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  • Speaker Dogara’s aide dumps APC

    The Special Adviser to the Speaker of the House of Representatives on Special‎ Duties, Usman Bawa, has on Monday resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Mr Bawa was a member of the House of Representatives where he represented Kaduna North Local Government Area at the ‎National Assembly.

    He sent his signed resignation letter, dated July 14, to ‎the APC chairman in his local government.

    Mr Bawa was appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, in 2015.

    His letter reads: “I write to convey my decision to resign as a member of the All Progressive Congress ( APC) following consultations with my teaming supporters.

    “The decision has become imperative to enable me to pursue other courses of life. I seize this ‎opportunity to express my appreciation to the executives and members of APC for their support during my stint with the party,” he said.

    He did not mention the new party he will be joining.

    Mr Bawa’s decision comes weeks after an aide to Senate President Bukola Saraki, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, also left the APC.

    Mr Baba-Ahmed is also a politician in Kaduna State.

    Although Messrs Dogara and Saraki are still officially members of the APC, they are believed to be the key sponsors of the R-APC, a splinter group within Nigeria’s ruling party.

    The APC is already in talks with the other parties including the main opposition PDP to form a coalition for the 2019 election.

  • Dogara congratulates Saraki on Supreme Court victory

    Dogara congratulates Saraki on Supreme Court victory

    … Says judgment has reinforced confidence in judiciary as last hope of common man

    Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon Yakubu Dogara, has congratulated the President of the Senate Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki on his victory at the Supreme Court.

    In a statement issued on Friday, Speaker Dogara said he received the news of the apex court’s verdict with joy.

    The judgment of the Supreme Court today has once again reinforced our confidence and belief in the nation’s judiciary as the last hope of the common man.

    As Democrats, this has again reaffirmed the independence of the judiciary as protected by our constitution under the doctrine of separation of powers and principles of checks and balances.

    No doubt, the Supreme Court’s judgement will help in no small way in strengthening the independence of the legislature as the first organ of government under our constitutional democracy and presidential system of government.

    The almost three years trial has now been finally put to rest and has shown that no matter the allegations only the truth prevails in the end.

    He commended the doggedness and fighting spirit exhibited by senator Saraki who refused to be distracted by the long trial and remained resolute and focused on his legislative duties as president of the Senate.

    Dogara urged Saraki to see the trial as a test to his leadership, forgive and put it behind.

  • 2019: Only enthronement of justice can solve APC crisis, Dogara tells Oshiomhole

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has warned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that it is only by enthroning justice and equity that it will be able to silence voices of dissent and opposition within the party.

    According to a statement released by his spokesperson, Turaki Hassan, Dogara spoke on Thursday at a meeting between APC members of the House and members of the newly elected national working committee of the party, led by the chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

    He said the meeting took place at the National Assembly.

    According to the statement, Dogara noted that although there is no human endeavour that is perfect.

    “APC lawmakers only expect justice, which is indivisible and universal.

    “In every family whether it is a nuclear, extended or an organisation there is bound to be problem and that is because we humans that are running those institutions are not perfect ourselves. So we don’t expect perfection from any quarters.

    “Our only expectation is the issue of justice and justice is indivisible. What is justice to the executive should be justice to the legislature and it should be justice to the judiciary,” Dogara was quoted to have said.

    “What is justice to the President and the Vice President should be justice to the Governor and it has to be justice for the members of the National Assembly, because you can’t divide justice. Once you begin to divide justice you don’t have justice.”

    “And once we are able to get these things in their proper perspectives to some extent, we will be able to silence the voices of dissent within the party.

    “But that we have problems is perfectly okay, but we mustn’t allow our problems to define us. Rather, we should define our problems as a party.”

    Dogara expressed optimism about the ability and capacity of the new APC chairman, Oshiomhole, to tackle the challenges confronting the party.

    He said, “I know that you come well prepared; we can only wish you well and pray for God’s additional wisdom because human wisdom won’t be enough as you navigate very treacherous terrain.

    “We pray God wisdom for you.”

    For his part, Mr Oshiomhole told the lawmakers that “every person matters in our party because all party members voluntarily moved from various political platforms, and dissolved those platforms in order to give birth to the All Progressive Congress.”

    He said that the idea of delivering the greater good for the greater number of Nigerian citizens is what binds the APC together and “defines us in spite of the teething problems we were bound to experience that every new organisation goes through.”

    Recall that Oshiomhole had on Wednesday held a similar meeting with the Senate caucus of the party.

    The meeting came as some members, including associates of leaders of the National Assembly, gathered at a hotel in Abuja and announced the formation of the Reformed APC.

    The party later on Thursday formally reacted to the emergence of the group, describing it as a mischievous attempt to create an impression that the APC was factionalised.

  • [BREAKING] 2019: Saraki, Dogara, Kwankwaso, others form ‘new APC’, set to join PDP

    Reports reaching TheNewsGuru.com now have it that the former new PDP (nPDP) bloc of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will announce their exit from the mainstream of the party in preparation to joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Leaders of the group include Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

    The faction will address a press conference later on Wednesday (today) to announce the decision.

    The announcement of the formation of what is tagged the ‘new APC’ is said to be the first step in what would lead to a coalition of political parties and interests, to challenge President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Recall that the faction, comprising some former governors and ranking lawmakers, has been in a tug of war with the APC government.

    A number of the faction’s chieftains also complained about being left in the cold during the party’s congresses that took place between May and June this year.

    Four governors and other ranking PDP members, including Saraki, jettisoned the party in the run off to the 2015 polls, shoving up the chances of the then opposition APC.

    But since forming the new government, many fault-lines started emerging, with the elements from the PDP bloc complaining of marginalisation.

    Details later…

  • APC crisis: nPDP meets Buhari today

    APC crisis: nPDP meets Buhari today

    The leadership of the new Peoples Democratic Party in the All Progressives Congress will on Monday meet with President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The leader of the nPDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, who disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Ilorin on Sunday, said the meeting with Buhari would take place after the dialogue with the Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

    He stated that he was hopeful that at the end of meetings with Osinbajo and President Buhari, the APC would come out stronger and become more united in the general interest of the citizenry.

    According to him, the next line of action of his group will be determined by the outcome of the meetings.

    Baraje stated, “After meeting with the Vice-President, the attendees at the meeting are expected to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari later in the day to intimate him about the outcome of their meeting.

    “I am optimistic that at the end of the meeting with the Vice-President, and later with President Muhammadu Buhari, our party, the APC, will come out stronger and become more united in the general interest of the citizenry.

    The nPDP had, in a letter, given the APC leadership a one-week ultimatum to address its grievances, which, it stated, included marginalisation.

    The group was reported on Sunday to have listed fresh grievances including complaints about the conduct of the recent states’ congresses of the APC and the alleged refusal of the party leadership to stamp its feet on parallel congresses in some states.

  • Mass defection may hit APC as Saraki, Dogara, Tambuwal, other nPDP leaders hold talks

    Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held a closed door meeting where the participants weighed several options, with majority backing the idea of a mass defection from the ruling party.

    The meeting was attended by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, among other chieftains of the APC on Wednesday.

    A statement yesterday by the chairman of the nPDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, said the meeting was called to intimate members on the outcome of an earlier meeting with the leadership of the APC.

    Baraje and other members of the nPDP on Monday met with APC stakeholders over allegation of marginalization against in the ruling party.

    The group, in April, demanded to meet with officials of the ruling party to discuss their grievances and expectations from the APC and the Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

    “Following this development, the party invited us and we honoured their invitation for a meeting. We met with the leadership of the party last week, during which we resolved to report the outcome of our meeting to our members and stakeholders before arriving at any decision or proceeding with the next phase of discussions or actions with the APC and government,” Baraje said in the statement.

    But on the list of the nPDP members at the Wednesday meeting provided by Baraje were names of political office holders that were never part of the nPDP or its parent party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), checks by Daily Trust on Sunday showed.

    One of those in attendance at the meeting said last night that the meeting was not restricted to the members of the nPDP block in the APC alone as other ‘like-minds’ also attended.

    As part of the outcome, it was learnt, there is the likelihood that the affected members would leave the party in en masse, Daily Trust on Sunday has learnt.

    The source, who is a lawmaker, said they discussed issues relating to how some of them were treated during the last congresses of the party and the way forward.

    The lawmaker, who was never part of the nPDP, said they may leave the party if no concrete action was taken to address their grievances.

    The meeting was well attended, with some governors who could not make it sending their apologies, the source said.

    “I was at the meeting as a like-mind, not as a member of the nPDP because I was never part of them. We felt that so many things are going wrong in the party. Most members of the nPDP are not well treated.

    “Look at what they are doing to Dino Melaye, who is an APC senator. Even during the PDP era, nobody did such a thing to anybody. The police would drag a senator who suffered for the party on the ground and no action was taken.

    “Again, if you look at the congresses held, many nPDP members were sidelined, so they need justice. But the ultimate decision taken is to give the party some time to see if they would address the issues. If they don’t, then we’ll have no option than to leave,” the source said.

    Asked which party they would join in the event that their grievances are not addressed, the source said no decision was taken on that.“We all worked for the APC and we should be treated equally; that’s what we are saying,” the lawmaker added.

    Another lawmaker, who is a member of the nPDP, confirmed that the meeting was for like-minds as other members also attended.

    Another source, who was at the meeting, said the tone was set by the Senate president who opened the floor by speaking about the plight of the members of the nPDP in the APC.

    The source said: “After Saraki spoke, he asked us what would be our next step. We told him that we thought the meeting was convened for us to pull out of the APC.”

    The senator said, at the end of the meeting, they resolved to pick one of two options.

    “One of the two options supported by the majority was the immediate pulling out of the APC. Almost everybody who attended the meeting supported this option.

    “But the issue now is that we must forestall the repeat of what happened to us when we joined the APC. Most of the speakers said we must have concrete agreements between us and the party that we will cross to,” he said.

    The second option was for them to remain in the APC and continue to consult and strategise, adding, however, that it did not go down well with majority of the aggrieved members in attendance.

    “This last option was not supported by many of us. The first option was the one that majority of us supported. The meeting was well attended by almost all members of the nPDP from across the country,” he said.

    Asked to name those who attended the meeting, the source who spoke after seeing the statement issued by Baraje said: “All the names listed in the statement were in attendance, but Tambuwal was just a listener at the meeting. He didn’t say anything.”

    Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that the meeting set up three committees to advise it on the next line of action to take.

    “The first committee has been tasked to articulate the grievances of those who attended the meeting, including nPDP members and many others that joined much later but could not be fully accommodated, a source said, adding, “The committee has been directed to look at the relationship with the APC and the presidency; how they were shoved aside by the current leadership and the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to fully resolve the problem,” the source said.

    “The second committee was tasked to look at the state of the nation, including the economy and others. They were also asked to aggregate the political strength of aggrieved members in their states; the mass of people they could go along with in the event they would leave the party.

    “The third committee is expected to shop for a strong political party they could join as a group so that they could negotiate from the position of strength,” he said.

    Another source said the aggrieved members were already in talks with the PDP and ADC.

    “Many of those that attended Wednesday’s meeting strongly feel that PDP is the party to join because Nigerians know it very well and it has structures all over.

    “But the condition for joining the PDP is that the name should be changed. They want the letter ‘A’ to precede PDP so that the party would now be called ‘APDP’, and this is for two reasons. The first is to enable the party appear on top of the ballot paper so that Nigerians would find it easier to trace it. The PDP is down in the ballot; and remember that we have about 68 political parties now.

    “The second reason is that in the event the ADC agrees to merge with the PDP, its first letter ‘A’ which stands for Africa that would be adopted,” he said.

    “Even though the aggrieved legislators said in their communiqué that they would not leave the APC, that is not the actual case,” a source close to one of the aggrieved senators, said.

    “Yes they would remain if their grievances are met, which is very unlikely because in most instances, it means that Buhari would tame governors in favour of legislators and others. The conceivable option is to leave the party. I can assure you that at present, at least 20 senators and no fewer than 100 members of the House of Representatives are set to go.

    “And there would be a band wagon effect, meaning that more legislators would leave in the coming months ahead of party primaries in order to actualise their dreams.

    “As things stand, with the exception of very few, many senators and reps have lost out the battle to their governors in their states after the congresses, and there are others, especially ex-governors who might likely leave despite the fact that they are in control of the APC in their states. They have security a report that the EFCC will not spare them immediately after the election,” he said.

    The meeting was well attended by members of the nPDP, including serving and former governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives and other aggrieved APC stakeholders, Baraje said in the statement.

    “Those that attended the meeting include Sen. Saraki, President of the Senate; Yakubu Dogara, Speaker, House of Representatives; Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto State; Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso; Prince Oyinlola, Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd); Sen. Adamu Aliero; Sen. Danjuma Goje; Sen. John Enoh; Sen. Andy Uba; Sen. Ibrahim Gobir; Sen. Rufai Ibrahim; Sen. Ibrahim Danbaba; Sen. Suleman Nazif; Sen. Isa Misau; Sen. Muhammed Shitu; Sen. Shehu Sani; Sen. Dino Melaye; Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi; Sen. Shaaba Lafiagi; Sen. Bala Ibn Na’Allah; Sen. David Umaru; Sen. Barnabas Gemade; Alh. Abubakar Baraje, chairman, former nPDP; Rep. Aminu Shagari; Rep. Kabiru Marafa Achida; Isa M. Ashiru; Hon. Muh’d Musa Soba; Hon. Mark Gbillah; Rep. Sani Mohammed Rano; Rep. Garba Umar Durbunde and Rep. Aliyu Madaki, he said.

    “Others are Rep. Zakari Mohammed, Hon. Rufai Ahmed Chachangi; Hon. Razak Atunwa; Hon. Emmanuel M. Udende; Hon. Hassan Saleh; Hon. Nasiru Garo Sule; Hon. Orker Jev; Hon. Aliyu Ahman Pategi; Hon. Isah Halilu B.; Hon. Rabiu Garba Kaugama; Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki; Hon. Ismaila A. Gadaka; Hon. Lado Suleja; Hon. Dickson Tarkighir; Hon. Babatunde Kolawole; Hon. Dr. Bode Ayorinde; Hon. U. Danjuma Shida; Hon. Danburam Nuhu; Hon. Sunday Adepoju; Hon. Sani Zorro; Hon. Ahmed Garba Bichi; and Hon. Garba Ibrahim Mohammed, among others.”

  • APC to meet with Saraki, Dogara, Wamakko, others

    Following the success of its meeting with leaders of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party(nPDP),the All Progressives Congress(APC) is to meet with Senate President Bukola Saraki, House Speaker Yakubu Dogara and others.

    Other aggrieved bigwigs on the radar of the party are Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, ex-Governors Rabiu Kwankwaso, Aliyu Wammako and Danjuma Goje.

    There are also senators and members of the House of Representatives.

    Former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola stayed away from yesterday’s meeting in Abuja because “he has made up his mind to team up with his boss, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, to form a coalition against President Muhammadu Buhari”.

    The party will however submit a comprehensive report to the Presidency after consultations with all those aggrieved.

    According to sources, the APC opted for more talks, following “positive signs” with leaders of nPDP at the meeting.

    The source said: “Our meeting provided more insights and we are looking at the next phase. In the second phase, the party will meet with nPDP leaders including Saraki, Dogara, Kwankwaso, Tambuwal, Wammako, Goje and others.

    “There is likelihood that the party will sit down with these leaders and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo before finally reuniting all. So, we take the meeting up to the highest quarters in the interest of all.

    “It is an election year, we will not allow them to go anywhere. The nPDP leaders warned that APC should “not push them to the wall to defect to any party. We will avert being pushed to the wall because time is not on our side.”

    The source gave insights into the talks by the two sides.

    The source added: “The defunct nPDP team was led by its chairman, Alh. Kawu Baraje and five members of the House of Representatives led by Ali Madaki from Kano State.

    “The party was represented at the closed door session by its Deputy National Chairman( North), Sen. Lawal Shuaibu and the National Secretary, Mallam Mai Mala Buni.

    “At the session, they stood by the contents of their letter to the party and insisted that they were unhappy because the APC leadership did not play its roles as a party in government.

    “They complained over gross indiscipline in the party and how the party formed with good intentions has derailed.

    “These leaders said they never wanted to defect to any party if everybody and every group are respected and given a sense of belonging.

    “But they were forthcoming that they will leave APC if only they are pushed to the wall by APC leadership.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “Throughout the meeting, they made it clear that they have no grudges with President Muhammadu Buhari, they only blamed the leadership of the party.”

    On the outcome of the meeting, the source added: “The situation is redeemable if the issues raised are adequately addressed.

    “The leader of the APC team, the Deputy National Chairman ( North), Sen. Shuaibu will brief the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and other members of the National Working Committee( NWC).”

    “After all the phases of meetings and consultations, APC will then write a comprehensive report to the presidency which will serve as a guide on how to address the grievances of the nPDP leaders.”

    APC said yesterday it would address the grievances of the members of the defunct nPDP in its fold, who complained of marginalisation.

    The party’s Deputy National Chairman Lawal Shuaibu said the party was taking the complaint seriously.

    He spoke after a meeting of the party leadership with the nPDP team at the party’s secretariat.

    The meeting was called in response to the call by the nPDP members for action to be taken on their complaints.

    Shuaibu, who led the APC NWC team to the meeting on behalf of National Chairman Oyegun, said: “We have not yet resolved. They wrote a letter to us, they are partymen, they have grievances, we looked at the letter,their grievances are genuine. And they requested a meeting within seven days and before the seven days expired, I called them and they were not ready to come, they said we should shift the meeting till today, which we did.

    “So, we are listening to them, we have listened to them and we are taking up their matter seriously, we will address it. We don’t ignore our people except if you don’t send your grievances to the party, but if you send, we will always address your grievances.”

    However, the nPDP leader Baraje expressed satisfaction with the steps taken by the party to address their complaint, saying “So far so good, we have just started and when you start a race, you don’t say whether somebody wants to see you until you are getting to the middle or to the end. But it is a good start, it is a good beginning”.

     

  • Dogara, nine others drag Oyegun to court over conduct of APC congresses

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara and nine others have sued the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, over the conduct of ward and local government congresses of the party in Bauchi State.

    The plaintiffs claimed that the conduct of the congresses was in breach of the APC Constitution and congress guidelines.

    They asked the court to halt today’s state congress in their state on account of the pending suit.

    In the suit filed by A.U. Mustapha, SAN from A.U. Mustapha, SAN & Co, the Speaker alleged that the results of ward and local government congresses in the state were “cooked up.”

    The defendants are APC, Oyegun, National Secretary of APC, State Chairman of APC, Dr. Tony Macfoy and Mr. Sam Para.

    Apart from Dogara, other plaintiffs are Senators Sulaiman Nazif, Isa Hammah Misau and Muhammad Muhammad; Dr. Ibrahim Yakubu Lame; Hon. Ibrahim Zailani; Amb. Yusuf M. Tuggar and Captain Mohammed Bala Jibrin.

    The 10 aggrieved stalwarts sought the following reliefs from the Federal High Court, Abuja:

    An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants by themselves or through their agents, assigns, privies staff or any other person or persons acting through them from recognising, ratifying or according legitimacy to the ward and local government congresses of the All Progressives Congress conducted in Bauchi State on the 5th and 12th day of May respectively, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

    An order of interim injunction restraining the Defendants, their agents, cohorts, privies or any other persons deriving authority from recognising the purported ward and local government congresses conducted in Bauchi on 5th and 12th days of May, 2018 respectively.

    A declaration that the purported ward and local government congresses of the All Progressives Congress purportedly conducted in Bauchi State on the 5th and 12th days of May 2018 respectively are illegal, invalid, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.

    A declaration that the results declared by the 5th Respondent pursuant to the purported ward and local government congresses are illegal, invalid, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

    An order restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants from recognising the purported ward and local government congresses of the All Progressives Congress conducted in Bauchi State on the 5th and 12th days of May, 2018 respectively.

    An order directing the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Defendants to immediately conduct fresh wards and local government congresses in Bauchi State.

    An order restraining the persons who were declared as winners at the purported wards and local government congresses purportedly held on the 5th and 12th days of May, 2018 respectively from parading themselves as executive officers/delegates of the 1st Defendant’s wards and local government Areas of Bauchi State.

    An order stopping them from conducting or taking any step to conduct the state congress of the All Progressives Congress or any other congress in Bauchi State pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.

    While suit FHC/ABJ/CS/521/2018 has not been assigned by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdu Kafarati, the Speaker wrote a letter to Oyegun (through his counsel) requesting the party to stay action on the state congress today in view of the pending action.

    The letter said in part: “The above subject matter refers. We are counsel to the Plaintiffs (hereinafter referred to as “Our Clients”) in the above named suit instituted by the Plaintiffs challenging the legality of the conduct of the Ward and Local Government Congresses purportedly held on the 5th and 12th days of May, 2018 in Bauchi State on whose firm instruction we write.

    “We wish to notify your esteemed self of the pendency of the above named suit which we instituted on behalf of our clients to challenge the conduct of the Ward and Local Government Congresses purportedly held on the 5th and 12th days of May, 2018.

    “In the said suit, our clients are praying the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for declaratory and injunctive reliefs against the All Progressives Congress, the Principal Officers of the Party and the Committees constituted for the conduct of the said congresses.

    “Furthermore, in the pending suit, we also seek Interim and Interlocutory injunctions restraining the Defendants from proceeding with the conduct of the State Congress scheduled to hold in Bauchi State on Saturday the 19th day of May, 2018.

    “Please find attached copies of the court’s processes in respect of the pending Suit for your information and proper guidance.

    “Take notice therefore, that the planned or forthcoming state congress slated for Saturday, the 19th day of May, 2018, must not hold in view of the long settled principle of law that when a suit is pending in court, parties are not allowed to take steps that will have nugatory effect on the outcome of the suit or foist on the court a fait accompli.

    “Further take notice that any attempt to proceed with the planned or forthcoming state congress in Bauchi State on Saturday the 19th May, 2018, would be an affront on the judiciary as same is now subjudice.

    “Consequently, we request that you use your good offices to ensure that APC, the ruling party, conforms with the tenets of the rule of law by ensuring that the forthcoming APC state congress in Bauchi State is suspended forthwith pending the determination of the above captioned suit.”

    In an affidavit by Hon. Maryam Garba Bagel (Dass Constituency, Bauchi State House of Assembly), she said: “That I know as a fact that the purported Ward and Local Government Congresses of the 1st Defendant purportedly conducted in Bauchi State on 5th and 12th May 2018 were fraught with widespread irregularities from the initial preparations to the eventual conduct of the purported conduct of the congresses.

    “That the Party Constitution and Congress guidelines were observed in breach during the conduct of the purported congresses thereby disenfranchising many aspirants and members of the party from participation.

    “That I know as a fact that members of the party in my constituency were gathered at the venue for the ward congress but were dispersed by security operatives at the instance of the State Government.

    “That agent of the State Government thereafter cooked up results of the purported elections at the various wards and forwarded same to the Ward Congress Committee.

    “That the Ward Congress is the root upon which the conduct of Local and State Government Congresses is predicated, and as same has turned out to be a total fiasco, there is the need by this Honourable Court to nullify same.”

  • Dogara urges Muslims to pray for stability in Nigeria

    Dogara urges Muslims to pray for stability in Nigeria

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara has urged Muslim faithful in Nigeria to use the Ramadan period to pray for peace, unity, security, socio-economic development and political stability in the country.

    In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki Hassan on Wednesday in Abuja, to mark the commencement of this year’s Ramadan, Dogara enjoined Muslim faithful to imbibe spirit of forgiveness.

    He also urged them to be self-discipline, tolerance, imbibe the spirit of righteousness and sympathy for the less privileged in the society which the Ramadan fast teaches and promoted.

    While describing Ramadan as a period for spiritual rejuvenation and enrichment, Dogara enjoined Nigerians to devote themselves in the worship of the Almighty and imbibe the lessons of love and peaceful co-existence with one another.

    “In the spirit of Ramadan, I want to enjoin Muslims in Nigeria to maximize the spiritual and physical benefits associated with the holy month as well as assimilate the Ramadan’s ethical principles of sharing, caring, love, tolerance and piety.

    “The Ramadan fast is a very significant act of worship, being one of the five pillars of Islam, as such, I urge Muslim faithful to use the one month period in devotion and supplication in order to achieve the blessings inherent in the holy month and to pray God to restore peace, unity and stability across the country.”

  • Me too! Buhari not the only corrupt-free Nigerian – Dogara

    Me too! Buhari not the only corrupt-free Nigerian – Dogara

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has declared that there were millions of Nigerians spread across the globe who are corrupt-free aside President Muhammadu Buhari.

    This as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said it recovered a total of N500 billion between 2015 and 2018 while 486 convictions were secured within the three years.

    Dogara, who spoke yesterday at the commissioning of the new Corporate Headquarters of EFCC in Abuja, acknowledged that President Buhari has won global acclaim for his hard stance against corruption.

    He said: “The chairman made a statement about a reference that was made of Nigeria as a fantastically corrupt country. Incidentally, that statement was made in a city that is the home of illicit funds. The person also stated that Nigeria leads the world in criminal enterprise. In fact, that in the University of Lagos, you can study and major in credit card fraud.

    “That’s the narrative out there, but that must change due to the fact that we have, seating before us here, a president who has won global acclaim as being corrupt free. I can tell you that he is not alone in Nigeria, there are millions of Nigerians that we come across day-by-day that are corrupt-free.”

    Dogara, who made an allusion to the Holy Scriptures, said: “As a representative of history, a prophet cried to God and said there was no pure prophet anymore, that they had all bowed their knees to Baal. God replied this prophet that He had reserved in that city thousands who had not bowed their knees to Baal.

    “There are millions of Nigerians that have not bent their knees to the god of corruption, that fact I must emphasize.”

    Also, Dogara said the building of the new EFCC headquarters was a demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to the fight against corruption.

    The Speaker explained that it was necessary for the government to now begin to place emphasis on staff and officials of the commission whose trust and sacrifice is critical to the entire anti-corruption war.

    “Mr. President, we have the responsibility to insulate the officers and men of this agency from temptation and that means we have to better their condition of service,” he added.

    In his remarks, Buhari told the gathering that he will not be deterred from continuing with his anti-corruption war despite prevailing hitches.

    The President said he was imprisoned for three years the last time he made an attempt to fight corruption in the country.

    He said: “My first attempt to fight corruption, corruption fought back. I was detained for three years. In spite of that, my objective of fighting corruption remains steadfast.

    “I have made significant progress on fighting corruption since 2015. We are pursuing corruption everywhere.

    “I see in the office the resolve of Nigerians to fight corruption. We must change our ways of handling public trust. War on corruption is not easy to fight. We must encourage Nigerians to change their attitude. We are not engaged in witch-hunting,” the President added.

    Buhari, who said that his administration has made progress in the fight against graft since it took over in 2015, promised to hold corrupt officials to account, no matter how long it takes.