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Tag: Coalition

  • 2019: Coalition can’t stop Buhari’s re-election – APC

    Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nasarawa, Alhaji Aliyu Bello, said that the new Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) cannot stop President Muhammadu Buhari `s re-election in 2019.

    Bello told newsmen in Lafia on Tuesday, that Buhari came to power on the goodwill of the people, adding that he would still leverage on that given the achievements recorded so far.

    He added that the coalition was a gang up of the political class, who were not comfortable with the feat recorded by Buhari, especially in the fight against corruption.

    “More than 90 per cent of Nigerians are not card carrying members of political parties but voters, who the president is counting on to be re-elected in 2019.

    “The amount of love shown through the mammoth crowd that normally greeted his visits to many parts of the country in recent time is a pointer to his acceptance in spite of all the antics by the opposition,” Bello said.

    He, however, said that the coalition was a wakeup call for the APC to redouble its efforts ahead of 2019.

    “As a political party that wants its membership to grow, losing any member to another party calls for concern.

    “As we are losing some, other vibrant Nigerians are joining our fold and we will work assiduously to bring more to joins us,” he added.

    He expressed confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a credible, free and fair election in 2019.

    Bello said that the use of the card reader machine would make the process very difficult to manipulate.

    Reports have it that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) joined over 30 other political parties and groups to form the CUPP.

    Reports showed that leaders of the merging political parties including the Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC) signed a memorandum of Understanding to oust President Buhari in 2019.

  • 2019: Only Buhari, APC can disrupt credible polls, Obasanjo’s coalition replies security chiefs

    The Coalition for Nigeria Movement led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo has reacted to claims by the country’s security chiefs that some groups were plotting to discredit the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    The group explained further that the statement by a former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), that the military was colluding with unscrupulous individuals should not be dismissed.

    Recall that the Directors-General of the Department of State Services, Mr. Lawal Daura; and National Intelligence Agency, Mr. Ahmed Rufa’I as well as the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, had raised the alarm over the plans by some groups to disrupt the processes leading to the 2019 elections.

    The evil plan, according to them, was for the groups to create a stalemate during the elections.

    However, Osuntokun in a swift response said the security heads were acting out the script of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He said, “It all sounds funny to me. I don’t know any group that meets that description but why would anyone want to disrupt the 2019 elections? The only people that would want to disrupt the elections are the APC which has sensed its imminent defeat.

    “If what Gen. Danjuma said is true whereby our protectors have become murderers, then it means they are the ones that should be feared. They are the ones that should be suspected.

    “If you can extrapolate from what Gen. Danjuma said, that means Nigerians are at the mercy of the government or the army that is colluding. The people we should fear are (those in ) the government.”

    Osuntokun said it was unfortunate that the heads of security agencies were serving a ‘conspiratorial parochial agenda’ as they were protecting the President’s ethnic base.

    He added, “Where is the need to reserve the command of the Nigerian military and security services exclusively for the ethno-religious base of the President if it is not to serve a conspiratorial parochial agenda?

    “The only group that fits this description of a fictitious fifth columnist agenda is the government itself.”

  • 2019: Business mogul, Benedict Peters denies funding Obasanjo’s coalition

    Billionaire businessman and founder of Aiteo Group, Mr. Benedict Peters, has denied social media reports that he is funding the new coalition allegedly headed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Peters said this in a statement on Friday night.

    In his words: “For the record, I wish to state, categorically and unequivocally, that I am not a financier of the said organisation or any socio-political partisan association or political party in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world.

    “As an international businessman of repute, I have deliberately stayed away from politics preferring, instead, to focus and give my all to the development of my business interests across the African continent.

    “Corporate Social Responsibility contributions has seen the Aiteo Group, which I lead, provide investment support in medicine and medical research dedicated to seeking cures for several ailments which affect the African continent as well as investment in sport and sport as a panacea for the development of Africa’s teeming youth population.”

    Peters, who is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission but was recently declared a legitimate businessman by Justice Ashi Valentine of an FCT High Court, said neither himself nor his company was supporting any political movement.

    He said the reports were part of a grand plot to pit him against the Federal Government.

    The businessman admitted that he was close to Obasanjo, adding that the former President and his late father were friends and he has remained close to Obasanjo for over 30 years.

    Peters, however, stated that the former President had never discussed politics with him.

    He added, “In the publishers’ indecent haste to malign the former president and I, amongst others, they demonstrated a shameful shallowness that paid no heed to the very personal nature of our relationship.

    “For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, I also confirm, categorically, that the former President has, on no occasion, discussed or mentioned any such plan or intention to me. This situation very pointedly affirms the irrationality and farcicality of the allegations as a whole.”

    The billionaire said he would be forced to take legal action against his detractors if they continued to spread rumours about him on social media.

    Peters added, “As unconvincing and implausible as these allegations are, I am constrained to take steps to address these unbridled excesses as a means of protecting my family, my business and I from these unwarranted personal attacks.

    “Accordingly, I have instructed my lawyers to immediately take steps to obtain a retraction, in the absence of which they are to take all steps available to provide me with protection, remedy and relief.