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- Update: APC Spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi Has Debunked Rumours Of Defection
- President Buhari Elected ECOWAS Chairman
- APC Spokesman, Abdullahi Follow Saraki, Ahmed, Defects From APC To PDP
- EFCC Gives Administrative Bail To Ekweremadu
- Saraki’s Exit From APC, Won’t Hinder Buhari’s Chances in 2019 - Okorocha Says
- BREAKING: Saraki Leaves APC, Joins The PDP (Personal Post and Press Statement)
- BREAKING: Governor Abdulafatah Ahmed Of Kwara State Dumps APC
- Amnesty International Gives Shocking Information Over Zamfara Killings
- Buhari Distance Self From Impeachment Moves Against Ortom In Benue House
- Obasanjo In Otuoke Meets With Goodluck Jonathan
- Buhari Slam Oshiomhole Over Sack Of Kwara APC Executive
| Update: APC Spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi Has Debunked Rumours Of Defection Posted: 31 Jul 2018 05:37 PM PDT
Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Spokesman of Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress on Tuesday said he is still in APC and has not resigned from the party.Media reports earlier, had that Abdullahi has defected from the APC shortly after Senate President Bukola Saraki and Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed dumped the ruling party.Like Saraki and Ahmed, Abdullahi is from Kwara State. His alleged defection was also celebrated by the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) on Twitter.
However Abdulfatah insisted he is still in APC: "IT is not true that I have resigned and let me emphasise that there is no iota of truth in that report," he said. "I can understand where the speculation is coming from, perhaps because I was absent during the NWC meeting on Monday." "However, the speculators didn't know that I told my colleagues that I was away in Kwara State. "I want to put it on record that I came through the front door and if I want to leave, I will leave through the front door." Related Topics: #BolajiAbdullahi, #APC, #Politics Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| President Buhari Elected ECOWAS Chairman Posted: 31 Jul 2018 04:49 PM PDT
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has elected Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari as the new Chairman of Commission.President Buhari was announced as the chairman on Tuesday at the ECOWAS Summit in Lome, Togo, after a closed session of Heads of State of the Commission.He took over from Faure Gnassingbé, president of Togo who held the role in the past year.In his acceptance speech, President Buhari pledged to take ECOWAS to greater heights and bring peace to the West African region."I am truly humbled and pledge to serve and work with all of you to deliver on peace, security, good governance and socio-economic development," the Nigerian leader said.According to the ECOWAS Governance structure, Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, who is the Minister in charge of ECOWAS affairs in Nigeria automatically becomes the Chairman of Council of Ministers. The announcement of Buhari as ECOWAS leader comes hours after Nigeria's Senate President Bukola Saraki announced that he has left the ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC) for the opposition People's Democratic Party. President Buhari while in a meeting with Nigerian community in Togo, earlier stated that he was not bothered by the defections of members of his party to the PDP. "I am not bothered about the defections," he said. "Ordinary Nigerians have developed confidence in us and are defending us. I assure you, the majority of Nigerians back home are appreciative of our efforts." Related Topics: #Buhari, ,#ECOWAS, #Politics Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| APC Spokesman, Abdullahi Follow Saraki, Ahmed, Defects From APC To PDP Posted: 31 Jul 2018 03:52 PM PDT
The National Publicity Secretary, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has followed Saraki as he dumps the APC.Information which circulated Tuesday morning had suggested that the former Minister of Youth Development was planning to return to the Peoples's Democratic Party (PDP).Our correspondent sent him text to confirm or refute the news but the official said he couldn't talk at that moment.Abdullahi defected later in the day with Senate President Bukola Saraki and Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed.Read Also: APC Acknowledges Report Of Breakaway of nPDP - Speaks On The Issue According to the DAILY POST, a very close aide to Saraki confirmed that Bolaji, the APC spokesman has also jumped ship. Political observers had said that the development was expected; as Abdullahi is a member of Saraki's dynasty. Bolaji is expected to run for a political position in 2019 on the platform of the PDP. Ahmed had explained that his decision followed due consultations with the people and in response to calls by major stakeholder groups in the state. He added that he defected to PDP, having realized that the APC "can no longer serve as a platform for achieving the aspirations and expectations of his people". His announcement coincided with that of Senate President, Bukola Saraki. Saraki wrote on his Twitter page: "I wish to inform Nigerians that, after extensive consultations, I have decided to take my leave off the All Progressives Congress (APC)." This also followed a lenthy Press Statement by the Senate President addressing the issues and reasons of dumping the APC. Related Topics: #BolajiAbdullahi, #APC, #Politics Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| EFCC Gives Administrative Bail To Ekweremadu Posted: 31 Jul 2018 03:04 PM PDT
Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Nigeria Deputy Senate President, who was under interrogation by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in Abuja Tuesday has been given bail.According to THISDAY, the deputy Senate president, who reported at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja by himself, earlier on Tuesday, was released on administrative bail Tuesday evening after being interrogated by the operatives over allegations bordering on fraud and money laundering.It was reported also that, the EFCC had last Tuesday invited Ekweremadu to its office in Abuja to respond to allegations of conspiracy, abuse of office and money laundering.Read Also: Ike Ekweremadu Cries Out, I Was Not Invited By EFCC, PoliceThe EFCC invitation coincided with the invasion of the Apo residence of Ekweremadu by both Police and EFCC operatives, who did not allow him to leave his residence in the early hours of the day. Related Topics: #EFCC, #Ekweremadu, #News Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| Saraki’s Exit From APC, Won’t Hinder Buhari’s Chances in 2019 - Okorocha Says Posted: 31 Jul 2018 02:18 PM PDT
Rochas Okorocha, the Governor of Imo State, has stated that the defection of key members of the APC, including the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, will not hinder the electoral chances of the party and President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.Speaking to journalists Tuesday at APC National Secretariat in Abuja, Okorocha, said notwithstanding the defections, President Buhari is going to do better than he did in 2015.According to Okorocha, a political party is just like a vehicle with which you get to the appointed destination and if they found that they can no longer get what they want in APC and they want to get to other parties, good luck!Read Also: BREAKING: Saraki Leaves APC, Joins The PDP (Personal Post and Press Statement)"But the question you should ask me is that, how does that affect the party in 2019. I don't see in anyway it has affected the party negatively and the issue there is that President Muhammadu Buhari will win this election come 2019. "He is more stronger and firm, he will do better than how he did before in terms of electoral value. So, his defection is allowed. As they are going, many people are still coming into the party in their thousands," he added. Related Topics: #Okorocha, #Saraki, #APC, #Politics Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| BREAKING: Saraki Leaves APC, Joins The PDP (Personal Post and Press Statement) Posted: 31 Jul 2018 01:33 PM PDT
This has put to rest a lot of questions. See his tweet below:  Read the Press Statement below: PRESS STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, HIS EXCELLENCY, DR. ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI, CON, ON July 31, 2018. I wish to inform Nigerians that, after extensive consultations, I have decided to take my leave of the All Progressives Congress (APC). This is not a decision that I have made lightly. If anything at all, I have tarried for so long and did all that was humanly possible, even in the face of great provocation, ridicule and flagrant persecution, to give opportunity for peace, reconciliation and harmonious existence. Perhaps, more significantly, I am mindful of the fact that I carry on my shoulder a great responsibility for thousands of my supporters, political associates and friends, who have trusted in my leadership and have attached their political fortunes to mine. However, it is after an extensive consultation with all the important stakeholders that we have come to this difficult but inevitable decision to pitch our political tent elsewhere; where we could enjoy greater sense of belonging and where the interests of the greatest number of our Nigerians would be best served. While I take full responsibility for this decision, I will like to emphasise that it is a decision that has been inescapably imposed on me by certain elements and forces within the APC who have ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist.
They have done everything to ensure that the basic rules of party administration, which should promote harmonious relations among the various elements within the party were blatantly disregarded. All governance principles which were required for a healthy functioning of the party and the government were deliberately violated or undermined. And all entreaties for justice, equity and fairness as basic precondition for peace and unity, not only within the party, but also the country at large, were simply ignored, or employed as additional pretext for further exclusion. The experience of my people and associates in the past three years is that they have suffered alienation and have been treated as outsiders in their own party. Thus, many have become disaffected and disenchanted. At the same time, opportunities to seek redress and correct these anomalies were deliberately blocked as a government-within-a-government had formed an impregnable wall and left in the cold, everyone else who was not recognized as "one of us". This is why my people, like all self-respecting people would do, decided to seek accommodation elsewhere. I have had the privilege to lead the Nigerian legislature in the past three years as the President of the Senate and the Chairman of the National Assembly. The framers of our constitution envisage a degree of benign tension among the three arms of government if the principle of checks and balances must continue to serve as the building block of our democracy. In my role as the head of the legislature, and a leader of the party, I have ensured that this necessary tension did not escalate at any time in such a way that it could encumber Executive function or correspondingly, undermine the independence of the legislature. Over the years, I have made great efforts in the overall interest of the country, and in spite of my personal predicament, to manage situations that would otherwise have resulted in unsavoury consequences for the government and the administration. My colleagues in the Senate will bear testimony to this. However, what we have seen is a situation whereby every dissent from the legislature was framed as an affront on the executive or as part of an agenda to undermine the government itself. The populist notion of anti-corruption became a ready weapon for silencing any form of dissent and for framing even principled objection as "corruption fighting back". Persistent onslaught against the legislature and open incitement of the people against their own representatives became a default argument in defence of any short-coming of the government in a manner that betrays all too easily, a certain contempt for the Constitution itself or even the democracy that it is meant to serve. Unfortunately, the self-serving gulf that has been created between the leadership of the two critical arms of government based on distrust and mutual suspicion has made any form of constructive engagement impossible. Therefore, anything short of a slavish surrender in a way that reduces the legislature to a mere rubber stamp would not have been sufficient in procuring the kind of rapprochement that was desired in the interest of all. But I have no doubt in my mind, that to surrender this way is to be complicit in the subversion of the institution that remains the very bastion of our democracy. I am a democrat. And I believe that anyone who lays even the most basic claim to being a democrat will not accept peace on those terms; which seeks to compromise the very basis of our existence as the parliament of the people. The recent weeks have witnessed a rather unusual attempts to engage with some of these most critical issues at stake. Unfortunately, the discord has been allowed to fester unaddressed for too long, with dire consequences for the ultimate objective of delivering the common good and achieving peace and unity in our country. Any hope of reconciliation at this point was therefore very slim indeed. Most of the horses had bolted from the stable. The emergence of a new national party executives a few weeks ago held out some hopes, however slender. The new party chairman has swung into action and did his best alongside some of the Governors of APC and His Excellency, the Vice President. I thank them for all their great efforts to save the day and achieve reconciliation. Even though I thought these efforts were coming late in the day, but seeing the genuine commitment of these gentlemen, I began to think that perhaps it was still possible to reconsider the situation. However, as I have realized all along, there are some others in the party leadership hierarchy, who did not think dialogue was the way forward and therefore chose to play the fifth columnists. These individuals went to work and ensured that they scuttled the great efforts and the good intentions of these aforementioned leaders of the party. Perhaps, had these divisive forces not thrown the cogs in the wheel at the last minutes, and in a manner that made it impossible to sustain any trust in the process, the story today would have been different. For me, I leave all that behind me. Today, I start as I return to the party where I began my political journey, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). When we left the PDP to join the then nascent coalition of All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014, we left in a quest for justice, equity and inclusion; the fundamental principles on which the PDP was originally built but which it had deviated from. We were attracted to the APC by its promise of change. We fought hard along with others and defeated the PDP. In retrospect, it is now evident that the PDP has learnt more from its defeat than the APC has learnt from its victory. The PDP that we return to is now a party that has learnt its lessons the hard way and have realized that no member of the party should be taken for granted; a party that has realized that inclusion, justice and equity are basic precondition for peace; a party that has realized that never again can the people of Nigeria be taken for granted. I am excited by the new efforts, which seeks to build the reborn PDP on the core principles of promoting democratic values; internal democracy; accountability; inclusion and national competitiveness; genuine commitment to restructuring and devolution of powers; and an abiding belief in zoning of political and elective offices as an inevitable strategy for managing our rich diversity as a people of one great indivisible nation called Nigeria. What we have all agreed is that a deep commitment to these ideals were not only a demonstration of our patriotism but also a matter of enlightened self-interest, believing that our very survival as political elites of this country will depend on our ability to earn the trust of our people and in making them believe that, more than anything else, we are committed to serving the people. What the experience of the last three years have taught us is that the most important task that we face as a country is how to reunite our people. Never before had so many people in so many parts of our country felt so alienated from their Nigerianness. Therefore, we understand that the greatest task before us is to reunite the county and give everyone a sense of belonging regardless of region or religion. Every Nigerian must have an instinctive confidence that he or she will be treated with justice and equity in any part of the country regardless of the language they speak or how they worship God. This is the great task that trumps all. Unless we are able to achieve this, all other claim to progress no matter how defined, would remain unsustainable. This is the task that I am committing myself to and I believe that it is in this PDP, that I will have the opportunity to play my part. It is my hope that the APC will respect the choice that I have made as my democratic right, and understand that even though we will now occupy a different political space, we do not necessarily become enemies unto one another. Thank you. Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, CON President of the Senate Related Topics: #BukolaSaraki, #Politics Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| BREAKING: Governor Abdulafatah Ahmed Of Kwara State Dumps APC Posted: 31 Jul 2018 12:32 PM PDT
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| Amnesty International Gives Shocking Information Over Zamfara Killings Posted: 31 Jul 2018 10:21 AM PDT
Zamfara killings has attracted the Amnesty International (AI) who on Tuesday raised the alarm that the insecurity in the state was escalating, with daily killings and kidnappings by armed bandits, leaving villagers in constant fear of attack.Revealing the atrocities by the attackers, Amnesty International said thousands of people have been displaced by a conflict which began in 2012 as a result of clashes between farmers and herders."This is Nigeria's forgotten conflict. The authorities' failure to act has left villagers in Zamfara at the mercy of armed bandits, who have killed hundreds of people over the course of two bloody years," said Osai Ojigho, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria."When we visited the region, villagers told us that they had pleaded with the government to help them after receiving warning letters from the bandits ahead of attacks but had received no protection. The Nigerian authorities have repeatedly claimed to be tackling the situation, but the mounting death toll tells a different story."It could be recalled that, the Commander in Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari had on Sunday deployed troops and fighter jets to Zamfara state to tackle insecurity that is ravaging the rural communities. Read also: 1,000-Security Force, Fighter Aircraft Deployed By Buhari To Combat Zamfara Bandits According to the Amnesty International, on Friday 27 July, 18 villages in the Mashema, Kwashabawa and Birane districts of Zurmi local government area of Zamfara state were attacked, leaving at least 42 people dead. "At least 18,000 residents of the affected villages who were displaced over the weekend are now taking refuge at various locations in the local government headquarters. The following day a further 15 people were kidnapped in Maradun local government area. "On Saturday 28 July, President Muhammadu Buhari announced the deployment of 1,000 troops to Zamfara. This is the third time since November 2017 that the authorities have deployed the military in response to attacks, but villagers told Amnesty International that this has not translated into protection for remote, vulnerable communities. "Previous military interventions have failed to end the killings, especially in rural areas of Zamfara. At least 371 people have been killed in Zamfara in 2018 alone, and at least 238 of these killings took place after the deployment of the Nigerian air force. The government is still neglecting the most vulnerable communities in this region," said Osai Ojigho. Ojigho also added that between Sunday 7 and Thursday 12 July, Amnesty International visited communities in five local government areas of Zamfara state – Zurmi, Maradun, Maru, Anka and Tsafe. "Although security forces were present in the state capital Gusau, researchers saw soldiers and air force personnel in only two of the villages they visited, Birane and Bagega. "Villagers described feeling helpless and on edge, constantly bracing themselves for attacks. Men said they are sleeping outside their homes and in trees as a way of keeping vigilant, while women and children are sleeping together in groups for protection. "Villagers described a pattern where they receive warnings ahead of attacks, including by phone, ordering them to pay huge sums of money or be killed or abducted." A villager from Gidan Goga was quoted as saying: "Before Ramadan, the bandits called with the same number they called me with two weeks ago and said if we didn't pay them N500,000 (USD $1400), they would come and kidnap me or the village head. Right now, we are living in fear." Another village elder from Gidan Goga also told Amnesty International: "We cannot go to farm far from our village. Two weeks ago, I got a call from one of the bandits, saying they are the 'owners' of the forest. He asked me to tell the village head to tell all villagers close to the forest to vacate the villages and come here, Gidan Goga. He said the only way they'd allow the villagers to continue staying was if they paid them five million Naira." In a village in Maru, villagers said the only time they see security forces is when they are escorting workers to the state governor's farm. Ojigho further disclosed that senior police officer in Zamfara told Amnesty International that security agencies lack logistics and manpower to deal with the crisis. Credit: DailyPost Related Topics: #ZamfaraKillings, #AmnestryInternational, #News Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| Buhari Distance Self From Impeachment Moves Against Ortom In Benue House Posted: 31 Jul 2018 09:23 AM PDT
President Muhammadu Buhari has distanced self on Tuesday, from the attempts in Benue by eight members of a 30-member House of Assembly to impeach Governor Samuel Ortom.Mr. Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to President Buhari, on Media and Publicity, in reaction to the aberration, in a statement, said the president rejected any attempt to link him with what he described as the inglorious past when lawmakers in their minority removed sitting governors in breach of the constitution.According to him, attempts to drag Buhari whom he said was attending a joint summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Economic Community of Central African States in Lome, Togo, into the charade in Benue were unacceptable, ThisDay reports.Adesina who said the president would not interfere in the current shenanigans in Benue, argued that those making the insinuations were the same persons who had been advocating strict compliance with the principle of separation of powers, insisting that the president would rather uphold the provisions of the constitution than to allow himself to be dragged into the "infamy."Read Also: Buhari's Silence On Illegal Attempt To Impeach Ortom, Shocks Us- R-APC The Presidential Aide, further argued that the president would stand by what is noble, he insisted that his principal would be guided by the constitution as he deplored the actions of those he said had set up fire and then call on the president to put it off. The statement read: "Even while attending the ECOWAS/ECCAS Summit in Togo, strident attempts were being made to drag President Muhammadu Buhari into the unfolding drama between the executive and the legislature in Benue State. "Statements have been issued by different interest groups, insinuating that the President may have a hand in the development in Benue. This is paranoia at its worst, coming from people who have wittingly positioned themselves against the clean-up of the country, and the way we do things. They prefer business as usual. "President Buhari will never be part of any unconstitutional act, and any attempt to link him with the inglorious past, when minority number of lawmakers impeached governors, will not stick. It will simply be like water off the duck's back. Those with open minds know this, but those who cavil would rather source everything untoward to the President. It is murky ground in which they are now marooned, as fallout of their resistance to change in the country. "When it suits them, they preach separation of powers and true federalism, and in another breath, they call on the President to interfere brazenly in affairs at state level. President Buhari will always stand by all that is noble and fair, and will reject attempts to drag him into infamy. "People who stoke fires by deliberate acts of omission or commission, and then summon the President to come and put it out will find that this President will be guided by the Constitution at all times, no matter the attempt to entangle him in unwarranted controversies." Source:ThisDay Related Topics: #Adesina, #Buhari, #Ortom, #Politics Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| Obasanjo In Otuoke Meets With Goodluck Jonathan Posted: 31 Jul 2018 08:18 AM PDT
The former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obsanjo, is in Otuoke again as he meets with former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan at his home.This is the second time in one year Chief Obasanjo is visiting Goodluck Jonathan, in Otuoke, Bayelsa State. The first was on February, 17th, 2018 and now today, July, 31st, 2018.Obasanjo arrived the state on Tuesday for the first summit on Infant and maternal mortality in Yenagoa hosted by the Bayelsa State government. He was received by the State Governor, Seriake Dickson Read Also: Obasanjo in Otueke To Visit Goodluck Jonathan And His Wife Patience Markson said that the summit will have the Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Vice President of Liberia, Her Excellency, Mrs Jewel Howard Taylor as the Chairman and Special Guest of Honour respectively. Read Also: I Was Wrong: GEJ was a very good Leader: OBJ lavishes praise on Jonathan He said that the state government was also expecting other very important personalities from outside the country including the former Speaker of the Gambian National Assembly/Deputy Speaker, ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay at the summit. Related Topics: #Obasanjo, #GoodluckJonathan, #News Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||
| Buhari Slam Oshiomhole Over Sack Of Kwara APC Executive Posted: 31 Jul 2018 04:19 AM PDT
The Kwara State, All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected and dismissed the purported dissolution of party executive at the ward, local government and state levels by the national chairman, Adams Oshiomole.It said the action of the National Working Committee (NWC) was not only outrightly unlawful but also null and void.The Publicity Secretary, of Kwaea APC, Sulyma Buhari, disclosed this in a statement while reacting to the development.The State Executive Committee is perceived to be loyal to the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.According to the Daily Post, Buhari said in the statement: "We confirm that there is no case of lacuna in the party leadership in Kwara State and there was no ground for the purported dissolution. Thus, the NWC erred in law. Furthermore, the purported dissolution is null and void. Read Also: Lai Mohammed Insists On Removal Of Saraki's Loyalists In Kwara APC "We recall that for many weeks, party members worked assiduously and painstakingly to elect party leadership at the ward, local government and state levels in Kwara State. The party structure was certified as duly elected by the National Working Committee of APC. The duly elected party structure in Kwara State cannot be overthrown or dissolved by an unlawful declaration from Abuja. "Considering the inglorious role played by Comrade Adams Oshiomole, he has lost the respect of the leadership and members of APC in the 16 local government areas and 193 wards of Kwara State. He has destroyed his human rights credentials. It is crystal clear the emerging dictator is always willing to trample on the rights of other party members whenever his personal interest is involved. "While the party will exercise legal means to protect the constitutional mandates of the party leadership at the ward, local government and state levels, we wish to reaffirm that the Alhaji Ishola Balogun Fulani – led State Executive Committee (SEC) remains the only authentic and lawful leadership of APC in Kwara State. "Despite the distraction from Abuja, the Alhaji Ishola Balogun Fulani – led State Executive Committee (SEC), the party leadership in the 16 local government and 193 wards of Kwara State shall continue to discharge constitutional functions. All members of the APC in Kwara State should remain calm as we devise legal measures to guarantee the protection of their rights." Related Topics: #KwaraStateAPC, #Oshiomhole, #Politics Sharing is caring. Share this story  |
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