Nnamani must quit as Electoral Reform Committee Chairman – Fayose

Ekiti State Governor and Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has called for the immediate resignation of former Senate President, Ken Nnamani as chairman of the Electoral Reform Committee and allow a non-partisan person to take over, saying “if the federal government is serious about electoral reform, Senator Nnamani, a card carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won’t head the Electoral Reform Committee.”

PDP helped Buhari become President – Lamido

A former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has appraised the internal wrangling in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and has come to the conclusion that President Muhammadu Buhari is the greatest beneficiary of the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The PDP founding father, who argued that there was no way Buhari could have been given an opportunity to contest for presidency at the outset of the present dispensation in 1998/99, claimed that the President was able to come to power in 2015 because of the efforts of the PDP in reconciling and stabilizing the country.

Lamido, who spoke in his Bamaina hometown at the weekend, stated that all the leaders, including himself, are to be blamed for the party’s woes, but maintained that the PDP is beyond any personality, and that it belongs to Nigerians so cannot be appropriated by anybody.

Speaking about the crisis in the party, he said, “It is not about one’s own personality or one’s ego, but it is about this party called PDP which carries the Nigerian hope which was able to get Nigerians stabilised in spite of the vilification and propaganda and prepared the ground fully for Buhari to come in and become a president because if there is any great beneficiary of PDP in Nigeria, it is Buhari.”

The former Jigawa governor continued, “between 1998 and 1999, there was no way Buhari could have gotten the opportunity to contest, he can’t contest I don’t mean to insult him, but it is simply a historical fact that all those that are now calling the shots, is all, thanks to PDP because the country has been stabilised and reconciled.

“So, anybody in the Villa or Government Houses or wherever they are, who are now enjoying this APC thing are simply because PDP was able to restore the country and made it possible for them,” he stated.

“But today, no matter how big you are as a thief, if you go to APC, they would accept you, look at those going to APC in the last two to three weeks, these are people who are literally on trial by the EFCC,” he declared.

“Maybe because the PDP couldn’t stand up for them, that’s why they are going there or maybe APC has no qualms about fraud by accepting them with the intention of cleaning them,” Lamido added.

Jegede is now PDP candidate, says INEC

In a judgment lasting three tension-soaked hours, the Appeal Court, Abuja, resolved the controversy surrounding the governorship ticket of the Ondo Peoples Democratic Party in favour of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, sending the PDP supporters in the 40-year-old state into wild jubilation.

The judgment delivered on Wednesday by the Justice Ibrahim Saulawa-led three-member panel lifted the pall of uncertainty hanging over the governorship ticket that had pitted business mogul, Jimoh Ibrahim, against a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Eyitayo Jegede.

In the landmark judgment, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja by which the Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Ibrahim the PDP’s governorship candidate for the November 26 election in Ondo State.

The three-man panel of the appeal court in a unanimous judgment, upheld the appeal by Jegede, who was earlier dropped by INEC and replaced with Ibrahim, as the governorship candidate of the party.

In a separate judgment delivered by the panel, the appeal court also upheld the appeal by a factional chairman of the party, Ahmed Makarfi, and the secretary of the faction, Ben Obi, against the judgment of the Federal High Court, recognising Biyi Poroye and eight others as state executive members of the party in their various states.

All the three Justices on the panel, Justice Saulawa, Justice George Mbaba and Ignatius Agube, agreed on the decisions reached on the two judgments.

Poroye and others who are backing Ibrahim as the governorship candidate of the party belong to the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the PDP.

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on June 29, 2016, delivered a judgment recognising Poroye and others as the authentic state executive members of the PDP in their various states.

Subsequently, the judge, in a post-judgment ruling delivered on October 14, 2016, ordered INEC to drop Jegede and substitute him with Ibrahim as the governorship candidate of the PDP in the election slated for Saturday.

Justice Saulawa, in setting aside the two decisions on Wednesday, described them as “highly misplaced and most fraudulent”.

He resolved all the seven issues formulated for determination in favour of Jegede, describing the failure of the judge to grant fair hearing to Jegede, who was not a party to the suit before the Federal High Court, as “violent attitudinal disposition to rule of law.”

He said the judge committed a “grave error by violating the principles of natural justice” which he said required all parties that could be affected by an order of court to be heard before judgment was delivered.

Another member of the panel, Justice George Mbaba, who read the lead judgment on Makarfi’s appeal, also described Justice Abang’s judgment, as a “charade and fraud”.

Justice Mbaba ruled, “The entire proceedings leading to the judgment delivered on June 29, 2016, were, in my view, a fraud and it was intended to defraud the appellants. It appeared to be arranged by the same people who paraded as the plaintiffs and the defendants.

“The first to ninth respondents (Poroye and others) did not have a proper course of action.”

He noted that Justice Abang was “a willing party to achieve an ignoble goal”.

The appeal court held that Justice Abang acted without jurisdiction when he made orders against those that were not parties before him.

The panel also faulted the order granted in favour of Ibrahim on the grounds that the governorship candidate of the Sheriff faction was never a party to the suit and the prayer asking that he be recognised as the governorship candidate was not sought by the plaintiffs.

Justice Saulawa held that Justice Abang contravened judicial principles by granting an order not sought by the party.

He said Justice Abang, having earlier in the main judgment delivered on June 29, ruled that the recognition he granted Poroye and others as state executive members of the party was with respect to the 2019 general election, the judge on his own, in his October 14, 2016 ruling, “targeted his orders at the November 26 governorship election”.

“The court mistook his robe for that of Father Christmas and was handing out orders like Christmas gifts,” Justice Saulawa ruled.

The appeal court also nullified the primary said to have been conducted by the Poroye-led state executive of the Sheriff faction of the party which produced Ibrahim as the governorship candidate of the party in the state.

The appeal court described the primary that produced Ibrahim as an “illegal contraption” with “no legal effect or equitable remedy”, adding that the only valid primary could be the one conducted by the National Working Committee of any political party.

The court also held that the provisions of section 287 on which the October 14 post-judgment ruling was based could not be applied for judgment enforcement as Justice Abang did, describing the proceedings as fraudulent.

The court also dismissed Exhibits B21, B23 and B24 relied on by Abang as inadmissible because they were not properly certified.

Justice Saulawa ruled, “Having come this far. Having resolved each and all the total number of seven issues in favour of the appellant, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), what else should the court do?

“Against the background of the foregoing, there is no gainsaying the fact that the appeal is meritorious and it is hereby allowed.”

But the court said it could not make any “consequential order” because Jegede’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), only prayed the court to allow the appeal and set aside the order of Justice Abang of the Federal High Court and nothing more.

Justice Saulawa explained that a court was not allowed to make an order not sought by parties, adding that Jegede’s prayer in his notice of appeal “is incongruous” with the prayers his lawyers asked the court to grant during hearing.

Justice Saulawa ruled, “The reliefs are incongruous and rather mutually exclusive. It is the law that the court does not grant the prayers not sought by parties.”

The Supreme Court had on Tuesday given the Justice Ibrahim Saulawa panel of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which was handling the various cases relating to the dispute over the PDP governorship ticket in the forthcoming election in Ondo State, the nod to continue with its proceedings.

In two separate rulings,  the five-man panel of the  apex court led by the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, unanimously dismissed the motions asking for a stay of the appeal court’s proceedings and others seeking an order disbanding the Justice Saulawa panel.

The two categories of motions dismissed by the apex court on Tuesday were filed by nine applicants led by Poroye.

The apex court arrived at the decisions when 14 separate appeals relating to the dispute over the PDP’s governorship ticket for the forthcoming election in Ondo State came up for hearing on Tuesday.

Other members of the Supreme Court’s panel – Justices Tanko Muhammad, Kumai Akaahs, Kudirat Kekereekun and Ejembi Eko – all agreed with the lead rulings read by Justice Onnoghen.

I’ll get judgment at Supreme Court –Ibrahim

 Jimoh Ibrahim has reacted to the judgment which ordered INEC to remove his name as the candidate of the PDP in Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo State.

Ibrahim said in a statement shortly after the judgment that he was sure of getting justice at the Supreme Court.

He said there was no way the incumbent Governor of Ondo State, Dr.  Olusegun Mimiko, would succeed himself by planting Jegede  as his successor.

His statement read in part, “I have read the decision of the Court of Appeal delivered today (Wednesday).  We have nothing to lose as the Supreme Court sits on the same case tomorrow. We shall get justice at the Supreme Court and if the PDP wins Saturday election, we shall have our four-year mandate to rule Ondo State.

Jubilation

No sooner had the judgment been delivered than wild jubilation broke out among Jegede’s loyalists in Akure.

 Hundreds of women stormed the INEC office at Alagbaka, in the state capital to jubilate the ruling.

 From Oyemekun Road to NEPA, Arakale, Alagbaka, Isikan, Oluwatuyi, Ijapo, Stadium Road, Hospital Road, Owode, Araromi, and Ilesa Garage areas, hundreds of jubilant supporters of Jegede trooped out singing and dancing.

 The supporters, who displayed posters and campaign banners of Jegede, sang and danced in front of the INEC office while the armed security operatives deployed there monitored them closely.

 Ibrahim’s party secretariat deserted

 The campaign secretariat of Ibrahim was deserted following the ruling by the appeal court.

Our correspondent, who visited the secretariat around 4pm observed that although few cars branded in the posters of Ibrahim were parked in the front of the campaign office, people inside the office were less than 20.

The secretariat of the Poroye-led executive of the PDP, which is some few metres away from Ibrahim’s campaign office, was also deserted.

Poroye, however, said he was confident that the Supreme Court would rule in favour of Ibrahim and the PDP would be the eventual winner of the poll.

 Jegede is now PDP candidate –INEC

Meanwhile, INEC has declared Jegede as the candidate of the PDP for the election coming up on Saturday.

The commission said it took the decision following the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, which ordered it to remove the name of Ibrahim as the PDP candidate.

The Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Agusta Okagwu, made the position of the commission known in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday night.

She said, “In compliance with the judgment delivered today, Wednesday, November 23, 2016, by the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, the Independent National Electoral Commission hereby declares that Mr. Eyltatyo legede (SAN) is now the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party  for the Ondo State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, November 26, 2016.

“lt will he recalled that in compliance with the order given by the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, on Friday,  October 14,  2016 (re-affirmed on October 27,  2016), the commission named Mr. Jimoh lbrahim as the PDP candidate for the governorship election.

“However, with today‘s judgment by the Court of Appeal, the commission, hereby, recognises  Mr. Jegede as the candidate of the PDP for the said election.’’

Demand for postponement

The Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, has called on INEC to provide a level playing field to all the candidates participating in the governorship election.

According to him, this would give the PDP governorship candidate, Jegede, the opportunity to prepare the names of his agents in all the polling units ahead of the election.

Akinmade said the remaining two days were not enough for the governorship candidate to prepare for the election.

He said, “It is only fair that INEC shifts election by 14 days so that Jegede could have enough time to prepare his agents’ list. If the Edo State governorship election was postponed, I see no reason why the Ondo State election cannot be postponed so as to ensure fair play.”

The state women leader of the PDP, Mrs. Easter Ebiwonjumi, who spoke to our correspondent, stated that women in the state were happy about the court’s order in favour of Jegede, adding, however, that there was the need for INEC to postpone the election.

Mimiko reacts

The Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has described the emergence of Jegede as a victory over judicial rascality.

Mimiko, who arrived in Akure on Wednesday night from Abuja, said President Muhammadu Buhari had no hand in the intrigues that led to the substitution of Jegede’s name by INEC.

He, however, said he believed that certain elements in the Presidency were behind the plot. He called on INEC to postpone the poll in order to ensure fairness and justice for Jegede.

He said, “Initially, we thought INEC was under an undue influence from the top. With my interaction with the President, however, he (Buhari) has no hand in it. But certain elements in the Presidency are part of this conspiracy and complicity.”

Also, the candidate of the AD, Chief Olusola Oke, said that the victory of Jegede at the appeal court would benefit his party because it would curb massive rigging in the Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
He said, “We are set for the election and we are set to win. Jegede’s return to the race is to the AD’s advantage. Now, we will have state power checking the federal power because the fear of the people before now was that the federal might could be deployed to design victory for the All Progressives Congress candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, without any check.
“Now it means that this will not be possible; it means that only genuine results will most likely come out of Ondo State and once that happens, we are confident of winning because we are accepted by the people of the state.”

Culled from The PUNCH

Election can’t take place in Ondo without PDP – Mimiko

The Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has declared that governorship election will not take place in the state on November 26, 2016 if the issue of the candidacy of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was not resolved.

He, however, assured that the issue of the PDP standard bearer in the governorship election would soon be resolved by the appellate court and expressed the assurance that the candidate of the Ahmed Makarfi’s faction of the party, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), would contest the election.

The governor who stated this on Sunday at the PDP stakeholders’ meeting held in Akure, the state capital, said the PDP as a party in Nigeria and Ondo State in particular, is a major stakeholder in election matter and no one can prevent the party from participating in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

“I don’t know how they will do it, it is impossible for them to deny us our right. Justice will stand and Jegede will contest this election. Election can’t take place in Ondo State without the PDP.”

The governor explained that the substitution of name at the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was a conspiracy because the decision of INEC could not find comfort “in justice, in principle, in law and in morality.”

Mimiko, who noted that redress had been sought by Jegede, the PDP and major stakeholders, assured the party members that justice would be done because the alleged impunity on the matter would not stand.

The governor commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his action towards good and credible elections in the country by ensuring that justice would be done regarding the Ondo election.

He however debunked insinuations that he went to see Buhari as a prelude to crossing over to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

He explained, “I had to see the President in my capacity as the Chief Security Officer in Ondo State, briefing the Chief Security Officer of the country on the need to allow justice to prevail, and Mr. President gave his commitment to ensure that justice will be done and I have no reason to doubt him.

“Justice will stand and Jegede will contest the election. Election can’t take place without the PDP.

“We know those that are behind this. It is beyond the President. Their thinking is that without Jegede, they will win but their plan will fail, “ he said.

Why I dumped PDP for APC – Joshua Dariye

A former Plateau State Governor, Joshua Dariye, has explained why he dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Mr. Dariye on Thursday left the PDP, on whose platform he was first elected governor and then elected to the National Assembly to represent Plateau Central senatorial district.

He is one of the former governors facing corruption charges, accused of siphoning the state’s ecological fund to the tune of N1.16 billion.

In 2004, Mr. Dariye fled the United Kingdom where he was being tried for money laundering.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission first filed charges against Mr. Dariye in 2007. He pleaded not guilty.

For nine years, his trial was delayed until February 2015 when the Supreme Court affirmed the competence of the Abuja court to try him.

In 2011, he defected from the PDP to Labour Party, where he contested the senatorial election.

When Mr. Dariye returned to the PDP in 2014, he explained that his decision to rejoin the party was because he was a founding member.

He had then assured of his “loyalty” to the PDP at all times.

However, in his latest defection letter to the senate president, he said, “after due consultations with my constituency, I write to notify you of my intention to cross over from the PDP to the APC.

“My decision is informed by the protracted division at the national level of the PDP that led to the massive movement of my supporters to the APC.

“Arising from this, I therefore write to formally inform you of my decision to go along with my supporters. I thank you for your understanding.’”

Fielding questions later from journalists, Mr. Dariye said his decision to dump the PDP was informed by the crack in the party.

He added that most of his constituents had defected to the ruling APC and that he wanted to be with his constituents for effective representation.

“My people in the PDP have moved to the APC and there is no need to remain alone,” he said.

Mr. Dariye, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Procurement, reiterated his commitment to serve the people of his constituency.

Despite his stated reason, Nigerians on social media have suggested the Senator did cross-carpet on the hope he would be helped to avoid conviction, being a member of the ruling party.

Oshiomhole, APC Plan To Replace NYSC Members With Loyalists – PDP

The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has again alerted the international community, accredited election monitors and the general public about secret plot by Governor Adams Oshiomhole and its party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) to substitute members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) trained for Edo governorship election with their party members.

A press statement signed by the state’s publicity secretary of the PDP, Chris Nehikare,  reiterated that the postponement of the Edo State governorship election earlier scheduled for Saturday, September 10, is in line with the governor’s and APC’s devious plan and had nothing to do with insecurity in the state.

According to the PDP,  “the postponement was well-planned to undermine the will of Edo people. We are now convinced that the phantom security advice by the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Security (DSS) was orchestrated by Governor Adams Oshiomhole and some cabal within the APC, in the face of imminent defeat in the election.

‘’For instance, we all know that many members of the NYSC were trained by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as ad-hoc staff for the election. And going by NYSC Action Plan September, 2016, the trained NYSC members are to finish their clearance, as part of their final disengagement process that will end on September 30.

“’And we have just been told by insiders within the APC that Governor Oshiomhole and his party had compiled list of their party’s members that they will secretly use to replace the out-going trained NYSC members.’’

The party added that one of the reasons APC also asked INEC to fix the rescheduled election for Wednesday, September 28, an official working day, is to deny many electorates outside the state, who planned to come to Edo State for the election, from doing so.

It said hundreds of the electorates outside the state had arrived Edo State before the election was postponed, with many of them feeling disappointed about the action of the APC, in connivance with INEC/security agencies.

The PDP added, ‘’We want to once again, put the international community, accredited election monitors and the general public on notice over the devious plan by APC. It will surely undermine our democracy and instigate crisis that might be very difficult to manage if Oshiomhole and his gang are allowed to have their way.

Postponement of Edo election, a coup against Nigerians – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party has condemned the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to postpone the Edo State governorship election, describing it as a coup against Nigerians.

INEC had on Thursday night postponed the election till September 28 a day after the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force advised it to shift the poll due to security threats.

However, the PDP, in a statement by its spokesperson, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, condemned the move, adding that under the current INEC, all elections conducted had either been inconclusive or truncated.

It said, “The postponement of the election by INEC is illegal, unconstitutional and a breach of the peoples’ trust in the commission and the security agencies.

“It is a coup against the people of Edo State in particular and Nigerians in general. Since APC assumed power, virtually all elections conducted by INEC have either been inconclusive or truncated.

“Saturday’s election in Edo State must be an exemption. We will not accept anything less than free, fair and transparent election conducted and concluded the same day. INEC must rise to the occasion to restore the confidence of Nigerians in its operations.

“Edo is a test case. With the way INEC is performing, how are we sure that it would be able to handle the 2019 general elections. Our democracy is under a serious threat from the APC and its Gestapo security agencies.

“It is shameful and indeed a major constitutional breach for the security agencies to act in concert with the APC to truncate an election that had been planned for months.”

But the ruling party, the APC, has yet to comment on INEC’s decision to postpone the Edo State governorship election till September 28.

Attempts to get an official reaction from the party’s National Secretariat, in Abuja, on Thursday were unsuccessful.

Repeated calls to the mobile of the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, were not returned.

A response to a text message sent to him was still being awaited as of the time of filing this report.

Similarly, the mobile phone of the party’s National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, indicated that it was switched off when the line was called.

Edo guber: APC behind call to postpone Saturday’s election – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of allegedly sponsoring the call for the postponement of Saturday’s governorship election by some students ‎currently sitting the 2016 West African Senior School Certificate Examination in the state.

It described the call as a alleged ploy by the APC to delay the election because it was afraid of a defeat.

The state Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, who spoke on Tuesday in Benin, said, “I think this protest is being organised by the APC. I do not think they are prepared for the election. It is obvious that what is awaiting the APC come Saturday is defeat.

“So, they are now urging people to go to the streets to request the postponement of the election. What I must say hear is that if they hold the election on Saturday, APC will be defeated.

Orbih noted that the affected WASSCE candidates should have asked WAEC to postpone the examination rather than the election, which he said was long overdue.

He added “If through their organised protest, using thugs‎ to demonstrate that they are students that will be affected if we go ahead to do the election and, as a result, they decide to postpone the election, they will only delay the evil day.”

Efforts to reach the leadership of the APC in the state for comments were not successful.

However, the Commissioner ‎for Information, Kassim Afegbua, dismissed the allegation, adding that the APC had nothing to fear as the opposition party had long been decimated

According to Afegbua, the PDP had shown that it was less concerned about the education of the youths and did not understand its value.

The commissioner said, “How can? How possible is it that the ruling party will be afraid of rickety opposition party that has been decimated over the years?

“We pity them (PDP). They do not value education, so the issue of WASSCE does not bother them.”

Again, APC blames PDP for Nigeria’s economic woes

Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, has again blamed the opposition Peoples Democratic Party for the country’s current economic crisis.

The APC, whose other officials including Chairman John Oyegun had stated similar stance, on Monday asked the opposition party to apologize to Nigerians. It, however, assured that President Muhammadu Buhari would undertake the “urgent task” of reviving the “battered” economy.

Nigeria’s economy is officially in recession, the National Bureau of Statistics confirmed on Wednesday, saying the country’s Gross Domestic Product contracted by 2.06 per cent in the second quarter of 2016, the second time of recording negative growth rate consecutively.

Nigeria’s economic crisis – marked by growing inflation, falling naira value, low oil revenue, increased incapacity of most states to carry out basic responsibilities and general hardship among citizens – was a result of President Muhamadu Buhari’s “ineptitude and incompetent” approach to the management of the economy, PDP said in a statement hours after the NBS release.

“We join all well-meaning Nigerians to call on Mr. Buhari to resign if he is unable to reverse the disastrous economic decline he has brought on Nigerians,” PDP said.

But APC, in a statement by its National Secretary, Mai Buni, insisted the manners in which the economy was managed as well as “unprecedented” high scale corruption under the PDP government of former President Goodluck Jonathan were the circumstances that plunged Nigeria into the current economic quagmire.

The situation has seen many Nigerians struggle to eke out living, and various companies close shops or retrench workers.

Since Mr. Buhari came to power in May last year, a total of 4.58 million Nigerians have become unemployed over a period that stretches through 2015 Q3, Q4 and 2016 Q1, Q2, NBS revealed on Wednesday. 

However, Mr. Buhari, who rode to power on the promise he was going to revive the economy, fight corruption and ensure security, should not blamed for the crisis, the ruling party said.

“In spite of the PDP’s orchestrated and feeble attempts to blackmail the current administration and twist facts, the reality remains that the prevailing socio-economic hardship being faced by Nigerians is a direct consequence of the mismanagement of the economy and unprecedented looting of the country’s commonwealth perpetrated under its watch,” APC said.

It said the PDP’s “attempt to turn truth on its head is fraudulent, insensitive and an insult to Nigerians,” adding that, “For the umpteenth time, the PDP must own up to its transgressions and apologize to Nigerians.”

“Going forward, the urgent task before the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration is to restore the country’s battered economy back to health and all legitimate and innovative means are being employed to achieve this in the quickest possible time.

“The APC assures Nigerians of the strong political will and commitment of the President Buhari administration to revive the economy and tackle the nation’s current challenges through suitable and well-thought economic policies, fiscal discipline and socio-political reforms,” the scribe said.

He added that economic diversification topped the government’s strategic agenda. He also sought public cooperation for Nigeria to reach its deserved place.

“Among other strategic economic agendas, diversification of the country’s economy is a priority for the administration. To this end, President Buhari is aggressively formulating and implementing policies aimed at diversifying Nigeria’s economy from oil to other sectors such as agriculture, mining and manufacturing.

“The APC assures Nigerians that the administration will pull the country out of the present hardships. With the support, cooperation, patience and prayers of Nigerians, the country will reach its deserved potential under our leadership.”

While the government has repeatedly promised better days ahead and encouraged citizens to bear “today’s pains for tomorrow’s gains”, Nigerians appear impatient, demanding short term approaches to address growing hardship.

This was amplified, during the weekend, by Shehu Sani (APC Senator representing Kaduna Central) who warned that Nigerians “may die before President completes reforms”. Similarly, Dino Melaye, another APC Senator, Kogi West, sought “drastic” measures, lamenting that “The hunger in the land is real, pervasive, widespread and debilitating for the poor masses.”

PDP shuts official twitter account, launches new one

The Peoples Democratic Party announced the closure of its offiicial Twitter Handle @pdpnigeria and the launch of a new handle @officialpdpnig. The party also disowned its “Director of New Media”, Mr Deji Adeyanju.

The party said the position of director of new media is alien to its organisation.

In a statement issued Monday night by  Chinwe I. Nnorom, Head, Publicity Division, the party said the decision became imperative as as a result of frequent unauthorized tweets from the handle.

The party frowned at unauthorized party members speaking on its behalf. However, the PDP said party members and supporters are to speak in their official or individual capacities, but it must be in tune with party’s interest on the subject matter.

“This decision has once again become necessary due to the frequent unauthorized, and most times embarrassing tweets that emanate from the Handle tweeted by the Handlers claiming to represent the PDP. You will recall that the Party had in the past, announced the shutdown of the Handle on two occasions when hackers manipulated it to embarrass the party.

“Following these developments, the Party hereby informs all its members, supporters, friends, the Media and general public to ignore and disregard any tweet from the handle @pdpnigeria forthwith.”

Economy Recession: Stop crying like helpless baby – PDP tells APC

The Peoples Democratic Party has asked President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress, to face the challenge of putting the economy in a good shape instead of “crying like a helpless baby.”

It also said that the ruling party lacked vision to run the economy.

The main opposition party, which ruled the country from 1999 to 2016, also said that the APC’s incompetence and poor handling of the economy caused recession.

Consequently, it said that President Buhari and the APC should stop blaming former President Goodluck Jonathan for the current state of the economy.

The spokesperson for the PDP National Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said this in a statement he signed in Abuja on Sunday.

Adeyeye said the PDP had noticed that some governors of the APC had also joined the fray by blaming the former ruling party and Jonathan for the current hardship in the country.

Specifically, he mentioned the Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, as one of those who he said were of the opinion that the last PDP administration was responsible for the current economic recession.

Adeyeye said, “It is really disappointing that a notable personality as highly-placed as a state governor could be drawn into making idle and pedestrian claims without the benefit of facts.

“It is either he does not realise the obligation of speaking responsibly in that position or he is grossly ill-informed.

“In which case, we could only try to put the facts before him, and hoping he would recognise them.

“In the first place, this blame is misplaced because our elementary understanding of economics teaches us that the major cause of recession is inflation and poor handling of the economy given that the higher the rate of inflation, the more impoverished people become, industrial production and GDP decline resulting in massive job losses.

“Perhaps, we should quote those who should know and tell Governor Badaru that wrong economic policies of the APC-led government caused the current stagnation and recession in the country.”

Adeyeye referred the ruling party and the government to a statement credited to the President of the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association, Mr. Larry Ettah, a few days ago to buttress his point.

He said, “Ettah did not mince words when he said a few days ago that, ‘It is quite evident that the lack of clarity about the economic agenda of the current government contributed to the current economic stagnation and recession.

“‘In recent times at our AGMs, we have variously described our operating environment as challenging, unpredictable, unstable and energy sapping. These words are of course, true and descriptive of what our members have experienced in keeping their businesses afloat.’

“However, beyond that, we make bold to tell Governor Badaru that Jonathan and the PDP government saw this coming since 2011, and wanted to deregulate the sale of hydrocarbons in 2012, but Badaru and his co-travellers who are now in the APC frustrated the effort.”

He added that the former administration also wanted to encourage more savings in the Excess Crude Account and set up the Sovereign Wealth Fund but that “the Badarus of this world” who he said played politics with serious national issues and were state governors at the time took the Federal Government to court and did everything to frustrate the effort.

“Thank God some of them are among the ‘best brains’ in the APC Federal Government of today,” Adeyeye stated sarcastically.

He said that Badaru should know that it would be difficult to plant grapes and harvest mangoes.

Apart from this, he alleged that it was no longer a secret that the policies and statements made by key government actors had not been business-friendly.

This action, he added, made some Nigerians and foreign businessmen to take their hard currencies out of the country.

He said, “When professionals were advising the government to woo investors, characters like Badaru were busy demarketing Nigeria all over the world.

“They should be reminded that great leaders take over countries either in recession or war and still succeed in turning them around; quite unlike the prevailing situation where a ruling party plunges the economy into an avoidable recession, only to turn round and begin to whine helplessly like a baby.

Adeyeye called on the Federal Government to stop the blame game and look inward towards resolving the recession by inviting economic experts irrespective of their political leaning to join hands with the administration at these trying times.

Lai Mohammed Slams PDP 'You are Armed robber sympathising with the victim,"

The minister said Nigeria would not have been in its present depleted state if the Jonathan administration did not mismanage the country's resources.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has referred to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the armed robber who is "now the one sympathising with the victim."

Reacting to the party's call for the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari over the current economic recession in the country, the minister said Nigeria would not have been in its present depleted state if the immediate past administration did what ought to have been done.

He stated this in Abuja on Friday , September 2,  at a forum with the News Agency of Nigeria.

Mohammed said: “While we are not going to indulge in blame game, I think we should also be honest enough to admit that we will not have been where we are today if they had done what they ought to do.

“For the party to ask the President to resign is just a big joke.

“Agreed that Nigeria is not the only country hit by the recession and crash in price of crude, but other countries made savings.

“Saudi Arabia today has about $600 billion in reserve and this is by planning and saving for the future, which the past administration failed to do during surplus.

“This is not about blaming other administration, but we believe that one should be honest when criticising.”

The minister, however, assured Nigerians that the Federal Government will do everything possible to bring the country out of the economic situation.

After reading this, coupled with the economy situation of the country, one will have no doubt to conclude that the APC-led government in Nigeria is incompetent

PDP candidate converts Redeemed Church to campaign ground

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Edo Region 13 headquarters (Trinity Sanctuary) in Benin City, Edo State has allegedly been converted to the campaign office of Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 10 governorship election in the state, reports NewsDay.

Banners of the PDP and its candidate adorn all the walls of the church.

Ize-Iyamu is a zonal pastor in the church in the state.

It was also learnt that the regional pastor of the church in Edo State, Pastor James Dagunduro has given instructions to parish pastors to canvass for Ize-Iyamu in their parishes.

According to Nigerian Nation, two campaign jingles of Ize-Iyamu were repeatedly played in the teenage Church of Trinity Sanctuary on Sunday, August 21 and no other message was preached to the teenagers.

It was gathered that a minister in the church who complained that the church was being turned into a political arena was reprimanded and transfered.

Aggrieved members of the church it was gathered have petitioned the General Overseer of the Church, Pastor EA Adeboye to wade into the matter.

ONDO: Mimiko’s Commissioner, Aide resign, dump PDP to APC

The Ondo State Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperative Services, Yetunde Adeyanju, has resigned her appointment.

Similarly, Hon. Giwa Rasheed, a Special Assistant to Governor Olusegun Mimiko has also resigned.

The duo said they were joining the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The Commissioner in a statement on Monday said with his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party’s government, “a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders.”

“The relief came from a refreshing freedom a political family where impunity reigns, freedom from subversion of democratic principles and indeed, freedom from deification of sycophancy.

“In the last seven years, I have served in various executive capacities in the state. I started as the executive chairman of Ondo State Waste Management Board, later moved on to head Ondo State Development Company Limited as executive chairman and finally, as commissioner in the ministry of Community Development and Cooperative Services.

“Whenever I served, I discharged my duties with utmost dedication and unassailable integrity; notwithstanding the culture of greed, avarice and absolute disregard for the masses.

“Having exited the conundrum of capricious politics, I have, therefore, decided to align myself with true progressives in the APC. While I salute the patriots in the APC, I also want to commend President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption crusades.

“It is, therefore, my great pleasure to renounce my membership of PDP and announce my membership of APC”, she said.

PDP Moves To Save Ekweremadu

Senator Ike Ekweremadu

Following an alleged plot by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to remove the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, from office, the South East zone of the Peoples Democratic Party has moved to save him.

Rising from a meeting on Sunday in Enugu, the party said it would resist any moves to oust Mr. Ekweremadu.

It therefore passed a vote of confidence on him and the three governors of the party in the zone.

This was disclosed to journalists by the Deputy National Chairman of the PDP in the South East zone, Austin Umahi.

“We the stakeholders of the party and the party leadership in the zone have deliberated on various issues affecting the welfare of our party and have spoken with one voice and pass vote of confidence on our leader and the Deputy President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Ike Ekweremadu,” he said.

“We also passed vote confidence on all the PDP Governors from the zone because they have demonstrated uncommon leadership qualities and development across the zone.”

Apart from Mr. Ekweremadu, others at the meeting were the governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and his Ebonyi State counterpart, David Umahi.

Others included, the former governors of Anambra State, Peter Obi; former governor of Ebonyi State, Sam Egwu; Ben Obi; and Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.

Imo PDP crisis deepens as faction elects new exco

The crisis in Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has deepened as a faction of the party has inaugurated its executive members.

This was barely five days after the three factions of the party held parallel congresses in Owerri, capital of the state.

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, the leader of the faction called “Group of True Democrats”, Dr. Alex Obi, frowned on what happened in the 2011 and 2015 governorship elections in the state, attributing the loss of those elections to disunity in the party and imposition by leaders, among other ills.

Obi, a former State Chairman of the party who also called the group Integrity Group, preached that the party should come together with a view to excelling in the 2019 general elections.

He also canvassed for a fair play ground for all aspiring members of the party in the next general elections where the imposition of persons against the people’s consensus would not have a place.

He said, “What marred the PDP in the state was the imposition of candidates, which was why the party failed. The reason for the parallel congresses was for the leaders to hijack all positions and impose candidates for them to achieve their ulterior ambition, which in the end mars the party.

“I am not interested in those bad antecedents that have messed the party up, but a PDP that has national respect and acceptance. What our concern should be is to have a PDP that the grass root believes in. If we have such a PDP, the National Working Committee of the party will come looking for us here in the state.”

He, however, maintained that the group was not Alex Obi’s group or faction but a party made up of foundation members in the state and constituted men and women of integrity, good antecedents and proven track records.

In addition, the former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Chief Okey Dike, assured the party faithful that the group was the main and recognised PDP at the national level.

He said, “We shall deliver what belongs to the people to the people.”

Inaugurated were Greg Onwuamanam (chairman), Ignatius Egbuchulam (vice chairman), Vincent Oshieze Ehirim (secretary), Igwe Ugwu (Orlu zonal chairman), Amaechi Chibuike (Okigwe zonal chairman) and Chris Njoku (Owerri zonal chairman).

The others officers include Ambrose Onwumere (financial secretary), Melody Mbamara (treasurer), Rufus Osueke (organising secretary), David Okonkwo (legal adviser) Ekwerole Ikechukwu (publicity secretary), Mrs. Imelda Okechukwu (women leader) and Uche Igwe (youth leader).

Speaking after the inauguration, Greg Owuamanam said that he would, among other things, promote the spirit of integrity in the party, encourage quality leadership and good governance, reconcile aggrieved members and promote patriotism and obedience to the party principles.

This is the change we voted for

Muhammadu Buhari

 

The last couple of weeks have witnessed the heaviest public criticism of the Muhammadu Buhari administration since he came to power after inflicting a heavy defeat on the Peoples Democratic Party and their candidate Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Much of it has been on account of the unresolved social and economic problems facing the country.

Unfair criticism of the Buhari administration especially on account of escalating prices of foodstuff and the liberalization of the currency exchange needs to be challenged before it overshadows the commendable job the President has done in fighting terrorism as part of overall effort to secure the country, reducing corruption and yes, arresting the economic slide before it sinks the the nation.

The Hausa have a saying: “Ba zomo na kashe ba, rataya a ka bani,” meaning literally “I killed no rabbit, I am helping to carry the prey.”

Wherever they go these days, in London, Dubai, Beijing, Washington, New York or Tokyo, Nigerians get the good feeling of being asked the question, how is President Muhammadu Buhari?

It is a proud moment for many citizens that the country is being perceived differently now that it has a different kind of leader creating a positive buss abroad, the kind of sentiment that can lead to foreign investments when properly capitalized upon.

The lavish praise the President gets abroad and the wide public support he enjoys among the lower segment of the local population is, by contrast, given a short shrift in the local press, mainstream and online. At its lowest point, this unambiguous media rebuke has created a wave of sympathy for anyone with a view that runs counter to the President’s.

Boko Haram terrorist leader, Shekau or the pipeline vandal form the Delta region is more likely to get newspaper front pages today than the Minister of Labour, Governor Emeka Ngige or the Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun talking about jobs creation in the economy.

I don’t say that media criticism is not reflective of the feeling of the citizens.

President Buhari has himself on numerous occasions admitted that the change mantra has brought with it pain and suffering which he likened to the pains of labor. It is a passing phase.

When they ask the question, is this the change we voted for, the critic forgets how far we have come from the scam-tainted years of the PDP rule.

How many people have given a thought to the possibility of Nigeria doing something that the combined strength of Europe and America have failed to do?

There are many today who take for granted the declared victory over the Boko Haram terrorists, forgetting the reign of the bomber who made it almost impossible for regular attendance in Churches and Mosques in many of our cities, including the Federal Capital City, Abuja.

Victory over Boko Haram has brought peace not only to Nigeria but to the countries in the Lake Chad region.

The world leaders are still at work trying to contain the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, ISIS, which threat sadly continues to become more potent.

Everyone living in Nigeria knows that there is a major movement against corruption as part of the ongoing change. This war has forced the return to the treasury of billions of Naira and millions of Dollars stolen by past officials.

On account of this war, government suspects that the biggest trigger of the opposition to the change agenda is the army of the corrupt. With the enormous resources at their disposal; money that is unearned, these forces are ready to throw in everything to gag the Buhari administration.

When he assumed office, President Buhari said he understood the outcry of Nigerians and was determined to right those wrongs. I will remind you of his inaugural speech where he said: “At home we face enormous challenges. Insecurity, pervasive corruption, the hitherto unending and seemingly impossible fuel and power shortages are the immediate concerns. We are going to tackle them head on. Nigerians will not regret that they have entrusted national responsibility to us. We must not succumb to hopelessness and defeatism. We can fix our problems.”(Emphasis added).

He has said times without number that his government is dedicated to the poor. As can be seen from the 2016 budget, this is a government that is determined to hugely empower the disadvantaged groups- the poor, the jobless, the widows and the orphaned children including those of the North-East.

As a listening government, the President was prepared to open the door to additional food imports but given the processes involved, the turn around in any such import of commodities would have taken a long time as to coincide with the harvest of home grown grains and cereals now in progress. The market would have been deluged and the local grower given the short end of the stick.

Calls on Hausa radio by a rabble-rousing section of the opposition for the “reopening of borders” to “allow food come in” are redundant and mischievous because all the county’s borders remain open till date.

Following the budget, the administration has begun rolling out several social welfare programs. The direct cash transfer to the poorest of the poor, the school feeding and the recruitment/skills training of about one million jobless citizens are such an example.

In addition to hard work, all leaders need luck on their side to create what is sometimes seen as economic miracles. As leader, President Buhari never had the luxury of high oil prices as did his predecessors in office.

When he first emerged as the military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari saw oil price, the mainstay of the nation’s economy sank to as low eight Dollars a barrel.

He rolled up his sleeves, worked on diversification strategy of the economy only to be eased out of power just as they began to take hold. Thereafter, his successors abandoned these efforts.

On his second coming, this time as a democratically elected leader, the collapse of oil prices has challenged President Buhari to quicken efforts towards the diversification of the economy with emphasis given to agriculture and solid minerals mining. Every crisis, it is said, is an opportunity. Not so in Nigeria. This is a county that inherited massive technological inventions from Biafra, yet failed to take it forward. We must not lose this opportunity to diversify the economy and our foreign earnings presented by the present oil crisis.

As the country hopes for a bumper harvest this year, government is taking steps to ensure that no farmer will sell at a loss or fail to find markets for their harvests. Grain silos are being readied nationwide to receive excess produce for warehousing to ensure food security, avert market glut and price collapse. By this, government will ensure a minimum guaranteed price.

In dealing with challenges of the economy, the administration is devoting attention to ridding the country of its notoriety as a difficult place of doing business.

The government has been making quiet but significant progress in this area, thanks to the leadership given by the National Economic Council under the Vice President and the combined efforts of the Ministries of Trade and Investment, Finance, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Budget and Planning and the Customs under new leadership.

Everyone in this sector is doing everything in their power to boost up Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s infrastructure initiatives will see country making progress with intractable projects such as the Second Niger bridge, the East-West expressway, the green field Lagos-Abuja expressway and important national railway projects, Lagos-Calabar and Lagos-Kano which had been on the drawing boards for as long as anyone can remember.

These projects will be counted among the accomplishments of the administration alongside the 4,000 MW Mambila power plant which the President has declared a national priority. Government has also taken several bold steps to boost renewable energy. It has opened the door for a new conversation on the environment with decisive steps towards the clean-up the Ogoniland in the Niger Delta.

The currency liberalization and the deregulation of the petroleum products sale will make President Buhari one of the best presidents till date. The removal of subsidies on the petrol products has saved the government more than two trillion Naira annual expenditure in this respect.

President Buhari’s foreign trips have brought many things to the country. He has energized our foreign policy. Beyond the enormous goodwill reaped from “resetting” age-old but damaged relations with neighbors and distant partners and friends, the President has attracted foreign development assistance and direct investments (FDI). It is generally accepted that good foreign relations bring foreign direct investment. So much is currently being done one year into the administration. This is in spite of the world economy being sluggish and recession-stricken.

It bears repeating that President is a different kind of leader, who just happens to be a victim of the tyranny of high expectations. He has brought positive intention, commitment, honesty and personal integrity into governance. This is why the country’s poor hold him so dear; this is why the world is in love with him.

His knack for prudent spending and effective management of resources is in the belief that this country can only prosper when there is transparency, reduced corruption and a drastic cut in bureaucratic red tape.

His decision to have a small cabinet, reducing government ministries from 46 to 24 has the effect of relieving the treasury of the burden of salaries, allowances and miscellaneous expenses now being counted in billions of Naira.

President Buhari should be credited for the the unblemished record of his ministers. This is a government that has stayed above scandal for a year.

If all of these are not desirable changes, to be appreciated and adored, it is hard to know or determine what some of our critics want.

These reforms certainly represent major milestones in change which have led to a decline of corruption at the top.

As to the question of these leading to a resurgent economy, it all means that in a democracy everything takes times. The President needs our support with understanding and patience. No matter how hasty a president wants to bring changes, there is no magic wand in that office to make everything change from bad to good or make all of us prosperous with a wave of the hand. This change is on course. It requires patience.

The change is working for the nation and sooner than later, the testimony shall be given.

– Shehu is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity.