₦airaland Forum

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has mocked the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Presidency for wooing its members after branding them corrupt.

A presidential aide yesterday confirmed that the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswil Akpabio, was been lured to join the APC. The governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, is also among those being persuaded to join the ruling party.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Assistant on Prosecution, Okoi Obono-Obla, posted a message on Facebook, Saturday night, saying that Mr Akpabio will be received into APC on Thursday by the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and other top leaders of the party at a rally in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom state.

Mr Akpabio, a former governor of the state is currently being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged gift of N1.4bn to a bank for unknown reasons.



He is also being probed on allegations that the former governor embezzled N108bn during his tenure between 2007 and 2015.

But the PDP is asking why the ruling party are now wooing those it branded corrupt into its fold “having failed to cow such persons through threats, media trials, trumped up corruption charges and raw violence, the APC is now seeking to ensnare them with promises of political opportunities it no longer has control over.”

The opposition party in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, described the move as “a failed antic of an apprehended and deflated felon.”

The party said it was “despicable and hypocritical, for attempting to woo PDP members into its now discredited and famished fold.

“The PDP has nothing but pity for the APC, who, in its blind desperation, cannot see that the train has since left the station and that no body, no matter the lure, abandons a cruising liner, which the PDP now represents, to jump into a sinking ship with a disoriented captain which the APC has become.

“Indeed, no one, no matter the enticement, runs into a collapsing building from where terrified, wounded and traumatized people are already taking flight for their dear lives.



“Nigerians can now see the shameless hypocrisy of the APC, which is now going about, cap in hand, to beg the same persons it haunted as corrupt and evil, seeing that it has been overrun by the tides.

“The dilapidated APC, by now, ought to have known that no Nigerian will again fall for its gimmick of false promises and subject him or herself to the prison yard democracy, that it offers.

“We therefore counsel the APC to leave our members alone and stop acting like that evil character who roams about seeking for whom to devour or drag along into the pit, knowing that his time is short.

“The APC should quit its antics and find an abandoned cave of history to lick its wounds, having squandered the goodwill given to it by Nigerians in 2015.

“The eclipsing APC must know that Nigerians have had enough of its lies, deception, propaganda, contrivances, beguilements and are now resolute in their iron-cast determination to rally on the platform of the repositioned PDP to rescue our nation from the curse which the APC has come to represent in the last three years,” the statement read.

idealogical:
And saraki will have the majority to sanction his seat? I said in America, the majority picks the senate president, you said the majority picks the senate president in Nigeria. Are you not agreeing with me?. Are you confused or you did not properly read and comprehend what I posted.?

Stop proving my point for me.

FEMI Falana, Human Rights Activist, has stated why the mass defection of lawmakers at the National Assembly is illegal.

Majority of lawmakers who recently dumped the All Progressive Congress (APC) for opposition parties cited division in the ruling party. Most of them switched over to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).

The ruling party is currently engulfed in crisis presently in 24 states of the federation. The APC is also factionalised with the emergence of ‘Reformed APC’ from its fold.

Mr Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said the crisis bedeviling the ruling APC was not legally enough for the defectors to have left the party.

While the constitution enables one to freely associate where their interest is being protected, the activist says this must not be so after one is being sponsored to attain whatever position the person is currently occupying.



He said anyone willing to decamp must first resign then start afresh on the mantle of the new platform and since this has not occurred the mass defection is illegal.

The senior advocate noted that defectors were supposed to lose their seats once they dump the party on which platform they were elected in the first place.

“You cannot leave the party that sponsored your election for another party without resigning so that you can ask for a fresh mandate from the electorate,” Falana said on Thursday while analysing the matter from a legal angle during an exclusive interview with Channels Television on the sidelines of an event in Lagos.



“That has not happened in this case. What the law is saying is that before you can have a division that will necessitate or legalise your defection, the division in your party must be total.”

The lawyer insisted that a defection cannot be based on a division announcing a press conference, saying the process of leaving a party for another was more than that.

“It cannot be a figment of imagination; it cannot be an artificial fictionalisation. In this instance, I have not recognised a division envisaged by the constitution,” he said.

Falana, however, said if the crisis in the party was similar to the one witnessed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after the 2015 general elections, such defection would have been justified by the law.

He recalled that Senators Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi had led factions of the opposition party which produced two sets of national officers of the PDP.

TIMI Frank, a former National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress has dumped the party.

Mr Frank who dumped the APC on Friday said was leaving the party to continue his opposition against injustice, intimidation, political persecution and criminalisation of all opponents of the ruling party.

However, the former deputy spokesman did not indicate which party he was defecting to. The gale of defection that has hit APC so far has seen majority of the defectors move to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).



Announcing his defection in a statement, Frank said he was ready again to contribute his quota to the progress and development of Nigeria by joining hands with “progressive forces to rescue the country from collapse, poverty, corruption, tyranny, ignominy and undemocratic leadership.”

Frank thanked his supporters, both home and abroad, for their encouragement during his stay in the APC which he said has continued to be a soothing balm “under this arid regime and also to inform them of my decision, after extensive reflection and consultations, to leave the APC and to commence afresh the struggle to reestablish the rule of law, respect for the fundamental human rights of Nigerians and the restoration of justice, fairness and equity in the conduct of affairs in this country, irrespective of the personality that may be at the helm of affairs at any given time.”

A federal lawmaker at the Senate, Abu Ibrahim, has threatened that the upper legislative chamber will never experience peace if its President, Bukola Saraki, refuses to step aside.

Since he dumped the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), there have been several calls urging Mr Saraki to relinquish the position.

The argument is that since he (Saraki) has left the APC which is alleged to be the majority at the Senate, the party must produce the next leadership of the house.

It is on this basis that Senator Abu Ibrahim insist that the Senate President must resign else peace will be elusive in the Senate.

Mr Ibrahim who represents Katsina South at the upper chamber commended Saraki for his doggedness in leaving the party.

“I think it is commendable that he has left the party. He has chosen the path of survival because it is the issue of political survival not any thing for Nigeria,” he said while granting an interview to journalists on Thursday.

“But next is for him to resign as Senate President, because by all conventions all over the world, the majority party produces the leadership; Senate President, the Majority Leader and others.

“Again, let him be gentleman enough and resign as Senate President.

“If he does not, we will never have peace in that Senate because it is absolutely clear that APC has majority to produce the leadership.

“I hear the PDP claiming majority, but it is crystal clear that APC has majority. We will have more members. We will conduct two bye-elections and we will have the two members.

“We also have some alliance with APGA. It is clear that APC has majority,” Ibrahim said.

The lawmaker also debunked as unfounded an allegation that some senators attempted to break into the Senate chamber on Wednesday to reconvene plenary.

“How do you break into the chamber? If we like we can reconvene legally because it is legal for us to reconvene.

“We do not need to break into the chamber when we have the number. I will never subscribe to that. We can reconvene. The rules are there that if we are up to 30 we can reconvene.



“Why should we break into the chamber when we can reconvene legally and do what we want to do,” he said.

The position of Ibrahim that the Senate President should step aside on the basis of the party with the ‘majority’ at the chamber, HEADLINE understands holds no water according to the constitution.

Saraki who emerged the leader of the National Assembly and the 8th Senate found himself in that position based on his alliance with PDP Senators. He emerged against the wish of his party, APC.

Section 50(2) of the Nigerian Constitution says the President or Deputy President of the Senate shall vacate his office if:- (a) if he ceases to be a member of the Senate.

(b) when the House of which he was a member first sits after any dissolution of that House.

(c) if he is removed from office by a resolution of the Senate by the votes of not less than two-thirds majority of the members of that House.

Though it will be difficult if not impossible to oust him legally, the only option left for APC is to persuade Saraki to willingly step down but the lawmaker according to his aide wishes to retain his position.

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari is not bothered about the gale of defections rocking his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), Rochas Okorocha, Imo State governor has said.

Mr Okorocha, who is the chairman of APC Governors Forum, also said the president now sleeps well than he had ever done.

The governor stated this after he led his colleagues to a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, Okorocha said no one was going to leave the party again.

Last week, since the defection from APC started the party has lost three governors, Senate President Bukola Saraki as well as several senators and members of the House of Representatives.



Most of those who left the APC pitch their tent with the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).

Mr Okorocha said the governors met with Mr Buhari to assure him that the APC was still leading with 22 governors.

“We came to assure him that his foot soldiers are ready, and the president is in high spirits,” the Imo governor said.



“In fact, he says nowadays, he has to sleep with his alarm clock if not he will pass the time of his sleep.

“We have 22 states, 53 senators. We are still the majority, and we are hoping to get more into our party.

“So we are here to let Mr President know that we are with him. Nobody is leaving the party anymore,” he said.

Okorocha said the defection by APC members is another form of corruption fighting back against Mr Buhari over his decision to tackle the menace.

ToyinOlorunsola:
I like the logic of those who argued that Tambuwa set the precedence some years back, and no one forced him to resign.
If the then ruling party felt there was no need that he should resign, good.
Now, I believe if the present ruling party feels there should be a change of baton, then I honestly believe it is right.

ajl:
Olodo! My 12 year old nephew just told me to inform you that the party with the majority get the Senate President position.

beey2:
You are missing it my brother, it will be hypocritical if you like and do what you disliked and complained others of doing. Saraki would be wrong to wear APC Crown on PDP Apparel.

NB: I'm not for either of APC or PDP, kindly be so guided.

ToyinOlorunsola:
You are the one missing the point. If indeed APC has the highest members, the party should produce the senate president.

THE deputy governor of Kano State, Prof. Hafizu Abubakar, has on Wednesday dumped the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).

Mr Abubakar defection comes hours after Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, defected from the party.

This also comes hours after the deputy governor petitioned the State Police Command and Department of Security Service (DSS), over alleged threat to his life and plans to impeach him.

Last week, a former governor of the State and now a serving Senator, Rabiu Kwankwaso, had dumped the APC for the PDP.

Details later…

THE Federal Government has nothing to lose with the exit of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, has said.

Mr Mohammed said Saraki has all along been behaving like a member of the opposition even while still a member of the APC.

He stated this in an interview with State House correspondents at the end of the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by President Muhamamdu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“If Senate President Bukola Saraki were not a member of the APC, the party and the government it leads could not have suffered more than they had already done, with regards to the delay in passing the budget, approving key appointments and so on,” Mohammed said.

“In other words, Saraki has behaved all along as a member of the opposition, deliberately slowing down the progress of the APC-led Federal Government.



“It is therefore neither a surprise nor a blow that he has defected.

“Perhaps, the only surprise is that when he eventually defected, it was a mere whimper!

“If we didn’t gain by having our member as Senate President, we stand to lose nothing by losing him.”

Mohammed also claimed that the Kwara State chapter of the APC will only be stronger with Saraki’s exit.



“The APC can only be stronger in Kwara. Realising this, the true APC members in the state have come together to strengthen the party, open its doors to new members and reposition it for the 2019 elections, with a view to delivering Kwara to President Muhammadu Buhari.

“This was what we did this past weekend, and you saw the way the people reacted.

“Yet, what happened at the weekend was not even a rally. It was a consultative stakeholders’ meeting. And it was a defining moment for the millions of Kwarans seeking political direction and emancipation.

“Thankfully, the national leadership of our party has hearkened to our demands by dissolving the executives and constituting a caretaker committee.

“That offers a fresh start for the APC in Kwara. No one tree, no matter how big, can make a forest. Every Kwaran is important in the emerging political dispensation in the state, and it is the realisation of this new dawn that has set the state agog for the APC,” he said.

Limitednow:
Source: https://www.headlineng.com/ortom-efcc-begin-security-vote-probe-presidency/

SAMUEL Ortom, Benue State Governor, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to start the probe of security vote from the Presidency if the anti-graft agency were not after him for dumping the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Mr Ortom had dumped the APC last week, days after his defection the EFCC resurfaced with the probe of his security vote.

The governor described his probe as a clear case of persecution and witch-hunting.

In a chat with newsmen shortly after a state broadcast, in Makurdi, the state capital on Wednesday, Governor Ortom wondered why he would be singled out among all governors in the country for such probe and advised the anti-graft agency to begin the probe from the Presidency.

“So far, I am the only governor in Nigeria whose Security Vote is being investigated by the EFCC. Why should Benue case be different if not persecution?” he queried.



“If the EFCC wanted a genuine investigation of security vote spending they should have started from the Presidency right across the 36 states.

“If their focus was on Benue State they should have started from 1999 when Senator Akume was Governor. But this is not the case. I want the whole world to know that all this is about persecution and a clear case of witch-hunting.

“With the enormous security challenges in the State since my assumption of office it is surprising that any one would expect me to do nothing but keep the security vote in the safe.



“The security vote spending being investigated spans from 2015 to 2018, a period of grave security challenges in the state. I reiterate that the investigation is a clear case of persecution.

“I have not misappropriated, diverted or stolen any money. I have nothing to hide. I assure that the investigators can find nothing incriminating against me,” Ortom said.

Ortom who explained that he is being persecuted for enacting the Anti-Open Grazing Law and his recent defection from the ruling APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wondered why as a citizen of the country he cannot associate with any party he wants.

He maintained that he had to decamp from the APC because the interest of the Benue people and his own interest were no longer being protected.

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disclosed the reason why plots to impeach Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, was carried out.

The opposition party said they believe the plot by minority lawmakers of the Benue House of Assembly to oust Ortom was plotted to install fear on other politicians who might be planning to join the PDP from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), just like the governor did.

The party disclosed this in a statement issued after the emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Ortom who defected from the APC last week said his action was based on pressure mounted on him by his constituents. The impeachment plot against him was initiated by 8 lawmaker of the State assembly after they gained entrance into the complex with the support of the police.

While they were allowed to go ahead with the business of the day, their 22 colleagues belonging to the PDP were denied access to the legislative chamber by the police which is controlled by t



The APC lawmakers accused Mr Ortom of misappropriating billions in public funds while state workers groan amidst unpaid salaries.

Expressing shock over the development which was led by Terkibir Ikyange, the suspended speaker of the assembly oust last week, the PDP accused the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, and the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government for the action.

“The NWC condemns in its entirely the purported sitting of eight APC members including the impeached and suspended Speaker; (in a 30 member House) wherein they illegally claimed to have served an impeachment notice on the Governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom. PDP also condemns the use of the EFCC and DSS to harass and intimidate officials of the Benue State Government,” the PDP said.



“We note the roles played by the factional Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government and Sen. George Akume in encouraging lawless acts and anarchy in Benue State.

“The party believes the actions and opinions expressed by Oshiomole on the decamping of Governor Ortom to the PDP as an act intended to precipitate crisis for declaration of state of emergency in Benue,” it added.

The PDP warned against such deliberate acts adding that these were “maliciously designed to truncate democracy by employing underhand tactics to achieve what is inconceivable in a democracy.”

“The party calls on the Nigerian public, the civil society organisations and International Community to note the series of plots and deliberate attempts by the Buhari led APC Federal Government to cause mayhem in a state that is struggling to recover from a spate of killings and bloodletting.

“We are aware that these plots were designed to scare away Nigerians, including state governors and legislators, who are desirous of rallying with the PDP to rescue our nation from the misgovemance of the Buhari regime.”

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari says the gale of defection going on in the country does not bother him.

Mr Buhari said this was because Nigerians have confidence in him and his administration.

The president stated this while responding to a question during an interactive session with the Nigerian community in Togo at the Nigerian Embassy, Lome, Togo.

“I am not bothered about the defections,” Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity quoted him as saying on Monday.

“Ordinary Nigerians have developed confidence in us and are defending us.



“I assure you, majority of Nigerians back home are appreciative of our efforts,” Buhari said.

Buhari assured his audience that his administration had remained steadfast in keeping to its three campaign promises of providing security, improving the economy and fighting corruption.

“I assure you that we are making progress in security as some displaced farmers are returning to their farms.

“We will continue to work very hard for our dear country,” he stressed.

The president noted that if past governments had utilised even 25 per cent of the huge oil revenue available to them, Nigerians would not be complaining today.



In his welcome address, the Nigerian Ambassador to Togo, Joseph Iji, said the close to two million Nigerians in Togo were law-abiding and peaceful.

He, however, drew the president’s attention to the inability of the Nigerian Mission in Lome to issue Nigerian passports, making applicants to go to Ghana or Benin Republic.

On its part, the APC Togo Chapter, told President Buhari not to be worried about the defections from the party, assuring him of its support in the 2019 presidential election.

The President’s first official engagement on arrival in Lome ahead of the Joint ECOWAS/Economic Community of Central African States Summit,

President Buhari will also be participating in the 53rd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, among others.