The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Senate seat

  • S/South to APC leadership: give us Senate President for equity sake

    Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the South-south geopolitical zone are canvassing the support of Nigerians, especially the leadership of the party to allow them occupy the office of the Senate President to the zone when the 9th Senate is inaugurated in June for the sake of equity.

    National Vice Chairman of the party in charge of the zone, Ntufam Hilliard Eta said in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja that as critical stakeholders in the Nigerian project, the zone deserves to be given the opportunity to play its role in the development of the nation.

    He reminded Nigerians that when the zone occupied the same office during the second republic, there existed a cordial working relationship between the three arms of government devoid of the hiccups that has been associated with governance since the return to democracy in 1999.

    He expressed confidence that a Senate President from the zone will rejuvenate the goodwill currently being enjoyed by the government and the APC in the zone.

    Eta said: “As you are quite aware, we are celebrating our worthy victory at the polls in which Nigerians overwhelmingly re-elected our dear President Muhammadu Buhari and our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) for another tenure of four years. The results of the elections was a clear demonstration of our unflinching faith In the unity of our great country as citizens voted for Integrity, competence, performance, and for the general good of our country, devoid of ethnic or religious considerations.

    “The leadership of the All Progressives Congress in the south south zone, therefore, wishes to join millions of Nigerians in congratulating Mr. President for his Victory at the just concluded general elections.

    “In the days ahead, as our country strives to equitably zone offices to all the zones of the country, the South South zone, having considered so many factors, wish to state that our zone has and will continue to play a critical and pivotal roles in order to help our dear country, Nigeria achieve and realize all its inherent potentials.

    “The leadership of our great Party ln the zone has done extreme hard work towards stabilizing the polity to ensure that business thrives in the region, and equally informing our teaming youths that development can only thrive in the atmosphere of peace.

    “We appreciate all the leaders of the zone and we are grateful that our youths have reciprocated the good gesture of Mr. President, by embracing peace, as the panacea to continuous development of our region In particular, and the country in general. Gone are the days when ‘ youths’ restiveness will impede development.

    “The south-south zone wishes to, therefore, call on Nigerians from all walks of life to support the zoning of the office of the Senate President to the South-South geo-political zone. It Is our firm conviction that zoning the office of the Senate President to the South-South geopolitical zone will rejuvenate the goodwill we are currently enjoying and ensure a balance of equity.

    “We recall that when our son, Senator Joseph Waves did our zone and the country very proud. During his tenure as the Senate President, we saw a harmonious working relationship between the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary; and the benefit of this was for Nigerians.

    Therefore, a Senate President from the South-South zone will stabilise the polity and focus on Its statutory role of making laws. Furthermore, a Senate President from the oil-rich region will avoid unnecessary rancour with the executive as has been witnessed in the recent past. South South zone is a major stake in the project Nigeria and thus will support Mr President to ensure he continues to deliver democratic dividend to Nigerians.

    “We call on all Nigerians to support that the office of the Senate President is zoned to the South South Zone.”

  • Delta North APC candidate Uboh confident of winning Senate seat

    The Delta North senatorial candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mrs. Doris Uboh, is confident she will win the February 16 election, it was learnt.

    Her media consultant and director of Republic Multi-Concept Communications, Onyekachukwu Isaalah, in a statement, said the incumbent, Senator Peter Nnwaoboshi, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), would be defeated.

    Isaalah told reporters yesterday in Kwale, Ndokwa West Local Government, that  the Anioma people would vote Nnwaoboshi out for his poor representation.

    The director recalled that the senator once boasted he was foisted on the people by a former governor,

    She said ‘’it means he wasn’t voted for by the people, and that underscores the electoral irrelevance of the Delta northerners to him. For this “insult”, the people will reject him at the poll.’’

    Isaalah noted that since APC candidates were running a campaign based on integrity, the people would never back anyone alleged to be corrupt.

    The consultant told her audience that Mrs. Uboh would give the people quality representation, change the narrative of the district, and ensure the people were the focal point of her tour of duty in the Senate.

    The candidate’s focus, Isaalah said, would be to empower  youths and ensure meaningful welfare and care for the elderly.

    Mrs Uboh, she added, would attract federal projects to the district, and ensure her constituency efforts were on ground for the people to  benefit from.

    As a seasoned politician, the consultant said the APC candidate would play the game of “real politik” at the national level, attract the positives of representative governance  and ensure the district, being an oil and gas producing area, got the rightful place in the polity.

    “With Mrs Uboh, Anioma people are in for a new lease of life. Anioma, being the largest homogeneous entity in the oil-rich state, will attain its pride of place. Uboh would create offices in all nine councils, with at least five representatives as workers to get regular feedback from her constituents as a way of carrying every stakeholder along.”

    The director called on the people to shun violence and vile conduct before, during and after the elections.

    She solicited support for President Muhammadu Buhari, and other APC candidates in the state.

    Isaalah urged party leaders to back their own, noting that the Ika-born politician had no enemy to fight but rather need more friends to “battle the people’s enemies bent on denying the people of Anioma their pride of place”.

    She noted that Buhari had been able to whittle down the “insurrections of looters of our national economy and destiny killers”, but needed four more years to consolidate on his achievements, particularly the war against corruption.

  • Five APC chiefs eye Lagos West Senate seat

    Five senatorial aspirants are struggling for the senatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos West District, it was learnt yesterday.

    The contenders are incumbent Senator Solomon Adeola, former Minister of State for Defence Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Minister of State for Agriculture Mr. Demola Seriki and former Commissioner for Transport Kayode Opeifa.

    Party sources hinted that former Deputy Governor Adejoke  Orelope-Adefulire and Adeola’s predecessor, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, are eyeing the ticket.

    Opeifa, who is Secretary of Transportation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration, said he is competent to represent the district.

    He said: “I have the experience, the pedigree and all what it takes to be a senator on the platform of our great party, the APC. But, before I declare my intention, I must discuss with our leader. The outcome of the consultation will determine my next step. I must inform the leader.”

    Indications that Adeola may withdraw from Ogun governorship race, which he has been pursuing, emerged during the Lagos West APC endorsement when his supporters and those of Obanikoro nearly clashed.

    Following the ceremony held at Blue Roof, Lagos Television Ground, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Adeola’s supporters converged on his constituency office in Ikeja for another endorsement ceremony, where some party members urged him to seek re-election.

    But, a section of the party objected to the endorsement, saying the senator had returned to his native Ogun State for good.

    A former local government chairman from Alimoso, who craved anonymity, said Obanikoro’s ambition might threaten Adeola’s senatorial re-election bid.

    However, the senator’s his media aide, Kayode Odunaro, said the issue of withdrawal from the governorship race had not been considered, adding that his principal was intensifying his consultations in Ogun State.

    He said Adeola returned to the district that sent him to the Senate to participate in the endorsement of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for a second term, adding that there would have been no justification for his absence from the ceremony.

    Odunaro, who spoke on the telephone, said: “There is no basis for saying that Senator Adeola is withdrawing from the Ogun State governorship race. He is continuing with his mobilisation and consultation with the people. He has not done a formal declaration for governor. But, it is also normal that people who value what he has done in Lagos West should request him to seek re-election. He has not declared for a second term either.

    “Go and look at what I posted at the weekend. Many people want him to run for governor in Ogun. His supporters also want him to re-contest for the Senate in Lagos West. It is normal.”

  • Yayi wins Lagos West senate seat

    Yayi wins Lagos West senate seat

    Solomon Olamilekan Adeola aka Yayi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) made history yesterday by becoming the first lawmaker in Nigeria to be consecutively elected from the House of Assembly to the House of Representatives and finally to the Senate.

    In the results declaring Adeola as winner of the Lagos West Senatorial District seat, he scored 429,765 votes to his beat his rival, Segun Adewale of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 372,421 in the nation’s largest senatorial district.

    He won in six of the 10 local governments namely Alimosho, Agege, Ifako Ijaiye, Mushin, Badagry and Ikeja to beat his rival with 57,344 votes. He lost in Ojo, Amuwo Odofin, Oshodi /Isolo and Ajeromi /Ifelodun.

    Adeola, the chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, dedicated his victory to God and the people of his Alimosho Federal Constituency.

    A chartered accountant by profession, he was elected to the House of Assembly in 2003 and in 2007 to represent Alimosho State Constituency 2.

    In 2011, Adeola was elected and is representing Alimosho Federal Constituency, the largest constituency in Nigeria.

  • Group urges ex-minister to seek Senate seat

    A group has called on former Minister of Defence, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN), to contest the Ondo North Senatorial seat held by Senator Ajayi Boroffice.

    The group advised him not to yield to pressure to run for governor.

    The Ondo State governorship seat is not due for contest till 2016.

    Coordinator of the Akoko Democratic Forum Adeolu Olaseyi said Kayode’s experience as a top lawyer; a former Tourism and Defence minister would be more valuable in the Senate.

    “He will bring his wealth of experience to bear on lawmaking and good governance in the country,” the group said in a statement.

    “We are using this opportunity to call on our brother and leader to enter the race for the Senate to represent the good people of Akoko and Ondo state in general. Prince Kayode has paid his dues professionally and politically. He has served the party, the state and the Federal Government in various capacities and he is now needed to deploy his experience as the voice of our people.

    “We have felt the pulse of our people on Kayode’s candidature. Our findings are that our people want change and they see Kayode as that much-needed agent of change,” the statement said.