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Tag: APC

  • Okowa departs Ekiti, as Fayose begs Governor stays over

    Okowa departs Ekiti, as Fayose begs Governor stays over

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, after successfully conducting the Ekiti State Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries, has departed the state.

    Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose was rumoured to have pleaded with the Delta State Governor to stay over the weekend.

    Fayose reportedly mockingly told the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hire Okowa for its primary scheduled to hold on Friday.

    Okowa chaired the committee that on Tuesday conducted the governorship primary of the PDP in Ekiti state, which was acclaimed to be credible and generally peaceful.

    Aspirants and observers had described the exercise as transparent and credible.

    In his remarks at the close of the exercise, Fayose said he would keep Okowa in the state till Friday so he could help the APC with their primary election.

    “We will keep Okowa here till Friday to help APC, if not they will not have any candidate. They will still continue to beat themselves. They can’t conduct congresses, they do not represent the minds of the masses,” he said.

    Reacting, however, Okowa said he is not part of the APC and cannot help them with their primary.

    “I decline to conduct the primary for APC. They need me back in Delta,” he said.

    APC primary election, which was conducted last Saturday by Tanko Al-Madura, Governor of Nasarawa state, was marred by violence.

     

  • Ekiti APC crisis deepens as angry Fayemi walked out on Tinubu, Akande, others

    Ekiti APC crisis deepens as angry Fayemi walked out on Tinubu, Akande, others

    There are strong indications that the meeting organised by national leaders of the All Progressives Congress to find a common ground on the way forward after the botched Ekiti State APC governorship primaries has hit a brick wall.

    Kayode Fayemi, minister of mines and steel, walked out of the meeting which Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and some party leaders held with the governorship aspirants of the APC in Ekiti state, on Tuesday, TheCable authoritatively reports.

    Recall that TheNewsGuru reported yesterday that the meeting which took place at the Lagos state government house in Asokoro, Abuja comes just as the APC announced a new date for its botched primary in Ekiti to elect is flag bearer for the July 12 governorship election.

    The first primary, held on Saturday, was halted following violence at the venue as some aspirants accused the organisers of bias. May 11 has been announced as the new date for the primary.

    Many of the key aspirants in Ekiti are believed to be in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting.

    Mr Tinubu, though not an official of the APC, is considered by many as the leader of the party in the South-west.

    Some of the key aspirants in the Ekiti election have had reasons to work with Mr Tinubu in the past.

    Among the 33 APC governorship aspirants are the minister of mines, Kayode Fayemi; a presidential aide, Babefemi Ojudu; a former Ekiti State governor, Segun Oni; and a former aide to Mr Tinubu, Opeyemi Bamidele.

    In the course of the meeting:

    “Some of the party leaders in attendance were Bisi Akande, pioneer chairman of the party; Segun Osoba, former Ogun state governor; Niyi Adebayo, former Ekiti state governor; and Pius Akinyelure; zonal vice chairman of the APC in the south-west.

    “After discussing for like two hours, they agreed on a break.

    “The minister, who walked out of the room ahead of other aspirants and party leaders, ignored reporters who approached him.” TheCable.

  • Botched primary: Tinubu, Osoba, others hold secret talks with Ekiti APC aspirants

    Botched primary: Tinubu, Osoba, others hold secret talks with Ekiti APC aspirants

    Sequel to the postponement of the Ekiti governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held on Saturday due to alleged irregularities and violence, the National leader of the party, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Segun Osoba and a select group of APC leaders from the South West are holding a secret meeting at the Lagos State Government Lodge Annex in Abuja.

    The meeting which started about an hour ago, was part of efforts to find a common ground on the way forward after the botched Ekiti State APC governorship primaries.

    According to a report by The Punch, the meeting has in attendance most of the contestants.

    A source privy to the meeting said the meeting which was scheduled for 2:00 pm was shifted to 4:00 pm because some of those expected for the meeting were held up at the Akure Airport.

    This is even as the party has announced Friday as the new date for the conclusion of the botched exercise.

    National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi told reporters that the party’s National Working Committee took the decision after considering the report of its panel sent to conduct the primaries.

     

    Details later…

  • Ekiti 2018: APC to retake botched governorship primary on Friday

    Ekiti 2018: APC to retake botched governorship primary on Friday

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has scheduled another governorship primary election in Ekiti state for Friday.

    Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the party, disclosed this to reporters in Abuja on Tuesday, saying Tanko Al-Makura, governor of Nasarawa state, will still chair the election committee.

    The primary election which held on Saturday ended on an inconclusive note as agents who said the process had been manipulated disrupted the exercise.

    They smashed ballot boxes and prevented delegates from voting. Only delegates from four out of the 16 local government areas of the state had voted when violence broke out.

    Thirty-three aspirants partook in the botched exercise.

    Kayode Fayemi, minister of mines and steel, who is one of the aspirants seeking the APC ticket for the July 14 election, had blamed some “desperate elements” for the crisis.

    He accused Babafemi Ojudu, an adviser of President Muhammadu Buhari, and Bimbo Daramola, a former house of representatives member, of contributing to the poor outcome of the exercise which he said was going in his favour.

    Both Ojudu and Daramola are aspirants in the party.

    Twenty-seven aspirants of the party had met in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, on Sunday to demand a fresh primary election.

    They also demanded the disbanding of the election committee chaired by Al-Makura.

    APC has up till Monday to present its candidate for July election.

     

  • Rivers: Stakeholders urge Buhari to wade into APC crisis

    Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, have called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to wade into the crisis rocking the party in the state.

    While rejecting the outcome of the last Saturday’s ward congress of the party in the state, the stakeholders said Buhari’s intervention will to ameliorate the fallout of the botched ward congress of the party in the state.

    Addressing newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday on behalf of the stakeholders, a former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Marcus Nle-Eji, disclosed that the they were motivated by the need to keep the records straight and let the world know what is happening in Rivers state.

    Nle-Eji noted that it is only the presidential intervention anchored on Buhari’s reputation for integrity, justice and fair play, that can ameliorate the negative impact of the disenfranchisement of party members and the outright betrayal of the ideals of APC during the so-called sham ward congresses in the state.

    The former lawmaker, who further noted that what transpired in Rivers state, in the name of the APC ward congress, was an absurdist theater, said, “In all my years in politics I have never seen this trend of politics before. Even when we contested election under the military, during the Babangida and Abacha transitions, we never saw anything like this.

    “I have not seen soldiers used for party congresses before. You all saw what happened here on Saturday. Police, SARS, soldiers, criminals were hired to intimidate, harass and torture our supporters. Members of the same political party, APC.

    “You may ask what happened during the congresses. Let me use my local government area as an example. I am from Eleme LGA. Orji Ngofa, a former local government chairman and now an Ambassador led people and police to Eteo community. They shot sporadically and cars were destroyed. They shot guns, chased people around and caused so much mayhem.

    “Is that how they conduct primaries? SARS personnel were deployed all over the place, down to the unit level. Armed men took over entire wards. For me it’s strange. If you ask questions about the irregularities witnessed during the charade of as congress, you will be harassed, intimidated and asked to frog jump. I have received over four calls to report to the police.

    “If this SARS people are not called to order, I wonder what will happen. If SARS can be used to intimidate people for a party congress, what will happen in the general election? Over 40 persons who went to the secretariat to collect their forms, were arrested and detained and some of them are already being charged to court”.

    Speaking on the development, another stakeholder and member representing Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency, in the House of Representatives, Elder Chidi Wihioka, disclosed that party congresses like elections is a process not an event.

    Wihioka said, “Election is a process. Aspirants go to the bank , pay and take their tellers to the party secretariat, collect the forms and go back to their wards for their sponsors to sign and then take the form back to the secretariat before they can be declared candidates. That’s the process. Ward congresses are local based elections.

    “Most of the aspirants are artisans, farmers, traders etc. For them to get ten thousand naira to pay for the forms and come down to Port Harcourt is not an easy thing. So what we are dealing with here is a failed process, from the beginning to the end. How will APC print forms without result sheets? How is that possible? Without result sheets, what will the party national officers take back to Abuja? Will they cram the names of all the candidates?

    “How could they claim to have sold forms to over 8,000 aspirants within a few hours, If you have two persons per position and per ward, that will make it 16,000. You can see that the congress was a sham. How could you have contested the ward congresses without a form?

    “How come that for just ward congresses SARS was deployed ? DCP OPS Steve Hasso ordered that I should be detained and my phones seized because I challenged the irregularities. Has SARS been re-created for congresses? There was no congress anywhere.”

    Wihioka stated that the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi did not even go to Ubima for the congress, pointing out that at Ubima, there was shooting from 6 am to 4 pm to scare party members from coming out.

    The federal lawmaker claimed that the same scenario was witnessed at Emohua local government area of the state, where shooting was recorded at Elibrada, Rumuakunde and other communities.

    He therefore called on President Mohammadu Buhari and the leadership of the APC to make a statement and distance the party leadership from the charade that was enacted in Rivers state in the name of ward congress, which was orchestrated and supervised by one of his appointees.

    Also speaking, Hon. Worgu Boms, a former Attorney General of the State under Amaechi, faulted claims that there was a ward congress in the state.

    Boms said, “As at Wednesday, Ibiamu Ikanya, the party chairman had admitted at a meeting that the election materials for the ward congress were with him. From that Wednesday to Friday he failed to release the forms.

    “On Friday, I went to the secretariat and met party members in their numbers who were peacefully waiting for the forms to be released. It was only after SARS personnel arrived and started shooting that some violence erupted.

    “There were over 4,000 people at the secretariat as at the time of the shooting by SARS, how is it possible that all these people are Abe’s supporters? Dakuku Peterside, Dumo Lulu Briggs, Tonye Princewill, Tonye Cole, Chidi Lloyd, Sekonte Davies etc. are all coming out for governor, why are they not being singled out for blame? Were their supporters not at the secretariat?”

    Also, another stakeholder, Dr. Ipalibo Harry, a former commissioner under Amaechi regretted that it is sad that under APC, the same impunity that characterized PDP is being witnessed.

    Harry said, “It is sad and unfortunate that young men and women who spent their hard earned money should be treated this way. Our party members expected a genuine congress and not this fraudulent sham”.

     

  • Ekiti Primary: APC to disqualify governorship aspirants over violence

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday said it will disqualify aspirants found guilty of disrupting the Ekiti governorship primary held on Saturday.

    The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, gave this hint while responding to reporters’ questions at the APC National Secretariat, in Abuja, on Monday.

    He spoke after the party’s National Working Committee received the report of the Governor Tanko Al-Makura- led Ekiti State Governorship Primary Committee.

    Abdullahi explained that the NWC would meet on Monday night to take a final decision which would be made public today (Tuesday).

    The party spokesman, however, declined to give the names of the aspirants who stood the risk of disqualification.

    He said, “We just received a report from the chairman of the committee that we sent to Ekiti to conduct the governorship primary, the governor of Nasarawa state, Governor Tanko Al-Makura.

    “He gave us a full report orally and submitted a written report of what transpired in Ekiti. They also made specific recommendations, which gave the NWC a couple of options on how to proceed.

    “The NWC is meeting tonight (Monday) to consider the report and tomorrow morning, we will be able to make our decision clear on how to proceed.”

    Speaking specifically about the violence which marred the exercise, he stated, “What I can assure you is that the individuals that took part in disrupting the exercise in Ekiti have been fully identified and we know the people they represented at the event.

    “If we find them to be culpable accordingly, the aspirants they represent will be disqualified from the exercise and the individuals that participated in disrupting the exercise will be fully prosecuted.

    “That is what I can tell you at the moment. But tonight (Monday), we will meet to consider the report and we will make our decision known and send the team back to Ekiti as part of the way forward.”

  • Omo-Agege congratulates Delta APC for successful ward congress

    Senator representing Delta Central senatorial district in the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege on Monday congratulated the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) particularly the Delta state chapter for successfully conducting its ward congresses across the country.

    This was revealed in a statement released on his behalf by his media office.

    Recall that party held its ward congresses across the country on Saturday, May 5, 2018.

    Read full statement below:

    CONGRATULATIONS TO APC DELTA STATE FOR SUCCESSFUL WARD CONGRESSES

     

    1.0. The Most Distinguished Senator Ovie Omo-Agege joins his fellow leaders in the Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) to congratulate the entire APC family on the official Ward Congresses results just announced by the Congress Organising Committee headed by Alhaji Sanni Dododo. By the official results duly endorsed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and relevant security agencies, our Party’s grassroots across almost all 270 Wards in Delta has chosen a new reality that demands total focus on APC’s resolve to defeat the Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s general elections. Today’s results confirm that our grassroots want unity of purpose, not divisiveness or acrimony.

     

    2.0. Senator Omo-Agege is particularly thankful to the Alhaji Dododo Committee for its steadfastness and total respect for the rules of the game. He is equally grateful to our security agencies for rising up to the unique demands of the exercise. His gratitude also goes to the officials of INEC who monitored the Congresses. The Obarisi of Urhoboland is especially grateful to and congratulates all APC leaders, members and supporters for the progressive outcome. Because our Party has just received fresh, trusted leadership, everybody is a winner. All, especially the new Ward Executives, have a duty to urgently unite and reconcile the party. We should never be tempted to believe that our fellow party men and women are losers or lesser members of the Party. That should never happen. We must work together.

     

    3.0. For Delta Central Senatorial District, Distinguished Senator Omo-Agege hereby specially congratulates all Ward Executives elected in the 85 Wards. Even in the midst of avoidable challenges, they remained focused on the real prize of leading our Party to better territories. At his immediate home front of Ughelli North Local Government, the following leaders were returned as Ward Chairman and Secretary respectively: Akpomedaye Stephen and Epete Lucky (Ward 1); Ogortanure Ativie Perry and Umukoro Wilson Edojah(Ward 2); Oviri Andrew and Alfred Umukoro (Ward 3); Gabriel Orogun and Solomon Erharadjeke(Ward 4); Austin Asaware and Omokri Anthony (Ward 5); Useh Etawarien Peter and Eko Wilson (Ward 6); Enajome Monday and Wilson Egbenine (Ward 7); Akpobasa Solomon and Avwiariemu Benjamin (Ward 8); Samuel Evinighono and Atagadama Hezekiah (Ward 9); Patrick Evuarherhe and Oshare Francis (Ward 10) and Mayor Okeh and Pastor Obire Oghenewarho (Ward 11). We congratulate them heartily.

     

    4.0. Finally, the Distinguished Senator Ovie Omo-Agege strongly appeals to all our leaders and members to put the collective interest of our people beyond self. Progressive party politics is about the people. For their sake, let us summon the courage to unite our Party and direct our electoral arsenal against the PDP. Our determination to defeat and take out PDP from Delta is not small at all. We need all hands, including new friends and alliances to win comprehensively in 2019. God bless us all.

     

    Signed:

    Prince Efe Duku

    For: The Office of Distinguished Senator Ovie Omo-Agege

  • Fayemi is a wicked liar, his actions truncated Ekiti APC Primary – Ojodu

    Fayemi is a wicked liar, his actions truncated Ekiti APC Primary – Ojodu

    Ekiti Rebirth Organisation (ERO), the campaign group of leading aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has described as “wicked lies from a tormented soul,” the statement by the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, alleging that Ojudu masterminded the crisis that marred the APC primary election in Ekiti on Saturday.

    ERO Director General, Chief Ranti Adebisi, said that Fayemi’s statement was nothing but “another tantrums from Fayemi whose political fortune has taken a deep slide in recent times and whose entire campaign strategy was built on lies, orchestrated violence and cheap anti-democratic tricks.”

    A statement signed by Fayemi’s Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode alluded that Ojudu and another aspirant, Bimbo Daramola masterminded the violence and destruction of ballot boxes, having realised that the former governor was already in a clear lead in the four local councils that had cast their votes.

    Adebisi, however, pointed out that “The entire incident that happened at the stadium was caught on camera and broadcast on National Television. We implore the security agents who made several arrests at the scene to make public the identities of the people arrested and their sponsors. I can tell you 100 percent that they have no link whatsoever to the Ojudu campaign.

    Adebisi continued: “Fayemi has been the candidate threatening violence since he joined the race last month. He threatened to cripple the state if not given the party ticket. He deployed security agents to intimidate delegates even during the conduct of the primaries.

    “He is the aspirant that has been avoiding democratic test of popularity, the chronology of events that culminated into the stampede at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, is known to the public, as some of them were also captured on camera. Those videos are everywhere on the social media for everybody to see.

    “Clearly, if there is anyone desperate, that person is Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the stakes are high for him as a former governor who lost his seat wholesale and as wobbled as a serving Minister. It is his degree of desperation that has caused the latest show of shame in Ekiti.

    “Ojudu has no reason whatsoever to want the voting disrupted since we were projected to win. But we are appealing to our delegates and supporters across the state to remain calm.

    “Fayemi came late into this very contest to realise that the boat has left the shore. He is now looking for any straw to hang unto. He was shocked to realise that his much advertised hold on the state executive was a fluke.

    He was shocked that Ojudu was coasting home with a landslide so he has to haphazardly change from one rigging strategy to the other but Ekiti people are not fools.”

    “We don’t support violence, our campaign does not use thugs. We don’t use self-help. However, Ekiti people have made the statement loud and clear that they no longer want Fayemi. We are sure of our support base. If this election is conducted ten times Ojudu will win,” Adebisi concluded.

  • APC ward congress: Stop blood-letting, violent attacks – Omo-Agege warns politicians

    Senator representing Delta Central senatorial district in the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege on Monday condemned the attack and subsequent blood-letting that trailed Saturday’s ward congress, especially in Delta State.

    This was revealed in a statement released on his behalf by his media office.

    Recall that there were reported cases of irregularities and violent attacks in the ward congresses. One person was reportedly killed in Delta while some APC secretariat were vandalised.

    Read full statement below:

    STOP BLOOD-LETTING AND THE VIOLENT ATTACKS

    Troubled by the unprovoked, premeditated and targeted bloody violence unleashed on our people in the course of the 2018 Ward Congresses of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, this Office hereby issues this statement on behalf of Most Distinguished Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, The Obarisi of Urhoboland himself:

    1.0. Senator Omo-Agege strongly and totally condemns the senseless and cold-hearted murder of Jeremiah Oghoveta, a frontline Chairmanship aspirant of the APC in Ward 10 (Jeremi III) of Ughelli South. The chilly allegation that this admirably peaceful young leader and pro-Ogboru and pro-Omo-Agege grassroots mobiliser was heartlessly murdered by his own kinsman (possibly with the aid and comfort of others) for political motives is a horrible desecration of the sacredness of human life in Urhoboland.

    2.0. On behalf of all persons of good conscience, Senator Omo-Agege extends his heartfelt condolences to the Oghoveta family for the painful murder of Jeremiah whose unwavering commitment to right causes placed him above many as a leader. The Obarisi trusts the Police authorities to carry out a thorough and speedy investigation of this murder. Justice will be done. Justice for Jeremiah, to his murderer(s) and for society at large. Whoever has a hand in this murder will face the harshest consequences prescribed under the law.

    3.0. Also, this Office is alarmed by the near-death attacks on Comrade Chuks Erhire (Director General, Senator Omo-Agege Constituency Office), Barrister Ejiro Etaghene (vocal media supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari, Chief Great Ogboru and Senator Omo-Agege) and Hon. Julius Akpovoka (ardent supporter of Chief Great Ogboru and Senator Omo-Agege). They were all admitted to hospital in critical emergency states when, without any provocation whatsoever, hundreds of thugs allegedly hired by a politician and led by his lackeys went after them at Orchids Hotel, Asaba on May 6, 2018, obviously for their political tendencies. Comrade Erhire and Barrister Etaghene are still in coma or critical state in the hospital.

    4.0. Without question, these attacks are distasteful and unjustifiable. We see no positive gains for any political leader or aspiring political leader who directly or indirectly harms or kills people, including his party members and kinsmen? Such evil has no place in our society and the APC. We will never allow it. We will resist it with all our strengths under the law. Our national security apparatus will be encouraged to deal decisively with this rampaging murderous tendency. This is a firm promise.

    5.0. Finally, we must strongly advise and warn the orchestrators and executors of these violent attacks to rethink their strategies for the 2019 general elections. For the good of our people, the path of peace is the best way. They must know that blood-stained hands and dark and guilty consciences will not promote them. They must remember that people have a right to self defence too. Also, even with genuine calls for restraint and brotherly forgiveness, brotherly reprisals are sometimes difficult to curtail. May we not get there.

  • APC Congress: Sen. Abe denies sponsoring attack against party

    A member of National Assembly, Sen. Magnus Abe, has denied allegations that his supporters were responsible for the attack on All Progressives Congress (APC) Secretariat on Friday in Port Harcourt.

    Some persons suspected to be supporters of the senator allegedly attacked and vandalised property at the party’s secretariat in protest on allegations of high-handedness by the leadership of the party in the state.

    But Abe told newsmen in Port Harcourt on Monday that he had no link with the perpetrators of the attack.

    “How can anybody just conclude that they were my supporters?

    “It cannot be completely correct to say that those who attacked the party office are my supporters simply because we share similar sentiments,’’ he said.

    Abe, however, admitted that some party supporters were aggrieved over the outcome of the just-concluded congress in the state.

    “The high-handedness in the party is very obvious; many party faithful are not happy, the result is what we have just seen,’’ he said.

    The senator claimed that he had never supported violence in politics and would not do so for any reason.

    “Today, those who stood in support of the party a few years ago are now being labelled thugs; before now, they were agents of democracy.

    “I am saying that we must enthrone internal democracy in our party; we must say `no’ to high-handedness and undemocratic tendencies,’’ he stated.