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Tag: Peoples Democratic Party

  • PDP will reverse ‘this baggage economy’, says Peter Obi

    Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ), Mr. Peter Obi has said that the party would reverse what he described as baggage economy by reducing the dependence on crude as the major revenue earner.

    Obi said that the issues of restructuring was sacrosanct to addressing some of the challenges bedevilling the country.

    The former Governor of Anambra State spoke in Benin City, the Edo State capital during an interactive session with members of the public including civil society, representatives of the Nigerian Medical Society, NMA, Nigeria Bar Association and Nigeria Society of Engineers and other professional bodies.

    Obi assured the gathering that the present economic misfortunes of the country would be reversed to rapid economic growth if the PDP is voted into power.

    He said he believed that security votes is right but that monies belonging to the public should be properly accounted for.

    Read Also: 2019: INEC urges journalists on professionalism

    Obi who accused the Buhari-led administration of failing in the promises to the people said it was due to bad leadership and cluelessness.

    He said a PDP government would bring back foreign investors to develop the economy especially those who closed their businesses for fear of kidnapping, banditry, insurgency as a result of inability to provide security for the citizenry.

    According to him, “The election we are face is not election between Atiku and Buhari. It is about the future of Nigeria. Anybody can tell you any story, the thing is that Nigeria is collapsing. Today, we record insecurity like never in the history of Nigeria. Today Nigeria has the highest number of poor people in the world, we must come together to send them packing.

    “Nigeria has been shut down economically, politically and socially for over three years and has resulted in hunger, insecurity, and economic instability especially in the North Eastern part of the country.

    “We are going to treat everybody equal especially the physically challenged in the area of empowerment. We will take the issue of the physically challenged very seriously in our incoming government and that is one of our agenda.

    “When we will do proper restructuring and federalism, local government will become very free and autonomous to get its revenue directly from the federation account without state interference for rapid grassroot development”

    State Chairman of PDP, Chief Dan Orbih urged the people not to be carried away with the sharing of N10, 000 by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

  • 2019: PDP will bring back Nigeria’s economic fortunes – Obi

    The Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the February 16 general election, Mr Peter Obi, says the country’s economic misfortunes will be reversed to rapid economic growth if the party is voted in.

    Obi gave the assurance at an interactive session with the Edo stakeholders and members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Benin on Thursday.

    According to him more than 40 per cent of young Nigerians are unemployed, leading to Nigeria being referred to as one of the poorest countries in the world.

    He also alleged that “Nigeria has been shut down economically, politically and socially for more than three years.”

    “This has resulted in hunger, insecurity, and economic instability especially in the North Eastern part of the country.”

    According to him, the Atiku/Obi-led government if elected will bring back foreign investors to develop the economy of the country.

    Obi said: “those who have closed their businesses for fear of kidnapping, banditry, insurgency as a result of government inability to provide security for the citizenry, will be encouraged to return.”

    He reiterated that the power sector would be taken care of through policies that would make the sector to work again and contribute to the country’s economic development.

    “We are going to treat everybody equal especially the physically challenged in the area of empowerment.

    Read Also: Why Atiku travelled to USA —Obi

    “We will take the issue of the physically challenged very seriously in our incoming government and that is one of our agenda,” Obi said.

    The PDP vice presidential candidate said that local government autonomy would work through “proper restructuring and federalism.”

    “Local government will become very free and autonomous to get its revenue directly from the federation account without state interference for rapid grassroots development.”

    He also gave the assurance that an Atiku/Obi ticket would ensure that “incessant strike being experienced now,” would be a thing of the past.

    Obi said that if voted in, the PDP administration would give more priority to education and health care facilities.

    Earlier, the Edo Chairman of PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, criticised the Federal Government “tradermoni” loan scheme, telling the people “not to be carried away,” by it.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that most of those that spoke during the meeting appealed to PDP to show “federal presence” in Edo if voted into power.

    NAN

  • APC enraged over PDP’s N388m U.S. lobbying deal

    The  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is spending about $1,080,000 (about N388million) on its ongoing lobbying in the United States, The Nation has learnt.

    The party is also polishing its image in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom  and other parts of Europe, but the budget remains unknown.

    The U.S. lobbying is believed to have paved the way for the recent visit of the party’s presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar, to Washington DC for talks with some congressmen and groups.

    Former Aviation Minister  Osita Chidoka, however, said the contract was designed to “promote free and fair elections”.

    Chidoka, who was part of Atiku’s delegation to the United States, said the agreement to hire a strategic consulting firm predated the emergence of the party’s presidential candidate.

    But the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the agreement had sinister motives.

    He said blowing N388million on such a venture was “a sign of the recklessness which PDP is noted for”.

    In the agreement between PDP and Ballard Partners, Inc. the party is expected to pay the firm $90,000 per month for 12 months.

    The lobbying is expected to run from September, 2018 to September 20, 2019.

    The agreement was signed by Chidoka (the PDP Special Advisor) and Brian D. Ballard (the President of Ballard Partners, Inc.).

    It reads in part: “This agreement shall become effective in September, 2018 and shall remain effective until September 20, 2019. This agreement shall automatically renew for successive one-year period on the anniversary of the effective date of the agreement unless either party terminates the agreement. Upon renewal, this agreement may be terminated within thirty (30) days written notice by either party.

    ”It shall be the Firm’s duty to consult with the Client and advocate on its behalf those issues the Client deems necessary and appropriate before the US Federal government.

    “Issues and objectives may include, but not be limited to enhancement of U.S. Nigerian relations, strengthening and advancing democratic values and the rule of law in Nigeria, with a special focus in the coming months on maintaining political and security conditions free of intimidation and interference in order to ensure the success and fairness of Nigeria’s national election for president in 2019.

    “It shall further be the Firm’s duty to inform the Client of developments in legislation and policy relevant to the Client’s issues and objectives.

    “It shall be the Client’s duty to provide the Firm the information necessary to best represent the Client. It shall also be the Client’s duty to timely compensate the Firm for its services.”

    The Nation stumbled on a document, which states the terms of the contract and its cost. The PDP will shell out at least $90,000 a month for 12 months.

    The document said: “The Firm shall receive from the Client $90 000 a month, payable in quarterly installments for this agreement, plus the reasonable cost associated with the representation, including but not limited to, necessary registration fees; and travel expenses such as hotel, air fare, car services and meals, excluding cost typically associated with the operation of an office such as overhead, staff, and equipment.

    “The fee shall be paid in quarterly installments of $270,000 with the first installment being due immediately upon execution of this agreement; second installment due on December 21st, 2018; third installment due on 21 March, 2019; fourth installment due on June 21, 2019; and continuing to be due on quarterly basis until the termination of the agreement. The Firm will bill costs quarterly.”

    A PDP source , who spoke in confidence, said:  “Nothing is secret, nothing is untoward in the agreement. The agreement predated the emergence of  Atiku.

    “The engagement of the firm was only about lobbying in the US because we want free and fair elections in February. The All Progressives Congress(APC) did the same thing in 2014.”

    Responding to a question, the source said: “The agreement has nothing to do with the issuance of visa to Atiku and his trip to the United States. We entered into the agreement on September 21, 2019 and we had our primaries on October 7, 2019.

    “As at the time we signed the strategic consulting contract, the PDP did not have any presidential aspirant in mind. We just wanted to be heard by the United States Government and its people.

    “It is not a function of anything to do with Atiku.”

    Asked of the motives behind the agreement, the source said there was nothing sinister.

    “How can anybody sign an agreement to destabilise this country. I don’t want us to keep looking stupid. Everything about the agreement was transparent.”

    When contacted, a former Minister of Aviation, Dr. Osita Chidoka, said: “The agreement was signed before the PDP primaries and it was for the purpose of promoting free and fair elections.”

    Reacting to the hiring of the consultant,  APC National Publicity Secretary Lanre Issa-Onilu said: “The PDP leaders have sinister motives but they cannot succeed. They are paying huge sums of money to engage consultants with the sole intention to deceive those abroad and Nigerians again into submitting our resources by coming back to power.

    “We thank God that all their efforts from the UAE to the UK, the USA and elsewhere in Europe have all ended in disastrous outcome.

    Read also: Minimum wage: TUC shifts battle to National Assembly

    “The free and fair poll is here in Nigeria, not in the US. So, they can deceive themselves but they cannot deceive Nigerians.

    “Spending N388million on public relations and lobbying is very reckless and a sign of recklessness which PDP is noted for. Everything about PDP and its leaders has been driven by recklessness. Their 16-year reign in government was a reckless enterprise. Nigerians should watch out, they are spendthrift.

    “We know the cash is part of the money stolen which this APC government is making efforts to retrieve from them. This is why they think President Buhari should not be re-elected.

    “The February 16 presidential poll is not about who will win; it is about which state will vote more for President Muhammadu Buhari because PDP has technically pulled out of the race.”

  • Onnoghen: Buhari destroying democracy – Secondus

    The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has accused the Federal Government of orchestrating the destruction of the nation’s democracy.

    This, according to the party chair, was part of the “nefarious” agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the February presidential election.

    Secondus, who was reacting to the arraignment of the Justice Onnoghen before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, said the President and his team were arm twisting the Tribunal to force the CJN out of office.

    In a statement Wednesday by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, the PDP chair said the APC was afraid an independent judiciary will obstruct its rigging plan.

    He described calls by the government on the CJN to vacate his seat as provocative, saying it has left no one, including the global democracies, in doubt that indeed democratic rule has been suspended in Nigeria to pave way for dictatorship.

    “The blackmail, the frame up and the orchestration of fictitious figures in the CJN’s bank accounts by the government and their agents are all deliberate ploy to destroy the envious career of a man because of desperation for power

    “What they are trying to do is not only illegal but a recipe for anarchy and breakdown of rule of law and must be vehemently resisted,” the party chair said.

    Read Also: PDP, Secondus knock Buhari

    Secondus said it was very glaring that President Buhari and his ruling APC have concluded plans to plunge the country into a major crisis in frustration for their apparent inevitable rejection by Nigerians.

    He noted trying to force the head of an arm of government out of office without following the clearly laid down procedures amounted to breach of rules and an invitation to major national crisis.

    The party chair urged the CJN to disregard calls for his resignation and remain in office as the constitution guiding the operations of government is very clear on how he can be removed.

    “President Buhari’s inclination to non-democratic behavour is now apparent as he moves to muscle all other arms of government as well as ingredients of democracy”, he added.

    The main opposition party chairman directed all lovers of democracy and rule of law in the country to stand up to be countered, saying it’s now obvious that the APC administration is determined to wreck the nation’s democracy all because it’s being rejected by Nigerians.

    “The agenda is not hidden, which is to truncate democracy rather than face the Nigerian electorate,” Secondus said.

    “After the 2016 bizarre arrest and harassment of some Judges and Justices of the Supreme Court and the August 8, 2018 failed coup d’état on the National Assembly, including the sponsored theft of the Senate mace, added to the list, it’s now very clear that democratic norms have taken flight in the country under President Buhari,” he added.

    He regretted Buhari could bare his fangs on the judiciary as part of the intimidation agenda of the regime preparatory to the rigging of the 2019 presidential election.

  • Uba: I will rescue Anambra South from poor representation

    THE candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Anambra South senatorial race, Chief Chris Uba, says he is in the contest to rescue his people from the poor representation they have witnessed over the years.

    Uba who spoke at Orumba North, Orumba South and Ihiala town hall meetings at Umunze, Ajalli and Ihiala respectively said no body in Anambra State had contested any election without his support, including governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives and those of the state House of Assembly since 1999.

    The PDP candidate said he came to contest the seat in anger, because those who had represented his people had failed in their duties by abandoning them, saying “enough is enough”.

    He urged the people to stop selling their votes and conscience, because the time to rescue them is now. “You told me to come out and I have complied with your wishes,” he added.

    Uba who is widely regarded as the godfather of Anambra politics said those who were there today were not experienced than me in politics. He added that they would never regret sending him to Senate.

    He said: “If voted into power, I would work with any president without antagonizing him. After my tenure, no person would have the courage to come out to contest again, because of the record I would set at the Senate.

    “Fear not, I have the resources for this election. I have the brain; I have the connection and I have the capacity to become your senator.

    “I’m ready for this fight and ready to give my constituents what they had lacked in many years and I’m ready to sign an agreement with Orumba North and Orumba South Local Government areas to show my seriousness in this election.”

    Uba said he would visit all the seven local government areas that make up Anambra South. He added that the town hall meeting is the first step and that it would be followed by main rallies this week.

    At Ihiala, the PDP candidate said he was not going to the Senate to amass wealth, but to help the widows, the needy and other less-privileged people in the society.

    Addressing a mammoth crowd in the town, Uba told the people that he would make sure all the things due to Ihiala would get to them.

  • 2019: PDP, APC in battle of supremacy in Delta

    Preparations for the 2019 general elections have begun in earnest in Delta State. OKUNGBOWA AIWERIE reports that the campaigns, which are far from being issue-based, have degenerated into one of mudslinging between the main parties, thereby raising the spectacle of violence.

    THE 2019 general elections in Delta State promises to be a keenly fought battle between the two dominant political parties — the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC), with the fringe parties serving only as adjuncts.

    The campaigns for the 2019 general elections are assuming a frenetic pace. While the PDP has embarked on a state wide campaign, same cannot be said of the APC, which appears to be bogged down by internal wrangling.

    With presidential elections now weeks away, there is the perception that the ruling party at the centre may have started out late, as it has not launched any meaningful attempt at soliciting votes from Deltans.

    But, the APC factional chairman, Jones Erue, debunked this insinuation. He said: “We are campaigning door-to-door contrary to insinuations by the PDP that we are not campaigning. I urge all members to win the units and wards.”

    Campaign efforts by both parties appear geared towards plundering votes at the unit levels across the state.

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege stressed this new strategy recently at different fora. The governor spoke at the inauguration of the PDP campaign council in the state, when he admonished party men of the dangers of underrating the chances of the APC. He urged members to conduct a unit driven campaign.

    He said: “I appeal to leaders of our party to ensure that they all relocate to their wards and mount an effective campaign, as there is no gain residing in Asaba when the battle will hold at the various units. So, I charge all to go to their various wards where the contest will hold.”

    Omo-Agege expressed a similar view during the inauguration of the APC campaign council in Asaba. His words: “Our job has been cut out for us. Our election campaign is going to be unit driven. This is to ensure that the party wins with a huge margin; unlike in 2015 when the APC scored a paltry 48,000 votes.”

    The PDP, without the distractions of debilitating legal battles, appears to have a head start. But, this notwithstanding, the APC inaugurated its campaign team last week amidst pomp and pageantry.

    Furthermore, both parties have also sought endorsements from spiritual leaders. The race for such endorsements started late in December, when the APC governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru, led high-profile party men, including, former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and factional chair Jones Erue, to the Rainbow Christian Assembly, Effurun to dedicate his campaign and the entire electoral process to God.

    Ogboru said the 2019 elections is for the APC to take over governance of Delta State and usher in a “new dawn of light and development” to what he described as “years of slavery and underdevelopment of the state by the PDP”.

    The APC candidate said the party’s decision to dedicate the campaign committee and the entire process to God was because victory was assured. Uduaghan, at the church service, boasted that with his defection to the APC, the issue of who wins the 2019 elections in the state is already a settled affair.

    He said: “I know how we have been doing it before and with both of us (Uduaghan and Ogboru) now in one camp victory is already sure come 2019.”

    The PDP, not wishing to be outdone in the quest for spiritual intervention, dedicated its own 2019 election campaign to God at a vigil in Asaba, the state capital. Okowa, on that occasion, expressed confidence that God would grant the candidates of the party victory in the forthcoming general elections.

    His words: “Because we have put our God first, we have no need to be scared going into the campaign or scared of the elections. God is leading us into the battle and we will have victory. As a people and as a party, there is no doubt that we have worked hard these three and half years to deliver democratic dividends to our people. It is significant that we come to the presence of God today to seek Him. It is going to be the battle of the spirits and our God will prevail; our opponents that are relying on small gods will fall.”

    Also, as part of preparations, new campaign offices have been commissioned by both parties.

    The PDP recently secured the endorsement of some traditional rulers in different parts of the state. For instance, all the traditional rulers of Isoko ethnic nationality and their President-Generals endorsed Governor Okowa as their candidate for the 2019 governorship elections.

    At an emergency national conference of Isoko nation convened by the Isoko Development Union (IDU) held at Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State, the traditional rulers observed that the only way they could reciprocate the governor’s good governance in Isoko land is to re-elect him to continue with his good works.

    The Ovie of Oleh Kingdom, Omagha I, Anthony Ovrawah, who is the Chairman of Isoko Traditional Council of Traditional Rulers, led more than 19 traditional rulers to pray for the governor, assuring that all Isoko sons and daughters would cast their votes for him.

    Also, Anioma traditional rulers unanimously backed the re-election of Governor Okowa with a vote of confidence, stating that he has delivered the dividends of democracy across the state.

    The royal fathers, under the aegis of Delta North Traditional Rulers Forum (DNTF), gave the confidence vote at a meeting held at the Palace of the Obi of Owa, Obi Emmanuel Efeizomor II, where they observed that Governor Okowa has delivered the dividends of democracy across the state and as such deserves a second term to complete the good work he has started.

    But, it remains to be seen if these endorsements secured by the PDP will translate to electoral votes. Okowa had, while admonishing party faithful during the inauguration of its campaign council harped on the need for an issue-based campaign.

    His words: “First, I want to thank the party for putting up this campaign council and other bodies that had been set up for the purpose of the campaign for the PDP in Delta State. As we go into the campaign, it should be issue-based. We are confident that there is a lot of achievements for us to campaign with which will earn us victory. Other persons may go out there to insult people and say what they do not know. Please don’t respond to such persons; tell the story of where we have been, where we are today and what we will do because, we have a lot of projects; we have commissioned several projects and there is a lot more to be commissioned.”

    The campaigns have been anything but issue based, despite what the leadership of the leading parties would have the electorates believe. Okowa, during a ceremony to receive decampees in Ughelli North, alleged that the APC was planning to disrupt elections using federal might.

    His words: “They want to disrupt elections in Delta North; they boast of bringing the police and army, but we cannot be intimidated by these things.

    “During the elections, don’t leave your units after voting; remain, send delegations to accompany the electoral officers to the ward, the local government headquarters and to the state headquarters. Don’t give them room to rig, because, you can see that the opposition is not engaging in campaign, because they are aware that they cannot win in a free and fair contest; they don’t have campaign programmes and they have nothing to campaign with. But, we must watch them closely.”

    The APC has not been entirely blameless in this regard, as they have also been engaged in mudslinging. At an APC reconciliation meeting in Uwvie LGA, the APC governorship candidate accused the PDP of electoral malpractice.

    He said: “This time around, the PDP can no longer do what they used to do with high impunity. They are going to bribe people, but when there is contention between authority and money, money will fail. We want change in Delta State. What the PDP had always relied on, rigging elections, no longer exists; this has been dislodged by one man, Sai Baba. The PDP has money to bribe, but when there is contention between authority and money, authority carries the day. So, the PDP will lose in a free and fair election. Uvwie opposition has always given the PDP a good fight for their money since 2003. They will carry electoral materials to Government House, but we will still defeat them. They defeated Barr. Agbamu then by changing the result. But, that will never happen again. They no longer have the capability and capacity to carry electoral materials anymore. They don’t have that cover anymore in Abuja; it has been dislodged by the man, Sai Baba. God is with us.”

    The Labour Party may bear the unenviable toga of a fringe party, but its Delta State Chairman, Chief Tony Ezeagwu, believes the two dominant parties are in for a rude shock. He said the LP will exploit the disunity in the major political parties.

    Responding to a question, Ezeagwu said: “We have candidates vying for all 29 constituency seats in the state legislature, including all National Assembly seats. As a political party, we are ready for elections. Elections is not about inaugurating big campaign councils, the LP will win big in the forthcoming elections in Delta.”

     

  • Desperate season

    For sympathizers of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), the joke is on the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), AlhajiAtiku Abubakar, over his recent visit to the United States of America. While the PDP is thumbing her chest that her candidate has broken the travel-to-US jinx, her opponents are querying why a former vice president will require a diplomatic cover from the senate president, Senator BukolaSaraki, to enter the US?

    Some have even argued that the former vice president had to quickly depart the US before relevant agencies in that country could secure a warrant to go after him for alleged past misdeeds linking one of his wives, for which an American congressman was jailed years ago. But the Atiku supporters are celebrating the trip as a major diplomatic coup, considering that APC had advised the US consulate in Nigeria not to issue a visa to Atiku.

    If the report is true, then it is embarrassing that the presidential candidate of the PDP would need a diplomatic cover as an aide to the senate president, BukolaSaraki, to enter the US. As a former vice president of an important country like Nigeria, the US consulate ordinarily should extend diplomatic courtesies to Atiku, and more importantly as a top contender for the presidency, they should be glad that he wants to visit. If that didn’t happen and he had to turn an aide of senate president to enter US, then something is seriously wrong.

    So, instead of celebrating the embarrassing development, PDP sympathizers should be asking their candidate to explain the anomaly. What has he done that he needed to become an aide of his own aide to enter US? After all, as the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Saraki is an aide of the presidential candidate of PDP. Is it a matter of a master who washes the feet of his servants as a gesture of humility, like Jesus Christ did to his apostles, or is it an act of desperation on the part of Atiku?

    Interestingly, the spokesperson of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo SAN, has raised posers for the Atiku handlers. The one that reverberates most, is why should Atiku travel to America and not conduct one press conference to sell the country he wants to govern? Again, why did the presidential candidate fail to meet with top government officials and businessmen to discussareas of collaboration should he win the presidency? The party also reminded the PDP the sore mark that the relationship between their candidate and the jailed American congressman William Jefferson represents.

    No doubt, Atiku’s past deals will continue to haunt his campaign. This will be so even when one of his foremost tormentors, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has strangely backtracked and endorsed him for the 2019 presidential election. In his books, Obasanjo had described Atiku as gravely too corrupt to be trusted with the presidency of Nigeria. It may be appropriate to ask, what has changed to make Obasanjo a new disciple for Atiku’s presidency?

    The APC sympathizers argue that Obasanjo’s beef against President Muhammadu Buhari is because he refused to grant him a favour. Something he feels entitled to, because he supported him to win the presidency against the then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. While President Buhari has kept mute as to why the former president would turn around to support Atiku he earlier forswear against just to get him out of office, there seems to be something personal about the disagreement. Perhaps it is time for the two statesmen to come clean about the cause of the disagreement.

    Implacable as always, Obasanjo is now comparing Buhari to former military dictator Sani Abacha. Except that these are desperate times, such comparison should not hold any water. Not only that Abacha ruled as a dictator, he had Obasanjo and many others clamped into jail for daring to hold a different agenda from his own. Presently, Femi Fani-Kayode and other internet warriors are making a daily meal of abusing the president and churning out outright lies, without any fear of harassment from the government.

    Furthermore, the president has not shown the kind of desperation that even Obasanjo showed when he gunned for re-election. Both in words and action the president and his party have not shown desperation, like the PDP while in power. While the campaigns are going on, the president has not been traversing the country sharing dollars like President Jonathan did in 2015. Back then, all manner of groups sprang up and positioned themselves to get a share of the dollar rain, and many did.

    No doubt, many Nigerians are justifiably offended the way President Buhari gives top jobs to persons from a section of the country, but conversely he has brought some measure of sanity to the manner public officials threat public resources. The foremost testing time for restraint is the election period. If despite Buhari’s determination to win a second term, he has not opened the tap of public resources as his campaign funds, perhaps Nigeria needs another term for the Buhari persona to tame the greatest challenge of our era, corruption.

    Those who argue that nepotism is a form of corruption do have a point. But between sharing amongst themselves and their cronies our common patrimony as the PDP gleefully engaged in for 16 years and the weakness of surrounding his presidency with his kinsmen as President Buhari has perfected in the past three years and half years, I believe majority would prefer the much lesser evil. Even in that anomaly the Buhari presidency has delivered more value for money in its infrastructural renewal drive.

    Perhaps the closest to desperate action one can attribute to the Buhari presidency is the unfortunate entanglement of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen in asset declaration misadventure. For those who are genuinely suspicious, the timing of the indictment is very troubling. But can that detract from the substance of the charges raised against the CJN? This column fought vehemently for the confirmation of Justice Onnoghen as the CJN in 2016, as a counterpoise to the nepotism of the Buhari presidency. But the recent indictment is turning to a monumental tragedy with the CJN allegedly admitting guilt.

    Since the matter is in the Code of Conduct Tribunal and other courts, it is prejudicial to delve into the substantial issues here. My hope is that our public officials will learn from the tragedy that has befallen our judiciary. As a senior member of the bar, I feel pained like Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that our noble profession has become an object of ridicule because of corruption. I earnestly wish the case against the CJN can quickly be brought to a closure in the overall interest of our country.

  • FG to quiz Atiku

    THE Federal Government is set to quiz the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, over an alleged N156million payment from the defunct Bank PHB. Atiku, according to Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed, allegedly benefitted from the payment that led to the demise of the bank.

    The former vice president is currently on a visit to the USA. But Mohammed said yesterday that “any time Abubakar returns home, he has questions to answer following the fresh evidence that we have that he benefitted from ‘slush funds’ that led to the collapse of the former Bank PHB.” Atiku’s party, the PDP dared the Federal Government to go ahead with its threat to arrest him on the allegation,while the presidential candidate’s spokesman dismissed the N156million claim as a cock and bull story Mohammed said: “The document we have shows that he benefitted to the tune of N156 million from that fund. “The paper which we have here started from an internal memo on the Jan. 13, 2009.” “These are pieces of fresh evidence as to his involvement in the collapse of Bank PHB.

    So we want him to stay as long he wants in the US but as soon he comes back, he has to explain to the electorate and to Nigerians what is his role in the collapse in the former Bank PHB.” The minister said the Federal Government was not losing sleep over Atiku’s US trip,saying: “You can recall that a few weeks ago, I did issue a statement advising the US government not to issue visa to Atiku. “Remember also that in that same press conference, I also stated that it remains the prerogative of the US government to issue visa to anyone it deems fit. “Let me say right away that we are not perturbed one bit that Alhaji Atiku Abukakar was able to secure visa to the US. As a matter of fact, he can go ahead and get the US Green card.That will not save him from imminent defeat in the forthcoming election.

    “I want to remind Abubakar that the elections will be right here in Nigeria and not in the US.” Asked why the fresh allegation against Atiku was coming now, Mohammed said: “Because even though this happened in 2009, and the case on the collapse of BANK PHB has been on, this evidence is fresh. “In any case, there is no statute of limitation on this case. “Like I told you, this is a freshly-uncovered evidence. Whether or not he travelled to the US, we would still have disclosed this evidence.” PDP dares Buhari over threats to arrest Atiku Responding last night to the allegations against Atiku ,the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO) dared government to go ahead and arrest him.

    The spokesman for the organisation,Mr.Kola Ologbondiyan, told reporters that the planned arrest was both laughable and a heinous plot to frame Atiku borne out of fear of his victory in the February 16 presidential election. “It is reprehensible that Mr. President will descend abysmally low to fabricate outright lies and falsehood in a bid to discredit a more qualified and acceptable presidential candidate”, Ologbondiyan said. The PDP campaign spokesman added that Atiku has nothing to do with the alleged issues leading to the collapse of Bank PHB, stressing that the PDP presidential candidate is an honest and hard working Nigerian who has no skeleton of any sort in his cupboard.

    “For emphasis, even the Chairman of President Buhari’s Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay, has since told the world that the Buhari Presidency has searched everywhere and could not find anything incriminating on Atiku Abubakar. “The world already knows that this attempt to mudsling our presidential candidate is coming out of President Buhari’s frustration over Atiku Abubakar’s successful outing in the United States, for which the Buhari Presidency has gone into full hallucination. .”The PPCO, however, counselled the APC to note that Nigerians can see through their lies, fabrications and frustration and that their scheme against Atiku Abubakar is already dead on arrival.

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    “If anything, the PPCO will want President Buhari to open the books and provide explanation for the N9 trillion stolen under his watch as Minister of Petroleum Resources as detailed in the leaked NNPC memo. “Finally, the PPCO states that the PDP presidential candidate, our great party and indeed all Nigerians, who have already reached a national consensus to vote-in Atiku Abubakar as the next President of our country, will not be distracted by this unfounded allegation by the rejected President Buhari and his handlers.” A similar response came from Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr. Phrank Shaibu. Shaibu said the allegation against Atiku was a cock and bull story.

    The allegation,he also said ,stemmed from what he called Atiku’s growing popularity, especially his current trip to the USA. He said the Federal Government having failed to stop Washington from granting visa to Atiku had to devise another strategy to embarrass him. He also said that with or without a trip to the US, the PDP will defeat the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress in next month’s election.

    Said Atiku: “It is disgusting to continue to spin allegations of corruption against me by people who have failed to come forward with a single shred of evidence of my misconduct while in office. “They just suddenly woke up to the reality that their lies about Atiku being corrupt can no longer hold? I challenge the Federal Government to come up with evidence that I benefitted from N156 million slush funds through Claremont Management Services Account on 13th January, 2009 as well as the collapse of Bank PHB as they have alleged. “It is instructive to note that the same Bank PHB is now Keystone Bank, which was said to have been acquired by Buhari’s cronies through AMCON last year.”

  • ‘Buhari’ll win 95 percent of Southwest votes’

    A group of grassroots farmers, artisans, politicians, non-politicians, traders, religious leaders, community leaders, youths, market men and women from the Southwest have assured not less than 90 or 95 percent of total votes in the region will be for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The group christened ‘Southwest Frontiers For Buhari 2019’ said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has no moral ground to condemn the Buhari’s administration for correcting years of PDP’s misrule.

    Speaking after an executive meeting of the group at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, it noted the less than four years of the APC has proved to the whole world the “misgovernance, misrule and plundering of the nation’s treasury, perpetrated by the PDP in their 16 years of being in power.”

    The group, however, added said another four years for Buhari was required to nail corruption and set the nation on the right path.

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    Southwest Coordinator of the group Mr. Ayodele Joseph told reporters the Frontier will battle the PDP in the forthcoming elections because of confidence in the efforts of President Buhari.

    He said the group whose membership traverse all political parties and age group are not necessarily politicians or members of any particular political party but those who believe in the integrity and good intentions of Buhari to restore the nation to the path of honour.

    Ayodele appealed to leadership of the ruling APC in the Southwest to cooperate with the group because of the makeup of its members, which he said also included non-card-carrying members of the APC.

    Explaining the strategy to achieve the massive vote for Buhari’s victory, the National Public Relations Officer, Prince Omowunmi Samuel said the group is structured to have coordinators at the state, local government, wards and voting unit levels.

    He said the group with at least 50 members at the unit level has embarked on aggressive door-to-door campaign to enlighten the people on the various efforts of Buhari to ensure its reelection.

  • PDP begs Buhari to visit Benin Central hospital

    The People’s Democratic Party in Edo State has begged President Muhammadu Buhari to pay a visit to the new five star Benin Central hospitals he (Buhari) commissioned two years ago.

    It urged President Buhari to not only come to Edo to campaign for votes but to see if the Central Hospital projects he was made to commission by former Governor Adams Oshiomhole is actually working.

    State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, in a press statement said the “5 star hospital” has neither recorded any out-patient, nor admitted any in-patient.

    Chief Orbih said the building hosts only rodents and reptiles.

    Orbih states that former Governor Oshiomole ‘cleverly executed the project as a scam to defraud the state and deny the people access to good health facilities.

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    He urged President Buhari to prevail on Edo State government to avail Edo people the dividends of democracy, particularly in the health sector.

    According to him, “Our concern over this despicable act, Mr. President, is not just that billions of taxpayers’ money was sunk into this phoney project, but you were persuaded to commission a non-existent hospital that makes it look like you were party to the deceit and fraud.

    “Mr. President we urge you to pay a second visit to the central Hospital to enable you appreciate the disappointment of the people over this central Hospital scandal of fraud and deceit. We call on you to use your office to direct relevant government agencies to commence immediate investigation and necessary action to bring the principal actors to book.

    A top government official who pleaded anonymity said Chief Orbih was not well informed about the current state of the hospital.

    The official said the hospital has been fully equipped but that the state government is looking at the best way to run the hospital before it is open to the public.