In this interview with JOHN ALECHENU, Director General of the Dr. Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Bimbo Daramola, who is also the member representing Ekiti North in the House of Representatives, speaks about party politics and Fayemi’s chances of re-election Following the rancour which often trails the selection process in most political parties, will the APC …. [more]
The All Progressive Congress (APC) may have decided to settle for former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, as its presidential candidate in next year’s election.
Some of the notable leaders who spoke with Sunday Independent were of the opinion that a Buhari candidature would guarantee a lot of things, which include massive support from the Northwest and Northeast, because, according to them, most people in the North still see him as the messiah and would go out en masse to vote for him any day. more
As political parties trade allegations over who has breached the law in embarking on pre-emptive political campaigns ahead of the 2015 elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that all the political parties are guilty of the offence.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos Monday, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said the commission had found out that almost all the parties were guilty of the offence and had been warned about the consequences of breaching the electoral regulations.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Screening Committee on 2014 Ekiti Gubernatorial Election led by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba has released the result of its screening exercise.
Of the 16 gubernatorial aspirants, 13 were cleared while 3 were denied clearance to partake in the party primaries that will eventually present a candidate for the party in the upcoming election in the state.
Among those cleared include a former governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose. Mr. Fayose is currently facing charges of corruption proffered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Also cleared was Bodunde Adeyanju, an aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was a central figure accused in the Halliburton scam for passing bribes to the former President and top People Democratic Party leaders.
A former minister of police affairs, Caleb Olukolade was also cleared.
Below is the full list of candidates cleared by the screening committee:
1. Amb. Oluwadare Bejide
2. Navy Capt. Olubolade Caleb (Rtd)
3. Prince Adedayo Adeyeye
4. Ayodele Fayose
5. Adeyanju Bodunde Sunday
6. Erelu M. Ogundepe
7. Jacob Abiodun Aluko
8. Adewale Aribisala
9. Oladeji J. A. Omoyeni
10. Sen. Olugbenga Aluko
11. Oluropo Ogunbolude
12. Dr. Omolara Adubiaro
13. Ajayi Ayodeji Eldad
However, Bosede Cecilia Dada, Senator Bode Olowoporuko and Peter Obafemi were not cleared to partake in the state primaries
The result of the screening shows that Bosede Cecilia Dada presented no evidence of payment of party membership dues, no West African School Certificate and no tax clearance certificate.
The South-South Forum of the Peoples Democratic Party has told President Goodluck Jonathan that now is the most appropriate time for him to declare his ambition for a second term in 2015. The forum said this on Tuesday in Lagos at an event to canvass support for the President’s second term ambition.
The PDP chairman in Lagos State, Mr. Olatunji Shelle; former Minister of Works, Chief Adeseye Ogunlewe; and others at the occasion also called on members of the forum in the state to vote for the PDP in both the presidential and governorship elections next year.
Jonathan has remained silent on whether he would seek second term in office or not but analysts have said that the President’s body language has shown clearly that he would seek another term in office during the 2015 general elections. He said during his media chat on Monday that making a declaration of his ambition at the moment could create problems in the polity. But the South-South PDP Forum on Tuesday urged the President to take advantage of his “record-breaking achievement of convening a national conference,” to declare his desire for second term.
Chairman of the forum’s Board of Trustees, Chief Vincent Amadi, said, “My charge to us is to do everything possible to make the national conference a success by encouraging the President and urging him on positively. More importantly, he should seize the moment and take full advantage of his constitutional right as a first term President. Consequently, there couldn’t be a better time for him to declare for second term in the office than now. This will enable him to kickstart and pilot the implementation of the declarations at the national conference.”
Chairman of the forum, Mr. Sunday Ekanem, who said Jonathan was deserving of being voted for second term, also expressed the determination of the forum to ensure that the PDP wins the governorship election in Lagos State in 2015.
Ekanem said, “South-South PDP is not only concerned about President Goodluck Jonathan and his victory but also the general success of the party at the polls in Lagos. Therefore, we want to place here on record that we have resolved to work tirelessly to ensure the enthronement of PDP at Alausa come 2015.”
Shelle said those who defected from the party were those who did not want Jonathan to achieve his second term ambition.
“Those who don’t want the President’s second term to be possible have left the party. Many who left are also coming back. Before the end of the year, we are going to open the floodgate of membership in the state,” Shelle said.
The All Progressives Congress on Sunday warned the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Police not to stop its members from campaigning for the 2015 elections, should they decide to start now.
APC Interim National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed
The party said the warning became necessary in the light of what it said was the go-ahead given to President Goodluck Jonathan andthe ruling Peoples Democratic Party, to begin a nationwide campaign well ahead of time.
Interim National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this in a telephone interview, with one of our correspondents in Abuja. He explained that the party had over the last few weeks drawn the attention of all government agencies as well as INEC, to the fact that President Jonathan had been in the forefront of those flouting the electoral body’s guidelines on election campaigns. Mohammed said by going round the country to hold campaign rallies and making clear campaign promises, the President had destroyed the moral authority of INEC or the police to enforce any law with respect to the elections.
He said, “I can assure you, we will demand equal treatment and since Mr. President can be allowed to go and campaign in Sokoto, to go and campaign in Owerri then we are sounding a notice to both INEC and Police that any attempt to deprive us of similar opportunities will be met with consequences. We have been trying to draw the attention of everybody it started with Bauchi, then Sokoto from Sokoto to Owerri and this is the President of Nigeria who is supposed to be an embodiment of the rule of law. In the interest of peace, fairness and equity, INEC should not disturb us whenever we also start our campaign.”
The party explained that one did not need to be a rocket scientist to know that what the President was doing was campaign. It said it would not have been so disturbed if it were to be just PDP chieftains violating INEC regulations, but that when the President of the country who swore to uphold the rule of law and the constitution was “at the head of this kind of shenanigans then its spells doom for the country.”
In separate interviews with one of our correspondents, civil society organisations under the aegis of the Partners for Electoral Reform, have asked INEC to inspire confidence in Nigerians as the nation approaches 2015.
Members of the coalition include — Centre for Policy Advocacy and Leadership Development; Forward in Action for Education, Poverty and Malnutrition; Trade Union Congress of Nigeria; and Youth Initiative for Advocacy Growth and Advancement.
The chairman of PER and Convener of Say No Campaign (Nigeria), Mr. Ezenwa Nwagwu, said the PDP was clearly violating INEC provisions with respect to electoral campaigns with its state rallies.
He said, “We keep making the point that the Electoral management body, INEC must conduct itself in a manner that inspires confidence in the electorate ahead of the 2015 general elections by manifestly and effectively policing every aspect of elections and electoral process. On the other hand the position party (PDP) cannot continue to act with impunity by finding dubious ingenious ways to infract on the laws of the land.”
The Executive Secretary of Anti-Corruption Network and a former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dino Melaye, said the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega should resign because INEC was behaving like a parastatal of the PDP. “INEC is a parastatal of the PDP. They cannot question their masters. We will be ready to fight INEC in 2015. JEGA should resign. He is not capable of conducting a free and fair election,” he alleged.
Also speaking, a legal practitioner and civil rights activist, Mr. Ebun Olu- Adegboruwa, said “As the electoral umpire, INEC must provide a level playing ground for all the parties, treat them equally and give a sense of belonging to all the parties.”
In an interview with journalists, the Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema, speaking on the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party mentioned that the party is a truly national one whose actions concern every Nigerian.
Alhaji Ibrahim Shema – Governor of Katsina State
When asked if he considered the actions of the PDP National chairman as effective in resolving the issues rocking the party, a result of which led to the defection of som of his colleagues to the APC, he said: “We have our challenges. That is not to say other parties don’t have challenges. The reason why people see our own is because of our size and in politics, size does matter. It is always easy to talk about differences in political parties, or any organisation. What people fail to realise is that the PDP has succeeded tremendously in Nigeria since 1999.
First of all, in capturing and retaining power, the party has succeeded in the first transition, from one civil rule to the other. I know PDP belongs to Nigerians and that is why everybody talks about PDP, even non-party members, who belong to the opposition political parties. Because it is truly a Nigerian party, every Nigerian thinks PDP is his own. Unlike other parties where you can say Mr. A. owns this party or that party belongs to group A, but PDP really belongs to Nigerians. It is truly a national party; that’s why whatever affects PDP, affects Nigeria; even the opposition talks about PDP, even you journalists, as if you belong to that party, you are worried about what we do. It is because it is truly a national party.
On the challenges we are facing over defection, I am sure you are aware of the efforts made by Mr. President to make sure that they (five governors) didn’t leave the party, to change the tide of those who wanted to leave. Even in a family there is bound to be a quarrel but to resolve the issues maturely is the way of the PDP.
Look at the issues of the resignation of our former chairman, Bamanga Tukur. At the end of the day, PDP is the only party in Nigeria where a party chairman can resign and another one steps in without rancor and breaking of heads. I don’t know of any other party in Nigeria that does this except PDP. Hope is not lost on the question of reconciliation. We can reach out and reconcile with those people. Of course, politics is a voluntary business.
Those who don’t want to belong to PDP, I am sure they have their reasons why they don’t want to belong to PDP, but as they are leaving, let me assure you that others will be moving in. That’s politics. In fact, there are those who left PDP, who rushed back.
It will be in the interest of Nigeria if PDP continues to do what it is doing, to stabilise Nigeria. You people know the situation of this country in 1998. It is the emergence of PDP that was probably the saving grace of our nation that helped to put the nation back to the path of peace and harmony.”
Ambassador Gabriel Chukwuma Oyibode is the founder and chairman of Amb. Gabriel Chukwuma Etaoghenevwegba Oyibode foundation. In this interview urged the Nigerian populace to support President Goodluck Jonathan.
Ambassador Gabriel Oyibode
When asked about his view of the statement released by
Alhaji Adamu Muazu, the new PDP chairman, that the five defected Governors should come back to PDP, he said, ”
It’s a good stride, I also urge the defected governors and party members to come back to PDP if possible; a kingdom that is divided against itself cannot stand. Therefore there is an absolute need for reconciliation. The Nigerian state is a project instituted by God.
Nigerians should eschew violence and politics of bitterness and seek peace for sustainable development. Everybody must realize that we need to build a united country because what we have now is an agglomeration of nation states. There is strength in unity. Therefore, we should all put aside our racial differences and ethnicities and pursue a common goal.”
Frictions had long been expected in many state chapters of the All Progressives Congress, APC as a result of the melting of strange elements. While many other states are still containing their issues, the frictions in Nasarawa State seem unending.
APC Interim Chairman in Nasarawa, Architect Stanley Buba
The first sign of crisis in the newly formed All Progressives Congress, APC in Nasarawa State was not long in coming. It came on the waves of the recently conducted primary elections for the nomination of party candidates for the forthcoming local government elections.
The Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, at the welcome ceremony organized for the members of the All progressives Congress (APC) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Imo State that defected back into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stated and severally reiterated that the PDP remains the only political party with the best ideology.
Goodluck Jonathan and prominent leaders in the PDP
In this interview with JOHN ALECHENU, Director General of the Dr. Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Bimbo Daramola, who is also the member representing Ekiti North in the House of Representatives, speaks about party politics and Fayemi’s chances of re-election Following the rancour which often trails the selection process in most political parties, will the APC …. [more]
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Screening Committee on 2014 Ekiti Gubernatorial Election led by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba has released the result of its screening exercise.
The South-South Forum of the Peoples Democratic Party has told President Goodluck Jonathan that now is the most appropriate time for him to declare his ambition for a second term in 2015. The forum said this on Tuesday in Lagos at an event to canvass support for the President’s second term ambition.
