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Tag: Razak Atunwa

  • Saraki’s defeat new beginning for Kwara, says Abdulrazaq

    The defeat of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his anointed governorship candidate, Razak Atunwa, in the just-concluded elections in Kwara State marks a new beginning, Governor-Elect Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has stated.

    He also attributed his victory and those of other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates to divine intervention.

    The dismantlement of the Saraki dynasty in the state, according to him, has sign-posted total freedom for Kwarans, adding that “it is a new beginning.”

    The frontline businessman-turned politician added that the trouncing of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidates at all levels was borne out of God’s hands and reward of hard work.

    Mallam Abdulrazaq, who was represented by Abdulrahman Giwa spoke this in Ilorin, the state capital at an event to celebrate APC’s victory in the state.

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    He said: “We have seen the reward for hard work; the future lies ahead of us, as the people have spoken.

    “Our victory has shown that the people now know that the power resides with them. It means any elected representative that fails to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the voters will be shown the way out at the polls.”

    State Coordinator of BOCA Hajia Afsat B. Byll said that the whole country is watching the governor-elect “to see what we will achieve having won the elections.

    “For Kwarans, the victory is very symbolic in the history of the state politics, as no party has ever a landslide victory across all the three senatorial zones.

    “This is indeed a revolution by the people that led to great victory. We hereby implore all Kwarans to give maximum support for the incoming administration to move the state to greater heights so that the struggle for freedom and victory would not be in vain. “

    Hajia Byll hailed the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osibanjo at the polls, adding this achievement has made them game changers in the history of Nigerian politics.

    “For the first time, Nigeria conducted elections without acrimony. The president and his vice not only won, the election was also free and fair to which the international community testified. This achievement is an eye opener for all Nigerians to know that it is possible to have elections without unnecessary expenses by government and individuals.

    “Let it be on record that the success of APC in Kwara state and across the country can be ascribed to the milestone achievements of the Buhari administration in the various sectors.”

  • House of Reps member emerges Kwara PDP governorship candidate

    A member of the House of Representatives Razak Atunwa has emerged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state.
    Atunwa, who is an ex-speaker of the state House of Assembly polled 1,555 votes to beat his rival, a former governor of the state and serving senator, Alh Mohammed Sha’aba Lafiagi who scored 578 votes.
    Atunwa is from Asa local government area in Kwara central while Lafiagi is from Edu local government in Kwara north.
    The conduct of the PDP governorship primaries, which started on Sunday, was declared inconclusive when the peaceful process was disrupted abruptly by some hoodlums suspected to be hired political thugs .
    Before the commencement of voting by accredited 2,227  delegates from the 193 wards in the state, eight out of the eleven  aspirants that signified interest in the contest announced their withdrawal from the race.
    Those that announced their withdrawal from the contest are Speaker, Kwara state House of Assembly,Dr. Ali Ahmad , Alhaji Saka Isau, SAN, Alhaji Ladi Hassan, Hon. Zakari Mohammed,  Hon. Ahman Pategi, Alhaji Mohammed Ajia Ibrahim, Prof. Sulaiman Abubakar and Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.
    The state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, who explained that the nine aspirants withdrew from the race because of the party’s interest, thanked them for their act of magnanimity.
    The governor also thanked the state’s political leader, Dr. Bukola Saraki, for his wise counseling and purposeful leadership which, he said, had kept members of the PDP united in the state.

  • Saraki, Kwara guber aspirants meet in Ilorin

    Governorship aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state have held a crucial meeting with Senate President Bukola Saraki.

    Details of the meeting, which took place on Monday night, are still sketchy.

    It was learnt that the national leader of the PDP enjoined the aspirants to conduct their campaigns in the builds up to the primary election in orderly manner.

    The meeting, held behind closed doors at Saraki’s private residence in Ilorin, the state capital, started about 10.20pm.

    It lasted till about 11.02pm with nine aspirants present.

    Former Deputy Governor of the state Chief Joel Ogundeji ,the party’s state chairman, Alhaji Kola Shittu as well as Secretary, Alhaji Rasaq Lawal joined few minutes to the close of the meeting.

    The aspirants who attended the meeting include Dr Ali Ahmad, Honestly Razak Atunwa, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi,Senator Mohammed Sha’aba Lafiagi, Alhaji Ladi Hassan, Hon. Ahman Pategi, Alhaji Saka Isau (SAN), Prof Sulaiman Abubakar and Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Ajia. The only aspirant absent at the meeting was Hon. Zakari Mohammed.

    Addressing reporters at the end of the meeting, Senator Sha’aba Lafiagi said it was convened to ensure peace as a family group, adding that contestants agreed to ensure a transparent race during the primaries.

    The former governor said there was no discussion on consensus but that there was no written undertaking among them since it is all within the same political family.

    Read Also: Fayemi ‘ll do well for Ekiti, says Ogboni Chief

    “The meeting was all about bringing the family together. It is only normal that at a time like this the leader of the family meets with us to keep peace and ensure that all went well.

    “We agree to respect the outcome of the primaries, to ensure that we remain friends after and ensure peace. We will surely accept whoever emerges. The intention is that the contest should be free, fair as much as possible. Whoever emerges we will all line up behind him and we will remain members of the family.

    “I don’t know about consensus, time will tell but for now everyone is preparing to enter the contest but I don’t rule out possibilities of consensus arrangement. Along the line we may consider that as a family. We don’t need to sign an undertaking because as I told you we are members of the same family.”

  • States’ economy will collapse in January if…-Kwara Speaker

    ALL the states in Nigeria will be enmeshed in economic crisis from January 2015, if something urgent is not done to bail them out, the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Razak Atunwa, has said.

    Atunwa said the recent alarm sounded by the Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu, that the country’s economy would collapse in the next three months was not misplaced.

    Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, he said, “I recall that yesterday or day before, a governor of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger state warned that within three months, if we continue this way, the economy of Nigeria will collapse.”

    He said, “I am afraid that Governor Aliyu is a bit generous. Beyond January 2015, if something is not done, all the states in Nigeria will be in problem.”

    He said: “The oil producing countries in the world are equally affected by this drop in the crude oil price, but they are not so adversely affected because they have been able to save for the rainy day.

    “Not so in the case of Nigeria. I am afraid the federal government has squandered the fortune of Nigeria. It has not been prudent in the management of the resources and finances of Nigeria and therefore within the past few months of the fall in the crude oil prices, all of a sudden our economy is in trouble. Any prudent financial manager will know that you must save for rainy day. Failure to do so will spell doom and disaster, which is precisely what we are now facing in Nigeria.

    “The economy has been mismanaged; we have been pervaded by corruption and leakages. There have been malfeasances in office and all these help to contribute to the financial doom and gloom which we are about to face. I pray that the masses will not suffer for the misfortune and malfeasance in office of this government.

    “The state government is not insulated from the national tragedy. However, you heard Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed when he presented the budget estimate for 2015 that we must now look forward to increasing our internal revenue generation. We must practise efficiency governance, breakdown the cost of running governance and of course ensure that our recurrent expenditure is reduced to the barest minimum.”

  • Ikuforiji, Atunwa greet Christians

    Ikuforiji, Atunwa greet Christians

    THE speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji and his Kwara State counterpart, Razak Atunwa, has congratulated all Christians in Nigeria for being alive to celebrate yet another Easter.

    In a press statement signed by his chief press secretary, Mr. Rotimi Adebayo, Ikuforiji declared, “As Christians the world over mark yet another anniversary of the Risen Christ, I heartily rejoice with all Nigerian Christians on the celebration of yet another Easter.”

    Ikuforiji added, “While therefore rejoicing with you all, for being alive during this year’s celebration, we must give glory to the Almighty God for preserving us all to be hale and hearty during this year’s festivities.

    “As you all therefore celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead to redeem Christians from their sins, I therefore urge you all to continue to pray for our great country, Nigeria, to enable her overcome the current security challenges that she has been facing.”

    In another Easter message, the speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Barrister Razak Atunwa, urged all Christians to imbibe the virtues of perseverance, tolerance, steadfastness and love exhibited by Jesus Christ to restore stability, peaceful co-existence and accelerated development of Nigeria.

    In a statement by his media assistant, Alhaji Abdulrahman Sanni, the speaker urged Nigerians not to use the occasion for mere merry making but for sober reflection on issues aggravating political and social upheaval, economic stagnation, suspicion, and civil unrest among the diverse ethno-religious groups that had been co-existing in the country more than a century ago.

    The speaker, while urging the clergy to always preach love and tolerance, further noted that no nation could attain progress without love, trust, tolerance and understanding of each other’s differences.

     

  • Kwara Speaker advocates total autonomy for judiciary

    Kwara Speaker advocates total autonomy for judiciary

    THE Kwara State House of Assembly is to collaborate with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to ensure a total autonomy for the judiciary in a bid to further strengthen democratic institutions in the state.

    The Speaker, Barrister Razak Atunwa, gave the assurance in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, while receiving the executive council of the Ilorin branch of NBA in his office.

    Atunwa, who stressed that the nation’s democratic institutions can only be strengthened if the three arms of government were independent, assured that the state legislature would continue to collaborate with the NBA in its legislative activities in order to ensure quality legislation.

    Earlier, the new chairman of the Ilorin branch of NBA, Mr. Mobolaji Ojibara, had called for more involvement of legal practitioners in the state to further ensure passage of laws for the good governance of the state.

     

    Ojibara praised the House for ensuring a cordial relationship between the three arms of government in the state, which according to him, had brought about peaceful co-existence and transformation of the state.