Archive for the ‘Progressives’ Category

APC may sue Fani-Kayode over Tinubu/Osinbajo oath-taking claim

The All Progressives Congress on Monday threatened legal action against Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, and the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign following their claim of an oath-taking pact between its vice presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

APC said it would commence legal proceedings unless the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation and its Director of Mediaproduce evidence on the purported oath-taking agreement between and the planned resignation of Osinbajo for Tinubu, in the event of a Maj. Gen Muhammadu Buharis victory in theMarch 28 presidential election.

This was contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Malam Garba Shehu.

The APC campaigners warned the PDP and Fani-Kayode to either show evidence of the oath-taking or retract the libelous claims within 72 hours or be ready to defend its claims in a court of law.

The statement partly read, For the PDP, through Fani-Kayode, to state publicly that an erudite Professor of Law, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a reputable Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, swore to an oath to vacate his seat as the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, should the party win the forthcoming election, is an attack on the hard-won integrity and the reputation of these great Nigerians and APC stalwarts.

We view this as both slanderous and libelous, and therefore, will not leave the matter to chance. To this effect, we hereby give Femi Fani-Kayode and the PDP 72 hours to produce evidence or in the alternative issue public apology to Pastor Yemi Osinbajo, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and our party, the APC, or be prepared to be charged to the court of law.

In another development, the APC campaign said President Goodluck Jonathan has himself to blame for the poor quality of aides and advice that he has benefited from them since his days as the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.

The APC Campaign Organisation added that the recent statement credited to the President that most of the advice from his aides had been worthless 80 per cent of the time, was a clear demonstration that the President lacked sound judgment, saying a leader was only as good as those who were around him.

Shehu said, We, in the APC, consider it an act of God especially a few weeks to the March 28, 2015 Presidential poll that President Jonathan, who insists on his re-election, should make this revelation, which to a large extent, gives a deep insight into his person and character.

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APC may sue Fani-Kayode over Tinubu/Osinbajo oath-taking claim

FGs e-collection scheme a little too late -APC campaign

The All Progressives Congress Campaign Organisation on Monday described the Federal Governments commencement of an independent revenue e-collection scheme under the Treasury Single Account initiative as too little too late.

According to the APC, some of the policies being horridly implemented by the administration are only predicated on the anticipation of an inevitable win by General Muhammadu Buhari in the March 28 presidential elections.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential campaign, Malam Garba Shehu.

He said some of the policies of the Jonathan-led PDP Federal Government being implemented by its MDAs ahead of the 2015 general elections are aimed at protecting itself from the inevitability of a General Muhammadu Buhari win and his zero tolerance for corruption and stealing of state funds.

Shehu said, These are obviously last-minute attempts by the President Goodluck Jonathan government to plug loopholes in federal revenue collection by centralizing the process, a clear reaction to their expectation of General Muhammadu Buharis coming to power.

The Director described as suspicious, the FGs new directive that all revenue collections of MDAs, which used to be deposited in banks, should now be sent directly to the Consolidated Revenue Fund at the Central Bank of Nigeria through electronic payment channels.

They didnt do this all these years, and now with barely four weeks to go, they suddenly think this is essential, Shehu said.

He further said, It is even more suspicious when viewed along with the report of the inauguration of the Automated Aviation Revenue Project by the Ministry of Aviation.

These people are clearly plugging the loopholes, obviously having stolen enough.

The idea to plug loopholes is on its own desirable but it should worry any well-meaning Nigerian that it has taken this administration the better part of nearly six years for it to realise that the bane of this government is outright stealing, waste and mismanagement of resources.

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FGs e-collection scheme a little too late -APC campaign

APC lauds Buharis Chatham House performance

THE All Progressives Congress has said that the performance of its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) in the delivery of his Chatham House lecture has removed any form of doubt that the former Head of State was ready to save Nigeria from its current woes.

The APC described Buharis speech in London as world class, adding that the presidential candidate used the opportunity to explain how he intended to fight Boko Haram should he become the President of the country.

Rivers State Chairman of the party, Dr. Davies Ikanya, said Buharis performance demonstrated that he (Buhari) had what it would take to win the forthcoming presidential election on March 28, 2015.

Ikanya, who spoke through his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, urged Buhari not to relent in his efforts, adding that the APC in Rivers was sure of the partys victory in the state.

Whatever doubt that might have existed in anybodys mind about Buharis readiness to rescue Nigeria from the low depths to which it has been dragged by President Goodluck Jonathan has surely been erased by the Generals acclaimed outing at the Royal Institute for International Affairs, Chatham House, London, on Thursday.

Buharis speech was world class, as readily testified by the packed audience that included British politicians, diplomats, journalists and a wide cross-section of Nigerians.

The events chairman, former British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Sir Richard Gozney, aptly captured the Buhari persona when he described him as a man of modesty, unusual for a Nigerian politician, and having clarity of thoughts and speech.

The success of the well-celebrated event demonstrates the international acceptance of General Buhari as the next President of Nigeria, Ikanya added.

He, however, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to start preparing his handover notes, adding that nothing will save him (Jonathan) from defeat on March 28, 2015.

The APC state chairman urged Nigerians not to be swayed by cash gifts ahead of the general elections, maintaining that such cash gift were Nigerians money that was misappropriated.

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APC lauds Buharis Chatham House performance

Niger APC, gov clash over debt

The All Progressives Congress in Niger State on Sunday expressed concern over the debt burden hanging on the state due to reckless loans collected over the years.

A statement by the APC spokesman, Jonathan Vatsa, stated that besides commercial term loans, the government had also gone to the capital market to collect bonds which outstanding debt stock by the end of 2014 stood at N16,347,232,682.81.

Vatsa said the burden was too heavy to carry silently without questions.

He said the sorry state of the state indebtedness continued with the commercial term loans which was N5,462,217.817.38, taken from two commercial banks all between 2013 and the end of 2014.

According to the statement, the APC stated that in September 2013 the state government collected N1bn loan. In February 2014, the statement said a loan of N2.68bn loan was collected. In June 2014, another N2bn loan was collected while in October 2014, N2bn loan was received, it said. It summed up to over N5.4bn commercial bank loans hanging heavily on the state.

The state has balance of outstanding external debt amounting to N4.6bn, apart from the stinky commercial loan taken within 12 months and the huge state and local government pension arrears put at N2.3bn and N7.17bn, respectively.

The amounts stated above bring the total outstanding debt stock of about N36bn hanging on the state by the end of 2014. We challenge the Debt Management Office of the state to come out with the state debt stock.

The statement read, With the above debt stock, the APC is ready to challenge the state government, led by Governor Babangida Aliyu, to a public court on what the loans collected were used to finance.

It said the APC would continue to expose the dangers of allowing the loan and bond collection to continue beyond May 2015.

But the Chief Press Secretary to Niger State Governor, Israel Ebije, has described the N36bn loan allegation by the APC as a move by the opposition to create distraction from what he described as a lost battle to impress the electorate with meaningful manifesto.

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Niger APC, gov clash over debt

Security agents supervised destruction of my posters El-Rufai

Nasir El-Rufai

The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, on Sunday alleged that security operatives supervised the destruction of his campaign billboards and posters in Zaria by suspected Peoples Democratic Party thugs.

El-Rufai, who is a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, said in a statement by his spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, in Kaduna on Sunday that the suspected PDP thugs destroyed all visible campaign materials of the APC and replaced them with those of Governor Mukhtar Yero.

Conscious of their unpopularity, the PDP is now displaying posters of Yero that feature pictures of the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.

It is seen as an admission that the PDPs own presidential candidate is not sellable to the electorate, but also a demonstration of the PDPs affinity for deception.

In the said posters being paraded in the said axis, Yero is paired with Buhari while Malam El-Rufai is axed with a red ink, the statement read in part.

It added, We will continue to play issue-based politics despite all deliberate attempts and mischief to taint our image and popularity before the good people of Kaduna State.

Neither the tons of illicit money they are spending to bribe voters nor can the violent actions designed to intimidate and frighten citizens save the PDP in Kaduna State from the coming electoral humiliation.

The people of Kaduna State are clearly tired of an incompetent, wasteful government that has proved incapable of leading, performing or delivering public services.

But Yero, also speaking through his Director-General, Media and Publicity, Malam Ahmed Mayaki in Zaria, said el-Rufai was becoming too desperate for power.

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Security agents supervised destruction of my posters El-Rufai