Tag: atiku

  • Senator Adeyemi reveals why Atiku should beg Nigerians for forgiveness

    Senator Adeyemi reveals why Atiku should beg Nigerians for forgiveness

    Sen. Smart Adeyemi (APC-Kogi) has urged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to beg Nigerians for forgiveness for selling Nigeria’s assets, rather than seeking to occupy the presidential seat.

    Adeyemi, who represents Kogi West at the National Assembly said this when he interacted with indigenes of Kogi residing in Minna on Tuesday at a forum call ‘Tinubu/Shetiman Renewed Hope 2023’.

    He said that the former vice-president should apologise to Nigerians for selling the country’s collective wealth.

    “Atiku under his watch as chairman of privatisation, sold our collective wealth and that was the origin of poverty and insecurity in Nigeria.

    “So, Atiku should first apologies to Nigerians for the way and manner they expended N16 million dollars for power holding and yet we don’t have 24 hours power supply.

    “Atiku should explain to us the maladministration of the privatisation exercise they embarked on which of course cumulated into insecurity and the prospect of Nigerian economy today was a result of the exercise by the PDP which was chaired by Atiku Abubakar,” he said.

    The Senator however, called on Nigerians to support the presidential candidate of the All Progress Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima adding that they were both men with great antecedents.

    “What Nigeria needs now is a man with great vision so that our foreign reserve will be enhanced, so that we will enjoy security of lives and property and the country’s economy will move to a higher level,” he said.

    He described Tinubu and Shettima as a great combination from rich background and not coming to steal from Nigerians but to make the country regain its lost glory.

  • APC abandoned issue of restructuring, I’m committed to it, says Atiku

    APC abandoned issue of restructuring, I’m committed to it, says Atiku

    The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has restated his commitment to restructuring of Nigerian federalism if elected the next president of Nigeria.

    Atiku, former Vice President of the country, made the promise on Thursday in Abakaliki during a presidential rally in Ebonyi.

    He emphasised that if elected, his administration would be committed to devolving more power to states as well as restructuring the country to meet the clamour for through federalism.

    He said the people of the South-East zone had been clamouring for restructuring to enable them to have more powers to deal with their local affairs and assured the people that restructuring would be a major policy of his administration if elected as Nigeria’s president.

    He alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had failed in its promise to restructure the country and urged the people of the state to reject the party in the February presidential and National Assembly elections.

    The former VP, who was received by a mammoth crowd at the Pa Oruta Ngele Township stadium in Abakaliki, thanked the people for their support for the PDP since its inception in 1999.

    He said: “I am committed to power devolution and restructuring; the South-East zone has been yearning and has been propagating for restructuring of this country because they want to have more powers, more resources to deal with their local affairs.

    “We agree and that is why it will be a major policy thrust of our government if you support us and if you allow us to become the next president.

    “APC had promised the same. Did they do it? They abandoned the said issue of restructuring, they are a very deceitful party or alliance, very deceitful.

    “We are committed and we mean what we say and if you give us the support, we will deliver.”

    He promised to empower women and youths to take over power from old politicians, saying that youths and women would be major drivers in his administration.

  • Atiku lacks character to be Nigeria’s president – APC

    Atiku lacks character to be Nigeria’s president – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has said that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lacks the character to be the country’s president.

    Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media, and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

    The statement was the council’s reaction to the latest call by the PDP on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the EFCC to investigate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, over drug trafficking.

    The PDP had also alleged that Tinubu, a former two-term Lagos State governor, was involved in illegal drug-related business as recently as 2015.

    “It is obvious that the PDP and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, are yet to recover from the bombshell the APC PCC released last week,” Onanuga said.

    Recall that the APC PCC, at a recent news conference, questioned the morality of Atiku Abubakar to remain in the presidential race, following his alleged damaging self-confession in a leaked audio clip.

    The APC at the news conference, called on security agencies to arrest, investigate and prosecute Abubakar, a former Vice-President, for running Special Purpose Vehicles used to divert public funds.

    “Since the scandal broke out, along with legal action to compel anti-graft agencies to perform their role, Atiku and his party, PDP, have laboured in vain to deflect and cover-up with their series of ad hominem arguments.

    “Instead of Atiku to apologise to Nigerians for abusing his office and position of trust as vice-president in the past, his spokesmen continue to dig deeper in the hole they already found themselves,” Onanuga said.

    He said Atiku and his party were doing this by raising many false allegations against Tinubu.

    He added that the latest chapter in Atiku and PDP’s comedy was the rehash of old tales and fables that had no basis in facts and reality against Tinubu.

    “Our stand remains that Atiku Abubakar lacks the character to be the president of Nigeria.

    “He is unfit to lead our country because he can be an easy target for compromises that will be against national interest,” Onanuga stressed.

    According to him, Atiku, in deeds and words, has shown that he cannot be trusted to manage the resources of country.

    “And we believe that the characters who still parade themselves as his spokespersons have lost their minds.

    “This is why they think Nigerians can be swayed by all their deliberate falsehoods and the lies they manufacture everyday against Tinubu to deceive the public.

    “They should instead be remorseful for the legendary corruption of their boss,” he said

  • Wike approves venue for Atiku’s campaign, sends strong warning to PCC

    Wike approves venue for Atiku’s campaign, sends strong warning to PCC

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has approved the venue for the campaign rally of the pres­idential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, in the State.

    Wike said he had approved the PDP Presidential Cam­paign Council to use the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium for Atiku’s campaign.

    The governor disclosed this at the cam­paign flag-off rally by the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the State.

    Disclosing that the approval was at no cost to the PDP PCC, Wike said the stadium would be accessible 48 hours before February 11, 2023, flag-off of the presidential campaign in Rivers State.

    He also cautioned the Director-Gen­eral of the PCC in Rivers State, Abiye Sekibo, over the move to possess the stadium one month before the event.

    Wike warned that Sekibo has no right to make such a move.

    “Let me also use this oppor­tunity to warn Abiye Sekibo. We have made approval for your pres­idential candidate to use Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, on Febru­ary 11. You have no right to be­gin to go to the stadium now. We cannot give you access to the sta­dium now. We can only give you access to the stadium two days to the occasion for you to prepare.

    “Nobody gave you one month. So, if you dare it again, to go and force yourself into the stadium, I will cancel the approval with immediate effect. Dare it again, I will cancel it. Heaven will not fall. In fact, if heaven falls now, we will be happy that it was in our time heaven came down,” he said.

  • Don’t allow PDP back, it will be disastrous – Tinubu

    Don’t allow PDP back, it will be disastrous – Tinubu

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday, charged the people of Jigawa to vote for responsive and responsible leadership in the 2023 general election.

    Mr. Tunde Rahman, Tinubu’s Media Officer, said this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, saying that the APC presidential candidate gave the charge when he addressed the party’s supporters at a campaign rally in Dutse, the Jigawa state capital.

    He also charged the people of the state not to allow the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) back to power.

    He said having voted out the “jackals and hyenas” in the PDP administration in 2015, it would be disastrous to give them another opportunity back to power again.

    “You did the courageous job of chasing away the locusts eight years ago, do not trust their deceptive promises, do not let them back to power, like locusts, they will devour everything in their path.

    “Instead, vote for the people that have a track record of delivering prosperity to the people, we did it in Lagos and Borno States, and with your help we will do it again for Nigeria.

    “Vote for the people with the vision, the capacity, the competence, and the integrity to do what is right, vote for responsive and responsible leadership.

    “Vote for us, vote for the APC on Feb. 25 and March 11,” Tinubu said.

    He added that if voted into power, his administration would build on the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari and bring the country to flourish.

    Speaking on his administration’s plans, Tinubu promised to revamp the agricultural sector, while giving great attention to developing infrastructure across the country.

    He said the vast arable land in Jigawa would be activated to make the state a place to reckon with in agro-business and agro-allied industries.

    He further promised that if elected, his administration would build on the gains already recorded in agriculture in the state.

    “We will invest in the expansion of irrigation and water management systems to increase productivity and reduce the impact of extreme weather, drought and flood cycles on crop yields.

    “Our initiatives will ensure Jigawa farmers can cultivate their lands all year round.

    “If you elect me as the country’s next president, I will consolidate the ongoing infrastructural revolution by networking our entire country with good roads that would spur development.

    “We will use the road network to connect our major agricultural and industrial hubs,” Tinubu said.

    He stressed the importance of securing the nation for economic growth, promising to provide all critical security agencies with all they required to secure the nation and make it habitable for Nigerians.

    “Most importantly, we will secure our nation and defeat the menace posed by evil criminals, kidnappers, bandits, and terrorists, we will sweep them away.

    “We will do so by recruiting and deploying more security personnel across the various agencies, improving their equipment and training, and deploying top shelf technology to improve ground and aerial surveillance in key and dangerous areas,” he said.

    He thanked the party’s supporters in the state for their overwhelming turnout.

    Present at the rally were Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, the party’s Vice-Presidential Candidate Kashim Shettima, and the Director-General of its campaign council and Governor of Plateau, Simon Lalong among others.

    Speaking, Gov. Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa, thanked the people of the state for turning out in large numbers to receive Tinubu and APC leaders.

    He described Tinubu as his dear father who would soon be the “father of the nation.” adding that he would work to ensure Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 general election.(

  • I’ll not descend to the level of personal attacks – Atiku replies Tinubu

    I’ll not descend to the level of personal attacks – Atiku replies Tinubu

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has said he will not descend to the level of the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who result in a personal attack to cover his character.

    In a statement Thursday, PDP’s Presidential candidate said when elected, his administration will assemble a team of some of the brightest and best Nigerians that abound within the country and in the Diaspora to assist in rebuilding the country.

    The statement read in part “I have since resolved not to descend to the level of personal attacks and lies being peddled by my opponents. Nor will I join issues with those who, in an attempt to cover their character deficiencies, resort to mudslinging and gutter language, in a desperate attempt to disparage their fellow contestants.

    “I’d rather take the high road of dignity and statesmanship to continue to advance our manifesto, as we continue to inform the Nigerian people of how the Atiku-Okowa government intends to stop the slip into the abyss by a country that is so blessed with human and natural resources.

    “I will remind them about our past success when I served Nigeria meritoriously as the Vice President in the government that has been adjudged as the best so far since our return to democracy in 1999.

    “I want to share our dreams and achievable development plans for our today and our future.

    “We shall assemble a team of some of the brightest and best Nigerians that abound within the country and in the Diaspora to assist in rebuilding our country. This is my commitment and my contract with the Nigerian people.

    “To this end, my priorities shall include but not limited to unifying the nation to give every citizen that is a Nigerian, every state, and every gender, religion, and ethnicity a sense of justice, inclusion, equity, and trust.

    “We shall not only ensure that all Nigerians are treated equally, but that they feel safe and secure as opposed to the regime of pervasive insecurity that has gripped the entire country for too long.

    “We shall also be preoccupied with resetting Nigeria’s battered economy, especially finding sustainable solutions to the recurring issues of debt management, deficits, subsidies and the flagging value of the Naira.

    “The boosting of crude oil production, stoppage of oil theft and ramping up of non-oil exports to improve earnings are also top on my priorities”.

  • Atiku not afraid of investigation, he’ll come out clean – Melaye

    Atiku not afraid of investigation, he’ll come out clean – Melaye

    A spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council, Dino Melaye has said its party presidential candidate for the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar is not afraid of investigation.

    Melaye disclosed this while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.

    He e said Atiku has always been available for investigation.

    “Atiku Abubakar is a democrat; he’s a Nigerian. He has always been available for investigation. He has been investigated time and time again and come out very clean with clean status.

    “So, you do not need the permission of Atiku to investigate him. We are not afraid of an investigation, because he’s the most investigated Nigerian and if you investigate him again he will come out clean,” he said.

    Melaye stressed that Atiku’s counterpart in the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu should be investigated and prosecuted.

    “He is the one that has been indicted already in a certified court indictment. He is the man that has faced the Code of Conduct before,” he said.

  • ‘You took much, I took much’ – Tinubu explains rift between Obasanjo, Atiku

    ‘You took much, I took much’ – Tinubu explains rift between Obasanjo, Atiku

    The All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given an explanation why former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his erstwhile Vice President, Atiku Abubakar are not on good terms.

    Tinubu spoke at the Michael Okpara Square in Enugu during a presidential campaign rally of the APC on Wednesday.

    Tinubu disclosed that Obasanjo, Atiku became enemies after both of them finished ‘chopping the money’ as Nigerian leaders between 1999 to 2007.

    While hailing the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for completing the second Niger Bridge, Tinubu said, “They didn’t do it for 16 years, they chop your money, abused themselves.

    “You know whom I am talking about? I don’t want to abuse them, but I can refer to something.

    “OBJ and Atiku, when they finished chopping the money, they started abusing one another, you took much, I took much, they danced naked in Wuse Market in Abuja. Don’t believe them anymore.”

    He urged the people of Enugu and the entire South-East to trust him with their votes, assuring that it would lead to economic boom in the area.

    “As you pray, be ready to sacrifice for Nigeria. Here you are, if the federal government partners with you, if you elect me as the President and we work together, we can site the industrial hub for Enugu, industrial hub for Imo, for Ebonyi, Anambra, Abia, build seaports, fabricating engines.

    “Enugu will become an industrial hub greater than before. There will be jobs for all of you. You have the edible mineral resources to propel economic recovery. You are all equally an agricultural powerhouse that can produce many cash crops, even before now you were producing flowers and exporting them. All you need is to partner with the federal government. Let’s work together.”

     

  • Come clean on your health status, corruption allegation – APC tells Atiku

    Come clean on your health status, corruption allegation – APC tells Atiku

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to come out clean on his health status and speak on issues of corruption surrounding him.

    Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media and Publicity APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) threw the challenge in a statement he issued on Wednesday in Abuja.

    “It’s time for Atiku Abubakar, the 76-year-old presidential candidate of the PDP to come clean over two issues beclouding his campaign.

    “His health status and his scandalous confession of how he colluded with his former boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to fleece the Nigerian treasury, using Special Purpose Vehicles as vice-president in 1999.

    “If Atiku has some modicum of honour, he ought to have stepped down from the presidential race that he is bound to lose again,’’ Onanuga stated.

    This, he added, was especially because of the release of his audio clip where he “provided a vivid explanation into the modus operandi of his legendary corruption’’.

    Onanuga noted that so far, there had been no notable response from Atiku’s camp about the disturbing revelation, except for a futile attempt to disown the whistle blower, Michael Achimugu, an erstwhile media consultant to Atiku.

    The APC PCC Director of Media and Publicity noted also that Nigerians were appalled that Atiku and the PDP merely shrugged off the bombshell.

    He implored Nigerians to hold Atiku to account over the shocking revelation by rejecting him at the polls in February.

    “Atiku is also not talking about his health status even when his hirelings daily make futile attempts to divert public attention to his main rival by cooking up lies upon lies.

    “Whereas Atiku is the candidate that Nigerians should be sorely worried about, the lies of several years and the various diversionary tactics are no longer sustainable.

    “Atiku’s edifice of lies is about to crash on him; the PDP presidential candidate is certainly not okay, the papering efforts notwithstanding, Onanuga stressed.

    He stated that eyebrows were raised when Atiku did not return to Nigeria after the December holidays to continue his campaign for the country’s presidency having left the country since Dec. 21 2022.

    “From the field of electioneering campaign, came a story by an online platform that Atiku was flown to London for treatment from his usual home in Dubai.

    “The story has not been vigorously denied. We have it on good authority that Atiku indeed took ill.

    “He was indeed in the UK for some medical help though handlers camouflaged that he was there on the invitation of some British officials at Whitehall,’’ Onanuga stated.

    He noted that in spite of efforts by Atiku’s handlers to showcase him as healthy and physically fit to endure the rigours of the presidential campaign, pictures from rallies belied the impression.

    He stated that campaign pictures sometimes showed Atiku as being helped to descend steps at stadia, adding that sometimes, he walked with apparent handicap, dragging his feet.

    Onanuga added that the irrefutable insight into Atiku’s health status was the revelation by his divorced wife, Jennifer Douglas in 2022 that he was admitted to a German hospital for operation, amid their bitter divorce.

    “In a viral letter published in February 2022, Jennifer quoted Atiku’s self-admission that he was in Germany for medicals, which explained why he was unable to retrieve his belongings from a Dubai house that Jennifer had taken over.

    “A man who wants to rule Nigeria and wants Nigerians to repose some trust in him, must immediately and honestly address these twin issues: his health and his legendary corruption,’’ Onanuga stressed.

  • 2023: BVAS, solution to election rigging – PDP

    2023: BVAS, solution to election rigging – PDP

    Sen. Walid Jibrin, the Chairman, Atiku/Ombugadu Campaign Council in Nasarawa State, says the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is a solution to election rigging in 2023.

    Jibrin, who is a former Chairman, BOT PDP, stated this during the party’s campaign in Akwanga Local Government Area of the state.

    He said that BVAS would curtail electoral fraud in the general elections which would make the electorate votes count.

    The chairman therefore urged  electorate to vote Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as Nigeria’s president, Dr David Ombugadu as governor of Nasarawa State and all other PDP candidates in 2023.

    He said that Atiku would rescue Nigeria from its present numerous challenges.

    “A vote for Atiku/Okowa will rescue Nigeria from its present challenges and a vote for Ombugadu/Ohinoyi will bring speedy development across the state.

    “A vote for all of our PDP candidates will enable all of us enjoy the much needed dividends of democracy,” he said.

    Mr. Labaran Maku, the Director-General of Atiku/Ombugadu Campaign Council in Nasarawa state, described Nasarawa North as a home of PDP while assuring that the zone will deliver Atiku, Ombugadu and all other PDP candidates come 2023.

    Maku, who hail from Akwanga zone and former Minister of Information, said that PDP would tackle insecurity and promote peace in the state and country at large, if voted.

    The director-general also urged those who are yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards ( PVCs) to do so in order to vote out APC government at the national and state levels.

    Sen. Suleiman Adoke and Alhaji Mohammed Jafar, former House of Representatives member representing Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency, also said that the BVAS would kick out APC government in 2023.

    They also urged the electorate to vote Atiku Abubakar for president, David Ombugadu as governor of the state and all other PDP flagbearers.

    On their parts, Chief Mike Abdul, former Deputy Governor of Nasarawa state, and Chief Jacob Ali, Nasarawa North PDP Zonal Chairman, assured PDP of massive votes in the state.

    They declared Akwanga zone as a PDP enclave.

    They urged the electorate to vote all PDP candidates in 2023 in order to enjoy positive dividends of democracy.

    Mr Francis Orogu, the state PDP Chairman, while presenting party flags to candidates of the party in the zone, said that PDP would tackle insecurity and improve on the standard of living of the people of the state, if given the mandate.

    “The time has come to change APC; it is high time to show APC the way out of power because APC has failed and still failing us.

    “Many have gone because of insecurity, hunger, poverty. It is time to tell APC good bye,” he said.

    Dr David Ombugadu, the PDP Governorship candidate in the state, promised to prioritise security, health, water, education, and other infrastructure, if elected governor.

    Ombugadu urged the electorate to have confidence in PDP, pledging that the party will not fail the people.

    The PDP governorship flagbearer also promised to prioritise women and youths empowerment.