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Tag: Peoples Democratic Party

  • PDP to Baraje group: Come back to PDP

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) called on the disgruntled group in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to return to the PDP from where members of the group defected to the APC in 2014.

    Reacting to the seven-day ultimatum the group gave President Muhammadu Buhari to address their grievances, the spokesman of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, told journalists in Abuja on Wednesday that the APC has nothing to offer members of the disgruntled group.

    The group, which is being led by a former national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje. Baraje is a long standing political associate of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

    Ologbondiyan said, “They should return home; APC has nothing to offer them and the democratic setting that they left in PDP they can never find in APC.

    “APC is an amalgam, ‎it is moving without its soul. It is demonstrated in three years that it can only kill our democracy, it cannot give it life. The democrats who left the Peoples Democratic Party and went to sojourn in APC should return back to their home.

    “PDP is going to lead a coalition of every Nigerian who is sick and tired of hunger and the drift towards totalitariasm and autocracy

  • Osun 2018: APC, PDP and the changing dynamics

    In this report, Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, examines the struggle for the governorship ticket of the frontline political parties in Osun State ahead of the 2018 gubernatorial election. He reports on the changing dynamics of the race following some developments within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

     

    Barring any change in the plans of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), voters in Osun State, Southwest Nigeria, will on September 22, 2018, troop out to elect a new governor for the state to replace incumbent Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who will be completing his second term of four years in office much later in the year. Expectedly, politicians from various parts of the state are already jostling for the coveted seat.

    Although there are currently about 20 political parties boasting of their readiness to field candidates for the September election, the struggles for the gubernatorial tickets of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), appear to be more profound. Pundits say this may be so because of the widespread belief that the next gubernatorial contest in the state is a straight fight between the two parties.

    While the APC is not resting on its oars in its bid to remain in government beyond 2018, the opposition PDP is daily putting its house in order as it prepares to challenge Governor Aregbesola and his party to a political duel which, if won, will see the party returning to power for the first time since 2009 when it was displaced by a Supreme Court judgement that sacked the then governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, from office, and replaced him with Aregbesola, then the candidate of the now defunct Action Congress (AC).

    APC

    Amidst rumour that Governor Aregbesola is planning to install one of his close aides as his successor and claims by some aspirants to have been endorsed by him as successor, the Governor  is still keeping the public guessing about who he is likely to back for the plum job on the platform of his party. While his camp hinged his continued silence on the matter on the need for him to ensure a level playing ground ahead of the party primary, some observers claim the APC leader may be unsure of where the pendulum should swing.

    Tade Lucas, Country Director of Voters’ Alliance Africa (VAA), wonders why the APC and its leadership is keeping mum on the issue of Aregbesola’s likely successor. According to the pro-democracy activist, it is unusual for the people to be kept guessing barely five months to the gubernatorial election. “This is Africa and we all know our brand of democracy is different. For the governor to still be silent on who he wants to succeed him at this time is strange. I just hope the APC is not finding it difficult to arrive at a decision,” he said.

    But Kunle Oyatomi, APC’s spokesperson in the state, thinks otherwise. According to him, APC parades a good number of capable men and will easily choose one of them as its candidate at the appropriate time through the proper process. He said the party would consider someone with the ability to continue the developmental successes of the Aregbesola administration, not someone who will drag the state backward.

    “A saboteur cannot qualify. An undisciplined person cannot qualify , and a person not committed to the developmental agenda of  Aregbesola cannot be trusted to succeed him. Anybody who has motives inconsistent with the laudable  goals of our party; and is  treacherous in the main, and against what Aregbesola has done , can never be the party’s choice in Osun. Also , anyone who is looking outside Osun APC to win the party’s nomination will fail and therefore cannot succeed Aregbesola,” he explained.

     

    Oyatomi said the APC currently has about 20 aspirants seeking the party’s ticket. Among them is Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, the incumbent Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and a former Chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state. The 65 -year -old politician hails from Iwo in Osun West Senatorial District. Going by what his supporters say, he is banking on an unwritten zoning arrangement to sway the ticket his way.

    Also said to have thrown his hat into the ring of the contest for the APC ticket is Hon. Najeem Salaam, the current Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly. A close political ally of Aregbesola, the Ejigbo-born politician, according to close aides, is one of those aspirants believed to be waiting to know Aregbesola’s preference before going all out. “If the Governor is not in support of him, Mr. Speaker will forget the ambition,” an aide to the Speaker told The Nation.

    For nearly two years now, incumbent Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Lusun  Yusuf, has been working hard on his ambition to be the next governor of the state. The Ilobu-born lawmaker, according to party sources, is also advocating that the governorship should be ceded to Osun West. But his soured relationship with the leadership of the party as well as Aregbesola is seen by many as a huge obstacle.

    There is also Gboyega Oyetola, the current Chief of Staff to the governor. His visibility has increased rapidly in recent weeks, amidst talks that he seems to  be the choice of the grassroots in the state. Already, some leading chieftains of the party have publicly endorsed the Iragbiji-born technocrat- turned politician who is from Osun Central Senatorial District . Oyetola is seen as focused , competent, amiable and highly knowledgeable in financial matters, attributes that are said to have also endeared him to prominent indigenes of the state who are not politically inclined.

     PDP

    Just as the PDP appears to be narrowing its search for the gubernatorial candidate for the September election to a new set of frontrunners following the trouncing of the political camp of former Deputy Governor, Senator Iyiola Omisore, at the last state congress which produced Hon. Soji Adagunodo as State Chairman, the Senator representing Osun West, Ademola Adeleke, declared his intent to run for the governorship position.  The lawmaker made his intention known in a letter written to the state chapter of the party.

    The senator said his intention was based on his conviction that he can unite the party in the state. He added that he has the ability to “galvanise the general electorate towards ensuring a resounding victory for the PDP in the forthcoming polls.” He urged the leadership of the party to give him the opportunity to fly its flag in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

    Adeleke was elected senator last year to replace his late brother, Isiaka Adeleke, who died three months earlier, before the expiration of his term, at the senate. His interest in the PDP governorship ticket, according to party sources, is fast changing several permutations within the opposition party. Adeleke is from Ede in Osun West Senatorial District. His ambition therefore, is favorably viewed by pro-zoning agitators within the party.

    Comrade Fasiu Ajetunmobi, a former ex-officio member of the PDP in Ife Zone, told The Nation that the PDP may have to give Adeleke’s interest in the race some very serious thought. He explained that as a party desirous of winning the election ‘we must not leave any stone unturned. Adeleke is not just another aspirant; he is a serving senator and Osun PDP’s most senior political office holder.

    “There is also the issue of visibility. Currently, no PDP politician can boast of being as visible across the state as Senator Adeleke. Beyond his politics, he is hugely popular among our people for his humanitarian gestures and his dancing steps. His family name is another plus for him. And pro-zoning agitators will also find him attractive. So, he is not an aspirant any serious party can overlook just like that,” he explained.

    Before Adeleke’s emergence on the scene, the PDP had Gbenga Owolabi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ayoade Adewopo, youthful Ife-born legal practitioner, former Secretary to the State Government, Fatai Akinbade, a business tycoon, Dr. Kayode Oduoye, and Lere Oyewumi, as frontline aspirants in the race for its ticket.  Speaking to The Nation recently at a prayer session organised by the party, Adagunodo said any one of these aspirants was capable of winning the governorship election in September.

    “We are looking for a young, capable and acceptable candidate who will change the voting dynamics and deliver the votes to the PDP. We have a number of them and we are settling for one of them soon. In the same vein, we are equally considering who will be the deputy governorship candidate. We want to come out with a ticket that will attract the people of Osun to once again vote for PDP,” a party executive said.

    Feelers from party sources a couple of weeks back had indicated that majority of the party’s chieftains and members across the state may have settled for the candidacy of Adewopo, who Ajetunmobi described as the ‘new face of Osun PDP’. There were even talks that either Lere Oyewunmi or Fatai Akinbade should be paired with him as deputy governorship candidate because, according to them, Adewopo’s youthful vibrancy will be greatly helped by the maturity and political experience of any of these two old warhorses.

    “But with Adeleke now officially in the race, it is uncertain if the status quo will remain the same. This is because party leaders as we speak are seriously weighing the options available for the PDP,”Ajetunmobi revealed. He added that factors, including but not limited to financial muscle, current position, political structure, as well as visibility, will help the Senator make a good showing in the ongoing struggle for the PDP ticket.

     SDP, et al

    But if the APC and the PDP think Senator Omisore is out of the race for the governorship position in September for good upon demystification in the PDP, then they better wait for this; the former Deputy Governor, according to close aides, is making plans to run on the platform of a new party in September. As a prelude to this, his supporters are reported to be moving in droves to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state.

    Omisore, during the week, held a closed-door meeting with a former governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola in the latter’s home in Okuku. The meeting, sources said, might not be unconnected to Omisore’s gubernatorial ambition. It was gathered that Omisore, who arrived Okuku around 12.15 pm, with his aides and political associates entered into a closed door session that lasted till 5.15pm with Oyinlola before he departed.

    In Omisore’s entourage to Okuku were the former ambassador of Nigeria to Philippines, Ambassador Yemi Farounbi, former Minister for Police Affairs, Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan, Mr. Kayode Alufa, Hon Ismaila Kolawole, Alhaji Yemi Omisore, Hon Bade Falade, Hon Debo Ayinde and host of others. Though still a chieftain of the ruling APC, Oyinlola is one of the national leaders of the political coalition being championed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, as an alternative to both APC and PDP.

    There were also reports that the embattled former Deputy Governor is in talks with the leadership of the SDP concerning his 2018 governorship bid. “You must understand the fact that Omisore is a political heavyweight anyway in Osun. What we need now is just a platform and we are working round the clock to sort that out. Once that is done, it will be time to free the people of Osun from political bondage,” a close aide of the Senator said.

    Similarly, there are talks that former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, may run in the September governorship election in Osun State. Sources close to him say he is under pressure to join the race on the platform of the opposition PDP. Recently, a youth group, claiming to be the youth wing of the PDP in the South West region, urged him to run in the election.

    But sources close to the ex-minister revealed that he may not seek the ticket of the PDP considering the fact that he has not been part of the party’s activities since 2015. “Rather, it is likely that he will seek to use the platform of another political party unless the PDP unanimously offer him its ticket to be the governorship candidate in September. One thing I can tell you is that the people of Osu are beckoning on him to come and govern them,” a source said.

     

  • PDP panel to discuss name change, bring back defectors

    The national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has inaugurated a contact committee for the purpose of aligning with other political parties ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    The committee, which is headed by a former governor of Cross River State, Mr. Liyel Imoke, will also explore the possibility of tinkering with the name and insignia of the PDP.

    Some key stakeholders, particularly prominent chieftains of the PDP that defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014, are said to have insisted on a change of name, as one of the conditions to rejoin the PDP.

    Prominent among among the APC chieftains being wooed by the leadership of PDP include the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki; former Kono State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; his Sokoto State counterpart, Aliyu Wamakko; and former Gombe State Governor, Danjuma Goje. Incidentally, all of them are prime members of the Senate.

    Overtures are also being made to woo the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. Tambuwal had defected from PDP to the APC at the tail end of his tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    Many serving APC members in the two chambers of the National Assembly are also said to be waiting in the wings, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

    Investigation further revealed that the high profile politicians are being wooed with tickets for choice offices, including the presidential slot.

    But the heavy baggage of corruption trailing the PDP has made it difficult for prospective defectors to cross over from the APC and other political parties.

    A prominent chieftain of the PDP confided in our correspondent on Friday that indeed, the major task of the committee is to make wide consultations regarding the propriety or otherwise of name change.

    The source, who did not want to be named said, “Yes, we are seriously concerned about the issue of name change, as being demand by some of the intending returnees.

    “But I must let you know that not all of them are assisting on name change because they can see through the veil of deception in the APC government’s anti-corruption campaign”.

    Our correspondent further gathered that the leadership and key stakeholders in the PDP may have narrowed the search for the party’s presidential flag bearer to only two individuals -a serving governor and a serving senator from the same geopolitical zone.

    The two politicians are believed to have enough political cloud to challenge President Muhammadu Buhari’s pre-2015 cult-like followership, particularly among the masses in the Northwest geopolitical zone.

    While inaugurating the committee on Friday, the national chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus said the party would do everything within the confines of the law to regain power in 2019.

    Secondus said the past three years of President Buhari’s administration had convinced Nigerians of the need for a credible alternative in 2019.

    The party chair tasked members of the committee to reach out to Nigerians and groups on the need to forge a common front for what he described as the “political salvation” of the country.

    Secondus said, “Your committee and your nomination into it is a well-articulated decision of the party leadership to bring our open door policy to fruition.

    “Just as your name connotes, you are to deploy your well versed network to help open the space and allow into our party, all those whose union with us can help in rescuing this country.

    “Like we always say in this party, this umbrella is big enough to accommodate all people of patriotic ideals”.

    The committee chairman Imoke promised to work tirelessly to deliver on the mandate, stating that the situation in the country has become too dangerous for well-meaning Nigerians to fold their hands in resignation.

    Other members of the committee include former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido; his Niger State counterpart, Babangida Aliyu; and former Benue Governor, Gabriel Suswam (Benue).

    Others a former Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii; former Aviation Minister, Kema Chikwe; and a former national chairman of the PDP, Bello Haliru Mohammed among others.

  • PDP will win between 25 and 27 states in 2019 – Atiku

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has predicted sweeping victory for the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), saying the umbrella party will win between 25 and 27 States in the 2019 presidential elections.

    Atiku said his assurance of victory for the PDP was predicated on the fact that Nigerians are already fed up with the hardship and intolerable disposition of the present APC-led government.

    He challenged Nigerians to oust APC from government if they desired to continue to have a  country

    He spoke on Wednesday at the PDP Secretariat during his consultation visit in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital.

    The PDP presidential hopeful said that those making Nigeria unbearable for its citizens today, were not part of the struggles towards the actualization of democracy.

    His words “The country is in its worse state today. I have never seen it since the civil war. Ethnic division, north against south, this is very dangerous for our survival as a country. We must do all what we can to address this situation. We have to unite together to arrest this, otherwise you would one day wake up and find out that we don’t have a country, God forbid”.

    “We may end up with 25-27 PDP states in Nigeria, because every part of this country is fed up with this government. And this is the most intolerant government I have ever seen in this country. And unfortunately for us, he was not even part of this struggle”.

    “The situation in APC states is horrible. You cannot even meet like this. They are intolerable because they were not part of the struggle for actualization of democracy. If PDP was like this, there would not have been any opposition party in this country”.

    “Let us therefore unite and make sure that we free this country and our people from this situation. The political restructuring of this country is inevitable, whether we like it or not. We must deploy resources and powers to the federated units of this country. If states and Local Government Areas are given more resources and powers, the people would hold them accountable”.

    He decried the disunity, ehnicity, division and religious intollerance so far promoted by the present federal government, noting that such was quite dangerous for the continued survival and oneness of the country.

    He maintained that given the extent of decay in the country at the moment, Nigerians would need to support a candidate with the qualities, capacity, experience and the qualification to face the challenges. “I can do that job, but only with your support”.  He assured.

    Earlier, the former National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Chief Jim Nwodo said Nigeria has reached the lowest point where hunger, poverty and killing of the people have become the order of the day.

    He described Nigeria as a country  under sieze when there is no war. Adding that the present federal government has failed to fulfill its campaign promises.

    “We have never had it this bad. We were promised we’ll never go abroad for medical treatment, but the person who made the promise is first to go.  Someone we’ve not seen his school certificate calls our youths lazy. In this state of total hopelessness, we bring a Messiah today.  An examplary entrepreneur, who recognizes intellect.

    In their goodwill messages, stakeholders of the Peoples’ Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom State unanimously expressed optimism that Atiku has the pedigree and the distribalized disposition to pull Nigeria out of its present predicament.

    The party leaders consisting the state Party Chairman, Obong Paul Ekpo,  Senator Anietie Okon, Sen. Helen Esuene, chief Ndueso Essien, former Governor Chris Ekpenyong recalled Atiku’s role during the resource control struggles. They unanimously stressed the need for restructuring Nigeria and assured that Akwa Ibom practices PDP as a religion.

    “If the state governor this time around gives a directive that is not in our collective interests, we the elders of the party would deviate” Ekpenyong assured.

  • May Day: Makarfi lauds workers for perseverance

    Former Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Ahmed Makarfi has lauded Nigerians workers for their perseverance as a result of the deteriorating socio-economic conditions of the country.

    Senator Makarfi in a May Day message signed by his media aide, Murktar Sirajo, urged Nigerian workers to continue to work towards creating a better tomorrow for all Nigerians.

    Senator Makarfi, who was a former governor of Kaduna state rejoiced “with all Nigerian workers on the occasion of the 2018 Workers’ Day,” stating that ” Labour, as the engine which runs any nation’s life-support system, certainly deserves to be appreciated, celebrated and feted on this day”.

    The statement further reads : “The Senator joins compatriots in saluting Nigerian workers’ consistent courage, dedication and perseverance in the service of society and appeals to them to use this day to reflect on how much more they can contribute to nation-building. Countries are only as efficient, fit and strong as their workforce is.

    “Senator Makarfi  also shares in the  deep disappointment with the deteriorating socio-economic conditions under which our workers and majority of Nigerians live and work today but also urges that we all persevere and continue to work towards creating a better tomorrow. “

  • Secondus, INEC disagree over Ogun PDP crisis

    The leadership crisis rocking the Ogun State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to escalate has following the rejection of Mr. Adebayo Dayo by the national leadership of the PDP.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given recognition to Dayo as the chairman of the Ogun State chapter, but the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus called the bluff of the electoral body.

    Rather, the Secondus-led national leadership has continued to insist on Mr. Sikirulai Ogundele as the chairman of the state’s chapter. It’s on record that the Dayo-led group was denied participation in the party’s December 9, 2017 national convention.

    INEC had earlier been on the same page with the party’s national leadership with Ogundele as the state’s chairman.

    But the commission, in a letter dated April 12, 2018 and signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu said INEC Dayo remained the legally recognised chairman of the chapter.

    Ogakwu cited compliance with a judgment of a Federal High Court in Lagos for the commission’s change of direction.

    INEC had notified the PDP leadership of the judgment in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1556/2017 delivered on February 9, 2017 as the basis for its latest position.

    But both Secondus and the National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Umar Tsauri, in a reply to the INEC, said the leadership crisis in the Ogun chapter had been resolved in favour of the Ogundele-led group.

    The letter, dated April 20, 2018 and copies of which were made available to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, insisted that the Supreme Court had settled the Ogun chapter crisis and others in the apex court’s July 2, 2017 landmark judgment in the case of PDP VS. Sheriff.

    The letter quoted part of the apex court’s judgment as saying, “It is unfortunate this internal party crisis within the appeallant, has staggered a lot of its anticipated progress. In any case, it is my hope this imrboglio within the appellant will serve as a big lesson to all and sundry”.

    The party leadership therefore asked the INEC to withdraw the recognition it has given the Dayo-led executive in compliance with the judgment of the Supreme Court.

    The party’s letter to INEC stated, “It will therefore amount to an inexplicable vote face and unfortunate summersault if INEC were to withdraw the recogniton of the approved officials of our party in Ogun State, especially the State Executive Committee led by Sikirulai Ogundele.

    “This will certainly throw the party back into avoidable conflict. We believe, this cannot be your intention or wish for our party”.

    But in response, Dayo fired back at Secondus, saying the party chair should not constitute himself into an appeal court in a case already decided by a Federal High Court.

    His letter to the national chairman, dated April 24, 2018, stated, “From all the foregoing, I am honestly amazed and shocked that you lent yourself to write INEC against its lawfully taken position to give recognition to my executive, out of your flagrant disobedience of subsisting court judgments  of which you were corporately (as PDP) a party to the suit.

    “Ridiculously, all your submissions in the letter to INEC were carbon-copy duplication of your solicitor’s submissions to the court before judgment was delivered to which INEC responsibly chose to obey and instructed you in polite administrative terms to comply.

    “Maybe you now wish to sit in appeal over Nigerian high court judgments to interpret to your regulatory body, INEC, which judgment to obey and which not to by your discretion?

    “Aside from this, your unnecessary letter to INEC bore gross misrepresentation of facts and distortion of the issues.

    “Therein it was erroneously claimed that it’s the ‘exclusive right of the NEC’ of our party to determine leaders of the various organs whereas the party constitution is clear on how the ward exco upto the state excos and even through which the said NEC were to emerge.

    “If the NEC has such powers, then what’s the essence of ward, LG and state congresses?

    “Except for the national party officer’s self-serving and undemocratic tampering with the process; the NEC involvement should ideally be purely monitoring and not the egocentric manipulations as is now the case talks less of false claims of exclusive right to determine various organs and exco leaders”.

  • Peterside urges Wike to pay salaries of workers in Rivers

    The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has urged Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to pay salaries of workers and entitlements of pensioners in the state.

    He also lauded Rivers workers for their sacrifices and productivity towards the growth and development of the state.

    Peterside, on Tuesday through his media team, in a message to mark this year’s Workers’ Day, was particularly full of praises for the workers, who he said had endured difficult times and harsh labour environment under the Wike’s administration and had soldiered on, in spite of obvious challenges.

    He maintained that Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had only succeeded in paying lip service to the issue of workers’ welfare, without any tangible result in the last three years, declaring that despite receiving huge allocations, workers are not better off.

    The NIMASA chief said: “The working environment in Rivers State has been made hostile and there is absolutely no consideration for the average worker by Wike’s administration.”

    Peterside, who was the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2015 elections in Rivers, also lamented that many workers were being owed salaries for months, while pensioners had been turned to beggars, over the inability of the Wike-led administration to pay them their legitimate entitlements.

    He said: “I really sympathise with workers in Rivers State. I have heard a lot of complaints from them. Go to the state secretariat and see how so desolate the place is. Workers are really trying to give their best in difficult circumstances. No payment of arrears, no promotion, no pension, nothing.

    “Since Wike became governor in 2015, how many times has he conducted biometric exercises for workers, under the guise of all manner of things? Many workers are still being owed from the last exercises. For how long will he continue this?”

    The NIMASA chief also tasked Rivers workers not to relent in their efforts to make the state better, while assuring them that an APC-led government in Rivers state in 2019 would better their lot and make them fulfil their hopes and aspirations.

  • ‘We need responsible leaders’

    Anglican Bishop of Jebba, Kwara State Diocese and 2011 and 2015 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant, Rev Sunday Adewole and Pastor Sunday Babalola have counseled Nigerians to elect or select responsible, competent and capable people into positions of authority.

    The duo also asked Nigerians to ensure that God-fearing and people of integrity head religious, political and social institutions in the country.

    They said this during the installation of Pastor Babalola as the ‘Baba Egbe’ of the Cathedral of St Paul Anglican Church, Omu-Aran, Irepodun local government area of the state.

    In a brief sermon, Rev Adewole stressed the need for leaders to be ready to sacrifice their talent, time and resources for the good of their people.

    He cautioned Nigerian leaders to shun primitive acquisition of wealth, saying “if Nigerian leaders fear God, Nigeria will be a better place.” He tasked the new ‘Baba Egbe’ to see his appointment as a call to service.

    Earlier, the Bishop of the Cathedral, Rt Rev Philip Adeyemo charged the new ‘Baba Egbe’ to work towards the progress of the Church and continue to promote unity, peace and love among the people.

    In a remark after his installation, the politician cum pastor urged his colleagues in politics to eschew relentless pursuit of power by all means.

    He said, “Don’t let me forget the thieves in government, change your ways, hell is real, life is ephemeral. It is only madmen that go around town gathering the things they will never need and will never use. If you are entrusted with position of authority or even if you stole it, don’t forget that no matter how powerful you think you are, a day will come when you can’t do anything for yourself but people will carry you into your grave where you will answer to God, whether you believe Him or not.

    “Almost all the politicians we have on seat today have not satisfied the yearning of the people in terms of delivery of dividends of democracy, prudential management of resources, transparency and accountability, especially those in Kwara.

    “We need to remind that there is a day they will wake up and not be able to lead themselves and people will carry them to the grave and they will answer to their maker. Enough is enough; they should do the right thing.

    They should ensure prudent management of resources, distributing our resources

    right and doing what is right to the people. They are holding those positions in trust; it is not their father’s right. It is in trust and they should try to make sure that they use the resources right.”

    On the 2019 general election, Babalola, an engineer said, “Nigerians should elect people not on party basis. They should search them, do due diligence on them, know the right people to elect. It should not be on party basis because all the parties are the same thing, APC, PDP are the same thing. I am there too in PDP but they are all the same, though I am not one of them.”

    As the Baba Egbe of the Anglican Church, he promised to encourage more youth participation in church programmes and activities.

    “We are going to be changing everything, not change the doctrine. But we are going to be encouraging more youths. My wife is already doing that. I think that is one of the reasons why they saw us fit for this honour. She comes here, participates in youth programme, she encourages the youth and she has been doing it for a long time now.

    He beckoned on well-heeled sons and daughters of Omu-Aran town to assist the less privileged in the ancient town.

    He said, “Eminent people should do their best to empower the youths. We are doing our own. We do scholarship, we have a foundation and we do what we can by the grace of God. I think people should emulate it and do what they can.”

  • Publish your audited account, financial statement: APC tells PDP

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged the main opposition part, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to publish its audited accounts and financial statement if it had any rather than cast aspersions at the party and making baseless allegations.

    The party said in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said its National Convention committee was yet to submit a budget for the convention expected to take place in a yet to be announced date in June.

    Reacting to the PDP’s claim of mismanagement of public funds against the APC by alleging it asked governors to contribute about N6 billions fund the national convention, Abdullahi said the budget for the convention was properly captured in its 2018 budget which was approved by its National Executive Committee.

    The statement reads: “In reacting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) allegations on the management of the All Progressives Congress (APC) finances and the funding for the Party’s upcoming 2018 National Convention among other unsubstantiated allegations contained in a statement by a spokesman for the PDP, we refer the PDP to the APC’s 2016 published independent audit report and accompanying financial statements.

    “In respect of the funding for our upcoming national convention, we also refer the PDP to our earlier issued statement (http://officialapcng.com/re-despite-owing-salaries-apc-governors-to-contribute-n6billion-for-upcoming-congresses-convention/) and also invite PDP to note that the APC convention committee has not submitted a budget for the convention.

    “Besides, the expenses for the National Convention to elect national officers and the presidential convention are duly captured in our 2018 budget. Therefore, the issue of N6billion convention expenses is neither here nor there.

    “While we assure Nigerians that the APC has not adopted the PDP’s practice of dipping their hands into the public till to fund its political activities as brazenly displayed during the 2015 elections, we equally call on the PDP to emulate the APC’s best practice of financial probity and openness by making public their audited reports and financial statements, if they have any.”

  • Breaking: PDP, APC youths clash at Benin Airport over motion to impeach Buhari

    Youths and supporters of both the All Progressive Congress and the People’s Democratic Party have clashed at the Benin Airport over the motion moved by Senator Matthew Urhoghide seeking the invocation of Section 143 of the Nigeria’s Constitution.

    It took the intervention of the State Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Kokumo for a free for all not to take place at the airport.

    The PDP supporters were at the airport to give a rousing welcome to Senator Urhoghide for moving the motion for the Senate to begin impeachment proceedings against President Muhammadu Buhari.

    But the APC supporters who had earlier protested through the street of Benin City disowning Senator Urhoghide were at the airport to express disappointment with the motion.

    Tension was rife as more supporters besieged the airport either for the APC or the PDP.

    Both sides sang anti-Buhari and anti-PDP songs.

    The Police Commissioner had to personally stand between the protesters to prevent a free for all.

     

    More details later…