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Tag: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

  • PDP candidate didn’t offer me $1m, says Adamawa REC

    Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State Kassim Gaidam has refuted a news report that he rejected offer of $1m bribe and a house in Dubai from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    “We wish to refute this story as not emanating from the REC. The REC is presently focused on efforts to deliver free, fair and credible elections and has no time for indulgence in distractions intended by the peddlers of the falsehood,” said a statement issued yesterday by the Head of Voter Education Department of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Adamawa State, Rifkatu Duku.

    The statement called on Nigerians to disregard “this fake story as the figment of the infantile imagination of its authors, which has no basis on facts!”

    A news report had alleged that Atiku had given each REC around the country $1m to compromise the card readers to favour him against incumbent president and candidate of the All Progressives Congress APC), Muhammadu Buhari.

    The Adamawa INEC resident commissioner who spoke further on the allegation while administering oath of neutrality on INEC staff at the commission’s state office in Yola, said neither Atiku nor any other politician or group of politicians had given him or any INEC staff any form of bribe.

    “Nobody has offered us inducement and we are under nobody’s influence,” he asserted.

     

  • Ogun PDP candidate Kashamu to fix Ota roads, others

    The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Senator Buruji Kashamu, has promised to fix the roads and other infrastructure in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area and its environs.

    Kashamu made the promise yesterday when he visited the Olota-in-Council, the Council of Baales and Chiefs, the League of Imams and Alfas, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Hausa community, the Igbo community, the traditionalists, artisans and market men and women in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area.

    The Olota of Ota, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Prof.) Adeyemi Abdulkabir Obalanlege (Ekun II), led other traditional rulers in Awori land to receive the governorship candidate.

    At the various fora, Kashamu said the welfare of the people would be his priority, if elected.

    “I am committed to completing all the uncompleted and ongoing projects in Ogun West Senatorial District and other parts of the state. Our government will be tax-friendly and encourage more businesses to thrive.

    “I reckon that our people are in need of basic infrastructure, such as potable water, good and motorable roads in most parts of the state. All of these and many more will be done, if you vote the PDP on February 23 and March 9,” Kashamu said.

    The senator highlighted some of his policies, if elected, saying: “One, I commit to releasing all allocations due to local governments; I will not deduct from their allocations. This is to ensure grassroots development and allow the traditional institution to be involved in local government administration.

    “Two, I also commit to remitting all statutory deductions from workers’ salaries to the relevant unions and authorities as and when due.”

    To address poverty and stomach infrastructure, Kashamu said: “Substantial funds shall be set aside to assist the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Loans from the funds shall attract no interest.”

     

     

  • PDP jittery over President’s directive

    President Muhammadu Buhari’s warning that ballot box snatchers would be doing so at the risk of their lives during the rescheduled elections has unsettled the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Presidency concluded yesterday.

    It said that the opposition party is jittery over the President’s directive to security agencies to deal with anybody that attempts to snatch ballot box during the forthcoming elections.

    Reiterating that anyone who dares to snatch ballot box during the elections will be doing it for the last time, the Presidency said that it should be seen as a strong message against the long history of savagery associated with elections.

    Speaking with reporters at the State House, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, recalled how innocent voters lost their lives during ballot box snatching by armed thugs in some parts of the country.

    He said the President had the safety and security of Nigerians uppermost in mind before he made the comment, and should be praised rather than criticised for issuing this stern warning to potential ballot box snatchers.

    Shehu also expressed concern about those attacking the President’s comment, and their worry over the fate of anyone caught snatching ballot boxes.

    He said: “This sounds like members of the opposition, specifically the PDP, which has perfected plans to rig the elections and to snatch ballot boxes.

    “They can see that President Buhari is not prepared to tolerate their antics this time around, and they are afraid. They have shown their intent.”

    Shehu noted that no one has anything to fear from the President’s comments “if their conscience and intentions were clear.”

    He said: “Let’s just have free and fair elections and no one need worry about anything.  Snatching ballot boxes often entails putting the lives of innocent Nigerians at risk. About 10 years ago, evidence was brought before an election tribunal from one of the states in Northcentral of the gruesome killing of 26 prospective voters by ballot box snatchers.

    “Their modus operandi is well known. They storm election venues in commando style, overwhelm the law-enforcement agents and seize ballot boxes leaving a trail of death and injury.

    “Anyone who dares to put the lives of innocent citizens at risk in their desperation to rig elections must be prepared for the possibility of losing their own lives because our security agents will certainly not stand by, clap for them and watch them kill and maim.”

  • Obi campaigns in Anambra markets

    With the relaxation of the ban on campaign till Thursday, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi, has resumed campaigning in major markets across Anambra State.

    Obi yesterday visited major markets in Onitsha – Electronics market, Ogbo Afere, Relief Market, Ogbaru Main Market. At each of the markets, Obi explained to the people the imperatives of the Atiku’s Presidency as what Nigeria needs now to get the country working again.

    Read also: Army rescues 14 children from traffickers

    Obi, who lamented the level of decay in the country in terms of infrastructure, absence of employment for the youth, lawlessness and recklessness in high places, mounting foreign and local debt, biting tax regime, incompetence, among others, said any further  tolerance of the present state of affairs would see the country collapse.

    Counting the number of generators in one of the markets, Obi asked rhetorically: “How long will our economy be powered by generators?” He promised that Abubakar Atiku, having come out with detailed work plan, would place the country on track again to continue her truncated democratic and economic development.

  • Keyamo, Melaye clash over ballot snatching

    Director, Strategic Communication of President Muhammadu Buhari Festus Keyamo (SAN) and Senator Dino Melaye of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday clashed over the President’s statement on punishment for those who snatch ballot boxes.

    On Channels Television, Keyamo said the President merely justified the position of the law, which outlines punishment for those who used forceful means to stop voters from enjoying their right to free electoral participation.

    He said the position of the President was to warn the violent minority, who tried to make life unbearable for the peaceful majority.

    Keyamo said the President would not seat aloof, while some thugs tried to derail the free will of the people to decide how they wanted to be governed.

    He said: “What the President said is 100 per cent correct. The law is that when you are caught at the scene of an attack, for fomenting violent, like ballot snatching, that is you have threatened peoples live and the punishment for that is death.

    “Again, when the President said those who snatch ballot boxes will be punished, he did not mention APC or PDP. He simply said those who snatch ballot boxes. So, why is the PDP making issues out of it.”

    Responding, Malaye said the President’s statement was too harsh, noting that people could only by punished after going through due process and found guilty of the offences they are accused of committing.

    He said government’s position amount to curing illegality with illegality, noting that it leaves the electoral process in a precarious situation.

    “We are supposed to be in a civilised country, where there should be decorum. It is so appalling that such a statement emanated from the President.  And instead of apologising, the APC is trying to justify the statement of the President.”

  • My agenda for Lagos communities, by PDP candidate

    A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the March 2, 2019 State House of Assembly election in Lagos, Princess Adenike Magdalene Coker, has pledged to improve the lives of the people of Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area (LGA), if she is elected.

    Mrs. Coker, popularly called Iyaniwura, said she would pay special attention on women and youth welfare as well as tackle the problems of unemployment and shortage of healthcare facilities, among others.

    The candidate said she joined politics to “change things” for the better.

    Mrs. Coker said: “I have been a woman leader for some time now. So, I was invited by the Peoples’ Democratic Party to join them.

    “My intention of joining the PDP is that, during my services to humanity in church, I found out that a lot of people come there to seek for counsel and prayers, but I found out that poverty is their main problem, and I thought, well, when I join this party we can change things. So, that’s how I became a politician.

    “Initially I contested for the Federal House of Representatives; I won the primaries, but later the indigenes called me and some party leaders said, ‘well, for Ibeju-Lekki, it is an indigenous place, and if you’re not from this place, you cannot win’.

    “So, I accepted to contest for the House of Assembly for my constituency.”

    On the needs of her constituents, she said: ”My people are really suffering. We don’t have hospitals, schools and good roads. The children, most especially the youth, have nothing to do and I found out that some leaders are actually benefiting from this in Nigerian politics. I said, ‘No! This can’t continue’.

    “We need to change things so that our generations to come will benefit from this country, because we are blessed by God with good resources but it’s not been used well.’ If we have the right people in the right places, everyone will enjoy; not just some particular people.”

    On lack of support for candidates, who are women by their womenfolk, she said: “What I think can be done is to still bring women together, because what I found out when I joined this politics is that women are women’s problem. A woman will see that this person can do it, but out of envy, they are the same people, who will come and spoil things for you.

    “But in my own LGA , I’m so lucky that I don’t have this kind of problem – both men and women support me. They are even the ones that made me go into it. But if God gives me this victory, I will make sure that I bring the women to work together and take away this problem; it’s a problem that can be tackled, and it will be solved.”

    Job creation, she explained, was key to stopping the menace of land-grabbing and violence in the area.

    “The only thing I think we can do is improve the life system there. Most of them are doing it out of poverty, like right now, I know the refinery is going to be built and immediately they build the refinery, I will make sure the youths of Ibeju-Lekki and well-learned people there are employed in the refinery.

    “When they have good jobs, good incomes, the elderly people and so-called leaders will not use them anymore and if they don’t have touts and thugs anymore, they can’t do this Ajagungbale (land-grabbing) stuff,” she said.

    The politician also pledged to sponsor bills for women empowerment.

    She added: “The legislation I want to pursue is to make sure that the women are empowered, special programmes to empower them. If this bill is approved, it will empower them.

    “Also, if anybody wants to further their education, it could be subsidised. You know the more education you have, the better your life is. As time goes on, these bills will be put together.

    “That is my basic reason, which I have been using as my campaign strategy. Just this week, three women died through child bearing. So, we will need at least good hospitals. Even before this election, if you go to Agbowa, through my women, we’ve started building a hospital so that the less-privileged, the masses can go there and deliver safely. As for empowerment, when you train women and you don’t give them loan, how will they work? You need to train them and give them some soft loans and they will be paying gradually.

    “Also, if anybody wants to forward their education, it could be subsidised. You know the more education you have, the better your life is. As time goes on, bills to develop the area and Lagos State will be put together.”

  • Atiku urges security agencies to be professional, uphold constitution

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called on security personnel deployed for the Saturday rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections to uphold the constitution and be professional in discharging their duties.

    Abubakar made the call at the 84th National Executive Committee (NEC) Meeting of the PDP held on Tuesday in Abuja.

    According to Abubakar, as military commanders and personnel they must be professional and never carry out any order that was not lawful.

    “I urge all security agencies to uphold the country’s constitution with an understanding that voting was a civil activity and civic responsibility.

    “The Nigerian military is constitutionally responsible for protecting our national integrity and its borders and has no role to play in the conduct of elections.

    “Additionally, I call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), once again to remain impartial arbiters while ensuring that they conduct credible elections, this time around.

    “INEC must ensure that all logistical challenges are addressed between now and Saturday, Feb. 23, and that all materials retrieved from the field are inspected by participating political parties before the commencement of the elections,’’ he said.

    Abubakar, who expressed concern about losses of Nigerians due to the postponement of the Saturday presidential election, urged them not to be discouraged by the postponement.

    “In spite of last week’s disappointment, I urge all Nigerians to come out and vote for the candidate of their choice, keeping in mind our desire to build a democratic and economically viable nation that will be respected amongst the league of democratic nations.

    Abubakar said that the feedback from his supporters throughout the country from the nationwide campaign confirmed their desire and willingness to entrust their destiny to PDP as a viable alternative to their hopelessness.

    He re-emphasised his commitment to peaceful election.

    The National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, said his hope was that the NEC meeting would be an electoral victory celebration; but such celebration had been postponed for a week.

    Secondus said that nevertheless, PDP victory was delayed, it could not be denied.

    He stressed the need for non-deployment of military or paramilitary units to electoral duties as election was a civil activity, that the civilian police was best train to handle.

    Read also: Keyamo, Melaye clash over Buhari’s ballot snatching statement

    He also called for the closure of the national borders with the Republics of Chad and Niger, in particular.

    The Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki, said that the PDP was against election rigging.

    “We sign strongly that the law should be apply on anybody that carry out election rigging. We must operate as country with the rule of law and democracy.’’

    Saraki commended all PDP members across the country for making the party campaign successful, despite the limited resources and harassment.

    “I thank all Nigerians from the six geopolitical zones for the way PDP and its candidates, Abubakar was accepted.

    “By God’s grace election will hold and we will win, because we represent the interest of Nigerians. Like they say, when your time has come, it has come and no one can change it. Abubakar your time has come.’’

    The Chairman, PDP Board of Trustee, Sen. Walid Jubril, advised Nigerians to go back to their constituencies and vote for Atiku on the new day for the elections.

    The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, described the postponement of the election as the worst embarrassment Nigerians could ever suffer in the international community.

    He, however, said that the postponement waste last sign that the PDP would be victorious in the Saturday presidential election.(NAN)

  • Atiku practically confirmed PDP is working with INEC, says Oshiomhole

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said that the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has practically vindicated the APC claim that the opposition was working with some officials of Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) to compromise the Presidential election.

    Oshiomhole who addressed newsmen on Tuesday evening said it is clear that the only mission of the PDP candidate is creating confusion in the electoral system so that he will become President even it means presiding over graves.

    He said only those who want to deploy thugs to undermine the elections will oppose or find fault with the statement of the President aimed at discouraging thuggery during the election.

    Oshiomhole said the attention of the international community at the moment is that elections across the world should be violent free and assured that the forthcoming elections will be conducted in a free and fair atmosphere.

    He sais “It is only those who believe in thuggery that will find fault with the President’s directive. Is there anyone that would want to vote for thuggery? Is there any thug that is not armed. You cannot snatch ballot box without the aid of firearms. So, when the International community is talking about violence-free election, they are saying the election should be free of thuggery.

    “You can see that the PDP is not at home with that because they imported thuggery, institutionalized it and have always fallen back on it as an instrument of rigging and to dominate the electorates. So, we debunk any attempt by Atiku to change the essence of the President’s statement.

    ” I believe the president spoke the kind of the average Nigerian who wants to go and vote and come home in peace without fear of being attacked. You know that thuggery is synonymous with violence and the world is unanimous that violence should be removed from election. Atiku’s rejection exposes PDP for what they are. Their plans is to deploy thugs so that the election will be impossible or reduce voter turn out.

    “To say that the APC Imported card readers is laughable and that the card readers have been deployed to the south south and southeast. The implication of this is, assuming it is true without conceding, it means that Atiku is working hand in hand with the ICT unit in INEC to know the kind of machines that are deployed to where.

    “Recognizing that INEC is Independent, we are not able to know the kind of card readers INEC is deploying or where they were imported from. But if Atiku has all of these details, it can only mean that he is working hand in hand with people within INEC to know where machines are imported from and the fact that card readers can be programmed otherwise.

    “We are not like a stammers who look for a fight because they cannot win an argument. We believe that the electorates are ready to vote for us and we want those votes to take place in a free and fair atmosphere.

    “I think that Nigerians should be United when it comes to the issue of a free and fair election. Our candidates also have the responsibility for peace and security of Nigerians. He has the duty to ensure that the life of the Nigerian electorate is protected as well as those of the observers. That is the responsibility of the commander in Chief.

    “So, if Atiku finds fault in this, if anybody is pro thuggery, we are against thuggery and we are against violence. The International community should properly decode Atiku’s statement sling the president to withdraw his threat not against the electorates, but against would be thugs or merchants of violence.

    “As far as I am concern, Atiku knows that he can’t win. In 2003 elections, he lost his base in Adamawa. He is on record to have procured a Senatorial seat for Prof. Jibrin Aminu. If he wants to go to court, I will meet him there and I will produce the first INEC documented report that announced the winners of those Senatorial seats.

    “He also went on to rig the governorship election that was won by Hashidu in Gombe state. So, with Atiku as a leading player, Atiku has lost the election in Adamawa State and so, the fear of defeat is already down on him.

    “We are ready for the elections and by the grace of God, Nigerians will vote for us and Atiku will remain a permanent presidential candidate which Nigerians never had.”

    He said further that “This afternoon, we monitored the statement by the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the PDP national chairman, Uche Secondus in which they tried to distort the message which of the President who reassured Nigerians that he has given appropriate directive to security agents to ensure that Saturday election is free and fair.

    “from the response of the PDP Candidate, it is clear that they have already conceded defeat. First, he claimed that he has two strongholds which he identified as south south and southeast. That is not true because I come from the south south and we are not voting Atiku. We have since dismantled the PDP machine in Edo state and Edo is the heartbeat of the Nation.

    “Even If you take the statement in its face value, if Atiku concedes that out of six geopolitical zones, he has support, not in his own zone, but south south and southeast, the voting population in these two zones are jot enough to deliver the presidency to any candidate in Nigeria.

    “Every peace loving Nigerian and those who wish Nigeria well are speaking one common language of free, fair and violent free election. What the President said and we are proud that he has the courage to say it that he has asked security agents to create an enabling environment for Nigerians to out and vote without fear that thugs will attack them and that security agents are going to put thugs in check. No peace loving Nigerian can find fault with that.

    “I think it does expose PDP for what they are. Atiku as Vice President to Obasanjo was there in 2003 when people were killed by thugs. In my election in 2007, three young men were shut down by PDP thugs at Oba Primary school. So, no responsible candidate will find fault with any pronouncement that tends to discourage thuggery in the coming elections.

    “So, for a man who is aspiring to preside over Nigeria to seek protection for thuggery is uncalled for. He has already said he will grant amnesty to looters. I don’t think Nigerians have any basis to doubt that Atiku’s mission is to set Nigeria on fire so that he can become President, even If he will preside over a graveyard.

    “By the special grace of God, this election will come and pass, Nigerians will vote, no one will be harmed, no one will be intimidated. We believe that the President was right to say that anyone who resorts to violence will be dealt with.”

  • ‘Despite setback, Buhari will win Bayelsa’

    A member of President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Council,  Mr. Preye Aganaba, has said that despite a setback caused by the postponement of elections, President Muhammadu Buhari will win Bayelsa State in the rescheduled elections.

    Anganaba, who is a founding member of the APC, said people in Bayelsa had seen a remarkable difference between the 16 years of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the three years of Buhari in the state.

    Speaking in Yenagoa, he said the only appreciation voters in the state would give to Buhari was to come out en masse on Saturday and vote for him.

    “President Buhari has shown so much love to Bayelsa state. The APC administration of President Buhari has done more for Bayelsans in three and a half years compared with 16 years of the PDP”, he said.

    He noted that the present APC-led Federal Government was executing numerous road, housing and water projects; building ICT centre sand initiating youth development programmes amongst others.

    Aganaba described the appointment of Prof. Nelson Brambaifa as the acting Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as one of the best things to happen to Bayelsa saying the state was already filling the impact of the position.

    Read Also: Buhari, govs, service chiefs meet in Aso Rock

    He said the rescheduled election was an opportunity for Bayelsans to say thank you by voting overwhelmingly for President Buhari and the APC.

    He insisted that it was time the state aligned with the government at the centre predicting that the APC would coast to victory on Saturday.

    Aganaba, who is a critical member of Buhari Support Organisation (BSO)  in Bayelsa lashed out at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the postponement of the polls, describing the commission’s conduct as “unfortunate, unprofessional and tactless.”

    He urged the APC supporters in the state and across the nation not to be discouraged by the shift in the polls by one week but to come out en masse to vote Buhari and other candidates of the party.

    He boasted that if election should hold any day, the APC would trounce the other parties.

    He said: “The numbers favour us. If the elections hold today, the APC will have a resounding victory at the presidential, governorship and National Assembly polls.

    “But in order for this to happen, all members of the party must be committed and resolute in delivering their polling units come Febuary 23 and March 9 respectively.

    “The mission here is to ensure we deliver our  polling units for the APC.”

    He said Buhari supporters in the state  intensified strategies to deliver massive votes for the President  in the state and all APC candidates in the elections.

    The APC leader said he and other supporters were engaging in a series of meetings with the various wards and the agents of different polling  units, strategising  on how to deliver massive votes for the President.

     

     

  • PDP jittery over Buhari’s directive on ballot box snatching- Presidency

    The Presidency on Tuesday said the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is jittery over the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to security agencies to deal ruthlessly with anybody that attempts to snatch ballot box during the rescheduled elections.

    Reiterating that anyone who dares to snatch ballot box during the elections will be doing it for the last time, the Presidency said that it should be seen as a strong message against the long history of savagery associated with elections in the country.

    Speaking with State House correspondents, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, recalled some elections during which innocent voters lost their lives while ballot boxes were snatched by armed thugs.

    He said the President had the safety and security of Nigerians uppermost in mind when he made the comment and should be praised rather than criticized for issuing this stern warning to potential ballot box snatchers.

    He said: “This sounds like members of the opposition, specifically the People’s Democratic Party, PDP who have perfected plans to rig the elections and to snatch ballot boxes.

    Read Also: PDP urges people to vote

    “They can tell that President Buhari is not prepared to tolerate their antics this time around, and they are afraid. They have shown their intent.” he said

    Shehu noted that no one had anything to fear from the President’s comments if their conscience and intentions were clear.

    He said: “Let’s just have free and fair elections and no one need worry about anything.

    “Snatching ballot boxes often entails putting the lives of innocent Nigerians at risk. About 10 years ago, evidence was brought before an election tribunal from one of the states in North Central of the gruesome killing of 26 prospective voters by ballot box snatchers.

    “Their modus operandi is well known. They storm election venues in commando style, overwhelm the law-enforcement agents and seize ballot boxes leaving a trail of death and injury.”

    He added: “Anyone who dares to put the lives of innocent citizens at risk in their desperation to rig elections must be prepared for the possibility of losing their own lives because our security agents will certainly not stand by, clap for them and watch them kill and maim.”