The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

  • PDP calls for inquest into Shiite/security clash in Abuja 

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded for an immediate inquest into the violent clash between security forces and members of the Shiite movement, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

    The party expressed grave worry over the handling of security in the nation’s capital and the near breakdown of law and order, which resulted in stampede and disruption of public and private businesses in the city center.

    In a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP noted that the clash was as a result of protests by the Shiites over the continued detention of their leader, Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.

    The Shiites leader had been granted bail by the court but the government has continued to keep him in custody, a development the PDP described show of force and infringement on citizens’ rights.

    “Furthermore, the PDP and indeed all lovers of democracy across the country are deeply concerned by the continued erosion of democratic tenets by the APC administration, resulting in avoidable crisis in various parts of the country.

    “The PDP sues for calm while demanding for an immediate inquest into the cause of this clash.

    “We also urge security high commands to ensure that this matter is nipped in the bud with the highest level of professionalism,” the statement added.

    Read Also: Police disperse Shiite protesters

  • Rivers PDP releases timetable for LG primary elections

    Rivers chapter of Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) on Wednesday released timetable for the party’s 2018 local government primary elections.

    The timetable is in a statement by Mr Samuel Okpoko, the state’s PDP Secretary in Port Harcourt.

    According to him, the schedule is for PDP 2018 Special Ward/LGA Congress/Primaries
    to elect chairmanship, councillorship candidates and ad hoc delegates across the 319 wards of the 23 local government areas of the state.

    Okpoko stated that Ward Congress in Rivers East Senatorial District would hold on April 16, while that of Rivers West Senatorial District would hold on April 17.

    He added that Rivers South-East Senatorial District Ward Congress had been fixed for April 18, and Rivers East Senatorial District for local government area congress would be held on April 19.

    He noted that the party had scheduled April 20 for Local Government Area Congress for Rivers West Senatorial District, while Local Government Area Congress for Rivers South-East Senatorial District would hold on April, 21.

    The secretary called on chairmanship, councillorship aspirants, ad hoc delegates and other PDP members to adhere strictly to the schedule.

    NAN

  • Credible poll best APC can give Nigerians in 2019 – Secondus

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ), Prince Uche Secondus, has said that the best that the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) can give to Nigerians in 2019 is to conduct one-man one-vote general elections.

    Secondus said this when he received the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Bernhard Schlagheck, who paid a courtesy call on the party’s national leadership on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Secondus attributed lack of free and fair elections as one of the major causes of crisis in Africa.

    “When citizens are deprived of their right to vote that will generate crisis that might be difficult to control.

    “Nigeria is an important country in the continent of Africa.

    “The best we can give to our people is election that will be transparent, election that will be credible, election that both local and international community will welcome.

    “So, we urge the governing APC that the best they can give this country is to offer one  man, one vote.

    Secondus said that Ekiti governorship election scheduled for July would be a test for the APC administration.

    Secondus urged the international community to prevail on the APC administration to ensure free and fair elections.

    Secondus, however, said that the PDP had embarked on two major platforms; namely generation next and rescue mission, to protect the party ahead of 2019 general elections.

    He explained that generation next was to ensuring mentoring for the youths, while the rescue mission aimed at salvaging the country.

    Speaking earlier, Schlagheck, said he was in PDP as part of a tour of all political parties in Nigeria ahead of the 2019 polls.

    The ambassador added that his report would be sent to his country, Germany.

    NAN

  • Akinjide ’s alleged N650m fraud: Judge orders trial-within-trial

    A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday ordered a trial-within-trial in the ongoing prosecution of a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT ), Jumoke Akinjide, and others charged with N650 million fraud.

    Justice Muslim Hassan gave the order for the trial following objections raised by the defence counsel, who had argued that statements purportedly made by the accused were obtained under duress, threat and inducement.

    Akinjide is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) along with a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is said to be “at large”.

    Also charged with them are a former Senator, Ayo Adeseun, and a Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) chieftain, Olarenwaju Otiti.

    They allegedly conspired to directly take possession of N650 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act which did not go through a financial institution.

    During the trial on Monday, the EFCC Prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, had resumed examination of the second prosecution witness, Mr Usman Zakari, an investigating officer with the EFCC.

    In continuation of his evidence, the witness told the court that his investigations revealed that there were no banking instruments to justify the claims by the accused that the money came from the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ).

    Oyedepo asked: “You said that the first and second accused persons and one Mr Yinka Taiwo signed a receipt of payment for N650 million, what steps did you take as regards the signatories?

    In response, the witness told the court that the second accused was arrested, and then he confirmed that the details in the receipt were his and that he signed it for the payment of N650 million.

    The witness further said that the first accused, in the presence of her counsel, made statements in relation to the charge and also confirmed that she had signed for the payment of the N650 million.

    On how the confirmation was done, the witness said: “The confirmation by the first and second accused persons was made while their statements were taken”.

    He told the court that on Dec. 15, 2016, the first accused had provide a document stating how the N650 million was disbursed without the use of a financial institution.

    The witness said the first accused volunteered statements in his presence.

    Oyedepo then applied to the court to tender the said statement, having laid proper foundation for case.

    At this point, defence counsel raised objection and submitted that the statements were made under duress and inducement and requested for a trial-within-trial to determine how the statements were extracted.

    Counsel to the second accused, Mr Micheal Lana, told the court that the statement of the second accused was also made under duress and inducement.

    He urged the court to allow the prosecution to tender the statement of the second accused so that the trial-within-trial would be taken together.

    Mr Akinola Oladeji, counsel to the third accused, also agreed with the submission of Lana, adding that the third accused was even threatened with incarceration.

    In response, Oyedepo submitted that the counsel to the accused persons could not request for a trial-within-trial as the accused persons had denied every admission of guilt in their statements.

    He added that the statements were not confessional statements as the provision of the Evidence Act in relation to trial-within-trial was only for confessional statements.

    Justice Hassan, in a short ruling, ordered a trial-within-trial.

    He held that the court could not determine if the statements were confessional statements or not since they were not before it.

    Earlier, counsel to the first accused, Mr Bolaji Ayorinde ( SAN ), had raised an objection to the oral evidence of the second prosecution witness on the grounds that it was a hearsay evidence.

    The court, however, overruled the objection and held that the evidence was by no means a hearsay.

    “I do not want to be misunderstood; all that I am saying is that the evidence of PW2 is admissible only as to what he carried out in the course of his investigation.

    “The velocity or weight to be attached to that evidence can only be determined at the conclusion of the trial.”

    The case has been adjourned until April 23 and April 24 for continuation of trial.

    NAN

  • Senator Datti Baba joins 2019 presidential race

    Kaduna state born politician, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed has joined the 2019 presidential race.

    Confirming the news to the media, Mr Ibrahim Biu, the chairman of the campaign media committee in Abuja on Thursday at the Jabi residence of Baba Ahmed said Senator Datti Baba Ahmed’s (DBA) political journey started when he was first elected in April 2003 to the Federal House of Representatives for the Zaria Federal Constituency, Kaduna State. He ran on the platform of the All Nigeria People’s Party ( ANPP ).

    In the April 2011 elections, Baba-Ahmed polled 366,398 votes in the contest to represent Kaduna North Senatorial district, beating his closest rival, Senator Ahmed Makarfi of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ), the incumbent, who polled 365,043 votes.

    Senator Datti Baba Ahmed is a young and vibrant Nigerian who has all the credentials to move Nigeria to the next level. He is capable of unifying the country and bringing peace to all the regions.

    Datti Baba-Ahmed studied Economics at the prestigious University of Westminister, United Kingdom and at a time when the nation’s economy is on its knees, he comes highly recommended.

    At the age of 41, he had worked for the Security Printing and Minting company in Lagos, obtained two different Masters degrees, a PhD, served as elected Hon. Representative, Distinguished Senator, and established one of the top ranking private university with two other companies employing over 600 people drawn from every state in the country.

    Datti Baba-Ahmed, a thoroughly breed Nigerian with passion for educational advancement has gone further to add other academic value and exposure to his life by obtaining additional educational qualifications at London Business School, Harvard Kennedy and Harvard business school respectively.

    He has a reputation of speaking fearlessly against corruption, bad governance and societal problems. His uncompromising stance against corruption remains an important ingredient needed for a leader that wants to steer the ship of the Nigerian state. This is a man that will favour building institutions over creating strong personalities.

    Senator Datti has also been a proponent of Security, Economy and Education (SEE) programme. His position is that, with the right investment in these critical sectors of the economy, Nigeria will be an inch away from the problems militating against the nation.

    The common yearning in the Nigerian political space is for a fresh face to lead, heralding a departure from the recycling of leaders that Nigeria has always had for decades. The youth who are the majority of Nigerian population, are in desperate need of a leader and a mentor that they can rally behind with their support having been disappointed so many times by the old stock.

    In an era of total distrust for leaders, Nigeria is in dire need of a young, energetic and competent leader with no baggage to run for President in 2019. Senator Datti is 48, a successful scholar and businessman who has what it takes to bring about a re-engineering of the Nigerian economy and create jobs for the army of unemployed youth in the country. He is living proof that Nigeria can still dare to dream of a better future once more.

  • Looters list can’t divert attention from misrule, says PDP

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have failed in their ploy to use their so-called looters lists to divert public discourse from the raging questions on their numerous scandals, manifest sleazes and overall failures in governance.

    The PDP, in a statement on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the nation has now seen that the Federal Government has no case against the PDP, as the list of looters released by the government only have individuals who were not indicted or convicted for corruption. The party said some persons on the list were are not even members of the PDP.

    The statement said, “It is now a notorious fact that the whole essence of the flimsy and contemptible lists was to cause public misperception, ‘change the topic’, and divert international and national discourse from various serious issues.

    “Some of these issues include the parlous state of the nation’s economy caused by President Muhammadu Buhari’s misrule, for which Nigerians are now resorting to vices, including slavery and suicides as options.

    “The intensive global vote of no confidence on President Buhari-led APC-government, particularly on its painful anti-people policies, as presented in damning verdicts by international figures, the latest being the world renowned Bill Gates.

    “The vote of no confidence on the Buhari administration by eminent statesmen, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former military President Ibrahim Babangida and former minister of defence and ex-chief of army staff, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, who also indicted this administration of failure to protect the citizens.

    “The international interest over speculations of conspiracy theorem on the alleged manipulation of security in the abduction and return of the Dapchi schoolgirls for which Amnesty International (AI) has called for an open inquest.

    “The international embarrassment over alleged procurement of the Martin Luther King Jr Award for President Buhari, which has now attracted global opprobrium to our dear nation and entire citizenry.

    “The Transparency International (TI) latest verdict, indicting the Buhari-led government of superintending over the spiraling of corruption in Nigeria in the last three years.

    “Efforts by the Buhari Presidency to conceal the N9 trillion corrupt oil contracts at the NNPC, alleged stealing of N1.1 trillion worth of crude oil, looting of N18 billion Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) intervention fund and the stealing of N10 billion National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), all by APC officials and Presidency cabal.

    “The public resentment that trailed President Buhari’s last week’s visit to Lagos as well as his embarrassment at the National Mosque last Friday, where worshippers demonstrated their resentments to his administration and almost resorted to near mob action.

    “These are issues that cannot be swept under the carpet using any ploy whatsoever.

    “While we still challenge the APC to name any members of the repositioned and rebranded PDP convicted for corruption, we wish to remind them that our three-day ultimatum to explain the source of looted fund to finance President Buhari’s 2015 campaign still subsists and no amount of blackmail or intimidation can stop Nigerians from holding the dysfunctional APC accountable”.

    Read Also: FG avoiding issue we raised on looters’ list, says PDP

  • Buhari presiding over most corrupt govt in history – Fayose

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has faulted the list of alleged looters unveiled by the Federal Government which he described as “concocted and afterthought to cover the shame of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

    Fayose alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari was presiding over “the most corrupt government in the history of Nigeria and protecting looters of the country’s commonwealth.”

    The Ekiti governor likened Buhari to a father who is protecting his children that are armed robbers but calling on security agents to arrest children of his neighbour for stealing meats from their mother’s pot,

    Fayose in a statement on Monday by his Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media, Lere Olayinka, insisted that the administration Buhari presides over lacks the moral justification to call some people “looters” alleging that his (Buhari’s) presidential nomination form was procured with looted cash.

    He reiterated that Nigerians were more interested in their welfare, security of their lives and physical development of the country than tales of concocted lists of corrupt Nigerians, who are only corrupt in the estimation of the government because they do not belong to the APC.

    Fayose said: “With the Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, saying that corruption has become more endemic in Nigeria than it was in the last 16 years.

    “With the country moving 12 places below its rating, a honourable government would have stopped using fight against corruption as its major achievement and releasing names of people that are still under trial as looters just to cover up its failure.

    “The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) never pretended to Nigerians that it had corrupt people in its fold and the party never protected them. Today, the party has gone ahead to offload the corrupt elements into the APC and they were not only accepted gladly into the party, they were given prominent appointments by the President.”

    “For any lists of alleged looters to be credible, the President, who is protecting looters should be number one while those looters in his government should follow.

    “His nomination form was bought with proceeds of corruption and those who bought the form and financed his election were paid back with the return of all their seized properties, ministerial appointments and even disappearance of prosecution witnesses in EFCC cases.

    “A government that reinstated and promoted Abdullahi Maina, who was declared wanted for corrupt practices by the International Police Organisation, (INTERPOL) and dismissed in 2013 for alleged N2.1 billion pension fraud and used APC broom to sweep the $25 billion contracts scam in the NNPC under the carpet is nothing but a government of plunderers and that is the clear definition of Buhari’s government.

    “It was in this same government that the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole suspended the National Health Insurance Scheme Executive Secretary, Professor Usman Yusuf for alleged corruption and the President recalled him even without the knowledge of the Minister.

    “Up till today, nothing has happened to the probe panel on the allegedN500 million bribery said to have been paid to the President’s Chief of Staff (COS), Abba Kyari by officials of MTN to influence government to discontinue its heavy stance on the $5 billion fine imposed on the company.

    “Therefore, no matter how hard they try now, they can no longer hoodwink Nigerians with their deceit of fight against corruption. Even APC Senator, Shehu Sani once said that the President uses insecticide to fight corruption involving his perceived political opponents, but use deodorant when it comes it affects his own men.”

    Read Also: PDP replies APC, lists cases of alleged looting under Buhari

  • FG names Secondus, other treasury looters in PDP

    The Federal Government on Friday listed names of some members of Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) who it alleged  looted the national treasury when the party was in power.

    At a media briefing in Lagos, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus took N200 million from the office of then National Security Adviser ( NSA ) on Feb. 19, 2015.

    The PDP had challenged the ruling party to name the looters under their watch if they actually know any.

    “They said they did not loot the treasury. Well, I am sure they know that the treasury was looted dry under their watch.

    “Yet they decided to grandstand. This shows the hollowness of their apology to Nigerians.

    “Let us just give them a teaser with this list: PDP chairman Uche Secondus on the 19th of Feb 2015, took N200 million only from the office of then NSA”

    The minister also alleged that PDP FInancial Secretary, Bolaji Anani on Oct 2014, took N600 million from the office of then NSA

    He said that the then party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisah Metuh, is on trial for collecting N1.4 billion from the office of then NSA

    Mohammed said that Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of DAAR Communications is also on trial, for allegedly taking N2.1 billion also from the office of the NSA

    “Dudafa Waripamo-Owei, former SSA to President Goodluck Jonathan, is also on trial over N830 million kept in accounts of four different companies,” he said.

    The minister said that a Federal High Court recently ruled that the former President Jonathan’s cousin Robert Azibaola had a case to answer for collecting 40 million dollars from the office of then NSA

    “This list is just a tip of the iceberg, and the PDP is aware of this.

    “We did not make these cases up. Many of these cases are in court and the records are available.

    “Some of the people on this list are seeking to plea bargain, and that is a fact,” he said

    Mohammed continued: “We insist that Nigeria was looted blind under the watch of the PDP, and that the starting point in tendering an apology is for them to return the loot.

    “It is like a robber admitting to stealing your car and apologizing, but then saying he will keep the car anyway. It doesn’t work that way.

    “The PDP is a hypocrite, and that reminds me of what English writer William Hazlitt said: ‘The only vice that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy’.

    “We will not stop talking about the massive looting by the PDP. They
    brought Nigeria to this sorry pass.

    “We are now looking around for loans to build infrastructure, and they ask us not to talk about it. we will talk about it”.

    Speaking on whether the position of government was prejudice since they had not been convicted by court, the minister said they were dared by the party  to give the names.

    He added that they had enough evidence to prove the allegations against them.

    NAN

  • Ojezua to Edo PDP: Take cue from Secondus, beg Edo people for forgiveness

    …urges opposition party to forget governance, complete repentance

     

    Less than 24 hours after the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Uche Secondus, apologised to Nigerians for what he described as “the past mistakes of the PDP,” Chairman of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Barrister Anselm Ojezua, has called on the Edo State PDP members to emulate their national chairman and apologise to Edo people.

    Ojezua said: “Edo people deserve an unreserved apology from the Edo State chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih as well as other leaders of the party in the state, for their years of misrule. We need not debate the sins of the PDP over and again, now that the national chairman of the opposition party has courageously admitted to impunity and misrule.”

    He explained that the “Edo APC has in the past, urged the Edo PDP to apologise for their sins which are still visible in all parts of the state, several years after they were voted out of office.”

    He maintained that “it is foolhardy and imprudent to continue to grandstand when your sins stare at you daily, from the failed dredging of Ikpoba River, the failed Edo Water Board resuscitation project, failed Cassavita Factory, failed Fruit Juice processing factory in Ehor, failed Bendel Breweries and Edo Line, for which billions of naira were either borrowed or allegedly spent, yet Edo people never had the benefit of seeing their actualisation, and enjoying the outcomes.”

    Ojezua argued that “if the Edo PDP government meant well for Edo people and completed these projects, the socio-economic profile of the state would have appreciated a great deal. Former Governor Adams Oshiomhole picked up a completely broken down state and rescued it from total collapse by aggressively fixing the huge infrastructural deficit he inherited, constructing schools, roads, hospitals  and enthroning purposeful leadership.

    “Today, Governor Godwin Obaseki is paying the desired attention to industrialisation, infrastructure, law and order and job creation, amongst other sectors. This is how to govern. Leaders must continue to raise the bar of service delivery and add value to our lives and not engage in looting spree, sponsoring lavish birthday parties with state funds.”

    Secondus said at a well-attended public discourse on contemporary politics and governance in Nigeria on Monday in Abuja: “We are sorry, we have made several mistakes which will not happen again.

    “In the past there were impunity and imposition, we are not spirit, we have to be humble to apologise for imposition, impunity and other wrongdoings, while in government.

    “Since it is said that charity begins at home, I am the very first to admit that our party the People’s Democratic Party of Nigeria made many mistakes. Consequently, we were roundly sanctioned by Nigerians occasioning our loss at the polls in 2015.

    “Let me seize this opportunity to apologise to Nigerians unequivocally for the several shortcomings of our party in the near and far past. It was all parts of an evolution process without which there can be no maturity.”

    Ojezua stressed that “the evolution process of the PDP is far from complete” and advised them to “forego governance for the now and take out some years to mature, which requires several years, before making a re-launch.”

    Read Also: PDP: we beg Nigerians for our mistakes

  • PDP chief to court: I have liver ailment

    …Defendants reject witness’ evidence

    A People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader in Oyo State, Chief Olarenwaju Otiti, Friday asked the Federal High Court in Lagos for permission to  travel abroad to treat a liver problem.

    She is on trial with former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Jumoke Akinjide, and a former Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District Ayo Adeseun.

    They were charged with a former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is said to be at large.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused them of conspiring to directly take possession of N650million, which they reasonably ought to have known was part of proceeds of an unlawful act, and without going through a financial institution.

    They pleaded not guilty.

    Otiti, through her lawyer, Akinola Oladeji, promised not to run away if she is allowed to travel.

    “The applicant is seeking a conditional release of her passport for a trip to attend to her health challenges,” Oladeji said.

    The lawyer said Otiti had been suffering from the ailment for long, and that she was receiving treatment abroad when EFCC asked her to return.

    He said his client left her treatment in the US and came to Nigeria.

    After making a statement at EFCC, she returned to the US to resume the treatment but was again invited by the EFCC and was subsequently arraigned.

    “For the EFCC to call her a flight risk is a most unfair statement. We have stated that the ailment she’s suffering from is a liver disorder,” Oladeji said.

    The lawyer said the University Teaching Hospital in Ibadan issued a report that the PDP chief had “two cysts on the left and one on the right”.

    “This is just a confirmation that the operation can only be done in the United States of America. We have stated that her complete medical history is with the hospital and indeed she was referred there from Nigeria,” Oladeji added.

    The lawyer’s bid to tender the medical report from the Bar was rejected by the court.

    Justice Muslim Hassan held that for the report to be valid, it must be filed in form of an affidavit.

    Oladeji sought an adjournment to enable him file the affidavit.

    Earlier, defence counsel, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), Michael Lana and Oladeji had urged the court to expunge evidence given by an EFCC operative Usman Zakari.

    The witness had claimed that Mrs. Alison-Madueke allegedly collected N23billion ($115.01million) from three oil marketers ahead of the 2015 general election.

    He said Akinjide and others allegedly received N650million cash in March 2015 at the Dugbe branch of a bank in Ibadan on Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s instructions, and that the money was part of N23billion which the former oil minister kept in the bank.

    Zakari said the commission received a “Category A intelligence” about a meeting at Mrs Alison-Madueke’s house in December 2014 with a bank Managing Director and some oil marketers.

    According to Zakari, she told the bank chief that the oil marketers would bring hard currencies to the bank, and that he should keep the money until further directives.

    Zakari said Mrs Alison-Madueke directed the bank to convert the dollars to naira, which was complied with, after which she allegedly directed that the defendants be paid.

    The defence counsel, however, contended that Zakari’s testimony was hearsay and was inadmissible by virtue of Section 38 of the Evidence Act.

    Justice Hassan adjourned till April 9 for ruling and continuation of trial.‎

    Read Also: Court dismisses suit to sack Bello