News
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has notified airlines of the withdrawal of its services to Osubi Airport, Warri, Gombe Airport and Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 (MMA2) over alleged indebtedness.
Arik Air’s Communications Manager, Mr Adebanji Ola, confirmed the development in a statement issued in Lagos over the weekend.
“In a Notice To Airmen (NOTAM) issued on Dec. 8, FAAN stated that it would be withdrawing Aviation Security, firefighting and rescue operations from Osubi, Gombe and MMA2 from midnight of Dec. 9.
“Consequently, Arik Air will be suspending its flights to Osubi Airport, Gombe Airport and move Port Harcourt flights out of MMA2 from December 10, until further notice,” Ola said.
He advised Warri passengers to use Benin Airport as an alternative while Gombe passengers are to use Bauchi airport.
“All Arik Air flights to Port Harcourt Airport, Omagwa, will as from the same date operate from Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal One otherwise known as General Aviation Terminal (GAT).
“Arik Air regrets any inconvenience closure of the three airports may cause its esteemed customers.
“The airline hopes the issue between FAAN and the airport authorities will be resolved soonest,” he said.
MMA2 is being operated by BiCourtney Aviation Services Limited, owned by Mr Wale Babalakin.
FAAN claimed it is owing it N3.9 billion since it commenced operations on September 8, 2007.
FAAN claimed the money was for the provision of electricity, rent and conference and hotel and the five per cent remittance as agreed in the contract.
In a letter addressed to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BASL, in November, FAAN gave breakdown of the indebtedness as at July 31, 2018 as N1.4 billion for provision of Aviation Security (AVSEC), another N143 million for Fire/Safety Cost, N2.1 million for marshalling, and N1.9 billion for management cost. NAN
Six members of African Action Congress, AAC, have been arrested by the Anti- Crime patrol Team of the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja Division, while allegedly tearing posters of other political parties, in Lagos.
This was disclosed in a Statement released by the Lagos State, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, CSP Chike Oti on Sunday.
According to the statement, "those arrested include Olagokun Odunayo, Kool-kloud Henry, Ugaju Joseph, Damilola Omidiji, Michael Kate and Banwo Olagokun, all of TAKE IT BACK movement, while tearing posters of other Political Parties and replacing them with that of African Action Congress (AAC) contrary to the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) laws that forbade advertisers from pasting posters at no other hour than day time.
CSP Oti in the statement recalled that an agreement was reached that "no political party should undertake the defacing of campaign posters of other political parties, nor destroy the billboards of others, at a meeting held at the Police Officers Mess, GRA, Ikeja, on Wednesday, December 5, 2018.
He said the forum tagged "Security and Stakeholders meeting" which involved the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Chairmen of all political parties in the State and their flag bearers was chaired by the State Commissioner of Police, CP Edgal Imohimi.
CSP Oti stated that the exhibits recovered from the suspects include, a poster bearing the picture of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore, brush, buckets containing starch and posters of other political parties allegedly removed by the suspects.
He informed that the Commissioner of Police has directed that the suspects be charged to court on Monday, for malicious damage and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace to serve as deterrence to others.
Meanwhile, a three man robbery Syndicate who specializes in snatching motorcycles from owners while pretending to be passengers, have been arrested by men of the Ogun State Police Command.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP. Abimbola Oyeyemi disclosed this on Sunday.
He said, "the arrest of the suspects followed a complaint lodged at the Ilaro Police Station by one Abdul-Ganiyu Olakintan, who reported that he was taking three passengers from Fab filling station in Ilaro to Odo Fufu Area of the State on his motorcycle , when the passengers suddenly brought out a knife, with which they forced him to stop and subsequently sprayed dry pepper on his face before going away, with his motorcycle".
According to DSP Oyeyemi, "the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of the Ilaro Division, CSO Opebiyi Sunday detailed his detectives to embark on a manhunt for the hoodlums."
"Their efforts paid off when one of the suspects named Tajudeen Akeem was arrested by a tip-off given by members of the community.
His arrest led to the apprehension of the other two suspects namely Idowu Samson and Taofeek Taiwo", he said.
DSP Oyeyemi, disclosed that the suspects who all live in Mushin area of Lagos on interrogation, confessed being responsible for series of motorcycle snatching in Ilaro and its environs".
He informed that items recovered from them include, the snatched motorcycle, a nylon containing dry pepper and a knife used for the operation.
Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Iliyasu has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the Federal Special Anti Robbery squad (FSARS) for discreet investigation.
He also warned cyclists to desist from carrying more than one person at a time for their own security and safety.
Barely two months to next year’s elections, some northern leaders say they will not support President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election.
They, however, shied away from announcing their preferred presidential candidate in the elections, insisting that the candidate to support remained one of their own from the list of 71 presidential hopeful cleared by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest 2019 elections.
The only other high profile candidate in 2019 presidential election is Mr Atiku Abubakar of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Convener of Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Mr Ango Abdullahi, spoke the mind of northern leaders in Kaduna.
However, three key officials of NEF immediately distanced themselves from Abdullahi’s position, saying they were solidly behind Mr Buhari and will do everything possible to get him re-elected next year.
The trio – Mr Paul Tarfa, Mr Basir Sodangi and Mr Sani Daura – said in a statement that Buhari deserved re-election because of his excellent performance and the fact that replacing him would turn the hand of development backward.
According to Abdullahi, a former Ahmadu Bello University Vice Chancellor, Northern Elders arrived at the decision to dump Buhari for another northern presidential candidate because of his failure to fulfil the basic conditions they handed to him in 2015 when they rejected then – President Goodluck Jonathan and elected him.
“Two of the conditions we gave Buhari upon his assumption of office were that he should take concrete steps to address the abject poverty and underdevelopment in the North and he has woefully failed to marginally address any of them,” he said.
The NEF leader also accused the President of bringing strange elements into government, thereby adding no value to governance and “we are vindicated on this score because his wife, Aisha, has confirmed that this week”.
He went on: “Assuming that things are working in the North or in Nigeria as a whole, we would have taken a different position but everyone can see that things are not working under this government.
Perhaps, as a prelude to where this government has taken this country, Buhari wasted six months before being able to set up his cabinet. “And when he eventually formed the cabinet, he brought in persons who had not added any value to governance and his wife has vindicated us on this.
“As things stand today, we in NEF do not believe that Nigeria’s cause will be helped by Buhari’s re-election in 2019. That is why we have decided to pick one of the other presidential candidates from the North for next year’s contest.
“It would be futile for anyone to blame anybody for the decision of NEF against Buhari because his own wife has openly alluded to our position that some persons, who do not have the interest of Nigeria at heart, are running the Buhari administration without adding real value to the governance of Nigeria”.
Abdullahi, who served as former President Obasanjo’s Special Adviser on Food Security, pointed out that Buhari was the architect of his own misfortune, having repeatedly rebuffed all entreaties by northern leaders to meet with him and address the issues raised against him.
The professor of agronomy explained that the position of his group was informed by the outcome of an enlarged meeting of 18 northern groups in March which reviewed his performance and its impact on the region’s economy and security.
“Apart from his poor performance to the dissatisfaction of those who made him President, Buhari has deliberately rebuffed all attempts by Northern Elders Forum to meet with him and discuss issues pertaining to the region and Nigeria”, he said.
“This is the reason we meticulous screened over 13 persons from the North and finally picked four out of the large number and our choice has also been endorsed by leaders of Southern Nigeria including Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere and Middle Belt leaders.
“We believe that there is no need for us to be talking to Buhari again about what he needs since that will not change anything. We have moved and our votes will not be based on sentiment of tribe or religion but strictly on performance”.
The NEF leader said he was pained by the behaviour of the President, having taken the risk to be at the forefront of his election in 2015 on account of which he was called unprintable names by those in the Jonathan administration.
According to him, the North rejected former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 not because he was a southerner and a Christian but because he blatantly reneged on the agreement to complete former President Yar’Adua’s tenure by doing one term and handing over power to the North to do eight years as former President Olusegun Obasanjo did.
However, the decision by NEF to dump Buhari in 2019 has not gone down well with some members of NEF who openly disagreed with the leadership.
‘There was no time NEF decided to reject Buhari’ Three men, who are foundation members of NEF- Paul Tarfa, Basir Sodangi and Sani Daura – said there was no justification for the North to reject Buhari in 2019, given that he had taken the country to the next level, having taken over the reins of power at a time there was widespread insecurity, corruption and economic decay.
The trio said in a statement: “No one can deny the reality that the country was reaching a breaking point. With a committed leadership and sincerity, Buhari has achieved immeasurable success in all fronts during the last three years.
“We sincerely believe that the Buhari administration is doing well and should be re-elected to consolidate on the foundation of progress which has been laid by it.
Buhari is on record as the leader who has taken the fight to the criminals. For the fight to continue to victory, Buhari should be encouraged by all well-meaning Nigerians to stamp out the monster of corruption.
“In view of the foregoing, the members of NEF reiterate our solid support for the leadership of Buhari in the interest of peaceful co-existence, honest leadership, progress and continuity, come 2019 and beyond”.
Vanguard
Over 124 persons suspected to be cultists have been arrested by the police from various parts of Anambra State. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, in a statement, on Saturday, said the arrests were made during a raid on criminal hideouts and black spots in the state. He said 37 of the suspects have confessed and were charged to court, adding that 53 were screened and released while 34 others were undergoing interrogation. “The state Commissioner of Police Garba Umar had directed for an aggressive raids on criminal hideouts and black spots in the state to ensure people of the state, both at home and in diaspora celebrate Christmas and New Year without hindrance or molestation. “Between 26/11/2018 to date, the State Command through its Special Anti Cultism Squad/FSARS and Divisional Police headquarters have arrested total number of 124 suspected cultists/hoodlums from various parts of the state,” he said. According to Mohammed, the Command also recovered 4 locally made pistols, six cutlasses, two axes, over 1,000 wraps of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and 2 regalia for Aye and Junior Vickings Confraternity, respectively. He reiterated the Command’s determination to ensure that criminals had no hiding place in the State especially during the festive season and would deal decisively with those apprehended in accordance with the law.
Landlords in Igbogbo-Baiyeku in Ikorodu, whose houses were demolished for road construction, have appealed to the Lagos State Government to hasten compensation.
They said their houses were demolished in December, 2017 to pave way for the rehabilitation and expansion of roads in the Ikorodu West and Igbogbo/Baiyeku Local Development Council Areas (LCDA).
They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ikorodu on Saturday that payment of compensation was yet to commence one year after the demolition of their property.
The landlords said they were invited on May 5 by the state government to submit documents that showed house ownership as it has approved its payment.
Mr Arogundade Jacob, one of the affected landlords, said they were invited to bring documents to facilitate the payment but they were yet to get compensation from the government.
He said he became ill as a result of the demolition of his building.
“I saw my building being demolished in my presence and I fell ill immediately, the government should please pay the compensation, as all my hopes are on the money.
“I am a pensioner and that is the house I built with my last kobo, I need the money to build small shelter for myself.
Also speaking, Mr Adegoriola Atunrase, whose four bedroom flat was demolished, said his house served as a source of income to him and now nothing remains.
He also appealed that the money be paid as the stakeholders had raised their hopes during the post demolition meetings.
“Commencing the project without compensation paid to us would subject us to untold hardship,” he said.
Another landlord, a cleric in one of the affected mosques, Imam AbdulQuadri Atinla, lamented that the demolition had rendered many landlords homeless, thereby making some landlords to sleep in the mosque.
“Even though 60 per cent of the mosque was demolished, many people still manage in the small room left in the mosque.
“We beg the Lagos State Government to give us the money this month so that we can all smile again during festive period,”he said.
A landlady, Mrs Emily Nwoke-Duko, also appealed to the government to hasten the compensation because of security reasons as her house had no door after it was demolished halfway. NAN
The Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, Edo state, has affirmed the right of inmates across the country to vote.
The decision of the court followed an appeal filed by five inmates on behalf of other inmates in Nigerian prisons to direct the Independent National Electoral Commission to include their names in the voter register.
The court, however, refused to grant a request that INEC should liaise with the Nigerian Prisons Service to create registration centres at various prisons across the country.
The names of the appellants are Victor Emenuwe, Onome Inaye, Kabiru Abu, Osagie Iyekekpolor and Modugu Odion. Justice S. Oseji, who read the lead judgment, said the appellants could appeal the other side of the ruling not granted.
Counsel for the appellants, President Aigbokhan, of the Initiative for Rural Development, Information and Legal Advocacy, described the judgment as victory for Nigeria’s democracy.
He, however, urged INEC to commence immediate registration of inmates across the country to enable them to participate in the 2019 general elections.
Aigbokhan said they would appeal the court’s rejection of their request for INEC to liaise with the Nigerian Prisons Service to create registration centres at various prisons across the country.
He said, “We went to the Court of Appeal and the court agreed that the judgment represent all inmates in the country.
That INEC should with immediate effect collate the names of inmates and allow them to vote in 2019. Punch
The Peoples Democratic Party on Friday in Abuja presented the party’s flag to its Governorship candidates for Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States, ahead of the 2019 general elections.
The candidates are: Ladi Adebutu for Ogun, Seye Makinde for Oyo and Jimi Agbaje for Lagos State, who was represented by Mrs Oluwayemisi Busari.
The PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, while presenting the party flag, said that those who wanted to contest against the party and its candidates in the South-West states should be ready.
Secondus expressed optimism that the party would be victorious in the legal tussle on its governorship candidate in Ogun, saying that Adebutu was duly elected in the primary that produced him as the PDP candidate.
He said that the party’s primaries nationwide were monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission and names of the PDP candidates were submitted to the commission by the leadership of the party in accordance with electoral guidelines.
“You cannot come and bend the process. It is criminal for one person to print form and sell the form to himself, conduct congress by himself and submit names to INEC in his signatory,” he said.
The Ogun Governorship Candidate, Ladi Adebutu, while speaking on behalf of his colleagues, said he was certain that the PDP was “destined by God to deliver the nation from problems it was currently going through.”
Adebutu said that the party had shown with a determination that it was able to administer itself and lead the nation. He said that parties that were not capable of administering themselves could not administer a nation.
According to him “PDP has shown clearly that we have the capacity to administer ourselves well. We have done so and we have had processes throughout the nation that everybody should be proud of.
” Adebutu pledged that the candidates would do their best to provide good governance if elected in their various states.
“We will do our best to bring food and security to the masses of this country, We will also create enabling an environment that will make it easy for investors to stay here and help us prosper as a nation.
“Those are the things we believe in that will bring about good governance in all the states,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Senator Buruji Kashamu whose name was released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as Ogun State PDP candidate has said that the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus should be held responsible “for breach of public peace and safety should there be a breakdown of law and order in Ogun State” in the build up to the 2019 general elections.
He urged the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris and the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi, to take cognizance of Secondus’ conduct which, according to him, is capable of causing tension and a breach of public peace.
Kashamu spoke in a statement he issued at the weekend following the presentation of the Ogun State PDP governorship flag to a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, in Abuja, on Friday.
He said the AGF, IGP and DG, SSS should refuse the temptation to allow “some misguided politicians” to take the laws into their hands and continue to act contemptuously of valid and subsisting court orders and judgments while hiding under the cloak of politics and politicking. There is no gainsaying the fact that such illegal acts could cause unmitigated disorder and a breach of public peace.
The lawmaker noted that he would soon furnish the offices of the AGF, IGP and SSS with all the relevant documents, detailing the criminal and contemptuous acts of these retrogressive elements. (NAN)
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) has charged the National Assembly to save the nation’s democracy by immediately overriding President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sign the amendment of the Electoral Act.
The PDP Campaign Organization said that the legislative action became imperative as the President’s decision is a calculated attempt to hold the nation to ransom, inject crisis into the electoral process and ultimately scuttle the conduct of the 2019 general elections, seeing that there is no way he can win in a free and fair contest.
The Campaign Council, in a statement by its Director, Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said that President Buhari’s repeated refusal to sign amendments passed to check rigging in the election, raises issues of his sincerity of purpose and has the capacity to trigger political unrest and violence, which can, in turn, truncate the nation’s hard-earned democracy.
The party invited Nigerians to note that “this is the fourth time President Buhari is withholding assent on the amendment, without any cogent reason following his rejection by Nigerians.
“Nigerians can recall how the Buhari Presidency plotted to plunge the 2019 elections into a needless controversy by delaying the submission of the election budget to the National Assembly, presenting it at the time the legislators were commencing their annual vacation and asking for virement of funds already approved for development projects, instead of sending a fresh supplementary budget for the election.
“It is unfortunate that Mr. President, in his desperation to hold on to power, has resorted to taking steps that are capable of destabilizing our nation, just because the people are resolute in voting him out of office democratically.
“It is also instructive to note that President Buhari is mortally afraid of the amendments because they essentially checked the All Progressives Congress (APC) rigging plans, including the use of underage and alien voters, vote-buying, alteration of results and manipulation of voter register; for which the APC and the Buhari Presidency have been boasting of winning the 2019 elections,” the council said.
While urging the National Assembly to save Nigeria’s democracy and forestall an imminent electoral crisis, the PPCO also charged all political parties, other critical stakeholders and Nigerians in general, to rise in the interest of the nation and demand the entrenching of rules and processes that will guarantee the conduct of free, fair and credible elections, as nothing short of that would be accepted.
Independent
Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised alarm over the destruction and defacing of campaign posters of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Governorship candidate of the party in the state, Dr. Uche Ogah within Umuahia, the state capital.
In a telephone interview with the Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Benedict Godson on Wednesday, the party accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being behind the defacing and destruction of President Buhari and Ogah’s campaign posters. APC while warning that the party would no longer watch the ruling party in the state using hoodlums to destroy campaign posters of the President, its governorship candidate in the state and any other candidate of the party said that henceforth anybody caught engaging in this wicked act would be dealt with according to the law.
According to Godson, the defacing of its candidates’ campaign posters is a sign that the ruling party is defeated already and stated that the party is concerned about at the moment is how to sell ideas of their candidates to the people of the state and ensuring that President Buhari gets maximum votes in Abia State.
Godson, while enjoining members of the party and Abians to get their PVCs and be ready to vote out bad government from office come 2019, assured that the party would ensure that the votes of the people counted.
“I want to advice our brothers in the opposition party that this is not the way that democracy is being played.
I believe that they have seen that we have come to take over the state and I want to plead with them to gently hand over the mantle of leadership of Abia State to Dr. Sampson Uche Ogah who has come to liberate Abia from bondage come 2019.
“Destruction of billboards and posters Mr. President, Uche Ogah and other candidates of the party is undemocratic and that cannot stop us from returning Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari who has done so well in terms of good roads, constant light, better life for Nigerians and Uche Ogah as both President and governor of the country and Abia State respectively.
“It is important to say that the PDP government that we have in Abia State has failed Abians in all ramifications. They owe teachers from Primary to tertiary. The roads that they claim that they have built have caved in and they cannot justify the amount of money they claimed to have spent on such roads.
“The little that we are seeing in the state are being built by the federal government through the NDDC. “We want to assure them that nobody has monopoly of violence and destruction of posters. We are warning the PDP to stop destruction of our candidates’ campaign posters with immediate effect,” said Godson.
In a related development a statement issued by Ogah’s campaign office on Wednesday corroborated Godson’s claims and further alleged that eyewitnesses has it that a team of six mobile police men in company with some agents of Abia State government along Aba Road and other parts of the state capital carried out the ugly act.
"To confirm this report, a team was dispatched from our Campaign Office to the said locations and it turned out to be true. Many of our newly pasted posters of Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah/Buhari with the All Progressives Congress logos had been destroyed. But the shameless elements who perpetuated this barbaric act had escaped from the scene before the arrival of our team but our eye witnesses gave a valid account of all that transpired.
“Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah frowns at this unholy behaviour that can only be perpetuated by low lives and cowards. He wants to sound a note of warning to the Abia State government led by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to desist from such shameful act or be ready for an appropriate response. “Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah believes that election is about the contest of ideas and the opportunity to present the people with a program of action on how to better their lives and that of their generations yet unborn; That those who seek to lead must have the confidence to face public scrutiny amidst contending ideas.
"In the light of the above, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah is asking the failed PDP government in Abia State to challenge the All Progressives Congress in Abia State based on their records of performance and allow free contest devoid of intimidation or harassment to enable Ndi Abia to make their choices without fear of molestation. He is hereby assuring the PDP and their failed administration in Abia State that the party and merriment is over. From now on, any act of intimidation by the PDP in the state, the government and their agents will be severely retaliated within the confines of the law.
“All Abians are hereby encouraged to report any act of intimidation, harassment or molestation in any part of Abia state to Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah’s Campaign Office and the appropriate response will follow.
“It is no longer going to be business as usual. All Abians are equal stakeholders in the state and they can no longer be made strangers in their own affairs. They must be allowed the freedom of choice that they deserve to choose between the failed diabolical PDP government that have looted our state to waste and the deliverable action plan of the APC led by Dr.Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah and Martins Azubuike; which will transform Abia into a prosperous sub national economy.
“All Progressives Congress members in Abia State and other members of the Abia public are hereby encouraged to report anybody in their locality who dares to harass them or to tamper with Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah/President Buhari’s posters or Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah/ Rt. Hon Martins Azubuike’s posters and other campaign materials. We promise to ensure that such actions are severely punished and any individual or groups involved brought to justice.
“The peace and development of Abia state is the primary focus of Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah and Rt Hon Martins Azubuike and that will not be allowed to be toyed with,” the statement concluded.
The Nation
A 46-year-old businesswoman, Vivian Onwuka, was on Friday docked at an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly stealing N1.7 million realised from sale of diesel.
Onwuka, who resides at No. 10, Top View Estate, off Governor Road, Ikotun, Lagos, is standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Abbass Abayomi, told the court that the accused committed the offences on Aug. 23, 2017, in Lagos.
He said that the accused conspired with others still at large, sold 33, 000 litres of diesel belonging to the complainant, Mr Abayomi Bakare, but refused to remit the proceed to the owner’s bank account.
The prosecutor said that the diesel was valued at N1.7 million. He said that the offences contravene Sections 409 and 278 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge. The Magistrate, Mr A. A. Adefulire, granted her bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
Adefulire said that the sureties must be gainfully employed, must show evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government and have their addresses verified.
He adjourned the case until Jan. 16 for mention. NAN
More...
A former Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Ghali Na’abba, has resigned his membership of All Progressives Congress (APC).
Na’abba, from Kano State, was speaker between 1999 and 2003.
He announced his resignation in a letter addressed to APC Chairman of his Sharada Ward of Kano Municipal Local Government.
“This is to notify you of my resolve to resign from All Progressives Congress (APC), effective today 5th December 2018,” he wrote.
“My decision to resign from the party follows the cavalier manner in which both the Federal Government, States controlled by APC and APC itself are being run, as a result of which anybody who has eyes to see only sees doom and not prosperity for our dear country.”
The politician based his decision on the manner congresses and primary elections were conducted in the party.
He said there was clearly no doubt in his mind, and the minds of visionary Nigerians, that APC administration is characterised by “lack of consultation, crass incompetence, lack of vision, arrogance, and dangerous fixation.”
He made reference to defections in the National Assembly as a sign of the failure of APC.
“It is a measure of the incompetence of APC government that after all is said and done, it has lost a Senate President and a Speaker of the House Of Representatives and many others for reasons that border on meanness, lack of simple management skills and capacities and a great measure of arrogance.”
“It is also a measure of the incompetence of the party that there is almost no state in the Federation where there is no conflict .”
“While it is generally accepted that no human organisation can be rancour-free, it is disheartening that these conflicts in the party are inflicted by its leaders, some of whom can be said to be poorer in human qualities than the poorest of men.”
He alleged that governors and some party leaders have hijacked the party, doing with it as they wish. He accused them of the imposition of party leaders and subversion of internal democracy and inclusive governance.
“In their endeavour to perpetuate themselves in the system, they not only snatched away the political rights of the people but also blocked all avenues with which and within which they would be held to account.”
“Because under these conditions no person can be politically mobile except he becomes a sycophant, it becomes necessary for me to speak up.”
“This I did many times, unfortunately only to be met with complicit silence.”
He said the malcontent within the party portends a grave danger to the stability and even existence of Nigeria adding that the situation is not helped by a president under whose watch all these negative traits are recurring.
“He instead prefers to give the country a lethargic and insular leadership informed by grudges, hatred and a general lack of understanding of what democracy and compassion are all about.
“All these masqueraded as war on corruption.”
Although the former speaker did not state the party he is defecting to, he is expected to join the main opposition party, PDP.
PT
Over 500 residents of Bariga Area of Lagos State, have benefitted from the Free Medical Check-up and treatment services, provided by the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Babatunde Aleshinloye-Williams, who is vying to represent Somolu Constituency ll at the Lagos State House of Assembly, in the 2019 elections.
The social support programme was a collaborative efforts sponsored by Aleshinloye- Williams and another PDP Candidate, Oluwaseyi Olowu, who is contesting to represent Somolu Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives.
The programme which came up under the auspices of the Christ Convenant Liberation Prayer Ministries, was in partnership with the Adorable Foundation International, to create sensitisation and relieve for those suffering from one ailment or the other.
Free Medical Check-ups which include Sugar/blood test, high blood pressure and eye test were done, with drugs and counselling provided by medical experts.
Babatunde Aleshinloye-Williams, said, "he has been providing such support services before his political ambition, noting that times are hard for people to eat, not to talk of going for medical check-ups".
In his words, "our people are really suffering, today an average Nigerian finds it so difficult to eat three square meals, due to the prevailing economic hardship. It is so sad, that the government is not doing enough to ensure that our people can access free medical services as at when due".
"We must put our people first in whatever we do if we truly want a good society where everyone can thrive without any hindrance".
The PDP house of Assembly Candidate said, he would ensure adequate legislation to cater for medical programmes and policies that would be easily accessed by every Lagosian, if given the opportunity to represent Somolu Constituency ll and serve at the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The Chief Host and Founder of the Adorable Foundation International, Princess Ada Okeke-Amam and the Host, Lt Col Ifunanya Innocent both expressed their appreciation , stressing that, "Nigeria would be a better place, when we think of others".
Women have been enjoined to support fellow women in politics, as this is one of the ways by which they can be heard by the society.
The gubernatorial candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in Ogun State, Princess Eniola Otasanya-Martins gave this advice while speaking on the challenges and roles of women in the society.
She said, "women as a strong pillar in the home-front is pivotal to the Nation's development, thus they must be supported to be able to play their roles well, as wives and mothers".
According to her, "women go through a lot in taking care of their children and husband, while they still need to work and fulfill other responsibilities. It is then necessary for the menfolk and government to specially protect women towards bringing out the best in them".
Princess Otasanya-Martins, described mothers as the first doctor in the homes and the best teacher to train better kids and youth.
She said, as a mother she understands the importance of good health, security, quality education and other needs of Ogun State people, thus her interest to serve on the platform of a new and radical political party, the AAC, to bring about the needed changes in the State.
Princess Otasanya- Martins who called on women to always be ready to support their counterparts in politics advised them to participate fully in the electoral processes as the 2019 elections draw near.
She admonished them to shun money politics and vote on the basis of credibility in the 2019 polls, if they want a better society.
A Youth Group, known as the New Generation Leadership, NGL, has expressed fears on what the 2019 General Elections in Nigeria would look like, describing Thursday's Governorship re-run Election in Osun State, as a minus to democracy, a subversion of the will of the people and a route to tyranny and anarchy.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Secretary of the group, Adedayo Adegbayibi while speaking on the conduct of the supplementary elections, between Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in four local government areas of the State which were inconclusive.
The New Generation Leadership, said it was disheartening that the President Muhammadu Buhari-APC led Federal Government which could not protect the lives of it's citizens, who are daily killed by herdsmen in some parts of the Country can militarise Osun State during the election period.
It stated that the Federal Government which ought to provide a level playing ground for all the political parties, especially with its anti-corruption stance, was allegedly at the forefront of intimidation and brutalisation that occurred during the election, warning that such acts should not be allowed to stand in modern day Nigeria".
According to the statement "the beauty of democracy lies in Its natural internal seamless change of government without any let or hindrance, when desired by the electorates, in a free and fair election. And this is what must be encouraged in Nigeria."
" It is so sad that the Osun State Election was fraught with indiscriminate arrest of opposition members, harassment and brutalisation of voters, giving tacit support to thugs imported into the State to snatch ballot boxes and create confusion, open inducement of voters and buying of votes, INEC failure to act as a neutral umpire, as well as other malpractices.
“The police and army prevented agents from watching the polling booths while thugs threatened and beat voters".
“Journalists and election observers were prevented from monitoring and covering the process. Many of them were manhandled and beaten up".
"It was regrettable that the Independent national Electoral Commission and the security agencies could be used to short-change the people of the state."
"If what has played out in Osun State is the APC template for the 2019 general elections, there is great need for concern by all lovers of genuine democracy.
The New Generation Leadership is saddened by the fact that our nascent democracy which we all fought to establish in 1999 is being threatened and about to collapse.
“This is not about APC or PDP, our concern is to prevent the destruction of all democratic norms and values in Nigeria. To avoid anarchy, the 2019 elections must be well conducted in a free and fair setting”.
We hereby call on all well meaning Nigerians to rise up against this injustice and dictatorship tendencies of the ruling Party, while the international communities are urged to lend their voices against the actions of the Federal Government, INEC and Security agents and compel them to do the right thing.