Senator Akpabio defends his Defection to APC

THE minority leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that he defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to avoid becoming a political orphan after he was suspended and subsequently expelled from the PDP.

Meanwhile, the former Akwa Ibom State governor has urged the court to dismiss the suit seeking his removal along with 57 lawmakers from the National Assembly on account of their defection last year for being incompetent.

His counsel, Sunday Ameh, (SAN), argued that an advocacy group, Legal Aids Assistant Project, (LEDAP) which instituted the case, did so without having any locus standi.

The lawmaker insisted that LEDAP was not a political party or member of the National Assembly and as such could not cry for the political parties, where the federal law makers decamped from.

Explaining the circumstances of his defection to the APC, Akpabio told Justice Okon Abang that he was suspended from the People’s Democratic Party by his immediate ward and was later expelled from the same PDP at the local government level, adding that in line with the provision of Section 40 of 1999 constitution, he had to opt for the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the alternative party to actualise his interest.

Akpabio who tendered two exhibits to support his claim explained before the court informed Justice Abang that an uncommon situation was foisted on him, having been thrown out of PDP by the officials of the party.

He, therefore, urged the court to take judicial notice of the two letters of July and August 2018, by PDP which conveyed his suspension and later expulsion to him.

In addition, the Akwa Ibom senator prayed the court to accept the peculiar fact that he did not willingly abandon or decamp from the PDP that sponsored him in the 2015/senatorial election, but as a result of the action of the party against him.

He further told the court that he joined APC so as to prevent himself from becoming a political orphan and to actualise his political ambition.

‘In order not to fall prey into the political gang up and to avoid been turned to a political orphan, I had to take advantage of my right under Section 40 of the 1999 constitution, to join APC that was willing to accept me after PDP had thrown me out.”

Akpabio said that in the instant case, the plaintiffs should not be allowed to cry more than the bereaved because they were not PDP and federal law makers and as such their suit was incompetent, lacking in merit and liable to dismissal and should be dismissed.

His counsel to Saraki, Mahmood Magaji, (SAN), in his own argument, insisted that the suit was an abuse of court process because Section 40 of the 1999 constitution allows the defendant to associate with political parties of thier choice.

Original Source: SunNewsOnline

APC Reconsiders Shahu Sani as a Senatorial Candidate for 2019 Election

The Appeals Committee set up by the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has upheld the decision of the party to returned Senator Shehu Sani as the candidate of the party for the Kaduna Central Senatorial District.

The committee said the primary conducted by the electoral panel set up by the party was done in contempt of a court order, adding that the only aspirant cleared by the party to contest the election was Senator Shehu Sani.

Senator Sani was one of the four aspirants that petitioned the Appeals Panel, with Senator Mohammed Sani Saleh, Hon. Usman Ibrahim and Hon. samsudeen Lawal Giwa being the other three.

Both Saleh, Ibrahim and Giwa questioned the decision to disqualify them and give automatic ticket to one of them and demanded fresh primaries, while the fifth aspirant why was declared winner of the primary by the committee and Political Adviser to the governor, Mallam UBA Sani did not file any petition before the panel.

The panel also dismissed the two petition against the party candidate in Kaduna North Senatorial District, Senator Aliyu Mohammed Lawal and Dr. Abba Ibrahim against Suleiman Abdu Kwari’s candidacy.

It also dismissed all petitions against the conduct of the House of Representatives seat and declared Ahmed Mohammed Munir Lere as the candidate of the party for Lere Federal Constituency, stressing that the candidate that was declared winner was indicted by a court of competent jurisdiction in 2008.

The panel also dismissed the petition by the former Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba against the conduct of the party primary for Jigawa South Senatorial District that his name was removed from the ballot paper, ruling that he actually participated in the primary.

The panel asked the National Working Committee to take an appropriate decision on the petition by Abdullahi Gomel who is a sitting Senator, while the case of Yusuf Shittu Galanbi for Jigawa Central has been overtaken by INEC guideline.

Source: The Nation

House on Fire! APC Dumps Board of Trustees, Sets up Another Body

The All Progressives Congress has taken the decision to replace its Board of Trustees (BoT) with a new body.

The National caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has approved a 50-member Elders Council to replace the Board of Trustees (BoT), according to a report by The Nation.

 

It was gathered that the approval of the Elders Council was part of the decisions taken at the Caucus meeting of the party held at the Presidential villa on Monday night.

 

It is not yet known how the members of the council will be selected, but they are expected to begin work before the National Convention scheduled for June.

 

The constitution of the Elders Council is part of the amendment contained in the party’s constitution which was expected to be adopted by the National Executive Committee.

 

The decision to have an Elders Council may not be unconnected with the inability of the party to constitute a Board of Trustees

Tori NEWS

U-Turn? Obasanjo Lashes at APC & Northern Leaders, Says Buhari not the Right Leader for Nigeria

Former President,, Olusegun Obasanjo, has again opened up on the state of the nation under the present leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He also stated, that the present generation of leaders (APC leadership) had failed the country, because they lacked the focus and commitment to move the nation forward.

Obasanjo, made this disclosure as the Chairman of the 38th Kaduna International Trade Fair Seminar, with the theme: ‘Promoting Public Private Partnership as Panacea for Accelerated Growth and Development’, organised by the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, on Monday.

Obasanjo, noted that his generation might have failed in raising Nigeria to where it should be, but said they (his generation) had fared well in keeping Nigeria united under a stable democratic dispensation.

He added, that Nigerians must learn to stop blaming God for the nation’s woes, saying, “let us stop troubling God, because God has done all we need for us, we only need to play our own part.”

Obasanjo stated that if Nigerians should pray to God, “our prayer should be that God should not take away all He has given to us as a nation.”

He said: “God in His mercy has given us all the needed resources, both human and natural, but we have not been able to put them together and manage them effectively. The countries that have developed and are performing better are not better than Nigeria in terms of resources.

“One problem that must be corrected is the problem of leadership. This is because our leaders lack focus, commitment, continuity, and sometimes proper knowledge about economic and development issues, hence, we have not been able to achieve meaningful result.” 

The former President added: “Somebody came to me and said we need to pray to God, and I said, for what? He said, ‘so that God can do for us, what we cannot do for ourselves.’ And I said, no, let us stop troubling God, because God has done all we need for us, we only need to play our own part.”

“Another problem, is that we take one step forward and another step backwards. Nigerian leaders must be tough and ready to bite the bullet, because Nigeria cannot have it easy. Until we get the right leadership, the problem will continue,” he said.

Obasanjo, who traced the nation’s socio-economic and political history from independence to date, said the First Republic generation, led by its founding fathers, gave the country independence, but noted with sadness that the present generation had nothing to offer.

He said: “It doesn’t matter what you want to say about them, the Awolowos, Nnamdi Azikiwes, the Sardaunas, Aminu Kanos, Tafawa Balewas, gave us independence, they were not perfect and if you like, you can even go from now till tomorrow to condemn what they did, but they gave us independence.

“My own generation fought for the unity of Nigeria. You cannot deny that. There are many things we must have done wrong, but we fought for the unity of this country. I still have sharp nails from grenades that entered my body that our brothers shot at me during the Civil War. But, at the end of it, we reconciled.

“In addition, my generation laid the foundation of democracy in the country. Our democracy is not perfect, our democracy is a journey and not a destination, we must continue to improve on it. My sons and daughters, what will your generation do?”

Besides, the former President said that lack of synergy between the public and the private sectors was responsible for the setback in the nation’s economy growth.

“The public sector perceives the private sector as a profit-making industry that reaps where it does not sow, but in actual fact, they are two legs that when brought together, can accelerate development in all sectors of the economy,” he stressed.

He said public and private sectors must work together to accelerate growth and development.

Obasanjo said: “When we were in office, we privatised the NNPC and sold it to Dangote and partners, but the government that succeeded me revoked it, and that is why till today, the NNPC cannot work optimally.

“Today, the same Dangote that was denied ownership of the NNPC, is building a refinery that can produce in excess of what the NNPC can produce, and what Nigeria can consume. So, it means he will even export.”

Chat212

Rivers rerun election: Abe tells APC to use PVCs not guns

Sen. Magnus Abe, the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate for Rivers South-East Senatorial District in forthcoming re-run election, has urged the people to vote with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and not guns.

Abe made the call during an APC rally at Ngo, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers on Thursday.

He alleged that opponents of APC in the state were desperate to win the election.

“Let them tell their members to vote with PVCs; we will tell our people to vote with PVCs too.

“Let them not do guns against PVCs. Let us do PVC against PVC, and see who will emerge.”

According to Abe, opponents of his party only accept election results that are in their favour and will never take in good fate, outcomes against them.

“Tai Local Government result for the March 19 re-run election is a clear example. They have even refused to swear-in APC Assembly members-elect from other constituencies.

“They want the result of elections declared in their favour against the rules to stand but do not want result of Tai to stand,” he said.

Abe commended security agencies for the peaceful conduct of the Edo governorship election and urged them to replicate it in Rivers.

“With the just concluded governorship election in Edo, the Nigerian security have shown that they have the capacity to create an atmosphere for free and fair elections in the country.

“The next challenge, step and obstacle to the reputation of the security agencies of Nigeria is Rivers.

“Two times, they have been in Rivers to do election, but it did not work because people hired boys with guns to scare away the people, and turn election into war,” he said.

Abe urged APC members to mobilise the electorate to vote for the party because it had the best candidates. (NAN)

Daily Post

APC is truncating democracy – Prof. Gana

Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP have accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC of truncating the‎ growth of Democracy in the country.

Those who spoke with newsmen decried the blockade of Sharks stadium, the initial venue of the national Convention.

Chairman of the PDP reconciliation committee, Professor Jerry Gana, said it is unfortunate that the incumbent Federal government is meddling into the affairs of the opposition party.

Professor Gana said the PDP will not be deterred by the role of the Police in today’s activity, adding that the party will come out stronger.

“It is unfortunate that the government of the day is so afraid of the PDP that they connived with law enforcement agencies to stop our convention but we are very determined politicians. We are moving on. The PDP will certainly mobilize and ‎make sure we win the election in Edo next month and also in Ondo and then move on to take over the government in 2019.


“What happened in terms of stopping us is not a good sign for democracy and we want to plead with the government of the day ‎that nobody should do anything to truncate this democracy,” Gana said.

On their part, some candidates at the convention including a former Governorship candidate, PDP, in Lagos state, Jimi Agbaje, George Turner among others said Nigeria’s nascent democracy was heading for destruction.

According to Agbaje, “When PDP was in power, we did everything to sustain democracy, but it is obvious that today, those people in power do not want democracy to thrive. But we shall overcome.”

 

 

Daily Post