Bring Your Children To Lead Protest Against Fayose – APC Youths Ignore Ojudu, Falana, Oni, Others

Events have reportedly taken another dimension in the Ekiti State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), as youths in the state, under the aegis of Ekiti APC Youths Congress (EAYC) ignored the callings of their leaders ahead the next week protest planned by the party to cause unnecessary chaos in the state.

The youths said three buses loaded with thugs arrived Iyin-Ekiti today and challenged leaders of the party to put their own children forward to lead whatever protest they were planning before expecting youths in the party to join them.

In a press statement issued on Friday and jointly signed by Mr Tope Ogunkuade and Comrade Tunji Adeleye, Convener and Secretary respectively, the EAYC cautioned youths in the APC against participating in any protest being planned to create anarchy in the State with a view to imposing emergency rule.

They alleged that the protest being planned for next week was meant to be bloody, with some APC vehicles to be destroyed so as to create tension in the State, cautioning that no responsible youth in the APC should present himself to be killed for state of emergency to be declared in Ekiti.

The youths, who alleged that over 200 thugs were being mobilised from neighbouring Osun State to cause mayhem during a protest being planned for next week Tuesday, noted that the “Fayose must go” approach of the party leaders was becoming irritating.

Again, the likes of Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Barrister Femi Falana, Chief Segun Oni, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Femi Bamisile and others should bring their own children to Ekiti to lead protests against Fayose if they want the youths to join any protest.

The youths said even though they remained committed to the APC and believed that the party would have provided governance than the State is witnessing, throwing the State into chaos with the thinking that a state of emergency would be imposed just to get rid of Governor Fayose should not be an option to any lover of Ekiti.

Instead of wasting millions of naira on needless protests, our party leaders should use whatever financial resources that they have to empower members of the party in Ekiti State who are living in abject poverty.

Rather than this Fayose must be removed agenda that have not materialised since 2014, what Ekiti people want from us is how our party would have done better if it was in power.

No Court Reinstates Sheriff As PDP National Chairman, He Remains Sacked -PDP NCC

LET’S SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT

BEING THE CONTENT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRINCE ADEDAYO ADEYEYE MEMBER OF THE PDP NATIONAL CARETAKER COMMITTEE ON 29TH JULY, 2016

Ladies and Gentlemen of the press:As you are aware yesterday 28th day of July, 2016, the case filed by Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff and 8 other Plaintiffs against the Peoples Democratic Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission i.e. Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/464/2016 came up before Hon. Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.

The Plaintiffs filed an application to stop the National Convention slatedfor 17th August, 2016 at Port Harcourt, Rivers State.When this matter came for hearing yesterday 28th July, 2016, Learned Senior Counsel Ferdinand Orbih, SAN who was briefed to represent the 2nd defendant, the Peoples Democratic Party announced appearance for the said 2nd Defendant PDP. O.O. Fakunle, SAN also announced appearance for the PDP claiming to have been briefed by one Barr. Bashir Maidugu who is the 5th Plaintiff in the matter.

In addition, members of the National Caretaker Committee applied to be joined as Parties to the case. The application for joinder was filed by Yunus Ustaz Usman, SAN and Mr. Raji Ahmed, SAN.That was the only application that was argued yesterday 28th July, 2016, and adjourned to 15th August, 2016 for ruling.Now on the widely reported “ORDERS” purported to have been made by Hon. Justice Okon Abang, it is important to note the following:

a. The motion seeking to restrain the PDP from conducting the proposed 17th August, 2016 National Convention has not been heard by the Court and no date has been fixed for the hearing of same.

b. What was before the Court yesterday was the issue of who is the authentic legal Counsel for the PDP as between Ferdinand Orbih, SAN and O.O. Fakunle, SAN.

The Court in determining the question of Legal representation held that the appointment of O.O. Fakunle, SAN by Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff was acceptable to the Court.It must be emphasized that at no stage did the Hon. Judge set aside the judgment of Justice A.M. Liman of the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court, which could have led to the dissolution of the National Caretaker Committee.An Order validating Sheriff as National Chairman could not have arisen from the issue of proper legal representation.

For the avoidance of doubt, the portion of the ruling relating to this is herein- under reproduced:“Though I have powers to nullify the decision of the Port Harcourt Division that recognized Makarfi Leadership, I will not do so because there is no application to that effect before me. I will, however allow the Court of Appeal to do justice to that.”

This is necessary because proceedings of Courts of Law should not be subject of subjective manipulation.

We are a law abiding Committee and will always continue to operate within the ambit of the law.It is not possible in Law that a Judge of a Court of record will acknowledge the existence of a valid judgment and proceed to make the kind of Orders purportedly attributed to him.

Ladies and Gentlemen; it should be very clear to you now that the ruling of yesterday did not at any point hand over the Leadership of PDP to Sen. Ali Modu sheriff, it did not declare the Sen. Makarfi led Caretaker Committee illegal and did not stop the proposed 17th August, 2016 National Convention.

Don’t Waste Your Votes On APC, Fayose Urges Ondo Electorates

Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti has warned voters in Ondo not to vote for the All Progressives Congress in the forthcoming governorship election, insisting the party was not a good option for people of the state.

He advised the people to ensure the ruling Peoples Democratic Party retain the governorship seat after Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

Fayose who spoke on a radio programme in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, said the APC government had failed the people of Nigeria in the last one year of its rule.

He advised voters in the state not to support any candidate presented by the APC.

He said, “Don’t let me deceive you my people in Ondo State, don’t allow the APC to take over this state, if you allowed them, your condition would be worse than what you are passing through now, their government would be a disaster for you.

“They have nothing to offer, all they know is propaganda, you can see what is happening in Nigeria now, if you vote for them what they are doing at the national level is what they would be doing here. You can see what is happening in all the states they are controlling.

“Look at our condition in Nigeria, our condition is getting worse on daily basis, they have no solution to the economic problem facing the nation currently, yet they say they want to take over your state, I enjoined you, don’t allow them, they have nothing to offer. “

The governor said he would not stop crticising the government until Nigerians enjoy the expected dividend of democracy from the Muhammadu Buhari-administration.

“If I stop talking Nigerian masses will suffer, a government without an opposition will not do anything, they want to shut me up, but I will not stop talking, let them continue to abuse me, I don’t mind.

“I am not attacking the President, I don’t hate the President but what I have been saying is truth and they too know I am saying the truth. I am saying the truth so that the President can do things that will benefit the people of this country. All of us cannot keep quite. “

EFCC On Futile Exercise In Ekiti -Fayose Pities Commission

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is only on wild goose chase in the State, noting that “the anti corruption commission has now shifted attention to the finances of Ekiti State after its failure to establish any link between him and fund from the Office of the National Security Adviser under Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd).”

The governor who was speaking on Orange FM radio station in Akure, Ondo State today, said the EFCC was now harassing banks in Ekiti, seeking for records of government finances and chasing contractors, claiming that the contractors gave him kickback.

“They are on vendetta mission.They said I collected money from Dasuki and I have told them that I did not collect a dime from Dasuki. I have N300 million in my fixed Deposit Account in Zenith Bank and I declared it in my Assets Declaration Form.

“I have challenged them to publish the statement made to the EFCC by Dasuki where he said he gave Senator Musiliu Obanikoro money to give me or where Obanikoro himself said he gave me money.

“Since they have seen that the Dasuki money issue won’t offer them the implication of Fayose that they desperately needed, they are now harassing contractors in the State. But I can assure them that their efforts will come to nothing,” the governor said.

While emphasizing that the EFCC do not have any power on State finances, the governor said; “As provided by Section 125 subsections (2), (5) and (6) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it is the House of Assembly of a State that is vested with powers to superintend over the funds of a State. Our Constitution did not place Ekiti State House of Assembly under the control of the Attorney-General of the Federation or the EFCC.”

He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) was a party with history of debts in Ekiti State, disclosing that; “I left N10.4bn and N6.9bn was handed over to Segun Oni. Their own government handed over debts. They handed over debts in 2003 and did same in 2014.”

He called for proper restructuring of the country in line with report of the 2014 National Conference.

“Nigeria has not been properly structured and that’s why we are facing all these problems. Remember it was those in power now that clamoured for restructuring when they were in opposition. Now that they have the federal powers and they are using the powers to oppress the people, they are against restructuring of Nigeria.”

The governor, who declared that he had no personal scores to settle with President Buhari, said; “I am not attacking Buhari, I am only telling him the truth. I was 24 year old when Buhari became military head of state, we queued then before we could purchase essential commodities, this is the same way things were difficult.”

He reiterated his call to the federal government to declare emergency on agriculture, saying; “It is not enough to say people should go back to farming. The government must provide necessary farming equipment because you don’t expect the present day farming to be done with hoes and cutlasses.

“Again, apart from the north, where do we have functional irrigation system? If our people must go back to farming, especially in the Southwest, we need the federal government assistance on irrigation.”

Saraki, Ekweremadu’s Emergence Poses Threat To Our Change Agenda -Tinubu •••Saraki Betrayed Us -APC Govs

THE national leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has revealed why he expressed absolute displeasure in what he described as “Kangaroo arrangement” that produced Senator Bukola Saraki and Senator Ike Ekweremadu as Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively; maintaining that their emergence had been posing threat and impossibility to the APC change agenda and which apparently had been bringing down the corporate and wish image of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

Tinubu, who was accosted by newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday to comment on the just concluded meeting between the APC governors and President Buhari which was held in the Villa, said the meeting was a necessity and details of their plans can only be made public by the major participants.

He added that the challenges being faced by the party since inception can only be traced to the wrong leadership in the Red Chamber and not elsewhere.

“You can imagine when we are in power and we still negotiate with pleads when we wanted anything endorsed and passed into law by the senate. It is never done! The Senators supporting Saraki in the APC and PDP are the ones giving this administration problems by making governance so difficult for our dear party,” Tinubu posited.

Speaking with Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Imo State Governor, Rocha’s Okorocha, he reiterated the submission of the APC governors to do all within their powers to ensure that Senator Ike Ekweremadu is removed as the Deputy President of the Senate, and that Senator Bukola Saraki shall be shown the way out of the party at the appropriate time to serve as warning to the intending betrayals in the party.

“Gentlemen of the press, lawlessness has no abode in APC. Saraki and Ekweremadu are wrong combinations and we can’t condole their excesses any longer. They must be relieved of their duties as leaders of the house. Saraki’s romance with the senators from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was obvious to have produced Ekweremadu as his deputy satisfactorily,” Okorocha lamented.

APC Stalwarts Fail Ambassadorial Screening, Recite National Anthem Like Kids

The Senate on Tuesday began the screening of the 47 ambassadorial nominees sent to it by President Muhammadu Buhari for legislative approval.

Buhari had on June 9 sent to the Senate 47 names of Nigerians to be screened and confirmed as career diplomats.

The President, in the letter personally signed by him and dated June 6, 2016, requested the Senate to approve the list at the shortest possible time.

There was, however, drama during the exercise as some of the nominees, who were drilled by members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, could not recite the national anthem and the national pledge smoothly.

The nominees were asked questions ranging from diplomatic issues to the names of the senators representing their states, their geopolitical zones and the states in them, how many local government areas in their states, how many lawmakers in the Senate, among others.

While some of them stuttered while reciting either the anthem or the pledge, others missed their lines in the process.

Vivia Okeke (Anambra State), who was asked to recite the anthem, murmured when she got to the second to the last line of the first stanza, “One nation bound in freedom.” The panelists however came to her rescue.

Ibrahim Isah from Niger State, who is currently serving in Turkey, was asked to recite the national pledge. When he reached the third to the last line, he said, “To defend her unity and integrity,” instead of “to defend her unity and uphold her honour and glory.”

Hakeem Balogun from Lagos State, who currently serves in the United States, recited the old national anthem to a point and was asked to start again and he got it right.

Jane Ndem from Benue State, who currently serves in Japan, got the number of lawmakers in the Senate (109); she also got the names of senators representing her state but when she was asked to name 12 states in Nigeria and their capital, she got 11 but named Lagos and Lagos as its capital instead of Ikeja.

Shakirat Ogundero from Oyo State was able to name two out of three presidential candidates in the 2015 election – Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.

Baba Garba, while reciting the pledge, skipped the “to serve Nigeria with all my strength” line, he returned to it and skipped “to defend her unity” again.

Janet Bisong from Delta State, while apologising for not being able to state the number of local government areas in her state, was interrupted by one of the panelists, Senator James Manager, who is from Delta, saying, “You know it; it’s 25.”

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, who led the nominees before the panel, after the exercise was postponed to Wednesday, however, said the reports of nominees not been able to recite the anthem and the pledge, which were already trending online, were not true.

But a senator in the panel, in a chat with journalists after the session, said Enang lied on the performance of the nominees.

“That was a lie. Everybody saw what happened. We were there; journalists were there; the cameras and the tapes were there. How can diplomats not know the anthem and the pledge of their country? If it were lawmakers now, he (Enang) would come for us,” he said.

Edo, Ondo States Elections May End Up Inconclusive If… -INEC Insists

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Tuesday, gave reasons why it has continued to conduct inconclusive elections, saying “every polling unit must be accounted for”; adding that if any polling unit has problem in Edo or Ondo States in the coming elections, inconclusiveness shall be inevitable.

Besides, the commission, said it has evolved a “Road map” that would ensure a smooth conduct of the impending governorship election in Edo and Ondo States.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who spoke at a dialogue session between the electoral body andover 60 Civil Society Groups involved inelection monitoring, insisted that politicians should be blamed for the recurring cases of inconclusive elections in the country.

According to Prof. Yakubu who was represented at the event by INEC National Commissioner, Mrs. Amina Zakari, “the concept of inconclusive election is that every polling unit must be accounted for”.

He said elections in Nigeria has become “too tight and keenly contested”, such that the commission can no longer declare anybody winner when result from even a single polling unit is cancelled.

“It is most regrettable that aside sponsoring violence, ballot snatching, mutilation of election results and other vices, politician are also trying to take over election in the field.”

ARTICLE: Hoodlums In National Assembly: APC Senators Need Anti Rabies

The faceoff between Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Senator Dino Melaye again exposed the underbelly of Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber as one lacking in internal cohesion. Both senators belong to the ruling All Progressives Congress APC. Tinubu represents Lagos Central, while Melaye is of Kogi West.

At an executive session of the Senate, the two lawmakers engaged in a verbal altercation over the alleged forgery of the Senate’s Standing Rules. Angry outbursts between them degenerated into threats, both on the floor of the hallowed chamber and beyond.

Senator Tinubu later wrote a petition to the Inspector General of Police, seeking protection over alleged threat to life. She equally reported the incident to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki. Senator Melaye vowed not to apologise to the Tinubu’s, particularly Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who took umbrage at the vituperation against his wife.

This episode predictably caused quite a stir in the public sphere, with groups demonstrating support for or against both senators. It created talking points in the media and kept the Internet abuzz for over a week, particularly given the enduring penchant of both senators to be at the forefront of power struggles.

It is obvious that the Melaye versus Tinubu feud is an offshoot of the struggle for the control of the leadership of the Senate which started on June 9, 2015 when Saraki and People’s Democratic Party, (PDP)’s Senator Ike Ekweremadu upset the APC leaders’ plans to install their preferred candidates as the leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Melaye and Remi Tinubu have remained at the frontline of the clashes.

We are dismayed at the tendency of our lawmakers to place more emphasis on power struggle and the tussle for personal aggrandisement at the expense of performing the job for which they canvassed for the people’s mandate. Each time there is a fight in the Legislature, especially the National Assembly, it is invariably over power and money. Little is heard about ideological quarrels or contentions for good governance.

The Federal Government has recently declared that our economy has slid into recession. We expect well-meaning lawmakers to place hands on deck in the search for avenues to revitalise and diversify the economy. That is the item which is uppermost in the national interest at the moment. Instead, our lawmakers are chasing rats while the house is on fire.

We urge our legislators to learn how to respect the views of their colleagues. Even when they disagree, they should do so in a civilised manner. Leaders must be role models in speech and comportment. The children are also watching.

Leaders cannot expect the public to behave well when they themselves are always behaving like hoodlums in need of anti rabies.

Melaye Exposes APC’s Plan To Victimise Members With EFCC

In the wake of the on-going political crisis in the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Dino Melaye has said that the invitation of the wife of the senate president, Mrs Toyin Saraki by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is connected to the plot by the leadership of the party to witch-hunt those who have gone contrary to the party’s directives in the National Assembly.

In a statement signed by senator Melaye under the aegis of Like Minds, he described as pure witch-hunting, the fact that the EFCC has been dragged into partisan politics by the ruling APC, using the anti-graft agency as a tool to beat members into submission.

He wondered how after five years of leaving office as the first lady of Kwara State, that EFCC suddenly woke up to invite Mrs Toyin during a period where her husband was having a running battle with the powers that be in the APC.

The EFCC invited Toyin Saraki, the wife of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on July 23 for questioning for undisclosed reasons, but reports claim that Mrs. Saraki is being probed in relation to several contracts executed by companies said to be linked to her while her husband held sway as the Kwara Governor.

Reacting, Melaye said that the decision of the EFCC to invite Mrs. Saraki created a lot of coincidences which any discerning mind will not want to ignore.

“Though, we do not want to make any hasty conclusion, we are surprised that about five years after the Sarakis left Government House, Ilorin, the EFCC suddenly realized the need to invite the wife.
“We hope this is not part of the plot we have heard about, aimed at wrestling the Senate President down with different tactics.”

“We have heard some of our colleagues and their sponsors boasting about throwing all types of mud at the leadership of the Senate in the bid to force it to accept their conditions.

“The EFCC definitely should perform its lawful duties but we warn that it should not return us to the dark days when the anti-graft agency was frequently and flagrantly used as a political weapon,” Melaye stated.

Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, both of the All Progressives Congress, APC, emerged as leaders of the National Assembly, against the directives of the party which had earlier asked its members to vote for Senator Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila.

Hon. Yakubu Dogara himself has been accused by his colleagues, of spending N66million on a private jet he used to attend a church service in Delta State.

Ekiti Murder Cases: Arrest And Prosecute APC Chairman, Jide Awe, Others, Falana Petitions Police IG

Report by Kunle Adaranijo

Barrister Femi Falana (SAN) has petitioned the inspector general of police to as a matter of urgency arrest and prosecute those criminals involved in the killings of Ekiti sons and daughters under the watch of former governor Dr Kayode Fayemi.

The petition came on the heels of statement made by a social media activist Mr. Bola Agboola alleging the onetime right activist of maintaining “Criminal Silence” over the dastardly acts of the APC led government under Dr Kayode Fayemi.

Denying maintaining “criminal silence” over the politically motivated killings, Falana said, “On 4/11/13 one Foluso Ogundare was brutally attacked by suspected political thugs at Emure Ekiti. He was rushed to the hospital. Regrettably he gave up the ghost on 5/11/13. As I was in Abuja for a case at the material time I petitioned the Inspector-General of Police on 6/11/13 wherein I called for the arrest and prosecution of the criminals who carried out the dastardly act.

“I was assured that the office of the Inspector-General of Police would take over the case from the Ekiti state police command. Thereafter, at a meeting with the Director General of the State Security Service later that day over the illegal detention of Mrs Clara at the Government House, Enugu I called for en end to impunity in Ekiti state. So far, all the suspects arrested in connection with the gruesome murder at Emure have been transferred to Abuja for interrogation. Without any prompting or blackmail from any quarters whatsoever I am keenly following up the matter until the suspects are charged to court.

“I was on my way to Lagos in the evening of 6/11/13 when my attention was drawn to the reckless statement of one Bola Agboola to the effect that I was maintaining “criminal silence” over the killings in Ekiti state. Although I know the fellow who instigated the objectionable statement I decided to ignore it. But since some people have genuinely expressed concern over the imminent descent to anarchy in Ekiti state (under the APC led government) I wish to asserverate that I could not keep silent over killings and other human rights infringements in any part of Nigeria.

“Under the Kayode Fayemi regime I have never maintained “criminal silence” over killings. In the previous cases of killings and other politically motivated attacks in Ekiti state I have consistently demanded that the suspects be brought to book. It is public knowledge that the chairman of the ruling party in Ekiti state is currently standing trial for murder.

“But since the allegation of “criminal silence” exists in the warped imagination of some misguided political elements they have deliberately suppressed my regular condemnation of violent attacks in Ekiti state under the Kayode Fayemi government. Notwithstanding that the allegation is spurious and uncalled for I wish to advise such characters to goggle the following publications:

(1)” Killings: Falana threatens FG, firms with law suit”

(2)” Falana seeks arrest, prosecution of culprits”

(3)”Falana condemns Iyin Ekiti violence”.

“I shall cause my letter to the Inspector-General of Police to be published within the next 48 hours. But those who sincerely believe in the sanctity of the life of every citizen must rise above partisan politics to demand for the prosecution of all criminal suspects in Ekiti state under the APC led government. It is my fervent conviction that we can take advantage of the barbaric murder of Foluso Ogundare, Murphy Jeje, Madam Juliana Adewunmi, etc to say NEVER AGAIN in Ekiti state!”

Oodua Reporters

Let the truth be told fearlessly

Month: July 2016