All Progressives Congress Inaugurates National Convention Committee
The All Progressives Congress, APC has set up a 24 member committee to organize its national convention scheduled to hold December 10th 2014. The Party #39;s Nat...
By: NTANews
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All Progressives Congress Inaugurates National Convention Committee - Video
The All Progressives Congress has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of political desperation and sabotaging his own administrations war against Boko Haram to satisfy his ambition.
It says this desire is unbecoming of a self-respecting national leader.
In a statement in Abuja on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said just because he was so desperate to remove Aminu Tambuwal as the Speaker of House of Representatives, Jonathan ensured that the House could not meet as scheduled on Thursday to consider his request for an extension of the State of Emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
It said, For a President, who has severally stated his administrations commitment to the battle against the insurgency in the North-East, is it not a cruel irony that he allowed his personal ego and political desperation to override his sense of propriety, by moving to have Rt. Hon. Tambuwal removed instead of having the House of Representatives sit to consider his request?
Does anyone need any more evidence that the Presidents sole preoccupation is how to win the 2015 elections, rather than the fate of the hundreds of Nigerians, who are daily being killed and maimed at the epicentre of the insurgency? Had he been genuinely committed to the fight against insurgency, would the President not have allowed the House to sit to consider his request? How does he feel now that the entire National Assembly has been shut down because of his capricious action?
The opposition party noted that because of his meddlesomeness in the affairs of another arm of government, and also his blatant disregard for a court order that the status quo be maintained on the issue of the defection of the Speaker to the APC, the President on Thursday suffered a moral and political defeat that would hunt him for a long time to come.
The statement added, The plot was simple: The Presidency decided to use the reconvening of the House as an opportunity to remove the Speaker. While Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha was accorded a presidential ride into the premises of the National Assembly, House Speaker Tambuwal was barred from entering by the hordes of security agents who have been deployed solely for that purpose.
Their plan was to ensure that with Tambuwal locked out, Ihedioha would preside over the reconvened House and the Speaker will then be removed. The consideration of the request to extend the State of Emergency was not important to the Presidency. The fate of the Nigerians who are suffering from the insurgency, which has displaced 1.5 million people, does not bother the Presidency. All it wanted is to remove Tambuwal.
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Tambuwal: APC accuses Jonathan of political desperation
Shortly after he was sworn-in as governor last month, Fayose ordered the closure of a petrol station in Ado Ekiti giving a standard made-in-Nigeria excuse. That filing station belongs to one Adewale Omirin. Omirin also happens to be the Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly and one of the progressives in the state. Last weekend, Mr Omirin retaliated by promising Fayose a second dose of impeachment before Valentines Day, 2015. Clearly, these two are not lovers. Ayodele Fayose
But the Federal government and Fayose moved in first. 24 hours later, Mr Omirin was impeached by seven House members and a battalion of heavily armed Federal police. I guess when the Peoples Democratic Party promised Ekiti voters more Federal presence in their state they werent kidding.
A few days before that, the judge presiding over a lawsuit looking into Fayoses eligibility to contest the governorship removed himself from the case. His reason? He got a couple of death threats. Ekiti seems determined to keep itself in the news bad news.
Fayoses second coming was always going to play out like this. If you are a dealer in boxing gloves, Id suggest you relocate your business to Ado Ekiti.
Theres no doubt that Ekiti is suffused with redoubtable men and women. But an Ayo Fayose is their governor, for the second time. You could see why there would be tension. But because of that tension, some folks down there are giving the word Progressive a bad meaning.
The first time Fayose called the shots in Ekiti, the place was in a mess, the state became an object of ridicule. But his people wanted him back. He was, surprisingly, their choice as leader. Well, the peoples choice must be respected always. This is one bitter pill, one fact with which the elite and the progressives have got to come to terms and quickly too.
Fronting for the progressives in Ekiti at the moment is a group that christened itself, E11. Immediately after Fayoses victory in June, E11 rushed off to the Press and issued a congratulatory message, pledging to work with Fayose for the progress of the state. Then something funny happened. A few days later, the same E11 recanted. They declared that they will not accept Fayose as governor.
It was the same with the All Progressives Congress (APC). Following his defeat, ex-governor, Fayemi who led that Party in Ekiti promptly announced that he accepted the peoples verdict. Fayemi was rightly hailed as a true democrat and a progressive. However, a few days afterwards, his Party declared that the result of the election was unacceptable and headed to court. All of that, in my view, is sour grapes, and in fact, makes all these folks look bad. The APC might feel that it is doing what an opposition Party is supposed to do after an electoral loss, but at some point, political Parties in Nigeria have to recognise a defeat as just that, congratulate the winner and move on to prepare for other opportunities.
I understand that E11 has been in court challenging Fayoses eligibility to contest, prior to the election. If this was the case, then it was very strange for the same group to congratulate Fayose publicly via a Press statement, only to return to court pushing their case. The whole thing is a joke, and if this is how the progressives practice their trade in Ekiti, you can see why Fayose had an easy victory there.
The Ekiti people have spoken and have (overwhelmingly) made their choice. Thats democracy warts and all. When Fayose drops the ball again (and he will), the same people have the choice and the mechanism to reject him. The current manoeuvrings by the progressives come dangerously close to attempting to override the peoples mandate, and it makes Fayose look like a combative saint. In other words, it stinks and its clumsy. All their exertions now look like class warfare. For all we know, the kerfuffle in the state could be from Fayoses camp or could be emanating from a disgusted and frustrated citizenry who sees what appears like an elite judicial coup against them. Heck, I would be upset too!
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Fayose, Ekiti And The Progressives By Michael Egbejumi-David
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal
Thousands of All Progressives Congress members, led by the National Chairman of the party, Chief john Odigie-Oyegun, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, and other stalwarts, stormed the Force headquarters, Abuja on Wednesday, in protest.
They said they were protesting against the withdrawal of the security aides to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, who defected to the APC a few days ago.
The prostest started shortly after a rally organised by the APC in Abuja. The protesters, who carried different placards disrupted activities at the Force headquarters as they prevented policemen, vehicles and visitors from entering the premises.
The crowd, which sang various anti-Police songs, caused serious traffic jam at the Asokoro end of the Shehu Shagari Way, Abuja, before they departed.
The Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, however, frowned at the blockade of the Force headquarters by the party members.
The IG described the incident as provocative and uncivilised, but added that it ended without any confrontation.
According to him, the Police exhibited maximum restraint in the face of ceaseless provocation by these leaders and their motley crowd.
The IG urged members of the political class and their followers who have grievances to seek redress in the court of law, rather than disturb the peace of innocent and law-abiding citizens.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, advised politicians to take their campaigns to the electorate, rather than engage in disruption of government activities and daily chores of Nigerians who engaged in the pursuit of their lawful businesses.
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Amaechi, Oyegun, others protest withdrawal of Tambuwals aides
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and former Vice President and APC presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, during the courtesy visit of Alhaji Abubakar to the governor in Benin, on Wednesday. | credits: Alexander Okere
A former vice president and a presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday called for a deeper understanding among the leadership of the party across the country, ahead of the partys national convention in December.
Alhaji Abubakar made this known during a visit to the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, at the Government House in Benin.
Although his visit may not be unconnected with seeking the support of Oshiomhole for his presidential bid, the former vice president explained that he was in Benin to interact with Governor Adams Oshiomhole and leaders of the All Progressives Congress in the state.
The party currently has four persons, including, former military Head of State, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and the Publisher of the Leadership Newspaper, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, vying for the presidential ticket, following the withdrawal of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, from the race.
I am here this morning to have an audience with you and also to interact with party faithful in the state and I want to thank you for this opportunity. I hope we will make the best use of the day in Edo today, he said.
Governor Oshiomhole, who received him in his office expressed the hope that the party would address its internal issues prior to the 2015 general elections in order to meet the aspirations of Nigerians who want to enjoy a new approach to politics and governance.
The governor also appreciated him for honouring his sixth anniversary celebration held last week, despite the very short notice, adding that his contributions helped to sharpen the issues involved in the season of electioneering.
Oshiomhole said, It is my hope and prayer that our party, over the next few weeks, would sort out all issues that we need to sort out so that Nigerians will have the opportunity to enjoy a new approach to politics and governance based on issues and pedigree of individuals, so that we can move away from politics of religion, ethnicity and other pedestrian interests.
That is what APC is bringing to the table and I am very anxious that we get to that stage so that Nigeria will move away from this present stage to making life more meaningful for Nigerians.
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Atiku meets Oshiomhole, seeks party unity