The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Senator Abdullahi Adamu

  • APC Senatorial Primary: Shehu Sani, Akpabio, Yari, Uduaghan cleared unopposed

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cleared unopposed former Akwa Ibom and Delta State Governors, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Dr, Emmanuel Uduaghan and the Senator representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani as Senatorial candidates for the forthcoming general elections.

    Also cleared unopposed are Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, Senate Minority Whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena, former Nasarawa State Governor, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, former Sokoto state Governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako, former Benue state Governor, George Akume and former National, Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Adebayo Adeyeye.

    Also, the three senators representing Lagos state, Senators Oluremi Tinubu, Solomon Adeola and Gbenga Ashafa as well as Senator Ajayi Boroface, Yele Onogunwa and Omotoyao Alasoadura from Ondo are flying the party flag unopposed as they emerged the only cleared aspirants from their states.

    Senator Ahmed Abubakar, Senator Binta Masi Garba (Adamawa) Senator Yusuf Abubakar (Taraba), Governor Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), Senator Tijanni Kaura, Ikra Bilbis (Zamfara), Senator Buhari Abdulfatai (Oyo), Senator Andy Uba (Anambra) and Suleiman Abdu Kwari (Kaduna) are also running unopposed.

    In the list of cleared aspirants released by the National Working Committee and signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, former Kano state Governor is to battle for the Kano Central Senatorial ticket with Hajia Laila Buhari, while Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun is to struggle for the Ogun Central Senatorial ticket with Senator Adeyemi Tejuosho and Ganiyat Oladunjoye.

    Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi is to contest for the Oyo Central Senatorial district ticket with Senator Taslim Folarin and five others, Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura is to slug it out for the Nasarawa south ticket with Senator Salihu Hussein Egye, while Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima is contesting the Borno Central ticket with Ali Bukar Wurge.
    Also, Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan is contesting the Yobe North Senatorial ticket with Mohammed Lawan Yahuza, while Imo state Governor; Rochas Okorocha is listed as contesting the Imo West ticket with Senator Hope Uzodinma who is also contesting the governorship of the state.

    However, two former governors who have been in the senate for a long time, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima of Zamfara State and Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe) were conspicuously missing on the list and it was not clear whether they were screened out of the contest or decided not to return to the Senate.
    The National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said at different fora that it will be ungodly for the party not to reward loyal senators who stood by the party in its trying period, resisting all attempt to lure them away from the APC.

  • Northern senators sack Adamu over allegation of misuse of N70m

    Northern senators sack Adamu over allegation of misuse of N70m

    …We were told monkeys carted N70m kept at a farm house – Sani

     

    Northern Senators, under the aegis of Northern Senators Forum Wednesday sacked their chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu over allege “financial mismanagement and misadministration.”

    Adamu, a third time Senator and an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari in the Senate, represents Nasarawa West in the upper chamber.

    The senators announced Senator Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto North) as replacement for Adamu.

    A letter addressed to the “The President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria,” and signed by Senator Dino Melaye (Director of Publicity, Northern Senators Forum) detailed reasons for the removal of Adamu.

    The letter was read by Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over Senate plenary Wednesday.

    Entitled “Announcement of removal of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as chairman Northern Senators Forum” the removal letter read in part:

    “This is to inform the Senate that the majority signatories of members of the Northern Senators Forum; we have removed Senator Abdullahi Adamu as chairman of the Northern Senators Forum for financial mismanagement and misadministration. We announce his replacement with Senator Aliyu Wamakko immediately. Find the attached names and signatories of members. Signed, Senator Dino Melaye, Director of Publicity Northern Senators Forum.”

    At a press briefing by Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi in company with Senators Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) Isah Hamman Misau (Bauchi Central) the drama of Adamu’s removal as Northern Senators Forum further played out.

    Asked to explain the meaning of “financial mismanagement and misadministration” leveled against Adamu, Abdullahi , Sani to threw more light on the allegation.

    The Kaduna Central lawmaker in trademark dramatic fashion said: “Abdullahi Adamu is a distinguished senator and an elder statesman. There are some things that some of my colleagues cannot say but I’m not used to holding back what is the truth.

    “When we resumed as senators, when we assumed office, Senator Ahmed Lawan (Senate Leader) tendered the sum of N70 million to the 8th Senate that is, N70 million was monies gathered by Northern Senators from the 7th Senate. So it was handed over to the 8th senators from Northern Nigeria under the 8th Senate.

    “The rumours going round whether it is true but I believe most of the Senators know is the fact. There were allegations that some monkeys raided the farm house of some of the executives in Northern Senators Forum and carted away some of these monies.

    “I think this country is becoming a huge joke, first of all it was the rodent that drove away the President,  we now have snakes consuming about N36 million, and now you have monkeys carting away N70 million from a farm house.”

    Sani who stressed the necessity for Adamu to speak on the issue said “I support that it is very important that the distinguished senator who is a respected elder statesman should be around to protect and defend his integrity.”

    Also speaking on what informed the removal of Adamu, Melaye said, “All I will just say is simple, that the decision of the majority of the Northern Senators’ Forum is that they want to have a change of leadership.

    “The allegations investigated and found out to be true are that there was financial mismanagement; that monies were spent without consent of members and Excos were not contacted; and that the organisation is becoming moribund and ineffective.

    “We are not doing the things that we are supposed to do and we need to inject some vibrancy into the organisation, and that many positions have been taken without consulting with the Exco and other members of the organisation.”

    Efforts to find out Adamu’s side of the story were unsuccessful.

    He was said to have insisted that the time was not ripe for him to speak on the issue.

    Reporters who trooped to Adamu’s office for his reaction were disappointed as he was quoted to have said that he would speak at the appropriate time.

    A source said that the allegation of financial mismanagement leveled against Adamu may be a smoke screen to cover up the real issue.

    The source recalled that Adamu led nine other senators last Wednesday to oppose the amendment of the Electoral Act which reordered the sequence of elections in the country.

    According to the source “The attack on Adamu is just the beginning. Information available to some of us is that all those who participated in the walk out to address the press on the amendment of the Electoral Act may not escape sanction one way or the other. Recall that Omo-Agege has been referred to the Ethics committee for investigation. His apology may not save him.”

    Also Read: Adamu removed as Senate Northern Forum chair

  • 2019: Senators divided over amendment to election sequence

    2019: Senators divided over amendment to election sequence

    Senators were on Wednesday divided over new amendment to the Electoral Act regarding election sequence in the 2019 general elections.

    Specifically, the disagreement was sparked by Section 25(1) of the amendment bill, which places the National Assembly election as first in the sequence of elections.

    The bill has been passed and concurred with by the two chambers of the National Assembly and in the process of being forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.

    Going by the provision of the new bill, the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections come next to the National Assembly election, followed by the presidential election, which comes last.

    But a handful of the senators have kicked against the bill, saying it was self-serving and targeted at the President’s re-election bid.

    Leading opposition to the bill was Senator Abdullahi Adamu (APC Nasarawa West), whose argument against the bill was truncated at the plenary session by the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

    Adamu, leading nine other senators, thereafter, stormed out of the chambers to address a press conference where he and members of his group said the amendment was in bad faith.

    Speaking one after the other, the nine senators picked holes in the bill, saying it was clearly skewed against the President and insisted that amendment was hasty and uncalled for.

    According to the protesting senators, the bill sought to usurp the constitutional role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the elections.

    The senators also faulted the process leading to the amendment, as according to them, only 36 of the 360 members of the House of Representatives passed the amendment bill.

    The number, they said, failed to form the required quorum.

     

     

  • Results of Adamawa PDP ward congresses delayed

    Results of Adamawa PDP ward congresses delayed

    The results of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ward congresses in Adamawa State are yet to be released due to what the Chairman of the Ward Congress Electoral Panel, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, described as the “cumbersome nature of the work”.

    Adamu told reporters at the PDP state secretariat that the results would be release in Abuja in presence of the party’s state Chairman, Chief Joel Madaki.

    Adamu, who was in the company of the Secretary, Mrs. Adebola Alabi; Mr. Daniel Goemai and Alhaji Suleiman Isiyaku, said: “The exercise was conducted successfully after the panel embarked on extensive consultation with the governor and other party leaders and major stakeholders. Before and after the exercise, we met with stakeholders, who are very happy with the outcome.”

    A governorship aspirant, Dr. Dahiru Modibbo, who claimed to be speaking for PDP governorship aspirants, said they were satisfied with the conduct of the congresses.