Nigeria Decide Blog – Page 4 – Nigeria 2015 General Elections information and monitoring platform.

I will defeat Fayemi as I defeated his godfather — Fayose (Interview)

A former governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose, in this interview with OLUSOLA FABIYI and FRIDAY OLOKOR, responds to issues arising from his victory at the recent primary election conducted by the Peoples Democratic Party for governorship aspirants in Ekiti State

How would you explain your recent victory at the Ekiti State PDP governorship primary election?

I will say it was ordained by God and I am sincerely happy; nobody can deny the fact I worked, I served, I built the party and was part of the people that sustained the party. Hard work pays and I have always insisted on a free-and-fair primary because a clear conscience fears no fall. I believe there was a good, transparent process and we had a good showing too. Wild jubilation greeted my emergence.

You insisted on a primary while others suggested consensus. What gave you that confidence?

I worked hard and I know the dynamics of this game. I know when to plant and when to harvest. I am a former governor and you can’t take that away from me. I am the first PDP elected governor in Ekiti State. I led the PDP to victory in 2003 by God’s grace. The fact remains that I have a structure and the structure has been continuous. I keep working; I am a grassroots man and I go to the level of the common people and the level of the party people. Don’t forget that as party people, most of us are either in Lagos or Abuja; but […more]

Ekiti Guber: Jonathan Drums Support For Fayose

In an apparent bid to stem the friction arising from the emergence of Ayo Fayose as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ekiti State, President Goodluck Jonathan has met with aspirants of the party where he assuaged them to close ranks and win the election.

This comes as the PDP will on Monday inaugurate its national campaign committee for Ekiti State, an outcome of a meeting with the national leadership of the PDP and aspirants of the Ekiti yesterday in Abuja.

A source at the meeting between the president and the Ekiti aspirants at the Villa on Wednesday said Jonathan had […more]

Jonathan lambasts APC over ward congress, candidates’ selection

President Goodluck Jonathan has described the Peoples Democratic Party as more democratic than other political parties in Nigeria.

Apparently referring to the opposition All Progressives Congress, Jonathan said the PDP was more democratic because it would not cancel ward congresses across the states without considering the wish of its members. […more]

Adamawa APC Ward Congresses Successful – Duhu

Despite the initial hitches that greeted the conduct of the ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa, the party’s interim national vice chairman, North East, Dr. Umar Duhu, has declared the exercise as successful. ]

Duhu, who made the statement during an interactive session with reporters in Yola yesterday, said the party’s cardinal objective was to ensure that fair play was entrenched during the congresses as every eligible candidate was given equal opportunity.

He said it was normal to hear complaints from people during such exercise, but that such complaints would be adequately looked into for the party to move forward. […more]

PDP Vows To Recapture Kano, Rivers, Others

As 2015 general elections draw near, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to recapture Kano, Rivers, Sokoto, Adamawa,Kwara and other states the party lost to the opposition party in the past.

The national chairman of the party, Ahmad Adamu Mu’azu stated this yesterday while speaking to newsmen shortly after holding closed door meeting with PDP Governors Forum in Dutse, Jigawa State.

He said the party had confidence it would win Ekiti and Osun states in the forthcoming governorship elections slated to hold this year before it finally clinches other states in 2015 general elections. […more]

Senate Withdraws Plan To Empower Jonathan To Initiate New Constitution

he Senate yesterday withdrew the controversial Clause 9 of the proposed constitution which empowers the President to initiate a new constitution.

Poor attendance by senators yesterday stalled the voting on the proposed new amendments to the 1999 constitution after the lawmakers concluded debates on the proposals last week.

Last week, the attempt to give the president constitutional powers that allows him to initiate a new constitution divided the Senate.

A majority of the senators who opposed the inclusion of the president in the initiation of the new constitution said it may be an attempt by President Goodluck Jonathan to sneak in the referendum of the ongoing national conference into the constitution and, in the process, usurp the powers of the National Assembly

Most senators who supported the bill said the amendment is in tandem with Senate rules which states that “there is already provision for three classes of bills, namely members’ bills, executive bills and private member bills.”

However, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu , who is the chairman of the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said the committee in its own wisdom had decided to withdraw Clause 9 of the proposal

“During debates on the proposed amendment to Section 9, there were some issues that arose and the Committee on Constitution Review decided to meet yesterday to review some aspects of our proposals. The committee resolved and mandated me to seek the indulgence of the Senate to withdraw further amendment to Section 9, but every other item would remain. So, on behalf of the committee I make this solemn application.” […more]

2015: APC’s Muslim-Muslim Ticket, A Mere Speculation – Audu Ogbeh

Former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and now a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Audu Ogbeh, has described the much talked-about Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party for the 2015 presidential election as a mere speculation.

This is as he also described as partisan, the ruling by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, which advised 37 members of the House of Representatives, who defected to the APC from the PDP, to vacate their seats.

There have been rumours that the leadership of the APC had settled for former head of state, General Muhammad Buhari, and former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, both Muslims, as the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the party for the 2014 election.

But Ogbeh, in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, said the leadership of the opposition party had never sat to discuss who becomes the APC presidential and vice presidential candidates. […more]

Jonathan Has No Excuse Not To Run In 2015 – Orubebe (Interview)

Former minister of Niger Delta affairs and governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State, Elder Godsday Orubebe, in this interview with Sola Adebayo, speaks on the re-election bid of President Jonathan in 2015, his governorship bid and his perception of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.

You played a key role in the election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, what do you think informed his reluctance to declare his intention to seek re-election?

I played a key role in the election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 and I am still playing that key role to sustain the tempo to make him by the grace of God, the president of Nigeria again to complete his eight years.

I do not think the president is reluctant to come out again to contest, there is always time for every activity and he is waiting for the right time to come and declare to Nigerians, that was what he did in 2011 and so at the right time, which is not too far again, Mr. President will come and declare for the presidency of this country again. The president surely will contest.

Even if he was not going to contest, we will draft him to come and complete his eight years. This is the first time somebody from the south-south has come on board to preside over the affairs of this country and I think it is only reasonable to allow him to complete his two-term of eight years.

How do you react to the speculation that the President is worried by the opposition from the North and that that has prevented him from declaring his re-election bid?

I think that so many people do not actually know the kind of president that they have. If you get close to the president the way some of us have been close to him, you will know that the president isnot jittery but he is a president that is calculating, a president who believes in the rule of law.

Do you think that Jonathan can win election if you look at the scenario in the country now?

I can tell you from where I am sitting now that Mr. President is going to win massively again and again. Let me tell you that Nigerians are becoming more aware, it is not a situation where somebody somewhere is coming to tell them story.

Nigerians are aware that our railways have started working, they are aware that our educational institutions are getting attention, Nigerians are aware that our airports are better.

Oshiomhole’s Aide, Others Defect To PDP

Gov Adams Oshiomhole’s aide, Mr Agharese Idubor, on Wednesday led no fewer than 150 registered members of the APC in Benin to pitch their tents with the PDP.

Idubor is the Executive Director, Protocol Matters to the Governor.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defecting APC members are from Ward 7 in the Egor Local Government Area of Edo South Senatorial District.

Idubor, who spoke on behalf of the defecting members, said their decision to return to the PDP was borne out of the alleged political betrayal of the leadership of APC in the state at the ward congress in the state on Tuesday. […more]

2015: Atiku’s Posters Flood South East

The presidential campaign posters of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar was all over Imo State yesterday courtesy of a group known as the Turaki East Alliance(TEA).

Boldly inscribed in it is the picture of Atiku with the caption “Hero of equity, justice and fairness, detribalised Nigerian.”

All the market places, motor parks and even the Government House of Imo State were not left out of the avalanche of posters.

According to the national coordinator of TEA , Comrade Peter Akubuo who claimed responsibility for the posters they want Atiku to declare his interest for the president of the country in 2015.

Akubuo stressed that the group after their general meeting held on the 4th of April in Owerri resolved to support Atiku for the president of the country if he declares his interest to contest. […more]