A stalwart of the All Preogressive Congress in Ebonyi State, Dr Steve Egbo, yesterday said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is on its last days of existence as a party in the country. He said the APC has the solution to the problems bedeviling the country, and is poised to oust the PDP in the 2015 general elections. Egbo said he joined the APC because the party has a roadmap that will put the country on a right track of recovery, and described the recent kidnap of APC officials in the state as an act of desperation by the ruling party. He said: “PDP has polluted the atmosphere. It has created a condition of fear, and this fear factor does not allow our people to be themselves. PDP has robbed us of not just our humanity, but also our comprehensive freedom. PDP has robbed us of our freedom of choice and APC has come to change that. “They want to put the people in a state of fear and panic. That is why they will attack APC officers carrying out their constitutional duties. PDP has outlived its usefulness. The kidnapping incident is proof that the PDP is on its last throes of life.”
Tag: PDP
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‘PDP can’t go beyond 2015′
A group, ‘Total Loyalty’, yesterday asked Nigerians to vote wisely next year.
The group, led by the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Alhaji Toyin Balogun, described the 14 years of the PDP administration as years of national tribulation, adding that all the critical sectors are on their knees.
Balogun said in a statement in Lagos that the country has a choice between the PDP and the APC next year, warning that a bad choice will spell doom for the polity.
Noting that the journey to the next general elections has started, he said the APC membership registration is the first step in the push for change.
He chided the PDP Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, for his uncomplimentary statement about the exercise, saying that he is living in the past.
Balogun said, not only has the PDP’s dream of ruling Nigeria for 60 years has crumbled, the party is now struggling to remain relevant.
He described the APC as the solution to the problems confronting the country, urging the people to embrace the mass movement.
Balogun added: “We take exception to the remarks made by Olisa Metuh that the APC membership registration is motivated by mischief. Olisa Metuh has displayed the highest form of mediocrity. They delude themselves into thinking that the PDP will survive beyond 2015. They are living in a fool’s paradise. There will be change in 2015 and it will be a change for the better”.
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Odi moves against PDP over unpaid N37.6b compensation
Tempers are rising in Odi, an oil-producing community plundered by military invasion in November 1999. The community in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, has reasons to loathe the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government.
The rural community has experienced backwardness, violence, anguish and entrenched poverty since 1999. In a case many felt it was like using a sledge hammer to kill an ant, former President Olusegun Obasanjo overran the community with battalions of soldiers and military hard-wares.
The indigenes recalled with shock the killings, raping, looting and crumbling of buildings in their community for an offence that they never conspired to commit. They are indignant that the government has refused to honour an order from a court mandating it to pay the community N37.6billion damages. They are distraught that instead of paying the money, the Federal Government is insensitive to their plight.
So, Odi remains in dire straits. But, following the “political revolution” in the country, Odi seems tired of PDP and is set to dump the ruling party. Their anger further stems from the fact that despite coming from their state and occupying the presidency for over four years, President Goodluck Jonathan, has done nothing to alleviate their plight. So, the people are rushing to an alternative platform presented to them by the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Two prominent indigenes of Odi, Timi Frank and Preye Anganaba, were the first to take the bull by the horns by defecting to the APC. Frank, who was the former National Youth Leader of the defunct new PDP, and Anganaba, raised political consciousness of Odi people when they led a delegation of party enthusiasts to the community recently to participate in the registration exercise of APC.
On arriving Ward 2 where registration officials were conducting the exercise, the duo were stunned. They saw sea of heads struggling to partake in the exercise. The people of the community were, however, orderly as they queued despite the hot weather.
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Ekiti PDP gov primaries for March 15, Osun, April 15
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has fixed March 15 for governorship primaries in Ekiti State, as the party opens nominations for the race.
Similarly, the party’s primary election for Osun State would be taking place on April 5.
According to the a timetable released yesterday by the PDP secretariat, sale of nomination forms for Ekiti will start from February 24 to March 3, while that of Osun starts from March 14 and closes on March 21.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has fixed the Ekiti governorship election for June 21, while that of Osun holds on August 9.
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Reps to investigate cash- for – defection allegation
The House of Representatives on Wednesday commenced investigation into the allegation of cash- for- defection leveled against the Presidency and five members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that defected to the Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday.
The APC through its interim spokesman, Lai Mohammed, has alleged that members of the House of Representatives were offered millions of dollars to defect to the PDP.
The APC lawmakers that defected to PDP are – Lawan Shehu Bichi ( Kano), Sani Ibrahim Doruwa ( Zamfara), Ibrahim Shehu ( Zamfara), Umar Bature (Sokoto) and Abdusalam Adamu (Kano).
The House has referred the matter to its committee on Ethics and Privileges to establish the veracity of the allegation.
The committee is to report back to the House within two weeks.
The decision of the House was sequel to a motion brought before it by a member, Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers).
According to the lawmaker, the allegation was not only a breach of his privilege, but also against the integrity and image of Rep members before their constituencies.
His motion was met with loud shouts from both members of APC and PDP. While the APC members lauded the move to investigate the allegations, the PDP members shouted, “they should provide proof, they must prove it!”
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PDP denies inducing federal lawmakers
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has denied allegation of financially inducing federal lawmakers, with the view to wooing those that had defected back to the ruling party.
The All Progressive Congress (APC) had accused the PDP of shelling out millions of dollars to the affected lawmakers to stave off the tide of defection that has hit the party in recent times.
But in a statement issued on Wednesday by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party dismissed the report, saying the all allegation sought to cast doubt in the minds of Nigerians regarding the integrity of the affected lawmakers.
“All well meaning Nigerians are indeed worried by the statements and actions of the APC which are clearly aimed at destroying our democracy and plunging the nation into chaos.
“There is no doubting the fact that the PDP under its new National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, is reaching out to all its members including those that defected in a reconciliation drive that is already yielding dividends.
“At a point, in the mind of some sections of the public, the PDP got to its lowest level, but we remained focused. Despite the defections of lawmakers from our fold, the PDP never assaulted their integrity.
“We are expecting more defections to the PDP. We have consistently told Nigerians that the PDP would emerge from its challenges a stronger party and this is what we are witnessing.
“The PDP is the only political party with a consistent structure, vision and achievements in the transformation of Nigeria since 1998. The APC is a cacophonous amalgam of tribal and religious irredentists with no known vision or achievements in its earlier metamorphosis,” Metuh said.
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Senate: Attempt to declare Saraki, Abe’s seats vacant fails
Attempts to declare the seats of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senators who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) vacant failed on Wednesday in the Senate.
Senator Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom North East) through a Point of Order, asked the Senate President to declare the seats of 11 PDP Senators who wrote the Senate to announce their defection to the APC vacant.
Enang, Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, laboured to convince the Senate President, David Mark, about the need to declare the seats of the affected Senators vacant.
Senators Enang wanted to vacate their seats in the upper chamber included Abubakar Bukola Saraki, (Kwara Central), Magnus Abe, (Rivers South East), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West), Wilson Ake (Rivers West), and Aisha Jumai Al-Hassan.
The five Senators openly declared for the APC on the floor of the upper chamber on Tuesday.
Like a rehearsed motion, Enang urged Mark to invoke the powers conferred on him as the Senate President to declare the seats of the defectors vacant.
A competent source told our correspondent that the resolution to ask Mark to declare the seats of the defectors vacant was taken at the PDP Senators caucus meeting on Tuesday.
The caucus meeting was summoned after five Senators of the ruling party openly announced their defection to the APC on Tuesday.
The source who pleaded not to be named said that the threat to declare the seat of the affected Senators vacant was a ploy to intimidate them into dropping their defection bid.
Enang said, “Yesterday (Tuesday) Senators Abubakar Saraki, Abdullahi Adamu, Aisha Alhassan, Magnus Abe and Wilson Ake declared on the floor of the Senate that they are no more in the PDP.
“This is the party that sponsored them to the Senate. This is the party that owns the seats that they are sitting on.
Mr. President I have two judgments of the court to present before this distinguished Senate to show that the seats of Senators Saraki, Aisha Alhassan, Abdullahi Adamu, Magnus Abe and Wilson Ake are vacant on the floor of the Senate and they are strangers on the floor of the Senate.”
Before Enang could conclude his argument there was uproar in the chamber.
When the uproar subsided, Mark gave Enang the floor once again.
Enang continued, “I have the judgment of Justice E.S. Chukwu delivered on the 18th of October, 2013 between the PDP versus INEC, Abubakar Baraje, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and others which had declared that there is no division in the Peoples Democratic Party.”
Another session of uproar by Senators ensued but Enang was unperturbed.
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PDP woos defectors with money, automatic tickets
Saraki, Abe, Adamu, Ake, others to Mark: we’re now for APC
SCRAMBLING to stave off more defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been making mouth-watering offers to senators and members of the House of Representatives.
The offers may have accounted for the defection of some members of the House to the PDP yesterday, The Nation learnt.
The PDP is said to be targeting senators and members of the House from Zamfara, Sokoto, Nasarawa and Kaduna states.
Some PDP stalwarts in the Northwest have mounted a “one-on-one lobbying“of senators and members of the House who defected to the APC.
It was gathered that in some instances, the spouses and other relations of some of the lawmakers are being urged to prevail on them to dump the APC.
Some of the affected members of the National Assembly have confided in their colleagues that they have been under tremendous pressure to defect to the PDP.
Some of the lawmakers found the baits irresistible and had to bow to the pressure, sources said.
Some of the offers are:
•governorship tickets;
•automatic tickets to the National Assembly in 2015;
•input into the emergence of PDP executives at the ward, local government, constituency/senatorial district – as may be applicable;
•employment and constituency projects;
•protection from harassment by their godfathers;
•prospect of wielding contacts in a PDP government to earn more money.
There were allegations of monetary inducements of between $20,000 and N50million, but these could not be immediately ascertained last night.
Neither the affected lawmakers nor those levelling the allegation were prepared to comment on the allegations as at the time of filing this report.
The development was said to have been brought to the notice of the House leadership, which was trying to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the allegation.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The PDP has been desperate to woo back those who defected to the APC.
“A member of the House from Kano State has been promised the party’s governorship ticket if he dumps the APC. The influential member refused to defect to the PDP with ex-Governor Ibrahim Shekarau.
“The offers keep on increasing as part of the bid by PDP to retain its hold on the National Assembly.”
A lawmaker said: “The PDP has been targeting members of the National Assembly from Zamfara, Sokoto, Nasarawa and Kaduna states. The party is concerned that it is virtually losing the Northwest to the opposition.
“We have heard of cases of alleged monetary inducement, but we are looking for an opportunity to get a proof to present to the public. We heard that some members of the House had been promised between N100million and N150million. This is why anti-corruption agencies should come in. Let them put all of us on surveillance; they should monitor our financial transactions.
“You know even a governor in North-Central cried out about a week ago that some members of the National Assembly had been induced. I know the lid will soon be blown open.”
A principal officer in the House, who pleaded not to be named, said: “If any infraction on the part of a lawmaker is proven beyond reasonable doubt, we will apply appropriate sanctions.”
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Saraki, Abe, Adamu, Ake, Al-Hassan, others to Mark: we’re for APC
•Rattled PDP Senators hold emergency meeting
Five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators took the bull by the horns yesterday on the floor of the Senate.
Abubakar Bukola Saraki (Kwara Central), Magnus Abe (Rivers South East), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West), Wilson Ake (Rivers West) and Aisha Jumai Al-Hassan openly declared for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The open declaration for APC may have been informed by the refusal of the Senate President, David Mark, to read a letter by 11 PDP senators informing the Senate of their defection to the APC.
It was apparent that the open declaration of the PDP lawmakers for the APC rattled Mark.
Each of the defectors raised a Point of Order to announce his defection to the opposition party.
Proceedings were held up for over one hour as the defectors rose to insist on the enforcement of their privilege to associate freely.
But Mark however relied on Senate Order 53(3) to rule the defectors out of Order.
For Mark, the matter of defection of the senators is in court and no reference shall be made to it, according to the Senate’s rule.
Saraki, who led the group of defectors raised Order 14(a) which deals with privileges.
Order 14 (a) states: “Privileges are the rights enjoyed by the Senate collectively and the members of the Senate individually conferred by the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act Cap 208 Laws of the Federation 1990 and other statutes, or by practice, precedent usage and custom.
(b) “Whenever a matter of privilege arises, it shall be taken up immediately.”
Saraki listed the names of PDP senators who wrote the Senate to announce their defection to APC.
Mark told Saraki that the matter was pending in court and the Senate would not make reference to it.
Mark noted that “privilege does not apply here because you were the person who went to court”.
Saraki replied: “Presently, under Privilege, I have informed the Senate that I have defected from the PDP to the APC and the matter in court is not about defection but the declaration of my seat vacant.”
Mark said that his interpretation of the issue in court was not that of declaration of seat vacant.
He added: “In any case, you have come by a Point of Order, but because the matter is in court, I shall have no further discussion on it because our Order is very clear – No reference shall be made to any matter that is before a court. Therefore, I rule out of Order.”
Mark noted that the defectors went to court, which said that the status quo should be maintained.
He ruled Saraki out of order and asked Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba to move the Order of the day.
Hardly had the Senate Leader stood up when Minority Leader George Akume intervened.
Akume reminded the Senate that the privileges of members are guaranteed by the Constitution.
He noted that the defection of 11 PDP senators to the APC had dragged on for so long.
The lawmaker insisted that the privilege of members must be complied with.
“The Senate leadership cannot stop people from freely associating,” Akume said.
He warned about unbridled breaching of the privileges of senators.
Mark cut Akume short by asking him to name the privileges that have been breached. He ruled Akume out of Order.
But Akume was not yet done. The Benue State lawmaker noted that by the power conferred on him as the Minority leader, he is expected to defend the defectors.
Senator Anthony Adeniyi (APC, Ekiti South) in a Point of Order, reminded the Senate President that every senator is entitled to associate freely.
Adeniyi said that the issues raised by Saraki and Akume about 11 PDP senators who desired to defect to APC should not be wished away, especially when the matter has to do with the fundamental right of the lawmakers.
Mark also ruled him out of Order “because the matter is in court”.
Akume said that the court order Mark referred to was not being well interpreted. He insisted that letter of defection of the 11 PDP senators to the APC should be read.
Senators Adamu, Abe, Ake, Al-Hassan also raised the matter of privilege to declare their defection to APC.
Mark ruled them out of Order.
As the chamber was getting hotter for Mark to control, the Senate President signaled to the Senate Leader to move for the adjournment of the upper chamber.
Ndoma-Egba jokingly said that “having exhausted all Point of Orders and all items on the Order paper, I hereby move that the Senate do now adjourn to another legislative day”.
Abe and Al-Hassan, who spoke to reporters after the plenary, said they consulted with their constituents before defecting to the APC.
Al-Hassan specifically said that she felt that moving to the APC would offer her justice, which she, could not find in PDP.
The PDP Senate caucus summoned an emergency meeting last night.
Insiders said the meeting was scheduled to discuss the gale of defections from the party to the APC.
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PDP dangles dollars to lure back defected federal lawmakers, says APC
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the PDP of using public funds to lure back some of the federal lawmakers who have defected from the ruling party to the APC, condemning what it called political horse trading carried too far.
In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the PDP, in an unprecedented show of desperation, has rolled out a mouth-watering enticement package that promises $2 million to each Senator who returns to the PDP; $1 million to each member of the House of Representatives, and $10 million to each “leader” who abandons the APC for the PDP.
It said the price tag for the federal legislators from Rivers State is even higher, at $5 million each.
But the APC said there was no cause for alarm, as no inducements will stop the change that is in the horizon, because the long-suffering people of Nigeria are ready and eager to vote out the PDP next year.
The party said the five House of Representatives members who have taken the PDP’s killer bait and returned to the party are nothing but dirty traitors, adding that when they defected to the APC, they were neither forced to do so nor given any incentive beyond the rare opportunity offered them to be a part of the looming change.
It expressed the hope that the double defectors will declare the blood money they have collected from the PDP to those who voted them into office, and also pretend to be democratic by sharing the money with them.
“Nigerians can now see why their country has gone broke; why the allocation to states from the Federation Account has continued to dwindle, and why infrastructures have either remained decrepit or non-existent. It is not difficult to imagine the number of boreholes that $10 million can sink, or how far such a huge amount will go in building cottage hospitals and health clinics.
“Things are bound to get worse in the days ahead because the desperate PDP will, more and more, use public funds to try to change the course of history. We, therefore, urge Nigerians to remain resolute in the face of what will be a wave of inducements never before seen in these climes, because there is no going back on the plan to vote out the PDP next year and save Nigeria from a rapacious and inept leadership,” APC said.