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Tag: PDP

  • Exchanging Chibok girls for terrorists not the right approach – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party National Caretaker Committee (PDP-NCC) has described the release of the 82 Chibok girls held captive by Boko Haram in the past three years as a welcome development.

    In a press release issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, the party said the ‘detention’ of the girls had brought untold pain not only to the families of the girls but the entire Nigerian citizenry.

    It however condemned the manner in which freedom for the girls was procured by government. “The release of 82 chibok girls is a welcome development.

    The capture and detention of these girls by the Boko Haram terrorists in the last three years had brought extreme pain and suffering not only to their families but to the people of this country and men and women of goodwill all over the world.

    What is however of great concern is the price paid to secure the release of the girls. According to reports , the girls were released in exchange for the release of suspected Boko Haram terrorists. If that is the case we say it’s a heavy price to pay and an unusual one at that,” the statement reads.

    The party further gave reasons why exchanging innocent girls for a bunch of criminals was a grave error on the part of government.

    “While we welcome the release of the girls, we do not think that exchanging innocent girls for hardened criminals like the terrorists is the right approach for the following reasons:

    “The suspected terrorists by the release have escaped justice. And all the effort made by security agencies to bring them to book has come to nothing. The release of the terrorists is a setback for the war on insurgency.

    Their release is tantamount to releasing them to resume their war against society. Many of them could find their ways back to the terrorists camps from where they could unleash terror against the country.

    Others who are allowed to roam freely in society could become veritable recruiting agents and purveyors of suicide bombing and urban terrorism.

    The Boko Haram terrorists are emboldened to continue with their tactics of kidnapping innocent people with the belief that they can always use it to blackmail the government to release their members and to extract other concessions.

    The piece meal release of the girls means the terrorists want to extract more concessions from the government which in the end can only prolong the insurgency.

    The release of the girls will increase the agony and high expectancy of the remaining girls still in custody of the terrorists and their families who will be wondering why they have not been so lucky. It therefore would have been better to ensure the release of all the girls at once.

    The negotiations are in clear violation and indeed a direct assault on the generally accepted international principle never to negotiate with terrorists. This international principle is sound and logical because negotiation with the terrorists only fuels their urge to continue with their heinous crimes,” the party noted.

     

  • Lagos council polls: We will spring surprises, says PDP

    The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said despite the crisis rocking the party, it will put up a good showing at the forthcoming council elections scheduled for July 22 in the state.

    The party said it will settle its crisis to ensure its victory at the council polls.

    This was revealed by the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Mr Taofik Gani, on Saturday. He said the party was “closing ranks” for the forthcoming council elections.

    “The factions in the party in Lagos State are resolving their differences to put up a strong showing in the election.

    “The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or any other party that had ruled out the PDP’s chances will be surprised at the unity of purpose with which the party will approach the election.

    “We will meet them at the polls as we shall surprise them, ” he said.

    Gani said disagreements were normal in politics, adding “the party will reach a consensus on its candidates for the election across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas.”

    He said the party would strategise and consolidate on the “success achieved” in the last general election in the state.

    Gani pointed out that the party already has some strongholds in the state and that it would help the party to spring more surprises at the polls.

    According to him, most Lagosians are “not satisfied with the performance of the APC” both at the federal and state levels.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that leadership crisis has created two factions in the party in Lagos — the Mr Moshood Salvador faction and Mr Segun Adewale faction just as leadership crisis has torn the party apart at the national level with two former governors — Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu-Sheriff — battling for its soul.

    The Supreme Court has fixed May 25 to hear an application for the withdrawal of appeal filed against the National Chairman of the PDP, Ali Modu Sheriff.

    Makarfi, the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of PDP, had approached the apex court to challenge the affirmation of Sheriff as chairman.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has fixed July 22 for the council polls and July 29 for run-off.

     

     

     

    NAN

  • PDP crisis: Sheriff, Makarfi in war of words over proposed convention

    …There’s no going back on the convention – Sheriff faction

    …We won’t be surprised if you do, illegality is your watchword – Makarfi faction

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, and the Chairman of the party’s National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi have engaged themselves in unending war of words over the conduct of the party’s national convention.

    While Sheriff insisted that he would go ahead with the plan to hold the convention, Makarfi said doing so would prejudice the outcome of the ongoing litigation over the leadership of the party at the Supreme Court.

    The Makarfi group has approached the apex court, asking it to nullify the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, which nullified the election of the caretaker committee.

    The judgment of the appellate court, which restored the leadership of Sheriff, has been used by the former governor of Borno State to gain access to the party’s national secretariat.

    This has been criticised by the Makarfi group, saying the Police refused to open the secretariat for it when it won at the Federal High Court.

    It alleged that the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government was behind the Sheriff faction, adding that the Police ought to have waited till the determination of its appeal at the Supreme Court before opening the gates to the secretariat for any of the factions.

    But Sheriff, who spoke through his deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, said that the plan for the convention would go on despite the case.

    He, however, said the planned National Executive Committee meeting of the party, earlier scheduled to hold early in the week, was shelved because of the case, which comes up today.

    He said the party, under the leadership of the former governor of Borno State, was meeting with its lawyers for what he described as strategy.

    Ojougboh stated, “We are progressing with the plan to hold the convention, even though we have postponed the NEC meeting because we are meeting with our lawyers over the case which comes up at the Supreme Court on Thursday.

    “The postponement of the NEC meeting is strategic because we need to put heads together to challenge the appeal by the renegade group in our party.

    “We are sure of winning the case because the court is a temple of justice and we expect no less than that.

    “The law is blind and when its principles are faithfully applied, justice will be fully served. We are absolutely optimistic that justice will be served because no one owns the court.”

    He denied an insinuation that the NEC meeting was cancelled because of the fear that it could be boycotted by the majority of its members.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that efforts made by former President Goodluck Jonathan to reconcile the two factions have also met a brick wall as Sheriff and members of his team walked out of the meeting called by the former President to resolve the crisis.

    But Makarfi said he would not be surprised if Sheriff decided to go ahead with the convention, maintianing that such an action would be unfortunate.

    The former governor, who spoke through a member of the caretaker committee, Dayo Adeyeye, on Wednesday, stated that the Sheriff group was known for taking the law into its own hands.

    He said, “We won’t be surprised if they go ahead with their so-called national convention.

    “Don’t forget that the case on the leadership is still pending at the Supreme Court, yet they said they want to go ahead; that is lawlessness.

    “Are they assuming that they are going to win the case or what? If they now lose, what happens? Let them go ahead with their illegality.

    “We are not surprised because they are used to illegality. So, let them continue, but we know it won’t last.”

     

  • We want Buhari in office till 2019 to suffer defeat – PDP

    We want Buhari in office till 2019 to suffer defeat – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has said it wants President Muhammadu Buhari to complete his tenure in 2019 and suffer defeat from it (the PDP) in the presidential elections should he (Buhari) decide to re-contest.

    The opposition party also advised the president to hand over power to his deputy should his health condition continue to pose a major challenge to the discharge of his duties as President.

    This was revealed by the factional leader of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi in an interview with The Nation.

    The PDP chieftain was reacting to the failure of President Buhari to attend the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting for three consecutive weeks.

    In his words: “It cannot be okay and it can never be okay. My take is that if the President is not fully fit to stay in office, it is better that he tell Nigerians, so that the Vice President will continue to be Acting President, exercising the powers of acting president.

    “Then you run away from this kind of situation when we allow time for the President to fully recover and assume his mantle of leadership. Me as PDP person, as a human being, I will never wish any human being ill-will, even if I disagree with you politically.

    “So, it does not matter that it is APC that is the person that is sick. My prayer is that he will be fit to serve his term.

    “As a politician, I equally want him to finish his term. So when some people begin to insinuate things, of what interest would it be to PDP should the President be unable to finish his term.

    “We don’t wish him ill will, we want him to be well, we want him to be fit enough to be on seat when in 2019 we go for election and defeat the APC.

    “For a number of reasons, the PDP wishes the President well, for stability of this country, political stability and the fact that we want to defeat a sitting President.

    “We don’t want any confusion politically in this country. It is not good for anybody and as a human being; I never wish anybody ill will irrespective of political differences.”

     

  • EFCC’s inability to name owners of recovered N15bn is embarassing – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s anti-graft war under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has become a comedy.

    The PDP in a series of tweets on its Twitter handle, @OfficialPDPNig, noted that the EFCC was established by the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration “to fight corruption effectively & efficiently and not to entertain Nigerians.”

    The party was reacting to the discovery of $43.4m, N23.2m and £27,000 by the anti-graft agency in an apartment at Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos, last week.

    Prior to that, the agency had also allegedly discovered another N49m at Kaduna Airport, N448m at LEGICO Mall, and N250m in Balogun Market.

    The EFCC has yet to link the monies to their owners — a situation which the opposition PDP described as “preposterous” and “embarrassing.”

    “The anti-corruption fight under the APC govt has become a comedy. The EFCC now discovers funds in apartments and offices that have no owners,” the PDP tweeted.

    “It is preposterous to imagine that the last four seizures coincidentally have no known owners. This is most unfortunate and embarrassing,” it tweeted.

    “Who are the owners of N49m at Kaduna Airport, N448m at LEGICO Mall, N250m in Balogun Market and $43.4m, N23.2m & £27,000 in Osborne Road?

    “The EFCC must also tell Nigerians the total amount they have recovered in the last 2 years & provide verifiable accounts of recovered funds.”

  • Akpabio’s defection to APC will shake PDP – Ex-minister, Nduese Essien declares

    A former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Chief Nduese Essien on Thursday said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Akwa Ibom State will suffer bitter set backs if the Senate Minority Leader and former governor of the State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, defects to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

    Essien further explained that it would be impossible for APC or any other political party to displace the PDP in the state irrespective of defection of those considered political godfathers.

    The ex-Minister said this in an interview wit The Sun.

    In his words: “Presently, I do not see the possibility of another party taking over governance of Akwa Ibom in 2019.

    “You know it takes some years to build structure from the ward level to the local government level and to the state level.

    “The other parties now coming to Akwa Ibom are just beginning the process of building and before they can attain it, I think we should be thinking beyond 2019.”

    He stated further: “The defection of National Assembly members cannot be a determinant of the future of the party.

    “But if the current minority leader in the National Assembly ever defects, it will be a strong capitulation for the PDP because he already had a base at the state level.

    “If he defects, he will be going with that strong base. But knowing him for who he is, he is not likely to defect.”

  • JUST IN: Ize-Iyamu, PDP reject election tribunal ruling

    The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the September 28 election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has rejected the ruling of the state governorship election petitions tribunal, which dismissed his petition challenging the declaration of Godwin Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress as winner of the poll.

    Ize-Iyamu also vowed to not only appeal the judgment but also pursue his case up to the Supreme Court.

    The tribunal had in a unanimous ruling read by the Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Ahmed Badamasi, dismissed the petition for lack of merit and upheld the election of Obaseki.

    But Ize-Iyamu, who was absent at the tribunal on Friday, described the judgment as unacceptable.

    While addressing party members and supporters at his campaign office in Benin, he said, “From the snippets I heard of the tribunal judgement, it cannot stand in the higher courts.

    “This case must be pursued up to the Supreme Court.”

     

    Details soon…

  • BREAKING: Obaseki floors Ize-Iyamu, PDP at election petitions tribunal

    BREAKING: Obaseki floors Ize-Iyamu, PDP at election petitions tribunal

    The election petitions tribunal sitting in Benin, Edo State, on Friday affirmed the victory of Godwin Obaseki as the winner of the gubernatorial elections held on September 28, 2016.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and its candidate in the election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, had challenged Obaseki’s election, alleging widespread irregularities.

    Obaseki, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

    The head of the tribunal, Ahmed Badamosi, at the sitting dismissed Mr. Ize-Iyamu’s petition.

    Details later…

  • No ideological difference between PDP, APC – Ayade

    Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River has said that peace within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Nigeria in general remained a prerequisite for the growth and development of the country.

    Ayade said this on Wednesday when the National Chairman of PDP, Sen. Ali Modu-Sheriff paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Calabar.

    According to Ayade, there is no ideological difference between the PDP and the All Progressive Congress (APC) or belonging into one faction of the party or the other.

    “What Nigerians need now is peace and unity. There is indeed no ideological difference, whether you are in PDP, APC or you belong to one faction of the party or the other.

    “If truly you put people above your person, you must allow peace to reign by recognising the challenges of the society.

    “The challenges of the society have created in itself a structure that allows us to resolve conflicts and move ahead as a country,’’ he said.

    The governor thanked the National Chairman for embarking on the peace mission across the country, adding that it was important to unite all factions into one umbrella.

    Earlier, Modu-Sheriff said that he was in the state to visit the governor with a view of uniting all factions and moving the party ahead.

    According to him, he has paid similar visit to Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi states with the sole purpose of uniting all factions of the party.

    “As a great party, we need to work in unity and peace so that we can win the 2019 general elections.’’

    He commended Ayade for his infrastructure development in the state, adding that he was the party’s best performing governor.

    “If I am asked who the best performing governor of the party is, I will simply say that it is Gov. Ayade.

    “I am very proud that Ayade is not only a digital governor, but also the number one governor in terms of performance.

    “With what you are doing now, 2019 will be an easy ride for you. There will be no challenge and no vacancy in Cross River.’’

    He also lauded the governor for appointing a Northerner, Mr Musa Maigoro, as his Special Adviser on Non-Indigene Affairs.

    Modu-Sheriff later visited the state PDP secretariat where he urged the leadership to unite all factions in the state with a view of building the party to greater heights.

     

     

    NAN

  • Osinbajo fumes, says PDP on death row, APC gasping for breath

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday said opposition party, People Democratic Party, PDP, is on death row while his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is gasping for breath.

    Osinbajo said this at the National Conference on Political Party Supremacy and the Dynamics of Parliamentary Autonomy put together by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, in Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Osinbajo was represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Political matters, Babafemi Ojudu.

    He tasked the institute to go into research and see how Nigeria can begin to build very strong political parties.

    In his words: “Today, we cannot talk of strong parties in Nigeria. The PDP is on death row, the APC is gasping for breath, therefore, it is very important that in building our party we must also look out for leaders that can work assiduously to mobilise people, leaders with conviction, leaders who are independent, leaders who are courageous, leaders who have capacity, and leaders who are disciplinarian.

    “If we have these leaders and we appoint them to lead our parties both at national level and at the local level, we can be talking of political parties that will deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.”

    Osinbajo added, “Concern should be directed at strengthening the political parties as things stand today our political parties are very weak.”

    He also disagreed with former Senate President, Ken Nnamani who stated that people have right under the constitution to move from one political party to the other.

    Osinbajo said, “If we keep jumping from one party to the other there will be no way we are going to strengthen the existing ones.

    “People should be able to stay in their political party, work at strengthening them and ensure that it even becomes a family culture whereby my son, my grand son, great-grand son will know themselves.”