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Tag: PDP

  • Representatives in defection drama

    Representatives in defection drama

    The drama of defection of members in the House of Representatives was re-enacted yesterday as five members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    However, the PDP also lost one member to the APC.

    The letters of defection were read out at plenary by Speaker Aminu Tambuwal.

    The APC members who defected to the PDP are: Lawan Shehu Bichi (Kano), Sani Ibrahim Doruwa (Zamfara), Ibrahim Shehu (Zamfara), Umar Bature (Sokoto) and Abdusalam Adamu (Kano).

    A member, Isah Mohammed Ashiru, PDP (Kaduna) defected to the APC.

    Following the defections, the PDP now has 178 members to APC’s 168.

    Tambuwal, who announced the names of the defectors said: “I will read the letters communicated to me by my colleagues”.

    Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila through a point of Order, protested that the Speaker was spending too much time reading the list of defectors.

    Tambuwal also received the report of the six-man ad-hoc advisory committee he set up last week on how to proceed with the budget debate after the previous session ran into a hitch.

    He urged members to be reasonable and level-headed, in the pursuit of their interest saying: “our nascent democracy is at a precarious stage as jockeying for political offices has made some people desperate.

    “Many have allowed their interest to stand in the way of national interest”, he said.

     

  • N100bn bond for expressway

    N100bn bond for expressway

    •Is it politics or business?

    As if in response to widespread skepticism over its plan for the abandoned Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Federal Government has thrown a new dice into the conundrum. According to the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, the government is ready to issue a N100 billion bond towards the completion of the road. The minister made the claim before a delegation of campaigners for President Goodluck Jonathan and his vice, Namadi Sambo, known as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Reloaded Committee, which is led by former deputy senate president, Ibrahim Mantu. Shockingly, the minister also claimed that since the contract for the expressway was re-awarded, work has been going on, on that road.

    Considering the several failed promises made by the Federal Government on the rehabilitation of that road, we do not know whether this new claim is a mere political gimmick. Interestingly, the minister chose a meeting with politicians to announce such an important decision. A few months ago, President Jonathan came to do a groundbreaking ceremony on the construction of that road, but notably, the current budget awaiting the approval of the federal legislature captured only N25 billion out of the about N170 billion required to fix it. Again, the Federal Government had not long ago, also claimed that it was going into a Public-Private Partnership as a source of funding to build the road.

    So, which of the claims shall Nigerians rely on towards the reconstruction of perhaps the most important federal highway in Nigeria? Should we rely on the political assertions of the minister made before President Jonathan’s praise singers or that of the President which came with much fanfare, with no action? Or, is it even possible that when the President flagged off the reconstruction project, there was no funding plan in place? Nigerians demand an answer to this flip-flop of the Federal Government, more so as the integrity of the office of the President has been dragged into the conundrum.

    As we have previously argued, if indeed the Federal Government has no plans to reconstruct that road, why all the fanfare and excruciating deprivations that road users suffer on the day President Jonathan came to perform what is turning out a duplicitous enterprise? Now, it seems the minister has taken over where the President stopped in a classical case of double speak. By the minister’s claim last week, the Federal Government is now to fund the entire project, partly through direct funding and the major chunk of fund, by borrowing. Yet, in the 2014 budget estimate, the entire provision for the ministry of works is not up to the cost of the project; or shouldn’t the cost have been captured in the budget, if truly there is a genuine plan of action?

    The case of abandonment that the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has suffered is applicable to most of the other federal highways across the country. While the present regime can claim that the crisis predates it, it is shameful that it has not done much since it came on board. Again, since the emergence of democratic governance in 1999, the Peoples Democratic Party has been in power, and over the 14 years it has budgeted hundreds of billions of naira to the Federal Ministry of Works, with very little to show for it. The failure of the party to deliver on infrastructure cuts across, in spite of the trillions of naira budgeted annually for these. Considering the importance of this road, we again urge the Federal Government to expedite action on its reconstruction.

  • Mu’azu cautions PDP officials against careless statements

    Mu’azu cautions PDP officials against careless statements

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, has cautioned officials of the party against making careless statements while defending the party’s position.

    He spoke yesterday while hosting Kaduna State Governor Ramalan Yero, who led a delegation of party faithful to the party’s secretariat in Abuja.

    The party chair described some statements by the PDP officials as fruitless and pedestrian, saying their statements and arguments must focus on the issues relevant to Nigerians.

    Said he: “You must discuss issues, which matter to the people and affect the life of the common man.

    “Do not drag yourself into argument with people, who do not know what they are doing, who talk about trivialities, ethnicity, religiosity and regionalism”.

    Mu’azu urged members from the state to cooperate with Yero, stressing the need for good and purposeful leadership.

    He enjoined the faithful to join the governor in building on the legacy of his predecessor, the late Patrick Yakowa, who died in a helicopter crash in December 2012.

    The PDP chairman pledged fairness and a level-playing field for contestants during the primaries, warning that they should desist from seeking nominations through the back door.

    Said he: “Ensure that you convince the people on issues at hand. Tell them what you and your party stand for and what you intend to do for them.

    “If they vote for you, you are my man, you are my candidate. Internal democracy will not only be run well and properly, it will also be deepened.

    “We will not hand-pick our candidates. Forget what you used to do in the past. This is a new era. Our best products will be presented to the electorate and they will surely be the winners.”

    Yero assured of fairness and justice in his dealings with members, saying that was the only way to ensure sustainability.

    “We will bring fairness, equity and justice to the party in the state. We are hoping to set example in the country,” he added.

    The governor pledged the loyalty and commitment of the Kaduna chapter to the chairman and other leaders, saying this would guarantee the success of PDP at the polls next year.

    The governor was accompanied by the chairmen of the 23 local governments, members of the state’s legislature, among others.

  • PDP lawmaker defects to APC

    PDP lawmaker defects to APC

    A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker in the Edo State House of Assembly has joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    With this, the PDP now has four members in the Assembly.

    Victor Edoror ,who represents Esan Central Constituency, expressed reservations about how the PDP treated him when he was abducted last year.

    The lawmaker said his defection was based on the developmental strides of the Adams Oshiomhole-led administration.

    In a letter addressed to the Speaker, Uyi Igbe, Edoror said no member of his former party called to inqire about his welfare and find out what transpired when he was kidnapped.

    The letter titled: “Notice of defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC)” reads: “I write to formally notify you of my decision to defect from the PDP to APC.

    “Mr. Speaker sir, and my most respected colleagues, I have ceased to be a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and I am now a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC),” he said.

     

  • APC registration: Lawmaker seeks peaceful exercise

    APC registration: Lawmaker seeks peaceful exercise

    House of Representatives member Hon. Hakeem Muniru has called on members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure a peaceful exercise devoid of rancour and bickering.

    Muniru, who represents Oshodi/Isolo Constituency, told reporters in Lagos that the registration should be seen as a reunion exercise. “This is a family reunion and we should all come together and participate in this exercise, which is a decisive step towards making Nigeria great,” he said.

    The lawmaker called on party members and those willing to join to participate in the exercise which will make them stakeholders in the APC. “This is an exercise that will give everyone a real sense of belonging. I am calling on everybody to register and become members of this great movement towards making Nigeria great,” he said.

    Muniru said, APC leaders have shown that the party’s main aim is to return the nation to its glorious past. “Our leaders have been sacrificing their time, resources and energy to make this great movement a reality because of their love for the development and growth of the country. The time has come for us to complement their efforts at reviving Nigeria and one way of doing that is registering and becoming members of the movement and participate fully in its activities,” Muniru said.

    He said that, with the misrule and misuse of the nation’s resources by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government in the last 14 years. The APC has come as the alternative to take Nigeria to the promised land.

    The registration of members ends on February 12, 2014.

     

  • Five APC Reps defect to PDP

    The defection drama in the House of Representatives was re-enacted on Tuesday as five members of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    However, the PDP also lost one member to the APC.

    This was after allegations of huge financial inducement from the Presidency hit the defecting members from the PDP.

    The Reps’ defection letters were read out at plenary by the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal.

    Members from the APC who defected to PDP are – Honourable Lawan Shehu Bichi (Kano), Sani Ibrahim Doruwa (Zamfara), Ibrahim Shehu ( Zamfara) Umar Bature ( Sokoto) and Abdusalam Adamu ( Kano).

    Isah Mohammed Ashiru, (PDP Kaduna State) defected to the APC.

    Obviously, the current defection would no doubt affect the APC caucus claim to a majority in the House with PDP now having 178 members to APC’s 168.

    Tambuwal, who announced the names of the defectors, said that, “I will read the letters communicated to me by my colleagues.”

    But the Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, via a point of Order had protested that the Speaker was spending too much time reading the list of defectors.

     

  • Saraki, Abe, Adamu, two others openly declare for APC in Senate

    Saraki, Abe, Adamu, two others openly declare for APC in Senate

    Five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senators on Tuesday took the bull by the horns on the floor of the Senate.

    The PDP Senators – 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) on the floor of the upper chamber.

    The open declaration for APC may have been informed by the refusal of the Senate President, David Mark, to read a letter signed 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 defectors raised Point of Order to announce their defection to the opposition party.

    Proceedings on the floor of the Senate were held up for over one hour as the defectors rose to insist on the enforcement of their privilege to associate freely.

    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 Senate rule.

    Senator Saraki who led the group of defectors raised Order 14(a) which deals with privileges.

    Order 14 (a) says: “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 the APC.

    Mark told Saraki that the matter he raised is currently pending in court and the Senate shall not make reference to it.

    Mark noted that “privilege does not apply here because you were the person who went to court.”

    Saraki responded that “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 is not that of declaration of seat vacant.

     

  • Amaechi: PDP has ruined Nigeria

    Amaechi: PDP has ruined Nigeria

    •‘APC is on rescue mission’

    Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi yesterday said the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ruined Nigeria.

    The governor said the All Progressives Congress (APC) was on a rescue mission.

    Amaechi, who chairs the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), spoke at Ward 8, Unit 14 of his Ubima hometown in Ikwerre Local Government Area.

    The governor was accompanied by his wife, Dame Judith, who also registered.

    Amaechi assured that APC would deliver an alternative leadership that would promote progress and create jobs for Nigerians.

    He said: “From what you can see, APC is the fastest-growing party in Africa. All these people you are seeing here were once members of the PDP. Today (yesterday), they joined me in formally moving to the APC. The reason for moving to the APC is that we are on a rescue mission. We are here to rescue Nigeria. We cannot continue like this.

    “Look at the crowd here. Eighty per cent of them are unemployed. So, when they say PDP will save Nigeria, we ask the question: who has been holding Nigeria for the past how many years? It is PDP. So, they cannot be saving Nigeria from themselves.

    “We are here to save Nigeria from the PDP and when we do that, we will create employment for Nigerians. This is because you must generate and grow the economy. The economy is not growing.

    “The rate of unemployment, the rate of corruption, the money lost to corruption, if applied to the economy, if applied to industrial development, will create employment for the unemployed.

    “So, the basic thing you will see that will happen is that with this change, with this movement from the PDP to the APC and the crowd we are going with, when we start to defeat them in Rivers State, we will defeat them in the country. The moment we defeat them, the money we will save from corruption is the money we will use in improving the lives of these people.”

    The governor condemned the attacks on APC supporters during membership registration at Degema, Akuku-Toru and Obio/Akpor local government areas.

    He noted that despite the provocation, the APC would continue its membership registration in the affected local governments.

    Amaechi said: “I heard there were crises in Degema, Akuku-Toru, Obio/Akpor local governments. The PDP is scared. Its leaders are worried. They are saying the governor moved without anybody. If I did not move with anybody, at least I moved with my wife (laughs). If they say we did not move with anybody, why are they fighting, why are they shooting?

    “We will ensure that we resist the violence they are bringing. We have directed that those local governments must go back for fresh registration. I have requested from the national secretariat of the APC to allow us few more days to enable those local government areas – where they have forestalled registration – for the registration to take place. That will happen.

    Amaechi said: “We are saying that we are in a democracy and because we are in a democracy, the people must be allowed to express their views and make their choices.”

    The governor was accompanied by Deputy Governor Tele Ikuru; APC Interim Rivers Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya; a former member of the House of Representatives, Igo Igoma and APC chieftain, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja.

  • Ohanaeze raises panel on National Conference

    Ohaneze Ndigbo, the pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, has set up a five-man committee to harmonise the positions of the diverse groups in the area for the impending national conference.

    The committee is headed by the former Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo.

    Speaking at the end of its meeting in Enugu on Monday, the President-General of the organisation, Chief Gary Igariwey, said the committee had four days to present its report.

    The president-general said the committee would come up with a document to guide the zone .

    According to him, the final positions of the Igbo for the conference would be released in the next one week.

    He promised full representation of members of other Igbo organisations at the conference.

    “We are here today to rub minds with all the other Igbo major organisations to harmonise on the position for the conference.

    “The idea is to make sure that we have an all inclusive position, so that we can speak with one voice. They have four days to harmonise these positions.

    “Some of the positions are identical. They are just going to fine tune the language. They are going to make sure that when we speak, we will speak with a consensus.

    “Within the next one week, we will call them together again to show them our final presentation. We will still be open to other inputs. We believe in working with all Igbo organisations,” he said.

    On the alleged leadership crisis in Ohanaeze, Igariwey said the organisation had yet to receive any document contesting its leadership.

    “There is no leadership crisis in Ohanaeze. This executive was properly elected for a four-year tenure, attended by past presidents-general.

    “This executive does not have any case in any court in this country,’’ the president-general said.

    The meeting was attended by a one-time governor of Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, traditional rulers and other stakeholders from the zone.

     

  • I-Nigerian urges positive attitude

    I-Nigerian urges positive attitude

    The I-Nigerian Renaissance Initiative, an NGO promoting positive development has urged Nigerian to develop positive attitudes election without imputing negative attitudes to the process.

    Responding to the public outcry and reactions to the recently releaed election time-table by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Cordinator of the group, Ada Stella Apiafi said positive attides to decision-making can ensure free and fairness in the fortcoming elections.

    Ada stated that “With INEC’s recent release of the time-table for the 2015 elections, reactions have come from far and wide – politicians, and Nigerians alike -indicate that there is a fear that the same thing that happened in 1983, may happen again in 2015. Some politicians have even gone as far as accusing the electoral body of working in tandem with the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to ensure the Party’s victory come 2015. Many, are therefore insisting that all the elections must hold on the same day. Expectedly, INEC and PDP have denied these seemingly spurious accusations. INEC on its part, explains that it lacks the logistic ability to conduct all the elections on the same day, while the incumbent Party says it was as surprised at the timetable as everyone else.”

    She further said that her group which is a non-partisan but committed to resuscitate the pride of being Nigerian in action, utterances, and perception, are concerned about this rancorous trend in our body polity, and the ripple effect this may have on the collective mindset of the Nigerian people.

    While applauding INEC for all its painstaking efforts to put structures in place that will guarantee a better managed electoral process in 2015, I-Nigerian Cordinator urged it to use the timetable as a template for a lasting procedure for conducting elections.

    Ada Apiafi later appealed to all stakeholders – politicians, electoral officials and Nigerians to be watchful of national interest in whatever they do in issues of differences of opinion, strategies, ideologies, or even modus. We cannot afford to allow the prediction of detractors and cynics to come true in 2015.

    “Perhaps also the “subtle suggestion” could be made to INEC to make out time to organise an informative Conference where all contentious issues regarding the 2015 elections time-table, could be ironed out amicably. Again, this in the same line of appeal for the interest of Nigeria, and of Nigerians, to be consciously considered.

    “We cannot afford to toy with the hard-earned democracy that we have practised since 1999. Rather, we should be moving forward to a position where our electoral process be worthy of emulation by other fledgling democracies of the world,” she concluded.