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Tag: Shekarau

  • Jonathan picks Shekarau as Education minister

    Jonathan picks Shekarau as Education minister

    … Adeyeye, Bulama, Oru assigned portfolios 

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday swore in four ministers and allocated portfolio to each of them.

    Those sworn in before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting included Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), Abu Bulama (Yobe State), Stephen Oru (Delta State) and Adedayo Adeyeye (Ekiti).

    Their appointments were last week Wednesday confirmed by the Senate.

    The President assigned Shekarau as Minister of Education, Stephen Oru as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Abu Bulama as Minister of Science and Technology and Adedayo Adeyeye as Minister of State for Works.

    Bashir Yuguda, who was the substantive Minister of State for Works, has now been moved to Minister of State for Finance and to continue to supervise the National Planning Commission.

    Jonathan tasked them to put in their best in the new assignments as there is no time to sleep on the job.

    He said: “Let me congratulate you for this appointment, but it is not an enviable appointment because in football match when you get to the injury time and a player is brought in you expect goals from the player.”

    “This government has less than a year to go and you have been brought in this time, so you know the reason why you have been brought in. You have no time to sleep, unfortunately for you because first you have to learn how to climb the ropes, because maybe it is a different setting, no matter how experienced you are, if you go to something different you will need sometime to adjust.”

    “But from your background we know that all of you are eminently qualified to be here and we know that it will not take you too many hours to settle down. We believe that you will perform not just to satisfy Mr. President but to satisfy Nigerians. You are not just serving the President as a principal aide, but you are serving our motherland and in this we will expect the best from you especially at this time when there is global competition.”

  • Minister: Senate clears Shekarau, three others

    The Senate has cleared former Kano State Governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    Also cleared are – Dr. Abdu Bulama from Yobe State, Dr. Stephen Orise Oru (Delta State) and Prince Adedayo Adeyeye representing Ekiti State.

    The confirmation of the four ministerial nominees followed their appearance and screening by the Senate.

  • Jonathan nominates Shekarau, Adeyeye, two others as ministers

    Jonathan nominates Shekarau, Adeyeye, two others as ministers

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday nominated ex-Governor Ibrahim Shekarau for appointment as minister representing Kano State.

    Jonathan in a letter to the Senate, also named Stephen Orise Oruh from Delta State, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye (Ekiti State) and Dr. Abdul Bulama from Yobe State for appointment as ministers.

    Kwara and Anambra States without substantive ministers were however not included in the list.

    Jonathan in a letter to Senate President, David Mark, said: “In accordance with Section 147, Sub-Section 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), I have the honour to forward the under listed ministerial nominees for consideration and Senate confirmation.

    “Dr. Abdul Bulama, Yobe state, Dr. Stephen Oruh, Delta State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, Kano State, and  Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, Ekiti State.

    “It is my hope that this exercise will receive the usual kind expeditious consideration of the distinguished members of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

    It was learnt that three out of the four nominees would fill the gap created by the exit of the former ministers of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe (Delta), Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade (Ekiti), and Minister for State for Finance, Yerima Ngama (Yobe).

    Hadjia Jamilia Salik from Kano State was among the 12 ministerial nominees forwarded to the Senate for confirmation in January but she was not screened for the job.

    However, Kwara and Anambra States are yet to get ministerial nominees to fill the slots of their states following the removal of Mallam Bolaji Abdulahi from Kwara State as Sports Minister in March this year and Princess Stella Odua who hitherto represented Anambra State as Minister of Aviation.

  • Kwankwaso shuns Jonathan in Kano

    Kwankwaso shuns Jonathan in Kano

    …  He didn’t vote for me – President

    Kano state Governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso and his cabinet on Tuesday shunned President Goodluck Jonathan who visited the state for a Peoples Democratic Party welcome rally for Malam Ibrahim Shekarau.

    Kwankwaso’s refusal to receive President Jonathan and his entourage to Kano may not be unconnected with the governor’s earlier statement where he said that Kano people will not welcome the President because he has not done anything to better the lot of Nigerians since he assumed leadership of the country.

    The governor said he regretted voting for President Jonathan, pointing out that the President has disappointed Nigerians.

    “I regretted voting for President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 Presidential Election, as he has done nothing to move the nation forward. Only a few people are enjoying in Nigeria at the expense of the generality of the citizenry,” he said.

    But the President fired back at Kwankwaso during the rally, saying the All Progressive Congress chieftain didn’t vote for him, just as he vowed that come 2015, “PDP must recapture Kano.”

    He also challenged the governor to account for over N225 billion Local Government funds he received from the Federal Allocation within two years.

    The President said, “We read in some of the daily newspapers that the Governor of Kano state, Kwankwaso, said he regretted voting for me. Let me tell my good people of Kano that Kwankwaso did not vote for me or Vice President Namadi Sambo whether in the primaries or the main election.

    “We have accommodated a lot, but we talk less. Those of you from Kano in PDP knew what happened that when we entered that Eagle Square; by the time the counting got up to half-way – when it was clear that I was to emerge as the candidate, Kwankwaso left the venue.

    “Even the little money my campaign office provided for refreshment and transportation for Kano delegates, Kwankwaso refused to give them that money. He did that so that the Kano delegates will be angry and would not vote for me.”

     

  • Why I joined PDP – Shekarau

    Why I joined PDP – Shekarau

    The scramble to take advantage of the ongoing defection of prominent members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to gain momentum among displaced politicians across the nation.

    The latest in the attention-chasing adventure occurred on Monday with the former governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau declaring for the PDP at the Yar ‘Adua centre, Abuja.

    Shakarau, who formally announced his decision to join the ruling party, described the APC as a party without a structure.

    Maintaining that the opposition could not be seen or touched, because it had lost its soul, the former Kano governor said he was leaving the APC because the party has become a political fraud.

    In a swift reaction, however, the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, could only wish Shekarau well in his new marriage to the PDP.

    In a telephone chat with one of our correspondents on Monday, Mohammed simply said: “We wish Shakarau well in his new marriage.”

    Challenging the leadership of the APC to produce the party’s constitution and manifesto, Shekarau boasted that no intimidation, blackmail, or character assassination would change his vision.

    He said, “Because some people wanted to pocket the party and that was why the constitution of the party had yet to see the light of the day.

    “The soul of the APC is lost. It cannot be touched or seen. APC Constitution is a political fraud. There is no management at any level of APC. This is the issue we raised and this is what we challenged.

    “I did all I could do to salvage the APC with no results. I refused to keep quiet in the face of the shenanigan going on in the APC.

    “Some people want to pocket the party when the constitution of the party cannot be found anywhere on the street of this country. We cannot see ourselves belonging to a platform where we have been made to pocket others.

    “After six months, no structure was found anywhere, we cannot belong to such, where no caricature of management is found. We challenged the leadership of APC to tell us why the constitution and manifesto of the party is not found on the street of Nigeria.

    “There is nowhere in the constitution of the APC that said X and Y are the leaders of the party.

    “Politics is not not only about contesting and winning elections neither is it about getting public offices alone, but a platform to get the people to participate in nation building.

    “As we are stepping into PDP, the party has made some amendments and has looked inward. We are solidly behind the leadership of the party. We will contribute meaningfully to development of the country in general.”

    Shekarau said his decision to dump the APC for the PDP was jointly reached with his supporters in Kano and across the country.

    Also speaking at the occasion, former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, said the APC has become the old PDP.

    Bafarawa, who also defected to PDP a few days ago, said he and Shekarau were in the PDP to rebuild the ruling party.

     

  • Kwankwaso’s exit won’t kill PDP in Kano – Shekarau

    Kwankwaso’s exit won’t kill PDP in Kano – Shekarau

    The former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, on Thursday said the defection of Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not adversely affect the party in the state.

    He gave this assurance while speaking with State House correspondents after a meeting with Vice President Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to him, Kwankwaso’s defection cannot kill PDP in Kano.

    He said, “His defection cannot kill PDP. Those current with situation on ground knew that the governor of Kano had long before now been out of PDP. What he is running is Kwankwasiya, a cultism kind of a group.”

    “PDP has always been there, so what we are doing is we are now joining PDP and his group has gone into APC. We shall see whether we are the ones on ground or the Kwankwasiya APC.”

    “We checked out from the APC when we discovered that some of the principal actors in the merger did not mean well.”

    Asked whether his ideology is the same with that of PDP, he said: “I have always argued that these parties are one and the same. It is all about Nigeria and Nigerians. It is all about what we do to move the nation forward. Everybody is talking about serving Nigerians.

    “We are all heading to the same destination, the only difference is that we are taking different routes. As far as I am concerned, I am just continuing to make myself available to serve humanity regardless of the platform.”

    He said that he has never been part of the clamour for a northern president in 2015 as he has always opposed rotational presidency.

    “I have never subscribed to the argument of localizing the Presidency to a particular region. If you had followed my arguments and my presentations or debates in the presidential election, I said so. My concern is what do we do to get the right leadership regardless of where it is coming from”

     

  • Why I joined PDP, by Shekarau

    Why I joined PDP, by Shekarau

    Former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau announced yesterday his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said the APC lacked internal democracy and good leadership.

    Shekarau, who made the declaration at his home in Kano, said six months after its registration, the APC leadership has refused to elect executives at the national, state, local government and ward levels.

    He added that no single member of the party had been registered.

    The former governor said lack of leadership structure, internal democracy and detailed political programme were lacking in APC.

    Shekarau said he was dumping the party because “a cabal has hijacked the party leadership for its selfish interest.”

    According to him, the defection of PDP governors in Rivers, Kano, Adamawa, Sokoto and Kwara states further created complex leadership problems in the APC.

    He said: “On behalf of the leaders of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), it is my pleasure to welcome you to this stakeholders meeting of the Kano State Elders Forum.

    “We presented petitions signed by 250 stakeholders on December 18.

    “Today is six weeks since we presented that petition, no acknowledgement, no contact, no one has referred to us to address the petition we submitted.

    “It is as a result of this conspicuous display of injustice that the ANPP stakeholders have assembled here today and we renounce our membership of the APC.

    “We dump the party from this moment; and based on the motion moved and adopted and accepted unanimously, we, the members of ANPP stock of Kano State, are moving to the PDP.

  • Lawmakers to Shekarau: you are on your own

    Lawmakers to Shekarau: you are on your own

    Ten members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Kano State in the House of Representatives have reaffirmed their loyalty to the party.

    At a briefing yesterday, the group’s leader, who is also the deputy Minority leader, Suleiman Kawu, said the lawmakers had no intention of leaving APC because the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has no agenda for Nigerians.

    Kawu said: “Today, under PDP, we are witnessing unprecedented corruption, insecurity, poverty and instability more than ever before.

    “We see the coming of APC as an opportunity to right the wrongs of the PDP and once again put Nigeria on the pedestal of growth, development, economic prosperity and make it an egalitarian society where the rule of law and social justice prevail.

    “We wish to make it clear today that we are not leaving the APC for any party. We have sacrificed a lot and have come a long way in the struggle to emancipate our people from the bondage of PDP misrule.

    “And at this crucial stage of our journey, we will not look back, or backtrack. We will not look sideways, we will not leave our beloved APC for anyone.”

  • Shekarau defects to PDP

    Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and former Kano State governor, on Wednesday defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with his loyalists.
    Shekarau, backed by his supporters from the 44 local government areas of the state, made the declaration at his Bompai GRA residence in Kano.
    According to him, the decision is to satisfy the aspirations of the people of the state who felt left out from the APC.
    “We intended with the merger to form a solid foundation for entrenchment of democracy.
    “The Legacy Group sacrificed all interests for the merger, but for the past six months all agreements reached by the merged parties had not been met.
    “No clear leaders, no registration of APC members at any levels. This shows a clear lack of commitment, transparency and accountability to all concerned,” he said.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the supporters participated in the declaration with each group of stakehoders affirming the decision to defect to PDP.

  • Shekarau assures APC of support

    Shekarau assures APC of support

    Former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau yesterday assured the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of the support of his followers.

    Speaking during the presentation of a letter, titled: “The Way forward in Building a Formidable APC in Kano State,” at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, Shekarau, who led the delegation, promised that “Kano will be the last state to do anything to mar the progress of APC.”

    He, however, noted that it was with the consent, support, and cooperation of the people that the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) negotiated for the merger and registration of the APC.

    Shekarau added: “It is in the spirit of taking our people along, it is the spirit of presenting the views and aspirations of the Kano people that we felt we should meet with the leadership of APC. We have brought to you the feelings and concern of the Kano people as far as APC is concerned.”

    Presenting the letter, the former ANPP state Chairman Sani Hotoro said: “In Kano State, where the defunct ANPP was firmly entrenched, officials of the state are saying that the APC has been handed over to Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and that members of the defunct ANPP should serve under his leadership.”

    But the party’s National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, said APC on Tuesday raised a seven-man committee to address the harmonisation of Kano APC.

    He promised to present the letter to the leadership of the party and the committee.

    Akande said: “The working of all these sequences of events is going to be in the hands of the committee.

    “It is like starting a case at the Supreme Court level. So because of that I will not give a reply here because I don’t want the judgment to start from the top.

    “But I am going to deliver this letter to the party and the party will hand over the letter to the committee. And the committee will soon begin to work among you. And before we take any step at all, we will meet again to resolve outstanding issues.

    “We are going to run the party transparently. I won’t say much about the registration or the harmonisation or whatever, because a lot was said at the meeting on Tuesday. We will run the party transparently.”