who can wear the mantle of battle at the drop of a hat. Peter Ojie, Larry Odey, Mark Ukpo and Ugba Murphy are some alternatives. That the party insists on Oko, has been the reason for the massive protest by party faithful across the senatorial district.

    Again, Senator NdomaEgba, himself a victim, offers an insight.”The first thing I noticed after the primaries was a lot of traffic outside PDP to the APC without a corresponding traffic into the PDP. Where the process is transparent, people are bound to accept the result, but where it is not, it will bring dissent and resentments. So our challenge is to make sure the parties enjoy internal democracy.”

    Interestingly, the national chairman of the PDP, Mallam Adamu Muazu agrees completely with the view above.

    It may be late in the day for the PDP to do anything or reverse the trend in other Cross River State districts, but it still can do the needful in the Northern Senatorial District, unless of course, Rose Oko is irreplaceable or a sure recipe for victory even in absentia. There is however a truth PDP should take in her strides to perfidy; 2015 is not 2011.

  • Edo prince to PDP: Stop using my Aso Rock visit for political campaigns

    The crown prince of Benin Kingdom, Prince Eheneden Erediauwa, has warned the Peoples Democratic Party to stop using his visit to President Goodluck to garner votes ahead of the general election.

    Prince Erediauwa, who urged the public to discountenance the use of his pictures, images, audio and video to campaign for votes, said he is not a member of any political party.

    The Benin Prince noted that his visit to the Presidential villa as directed by his father, Oba Erediuawa, was to douse negative comments that the Oba does not support the government of President Jonathan.

    He stated that reference by some politicians (PDP) to his father’s statement that “President Jonathan will be given the opportunity to continue his good work” was being misconstrued.

    Eheneden said the prayer came to pass by way of the President being nominated as presidential candidate of the PDP.

    The prince, who spoke in a statement signed by Secretary to Benin Traditional Council, Frank Irabor, said his father’s message was politically manipulated by some self serving politicians in order to gain upper hand in soliciting for votes.

    The statement said, “The Oba of Benin is a non-partisan traditional ruler who treats all politicians equally and always pray for all those who are into partisan politics and other ventures.”

    Meanwhile, Royal Palace Chiefs led by the traditional Prime Minister of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, the Iyase of Benin, has reiterated that the Benin Monarch has not endorsed any candidate for the March 28 presidential election.

    Chief Igbe, who read a communique issued at the end of the Chiefs’ meeting, urged electronic media houses to stop showing the prince visit to President Jonathan.

     

  • Card reader: PDP’s opposition proved us right, says APC

    Card reader: PDP’s opposition proved us right, says APC

    THE Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) opposition to use of card readers in the rescheduled elections has proved the All Progressives Congress (APC) accusations right that the ruling party is trying to either prevent the polls from holding or to rig it.

    APC’s National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who said this in a statement in Lagos yesterday, added that it was curious that the PDP rushed to the media to deny the allegations and then quickly turned around to confirm them.

    The statement reads: “At the press conference we addressed on Wednesday, which rattled the PDP and the Jonathan administration so much, we listed the conditionalities of the PDP/Jonathan administration for holding the election: no Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), no card readers, no Prof. Attahiru Jega and the fact that they want the military deployed to harass and intimidate voters.

    ‘’We mentioned ‘card readers’ at least three times during the press conference, and said they (PDP/Jonathan administration) are doing everything possible to sabotage the machine and prevent its use.

    ‘’Both the spokesmen for the PDP and the Jonathan Campaign Organisation rushed to the press to deny any such ‘reprehensible’ plan. But a few hours later, the spokesman for the campaign organisation told an incredulous country that they would oppose the use of card reader, apparently after the spokesmen were overruled by their party.

    “Obviously, these men are outsiders in their own party and it is now obvious that the opposition knows more about the inner workings of their party than they do.”

    APC said in an apparently-choreographed show, some 15 portfolio political parties called a news conference to also announce that they will oppose use of the card reader, vowing to boycott the elections and use a legal process to prevent use of the machine.

    The party noted that the syndicated threats were the latest indications of the mortal fear in the corridors of power about the machine that had now become the nemesis of election riggers and manipulators worldwide.

    Contrary to the claim by the PDP, the APC noted that Nigerians were ready for free, fair and credible elections to be made possible by the use of the card reader, adding that the citizenry would massively resist any move to dump the machine.

    “Nigerians have sacrificed all they can to obtain their PVCs, which are now their most-prized possession. They have also hailed the plan by INEC to use the card reader to give Nigeria credible polls.

    “Only dishonest politicians, those who plan to rig, those who have engaged in a massive purchase of PVCs and those who have something to hide are opposed to use of the machine.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, our party is ready for any tool, including the card reader, that will ensure that the votes of Nigerians will count in the election. In this regard, we sincerely hope that the nationwide tests of the card reader to be carried out this week by INEC will not be sabotaged by those opposed to the machine.

    “The card reader has been demonstrated to work, including at the Senate, and no one must come out to tell Nigerians anything to the contrary.

    “The huge investments in providing PVCs for Nigerians will not be worthwhile if the cards would not be authenticated by card readers, which, by the way, have been used in other countries, all of them less endowed than Nigeria, in Africa,” APC said.

    It added that it was taking the elections very serious and closely monitoring every move of those who do not want the elections to hold, “or if they must hold at all, only on their terms”.

    The statement noted that the APC was aware of an all-night meeting (Wednesday/Thursday) between a Southwest governor and security chiefs on how to rig the rescheduled polls in the geo-political zone. But, the party said it remained convinced that no one was powerful enough to stop an idea, whose time has come.

    APC thanked Nigerians, both within and outside the government, for their efforts in keeping a close eye on those planning to sabotage the polls, imploring the citizenry not to relent “since eternal vigilance is the price of freedom”.

  • ‘APC ‘ll defeat PDP in Rivers’

    ‘APC ‘ll defeat PDP in Rivers’

    All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, is optimistic that he will win the March 28 election. In this interview with EMMANUEL OLADESU, he explains why he believes the APC will have an upper hand. 

    You claim Nyesom Wike is your friend. Are you surprised by the allegations of violence attributed to him and his party?

    Yes, but there are many friends you have that you cannot predict what they can do!

    How are you sure you will get the security agencies to implement the plans you have outlined to protect the people of Rivers State?

    Everything you deal with in life depends on season and context. For those of us who are Christians, the book of Ecclesiastes says that there is time for everything. I know that if I get there, the contexts will be different, the factors at play will be different and I am optimistic that I will get all the cooperation I need to implement my security programme. Rivers State will be peaceful again.

    Are you optimistic that the votes will count?

    I am optimistic that the votes will count. Rivers people are looking forward to installing the type of government they deserve. They won’t be intimidated by anybody; they won’t be harassed by anybody; they won’t submit to threat and intimidation. It is a matter of time and we will rise to the occasion. We will cast our votes, we will defend our votes and we will ensure that our votes count. I am convinced about that.

    I am also optimistic that we will get the cooperation of security agencies and will continue to spotlight what is going on in Rivers State and will attract the attention of the nation and the international community. It is not optional, because if votes don’t count in Rivers State, there is no guarantee that it will count elsewhere in the country. Today, we might isolate what is going on in Rivers State and say this is Rivers. If this trend of violence continues, people in other areas may be emboldened and the whole country will turn into crisis.

    So, we must all work together to ensure that we stem the tide of political violence in Rivers. It is in our collective interest and I am sure that Nigerians are listening.

    What is your fallback option?

    I have no fallback option, order than working with other stakeholders to ensure that the elections are free and fair. Up till now, nobody has found a better form of government than democracy. Democracy is our only option and we need to make sacrifices to ensure that it works.

    Will you follow the Ekiti example, by petitioning the National Human Rights Commission over the spate of violence?

    The situation in Ekiti is not as bad as it is in Rivers. Ours is worse than Ekiti and it is degenerating daily. We have made a few petitions to the National Human Rights Commission and we will continue to do so, hoping that somebody will pay attention to our cry in Rivers. So, it is not about following the Ekiti example and we will continue to act within the ambits of the law; we will not go outside the law to arrest the situation.

    The alternative is to have a lawless state and that is anarchy; that is not the option in any civilised society. We are civilised men and women and will not resort to self help.

    You have repeatedly stated you would continue with the policies of the present administration. To what extent?

    Governor Amaechi has laid a good foundation for the state and we will continue with the projects he has started. But, that does not mean that we will adopt all his policies and programmes. No two governments can be the same, just as no two individuals can be the same, even if they are Siamese twins. We will progress based on contexts and challenges that we confront, but if we are going to continue with most of his programmes.

    Would you continue with Amaechi’s policies?

    The teachers are being retrained as you are aware and the retraining is for a maximum period of one year. Some of them are in Oxford University and other UK-based universities, while the remaining ones are in Nigerian universities, under a phased programme. After some time, you won’t have Indians run the system again because we would have improved the capacity of our people, so that we can get world class education.

    We shouldn’t compromise our standards because we are scared of what people will say. A leader shows the people the way and not the people showing the leader the way.

    How are you sure that you will win the election on April 11?

    I am not a man who will waste my time on things that are not viable. I can feel the pulse of Rivers people; I know what the issues are and I have been involved in politics in Rivers State longer than anybody who is running today, including Nyesom Wike. If this election is conducted three times, I will win three times.

    I am happy you said that there may be a correlation between the outcome of the presidential election and the state election. As we speak, no one can say with certainty that either Buhari or Jonathan will win the election.

    I know that Rivers people are enlightened enough and the national scene is clear enough on who would win, no matter how we pretend. All of us have an idea who will win the election and we won’t be struggling with six week shift, if somebody was not leading and leading clearly.

  • Toyin Aimaku defends ‘I can die for PDP’ statement

    Toyin Aimaku defends ‘I can die for PDP’ statement

    Popular Yoruba Actress, Toyin Aimaku has received a lot of backlash for her statement at the ‘Meet the President’ event on Sunday, ‘I can die for PDP’.

    Toyin, in self defence has released a statement though her publicist,

    Our country has given its citizens the right to freedom of speech and right to vote and be voted for, I’m most definitely not an exception. As of 1999, Nigeria has about 29 political parties, allowing every citizen to choose at their own free will. It is then left to us not to undermine the decision or choices of others as it is loathsome. We live in a world where people take pleasure in bringing other people down.

    I feel obliged to address the matter of me dying for the PDP. Firstly, no one is dying for anyone and the last time I checked only Jesus had died for us with no strings attached or money promised to his family when he’s gone. He died to save us all. Haven’t pointed that out, I will like to say, I will not , in any way, for no reason whatsoever, die for a person or a political party.

    Secondly, I personally feel it is pathetic for anyone to take my word literally when it was simply a joke. As a successful Nollywood actress, it is not unusual for people in my line of work to use the phrase ‘ha baba, walai mo love yin gaan mo le ku fun yin ni sir’ with smiles on their faces. This was me, just doing my job as a host of the event, trying to be funny, which by the way, worked. It is absurd to take my word out of context.

    Furthermore, my choices, should however in no way be a channel for condemnation. Celebrities and public figures, just like every other people, are allowed to campaign, vote and support whomever and however we please. As many great political parties we have, we cannot vote for them all. It is a one man, one vote society.

    I love everyone as best as I can, most especially my fans ,make your choice, respect the choice of others, let it be, and most especially, do not allow the choice of others affect yours. In conclusion, let’s try to help others grow and support them. Don’t let the success of others make you feel resentment against them or envious, simply learn from them and strive to do better. I wish everyone safe, free and fair election.

     

  • Futility of ‘big lie’ strategy by PDP against Tinubu

    Futility of ‘big lie’ strategy by PDP against Tinubu

    If you tell a lie that’s big enough, and you tell it often enough, people will believe you are telling the truth, even when what you are saying is total crap”, Richard Belzer wrote in his book UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don’t Have To Be Crazy to Believe.

    From time immemorial, dishonourable men have thrived in politics by peddling fabricated and concocted lies and half- truths. And while truth and sound principles will eventually outshine falsehood and opportunism, those who deal in such stock record some successes, albeit temporarily, at the expense of the people striving to bring some difference to politics.

    Sir Winston Churchill was therefore right when he observed that “a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to put its pants on”.

    These charlatans and opportunists are champions of the ‘Big Lie’ theory endorsed and popularised by Adolf Hitler and his chief propagandist, Joseph Goebbels and simplified in Richard Belzer’s book referenced above.

    This is the strategy now adopted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) apparatchik in their futile attempt to politically lynch Tinubu, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Their grand plan which is not new is to discredit him and other honourable men in the progressive fold in the belief that if the same big lies are repeated over and over again, people will begin to believe them and their targets will become discredited thereby truncating efforts to wrest power from the clueless and inept PDP politicians.

    They adopted this strategy in Ekiti State.  They deployed it in Osun State and are now employing it fully as the national elections approach. A manifestation of their desperation is the recent churning out of unsubstantiated allegations both on television and in the social media against Tinubu, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and a host of APC leaders. Of note is that they seem to have gone into overdrive in their circulation of outlandish accusations of inordinate wealth and property acquisition by Bola Tinubu.

    These politicians turned blackmailers who are clearly of the

    PDP brand are identifiable. They must not be left to roam free and get away with libel and their criminal activities in character assassination. Tinubu and the APC must approach the courts of the land and, with the decorum and formalities afforded by the rules of courts, put them to the strictest proof of these allegations.  Because of their cowardice, they work as faceless persons. However, they have now been uncovered. The Fayoses, Fani-Kayodes,Mimikos and the Olisa Metus of this world. They have also recruited many into their ranks using slush monies.  They go by phony names and acronyms shielding their cowardly sponsors.

    In the past, these characters made allegations against Tinubu and went ahead to orchestrate his arraignment before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).  It is a matter of record that all the charges against Bola Tinubu were quashed by that tribunal.

    Several other allegations against him remain in the realm of speculative rumour, with no evidence to back them up.

    In the latest round of falsehood being circulated in some sections of the media, a list of “purported choice properties said to belong to a chieftain of the APC is being peddled.  Those behind this list do this without regard to whether the properties in the list in fact exist.

    Their story admittedly describes them as ‘purported choice properties’, and raise doubts of ownership by stating ‘said to belong’!!! How irresponsible and how manifestly mischievous!

    For the records and for the avoidance of doubt, it is clear that these allegations are totally false and baseless and this attempt to play on our people’s collective ignorance and emotion is sad.

    The ‘Big Lie’ strategy of the propagators of these lies is about to come to an end. Because he who alleges must proof, these attackers must face the law and provide incontrovertible proof.

    The Tinubu-inspired 25-year development plan of Lagos helped lay the foundation for the infrastructural renewal, revenue breakthrough and related reforms in Lagos. No elected governor, past or present today in Nigeria equals the vision, vigor and vitality Tinubu brought to governance. Today, Lagos is a national and global model of good governance thanks to Tinubu and his party.

    Indeed, the falsity of the accusations against Tinubu and Fashola by the faceless would be apparent to independent and fair minded citizens if, in the absence of the opportunity for formal proof and denial otherwise afforded in responding to identifiable accusers, and with the benefit of seeing through the ‘Big Lie Strategy’, they consider:

    ·Whether accusations of secrecy bordering on the Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension) Law of 2007 are valid and reasonable when: (a) the law is available for public scrutiny in the Lagos State of Nigeria Official Gazette Extraordinary No. 37 Vol. 40 of May 18, 2007; (b)  the law, in fact, documents the benefits payable to retired public officers instead of arbitrary payouts; and (c) the approach agrees with internationally acceptable practices including the model in the United States (U.S.) under the Former Presidents Act, Presidential Transition Act and Former Presidents Protection Act.

    · Whether there is, in fact, a property on Oyinkan Abayomi that has served as Guest House to the Lagos State Government since 1979?

    · Whether the outlandish value of the properties listed in the publication is not arbitrary, unsubstantiated and indicative of the mischievous actions of desperate political operatives.

    · Whether reputable publicly traded organisations with internationally sanctioned codes of corporate governance such as Oando Plc and UACN Plc would engage, without obvious consequences, in such shady deals as described in the publication.

    · Whether the fact that I share a common surname with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Oando Plc is not being used as a fodder to feed damaging conspiracy theories and score cheap political points at the expense of the truth.

    · Whether the relocation of the Ikosi Road campus of the Lagos State Polytechnic to its permanent site at Ikorodu was not in fulfillment of the Master Plan for the institution.

    · Whether it is not lazy and outlandish to suggest that every major property developer in Lagos State is fronting for me.  Are most of these developments not funded by facilities from the banks?

    · Whether the matters relating to Federal Government properties in Lagos State are not presently before the Supreme Court of Nigeria and whether there is any shred of documented evidence substantiating the accusations concerning the old Federal Secretariat.

    · Whether sharing a surname with a doctor working at the Critical Care Unit (CCU) of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital is sufficient to reasonably conclude that I personally own the unit.  Is that not laughable in itself?

    The truth of the matter is that the detractors do not understand Tinubu and the progressives with their style and innovative approach to governance. Not because they are incapable of doing so, but because the years of waste and charlatanism presided over by these same detractors have become conditioned to their tired, regressive and destructive approach to governance, wealth management and infrastructure development.

    Tinubu is a trailblazer and represents that new progressive and aggressive generation of managers, who, having won the confidence of their people to occupy political offices, have embarked on new methods of financing projects. This group has fully tapped and developed the potentials of Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives.  By so doing, being able to complete and embark on projects that only decades of reliance on federal allocations would achieve.  Yes, private sector people benefitted but the benefits were legitimate and the people got value. And, what is more, it accords with international best practices.

    The APC approach to governance in Lagos has empowered the private sector players. It has led to the creation of jobs and opportunities for ordinary citizens. Citizens have gotten value and are positioned to continue to get long term value. This approach has in fact, reduced corruption and waste in governance.

    Do the PDP detractors know these? Yes, they do. Why, then, are they falsifying the records and creating and spreading malicious innuendos? Because they want to play on the people’s readiness and tendency (justifiable by years of disappointing governance) to believe that all politicians are corrupt and that any new agenda is an avenue to siphon funds. It is evil, devilish, criminal and morally reprehensible for our detractors to attempt to take advantage of our people in this way.

    I have no doubt whatsoever that the objectives of the publishers of these otherwise defamatory articles are to malign the person of Tinubu and attack the viability of the APC platform, to manipulate the people and impede the progress of the Progressives. It is an act of desperation and politically motivated character assassination carried to its highest and nauseating level against Tinubu.

    Like it failed in the past, this attempt again will kiss the dust.

     

  • 2015 polls: Jonathan, PDP governors meet

    2015 polls: Jonathan, PDP governors meet

    President Goodluck Jonathan, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state governors and governorship candidates on Monday night brainstormed on how to ensure victory for the party in March 28 and April 11 polls.

    The Chairman of PDP Governors Forum and Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.

    He said: “The party is strategising on how to not just win election, but ensure that we win peace. It is very clear now that the opposition is in disarray. I am sure you have all seen that.

    “Propaganda can only take you up to a limit after which the reality becomes the norm. Today, Nigerians are much more aware of what the PDP administration under President Jonathan has been doing.

    “I want to commend not only the President, but also members of the Federal Executive Council, who have opened the eyes of Nigerians to know that so many things have been done in the different sectors of the economy.

    “It was as if people did not know these things because the opposition took over and they kept saying PDP was doing nothing. Yet, in four years of the President’s tenure, he has achieved far more than any President had ever done in the history of our country.”

    He noted that the next election, particularly the presidential elections of March 28, will be about performance and issues.

    “Nigerians have since gone above the level of tribalism and ethnic or religion differences. God put us together in this country and He knew that we are a multiplicity of religions and tribes.

    “God brought us together. So, we believe in the unity and oneness of this country. The same way we came together in 2011 and voted for President Jonathan, that is the same way we are returning him based on the fact that he has performed creditably and that the PDP has discharged its responsibilities to Nigerians to the best of its ability based on available resources,” Akpabio said.

    He said the party also met with its governorship candidates to explain to them the essence of mobilising their subjects to ensure that they collect their PVCs.

    The governor added that the meeting also dwell on internal reconciliation in the party.

    “After the major primaries that we had, we need to reconcile people so that everybody can move in accord. I can tell Nigerians today that the party is poised for victory. The PDP is very ready to win. I am happy that the people are listening because in those days, I kept telling them that their propaganda cannot win a war. The propaganda has reached a point.”

  • ‘Vote out PDP’

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has told President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the conscience of voters cannot be bought with money.

    The party, however, encouraged Lagosians to take the money being offered by the PDP but urged them to vote out a government that has not bettered their lot in 16 years.

    Its spokesman, Joe Igbokwe, urged Lagosians to be suspicious of the President’s romance with the Southwest in the run-up to the rescheduled election.

    He alleged that the President has been organising bazaar under the guise of meeting with interest groups.

    “If the ruling PDP has done the needful, its landmarks, and not bribery would have spoken for its candidates.

    “It is an admittance of failure for the Jonathan regime that made more money from the huge oil boom than the four preceding regimes combined, but with nothing to show for it.

    “Lagosians, and indeed all Nigerians, must reflect what Nigeria will look like if PDP comes back to power and cleanses the treasury and waits till the next election to bribe voters to once again vote for it.

    “For over one week, President Jonathan has  been permanently holed up in Lagos, where he is meeting  religious, ethnic and tribal groups.”