The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

  • Atiku deplores persecution of NASS leadership

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has deplored the siege on the homes of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, early Tuesday morning.

    Describing the development as troubling and unsettling, Atiku said no democratic nation ought to treat the leadership of its parliament like common criminals in the course of a political disagreement.

    In a statement issued by his media office, the ex- Vice President recalled that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was the beneficiary of defection by Saraki and others in 2013 when they defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the party.

    The statement said: “I also remind them that their electoral victory, which they have so badly mismanaged today, would not have been possible without the Senate President.

    “Power is transient and is also a trust that should only be used for the good and advancement of the people one leads and not for the persecution of real and imagined political opponents.

    “I therefore call for the lifting of the sieges on the persons and homes of Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, by security forces.

    “I remind President Muhammadu Buhari of his public words of solidarity to Senator Saraki after his ordeal of malicious prosecution, which thankfully was brought to a halt by the Supreme Court and I urge him to live up to those words today and always.”

  • Babatope predicts PDP’s victory in Osun governorship election

    A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ebenezer Babatope, on Sunday said the party would win the Sept. 22 governorship election in Osun.

    Babatope, a former Minister of Transportation, spoke in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said that people of Osun were fed up with the All Progressives Congress (APC) – led administration under Gov. Rauf Aregbesola in the state and were earnestly yearning for PDP.

    NAN reports that Sen. Ademola Adeleke, representing Osun West at the Senate, emerged the PDP’s candidate in the party’s primary held on Saturday.

    He polled 1, 569 to defeat his closest rival, Chief Akin Ogunbiyi, Chairman, Mutual Benefit Trust Assurance Plc, who scored 1,562.

    NAN reports that Mr Gboyega Oyetola, the Chief of Staff to Gov. Rauf Aregbesola, had clinched the APC’s governorship ticket at the party’s primary on Friday.

    Babatope said: “Our great party will win the governorship election in Osun on Sept 22. I am confident.

    “I am optimistic of the PDP’s victory, because our people are fed up and tired of APC-led government.

    “People are tired of APC and are yearning for our party. With the renewed belief of our party in us, I have no doubt that PDP will win,” he said.

    The former minister, however, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure credible conduct of the election for the will of the people to prevail.

    When asked if the exit of Omisore would not affect the fortunes of the party at the polls, the PDP chieftain answered in the negative.

    He said though, Omisore was a prominent member of the party before his defection, people would still vote for the PDP.

    On the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti, Babatope said that he was still surprised by the outcome as announced by INEC.

    He said he knew Ekiti people were for PDP, saying Gov. Ayodele Fayose had done well to warm the party into the hearts of the people.

    “I am surprised at the outcome. I know Ekiti people very well, I know they love PDP because they appreciate our party.

    “Honestly, I am surprised. I am bewildered,” Babatope said.

  • Nasarawa: PDP Chieftain, supporters defect to APC

    A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State, Mr John Mamman and his supporters have defected to All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    Mamman, a retired Permanent Secretary, made this known on Sunday at a reception organised in his honour by the executives and members of APC, Dari electoral ward of Kokona Local Government Area of the state.

    Mamman, while addressing the large crowd said he had remained a long standing “general’’ of the PDP in the state.

    According to him, he has joined PDP in May 1998 and never considers defecting to any political party since then.

    Mamman, however, said the time had come for him to move away from the PDP, adding that the APC under President Muhammadu Buhari was a better option for him.

    “I choose to join the APC due to the developmental strides of President Muhammadu Buhari and Gov. Tanko Al-Makura, which have direct impacts on the lives of the people,’’ he said.

    The retired Permanent Secretary also said joining the APC would provide him the chance to contribute his quota to the development of the state in particular and the country in general.

    Mamman, while pledging his unalloyed loyalty to the party, said he and his teeming supporters would work for the victory of the party in the forthcoming general elections.

    “I want to assure you that APC family has accepted me and I have also agreed to work for APC in Nigeria, Nasarawa State, Kokona and my ward, Dari electoral ward.

    “First, my desire to join the APC stems from the fantastic record of performance of both President Buhari and Gov. Al-Makura.

    “Second, I have done this due to the fact that I need to contribute my quota to the development of the country, you can only do it from within and if you are outside, you cannot do it.

    “I will work for the APC, God knows that I will work for the APC and I will do it to the best of my ability’’, Mamman said.

    Earlier, Alhaji Abdullahi Odeh, the APC Chairman, Dari electoral ward said the reception was organised in order to welcome an illustrious son to the party.

    “We were overwhelmed with the defection of Mamman’s to the party and this shows a total collapse of the PDP in the ward.

    He, therefore, called on the party supporters in the area to continue to work tirelessly for the victory of the party, especially now that their leader had returned to the party.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the occasion was attended by the state Deputy Governor, Slias Ali Agara, Sen.Abdullahi Adamu, Hon. Ibrahim Abdullahi, Speaker of the State Asembly among others.

  • Cross River: Senatorial aspirant dumps PDP over alleged discrimination 

    A senatorial aspirant of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State, Mr. Kammonke Abam, has resigned from the party alleging plans to deny him and other aspirants from a particular axis of his senatorial district the opportunity to fly the party’s flag.

    In a letter addressed to the State Chairman of the party in Cross River State dated July 12, 2018, Abam, who aspires to the seat of the Central Senatorial District, said, he is “constrained to resign in protest against the surreptitious plan to deny those of us from the Old Obubra axis of the party and particularly Ugep, the opportunity to fly the party’s flag which we believe is historically justified to be zoned to us.”

    Read Also:Allow defectors, concerned PDP members tell leaders

    According to Abam, in the last couple of months, the efforts that those of them from the Old Obubra axis of the party and particularly Ugep, have made to secure the ticket of the party for the Central Senatorial District have been severely undermined.

    “It has become very obvious that the political scale is deliberately and unfairly tilted to favour Old Ikom,” he alleged, in his letter to the party Chairman

    He expressed mixed feelings for his resignation as according to him, “I am sad that I will be leaving some of my longtime party friends that I have had the pleasure of working with over the years. Furthermore, having been a loyal party member all these years, I am saddened that I have to leave the party that has given me the opportunity to serve my state as a political appointee to two successive Governors for 9 years.”

    He said he reached this decision after wide consultations with a wide spectrum of party elders and members sympathetic to his cause and supporters in the Central Senatorial District.

    Abam said, “I do not think I need to wait for the smoke of this stealthy plan to choke me before taking the necessary actions to protect my inalienable right to contest for any position of my choice under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

    Abam said, those in the party that are orchestrating this act may have the “power” to decide who gets the senatorial ticket, “but they have a limit as to how the rest of us will respond to such an action”.

  • Ekiti: Don’t disappoint the people, IPAC tells Fayemi

    The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on Monday congratulated Dr Kayode Fayemi on his victory in Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.

    The Chairman of IPAC in the state, Mr Ilesanmi Omolayo, congratulated Fayemi while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Ado-Ekiti.

    He said the victory of Fayemi, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), over his closest rival, Prof. Olushola Eleka of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), reflected the will of the people.

    Read Also:How Ekiti governorship election was won and lost

    Omolayo said that with Fayemi’s election, the people had put their trust in him to better their lots, urging the governor-elect to work to meet their expectations and not disappoint them.

    “We congratulate Dr Fayemi on his election as the new governor of our dear state and wish him all the best.

    “We believe the outcome of the election reflects the will of the people. The people actually spoke.

    “However, we urge Fayemi to see his victory as a call to service to meet the expectations of Ekiti people.

    “We advise him not to betray the trust reposed in him and disappoint them, but to work for the collective interest of everyone in the state”, he said.

    The IPAC chairman also lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he called the credible conduct of the election.

    He said IPAC was pleased with the conduct by INEC and efforts of security agents and other stakeholders to make the election a success.

    Omolayo dismissed complaints in some quarters that the election result was manipulated, describing such as baseless.

    “You see when some people’s expectations in elections are not realised; they tend to say all sorts of things.

    “For the records, the results of the last Saturday election in Ekiti were not manipulated. I can say this, because IPAC monitored the whole process.

    “in fact, I moved from one local government to another on the election day, and I can tell that the whole process was transparent.

    “At the final collation centre, I, as IPAC chairman, was the one that opened all the ballot boxes and everything was sorted out and counted in the presence of everybody.

    “I urge everyone to put politics aside and accept the fact that the election was okay. We should all join hands with the governor-elect to move Ekiti forward,” he said.

  • Ekiti: PDP is irreparably broken, dismantled – Presidency 

    *Ekiti: Fayose’s political career sealed – Presidency 

    *Says Ekiti people have rejected stomach infrastructure

    *Ekiti: Credit goes to Tinubu – Presidency

    With the victory of the Ekiti State Gov-Elect, Kayode Fayemi, in the governorship election in the state at the weekend, the Presidency on Sunday said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is irreparably broken and dismantled with the outcome.

    In an article entitled ‘Fayose: In The End, A High-Powered Nothing’, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said that Fayose’s political career is now sealed for good with the loss by his party.

    According to him, much credit for the victory of Fayemi goes to the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

    He said “The people of the politically significant State of Ekiti have spoken against their Governor, outgoing governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, who told them that the governorship election they just had was a referendum on President Muhammadu Buhari. He said candidates Kayode Fayemi and Olusola Eleka were pawns and that he and President Buhari were the actual contestants.

    “In what observers said was the most intense, and a most angry campaign, the people gave their verdict: Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the one-time governor, declared persona-non-grata is now persona-grata again. President Buhari has won this referendum. The people of the State have sent a clear message. The politics of brinksmanship, assaults, insults, abuses and Robin Hoodism disguised as stomach infrastructure has been rejected in favour of politics of inclusion, development, responsibility and good governance.

    “President Buhari’s war against corruption and insecurity; the message of agric revolution and infrastructure development and fidelity in resource allocation and management have struck a chord with Ekiti voters, who had been lied to and deceived by Governor Fayose. While the opposition continued to rant at him, President Buhari’s uprightness, coupled with incorruptibility and personal integrity, unmatched by any politician in the country has again stood the test of time.

    “The All Progressives Congress (APC) win in Ekiti means that the Party has control over 25 out of the 36 states of the Federation. The party thus becomes the only one in power in the six states of the South-West geopolitical zone.

    “Besides reinforcing the APC’s position as the only standing pole in the political landscape, it is a credit to the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, against whom all manner of ethnic and religious opposition is being mounted by former President Obasanjo and some of the Asiwaju’s sworn enemies in the sub-region.

    “With this, the political landscape of the South-West has been transformed. APC’s regional strength has been strengthened and the Asiwaju will be respected even better. Without losing patience and decorum, the Asiwaju has proved that rivals must reconcile and come to terms or lose everything.

    “This win is equally a huge boost to the APC and its new leadership under Chairman Adams Oshiomole, who got their first baptism of fire in Ekiti. It is, importantly, a big boost to the second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari.” he said

    Speaking on PDP, he said “For the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which came second in the election in a state that they held sway, it is a loss politically and psychologically. The result of the election has proved that PDP is irreparably broken and dismantled. They have nothing to offer to the country and its people. The message from Ekiti is that no state in Nigeria will vote PDP. Never again.

    Read also:  Blackmailing observer groups won’t save Fayose from defeat -Fayemi

    “As for Mr. Fayose and his morbid brand of politics, it is now his time to reconcile himself to the imminent political extinction he faces, his political career sealed for good. Newspapers have mistaken him for a gadfly who creates discomfort for the government at the centre to make it better, but Fayose is a street-type thug. He never fits the role of a gadfly because he thrives on bitter enmity. Opposition does not mean a negative view of everything. Neither does it translate into a licence to abuse your superiors.

    “The winner of the election, Governor Fayemi’s trajectory from a persona-non-grata to a persona-grata again has given a wave of cheer to APC members all over the country. It has given a fresh hope that fake news, lies and propaganda run only short distances, because they have short legs.

    “An old proverb says you can’t beat something with nothing. After all the noise, theatricals and drama, Fayose’s fall came with a thud, not a bang: a high-powered nothing.” he stated

  • Olusola to challenge Fayemi’s victory in court

    …says Fayemi’s victory ‘most audacious robbery’

    Defeated People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Professor Kolapo Olusola, has vowed to challenge the victory of the governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, at the Election Petitions Tribunal.

    Olusola described Fayemi’s victory as “the most audacious electoral robbery of our recent history.”

    Addressing a news conference in his office on Sunday, Olusola claimed that he won the election with more than 70 per cent of valid votes cast in the 16 council areas and vowed to reclaim his ‘mandate’ by judicial means.

    He alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) leveraged on federal might to pervert the electoral process, subvert the will of Ekiti people and viciously steal the ‘mandate’ freely given to him.

    Olusola said: “I therefore reject the falsified results being bandied by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which purportedly gave the election to the All Progressives Congress and its Candidate; Dr. John Kayode Fayemi.

    “This is the most audacious electoral robbery of our recent history. It shall not stand. By the grace of Almighty God and your support, I will pursue and regain my mandate.

    “To rig this election, the APC leveraged on its well-advertised but patently obnoxious and anti-democratic “Federal might” to intimidate, harass, victimize, oppress, and brutalize PDP leaders, members, and the voting public all over Ekiti.

    “This brutal and barbaric process, which started well before the election, did not spare Gov. Ayo Fayose and me; as the whole world had seen and had condemned. It is quite unfortunate that the harassment has continued even after the election.

    “On Saturday, July 14th, the security agencies and INEC upped the ante, threw all caution to the wind, went back on their promises to be impartial and to conduct credible elections; they sided with APC and Fayemi to the chagrin of our party, myself, and the good people of Ekiti State.”

    Some of the alleged infractions, Olusola promised to challenge in court include the alleged indiscriminate arrest of our party leaders and agents and the harassment and brutalization of voters on a massive scale, especially in Ado-Ekiti, Ikere and the suburbs.

    Olusola also complained on alleged giving cover, tacit, as well as active support to thugs imported into Ekiti by APC to snatch ballot boxes, create confusion, cause mayhem, and drive away voters in PDP strongholds.

    He also promised to provide evidence on the alleged giving of cover to APC agents as they financially and openly induced voters and bought votes at polling stations.

    Olusola deplored alleged driving away our polling agents from collation centres and illegal seizure of documents and materials in their possession, among many other infractions.

    He added: “INEC on its own part reneged on its promise to have results counted, declared, and pasted on the wall of each polling station.

    “There was nowhere INEC transmitted results from the polling centres as earlier promised.

    “Ballot boxes were illegally moved to INEC offices while our agents were disallowed from following the process. INEC also allowed late voting by APC in hideouts when it was obvious the figures still would not add up after all the infractions mentioned above.

    Read also: Ekiti 2018: Ambode congratulates Fayemi

    “Still, when all of these shenanigans still failed to give them the figures they needed, they stopped the announcement of results ward-by-ward, caused a deliberate power outage at the collation centre, with no alternative source of power provided for a long time, and then wrote results in favour of APC and its candidate.

    “Without doubt, what has played out in Ekiti is the APC template for the 2019 General Election, where they have mapped out Rivers and Akwa Ibom as States they must capture at all costs, like they are now trying to do Ekiti.

    “It is now left for the opposition and opposition figures, most especially presidential hopefuls in 2019, to stand up to be counted in the struggle to roll back President Muhammadu Buhari’s creeping fascism, or throw in the towel without a fight.

    “This is not just a sad day for Ekiti but also for democracy in Nigeria. Nothing demonstrates this better than the gloom that has enveloped our dear State since they announced their convoluted result.”

     

  • Killings: Arrest and prosecute killer politicians, Lamido tells Buhari

    Former Governor of Jigawa state and presidential aspirant under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Sule Lamido has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to name the politicians behind the incessant killings in the country and bring them to justice.

    Lamido was reacting to claims by the Presidency that it has the list of names of politicians who are responsible for the killings of innocent Nigerians.

    “President Buhari said ‘I know those politicians, who are sponsoring these killings,’ he said so, as the Commander-In-Chief. Now, have they been arrested? Who are they? Name them. People are dying every day, and he knows the killers and they have not been arrested. You press men, please ask him (Buhari) who they are, he should arrest them,” Lamido stated.

    The presidential aspirant, who spoke to journalists in his Kano residence, insisted that the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) government has failed to deliver on its three-point agenda of security, economy and fighting corruption.

    Lamido who said he has started consultation with PDP stakeholders across the country ahead of the convention regretted that Nigerians have suffered a lot under APC government.

    According to him, “on security, you see, before it was Boko Haram, it has now gone beyond Boko Haram. It is now inter-tribal. It is between Fulani and Fulanis; it is between Hausa and Hausas, between Igbos and Igbos. In Ebonyi it is there, in Zamfara it is there and in Sokoto, it is there.

    “So, you see, today, we are under siege. It means all they key security chiefs appointed by this government have failed to deliver. Nigerians are now sleepless, they are watching, they have so many things in their minds—whether to go for what they know is safety, security and prosperity or to go for this culture of violence which is now defiling Nigeria as a country.”

    Lamido further stated that, “the three factors that they used during their campaign—economy, security and fighting corruption are all zero.

    “How on earth can Buhari go to Danjuma Goje’s house to beg him—Goje who has been arraigned in court! And Buhari preferred to go to him, by that, the Judge should be very very careful, because it means they cannot convict Goje.

    “If Oshiomole after all these noise and ranting will go to Saraki and Tambuwal and beg them, after calling PDP thieves and what have you, which means their fight against corruption is defeated.”

    Speaking on the just concluded Ekiti governorship election, Lamido said, “the election process in Ekiti was heavily militarized; and I know it shouldn’t be a surprise because we are being led by a former military General who was also a former military Head of State, who was known for arresting political leaders.

    “Number two, you see, he (Buhari) only says politicians are this, politicians are that, which means he is not a politician.

    “So, I think the election in Ekiti, to me, if it is the wish of the people that is announced as the result, I have no quarrels with it. I hope, also, that this is not the kind of thing we are going to experience in 2019 elections because it will spell doom for democracy.

    “You see, even before the election, there was this acrimony, the atmosphere was very tensed. You see, sending 30, 000 police men in Ekiti for a governorship election is very worrisome.

    “From what I heard, they said they sent 30, 000 policemen, we don’t know the number of other security agencies and para-military. If in 2019, they are sending 30, 000 police men to conduct elections in each state, that means 30, 000 times 36, including Abuja—this is very curious.

    “If this was how that election was conducted, that means they instilled fear in the people. To me, the election has come and gone, it has been conducted and the winner has been declared, I certainly hope that it is the wish of the people that was declared. Let it be the wish of the people that is being declared, simple.”

    He expressed confidence that PDP will reclaim power in 2019, adding that PDP has learnt from its past mistakes.

  • Obasanjo counsels Secondus, PDP on how to defeat Buhari, APC in 2019

    … As party apologises to ex – President

     

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday met with the National Working Committee (NWC) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and counselled them on steps to adopt if they hoped to unhorse President Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019.

    Obasanjo who was elected Nigerian President twice from 1999 – 2007  on the platform of PDP,  told the  21 man delegation of the Committee led by PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Walid Jibrin to pay more than passive attention to four issues, he identified, as needed ingredients to bring PDP back to power.

    The Ebora Owu who announced his quitting of partisan politics in the build up to the 2015 Presidential election to become an elder statesman, advised the party to court and embrace “good image, internal discipline, commitment, quality leadership and moral principles.”

    Read Also:I’m worried about youth anger, frustration — Obasanjo

    The early morning meeting at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) at the state capital was at the instance of the NWC of the party which had earlier arrived Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, a day ahead of it.

    The ex – President gave the advice in response to Uche Secondus.

    The Party national leader had earlier, tendered words of apology on behalf the party to Obasanjo for the bad conduct and mistreatment met out to him and also drew  his attention to what he (Secondus) considered as the “distress and prostrate situation of the country today” as well as  the progress report on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the  grand alliance of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) among others.

    These were contained in a release issued in Abeokuta by Obasanjo’s Media aide, Mr. kehinde Akinyemi, shortly after the meeting.

    The release reads: “Chief Obasanjo thanked the delegation for apologising on behalf of the party and made reference to the Lord’s Prayer where we are taught to ask God for forgiveness and to grant forgiveness to others.

    “He further underlined the pitiable situation of Nigeria today and the inexcusable killing and insecurity almost all over the country and the unprecedented division of the country all of which the present government seems to have no credible solution.

    “After deliberations, it was made clear that the MOU for grand alliance is what it says, a grand alliance. It is neither a merger nor absorption of any political party by any political party. It is clearly for the parties who agreed to be members of the alliance to work together to achieve one important common objective at the national level for the election of 2019 and where it is appropriate and necessary members may also form alliance and cooperation at the state level.

    “Chief Obasanjo reiterated to the Committee that the idea of a grand alliance was broached when the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) adopted African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a political party platform. He therefore reaffirmed his belief and support for the grand alliance.

    “Chief Obasanjo, however, advised that the individuality and independence of each political party must be observed and respected by all parties concerned. It is also desirable that in the process of implementing the MOU to achieve the set objective, solidarity and focus on the objective must be maintained.

    “Chief Obasanjo urged that all member political parties must be cautious of fake news, rumours, blackmail, and seeds of discord that may be sown among them from external quarters.

    “He also, reminded the committee that on adoption of ADC as political party of the CNM (Coalition of Nigeria Movement), he had maintained that he will not be a member of any political party but he will make himself available to guide any party that wishes to be so guided and he has offered such guidance to ADC.

    “While he may make himself available to any other party that will require it, service to ADC will be paramount, he equally pointed out to the committee that before their prompting he had put his hands on the ground and there is no looking back.

    “That he will join men and women in the country and if necessary lead them, in retrieving and saving the country from shipwreck.”

    Earlier, the National Chairman of PDP also appealed to the former President not to relent on giving necessary leadership to save the country from the throes of mismanagement and drift towards shipwrecking.

  • 2019 Presidency: Jerry Gana declares under SDP

    ...Laments Nigeria facing serious existential threat

     

     

    An aspirant for the 2019 Presidential poll under the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prof Jerry Gana, has warned that Nigeria is facing an existential threat in the proportion comparable to the end of Biafra war.

    Speaking while officially declaring interest to contest for the exalted position, the former Minister of Information expressed sadness on the level of crippling uncertainty everywhere in the country.

    He further cautioned that the present government has shown incompetence and lack of capability to turn around the drifting country, warning that Nigeria will implode if President Muhammadu Buhari returns for second term.

    Read Also:2019: Fresh crisis hits PDP as Jerry Gana, Adeniran, Orubebe, Turaki, others dump party for SDP

    The former chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) pointed out that apart from insecurity which has rendered human life brutish, short and nasty in the country, the asymmetrical war on corruption by the present government is fueling ethnic decadence.

    “Being a patriotic and committed democrat, who has carried a burden for the rapid development of our far nation for decades, I am deeply concerned at the very real prospect of Nigeria imploding unless our great party comes to the rescue with a God fearing, dynamic, untainted and credible leadership.

    “Nigeria is facing an existential threat, the seriousness and proportion of which have never been witnessed since the end of the war.

    “There is crippling uncertainty everywhere. People are suffering unprecedented and untold hardships as a result of arrested development. Insecurity that has rendered human life brutish, short and nasty is rampart across the zones, states, communities and villages.

    “Asymmetrical war on corruption is fueling further ethnic decadence, while anxiety, unpatriotism and poverty have coalesced into a creepy epidemic of self-doubt. In all of this, the current leadership of the nation, at the highest level of government seems unconcerned, incompetent or incapable of turning around the drift.

    “Since I joined politics in 1978 at the younger age in my early 30s, about 40 years ago, under the mentorship of the Greta Owelle Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, the inspiration of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the tutelage of the emancipator chief Solomon Lar, the charismatic Alhaji Abubakar Rimi among many others right from my days in the Nigerian Senate, I have maintained a track record of performances.

    “I have maintained integrity, competence, character, capacity and respect to public office. These opportunities and exposure added to the fact that I have widely traveled across the length and breadth of the nation, many times by toad, I have a front row understanding of our country, as well as the wealth of experience have definitely placed me in a most very vantage position, for above several others, to remark Nigeria and deeply renew the hope of the people in the federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “Having consulted and affirmed by my family, local community, friends and a cross-section of eminent citizens and stakeholders across the core national divides of ethnicity, religion and regions, I am convinced that this is the fit time for me to offer for this national assignment on the platform of our great party.

    “By my track record, my desire to seek to contest the election into the highest political office is not motivated by a quest for self-glorification nor aggrandizement, rather it is borne out of my patriotic zeal and conviction that with my pedigree, experience, skills and academic endowment, I can provide the requisite leadership to transform the fortunes of our people and change the trajectory of our country towards the attainment of our fullest potentials.

    “It is my hope and prayer that the party will positively note my interest as under your able leadership, it offers opportunities for service to our dear country, Nigeria,” he said.

    Responding, Dr Ishaq Abdul Ahmed, the Deputy National Chairman of SPD, who represented the National Chairman, Olu Falae, described Prof Gana as an asset to the party and the country.