Fashola, Tinubu, Oshiomhole Renew Calls For Electoral Reforms
…As AC National Convention holds in Lagos

Dec 12, 2009 - Bigwigs in the Action Congress including Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) his predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and many prominent leaders of the party on Saturday called for a convergence of efforts on the parts of all democratic forces to ensure that every vote counts in the nation’s elections.

According to majority of the speakers who attended the National Convention of the Action Congress which was held at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos, every well meaning Nigerian must stand up and support the efforts of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms (CODER).

Emphasising the point, Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) said a revolution of progressive Governors has already started and landed in Lagos and Edo and will soon berth at Ekiti, Osun and Anambra States.

He said everyone is looking upon the Action Congress as the party that would change the course of events in Nigeria and urged the party members to keep the date with destiny to effect the change.

He said no one should make the mistake anymore of regarding the Action Congress as a weak party but the party of choice among all Nigerians.

He explained that from now on, the task before everybody should be that every vote will count.

He described the Action Congress National Convention as the Convention of all Conventions because it has succeeded in bringing national development issues to the front burner.

Former Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his goodwill message to the gathering tasked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to come out openly and tell Nigerians where they stand in terms of the Justice Lawal Uwais panel’s report.

He said despite the fact that the Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais panel was put in place by a product of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party has been shying away from publicly declaring its stand on the Uwais panel’s report.

Asiwaju Tinubu while speaking at the Convention explained that all democratically minded people are resolute to pursue the ideals of Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms (CODER).

He described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a party that is already digging its own grave through the succession struggle that is going on in the party when the President of the country is still alive.

While asking other like minded Nigerians to join the AC, Asiwaju Tinubu said the party will rescue Nigerians from the inept rule of PDP in the next general elections by sweeping it out of power.

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole charged the party to ensure that the foundation of the party is founded on the tenets of democracy.

He emphasized that the foundation for a credible election must also be seen in terms of membership participation in decision making processes and urged everyone to work towards realizing the full potentials of the country.

Governor Oshiomhole lampooned the PDP for disobeying its own constitution in the Anambra Governorship race, adding that this represents worrisome indicators for elections in 2011.

He said in Edo State, the Action Congress (AC) has succeeded in demobilizing the so called Godfather and demonstrated that he is no more than a vegetable.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in his address said Nigeria is in a near state of collapse as if the country is mourning.

He added that the PDP is politicizing the sickness of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and not resorting to constitutional provisions to remedy such situations.

The former Vice President charged Nigerians to insist on the application of the constitution for the present situation because the country has already stopped working and is drifting backwards.

He called for the adoption of two party system for Nigeria as the country is drifting to a one party state, adding that PDP cannot provide true democracy for Nigeria.

The National Chairman of the Action Congress, Chief Bisi Akande in his State of the party address lamented that things have been going from bad to worse for the nation with massive youth unemployment and crises in the educational sector.

He added that the PDP has been using the seven point agenda to defraud Nigerians through reckless expenditure and muzzling of the opposition.

He urged the party members to close ranks and subsume individual ambition for the party’s collective interest.

The Secretary of the Party, Dr Usman Bugaje in his address urged all members of the party to work together for the change which everyone has been yearning for.

He urged all Nigerians to eschew politics of big men but embrace politics of ideas as it is only a change of the way politics is practiced that would ensure that the people come first.

Among positions of national officers filled during the Convention were that of National Secretary, National Organizing Secretary, National Financial Secretary, Deputy National Auditor, National Welfare Officer and National ex-officio South East and North Central.

Among those present at the Convention were Deputy Governor, Prince Sarah Adebisi Sosan, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, RT Hon Adeyemi Ikuforiji, First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs Abimbola Fashola, former Governor of Osun State and Chairman of the Action Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, former Governors Niyi Adebayo of Ekiti State, Lam Adesina of Oyo State, Dr Chris Ngige of Anambra State Governorship Candidates in Ekiti and Osun States, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Engineer Rauf Aregbesola, members of the State Executive Council, members of the State House of Assembly, National Secretary, Dr Usman Bugaje and several members of the National Assembly as well as party faithful from all parts of the country.

Where are the pics ?

I looking at the pics. Are your surfing with IE?

no picture here matey

More pics,

Great speech by Fashola,


http://www.tundefashola.com/

one tinubu criminal hugging another criminal atiku


God help us nigeria

blacksta:

one tinubu criminal hugging another criminal atiku


God help us nigeria

Lol

Yes oh AC nothing do una.

Make una use dt broom sweep PDP comot.Dem dey mental

Lagos stinks like crap,
And this Nigerians are here celebrating.
I cry wolf.

paddy_lo:

nice one babapupa. . .

seriously at this stage i wouldnt mind AC giving PDP a run for its money come 2011

nothing like a strong opposition to light up good governance

AC looks like the only progressive Party the Nation has to offer right now. I'd love to see Fashola jettison AC and go lead his own Party with like minded folks, I just don't know what the selling point is right now with people like Atiku holding leadership position withing the party.

Between Fashola and Tinubu
By NOSIKE OGBUENYI
Tuesday, December 15, 2009


• Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Photo: Sun Publishing
More Stories on This Section
After months of underground manouvrings and interplay of high stake forces amid strident denials of rift between the godfather and his godson, the intricate succession battle for the 2011 governorship election in Lagos State appears to be gradually spilling over to the open.

Few days back, Mr. Segun Ayobolu, a dyed-in-the wool loyalist of former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, resigned from the Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola administration. At the time of resignation, he was Special Adviser to the governor  on Information and Strategy/Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information.

Ayobolu, the longstanding media tactician of the Tinubu camp cited health reasons, but the governor confessed that he was shell-shocked by the move as he was not carried along.

Ayobolu has been associated with Tinubu for nearly 20 years dating back to when the latter was a Senator in the early 1990s during the abortive Third Republic of the Babangida era. Ayobolu was part of the media strategists that worked hard to facilitate Tinubu’s election as governor Lagos State in 1999.

The implication of Ayobolu’s exit is that the media flank of the administration has been weakened. It was learnt  that the resignation was just the beginning of more of such pull-outs that will follow the battle for the control of the commercial nerve centre ahead of the next general elections. It is on record that Fashola has not reshuffled his cabinet since he took over from Tinubu on May 29, 2007. It has been speculated that he has not done so because the appointees derive extra power from their mentor, Tinubu. One of the commissioners, Dr. Muiz Banire of the Environment Ministry is rumoured to have been anointed as the successor of Fashola on AC platform in 2011. It was alleged that before the ticket was given to Fashola in 2006, he agreed to limit himself to a single term and to abide by the decision of the group.

But both Tinubu and Fashola have consistently denied reports of their alleged rift as the machination of their political adversaries. Now, the battleline appears to have been drawn between Fashola and Tinubu’s loyalists ahead of the 2011 election. Through his impeccable track records in office, Fashola has been able to attract a coop of convinced loyalists and supporters not only within the administration but the wider spheres of the state and the nation. These elements are urging him on not minding the contrary stand of the Asiwaju. This support has emboldened him to threaten to sack disloyal aides. The governor has reportedly admonished them to either fall in line, resign or be sacked.

Another group urging Fashola to reject the ‘Mandela Option’ (limitation to a single term) are some eminent Lagosians who believe the governor is doing a good job and should therefore be supported for a second term come 2011.

But as the rumours of the soured relationship between the two leading politicians swirl, Fashola came out last week to stem the evil wind. According to the governor, he would do everything to continue to maintain the healthy and warm relationship between him and Tinubu which he said predated his election into office as governor.

  Fashola who was an attorney to the Tinubus before veering into politics, spoke in an interview with newsmen at the Lagos House, Marina after a caucus meeting. He stressed: “I say very emphatically that our relationship predates my being in government and I will do everything to continue to maintain that relationship…The relationship is very important to me. I think some people are looking for a divide where none exists. I think at the very best some people are dreaming it. But if they remain in that dream they will not wake up. If they remain in that dream the development of Lagos will pass them by”.

  Fashola added: “They better wake up because no matter how long you dream that Governor Tinubu and I will fight, there would be no fight. There is no reason for us to fight. There is no contest between us. He is my leader. He is the leader of my party. The party that I am proud to be a member of”.

The talks about the smouldering power struggle and realignment of political forces in the state were further accentuated by Tinubu’s absence at the pre-convention lecture of the AC held on Thursday in Ikeja. The former governor was absent despite the fact that he was in town and that several other AC big wigs were present. Among them were the AC National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, Fashola himself, Lagos AC Chairman, Henry Ajomale, former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, Fashola’s deputy, Mrs Sarah Sosan, Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji and many others. Tinubu’s associates attributed his absence to fatigue after allegedly having series of crucial meetings the previous night.

The next few months leading into the new year will certainly point the true direction concerning the relationship between Fashola and his mentor, Tinubu. Only time will tell whether he still possesses the wherewithal to unseat him from the power vortex where he placed him nearly three years ago.

Having the kind of near total control which he allegedly used to exercise over Fashola at the early stage may not be feasible for Tinubu any longer since the incumbent governor has grown in confidence and power over the years. But one can surmise that if the story of the infighting between the two of them is anything to go by, then each camp would have to weigh a lot of variables in finalizing its 2011 gameplan.

For Fashola, a fall-out with Tinubu at this stage might imply kissing a goodbye to the AC ticket due to Tinubu’s near total grip on the party. That would mean settling for another strong platform capable of squaring Tinubu’s AC. The former will also likely unleash his media arsenal on him having emerged lately as a veritable media mogul.
Concerning the matter of Tinubu ditching Fashola for another candidate, that may conversely be a high risk venture in view of Fashola’s growing populism on the basis of his first rate achievements in the state so far. It will look like the squeezing water from stone to convince the highly enlightened Lagos voters to move against a proven achiever in the mould of Fashola.

While the political horizon in the state remains nebulous, the best wish now is that the tales of growing gap between the two top politicians remain in the domain of speculation so that Lagos may witness more years of real democratic dividends.

What is Oshiomole doing there when his mandate is yet to be delivered in Edo.