Politics

2023: What Buhari Told Tinubu, Osinbajo, Other APC Aspirants At Aso Villa Revealed

Published

2 years ago

June 5, 2022

Editor

President Muhammadu Buhari Saturday night met with all the aspirants for President on the platform of All Progressives Congress, at State House, Abuja.

During the meeting, Buhari told the aspirants to hold consultations, and come up with a formidable candidate before the party holds its primary election between June 6-8, 2022.

The President said the meeting was a continuation of the on-going consultative process aimed at ensuring a smooth and strategic emergence of a standard-bearer, who will lead the APC to a resounding victory in the upcoming presidential polls.

“Looking at this assemblage of personalities and considering your rich pedigree of accomplishments in life, I have come to the conclusion that our party, the APC, is rich in human resources and also that our nation is blessed with capable people that can successfully steer the ship of state into the future,” Buhari said, according to a statement from his media aide, Femi Adesina.

He added that with his first-hand knowledge of the demands of the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the expectations of the citizens, “I must salute your courage and your selfless spirit, in volunteering to serve in the highest office of the land.”

The President added: “Our party, the APC, has won two successive presidential elections in 2015, first when we were in the opposition and in 2019 when I sought re-election. Both processes were achieved through unity of purpose, strategic alignment, consultation, fairness, determination and effective leadership. In both instances, national and party interests were overriding factors in our deliberations and decision-making.

“The 2023 General Elections are fast approaching in a global, regional and national environment that is constantly changing and challenging. This demands that our party should become more aware of the changing environment, be responsive to the yearnings of our citizens, re-evaluate our strategy and strengthen our internal mechanism so that we would sustain the electoral successes.

“I am pleased to note that the party, recognizing the significance of all these demands, has over time developed several democratically acceptable processes and policies, that promote consultation, internal cohesion and leadership to facilitate victories at the polls.”

The President recalled the consultation he had held with stakeholders “that would help the electoral fortunes of our party, beginning with the State Governors. This is the second in the series and I still look forward to meeting with party stakeholders. These steps are being taken to ensure that the unity and cohesion of the party are sustained and to provide direction.

“Amongst others things, I reminded the APC Governors of the need for the party to proceed to the 2023 Presidential elections with strength, unity of purpose and to present a flag bearer who will give Nigerians a sense of hope and confidence, while ensuring victory for our party. I extend a similar reminder to all of you distinguished aspirants.”

Saying the APC will on Monday June 6, 2022, commence its national convention during which one candidate will be picked by delegates to fly the flag of the party for the 2023 Presidential Election, President Buhari said he was aware that there is anxiety among party members about the outcome of the process.

“Given these circumstances, I charge you to recognize the importance of the stability and unity of the party, which cannot be overemphasized.

“Similarly, I wish to remind you that our choice of flag bearer must be formidable, appealing to the electorate across the board and should command such ability to unify the country and capacity to address our critical challenges.

“Ahead of the Convention, the party machinery has screened and found all aspirants eminently qualified. Recognizing this fact, the Screening Committee has, amongst others, recommended that consensus building through consultation, be intensified.

“Without prejudice to your qualifications, I urge all of you to hold consultations amongst yourselves and with the party, with a view to building a consensus in a manner that would help the party reduce the number of aspirants, bring up a formidable candidate and scale down the anxiety of party members.”

The President assured that in the interest of the nation and the party, he would continue to provide effective leadership during the transition processes and on-going consultations, “until we successfully make the choice on the candidate that will fly the flag of our party for the presidential elections and make the party stronger. I seek your support in this all important responsibility.”

Earlier, National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu had promised that all stakeholders of the party would be reached in the consultation process.

Responding on behalf of the aspirants, former Governor of old Abia State and immediate past Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State, and Vice President, ‘Yemi Osinbajo, thanked the President for his leadership and guidance, pledging that they would hold the consultations as counselled “for the unity and strength of our party, the APC.”

PUNCH

Politics

Edo Guber: APC Candidate, Okpebholo, Lacks Cognitive Experience To Govern – Tenebe

Published

3 days ago

May 25, 2024

Editor

A stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Chief Henry Tenebe, says the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo lacks the cognitive experience to govern the state.

Tenebe, who made the assertion while x-raying major political parties governorship candidates in the forthcoming election in the state, noted that when it comes to managerial experience, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP is more experience and competent than the opposition APC candidate, Sen. Okpebholo, whom he dismissed as a non-starter.

According to him, it is unfair to compare Ighodalo with Okpebholo, highlighting that the APC governorship candidate lacks the exposure and experiences that Ighodalo has acquired in both his private and public sector careers.

He noted that these experiences make Ighodalo the best-suited candidate for the job in Edo.

Tenebe expressed his dissatisfaction with how the APC has managed the national economy in the past few years.

He insisted that the party lacks the moral right to even field a candidate for the Edo Guber election.

“If not for the law that allows parties to stand for election irrespective of performance, the APC is not supposed to field a candidate, let alone canvass for support.

“The party is synonymous with hunger, deprivation, kidnapping, terrorism, crude theft, energy blackout, and countless other vices.

“The indices are quite gloomy and they tell the story of a party in utter disarray. In a sane climate, voters would revolt and ensure they used their votes to send them packing”, Tenebe said.

Politics

LP Crisis Takes New Twist As Edo Chapter Suspends Abure

Published

4 days ago

May 25, 2024

Editor

…accuse him of anti-party activities

…it’s an exercise in futility – Abure

The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Barrister Julius Abure, has been suspended by party executives in Ward 3 Arue-Uromi, in Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, for alleged high-handedness and anti-party activities.

This decision was ratified by the State Executive Committee of the party after the ward wrote a formal letter to the SEC.

Abure’s suspension was a sequel to a meeting of members of the ward where allegations of his “high-handedness and anti-party activities in the administration of the party and other acts of financial impropriety were exhaustively discussed.”

The ward executives in the letter of suspension addressed to Abure noted that “allegations of fraud levelled against you, which are (currently) under investigation.”

A letter of suspension dated May 14, 2024, and another letter of ratification dated May 15, 2024, both of which were ratified at a meeting of the state executive committee on Friday (May 24, 2024) night in Benin, read in part, “While the suspension is with immediate effect, you are advised to restrain from holding out or parading yourself a member of Labour Party, Ward 3, Arue, Uromi in Ean North-East LGA, Edo State.”

The letter of suspension was signed by the Ward Chairman, Thompson Ehiguese, and Ward Secretary, Stanley Usiomoh.

The letter of ratification of his suspension was forwarded to the State Executive Committee of the party through the State Chairman by the Local Government Chairman of the party in Esan North-East, Patrick Onogbeni, and LGA Secretary, Ehikioya Eromosele.

The second letter read in part: “Here forwarded to you and for your consideration is the ratification of the suspension of Comrade Barrister Julius Abure from the membership of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Ean North East LGA, Edo State.

“The LGA Executive met today, 15th of May, 2024 about noon, to consider the matters presented on the suspension and accordingly found them weighty, and the suspension ratified and upheld.”

The State Executive Committee endorsed the decisions of the Ward and Local Government Committee of the party at a well-attended meeting in Benin late on Friday.

It was gathered that the venue of the meeting was charged as leaders and members of the party chanted: “Abure must go!”

The State Executive Committee considered the letters, together with the issues contained therein, and ratified Abure’s suspension.

With the ratification of his suspension, the basis of his chairmanship of the party at the national level has been vitiated, and by implication, he stands suspended as the party’s national chairman.

In response, Abure, while speaking through the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said the action of the Edo State Chapter was an exercise in futility because it lacks basis in law as enshrined in the LP constitution.

Ifoh said, “The 2019 Labour Party constitution, Article 17 subsection 1, is clear that only the National Convention convened solely for the purpose of removal of the National Chairman with a two-third majority can suspend or remove the chairman. The ward, LG, or even the state have no power to suspend the National Chairman.

“An Edo High Court has also ruled on this matter. Also, an Appeal Court has also ruled on this matter.

“This dimension is a continuation of the attack on the person of Abure as witnessed during the governorship primaries. It will also amount to nothing, and we are not perturbed.”

Politics

Peter Obi And I Will Defeat APC Any Day — Datti Baba-Ahmed Boasts

Published

4 days ago

May 25, 2024

Editor

The vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 elections, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has said that his party will defeat the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in any election.

Datti stated that he was confident in the abilities of his principal, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Datti said these during an appearance on Arise TV on Friday. He added that he was not scared of going against the ruling party, the APC in future elections.

According to Datti, “APC and PDP did not have 60 per cent of the Labour Party’s votes in the FCT that they are ruling.

“So, I’m never scared because if we are in a democracy, it’s the people’s power that we will use. And we’re using it. Not the armoured tanks of the Nigerian Army that belong to the Nigerian people, and not the barrels of the gun or the teargas that the Nigerian people are afraid of.

“Any day, if there’s an election again, if they come out, we will defeat them. It’s left for them to go and twist the constitution again, change the meaning of English, and declare by 4 a.m.”

‘We won 2023 election’

Datti also said that, in retrospect, the Labour Party won the 2023 general elections.

He said: “In fact, we hold our heads high. Where are the campaign promises of the APC, or the ongoing government? What have they achieved?

“The iRev was switched off. They returned the results manually. And then the Constitution was twisted, and the meaning of the English language was changed.

“We won the 2023 election. I will never stop saying it. Now the Labour Party, as of today, is in a better state than the CPC was in 2013/2014 leading up to the 2015 election. Far better than it was.

“Continue to look at the failures. The worsening insecurity, declining economy, and aggravated corruption that is now going on.

“Add that to when Nigerians will now wake up to the realisation that beyond 2027, there’s probably a grand scheme to dismember Nigeria into six autonomous zones.

“Because there’s no way to explain the failure, and because the only way is to carry those failures and run away.”