TheNewsGuru

Tag: Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

  • Delta APC warns Okowa against funding Atiku’s campaign with state fund

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation in Delta state, has warned Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, against using state funds to finance the campaign and political activities of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    The warning was contained in a statement issued by the APC Governorship campaign organisation, on Friday by the Director, Communications and Media Strategy.

    The warning came following the announcement of gov. Okowa as the running mate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for the 2023 general elections.

    According to the statement, “the use of taxpayers’ funds and collective resources of Deltans to fund personal political ambitions was unacceptable, callous and inhuman”.

    “It is said that on a day the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, approved the immediate payment of outstanding gratuities, pension arrears and death benefits for retirees of Rivers State Public Service, the Delta State House of Assembly approved N25 billion loan for Governor Ifeanyi Okowa allegedly to plant palm trees,” the statement read in part.

    “This is coming barely 49 days after the embattled PDP candidate, Okowa’s yes-man and Speaker of the state Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori or Francis, approved a controversial N150 billion loan.

    “We have sufficient grounds to suspect that these loans are being taken to prosecute Atiku’s presidential campaign. We will not stand by and watch Okowa impoverish our people in order to enthrone a man who has nothing to offer Deltans in particular and Nigerians in general.

    “If Governor Okowa had devoted half of the time he used in pursuing his Vice Presidential ambition to focus on governance, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

    “As of today, the government is owing retirees over seven years of gratuities, pension arrears and death benefits while the state goes on autopilot for Okowa to pursue his personal ambition. Most retirees have resorted to a commercial tricycle, popularly called Keke, for survival, some are bedridden, others have resigned to fate or even died while waiting for the present administration to pay their entitlements after 35 years of meritorious service to state and country.”

    According to the Delta APC Governorship campaign organisation, “the path of backwardness and crippling debts which the Okowa government has sentenced the state was undeserved given the huge, abundant human and natural resources that Delta is blessed with”.

    It, therefore, charged Governor Okowa to borrow a leaf from his counterparts in Rivers, Borno, Ebonyi and other states “that are blazing the trail with legacy projects, turning their states into massive construction sites, while paying outstanding gratuities and pensions, rather than take loans with nothing to show at the end of the day”.

     

  • PDP denies announcing Wike as Atiku’s running mate, says NWC still consulting

    The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), has denied report it has announced  Nyesom Wike as the running mate to the presidential flagbearer Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    Media reports had it that Wike has been announced as Atiku’s running mate, but the PDP has denied settling for him yet.

    Addressing reporters in Abuja on Wednesday, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, said the reports could only be in the realm of rumour.

    According to him, the NWC of the party is currently still consulting in order to pick the best vice-presidential candidate for the party in the 2023 elections.

    “We have a process as a party because we are organic. We follow through with the processes.

    “We recognize the importance of participatory democracy, ensuring that every stakeholder and organ of the party is involved in our decision-making process.

    “This is the beginning of the process, consideration and advisory body need to get to the level where, in consultation with the presidential candidate, they will deliberate on who is most suitable.

    “That process is ongoing, so any report of a particular candidate at this point is probably premature,” he said.

  • APC has destroyed Nigeria, don’t vote them in 2023 – Atiku says

    PDP candidate for next year’s presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has called on Nigerians not to vote the ruling APC back to power.

    In a post on his verified Twitter handle on Monday, the former Vice President said the nation has been destroyed on the account of the kind of leadership being provided the country by the APC.

    The presidential hopeful therefore noted that he is expecting Nigerians to also repay the ruling party in kind by voting them out.

    He lamented the Buhari presidency which has faced myriad of challenges, and called on the citizens to support his party as the PDP is prepared to redeem the country.

    ALSO READ: Crumble APC as FG crumbled human value, Atiku pleads with Nigerians

    The candidate said the varying degrees of challenges confronting the country were testament to the collapsing nature of the nation.

    According to the post, the darkness that has enveloped the nation in the last couple of days with the collapse of the national grid is a metaphor for the collapsing state of Nigeria.

    In addition, Atiku said collapses of the country’s unity, security, economy, education, well-being and value of human life and dignity are all testament to the problems in Nigeria under the current government.

    “My expectation is that Nigerians will collapse the ruling APC in kind via the ballot and enthrone a viable pathway for the New Nigeria of our dreams that will be united and stable, prosperous and awash with opportunities; secured and inclusive. As One, we can get it done,” he posited.

    TheNewsGuru.com understands that some of the issues that would define 2023 general election in Nigeria centres on the issues enumerated in the tweet.

  • Peter Obi defeats Tinubu, Atiku in opinion polls on twitter

    Former Anambra state governor, peter Obi has defeated the All Progressive Congress  (APC)  presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu and People’s Democratic Party’s presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in an opinion poll organized on twitter TheNewsGuru.com can confirm.

    The three candidates  representing LP, APC and PDP respectively will  be in the eye of the storm  at the forthcoming  general elections billed to hold in February 2023.

    In the opinion poll monitored by TheNewsGuru.com, participants with PVC only were asked to cast their online opinion poll.

    The result showed Obi scored 63% while Atiku had 10% , Tinubu could only manage 21% of the votes.

    See Opinion Poll Result Below:

  • 2023 : PDP knocks Tinubu, says he’s no match for Atiku

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday watered down the emergence of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu as the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential flagbearer.

    PDP stated that Bola Tinubu is no match for  their own flag bearer Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    This was contained in a statement  signed and released by its spokesman, Hon. Debo Olo­gunagba, shortly after Tinubu’s emergence on Wednesday.

    The statement read in part “Our party also sympathizes with Asi­waju for embarking on a journey to nowhere as he is no match for PDP’s more popular, more competent and more prepared presi­dential candidate, His Ex­cellency, Atiku Abubakar, the unifier and the people’s choice, who defeated Presi­dent Buhari fair and square in the 2019 presidential elec­tion.

    “Asiwaju will soon real­ise that Nigeria is not one of his acquired estates or fief­doms and that the Nigerian people are not his political string-puppets and retinue of lackeys, from whom he bought the APC presiden­tial ticket.

    “Asiwaju will also soon realise that Nigerians hold him responsible for his self-confessed role in installing the failed Bu­hari-led administration that subjugated the people, brought excruciating eco­nomic hardship, acute pov­erty, bloodletting, terrorism, mass killings, promoted disunity, tribalism and nep­otism, lawlessness, massive treasury looting and unpar­donable life-discounting ex­periences to our country.

    “It is indeed reprehen­sible that Asiwaju, after being handed an APC flag that refused to unfold in recognition of the gloomy times of the APC, did not demonstrate any form of remorse for the injuries he engineered and caused our nation in the last seven years.

    “His failure to express empathy for the victims of violence, kidnapping, mass killings and acts of terror­ism, especially the recent gruesome attack in a sacred place of worship, St. Fran­cis Catholic Church, Owo in Ondo State serves as a foretaste of the big cover up and harrowing experience that Nigerians will face, God forbid, should Asiwa­ju emerge as president in 2023.”

    Reacting to  Tinubu’s speech, PDP said that the speech exposed his lack of capacity and presence of mind.

  • 2023: PDP Governors hold closed door meeting with Atiku in Abuja

    People’s Democratic Party (PDP) flagbearer Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is currently having a meeting with the party governors in the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.

    The meeting commenced few minutes after the emergence of former Lagos state Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), for the 2023 elections.

    It was gathered that top of the meeting’s agenda is how to pick a strong running mate for Atiku ahead of the 2023 general elections.

    Other issues might also has to do the constitution of the Presidential campaign council, the emergence of Tinubu and strategies towards uprooting the APC from power in 2023.

    The attendees are Bayelsa Governor, Douye Diri, Bauchi Governor, Bala Muhammed, Rivers Nyesom Wike, and  Benue gov, Samuel Ortom, Sokoto state Governor Aminu Tambuwal and his Oyo state counterpart Seyi Makinde.

  • Atiku reacts to APC’s presidential primary election

    Former Vice president and the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), presidential candidate, Alhaji  Atiku Abubakar, has challenged  the All Progressives Congress, (APC), ahead of the forthcoming 2023  general elections.

    Atiku posited that the 2023 general elections will serve as a referendum against the ruling APC’s failed policies and administration.

    He stressed that APC cannot boast of a good scorecard  since it became the ruling party in the country.

    The former  Vice President wrote via his twitter page : “The APC can gloss over everything, but not its scorecard for the mandate Nigerians gave to the party.

    “The 2023 elections will be a referendum on the failed policies of the administration. -AA”

    As at the time of filing this report the APC is still having its presidential primary at the Eagle Square in Abuja.

     

  • 2023 Elections: Atiku speaks on choosing a running mate

    Alhaji Atiku Abubakar the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party,  has reacted to claims that he has chosen the former governor of Imo State Emeka Ihedioha as his running mate.

    The rumour mills had it that Atiku had concluded plans to announce the Imo born politician as running mate ahead of the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

    But reacting, his spokesman, Paul Ibe, told pressmen  that his principal had not chosen Ihedioha or any other person as his running mate.

    According to him, the former Vice President would announce his running mate when the time is right.

    “When we decide to speak on the issue of running mate, it will not be a subject of speculation, we will roll it out. It is not going to be something that will be speculated on social media, online platforms or Whatsapp groups.

    “So from my own stable, I cannot confirm that to be true. These are the times for all manner of speculations. People should endeavour to wait for the official announcement. But this speculation is unknown to me.”

  • 2023: Lawyer drags Atiku to court over citizenship status

    Former Vice president and presidential flagbearer of the peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has been dragged to court by a lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, asking that the Federal High Court in Abuja should disqualify him.

    The  Abuja-based lawyer, claims that Atiku is not a full fledged Nigerian and shouldn’t be allowed to contest in the forthcoming general elections.

    Recall that Atiku had emerged the presidential flag bearer of the PDP for the 2023 general elections after polling a total of 371 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State who garnered 237 votes.

    Johnmary Jideobi, in his suit, is challenging Atiku’s Nigerian citizenship, despite serving as vice president from 1999 to 2007.

    Jideobi,  argued that Atiku is not a Nigerian citizen by birth as required by the country’s laws and does not qualify to run for the office of the President.

    Also joined as defendants in the suit are the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission, and the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF.

    According to him, the former Vice President only “acquired his citizenship of Nigeria by virtue of the 1961 plebiscite which integrated some people of Northern Cameroon into Nigeria as new citizens of Nigeria.”

    The plaintiff further told the court that it would amount to a grave desecration of the otherwise sacrosanct and inviolable provisions of Sections 1(1) & (2), 25 and 131(a) of the Constitution if Atiku is allowed to participate in the 2023 presidential election as the PDP candidate.

    He also said that the court must ensure that the INEC shall not allow any person or group of persons take control of the government of Nigeria or any part thereof except in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

    Furthermore, Jideobi prayed the court to declare that “by virtue of Sections 1(1) & (2), 25 and 131(a) of the Constitution, it is only a Nigerian citizen by birth that is constitutionally eligible to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

    He further seeks a “declaration that given the circumstances of the birth of the first defendant (Atiku), he is not constitutionally qualified to stand for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

    The plaintiff seeks an “order of the court disqualifying the first defendant – Atiku Abubakar – from contesting for election to the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

    He also begged the court to declare that the “PDP does not have a candidate for the office of the president in the 2023 presidential election to be organised by the third defendant.”

    He sought an order of perpetual injunction stopping the former Vice President and 2019 presidential candidate of the PDP from running for the office of the President of Nigeria or occupying such office by whatever means and throughout his lifetime an order to stop the PDP from fielding Atiku as its candidate for the 2023 presidential election and an order to restrain the INEC perpetually from accepting and or publishing Atiku’s name as a candidate of PDP for the office of the President.

    The court is yet to fix a date for the hearing of the case.

  • Pius Anyim congratulates Atiku Abubakar; displeased over voting process

    Former president of the senate and a contestant at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2022 Presidential Primaries, Anyim Pius Anyim, has congratulated Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for emerging the PDP flag bearer for the 2023 presidential election.

    Pius Anyim made this known in a press statement, in Abuja on Sunday.

    Anyim who commended the PDP 2022 Special Convention Committee for doing a great job, expressed displeasure over the voting process at the convention stating that “it was based on the old primordial sentiments”.

    Appreciating those who voted for him, Anyim said, “I deeply appreciate and thank all those who stood by me throughout this race, especially those that voted for me at the primary election. I want to assure all of you that we shall continue to stand tall until we birth the Nigeria of our collective dreams.”