Former head of state and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has insisted that the success or otherwise of the party in the 2015 general elections would greatly depend on the support it gets from the country’s youths. At the commissioning of an office owned by the APC Youths Vanguard in Katsina yesterday, Buhari said youths have a vital role to play in strengthening in Nigeria’s democratic process. Represented by former petroleum minister, Umaru Dembo, Gen. Buhari said the time had come for the youths to elect honest and sincerepeople who would protect the interest of the masses, which the APC is out to achieve. He said that it was through such an election that Nigeria could witness the kind of change that would lead to socio-economic development. He said that what the APC elders were doing was to prepare the ground for the youths to build a better Nigeria. “By the time the elders are no more the youths will continue to build on the foundation that was laid,” he said, and assured them that the APC would carry the youths along in all its actions. He however called on youths not to allow themselves to be deceived by politicians who use money to lure them into voting for them or encouraging them to engage in activities that do not promote democratic principles. Buhari also called on youths to eschew violence especially in the name of elections, but to engage in activities that would lead to the strengthening of the country’s democratic process. The national president of APC Youth Vanguard Ibrahim Bello said the association was established to unite the youths who are future leaders. The chairman of the association in the state Ibrahim Saulawa said the group would unite youthsin the country to work at defeating the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the next general elections.
Politics
APC woos Atiku, plans to meet with Obasanjo
A former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) was working on modalities to meet with former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He made this known to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday after the APC chieftains met with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to woo him over to the party`s fold. “We have the intention of meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo as soon as he is available so that we will tell him how we evolve APC. “And then, we will ask for his understanding and cooperation. This is what we have been doing,’’ Buhari said. Atiku, who spoke at the meeting, said that a strong opposition was necessary in every democracy to checkmate the activities of the government in power. The former vice president said the APC was a strong opposition that would give Nigerians better alternatives in every election. “I will consult with my political associates all over the country and then make an announcement later,’’ Atiku said. Earlier, the ACP Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, said that the party was consulting with political stakeholders in the country to salvage the country`s image. “We had worked with you before and we know you. The country is being discredited and we feel we should meet with men of good will to right the wrongs,’’ Akande said. (NAN)
APC call for impeachment of Jonathan
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked the National Assembly to rise beyond partisanship and save Nigeria from imminent collapse by immediately kick- starting the process of impeaching President Goodluck Jonathan for gross misconduct. In a statement in Lagos, Sunday, by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said it is issuing this call with a high sense of responsibility and the strong belief that the impeachment of the President is a legitimate constitutional option available to the National Assembly not only to protect the nation’s democracy but also to ensure the country’s unity. ”Our country is drifting dangerously and our people are divided now perhaps more than at any other point in our history, with the exception of the civil war period. There is a total failure of leadership, even as insecurity, unprecedented corruption, palpable impunity, massive unemployment and hunger stalk the land. ”Since the raison d’etre of any government is the security and welfare of the citizenry, and the present administration has failed to live up to the justification of its existence, there can be no other definition of gross misconduct than that. jonathan office ”Therefore, the time has come for the head of that government, on whose desk the buck stops, to be removed through the provisions stipulated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is the patriotic thing to do,” it said. APC warned that if the National Assembly fails to act and do so very fast, it will share with the clueless and feckless Jonathan Administration the eternal blame for bringing to naught the hard work of the nation’s heroes past and for crashing and dashing the hopes of millions of Nigerians, especially the youth who are the leaders of tomorrow. The party said it is necessary for anyone who may say the call for the impeachment of President Jonathan is outlandish to remember that all it takes to torpedo this democracy is for this increasingly-paranoid government to get a pliant Judge to put a judicial stamp on just one of its litany of illegalities, thus setting the country ablaze, adding: ”And there are many such Judges as we can see by some recent events, despite our warnings that the efforts of the current CJN to clean up the judiciary must not be sabotaged by a few pliant Judges.”
Some reactions trailing Obasanjo’s letter to Jonathan
Reaction have continued to trail the purported letter written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Jonathan that was leaked to the media, as a coalition of Civil Society Organizations has said that the letter was borne out of malice and was capable of causing political tension in the country. Addressing Journalists on Friday, the National Coordinator of Nigeria in Safe Hands, Kennedy Tabuko said that the tone and content of Chief Obasanjo’s letter betrayed his alleged deep-rooted resentment for President Jonathan and mischievously written to ridicule the President. Kabuko said that Nigerians should be mindful of their utterances and actions which apart having a boomeranging effect on the nation, could provoke unnecessary political tension and strife. He said, “We do not see Chief Obasanjo as an elder statesman in the definition of the phrase, but as a man that is actually advanced in age and therefore should know more about decorum and comportment and should pick his words more curiously. “But recent statements credited to Chief Obasanjo indicate that he needs to further refine his public relations/communications skills to reflect his age and status. Chief Obasanjo has not only held the highest office in the land for the longest period so far in history, he is also a member of the Council of State and high-profile member of the ruling PDP (Peoples Democratic Party). “He owes it as an obligation to the country to promote peace and unity and it is unbecoming of him to unnecessarily heat up the polity. As a man that has unfettered access to Mr. President, it would have been more credible if he articulates his opinion, comments or advice to Mr. President through a more appropriate channel. “For Obasanjo to have made the contents of his personal letter to President Jonathan public is indicative of a deliberate attempt to denigrate Mr. Parent. That action should not be coming from someone like Chief Obasanjo who is also the immediate past Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees. That is why we like many Nigerians believe that Obasanjo has sinister motives for concocting the letter to Mr. President.” Commenting on the former President Obasanjo’s allegation that the Jonathan’s administration lacks the courage to fight corruption and that corruption stinks in his government, the Nigeria in Safe Hands Coordinator said that the former president was hypocritical and that it was during his government that ‘Ghana-must-go’ syndrome became popular. “Let us not forget that Obasanjo is so far the longest serving President/Head of State in Niger, being the only man that has been a military Head of State and civilian President. The establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission by Chief Obasanjo also helped to reinforce the confidence in Nigerians that Chief Obasanjo was sincere about tackling corruption. “But what was Obasanjo’s score card at the end of his two tenures? First and foremost, at the time ofhis release from prison in 1998, a popular newspaper reported that all the cash in his bank account amounted to barely over a hundred and thirty thousand naira (N130,000.00). “The famous Otta Farm had been reduced to a refuge of a few hungry-looking chickens and ducks. But shortly into Obasanjo’s first tenure, the farm had been transformed into what is now regarded as one of the biggest farms in the whole of Africa. We also recall how Obasanjo cowed some Nigerian billionaires to erect a world-class library for him in his hometown. Part of Obasanjo’s corrupt enrichment is also the Bell University, Otta. “It was also in Obasanjo’s tenure that the popular Halliburton and SIEMEN’s scandal came to limelight. These are unresolved corruption scandals that will still reek of Obasanjo’s name. It was during Obasanjo’s government that the ‘Ghana Must Go’ syndrome became popular in the National Assembly. Whenever Obasanjo wanted the legislators to dance to his tune, all he did was to roll out some ‘Ghana Must Gos’. Therefore, what moral justification does Obasanjo have to accuse another man of corruption?” Also reacting to the letter, National Coordinator of Nigerian Unity Movement, NUM, George-Tiga Uzoh told Nigerians to expect such planned malicious letters in the weeks to come. Uzor said it was nonsensical for somebody to sit down somewhere and tell the President not to contest election, adding that Nigerians were tired of few persons determining the fate of others and also tired of using the country for experiment.
APC to Jonathan: Don’t take Nigeria back to Abacha days
Nigeria’s largest opposition party, the All Progressives Congress has urged the Jonathan administration not to take Nigeria back to the dreaded and calamitous days of the late Gen. Sani Abacha, when perceived opponents of the government were targets of rampaging murderous gangs and Nigeria was turned to a pariah nation through unbridled human rights abuses. In a statement issued in Osogbo on Friday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party expressed serious concern over the allegations that the Jonathan administration is training snipers at the same facility where the Abacha killer squad was trained; talks of abuse and misuse of the military and other security apparatus for personal and political interest as well as the reported placing of 1,000 people under a ’political watch-list’ It said the party is constrained to take the allegations very seriously because it emanated from no less a personality than former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in an open letter he wrote to his fellow party man, President Jonathan, which has now been widely circulated in the traditional and Social Media.. ”All Nigerians must be worried by these weighty allegations, coming less than 15 years after the long-suffering people had collectively vowed ‘never again’ to a regime like Abacha’s that sent many innocent souls to their early graves and dispatched many citizens into forced exile for merely holding views that were opposed to that of the late dictator’s government. ”We are therefore compelled to call on President Jonathan to urgently address these allegations, which have already sent jitters down thespines of Nigerians, especially those who hold views that are diametrically opposed to the administration’s. The allegations cannot and must not be swept under the carpet, otherwise Nigerians will know who to hold responsible if perceived opponents of the administration come to any harm,” APC said. The party however expressed total satisfaction that more and more people within the ruling PDP are now coming to terms with the real dangers facing the country under their party which, despite being in power at the centre since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, has only succeeded in putting the country in reverse gear and is now threatening its fledgling democracy, following its (PDP’s) implosion. ”We are not concerned by the dirty politics in the PDP and the glaring fact that the behemoth is sinking fast. What bothers us is the impact that the death throes of this rudderless party will have on our fragile polity. ”We in the opposition have shouted ourselves hoarse about the failings of the successive PDP administrations, especially the Jonathan government, in critical sectors of the economy, in particular the worsening unemployment that has put the nation on tenterhooks ”We have said the Boko Haram crisis cannot be resolved by military onslaught alone and that it must be tackled from its roots; that corruption has reached an unprecedented level; that the investments by the oil majors in that sector have dwindled dangerously; that the discovery of Shale oil in the US threatens our economy; and that the government must move fast to check the unprecedented high cases of crude oil theft. ”We have also issued numerous interventions on the victimization of perceived political opponents of President Jonathan, citing the case of Gov. Chibuike Amaechi as a reference point; that the Jonathan administration has taken Nigerians for granted by ignoring monumental cases of corruption and even embracing known corrupt officials as long as their deep pockets can benefit the President’s political machinery, and that the National Conference will not serve any purpose since it was conceived as a political gimmick rather than a genuine effort to help lift our country. ”Our party is delighted that these same issues were raised in the letter by President Jonathan’s estranged political Godfather, his very own party man. We recall that a few days earlier, another top PDP bigwig and the nation’s number four citizen, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, had lampooned the Jonathan administration’s apathetic fight against corruption. ”Because truth is constant, gradually but surely, people are rising above partisanship to join those of us who have been warning, ceaselessly, that the ship of state is heading for the rocks because the Captain has decided to ignore the radar and steer the ship blindly even in turbulent waters. This jettisoning of partisanship and the coming out of heads that have been buried in the sand for so long represent a good omen for Nigeria,” it said.
Police disperse Rivers lawmakers with teargas
Nigeria’s Rivers State Police Command reportedly disperse 22 lawmakers with teargas, who had come to the Assembly Complex to sit, following a court order yesterday that invalidated the appropriation of its functions by the National Assembly. The House had suspended its sessions in July after a fracas during which five minority members said to be loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience attempted to sack the Speaker of the Assembly, who enjoys the support of 26 members. The Police command sealed the Assembly premises thereafter. Amidst reports of a plan by six members to begin an impeachment proceedings against Governor Rotimi Amaechi, 22 of the 26 members said to be loyal to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, had converged at the Assembly today to sit in compliance with the court order. But the police barred them from entering the chambers. The lawmakers pleaded fruitlessly with the police team to allow them access to perform their legislative functions. When their pleadings appeared to have fallen on deaf ears, the lawmakers decided to commence sitting on the main road opposite the Assembly Complex after the leader of the Police team, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in-charge of Port Harcourt Area Command, Mr. Aliyu Garba, insisted that they must show him a written permission of the state the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu,who is said to take instructions from the president’s wife. However, the sitting brought to a halt after policemen fired several canisters of teargas at them, the aim being to disperse them. The police were reportedly armed to the teeth, with two armoured vehicles and 20 patrol cars. The lawmakers scampered into safety. Also affected by the tear-gas, were the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Hon. Tony Okocha, interim Chairman of APC in the state, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, chairmen of some local government council as well as journalists, who had come to cover the resumption of the House of Assembly. Reacting to the prevention of the pro- Amaechi lawmakers from having access to the House of Assembly complex, the interim chairman of APC in the state, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said there was a plot by the police to sneak in the five anti-Amaechi lawmakers to carry out the duties of the state legislature. Reacting to the prevention of the pro- Amaechi lawmakers from having access to the House of Assembly complex, the interim chairman of APC in the state, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said there was a plot by the police to sneak in the five anti-Amaechi lawmakers to carry out the duties of the state legislature. Ikanya said; “You have seen the situation in Rivers State. You have been here with us to see how power is being used against the people. Today, the majority of the members of the House of Assembly came and sought to see the Commissioner of Police because, there was a High Court judgement in Abuja that said they should resume their duties. But, surprisingly, the police commissioner has refused to grant entry to these people. “We suspect very strongly that there is an attempt to allow five lawmakers to sneak into the Assembly to say they are carrying out the functions of the Assembly. This was the case when the almost succeeded in impeaching the governor of Rivers State by just five of them in a 32- member House of Assembly. Now, the police are barring genuine House of Assembly members from having access to the Assembly building. “They are also stopping them from having access to the commissioner of Police, to seek protection for them to resume their sitting. This is unacceptable to APC as a party in Rivers State. We are saying that the police is being used against genuine people of Rivers State.”
Jonathan invites Tukur, PDP NWC members for an emergency meeting.
Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan on monday night summoned the national Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and other members of the National Working Committee, NWC to an emergency meeting at the Presidential villa, Abuja. The meeting also had in attendance the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of PDP, Chief Tony Anenih was called to brainstorm on the outcome of Sunday meeting of PDP governors and the subsequent one the President had with the governors as well as some members of the G5 who dumped the PDP for All Progressives Congress, APC. The president on Sunday held a meeting with the PDP governors alongside the Governor of Sokoto state, Aliyu Wamakko and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State who dumped PDP for APC.
We are in touch with defected party member – Olisa Metuh
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday said that it was negotiating with the party’s major stakeholders and the aggrieved governors who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This was made known in a statement by Mr Olisa Metuh, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, in Abuja. The statement refuted media reports that some senators walked out on the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, when he visited the Senate to meet PDP senators on the 4th of December. It said the reported walkout was ”totally false and deliberately planted” by the party’s enemies to mislead the public. It added that the report was also geared to impede the efforts of the party`s leadership to achieve total reconciliation. “The leadership of our great party was well received and had a very peaceful and fruitful meeting with our members in the Senate.’’ the statement confirmed. It further said that PDP elected and appointed officers and its governors shared the same ideals and principles with the party administrators. According to the statement, the party’s elected officials remains ”unflinchingly committed to the visions” of its founding fathers. “The PDP is not only a political party but a belief which cannot be easily jettisoned.”It is a belief in national interest; a belief in the unity of the country and in satisfying the interests of the common man. “These ideals remain greater than any personal interest and will outlive us all.’’ the statement said. It said the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) would ensure that all party issues were handled in accordance with the provisions of the PDP constitution and that of the country. The statement clarified that no unlawful means would be used under any guise in handling the party issues. It employed all PDP members to remain calm and focused, adding that the party would come out of its current challenges stronger than ever. It would be recalled that five PDP governors, who were in the Baraje-led PDP splinter group, recently defected to the APC alongside some party stakeholders.
APC WARNS PDP
The All Progressive congress (APC) has warned the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) on its current plot to to declare vacant the seats of the governors that defected from the PDP to APC. Issuing these statements at a press conference, the interim secretary Alh. Lai Mohammed said that any attempt by the PDP to declare the governors seat empty would be meet by stiff resistance and any attempt by the presidency to influence the judiciary to take unlawful action would not be accepted
President Jonathan likely to sacrifice Tukur
Indication have emerged from Sunday meeting President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo and governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic party, PDP held that the National chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur will be dropped in March next year during the mid term convention. Vanguard gathered that the governors since the election of Tukur along side other members of the National Working Committee, NWC have been calling for the sack of Bamanga Tukur against the backdrop that his manner of administration never rallied with the governors, just as the governors were said have again demanded for his removal.At the Sunday night meeting, the PDP governors loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan frowned at the attitude of the national chairman of the party which they noted has inflamed negative passion rather than calm frayed nerves as well as overheated the polity. It was also gathered that a former deputy national chairman of the party and now a governor of Katsina State from North West, Ibrahim Shema; Isa Yuguda of Bauchi; Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa; Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta; Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom; Liyel Imoke of Cross River and Jonah Jang of plateau state who were at the meeting, were said to have told the President and Vice President Sambo that the move to ask Tukur to go at the special convention next year was the only panacea to lingering political quagmire in PDP. Gabriel Suswan of Benue state was absent as he was said to be out of the country.
NAIJA INFORMANT NEWS 