The Nation Newspaper

Tag: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate

  • Petition against Buhari ’ll fail, says Ekiti ARG

    THE Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Ekiti State Chapter, has advised the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to shelve the idea of resorting to litigation to challenge the outcome of the just concluded election.

    The Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation said the petition against President Muhammadu Buhari would fail because the electioneering process was devoid of any form of electoral malfeasance and its variance.

    The group dispelled the insinuation by the opposition parties that Muhammadu won the February 23 presidential election through fraudulent means.

    It said Buhari won the election because of his culture of integrity and honesty.

    The PDP had last week rejected the results of the election, branding it a sham and fraught with irregularities.

    A statement by ARG Publicity Secretary, Prince Michael Ogungbemi, in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, urged the PDP candidate and major opponent in the election, Atiku, to support President Buhari in building a virile nation rather than pursuing futile mission.

    “Though, the ARG and APC knew that the proposed petition against Buhari will fail, going to court is not patriotic because it will constitute distraction to governance.

    “The petition is already dead on its arrival because it lacks merit and could not witness the test of justice,” it said.

    On the victory of APC in the three senatorial and six House of Representatives seats in Ekiti, ARG hinged the feat on Governor Kayode Fayemi’s performances in office within the last four months.

    Read also: Buhari, governors, others step up campaign

    The group said Fayemi has been able to bring expertise and experience to governance to correct the ills perpetrated by the former administration in the areas of education, social investment policy, security and infrastructure.

    “We congratulate President Buhari, who had once again enjoyed the legitimate mandate of Nigerian people in recognition of his honesty and integrity.

    “Also, we congratulate all senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect into the 9th Assembly. We look forward to having a season of robust, responsible and purposeful legislation, as well as non-rancorous and harmonious relationship between the Executive and Legislature to engender good governance.”

  • Atiku wins seven Rivers LGs

    The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has won in seven Local government Areas (LGAs) of Rivers state while the All Progressives Congress (APC), won in one.

    Results of eight of the 23 LGAs in the state have been collated by the returning officer for the state, Professor Aniefiong Essien, Vice Chancellor, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom state in the company of the state Independent National Electoral commissioner(INEC), Dr. Effanga Obot and security chiefs.

    The exercise was conducted in INEC office in Port Harcourt the state capital on Sunday night.

    The LGAs: are Oyibo, Omuma, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Obio/Akpor, Eleme, and Gokana and Etche while APC won in Asari-toru LGA.

    The results presented to Prof. Essien by the LGA collation Officers and the Electoral Officer(EO) showed the PDP won in Oyigbo with a total of 16,102 votes while the All Progressives congress(APC) scored 3, 520 votes.

    It was further revealed that a total of 109, 095 voters were registered and 22, 787 accredited.

    At the end of the poll, 20, 087 votes were validated, 1, 102 were

    In Asari-toru area, President Muhammadu Buhari scored overwhelming 18, 180 leaving Atiku with 3, 175 votes.

    It was however reported that election took place in 10 out of the 13 wards in the areas while election did not hold in three wards.

    In Governor Nyesom Wike’s Obio/Akpor LGA, a total of 600, 622 voters were registered for the polls but 81, 562 only accredited.

    Atiku won with a total of 69, 981 leaving Buhari with 6, 875.

    However elections in four of the 17 wards were reportedly cancelled for various reasons, especially in Rukpokwu, Choba and two other wards.

    In Senator Magnus Abe’s Gokana LGA, Atiku won with 10, 276 while Buhari secured 9, 328.

    More of the results are expected to be ready later today for collation before the result would be finally announced in Port Harcourt.

  • ‘Atiku only warming up for 2023’

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is warming up for 2023 because he knows he cannot defeat President Muhammadu Buhari, an elder statesman, Chief Gilbert Olokesusi, has said.

    Olokesusi, a founding member of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), said President Buhari’s second term is sure on Saturday.

    “I am 76 years old. We have been into it since the First Republic. We know exactly who is contesting. Atiku knows he is not contesting now; he is only warming up for 2023 when President Buhari must have retired.

    “Then, Atiku will hope to collaborate with the North to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate who must come from the South,” he said.

    Read also: APC kicks as PDP plans its own results collation

    Olokesusi expressed optimism that the “philosophy of Buharism” would gain more prominence after the President’s second term.

    He added: “Before he finishes the second term, there will be somebody else who will continue with his good work.

    “I know he has the support of all the governors, with APC having the majority. So, where will the opposition come from to win the election?”

     

     

  • Falana: No serious restructuring without equitable wealth redistribution

    Activist-lawyer Mr Femi Falana (SAN) said Wednesday said any restructuring of the country can only be meaningful if wealth is equitably distributed.

    To him, merely restructuring Nigeria will not guarantee unity and political stability without the redistribution of wealth.

    Falana was of the view that while the country needs power devolution, only the democratisation of powers and equitable redistribution of the commonwealth along egalitarian lines would engender unity.

    In a paper delivered at the 19th Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture in Lagos, the Senior Advocate said since the rich were united in exploiting the country’s national resources, the exploited poor and oppressed should unite to free themselves from poverty.

    Falana said: “A leading People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has become one of the leading proponents of restructuring, but his support for restructuring has not addressed the crucial issue of the redistribution of the national wealth.

    “After all, in his capacity as the nation’s Vice President and chairman of the National Council on Privatisation, Alhaji Abubakar presided over the restructuring of the nation’s economy through the liquidation of public assets and the privatisation of the commanding height of the economy.

    “The policy led to a situation whereby all major public enterprises and assets including oil blocks were sold to the so called ‘core investors’.

    “Such official transfer of the commonwealth to a few local and foreign corporate bodies will have to be reversed in the interests of the people.”

    According to Falana, the nation cannot be seriously restructured without equitable redistribution of wealth.

    “Therefore, those who have cornered the commonwealth should not be allowed to talk of restructuring in vacuo.

    “In other words, the campaign for restructuring should encompass the decentralisation and democratisation of political and economic powers which have been privatised by all factions of the ruling class,” he said.

    The leading rights activist referred to the constitutional provision that the welfare and security of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

    He said Nigerians must therefore demand an end to a policy that allows political office holders and civil servants who constitute less than one per cent of the population to continue to allocate 70 per cent of the nation’s resources to themselves.

    Falana said: “If the Federal Government could withdraw US$12.4 billion from the foreign reserves to pay questionable external debts and subsidise the local bourgeoisie with intervention funds running to trillions of naira, it cannot turn round to complain of lack of fund to fix collapsed social infrastructures, education, health, transportation and agriculture and create jobs for our army of unemployed youths.

    “The recovery of the stolen wealth of the nation from foreign and local thieves should be a collective battle while the fund recovered from corrupt public officers and their privies is spent on job creation and fixing of hospitals and schools as well as the provision of other social services.”

    The senior lawyer believes that the programmes and manifestoes of the ruling party and the mainstream opposition parties cannot take Nigeria to the Promised Land.

    Nigerians, he said, must take their destiny in their own hands by organising themselves to demand for the actualisation of the fundamental objectives and directive principles set out in Chapter two of the Constitution.

    “The economy cannot be transformed in favour of Nigeria on the basis of the dangerous prescriptions of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

    “Nigerians should, therefore, be prepared to challenge the recycled neo-liberal managers of the economy who continue to insist on the dominance of market forces which have been discredited by the crisis of global capitalism.

    “While religious leaders are entitled to prepare the country for heaven, they must team up with patriotic forces to organise, empower and mobilise our people through their unions, associations, collectives and religious groups to rebuild the country on the platform of social justice and equity. Otherwise, the unity of Nigeria will remain a mirage.”