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Tag: Peoples Democratic Party

  • FCT: INEC declares PDP winner of Bwari council chairmanship election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday declared Mr. Shekwogaza Gabaya of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), winner of Bwari Area Council Chairmanship Election.

    Prof. Mohammed Umaru, the Returning/Collation Officer for the council’s supplementary elections announced that Gabaya of PDP polled a total of 31,114 votes, and therefore declared him winner.

    He said: ”Shekwogaza Gabaya of PDP, having certified the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”

    He also said that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Mr Musa Dikko, scored a total of 24,137 votes, while Mr Haruna Mohammed of the People’s Trust (PT) party scored 1, 458 to come third place.

    The supplementary elections were conducted in four wards of the council, namely Igu, Kubwa, Duste and Kawu Wards. (NAN)

  • PDP wants Kano governorship re-run election cancelled

    …says thugs have taken over process

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the re-run governorship election ongoing across the 28 local government areas of the state, alleging that thugs have taken over the process.

    The Acting Chairman of the party, Rabiu Sulaiman-Bichi, made the call while addressing a news conference in Kano on Saturday.

    Bichi said there was need for the commission to cancel the election as the process had completely been taken over by armed political thugs.

    “Today this charade called re-run election was slated to hold in Kano and other states but unfortunately, what we have in Kano is nothing but a sham.

    “Reports reaching us since yesterday indicated that thugs have allegedly been mobilised to take over all the 208 polling units,”he said.

    According to him, the thugs were allegedly brought from Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau and other neighbouring states and were “armed to the teeth” posing as voters in the polling units in the localities.

    The chairman alleged that the thugs freely voted with the PVCs that did not belong to them, while some posed as INEC staff.

    He said as a peace-loving party, the PDP had alerted security agencies in addition to writing a Letter of Caution to the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state on the situation. (NAN)

  • PDP hails verdict, says it’s triumph of people’s will

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed the verdict of the Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal, which upheld the victory of its candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

    It described the judgment as a victory for democracy and triumph of the will of the people.

    The main opposition party said the judgment was a clear indicator that those who set out to destroy the nation’s democracy can never triumph, and that no matter how evil and injustice appear to thrive, the truth must always prevail at the end of the day.

    In a statement issued by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, the party said Nigerians have accepted democracy as a way of life and a form of government that suits the multi-plurality of the nation.

    The statement said: “The spontaneous jubilation that greeted this judgment is therefore a direct indication that it is in consonant with the wishes and aspiration of Nigerians across the board.

    “For those who have been desperate to destroy our democracy, this judgment has proven to them that their shenanigans will always come to no avail.

    “The PDP commends the judiciary for standing upright in the defence of democracy and for ensuring that those involved in the rapacious desecration of our democratic norms will never succeed.

    “This verdict, which reverberates across our nation, points to the fact that the truth will always  prevail and that our party, the PDP, will recover all our stolen mandates in the 2019 general elections, particularly the Presidential mandate, which Nigerians freely gave to our candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

    “Furthermore, all our candidates who have already won their elections, but whose victories are being manipulated by anti-democratic forces, must take solace in the words of the Osun election petition panel, that once valid votes have been declared and a winner emerges by majority of votes, a rerun is illegal.

    “The PDP congratulates Senator Adeleke, the good people of Osun State as well as all lovers of democracy across our country for the triumph of justice over impunity, abuse of electoral processes and unfettered political rascality.”

    Judiciary defender of democracy -Atiku

    Applauding the judgment yesterday, the presidential candidate of the PDP in the just concluded elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, described the judiciary a true defender of democracy.

    In a statement issued by his media adviser, Mr Paul Ibe, the former Vice President noted that the restoration of the mandate of Senator Adeleke showed that the judiciary is indeed the last refuge of the common man and that in truth, those who were aggrieved and resolved to maintain the peace have been vindicated.

    Atiku congratulated Senator Adeleke, the PDP and men and women of goodwill in Osun State, who he said did not waver in their commitment to retrieve the “stolen mandate”.

    “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy has come for the people of Osun,” he said.

    According to him, the decision of the judiciary in the Osun governorship election was phenomenal in view of the culture of inconclusive elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in this season.

    “The judgment has rekindled hope and confidence that those whose mandate had been tampered with or denied can look forward to justice being done to them,” Atiku said.

  • Osun tribunal judgment: PDP supporters celebrate Adeleke’s victory

    Supporters and sympathisers of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun were in celebration mood across the state on Friday following tribunal judgement declaring Sen. Ademola Adeleke winner of September 2018 governorship election.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that many residents of Ile-Ife were in joyous mood as party faithful and residents trooped out en-masse to celebrate the victory.

    NAN correspondent in Ile Ife reports that PDP supporters were seen jubilating from Ilode to Enuwa, Iremo, Lagere, Mayfair, Iloro, Oka road in celebration of the judgement.

    PDP party faithful were also seen in their large numbers moving to their party leaders’ residences to celebrate the party’s victory at the tribunal.

    Mr Wale Ojo, PDP Ife/Ijesa Senatorial Leader, commended the judiciary for delivering a “truthful judgment, devoid of bias”.

    Mr Rotimi Adeyenuwo, Ife Central PDP Leader, who could not hide his feelings, congratulated Sen. Ademola Adeleke and other party members for the victory.

    Also in some parts of Osogbo, the state capital, some residents were seen jubilating over the declaration of Adeleke as the winner of the Osun governorship election.

    NAN reports that there were shouts and songs of joy along Oke-fia, Lameko Junction and Dada Estate areas of the state capital.

    Commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as Okada riders, were seen jubilating with various displays of their bikes and shouts of ” Imole” Imole” (the campaign slogan of Sen. Ademola Adeleke).

    At Dada Estate area, also in Osogbo, residents trooped out with excitement on hearing the announcement of the tribunal’s judgment.

    However, NAN reports that people of Fakunle, Olaiya, Egbeda, Baruwa and Ogo Oluwa areas of Osogbo carried on their business activities as if oblivious of the tribunal’s judgment.

    Some shop owners and artisans were, however, seen in small gatherings discussing the tribunal judgment.

    A tailor in the Egbeda area of Osogbo, who spoke under anonymity, said he and other tailors were happy about the judgement but could not express their joy or celebrate the victory because their landlord was an APC chieftain.(NAN)

  • Ebonyi APC candidate joins PDP hours to assembly supplementary poll

    Mr. Innocent Nomeh, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Ezza North West state constituency, has withdrawn from the supplementary election contest slated for March 23, 2019.

    The election originally scheduled for March 9 was cancelled because unidentified hoodlums burnt the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Registration Area Centre (RAC) at Umuoghara, Ezza North LGA of the state.

    Nomeh, while briefing newsmen in Abakaliki, said that he withdrew after considering salient issues confronting APC members and candidates after its loss in the presidential and gubernatorial polls in the state.

    “It was my genuine intention to represent my people at the House of Assembly after consulting with my family, friends and political associates.

    “At the borderline of the whole issue is the unserious disposition of the APC in the state towards the election which it ultimately lost to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    “The APC was unserious during the electioneering campaigns and elections as its gubernatorial candidate even lost in his polling unit to the PDP.

    “APC received serious electoral battering by the PDP as it substituted genuine candidates from its primaries until the courts reinstated some of them, including myself,” he said.

    He remarked that it was clear that the APC was never serious in the election and ultimately its candidates still in the electoral race, engaging in a ‘wild goose chase.

    Read also: Appeal Court affirms Lulu-Briggs as Accord gov candidate in Rivers

    “We have been made vulnerable and politically incapacitated to win elections as the party leadership mismanaged funds and other logistics that could have enhanced our performances,” he said.

    Nomeh said that after consulting his family and political associates, he decided to withdraw his membership of the APC, withdraw from the contest on March 23 and join the PDP.

    “This decision is entirely mine, made out of my own volition without any coercion as I urge my supporters to take it with great courage.

    “I also enjoin them to support me in this new quest to contribute to the state’s development as present members of the PDP,” he said.

    Mr Eze Nwachukwu, the APC state Chairman however, told NAN that the party did not recognise Nomeh as its candidate for the election.

    “We only recognise Mr Emeka Nnoko as our candidate as Nomeh is on his own.

    “We have not received any court order reinstating him as the candidate of the party and we stand on our decision,” he said. (NAN)

  • PDP accuses APC chiefs of mobilising 125 soldiers to constituency

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm ahead of the rerun election on Saturday that All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts have moved into Otuokpoti in Ogbia Local Government Area with over 125 soldiers.

    The State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Moses Cleopas, accused them of making surreptitious moves to perfect vote buying and voter intimidation ahead of the election.

    Cleopas called on the authorities of the Army to monitor the activities of its men on deployment in large numbers purportedly to protect APC politicians in the state.

    He urged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, to be conscious of the allegations of murder and rights violation against troops of the Army during the Presidential/National Assembly elections of March 9, 2019.

    Cleopas said that a leader of the PDP, Mr. Seidougha Taribi and a Government House Photographer, Reginald Dei, were killed by soldiers while waiting for results of the election in Oweikorogha, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area òf the state.

    He added that while it was a cheering development the Army authorities had taken a decision to probe the soldiers’ complicity in the brazen acts of violence during the elections in Bayelsa, it was important that the ugly trend was not repeated.

    Cleopas also called on the Indepedent National Electoral Commission to ensure that its guidelines for the conduct of elections in the country are not violated by unscrupulous politicians.

    He said: “The PDP in Bayelsa cannot forget in hurry the complicity of soldiers in the brazen acts of violence, murder, kidnap of electoral officers which marred the elections in Nembe Bassambiri, Brass and part of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

    “The murder of our ward leader  Mr. Seidougha Taribi and the Government House Photographer, Reginald Dei, in Oweikorogha by soldiers is still fresh in our memory.

    “We therefore condemn without equivocation the militarisation of the election in Bayelsa.

    “We are using this medium to call on the Chief òf Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, to ensure that the brazen act of rights violation and intimidation by soldiers is not repeated in the rerun elections.

    “Bayelsans are making preparations to elect their representatives and not representatives of the Army and should be allowed to exercise their civil responsibility.

    “The PDP in Bayelsa is also calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission to guide its guidelines from violations by unscrupulous politicians in collusion with security agents.”

  • El-Rufai: Atiku could only win Kaduna in his dreams

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai on Friday said the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar’s claim that he won the presidential election in Kaduna State, could only happen in his dreams.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa to show that he was alive against the rumour of his involvement in car accident.

    Reacting to the PDP’s claims of winning election in his state, he said: “Well, I heard about that. Initially, I thought it was a joke and when I checked I saw clearly that he said he won Kaduna. It must be in his dreams.

    “Let me say this without any fear of contradiction, since President Buhari started contesting for the presidency since 2003, he has never lost Kaduna.

    “So, PDP has never won elections in Kaduna from 2003, even with a sitting governor in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015.

    “It has never happened. I don’t know what will happen that Atiku will win Kaduna in this election this time.

    “He lost Kaduna, he lost very badly, even though about 100,000 votes he claimed to have got were added because elections conducted without card reader in some parts of the state, that’s how he even got up to the 400,000 that he got.

    “He has lost Kaduna, he will always lose Kaduna. He will lose Kaduna 10 more times because he has never won Kaduna in any presidential elections.”

    When reminded the results were said to have come from the INEC server, he said: “Well, I don’t know about INEC server, it must be Atiku’s server.

    “I don’t know about INEC server, we don’t know how they had access to it. They will tell us during the tribunal proceedings what is this server and how they got access to it and how they got their numbers.

    “You do not go to court in an election petition by quoting INEC server or any other server. Anyone can create a server, I can go and buy it, it is a piece of equipment and call it INEC server.

    “But that does not mean that it amounts to anything, we are guided by the electoral act and the evidence act and other enabling legislation and he has to proof his case.

    “But anyone can make claims, we live in the age of fake news and fake claims. Anyone can make claims but you have to proof it,” he said

  • SDP gov candidate accepts defeat, congratulates Umahi

    The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Ebonyi State, Chibueze Agbo, has accepted results of the last governorship election in the state.

    He also congratulated the winner of the election Governor David Umahi.

    The governor, according to the State Returning Officer, Prof Chukwuemeka Eze garnered a total of 393,343 votes cast across the 13 local governments in the state.

    Ogbuoji got a total of 81703 votes cast to place a distant second while Agbo placed third will just 10129 votes.

    However, Ogbuoji rejected the outcome of the election and vowed to challenge the result at the tribunal.

    But Agbo, in a letter to Umahi, said he accepted the result as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in the spirit of sportsmanship.

    He noted that he did not set out to contest for governorship election in the state.

    He said he was prepared for the House of Representatives seat for his federal constituency-Ebonyi/Ohaukwu on the platform of the APC.

    “It was the irregularities, impunity and wanton abuse of the party’s guidelines and constitution, disrespect for the party Elders, and killings that characterised the primary, and my realisation that the managers of the party in Ebonyi state lacked the understanding, preparedness, zeal, training, exposure and charisma needed for effective, engaging and fruitful opposition in the state that made me to leave the team immediately and join the SDP where I was given the opportunity to fly the flag and participate in the Governorship Election,” he said.

    Agbo urged the governor to carry everyone along in his policies and programmes going forward.

    “You are the Governor of everybody in the state irrespective of party, religion, color, tribe, creed and status.

    “I therefore appeal that you strive to keep that in mind in all your policies as you lead us in the next four years”

    He also appealed to the governor to give succor to those whose home and properties were destroyed in political related violence in the heat of the elections in Izzi and Ezza North local government area.

  • Presidency spanks PDP for threatening to stop Buhari

    Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are threatening to stop with a court’s order President Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration until the determination of the petition challenging the President’s victory in the February 23 election.

    The Presidency has dismissed the threat as “unserious” and dared the PDP to launch its legal battle.

    The main opposition party was reacting yesterday to the plethora of court cases filed against the announcement of results of the March 9 governorship and state Assembly elections in Bauchi and Rivers states by candidates of the President’s party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Governor Mohammed Abubakar (APC) of Bauchi State has obtained an ex parte order at the Federal High Court stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from concluding the governorship election.

    A similar court case was filed by the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Rivers State, Mr Awara Biokpomabo, seeking an order of the court to stop INEC from releasing the results of the governorship election in the state.

    But the PDP, which believes that its candidate, Governor Nyesom Wike, won the election, alleged that the case filed by the AAC and its candidate was instigated by the APC.

    The PDP has filed a petition with the National judicial Council (NJC) against Justice Ekwo Inyang who granted the Bauchi governor the order, inciting a violation of the Constitution and Section 87(10) of the Electoral Act.

    The said provision of the Electoral Act prescribes that no court has the power or jurisdiction to stop any election pending the determination of a suit.

    The National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, who decried the action of the petitioners, expressed concerns over hiccups in the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    The party, at an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja yesterday, complained about the inability of INEC to conclude the elections in record time.

    The PDP chieftains were particularly miffed that almost two weeks after, INEC could not conclude the governorship and state assembly elections that were held on March 9.

    Winners of the governorship elections are yet to be declared in seven states where the polls were “inconclusive”. The states are: Kano, Sokoto, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa and Bauchi states. The concluding part of the elections are billed to hold in the states on Saturday.

    The governorship election in Rivers state has become a subject of legal rigmarole by interested parties following the suspension of the announcement of the results.

    Also of grave concern to the main opposition party is what it called the militarisation of the elections in many states in the Southsouth.

    Secondus who presided over the meeting, called on the military not to allow themselves be called out again for what he described as illegal duties.

    He enjoined the military and other security agencies to resist any attempt to be dragged into paying manipulative roles in Saturday’s supplementary elections.

    According to him, “inconclusive” is a rigging strategy introduced by the INEC to aide the APC and its candidates.

    He expressed optimism that PDP candidates will emerge victorious in the upcoming supplementary elections in five of the six states that the election will take place.

    Secondus said that posterity will hold the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, responsible for the consequences of all his actions.

    He said: “The way they are going about getting court injunctions stop elections that have already been held, if we also go to court to stop inauguration of elected officers, it will disrupt the democratic process.

    “If INEC has to give people the opportunity to go to court, we too can go to court and stop the swearing in ceremony, be it the President or other (APC) governors”.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki said the result of the presidential and state elections reflected the strength and character of the PDP and urged members to build on the foundation.

    Saraki said the victory of the APC in the presidential and state elections will be short lived, adding: “We have a great future ahead and I believe we will start that on Saturday to make sure that we defend those five states that are declared inconclusive.

    “If anybody believes that it is a loss to PDP, it is a loss to the country that history will not forgive. We said it many times here, that the worst to do is to do an election that our country, Nigeria will not be proud of.

    “We have done an election that no doubt anybody and even those that think they have won are ashamed of the kind of election that we did.

    “I think it is a shame to the country and to those that were given that responsibility to do. They have Saturday as their last opportunity to try as much as possible to reclaim part of their embarrassment to the country.”

    “How can a country like Nigeria have this type of election? Ghana has done it, Congo and Zimbabwe have done elections. And we say we do elections, with seven inconclusive. We did elections in 2015, we did it in 2011 and 1999 and after so many years, this is what we can produce.

    “It is not a loss to the PDP; it is to the country. It just showed the level of desperation. I have confidence that this will be shortlived and, as such, let us ensure on Saturday that these fives states that are ours remain within the PDP and INEC should, for once, do what is right,” Saraki said.

    Also speaking at the meeting, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara said: “Elections are done all over the world, elections are conducted in Africa and at no time have we heard of this inconclusive elections in other jurisdictions. Ghana elections were held not long ago.

    “It will be very unfortunate if INEC, which is led by a first class Professor, set this very dangerous and unacceptable precedent in our political history. That I want them to take note of.

    “And also what has happened is pure evil; our consolation as members of this party is that evil does not last and no evil doer has ever escaped punishment.

    “If they do what others have done before, they will see what those who did evil saw. Definitely they cannot escape from it. It’s a law of nature and in the scriptures of God, that whatever you sow so you shall reap.

    “This is also for those who believe in power for the sake of power, not because they want to empower people, not because they want to better the lives of our people.

    “There is also lessons they can learn from history. History is now replete with examples of all those who pursued power for the sake of power. Their lives have always ended in tragedy that awaits anyone who seeks power for the sake of power. We have seen that display in Nigeria.

    “For us as members of this party, I don’t want us to despair, even though we have inconclusive elections in some states. In five of those states, PDP clearly won the election in those states.”

    The PDP vice presidential candidate in the February 23 election, Mr Peter Obi, said besides blaming the INEC and the security agencies, the biggest shame goes to those who are directing them to do the wrong thing.

    Obi said: “If you choose to be a leader, especially with APC that claims integrity, the biggest corruption and the biggest show of a government that does not believe in integrity is to rig election. Because the process through which you come into office, is far more fundamental than what you do there after.

    “I think we should hold them responsible for what is happening in this country now. The examples we are setting for the young ones, I don’t know what they will tell a young man who is cheating in an examination in this country after seeing the ways our elections are conducted.

    “I don’t know what they will tell those who are robbing banks and kidnapping people, because we have seen the biggest of it by this election where people are happy after robbing the nation and their states.

    “The chairman said we will do a post mortem after the election. I thank the party, because it is the party that is going to court, not just the presidential candidate going to court to challenge this rascality.

    “I, as a person, have always believed that the biggest enemy of freedom or progress are happy slaves. And thank God that this party has chosen this path, and we will all stand by it.”

    The Presidency said the threat by the opposition party to block May 29 was not suprising.

    It said: “From the day they lost the presidential elections by a margin of four million votes, the biggest margin of defeat by anyone in the Fourth Republic, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has embarked on a plan to erode the credibility of the internationally acclaimed election and erode the authority of this country’s elected government under President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Read also: Presidency spanks PDP for threatening to stop Buhari

    “So much has been said and written about their so-called Dubai Plan or blueprint, designed to win at all cost or paralyse the elected government.

    “The opposition party is doing everything to backslide Nigeria’s democracy and this country’s judiciary, bureaucracy and civil society should not allow them to do so.

    “The PDP has no right to give sermons about democracy, given their dismal and shameful track record during their 16-year tenure.

    Also reacting, the Director of Media and Publicity of the Muhammadu Buhari Presidential Campaign  Council, Festus Keyamo (SAN), dared the opposition party to go ahead with its plan.

    He said: We challenge them to go to court. Buhari is the sitting president. He will continue in office till when they want him to be sworn-in. Let them go to court. We shall meet there.”

  • I’m still in PDP, says Agbaje

    THE Lagos State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje, has said no one will force him to quit the party.

    He blamed mischief-makers for the insinuations that he had dumped the PDP, adding it was a move to soil his reputation, provoke crisis within the party and dampen the spirit of party members and his supporters.

    In a statement, his Director of Media and Publicity, Felix Oboagwina, quoted Agbaje as saying: “I have never discussed with anyone any plan to dump PDP, neither has such a prospect crossed my mind.

    “There is no reason for it. It is uncalled for.”

    He vowed to remain in the party, despite the campaign of calumny being waged against him in the media by a few leaders.

    The PDP flag-bearer said he only on Monday released a message encouraging members to rise above the questionable defeats suffered in the last election and maintain faith in the party, and that it would be contradictory for him to suddenly turn tail and flee the same party. According to him, recent vituperations in the media and social media against his person and his role in the last election were the machinations of political featherweights and did not warrant any response.

    He said: “Suffice to say that Chief Layi Ogunbambi’s claim of being denied funds as Director-General of Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council in Lagos State amounted to attempting to build something on nothing. For starters, the position he lays claim gives him no locus standi as no such formal position existed in the entire campaign structure of PDP in Lagos or any of the other 35 states.”

    Reacting to Ogunbanmbi’s angst, Agbaje noted that the man, who paraded himself as the DG of the Atiku/Obi Presidential Campaign Council, had his wife, Mrs.  Oluwatoyin  Ogunbambi, contesting as gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State against PDP on another party platform! Serious conflict of Interest!

    “I, as the gubernatorial candidate of the party in Lagos, was Chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign in Lagos. Mr. Leke Osikoya was the State Campaign Director. The national body recognised and related with us accordingly. The title of Director General was reserved for the national campaign council. If there was an Atiku/Obi Presidential Campaign, it would have, at best, been a support group.”