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Tag: APC

  • We won’t discard APC’s restructuring committee report – Reps

    The House of Representatives has said it won’t trash the report of the All Progressives Congress (APC) committee on True Federalism set up by the party to present its stand on the ongoing debate on restructuring and true federalism.

    The lawmakers said they will act on the recommendations of the final report to bring about stability in the country’s democracy.

    Speaking on the sideline of the ongoing public hearing by the APC Committee on True Federalism, spokesman of the House of Reps, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas assure that the lawmakers would not discard the report when it is presented to them.

    “We are products of this party. Every lawmaker came to the National Assembly on the platform of various political parties and this committee was put together by our own party. So, naturally we (APC Committee) will collate views of the people here and send it to the party and the reason why we are part of it is that no view can be said to be ‘independent’. It has to come through a legislation.

    “Even the President said in his speech that the only recognized group that can talk about this is the National Assembly. But the National Assembly too is a product of the people. You cannot on your own amend things to suit the people. You have to collate views from them.

    “So, when these views are collated and sent to us, I can assure you that we are going to work on it. I told you that I am a member of the National Assembly Committee on Agitations. We call it agitations but it is restructuring.

    “We realized after we voted that Nigerians are more interested in the devolution of powers and certainly, some of these states are not viable because they cannot get revenue on their own. If you devolve the powers to the states and probably restructure the revenue allocation (template), these states will be viable and they can generate revenue and pay their salaries,” he stated.

    Namdas hailed Nigerian women for coming of age, advising them to organize and translate their numerical strength into tangible political gains.

    Chairman of the committee, Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state restated the commitment of the committee to be fair in compiling its final report as all shades of opinion expressed at its public hearings would be reflected.

    El-Rufai who was represented by a member of the committee and former governor of Edo state, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor APC said the committee has also resolved to forward the report to the lawmakers as well as forward a framework of its implementation to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    A cross-section of women groups at the hearing advocated the greater inclusion of women in Nigeria’s restricted and patriarchal political space, saying for every position occupied by a man, a woman must be made to deputize and vice versa.

  • Ready-to-die Wike vows to face APC in 2019, says ‘all of us would go down with it’

    The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, says he is ready to lay down his life if it will ensure victory for the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 general elections.

    Wike said this in the latest issue of ‘The Interview,’ a monthly magazine.

    The governor said one of the reasons the then President, Goodluck Jonathan, lost the presidential election was that he was surrounded by insincere people, especially ministers.

    He, however, said Rivers State fought tooth and nail to ensure victory for the PDP in 2015 and 2019 would not be any different.

    Wike said, “The whole thing boils down to sincerity and commitment and sincerity. We said if things would not happen, all of us would go down with it. That was the driving spirit for us and that is what we are going to repeat in 2019.

    “If the Federal Government is going to kill all of us, so be it. Because we know what they have planned and their strategies and so when it is time, we will face the APC squarely in this state. Just watch.”

    The governor described Jonathan as a gentleman who condoned too many things.

    Wike said for instance, when Jonathan went to campaign in the North, he was stoned in a number of states but did nothing.

    The governor said if he were the President, things would have been different.

    He added, “God gave every leader his strength and way of doing things. You see, I will not accept that. Let the heavens fall. If Nigeria was going to end on that day, let it end. I will not take what he took. That is why I respect the man a lot. I will not take that.

    “If Nigeria will come down that day, let it come down. I mean, what is it? He was President and you were throwing stones at him? No single respect for that office? And you tell me to accept it? No, I will clamp down on you.”

    Wike said the fact that those who stoned Jonathan were neither arrested nor prosecuted, showed that some northern elements, including the ones in the PDP, sabotaged Jonathan’s campaign.

    He wondered why a northern state which was ruled by a PDP governor would allow such a thing to happen.

    The governor also said he supported what a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, did at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission when he attempted to stop the Chairman of the commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, from announcing the results of the 2015 presidential election.

    Wike said Orubebe’s actions were justified since the elections were rigged.

    When asked if he supported what Orubebe, he said, “I did. Of course, why not? You saw clear rigging. I don’t like a system where you see something is going wrong and you keep quiet.”

    The governor, who is heading the PDP’s reconciliation committee, said his committee would do everything to attract as many political heavyweights into the party.

    He said the party could even go as far as wooing a former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; and a former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

    Wike said, “What is the crime in wooing people? Who told you that we would not woo people like Tinubu and Kwankwaso? You see, whether they will come or not is immaterial. Those that the APC wooed, did they not join the APC?

    “Who told you that we would not go and woo prominent APC governors? That does not mean that they will come. All the APC leaders at the National Assembly, were they not PDP people? What is all this trouble about wooing and not wooing?”

    The governor said he did not regret helping a former Borno State governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, to emerge as the PDP chairman despite the fact that it nearly led to the total collapse of the party.

    He said at the time, he did not know that Sheriff was “an agent of darkness.”

    Wike added, “Why should I regret? I am not a coward. I am not one of those that takes decisions and goes back to say I am not part of that decision.”

  • Delay in Ekiti workers’ salaries not caused by arrest of Fayose’s commissioners – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has said the arrest of the Commissioner of Finance, Toyin Ojo and Accountant General, Mrs. Yemisi Owolabi, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was not the cause of the delay in the payment of workers’ salaries.

    The party described the claim by the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Odunayo Adesoye, as “another conspiratorial role that some labour leaders have been playing to sabotage the interest of their members”.

    In a statement yesterday, Ekiti State APC’s Publicity Secretary Taiwo Olatunbosun expressed regrets that Labour had failed to protect the interests of workers but was ready to defend Governor Ayo Fayose’s alleged failure to pay their entitlements.

    Olatunbosun said: “It is common knowledge that a section of the Labour movement has compromised their office in the protection of workers’ interest. But Fayose should not hide under the arrest of the Commissioner for Finance, Toyin Ojo and the Accountant General, Yemisi Owolabi, for non-payment of salary.

    “Ojo is not a signatory to any salary account; there are two other alternate signatories who include the Director of Funds Management.

    “Ekiti people and workers in particular should also note that when the Accountant General was on leave for about three weeks recently, the financial transactions of the state were going on unhindered.

    “Therefore, contrary to TUC’s claim, there is no reason the arrest of the two state officials should be an excuse for non-payment of salaries by the governor, which of course, he has not been paying before their arrest.

    “Fayose has received several billions of naira in the form of bailout and Paris Club refund but has refused to pay workers’ salaries for five months: local government workers for eight months’ and pensioners’ 13 months’ allowance arrears. These include his refusal to pay the severance package of former political office holders after the funds for these purposes were captured in tranches of bailout and Paris Club refund.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the commissioners were recently arrested by operatives of the EFCC over their alleged diversion of the bailout and Paris Club refunds.

     

  • NNPC $26bn scam: APC govt has failed for being quiet on own corruption allegations

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)- led Federal Government of plunging the nation into its worst depth of corruption since Independence.

    Wike said the mind-blogging $26billion monumental corruption unveiled in the leaked memo of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachiku, had brought to the fore the high-level sleaze amongst top officials of the APC Federal Government through the NNPC.

    He spoke at the Government House, Umuahia, Abia State yesterday, during a state visit where he inaugurated construction equipment and also held a meeting with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. Wike said: “When they said judges were accused of corruption, they were told to step aside. They have not told anyone to step aside so that they can conclude investigation.

    When you are in office, investigation will be compromised. “It is for Nigerians to see. Are we fighting corruption? The corruption they are fighting is against some people who are their opponents. All of us are victims. I have never seen this kind of scandal in all my political career. We have never heard of it like this.

    What about this $26 billion (N9 trillion) contract scam and nobody is talking. Everywhere is quiet.” He said the anti-corruption fight is simply aimed at brow-beating the opposition because the APC has metamorphosed into a monumental failure. “So, many promises were made, but none has been fulfilled. Everyday, what they have to say is corruption, corruption, no other statement.

    “Corruption from day one and corruption till the day they will leave office. What have they achieved? No roads, no infrastructure. I could not come to Abia by road. It is not possible,” he said. The governor said PDP was ready to rescue Nigerians from the failure and under-development foisted on them by APC.

  • 2019: PDP, APC are expired political parties – Okupe

    A former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said on Thursday said ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are all expired political parties and should be entrusted with power come 2019.

    The former presidential aide who is now a member of the Accord Party said the party (Accord) remains Nigeria’s only hope for political development.

    He stated this In Ibadan, Oyo State, while addressing the party’s delegates at the 2017 South West stakeholders’ summit held at the Olubadan Stadium complex, NTC Road, Iyaganku, Ibadan.

    The meeting attracted party’s delegates from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti States.

    Also, a former member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Bukola Ajaja, was publicly presented with the party flag as the new leader of the party in Oyo State by the South West zonal chairman, Mr. Kayode Ojo.

    Okupe, who left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Accord Party, said the current two dominant parties in the country – All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP have failed to deliver democratic dividends to the citizens, and as such leaving Accord Party as the best alternative for the people.

    He said: “the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress are big trucks which old age and misuse has affected their relevance. Today, the PDP and APC have expired as a party. PDP as an automobile has spoilt its back aisle while APC crank shaft has broken.

    “Accord is the only hope for political development in Nigeria. This party is for Nigerian youths to achieve their lofty dreams and ambition of managing their own affairs in this country. I am old and not interested in any office again. Nigerian youths can be whatever they want to be in Accord.

    “You don’t need the so much touted experience, myself and some elders here will teach you on the job to master it. Youths cannot be allowed to flourish in either PDP or APC but we’ll provide the necessary platform to excel and teach you all in Accord. We’ll teach you how it is done in an ethical manner; not how to kill, steal or corrupt the system. Accord is the best platform to realise your dream. This party is preparing the solid platform for the youths evenly.”

  • Uproar as two PDP Reps defect to APC

    There was uproar in the House of Representatives on Thursday as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara announced the defection of two members elected on the platform of the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

    The two lawmakers are Ahmed Tijani (Okene/ Ogori-Magongo Federal Constituency in Kogi State) and Zephaniah Jisalo, (AMAC/ Bwari Federal Constituency)

    The Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara who read their letters in the chamber at plenary quoted the lawmakers as citing crisis in their party as reason for the defection.

    Mohammed Bello, the FCT Minister led APC supporters to the chamber to receive the new entrants into the party.

    But the PDP members in the chamber did not accept the decision as a spontaneous protest began immediately the Speaker read the defection letters.

    This resulted in the plenary being held up for over thirty minutes due to the uproar.

    Yakubu Barde, the Minority Whip, via a point of order insisted that both defecting lawmakers must lose their seats.

    Barde, quoted Sections 68 of the 1999 Constitution which states that the seat of a Senator or Rep member be declared vacant should he/she defect to another party, without a division in his /her party.

    Also Nicholas Ossai ( PDP Delta) called on the Green Chamber to do the right thing by upholding the tenets of the Constitution, in other words, to ensure that both Jisalo and Tijani vacate their seats.

  • Former PDP House of Reps candidate defects to APC in Lagos

    A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart in Agege area of Lagos, Mr Raheem Oyeniyi, on Tuesday defected to All Progressives Congress (APC), citing Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s sterling performance as a reason.

    Oyeniyi gave notice of his defection in a letter to the APC ward chairman in Orile-Agege area on Tuesday.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Oyeniyi was PDP House of Representatives candidate for Agege constituency in the 2015 general elections.

    In the letter titled “Letter of Intention to Return to All Progressives Congress’’, Oyeniyi said that he considered APC as a platform to actualise his dreams for the people.

    “I write to inform you of my intention to return to APC henceforth.

    “My intention to return is borne out of the belief that the APC today is by far more democratic inclined.

    “APC offers the forum of which I can actualise my desire and the aspirations of my people for a better Nigeria,’’ he said.

    Oyeniyi said he was a founding member of APC in 2013 but left the party due to internal wrangling and defected to PDP.

    “I have always been a progressive since the days of Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress (AC) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

    “I have contributed in no small measure to the progress of these parties and invariably of my constituency, financially, morally and otherwise.

    “I hope that you will use your good office in facilitating the necessary documentation to the effect,’’ Oyeniyi said.

    NAN reports that the defector copied the Chairmen of APC in Orile-Agege, Agege, Lagos, National Headquarters, and all stakeholders including Sen. Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the Party.

    Several PDP stalwarts, including seven out of eight Lagos State lawmakers elected under the platform of PDP in 2015, have defected to APC.

  • Nigeria @57: APC congratulates Nigerians, affirms commitment to restructuring

    Nigeria @57: APC congratulates Nigerians, affirms commitment to restructuring

    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has congratulated Nigerians on the attainment of 57 years of nationhood.

    The party also reiterated commitment to the cause of a united Nigeria and affirmed its commitment to restructuring the country.

    In its independence message to Nigerians signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the its current efforts is geared towards addressing the various agitations and some of the underlying concerns that have emerged.

    The party asked Nigerians to use independence to reflect on the many challenges that the country has faced over the years and use it those to strengthen ” our resolve to build a strong, virile and united country; even as we celebrate our many triumphs over the years.”

    The statement reads: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) felicitates with Nigerians on the joyous occasion of the country’s 57th independence anniversary. Indeed, Nigeria’s journey since independence in 1960 has been eventful in many respects. The fact that we have come this far as one united country gives us a reason to celebrate.

    “However, we urge citizens to use this occasion to reflect on the many challenges that we have faced over the years and use those to strengthen our resolve to build a strong, virile and united country; even as we celebrate our many triumphs over the years.

    Certainly, one of the great achievements of our country was the historic Presidential election of 2015. With that election, we were able to prove to the rest of the world that our democracy has come of age. That election also provided opportunity for Nigerians to press the reset buttons in the governance of our country.

    “While there is still so much work to be done to achieve the Nigeria of our dreams; the All Progressives Congress (APC), is delighted with the enormous strides that have been made in the last two years under President Muhammadu Buhari to bring our nation back to the path of rectitude and sanity away from the wanton profligacy and impunity of recent years.

    “The Party is confident that with the support of all Nigerians, we can reach our economic development goals sooner than sceptics believe is possible. With diversification of the Nigerian economy by the current administration, with special focus on agriculture, the creative industry, solid minerals and other viable sectors, the hidden potential of the nation will come to full bloom sooner rather than later.

    “The ongoing implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) must be supported by all as a basis for realizing social inclusion objectives, such as employment generation and eradication of poverty and inequality. Such safety net initiatives as the Home Grown School Feeding Programme, conditional cash transfer scheme and N-Power will guarantee that the poor and vulnerable directly benefit from economic development.

    “Happily, the economy has started responding to these policy initiatives of the government as evidenced in the improvement and stability of the naira exchange rate; increase in the country’s foreign reserves and the recent announcement by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that the country has officially come out of recession.

    “In relation to recent ethnic-based agitations, we reiterate our belief that it is in our collective interest to support and remain steadfast to the cause of a united Nigeria as our strength remains in our diversity. We reaffirm our party’s commitment to restructuring and we believe that our ongoing efforts in that direction will address some of the underlying concerns that have emerged.

    “As we celebrate our 57th independence anniversary, we must sustain the hope that brighter days are ahead of us. Let us join in the effort to build a more vibrant nation that every Nigerian will be proud of. The future holds great dividends.”

  • Buhari, APC afraid of imminent defeat in 2019 – Fayose

    Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has said the imminent defeat of President Muhammadu Buhari in a free and fair election in 2019 is the major reason the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government is harassing and intimidating his aides and associates.

    He also said the blunt truth he told Nigerians during his declaration of interest that Buhari and the APC had nothing good to offer Nigeria has pierced the conscience of APC leaders and given them wounded heart.

    He, however, said he won’t be intimidated into abandoning a divine project of rescuing the country from maladministration.

    Fayose, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, on Friday, said notwithstanding needless harassment, whoever thought he could stop a moving train with bare hands would have himself to blame in the end.

    The governor described the arrest of two officials of the state by agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the height of impunity, as a competent court of jurisdiction had ordered against such action.

    The governor said the action of the EFCC was in flagrant disobedience to the orders of Justice Taiwo. O. Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti in the case of the Attorney General of Ekiti State versus EFCC, IGP and 16 others granted on November 7, 2016.

    The order reads in part: ” an order of interim injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants (which is the EFCC and the Inspector General of Police, their agents, privies or any other investigative agencies, howsoever described) from arresting, detaining or investigating any person or persons, whether past or present officials in the Ekiti State Government, without any report of indictment from the Ekiti State House of Assembly pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice filed in this suit “.

    While contending that the order of the court had not been vacated or appealed by the agency, the governor added that the agency’s action showed desperation and political partisanship, as it had earlier petitioned against Justice Taiwo asking that the case be transferred to Akure, Ondo State.

    ” The new judge declined jurisdiction because he held that the EFCC’s case lacked merit and the case file was returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, who is yet to assign the case.

    “The latest action by the EFCC is therefore premeditated, malicious, politically motivated, contemptuous and unconstitutional in all ramifications. It is another clear and undisguised evidence of gangsterism by an agency that derives its power from the constitution but uses it for political vendetta against the opposition.

    ” While we call on all men and women of conscience to call the EFCC and whoever is goading them along perilous path to order, we must warn that no harm must come the way of the illegally detained Ekiti State Government officials, who have health issues which they will be hampered to manage effectively in EFCC’s crushing detention environment.

    “Not obeying court orders is not the hallmark of democracy, but a virtue of anti-democratic agents. Colonel Dasuki Sambo, former National Security Adviser is still being held despite numerous court orders to the contrary. Ibrahim el-Zakyzaky has been locked up unduly for months, this is not the democracy we fought to enthrone in Nigeria,” he said.

    The governor stressed that it was not a coincidence that those officials were arrested while he was declaring his intention to contest the presidential election, but noted that such gimmicks would not deter him from pursuing his ambition.

    “My ambition to contest the presidential election in 2019 is God’s project and no human effort can thwart it. Democracy allows for people to aspire to occupy public offices and I have not breached any law doing that. Those who think they can get to me by harassing my aides and supporters would soon hit a dead end,” he noted.

  • Why I lost to Buhari in 2015 – Jonathan

    Why I lost to Buhari in 2015 – Jonathan

    …Advises party to Increase statutory delegates’ number in elections

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday said he will reveal at the appropriate time, the reason he and his party (Peoples Democratic Party, PDP) lost the 2015 Presidential election to President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

    The former Nigerian leader revealed this on Thursday when he received a delegation of the former Speakers of State Houses of Assembly elected on PDP platform.

    In his words: “PDP is still the strongest party. We know the reason why we lost in the elections.

    “People may be writing left and right, but at the appropriate time, some of these things will be properly addressed because of history.

    “There are certain things you don’t write now because it will be misunderstood as if you are playing politics.

    “After some years, five, six or eight years, when the beneficiaries have left, you can state it in writing and people will not fight with you.”

    Jonathan also advised the party leadership to increase statutory delegates’ number for the party’s elections, especially state and local government primaries, in its Constitution’s review.

    He said that one of the major challenges facing the PDP was how it elected candidates and national officers of the party.

    He said that there would always be crisis over the outcome of the party’s primary elections or conventions unless the number of statutory delegates to those elections was reviewed upward to about 70 percent.

    Jonathan said that the party must work out modality in which no one person could influence the choice or number of delegates to elections.

    He suggested that those who had served at certain levels, including governorship, ministerial, parliamentarian positions at all levels, should be statutory delegates.

    “That is the area we have not been able to manage properly that is still creating problem for us.

    “I believe the next constitution amendment should advocate for that area to be properly examined.

    “From my own experience, if that area is strengthened, the party will be okay and nobody will complain at the end of primaries.

    “If you lose, you lose gallantly and you support the person that wins.”

    On war against corruption, the former president advised PDP members not to be intimidated.

    “There are stories of corruption. I say this will always be there because if you read the statement of the organisers of the first military coup, their statement was attributed to corruption.

    “After that, all other coup plots were always targeted at corruption. It will continue to be but one day we will get out of it. Most nations passed through this stage of life.

    “The only thing I plead of you is not to politicise certain basic things. Issues of corruption, yes, it is worrisome, and nobody will encourage it.

    “The society must come up with reform to reduce it, if you cannot eliminate it totally. No Society is 100 per cent free of some of these vices but the approach you adopt about it is key.

    “You may approach it in a way that it will become detrimental to the society. It should be done in a way that will enhance the development of the nation.

    “So we encourage people to do well,” he said.

    He encouraged the former speakers to continue with the party unlike those playing “politics of the stomach”, defecting to other parties.

    He said that PDP did well during the 16 years it was in power, by the number of reforms it introduced and implemented.

    The former president commended the forum members for coming together to form such association, saying that they were important in the strategy of PDP reclaiming power in 2019.

    Earlier, Chairman of the forum, Mr Inuwa Garba, had said that their visit was to introduce the forum to Jonathan.

    Garba also said that it was also to congratulate him and leaders of the party on the success at the Supreme Court over the party’s leadership crisis.