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Tag: President Muhammadu Buhari

  • Buhari’s absence not stalling APC convention – Okorocha 

    Buhari’s absence not stalling APC convention – Okorocha 

    Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors Forum and Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha on Thursday said that the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari in the country is not stopping the party from holding its convention.

    He made the remark after APC governors met Acting President Yemi Osinbajo behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to him, the party is still trying to put the house in order before the conversation can take place.

    He said “We came to discuss issues relating to our party and our government and how to move our party forward.

    “We discussed a lot of issues on how to move the party forward, how to strengthen the party and how to make sure our party remains Victorious in all elections. Very soon we will have convention that is part of the things we are discussing.

    “The convention not taking place has nothing to do with the absence of the president or the Acting President. We are just putting our house in order and making sure things are in the right form before we kick off.

    On pressure from the opposition party, PDP, he said “PDP is a non-issue,  we don’t even care about that, we defeated them when they were in power so what is different when we are now in power.”

     

  • Reps’ PDP caucus gives Buhari quit notice 

    Reps’ PDP caucus gives Buhari quit notice 

    …says there is vacancy in Aso Rock Villa

    The caucus of the People’s Democratic Party  (PDP) in the House of Representatives has asked President Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government to begin preparing to vacate the Presidency.

    The caucus also stated that it will not rule out judicial intervention to reclaim its lost seats in the House following the resolution of the leadership crisis that rocked the party by the pronouncement of the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

    The caucus said there is vacancy in Aso Rock Villa because the party is set on reclaiming the seat of power by 2019.

    Leader of the caucus, who is also the Minority Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, while addressing journalists after the caucus meeting yesterday morning, said the caucus’ optimism stemmed from the fact that all its members that left for other parties in the wake of the crisis are on their way back.
    Stating that the party has learnt its lesson from the crisis that almost led to its extinction, Ogor said the resolution of the crisis was not only victory for democracy but an opportunity for PDP to reclaim the seat of power.

    “Nigerians tasted almost 16 years of PDP, they have tasted two years of APC but that is a journey Nigerians don’t want to continue with.

    “Come 2019, we shall restore true democracy where governance belongs to the people.

    “There is vacancy in Aso rock and this is a quit notice to APC government,” he said.

    On the fate of former members that left for other parties as a result of the crisis, Ogor hoped the matter would not get to the point of engaging judicial intervention to bring them back.

    Pointing out that the caucus is currently reduced to 141 members, he said, “For members that left, we will wave the olive branch in an attempt to bring them back to the fold.

    “We believe that they will come back because there is no basis for not doing so, the ticket that got them to the House did not belong to them, it belongs to the party.

    “It is hoped that we will not get to that point but Section 84 of the constitution was clear on the matter and we will not hesitate to approach the judiciary to interpret it for us.

    “A committee will be set up to undertake this assignment; we are willing to welcome them back like prodigal sons because APC is an amalgamation of stage bed fellows”.

    The caucus implored ailing President Buhari to return home immediately, adding that he has a bigger assignment at him,

    Ogor however assured that the PDP will not only offer a credible opposition but assist the government with constructive ideas toward moving the nation forward.

     

  • Buhari in phone call with Bisi Akande over wife’s death

    Buhari in phone call with Bisi Akande over wife’s death

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed “heart-felt” sadness over the death of Madam Omowunmi Bisi Akande, wife of the founding chairman of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the message was contained in a letter penned by Buhari on the heels of an earlier telephone call to the bereaved party chieftain on Wednesday.

    President Buhari described as “irreparable” the loss by Chief Akande of his wife of 50 years.

    The President’s message reads as follow:  “I received the very sad news of the death of your dearly beloved wife, Madam Omowunmi Akande this morning. I am following our phone call with this letter of condolence, which comes from my heart.

    “To lose a wife, a dear wife after 50 years, a constant and loving companion through good and bad times, is a blow only a man of unshakeable faith can withstand. Please extend my personal condolences to the immediate and wider Akande family and to friends of the family for this irreparable loss.

    “May Allah give you the strength and Iman to endure her passing away,” he said

     

  • ‘Osinbajo’s meeting with Buhari very good’

    ‘Osinbajo’s meeting with Buhari very good’

    • To preside over FEC at 11:00 a.m

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo returned to Nigeria on Wednesday morning from London.

    He traveled out of the country on Tuesday to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari who had been in the United Kingdom since May 7th on medical ground.

    A tweet by the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Laolu Akande, said that the Acting President has returned to Nigeria.

    It reads; “Acting President Osinbajo is back in Abuja from London and will be presiding over FEC starting @ 11am at the Council Chambers.

    “We will soon share more information about AgP Osinbajo’s London meeting with President Buhari. It was a very good meeting. God bless Nigeria,” it stated.

  • Buhari in high spirit, recovering fast, says Osinbajo

    Buhari in high spirit, recovering fast, says Osinbajo

    …says Buhari will return very soon

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday said that President Muhammadu Buhari is in good spirit and recuperating very fast.

    He made the disclosure to State House correspondents just before entering the Council Chamber to start the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

    Osinbajo, who left Nigeria on Tuesday to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari in the United Kingdom, returned to the country on Wednesday morning.

    Read also: Osinbajo back from visit to Buhari

    Buhari left Nigeria since May 7th to meet up with follow up consultation with his doctors.

    Osinbajo on Wednesday assured that Buhari will soon return to Nigeria.

    He said: “Well, first as you know I went to see him, I went to check up on him to find out how he was doing. I had of course been speaking on the phone and I thought it will be a good thing to go and see him and you know generally check up on how he was doing and also to brief him on developments back at home.

    “So we had a very good time, we had a very good conversation on wide ranging issues and he is in very good spirit, he is recuperating very quickly and he is doing very well.

    On the state of the President’s health, he said: “Well, as I have said he is in very high spirit, he is recuperating very well and we had very long conversation, we spoke for well over an hour and his humor is all there. He is doing well and he is recuperating fast.

    Read: Osinbajo to update Nigerians on outcome of meeting with Buhari

    Asked when Buhari is due back in the country, he said: “I think very very shortly. Very shortly. I think we should really expect him back very shortly. Like I said he is recuperating very fast and he is doing very very well.

    On whether the President will return within 90 days from May 7th, he said: “No no. Deadlines aren’t a very good thing but as I said he is recuperating fast we expecting him very shortly. Much sooner than you will expect.

    Asked if the meeting dwell on the report of the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Director General, Ayo Oke, he simply said that the meeting covered wide ranging issues.

    Read: Buhari, Osinbajo meet in London on state of nation

    “I really can’t go into specifics of all of the discussions we had.” he added

    He also said that the meeting didn’t discuss swearing in of the two ministerial nominees.

    On when they will be sworn in, he said: “Well, I’m not in a position to say anything. I don’t have a date in mind but I’m sure very very soon we will do that.”

     

  • Osinbajo to update Nigerians on outcome of meeting with Buhari

    Osinbajo to update Nigerians on outcome of meeting with Buhari

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo will soon brief the nation on the outcome of his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in London.

    Mr Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President on Media and Publicity, made this known on his twitter handle on late Tuesday night.

    He described the meeting as ““a very good meeting.”

    Read also: Buhari, Osinbajo meet in London on state of nation

    He said: “We will soon share more information about Acting President’s London meeting with President Buhari. It was a very good meeting.

    “God bless Nigeria.’’

    It would be recalled President Buhari on Tuesday summoned Acting President Osinbajo to a meeting with him in the United Kingdom where he is presently on medical vacation.

    Read also: Osinbajo back from visit to Buhari

    Osinbajo jetted out of Abuja soon after presiding over the Quarterly Presidential Business Forum on Tuesday morning at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Akande had earlier confirmed in a tweet on his twitter handle, “@akandeoj that Osinbajo had left for London to meet the President but did not give  details.

    He added that the Acting President would return to Abuja immediately after the meeting .

  • Boko Haram, Chibok girls swap was political not military – Buratai

    Boko Haram, Chibok girls swap was political not military – Buratai

    Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai said that his family invested in property in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2013, long before his appointment.

    He was featured yesterday in a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) interview programme Hard Talk.

    Substantial property is just an investment; my family do their own private business. They should afford to have such property in Dubai,”

    “The type of property you are talking about is not the ones people are talking about.

    “The property I invested was far back as 2013 before I became the chief of army staff, I never dreamt of becoming the chief of army staff and people are accusing me as if it is today.”

    The army chief described the swap of Boko Haram prisoners with abducted 82 Chibok girls as “a political decision” by the authorities.

    “As far as I am concerned, we performed our own role for the safe passage of the abducted Chibok girls.

    The Boko Haram terrorists’ swap for the Chibok Schoolgirls was a political decision, not a military decision. It is in the best interest of the nation and based on circumstances, the government felt it was the best course.

    “Personally, I think it has its own advantages; the message is to rescue the Chibok girls,” Mr. Buratai said.

    He denied using kid soldiers and said the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari in the country as a result of his ailment did not breach any constitutional rule.

     

  • Presidential aircraft only gulping £1,000, says Presidency

    Presidential aircraft only gulping £1,000, says Presidency

    The Presidency on Thursday denied the media reports claiming that President Muhammadu Buhari’s aircraft in London was gulping £4,000 daily.

    Buhari had left Nigeria on May 7th for consultation with his doctors in the United Kingdom.

    A statement by the Senior Special Adviser on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said that the aircraft is gulping less than £1,000 daily.

    The statement reads “The Presidency is constrained to decry criticisms, mostly on social media, on the retention in London of the Presidential Aircraft, NAF 001 as mostly informed by lack of understanding of protocol around foreign trips by Heads of State all over the world.

    “It is important to state that for reasons of protocol, national security, diplomacy and prestige, there is no world leader who travels abroad and is left without plans for immediate return or possible evacuation.

    “From operational point of view, this country’s Armed Forces as represented by the Nigeria Air Force are not to abandon their Commander-In-Chief in whichever circumstance he is. This is a standard operating procedure.

    “We have also read claims about outrageous fees allegedly paid by Nigeria. The published amounts are totally untrue. Aircraft conveying heads of state all over the world usually enjoy waivers even where payments for parking are differentiated by aircraft categories.

    “We been assured that where the waiver is not granted, payment will not exceed £1,000, which is a quarter of the amount being peddled.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, this President is not the first to have a presidential aircraft standing by for him, as he will certainly not be the last.  All past Heads of this country have had this privilege, and the part that surprises the most is that leaders who in the past travelled with three Nigerian aircraft did not suffer this trenchant criticism.

    “We appeal to Nigerians to ignore opposition campaign aimed at derailing this administration’s big plans for the country.

    “This is a government that is constructing the Second Niger Bridge, the Mambila Power Plant, the East-West and the North-South standard gauge railway lines.

    “We are a government that has saved this country an annual loss of two trillion Naira from fraudulent petroleum subsidy schemes by influential citizens and their children, and rid the public service of about 50,000 ghost workers.

    “The Buhari administration certainly deserves a chance,” it stated.

  • Buhari did not address Nigerians in his Sallah message – PFN

    Buhari did not address Nigerians in his Sallah message – PFN

    The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Wednesday faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s Sallah message in Hausa language, just as it described the quit notice to Igbos in the North as “reckless and as of no consequence.”

    The group, which insisted that the President did not address Nigerians but his kinsmen, said such action was capable of further polarizing the country along ethnic nationalities.

    Enugu State Chapter of the PFN made these assertions at the end of a three-day prayer for God’s intervention over the tension in the country.

    Chairman of the PFN in the State and Bishop Elect of the Grace of God Mission, Rev. Dr. Godwin Madu while leading in a prayer session condemned the quit notice, urging Nigerians not to panic as God is already in control.

    “Nigeria is one indivisible entity; the quit notice is the finger of the enemy trying to make Nigeria like Somalia, Eritrea and other crisis-ridden countries of the world.

    “So, we are urging for calm because the notice is a joke. Our prayer is that God will touch the hearts of the people causing problems in this country”, Madu stated

    Other clerics, including the Bishop of the Rock Family Church, Dr. Obi Onubogu, the PFN secretary, Rev. Dr. Noble Idika and the secretary, PFN social security outreach, Apostle Dr. Joseph Ajujungwa, called on Nigerians to eschew hate speech and actions capable of further threatening the already fragile peace in the country.

    Ajujungwa and Idika accused Buhari of sectionalizing the country; an action they said was capable of worsening the already tensed situation.

    “A lot is happening in this country every day and those at the helm of affairs don’t seem to be helping matters. The other day the President was reported to have addressed Nigerians in Hausa language.

    “To us, we maintain that it is the most unfortunate thing that should happen at this point in time. Nigeria has more than 250 languages, so, how can the President address a section? We are asking him whether he is still President of the entire country.

    “As far as we are concerned, he did not address Nigerians but his kinsmen, the Hausas; it is an unfortunate thing and an insult to other Nigerians who do not understand Hausa language”, Ajujungwa quipped.

    On his part, Bishop Onubogu called for continuous dialogue in the country, even as he said the Biafra agitators should stop using insulting words on people from other zones of the country.

    “The answer is let us stop castigating each other; things must change; I have always said the three solutions to Nigeria problems are – dialogue, dialogue and dialogue. You can’t be calling people names and you say you are negotiating.

    “We should also handle this Biafra agitation carefully; the notion that they are drug addicts is wrong. Among them we have intellectuals, successful business men and industrialists.

    “But they should not go on abusing other regions; if God wants us to separate as a country, let us go peacefully.”

  • Ex-militants promise to back Buhari’s peace moves in N/Delta

    Ex-militants promise to back Buhari’s peace moves in N/Delta

    • Boroh carpets those maligning Buhari, Amnesty Office

    Ex-agitators in the Niger Delta have promised to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s initiatives in the Niger Delta.

    This decision was announced after a meeting between the ex-agitators of phases 2 and 3 and the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh (rtd.) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    Gen. Boroh said it was imperative for the leaders to meet regularly with officials of the Amnesty Programme to share ideas, make observations and proffer solutions that would bring about peace, infrastructural change and human capital development of thousands of the youth captured in the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

    He emphasised that conflict and violence were no resolutions to the crisis and urged the leaders to constantly remind the ex-agitators in their camps not to breach the peace in the country and ensure that the non-violence agreement signed at Obubra that led to the declaration of Amnesty in 2009 is upheld.

    Gen. Boroh urged the leaders to use all channels of dialogue in solving problems to allow for government’s developmental projects like the rail construction, modular refineries and the community pipeline surveillance to take off as this would be of benefit to the people and create massive job employment for the youth of the region.

    Special Assistant to the President on Economic Council Donald Wokoma said the Amnesty office had the responsibility of ensuring peace and stability in the region to allow related agencies carry out their projects.

    He advised the ex-agitators to take advantage of opportunities made available by the government to develop themselves and stop excess and unfounded petitioning of appointees.

    The Amnesty Office Head of Data Management, Maj. Bernard Ochoche(Rtd) and Head Post Training and Engagement Major Abdul Mati (rtd), addressed issues of late payment of stipends to ex-agitators arising from delay in budget passage, recertification of previous qualification from trainings earlier acquired to meet standards for employment, agriculture as the new focus of training, empowerment after training, ongoing partnerships targeted at job creation for graduates and trained delegates.

    Phase 2 Leader Aso Tambo appealed for enlightenment of ex-agitators on new programmes of the office and approaches and decisions of government to move the region forward.

    He said the basis for acceptance of amnesty was to ensure the development of the Niger Delta.

    He described the Special Adviser’s human capital development plans as soft landing that should be maximised by critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta region.

    In another development, Gen. Boroh described as unfortunate comments from some quarters maligning his office and the character of President Buhari over the implementation of projects under the Amnesty Programme.

    He described those responsible as faceless and disgruntled politicians and contractors whose efforts would only strengthen his resolve to carry out the mandate given to his office by the President.

    Gen. Boroh called on the people of the Niger Delta and Nigerians to take ownership of Buhari’s peace and development initiatives for the region.