Showing posts with label APC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label APC. Show all posts

Friday, November 4, 2016

Justice Ngwuta: APC Chieftain Faults Afenifere’s Call On Onu, Amaechi To Resign

A legal practitioner and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Barrister Tony Odey has condemned the recent call on the Ministers of Science, Technology and Transportation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and Rotimi Amaechi to resign their appointments following a bribery allegation. 

Recall that on the heels of his arrest on alleged corrupt practices, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court of Nigeria accused the two ministers of approaching him to influence the court panel on Ebonyi and Rivers governorship elections.

How I Increase My Blokos Size & Stopped Premature Ejaculation Issues 

Following the allegation, Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group called on Onu and Ameachi to resign while investigation is on. But in a statement in Abuja, Barrister Ode who was a former member of the defunct All Nigerians Peoples Party, ANPP which was chaired by Onu stated that the call was preposterous. He said that what Afenifere needed to do was to thoroughly investigate the matter before taking their position. Recalling his affinity with Onu in ANPP days, the APC stalwart said that the Minister is a man of great integrity. 

Describing Justice Ngwuta as a drowning man who was bent on pulling down everything to survive, Ode called on Ohaneze Ndigbo, a pan Igbo socio-cultural organization and South South Council of Elders to rise in defence of their own. He said: “Justice Ngwuta had alleged that the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu had approached him to influence the judgment of the Ebonyi State gubernatorial election in favour of the Labour Party candidate. 

“The allegation of Justice Ngwuta in my considered opinion is short of the truth and further reveals the ranting of a drowning man who under survival instinct can hold on to anything whether it is helpful or not. “As a former member, Board of Trustees of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, who had worked closely with Honorable Minister who was also a statutory member of the Board then, being the National Chairman of the ANPP the, I believe strongly that Dr. Onu would not do anything that’s capable of diminishing his hard-earned and long established integrity. “He is one gentleman whose character and reputation, I can vouch for. In fact, it is on this note that the good people of Yala Local Government Area in Cross River State, where I come from, considered him worthy for a highly revered chieftaincy award-“Okumade 1 of Yala Nation”, meaning “a pace setter of Yala Nation. 

“I considered that Justice Ngwuta just as usual must have been used to reduce the high profile and status of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu. In this highly political times, it would not be a surprise to see the emergence of the likes of Justice Ngwuta as willing tools in the hands of fifth columnists like Afenifere. “Unfortunately, Afenifere initially known to be a highly respected socio-political organization and a voice of the Yoruba Nation has swayed off course and has now condescended to the status of patronizing cheap blackmail. 

“For instance, for the socio-politcal organization to call for the resignation of the highly revered Dr. Onu who has a track record of integrity beyond the shores of this nation is most uncharitable and further speaks of the low status the Afenifere has assumed. “It would have been more honorable for the Afenifere to first of all investigate to know where there is merit in Justice Ngwuta’s allegation before calling for the resignation. 

“In the light of the ugly situation, Justice Nguwta has found himself, I wish that the entire Igbo race and indeed, Nigerians as a whole should vehemently reject and ignore the call of Afenifere as it lacks of a genuine interest group that seeks the good will of the entire nation. “On Chief Rotimi Amaechi, the Honorable Minister of Transportation whose role goes with the sobriquet “the lion of the tribe of the South South”, I am no longer surprise that his role in the last political dispensation that brought the change to perfection would hav attracted the recent blackmail by those bent on pulling him down as one of the leading lights from the south south zone. “Ohaneze Ndigbo is supposed to have woken up to protect their own especially as it concerns one of their leading lights in the person of Onu. Ditto Amaechi in the case of South South Elders Forum.”


Sunday, December 6, 2015

Bayelsa Poll: Gov. Dickson In Clear Lead, Wins 4 LGs In 5 Declared, See Results

The incumbent Gov. Seriake Dickson is currently leading in results of five local government declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission in the Bayelsa State governorship election. He has already polled a total vote of 81,929.

Dickson is closely being pursued by the All Progressives Congress, APC, standard bearer and immediate past governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, who got 56,514 votes.
So far, results from 28 polling units in the five councils were canceled due to electoral skirmishes, over-voting, malfunctioning card readers and violence.

While Dickson won in four of the five councils, Sylva had the upper hand in the battle for Brass, his local council. The councils that Dickson won were Sagbama, Yenagoa, Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma.
Official announcement of the results will continues today at 10 am. The remaining councils are Ogbia, Nembe and Southern Ijaw.
This came as the PDP alleged, yesterday, that the APC perpetrated violence in Southern Ijaw area of the state and was plotting to manipulate the outcome of the exercise to its favour.
Dickson wins in Sagbama, Yenagoa, Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma
In Sagbama Local Council, which has 14 wards and where Governor Dickson hails from, the PDP had the upper hand.
Out of the 35,647 valid votes, the PDP got 28,934, the APC scored 5,382 while the PDM got 406 votes.
According to the Collation Officer, Mr. Perekeme Bertola, a lecturer at the Niger Delta University, NDU, results from six polling units at Asamabiri were cancelled due to alleged malfunctioning card reader and electoral violence.
Total registered voters in the council stands at 84,550; accredited voters are 36,892 and 726 votes were voided
Dickson also won in Yenagoa, the state capital with 24,258  votes while Sylva got 14,563 votes. The PDM polled 451 votes.
However, results from 16 polling units were cancelled due to snatching of election materials, violence and intimidation of electoral personnel, according to the Collation Officer, Mr Victor Torupele, a lecturer at NDU.
Total registered voters in the council is135,025; Valid votes, 40,041; void votes 1710; accredited voters 44,751 and  total votes cast 41,751.
For Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Council, the results are: PDP, 7,619; Apc, 6,896 and PDM, 137 as announced by the Returning Officer, Mr Aniekwe James, senior staff of Federal University Otuoke.
Sylva wins Brass
Sylva carried the day in his Local Council, Brass, carting away 21,755 votes compared to Dickson’s 6,516. The PDM had 222 votes.
The Acting chairman of the state PDP, Serena Dokubo-Spiff is also from Brass, which has 10 wards.
According to the Collation Officer, Dr D Tambo, results from six units in ward 1 were cancelled due to alleged electoral skirmishes and over voting.
Total registered voters in the council is 55,923 of which 30,397 voters were accredited. Total valid votes is 28,616 and 592 votes voided.
The ruling PDP won the tough battle for Ekeremor Local Council, which has 12 wards. Ekeremor is the local government area of the Minister of State for Agriculture and Director General of the Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as well as Fred Agbedi, the Director General of the Restoration Campaign Organisation of the PDP candidate.
Breakdown of the votes scored by the political parties, according to the Collation officer, Dr. Johnson Dagana  of the  Open University of Nigeria, Yenagoa Study Centre are as follows: PDP, 14,602; APC 7,918; ACPN 7;  ADC 5; APA 35;  APGA 8; CPP 3; DPC 5; DPP 9; NP 4; MPP 1; NNPP 4; PDC 3; PDM 44; PPA 15; and UPP 1.
Total registered voters is 82,783 out of which 24,667 were accredited voters. Total valid votes recorded was 22,664 and 634 votes voided.
Delay is plot to rig — PDP
The PDP, yesterday, protested the delay in releasing the official result of the governorship election in seven out of the eight local councils of Bayelsa State.
The PDP alleged that the APC was planning to upturn its victory at the polls.
This came as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) Mr. Moses Siasia, said the exercise was fraught with irregularities, especially financial inducement and illegal thumb printing of ballot papers.
Siasia called for the disqualification of parties and candidates allegedly involved in such irregularities.
Also, two commissioners of police, Brigade Commander, Battalion Commander and a Deputy Commander of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were yesterday deployed to Southern Ijaw Local Council to ensure the safety of lives and property.
State Chairman of the PDP, Chief David Serena Dokubo-Spiff; the National Vice Chairman (South-South), Dr.Cairo Ojougbo and the Senator representing Bayelsa West, Senator Foster Ogola, at a briefing in Yenagoa said the delay in the declaration of results was part of the plot to rig the exercise in favour of the APC.
According to Dokubo-Spiff, investigation by the PDP showed that the processes of planned manipulation had commenced.
He also accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr. Barito Pagih of partisanship.
He declared that the National Working Committee and State Executive Committee of the PDP had resolved to resist any attempt to manipulate the outcome of the poll.
His words: “We have our results and it shows clearly that we have won seven out of the eight local government councils. Instead of staying here in Yenagoa and monitor the election, the APC standard bearer is in Abuja having meetings with some officials of the Federal Government on how to manipulate the poll. Enough is enough. We will no longer tolerate the effrontery of the APC.
“Our party wants to register our concern about the conduct of the election in Southern Ijaw. In spite of the fact that the security of lives have not been adequately taken care of, the INEC went on.
“For emphasis, the orgy of violence, perpetrated by the APC thugs in the full glare of security agents resulted in the loss of lives of Bayelsa people. They shot dead five persons in their desperation for power.
“The majority of the indigenes of Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw and other communities, are still taking refuge in the forests and swamps as a result of the heavy gunfire.”
He also claimed to have escaped unhurt in the hands of armed thugs during the exercise  in Twon Brass, Brass Local Government Area.
Disqualify parties involved in electoral irregularities—Siaisia
On his part, Siasia in a statement by his media aide Mr. Michael Abimboye, said: “No election took place in Bayelsa State. It was political bazaar. INEC should immediately look into this and commence disqualification of political parties involved in the financial inducement and other electoral irregularities.
“I am also using this opportunity to call on the security agencies to do something about it immediately. I don’t believe that with the level of commitment we got from the INEC Chairman, this kind of irregularities took place.
“I saw some government officials with large number of PVCs on election day. What where they doing with such a large number of PVCs? For government officials to have large number of PVCs, then the election cannot stand.
“Security agencies should do their own investigation and bring such persons to book because I believe they contravened the Electoral Act. We must ensure that such kind of people are taught the lessons of their lives.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Hashimu Argugun, at media briefing in Yenagoa, described as untrue the claim that some persons lost their lives in Oporoma.
He said: “The report that some people were killed cannot be confirmed as corpses of the purported dead persons cannot be traced and their particulars could not be obtained from any source.
“Information at my disposal is that there was no death in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.”


Sunday, November 29, 2015

Kogi: Why I Can't Be Deputy To Bello - Faleke Blow Hot, Audu's Son Too As APC Peace Moves Crumble

ABIODUN FALEKE
The Peace moves by All Progressives Congress, APC to amicably resolve the internal crisis rocking the party in Kogi State over the choice of Mr. Yahaya Bello following the death of Prince Abubakar Audu had crumbled, Punch News reported.
Mr. James Abiodun Faleke who was running mate to Late Audu was also reported to have been maintained by the party as the deputy to the new party

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

PDP Kicks Over APC's Primary To Replace Dead Audu

Late Prince Abubakar Audu
Fresh legal and political firestorm in Kogi State has ensued following the resolved of the winning and ruling All Progressives Congress, APC planned Primary Election to replace late Prince Abubakar Audu after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, invited the party to forward a replacement in the inconclusive Kogi State governorship election.

The INEC decision followed a pronouncement to that effect by the Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami. While the APC welcomed the decision, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP demanded Malami’s resignation as it described the decision as an affront to democracy laced with mines to torpedo the democratic choice of the people in Kogi State.

The PDP has, however, asked the AGF to immediately resign from office over his position on the inconclusive governorship election in Kogi State.

The former ruling party also called on INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to resign from office for what it described as his inability to exert the autonomy of the commission in the face of the confusion created by Audu’s death.

The party said the position of the minister compelled INEC to arrive at what it described as an unconstitutional decision to allow the APC to substitute its candidate for the proposed supplementary governorship election.

PDP said this in its reaction to the decision of INEC to allow the APC to replace Audu with a fresh candidate and also to fix December 5 for the conduct of the supplementary election.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, in Abuja on Tuesday, said the opposition party had summoned an emergency national caucus meeting of the PDP to deliberate on the matter.

He said, “The party is shocked that INEC, a supposedly independent electoral umpire, could allow itself to succumb to the antics of the APC by following the unlawful directive of an obviously partisan AGF to substitute a candidate in the middle of the ballot process.

“We are all aware that the two legal documents guiding INEC in the conduct of elections – the Constitution and the Electoral Act – have provisions for electoral exigencies as well as empower the electoral body to fully take responsibility for any of its actions or inaction without undue interference from any quarters whatsoever.

“We are therefore at a loss as to which sections of these two relevant laws INEC and the AGF relied on in arriving at their bizarre decision to substitute a dead candidate in an ongoing election even after the timeline for such has elapsed under all the rules.

“INEC, as a statutory body, has the full complements of technical hands in its legal department to advise it appropriately and we wonder why it had to wait for directives from the AGF, an external party, if not for partisan and subjective interest.”

Metuh added that the PDP had “rejected in its entirety this brazen move by the APC and INEC to circumvent the laws and ambush the yet-to-be concluded election by introducing a practice that is completely alien to the constitution and the electoral act.’’

He added, “The clear implication of this action of the AGF and INEC is that the APC would be fielding two different governorship candidates in the ongoing Kogi election, meaning that INEC would be transferring votes cast for the late Prince Abubakar Audu to another candidate, scenarios that have no place in the constitution of the land.”

Metuh alleged that INEC under the leadership of Yakubu had shown itself as partisan, morally bankrupt and obviously incapable of conducting a credible election within the ambit of the laws.

He said the PDP was demanding the immediate resignation of the INEC chairman, alleging further that the nation’s democracy could not afford to be left in the hands of an electoral umpire that he believed could not exert its independence and the sanctity of the electoral process.

Late Audu's Replacement: APC To Conduct Fresh Primary

Late Prince Abubakar Audu
The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC has declared it will conduct fresh primary election in it's bid to replace Prince Abubakar Audu who died at the verge of victory 2 days ago.

The Party Chairman, Mr. John Odigie-Oyegun in a statement issued on the party stance said , said the decision to hold a fresh primary was taken after the APC received a letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) asking it to replace Audu. 

“It’s in the public space already, that the chief law officer of the republic has made his views know on how things should develop from this stage on,” he said.

 “He has made a pronouncement to the effect that all that is required is for the APC to go through the processes of providing a substitute to our late candidate with the implication being that thereafter the supplementary elections to conclude the process of electing a new governor of Kogi state will begin to be put in place so as a party we going to proceed with process organising primary to provide a substitute candidate, Abubakar Audu. “We are going to go into executive session now, to know the nature of the primary.”

Audu’s death had sparked debate among lawyers and public commentators, with some suggesting that Abidoun Faleke, the deceased’s running mate, should be given the ticket of the party. 

“Kogi situation fits more into section 181(1) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and as such James Abiodun Faleke automatically becomes the governorship candidate of the APC. As a result the joint ticket of Audu/Faleke has acquired some votes already. 

James Abiodun Faleke is as much entitled to those votes already counted as much as the late Abubakar Audu. He has a right to cling to those votes going into the supplementary election,” 

Festus Keyamo, a notable Nigerian lawyer, had argued. But with the new development all the controversies have been put to rest. Though Oyegun did not disclose the date for the exercise, it is expected to be this week since INEC has scheduled the supplementary election for December 5. INEC declared Saturday’s election inconclusive because the number of cancelled votes was higher than the margin between the two leading candidates. 

Audu, who was leading the election, secured 240,867 votes, ahead of Idris Wada, incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 199,514 votes. The difference between them was 41,353 votes, while a total of 49,953 votes were voided in the election as a result of irregularities.

APC To Replace Late Audu, Supplementary Election Date FIXED

Following the Independent National Electoral Commission's declaration of Kogi gubernatorial election as inconclusive, December 5th 2015 has been slated for the supplementary election.

The ruling and the winning party, the All Progressives Congress, APC has been told to replace the late candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu,  as the choice on who becomes the candidate it was gathered would be left in the hands of the party,


The INEC, returning officer for the election, Prof. Emmanuel Kucha of Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, had announced Audu as

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Fashola, Fayemi DROPPED from Buhari Ministerial list, GOS, Segun Oni in

Report obtained accroding to National Weekender suggests that the duo of Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State and the the ousted  governor of Ekiti state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi may have been dropped from the the ministerial list of the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the report, Fashola and Feyemi both from Southwest who played prominent roles in

Monday, March 23, 2015

APC Youth Leader loses palm as explosion rocks Benue, see photo

In a bid to save one Hon. John Dyegh, when an explosive was thrown to his house, an All Progressives Congress, APC youth leader in Gboko, Benue State, Mr Dekera got his hand exploded and torn apart, Idoma Voice posted

With just six days to the general election, Mr Dekera has lost his