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Tag: ADC

  • 4 APC lawmakers defect to opposition parties

    4 APC lawmakers defect to opposition parties

    Four members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to four other opposition parties.

    The lawmakers made their defections known in separate letters read by Speaker Yakubu Dogara on the floor of the house.

    In the letters, the lawmakers commended the APC for providing the platform for them to serve and stated that it was time for them to move on to further their political careers somewhere else.

    Rep. Dada Awoleye, representing Ibadan North Federal Constituency, defected to Accord Party while Rep. Segun William representing Abeokuta South Federal Constituency, defected to Labour Party.

    Also, Rep. Hassan Lawali representing Anka/Mafara Federal Constituency, Zamfara, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while Rep Adesina Adedapo, representing Ibadan North-East/South- East Federal Constituency defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    There was light celebration among lawmakers as the speaker announced the defections.

     

  • Saraki’s Aide speaks on Senate President’s Bloomberg interview

    Special Assistant to Senate President Bukola Saraki on New Media, Olu W. Onemola has reacted to the interview the Senate President granted Bloomberg.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Saraki had in an interview with Bloomberg said he is considering running against President Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential election billed for February, 2019.

    The former Governor of Kwara state said he can make the change that Nigeria and Nigerians desire.

    “I am consulting and actively considering it. I believe I can make the change,” Bloomberg quoted Saraki to have said.

    In his reaction, the Senate President’s aide said, “‘considering’ is not a declaration” while stressing that “at the appropriate time, the President of Senate will be specific about his aspiration for 2019.

    “Moreover, the Bloomberg interview was 90% on the economy, and not politics.

    “The President of the Senate has been clear that at the right time, Nigerian’s will know what his plans are.

    “The President of the Senate did not say anything new in that interview that he hasn’t said in Nigeria. He spoke mostly about the economy, not about politics — as always, reporters picked their angle,” he added.

    Saraki, a former chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) defected to the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in what analysts have said is for him to have the opportunity to have a go at the presidency.

    Governors of Benue and Kwara states have also defected to the PDP and fourteen other Senators also recently dumped the APC for PDP and African Democratic Congress (ADC), a party associated with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who Saraki visited recently, further fuelling the rumours of his presidency.

    While the PDP is expected to hold its primary election in October, Saraki claims the party has learnt its lesson from the loss in 2015 and stand a chance of leading Nigeria in the right direction.

     

  • Why we defected to ADC—Federal lawmaker

    Why we defected to ADC—Federal lawmaker

    Rep. Abiodun Olasupo(ADC- Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa) says members of his Unity Forum in the Oyo State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) were forced to defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    Olasupo, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Compliance, said this at Iwere-Ile in Iwajowa Local Government Area of Oyo State at a town hall meeting with constituents.

    The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that Olasupo, alongside other members of the Unity Forum, a splinter group of the APC in the state, recently defected to ADC.

    The group had accused Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of disrespect for party supremacy.

    The lawmaker, however, argued that the recent defections across political parties were good for democracy, adding that the development would enhance good governance.

    “Democracy is about tyranny of the majority. There won’t be a strong political party when the interest of minority overrides that of the majority.

    “As long as there is no strong political party, there won’t be a stable government and without a stable government, there won’t be the much-desired development,” he said.

    Olasupo stated that political participation and membership were about free entry and exit to allow participants the choice of desired political ideology and direction.

    “When the tenets of a political party do not give power to the people to elect who leads them, then free exit is guaranteed.

    “People will have to move to another party where they are warmly welcomed and where internal democracy is much sacrosanct.

    “We defected to ADC where we found an abode. This is an abode where party supremacy and internal democracy is highly valued.

    “ In this party, the tyranny of majority works and the minority have their say,’’ he said.

    The lawmaker said that politics globally was about personal interest, adding that participants needed to be where they were wanted in accordance with the choice of supporters.

    Olasupo said his ambition to seek re-election was driven by the support and aspirations of his supporters.

    “When I was elected in 2015, I saw so many possibilities and made many promises. By the grace of God and the support of my people, I have delivered, but not on all.

    “There are so many things beyond my weight as a first timer in the House of Representatives.

    “ My re-election in 2019 God willing is going to be a project of consolidation.

    “I am going to consolidate on all I have done including educational support, infrastructure, economic emancipation, women empowerment, securing of jobs for constituents as well as physical and human development,” he said.

    The lawmaker also condemned the siege laid to the National Assembly by the DSS, describing it as sad in a democracy.

    Some community leaders in the council area, Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi, Alhaji Saka Kareem and Alhaji Kazeem Olalekan, described Olasupo as a tested representative of the constituency.

  • 2019: Obasanjo’s ADC pulls out of PDP-led coalition

    2019: Obasanjo’s ADC pulls out of PDP-led coalition

    Barely three months after the fusion of Coalition of Nigerian Movement (CNM) and African Democratic Congress (ADC), a faction pulled out on Tuesday, announcing itself as New African Democratic Congress (N-ADC).

    Protem National Chairman of the group, Precious Elekima, made the announcement at a news conference in Abuja.

    The CNM, founded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had in May adopted ADC as its political party.

    In July, the ADC joined 36 other opposition parties and Reformed All Progressive Congress (R-APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to form an alliance called Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).

    The parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to contest the 2019 general elections under one platform.

    Elekima said the N-ADC withdrew from ADC because it did not want to be a party in CUPP, explaining that ADC leadership joined the alliance without consulting stakeholders.

    He said the formation of the group was to keep alive the mission of ADC to free Nigeria from backwardness, which the party (ADC) wanted to truncate by joining the coalition.

    He recalled that CNM, which he claimed now had no fewer than five million members across the country, was formed after the publication of the “famous open letter’’ by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in January, 2018.

    He said that by joining the alliance, the ADC defied the clarion call by Obasanjo for the rejection of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Elekima said without collecting any money from the former president or any of his associates, Nigerians organised themselves from the wards to state level, toiled and sacrificed towards salvaging the country.

    “On May 10, without any form of consultation with the components of the federation, that is the states, the teeming members of CNM fused into ADC as the third-force with the mandate to salvage Nigerians from oppressive leadership.

    “These teeming Nigerians believed in the good intentions as set out in the clarion call so meekly embraced by the ADC.

    “They gave flesh and blood to the ADC, reinvigorated and rebranded it to aspire as the third-force in the political landscape of the country.

    “This again, they did without any sponsorship from the former president or his associates. They invested their time and resources to building the ADC whose star was on the rise.

    “Suddenly, without any consultation with the party chairmen and stakeholders in the 36 states and Abuja, the ADC was taken into a place for unholy intimacy with the PDP.

    “As if that was a small matter, defectors from the APC were also called in to take part in this unholy political orgy clothed as Memorandum of Understanding for the CUPP on July 16.’’

    The N-ADC chairman said with respect to Mr Obasanjo, Nigerians and the international community were not being informed about cleansing in APC and PDP, to certify fit for ADC to be in alliance with them.

    According to him, Nigerians cannot be fooled as ADC has become just another vehicle for recirculation of the people that were common problem of the nation.

    “Since majority of the members in the ADC never set out to deceive Nigerians, it has become necessary for the sake of these innocent members and the hope held for Nigerians that we step out of the ADC.

    “It has become necessary to step out with the mission and mandate of the clarion call and leave behind those leaders who for reasons best known to them have become like those in APC and PDP.

    “We are, therefore, happy and proud to announce that these gallant Nigerians who believe in the Third-Force for Nigerians have now constituted themselves out from the former ADC as the New–ADC.

    “We call on members of ADC nationwide, the CNM and all progressives to rally round the N-ADC as we set out on a mission to free Nigerians from their slave masters,’’ he said.

    Elekima, who was Coordinator of CNM in Rivers, apologised to Nigerians, saying that his group was not part of decision to join CUPP.

    He disclosed that the factional group had already written the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to notify it of the formation of N-ADC, with temporary National Secretariat in Maitama, Abuja.

    This, he said, was important in order to meet up INEC’s time table for 2019 general elections.

    “We will come out with a decision that will be all-embracing and will create a path way for Nigerians to follow.’’

    Reacting to the development, National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Anayo Arinze, said that Mr Elekima was not a card-carrying member of ADC, and could therefore, not form faction of the party.

    Arinze added that Mr Elekima and his group could not be consulted on the party’s decision because they were not members of ADC.

    “Should we go about the streets and be consulting people who are not our members before we make decision as a party?’’ he asked.

  • Ex-Oyo governor Ladoja dumps PDP

    A former Governor of Oyo State, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He formally announced his decision to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    This comes barely a year after he rejoined the PDP from the Accord Party.

    Addressing supporters at his residence in Bodija, Ibadan, Ladoja recounted efforts by him to stabilize the PDP in the state and in the country and said those sacrifices went unrecognized.

    He also said he had now accepted the responsibility of facilitating the defection of serving and former governors and lawmakers across the country into the ADC.

    “The assignment that the delegation of ADC from Abuja gave me is that the governors that are planning to join ADC, that I should facilitate their defection to ADC. I may not always be around, but it is for the betterment of our party. This is because I am sure that the home front in the state is safe. Those at home are competent.

    “The ADC and PDP have signed an agreement to present a joint presidential candidate. What we are seriously working on for now is that the presidential candidate should emerge from ADC. “This will compel me to move to different parts of the country quickly so that ADC will hold the ace in other states, after we have conducted the congresses in Oyo State.

    “As it is now, there is no ward in Oyo State that we don’t have presence. If possible, we should conduct our ward congress next Saturday. Registration will begin from now. If the ward congress is conducted on Saturday, the Saturday that will follow, we can also conduct local government congress, and the Saturday that will follow that one on August 18, we can conduct state congress.

    “We need to conduct the congresses on time so that we would not contravene the guidelines set by INEC. It is not that we are in a haste, but time is no longer on our side with barely eight months to the general elections.

    “By the grace of God, things will fall in proper places. I urge you all to cooperate with the leadership as we go through the process. Let us be more committed than we did in the past,” Ladoja said.

  • 2019: Buhari’s team, APC offering opposition parties N50m each — ADC

    2019: Buhari’s team, APC offering opposition parties N50m each — ADC

    …show proofs of the bribe – APC

    The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged that the All Progressives Congress and the President Muhammadu Buhari team are offering opposition parties N50m to compromise them.

    The National Chairman of the ADC, Ralphs Nwosu, said this in his welcome address at a meeting with a team of officials of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI) at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, on Wednesday.

    However, the APC has challenged the Ralphs Nwosu-led ADC to back its allegation with evidence instead of soiling the nation’s image with unsubstantiated claims.

    The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, gave the challenge in an interview to counter the accusation.

    In his words: “It is unfortunate that some Nigerians would think that they are playing opposition politics by making wild allegations before international organisations, that’s quite unfortunate.

    “These individuals making these wild allegations cannot give you one shred of evidence to back their claims. Let them name the person or persons that made them such an offer.

    “At least, they must be able to name a person who is offering money to cause trouble within them. If you can go as far as making allegations that have far-reaching implications on the reputation of your country, if that means anything to you at all, he should be bold enough to back it up with evidence.”

    However, the ADC chair further explained to the NDI and IRI team that Nigeria’s democracy made appreciable progress since 1999; noting that the country had had a successful transition at the expiration of tenure every four years.

    The party chairman described the decision of former President Goodluck Jonathan to accept defeat and congratulate his opponent even before the final announcement of the Presidential election results as “a hallmark performance” of the successes recorded within the period.

    Nwosu said, “However, the events of the last three years seem to be undermining all the gains.

    “In terms of elections, the bye-election in Rivers State turned the territory to a police state and a battlefield until the government of President Buhari, working with relevant agencies of the state, got the ‘hacked’ result they wanted.

    “Despite the poverty in the land, the ruling party and government have unlimited budget for bribing the electorate, electoral bodies and causing mischief.

    “The APC and President Buhari’s team are presently sharing N50m to members of the opposition parties in an attempt to cause crises within the parties. I heard that they have upped that of ADC to N100m, but they will fail.”

    He said the ADC, which had been adopted by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo-led coalition and other groups, had a membership of 6.5 million persons.

    The party chairman also told his guests that the ADC was a grassroots party which had registered about 1.2 million fee-paying members within the last three months with close to 10 million persons waiting to be registered.

    The head of the visiting team, Mr Christopher Fomunyoh, who is also the Regional Director, Central and West Africa of the NDI, said the team was in Nigeria to assess Nigeria’s level of preparedness for the 2019 elections.

    He said, “We are currently visiting Nigeria to assess the level of preparations for the 2019 elections.

    “It is our tradition to meet with all major stakeholders focusing on the electoral process. We also came to see what opportunities exist for future engagements.”

     

  • [BREAKING] 2019: Obasanjo’s CNM adopts ADC as political party

    As the 2019 election year approaches, former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) on Thursday adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    The former president gave this hint on Thursday evening when he addressed the press at his presidential library home in Abeokuta.

    In a speech he titled ‘My treatise for future of democracy and development in Nigeria’, Obasanjo said, “Let me start by welcoming and commending the emergence of a renewed and reinvigorated African Democratic Congress, ADC, as a political party.

    “Since the inception of Coalition for Nigeria Movement, CNM, many of the sixty-eight registered political parties had contacted and consulted with the Movement on coming together and working together.

    “The leadership of the Movement, after detailed examination, wide consultation and bearing in mind the orientation, policies and direction of the Movement, have agreed to adopt ADC as its platform to work with others for bringing about desirable change in the Nigeria polity and governance.”

     

    Details soon…