The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: APC

  • Senator Nkechi Nwogu faults Nigerians for blaming Insecurity on APC

     

    Chairman of the Governing Council of University of Calabar, Senator Nkechi Nwogu, has said that anybody blaming the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the insecurity in Nigeria is an enemy of the country.

    While speaking at her Umuocheala Mbutuoma, Osisioma Ngwa country home in Abia State, during the revalidation of her membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nwogu, who condemned the growing insecurity in the country, said it should not be seen as an APC affair.

    She called on all, irrespective of political leaning to support President Muhammadu Buhari in the fight against banditry across the nation, since according to her, insecurity does not know who belonged to which political party.

    “When the bandits strike, they do not do that based on the political party one belongs and that is why all should join hands in fighting it”.

    A strong believer in a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction, Nwogu said it was about time the Igbo were treated like any other part of the country in terms of having a shot at the apex governance of the country.

    She said the Igbo have since 1999 assisted the South West, North West and the South-South to produce the president of the country at one point or the other and stressed that there was no reason the other zones would have not to support the South East come 2023.

    “It is about time the Igbo are treated like any other part of the country in terms of having a shot at the apex governance of the country.

    “The Igbo have assisted the South West in 1999, North West in 2007 and the South-South in 2009 to produce the president of the country and I don’t think there is any reason the other zones would have not to support the South East come 2023 to produce the president”.

    Earlier, the chairman of Abia State APC re-registration and revalidation exercise, Ambassador Bala Mohammed Mariga and the state chairman of APC, Chief Donatus Nwamkpa had urged the people of the state to join APC en masse so as the vote out the PDP government come 2023.

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • Ondo representative defects from ADC to APC

     

    A member of the House of Representatives from Ondo State, Peter Makinde, has defected from the African Democratic Congress to the All Progressives Congress.

     

    Makinde, in his letter of defection which was read to members by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, during plenary on Tuesday, blamed his action on alleged divisions in the ADC.

     

    “You’re welcome to the progressive party,” Gbajabiamila said after reading the letter.

     

    Several members of the Peoples Democratic Party, however, screamed point of order. A leader of the minority caucus, Nicholas Ossai, who was allowed to speak, however, protested against the defection, stating that it breached Section 68 of the Constitution.

     

    Gbajabiamila, however, dismissed Ossai’s arguments, asking him or any member of the opposition to mention the name of the chairman of ADC.

     

    According to the Speaker, those protesting against the defection lacked knowledge of the goings-on in the ADC and, as such, are not in the position to query the reason cited by Makinde for the defection.

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • APC Cheiftain openly campaigns for Tinubu

     

    an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Lagos State, Ibrahim Megida, has called on Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or religion, to rally support for the National Leader of the party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his drive towards a virile nation.

     

    Speaking during an annual prayer meeting of a non-governmental Organisation (NGO), Mainland Independent Group (MIG), Megida, who represented Tunji Bello, a serving commissioner in Lagos State, in his capacity as special assistant on Politics, said of all the political leaders in the current dispensation, none compares with the APC leader in terms of unwavering dedication to the cause of the common man, the nation and its citizens.

     

    Megida expressed surprise that not only did Lagos APC leadership sustain their humanitarian uplift of the needy; but intensified it, in spite of the hardship which came in the wake of the COVID-19.

     

     

    His views was corroborated by Monsuru Owolabi Alao, a four-term member of the House of Representatives, who commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his dedication to duty and his sense of loyalty to the APC leader.

     

    Prominent APC leaders, including MIG Chairman, Kayode Aransiola, and Nimota Morenkeji, an executive member of the group, and others took turns to commend Bello and Owolabi for their regular humanitarian assistance and empowerment of the needy.

     

    Prominent leaders in Mainland council, Tayo Oyemade, Rasheed Shabi, Tajudeen Agoro, and others, advised members to embark on vigorous mobilisation with a view to enlisting new members to participate in the ongoing registration into the APC.

     

    This, according to them, became necessary in view of the fact that politics is a game of numbers. They commended MIG leadership for the resilience and consistency which they had been able to demonstrate over the years, in spite of all odds, to make them a force to reckon with in terms of the tremendous positive and progressive impact they have continued to make in the society.

     

    Also present on the occasion which took place at Golden Gate Restaurant, Sabo, Yaba, were Tayo Oyemade, Bola Aileru, Vice chairman Yaba LCDA, Executive chairman, Yaba LCDA, Rasheed Shabi, Ganiyu Salako, Tony Fasanmi, Tajudeen Agoro

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • APC support group appoints Obidike as the DG of the group

    APC support group appoints Obidike as the DG of the group

    The board of trustees of the Conference of APC Support Group today announced the appointment of Mr. Obidike Chukwuebuka as the Director General of the group.

    Mallam Gambo Jagindi Chairman Board of Trustees made the announcement to newsmen in Abuja today

    Jagindi said that the group has its major interest in the welfare of APC groups and every Nigerians

    He emphasized that the objective of forming this group is to mobilize support groups and ensure their welfare for the success of the party and national development

    Reacting to the appointment Johnson Okoye – Special Assistant on media and publicity to the Director General said that Mr Obidike Chukwebuka who is the founder of Heavens Mandate and Advocate of Good Governance sincerely accept the appointment as the Director General Conference of APC Support Group.

    This is a further testimony of the group firm believe in his capabilities, commitment, selfless services and doggedness in discharge of enormous human resources endowed in his personality.

    He prayed for God’s continuous guidance, directions and steadfastness in the great task ahead while looking towards other areas of cooperation , he once more reiterate his loyalty and dedication in partnering with all APC support groups at all levels because his progress is equally the success of  our great party.

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • Kogi State law makers solicit for Yahaya Bello, press APC for political action.

     

    Ahead of 2023 polls, Kogi State lawmakers paid a visit to Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Wednesday, to lobby All Progressives Congress (APC) House members on behalf of Governor Yahaya Bello to emerge as the party’s presidential candidate.

     

    The lawmakers said that it was time states in the North Central unite and work with the sole aim for the zone to produce the next president.

     

    The high-powered delegation led by the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Prince Matthew Kolawole, made the call when they paid an advocacy visit to the Kwara State House of Assembly, Ilorin.

     

    The Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Engr Yakubu Danladi Salihu, said the agitation for power shift to North Central was a laudable move, recalling that the zone had yet to take shot as either President or Vice President since the nation’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

     

    However, the Kogi Speaker told his host that the mobilisation drive for Governor Yahaya Bello to emerge as next president was due to some attributes in him as well as his contributions to the development of Kogi State and the nation since his election as governor.

     

    Kolawole noted that Governor Bello had succeeded in addressing insecurity climate in the state, which was prevalent prior to his emergence.

     

    He urged other zones in the country to concede the presidential ticket of the APC to Kogi Governor, saying that the nation would be in safe hand if Governor Bello is given the opportunity.

     

    ‘We are here to notify you about the plan ahead as regard 2023 election. We are here on behalf of Governor Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. We want to thank him for the good relationship we have built together in the Kogi State House of Assembly. Apart from the synergy that we have, in the House of Assembly, we have passed into law between 67 and 70 bills since he assumed office as governor. He has assented to all the bills.

     

    ‘Before now, Kogi State used to be a den of kidnappers, armed robbery and social vices. And people cannot move freely. Since our governor assumed office, the first thing he did was to demystify the camps of all the kidnappers and demolish the houses of well-known criminals in the society. I can tell you categorically that my state is 80 per cent free from kidnapping and armed robbery. We equally saw our governor as being a youth governor, while many in his government today are absolutely youths.

     

    ‘So, by the time we put all this together, we looked at his capacity, ability, charisma leadership effectiveness and control, we in the House of Assembly of Kogi State passed a vote of confidence on our governor and at the same time, we went further to ask him to contest for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

     

    ‘We didn’t just ask him to contest. We equally looked at the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Four had benefitted immensely in the leadership of this country in terms of President and Vice President. We realized that North Central and South-East were left out of this powerful political position (President). As a result of that, we asked our governor, maybe the youngest governor in Nigeria. Because of his effectiveness and leadership control and the role he has played in developing our party in Nigeria, we said our governor should contest for the President, which he has finally agreed to run for.

     

    ‘And we cannot do this alone in Kogi State. As a result of this, we decided to pay advocacy visits and talk to our colleagues, who will be delegates from different States in a future election. We are here to appeal to you to support our youthful and pragmatic governor, who has really contributed to the development of Kogi State and APC in Nigeria, to run for the office of President and for him to succeed. Above all, we are advocating from Kwara State House of Assembly to join Kogi State House of Assembly in this crusade of North Central to produce President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’ the Kogi Speaker said.

     

    Speaking during the visit, Salihu assured that Kwara would support the movement for North Central to produce the next president.

     

    The Speaker, who led the Deputy Speaker, Raphael Olanrewaju Adetiba and other lawmakers to receive the visiting team, applauded Kogi lawmakers for taking a bold step with the resolution for Governor Bello to vie for the presidential ticket of the APC.

     

    He said: ‘In North Central, we have not seen the key actors of the country, which include President and Vice President [from] 1999 to date. And agitating for this is a plus to North Central. By God’s grace, as we start this journey, we pray that it should be a journey that favours the North Central Zone.

     

    ‘Kogi State has taken a bold step with your resolution asking an aspirant to go and contest for an election. And for the aspirant accepting your resolution, it is a plus, and it has shown the cordial relationship you have with the executive.

     

    ‘Honorable colleagues, I will say Alhaji Yahaya Bello (Governor of Kogi State) is in our youth constituency, though a senior brother. We have to give maximum support to the youth constituency. This move you are doing is a very big task. We will support the North Central move and put it in prayer for us to succeed. It is time for us to come together for the movement to be a success.’

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • 2023 Presidency: Borno State governor reveals why power should shift to the South

     

    The Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Zulum, said on Friday that for the sake of fairness, power should return to the south in 2023. He faulted the suspicion that any part of the country could not be trusted with power, perhaps for the fear of secession.

     

     

    He stressed that there was a need for fairness in the country, adding that marginalisation had become the loudest concern from the citizenry.

     

    He spoke in Lagos on Friday at the 17th Chief Gani Fawehinmi annual lecture, themed ‘The constitutional history of Nigeria’s dysfunction: Any pathway to indivisibility and common progress?’ which was an event organised by the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, to celebrate the life and times of the late Fawehinmi. The governor stated that one of the pathways to common progress was for fairness to reign in the country.

     

    Zulum, who was accompanied by some commissioners and special advisers, explained that power should shift to other sections of the country.

     

    The incumbent President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) is from the North-Western state of Katsina and is serving his second and final term in office.

     

    The governor said, “I’m persuaded that other sections of the country should be given the opportunity to lead in 2023, why not? It is constitutional.”

     

    Zulum, who reeled out the criteria set by the constitution for anyone to contest the Presidency, as contained in Section 131 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), asked all the persons from the South-East and South-South at the event to rise. He then told them that once they met the four conditions stated in the Section, they were also qualified to contest the presidency.

     

    The section reads, “A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President if (a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth; (b) he has attained the age of forty years; (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and (d) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”

     

    Speaking further on the issue of fairness as regard 2023, he stated, “Consequently, my response to the question posed by the theme of this programme is that yes, there are pathways to indivisibility and common progress; we must collectively agree that we need to do more to demonstrate fairness to every constituent part that made up this country. That is the constitution.

     

    “We need to understand that pedestrian suspicion is not an empirical or legal reason to deny any section of the country from participation in the leadership of this country. We are fast moving towards a point of inevitable tension.

     

    “One of the loudest concerns from the public is marginalisation. Therefore, we must as a matter of necessity create an environment that is conducive for everyone. People must feel the impact of the government and that government is responding.”

     

     

    The governor also said south-easterners should negotiate for power rather than expect others to leave it for them.

     

    He said, “To our friends and brothers in the South-South and South-East particularly, only God gives power but you have to negotiate for power. Negotiation becomes easier when you make friends across the divide. If we negotiate for power, we don’t always get everything we want, but we will normally mention every clause th at covers everything we need.

    “I said this because I have heard many people say ‘they don’t want to give us power’ but assumptions and projections will never actualise your aspirations. We must all remember that God gives power but human beings negotiate for it. Every interested party must be prepared to negotiate for it.”

     

    The governor also expressed reservation over the age limit of 40 as the minimum to contest the presidency, noting that in many countries around the world, people below 40 had become world leaders.

     

    He said, “Let me state here that I have a problem with the age limit set at 40, because whatever is the logic behind it, it is difficult to consider it valid in contemporary times.”

     

    He cited several examples of presidents or prime ministers who got to power under the age of 40, including President Emmanuel Macron, who became the President of France at the age of 39; Sanna Marin, who became the Prime Minister of Finland at 34; and Joseph Muscat who became the Prime Minister of Malta at the age of 39, among many others.

     

    “We must review our constitution to reflect this current reality in our country and provide greater access to the greatest number of our citizens,” he added.

     

    He admonished Nigerians to familiarise themselves with the 1999 Constitution, saying even though there are issues with the document, he believed strongly that it could still produce good results when faithfully discharged.

     

    He added, “If governance were to be a religion, the constitution would be its holy book. You know your Bible, you know your Quran, know your constitution. Gani Fawehinmi fought for a people’s constitution. We cannot let him down. Let us work to build bridges and drive a people-oriented constitution that would make Nigeria better for everyone.

    “We must make the constitution of Nigeria work for all Nigerians and not just some Nigerians. Our system of government must give people a voice while delivering services to them, including security of lives and property.”

     

    The Chairman, NBA, Ikeja Branch, Mr Bartholomew Aguegbodo, said the event was to celebrate the life of late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), whom he described as a great and courageous fighter who stood for what he believed to be right. He lamented that public interest litigation, which Gani did passionately, seemed to have become a thing of the past.

     

    He added, “This is a challenge to all of us in practice. Also, this occasion reminds us all that the man we honour today had an idea he lived for; that legal practice is not only for money-making but also standing for the oppressed.”

     

    Also, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Kazeem Alogba, said the judiciary was always ready to associate with the good programmes of the NBA, as he commended the Ikeja branch of the association for immortalising Fawehinmi.

    Represented by Justice Lateefat Folami, the CJ said, “The Chief Judge commends the activities of the NBA for immortalising a great lawyer like Chief Gani Fawehinmi. He played a big role in developing the legal jurisprudence of this great nation, like the production of the Nigerian Weekly Law Reports, which is a very great resource and legacy Chief Fawehinmi left for us. There is no good lawyer that doesn’t have NWLR in their library.”

     

    Others at the event included the immediate past President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nwodo; Mr Femi Falana (SAN); former NBA Vice-President, Mr Monday Ubani; spokesperson for the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin; Executive Director, Enough is Enough, Ms Yemi Adamolekun; Folarin Fal ana, aka Falz the Bahd Guy, and others.

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

     

  • Armed Forces Day: PDP and APC butt heads over the issue of insecurity in Nigeria

    The All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party on Friday clashed over the worsening insecurity in Nigeria.

    This was as the nation marked the 2021 edition of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

    While the APC urged Nigerians to avoid playing politics with the issue of security, the PDP advised the APC to end propaganda and secure Nigerians lives.

    The APC made its appeal to Nigerians in a statement titled, “#AFRD2021: APC Hails Military Successes, Remembers Fallen Heroes,” signed by the National Secretary of the party, Senator Akpanudoedehe.

    The statement commended officers and men of the military for laying down their lives in the defence of Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

    The statement read in part, “We congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari on many visible and verifiable achievements of the military in the ongoing fight against insurgency and violent crimes in Nigeria as contained in the compendium: “Security Checklist: As Nigeria marks Armed Forces Remembrance Day’’, released to the public on Thursday.

     

    “From the country’s 30-month civil war which ended on January 15, 1970 to the fight against terrorism, banditry and other emerging violent crimes, many servicemen have paid the supreme price for our safety, peace and unity.

    “We pray for the protection of the living and remember the departed heroes and their families left behind.

    “From international peace keeping missions to addressing security incidents within the country and overall discharge of its constitutional responsibilities, the military has undoubtedly made the country proud.

     

    “Several innovations and inventions by the Armed Forces have resulted in the production of military hardware, infrastructural development, restructuring and reorganisation of its operations.

    The party credited the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), for investing in military hardware, intelligence and tactical training for servicemen.

    Akpanudoedehe also said, “We must collectively shun the practice of politicising issues of security and the efforts of our security services particularly the Armed Forces to keep the country safe. We should rather support their efforts to further degrade the capacity of terrorists and other criminal elements.

     

    “We invite all Nigerians to rededicate themselves to the patriotic call contained in our national anthem which reads in part: “The labours of our heroes past, shall never be in vain”.

     

    In response, the PDP which also paid glowing tributes to Nigeria’s fallen heroes said Nigerians deserve better than what the Buhari regime was currently listing as achievements in the area of security.

     

    The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan told Saturday PUNCH, “Our gallant military men and women deserve all the accolades today and always for the sacrifices they made in the past and they are making today under very difficult conditions, they deserve better.”

    Ologbondiyan further said, “How does President Buhari want an unmerited pass mark knowing that under his watch, bandits, terrorists, kidnappers and vandals, who have been pushed to the fringes before he took over in 2015, have now resurged, taking communities hostage, raping our women, beheading our compatriots and foisting a reign of terror to the extent that our nation ranked as the third country with the highest level of terrorism in 2019, after Iran and Afghanistan?”

    Meanwhile, the doves, otherwise known as white pigeons, released by Buhari at the Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony, refused to fly despite multiple attempts by the President thereby sparking a debate on social media on Friday.

     

    The President had opened the bird cage at the National Arcade, picked up one of the doves and thrown it into the air but the bird landed atop the cage and refused to fly.

     

    Buhari, who was eager to let the white pigeons fly, opened the roof of the cage in a bid to send them all out but the birds remained adamant and decided to sit on top of the cage’s roof.

    The President, who appeared tired of trying, soon left the birds and returned to his seat. Moments after the President had left, however, some of the birds flew.

    The ritual of releasing doves is to commemorate the life of a departed loved one and is common at significant events like funerals or memorials. It also signifies peace.

     

    A former Presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, Adamu Garba, said the birds should be eaten if they cannot do what they were trained to do.

    Social media personality, Morris Monye,said the Department of State Services would have arrested the pigeons for embarrassing the President if they could.

    A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, who is a known critique of the President, also tweeted, “Hmmm. Even the pigeons in Nigeria.”

    Governors pledge better welfare for soldiers, families

    State governors have reiterated their commitment to the welfare of soldiers in recognition of their selfless sacrifices to the country.

    The governors paid glowing tributes to the military personnel at the Nigerian Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration on Friday.

    Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who performed the wreath laying ceremony, at the Remembrance Arcade, Tafawa Balewa Square, commended officers in the military, Nigerian Police and the Nigerian Legion for their efforts in protecting the country against external aggression and keeping the peace internally.

    “I want to congratulate and commend all of our officers in the military and also the Nigerian Police, but, more especially, men of the (Nigerian) Legion and everybody that has participated in this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance (Day) ceremony, the parade, men on guard and everything,” Sanwo-Olu said in a statement titled, Armed Forces Remembrance Day: Sanwo-Olu commends nation’s security officers,’ and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Gboyega Akosile.

    In Kwara State, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, called on Nigerians to continue to offer support to pray for the fallen heroes and support their families.

    “As you know, the government is battling with the resources on all fronts. Like the President said, he would continue to meet the demands of men of service,” he said in Ilorin, the state capital.

    Similarly, his Ondo State counterpart, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, called on the military to collaborate with the South-West Security Network, also known as Amotekun, in tackling insecurity in the state.

    Akeredolu said, “We will continue to give loans without collaterals through the Ondo State micro credit agencies for the widows left behind and other qualified dependants of our fallen heroes who are into small, micro businesses to start up or boost their businesses.”

    Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state urged Nigerian to set aside their differences and form a united nation.

    Speaking at a ceremony held at Heroes Square, Owerri, Uzodinma, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Oguwike Nwachuku, said the country had the capacity to be great.

    On his part, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, said his administration had rehabilitated a total of 168 blocks of flats for military officers living at Ibagwa barracks in the Abak Local Government Area of the state.

    Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia advised Nigerians to show greater commitments towards the task of building a greater and better society.

    The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Sir Ude OKo Chukwu, at the ceremony in Umuahia, promised to continue to support the military and other security agencies in the state.

    Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, commended the fallen heroes for laying their lives for the nation and praised serving military personnel for risking their lives to keep the country safe.

    Similarly, the Katsina State Government paid tribute to the Nigerian military for its efforts in safeguarding the state.

    In Cross River State, Governor Ben Ayade acknowledged the sacrifices of ex-service men whom he

    His Bayelsa State counterpart, Douye Diri, also lauded departed soldiers for their selfless service to the nation.

    But the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, urged Nigerians to be united and pray for peace and always live in peace with one another, irr espective of religion and political differences, for the overall development of the country.

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Insecurity: CONES warns Buhari that refusal to tackle insecurity will cost Apc the 2023 elections

    Conference of Nigerian Elders (CONES) has warned that the insecurity situation in the country would cost President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) the 2023 elections.

     

    The group, in a statement, yesterday, by its representatives, Tunde Banjo,  Achike Nwachukwu and four others, said security of lives and property was deteriorating daily and expressed shock over Buhari’s refusal to relieve the service chiefs of their appointments and rejig the security apparatchik.

     

    The group said the security heads were not indispensable, regretting that their inability to contain insecurity since their appointments had portrayed the Federal Government in bad light.

     

    “We wish to say it is not normal for a whole country to be speaking with one voice that the service chiefs should not only be sacked, but also that the entire security architecture be rejigged, and Mr. President would remain adamant and less concerned.

     

    “Nigerians are tired of the alarming insecurity in the country and the seeming inaction of Mr. President in addressing the situation.

     

    “Those responsible for action or inaction which has heightened the insecurity must go and new and effective hands injected into the system.

     

    “CONES wishes to appeal to President Buhari to, to as a matter of urgency, sack the current service chiefs without further delay.

     

    “Our position is because we have seen that the president may lose the support of Nigerians over the embarrassing security situation we are facing if he doesn’t act fast enough. No part of Nigeria is safe today,” he said.

     

    While acknowledging that President Buhari gets daily briefings on the security situation in the country by the security heads, the elders claimed that “most of those reports are not true reflections of the situation on ground. Already, there is low morale in the military over the continued stay of the service chiefs whose tenures in their various offices have since lapsed.

     

    “Who knows if there are invisible hands out there in the service frustrating the fight against insurgency and insecurity in the country deliberately due to the continued stay of the service chiefs?

     

    “We appeal to the president to hearken to the call by majority of Nigerians as reflected in the country’s parliament recently that it is time for him to do the needful.

     

    “We are in a democracy where any decision of government or leaders is taken from the popular view. Majority of Nigerians have since spoken in this regard and as a democrat, our president should listen,” he said.

     

    However, the Defence headquarters (DHQ), yesterday, said the armed forces have checkmated Boko Haram and their operations in the North East.

     

    Despite claims that the insurgents have been decimated, some parts of the North East still come under attack.

     

    One of the most recent violent attacks by Boko Haram was at Zabarmari in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State where more than 40 farmers were killed.

     

    In an interview with newsmen, Coordinator of Defence Media Operations, John Enenche, said the Federal Government and the military since 2015 had checked the intensity of terrorist activities across the country, particularly in the North East.

     

    He said the initial delay in tackling the menace made it gain momentum — Boko Haram taking over territories and setting up administrative structures — before they were knocked off in 2016.

     

    Enenche said the open display of power and authority by Boko Haram no longer happens in the North East, and that no single district or community could be said to be under the control of the insurgents.

     

    “The issue of bombings that spread to other places like Abuja, Kano, Niger and Kogi states, including their slipper cells, no longer exist.

     

    “What about suicide bombing, which is one of the signs of terrorism? It was rife and even at our checkpoints, they come and detonate bombs as well as public gatherings; all these have been nipped properly.

     

    “If you put all these together, I can tell you terrorism has been checkmated. However, the signs are still there with isolated actions here and there; common with terrorism,” he said.

     

    Enenche said history has shown that terrorism “is a very resilient type of enemy activity,” adding that the type of terrorism in Nigeria is not “a smart one,” but rooted  in the state of mind of a group of people.

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • 2023 Election : APC declares it’s readiness to win future elections, vows to take over Delta State in forth coming election

     

    All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta has declared its readiness to win future elections in the state, beginning with the March 6  local government elections.

     

    The party said it was poised more than ever before to sack the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Government House, Asaba in the 2023 general election.

     

    Chairman of the caretaker committee of the party, Jones Ode Erue, made the declaration while inaugurating the state Non-Working Committee, State Working Committee (SWC) and the 25 local government caretaker committees in Asaba.

     

    Erue said the APC in Delta State is now more united, adding that with the successful inauguration of the party organs, APC has reconciled all aggrieved members to work in one accord.

     

    He said there were no more factions or tendencies that hitherto pursued narrow and selfish interests in past, which had accounted for the party’s poor electoral fortunes.

     

    “We are all united now to take over the governance of Delta State from the PDP, led by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa,” he said.

     

    The chairman tasked the caretaker committees for the 25 local governments to take the message of total reconciliation to the grassroots to have a more harmonious and cohesive platform to defeat the PDP.

     

    He, however, admitted that reconciliation was not a tea party, and charged party faithful to reach compromises and be ready to shift ground in the interest of APC in Delta State.

     

    Erue urged the local government executives to go back to their various localities and inaugurate caretaker committees for the different wards.

     

    He tasked the grassroots leaders  to ensure the membership strength of the party is increased by over 100 percent in the forthcoming national revali dation exercise.

     

    Source:www.sunnewsonlin.com

  • 2023 Presidency : Upcoming Political Party by Nigerian activists in a bid to replace PDP, APC

     

     

    The 2023 general elections are only two years away but intrigues by actors in the political space have undoubtedly started.

     

    Prior to the 2014 merger of three opposition political parties, the then ruling People’s Democratic Party had made good use of the divide and rule tactics to run over the opposition especially during presidential elections.

     

    Recall that the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, the All Nigeria Peoples Party and the Congress for Progressive Change, as well as a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance had merged to form the All Progressives Congress to enable them to defeat the then ruling PDP.

     

    The National Secretary, Project Nigeria, Mr Olawale Okunniyi, who was part of the moves to initiate a coming together of opposition political parties back in 2007, said, “It was late Alhaji Balarabe Musa, the leader of the Nigeria Unite for Democracy, and chairman of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties in 2007, who proposed an alliance of opposition political parties against one-party rule in Nigeria. This later gave birth to the Mega Party Movement under the leadership of late Anthony Enahoro, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Chief Olu Falae, respectively.”

     

    He recalled that the realignments gave rise to the Congress for Progressive Change, led by the then Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), the Social Democratic Party and the Action Congress of Nigeria, among others.

     

    Okunniyi, however, expressed sadness that the experiment collapsed a few months to the 2011 elections.

     

    He said, “Faced with the reality that you cannot continue to do the same thing the same way and expect to get a different result, opposition leaders received wise counsel and decided to do what many considered the impossible prior to that time-they dissolved their various platforms to birth Nigeria’s first truly national opposition party, the All Progressives Congress.

     

    “The then new party received a boost from five sitting governors of the then ruling party Peoples Democratic Party who moved in with their party structure in states hitherto considered the PDP strongholds.”

     

    Interestingly, the supremacy battle within the PDP over the issue of zoning back then strengthened the APC. This resulted in the PDP’s first taste of defeat in 2015, a failure the party has been unable to recover from till this day.

     

    But five years into the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, now, some Nigerians have described both the PDP and the APC as two sides of the same coin.

     

    Another group of Nigerians, who tried but failed to come together to form a third force to challenge the dominance of the two political parties in 2019, has renewed their bid to create another broad-based platform which they believe will succeed this time.

     

    Politicians like a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’abba; former National Chairman of the National Conscience Party, Yunusa Tanko; academics including Professors Pat Utomi and Kingsley Moghalu; Mrs Remi Sonaya; Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed, and a host of others, who came together to form the National Consultative Front, have indicated interest in floating an alternative platform ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

     

    Speaking on the new project, Okunniyi, who is one of the prominent promoters of the new group, explained, “We are still consulting and mobilising Nigerians towards this latest move towards rescuing Nigeria from the misgovernance we have been exposed to since 2015.

     

    “It was not as if the PDP was any better, it is just that the current APC regime is progressively worse, Nigerians have never had it this bad.

     

    “The truth is that both the PDP and the APC are two sides of the same coin, they have both failed Nigerians. We are launching a Mega Political Movement in January and have a full inauguration party in June.”

     

    However, a legal practitioner and a chieftain of the APC in Gombe State, Abdullahi Jalo, expressed the opinion that under the APC, Nigerians had seen what good governance and accountability could deliver to a nation.

     

    He said, “I was a member of the PDP but I am now a full member of the APC because of the type of leadership President Muhammadu Buhari has provided since taking office in 2015.

     

    “Nigerians now understand the true meaning of progressive politics. The policies and programmes of our president are non-discriminatory. All he is interested in when a project is proposed is whether it will be to the benefit of a majority of Nigerians; he doesn’t care whether the benefiting state is a PDP or an APC-controlled state. This attitude explains why unlike previous leaders, he doesn’t care who started a project; as long as Nigerians will benefit, he goes ahead to complete it. Is it his achievement in the railway sector you want to talk about or the repayment of money spent by states to rehabilitate federal roads? Nobody is saying there are no challenges, there are but genuine efforts to surmount these challenges are on.

     

    “Without doubt, the APC will remain the party to beat in the next election.”

     

    The National Publicity Secretary of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Kola Ologbondiyan, disagreed with this position.

     

    He said, “Most Nigerians are today regretting the decision to vote in the APC in 2015. Walk on the streets in any state in Nigeria and speak to the people. Will people in the President’s home state of Katsina, or the people of Borno, Zamfara, Yobe states, or in fact, anywhere in Nigeria today sincerely tell you that their lives have improved for the better since the APC came on board? The answer is definitely no.

     

    “How much was the Naira exchanged for the dollar in 2015? How much is it today? How much was a bag of rice then? How much is it today? Most Nigerians today cannot travel home because roads are no longer safe due to banditry, kidnapping and robbery. Nigerians can’t wait to vote the APC out in 2023.”

     

    A chieftain of the Enugu State chapter of the APC, Osita Okechukwu, on his part, said, “The Nigerian political system has always favoured a strong two-party system. Other smaller parties can exist on the sidelines but we have had a situation where two strong political tendencies exist just like in the United States where our system of democracy was copied from. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

     

    A former Secretary of the Bauchi State chapter of the defunct ACN, Abdullahi Dauda, who has been a long-time opposition figure before the merger which gave rise to the APC, however, expressed doubts about the possibility of Nigerians taking a risk with a new political platform.

     

    He ruled out this possibility as regards to the 2023 presidential race.

     

    He wondered if Nigerians would be willing to once again risk going for a little-known marriage of strange bedfellows in the name of a political party like they did in 2015.

     

    “I think for many of us the maxim ‘the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know’  holds true.  The APC and the PDP may be two sides of the same coin but Nigerians have now tasted the two and are likely to make better informed choices in 2023. I honestly don’t see any serious threat to their dominance of the political scene yet.”

     

    Dauda further explained that the situation in 2015 was remarkably different from what is on the ground today.

     

    According to him, one factor stood out in 2015; there was a general consensus especially in the North, that the then President, Goodluck Jonathan, breached the zoning arrangement which had been in place since 1999.

     

    He noted that the deteriorating security situation as well as what many considered unprecedented corruption among the ruling elite at the time made matters worse for the then ruling PDP.

     

    There are also those within the new political movement who are optimistic that the brains behind the #Endsars movement could spring a surprise by bringing in their energy to join the experience being paraded by some of the promoters of the Mega Political Movement, to drive the process.

     

    Those in this school of thought pointed out that the youth had tasted the power of unity and focus and could deploy the same with likeminded people to wrest political power from the dominant political parties.

     

    However, another school of thought expressed the view that the problem would always come from the clash of interests among those who felt they could do a better job given the chance.

     

    Recall that prior to the 2019 general elections, several youth groups came together in an attempt to throw up a consensus candidate but their efforts failed largely because personal ambitions failed to yield the floor to reason.

     

    The Executive Director,  Civil Societies Legislative and Advocacy Centre, Awual Musa, is of the view that what is currently in high demand is attitudinal change among Nigerians.

     

    “We must change the way we do things; our value systems must change if we are to get things right be it politically or in any other sector.”

     

    Events of coming months will indicate if the fresh attempt to provide an alternative to the dominance of the APC and PDP will gain traction ahead of 2023.

     

    Source : www.punchng.com