Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said he will attend the debate for presidential candidates slated for today.

Mr Abubakar, who just returned to the country from his United States trip stated this while addressing supporters of the party at the Legacy House, Abuja.

This seems to have overruled the position of his aide who announced his withdrawal from the debate due to verbal remarks from the Presidency.

He is the major challenger of President Muhammadu Buhari who seeks re-election on the platform of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

Aside the duo, other candidates expected to grace the event are: Oby Ezekwesili – Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Fela Durotoye – Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) and Kingsley Moghalu – Young Progressives Party (YPP).

“I am going to refresh and come for the presidential debate,” the former vice president popularly known as Atiku told the crowd who welcomed him from his trip.

NOC1:

This guys are military men whose houses where ransacked in several occasions. It is only a fool that will say they dont have the minimum certificates.

Festus Keyamo, the spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, has been challenged to prove his own source of wealth after he described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as ‘lootocrats.’

The challenge was thrown to Mr Keyamo by Chima Amadi, the Executive Director of the Centre for Transparency Advocacy, a non-profit organization campaigning against impunity and bad governance.

Mr Amadi, a legal practitioner and member of the PDP, threw the challenge on Friday in a statement he signed.

The spokesman of the president’s campaign team had on Wednesday referred to the opposition party and it’s members as lootocrats who are desperate to return to power to siphon the wealth of the nation.



“When a candidate for an election & his party are actually suggesting to us that CHARACTER is not an issue & we should completely ignore how a public servant became rich, then genuine patriots must rise & fight to save d very soul and essence of our country from these ‘lootocrats’” Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), tweeted.

Though he did not mention names, he was obviously referring to the PDP and its Presidential Candidate for the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar.

Mr Abubakar is the major challenger of President Buhari in the contest with about 70 contestants. Since he left office as vice president, aspiring to govern as President, this is his first time he is clinching the ticket of the PDP.

His ambition has led him in and out of the party severally. Buhari defeated him and one other in 2014 when they struggled for the presidential ticket of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Until his return to the PDP, Atiku has been a major financier of the now ruling APC and there was no questioning of his wealth while he was in the party. The question of how he made wealth came to limelight immediately he emerged the PDP candidate.

The submission of Keyamo did not go down well Amadi who described the legal practitioner as a betrayer who sabotaged the efforts of Gani Fawahinmi, a late legal activist.

The legal practitioner said Keyamo was guilty of what he was accusing the PDP of and urged him to explain how he amassed the few wealth his listed as his.

NGPOLITICS picked some few assets Amadi alleged belonged to the President’s spokesman to include: Houses located at Maryland in Lagos State and Zone 5 Abuja, the nation’s capital; cash amounting to N200 million and a Prado Jeep fraudulently swindled from a client; a $200,000 from Airtel Shares among others.

Although NGPOLITICS, as at press time could not independently verify Mr Amadi claims, he promised to make more revelations if the challenge is accepted. He also said he was legally ready should Keyamo choose to battle it out with him at the judiciary.

“…The APC you defend right now was the same you called “frauds” in 2013 during a press conference in Benin following your loss of the party gubernatorial ticket. What changed? New paymaster maybe?” he queried.

“Finally, Festus, when you live in a glass house, beware of stones. I know you will come for me, and I happily await you, my records are there but, before you act be advised thus: what I just brought out now is a compromise following calls by friends that know you.

“If you Choose to escalate,I will go further down low.We may have to tell the world certain other stories you will certainly not like. For example, that your closely guarded secret of your real crew. You know what I mean? Or how you became SAN.And some other things we shall keep secret.

“Secondly, I am also loaded enough to get the best of lawyers , so don’t even try your ’we meet in court nonsense’. It will be a pleasure to show the court that you lack any modicum of reputation to protect . My advice: defend your candidate and promote your candidate, no shame In that but, you cannot insult people and hope to intimidate everyone into silence with your rabble rousing noise. I am not Sowunmi, I fight dirty and clean. You decide the one you want. This is my Killshot!” the statement partly read.

Keyamo could not be immediately reached for reactions to the allegations against him.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to either present his academic credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or apologize to Nigerians.

Mr Buhari who seeks a second term in office failed to submit his educational qualifications to INEC while filling his presidential form.

He, instead, attached an affidavit claiming the Nigerian Army of which he served and retired as a major general, were in the possession of his academic credentials.

The claim did not go down well with some Nigerians who mostly said the president was being economical with the truth.



The critics are claiming that the president ought not to give such excuse again since the military was now under his control.

A similar scenario, NGPOLITICS recalls, had played out during the 2015 presidential election but many viewed it as an attempt to frustrate Mr Buhari who was a major contender in the election.

When a legal suit was slammed on Buhari, who was then a presidential candidate, compelling him to produce his certificates, the president hired over a dozen of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to defend his claims. He contested the election and came victorious. Those who initiated the legal redress withdrew their case.

Reacting to the recent development, the PDP gave the advise on Friday in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.

The PDP said while its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has submitted his educational and other relevant documents to INEC, President Buhari is rather seeking ways to short-circuit the system, instead of complying with set rules.

“Indeed, a situation where President Buhari has been dodging the certificate issue raises huge questions of integrity, which demands that he makes available his credentials, or apologize to Nigerians, if he has none, so that the nation can move ahead,” the statement said.

“President Buhari knows by now that Nigerians are no longer interested in his claims in an affidavit wherein he stated; “I am the above-named person and the deponent of this affidavit herein. All my academic qualification documents as filled in my Presidential form, APC/001/2015 are currently with the Secretary of the Military Board as of the time of this affidavit,” the statement partly read.

The opposition party maintained that integrity strictly demands that President Buhari, particularly as the commander-in-chief, writes to the military authorities directing them to forward his claimed credentials to INEC, as requisite evidence of compliance with a key requirement for election into the Office of the President, under section 131 (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Meanwhile, INEC has told Buhari critics to seek a legal redress if they feel the information provided by the president is not true.

Ibrahim Babangida, former military ruler, has again spoken on why he prefers former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, despite a corruption allegation which is reportedly hindering the former number two citizen from travelling to some parts of the world.

Mr Babangida, who had advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019 against the latter’s wish, was reacting to the comments of the President’s Campaign Council.

Mr Abubakar emerged the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He defeated 11 aspirants to clinch the party’s ticket for the 2019 general election.

The Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO) on Sunday while welcoming Mr Abubakar into the 2019 presidential race claimed the former vice president was battling with damning reports on corruption in the country and in the diaspora.



“We welcome H.E, Atiku Abubakar to the 2019 campaign trail.

“Nigerians would now decide between a candidate with a history full of credibility crises, damning reports on corruption, both home, abroad and from his former boss and another candidate with an unblemished record in public service,” BCO director, Festus Keyamo said in a statement.

Reacting to the statement credited to the BCO, the former military ruler said he did rather prefer a president who is well grounded in his country than the one that is always flying out of the country. President Buhari has toured several countries in the world mostly on health ground. He spent most of the first year in office touring parts of the world.

“It has been brought to my understanding that Atiku cannot travel to some part of the world,” Mr Babangida, fondly called IBB, tweeted on Monday.

“Well, I think I will prefer a President who will spend most of his time dealing with Nigerians in Nigeria, not a someone who already knows the route to all the countries like a Pilot,” he added.

Abubakar, popularly known as Atiku served as vice president under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The two leaders fell apart when Mr Obasanjo allegedly sought a third term in office. Atiku was alleged to have played a vital role in thwarting his principal’s third term ambition and since then the former president has not been in good terms with the former number two citizens.

The Nigerian constitution allows two terms for the position of Presidents and governors.

Obasanjo has also vowed not to see Atiku become president of the country. He recently said God will not forgive him if he supports the former vice president to emerge the leader of the country.

For Atiku, only the United States’ government could explain why they have repeatedly denied him a visa into the country.



At the moment, there is no known indictment filed against the former Nigerian leader in any U.S. court, seven years after a Senate Report detailed money laundering activities against him, including being a recipient of a bribe by Siemens. Also, U.S. diplomats in Nigeria, have been dodgy declaring his status.

His political opponents had challenged him and even taunted him several times to go to the U.S. on a visit, to test whether he is wanted for any financial crime. He is yet to take up the challenge.

Should he win the 2019 election he cannot be arrested in a foreign country over criminal infractions during the currency of his tenure except on the warrant of the International Criminal Court. This is based on the trite principle of State Immunity.

Doyin Okupe, former presidential spokesman, has opined why former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, defeated Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the elective national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Abubakar emerged victorious in the PDP presidential primary which held at the weekend in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital. He defeated 11 other aspirants.

With 1532 votes, Abubakar popularly known as Atiku came first while Mr Saraki came a distant third with 317 votes.

Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal came second with 693 votes in the primary election.

Mr Okupe who heads Saraki Presidential Campaign Media Council said the top lawmaker lost to the former vice president because of restructuring.

“Atiku won a deserved victory. It was not just about money rather it was a victory for RESTRUCTURING,” the former presidential spokesman said in a tweet late Sunday.

He also said the presidential candidate emerged because of the trust the Southern Protectorate vested on him about restructuring the country.

“Atiku’s advocacy & commitment was believed by leaders of SW,SE&SS zones, hence d massive support by their delegates. CONGRATULATIONS to Atiku Abubakar,” he added.

Restructuring is one of Atiku’s campaign promises. He had promised to restructure the country so as to make it comfortable for Nigerians to feel at home in whichever part of the country they reside.

CityNGR:
Mynd44 please close this thread and ban the op.

#OsunDecides2018: Osogbo to determine Osun governor as PDP leads after 29 local govts
September 23, 2018Azeezat Adedigba and Sani Tukur
The election result in Osogbo, the most populous local government area of Osun State, will determine the results of the governorship election in the state, PREMIUM TIMES can report.


Based on the results collated from 29 INEC local government secretariats as well as the INEC headquarters in Osogbo, the PDP has a lead of just over 12,000 votes ahead of its closest rival, APC.

The collated results, many of which have been further verified by INEC at its headquarters in Osogbo as at the time of this report, show that the PDP has so far scored about 236,784 votes, while the APC has scored about 224,488 votes.

While the PDP leads in total votes cast so far in the 29 local governments, in terms of number of local governments, the APC has the lead.


The governing party has so far won in 15 local governments, while the PDP has won in 11 local governments. The ADP has won in one local government (Iwo) while the SDP has won in two local governments (Ife East and Ife Central).

Osogbo, the Osun State capital, had over 53,000 valid votes cast in the 2014 governorship election with the APC winning about 75 per cent of valid votes.

Results that have come in from some wards and polling units in Osogbo show the governing party is leading in the local government.


However, only the final results from the local government will show if the APC can overcome the over 12,000 votes with which it is trailing the PDP.



As at the time of this report, however, the result of Osogbo local government was yet to be formally announced.

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers State has revealed how he discovered a presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was being planted by the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Mr Wike said he made the discovery when a security chief serving the ruling APC government began campaigning for an aspirant who belong to the opposition PDP.

The governor had earlier stated that he was aware that the APC planted a mole in the PDP.

“…I know some of our presidential aspirants who are running on the sponsorship of the APC and the presidency,” Wike told Premium Times in an interview.



The ruling party in return challenged the governor to name the mole they allegedly planted in the opposition party.

“We challenge Governor Wike to be brave enough and name the APC-sponsored aspirants among the crowd that have signified interest to run for the presidency under the PDP,” Mr Yekini Nabena, spokesman of APC said.

Detailing how he got to know, Wike said a serving security chief approached him requesting he support one of the aspirants of PDP to emerge the presidential candidate of the party. He declined naming the said security chief.

The governor said this on Tuesday while addressing journalists at the government house in Port Harcourt.

“One thing you must take home is that I cannot be misled, I cannot be blindfolded; I know what’s going on. I know what the presidency and the APC are doing to plant a presidential aspirant in the PDP,” Wike said.

“I have not even mentioned how a very senior official of a security agency in the country told me which of the candidates to support.



“You can imagine me as a governor and the head of a security agency would tell me to support one or two persons. Head of security agency who is in a government controlled by the APC; come on! You direct me on who to support for president?”

The governor noted that he has not endorsed any of the PDP presidential aspirants, adding that the leadership of the party in the state will meet and decide on who to support.

Akwa Ibom State would be the first State the All Progressive Congress (APC), will snatch away from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the 2019 general election, Senator Godswill Akpabio has predicted.

Mr Akpabio made the prediction on Monday when he led a delegation from the State to visit President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja.

In the delegation were former Petroleum Minister, Don Etiebet; APC governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom in 2015, Umana Umana; former deputy governor of the state, Nsima Nkere; Otoekong Jackson, Sunny Udoh, Eseme Oyibo, national assembly members, among others.

The State has been under the control of the PDP since the return to democratic rule in 1999.

Akpabio who began his political carrier on the platform of the PDP governed the state for 8 years. Before he held sway as governor, he was once a commissioner under the now opposition party.

Until his defection to the APC in August, the lawmaker who represents Akwa Ibom North-West at the Senate went to the upper legislative chamber still on the platform of the PDP.

Akpabio handpicked Udom Emmanuel, a banker, and played a vital role in his emergence as the incumbent governor of the state. Not long after the latter took over the affairs of the state they fell apart with the duo going their separate ways.

“I can predict that the first state in Nigeria to fall to the APC in 2019 presidential election is Akwa Ibom State. No one can controvert this,” the lawmaker was quoted by two national dailies as saying.

“l still speak with authority because I have my people’s backing to pronounce what I have just pronounced. Victory is for APC and victory is for Mr President, come 2019 in Akwa Ibom State,” Mr Akpabio was quoted by various news portal including Vanguard and ThisDay.

The former governor also said his heart was with the now President, Muhammadu Buhari, during the 2015 election and not with his party’s candidate, former president, Goodluck Jonathan.

He however said he was compelled to vote for him because Mr Jonathan is from the Niger Delta and he did not want to engage in anti-party activities as a PDP governor and also the chairman of PDP governors’ forum at the time.

Akpabio said now that he finally belongs to where his soul and spirit were in 2015, he could freely express his interest at the 2019 polls without fear or favour.



“In 2015, we had a son of the Niger Delta, former President Goodluck Jonathan, contesting the election and I was also a chieftain of the PDP. I was also the Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum. So, in spite of the fact that I believed strongly that the current president needed to be supported, there was no way I could play anti-party activity in 2015. So, I voted for PDP,” he was quoted as saying.

Taking a swipe at his former party, Mr Akpabio alleged that throughout the PDP’S 16 years in office at the federal level, there was not a one kilometre road project by the federal government in the state.

He described the current PDP in the state as a mere empty party whose body and soul had moved to the APC, disclosing that no fewer than 266,000 persons had also dumped the PDP for APC since his defection.

lalasticlala

The disgraced Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has narrated how he made over N500million within a space of two months.

Mr Lawal was expelled from office over his involvement in diverting funds meant for people displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in October 30, 2017.

The Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) headed by him became a centre of corruption and rot with companies raking in, through fraudulent procurement process, billions of naira and paying kickbacks to the embattled cabinet secretary, according to bank documents and a report of the Senate Committee on the Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North-east.

Since he was last picked up and released by the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) earlier this year nothing has been heard about when his trial will begin.

Addressing newsmen on Monday, Lawal having been earning N930, 000 monthly while in government narrated how he made over half a billion Naira in two months after leaving office. He said his removal from office later became a blessing in disguise.

“Let me shock you, before I came into government, I have been in business, I was a very successful businessman,” the news agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes him as saying.

“I am a world renowned IT consultant and I have a very large farm, spanning over 1,000 hectares, which I abandoned to join governance.

“I was earning N930, 000 monthly as the SGF, now that I have returned to my farm and reactivated it after my sack, I now have 4,000 hectares under cultivation.

“Last year, I earned close to half a billion naira from my farm proceeds, I have a cattle ranch that I am developing gradually and I am back to IT consultancy, life is now good,” he added.

Lawal also reeled out reasons why Nigerians should re-elect his former principal, President Muhammadu Buhari.

The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will soon be over, former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-kayode, has said.

Mr Fani-kayode stated this in reaction to the placement of Ayodele Fayose, outgoing governor of Ekiti State, on watchlist.

The report also published by NGPOLITICS detailed a written exchange of information between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

In it, the EFCC urged the NCS to mount surveillance across the border in a bid not to allow Mr Fayose escaped from the country.

“There is a reasonable suspicion suggesting that he may likely leave the country either through the land borders, airports or seaports in order to evade investigation. Hence, you are kindly requested to watch-list him and arrest him,” read the letter signed by Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the EFCC.

Fayose who enjoys immunity from prosecution as a result of his present office ends his tenure as governor of the state next month.

He is being probed for alleged abuse of office, money laundering, among others.

“I have never seen such pettiness in my entire life. As a sitting Governor, Ayo Fayose has full immunity and can travel to any country that he pleases until his tenure lapses,” Fani-kayode said in a tweet on Sunday.

“The Buhari administration is utterly shameless. No man is God and their time will soon be over,” he added.

Since 2007, Fayose has been having a running battle with the anti-graft agency. A new twist was however introduced to it in 2016, following the discovery that the governor, had allegedly benefitted from the alleged arms deal scandal, amounting to N1.3bn, which he was alleged to have received from the then minister of state for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro to prosecute his election in 2014. Obanikoro has since joined the All Progressive Congress, (APC).

Fayose’s party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost the July 2018 governorship election in Ekiti State, to the candidate of the APC, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. He defeated PDP’s candidate and outgoing deputy governor, Olusola Kolapo, to win the race.



Barely 24 hours after the election was won and lost, the EFCC, had in a tweet noted that with Fayose’s tenure ending in less than three months, he should be preparing to visit the Commission.

The Commission intimated that investigation into Fayose’s alleged N1.3 billion poultry project during his first term would be reopened so as to continue the prosecution.

“The parri (party) is over; the cloak of immunity torn apart and the staff broken. Ekiti Integrated Poultry Project/Biological concepts Limited N1.3bn fraud case file dusted off the shelves. See you soon,” the EFCC had tweeted.