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Tag: APC

  • APC has boasted that it will capture Rivers and Delta States in 2027

    APC has boasted that it will capture Rivers and Delta States in 2027

    With its attention totally  focused on winning elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has boasted that it will win Rivers and Delta states in the 2027 elections after clinching Edo State on September 21, 2024.
    Tony Okocha, leader of the APC’s Caretaker Committee in Rivers State, made the disclosure while addressing newsmen in Port Harcourt on Monday.
    The party chieftain also warned prospective candidates in the October 5, 2024, local council election in Rivers state not to waste their resources.
    He said a court order bars the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Army, and the Police from participating in the election, rendering any outcome null and void.
    He said, “Can you see billboards, jingles, etc? The election cannot hold, and if they are ahead, the outcome will not stand.”
    Okocha, backed by the National Working Committee (NWC), the presidency, and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, cited several court cases affirming his group’s legitimacy in the state. He commended Wike for strengthening the party.
    Okocha added that court judgments supported the legitimacy of 27 lawmakers, emphasizing that they did not meet the legal requirements to defect to another party.
    The APC took over from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after its presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari defeated incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
    Buhari’s eight years in office has been characterized as most corrupt, inept, nepotistic, and witnessed unbridled  rise in insecurity and economic woes.
    One and half years of President Tinubu, another APC government has also been characterized by massive cost of living crises, hunger and economic downturn.
  • Northern APC: Court dismisses suit seeking Ganduje’s removal as APC chairman

    Northern APC: Court dismisses suit seeking Ganduje’s removal as APC chairman

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, Monday, dismissed a suit seeking the removal of Dr Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    In the ruling, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the the Plaintiff, APC North Central Group is not a juristic person having not been registered in law and therefore has no legal power and capacity to file the suit.

    Dismissing the suit, the court maintained that there was no cause of action against the defendants since the plaintiff has no power under any known law to Institute any case in any Nigerian court.

    The Judge also held the the plaintiff failed to explore the internal mechanism for peaceful resolution of issues before rushing to the court.

    Besides, Justice Ekwo held that appointment of officers for APC by its National Executive Committee is an internal affairs of the party which no court can dabble into.

    The Northern Central APC Group had dragged Ganduje, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the court praying for nullification of appointment of Ganduje by APC on the ground of gross violations of the party’s Constitution.

    Specifically, the North Central APC group claimed that the appointment of Ganduje breached Article 13 of APC Constitution because it was not done through democratic process enshrined in the party’s law.

    The plaintiff, the North Central APC Forum led by Saleh Zazzaga, had filed the suit to query the propriety of Ganduje’s appointment as the National Chairman of the APC when he is not from the North Central geo-political zone, whose turn was to fill the position.

    In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, the plaintiff listed Ganduje, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the 1st to the 3rd defendants respectively.

    The plaintiff in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, asked the court to, among others, restrain Ganduje from further parading himself as the chairman of the APC.

    It also prayed the court to issue an order directing INEC not to accord recognition to all actions taken by the APC, including congresses, primaries and nominations, since Ganduje became APC Chairman on August 3, 2023.

    The plaintiff contended among others, that Ganduje is occupying the office of the APC chairman illegally, not being from a state in the North Central geo-political zone.

    It argued that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC breached the party’s constitution when it appointed Ganduje, from Kano State in the North West geo- political zone to replace Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa State in the North Central geo-political zone.

    It also argued that Ganduje’s appointment to replace Abdullahi was contrary to Article 13.5(1) f of the APC constitution and ultra-vires the powers of the NEC of the party, among other prayers.

  • Edo Poll: ‘I weep for Nigeria’s Democracy’ — Fintiri says 

    Edo Poll: ‘I weep for Nigeria’s Democracy’ — Fintiri says 

    Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umar Fintiri, himself a survivor of a rigged election,  has described the recently concluded Edo State gubernatorial election as shameful.
    Fintiri in a statement disclosed that the All Progressives Congress in Edo State had allegedly attempted to discredit him by falsely claiming he announced the result of the poll.
    The statement read, “I weep for Nigeria’s democracy after witnessing the shameful Edo Gubernatorial poll. The APC’s desperate attempts to discredit me by falsely claiming I announced results won’t distract from the real issue.
    “What’s truly shameful is APC’s national chairman flying into Edo with a private jet on election day, defying movement restrictions, while their governors used armoured escorts to intimidate voters.
    “This blatant disregard for democratic norms is the real brigandage. Nigerians are outraged, slamming INEC for compromising and favoring APC.
    “We must condemn this rape of democracy and demand accountability. The world is watching, and Nigeria deserves better,” Fintiri said.
  • Gov Umo Eno Speaks On Dumping PDP

    Gov Umo Eno Speaks On Dumping PDP

    The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, has stated categorically that he is not attempting to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
     Eno clarified this while addressing the circulating rumours due to his bond with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
    Rumours were flying about that Eno was planning to withdraw his PDP membership to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
    However, during a media interaction in Uyo, which coincided with the 37th-anniversary celebrations of Akwa Ibom State over the weekend, Governor Eno urged the public to distinguish between political party matters and governance issues.
    The PDP chieftain maintained his respect for Akpabio as Senate President and their joint efforts to foster development in the state.
    Governor Eno highlighted the advantage of having the Senate President as a prominent national figure, affirming his commitment to leveraging this position for the benefit of Akwa Ibom State.
    He said: “The first thing we get from building this relationship is the peace we are all enjoying. Maybe that’s why some people feel that I am neither here nor there.
    “I am a PDP person, I am working for PDP, and as a state, we will continue to support the party. But we must differentiate between party issues and governance issues.
    “We are going for election now, and I am working for my party, the PDP and we are campaigning, and we will win. Some people have accused me of my body language.
    “I don’t have body language, you misread me. There is no body language. I am working for the PDP, and we have shown the people that we can be trusted.
    “There is no local government that we are not doing something in this state, and there is no comparison.
    “I want voters to be the ones to decide; compare what is done to what you are seeing and look at what is left.”

  • Buhari hails Edo gov-elect Okpebholo on election victory

    Former President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the winner of the Edo State governorship election, Monday Okpebholo, following what he described as a ‘prized, historic electoral victory’.
    Buhari further commended the law enforcement agencies for their efforts in ensuring a peaceful election.
    The former president’s congratulatory message was contained in a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, on Sunday, September 22.
    The statement reads: “Former President Muhammadu Buhari congratulates the All Progressives Congress #OfficialAPCNg and the party’s governor-elect in Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, following ‘this prized, historic electoral victory’.
    “He expressed hope that both the leaders of the incoming administration and of the parties that lost will work together to strengthen democracy and maintain the trajectory of the state’s development.
    “Congratulations to the APC and the election winner, Senator Monday Okpebholo on the historic electoral victory, and my warmest wishes for a new lease of life for Edo State and its people.
    “I very much hope the winners and the losers will work together to strengthen democracy and maintain the trajectory of development in the state.
    “I commend the law enforcement agencies for the efforts that they put into ensuring a peaceful election, and the multitude of election officials who strive to improve with each election.
    “I pray that Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country, will continue to achieve remarkable progress under democracy’.”
  • Edo 2024 Guber: Impressive Turnout of Voters

    Edo 2024 Guber: Impressive Turnout of Voters

    The Edo 2024 gubernatorial election has witnessed an impressive turnout of voters across the state today, as residents turned out in their numbers to exercise their civic duties.

    By 7:15am when reporters visited polling units within ward 12, residents had trooped out early, signaling a strong desire to shape the future of Edo State.

    People with disability and octogenarians were given preference.

    Voting in most wards in Oredo LGA is going on smoothly, and the security situation in most polling units visited remain intact and under control.

    Several civil society organizations monitoring the elections, including YIAGA Africa and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), commended the peaceful conduct and the large turnout of voters.

    The Edo 2024 election is seen as a critical moment for the state, with three major political parties amongst others vying for the governorship seat in a race that will shape Edo’s political landscape for the next four years.

    A physically challenged voter displaying his card
  • LG Elections in Benue state: Alia visits Tinubu

    LG Elections in Benue state: Alia visits Tinubu

    Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, says the forthcoming Local Government elections in the State will be transparent.

     

    Governor Alia said this when he briefed State House correspondents in Abuja after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Thursday.

     

    The Governor also noted that the relative peace in the State will be sustained before, during and after the Local Council polls.

     

    Fr. Alia explained that the State was prepared for any eventuality, following the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.

     

    The Governor told State House correspondents that his administration will hire about 100 teachers to ensure quality education in Benue State.

     

  • For those attempting to make a mountain out of mole hill, Mathew Kukah, the Bishop of Sokoto has reminded them that, like the PDP candidate in Edo Gov elections, President Tinubu did not sign a peace accord as a presidential candidate in 2023.
    Kukah, one of the conveners of the National Peace Committee headed by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, made this known on Sunday in Benin City during the Edo Election Security Townhall.
    According to the clergyman, the committee can’t force any presidential candidate to sign the peace pact, which has become an electoral ritual in the last decade.
    Kukah asserted that the failure of political parties and their candidates to sign the peace accord sends a wrong signal to Nigerians, which the opposition can easily exploit.
    He said, “The National Peace Committee, what we do is not in the Electoral Act, it’s not law; it’s moral. You can’t compel people to fall in love or love their neighbour.
    “If you go back to the 2019 election, the presidential candidate for the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was not there to sign the Peace Accord. And, of course, the opposition went to town, which is what it ought to be, and the next day, he (Atiku) turned up to sign.
    “What is also very interesting is that the current president, when he was a presidential candidate, did not sign; it wasn’t our fault that the political opposition didn’t take advantage of it.
    “It’s a pity, but we are not going to take anybody to court for not signing the Peace Accord. The only thing it does to you as a candidate is that it sends a wrong signal which can be very easily exploited by the opposition.”
  • Police to deploy 35,000 personnel for Edo election

    Police to deploy 35,000 personnel for Edo election

    Furthering the usual routine which positive outcome remains to be seen, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, announced on Wednesday that 35,000 police officers will be deployed across Edo State for the September 21 governorship election.

    Additionally, 8,000 personnel from sister security agencies, including the armed forces and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), will be mobilized to support the police.

    He also confirmed that security aides assigned to VIPs will be withdrawn to ensure neutrality and security.

    Egbetokun stated this at the stakeholders meeting as part of activities ahead of the election organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where its chairman, Professor Mamhud Yakubu announced that former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar was already in town presiding over the signing of the peace pact between contending parties and their candidates on Thursday.

    The event had the representatives of the 17 participating political parties, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), representatives of the palace of the Oba of Benin, civil society groups and others.

    In his remarks, Egbetokun also said the suspension of the activities of quasi-security organizations like the Edo State Security Network (ESSN) and others set up by the state government to check insecurity remain suspended and that they have no role to play on the day of election.

    He said security aides attached to VIPs would also be withdrawn even as he reeled out the various election offences and warned that anyone caught against them would be treated according to the law.

    According to him, “It is the responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that elections take place and trhe security of all is the responsibility of the police and it will be supported by other security agencies to ensure safety. We understand the importance of our role in this election and we will ensure that everything is done in compliance with that.

    “We will deploy sufficient personnel for the election. For the Edo state governorship election, we will deploy 35,000 personnel, there will be another 8,000 from other security agencies to complement us. We have undertaken several measures including a tour of hot spots, engaging stakeholders and operational visits and we will continuously engage all.”

    He said all entry and exit points in the state would manned while movements would be restricted between 6 am and 6 pm and urged the political leaders to warn their members against any form of violence.

  • APC pulls out of Edo election peace accord

    APC pulls out of Edo election peace accord

    Less than two hours before the signing of the Peace Accord between contending political parties ahead of the September 21 governorship election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it was not disposed to signing the peace accord.

    This position is barely 12 hours after Governor Godwin Obaseki while receiving the Chairman of the Presidential Peace Committee, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar said his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not sign the peace accord because the party have lost faith in the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

     

    Addressing a press conference at the party secretariat, Emperor Jarret Tenebe said the reasons for their declining to sign among others was that for over two months after a police inspector Onuh Akor who was the orderly to the candidate of the party, Sen Monday Okpebholo was shot and killed along Airport Road, nobody has been arrested and prosecuted, despite claims by the former Commissioner of Police, Funsho who “told Nigerians that the command had the names of those who murdered Inspector Onuh Akor at the Benin airport.”

     

    He said instead of them being arrested, Governor Godwin Obaseki is allegedly keeping them in the government house.

     

    Tenebe said, “This failure of the police has emboldened the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki and his Peoples Democratic Party to attack members of our political party at rally grounds and in their private business premises ceaselessly.”

     

    He claimed that the governor has made inflammatory statements that have undermined his position as the Chief Security Officer of the State.

     

    He chronicled the various attacks the APC campaign team have suffered in different communities Akoko-Edo, Etsako Central, Esan West local government area while mobilising supporters for the election.

     

    “In the wake of this very worrisome and dangerous trend, Governor Obaseki kept mute and refused to condemn the attacks as the Chief Security Officer of the state. Instead, one Odion Olaye, the Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress in Edo State, while in the company of Obaseki, openly threatened the country that, “Nigeria will burn if INEC fails to declare the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo as the winner of the September 21, 2024 gubernatorial election.”

     

    He mentioned several other chieftains of the PDP who he alleged have publicly boasted that they would do anything and go away with it and that the party’s petition to the police about these incidents with the names of suspects attached have not been treated.

     

    He said “The summary of these episodes is the unwillingness of Obaseki to embrace peace and the refusal of the security agencies to guarantee a peaceful environment for the conduct of September 21st, 2024 scheduled election.”

     

    As part of its demand to sign the peace accord, Tenebe said the police should be seen to taking steps to declare those fingered in the killing of the police allegedly being hidden in government wanted.