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Tag: APC

  • 2019: PDP not a threat to APC – Okorocha

    Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State on Thursday said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) does not in any way stand as a threat to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “PDP is a non issue; we don’t even care about that. We defeated them when they were in power, so what is different when we are now in power?”

    Okorocha, who is also APC Governors Forum Chairman, spoke after he led his colleagues to a meeting with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.

    He said President Muhammadu Buhari’s medical vacation is not stopping the ruling party from holding its convention.

    According to him, the party was still trying to put its house in order before the convention can take place.

    He said: “We came to discuss issues relating to our party and our government and how to move our party forward.

    “We discussed a lot of issues on how to move the party forward, how to strengthen the party and how to make sure our party remains victorious in all elections. Very soon we will have a convention. That is part of the things we are discussing.

    “The convention not taking place has nothing to do with the absence of the President or the Acting President. We are just putting our house in order and making sure things are in the right form before we kick off.

     

  • Buhari’s fragile health, absence stalls APC’s convention

    …as party appoints Gov El-Rufai chairman of its restructuring committee

    The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari’s health condition and his subsequent medical vacation in London, United Kingdom is largely responsible for the delay in holding its mid-term non elective convention.

    The APC however stated that plans for the convention will begin July 29.

    The party also set up a nine-member committee headed by Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to work out a “shared understanding” of what it meant by restructuring as contained in its manifesto to give a clearer understanding of the issue.

    Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) Chairman and Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari who addressed reporters at the end of a meeting between the governors elected on the platform of the party and the National Working Committee (NWC) however said the party chiefs would meet with the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to fix a date for the convention.

    He explained that in view of the relationship between the executive and the legislature and the need to forge a cordial relationship within the hierarchy of the party, principal officers of the National Assembly would henceforth be part of the regular meeting with the party’s leadership.

    He said: “We discussed a number of issues ranging from congresses, which will commence on Saturday to elect two delegates for the convention. We discussed the issue of the relationship between the governors and the National Assembly and the need to have this meeting between the principal officers of the National Assembly, the governors and the party.

    “We have been on this issue of mid convention for sometime. But you know that the President is the leader of this party and before getting to the convention, there is a process. First, the NWC must agree on the time and we have to adopt the report of the NWC to the NEC and the President must be in attendance as the leader.

    “You know the situation of our President today. We have been fixing time, but because of his illness, we have not been able to hold the convention. But we have to put a process in place so that we can hold the mid-term convention.

    “It is not an elective convention and the three delegates to be elected on Saturday, July 29 will be the delegates for convention, which will fill some of the existing vacancies. This convention has nothing to do with the PDP.

    “We have agreed collectively that we are going to meet the Acting President. But you should understand that he is acting in the capacity of the President of the country as well as Vice President. Tomorrow, he is going to perform the function of Vice President as Chairman of National Economic Council and the entire issue of security, the economy and administration lies on him.

    So, you cannot take him as a small man to deal with because he is two in one. We will meet with him to discuss other issues as well as the issue of convention. We are not saying anything different from what we have decided earlier in the issue of convention.”

    Yari said the meeting discussed also the Osun senatorial election which the party lost, adding that the meeting set up a committee made up of governors and members of the NWC to look into the issue with a view to ensuring that there is no repeat of such in future.

    “Let me say it is a wake-up call on how to deal with things like that in future. We are in a democratic setting and Adeleke is from APC and his late brother is from APC and we all know what happened. We have discussed that extensively and measures have been taken to avoid future occurrence.”

    National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said a committee to be headed by El-Rufai would define what the party meant by restructuring.

    The 10 members of the committee are El-Rufai (Chairman), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano), Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Oserheimen Osunbor, Sen. Osita Izunaso, Hajiya Fatima Bala and Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi (Secretary).

     

  • Lagos APC crisis: I have been receiving life threatening messages – Banire

    National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muiz Banire has alleged that he has been receiving threat messages over his fight against imposition of candidates in the party.

    Banire had said the leadership of the party was not allowing popular candidates to represent the APC in Saturday’s local government election.

    In a statement on Monday, Banire alleged that Seyi Oladejo, a commissioner in the state, had concluded plans to mobilise a rally against him for his principled stance.

    “It has come to my attention that a rent-a-crowd rally is being organised by one Mr Seye Oladejo, former chairman of Mushin local government and the current commissioner for special duties in Lagos state, with the assistance of some elements to destroy the democratic aspirations of the people. The said rally is being planned to hold on Tuesday the 18th day of July 2017,” he said.

    “It is saddening to note that not satisfied with the several threat to life messages emanating from their quarters and addressed to me to intimidate me, these rudderless agents of anti-democratic practices in Lagos state have perfected plans to carry out a financially-induced protest march against me in order to impose their soulless campaign of imposition of candidates against the people of Lagos state.

    “We use this medium to reiterate that no amount of campaign of calumny or threat to life shall deter me from maintaining my principled position on the need to allow internal democracy in our great party, All Progressives Congress.

    “This is cannot be compromised in order to instil sanity in our democratic experiment and allow progressive development in Nigeria. As the national legal adviser of APC, I am the custodian of the constitution of our great party and the counsellor of the party on legal matters. It would be most destructive to find me lending my weight in favour of imposition of candidates on the members of the party in order to promote a culture of personality cult advancement being nursed and nurtured by the likes of the organisers of this conscienceless rally. “I hereby notify the general members of the public and our progressive members of APC not to be confused by these agents of

    “I hereby notify the general members of the public and our progressive members of APC not to be confused by these agents of the dictatorship who would level allegation of anti-democratic stance against other political parties in power but would savour every bit of dictatorship when they hold the reins of power.

    “A life without a worthy principle is not worth living.”

  • Security agencies in Nigeria will arrest Peter Okoye – APC declares

    The All Progressives Congress(APC) youth renaissance group has reacted to Peter Okoye’s statement over the Federal Government ‘s injunction to stop music videos and movies from being shot abroad.In his statement Peter Okoye of Psquare slammed the APC led government calling them mad and stupid people Read here.

    However in a statement signed by the national secretary of the All Progressives Congress(APC) youth renaissance group, Collin Edwin told Peter Okoye to leave the music industry, if he cannot withstand the ‘ heat’ stressing that security agencies will arrest him for disrespecting the government.

    According to the statement: “We read the scurrilous remarks credited to Mr Peter Okoye of the Psquare group against the Federal Government’s job-saving policy in the entertainment industry with great anger and vexation.

    “Least of all persons to make scathing remark against the government is the Psquare group which the local content policy of the Federal Government dusted-up from the valley of obscurity.

    “Where was Peter Okoye or Psquare brand in 1999 when foreign music dominated our airwaves? If not for the government policy which mandated all broadcast stations in Nigeria to pay attention to Nigerian music by playing 95 percent of Nigerian songs every day, would Peter Okoye or Psquare be known to anybody in Nigeria today? Or would they have competed with better American music which dominated our airwaves then?

    “After the government have used its policy to brush them up from nothing to something; instead of giving opportunity to other people, they are taking Nigerian jobs to foreign countries through the shooting of music videos abroad.

    “Now that government have intervened to raise great and better entertainers again, Peter Okoye has the gut to insult the entire Federal Government by calling our great leaders ‘Ndi Ala’ which means mad and stupid people. How dare you say that Psquare?

    “We, therefore, urge the security agencies in the country to arrest Mr Peter Okoye for disrespecting our government and bringing it to a disrepute. If you cannot produce in Nigeria and hire Nigerians, then leave the industry.We must export Nigerian culture to the outside world through our music and videos”.

    The outspoken singer, Peter Okoye is yet to react to to the above statement as at the time of this publication.

     

     

  • APC clears Kebbi LG polls

    APC clears Kebbi LG polls

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won all the 21 chairmanship seats in the just concluded Kebbi State local government elections with 958,881 total votes.

    Chairman of Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission, (KESIEC), Aliyu Mera, in a press release, signed by himself and made available to journalists, on Sunday night, stated that PDP which participated in six local government councils got 37,532; while, APGA which participated in four councils got 3,440 votes.

    He noted that the polls were conducted under a peaceful atmosphere.

    According to him, 28 political parties participated in the local government elections where the APC won all the chairmanship seats in a landslide victory.

    Some of the others parties that participated in the polls include; HOPE, YDP, AD, AP, FRESH, PDN, NPP, MEGA, PDM, KOWA, ACCORD, ACPN, SDP, PPA, PRP, PPN, AP and UDP.

  • We don’t recognise group calling for Saraki’s recall – APC

    We don’t recognise group calling for Saraki’s recall – APC

    The All Progressives Congress in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara on Sunday said those calling for the recall of Senate President Bukola Saraki are not recognised by the party.

    The APC Chairman in the local government, Suleiman Bala said this while speaking with journalists at a special prayer held for Saraki.

    Bala condemned the call for the recall of the senate president.

    “Those calling for the recall of our leader, the Senate President are not known to us; in fact, they are not from Kwara “, he said.

    The chairman said the prayer was organised for Sarakito seek God’s continued protections over him and guidance at all times.

    The special prayer which was led by the Chief lmam of Ilorin, Alhaji Mohamned Bashir, featured recitation of several portions from the Quran

  • S’Court judgement: We are not threatened, PDP remains a discredited party – APC

    Sequel to Wednesday’s Supreme Court affirming Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the the authentic chair of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has said it is not threatened as the PDP remains a discredited party before Nigerians who kicked them (PDP) out of power in 2015.

    This was revealed by National Vice-Chairman (North-East), of the party, Alhaji Mustapha Salihu at the national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The party chieftain said it didn’t matter who led the PDP, the party, as a platform, had lost credibility.

    Salihu added, “You assume that it is about Ali Modu Sheriff and Makarfi or anybody else? It is not so. The issue is this, what you look at is the party as an institution.

    “This is an institution that institutionalised corruption. This is an institution that destroyed our infrastructure. This is an institution that distroyed our security. We are not threatened by anybody that is left of that institution.”

    However, the Organising Secretary of the PDP in the South-West, Mr. Fasiu Bakene, described the judgment as a good foundation for democracy.

    Bakene stated, “The Supreme Court’s judgment today is a clear and solid foundation for the sustenance of democratic rule in Nigeria.

    “With this judgment, the Senator Ahmed Makarfi caretaker committee should immediately put the PDP in its rightful position of giving good governance to Nigerians irrespective of tribe, religion or political affiliation.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Supreme Court on Wednesday sacked Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff who had hitherto held sway as the party’s chairman. The court reinstated Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic and recognised chairman.

    It is however hoped that the judgement will put an end to the lingering leadership crisis that has rocked the party since 2015 when it lost control of the central government.

  • APC’s former interim Chair, Bisi Akande loses wife

    APC’s former interim Chair, Bisi Akande loses wife

    Madam Omowunmi Akande, wife of former interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, is dead.

    She died in a private hospital in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, yesterday.

    She will be buried in Ila-Orangun, Osun State today.

    Last night, sympathisers flocked her family home to condole with her widower. Sources said arrangements were being made to convey her body to the University College Hospital (UCH) morgue in Ibadan.

    Details later…

  • APC leaders meet over presidency, senate rift on Magu

    APC leaders meet over presidency, senate rift on Magu

    Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have reportedly met over the rift between the executive and the Senate on the appointment of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu.

    According to the newspaper, the meeting was held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.

    It was reportedly attended by the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; the Deputy National Chairman, North; Senator Lawal Shuaibu; the National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni; the National Treasurer, Mohammed Gwagwaruwa; and the National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso.

    A source said, “Our party leaders have met with all the gladiators. I met on Friday with some of the party leaders who attended the meeting. I guess they will be speaking on the outcome soon.”

    The source added that Senate President Bukola Saraki contacted Osinbajo after the upper chamber passed its resolution on Magu.

    “To be fair to the Senate President, he was the one who contacted the acting President shortly after their resolution – to express his willingness to attend any meeting organised to find a lasting solution to the matter and he attended,” the source said.

    A National Assembly source, however, told Punch that the meeting was at the instance of acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

    The source said, “A meeting took place between Sasaki and Osinbajo. The acting President actually reached out to the Senate President after the lawmakers sent a strong signal to the Presidency.

    “The acting President seems to have realised the implication of what he said. He was literally begging at the meeting that nobody should heat up the polity; that what he said was only a reaction to what Mr. Femi Falana said. Also, note that if the acting President did not want to see Saraki, the Senate President would not have gone there.”

    Osinbajo’s comment on the appointment of Magu as EFCC Chairman had angered the Senate.

    The acting President had said the executive does not need the approval of the Senate to appoint Magu.

    The Senate in response asked Osinbajo to apologise after suspending approval of executive nominees.

  • APC has disintegrated Nigeria – UPP

    APC has disintegrated Nigeria – UPP

    …Says it will field Igbo candidate for 2019 presidential elections

    The United Progressives Party, UPP, has said that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, led by President Muhammadu Buhari has disintegrated Nigeria more than it met it in 2015.

    The party also said it will field an Igbo presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections.

    This was revealed on Saturday by the National Chairman of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie in a meeting with stakeholders in Awka, Anambra State.

    He said there were competent Igbo who could pilot the affairs of the country and deliver it from its present economic quagmire.

    Okorie said the Igbo naturally were not vindictive and so had the spirit to lift the country as hardworking, creative and enterprising people.

    He said the reign of the All Progressives Congress had divided the country into extremes.

    He attributed the rising sectarian hate and conflicts to bad governance at the centre.

    He said “The ruling All Progressives Congress has divided the country along primordial cleavages more than any government had done. The APC has brought Nigeria to near disintegration.”

    Okorie, who stated this in Awka, Anambra State, during a press conference, said that APC had defrauded Nigerians by failing to make good its promises of bringing change.

    “We have been politically defrauded by a political party that canvassed true federalism while it sought for the votes of trusting Nigerians, but in a very unscrupulous and unconscionable manner promptly jettisoned its avowed article of faith, and foisted on harmless Nigerian citizens the worst form of nepotism, reductionism, lethargy, cluelessness and retrogression.”

    He said the UPP would zone its presidential slot to the south-east geopolitical zone in the 2019 general elections.

    He maintained that the agitation for Biafra was proper in the prevailing circumstances, adding that Nigerians should not panic whenever they heard the name Biafra.

    He said the quest for self-determination was recognised by international law and jurisprudence.