"I was emotionally disconnected from PDP because of impunity"' - Senator Ita-Giwa

Recall that last week, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa was said to have defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The former Presidential special adviser, Ita-Giwa signed the APC membership register in Bakkasi LGA, Cross River state.

Ita-Giwa has now confirmed this in a statement posted and shared on one of her private social media handle.
She said: "First of all I have been emotionally disconnected from PDP long before the General Elections because of impunity and the way the party trampled upon innocent human beings and killed people's ambitions. 

"It was not about me and it's still not about me. I even went to the then president and leader of the party and offered to resign. 

"Secondly in all those years I held no position in that party, I was just a floor member and as such could wonder away but I continued to work for the party. 

"Most importantly, when i joined PDP it was called PDP, but today it is tagged after people's names, like Markafi's PDP or Sheriff's PDP. Is that a political party? More to come. God bless you alal."

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Forum of APC NEC writes SOS letter to President Buhari

*Members of APC NEC forum says in the letter addressed to President Buhari that the issues trying to splits the APC needs to be checked

*The forum stated in the letter that the party’s national chairman, Odigie-Oyegun has failed in his responsibility

The Chieftains in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC have written a letter of grievance to President Muhammadu Buhari over the in-actions of its national chairman John Odigie-Oyegun on the current crisis within the party.

According to The Punch, the chieftains who are members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of APC, came together, under the umbrella of APC NEC Forum to put their complains in a letter, voicing out their continual exclusion from the party’s affairs.

The Forum asked President Buhari to instruct the National Working Committee headed by Oyegun to immediately arrange a NEC meeting. The said the purpose of the meeting is to enable members tackle the problems bringing disunity within the party’s rank and file.

Referencing the letter, the members of the forum had sent several letters to the national chairman of the party, “but no positive reaction thus, this is Save our partyrequest”.

The letter was signed by Omolayo Akintola, who is the National formal Official/South-West Coordinator, dated 6th April, 2017 and entitled: “Save our party – APC”. It was made available to journalists on Sunday, April 9, 2017.

Part of the letter reads: “To be noted for appropriate advice is the exclusion of a sizeable number of federating states from the scheme of things within the party because many states are not presently represented by party officers on the current National Working Committee, hence, the need to be having regular NEC meetings pending the much awaited amendment to the present party constitution.

“We, therefore, deemed it necessary putting this letter across for your timely actions to save our great party from preventable, avoidable and unnecessary intra-party/in-house cracks that the present situation might generate.” 

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PDP Crisis: Fayose blasted Party Chariman, Sheriff for walking out on party leaders

Governor Ayo Fayose

The current Ekiti State Governor and also the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Dr. Ayodele Fayose, has lashed out Ali Modu Sheriff, who is the chairman of the party, for walking out on party leaders on Thursday, April 7, 2017, at a reconciliation meeting held in FCT.

In a statement issued by Fayose to PREMIUM TIMES, he said: “It is now obvious that he (Sheriff) is working for enemies of former President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP.”

“From what Ali Modu Sheriff did yesterday, it should now be clear to all well-meaning Nigerians that he is not acting on his own. He is an agent of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and by extension an enemy of democracy in Nigeria.

“The man Ali Modu Sheriff is an impostor, an impossible character, agent of darkness and APC-sent to destroy our party.

“If he cannot sit with the leader of our party, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, I am also telling him that we in the PDP are also not interested in holding any discussion with him. He is a virus that has infected the PDP and by the grace of God, he will be cured permanently.

“He grew up the black leg of every organisation. His flirting with Obasanjo/PDP destroyed the All Peoples Party (APP) and ANPP. He is at again but this will be the last of the series. He is a serial plotter.

"I regretted my association with him and bringing him forth.

“I will not work with him. He is a betrayal of confidence and does not represent peace and hope. I will not be part of any meeting with such a dirty desperado.

“Anybody supporting, promoting or financing him is an enemy of Nigeria. Our country will not end up in a one party system which I imagine is the reason his business is thriving with the APC.”

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Senator Shehu Sani lambasted at Saraki and other APC senators

Senator Shehu Sani has recorded an audio condemning the Senate president, Bukola Saraki and some All Progressives Congress (APC)’ members of coming together in order to disrupt the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has been released.

Senator Shehu Sani

The audio was released by Sahara reporters. Senator Sani could be heard speaking in one of the major National languae, Hausa on June 9, 2015 at the reception held for him immediately after his inauguration as a senator.

Senator Sani who has established the genuineness of the audio was heard accusing some APC senators of anti-party deeds thus giving positions intended for the ruling party to the Peoples Democratic Party and swore to fight them till the end.

Find below his full translation of his statement below:

“I would like to begin by extending our appreciation and profound gratitude to you all for leaving your houses and your places of work to be here to witness the inauguration of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“Honestly speaking, I will not hide this from you, that today is meant to be a day of celebration for APC but unfortunately it has turned out to be a sad day with regards to what happened. Senator Shehu Sani lcriticed the emergence of Saraki as Senate president.

“During the elections, we called on men and women, boys and girls to come out en masse. Many of them slept on the streets to vote for this party. Despite all of these efforts, not all positions in the Senate are led by APC members [because] some have betrayed the party and connived with PDP to share positions amongst themselves.

“We spent 16 years fighting the PDP; they didn’t give nor share anything with our people. There is no kind of plea that we did not do in the past three weeks for us to unite ourselves in the Senate, but all was in vain.

“There are two people contesting for this position: Ahmed Lawan from Yobe and Bukola Saraki from Kwara. Bukola Saraki knows he is not popular in the APC. The party called him and sat him down, but he refused to listen.

“The President, Muhammadu Buhari, called him and sat down with him but he also refused to listen. He went to sit with David Mark and co and they shared the positions amongst themselves. They connived and appointed him Senate President and they appointed a PDP member as Deputy Senate President, a position that is meant for an APC member.

“After that, they gave the post of Majority Leader to David Mark, a PDP member. So 51 of us are not in support of this, because of the promises I made during campaign that I will fight and expose any evil act in the Senate.

“This is why I said that I will challenge anyone sharing political post with PDP even if I will be the only one. If they like they can invite me, but whether they invite me or not I will never compromise with PDP.

“Our people didn’t vote us to compromise with PDP. As such, I will not compromise. The issue behind this is that there will be problems whenever President Muhammadu Buhari wants to implement something good.

“Already they met PDP members yesterday night. Some PDP members met us yesterday that they will support us if we can assure them of some positions, but we rejected their offer. But they went and met Bukola Saraki, together with Yariman Bakura and connived and gave big positions to the party that is not the winning party.

"As such, it is not the position that I am worried about, but the promise I made to you that I will never connive with PDP members. For this reason, I will not keep silent because of what will be given to me. So, whenever you hear some members of the Senate rebelling against the leadership of the Senate, I am their leader.

“What happened today was, President Muhammadu Buhari this morning sent us a text message for all of us to meet at the International Conference Center in order to mediate between Ahmed Lawan and Bukola Saraki. But they rejected the invitation and went on to connive with PDP members that gave him Senate leadership.

“Therefore, I want whoever is here present to know this before you start hearing it in the media. If care is not taken, all the struggles we did in the last 16 years fighting PDP would be in vain. I will not hide anything from you: the enemies are not in the PDP but within the APC.

“Their secret and evil plan is to sabotage this government so that President Buhari cannot do anything and at the end impeach him to bring Jonathan back. Imagine APC members conniving with PDP members rather than to come for unity.

“This is the reason we met here with you today, to emphasize my commitment to you that my senatorial post differs from the previous senators you were used to.

“I promise that whatever I get in the Senate will be made known to everyone and will be shared based on that. We’ve started fighting with some of them, some have even stopped talking to me, not knowing that I am not bothered.”

Listen to the Audio if you understand HAUSA. Click here.

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Another PDP representative ports to APC

Session at the House of Representatives as expected in to a dramatic scene on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, following an announcement by a lawmaker from Benue State, Hassan Anthony, of his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

House of Assembly

Premium Times reported that the lawmaker who represents Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu constituency, refer to the division currently in the PDP as his motive for decamping.

The defection which was declared on the floor of the House at the beginning of was however opposed by Nicholas Ossai (PDP-Delta), who raised a point of demand, asking the speaker of the house to declare Anthony’s seat vacant.

Ossai said: “The Court of Appeal has on 17th February declared Modu Sheriff the authentic Chairman of the PDP, therefore there is no faction in the PDP.”

But his argument was ruled out by the speaker. The Speaker asked him to bring a copy of the Court of Appeal judgement.

Hassan Anthony’s defection to the APC has took the number of APC representatives in the house to 226 and while reducing that of PDP to 124.

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President Buhari shocked at El-Rufai's memo, APC to respond

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai wrote a memo to President Muhammadu Buhari which was disclosed to the press

In the memo, El-Rufai grieve over failure of the APC and the Buhari administration in some aspects

APC also promised to reply appropriately

Reports has indicated that President Muhammadu Buhari as well as the All progressives Congress (APC) is stunned by the leaked memo which written by Governor Nasiru El-Rufai, criticized the current administration.

Also read: Analyzing The Machiavellian Mind of Nasir El-Rufai - RenoOmokri

A memo that was written by the Kaduna state governor to the President of Nigeria was leaked by Sahara Reporterswhere El-Rufai talked about some areas in which Buhari’s administration has failed.

El-Rufai wrote: “Poll after poll in Kaduna State, before and after the 2015 elections, clearly shows that my fate, politically and otherwise, is uncannily tied to yours. If you do well, I stand to benefit immensely. If you do not do well sir, whatever I try to do in Kaduna matters little to my present and any future political trajectory.”

“There is a perception that your ministers, some of whom are competent and willing to make real contributions, have no clear mandate, instructions and access to you. Ministers are constitutional creations, Mr. President, and it is an aberration that they are expected to report to the Chief of Staff on policy matters.”

“There is a strong perception that your inner circle or kitchen cabinet is incapable, unproductive and sectional. The quality and the undue concentration of key appointments to the North-East and exclusion of South-East are mentioned as evidence of this.”

According to The Sun, President Buhari was astonished by the memo while the APC said it would have to go through it and respond accordingly.

The Chairman of the ruling [arty, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said the party would respond appropriately after studying the memo.

He however stated the sincere view of El-Rufai was based on the worry of Nigerians.

“We will study it and comment later publicly. We thought it was a private memo to the President, but we will look at it and if we have any suggestions to make, we will make them later.

“It concerns Nigerians and his legitimate views, which he has expressed. We will see how it concerns us, the party and the nation and if there is need, we will comment on it subsequently.”

A senior official in the Buhari administration also revealed that President Buhari was shocked that a private memo addressed to him could be leaked to the press.

Find the memo below:

Also read: Analyzing The Machiavellian Mind of Nasir El-Rufai - RenoOmokri

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INEC announces Dates for 2019 Elections

2019 Election is fast approaching and INEC seems to be at the same speed with time.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced the dates for the 2019 Presidential, Gubernatorial, National and State Assembly elections.

The dates for the elections are as follows:

• Presidential & National Assembly election - Saturday, February 16, 2019.
• Governorship/State Assembly/Federal Capital Territory Area Council Elections - Saturday March 2, 2019.

This was announced in a statement issued today, March 9, 2017 and signed by National Commissioner (South West), Prince Solomon Soyebi. The statement is as follows:

"Gentlemen of the Press,

"You are all welcome to yet another briefing, which is in fulfillment of our pledge to regularly brief the public on the Commission’s activities.

1. Our democracy is maturing and the Commission believes that there should be certainty with regard to the timetable for elections. For instance, in the United States, general elections always hold on the second Tuesday of November in the election year. In Ghana, it’s the 7th of December of the election year, while in other places like Mexico, Norway, Sweden, Costa Rica and Switzerland, the dates are also known in advance.

In Nigeria, the constitution provides for elections to hold not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days to the end of the incumbent’s tenure. In order to ensure certainty in our dates for elections, and to allow for proper planning by the Commission, political parties, security agencies, candidates and all stakeholders, the Commission has decided to fix the date for the National Elections for the third Saturday in February of the election year, followed by State elections two weeks later. To that extent, the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on Saturday, 16 th February 2019, while the Governorship/State Assembly/Federal Capital Territory Area Council Elections will hold on Saturday 2 nd March 2019.

2. The Commission has also received a Report from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Federation, informing us that 23 Electoral Officers indicted over the investigation into the 10th December Rivers Re-run elections have been charged to court. The Commission has repeatedly said that it will cooperate with security agencies for the prosecution of any of our staff found to have violated the integrity of the electoral process. Accordingly, at our meeting today, the Commission decided to apply the provisions of the INEC Terms and Conditions of Service to all those charged to court, since it constitutes gross misconduct. The penalty for this is interdiction. All the 23 Electoral Officers will be placed on half salary and will not report for duty pending the determination of their respective cases by the court.

3. Ladies and gentlemen, you will recall that last week, we informed you that a decision would be taken this week on the recommendation by the Disciplinary Committee on staff members indicted by the EFCC Report for misconduct during the 2015 General Elections. However, in view of the fact that some of the staff are also among those being prosecuted by the DPP, the Commission has decided to defer its decision on the EFCC Report to enable us reconcile the EFCC/DPP reports.

4. And as part of our routine consultations with our stakeholders,  the Commission has decided to hold the next regular quarterly meetings with stakeholders as follows:

A.   Tuesday 14 th March –Meeting with Political Parties.
B. Wednesday 15 th March – Meeting with Civil Society Organizations.
C. Friday 17 th March – Meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
D. Monday March 21 – Meeting with Media organizations. Our invitations have been sent to the respective stakeholders.

5. We wish to assure all Nigerians that the Commission will remain fully committed to the sanctity of the electoral process and will never protect any of its staff, no matter highly placed, found to have violated the provisions of the Electoral Act and our guidelines."

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2019 Election: 25 political parties gang up against INEC to make huge demands

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has been told to review and amend the 2010 Electoral Act before the 2019 elections.

A composite of 25 political parties in Nigeria coming under the platform of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, made the request yesterday, March 8.

IPAC also applauded the INEC in the aspect of disciplining the some officials involved in corruption, irregularities and malpractices, recently in the Rivers State rerun polls.

The conglomeration includes the Accord Party, African Democratic Congress, Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, Labour Party, Progressive Peoples Alliance, Peoples Redemption Party, Democratic Peoples Congress, Progressive Peoples Alliance, the Advanced Congress of Democrats, and National Conscience Party.

Others in attendance are United Peoples Party, Better Nigeria Progressive Party, Independent Democrats, Peoples Party of Nigeria and Peoples Progressive Party.

The parties specifically suggested the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions in order to protect the national democracy.

Votes of confidence was also passed in favour of Alhaji Abdulsalam Abdulkadir who is the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

Muhammad Naldo, the National Chairman of IPAC, made the demands at a press session following the IPAC’s emergency meeting held at the national secretariat of the Accord Party in Abuja.

“We have 25 political parties here endorsing this resolution. IPAC is calling on the constitutional and electoral committees to work assiduously with the National Assembly to ensure effective and prompt amendments to the 2010 Electoral Act before the 2019 general election.

“We are making these demands because we want our democracy to be well protected. All those grey areas that have been very controversial and creating confusion should be addressed, including party supremacy. Let political parties be responsible for the nomination of candidates for election.

“We are also recommending the scrapping of SIECs to allow a level-playing field for all political parties to participate in elections. The SIECs are using INEC apparatuses to conduct elections, including party registers and ballot boxes.

“The only thing they don’t provide is the manpower. And if INEC can provide manpower for all elections, why can’t it do same at state and local government levels? The SIECs are not independent. So, we want an independent electoral umpire to conduct elections at state and LG levels,” He said.

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Jonathan advises Makarfi and Sheriff to step down

The former president, Goodluck Jonathan’s recommendation was that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senators Ahmed Makarfi should step down and make way for unity to reign within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Goodluck Jonathan

Recall that Jonathan met with the PDP governors’ forum led by the Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose on Tuesday, February 28 to find a lasting solution to end the power tussling in the party.

Although, Ali Modu Sheriff was reinstated by the Appeal court as the Chairman of the party while Ahmed Makarfi was endorsed by the governors in the party.

According to The Sun, some sources within the party said Jonathan called on both men to step down and allow the party to start planning for the forthcoming of the 2019 general elections.

It was alleged that the former president also suggested that the governors should be left on the driver’s seat of the party and crop out plan on how to nominate a new chairman although there’s no confirmation yet to ascertain if that will gown down well with the two warring leaders.

Fayose said after the consultation with the former president, that the party would try and resolve the issue internally instead of heading to court again.

He stated: “It is my pleasure to tell you that (Jonathan) is genuinely concerned with what is going on in the party. And, he thought that an interactive session with the governors would go a long way to douse tension.

 “One, we want to assure all our supporters that we believe in this party. We believe in the success of this party. We want to appeal to everybody to be wary of making statements that could further worsen the situation. Rather, we should make complimentary statements that can enhance the party the more.”

“Again, we know that there are so many matters before the court. But, we believe that a political solution will go a long way to solve this matter. And I believe in this party; we will all be willing and ready to pursue a political solution, in which, at the end of the day, every interest will be well represented. That was the position of this meeting.”

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Newly inaugurated Ondo State governor Akeredolu accuses Senator of DISLOYALTY

The new government of Ondo state Rotimi Akeredolu has raised peoples’ eyebrow by accusing a certain serving senator in the Ondo state of working against his emergence as a governor of the state and vow to deal with such disloyalty. Although, Akeredolu failed to mention names connected to the allegation.

This allegation was made by the governor at the dinner organised for him in the state capital, Akure, after his swearing in on Friday, February 24, 2017

According to The Punch, The governor with his deputy Agboola Ajayi on Friday, purported that some of the State’s All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftains worked for a rival party during the last governorship election.

Akeredolu is now demanding that the affected senator should reapply to the party afresh through his ward if he still wished to be an active member of the APC in the state.

He stated: “A senator that won his seat on the platform of the APC chose to openly work for the Alliance for Democracy during the last governorship election. He later paid for a congratulatory advert for me in the newspaper; it looks strange to me. This is someone that didn’t even call to congratulate me.

 “Tell the senator he is not a member of the APC. Everyone involved in anti-party activities can’t come back through the back door, they would have to go back to their various wards to reapply for APC membership cards and apologise openly. They should also do the needful.”

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Photos: Sheriff forceful entry into party secretariat is Unlawful – PDP

Recall that on Friday, February 17, 2017, the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt reinstated Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the authentic National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Last night, Senator Sheriff and members of his working committee has been reported to have taken over the National secretariat of the party

However, in a swift response to this development, the other faction of the party, i.e. Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the party, issued a statement signed by Dayo Adeyeye describing the Sheriff’s action as unlawful.

The statement reads:

 “As far as we are concerned, the forceful entry of Ali Modu-Sheriff and his team into the party secretariat is illegal and most unwelcome.

“We say this because the keys to the secretariat is with the Board of Trustees and we’ve checked with them, and can confirm that the keys were not handed over to Sheriff or any of his followers.

“The implication of this was that he broke into the secretariat which is a criminal offence.

“We also expected that Modu-Sheriff should have waited for the conclusion of the Appeal we filed at the Supreme Court before he forced himself in just like we held on when we got court judgement favouring us last year.

“We are condemning his action in totality and we view it as an affront on the rule of law.

“Given his act of illegality, we stated clearly that he should be held responsible for any loss of documents or damage to the property within the party secretariat.

“The administrative staff as accounting officers were not around to see the event happen, and as the custodians of the property of the party, they refused to participate in the illegal entry made by Ali Modu-Sheriff.

“His action is provocative and is capable of causing another round of crisis in the party. “We advise him in his own interest, to vacate the secretariat immediately.

“We also call on authority of the Nigerian Police to prevent chaos by flushing Ali Modu-Sheriff and his team out of the PDP secretariat and let all parties wait for the judgement of the Supreme Court which is the highest court in the land”.

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‘Respect yourself and respect the PDP' - Sheriff to Fayose

Fayose and Sheriff

Speaking with some leaders of the party from South-West who paid the Senator a Solidarity visit in Abuja, on Wednesday, February 22, the Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has pled with the PDP governors to eschew whatever would further disintegrate party. He said the governors very important to the party, therefore must not do anything that will further divide the party.

Senator Sheriff principally called on Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, known to be very vocal in criticising the his leadership to ‘respect himself and respect the PDP.’

The Chairman’s statement came the same day members in the House of Representatives under the platform of the party threatened to push the case further to the Supreme Court in order to reverse the recent Appeal Court judgment that recognised Senator Sheriff as the original and only national chairman of the party.

While addressing the visitors, Sheriff stated:  “Yes, our governors are very important people. They are leaders of the party in their own right. I beg them not to divide the party. Let everybody unite and build the party.

Called on Fayose to respect himself: ‘’For Governor Ayo Fayose, I have no issues to join with him because I cannot even comment on some of the things he says and does. Doing that would amount to coming back to his level. But I beg him to respect himself, to respect the PDP, respect Nigeria because whatever you say today, posterity will judge you. I beg him to control himself.”

Reiterating his victory at the Appeal Court: “As I said, this victory is for every member of PDP; there is no loser. People can vent their anger but as a leader and father of everybody, I want to make sure that this party is united.”

About PDP Reps plans to approach Supreme Court to upturn the Appeal Court’s Judgement on Friday, February 17; The PDP Rep caucus told Sheriff to leave the leadership of the party and also professed their support for the Senator Ahmed Markarfi led faction of the PDP.

The legislators in a statement signed by its leader, Leo Ogor, expressed total disappointment in the Appeal Court judgment that reinstated Sheriff as the party’s national chairman, claiming the decision warranted a challenge at the Supreme Court.

The statement reads: 

“The PDP caucus of the House of Representative wishes to state categorically that it finds the Court of Appeal verdict that nullified the decision of the national convention of the PDP on May 21, 2016 and reinstated the Modu Sheriff leadership very discomforting, the Caucus supports the decision of the Ahmed Makarfi Caretaker Committee to seek redress at the Supreme Court.

“The Caucus appeals to all leaders and members of the Peoples Democratic Party to please remain calm and focused, standing firmly on the position that there is no way the party will accept the Ali Modu Sheriff contraption which is yet to demonstrate any genuine iota of love for the party.

“Their activities in Edo and Ondo states are very fresh in peoples’ minds and as such, no honest and sincere member of our party can trust them; with such fundamental flaws of character and gross disdain for peace, order and brotherly relations.”

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Okorocha's Statement confirms that Sheriff is a Snitch from APC - PDP

Ali Modu Sheriff

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi Faction, has reacted to the statement released by the current Imo State governor and the Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Governor's Forum, Rochas Okorocha, that said the PDP should respect the outcome of the Court of Appeal Judgement, held on Friday, 17 February, 2017, which reinstated Ali Modu Sheriff as the party's chairman and not to heat up the polity.

A statement was signed by Prince Dayo Adeyeye and released on Wednesday 22 February, 2017, said Okorocha's statement was not all that surprising.

The statement reads:

"He is not known to be a person who exercises caution or restraint before making unguarded statements. His constant vituperation on matters small or big is indicative of an over excited mind desperately in need of a large dose of tranquilizer. It is curious that while he would want the PDP to accept the verdict of the court of Appeal and not exercise its right of appeal to the Supreme Court, he was nowhere to be found when Sheriff refused to accept the judgment of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt but instead proceeded to the court of appeal. In any case, what is Okorocha's special interest in the PDP matter? Need Nigerians any further conviction that the APC is the unseen hand stoking the fire of crisis in the PDP and Sheriff and his cohorts mere puppets in their hands?

"The desperate attempt by APC to exonerate itself only further exposed its duplicity. The Police excuse for preventing a peaceful assembly of distinguished PDP members on alleged but unproven "security threat " is an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians. It is the duty of the Police to provide security if they suspect any breach of peace . It is a gross abnegation of its responsibilities to prevent people from exercising their constitutionally guaranteed right of peaceful assembly. No one is in doubt today that the Police has submitted itself to total control and direction by the APC.

"We urge Mr Okorocha to please advice his friends (or agents in the PDP) to fully comply with the judgment of the Court of Appeal. The status quo ante May 21, 2016 is the full National Working Committee (NWC) elected at previous conventions and not the cronies that he singlehandedly appointed and who are parading around as officers of the party.

"Meanwhile, the PDP remain resolute in our determination to pursue our case to its logical conclusion in the interest of justice and Nigerian democracy.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

Long live the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)!"

-PDP

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Only a simpleton and a fool will recorgnise Sheriff as chairman - FFK

Ali Modu Sheriff

The former Minister of Aviation and a Peoples Democratic Party PDP chieftain, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has shaded those who want to work with the reinstated party chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff by saying they are naive and misguided.

He further added that anyone who calls on members of the PDP to rally behind and accept Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman of the party 'is a simpleton and a fool’.

According to Vanguard, Chief Fani-Kayode issued out this statement on Sunday.

He stated: “Those that say that they will work with Ali Modu Sheriff are misguided and naive.

"Worse still anyone that calls for members of the PDP to rally behind him and recognise him as our National Chairman is a simpleton and a fool.

"I say this because the man is evil: he is an agent of destruction and no good can come out of him. I was the first to see him for what he was and I said so publicly.

"Then came the PDP Ministers Forum who also stood their ground. At first no-one believed us until eventually 90 per cent of our party members lined up behind those of us that opposed Sheriff and that supported Makarfi.

"I read his insulting comments about Fayose and Wike and I laughed. Are these not the very same people that brought him in the first place and convinced others in the PDP Governor’s Forum to support him?

"Now he has finished using them to get what he wanted he is insulting them and saying that they must be kicked out of the party and dealt with.

"I say shame on him because that will never happen. Fayose particularly has proved his worth to Nigeria and Wike has stood firm and strong in defence of his people and state. They are both lions and I am proud to stand with them and Makarfi.

"Sheriff is nothing but a traitor who is biting the fingers that fed him. Fayose is one million times the man he is. As a matter of fact so are almost all the governors and other party leaders. Sheriff comes nowhere near any of us in any shape or form.

"Only a blind, deaf and dumb simpleton or prancing village idiot would line up behind a man with such filthy and evil antecedents.

"This is a man whose fundamental purpose and ambition in life is to sell the PDP down the river and to help the ruling APC and the Buhari government to destroy us and win the presidential election in 2019.

"Sheriff is the Angel of Death to the PDP. He is worse than the bubonic plague: not only is he a curse to our party but he is also an affliction to our nation.

"I stand with Ahmed Makarfi and our Caretaker Commitee and unless and until the Supreme Court says so he remains our National Chairman” – Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, 19th February 2017."

Via.

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I am willing to relinquish the Chairmanship position - Sheriff

Senator Ali Modu Sheriff

Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has disclosed that he could relinquish the chairmanship post for peace to reign within the party. Recall that Senator Sheriff was reinstated as the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, by the Appeal Court Judgement in Port Harcourt, on Friday, February 17.

The three judges that presided over the case in a unanimous decision agreed that Ali Modu Sheriff is the lawful chairman of the PDP, thereby nullifying the decision made by the party at the May 21 Port Harcourt convention.

While speaking with newsmen in Abuja, Sheriff claimed that the interest of the party supersedes his office as the national chairman.

He said, "I am willing to relinquish the position for the party to move forward into achieve its goals."

"I consult other leaders of our party to see how we can organise our national convention, to stop our division and leadership tussle."

However, following his victory at the Appeal court, as the chairman of the PDP, he condemned the leadership styles of the Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose and his Rivers state  counterpart, Nyesome Wike and vowed to deal with the duo.

This statement was made by the Senator on Friday, February 17, after being reinstated by the Appeal Court in Port Harcourt, River state, as the only and lawful national chairman of the PDP.

The former governor of Borno state also stated the he will make all possible efforts to restructure the PDP saying “such that characters like Wike and Fayose cannot find a way through to attain any position of prominence in our party in the future.”

This judgement was believed to bring a stop the leadership crisis rocking the PDP which is still major opposition party, as both factional chairmen Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senators Ahmed Makarfi claim to be the authentic leader of the party. But the Judgement has since on Friday been generating some unrest within the party.

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Appeal Court judgment on Sheriff is action against the will of the people - PDP Gov Forum

The reinstatement of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chariman of Peoples Democratic Party PDP on Friday, by the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, River State did not go down well with the PDP Governors’ Forum thereby labelling the outcome as a rape on the Nation's democracy.

The Chairman of the forum and the current Ekiti State governor, Dr. Ayodele Fayose while speaking to newsmen in Abuja yesterday, gave a a glimpse that the Party would be heading for the Supreme Court to challenge the judgment.

Fayose described the Judgment as an action against the wish of the people said, “If the people truly symbolizes what a party is, then the machinations of our detractors and the anti-democratic organs will not prevail at last.”

He said, ”we commend the minority judgment of the lower court and we believe the truth will prevail.

“Thank God we have another opportunity to seek justice at the Supreme Court, which I believe will not be delayed or denied.

“The party will appeal the judgement as we believe in the ability of the judiciary to do justice,however we plead with our members ,leaders and supporters to calm down as we keep hope alive.

“If this is a price to pay, to keep our democracy alive and opposition strengthened, we are prepared to go the whole hug.

“The party organs will meet shortly to take concrete steps and decisions on the way forward”.

Governor Fayose also confirmed that the Federal Ministry of Finance has reversed itself over N1billion Budget support Facility for January this year meant for the State earlier seized by the Federal Government as a letter to this effect had been transmitted to the state on Thursday.

On this note, Governor Fayose told news men that the State had received an official Communication from the Federal Ministry of Finance releasing the State allocation which was earlier seized for just no cause.

”I don’t want to join issues with anybody on the allocation,it is a statutory allocation for all the States, I can confirm to you here that by Tuesday next week, I will get the bank alert for the money, an official communication on the release was passed to me just yesterday(Thursday)," according to him.

Concerning the Court of Appeal judgment on the PDP leadership Crisis, Chairman, Board of Trustee BoT of the Party, Senator Walid Jibrin said, the party is currently working on a way out of this trouble by consulting various organs of the party and will definitely come out with a statement on the judgement by Tuesday, next week.

He stated: ”This judgment is not a threat but rather it is going to put us together. I appeal strongly to every member of PDP to remain calm, not to panic, not to move to any other party as all efforts are on to ensure that PDP remains strong.

“Those who are crying today will laugh; those who are disturbed and worried will smile."

He gave an assurance that the issue would be resolved by the party itself.

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Fayose and Wike should also visit him in London - PDP

The youth wing of the Peoples Democratic Party, has suggested that the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike and his fellow counterpart from Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose should go and visit President Buhari in London.

The group which is also known as the PDP Youth Frontier stated that, going to see the president should not only be for members of the All Progressive Congress party.

This was stated on their twitter handle saying: “Buhari health is not the APC internal affairs alone therefore PDP youths recommending that Fayose and Wike should also visit him in London.”

The tweet came as a result of the recent visit of Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Abuja House in 

UK.

Recalled that the Senate president and speaker of the House of Representatives left for London to visit the president on Wednesday morning, February 15, probably to know his health status, based on the negative reports they must have been hearing about him.

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North may not trust future zoning arrangement because of OBJ and GEJ - Prof. Ango Abdullahi

Prof. Ango Abdullahi speaking on behalf of the Northern Elders Forum in an interview with The Sun has described how two former presidents , Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan betrayed the north by trying to go against the agreed zoning in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Prof. Ango said the PDP had initially agreed that the presidency should be rotated between the north and south but that Obasanjo tried to side-line it during his pursue for a third term in office while

Jonathan should not have contested in 2015 which was meant for a northerner.

He said: “When PDP came into existence, there were views that were saying give the South the first shot under this rotational arrangement. There were those who were very adamant that this will not go. I remember my friend very well, may his soul rest in peace, Abubakar Rimi, refused. He said every aspirant should be given the opportunity to slug it out in the primary election.

“If the southerner or a northerner gets it, fine and that next time the issue of a northerner or a southerner contesting would not arise. Many of us agreed that the South should take the first shot. That was why Obasanjo and Ekwueme slugged it out

“Obasanjo got the second ticket to contest for second term and he got it. I thought that everybody should be happy with that and those who are not happy should accept that another time will come for them to go particularly if they were the ones interested. But Obasanjo after eight years decided to play hara-kiri.”

Ango continued, “He forgot that he came under this arrangement and this thing is entrenched in the constitution of the party. He tried to get people to work for his third term, some of them surprisingly, many of them northerners. Thank God, led by the late Olusola Saraki, under the Northern Union I was his deputy, we mobilized and defeated him.

“So the North was supposed to take over from Obasanjo. Eight years for Obasanjo, eight years expected of a candidate of northern extraction as the president of Nigeria. So Obasanjo came and picked Umaru Yar’Adua. You know Umaru was not elected by us. Some of us initially kicked against it, but we were told by our elders to keep our cool and since Umaru is there, a northerner, so be it.

“But Umaru died three years in office. I am sure you remember this. So if politics is the basis on which some of these relationships should be respected and kept, the North needs not to ask, under PDP, I am not saying under any other party, that it would provide a candidate for four more years because the fourth year of Yar’Adua would have been used by his vice-President as the constitution has provided because Jonathan was sworn in as president after Umaru’s death.

“So let’s say PDP under commonsense will come out and say the North where is the candidate? They did not. You argued vehemently that Jonathan should continue as president of this country against the zoning arrangement and he came out denying knowledge of this zoning arrangement. Even Obasanjo did deny that there was zoning. So there is this complete break-down of trust.

“I couldn’t trust Jonathan or Obasanjo for anything having known all these and denying it and they want to be my president.

“This was what triggered us into saying the next president, come what may, should be of northern extraction. But of course the North gave us away, the Northern governors in particular in 2011 because that was when the North should have taken over. But they sold out.

“PDP governors 16 of them here in the North sold out for Jonathan to remain their candidate in 2011. We tried and our consensus candidate didn’t go so far and that was Atiku Abubakar, you remember.

“From that time we said okay the time has come now for us to look at our political interest first and this is how the Northern Elders Forum came into being. There is another forum, ACF, but it said it is a socio-cultural organization, but the Northern Elders Forum will be a political activist group that will defend the political interest of Northern Nigeria in Nigeria if possible.

“So this is how we formed it and these are the background reasons why we said under no circumstances should Jonathan win the election in 2015 and that’s why we mobilized the North and despite any claim that the North was divided, the Tanko Yakassais have sold out to Jonathan and so on. At the end, Jonathan was defeated.

On whether the north will concede power after Buhari’s eight years in office, Ango responded: “The party that decided to support zoning was PDP and the party on ground that brought about the presidency of Buhari was not PDP and it is not likely to be PDP in 2019. It all depends to my mind how members of the APC particularly its leadership of the APC decides how they will play their game. For your information I am not a member of any party. What I am interested in is to remain socially and politically involved in matters of public affairs

“But we learnt some bitter lessons and based on these bitter lessons, it is going to take a lot of persuasion for northerners who really went through the rigours or treatments under Obasanjo’s third term and then under Jonathan’s manipulations of his nomination in 2011 and his insistence, against the constitution of this country to contest election in 2015. If he had contested elections in 2015 and supposing he won, he would be president of Nigeria for nine years and this is against the constitution of this country.”

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APC Names Best Performing Ministers

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has released names of their best performing ministers of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. APC did not mention any criteria used in this process.

This announcement was made by the ruling party in a tweet on its official Twitter handle today,

Thursday, February 9.

They are as follows starting from the best performer:

1. Babatunde Fashola (BEST)

A former Lagos State governor, the current Minister of power, works and housing Babatunde Fashola, was ranked the best.

Babatunde Fashola

2. Chibuike Amaechi

Minister of transport Chibuike Amaechi. Amaechi is immediate past governor of Rivers state.

Chibuike Amaechi

3. Ibe Kachikwu

Minister of state for petroleum Ibe Kachikwu is third on the list. He is the immediate past General Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Ibe Kachikwu

4. Geoffrey Onyeama

Geoffrey Onyeama is the fourth-best, Minister of foreign affairs. He played a huge part in the resolution of the political crisis that nearly tore The Gambia apart in January 2017.

Geoffrey Onyeama

Opinion: Why isKemi Adeosun, the Minister of finance not among the list? Could it be in light of the country’s present poor economic situation that triggered nationwide protest on Monday, February 6th, 2017.

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