The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

  • PDP hails court judgment on its Kano governorship candidate

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed the order of the Court of Appeal on Thursday restraining INEC from de-listing its governorship candidate in Kano State.

    The Court restrained INEC from removing the name of Mr Abba Yusuf, the party’s governorship candidate, from the list of the state governorship candidates.

    The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said that the judgment had completely put to rest all controversies regarding the PDP candidate for the election.

    He said that Yusuf remained the bona-fide candidate of the PDP for the Saturday’s election.

    Read also: 32 political parties set for polls in Benue, says REC

    “The Court of Appeal is commended for delivering justice by upholding the lawful nomination of Yusuf as the PDP candidate for the Kano state governorship election.

    “All stakeholders are advised to note the order of the Court of Appeal and be guided accordingly.”(NAN)

  • ‘PDP must explain what happened to our wealth’

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday insisted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must explain to Nigerians how it managed the huge resources that accrued to the country from oil sales between 1999 and 2014.

    To Labour leaders who came to congratulate him on his electoral victory at the State House, Abuja, the President recounted how his administration inherited a dilapidated infrastructure in 2015, calling to question what the party that held the forte for 16 years did with oil revenue, which peaked under its watch.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said: “PDP has not successfully explained to the country what they did with the money.

    “There were no roads, no rail, no power; they said they spent $16 billion on power, but where is the power?

    “The irresponsible expenditure of that period has not been explained, and Nigerians deserve an answer on that terrible mismanagement of the country.”

    For Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections, President Buhari said that Nigeria cannot afford to go back to the era of violence and mayhem.

    He called on Nigerians to avoid anything that could disrupt the election.

    Recalling the negotiations that led to the approval of the N30, 000 minimum wage, the President said he had to ask Labour Minister Chris Ngige to remind the workers what his administration met and what it had achieved with minimal resources.

    He said: “During your negotiation with the minister of labour and when he briefed us in council on N30, 000 minimum wage. I gave an analogy of a mad woman, who went to fetch firewood but then she realised it was to heavy for her to carry, instead of reducing it, she added more.

    “I said, we are struggling to survive as a nation. You (workers) knew what this country was earnings between 2009 and 2015, you knew the state of infrastructure when we came in, God gave them 16 years of unprecedented earnings. Multiply 2.1 million by $100 by 16 years.

    “I don’t think the PDP has been been able to successfully explain to Nigerians what they did with that money. Because some of the roads especially the main ones, from here to Onitsha, from here to Port Harcourt since PTF days not to talk of new ones…monies  they earned from petroleum in 16 years.

    “You know the rail was virtually gone. And power, I asked where is the power? They spent $16 billion on power and Nigerians are asking, where is the power? It was unprecedented, irresponsible expenditure. Most of you are unanswerable to Nigerians, I appealed to you through our mutual friend, the minister of Labour to tell you where we found the country, where we are, and what we have been able to do with the resources available to us.

    “Oil Production from 2.1 million barrels per day went down to half a million. The militants were unleashed on this administration, and yet as confirmed by your leader, we had to ensure pensioners who were dying to collect their entitlements. So really, there were terrible management of this country in last 16 years and we are just trying to make up.

    “We cannot succeed without your cooperation. I appreciate the pressure you are under from your respective constituencies, most especially if you have to submit yourself for elections, you have to prove to your members that you are with them rather than with the government and we understand.”

    Buhari thanked organised Labour “for the support and patriotism you have shown during the presidential election, especially after the unexpected postponement.

    “You and your members stepped in to support willing Nigerians to exercise their civic and patriotic rights to vote. You intervened as patriots, and not for political, religious or tribal purposes. You simply did the right thing during a difficult period for many of us.

    “As a result of what you did, many citizens were able to travel and vote. I am also aware that many of your members were very active in voters education and promotion of peaceful elections in your various communities, thankfully, the presidential elections were conducted peacefully in most parts of the country.

    “As we go to the polls this weekend, my prayer is that we also conduct elections in a non-violent manner.”

    Buhari also thanked Nigerians for giving him another four years adding: “We will remain focused on our promises which remains security, economy and fighting corruption. I want to assure you that the next four years will be peaceful, prosperous and corruption free. I therefore look forward to receiving your proposals so that together we can achieve these goals.”

    On what Nigerians can look forward to in the next lap of the journey, President Buhari promised to trudge ahead with his party’s Change Agenda.

    “We’ll remain focused on our core pillars of security, economy, and fight against corruption.”

    He urged organised Labour to partner with the government to make the country peaceful, prosperous, and corruption free.

    Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Comrade Ayuba Wabba lauded the President for being worker-friendly, as exemplified in the granting of bailout funds to state governments to pay backlog of salaries and pensions.

    He said: “We all remember the special bailout and budget support you introduced to support state governments during the recession. Your directive during this intervention was that state governments must offset accumulated arrears of salaries and pension liabilities.

    “I remember you publicly asked state governors, ‘how do you manage to sleep at night when the salaries of workers in your state are not paid?’

    “For us, that was one of the finest moments we have had with any President in this country…I can stand here today and say your intervention was the difference between life and death for many workers,” he added.

    “We urge that in this your second term in office, you should continue to make the Nigerian people especially the Nigerian poor the centerpiece of your policy initiatives and actions.”

    Wabba urged the National Assembly to pass the National Minimum Wage Act in earnest, while also asking the President to thereafter sign it into law within the shortest possible time.

     

  • Wike: no conspiracy can defeat Rivers PDP tomorrow

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has boasted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cannot lose in tomorrow’s elections because the people are firmly with the party.

    According to him, tomorrow’s elections will be used to end the illegal activities of political monsters in the state.

    A statement by the governor’s media aide, Simeon Nwakaudu, said Wike spoke during a town hall meeting with leaders of Rivers East Senatorial District yesterday, urged the people not to be intimidated by soldiers.

    He said: “There is no way the PDP will lose Rivers State and they tell the world that the elections are credible. Even if we want to play politics, how will they explain to the International community that PDP lost to an unknown party that did not campaign?

    “How many soldiers will they deploy to implement the rigging? I am not worried about their bringing more troops from Sokoto and Kafanchan, God is our security. During the Presidential and National Assembly elections, they struggled for 25 per cent, but they did not get it.”

    The governor noted that Rivers has passed the stage where a failed politician will direct the people on who to vote three days to the election. He reiterated that nobody will play God in Rivers State, and emphasised that Rivers people must stand firm to give PDP victory tomorrow.

    “Nobody should be afraid; come out and vote for the PDP. Your votes will be counted; your votes will be protected. We will win tomorrow because we know that God is with us. Those who think they have the power will face God. They want to disrupt the elections to instigate postponement; do not fall into their hands,” he added.

    Former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Onueze Okocha said Wike has done well and will be voted in for a second term.

    He described Wike as a great product that will lead the PDP to victory without noise, and promised that Rivers East will continue to promote the governor’s achievements.

    Former governor Celestine Omehia noted that everything about the election has gone smoothly for Rivers PDP because God was involved. He boasted that the PDP will win tomorrow’s elections.

  • Jimi Agbaje’s campaign group debunks step down rumour

    The Jimi Agbaje Campaign Organization, the major support group for Mr. Jimi Agbaje, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the Saturday, March 9, 2019 elections, has insisted that their principal is still in the race, and that he has not stepped down for any other candidate.

    The campaign organisation, in reaction to reports that Agbaje stepped down for another gubernatorial candidate, said: “the deliberate falsehood is obviously being orchestrated by those scared of an imminent loss and Agbaje’s growing popularity and acceptance across the length and breadth of Lagos.”

    “From their panicky and irresponsible action, it is obvious that those in opposition have exhausted all their tricks and are now becoming disingenuous and frantic as election day approaches.

    “It is also laughable and ludicrous for them to claim that Agbaje, an older and more experienced politician would be dropped for ADP’s Babatunde Gbadamosi. There had a report that Peoples Democratic party and Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, took the decision on Wednesday during a Press Conference at Protea Hotel in Ikeja Lagos.

    It was reported that the leadership of both ADP and PDP have agreed to work under one accord as Mr. Gbadamosi seems to stand a better chance of winning the election.

    “It was also learnt that the leadership of PDP took the decision in the best interest of the party and it’s members, and have sent communique to all Local Government and Ward branches of the party of the new development,” it was added in the report.

    “Ideally, the Agbaje Campaign Organization would not have dignified these peddlers of falsehood with a response, but we are conscious of the political season we are currently in. We are also aware of the desperation, intimidation, mudslinging and blackmail that have been dangerously deployed by the opposition against us despite our civility,”.

    The group reaffirmed that Jimi Agbaje is still in the race and remains the PDP governorship candidate for the Saturday election, adding that no amount of lies and half-truths can change this reality.

  • Southsouth… Where art the huge votes?

    In 2015, the Southsouth was dominated by the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whose presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, is an indigene of Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. He had huge votes from the region. But in the February 23 presidential election, the Southsouth could not return huge figues for PDP candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. In this piece, BISI OLANIYI, OKUNGBOWA AIWERIE, NICHOLAS KALU, OSAGIE OTABOR, BASSEY ANTHONY, and MIKE ODIEGWU x-ray why the huge votes suddenly disappeared.

    Rivers:

    Rivers State politics was dominated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), until November 27, 2013, when the then incumbent governor, Rotimi Amaechi, now Transportation Minister, defected to help midwife the All Progressives Congress (APC). The aim was to defeat Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, of the PDP, who was president.

    The 2015 polls witnessed so much violence. Many APC members were either  killed or  injured before, during and after the elections, with the state becoming “Rivers of Blood” and many voters were disenfranchised through massive rigging, thuggery and violence.

    During the 2015 presidential election in Rivers, the total votes cast was 1,584,768, with APC getting 69,238, while PDP got 1,487,075. In 2019 in the state, the total votes cast was 666,585, with APC getting 150,710, even after 72,000 votes in Emohua LGA was unconstitutionally removed, and PDP getting 473,971.

    The Coordinator of APC’s Presidential Campaign Council in Rivers, Pastor Tonye Cole, declared that the era of bogus electoral figures was gone in Rivers state.

    Cole said: “Gone are the days when political thugs would hijack electoral materials and allocate hundreds of thousands of imaginary votes to their party. The results from the various units, wards and LGAs (in Rivers State) confirm these and further highlight the depth of rigging and manipulation of the 2015 elections that APC as a party had complained about.”

    Wike, through Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, who doubles as the Director of Information and Communications of Rivers PDP Campaign Council, however, claimed that Rivers people massively voted for PDP candidates in 2015, but security agents prevented them from repeating the feat during the 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections.

     

    Delta:

     

    The results of the presidential poll in Delta show that the PDP garnered  594,068 of the valid votes in the election, while the APC had 221,292 votes.

    Although Delta has 2,719,313 registered voters for the elections, only 891,647 persons were accredited to vote. The figure represents 50.61 per cent of the registered voters in the state.

    The overall election results showed that the APC had an impressive showing, scoring 221,292 compared with its performance of 48,910 during the 2015 presidential election. The APC’s showing during the 2019 presidential and National Assembly polls represented a 63.79 percentage increase.

    On the contrary, the results announced by INEC last week showed that the PDP in Delta  state performed poorly, judging by its performance in 2015, when it secured 1,211,405 votes at the presidential election. The PDP regressed with a 34.19 percentage decrease after it polled 594,068 in the 2019 presidential polls.

    The APC’s impressive showing in last weekend’s election in Delta has been attributed partly to the  unity driven campaign launched by the party’s 2015 governorship candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, as well as the political clout of the incumbent, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege in Delta Central Senatorial District.

    The performance of the APC, in spite of the factional crisis in the party makes the increase more remarkable.

    The presence in the APC of former two-time PDP governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, who was the Delta South senatorial candidate of the party in the election, might have contributed to the increased number of votes scored by the party.

    Unlike in 2015, when the PDP won all the federal constituency seats in Delta state, in 2019, the party won nine seats, with the APC’s Francis Waive securing the Ughelli/Udu federal constituency seat.

    Also in 2015, of the three senatorial seats, the ruling PDP won two seats: Delta South and Delta North, while Senator Omo-Agege of the Labour Party (LP) won Delta Central seat, before he defected to the APC.

    Senator Omo-Agege repeated the feat in 2019 by clinching the seat for a second time, defeating his closest rival, Ms. Evelyn Oboroh, PDP, in a keenly-contested race. The PDP won two senate seats: Delta North and Delta South.

    In 2015, the contest was a three-horse race, involving Great Ogboru (LP), Ifeanyi Okowa (PDP) and Olorogun O’tega Emerhor (APC), but in 2019, the race has been between the APC and PDP.

    A chieftain of the PDP, Mr. Frank Igwebeze, attributed the poor showing of the PDP in 2019 to the order by Buhari for ballot box snatchers to be dealt with ruthlessly, saying the common man in the rural communities in Delta state feared the worst and decided to stay away.

     

    Cross River:

     

    There was a time in the present democratic dispensation, when the ruling PDP in Cross River State always thrashed any opposition at the polls. The PDP always scored figures ridiculously higher than any closest rival in any electoral contest in the state. This was a scenario that even played out even in the elections in 2015.

    A look at the result of the presidential election in 2015, and looking at the situation as it is today, shows a lot of factors have played out. The results in 2019 showed a marked difference from how election results used to be in the state and this has raised questions: Were the results bogus in the past? Are we getting more realistic results today? Does this mean votes are actually counting today more than they used to be in the past?

    In 2015 in Cross River state, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP scored 414,868 votes, while Muhammadu Buhari of the APC got a paltry 28,368 votes. The APC had, however, gone ahead to be winners in the presidential elections in the country. In 2019, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP got  295,737 votes to beat Buhari, who came second with 117,302 votes. This is despite the fact that elections did not hold in some wards in areas like Bakassi and Boki. Also, the elections for the entire Etung was also cancelled.

    At this point, it would be pertinent to point out that a major factor to this development could be the political configuration in the state today, as against how it was in the last four years. Largely responsible for this was that there was no strong opposition in the state at any point before 2015.

    All political heavyweights in Cross River then were members of the PDP, who had political structures across the state.  So, it was always a smooth ride for the PDP in any election. In fact, then, politicians only fought to secure the tickets of the PDP.

    In the buildup to the 2015 elections, and even in the aftermath, so many spats arose within the PDP that led to the eventual exodus of political heavyweights across the 18 LGAs of the state. A good number of these heavyweights are in the APC. Some of such top politicians are: Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, Senator John Owan-Enoh, Prince Bassey Otu and Dr. Alex Egbona, among others.

    So, when the elections came around again in 2019, it was a different ball game. This time round, it was not exactly an underdog situation for the opposition APC in the state, as the contest was more like a clash of titans. So, results from the polls, especially in areas where the APC leaders came from, showed a marked difference. In fact, many of the APC stalwarts won elections in their areas. At best, there were hardly cases of landslide winnings by the PDP, as it was in the past.

    For APC politicians who had mobilised their people to come out and vote, the presidential candidate of the party (President Buhari) benefited from the goodwill they enjoyed with their people. For example, in the February 23 elections, a lot of voters went for the politicians they know and in the same vein voted for every candidate of their party on the ballot. This turned out kindly for the presidential figures. People who went out to vote their National Assembly members of the APC, who campaigned vigorously, ensured they voted for the APC on all the ballots to avoid mistakes. This scenario, it was observed, played out more in rural areas than urban centres. This could account for the sharp increase for the numbers of the main opposition, APC, in the last elections.

    In contrast to this is also the sharp drop of the figure for the PDP. From over 400,000 votes in 2015 to less than 300,000 votes in 2019 seems a long way. This has made people believe that given that the PDP was in charge of everything in the state at the time and given that rigging was more a menace then than it is now, that figures for the ruling party were always inflated beyond proportion. Now, this may prove a bit difficult as the opposition in the state has also developed muscles and can match the PDP squarely in pretty every department, as far as elections are concerned.

    The better fortune of the APC in Cross River state created more committed members and this has led to improved vigilance of the party’s agents and members on election day in the state. This is because irrespective of the fact that the party polled 117, 000 votes, it could still have been possible for the PDP to inflate their own figures and still leave a wide gap between the two figures, but the opposition’s vigilance from the polling units to the various collation points by agents of the party for the presidential election, it was difficult to try to inflate the figures.

    Also, it was realised that some of the developmental projects of the Federal Government might have boosted the APC’s chances in the last elections. For instance, the rehabilitation of the Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja federal highway, which is the main artery of the state, thereby reducing travel time and stressful trips, might not have gone unnoticed. These infrastructural developments are the things the ordinary people saw and many might not have been vocal enough to voice them out, but they registered in the minds of a lot of people. Such supporters might not have been vocal enough, because of the antagonism that goes with being a supporter of President Buhari in Cross River state, but only waited for the polls to make their statements.

    In fact, there are those who believe the APC could still have had a better outing than it did in the last elections, if not for a couple of factors. The first is leadership tussle in the party in the state, which is believed to a great extent, hampered the chances of the party’s candidates. Again making it worse was the abrupt announcement by INEC on the eve of the presidential and National Assembly elections that the APC would have no candidates in the elections in the state. This led APC’s candidates in the elections to frantically try to reach out to their people that they were still in the race, but again there were those who believed that if not for the strange announcement by INEC, that APC could even have recorded far above the number of votes the candidates of the party had.

    Going into the March 9 governorship election, with votes now counting, the Ben Ayade-led PDP government will have an uphill task to remain in Government House, Calabar.

     

    Edo:

     

    It was not a defeat the APC in Edo State had expected during the conduct of the 2019 presidential, and National Assembly elections. The results showed the PDP reinforcing its dominance of Edo politics, just as it did in 2015.

    In 2015, the PDP won the presidential election with a margin of defeat of 78,400 by scoring 286,869 votes. It won in 15 LGAs, while the APC won only in three LGAs. The APC had 208,469 votes. For the National Assembly election in 2015, the PDP won two senatorial and five House of Representatives’ seats, while the APC had one seat in the Senate and four seats in the House of Representatives.

    During the February 23, presidential election, the reverse appeared to be the case, even though the PDP won the election with a margin of 7,849 votes. The PDP won in eight LGAs and had a total 275,691 votes, while the APC won in ten LGAs and had a total of 267,842 votes.

     

    Akwa Ibom:

     

    In the 2015 presidential and National Assembly elections, the influence of the PDP, which was the government at the centre, indicated how each of the political parties fared in the elections of that year in Akwa Ibom State.

    The towering influence of the then governor of the state, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who was an ardent and strong pillar of the PDP and Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, also affected the results of 2015 elections.

    Fourteen political parties participated in the 2015 presidential and National Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom State.

    Of these political parties, only the APC, which emerged from an alliance of political parties, was the  contender against the PDP.

    The total number of accredited voters in Akwa Ibom in 2015 was 1,074,070, of 1,644,481 registered voters.

    The result of the presidential election showed that the PDP polled 953,304 votes, while APC came a distant second with 58,411 votes.

    The margin of victory for the PDP over the APC in the February 23, 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom  narrowed significantly, giving a clear indication that the APC is stronger now than it was in 2015.

    PDP’s candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, polled 397,831 votes, while President Muhammadu Buhari of APC got 175, 429 votes.

     

    Bayelsa:

     

    In 2015, Jonathan won Bayelsa, his home state by landslide. He had 361, 209 votes in the state. Buhari only scored 5,194 votes. Statistics from INEC showed that of 605, 637 registered voters in the state then, 384,789 persons voted in the election.

    But field monitoring gave an indication that the figures were merely allocated to the parties in favour of the PDP.  Without strict implementation of the card reader in the election, it was easy for PDP leaders to depend on the use of incidence forms to allocate votes in various polling units.

    Observation showed that the PDP leadership, enabled by its state government, circumvented all the electoral procedure to deliver bogus figures to their kinsman and President. The breakdown of the results in the eight local government areas gave no chance to APC to even score up to the 25 per cent of the constitutionally required votes.

    For instance, in Ekeremor Local Government Area, while Jonathan scored 61,507 votes; Buhari trailed from behind with 374 votes. In Yenagoa, Jonathan, 45, 429, Buhari, 462; Ogbia, Jonathan, 50,754, Buhari, 214; Sagbama, Jonathan, 41,221, Buhari, 361; Brass, Jonathan, 31,312, Buhari, 1,968 and Southern Ijaw, Jonathan, 78,898, Buhari, 856.

    In the National Assembly election conducted simultaneously with the Presidential poll, the APC candidates only contested for formality. While their PDP candidates posted bogus figures and were declared winners of their districts and constituencies, the APC contestants were left to lick their wounds.

    But the scenario changed dramatically in the just-concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections. The strict electoral procedure adopted by INEC to conduct the polls made it a Herculean task for any party including the party at the centre to allocate results. Each vote was largely contested for and mostly persons who came out to cast their ballots were counted by the commission.

    Though there were controversies in some local government areas such as Nembe and Southern Ijaw following suspicion by the state government and the PDP that APC members manipulated the results in those areas, the general performance showed a drop in the number of voters when compared to 2015 elections.

    Despite an increase in the state voter population from 605,637 to 923,182, the total number of votes cast in the just-concluded presidential election was still less than the votes recorded in 2015. In 2015, 384,789 voted in the election. But in 2019, 335,859 cast their votes.

    Also the margin of difference between Buhari of the APC and the PDP candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was a remarkable departure from the 2015 election. According to INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Zana Akpagbo, Atiku polled 197, 933 votes to beat Buhari of APC who scored 118, 821 votes. It is a difference of 79,851 votes compared to 356,015 difference between votes between Jonathan and Buhari in 2015.

    A breakdown of local government performance also showed that unlike in 2015 when Buhari won no council, he was declared the winner of two councils in the state in 2019. For instance he won in Southern Ijaw scoring 47, 627 votes to beat Atiku, who got 41627. In Nembe, Buhari scored 31, 811 votes to win Atiku, who got 7,167.

    Other local government results did not show the kind of wide margins between the two parties in 2015. In Kolokuma-Opokuma, Atiku got 16,040 while Buhari scored 3,938. Others are Yenagoa, Atiku, 37,676, Buhari, 7,483; Brass, Atiku, 15,936, Buhari, 15,936; Sagbama, Atiku, 30,122, Buhari, 7,949; Ekeremor, Atiku, 21,856, Buhari, 21,857 and Ogbia, Atiku, 27,506, Buhari, 5003.

    There was also a close contest between the National Assembly candidates of the PDP and those of the APC. Beyond all expectations, INEC confirmed that candidates of the APC won two seats in the House of Representative and one in the Senate.

    But the Bayelsa State government and the PDP believed that the former Governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, INEC and security agencies manipulated the results to favour the APC especially in Nembe and Southern Ijaw.

    The governor rejected the votes saying they were allotted to Buhari, and other candidates of the APC in Nembe Bassambiri and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas òf the state.

    Dickson said what happened in Nembe and Southern Ijaw was a blatant violation of the rights of the people to elect their leaders and representatives.

    Dickson said further that a former Governor òf the State, Chief Timipre Sylva, an oil surveillance Contractor, David Lion, and officers and men of the Nigerian Army commandeered materials to non-designated locations and held electoral officers hostage to allocate fake figures at gunpoint.

    He said that it was the height of absurdity for INEC whose staff had admitted and spoken out against the abduction and violence in the area to brandish a purported result for the seven wards of Nembe Bassambiri and Constituency 4 of Southern Ijaw.

    According to the governor, Army Officers and men under their command compelled collation officers at gun point to concoct figures from non-existent votes that were never captured by card readers.

    But the APC in Bayelsa condemned efforts of Dickson to discredit results of elections in some wards in Southern Ijaw and Nembe local government areas of the state.

    The party dismissed as groundless Dickson’s statement against votes garnered in the state by President Muhammadu Buhari and APC candidates.

    The party in a statement signed by its Publicity Secrtary, Doifie Buokoribo, also rejected an attempt by Dickson to equate himself with Bayelsa by claiming the state condemned votes polled by APC.

    Buokoribo stressed that Dickson was not Bayelsa, and that the state was neither Dickson nor a political party.

    He advised Dickson to explore the democratic option of seeking redress in the courts if he had any grievances about the poll results, instead of plunging into the realm of reckless and enflaming statements.

  • Chief whip to PDP: you can’t take over 9th National Assembly

    The main opposition party in the National Assembly, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been advised to banish any thought or attempt to wrestle the leadership of the 9th National Assembly from the majority party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

    House of Representatives Chief Whip, Hassan Ado Doguwa said APC has learnt its lesson and have taken steps to correct the mistakes of the past that led to the taking over of the leadership of the outgoing Assembly by PDP.

    Doguwa, who secured the ticket for the sixth term to represent Tudun Wada/Doguwa Federal constituency of Kano State inthe next House of Representatives however urged the leadership of APC to as a matter of urgency come out with the sharing zoning strategy for the principal offices in the two chambers of the National Assembly.

  • 24 ex-council bosses declare support for Adelabu

    NO fewer than 24 former local government chairmen, who dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and left the party for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State have returned to the ruling party.

    The former chairmen who served during the first tenure of Governor Abiola Ajimobi between 2011 and 2015, had last year dumped the APC due to what they termed as breach of agreement after working for the success of the governor’s re-election.

    The former council bosses, who explained that they had worked assiduously to ensure the governor’s second term bid, said they were surprised that they lost out when it was time for them to seek re-election to their respective local government council areas.

    They later moved to both ADC and PDP.

    But, the council bosses, among whom are Yekeen Popoola (Irepo), who served as Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) Chairman between 2011 and 2015, said they decided to dump their various political parties and work for APC considering the performance of the ruling party at the February 23, 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Other former chairmen at the meeting held in Ibadan, the state capital on Tuesday are: Olabiyi Niyi (Saki East), Trimisiyu Olayiwola (Kajola), Olarinre Adisa (Itesiwaju), Lord Stowel Balogun (Oorelope) and Ismail Oyetunde (Ona Ara).

    Also at the reconciliatory meeting, which had in attendance the gubernatorial candidate of the party, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu and other APC stalwarts were: Obisesan Kamoru (Egbeda), Abiodun  Olayiwola (Lagelu), Soji Ojoawo (Oyo (West) Olorode Oluade (Afijio), Mukthar Adekunle (Oyo East) and Aworinde Lasisi (Surulere).

    The rest were: Jacob Ogunmola (Atisbo), Fashola David (Ogbomoso South), Ope Salami (Akinyele), Omolewu Segun (Ibarapa North), Adelore Atànda (Ibarapa Central) and John Olaoye Ojedokun (Iwajowa).

    The 24 former chairmen added that they returned to APC to work for the success of Adelabu at the governorship poll billed to take place on Saturday.

    Ogunmola, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said they decided to jettison their new-found parties and bury the hatchet to ensure victory for Adelabu on Saturday.

    Also yesterday, a  social-political movement with interest in the Yoruba Omoluabi culture, the Renaissance Movement (Atunbi), has directed its Senatorial Coordinators, 33 local Government Coordinators, all cell leaders and entire members across Oyo State to unanimously work for the success of Adelabu.

    The facilitator of the movement, Comrade Ibrahim Bolomope, accompanied by other leaders, gave the directive yesterday in Ibadan following the adoption of the APC governorship candidate as the sole candidate at the forthcoming polls.

    Speaking at a news conference, which held at the Emmanuel Alayande Resource Centre, Samonda, Ibadan, the former NUT boss noted that the group arrived at the decision after thorough deliberations and interactive sessions with the major governorship candidates in the state.

  • PDP decries mass arrest of members in N/Delta states

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged mass arrest and detention of its leaders and members in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Delta states by soldiers ahead of Saturday’s governorship and house of assembly elections.
     
    In a statement on Wednesday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP decried what it described as attempts by the Presidency and the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) to turn the South-South states into war zone.
    The main opposition party blamed the APC for desperation to suppress voters, manipulate the electoral process and forcefully take over control of the states.

    The statement said, “In Rivers state, leaders of the PDP are being hounded and forcefully picked up in a well-coordinated operation by military operatives attached to the Director General of Buhari’s Campaign Organization and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

    “Our party has received reports on how soldiers led by one Major Mustapha Bello from Sokoto Division, under Amaechi’s directives, manhandled, arrested and took away the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Tam Gogo Jaja to an unknown destination.

    “During the February 23 polls, soldiers, also under the directives of Rotimi Amaechi, invaded the state and engaged in unrestrained harassment of PDP supporters, resulting in the killing of over 30 innocent citizens.

    “The PDP invites Nigerians and the international community to note the development in the South-South as well as how the Buhari Presidency and the APC are provoking the people of the region and pushing them to the precipice.

    “The tension in the Niger Delta has been dangerously stretched and there is a limit to what the people can stomach in the face of such aggressions without resort to self-help.

    “Moreover, the Niger Delta region remains a stronghold of the PDP and no amount of intimation and assault by the APC can change this reality.

    “Our party, therefore, demands the immediate release of every PDP member arrested by the military as well as instant stoppage of military aggression in the region ahead of the elections. Any delay in cessation of this aggression by the APC and the military will destroy the precarious peace in the region and spell doom for our nation”.

  • Former reps defects to PDP in A’Ibom

    Former House of Representatives member and All Progressives Congress (APC) party candidate for Etinan Federal Constituency, Dan Akpan, who was defeated by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Onofiok Luke in the just concluded elections has defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Akpan who defected with Etido Ibekwe, former majority leader in the State House of Assembly from Essien Udim local government area alongside others returned to the PDP during the PDP governorship grand rally in Uyo Township stadium.

    Speaking yesterday in Uyo, Governor Udom Emmanuel commended the people for casting their votes for the PDP on February 23, and welcomed the decampees, stating that the umbrella of the PDP is big enough to accommodate them.

    He advised the people not to be deceived by the blackmailed and lies of the people from Abuja noting that they don’t have followers.

    He challenged the opposition to an option A4 voting pattern, noting that if it was effected in Akwa Ibom State, the PDP will win overwhelmingly.

    He alleged that the electorates were harassed and brutalized on 23 February, that was why many people were not able to vote, adding that he has video proofs to that effect.

    He encouraged the people to go out and vote on Saturday, defend their votes and assured decampees of their political freedom.

    Emmanuel cautioned security agencies against working against the people on Saturday, noting that they were equipped and empowered with taxpayers money to defend the people and not fight them.

    “Akwa Ibom State is a peaceful land. Today I am here to appreciate the Akwa Ibom people. I am here today telling Akwa Ibom people that I salute you for standing firm, for your resilience in letting the world know the truth between light and darkness, God and man.

    “If Akwa Ibom is a land named after God, the wicked man will continue to fall; Akwa Ibom shall be liberated. Let me also thank all of you for voting PDP on the 23rd of February.

    “Let me thank all those who have completely collapsed their stature for the PDP. Let me also thank all those people who have defeated to PDP. I want to assure them that we have many mansions in PDP.

    “The PDP is big enough to cover them; PDP is the only party that can bring unity, development, bring infrastructure and preach righteousness.

    “I challenge the Abuja people, let them proof something to the centre, let them come down, let the Akwa Ibom people queue, if they have 20 percent, whenever we tell you that Akwa Ibom is PDP, don’t believe us,” he said.

    The Director-General, Divine Mandate Organisation, Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd) called on Senator Godswill Akpabio to accept defeat and congratulate Chris Ekpenyong who defeated him at the elections, adding that it is the most honourable thing for him to do.

    He cautioned the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, to be guarded on his statements on the state, stating that Akwa Ibom people have chosen PDP and will remain so.

    “I can only advise that once the people have spoken, the sign of liberty is that we go by the wishes of the people. We pay tax so that the security operatives will protect the people of Nigeria, please don’t turn their guns against the people of Nigeria.

    “The people of Akwa Ibom state want PDP. For anyone to bring violence into a peaceful community means that they don’t mean well for Nigeria,” he said.

     

  • Don’t turn Niger Delta into a battle-field, Obi warns

    The Vice-Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi has cautioned political actors against instigating crisis in some parts of Nigeria for their own selfish political gains.

    He particularly expressed worry over the impending crises in the Niger Delta region, warning against turning the area into a battleground.

    Fielding questions from journalists at Asaba airport on Wednesday, Obi decried the region’s several years of neglect, insisting that it deserved universal respect due to its critical role in the production of wealth of the nation.

    “Those in government should be seeking ways of improving the living conditions of the people whose means of livelihood have been destroyed by oil exploration and exploitation activities, and not trying to turn the area into a battle-ground,” he said.

    He warned that the country already had a number of States in crisis, which has proved extremely difficult for security agents to contain.

    “The nation may get to breaking point if more states are drawn into mindless crises instigated by some political actors at the helm of the nation’s affairs,” he added.

    Read also: Police tighten security ahead of governorship polls

    Recalling the pacifist approach of the then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to the zone as its golden period, Obi advised political actors to toe that line towards securing the nation’s wealth and boost the welfare of the people of the area.

    The former governor of Anambra State commended the governors of Niger Delta zone for remaining faithful to the delivery of democracy dividends to their people.

    He continued, “I travel all over the country and I can tell you that Governors of that zone are among the best-performing in the country and all deserve a second term to continue their good work.

    “It is known that APC-governed State has recorded the kind of progress their Niger Delta counterparts have achieved.

    “Take a trip to Awka Ibom and see what Governor Emmanuel Udom is doing. The same goes for Governors Nyesom Wike in Rivers; Seriaki Dickson in Bayelsa; Ifeanyi Okowa in Delta State and Ben Ayade in Cross River.

    “I use the Asaba Airport often and when I interact with the people, they declare that ‘Governor Okowa dey work and we dey see am’.

    “It is also amazing that those Governors are delivering democracy dividends despite the distractions instigated by some actors in the APC.”

    On the APC’s boast to “take over” Niger Delta States, particularly Delta and Akwa Ibom, Obi cautioned the party to pursue her dream through securing lawful votes, which he believed was unattainable.

    “The APC should not adopt the abracadabra style they performed during the Presidential and National Assembly elections,” he stressed.