The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

  • Protesters storm NASS in support of Senator Ubah

    Protesters storm NASS in support of Senator Ubah

    Over one thousand protesters stormed the National Assembly on Tuesday in support of Senator Andy Ubah.

    The protesters who staged a peaceful rally at the entrance of the National Assembly asked Nigerians to disregard blackmailer laboring to pull down Senator Ubah.

    Ubah who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), represents Anambra South in the upper chamber.

    He is also said to have concluded arrangements to declare his gubernatorial ambition in the state.

    President of Coalition of Civil Society Groups, Etuk Bassey Williams, who led the protest told reporters that they were out to speak against incessant blackmail and campaign of calumny against people in public places, especially the National Assembly.

    He said, “Members of civil society numbering over a thousand are here to exercise their constitutional rights to speak against incessant blackmail and propaganda against people in public places especially the National Assembly.

    “First on the line was the Senate president followed by the speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara. It was also followed by Senator Dino Melaye when it was rumoured that he never went to school and the latest of it is Senator Andy Uba.

    “I want to say this very clearly that we have written to the school concerned abroad, California State university and we can confirm to every Nigeria and the international community that the response we got from the institution was very clear and very straight forward that Senator Andy Uba graduated from that institution.

    “A fact that needs to be noted, a fact that needs to be shared among all Nigerians is that blackmailers should desist from further blackmail, enough is enough.

    “The National Assembly has its own constitutional responsibility but what we are urging the National Assembly especially the Senate President who is the chairman of National Assembly to inform the Nigerian security agencies to exercise their own mandate by arresting and prosecuting those who are bent on blackmailing the members of the National Assembly and their sponsors.

    “The demonstration today is a show of solidarity, a show of nationalism and of course a show of true ambassador to the Federal Republic.

    “Nigerians are hungry and from the information we gathered we know and we are quite aware that National Assembly will pass the budget this week and we are very hopeful.”

  • PDP hasn’t adopted any political party for 2019 – BOT

    PDP hasn’t adopted any political party for 2019 – BOT

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has denied adopting a particular newly registered political party to use as a fold back ahead of 2019 general elections.

    Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), Senator Walid Jibrin who refuted the claim in a statement said, the PDP has not formed any alternative party for the purpose of the 2019 elections.

    According to the statement, “I want to make it very clear that PDP has never formed any alternative party. If it has to agree on something like that all organs and forums of the party Viz BoT, National caucus, PDP Governors forum, National Assembly caucus , States PDP chairmen forum, Former Ministers Forum, Former Governors Forum, various youth forums, elders forum nationwide, women’s forums etc will be fully consulted before such a very sensitive decision is taken”.

    He said, for now the PDP is assuring its teeming supporters that PDP accepts the judicial processes going on at the Supreme Court and is confident that the Supreme Court shall freely and independently take fair decision which will be historic in Nigeria’s democracy.

    “I want to appeal to all PDP members that we remain resolute United and absolutely loyal to the party and remain committed to following all legal process in order to redeem the image of our party as anything not built on truth will fail and falsehood will crush.

    “Any child that does not allow his mother to sleep he too will never sleep I want to further assure our members and supporters that we shall keep them informed of any development before any action is taken,” he said.

    The BOT chairman also congratulated PDP governors who won all seats in the recent various elections in their states.

     

  • No decision to adopt new political platform, says PDP’s BoT

    No decision to adopt new political platform, says PDP’s BoT

    The Board of Trustees(BoT) of  the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  says no decision has been taken to  adopt an alternative platform because of  the leadership crisis rocking the party.

    The PDP BoT Chairman, Sen. Walid Jubrin made the clarification in a statement he issued on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The Supreme Court​ has adjourned its sitting on the party’s leadership tussle till May 24.

    Jubrin expressed the BoT’s  commitment  to follow all legal processes that will help  redeem the party’s image “as anything not built on truth will fail and falsehood will crush.

    “The attention of the PDP BoT has been drawn to series of publications alleging that PDP has adopted a particular political party just newly registered as its fold back position .

    “I want to make it very clear that PDP has never formed any alternative party.

    “If it has to agree on something like that, all organs and forums of the party viz BoT, National caucus, PDP Governors Forum, National Assembly caucus have to be consulted.

    “The PDP States chairmen forum, former ministers forum, former Governors forum, various youth forums, elders forum nationwide, women’s forums etc will also be fully consulted before such a very sensitive decision is taken,” Jubrin said.

    He assured all party supporters that the BoT has accepted the judicial processes going on at the Supreme Court​ as the only option left to the party to resolve the persistent crisis.

    “We are very confident that the Supreme Court shall freely and independently take fair decision which will be historic in Nigeria’s democracy.”

    He also assured all PDP members that the BoT remains resolutely united and absolutely loyal to the party.

    “Any child that does not allow his mother to sleep, he too will never sleep.

    “I want to further assure our members and supporters that we shall keep them informed of any development before any action is taken .”

    Jubrin also congratulated PDP governors who won all seats in recent local government  elections in their states .

  • Makarfi’s PDP under fire over comment on released Chibok girls

    Makarfi’s PDP under fire over comment on released Chibok girls

    Following a statement credited to Senator Ahmed Makarfi’s led faction of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) condemning the negotiation and the prisoner swap that resulted in the release of 82 of the girls abducted from a girls secondary school in Chibok, Borno State by Boko Haram terrorists, a group under the auspices of League of Upcoming Political Parties has described the statement as shocking from a ‘confused group’.

    The league in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Dr. Musa Ahmadu and make available to media in Kaduna Monday added that, is more shocking that the statement was coming from the faction led by man who has been the executive governor and chief security officer of a state for eight years and who is widely acclaimed to have brought relative peace to his state of Kaduna during his tenure.

    The statement read in part, “the comment of the PDP at a time when the whole world was congratulating the federal government for leading the initiative that saved the lives of 82 innocent young girls, brought joy to their homes and rekindled the hope of the citizenry that it is now blessed with an effective government which can go all lengths to secure the lives of its citizens.

    “The statement by a faction of a fractured party can only be excused on the basis that the stress of its prolonged engagement to claim authenticity of the party has begun to affect the psyche of its leadership and raises the question whether the statement is not a subtle extension of the cold war between the Makarfi faction and Ali Modu Sheriff.

    “We advice Makarfi not to allow his frustration with Modu Sheriff rob him on his integrity and wisdom for he is one of the most respected among the tribe of former governors in Nigeria. Issuing this kinds of statements that panders to kindergarten logic would definitely harm his head earned reputation.

    “The Makarfi faction said the negotiations that led to the release of the 82 girls violate international best practices  of not negotiating with terrorists, but the faction tends to forget that even US which is the lead figure in the fight against terrorism has never closed the path towards negotiation when it’s interest is at stake and has many times  entered into negotiations with terrorists groups and exchanged prisoners with the underlying aim of securing the lives of hostages first before any other thing”.

    The statement continued, ‎”the Makarfi faction seems to have forgotten  that at the end of every strategy or engagement, it is the result that matters  and that best practices are not statutes but strategies hence cannot be violated but replaced when the matter demands a different approach.

    “The faction also claimed the release of the girls through this process will exert pressure on the parents of the remaining girls yet to be released. They claim the parents of the remaining girls would begin to wonder why their own children were not among the lucky ones released.

    “The recent release of the 82 girls, the largest number so far, rather than sadden the parents of those that are yet to return, has followed a similar pattern by reigniting the hope of the parents of those yet to see their children that it remains a matter of time for them to be equally lucky and has erased the despondency created by the PDP government which kept making statements about its helplessness on the situation and inflicting psychological torture on the parents.

    “The current release of the 82 girls needs to be stressed has not only restored hope in the whole of Chibok, Borno State and Nigeria but globally, that not only are these girls alive and well but with the application of  efficient strategies like the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has done, the remaining girls would be found and rescued.

    “We wonder where Makarfi ‎ and his cohorts have been all this while when the current administration has recorded success in the fight against the insurgents by clearing the dreaded Sambisa Forest which became a no go area in the PDP era, secured the release of kidnapped victims, preventing the terrorists from holding any territory under the federal republic of Nigeria and degrading the terrorists to a stage where they can only attack soft targets.

    “But it must be made clear to Makarfi and his co-travellers  that the current administration places high premium on the sanctity of human lives and respect for human rights which has been the hallmark of the current military in all its operations”, the statement added.

     

  • Police seals off PDP secretariat in Jos

    Police seals off PDP secretariat in Jos

    The Nigerian Police on Friday morning sealed off the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Jos over clash of factions.

    Details soon…

    PDP Secretariat in Jos
  • Obasanjo: It’s shameful we still import vegetables from S/Africa

    Obasanjo: It’s shameful we still import vegetables from S/Africa

    Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has described as shameful the importation of vegetables from South Africa.

    Obasanjo said in Abuja that despite the massive land and good vegetation in the country, larger per cent of vegetables used by hotels in Lagos are being imported.

    The former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain said it was inappropriate and as such, every Nigerian should become a major stakeholder to reposition the agriculture sector.

    According to him, with over 180 million people, the country could turn around food insecurity in the country and do exports.

    His words: “let’s do something, we must all pledge to do something positive, let us be producers, we are all consumers, but we can do more than that. You are either a producer, a financier, a researcher, an enabler, an advocate, a processor, a marketer, an exporter.

    “Let us do something positive and productive. God is at this time, giving us another chance, hence the present situation of our economy, are we going to accept the challenge and move forward, if we don’t we will have ourselves to blame as a nation.

    “We have the land, we have the population, we are about 180 million, now let me digress a little bit, almost all the vegetables that the hotels in Lagos are using are being imported from South Africa, carrots, lettuce, cucumber, now population of South Africa is only 50 million, we are 180 million and we cannot produce vegetables, I think it is shameful.”

    Speaking on the popular term, food security, Obasanjo defined it as a situation where people have access at all time to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.

    “In short there must be availability of food which means there must be enough production or if you are not producing enough you are importing enough to make up for your shortfall in your production.

    “There must be affordability, which means every family must be able to afford the food to make them live a healthy and an active life,” he added.

    Though, the current administration under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development initiated the Green Alternative Policy, a four-year agricultural development plan to reposition the sector

    It targeted vegetables as part of the priority commodities listed for exports. Vegetables were listed as pineapples, pawpaw, bananas, vegetables among others.

    As contained in the policy document of the Buhari-led administration, the identified commodities are cocoa, cashew, cassava products such as ethanol, cassava starch and cassava chips. Other crops include ginger, sesame, oil palm, gum Arabic, fruits and yam.

  • APC will win Enugu in 2019 – Chime

    APC will win Enugu in 2019 – Chime

    Immediate past governor of Enugu State and former leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State, Sullivan Chime Wednesday made it clear that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would win the 2019 elections in the state.

    He hinged his estimation on the fact that the party PDP was part of history in Enugu State.

    Chime, who spoke to journalists in Enugu, said it was unfortunate that the once vibrant PDP was now dead following the national leadership crisis that engulfed it as well the party’s inability to carry out its constitutional responsibilities for some time now.

    He expressed satisfaction over the defection of notable politicians to the APC in the south east zone of the country, saying he decided to join the party because the PDP has collapsed and could no longer carry them to their desired political destinations.

    The former governor disclosed that before he made the decision to join the APC, he consulted widely, adding that those who were in the position to know about his decision to defect to APC coming Saturday were informed.

    “PDP is now part of history in Enugu State; APC is the only viable national party. PDP is a party without leadership. APC is the party that can take any politician to his or her destination” he stated.

    Chime who reinstated that the PDP was no longer existing, said the party abandoned the rules that guided them hence the need for INEC to de-registered the party.

    He posited that the forthcoming election in Anambra State will teach the PDP a lesson, hinting that the party might not have candidates during the election.

    According to him, the PDP has been murdered and killed, saying because of the collapse of the party, it’s members including founding fathers have no choice than to leave to find better option.

    Shedding more light on why he left the PDP, the former governor said he has a lot of people who have a long way to travel in politics hence the need for him to show them the way.

    Chime further stated that he was happy that at the end of his eight year tenure as governor, representatives of the various zones came to his village to thank him over the way he governed Enugu State.

    He, however, expressed sadness that since he made the decision to join the APC, some people having been making efforts to bring him down through blackmail and falsehood.

    The former governor expressed regrets that the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu allegedly accused him of marginalizing the people of Aninri, his local Government council at an occasion.

    While dismissing the allegation, Chime said it was on record that he appointed some indigenges of Animri as permanent secretaries, adding that some also held various positions when he was governor

     

  • Again, trial of Metuh stalled, case adjourned until June 22

    Again, trial of Metuh stalled, case adjourned until June 22

    The trial of Olisa Metuh, former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was again stalled as the FCT High Court, Maitama, adjourned the case until June 22.

    Metuh was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a two-count charge of destruction of evidence.

    The trial was adjourned until June 22, for the defence to open its case; the adjournment was at the instance of the court.

    Mr Sylvanus Tahir, the prosecuting counsel, had on Oct. 10, 2016 closed his case, after calling three witnesses to testify.

    The judge, Justice Ishaq Bello, adjourned the case until Nov. 22 for the defence to open its case.
    The case was adjourned again until Jan. 24; March 2 and May 3.

    Metuh and all counsel in the matter were present in court and consented to the June 22 date.

  • PDP chieftain urges Nigerians to accept recession as national problem

    PDP chieftain urges Nigerians to accept recession as national problem

    Alhaji Ahmed Gusau, a former Minister of Solid Minerals, has urged Nigerians to accept the current economic recession in Nigeria as a national problem, which would soon be over.

    Gusau, also a former Deputy Governor in Sokoto State, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Monday, on the sidelines of the celebration of the 2017 May Day.

    The former Sole Administrator and former Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state said, “Government is doing its best and Nigerians should also do their own.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari is also doing his best to take the country out of recession. All hands should be on the deck in this direction,” he said.

    The former deputy governor and currently a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stressed the need for the country to come together to bring about solutions to the problems plaguing the nation.

    Gusau appealed to Nigerians to endure the current hardship, saying that the workers, women and the downtrodden were suffering most.

  • May Day: PDP will pay better wage from 2019 – Sheriff

    May Day: PDP will pay better wage from 2019 – Sheriff

    Abuja, May 1, 2017 (NAN) The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, said the party would pay reasonable minimum wage to workers if it returned to power in 2019.

    In a statement signed by his deputy, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, on Monday in Abuja, Sherriff congratulated the workers on the 2017 Workers’ Day, and urged them to put in more efforts in making Nigeria great.

    He said that the appeal was important as the country needed everyone to be involved in the rebuilding process that would take it to greater heights.

    “When we take over power, we shall address minimum wage that will ensure workers’ pay will not only take them home, but will be able to also cater for the families and pay school fees.

    “We understand the difficulties the nation is going through at the moment, but a government can only be changed through the ballots.

    “2019 will be another opportunity to change power; then, the workers will know what it means to have PDP back in power,” Sheriff said.

    He said that the PDP was not just seeking to take over power, but was also looking forward to partnering Labour to emancipate citizens, no matter their tribes or religions.